Pleasured By You

by Steph Nuss

  “Bayler, this is my grandson, Fletcher,” Teddy said, smiling up at him proudly. She waved her hand toward me. “Fletcher, this is Bayler Jennings. She’s applied for the pastry chef position. Maria decided she wanted to be a full-time mom, so she’s made her maternity leave permanent.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Bayler,” Fletcher said, sitting on the edge of Teddy’s desk. He was acting like his charming self, showing off his perfect smile and saying nice things. I was getting tired of being introduced to the bastard.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too,” I lied. By now, it wasn’t nice to meet him. Everywhere I turned, he was there—in my parents’ kitchen, at my dream job interview. I couldn’t catch a break.

  “Well, Bayler, it was very nice to meet you,” Teddy said, standing from her seat. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work. I’ll talk with Fletcher later today, and I’ll let you know about the job. I think you’d be a perfect addition to our family here.”

  “Thank you for giving me the opportunity,” I said, standing up to shake her hand. “I really appreciate it.”

  “Do you mind if I ask her some questions, Grams?” Fletcher asked, biting back a smile.

  “No, not at all,” she said, walking around her desk. Before she walked out of her office, she looked over her shoulder at me and pointed to Fletcher. “By the way, Bayler, this one’s still single!”

  “Grams, I don’t need you pimping me out,” Fletcher said, shooing her out of her office.

  “Okay, okay, I’m leaving!” she laughed, shutting the door behind her.

  Fletcher locked the door to the office and then turned around and leaned against it.

  I moved further away from him, needing space the small office didn’t really provide. With my arms crossed over my chest, I faced him. “Why the hell didn’t you mention you owned a bakery?”

  “Because it’s not my bakery,” he said, shaking his head.

  “The hell it isn’t,” I snapped. “You inherited it after your parents’ accident.”

  He looked taken back. “She told you about that?”

  “She just told me they died in an accident, which I’m really sorry about by the way. But that doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me you owned a bakery when you knew I was looking for a job in one.”

  He took a seat in one of the chairs and ran his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t tell you because I’ve never considered this place mine. I didn’t dream of owning a bakery. I didn’t build this place; my mom and dad built it. Batter Up was her dream, not mine, so the bakery will never feel like it’s mine. Yes, I own it. I oversee everything financially, but my grams runs it.”

  “So, why didn’t you just tell me all that?”

  He looked up at me and shrugged. “You said you had an interview at your top pick of bakeries in New York.”

  “Batter Up is my top pick!” I said, throwing my hands in the air. “All I’ve been doing for the past year is researching bakeries in New York. You have to know that this place is one the best in the state. It’s my dream to work here. To actually have a workstation I don’t have to share with someone. To be able to work one-on-one with clients and create whatever they want. That’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

  “I’ll make you a deal.” He turned the chairs so they were facing each other and then pointed to the one opposite his. “Would you stop pacing and just sit down for a minute?”

  I plopped down into the seat and crossed my legs. “What do you mean you’ll make me a deal?”

  “The job’s yours on one condition,” he said, smiling mischievously.

  “And that is?” I asked, waving my hand for him to continue. I wanted this job so badly. I’d felt like I made a great impression on Teddy, but if he had some say in who they hired, I wasn’t quite sure I’d get it.

  “I didn’t tell you about owning the bakery because I want to fuck you again, but that’s one of my rules: never fuck the women who work for me.” He leaned forward and put his hand on top of my leg to stop it from bouncing. “So, I’m asking you to make me your fuck buddy, your friend with benefits. But I don’t want to share you. If we do this, we don’t fuck around with other people.”

  “What happens when we get sick of each other?” I asked curtly, mentally scolding myself for actually considering this scenario.

  “We end it,” he stated calmly. “We’ll be honest with each other. If I get sick of you, I’ll tell you, and I expect the same from you.”

  “I don’t know,” I said, taking a deep breath. I looked away from him, feeling completely torn. I usually set out to break the rules in life except when it came down to my own. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle, but I had my rules for a reason: I was Bayler Fucking Jennings, and no man was going to walk all over me and break my heart. But now Fletcher had me questioning whether or not I should break my well-established rules, and no guy had ever done that before. I had to give him props for waking the little devil on my shoulder. “This breaks every one of my rules.”

  “I know,” he said, pulling my chair closer to him. “Bayler, look at me.”

  I lifted my head and gazed into the same blue eyes he shared with Teddy.

  “You and I both know, whether you agree to this or not, the job is yours. Grams loved you, and I’ve had the chance to enjoy your work; we’d be stupid not to give you the job.” He ran a hand over his face and sighed, seeming conflicted. He reached for one of my hands and ran his thumb across my knuckles, eliciting a carnal reaction from my body that couldn’t go unnoticed. My nipples hardened underneath my blouse and a shiver of need ran down my spine with each graze of his thumb. “I can’t deny myself the pleasure of having you again. There are exceptions to every rule, and all I’m asking is for you to make me yours. Stay the night with me, sleep with me again, and I promise you won’t regret it.”

  “I can’t,” I said sharply, shaking my head. He was throwing me off my game with the way he kept showing up in my life and the way his touch and his baby blues and his words instantly melted my insides. He was lethal, and I needed to tread carefully around him.

  “You can’t?” he asked, incredulously.

  Of course, I could, and I probably would because I could hardly deny myself of him either, but I wouldn’t agree to it right away. It would give him so much pleasure if I readily jumped when he asked, but I wasn’t that type of girl. If any woman could have a friend with benefits and not develop feelings for him, it was I. My mind, my body, and my feelings were all mine, and I’d be damned if he started controlling what was mine. This was just sex. That’s it. End of story. “I need some time to think about it.”

  “Take all the time you need.”

  ***

  Once I arrived back at my apartment, I found Harper and Maverick on the couch watching TV.

  “Hey!” she called, smiling over at me. “How’d it go?”

  I joined them in the living room and fell into my oversized gray loveseat, which matched the sofa they were curled up on. Propping my legs on the ottoman, I sighed happily. “It went really well.”

  “That’s great!” she said, waving her arm at me. “Go on. So, did she offer you the job on the spot?”

  She didn’t, I thought, but he did.

  “No,” I answered, staring down at my lucky heels. I couldn’t decide whether they were still lucky. I was offered my dream job, but I was also granted the key to bone town again. And what pissed me off the most was that I wanted it. I wanted to have sex with Fletcher again! Who died and made him so damn special? That’s what I wanted to know. “She told me she’d call me.”

  “Did she sound optimistic?” Harper asked, continuing her interrogation.

  “Yeah, she did,” I said, smiling weakly at her.

  “Then why aren’t you more excited?” she laughed, shaking her head. “This is your dream job!”

  I shrugged, kicking off my heels. You’re dead to me, Jimmy Choos.

  “Where’d you interview at?” Maveric
k asked, flipping through the TV channels.

  “Batter Up,” I said, curling my feet up underneath me.

  “Really?” he asked incredulously, pausing his remote clicking to smile over at me. “That’s Fletcher’s place.”

  “Wait, what?” Harper asked, turning her head toward Mav. “Fletcher owns a bakery? Why didn’t I know this?”

  He laughed and then shrugged his shoulders when he realized how serious she was. “His grandma runs it. If any of us ever go in there, she basically just gives us whatever we want for free.”

  “So, you’re telling me I could’ve been getting free cupcakes and desserts this whole time?” she asked in a distraught voice, rubbing her belly.

  He laughed again and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. “We’ll go by on our way home so you and baby Jones can have a treat.”

  “Um, more like treats,” she said, patting his face. She smiled over at me and laughed. “Fletcher is totally going to get the wrath of pregnant Harper when I see him next. How dare he keep his bakery a secret from me!”

  You and me both, sister.

  Chapter Five

  I had her right where I wanted her. I knew she wanted to say yes to my deal but couldn’t just yet. She had it written all over her defiant self. She didn’t like the idea of me calling all the shots, so she’d make me wait. What she didn’t know was that I liked this side of her. I liked her wanting to have all the control, so I was more than happy to give it to her.

  After Bayler left, I sat in Gram’s office and studied her portfolio. She’d left it on the desk when she stood to shake Gram’s hand, and I didn’t mention it when she finished talking with me. I wanted another reason to see her again, and giving back her portfolio was my answer. Flipping through the pages, I smiled at every picture of every wedding and birthday cake she’d ever made, designed and themed to the client’s preferences. My mom had a portfolio that looked very similar to Bayler’s. Her work wasn’t nearly as artistic as Bayler’s because back then they didn’t have the equipment and gadgets we have now, but I couldn’t help remembering the old brown binder I kept underneath my bed.

  “So, what’d you think of her?”

  I looked up and found Grams standing in the doorway. She walked into the office smiling and took a seat at her desk.

  “I think she’d be great for the job,” I said, closing Bayler’s portfolio. I put it back on Gram’s desk and sat back in my chair, my ankle resting on top of my knee. “She left her portfolio.”

  “I don’t need to go through her portfolio to know she’s good,” Grams said, opening the book anyway. With each page she turned, her smile grew. “It’s obvious she loves baking just by the way she talks about it.”

  “Are you going to give her the job?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  “Of course,” she said, shutting the binder. “Are you and Rook going to the Big Brothers Big Sisters social on Friday?”

  Why’s she changing the subject?

  Rook Ballard had been my Little since he was eight years old. Now, he was fourteen, almost as tall as me, and one of the most athletic kids I’d ever seen. His mom had put him in the program after he lost his dad in Iraq, and since I’d dealt with a similar loss as a kid, the program paired us up together. By now, he’d become part of my real family. Grams treated him like her second grandson. “I don’t know. Don’t you think Rook’s a little too old for ice cream socials?”

  “You’re never too old for ice cream in Central Park,” Grams replied, sliding a piece of paper over to me. “Did you see Bayler’s resume?”

  “No,” I said, eying her suspiciously. I didn’t really need to read her resume. After tasting Elly and Carter’s wedding cake last weekend, I knew the woman could bake. Taking the paper from her, I began to study it.

  “Look under her activities,” Grams said, pointing to the header.

  Finally, the light bulb came on. Under Activities, Bayler had listed Big Brothers Big Sisters. Apparently, we had something else in common besides rules in the bedroom.

  “She was a Big back in Dallas,” I commented, smiling back at her. “Your point?”

  She laughed and took the paper from me. “My point is that I asked her about it, and she wants to be involved with the program here. So, I talked to Carly, and she’s going to call Bayler this afternoon. She has the perfect girl for her, and she just so happens to be around Rook’s age.”

  “And that’s why you want us to go to the social,” I concluded aloud.

  “I think it would give you the perfect opportunity to see her again,” she said, as she started filing her nails. “And who knows, maybe Rook will be taken with Bayler’s girl. He’s going to be in high school this year, you know, and I’m sure he realizes girls don’t have cooties anymore.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “What makes you think I want to see her again?”

  She stopped mid-file and gave me her Grams-knows-best look. “Oh, please. You couldn’t take your eyes off her after I introduced the two of you.”

  Damn, even Grams knew I wanted to see Bayler again. I’d have to be more restrained around my friends. The last thing I wanted was all of them getting involved. Bayler wouldn’t want that either. She was so hot one minute, cold the next. I knew she’d only agree to my deal if we kept quiet about it, which was fine by me.

  Grams continued filing and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part. I’d hate for you to be a bachelor for the rest of your life. If your mother were here, she’d be nagging you even more about getting a woman, and I’m sure she’d like Bayler.”

  “Only because she makes a mean white chocolate peanut butter cake,” I muttered under my breath.

  “What’d you say?” Grams asked fiercely.

  “Nothing,” I laughed, waving off her concerns. I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave until I told her what she wanted to hear. “We’ll go to the ice cream social.”

  “Good,” she said, completely satisfied with herself.

  I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Rook.

  Me: Hey, we’re going to the BB ice cream social on Friday.

  He texted back almost immediately and it made me laugh.

  Rook: Seriously? I’m not 10 anymore, man. Those socials suck.

  Me: There will be women there, and you need to work on your game.

  Rook: Whatever. By the time we’re done, you’ll be taking pointers from me.

  What a smartass. Clearly, he’d been hanging out with me too long.

  Me: Can’t wait. Meet me at Central Park at 3 on Friday.

  Rook: K

  Chapter Six

  The next day, I visited the Big Brothers Big Sisters site on East 30th Street. I’d received a call from Carly, the director of the program. She said they had a girl—a thirteen-year-old—who was new to the program and in need of a Big. I’d never had a Little who was a teenager before; I usually dealt with younger kids. The idea of dealing with someone who was hormonal and entering puberty kind of terrified me. I remember my teenage years, and they were not pretty.

  Since I’d been actively involved with the program since I was sixteen, Carly didn’t make me go through all of the training required of Bigs before getting paired up with a Little. She had all of my information from Dallas faxed to New York, and today we had a meeting scheduled so that I could meet the girl and her mom.

  Meeting a new Little always made me nervous. I wanted her to like me regardless of whether we had anything in common or not. I was adaptable. If she hated Demi Lovato and loved Selena Gomez, I’d quickly get rid of all my Demi tracks on my iPod. If she suffered from celiac disease, I’d make sure to bake the most delicious gluten-free desserts just for her. I wanted to make her feel special. I knew what it was like growing up with a brother and a sister who loved me and would do anything to make me happy. Most of these kids in the program didn’t have people like that in their lives, so I’d be their person.

  I walked into the building and immediately found C
arly’s office to the right of the entrance. I knocked once and a woman around my mom’s age opened the door.

  “You must be Bayler,” she said graciously, waving me into her office. “I’m Carly. We spoke on the phone yesterday.”

  I shook her hand and smiled. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” she said, pointing to one of the chairs in front of her. “Please, have a seat. Vail and her mom, Felicia, should be here shortly. Felicia wants to meet with you first privately, so she can describe their situation to you. I know all about it, but I prefer letting the parents discuss such topics with their child’s potential Big. You said you’ve never had a Little who was in her teens, but I think talking with Felicia will lessen your worries over it.”

  “Thanks,” I said, nodding.

  “If you don’t mind me asking,” she started, “how did you first get involved with the program? I saw on your resume that you started out as a Big at sixteen. I think that’s really awesome.”

  “Thanks,” I repeated. “My grandma is a big philanthropist in Dallas, so when my siblings and I entered high school, she had us each pick a program or charity to be involved in throughout school. My sister ran seasonal clothing drives, my brother tutored at a local library all year long, and I joined Big Brothers Big Sisters as a Big. I loved growing up with two older siblings. They pushed me to succeed by always encouraging me to follow my dreams, and they helped build my character. I wanted to give kids what I had growing up, so I joined the program.”

  “That’s really great,” she said, smiling brightly at me. “We appreciate your help, and I’m so thrilled you want to continue with the program here in New York.”

  “I’m so excited to be living in New York now,” I stated wearing a wide grin. “Both of my siblings live here, and my sister’s pregnant. I’m excited to continue with the program here, too.”

  A knock on the door interrupted us. “Come in,” Carly called, gesturing toward the door.

  A woman walked in, looking professional in a navy pantsuit and pink blouse. Her blond hair fell to her chin, and she had an eye-of-the-tiger look that told me she worked hard for that designer pantsuit she wore. I immediately knew I’d like her.