Assets (Balance Sheet #1)

by Shannon Dermott

  “Kalen,” I whispered on the brink of orgasmic bliss. I knew I should stop this, but it felt way too good to stop.

  His hand stilled. “If you say my name like that again, I’ll embarrass us both.”

  Stepping back, his warmth was removed from me. I turned around to face him. His hooded gaze appraised me before the finger that had just been inside me found its way into his mouth. “You taste like the sweetest nectar from a wild Irish rose,” he said after removing his finger.

  Unable to come up with words, I fled the room, finding sanctuary in the bathroom. I hoped he wasn’t bold enough to enter behind me. I hadn’t heard his footsteps, so I relaxed while still gripping the side of the counter, looking at myself in the mirror wondering whom this girl was that I was becoming.

  Deciding I was in over my head, I’d all but convinced myself to leave the restaurant without going back no matter how rude that would be. I found that I couldn’t seem to control myself around this man. He wasn’t sweet and he dictated orders to me I hadn’t been able to not follow. He spelled bad news like a lighted marquee on Broadway and I would be foolish not to heed the warning signs.

  But when I stepped out, I saw the imposing man waiting for me. “Ah, Lass, you have that look like you want to flee. But I can’t let you go. Not yet.” Taking my hand, he led me back into the room. Pulling out my chair, he forced me to sit without having ever spoken another word.

  And sure enough, as soon as he was seated, our dessert course was brought in. As tiny as all the portions were, I didn’t think I had enough room in my stomach to finish it. “Eat,” he commanded from not three feet away. And like the foot soldier I’d become, I picked up my fork and cut into the crème brulee.

  After the amazing dessert, no check was brought, no credit card given. We were offered a good night and found our way into an awaiting limo. He didn’t ask me where I wanted to go. So I blurted, “Can you take me home?”

  After I rattled off my address, he only smiled before tugging me to him. His mouth covered mine in a heated kiss that would have melted metal. My body revolted and my brain relented, giving up on reason and thought. His hand tightened on my waist before heading north to my twin peaks. The analogy of the size of a man’s hands relative to his penis filled my brain when his large hand covered my generous breasts. If I were back in the dorms, I could attest to its validity to the pack of girls that sat around talking about such things.

  My hands went for that thick hair of his all styled but not styled at the same time. It was like silk, and I had to fist my hands to get a grip on it. He kissed down my neck and cupped his mouth over my nipple through my shirt. My hands tugged in his hair. I needed his mouth back on mine.

  His fingers had just undone my slacks and hovered on my zipper when the limo came to a complete stop. A voice over the intercom because the privacy glass was up announced our arrival. Through the tinted window, I could see he’d brought me home where I’d asked.

  “I don’t have to force a woman to do anything,” he said at my puzzled expression. “You are safe at home and are free to exit and never see me again.”

  My mouth parted. Was this some sort of ultimatum? “I have a roommate,” I blurted.

  “We can go to my place and finish what we started,” he promised.

  As much as I wanted to tell him I’d go with him because the thought of never seeing him again bothered me, I didn’t. This was pure lust, I rationalized to myself. Maybe Lizzy was right and I needed to have a fling in order to move on. I had gone from one serious relationship to the next without dating much. It was surely time that I cut loose before I settled down with hopefully the right man. I refused to believe that every guy was a dog and a cheat. Just the handsome ones like Scott, like Kalen. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy him. “I’m not that type of girl. I don’t do these things,” I protested, sounding like I was trying to convince myself.

  “I know,” he said. And something in those words almost freed me from my reservations about this adventure.

  Moving to kiss him again, I stupidly said, “I can’t go home with you.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  I woke up feeling like I was still caught in my dream. My back felt very warm with a hard mass against my back and in the crevice of my ass. When I shifted a little, prepared to get up to see what was behind me, a hand gripped my thigh and a warm breath of air caressed my neck.

  What the hell? Had I let Kalen come home with me last night? No, I hadn’t. I’d gotten out of the car and come in alone. Freaked out, I shot out of bed, stumbling to my feet. Looking back, I recognized that wavy blonde hair and those penetrating blue eyes.

  “Matt, what the hell are you doing?” I said exasperatedly.

  Dimples showing, he smiled at me lazily. “Come back to bed, peanut.”

  Jaw dropped, I stared at him. “Why are you in my bed?”

  “This is my room,” he said with a smirk.

  “You don’t live here,” I spouted back and crossed my arms over my chest.

  Yawning, he said, “My name on the deed says otherwise.”

  Rolling my eyes and huffing out a breath, I threw my hands in the air and began to walk around the bed to the other side of the room towards the bathroom. Sidelined, I was tugged and tumbled into bed with strong arms around my waist. Looking up at him as I lay on my back, he said, “Don’t be mad, peanut. It’s cold. And you’re warm. I’m only here a couple of weeks and you’ll have the room back to yourself.”

  “I am not sharing a room with you. Why don’t you bunk with your sister?”

  Pouting, he said, “No way, I’d much rather share a bed with you. Besides, I hear you are finally rid of that asshole. So what’s the problem? I promise not to take advantage.”

  Glaring, I said, “Waking up with your…” I gestured towards his nether regions, “pressed against me.”

  “Oh, my boner you mean,” he said, laughing while I scowled.

  I turned my head away. Only his hand came to my chin and gently turned me to face him. “That’s a guy thing. But even if it weren’t morning, I’d still have a hard-on being next to you. It’s just a fact. It does that when I’m next to a beautiful woman.”

  Slapping his hands off my thighs, I scrambled away again. “You’re such a flirt,” I stated. He just flashed me his pearly whites before yawning again. He stretched and his muscles flexed and bunched. I couldn’t help admiring him. He was Lizzy’s twin brother and he had it all- looks, money, and charisma. I’d crushed on him my freshman year of college before I met Scott. And after sophomore year, he’d left and transferred to the University of Chicago. “I have to get ready for work, and I don’t expect you to be here when I get out of the bathroom.”

  Turning, I hurried inside. Just as I was about to close the door, he said, “Peanut?”

  Peaking out the door again, I stared at him. “Nice shirt.” Looking down, I realized I’d gone to sleep in my normal wear, a plain tee shirt that barely skimmed the bottom of my ass. I hadn’t expected company though.

  Rolling my eyes, I closed the door, trying to collect myself.

  It wasn’t until after my shower that I realized I didn’t have a robe or a change of clothes. Opening the door a crack, I saw Matt’s back and the slow rhythm of his breathing. Tiptoeing out, I got in my closet and closed the door, dismayed that there wasn’t a lock. After I got dressed, I grabbed my messenger bag, which held my firm-issued laptop and other tools needed for the job, like a calculator, ruler, and lots of mechanical pencils.

  Lizzy’s door was closed and I had to leave soon to make it to work on time. Unwilling to be late for work, I passed her door, vowing that she and I would have a talk when I got home. If Matt insisted on staying, I would just have to find somewhere else to sleep. It wasn’t like I’d planned to stay here forever. And why should he have to find a hotel? Maybe I’d ask to stay at Lizzy’s parents for a week, at least until I found something. But I’d think about this later. Matt was bound to be rational about this.

/>   Work was grueling on the eyes. By the end of the day, my contacts were bothering me. I found myself in the restroom taking them out.

  “Oh hey there,” Anna said. “Kevin is looking for you.”

  “Really?” I questioned, confused as to why he would be. I cleaned up my supplies and put them back in my purse.

  I watched in the mirror as she made her way into the restroom to stand next to me. “Yeah, we’re all headed out to grab a bite to eat at Sully’s,” she said.

  “Oh, well, I really should get home.”

  Shrugging, she said, “We don’t bite. But it’s cool.” And she headed into a stall.

  Finished washing my hands and my glasses firmly on my face, I headed out. Did they think that I was avoiding them or too good to hang out? Not good. I was new and hadn’t yet made any friends. Not that I needed to. But I at least wanted to get along with my co-workers. And this was a three-month assignment. It wouldn’t be good for me to alienate them.

  “Oh there you are,” Kevin said when I walked back into the conference room to get the rest of my things. He paused, obviously taking in my changed appearance. “You wear glasses.”

  “Yes,” I said, nodding.

  “They look good on you,” he offered with a small smile. “Well, we are all headed out to Sully’s. You know the place next to the office.” I did know because I’d gone there to meet the partner whose team I was primarily on. He’d taken me there and explained that most everyone at the firm ate there at least once a week.

  “Well, I should probably get home,” I said.

  “Oh, that’s too bad. You sure you can’t at least have one drink?” Gosh, he gave me that look that said, you should most definitely come and be a part of the team. I also heard it in his voice, the offer of camaraderie. It wasn’t like I would be fired if I didn’t go. But I was given the opportunity to show team spirit. And honestly, I’d found something in one of the bank accounts that I wanted to talk to him about. It was probably nothing, but talking to him outside of the client’s space seemed best.

  “Okay,” I replied. “I can’t stay long,” I added.

  Placing a firm hand on my shoulder, he said, “Great. We’ll leave in a few minutes.”

  Exhausted and needing to get home to talk to Lizzy, I vowed I’d have the one drink, bring up the anomaly in the bank account, and leave. One hour tops and I’d leave.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Sully’s was a friendly enough place. It was fairly crowded with people clad in suits and business attire. The place felt homey with old-fashioned touches of dark wood and dim light. As we walked in, a large bar area greeted us. It spanned the back wall and was the width of the place. Booths lined the other two walls and a few sat before the front windows. High bar tables filled in the middle.

  Kevin directed us to a booth on the far right side. Once there, I noticed they were perched on a platform and I found myself taking a step up to take a seat. I hoped to sit next to Anna, but she was herded by Jim to sit next to him and opposite me. This left Kevin to scoot in beside me. With quick movement, I placed my purse and my bag to the side of me on the bench. This gave Kevin no choice but to leave ample space between us.

  He hadn’t overtly come on to me, but I just felt slightly uneasy. It may have been me, which is why I wouldn’t say anything. With Matt and Kalen all touchy feely, I could’ve just been overly sensitive.

  “So what are you having?” Kevin asked while looking at me even though he addressed the group.

  Jim, who’d been the quiet one, spoke up. Not sure of protocol, I avoided the question before the rest of the group responded. Having Ted, Lizzy’s dad, give me advice about business etiquette, he warned that you should never order a drink unless your boss did. In other words, don’t do anything your boss wasn’t doing. When everyone settled on beer, I signaled for the same. I wasn’t a big beer drinker, but I would be a follower that night. I didn’t plan on being here long anyway.

  Anna looked over at me and gave me a subtle brow raise and glance to her side. It was then that I got it. She liked Jim. Well, this should make things more interesting, I thought. I gave her a subtle nod of approval.

  “So Bailey, how was your first couple days on the job?” Kevin asked.

  I was about to answer when two tall lanky guys approached our table.

  “Kevin,” the slightly bulkier of the two boisterously asked. He gave Kevin one of those complicated male handshakes, and looks and subtle winks were passed as I glanced away. The other guy was a lot thinner and blonde, but neither was my type.

  “Bailey, this is,” Kevin began as he introduced me. He invited them to sit with us, which meant I had to move my bag and purse to my lap or floor. And suddenly my temporary boss was pressed next to me in the most uncomfortable way. Thank goodness the beers came. I started sipping, hoping that I would be excluded from the conversation. The two that had just arrived seemed to want to talk about the women in the bar, ignoring that Anna and I were sitting there. She and I both rolled are eyes together and silently giggled. I wished that it had been just the two of us or even including Jim. He seemed as uncomfortable as we were.

  When I finally finished my beer, I’d heard tales about co-workers I’d yet to meet. And unfortunately, I was unlikely to forget if any of the antics told about workplace scandals had any truth to them.

  “Excuse me,” I said to Kevin, indicating that I wanted to get up. “I need to use the ladies’ room.” It was an excuse to get out of my cramped confinements and also the first step in my plan to make an exit.

  After some shifting and several glances at my cleavage, I was sprung from the trap I’d found myself in. “Hey, I’m coming with,” I heard Anna say behind me.

  Inside the restroom, Anna planted herself in front of the mirror, tinkering with her makeup. I really had to use the restroom and did. Once out, Anna waited for me while I washed my hands. “I see Kevin has set his eyes on you.”

  “Oh, no, don’t say that,” I groaned.

  “Yeah, well, I’ve seen this twice before. I’ve been on two jobs with him since I started and he always picks one out of the group.”

  “Has he picked you?” I asked, hoping she wasn’t into him and wouldn’t be jealous if his attention were diverted elsewhere. I’d heard enough stories secondhand from Lizzy about these messy situations.

  Smiling pleasantly, she said, “No, and thank god. I don’t think he’s into pretty Asian girls.”

  She winked at me. I wasn’t exactly sure how to respond. Thank goodness, she looked sincere. “He keeps requesting me to be on his team. But I like Jim.”

  “I saw,” I said smiling. “I hope it works out.”

  “Me too,” she said. “Just watch out for Kevin if you aren’t interested. He has a way of making people get reassigned.” Her knowing look caused dread in my gut.

  “Aren’t their laws about harassment?” I asked.

  “Sure, but with the training we all went through, he knows exactly just what to do. I’m just giving you a heads up. There are a lot of girls who want to move ahead and not do grunt work. You don’t seem the type. So fair warning.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I wasn’t sure what I was thanking her for but settled on all of it.

  “Wish me luck,” she said as we made our way out the door.

  “Yes, of course. He’s cute. But I think I’m going to head home. Are you going to be okay with all the guys?” I asked. She wasn’t a friend, yet. But it seemed wrong to bail on her.

  “No, it’s cool. A lot of assignments lately I’ve been the only girl.”

  Once we got to the table, I waved the guys off from getting up. “I have to head home. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” I got grunts of protest but left before Kevin could try and persuade me to stay. I was going to have to figure out a way to handle him. I needed this job and I wouldn’t let him ruin it for me.

  Before I made it to the subway station, my phone rang.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Perplexed, I looked long and har
d at the display on my screen. Unknown caller threw me for a loop. My parents wouldn’t call me. They were against technology. And everyone else like Lizzy and even Matt were programmed into my phone. For a second, I didn’t answer. There was a possibility it was Scott. I’d ignored his calls so much, he may have found a way to call me and get around the fact that I’d blocked his number.

  But then I thought of my parents again. If something were truly wrong, they would call. And that call would most likely register as unknown. Answering quickly, I sounded a little breathless as I braced myself against the wall outside the subway. It wasn’t good to walk and talk. One would be distracted and a prime target for a pickpocket, so I stood vigilant right outside as the traffic, even at this time of the evening, was brisk with commuters who worked in jobs where ten- to twelve-hour days were the norm.

  “Hello,” I said, my pulse racing. My parents would only call if it were a dire emergency.

  “Hello, Lass,” the rich baritone of the Scotsman crooned through the phone, calling me like a siren called a wayward sailor.

  “H-How did you get my number?” I asked.

  A husky chuckle on the other end said exactly what his words did. “Aye, Lass, I have my ways.”

  “Creepy ways,” I responded.

  “It was easy enough to get your name from the doorman and the rest even easier.”

  “What do you want?” I asked, feeling run down and not in the mood for him if I lied to myself. I found my body coiling tight hearing him speak.

  “To see you of course. Have dinner with me tonight?” he asked.

  “Is it always dinner with you?” I asked, sure I sounded stupid but didn’t care. “Why don’t you just come right out and ask for sex.” The words were out before I could take them back. It was rude, but this man left me feeling out of balance. And heat was coursing south with every word out of his mouth.