Winter

by Michelle Love

  Once she was beside me, working my shoulders, I reached over and palmed her ass as Sharon moaned. I gripped hard, and she fumbled against my skin before she found my neck and rubbed it firmly. I hated that I pictured Elisa standing there, and closed my eyes as I massaged Sharon before finding her clit with my hand. I wasn’t normally this forward, and almost always made it about me, but fuck if I wanted to hear a woman come tonight, even if it wasn’t the right one.

  Sharon grabbed at me as I stroked and teased her with my thick finger, crawling on the bed to part her legs further for me as I slid a long, thick digit inside of her. She rocked against me, and I pictured Elisa with her skin flushed and her lips parted when I heard her moan my name.

  She came with a wash of warmth over my fingers and pushed me over onto my back, forgetting all about the oils. “Mother fucker, what’s gotten into you? Normally you’re good for a hand job, after a mostly professional massage, but that? That was hot.” She bowed her head over me and took my cock into her mouth as I pulled her closer by her hair.

  “Eat my cock, Sharon. I want you choking on it,” I murmured, as I let my imagination take over for me, replacing Elisa in every image.

  Elisa

  I heard my alarm go off too early in the morning, considering I’d been dreaming inappropriately of Damon all night. I was with him an hour tops, if you combined both times during the day, but there was something there. Every man in there was young and good-looking, but he had made an impression in the elevator even though I wasn’t sure what had happened in there.

  If I had a room of my own, I’d just get myself off and sleep all day, but I was me. I would go to class and do the right thing. Groaning softly, I made my way out of bed to try and sneak in a quick shower. It wasn’t easy in an apartment with five girls, and I needed it after sweating all night. I rushed back into the room in a towel to pull on some jeans and a comfortable sweater, way over being modest, by now. in front of Melody. My hair was half dry, and I tugged it into a ponytail before I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door.

  My phone rang somewhere in the depths of my bag as I locked the door, and I almost didn’t answer it, but I remembered the interview. It was utterly presumptuous to think it was Elkus, or even Damon, calling. It hadn’t been twenty-four hours, and I wasn’t sure if the panel went that well, if I was honest. I had been nervous and had felt like I was babbling through the entire thing.

  I didn’t get calls from a lot of people, though.

  I slid the bag to the ground and dug around my front pocket for the phone, not even looking at it as it rang a fourth time. “Hello,” I breathed into the phone, as I struggled to get the keys into a pocket.

  “Can I speak to Elisa Moore?” The voice was masculine and calm, and I tried to determine if it was Damon.

  “Yes, it is,” I replied, as I bent over and got everything I needed before walking to the bus stop. A car wasn’t happening, even with a scholarship and a little money. My mom had a vehicle that barely got her to work at the local Walmart.

  “This is Brent, from Elkus Manfredi. We met yesterday.” Brent. Cute blonde guy, but not the greatest guy that I’d ever seen.

  “Good morning, Brent. How are you?” I asked, as I waited anxiously.

  “I’m excellent. I’m pleased to be able to offer you a position as an intern here, working with my brilliant team. You made it.” He sounded happy, and I felt my mouth drop open, reminding me how chapped my lips were feeling.

  “Oh sh…wow. That’s wonderful,” I corrected myself quickly and smiled. “Thank you so much!”

  “There’s the usual paperwork to be done, so if you could come in soon to sort through that, it would be great. I’d like to get you started as quickly as possible,” Brent told me, as I fast forwarded through my day.

  “I can drop by this afternoon. Will that work?” I asked, and I heard him tapping on something.

  “Perfect. Ask for me where you checked in for the interview and we’ll get you started. I’m looking forward to making you a part of my team.” Brent ended the call, and I sat down on the bench at the bus stop as I stared forward for a long moment.

  This was surreal. I was going to be working at Elkus Manfredi. Well, not working, but closer to that than I was before. I watched as my bus pulled up and stood up with an impulsive spin on my toes before I blushed and got on the bus with a nervous giggle. I found a seat in the middle and reached for my phone as I Googled the place that I’d be interning at soon. I clicked around their site, found staff listings, and read through the list, looking for Damon’s name. I’d forgotten his last name, but he’d mumbled the first when he’d introduced himself the day of the interview.

  There it was! I read down and looked at his picture for a blissful moment before my eyes widened, and I gasped. Damon was the CEO? He looked to be in his late twenties, at the oldest. I slumped back into my seat and sighed before I shook my head. A girl like me doesn’t have a shot with Damon as a regular architect, much less anything else. I surrendered the fantasy that I had for a fleeting moment and kept reading about the company, as I pushed Damon to the back of my mind.

  It was a good company with a great future, as I already knew. I would get wonderful benefits, were I hired, an excellent wage, and a lot of perks. I thought back to the interview and tried to recall my impressions of the panel. While they were guys in suits, they had seemed friendly and welcoming toward me, and willing to help me as needed. All of them had been talkative, apart from Damon, and I wondered if he just assisted in the decision making.

  Did Damon choose me?

  I watched as we approached the beautiful buildings, sat up, and took a deep breath. This internship is what mattered. My future and being able to help with my mother is what mattered. Not some school girl fantasy about Damon, who could have anyone, and probably did. Some of those girls were beautiful at the office, if a bit cold. He was probably some seductive player who could melt panties with just a breath. The idea made me laugh, and I waited until the bus stopped before I got off and followed the cluster of students onto campus.

  I thought a lot about the internship and what it could mean for me during the three classes that I had that day, which wasn’t the best idea. Everything moved quickly at school, and I would end up jobless if I blew school off, so that needed to stop. I forced myself back into the moment, took some better notes, and paid attention until it was time to leave for the day.

  I caught the bus again to go downtown, toward the Elkus building, as I looked at my clothes doubtfully. I was just doing paperwork, and this would give me a chance to see what the dress code would be, as well clarify a few other things. It was all right to go straight from school this time.

  I hoped that I didn’t have to dress like I did for the interview every day, since that could get expensive.

  I got off at the stop across the street from the building and walked over as I stared at it. It was exciting to think that I’d be spending my time here after all of my hard work. I glanced over to see Damon walking with a girl who had multi-colored hair in shades of blonde and brown. She looked upset, and he seemed frustrated. I watched as he swung his head around and met my gaze. I looked away and rushed into the building.

  I nearly ran to the elevators, bypassing the desk this time, and slipped inside of an empty one as I watched Damon enter the building alone. The doors closed, and I jerked as it moved upward. I hoped that I’d avoid him today, at least. He was too gorgeous to even deal with.

  I made my way to the desk on the sixth floor and asked for Brent as the girl at the desk once again looked me over. It was the same girl, with the same expression, making me think that it was a good thing that I wasn’t here to make friends. She typed something into the computer and told me to sit down in the same chairs. I walked over and looked out of the windows, comfortable in my jeans and converse today. I felt like myself. The other day was uncomfortable, but today I was here after seeing all of the other people interviewing.

  I’d made it.


  Brent came out in Docker-style black pants and a blue button-up that matched his dark blue eyes. He smiled and welcomed with a handshake. He seemed casual and comfortable today as he led me to the corner of the building and into his office. It was spacious, with a fantastic view, and he watched me take it all in with wide eyes. “It’s nice, isn’t it? You’ll have a view in the rooms that you’re working in on the fifth floor as well.”

  “Good. I love this,” I said, as I sat down in the seat across from him and smiled. “I’m sorry. This is just…overwhelming.”

  “You earned it. Everything about you impressed us yesterday, Elisa. You’ll be a great fit here.” Brent reached for a folder and smiled ruefully as he handed me a pen. There was a lot of the common information needed that I wrote in carefully, as he typed something on his computer. I noticed a section asking for tax information and asked him about it as he smiled at me. “That’s for later, if you get hired. We like to have information on file.”

  “Okay,” I replied, as I filled it out and moved on to the next paper. It seemed like forever before I was finished, but, realistically, it might have been an hour or so. Brent gave me a tour of the sixth floor and took me down to the fifth to show me where my break room was located. He also showed me where the restrooms were, introduced me to the team that I’d be working with, and gave me a badge to get in.

  My schedule was based on school, so I’d be working a few afternoons and one full day on the weekend. He made sure that I was fine with that, and I loved the idea. Everyone on the team was so kind and enthusiastic, so it would be great to spend time with them, learning. There was a part of me that wanted to ask him why the receptionists were so bitchy, but I bit my tongue.

  I left with a smile and hope for my future, knowing that I had a four-hour shift the following day.

  Damon

  Sharon was a pain in the ass today. Things got out of hand the other night, and we fucked, which was something that I had started to regret. It was never my intention to go that far with her.

  Apparently, she got attached in the process and suggested seeing one another on a more serious basis, which I immediately dismissed. I didn’t date like that, and I had only fucked her because I was so turned on by Elisa.

  Of course, the sex was good for her. I knew what I was doing, and she liked things rough, but a relationship wasn’t going to between us. It had turned into a fight as I headed back to work from a late lunch, and I looked away for a moment, only to see Elisa going into the building.

  Our building…one we would be sharing. She was officially an intern and, more than likely, here to fill out her paperwork. Shit. She looked younger today, and I felt my body respond. “Sharon, I have to get back to work,” I said, as I looked into her angry face. “You’re a massage therapist, and I seriously doubt that you’ve never fucked a guy before. You’ve had your hand on my cock since the very first time.”

  “You’re such an asshole. I don’t sleep with clients, Damon. I thought that you wanted something more with me when we did that.” Sharon looked like she was going to cry and I shook my head.

  “I don’t do relationships at all. Not with you or anybody else,” I told her, before I turned to hurry into the building. Elisa had run in after I met her gaze and I wanted to catch up with her. I threw away the idea of seeing Sharon again for a massage, but there were plenty of girls out there for that. I could replace her with another warm body. That didn’t matter right now, though, because I wanted to see Elisa.

  I was just walking towards the elevators and watching the door close with her inside when someone called out my name. I turned to see one of the investors approaching me with a smile, and I smiled back as I cursed him silently. We shook hands as he launched into his business, and I faked that I was intent on his every word.

  We scheduled a lunch the following week to go over one of the events, and I told him to call me to remind me. I was a busy man and, in the state of mind that I was in, I could easily forget and fuck up my company.

  Finally, I went upstairs and took a look around. Elisa was gone, and I resisted the urge to check Brent’s office, since he’d chosen her for his team. There was a fight over it yesterday, but Brent won since he had seniority over the others. He was thrilled afterward when he followed me to my office and closed the door with a cocky smile. “She is going to rock the team, Damon.”

  “I agree with that. She has an impressive history.” I fed him the general talk, as I walked behind my desk and looked over the city.

  “I’m going to call her tomorrow and set up the paperwork,” Brent told me, as I looked at him. “I want her to start.”

  I knew that Brent had a steady girlfriend, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he was interested in Elisa. Ryan was the one who pointed out that she was hot, but Brent would have a direct link to her. I felt something inside of me that I was unfamiliar with.

  Jealousy. Fuck that. I wasn’t a jealous man.

  We decided that Ryan would get Devin on his team, who was right up there with Elisa, only as a Harvard student. He would be a good fit as well and seemed like he had a natural personality.

  Everything was set, and I could focus on running the company, even though I wanted to focus on Elisa.

  I came back to the present as I went into my office and sighed. I probably wouldn’t see her too much, and this would fade away.

  I tried to do some work on the computer and made a few phone calls, including taking the one regarding my upcoming lunch. Lincoln was persistent, or maybe he sensed that I was distracted. Who knows?

  I stayed past six and finally gave up on trying to work. I headed out, finding the building emptier than when I had arrived. The sky was darkening as I walked out of the building and toward the car that was parked at the curb. I slipped inside and saw Mark look back at me. “Early night for you, boss man.”

  “I suppose it is. Take me to Bait, Mark. I need a drink.” Mark looked at me, knowing that it was a club I frequented. It was a BDSM club, and, though it was no secret to Mark that I was interested in that, I hadn’t asked to go there with such conviction before. I might be done with Sharon, but there was no reason that I couldn’t find another girl.

  “On my way,” he said, as he turned forward and pulled away from the curb, I wasn’t dressed for Bait, but I didn’t want to go home first. I wanted to give in to the feeling that came with a woman doing anything that I asked—anything that I craved. Nothing else mattered right now.

  Mark picked me up when I called him a few hours later. I wasn’t drunk, but I’d say that I was tipsy. I had been in one of the more hardcore rooms tonight, and my cock ached from edging so much as I watched the depravity around me. There was a woman with her mouth around my cock while I had another bent over in just a leather thong as I whipped her with a paddle. She cried out with every hit, and I watched her come as she leaked through the edges of her skimpy underwear.

  I felt out of control for a moment as I grasped the hair of the blonde on her knees before me. I started fucking her mouth in earnest as she let me slip deeper into her throat, and I pulled away to come all over her face as she looked up at me. I stepped back and went to one of the bathrooms to clean myself up as I stared blankly into the mirror. I didn’t understand what I wanted here. I didn’t know what I was feeling for Elisa.

  The other girls weren’t helping me, and I hoped that would change. I wanted to soothe myself the way that I knew worked, the way that I was familiar with.

  Elisa

  I wore my usual casual clothing to school the following day, excited about my afternoon after my last class. I hurried home to change into a casual skirt and t-shirt, since it had been approved by Brent. If we were meeting with a client for any reason, then we were to dress up a bit more, but, otherwise, it was business casual. The other members of my team wore their own styles, from gamer-nerd to alternative. There was a girl named Autumn who had rainbow hair and the best laugh that I’d ever heard in my life, and then a guy that looke
d like the singer from Soundgarden. It was evident to me that, as detailed and technical as architecture was, it was also another form of creativity. This company welcomed personal style, and I smiled as I walked into the work room that first day.

  “Hey, girl. Good to see you,” Autumn greeted me, as I smiled and looked at the group scattered around in chairs, trying to work on a design.

  There was Brianne, a platinum blonde who was a new graduate from Harvard. She was twenty-three and quiet, but I thought that it might take time to get to know her. There was Vince, an unattractive guy with dark hair and big brown eyes who was obviously passionate about his work. He seemed to have an energy level that never faded, at least from what I’d seen. Landon was a surfer type who seemed subtle in his talent, but who was welcoming to me.

  The last guy was Michael, and I was convinced that he was a gamer during his off hours. Though it wasn’t my thing, I didn’t judge people for what they did. If it made them happy and didn’t hurt anybody, then they were welcome to it.

  We talked as we went over the new project, which was a museum in New York City. It was going to be massive and called for a contemporary design. I already knew that their buildings cost millions, sometimes, to build with all of the detail, and these people who I now worked with did very well doing this job. Elkus was a generous company that worked hard to keep their talent, and not a person that I was watching today seemed unhappy. They seemed motivated, like I wanted to be when I was done with school and working a job.

  They came down to a mutual decision, and Autumn started to draw it out as they looked over her shoulder. I sat and watched, caught up in the moment before I glanced out into the hallway and saw Brent talking with Damon, their faces close together. I stared for a moment before I blinked and looked back at the group as they pointed at something and laughed. “Come on over,” Landon told me, and I smiled as I stood.