“Wait, special? Why was it special?”
“You didn’t see Mr. Lambert? He doesn’t usually attend these kinds of things, too busy with his big corporation and all that, you see. Last week though he made an appearance, it was something to do with a business contract or so I heard. Gotta put in an appearance, you know how that stuff works.” I don’t actually know how that stuff works but I have a feeling that she thinks I’m much older than I actually am.
“Oh, so he’s not here tonight?” I can’t hide the disappointment in my voice; I can only hope that she doesn’t notice.
“No, he’s off on his private jet or in his big office down in the city,” she starts laughing a laugh that I find somewhat distasteful considering what she says next, “probably counting his money or something.” I smile a half-hearted smile and decide that if I can’t find my new obsession by “accident” then I will damn well seek him out.
“Hah, yeah, probably. Where is his office anyway? I bet it’s a huge building if this place is anything to go by.” She raises her eyebrow at me with a smirk.
“Going to go track him down are you?”
“Yeah, and ask him to marry me!” I laugh to emphasize that I’m obviously kidding and she joins me.
“It’s only the biggest building in the city darlin’, you’d never miss it.” She starts walking back towards the oven before turning back to me, “Just keep me in mind when you get in on those billions of dollars.”
I want to walk out of the door, get in my car and drive down to the biggest building in the city right now. I want to tell Gideon Lambert that I was expecting to see him again when one of his representatives called and offered me the job. He had to be the reason that I got the job anyway, I mean, huge estate representatives don’t call to offer charity server positions. But if he knew he wouldn’t be there then why the hell would he go to the trouble of setting that up? I make a mental note to ask him when I finally do track him down again, and I start trying to come up with a reason as to why he set me up with the job. I bet that righteous bastard felt sorry for me. I feel anger beginning to rise. How dare he feel sorry for me. Besides, what the hell kind of contacts did he think these stiffs were going to be? They didn’t give me the time of day the last time I was here. My hands start to shake and my jaw is clenched so hard it hurts. I will not stay at this charity charity job to give him the satisfaction of handing me work.
Reaching in to my pocket I grab my car keys and walk out of the back door.
Chapter Six
The caterer sure wasn’t kidding when she said that it was the tallest building in the city. Covered in huge glass panels the building stands at least ten floors above every other building and it even has its own valet, who only looked too happy to take my car as soon as I pulled up. The main foyer has the biggest receptionist’s desk I have ever seen with a wall of televisions behind it, all broadcasting news from around the world.
“Can I help you, Miss?” Something about the way the receptionist said “miss” made me want to slap her, as though she was talking to a schoolgirl.
“Yes,” I look at her name badge, a shiny silver oval with her name ‘Olivia’ topped with the word’s “Lambert Enterprises” in bold blue letters, “Olivia, you can help me. I would like to see Mr. Lambert.” I try to sound firm and confident but it’s obvious that she’s not buying it.
“Well, would you have an appointment?” My nerves are now completely been replaced by sheer irritation.
“Olivia, if I had an appointment I would have said that I had one. I do; however, need to see Gideon now.” She is shocked by my use of his first name and begins to flip through a pile of papers, a sour look still marring her overly made up face. While she searches for whatever it is that she is looking for I take a look around the room. I have absolutely no idea what it is that Lambert Enterprises actually does but it must involve middle aged people in suits looking very busy and walking through the lobby as many times as possible in a short time span. After a while they all start to look the same, nameless, faceless suits. I bet it’s finance, they all look like the finance type.
“I’m sorry, Miss…” She waits for my name but when I don’t give it she continues “but Mr. Lambert isn’t taking meetings today.” I sigh loudly to make sure she gets the point.
“Olivia, I really need to see Gideon, would you please just call up and tell him that I’m here, my name is…” She flashes her eyes up to meet mine and in a short sharp tone refuses my request.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Miss. He’s very busy.” The woman is the most exasperating person that I have ever met. She could most certainly keep the dogs at bay but good God was she aggravating when you were one of the dogs. Throwing my hands up at her I head for the revolving door. If he won’t see me then I’ll sit in the bar across the street and wait for him to come out, he has to go home sometime. This man will hear exactly why I don’t need his pity, his charity charity positions.
The Winston Arms is an oddly rundown pub for sitting on the city block across from Lambert Enterprises. It’s not sleazy, but it’s no high class establishment either. The solid oak bar wraps around a square in the center of the room, providing a two sided bar that serves two separate rooms with a doorway on each side of the bar to pass between the two. The floor is sticky and worn and while it isn’t crowded it definitely looks like the type of place that has “regulars.” A few of those “regulars” sit at the bar with plates of greasy bar food and pint glasses of beer. They huddle together talking of mergers and ‘what a bitch that Marilyn in accounting is’ and I try my best to avoid their gaze as I walk in. After that little encounter with Olivia I sure as hell don’t feel like being ogled or drawn in to a random conversation by bored businessmen looking for entertainment.
“What can I get ya?” The bartender swings around from the back side of the bar looking directly at me. He has a mop of blond hair that reminds me of the first night that I met Gideon and how that flop of brown hair kept falling over his eyes.
“Umm…I’m driving so I guess I’ll just take an orange juice? Urgh I wish I wasn’t driving, I could so use a few shots of tequila about now!” The bartender cracks a smile and winks at me.
“Rough day?” He is already pouring my orange juice in an elegant tapered glass.
“You could say that.” He places the glass on the bar along with a small napkin.
“It can only get better right?” He seems like a nice enough guy but to be honest I’m still so pissed off at Gideon that I don’t want to hear it. I sigh and wrap my fingers around the glass which is already starting to condensate.
“Yeah, I guess. How much do I owe you?”
“$3.25 and a smile…please?” This guy isn’t going to quit so I flash a quick smile and fish in my purse for my wallet…and keep fishing. As I flail around desperately I realize that not only did I take my wallet out of my purse last night, but I also took my cards out of my wallet to slip them in to my gym pants, so that I wouldn’t look like I was carrying a concealed weapon while slaving away on the treadmill. Fuck, I can already feel the blush rising in my cheeks. There are few things more embarrassing that going to pay for something and not having the means to do so.
“Shit, look, I’m really sorry but I can’t find my wallet, I think I left it at home.” The bartender flashes a smile again and just as he’s about to say something, which I’m sure was ‘don’t worry, this one’s on me,” a big hand grasps my shoulder. I want to turn around and see just who that hand belongs to but on the other hand I’m absolutely terrified it will turn out to be one of the faceless middle aged men from Gideon’s building trying his luck or one of the guys who was just bitching about Marilyn in accounting.
“Don’t worry Dave, I’ve got this one.” As soon as he speaks I know it’s him, I’d know that velvety voice anywhere. Gideon’s fingers squeeze harder on my shoulder and he leans down, his mouth brushing against my ear. “I hear you’ve been giving Olivia some trouble…”
“
Well, Olivia was a little less than accommodating.” My voice is far less confident than I had hoped and it certainly didn’t convey just how aggravated I was with him. I feel his warm breath brush against my ear and it sends shock waves throughout my body. There is something about this man, something that drives to the very core of me, something that makes my body ache and my pussy sing for that fat throbbing cock of his. I find myself drifting in to the memory of him fucking me in the basement bar, the memory of him rubbing his cock against my feet, the memory of how hard he made me cum and how much he left me aching for more.
“Ahh, so I should fire her?” He snaps me from the reminiscing and I spin around to look at him, shocked that he would even suggest something like that.
“No, that’s awful! I don’t want to be responsible for someone losing their job! And speaking of hiring and firing, I don’t appreciate you sending charity charity work my way. I can find my own gigs, thank you very much. I don’t need anyone feeling sorry for me.” I know it’s a lie and I’m fairly sure that he does too. I need all the help I can get when it comes to making connections and getting work, but I need to be angry at him right now. I need to let him know just how disappointed I am and how used I feel. I grab my drink off the bar and head over to a table in the darkest corner of the room. Gideon wastes no time following me, a look of confusion on his face.
“What are you talking about?” I take a large gulp of my orange juice and contemplate just how I am going to answer him.
“Your ‘representative’ who offered me work at the charity gig. I figured it was your way of trying to see me again,” oh shit, did I really just say that out loud? I must sound like such an idiot “and it turns out you weren’t even there at all, rather I was hired as a charity case to throw a little work my way.”
I don’t quite expect what Gideon does next; he lets out the loudest laugh I have ever heard, a laugh which simultaneously leaves me embarrassed and wanting to laugh myself.
“I swear to you that I had absolutely nothing to do with that whole set up. Whoever called you to offer you the job wasn’t anything to do with me, perhaps the planning committee, but I rarely have time to grab a quick lunch these days, let alone set up secret deals to hire you. No offense. Besides, do you really think I’d invite you to the seedy bar in the basement for a second night of fun? I mean, as great as it was, the basement bar isn’t exactly my style of seduction.”
“It worked well enough the first time.” I smirk at him and take a sip of my juice. “I’m sorry, I just thought…” I feel like a complete idiot and find myself wrapping a strand of my long dark hair around my fingers nervously. God help me if Gideon Lambert thinks I’m some unstable nutcase who goes off on tirades when she feels slighted.
“Mmhmm. Look, if you are looking for work I do have something in mind but it sure as hell doesn’t involve holding drink trays.” He gives me a wink and a brief smile, the type of smile that a fox would give a rabbit before consuming it, if foxes could smile.
“I don’t know that I am. I just, I got my wires crossed, sorry.” I can’t help but wonder just what kind of position the elite Gideon Lambert could have for me, but I certainly don’t want to seem overeager, particularly after my little outburst. He flashes me another wink and I smile back but still can’t help obsessing over the type of work a girl like me could do for a man like him. Even for Gideon Lambert I don’t think I could sell out to the corporate world. Sure, it’d make my mother happy and it would mean that I could see him again, but would I compromise the ethics that I’ve spent so long broadcasting from my soapbox? Would I choose a man over my crusade to ‘do the right thing?’
“Hungry?” Gideon grabs a menu from the side wall, it’s covered with a thick film of fingerprints and who knows what else.
“No, thank you.” I dare not risk the food in a place like this, although Gideon seems quite confident in their culinary abilities.
“Ah, well, at least I could order you another drink.”
“Okay but just orange juice please, I’m driving.” He smirks at me, and I know in that instant that there is no way that I’m driving home.
“Oh, I’ll see to it that you get home safely. I want to pick a drink for you.” I’m hesitant about that; I haven’t touched a drink since the last time I saw Gideon and the man left me with one hell of a hangover. “Good, the ‘sex on the beach’ it is.”
I’m a) fairly certain that he’s trying to shock me with the name of the drink he’s ordering and b) completely certain that he’s trying to get me drunk. I can’t help it though; there is no feasible way to say no to Gideon Lambert. I know now why the man is so successful.
When Gideon returns to our table with the drinks in hand I take a sip and nearly choke on the sheer alcohol content.
“Wowwwwwwwww, that’s strong!” He flashes his sexy smile and sets a glass of water down on the table. “Wait, you’re drinking water? Great, now I look like a lush.” He laughs.
“Well one of us has to have some judgment or things could get terribly out of hand.” The sound of things getting ‘terribly out of hand’ didn’t actually seem all that bad.
“Would that be such a bad thing, Mr. Lambert? I sort of enjoyed myself the last time things got out of hand.” He flashes me a look of disapproval and leans in, lowering his voice to a whisper.
“Rule number one, you call me Ricky.”
“Why? It’s not like you don’t own the building across the street…”
“No, as far as these people are concerned” he motions his hand to incorporate everyone in the room, “I work in the building across the street and I’d really like to keep it that way. I like to keep a low profile Melissa, the last thing I want is tabloids and paparazzi showing up at my home putting their noses in my business.”
“Oh, sorry…” I’m fairly certain I’ve upset him this time.
“I just like being me. Gideon Lambert comes with so many strings attached, golf games and frivolous investments and purchases to make people happy.” He truly sounds exasperated.
“But you showed up at the charity event the other week to make people happy, didn’t you?” I realize as I say it that I more than likely shouldn’t know the information I just admitted to knowing.
“That was charity Melissa, I made a donation to their charity and they wouldn’t accept unless I showed up at the benefit in person to donate it to them. When it comes to business and living the wealthy lifestyle, I can’t stand that shit. I’d rather walk in here every day for lunch, order a burger, fries and a coke and not have someone drill me about what it’s like to be a billionaire.” I take a long sip of my drink, trying not to choke on the weight of the alcohol content. “If you really want to see what things are like in the life of a billionaire like me, take me up on that job offer.”
“Can I think about it?” I suck the remains of my drink through the straw and try to pierce a cherry that sits waterlogged at the bottom of the glass. It rolls around defiantly and I finally give up setting my glass down on the table.
“Sure, you think about it, I’ll get you another drink” Two more drinks is all it will take to get me to the point of complete idiocy and I am certainly not prepared to make a fool of myself for a second time in front of this man.
“Just one more!” I’m fairly certain he hears me although he is pretending that he doesn’t and I watch him head over to the bar once more. Minutes later he has set another drink in front of me and one in front of himself. “Oh so you’re drinking now? What changed your mind?” He runs his tongue along his bottom lip and winks at me.
“I just can’t resist a slippery nipple” Lifting the glass to his mouth he throws the drink back and slams his glass on the table. “Your turn!” God help us both if he starts a drinking competition because I know he isn’t the type to back down and I’ll at least put up one hell of a fight.
“Well, at least tell me what I’m drinking first?” I eye the colorful drink in the tall glass, wondering just how much punch this one will p
ack when I suck it down.
“Mmm, you’re about to experience a little ‘Afternoon Delight.’” He licks those lips again and I can’t tear my eyes away from his mouth. I remember how it felt to have those lips against me, his tongue teasing me, his mouth begging for more.
“Is that right? Afternoon delight, huh?” I pull the straw to my lips and take a sip; it’s strong but not bad. Definitely enough to make me more than a little buzzed, that’s for sure. One more of these and I’d be begging him to fuck me right there in the bar with complete disregard of what anyone thought. I look back to his mouth as I remember just how it felt to have him kiss me, pressing hard against my mouth. He watches me for a moment as I watch his mouth and then grabs my hand and leaps up from the table. “Hey! I’m not finished!” I know exactly what he wants now, I can see the bulge growing larger in his dress pants and I’d be lying to say it doesn’t make me horny as hell too.
“Oh, you want to stay and finish that big tall drink, Melissa?” I’m pretty sure I have the upper hand here so smartly I nod my head, pry away from his hand and pull the straw to my mouth. He sits back down reluctantly. As I begin to suck the straw I watch him start to fidget uncomfortably, he reaches his hand under the table and I am certain that he’s adjusting himself and hoping not to be noticed. I slide my tongue seductively over the straw and keep my eyes trained on him as he clears his throat and bites his bottom lip hard.
The Billionaire's Wife: The Complete Collection (A BDSM Erotic Romance Novel) Page 3
