The Rules Of Attraction

by Khardine Gray

  He laughed at that. “No babe, you let me cook for you and then you can tell me if you don’t like lamb chops.”

  “You cook?”

  “Love it.”

  That was interesting. I wouldn’t have figured him to be someone who loved cooking. I gazed at him wanting to know more. “Your turn.”

  “My turn? So you want to know about me?”

  “We’re going to be working together I should know about you.” I smiled. “What if I bring you orange juice with bits but you like it smooth?”

  I was going for cool and casual, trying to mask the tingle of nerves that heated up my skin when his eyes roamed over my body.

  “Work and orange juice? Is that the only reason why you want to know about me?”

  I could see that he was going to find every chance he could get to flirt.

  “It’s the most pressing reason now.”

  “Alex Sullivan, age thirty two, corporate litigation lawyer.” He emphasized the last few words. “I have niche specialties in insolvency, company and business law. Graduated from Princeton, did everything there. I’m single, and like it that way. I hate complication, and drama. I have a four year old niece who I adore, you met my father, you don’t need to meet my brother, my mom is an art professor. She’s in France for the next few months and that’s it.”

  That was a lot, but I fixated on the fact that he said he was single and liked it that way.

  Meaning it would only ever be sex with him, and he would never be tied to a girlfriend.

  He lifted his chin a little higher and smiled. “You look disappointed, angel. What don’t you like?”

  “Nothing. All sounds great.”

  “Liar. Is it the part about me being single?” He caught me out. “I’m … single and I like it that way because that’s how I’ve always been. I’m the devil, not many women like that. Want to change my mind, angel?” The full sweep look that he gave me ended once again on my breasts.

  It was hard to resist someone who looked at you like that. Even in my state of wanting to keep things a certain way between us, I couldn’t ignore the way my body responded to him.

  I rolled my eyes at him in a nonchalant manner, pretending I wasn’t affected.

  “What’s the case about?” I had to change the subject again.

  He noticed and smiled.

  It would have been so much easier to ignore my uncontrollable reactions if I wasn’t so damn attracted to him.

  Chapter 10

  Alex

  I was struggling as it was to pay attention to our conversation

  I was too excited just to have her here in my apartment and couldn’t get enough of looking at her and getting to know her. Unknown to her the top button of the night shirt she wore had come undone when she tried to cover her breast earlier, but I didn’t tell her.

  I was enjoying the extra cleavage on show reminding myself of what her fully rounded breasts looked like until she gave me that look.

  It reminded me of how she was back at the club when I knew I’d won her over. The look intrigued me more than finding out she was a lawyer.

  Although, admittedly, hearing that added to the list of things I liked about her.

  Beautiful women who were smart were a huge turn on.

  “Summer, can I ask you to keep everything we discuss strictly between us?”

  She nodded “I swear, everything you tell me is between us.”

  “Thanks, angel.” I pulled in a steady breath. “I don’t like representing people who I think are guilty. It doesn’t sit well with how I carry out my work. I like helping people who actually need me. If the guilt is upfront and I’m working with the client in that capacity it’s cool, but the guilty trying to pass off as innocent, no. I don’t like it. That’s shady.”

  “You shouldn’t do it then.” She looked concerned.

  “I kind of have to, baby. The thing is I’ve been trying to be part of the senior partnership at Sullivan’s for years. This is my ticket in and my last chance.”

  “But you think the client’s guilty?”

  “I feel like he could be. He’s my dad’s best friend, and an absolute prick, but maybe my personal feelings are getting in the way.”

  “Is it just your feelings?”

  “Yes, right now it is. So I’m willing to push that aside and look into it.”

  “Okay. Can I do anything in the meantime to help?”

  “Look through the files Monday and tell me what you think. We have a meeting in two weeks. I’d like you to sit in. Take notes of everything even stuff you don’t think is important. Like if he touches his face too much.”

  She started to laugh. I liked the sound.

  “That’s not a thing to be worried about.”

  “Angel, it could be.”

  “So you’d be suspicious of me if I touched my face too much?”

  “You could let me touch your face, or other parts of you.” I couldn’t help myself.

  “Is this how we’re going to be?”

  “It looks that way.” Until I was lucky enough to have her back in my bed with me inside her. “Go. Go do what you do on Saturdays. I won’t bother you anymore.”

  She smiled. “I don’t have a thing I do yet. How about I get dressed and then cook an early dinner.”

  “Really?” It would be nice to have dinner made for me. Other than my family’s Thursday night dinner I cooked for myself.

  “Yes. I make a mean lasagna.” She nodded.

  “Wow. It sounds great.”

  She rose in one fluid motion showing off her gorgeous golden legs and moved over to me.

  I felt like I was in heaven when she lowered and gave me a soft kiss on my forehead. It was probably the sexiest thing any woman had ever done to me.

  “Thank you.” She breathed.

  I smelled vanilla in her hair and all over her.

  When she went to move back I caught her waist and pulled her back.

  “What’s the thank you for, angel?”

  She brushed away a wayward strand from her face.

  “Everything. The clothes, the shoes, I’m going to try those on.”

  I pulled her closer so that she was practically in my lap. “Can I come and watch?”

  This woman was going to drive me crazy. This was day one of her in my home and I could barely control myself.

  “No.” She giggled.

  “Can I at least have a kiss?” I wanted to see what I’d get away with.

  “I just kissed you.” Her eyes sparkled.

  “Yes, the way you would kiss your grandmother. Kiss me like we kissed the other night.” I smiled up at her.

  “You’re my boss now, Alex. I can’t be doing things like that.

  “It’s Saturday, a non-work day, and it’s just kissing. It’s enjoyable and fills the gap when you can’t have sex.”

  Yes… she was thinking about it.

  Good.

  “Kissing could get us in trouble.”

  “I’m in no form of trouble, angel. I’m the devil remember. Trouble is my name. Come on kiss me. Just a quick one to satisfy what we have waiting on the back burner.” I probably did sound like the devil whispering temptations to the angel who seemed to be fighting so hard to resist me.

  I understood that she wanted this professional relationship, but I’d never been a man who could turn off his emotions.

  She felt so good in my arms. Holding her was bringing back memories of our night together and my body couldn’t understand why we couldn’t be like that now.

  “A quick kiss?”

  She really was warming to the idea. It enticed me and just the thought of her lips on mine hardened my cock.

  “A quick kiss.” I confirmed.

  I pulled her even closer, she was in my lap now, and she wasn’t protesting or making any attempts to move.

  I kept my gaze on her face, on her mouth because that shirt of hers was showing off a little too much and if I lost my will power and looked down that would be it.


  I would be taking her straight to my bedroom instead of asking for a kiss.

  “Come here, angel.” I tilted my head back and intensified my stare.

  Slowly she lowered to my mouth pressing those beautiful, delicious lips to mine.

  Eureka.

  I meant to only give her the quick kiss I suggested but in my head, my mischievous head, I recalled saying kiss me like you did the other night. We didn’t have any quick kisses that night.

  Summer had pressed her lips to mine with something quick in mind, but the mere action must have taken her back to the other night too.

  My body quivered at the sweet tenderness of her kiss. I tried to control myself, but damn it I couldn’t and I thought screw it.

  I captured her mouth, indulging her sweetness as lust burned my brain. It made me lose my mind and in that passion filled moment I had to note that I’d never felt such undiluted desire before, and definitely not from kissing.

  When I heard a soft moan escape her and she gave in to the unyielding call of attraction I took the moment to explore her mouth. Soon the kiss turned hungry, and I lost control of my hands.

  I ran my fingers up her back and while one hand reached into the back of her head to keep her at my lips, my other hand found her left breast.

  I went completely hard, as in ready for action when I felt the diamond hard nipples beneath my fingers.

  Backwards and forward, I ran my fingers over it taking the mere kiss outside the remits of just kissing.

  I would have continued because she was allowing me to do this to her, and enjoying it like she needed me to touch her. But something happened that I didn’t expect.

  It was a thought that popped up in the forefront of my mind. It flagged to me that I needed to stop if I wanted her to stay. I thought of how much I wanted her to stay and that I’d gone so far as to tell her that the job was a live-in position so she would stay. I didn’t normally go through such efforts.

  But more importantly, I needed to stop for her.

  She was in a vulnerable position and had resisted me for her own personal reasons. Reasons I didn’t need to know in order to respect.

  I was disrespecting her now by making the kiss more.

  That thought made me stop and I quickly removed my hand from her breasts.

  “I’m sorry.” I whispered against her lips. “That was …”

  She lifted her head moving out of my hold and looking down at me, clearly thrown by her actions too. “I’m sorry. It’s me too.”

  Hurt flashed in the wondrous green hue of her eyes and I wondered why.

  Was that it?

  Had she been hurt?

  Women were mainly withdrawn and reserved after they’d been hurt. Talking to her had allowed me to see a part of who she was. It was sad about her parents and that she said she wasn’t close to her other relatives but I saw the pain of something else that troubled her. I felt it was that thing that made her resist me.

  “Let’s put this back on the shelf.” I suggested. “Last kiss for now. Don’t expect me to stop looking at you though.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite like you.” She stated.

  “And you never will, angel.” I chuckled. “Go try your clothes on.”

  “Dinner’s at five?”

  “I look forward to it.”

  I could have melted when she leaned in again and gave me a kiss on my cheek.

  She hopped off my lap and I watched her go up the stairs. I watched her until she turned the corner and even after when I couldn’t see her anymore.

  I’d never had a woman live with me like this before. The task was going to be a hard one to act like I was so busy that I needed her to live with me.

  I shook my head at myself. I’d have to come up with ideas.

  It would be interesting to see how this was all going to play out, and how we’d be. It was going to be hard to be this professional person she wanted me to be.

  To be her boss and play this game of boss and PA.

  It just might be the very thing that made me crazy indeed.

  Summer

  The next week that passed was a good one.

  I’d worried how I’d flair out living with Alex but I was surprisingly okay.

  Sucking it up and moving past the whole I slept with my boss drama worked.

  I was glad that I took the job, even though the whole taking it was kind of thrust upon me.

  I settled in well, and as the days rolled on I busied myself with setting up at the office and getting to know everyone I was going to be working with.

  Kayla was amazing at helping me mingle with the other PA’s and other legal support staff.

  What was surprising too to me was how at ease I felt, and I actually liked the job. Turned out that my fake excuse for needing something manageable for now could have held an element of truth to it.

  In my rocky state of mind I didn’t think I could have handled throwing myself back into the busy fast paced lifestyle I used to have, and taking on clients who would need me to be on top form.

  I also, like Eilesh said, was out of the game. I’d forgotten how quickly I needed to think on my feet, and multitask. I’d forgotten how much my brain worked like a computer, accessing files I’d tucked away in the crevices of my mind, accessing them when I needed to.

  All of that kind of slipped away during my time off.

  I decided on a strategy to get myself back in the game so that maybe in a few months I’d get back to that level again. Sullivan’s had an excellent reference library that would help with that.

  What helped too was my new boss.

  Alex really did treat me like an equal. After the first day when he’d caught me reading a legal journal he gave me a file of people who’d made basic enquiries that weren’t too technical and allowed me to deal with it. He extended that permission to include anything new that came in and told me it would help lessen his workload, although I knew it was more of a favor on my part.

  Then when I checked my account I realized he hadn’t just paid me for a month. The money that was in there would cover me for at least six months. When I asked him about it he said it was part of my new starter bonus, and apparently all employees got it.

  I knew he made it up, and since he wouldn’t take it back or adjust things so that I wouldn’t get paid more money for the next six months I put it to good use.

  As I was living rent free, and had all this extra income I paid off the last of my loan closing the door on the debt situation, and vowing never to return to it.

  I also bought a car. Nothing fancy, just a little Volkswagen Beetle to get around town in.

  Then the shops called to me. With money in my pockets I gave myself some much needed retail therapy. That ended the week nicely.

  Finally, Eilesh came back from San Francisco.

  I went to see her the same evening she returned. It felt like I hadn’t seen her in years, and that I’d been through a lifetime of events but in a short space of time.

  We met in the coffeehouse that was ten minutes away from Alex’s apartment.

  She was already there when I walked in and hugged me hard when I approached looking weary with worry, for me. I knew she was going to be like that.

  It came after hearing I’d been robbed.

  I’d spoken to her on the phone several times over the last week to assure her that I was fine. While she was glad I’d taken the job and was safe with Alex she was still concerned and felt bad that so much had happened to me with her being away.

  “Summer, I wasn’t sure which I would do when I saw you. Shake you or hug you. You are lucky you got the hug.” She ran her hands over her black pixie cut hair that made her dainty features look more fairy like.

  “I’m so sorry.” I offered reflecting over the past week and back to the week before when I’d first arrived.

  “Good, be sorry.”

  “It’s been a crazy time.”

  “Summer, I don’t get it. Wh
y didn’t you want to stay with me when you first got here?” She shook her head at me.

  “Pride,” I answered. I’d always marveled at how real I could be with Eilesh but today was the first that I’d realized that I’d held back on the things that actually bothered me the most.

  “Fuck pride, Summer. You know what it’s my fault I should have insisted. At least you would have been safe. My door is still open.” She always babbled when she was anxious and worried. “But if you’re comfortable with Alex, stay. I know how the whole spending the night with him got to you. I just don’t want you to feel like you had no other options.”

  “Eilesh, calm down. It’s all good. I’m… comfortable.”

  Comfortable. I didn’t know if that was the word I should use but I supposed that whatever it was I felt by staying with him was working.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I think I’ll be okay.” I bobbed my head.

  “Summer, I honestly wish you would confide in me more. I get it. I do. Becca was your best friend, and I’m not trying to replace her and act childish by slipping into her shoes. But you are my best friend. So that makes me worry about you and be afraid when you keep things from me. Like, God, I know I was all mesmerized when you told me about Alex because of the way that you explained it but then it all sunk in and freaked me out. Summer, what you did was dangerous.”

  I looked down at my hands I’d rested on the table and the rigid patterns made from the oakwood surrounding my fingers. I knew that she was right.

  “I know.” I muttered and brought my gaze back up to meet hers.

  “Going to a night club on your own and going off with a man you didn’t know. And you went to his house.”

  “Eilesh, you were excited when I first told you.” I pointed out.

  “Because of Alex. But what if it wasn’t him? What I’m trying to say is please don’t just go off on these flights of fancy that could end up putting you in a more compromised position. I’m sorry to launch into you but you need to know that I’m here for you.”

  I nodded. “You’re my best friend and all I have.”

  She looked touched to hear that. “Then please confide in me. I would never dream of hurting you the way Becca did.”