Two Hard

by Amy Brent

  “I see, that tends to be the case doesn’t it?”

  Dahlia nodded. “SO they were forced, to give me an assignment and they gave me this one.”

  Judy laughed lightly. “I admire your tenacity dear. You're refusing to give up.”

  “I won’t give up; they gave me this assignment thinking I’d give up.”

  “Yet, you almost did today. You knew I was a way in, but almost left.”

  Dahlia sighed. “I may want the story, but only if I can get it the right way.”

  “Well, I will get you an interview with my son.” She held up her hand to calm Dahlias apparent excitement. “But, you have to understand a couple of things. First of all, he is a private man, stubborn and overall he can be a real ass. I know he is my son, but he is all business and will probably not be overly pleasant to you.”

  “I’ve been bullied all my life Mrs. Meyers; I think I can handle your son.”

  “We will see.” Judy clinked her glass with Dahlias and the two set off discussing fashion once more.

  Landon

  Landon Meyers had one too many things on his plate and he was slowly losing patience with all of them. He spun his chair around to look outside at the rain once more. There was something soothing about it, even from up here. His office was at the top of the tower and the view was normally breathtaking. He worked in the heart of the city, and even still he could look out over it, and see the green grasses that went beyond its edges. He tapped his pen on the desk and exhaled slowly.

  He wasn’t in the business of giving away money, and she certainly wasn’t about to start now. His mother, being who she was, continually pushed him to give back to the community, but he refused. He didn’t have time for the type of image branding she had in mind. Truth be told, he didn’t like dealing with people very much at all, especially since they seemed to go out of their way to irritate him so much. That being said he loved his mother, and had agreed to letting a local magazine do a story on him. Truth be told he would much rather be racing his bike up on a good track of land. It did something to sooth him somehow.

  He didn’t hate people, no that was a strong word. He just liked doing things his way, and he liked to win and make money. Somehow the world didn’t seem to think the way he did. Or, rather, they thought what he did was bad. He scooped up all the broken pieces of companies and made them whole again, and in turn made a profit. He was just a businessman, nothing more.

  He glanced at his watch frowning. If she wanted to do this it needed to happen now, he had much more important things to do than wait on some reporter, who, of course, would be late. In all fairness, they still had two minutes, but he doubted their ability to be on time, especially given their field. As usual, watching the clock did nothing but make things slow down so he focused instead on his schedule for the week. He was still focused on it when he heard the buzz.

  “Let him in.”

  He waited for the interviewer to come in so that he could feel him out. The key to business was always knowing your opponent, though in this case he wasn’t an opponent, simply a writer. Nothing could have prepared him for the person that came through the door. She was bubbly, almost overly so as she finished up a conversation with his receptionist and came through his door.

  She had a mass of auburn curls that cascaded down her back. She had it pulled back out of her face, and her blue eyes were smiling as they met his darker ones. She held out her hand to him.

  “Mr. Meyers, I am Dahlia Jones. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  He shook it lightly and watched her as she settled into the seat across from his desk. She was poised and yet there was something carefree about her nature as she hummed to herself pulling out her pad and a pen to jot down some notes. She was a beautiful girl, if he was honest with himself. She curvy, abundantly so in some places and she had no issues showcasing those curves in her attire. She was wearing a black dress, it hugged her frame just slightly, giving off her shapely figure, and she had a dark green blazer which she was taking off and draping over her chair as she watched her.

  There was something about her face that made her beautiful, and play full at the same time, something completely new to him. He was still watching her when he realized she was talking to him.

  “I’m sorry you were saying.” He presented to her.

  “I was saying I am choosing to take notes today, no recorder. I get the impression you’re a rather private man.”

  “I am.” He let his eyes bore into hers for a moment and he noticed that her happy go lucky demeanor dimmed slightly.

  “I really do appreciate the time you're offering to me over the next couple weeks. I’m confident we can put together something that will suit us both.”

  “Two weeks? I never agreed to that Miss Jones, and I’m not agreeing to it now. If you want to ask me a few things this is your chance to do it.” He felt himself getting back to normal, where he liked to be.

  She frowned and he watched a range of emotions cross her face. “On the contrary Mr. Meyers, you signed the agreement to give me the time.” She slipped the paper across his desk. “I’d appreciate it if you kept your word.” Her voice was calm, and barely above a whisper.

  He grabbed the form he had, in fact signed about this whole ordeal and cursed slightly under his breath. He balled it up and threw it in the wastebasket by his desk. “I’m afraid there must have been some communication issue.”

  “That’s not a problem Mr. Meyers, however, given the information I already know about you that was copied, just in case you wanted to have a tantrum or something. Now, I’d be happy to strange my schedule to suit yours, but you would have to coordinate with me on that.” She gave him a sweet smile and he felt the heat rise in him.

  “Listen honey, I don’t know who you are or what trash slinging paper or magazine you work for. The fact of the matter is I am in charge and I simply don’t have the time, or energy to waste on you and your little project. I’d be happy to answer a few questions, but it would be in your best interest to stay on my good side.” He leaned towards her even more.

  “Is that how you do it?” She asked him, seemingly unaffected by him.

  “Do what?” He frowned.

  “Get people to sell you their business for a fraction of the cost. Does intimidation work for you?” She leaned forward towards him now, almost challengingly. “See, the way I see it, I have a legal and binding document saying we meet for two hours a day for the next two weeks. You can throw a fit or yell at me, whatever you want to do, but you owe me that time. I’d hate to have to drag you to court, the press would eat this up and you’d come out losing money, and losing more of that precious time you’re so worried about losing.”

  He watched her face, and the way she inflected each syllable carefully. Yes, she was something alright. For the first time in a long time he felt excitement rush through him. It had been a long time indeed, since someone, anyone, had challenged him and he found himself amused. He leaned back in his chair, smiling.

  “You win Miss Jones. I concede.” He watched her chin lift with the small victory and part of him loved the game they were playing.

  He let his eyes travel the rest of her resting momentarily on her ample breasts that seemed to be straining against the material of the dress. She was fascinating to look at, full of colors and life something he rarely ever had any more.

  His position in the community pushed him into the arms of every available debutante on the east coast all petite and slender, with a sense of acceptance to whatever he wanted. In bed some of them were a little more than dormant, but nothing made him more excited than a good challenge, and Miss Jones was just that. He had never been with anyone like her, and he found the idea intoxicating. She carried herself with a sense of confidence that he appreciated.

  “Tell me about the company, how it started etc.” She waited, clearing her throat.

  “That’s a matter of public knowledge Miss Jones, isn’t there anything more exciting you’d like t
o know?” He was baiting her, and by the look on her face she knew it.

  “Fine, I can skip down to the colorful stuff, as you call it.” She flipped through her notes, glancing up at him for a second. “Why aren’t you married? I know your mother would certainly like that.”

  He laughed, taking them both by surprise. “You and my mother have been spending time together, I see.” He paused. “I don’t have an answer for you Miss Jones, only that it seems unimportant.”

  She jotted down some notes. “You were linked to Rebecca Livingston, but lately she has been dating someone else. What happened there?”

  “She wanted more, I was bored.”

  He watched her face flush slightly before she looked back up at him. “How can you be bored, you have a massive company with plenty of money, you’re obviously a good enough looking guy and you can pretty much do anything you want. Plus, I’ve seen her, she is beautiful.”

  “You certainly do say whatever is on your mind don’t you Miss Jones?”

  “Call me Dahlia, please and yes. Why waste time when you can get right to the point?”

  He shrugged. “I agree, that’s how I do business as well. I don’t sugar coat anything and I always get what I want in the end. Or at least close to it.” He stared at her hard. Good enough looking guy she had said. “Rebecca is a lovely girl, and running this company keeps me occupied.” He paused. “What about you Miss Jones. It seems only fair you be forced to bare your soul like I am.”

  She smiled at him. “I am not having someone write an article on me Mr. Meyers. But, in all fairness, I am not married because I tried it once and it was bad. I feel no need to try again.”

  She moved on. “I get you run this company, but don’t you ever want to enjoy anything? I mean you're locked up in here and no one ever sees you having any fun.” She stood and walked to the massive windows.

  He let his gaze rake over her once more, surprised to feel excitement as he looked at her. He stood then, moving beside her, both of them looking out over the city.

  “I don’t need to go out and have fun Dahlia. I am content in the way my life already is.” He could breathe in her scent and it was intoxicating. “Do you see the ridge over on the corner of Hardwick and St. James?”

  She nodded, frozen to the spot.

  “Well, I own everything between the two. There is a sense of responsibility in that which keeps me grounded. When you lose focus you lose the work you’ve put into things.”

  She turned to face him, her face inches from his. “Maybe you just need to multitask then.”

  “Perhaps your right Dahlia, perhaps you're right.”

  She moved back to the chair to resume the questions and they spent the rest of the hours discussing and debating his business moves. As he watched her leave, he found himself looking forward to the next meeting. She may be in control of the questioning, but if he had his way he would be in control of her in his bed soon enough.

  Dahlia

  She walked out of his office changed. She had gone into this with a sense of what an ass he could be but she had been unprepared for him. He was tall, and he was gorgeous which didn’t help to make her feel any more confident about this assignment. She had taken his mother’s advice to heart and given it back to him just as she had dished it out and he had laughed.

  Part of her wondered if he was judging her the entire time he was looking at her the way he did. It was unnerving and if it continued on tomorrow she would simply strip down and tell him that yes, she is a big girl. He was cold, and calculating and he seemed to have an answer to even her hardest questions, but she knew there was something deep down keeping him that way.

  She quickly called Judy to give her an update.

  “Ok, so I stayed for two full hours.”

  “Was he a jerk to you dear? I know he can be but he is a good man deep down.”

  “Actually I made him laugh.”

  “Well you are off to a good start then dear.”

  They laughed for a time and made plans for another lunch date later in the week. Dahlia felt good about her career for the first time in a long time. Things were definitely going smoother for her than anyone else who had tried.

  The next couple of days flew by and on the fourth day she arrived as usual and he frowned at her as she walked in.

  “Let me guess, this is a bad time right?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  “If I say yes will it matter?” He frowned as he dug through some paperwork on his desk.

  “I’m not a dictator, so yes.” She glanced up at him and waited.

  He scowled. “Just sit down I’ll be back in a minute.”

  She did as he asked and she reveled in her small victory. She was sitting with her feel curled under her when he came back. She was still watching him as he picked up a phone.

  “Figure it out Braden, I don’t have time for this BS, especially since you should have figured it out last month. Do it over the weekend if you have to?” He slammed the phone down into the receiver.

  He glanced over at her “What?”

  “You would probably get more out of people if you didn’t yell at them you know. Not to mention it’s a holiday weekend. Sunday is Easter, you can’t make someone work on a holiday. Don’t be that guy.” She rolled her eyes.

  “You know Dahlia, todays not the day to push me ok?” He ran a hand through his dark hair and she knew he was serious.

  “Fine, do you want to skip today? It’s close to 4 o’clock now anyway and I have things I can do on Friday night.” She was lying, but he didn’t need to know that.

  “No, no if we cancel today I’m just stuck doing this longer.”

  It stung, and she knew that was his intention. Even still she had gotten to know many of his quirks, but sometimes he surprised her. She picked up her book and glanced over the things she still wanted to write about, doing her best to not tell him what she was really feeling. Her day was equally bad, she’d only today found out her ex was seeing her best friend. Or who she thought was her friend anyway. They had been friends since 8th grade and now… She was feeling bad about herself and it wasn’t an area she visited often.

  “Since you’re the one in a mood, why don’t you tell me what is a good place to start today?”

  “Dammit, now I have to do your job too Dahlia?”

  It was too much. “You really are a jackass Meyers. I am trying my best here, but I didn’t do whatever has pissed you off so bad.” She shoved her book into her sling bag, standing as she did so. She grabbed her stuff off the floor and slung her jacket across her arm as she moved towards the office door.

  He stopped her, putting a hand on the door in front of her. “I’m sorry Dahlia.” His words were clipped.

  She stood there for another long moment before she looked up at him. He watched her intently.

  “What do you want me to do then Landon?” She crossed her arms and waited.

  “Nothing, I don’t want you to do anything at all.” He moved quickly, letting his hands moved under the back of her head to pull her mouth closer to his as he crushed it with a kiss.

  She felt her body respond to him quickly and she wasn’t sure exactly when it had happened, but she knew that caring about him was dangerous. She kissed him back, letting his mouth nip and hers and his hands twist in her hair roughly holding her head in place as he kissed her even deeper.

  No one spoke as he loosened her hair, letting it fall down her back. He tipped her head back, letting his mouth kiss the base of her neck and move lower until she felt the heat of his mouth across the top of her breasts.

  “I want you Dahlia.” He said it roughly and she let her eyes meet his.

  She nodded at him, no doubt her decision was one made out of her own angst from her day. Whatever her excuse for her recklessness she would figure it out later. For now, she just wanted to feel him, and the magic he made with his hands on her skin. She walked backwards as he moved in front of her until they were near his couch. He quickly pulled
her dress up and over her head as she undid the buttons on his shirt.

  She was standing in front of him in only her bra and panties, the black lace of both accenting her pale skin even more as he kissed her, pushing her back onto the couch. He looked at her taking her in, as he slowly began to let his hands move over the curve of her hip and up to cup one breast in his hand. She smiled at him as he moved his mouth then, kissing along her stomach and over her hips before he used his free hand to unclasp her bra, tossing it onto the floor nearby.

  She was exposed and she felt the coolness of the air as her nipples hardened in anticipation. He cupped each one lovingly and then moved to take one in his mouth. She moaned loudly as he suckled from first one of her massive globes and then the other. He was still tweaking on as he kissed her mouth once more. He let his eyes meet hers and he gave her a smile before he moved to pull off her panties, now the only thing between them.

  She felt him shift until he was nestled between her thighs and he kissed her once more, then looked at her.

  She smiled and moved to accommodate him and it was all the assurance he needed before he buried himself deep within her walls. She arched up against him, easily finding a rhythm they both wanted. His movements were almost angry the way he pounded into her and she knew he was venting his frustration out on her body. She did her best to meet him thrust for thrust until she found herself lost in a haze of excitement she couldn’t control. She climbed and climbed higher until she felt the tremors course through her body, making her clench tighter on him, and pushing him into the heated bliss as well.

  The heat was almost overwhelming as he moved within her, pushing and pulling until she was sated completely. He lay beside her on the overstuffed couch and she felt the coolness of the air as it kicked in once more. She glanced over at him, but he moved quickly, gathering up his clothes. She did the same, throwing on her dress and making her way to the bathroom. Once there she splashed water on her face, giving herself a sad smile in the mirror.