Texas Hellcat

by Shelley Stringer

  “You’re just on a trial basis, that’s all, Kel. You deserve the job,” Gabby insisted.

  “I know we’ve been here longer than you have, Kelly, but you’re a natural. Gabby and I have no problem reporting to you,” Lisa added.

  “Well, thanks for the confidence, but we’re a team. For now, Gabby will head up the Austin Auto Group campaign, Lisa will continue working on the small independent ads, and I’ll move forward with the Austin Nightlife Project. Anything new can be pitched to the summer interns, unless it’s a pet project of Stuart’s or Mrs. Drake’s. In that case, we’ll fine-tune our assignments. Carter already had us reviewing budgets every two weeks, so we’ll continue for now, and I’ll combine everything and turn in a monthly to Stuart.”

  “And now there won’t be anyone to pee all over our ideas,” Lisa retorted as I laughed.

  “Exactly. Thank you both. I think the other VP’s will be pleased with the way we handle things. I appreciate your support, ladies. Now we can show these men how it’s done!”

  They both applauded, seemingly elated at the turn of events. As they rose to leave, Gabby added, “And move in here as quickly as possible. Banish the ghost of assholes past.”

  “New office furniture has already been ordered,” Liam’s voice called out from the doorway. He was relaxed against the door facing, his arms crossed, grinning at me with his adorable crooked grin.

  Lisa and Gabby blushed, mortified Liam had overheard part of our conversation.

  “Sorry, Mr. Covington. We didn’t know you were standing there.”

  “It’s all right, ladies…some of us “guys” feel exactly the way you do about old Dan,” he replied. “I have no doubt everything will be much more efficient with him out of the equation.”

  As my co-workers rushed out of my office, his grin deepened. He pushed off the door, stood upright, and then closed the door behind him, moving slowly over to my desk. I stood, smoothing my jacket nervously.

  “So, Miss Sanger. How is your new office?” he asked, coming within mere inches of my face.

  “Awkward. Surprising. I had no idea Stuart was going to put me in here in the interim until they decide about a replacement for Dan,” I murmured, watching his eyes uneasily.

  “Awkward, you say? Why is that?” he asked, cocking his head to one side.

  I was suddenly, unexplainably nervous.

  “Liam, open the door.”

  “Why?” he asked, moving even closer. “I like the door closed.” He turned, looking at it, and then turned back to me. “I like you in here, with me, with the door closed,” he breathed, leaning in and staring down at my lips.

  I instinctively ducked out of the reach of his mouth, moving around him to open the door. “Unless we have something that needs to be discussed behind closed doors, Mr. Covington, will you please leave it open?” I asked as I swung the door open wide. I was still smarting from Mr. Justin’s comments about my rise on the ladder, and the last thing I wanted to do was to feed the office gossip.

  “You’re right, Ms. Sanger. There isn’t anything I could do with it shut, I won’t do with it open,” he shot back, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me into his chest. As I gasped, his mouth came down fully over mine, his tongue invading, demanding.

  “Liam Covington!” I exclaimed, outraged he would man-handle me in the office. He had no idea the comments I’d just endured. I broke the kiss and shoved him backwards, shooting him a look that would have burned most mortal men.

  “Hey, Hellcat…what’s gotten into you?”

  “Nothing! Just not in here. Not in the office!”

  Liam’s eyes narrowed, the playfulness leaving his demeanor. “I’ve told you before, Kel. Office politics mean nothing to me. I’ll do what I please, especially in the privacy of my office or yours.”

  “Well, they do to me. Please, I need to maintain some professionalism -- especially now,” I murmured, looking down at the carpet.

  “Why now, Kelly? Has something happened? What, because Stuart moved you into Dan’s office? Is that what this is all about?”

  “No! I mean, it’s just…”

  His gaze softened as he watched me struggle. He smiled, and then walked close enough to kiss me on the forehead.

  “Sorry, Kel. I’ve just missed you this morning, that’s all. You look good enough to eat, by the way.” Sliding his finger down my cheek, he added in a whisper, “And I look forward to it, after work.”

  My breath hitched and my heart began to race. Just a few words, and he already had my fever rising. I blushed, and he grinned deeper, waiting on me to say something.

  “I’ve missed you too.” I finally whispered, my voice wavering.

  “Glad to hear it. Kick some more ass, tough girl. By the way, I heard you talking to your teammates. You handled that well. You’re going to do great,” he praised. His words took a little of the sting out of Justin’s comments earlier, but those comments were still a sour note on an otherwise perfect day.

  I busied myself the rest of the afternoon moving things out of my desk and down the hallway into my new office. About four-thirty, the other offices began to empty as the VP’s usually left earlier than all of the secretaries and assistants. Thinking I’d gone as well, two of the men stood talking in the kitchenette behind my old office cubicle.

  “They fired him without any notice! That’s what tits and ass and spreading them wide will do for you,” one of them said.

  “Yeah. You know she didn’t get his office because there are any brains above those boobs. And that set isn’t the best I’ve seen,” the other voice added.

  “I give her six months, then things will be such a mess, they’ll bring in another male UT grad. It takes more than good sex to make that department run.”

  I could hear their footsteps approaching the hallway, so I grabbed the last box off my desk and hurried past the mahogany door. I sat the box down on my desk, and sank down in the chair. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. The entire office was talking about it. I was suddenly furious. I turned around in my chair, ready to pick the receiver up to my phone when Liam cleared his throat behind me.

  “Hey, Lady, want a ride home?” he asked.

  “Come in. Now it’s time to close the door,” I said, totally serious.

  He eyed me warily, reached over and pushed the door closed. “Okay, Hellcat. You have my attention.

  “What did you have to do with Stuart’s putting me in charge?” I demanded.

  “What’s eating you, Kel?”

  “I’m serious. I need to know. Did you influence Stuart’s decision? Just what is your job here?”

  “I told you. I’m doing some consulting on some projects my company and Austin, Inc. might partner on. The only thing I’ve done in this whole thing is tell Stuart his instincts about Carter were right. He’d known for some time Carter was skating on your accomplishments. Carter didn’t know shit about advertising or marketing. He had a general business degree, and got this job because he played golf with one of the other VP’s.”

  “Let me guess…Mr. Justin?” I spat out, not thinking.

  “Kelly, is there something you need to tell me? Has Justin said something to you?”

  I took a deep breath. The last thing I was going to do was to run home and tell on my co-workers to my boyfriend.

  “No, forget it. Just…you didn’t urge Stuart to put me in here, did you?” I asked, almost pleadingly.

  Liam rounded the desk and leaned on the corner. He reached down, and took my hand in his.

  “Kelly, I swear, Stuart told me his plans to not replace Carter right away. He wasn’t sure his position was even needed. There may be some restructuring at a later date, so for now, he felt your department would be fine as it is, with you to report directly to him, and I agreed. That is all there is to it. If he believes you deserve to be in this office, then you do, Cat. I had nothing to do with it.”

  “And you don’t think the fact we’re involved made any difference to him?” I f
inally choked out.

  “No, Kelly, I don’t. He didn’t know, until I told him. I wanted him to know I’m crazy about you, and I wasn’t going to sneak around about it. He slapped me on the back, and told me he thought I’d made a great choice,” he said, stroking my cheek.

  I let out my breath, relaxing a bit. I had no reason not to believe him, so I let it go.

  “Now, come on. I want to get a run in before dinner. I’ve got to stay in shape. You’ve heard I’m sleeping with a hellcat?” He slipped his arms around me as I stood.

  Leaning into his ear, I growled in the sexiest voice I could manage.

  “Wait till I get you in the car,” he whispered.

  I grinned, work forgotten as I contemplated an evening alone with him. As I grabbed my cell phone off my desk it buzzed in my hand, signaling a text. Liam paused at the door, waiting for me to read the text.

  “You little whore. Having fun in the new office?

  You’d better watch over your shoulder

  while he’s got you on your back.”

  My eyes flashed up at Liam, my good mood shattered.

  “What is it, Kel?” he asked, moving back toward me. He took the phone from me and read the message. “What the hell?”

  I shook my head, fighting back tears. It had been a long day, and one too many accusations with sexual undertones.

  He closed the message, and then checked to see if he could get a number.

  “It’s blocked…unavailable. No number shows up.”

  I sighed. “Of course not. But we both know who it’s from.”

  He pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. “Don’t worry about it, Kel. I’ll report this to Stuart in the morning, and also to the police. If you get any more, I want to know. Understand?”

  I nodded slowly.

  “This isn’t the only flack you’ve caught today, is it?” he asked forcefully.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I countered.

  “Like hell it doesn’t! I want to know who’s said something to you!” he demanded. I shook my head.

  “I overheard some of the guys talking, that’s all. Just guy stuff…locker room talk. I can handle it. Besides, the last thing I need is for my boyfriend to go charging in to defend me.”

  “I know you can handle it, Kel. But you shouldn’t have to. If anything else happens, I want to know,” he repeated.

  “Okay,” I agreed as he ushered me out the door.

  We’d just gotten into his Lincoln when my cell rang.

  “Kelly-cat, are you still at work?” Tana’s voice sounded winded.

  “Just leaving with Liam. What’s up?”

  “You might want to drive up to the sixth level and check your parking space. One of the guys in my office just called me, and said there is some ugly stuff spray-painted up there.”

  I took a deep breath, my stomach sinking. “Okay, Tana…thanks. We’ll check it out.”

  I switched my phone off and turned to Liam. “You’d better drive on up to six, and see what else I have to deal with.

  “What?” he asked, a frown wrinkling his forehead.

  “Tana said someone just told her my parking space has been vandalized,” I whispered, beyond words.

  He wheeled around and took the ramp up, passing floors until we reached six. As he approached the last row, he swore.

  “Son-of-a-bitch. The guy has some nerve,” he muttered, his lights flashing across my parking space. “What are we, in high school?”

  Written in red spray paint across the floor and wall were the words “whore” and “bitch,” and other graphic self-explanatory drawings.

  “Well, he’s quite the artist,” I muttered, so shocked I didn’t know how to react.

  “Kelly, I’m so sorry. We’ll make sure this is cleaned up by tomorrow,” he said as he backed up and headed for the down ramp. Once we were out in the light of day, Liam dialed his phone.

  “Stuart?...Covington….okay, yes, we’ve just seen it. Yeah, I wanted to make sure…okay, in the morning. I want it covered up ASAP. Yes, she’s with me…she saw it. Yes, I’ll tell her…thanks, Stuart. Goodnight.”

  He put his phone back in his jacket, and then grabbed my hand. “Stuart said he’s given instructions to have the graffiti covered, and he’s having security cameras installed in the parking garage.”

  I turned and stared out the window. I found myself wishing I could go to work like anyone else, and have a normal day.

  “Kelly, forget about it. We’ll handle Carter. I’ll have the police pay him a visit. Stuart said he doesn’t want you worrying about this. Shake it off, Kel.”

  I turned to him and forced a smile. “I’m okay.”

  Liam pulled my hand up and kissed the back of it. As he searched my eyes, I realized he knew he was getting the robot response.

  Seventeen

  Exhausted after our run, I managed to eat some salad and yogurt before soaking in Liam’s large tub. While he showered and shaved, I wrapped his terry robe around me and then picked out my clothes for work.

  “Exactly how far can you run, Kel?” He called out from the bathroom.

  I stuck my head around the closet door. “What do you mean?”

  Liam strolled out of the bathroom, water still glistening on his broad shoulders, a towel covering his midsection. “I’ve never seen anyone who could run further than me. You never seem to be ready to stop when I do,” he said as he stopped in front of me.

  “I don’t know…five or six miles. I’ve never measured it. I just run.”

  He leaned over me, and reached over my shoulder to pick a light pink sleeveless linen dress from my side of the closet. “This looks good on you. It’s one of my favorite things you tried on yesterday.”

  “Then that’s what I’m wearing tomorrow,” I said huskily. I turned and hung it on the closet door.

  He processed for a moment, and then moved closer. “You seem like a different person when you’re running. It’s like you’re in a zone or something.”

  I shrugged as he reached out to touch my hair. “Running has always been a stress reliever for me. Whenever I wanted to shut something out or clear my head, I’d run. I run till I’m too tired to care, or I’ve worked my problem out.”

  “Hmmm.” He dropped the lock of wet hair, and then stepped back a step. “So, I’m a problem?”

  “No,” I whispered. I took a step toward him. “No, definitely not a problem.” I knew he was trying to get me to admit I was bothered about earlier. I shook my head as I grinned at him. I reached for the towel, and drew it away from his body. I was trying to be so cool, but his abs…holy crap! I would never get used to seeing him naked. Liam had a body any male model would kill for.

  “No, Mr. Covington, the only problem I have right now is getting your attention,” I murmured, lifting up on my toes to meet his lips.

  “No, that’s definitely not a problem, Hellcat,” he retorted as he slipped his hands inside the terry robe I’d donned earlier. Brushing it off my shoulders, he pulled me up into his chest. I wrapped my legs around his waist. In two steps, he had me on the bed, his body covering mine.

  “Now that you have me here, what are you going to do with me?” I asked, my eyes wide.

  “Hmm…I can think of several things. You wanna play?” he asked, a particularly bright twinkle in his eye.

  “With you?” I widened my eyes. “Always,” I breathed.

  His mouth was on mine, his kiss so needy and hard it was painful. I kissed him back, my tongue flirting with slow flicks into his mouth. He tasted so good. He always tasted like his mouthwash and a flavor all his own.

  His mouth quickly left mine, working down my throat.

  “Baby, you’re so sexy,” he murmured as he grasped my shoulders. He lifted my left shoulder and rolled me to the side, continuing to trail kisses around to my shoulder blades. He’d never kissed my back. I shivered as I took a quick breath. Goosebumps rose on my neck.

  “You like?” I could hear the grin in his voice. W
ith a quick move, he moved over me, lying on my back, his arms moving to hold mine down, pressing me into the mattress as he moved my hair aside with his lips.

  Apprehension washed over me. Flashes of memories better left buried came rising to the surface…Reeves hot breath on my neck as he pressed his body against my back…

  “Liam,” I protested. He moaned, mistaking my calling his name as a passionate response. He grabbed my hair, tugging it slightly as he placed his lips to my ear.

  “You like it like this, little girl…”

  It was Reeves voice as he violently grabbed my hips and forced my legs apart. Stabbing me with a force I’d never imagined, he penetrated me as I screamed into the pillow…

  I gasped. Bile rose in my throat and I cried out, “Stop! Please, no…Don’t, PLEASE STOP!”

  I was gasping for air. Liam released me, sliding off to the side as he grasped my shoulders and turned me back over. Confusion was evident in his face until he took in my state of distress.

  “Kelly, no. I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean…” he stuttered.

  I shook my head. I was in the process of mentally trying to separate my horrible memories from what had just happened. It took every ounce of my being not to see Liam as I’d seen Reeves. I shuddered as he watched me in horror.

  “It’s not you, Liam. I should have warned you,” I whispered. The light was dawning as his face softened. He reached out and brushed the hair away from my face, and then slowly leaned down and placed a kiss on my forehead.

  “I…I can’t do that,” I finally managed to choke out. He pulled me into his chest.

  “Kel, I’m so, so sorry,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around me. “I would have never tried if I’d known.”

  I nodded. I was fighting that internal battle, where I was mentally forcing all of the bad memories and sick feelings back into the deep recesses of my mind where they belonged.