Twisted

by Christa Simpson

  After a moment of peaceful silence, my stomach growled reminding me just how hungry I was. I propped my elbows up on Edwin’s chest. "Are you gonna come have some pizza with me?" I asked.

  "Yup. I'll be down in a minute."

  After one last smooch, I hopped up to go looking for the pizza. The box hadn't made it far from the front door and it made me giggle when I recalled Edwin's little pizza delivery act. I carried the cold box of pizza to the table, threw a few slices on a couple of plates and popped them into the microwave, one at a time. I pulled two icy cold bottles of Coors Lights from the fridge. I was sure Edwin would agree that they were warranted.

  I put one warm plate on the table and twisted the cap from my bottle. I took a sip of the cold beer and it slid delightfully down my throat. I went back to the microwave for the other plate of warmed pizza and dropped it onto Edwin’s spot at the table. What was taking him so long?

  "Your pizza's getting cold," I hollered. Before I could swallow my first bite, Edwin was seated across from me. And damn he looked good. So put together. The exact opposite of how I felt at this very moment.

  "It wouldn't be the first time." He chuckled as he lifted a slice of pizza to his open mouth. "You better watch it, a guy could get used to this." Smiling, he brought his bottle to his lips and took a healthy drink.

  "Now we wouldn't want that," I said sarcastically, then had another bite of pizza. Unable to stay away from him, my man, I gathered all my courage. I walked around the table and took a seat on his lap, with a half-eaten slice of pizza in my hand.

  "Yup, already used to it," he teased, smiling. He put down his pizza to kiss me, his hand cupped in my hair.

  After a few seconds, I pulled away and took another bite of my slice. "Okay, I'll leave you to yours. It's not like I'm going anywhere," I said, drawing his eyes to my body as I walked back to my chair.

  I took a seat and looked up at him, to find him still eyeing me. He was already finishing off his last slice, his beer nearly gone. I couldn’t help but notice that mine was still half full.

  He caught me gawking at my half full bottle. "Drink up. You'll need the practice for this weekend," he said.

  "Shit! We're leaving tomorrow and I haven't even started packing!" I exclaimed, suddenly aware of how little time was left.

  "Oh no! And you only have 24 hours to do it!" He laughed at my girly crisis.

  I scowled at him, but I wasn’t actually mad. Good vibes still coursed through my veins.

  "I know a few things you should bring,” Edwin said, his voice a low, sexy growl. “That skimpy pink bikini for one. Oh and that short white dress that looks like you took the scissors to the bottom."

  "It's cream coloured, thank you very much, but I'll pack it. Any other requests?"

  "Nope, as long as you're coming, I'll have everything I need."

  His words stroked me like a big, steady hand, my insides flickering with a warm and fuzzy sensation. My lips refused to stop smiling, though I wasn't done messing with him yet. "Eddie…no strings attached remember?" After tossing my crust into the garbage pail, I rinsed my plate in the sink.

  Edwin came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist and started showering my neck with soft, intimate kisses. "You know there's more to it than that. I need you Abigail; in my arms and in my bed."

  I twirled around and laced my fingers behind his neck. His aqua blue eyes glinted with confidence. A girl could get lost in those gorgeous, deep eyes. With a soft smile, I chewed on my lip.

  "Don't act all shy around me,” Edwin said. “I know you better than you know yourself. Like I said, there's more to it than that; and you know it."

  The quieter I kept, the more he bombarded me with his confessions of love.

  "I love everything about you Abby, even that you're often stubborn, usually sarcastic and always demanding."

  Gee thanks. "You better quit being so sweet, because a girl could get used to that you know," I said sarcastically.

  Edwin drew his hands up my curvaceous hips. "Maybe you should,” he said. “I didn’t even get started on how mesmerizing your hips are, or that glimmer in your eyes that tells me your mine, and I guarantee there's more where that came from."

  "Yup, already used to it!"

  He smiled at me effortlessly as he leaned in for another kiss.

  THE WORK DAY WAS going by fast and no one seemed to notice that Edwin and I were a little closer than normal. In need of short break in the afternoon, I went to the kitchen for a drink. Unexpectedly, Edwin was standing there, sharing a few words with Miller over coffee. They were deep in conversation about a particular file but, unable to help myself, I had to intrude.

  "Excuse me," I interrupted, so I could squeeze by and get into the fridge.

  Edwin trained his eyes on me and a slight smile curled on the edge of his lips. I ducked my head in the fridge, relieved to have the cool refuge from my suddenly rosy cheeks and Edwin’s burning stare. How is it that he can still have that effect on me?

  After rummaging something up, I heard Miller start back in on the file. I figured it was safe to make my exit. I immediately glanced up at Edwin, whose eyes wandered toward my hips. Staggered by the attention, I swayed seductively toward a table and selected a seat.

  Taylor appeared out of nowhere in the doorway. "Mr. Miller, Derrick Marshall is here again. Did you want to talk to him?"

  "I guess I'll have to. Tell him I'll be a few minutes," he said rather unhappily.

  I winked at her with understanding and lowered into my seat. Taylor walked away quickly and Miller shook his head, showing his disappointment.

  "This is his third visit today. Give me a break!" he said to Edwin, then briskly walked to the door. “We’ll have to talk about this again another time.”

  Edwin chuckled and I looked away, so he didn't think I was listening in, though I totally was. I stared at the wall, trying to mind my own business, waiting for Edwin’s reaction to running into me at the office after last night.

  Boldly enough, he walked right up behind me. “Real convincing,” he said. Then with a sexy whisper, close to my ear, "Hey."

  A tingling sensation sprinkled down my body and my smile couldn’t resist. "Hey," I replied seductively, glancing at him over my shoulder.

  His arched eyebrow rose inquisitively. "There's, uh, this paper in the shredding room that is giving me some trouble. I thought maybe you could give me a hand." He briskly walked away, nodding his head at Taylor, not waiting for an answer.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ~

  A PAPER JAM, I’M sure. I know it's a bad idea, but how can I say no to this man? I brushed away all logic, ignored the consequences of what I was about to do, and focused on the desire. I wanted Edwin as bad as he wanted me.

  Edwin left the kitchen immediately and nodded his head at Taylor as she re-entered the room.

  “Hi,” Taylor said, flashing a warm, friendly smile. She continued on to the fridge.

  "Hey Taylor," I replied cheerfully, remaining seated. No. She couldn’t possibly know, and I was ready to take my chances. Making an immediate getaway, I tore out of the room before Taylor could even catch which way I was heading. I rushed straight for the paper shredding room, adrenaline spiked, anxiously glancing around to be sure no one caught me entering the room.

  The odds of someone else going into that room was slim to none, being that the students had already gone home for the day; yet I carefully double checked both directions before grabbing onto the door handle. With my excitement kicked into a higher gear, I snuck inside the room. It was small enough to be a closet.

  "You came." Edwin’s voice was a low, smooth growl.

  “You didn’t think I would?”

  A smile crept onto his lips as he flipped the light switch. In total darkness, I was suddenly feeling totally at ease with the situation, every sense deliciously heightened. When his fingers whispered over my arm I shivered, but it didn’t relieve the temperature in the room that had spiked up several degrees in
a matter of seconds.

  My sexual tension was a tight knot that I set out to unravel. I hooked my arms around Edwin's neck and his hands were on my thighs, hauling me up against him, before I could realize what was up or down. His lips crashed into mine, hot and hungry, setting off a fire through my blood stream. His excitement felt as sharp as my own, jabbed hard against my belly. I let out a gentle moan and my eyes suddenly popped open, fear colliding with all the other emotions swirling in the warm air. I could feel Edwin's smile on my lips.

  "It's okay baby, no one can hear us in here," he breathed.

  He nudged my lips apart and it was like a live wire tapped into my heart. His mouth felt amazing, his kiss incredibly arousing, the sounds a tornado of echoes in my head. The sound of the rustling of my clothes under his hands, his tongue sucking on mine, his lips smacking against me, alarmed my overactive brain. Really? Is this amusing to you? Two can play that game.

  I lowered my feet to the floor, reached my hand down and grabbed the rod protruding from his pants. Edwin gasped with enthusiasm and pressed himself deeper into my grasp. Controlling him like a manual transmission, I sucked on his upper lip and tugged on his lower one with my teeth.

  "Mmm," he groaned, finding my warm delicate skin.

  I tilted my head so he'd have better access to my exposed neck and he wasted no time working his magical lips. My hand was clutched in his hair, holding him firmly against me. It felt so good I wanted to scream out. Stifling those feelings only caused my arousal to rage even hotter. I dug my nails into his light suit jacket and he squeezed me even closer, as his mouth covered mine, his hand slipping inside my panties.

  When I thought a dry hump would be enough to send me over the edge, someone stopped just outside our door, putting an abrupt end to my rise. I turned toward the door and froze in place, breath on hold, while Edwin continued to devour me.

  "Do you know where I might find Abigail?" Owen asked.

  Edwin stopped mid-nibble, as a loud gasp of horror escaped me. He cupped his free hand over my mouth, buffering the sound, as we both stood in place like statues.

  "Sorry Owen, I don't. She was just in the kitchen a few minutes ago, maybe she's on break. I'll let her know you're looking for her if I see her," Taylor said.

  If we got caught, we would be screwed in every sense of the word. My head started to feel light. Then I realized I was still holding my breath under Edwin's heavy hand. I struggled to break free from him, but he barely lightened his hold on me. We both held our stillness until an entire minute passed, and even then I was still too scared to make a sound.

  Edwin let out a sigh of relief. "Breathe," he whispered, smiling as he retrieved his hand from my pants and flicked on the light switch.

  After holding my breath so long I thought I might pass out, I gasped for air. "Do you really think this is funny?" I whispered. My arousal was quickly substituted with anger.

  Edwin didn't answer, but he also couldn't wipe his unregulated smile from his face. He caught my chin and gave me a soft kiss, easing my anger oh so slightly, though any amount of affection wasn't going to be enough to take away all of my anxiety right now.

  "I think that might be our warning," I said softly, eyes still closed.

  "Yeah, I suppose it is," Edwin agreed.

  I relaxed, trying to steady my ragged breathing, and I reopened my eyes so they could adjust to the bright white light.

  "Pull yourself together woman; seducing me like that, and at the office no less. It's just not right," he teased.

  I slapped him on the shoulder and flashed him a dirty look, though I couldn't help but be amused by his harmless antics. "Go straight to your office," I ordered. And after adjusting his tie, I passionately kissed him off, knowing full well it'd be the last until tonight. "Oh, and Edwin? Don't blow it."

  He smiled anxiously and my heart fluttered. "Here goes nothing," he said. With a quick rise and fall of his brows, he strolled casually out of the room.

  I closed the door behind him, refusing to head out together. After waiting another long minute, I cracked the door open. When I slipped out the door, I nearly peed in my pants. Edwin was still standing there. I was sure we were caught.

  "The coast is clear," he whispered.

  Not taking any chances of being caught with Edwin, still looking all mussed up, I hightailed it back to my desk. Men. They can't follow simple instructions.

  After resisting the urge to go to Owen's office to see what was up, I struggled through drafting an Affidavit. When he took his next client in the boardroom, I decided that enough time had passed that it was safe to roam the office. I desperately wanted to tell Aliah about Edwin and I. Now. I had to get it off of my shoulders and off of my mind.

  A brisk walk to Aliah’s desk, rounding the reception desk to skip Edwin’s doorway, was useless. Aliah wasn’t in her chair and, being so dangerously close, I couldn’t help but steal a glance at Edwin. He stood just inside his door, staring blankly at his shelf of books. I know the feeling. Going against every womanly grain of intuition, I slipped into his room to see how his afternoon was turning out.

  "There's trouble," Edwin said, smiling. He was amused by my own lack of focus, but it was apparent from the frustration hiding beneath his smile that he was experiencing the same problem.

  "You're busy. I should let you get back to work." I clambered toward his door regretting the bothersome visit.

  "Abigail."

  I twisted around, to find his eyes blazing. Is that torment in his eyes? Is it because I'm leaving? He extended his arms, begging for me to come to him and I recklessly obeyed.

  "I always have time for you," he whispered, before tugging me closer and nuzzling his nose in my hair.

  I couldn't resist him as he inhaled me like a fragrance. He was already standing so utterly close to me. I had to touch him. The doorway was empty. There was no one in sight.

  Reading my mind, Edwin stepped farther into the corner of his office, frantically pulling me into a blind spot from the door. He didn't stop me when I put my hand on his face. Running my fingers over his light stubble, I kissed him long and soft.

  When I finally drew my lips away, Edwin’s reaction told me I had lingered a little too long. Busted. I was certain there was someone standing in his doorway behind me, but who? A pain of distress clenched my insides as I turned around to see who it was.

  "It's not what it looks like," Edwin blurted out.

  Thoughts still scrambled, I couldn't find my tongue.

  "Holy shit guys. What's going on here?" Aliah asked, entering the doorway. She approached us quietly. "You didn't tell me you guys were an item again. I should've known. I saw this coming from a mile away."

  "Is that so?" Edwin asked amused.

  I pulled free from Edwin's tight grip. "Were not exactly… I mean... it just happened. It's complicated," I stuttered.

  Edwin stood there silently, clearly amused by my stammering.

  "It happened just now?" Aliah bellowed.

  Terrified that someone had heard her, my eyes grew wide. I laughed nervously and looked to Edwin for some assistance. His boss suddenly materialized in the door behind Aliah.

  "Hey Jake, I was just getting that book for you," Edwin said, stepping away from me.

  Miller stepped past Edwin and pulled the book off the shelf, knowing right where to find it. "Sorry to break up the party, but…"

  "I apologize Mr. Miller," I interrupted. "It's my fault."

  "I know you kids are excited for the long weekend, but Edwin has some work to do if he plans to get out of here for 4:00."

  "That's very nice of you Jake, but really, I don't mind staying till 5:00," Edwin insisted. Kissing his bosses ass was very becoming and Miller seemed to agree.

  "I insist. I won't take no for an answer." Miller nodded at me and walked out the door, without making any further conversation.

  I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. I pressed my cool hand against my burning forehead. "Oh my gosh, that was close."r />
  "Too close," Edwin added.

  "Well, if you are going to give it a go, you’ll have to learn how to keep your hands off each other at work," Aliah said smirking.

  "We better let Edwin get back to work," I said, gazing up at him through long, dark lashes. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and, as I turned to leave, he playfully swatted my ass.

  "Later baby," he said, smirking.

  "Yes. Save it for later," I stammered. I couldn’t believe he didn’t learn anything from our run-in with his boss. Though my eyes were narrowed, I still caught a glimpse of that amazing smile before I hooked Aliah's arm and walked with her out the door. I smiled back at Edwin, unable to help myself.

  "You better quit looking at him like that, or everyone's gonna know," Aliah said quietly

  Edwin’s disturbingly sexy chuckle told me that he had heard her. She was lucky he was the only one, or I would have had to kill her. I didn’t want everyone else up in our business, and privacy in our office was practically non-existent, but I couldn’t wipe the ecstatic look from my face.

  "I can't help it. It's like I picked the lock to a treasure chest and now that I found my treasure, I can't stop staring at it... and touching it," I added, giggling. What a relief to finally get it off my chest.

  "Good for you. I'm sure you'll work out all the minor details this weekend. I'm looking forward to working it out with Hunter this weekend too." She raised her eyebrows suggestively and her tone was vulgar. What a slut. We both broke out in laughter.

  "Aliah?" Bailey called, from the depths of his corner office. "Can I see you for a minute?" he boomed.

  "Gotta go!" Aliah breezed past me and rushed into Bailey's office.

  As if he hadn’t heard us babbling in the hall, I waited a few seconds before I passed his door and got back to work.

  EXCITED TO PICK UP my last papers of the day, I stood from my desk with a bounce.

  Owen popped his head in my doorway, startling me. "You ready to call it a night?" he asked, noticing my smiles.

  I looked at my computer confused. "Night? It's only 3:35 Owen."

  "Yeah, but you and a group of others are leaving for that trip tonight right?"