by C. C. Snow
He answered by sealing his lips around my hole and sucking. The low, hungry sound he made in the back of his throat made my insides liquefy.
“Oh God,” I groaned, struggling to drag enough air into my lungs.
It didn’t take long before the rhythmic pull of his mouth sent me spinning over the edge.
“Shit! I’m coming,” I moaned, my thighs tightening around his head. This climax blanketed me like a warm rain, the pleasure slow and relentless. I gasped desperately for air, floating in the aftermath, feeling like my body no longer belonged to me.
Troy slid up until our noses were almost touching.
I smelled myself on his breath and blushed.
He closed the gap between us and kissed me softly. It felt so damn sexy to kiss him with my taste on his lips. His cock was rock hard, throbbing urgently against my thigh.
I reached down between us to cup him and he groaned.
“Yes, touch me, baby,” he crooned.
Our breaths mingling, I used both hands to undo his belt and button. Carefully, I lowered his zipper and lightly clasped his engorged shaft through his briefs.
“You’re so hard,” I whispered, exploring his length.
“You make me as hard as steel, baby.” He kissed me again and brought his hand to cover mine. With subtle movements, he guided my movements, showing me how he liked to be touched. I tightened my grip and his low moan fed into my mouth.
My belly fluttered like crazy at the sound.
I let go of him and slid my hand into his waistband, needing to feel his bare skin. His cock jerked excitedly as my fingers encountered its crest. My thumb played with the silky drop of pre-cum at his tip and he broke away with an animalistic growl.
“I want you, Elle.” He pushed a hand into my hair and flexed his hips, letting me feel his need. “Say you want me too, baby,” he cajoled.
I did. The empty place between my thighs was aching to be filled. Greedy, greedy bitch.
But I couldn’t make my tongue work.
“Please, baby,” he rasped against my lips.
That note of urgency in his voice dragged me into a vortex of desire and I curled my fingers around his cockhead. He felt so hot in my palm. I wanted him deep inside me, filling me, driving away that emptiness.
I opened my mouth. “Troy, I—”
It was the lack of movement that made my words catch.
My eyes widened at the dull slam of the driver’s door. The car had come to a complete stop and the driver was getting ready to open the back door.
“Oh shit!” I said, reality a splash of icy water. The blood drained from my face. I was about to have sex with my boss’s boss in the back of his limo like a two-bit whore. And his driver was going to get an eyeful in a second.
I yanked my hand out of his pants and frantically tried to put myself together, but I was all thumbs. I couldn’t get my fingers to work to retie my sash. A little sob pushed out of my mouth as I saw the door handle turn.
In a flash, Troy grabbed the door before it could swing open wider than a small gap. He said shortly, “Give us a minute, Kiefer.” With a firm tug, he slammed the door shut again and turned to look at me.
Our breathing was loud in the space.
Even in the dark, I felt the intensity of his stare. He was seething with frustration, every muscle taut with unfulfilled desire.
I dropped my eyes and with shaking fingers, finally managed to cinch my dress. I heard him zipping up, but didn’t dare look at him. On the floor of the car, I saw a skimpy band of fabric and cringed. Face flaming, I bent down, snatched up my thong and stuffed it into my dress pocket.
Troy moved into my space and tipped my chin up with a knuckle. “Come home with me, Elle.”
“No!”
He stilled. “Then invite me in.” His voice was deadly soft.
“No. This was a mistake,” I whispered.
“Why?” He trailed a finger along my jaw. “Because you think I have something going on with Veronika? I don’t. We dated a long time ago, but—”
I shook my head, my dark hair swinging over my shoulders. “You don’t owe me any explanations.”
“The hell I don’t.” He pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “There’s no reason to be jealous. There hasn’t been anyone else since I met you.”
At his confession, I froze and stared at him with huge eyes. “Wha…what?”
“Shocked? You shouldn’t be.” He sobered and lowered his voice. “Elle, I only want you. And not as a quick fuck, as you so elegantly put it. I know you feel it too. Let me show you how good we can be together.”
“I can’t,” I strangled out.
“Why not?” Frustration drenched his voice.
“You’re my boss.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. I don’t directly supervise you.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
His thumb brushed gently along my cheekbone. “Baby, what are you really afraid of?”
His quiet question sent terror arrowing through me. This man saw too much.
I was afraid of too many damn things. My palms grew moist and my breathing ragged. The corners of my eyes tingled.
“I gotta go,” I said in a clogged voice and pulled away.
“Elle, don’t.”
I scooted toward the door and reached for the handle. He clasped my wrist to stop me.
“Baby, talk to me. Why won’t you give me a chance?”
Because I was too fucked up.
I jerked my hand out of his hold. “Goodnight, Troy.” I flung the car door open and ran to my apartment. Ignoring his shout, I fumbled with my key and gasped with relief when it slid into the hole. I heard his fist thump on the glass just as the door latched shut behind me.
Chapter 9
Baby, don’t shut me out. I need to see you.
Elle, we need to talk. Please call me.
I didn’t mean to push you. We’ll take it slow.
The coaxing texts continued for the first hour. Then they became terser, more imperious.
You can’t hide forever.
I’m not going away.
We WILL talk.
That last one felt like a threat.
Then came the calls.
I shut my phone off and screamed into my pillow. My body, still throbbing with pleasure, demanded I go to him. Reaching a hand to cup myself between my legs, I moaned at how achy and unfulfilled I felt. I had come three times and I still wanted more. My inner muscles clenched hungrily and I removed my hand with a vicious curse.
For half a heartbeat, I contemplated going to the pub to pick up a man to take the edge off, but I knew it would be a futile endeavor. Because my craving was for one man and one man only. I wouldn’t find any relief until I had him.
And deep down, I knew it wasn’t just his body I craved. I was terrified I’d want more and more of him until my addiction would destroy me. He made me want things I had given up on years ago. And that made me weak with terror.
Life was so much simpler when I saw him as an unfeeling player. It made it easy to reject his advances. To dismiss the attraction as animal magnetism.
Now…now I knew him. I knew he was funny and intelligent and cared about his family. And he wanted me. It made it so hard to resist him.
I flipped onto my back and stared at the ceiling with blurry eyes, wishing I were a different woman. A woman who wasn’t so scarred, she cowered away from the world.
A tear ran down my face into my ear as my mind got sucked into the past.
“You wanted to see me?” I said, hesitantly stepping into his study, watching his expression warily.
For twelve years of my life, I had occasionally seen this aloof man visit my mother as a “friend.” I had been told to call him uncle. But he wasn’t my uncle. He was my biological father and I didn’t know what to call him anymore.
He was a handsome man, with a square face and regular features. He had sandy-blond hair and blue-grey eyes and I could see
that I had inherited none of his features. I tilted my head in consideration and decided maybe I had his ears. There was a slight outward curl to his lobes that I recognized in the mirror.
Eyes regarding me coolly, he waved to a leather seat.
I sat down and folded my hands in my lap. Glancing at the surroundings, I hunched my shoulders, feeling intimidated.
The study was not welcoming. With its dark wood panels, thick curtains, and heavy furniture, it emanated gloom and somberness.
“Gabrielle, your arrival has caused an uproar in my life,” he said with a trace of distaste in his voice, as if I were a stray puppy dumped on his doorstep.
I wanted to retort that I wasn’t the one who caused the problem, but my lips felt sealed with wax. Because I was worse than a stray puppy. At least somebody wanted a puppy. I was an illegitimate child from his long-term affair with my mother. An unexpected consequence. An inconvenient complication.
“But I suppose it can’t be helped since your mother is already on her way to Rome.”
My throat got tight and itchy and I examined the small hole at the tip of my right canvas shoe. I wiggled my toes and saw my white sock poke through. My feet longed to take me away from the study. Away from the man in front of me.
“Gabrielle.”
At his harsh voice, my head snapped up.
His lips thinned to a straight line in annoyance and his eyes turned frosty. “When I speak to you, I expect you to look at me.”
“Yessir,” I whispered. This man was supposed to be my father, but he was a complete stranger to me. He tried to strike up a conversation with me a few times, but it was always stilted and awkward. After a while we merely exchanged pleasantries before I went to my room for the duration of his visit or I went to a friend’s house.
He nodded and leaned back in his chair, examining me as if I were an insect under a microscope. My hands started to get clammy and I rubbed the sweat on my jeans.
“While you’re living under my roof, I expect you to treat my wife and my children with the utmost respect.”
“Yessir.” I noticed I wasn’t counted as one of his children and clasped my hands together again.
“I’m a prominent man in New York society, Gabrielle and nobody can find out that you are my daughter. You will continue to call me uncle. We will tell everyone I’m your guardian. Your father was a good friend who died and left you in my custody.”
Small. I felt small and I wished I could keep curling in on myself until I disappeared altogether. Pressing my knees together, I willed the laws of physics to obey my command. Maybe then my mother would be sorry she left me in this horrible place.
I bit on my quivering lip to hold back a sob because deep down I knew Graziella would not care. She might shed a token tear, but she would move on with her life, relieved she didn’t have to be responsible for anyone but herself anymore.
Nobody gave a damn about me, especially the man in front of me. Had I expected him to open his arms to me and welcome me as his flesh and blood? Inside, I laughed maniacally at my naivety.
Outwardly, I bowed my head and said quietly, “Yessir.”
***
Gathering the pages of the finished report, I placed them in the binder and walked out of Cora’s home office to look for her. I followed the sound of Aiden banging on his toy xylophone and found Cora sitting on the floor, watching him with a small smile.
At my entrance, she glanced up and laughed. “Oh good. I’ve been waiting for you to come rescue me.” She patted her ever-growing belly. “After I sat down on the floor, I realized I didn’t know how to get back up.”
I chuckled, placed the binder on the coffee table, and pulled her to her feet. She staggered slightly and I tightened my grip, steadying her.
“Cora, are you okay?” I asked, watching her closely.
Placing her hand on her forehead, she laughed. “I’m fine. Just got a tad dizzy there.”
“Are you sure you’re alright? Should I call Jake?” Her color seemed fine, but I didn’t know much about pregnant women.
“No, I’m fine. I got a head rush from standing up too quickly. I forgot how ungainly my body gets at this stage.”
Relieved she seemed to be okay, I slowly let go of her. “Well, you look amazing.” Cora had a curvy body that had only been enhanced by her pregnancy.
“Thanks, Elle. I knew there was a reason I liked you,” she teased, her eyes falling on the binder. “Oh, you’re finished already?”
“Yes. I saved the files on the flash drive and printed out a copy.” I would never comprehend the complexity of what Cora did, but as she had promised, she was patient with me. In the last several weeks we finally figured out the best use of my skills was for me to help her research and write her reports. Her strength was with numbers and mine was with prose.
I picked up the binder and handed it to her. “Why don’t you review this while I watch Aiden?”
“Alright.” She wisely sat down on a straight back chair and opened the binder.
Aiden hit a few discordant notes and I winced. “Kiddo, how about a snack?”
He looked up and nodded. I held out my hand and we headed to the kitchen. Just as he was finishing up his last slice of apple, Cora walked in.
“It looks great, Elle.”
“Do you see any parts that need revision?” I asked, wiping Aiden’s sticky fingers.
“No. You explained the financial health of DataPoynt perfectly. Even someone without any accounting background will understand it, which is what we need for the board meeting next week.”
“What else do you need me to do? I didn’t see anything else on the schedule.”
She glanced at the clock on the microwave. “It’s almost time for Aiden’s nap.”
At the N word, Aiden looked at his mom and waggled his head. “No nap!”
We both bit back our smiles because his eyes were already drooping.
“Do they make hamster wheels for kids?” Cora asked, cocking her head in mock consideration.
“If we can hook it up to a generator, I think he can provide power to the whole block,” I said, picking him up.
Yawning, he placed his cheek on my shoulder.
“He won’t be able to fight it for much longer,” she said with a low chuckle.
I tilted my head downward and indeed, Aiden’s eyes were already half closed.
Lowering her voice, she said, “After you put him down, there’s only one more thing I need your help with and then you can take off.”
“But it’s only two,” I pointed out.
“There is no reason for you to stick around if there’s nothing else left to do. Besides, it’s Friday and Jake should be home in an hour.”
“Okay, I’m not going to argue about getting to leave early,” I said with a smile. “What do you need me to do?”
“There are two contracts sitting in my outbox that can’t be sent digitally to the office. Would you drop them off at headquarters?”
“Of course. Who would I need to ask for?” Please don’t say him. Anyone but him.
Troy had been texting and calling every day for the last week, but I had been too cowardly to respond. The messages had been getting progressively shorter, his voice more impatient. I was afraid that he was going to track me down here or at my apartment soon. I was turning into a nervous wreck, looking for him every time I stepped outside.
“Kayla Johnson. She’ll get them to the right people.”
“Alright,” I said with a small sigh. Kayla was his assistant, but maybe I could get this paperwork to her without bumping into him. I knew I had to talk to him soon, but I wanted to buy some time.
As soon as Aiden was down for his nap, I handed Cora the baby monitor. “I’ll see you Monday morning.”
“Have a great weekend, Elle.”
I descended the stairs to her office, grabbed the contracts, and let myself out of the house.
It was a direct ride on the El to get to the downtown office. I had only
been at the building once to sign my contract and to get my company laptop. I asked at the security desk for Kayla Johnson and was directed to the executive floor.
As soon as I walked out of the elevator, I felt out of my element. Everything looked…posh on this floor—the people, the furnishings, the views. Instantly, I felt grungy and out of place in my black jeans, polyester blouse, and army surplus jacket. Trying not to appear as uncomfortable as I felt, I walked to the receptionist.
The lithe blonde dressed in a slim-fitting, black suit looked up, her expression professionally pleasant. “How may I help you?”
“I need to drop this off with Kayla Johnson.” I held up the manila folder with the contracts.
“And you are?” she prompted.
“Uh…I work for Cora Weston.”
The blonde’s demeanor underwent a subtle transformation at the mention of Cora’s name. Smiling warmly, she put out her right hand, flashing a sparkling ring. “Hi, you must be Elle, Cora’s PA. I’m Alana Hughes.”
“Nice to meet you, Alana,” I said.
“Walk down the hall and make a right. You can’t miss it.” She indicated the direction with her left hand.
“Thanks,” I said. Following her instructions, I found Kayla’s office. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the name placard outside the room: Troy Weston, Chief Financial Officer.
I was wrong. It wasn’t engraved on a gold plaque; it was on brushed chrome.
“Just go in and out,” I said and promptly snickered at myself. I sounded like I was going on a perilous mission when I merely had to drop off a few pieces of paper.
“Don’t be a drama queen, Elle,” I admonished myself and took a confident step into the open office only to realize there was nobody at the desk. The inner office door was closed and I didn’t want to disturb a meeting in progress. Glancing at the envelope in my hand, I deliberated leaving it on the desk and taking off, but I didn’t want to chance the contracts not reaching the right hands.
Seeing no other option, I sat down on the couch to wait and pulled out my phone to pass the time. Hopefully Troy’s assistant would be back before I ran into him. I grimaced at the spate of new texts from him. I needed to woman up and face him.
