He raises a brow playfully. “Yeah, barely.” Then he adjusts the collar on his pressed, blue dress shirt. “We should go.”
I nod and follow behind him. “You know those are real diamonds on that couch, don’t you?” he says as we head into the garage through the kitchen.
I chuckle softly. “Yeah. I do. Are you trying to make me feel worse than I already do about my life?”
He looks at me with eyes so serious, and so damn hot, even my pulse reacts. “Not trying to demoralize you, more like the opposite. Just want you to see what’s possible.”
I scoff at his comment. “Sure, I’ll keep that in mind.”
He taps the roof of his red Porsche. “We’ll take this car.” We get in and Cole looks at me as he presses his thumb onto a small circular pad on his dashboard, causing the slick garage door to open behind us. “Trust me, Gavin. You have way more potential than you can see right now.”
“All due respect, I think I know my own limits better than you.”
He shakes his head in defiance. “We all need someone to keep us in check, someone to show us our blind spots in life.”
I think about his comment for a moment and then say, “Okay, so what are your blindspots?”
He hesitates from responding as he pulls his hundred thousand dollar sports car out of the garage. “Well, I don’t mean literally everyone. There are exceptions,” he jokes.
As he rips out of his driveway, I shake my head and say. “If you could somehow monetize your arrogance, man…”
“Trust me, I’ve already tried. I eventually gave up, and that’s when I started my own wealth management company. Things worked out in the end either way.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?” I add.
He pushes another button and the sunroof slides open without making a slight sound. The crisp morning air coupled with the perfectly engineered hum from his engine has me feeling more relaxed than I deserve given this situation.
We slow down and come to a stop at a four-way intersection in Cole’s exclusive Boston neighborhood. He looks over at me, and I catch him glancing down at my thigh. My throat tightens and I can’t help from squeezing my legs together tightly, determined to repress whatever energy I’m feeling between them. “No, not everything, Gavin.”
We look deeply into each other’s eyes for what feels like an eternity before the two us break from our trance and Cole punches the gas on the hedge-lined, cobblestone street.
I realize I’m heading down a incredibly stupid path with Cole, but I can’t seem to get off this ride. As we make our way downtown, the two of us are relatively quiet, letting the music in the car do most of the communicating for us.
We make it to Cole’s building and pull into the underground garage. He parks his sports car in a VIP space that’s positioned among a few other cars that remind me of how much money there is here in Boston, at least for the few. Most of the garage is empty right now, apart from this small, exclusive section of the lot. Which makes sense, given it’s a Saturday morning.
Cole grabs a tan blazer from his trunk and puts it on. “First rule if you want to succeed in the private sector, dress better than your competition. Even on Saturdays,” he says.
I try not to stare at the way his hulking biceps bulge through his blazer. Then I look down at my own B-level wardrobe. “Shit, that’s one broken rule already and we haven’t even made it inside yet.”
He smiles and looks my body up and down, his eyes curious and lustful at the same time. “Rule number two, be more handsome than your competition. That’s something that can’t be bought with all the money in the world, and you already have it.”
I can’t stop myself from smiling and biting down on my lip. Why does he make me feel like a blushing fourteen-year-old girl every time he pays me a compliment? “I guess I’ll take the compliment,” I say as we make our way inside the elevator.
“It’s not a compliment. Compliments are subjective. You’re a good looking man, Gavin. You should feel confident knowing that fact.”
I can’t tell if he’s hitting on me, or simply telling me this to bolster my confidence. Either way, I half love it, and half fear it. “Fine, then thanks for your non-biased feedback,” I say lightly.
He presses the button for the sixtieth floor, the very top of the building. As the elevator swiftly transports us to the sixteenth floor, I feel slightly intoxicated from being this close in proximity to him right here in this elevator. The doors open, and I feel my shoulders drop just knowing I can breathe a little easier now that we’re unloading from this tiny, enclosed box.
I follow Cole into his executive corner office, and my jaw literally drops open. His office itself appears bigger than the Oval Office. Everything in here is sleek, modern and white… the walls, the furniture, even the conference table. Two of the walls are almost all glass, and the view of Boston below us is beyond breathtaking.
“What do you think?” he says, placing his phone down on his desk.
At first, I’m speechless as I continue my visual tour of this incredible space. “You could charge people just to visit,” I say.
Cole chuckles. “In a way, I do. My company only works with clients who have significant net worths. My clients expect the best from anyone they’re willing to let manage their money. Skimping on office space would send the wrong message.”
“How high are we talking here in terms of net worth?” I say.
Cole pauses, his eyes raking over my body so quickly I’m almost not sure that I even saw what I think I saw. “Higher than most of the patrons at your coffee shop.”
I raise a brow, feigning annoyance that he won’t tell me. “Rich people don’t go to coffee shops?”
He opens up his laptop, his eyes fixed on the screen as he settles into his desk. “I only work with clients with a minimum of a hundred million in net worth.”
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
He shakes his head, his eyes glued to the screen of his laptop. “I wouldn’t do that to you. Not when it comes to business.”
“Jesus,” I mutter as I walk around his office in awe.
“But there’s still plenty of room to expand my company,” he says, coming from behind and startling me. “Still many more clients I need to win over if I’m going to expand internationally.”
I turn and face him head on. Our eyes lock, and I can hardly take the rush of energy that’s coursing through my veins .
All because of Cole.
“How are you going to do that?” I say.
“Like I said, everyone has their blindspots. I’m one of the best money guys in the country, but not everyone trusts me with their fortune, regardless of the fact that my ROI’s outpace every mutual fund on the market.”
I stare blankly at him, trying to understand why he really brought me here. “Return on investments,” he says to me.
“Yeah, I know what ROI means.”
He winks. “Just testing you.”
“Is that all you’re doing, testing me?”
And for the first time, I caught him off guard as he squints.
But my victory is short-lived as he reaches out his hand to comb my hair with his fingers. A jolt of electricity rocks my spine. “Hang on, I need you to look the part. Or at least understand that to be very successful in business, you can’t have a hair out of place.”
My heart is beating like a drum. This is going to be a long ass morning, unless I do the right thing and get the fuck out of here. But instead, I do the wrong thing and say, “You could’ve just told me. I would’ve fixed my own hair.”
He presses his lips together, the corners of his mouth curling up just slightly. His eyes flicker as he stares right through me. I can feel heat start to gather again between my legs. “This is my office, Gavin. When I spot an issue, I don’t wait to fix it.”
“I don’t need fixing, Cole.”
Whatever smile he had immediately disappears as he walks right up to my face. His warm, minty breath is intoxica
ting. “Don’t bullshit me. You wouldn’t be here If you didn’t need fixing.”
I cross my arms in front of my chest defensively. “Maybe I should just leave right now to prove you wrong then.”
Cole runs his fingers through my hair again, his thumb grazing the side of my cheek as he brings his hand back to his tie and methodically adjusts it. “I’m calling your bluff. You wouldn’t make me spend all of this time and effort fixing your hair, only to walk out that door right now,” he says with a deadpan expression on his face.
The two of us break our stare and laugh. Cole steps away from me and moves towards his desk, my eyes seemingly unable to not stare at his body in that tight, expensive suit of his.
That said, at least he didn’t kiss me.
I feel relieved for the moment.
I think.
He punches a few keys into his laptop, and then closes it. He loosens his tie a bit more and then takes off his blazer. I gawk at how much his shoulder muscles fill out the corners of his dress shirt. I can almost feel my fingers moving towards his body like little magnets gravitating towards a giant, gorgeous hunk of steel.
“Come on, I’ll show you around some more,” he says.
Cole gives me a tour of his company’s office space. There isn’t a spot of dust to be found, a single furniture knick, or even a faint window smudge. I’ve never seen such a meticulously kept place in my life.
All of the equipment, the furniture, even the decor… everything looks so sleek and brand new and worth more than I can even comprehend.
He leads me down a long corridor and I can’t help but stop and look at several rows of perfectly aligned pictures on the wall. Pictures, mostly of men, all of them shaking hands with Cole himself.
One pic in particular catches my attention. “This guy looks like a Saudi Arabian prince,” I say.
Cole reaches over my shoulder and adjusts the picture frame ever so slightly.
“It’s all about trust, Gavin. If you can earn the trust of others, it doesn’t matter where they come from or how much money they have. Everyone needs someone they can rely on.”
I turn to face him, this time our mouths are too close for comfort. This little cat and mouse game we’re playing is really starting to mess with my sanity.
I don’t know how long I can take it… how long I can pretend as though I don’t want to see his rock hard body naked again… feel his hands on my body.
Or taste his kiss.
Stupidly, I open my mouth and say softly, “How do they know they can trust you with all their money?”
He leans in slightly, his eyes steady and completely transfixed on mine, like he wants to devour my body whole. ”Sometimes, it's because they don't have a choice. They fully comprehend my company's track record for being the best money management company there is. But other times, even when I just started in this business and hadn’t built a reputation yet, my clients just knew. They knew I wouldn’t steer them wrong. It’s one of those nonverbal, intuitive feelings we all get when you know that you’re on the same page with someone.”
I break eye contact with him and point to another photo, a picture of an older woman wearing a gray suit and shaking hands with Cole. “It’s good to see that not all of your clients are men,” I tease.
“Do I look like the discriminatory type to you?" he says sarcastically.
I look him up and down, pretending to study him carefully as though I’m not sure. “How the hell would I know? I’m just a kid who needs fixing, right?”
He shakes his head and I swear he just smiled. “Well, I didn’t discriminate against you, did I?”
I cross my arms in front of my chest, my mouth inadvertently forming a pout. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Cole reaches out and peels my locked arms apart. My breath gets trapped in my throat as his fingers slowly slide off of my forearm. “Relax. I’m an equal opportunist here. Men, women, old… even you. So there, clearly I don’t discriminate.”
“I don’t know if it’s as clear as you’re making it sound, but I’ll take your word for it.”
He looks over at the picture of the woman that I referred to. “Although, it does help that she’s one of my wealthiest clients.”
I shake my head and roll my eyes, pretending to be disgusted. “Typical alpha male bullshit," I say.
His eyes narrow. He lets out a slow, deep breath, and I can’t stop glancing down at the way he keeps nibbling on his lower lip with his straight, white teeth.
”You think you know all about me?" he says, his eyes suddenly serious and piercing right through me. I can't tell if I just said something that pissed him off…
Or made him want to fuck me.
“Not especially, no,” I say, my voice shakier than I want it to be.
Then his eyes soften, a devilish flicker lurking behind them. “I’m joking, Gavin. Well, mostly. The truth is, you don’t know much about me at all.”
”I don’t know much about myself still, so no argument there.”
Cole grins and sets his hand on my shoulder, his palm lingering on my body as though he’s determined to torture me once again. “Well, that’s why you’re here. Even if you do decide that this isn’t the right place for you-“
I cut him off and say, “Or you decide that I shouldn’t be here.”
His eyes dart towards his hand on my shoulder. “It’s not looking like that’s going to be the outcome here, Gavin. But, you might decide that coffee shops are more your thing, and that’s totally your prerogative. Either way, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about yourself in the process of getting a taste of my world.”
The way he pauses and glares down at me after he talks about me tasting his world… I suddenly feel slightly chubby down below, memories of how lit up my body felt when I had his cock inside my mouth.
Reality sets in…
Why did I come here?
Worst mistake ever.
I make a bold move and reach down to grab his wrist. I turn his wrist slightly so I can read the time on his watch. Our eyes meet, causing my cock to bulge even more as I open my dumb mouth again. “I only have an hour to make my decision,” I say.
He smiles. And it’s the godliest smile I’ve ever seen. “The shit I can accomplish in only an hour will blow your mind.”
He leans towards me with his lips, and I assume he’s going to kiss me as my heart starts to pound in my chest.
Then he stops. My cheeks flush red. I want to grab onto his thick, wide chest and pull him towards me.
Not that I would do something that outrageously idiotic.
“Come on, let’s finish the tour,” he says, grinning as he looks down at the bulge in my pants. “You look like you could use some cooling down.”
Embarrassed, I hesitate to follow after him at first. “Let me guess, you’re going to force me into another pool with you so I can cool off?” I say.
He shakes his head and loosens his tie so much that I catch a glimpse of his sexy chest hair. “Actually, there is a pool on the lower level that’s exclusive to my company.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
He undoes his tie completely, his gaze deliberate and slow as he watches me like a hawk. “Because you’re starting to get the feel for me now.”
“I thought I hardly knew you?” I say, heat building between my legs.
He squints. “You really are going to get yourself in trouble one of these days.”
“Are you threatening me?” I say.
He flashes a wicked grin and then looks down at the bulge in my pants again. “Are you?”
I look down at my cock, my cheeks flaming red as it pushes through the front of my khakis. “I’m not trying too, trust me.”
“Nobody ever tries to get a raging boner, Gavin,” he says.
My cheeks are now outright burning.
Before I can run the hell away, his hand is on my bulge and his lips come crashing into mine, sending every hair on my body to stand tall.
&nb
sp; My whole body is suddenly buzzing, but my mind can’t help from getting in the way…
Is this the only reason he brought me here? To fool around with me again?
He pulls his lips away from mine sharply, our breathing choppy and chaotic. “What the fuck did you do that for?” I say.
“I wasn’t trying to do that,” he says back to me.
I shake my head and narrow my gaze. “I don’t get you. What do you want from me? Because I thought maybe you wanted to help me, but now...”
He grabs my hips and slides his hand down my ass. “Maybe I do want to help you, and maybe I want something else too. Can’t you wear two hats at once?” he says.
“This is getting out of control. What about Jayson?”
“It’s not getting out of control, it already is out of control. And Jayson is the least of our worries. Believe me.”
“This is messed up, Cole. We both know it. I shouldn’t have come here in the first place. Maybe a job at a coffee shop isn’t so special to you, but it’s where I belong,” I say.
As hard as it feels to do, I turn and start to leave. Then Cole’s hand snatches the back of my wrist. I take in a sharp gasp of air as I try to pull my arm away. The second I resist, I feel his other hand on the back of my second wrist. “You can’t leave. You belong here, Gavin. With me. Right now,” he says, his voice low and raspy as the warm air from his breath tickles the back of my neck.
I resist even harder, but it’s no use. My backside is facing his front side, a dangerous position to say the least. “You’re insane, you know that?” I say.
He chuckles, and then I hear the sound of fabric sliding across fabric. Before I know what’s happening, I can feel something long and silky on the surface of my wrists. My stomach feels like it’s just been raided by thousands of butterflies as he proceeds to bind my wrists with his necktie.
“I think I’m well aware of that, yes." he says, tugging on the knot around my wrists to make sure that it's secure.
I test the knot myself, my hands unable to budge even a millimeter. “You’re a Boy Scout too, I take it?” I say, referring to the tightest knot on record.
He lets out a grunt. “I’m a lot of things, Gavin, but I’m not a Boy Scout. I never pretended to be either.”
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