“I certainly hope you’re right, Perla. I cannot keep tolerating this ineptitude. Have it on my desk by one o’clock, no later.” His stern tone left no room for doubt that he was serious.
As he walked away, I looked down at my watch. It was nearly eleven o’clock. It looked like I would be working through lunch again.
Lisette apparently couldn’t help herself as she chimed in, “I guess you’d better get to work on that one.” She walked back to her desk with a smug expression. I could hear her dialing her phone and giggling loudly like some little school girl as she advised her lunch date to meet her here on the seventeenth floor to pick her up. It was like she was trying extra hard to make sure I could hear her, which made me even more angry that she continued to rub the whole thing in my face.
At eleven, Mrs. Sullivan arrived for her meeting, and I heard Lisette show her to one of the meeting rooms to wait for the other parties. Afterwards, Richard Sullivan arrived with his attorney, and they approached my desk since no one was at the reception area to direct them where to go.
“Good morning. We’re here for the Sullivan meeting,” the attorney advised. Unlike the subtle, inherent confidence of Mr. Vandergild, I noticed this man strutting around as though he thought himself highly important. I normally would have found it funny, but with my day going like it had so far, I wasn’t in the mood for laughter.
“Yes, sir. Mr. Vandergild will be out shortly, if you would like to have a seat here in the lobby while you wait. It should only be just a few minutes.” I didn’t want to send them in to the meeting room with Mrs. Sullivan without Vandergild accompanying her, so having them wait seemed like a preferable option.
I noticed Richard Sullivan glancing at the broken picture frame still lying on the edge of my desk. He looked up at me with a thoughtful glare, void of emotion. “Nice picture,” he commented.
He and his attorney moved to sit in the waiting area before Vandergild came out and ushered them in to the meeting. At that, I was able to get back to work on the affidavit.
Pulling up a stock form and the Shores file from the database, I worked quickly to personalize the document and get it completed. It wasn’t long before I had it printed and ready. I saved the file and rushed to the printer to get the finished result that I took straight to Vandergild’s office. I laid it on his desk for him to find once he was done with the Sullivan meeting.
Having finished the task, I felt like a small weight had been lifted. This day had really seemed like it had been heading for disaster with all the little things piling up on me. I breathed a sigh of relief as I exited his office to get back to my desk to see what else might be on the elusive list.
As I moved through the hall approaching my station, I could hear Lisette talking to someone in a high-pitched, flirty voice. Apparently her lunch date had arrived. Once I reached my chair, Lisette and her date came into view.
Holy shit.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. This could not be happening. Grayson, of all people, was leaning over Lisette’s desk, just inches away from kissing her.
That was when I lost it. I couldn’t take anymore. I grabbed my shoulder bag and my phone. Vandergild was leaving town as soon as his meeting was over, so he wouldn’t miss me, but quite frankly, I didn’t care if he would have. I was getting the hell out of there, and I didn’t have any intention on coming back that day or possibly ever.
I ran past Lisette and Grayson, feeling their eyes on me as I slammed my finger on the elevator button, pressing it repeatedly as though that would somehow make it get there faster. Today, of all days, this had to happen. I could feel the anger, embarrassment, disappointment, and despair welling up inside me, overwhelming me, taking me over, and begging for some kind of release.
How had Grayson found me? My thoughts went back to that day in the sandwich shop across from Maddox Tower when I had told Amelie about my ex, and had seen Lisette sitting at the table behind us as we left. What had I done to make that girl hate me so much? What had I done to deserve all of this?
As the elevator doors opened, I found myself face to face with Jax Maddox. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
I stepped inside, and faced the doors, knowing if I said a word, I would come unhinged. Even Jax Maddox was preferable to everything I was escaping from at the moment.
“Perla? Is everything okay?” Jax looked concerned.
“Just save it. It’s none of your business,” I said, and just as I suspected, the moment I spoke the tears surfaced. I didn’t need to hear whatever he had to say at that moment. Anyway, didn’t he have some other woman, or women, to feed his lines of bullshit to?
His hand reached for mine, and his thumb stroked my smooth skin, comforting me. I hated that it felt good to be touched, especially by him. With everything I had to deal with that day – the anniversary of my parents’ death, waking up late, disappointing Vandergild, breaking my picture frame, glass spearing my finger that I had already smashed in my drawer, and worst of all, seeing Grayson kissing Lisette right there in my office – I wanted to be comforted so badly. I needed to be comforted.
When I didn’t pull my hand away from him, he drew closer to me, moving me to stand face to face with him. I tried to stop the tears from welling out of my eyes, but I couldn’t. His free hand reached to caress my cheek, wiping away a salty drop. Without averting his penetrating stare from my eyes, the same hand reached over and pushed a code into a panel on the elevator wall, and suddenly we were no longer moving.
Without realizing what was happening, I felt his lips crush against mine, and it was as if a dam immediately burst inside me. It was reckless and impulsive, and I didn’t care. I pushed my body into him, erasing any small distance that still remained between us, clawing my fingers through his hair. I could imagine the desperation radiating off of me as he pulled me even closer with his strong, masculine hands grabbing beneath the cheeks of my ass, and I could feel his rock-hard length against my stomach.
At once, we were moving again, but this time heading upward. A whimper escaped me as his hand came up to brush against my breast through my blouse, sending waves of excitement straight to my core. His lips continued battering mine, and when he gently nipped the lower one, it sent a whole new round of shockwaves through my body.
When the doors opened on the top floor, he grabbed my hand, dragging me past the lobby where Norma barely glanced up from her desk. He locked his office door behind him. His mouth began caressing my neck at once as he pushed me further into the room. I followed blindly to the ornate sofa that stood in the middle of the floor, dropping my shoulder bag to the floor nearby. I flashed back to the last time I had sat here with him, as his hand had pressed up my leg.
“God, you’re beautiful, Ms. Fae,” he breathed into my mouth. His tongue darted past my lips and began a sensuous dance with mine.
I shook my head, pulling away from him momentarily. Breathless and desperate with need, I told him, “Please don’t ruin this by talking.” I pushed him backwards so that he sat upright. I stood up directly in front of him between his legs as he looked up at me, and I held the stare of his dilated pupils as I slowly pushed my pencil skirt down my hips.
His tongue moistened his lips as he rubbed both hands up either side of my bare legs before meeting them in the center where my lacy panties covered my sex. One thumb lightly grazed my most sensitive flesh, causing my knees to buckle as a sensuous moan betrayed me.
Straddling him where he sat on the upholstered love seat, I held his gaze as I unfastened the buttons of my silk blouse, one by one, giving him a sneak-peek of the black bustier I wore underneath. His mouth worshipped the creamy mounds of exposed flesh above the lacy cup while his hands roamed the skin of my supple breasts; then rose higher to push the silk blouse from my shoulders as it dropped precariously to the floor at his feet where my pencil skirt already lay in a crumpled heap.
His fingers made a lingering trail pressing down the curves of my back, then down to my hips that gyrated meth
odically into the bulge of his tailored designer trousers. Once there, he pressed me closer to him, gaining even more luxurious friction, making him crave me even more.
A soft moan escaped his lips, and I brought a finger up to silence them as my own lips pressed to the finger I held to his mouth. “Shhhh,” I pressed a kiss over my finger to his lips.
I loosened his silk tie, pulling it over his head and letting it drop wherever it may. I then began the descent from his top button down to the bottom where I untucked his collared shirt from the dark tailored pants that served as yet another obstacle in my way to the prize underneath. It was like unwrapping an expensive, beautifully wrapped gift.
I regarded the pronounced lines of his bare chest and abs with an ardent hunger as my hands anointed every inch of them from top to bottom. My hands dipped lower, unfastening his trousers to reveal his black boxer briefs that stretched tightly across his thick erection.
Once inside, I wrapped my warm, patient fingers around his impressive girth and rubbed the velvety skin before bringing him out to play. His breath hitched in reckless anticipation.
Jax pulled a condom out, from where, I hadn’t seen, and made quick work of tearing the foil wrapper before pressing the latex down his engorged shaft.
He brought his right hand down to press his thumb to my sensitive nub and began to circle in a slow, agonizingly glorious tempo.
“Oh yes, right there. Please don’t stop,” I urged.
In the throes of ecstasy, I wrapped my legs around his waist, imprisoning him right where I wanted him. Moving the silk of my panties just enough to allow him access, I moved to position him at my creamy entrance and his tip pushed slowly into me.
“More,” I whispered breathily into his ear, barely audible for him to hear, wanting to feel him within my depths, aching for him to take me, but wanting him to work for it.
“Greedy little woman,” he taunted quietly as he pulled back out of me, then pushed back in just a little bit further.
His hands went down my back, dipping below the line of my silk panties, cupping my ample behind as he withdrew and pressed back in about half way as I began gyrating to bring him in even more.
He pressed a finger to the outer rim of my anus, applying the slightest amount of pressure without penetrating as he plunged his thick cock all the way in to the hilt, filling me so full and overwhelming me with sensation. When his other hand released a hardened nipple from my bustier, he took it in his mouth and began an alternating routine of sucking, circling his tongue around, and gently biting.
I started to ride his cock, pressing my body tightly against his and grinding my hips steadily into him, my fingers now tightly gripping the back of the love seat as though my life depended on it, anchoring me to him and the pleasure that he inflicted, for fear that it could be fleeting.
The stimulation rocked me from every direction of my body. His finger still pressing lightly on my anus, his thick girth rubbing all the right places from inside me, the pressure of my clit grinding against him, and his sucking and biting on my breasts, had a climax building higher and higher, working me into a frenzy. The punishing rhythm of it all had me reeling as he silently read my mind that screamed don’t stop, don’t stop!
I hovered dangerously close to the edge until finally I was sent bursting over the top, sensation exploding through me as I rode out wave after wave of the release I had craved. An incoherent series of moaning cries escaped me involuntarily. At the sound of my release, he let his own go as he pumped mercilessly into to me, unable to hold back his own groaning of satisfaction.
When I returned to my senses, I found my body draped across Jax with my forehead pressed to him, his immaculate chest wet with perspiration. My breath gradually slowed to a normal rate, along with my pulse. I felt his fingers caressing down the sensitive flesh of my spine as goosebumps radiated out from every point of contact.
When he brushed the hair from my face, I began blushing, embarrassed at what I had just allowed myself to do.
“May I talk now?” he asked in amusement, and I could feel the vibrations of his voice infiltrating through his chest.
I lifted my head, trying to avoid looking him in the eyes. He held my chin as he drew my gaze toward him, and there was a tenderness about him that I hadn’t seen before or even thought possible.
“You may, but it’s only a fair warning that it might not do you any favors,” I answered, unable to hold back a sheepish smile.
“Why do you hide from me?” he asked.
“Because you scare me,” I whispered, feeling the overwhelming urge to retreat again.
“How?” He held my hips firmly in place so that I would have had to make a concerted effort to escape.
I had to be honest with him. The answer was simple. “Because we don’t want the same things.”
He searched my eyes before I pulled away, grabbing my skirt and blouse from the floor. I pulled them on, trying to get myself decent so that I could make my retreat as quickly as possible.
“And what is it that you want?” Jax remained planted comfortably on the sofa, his shirt still wide open, exposing the delicious muscles beneath. He appeared to be enjoying himself, watching me squirm under his stare.
“Monogamy, for starters.” I thought back, once again, to Tuesday night when he had come out of the elevator with another woman’s hands pawing all over him. “I want something deep and real. I want to actually be loved by someone. I get the sense that all you’re really looking for is a warm body to fill your bed. Well, I’m a whole lot more than that.”
“I don’t do relationships, Ms. Fae,” he said with a straight face, unaffected.
“And I don’t do casual flings, so it seems we’re at an impasse.”
Jax thought quietly for a moment. “What exactly is your idea of a relationship?”
“Something you don’t go into already assuming there’s an expiration date,” I answered.
“That seems very naïve. Don’t most relationships end at some point or another?” He leaned forward as he began to straighten his collar, his shirt still spread open down the front.
“I suppose they do,” I conceded.
“Then what else?” he challenged.
I thought for a moment. “Maybe I don’t have all the answers, okay? But what I don’t want is to have to share.” I want to feel like I’m enough, I added silently.
“And you want me all to yourself?” Amusement colored his features as he waited for my response.
“I…” didn’t know how to answer that. “I would need to know more about you before I could answer that question honestly.”
“Fair enough,” he said. At that, he stood and began buttoning his shirt with a speculative look on his face. “You’ve certainly given me a lot to think about.” He got himself all put back together and looking hotter than anyone had any right to. His intense glare had me itching to leave once again, but my shoulder bag was lying on the floor next to him.
He followed my eyes to my purse, and he bent to pick it up. As he did, my phone beeped from inside. An amused expression lit his features as he pulled my phone from the outer pocket.
“What are you doing?” I asked, moving toward him and reaching for my belongings.
He was unaffected by my attempts as he swiped to open the lock screen and began dialing a number. His own cell phone began vibrating from his desk, the sound echoing violently off the mahogany finish.
I really must put a password protection on that, I thought.
When he handed me back my phone, I looked to see who the incoming message was from.
Jada: Detectives just showed up at Orion Technologies. Is there any way you can come down here? We’ll wait for you.
I looked up at Jax, a feeling of urgency welling up inside my chest. “I have to go!”
Without a further thought, I bolted out of the door. I flew past Norma who, again, barely stole a glance up at me. I heard Jax calling after me, “Perla, wait,” but it was too late. I bu
sted through the stairwell door, descending several flights before breathlessly awaiting an elevator as I dialed Jada on my way down.
NINE
Cold Case
As soon as I arrived at Orion Technologies, I made my way to Uncle Dante’s office where he and Jada sat waiting with a detective we hadn’t seen in nearly eight years. I moved to sit in a chair next to Jada.
“What’s going on?” I asked, worried. I could feel my pulse quicken as my hands gripped the armrests, causing my knuckles to whiten.
“We’ve had a break in the case of the Fae homicide investigation,” stated Detective Turner in a formal tone as he stood stiffly by the office door.
I heard a gasp. I turned to see Jada’s pallid complexion in my peripheral view. I took her hand in mine, squeezing it to show my support.
We looked back at Detective Turner silently, waiting for him to proceed.
“Last week, we found the body of a white male, a known drug lord, in an apartment building across town. In his possession were several pieces of jewelry from the Fae estate that were reported missing at the time of their death,” he explained.
“He’s dead?” I asked, conflicted about how I felt about this news.
Detective Turner confirmed.
Uncle Dante spoke up next, sitting stoically, processing the new intake of information. “How do you know that he had anything to do with… the incident?”
“At this time, we continue to look into the investigation, but with this man’s prior arrest history, we believe there is a good chance he could be our perp,” said Detective Turner.
“Thank you, Detective. Is there anything we can do?” Uncle Dante asked.
“I’ll need one of you to come down to the station so that we can get a positive I.D. on the jewelry in question,” he said, looking between each of us. “We have photos matching several pieces that were found, but it’s standard procedure to have a personal identification whenever possible.
Uncle Dante stood from behind his desk. “I can go. Girls, I trust you’ll be fine here?” He looked to Jada, who was uncharacteristically quiet. She nodded in affirmation.
Tragedy and Desire: An Adult Romance Page 9
