Shawn adjusted his angle, plunging into her so that her clit received attention. He looked into her eyes. She saw nothing but lust and elation deep within them. Her body shook as heat coursed through her veins and another climax tore through her. She cried out against his shoulders, as her core tightened in pleasure. When he trembled against her, the heat of his release fused with her own.
It took a while until their breathing and heartbeat returned to normal, but as he held her in his arms, tight against his chest, the warmth from their fiery union comforted her.
Chapter Seven
Alexia glanced over at the GPS on the console again.
“You’ve reached your destination,” it chimed, just as she pulled into the parking garage.
It was a surprise that she’d made it here. She absolutely hated traveling downtown. The streets were too narrow, too many people jaywalked, and the traffic was horrific. Planning to be here during lunch hours was a bad idea.
She glanced down at the bag next to her on the passenger seat, and smiled. Today was Shawn’s birthday. They were supposed to meet at his company, and then go out for drinks and dancing. He was definitely workaholic number one. Even she took the day off when her birthday came around every year.
Her heels clicked across the pavement as she walked toward the high rise building. Glancing at her reflection in the shiny glass in the interior of the elevator, she tugged at the blazer she’d put on over her sundress to meet Shawn at his office. It was a spaghetti strap dress and showed just a bit more cleavage than normal. According to her fashion savvy best friend, it was in style for the season. She hoped that she wasn’t overdressed for their night out on the town.
There was a second set of elevators once she made it past the security desk, and she took one up to the twentieth floor.
Long ago, her mother had warned her about the highs and lows of falling in love, but it was too late. Alexia didn’t know if this giddy feeling in the anticipation of seeing Shawn was love, but it was unusual. She’d never been in love. Didn’t know what it felt like. Was this it?
She swallowed just as the numbers on the display flashed as it neared the twentieth floor. No, it couldn’t be love. She cared about Shawn, and coveted his company. That was all.
When she entered through the doors of the investment firm, a woman behind the desk looked up from her computer.
“Good afternoon,” she chimed. “Are you here to see someone today?”
“Shawn Morgan.”
“Certainly,” she smiled. “Is he expecting you?”
Why would he not be? She wanted to ask her that, but she was in such a good mood, so she reigned her impatience in. “He is.”
The receptionist picked up the phone and dialed some numbers. After a bit of a wait, she said, “Well, he didn’t answer. What’s your name? Let’s check the database.”
“Alexia Reilly.”
She tapped away on her keyboard. “There you are. You’re already on his list of potential clientele.” She stood. “Right this way.”
Alexia followed the woman down a corridor. Suddenly, she didn’t feel out of place. The woman’s dress was so short and tight, and she wondered how she managed to do anything without revealing herself.
As they moved further down the hall, she thought she heard Shawn’s voice at the far end. It was mingled with the voice of another man and their laughter.
“Let’s make a bet,” the unidentified male said.
“Are you kidding me?” It was Shawn’s voice again. “I win the bets all the time. You like being broke, don’t you?”
“I’ll bet next month’s commission check. Sign three more clients by next week. You’ve run out of steam, man. I bet you can’t.”
Shawn laughed. “You’re looking at the guy who trained you.”
“Yeah, and…I’ve been bringing in clients left and right for the past couple months. But, you get to go on an all-expense paid trip and have six course elegant meals with our top partners in New York…?”
“You’ll be where I am in a couple years. Pay your dues. Patience, bro.”
The receptionist stopped in front of the door, and folded her arms. “Looks like someone else is in his office,” she said. “Let’s give them a few minutes.”
Alexia nodded.
“So, let’s bet now,” the other man lured Shawn again.
“Don’t do it, man.”
“You scared? You always have a list of contacts in your back pocket. Didn’t you just recently get referrals to that auto shop franchise?”
“What are you talking about?” Shawn asked.
“Rodney’s . O’ Reilly’s, I can’t remember the name, but I hear the family net worth is top tier,” the man said.
Alexia’s face grew hot.
“Where are you getting this info?”
“Come on, man. Rumors fly in this office. Plus the owner is a chick. Get between those legs, man, and you’ve already got one in the bag. Two more. That’s it. Let’s bet.”
Alexia clutched the bag handled and her fingers nearly dug into her palms. How could she have been so stupid? He was using her.
“You’re an asshole, Ryan,” Shawn said. “You shouldn’t stick your nose where it don’t belong. But, you want to bet…let’s bet.”
“One week, man.” The man’s voice drew closer, and the door opened.
“Hello, Mr. Scott,” the receptionist greeted him.
“Vivian.”
He gave them a slow grin, and whistled as he walked down the hall.
By that time, Alexia was pissed. She barged past Vivian before she could even introduce her.
“Alexia.” Shawn smiled widely when he saw her.
She dumped the gift bag on the desk in front of him. “What type of game are you playing with me?”
“What?” His smile went out like a light. “What are you talking about?”
“You stop at nothing to fatten you wallet.”
He came out from around the desk. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What’s the matter?”
Shawn was a great actress too. He actually did look really innocent.
“You think screwing me will get me to sign the dotted line?” Her blood boiled within her.
His mouth dropped open, and he reached for her.
She back up. “Don’t touch me, Shawn. I heard what you said. Your bet…”
He shook his head, slowly. “No, that’s not what I meant.”
Alexia stepped back further, moving toward the door. She didn’t want him to see her like this. Didn’t want him to know that he’d hurt her. He wasn’t even worth one tear. She should have known what kind of man he was. He hadn’t changed one bit.
“Happy Birthday, Shawn. Enjoy your night.” She turned to leave.
He managed to touch her on the shoulder, but she shrugged him off. Her legs couldn’t move fast enough without running. She didn’t even look behind her to see if he followed.
“Ms. Reilly,” the woman called from the desk. “Gone so soon?”
Alexia said nothing, as she swallowed back her anguish.
Her mother had warned her…
***
Shawn watched as the elevator door slid closed with Alexia in it. He shut his eyes briefly, and his heart felt as though it dropped into his belly.
His brain worked overtime trying to rehash what it was he said that would make her lash out. He’d made a bet with Ryan, but how did that make her mad?
Ryan’s comment about how he had Alexia’s business in the bag was trifling, but there was no truth in that. Sure, he wanted her business. He had a genuine interest in helping her. He wasn’t out to use her to make money off her. What was so wrong in wanting to have a loving, steady relationship with her?
“Are you okay, Shawn?” One of his colleagues asked as he walked passed.
“Ah, yeah,” Shawn muttered. He turned around and headed back toward his office.
Damn it. He’d messed up big time. How would he ever convince her now th
at he was a changed man?
He picked up the gift bag that she had left on his desk, looking inside. Pulling his cell phone from his pants pocket, he walked over to sit in the chair near the conference table in his office. After dialing her number and waiting for several rings, his call was sent to voicemail.
Shawn breathed out a sigh of hopelessness. And just like that, she’d rejected him.
Chapter Eight
This was too much. How was she ever going to forget about Shawn if he kept calling her? Why couldn’t she easily forget the way she felt in his arms when he held her or how she felt like the most special woman in the world when he kissed her? How could she still think about him after discovering that she was nothing more than a potential raise to his paycheck?
Alexia’s gripped the edges of the work table, squeezed her eyelids tightly together, and took a few deep breaths in and out.
“Alex, are you okay?” Jimmy, the delivery truck driver, ask from behind.
“Yeah,” she said, pulling herself together and turned around.
“You don’t seem okay.”
Jimmy had been regularly delivered parts to the shop on a weekly basis for the past couple years, so there was no doubt that he could sense her bad mood.
“It’s been a rough week.” It wasn’t far from the truth.
He leaned against the hood of a pick-up truck. “You should be floating on air. What are you still doing working in the shop? I hear you just leased a nice spot where the corporate offices of your new company would be located.”
“The new technician starts next week. I wanted to make sure these guys had adequate coverage before I actually called it quits.”
The reality was, she was actually hesitant about moving into her new office, and moving onto something where the unknowns were extremely high. She was Alex, the mechanic, who just so happened to have had the determination to earn Ph. D. in Law. Yet, she nearly let a womanizer take her heart and run with it.
“Understood.”
Alexia attempted to rid her mind of Shawn. “While we’re on the subject, I won’t be around the next time you deliver.”
“That’ll be a bummer.” Jimmy pushed off of the truck. “Is this an attempt to dodge my requests to take you out?”
Off and on for the past year, Jimmy had hinted many times that he found her attractive. “We’re friends, Jimmy. You know that.”
“You’ve been saying that for months.” He held his palms out as a gesture of his impatience.
“It’s the truth.”
It wasn’t that Jimmy wasn’t attractive. He was a good guy. Made his weekly rounds. Never even once failed to delivery on time. He did his job, plain and simple. They had casual conversation, but that was the extent to which their relationship ever got.
He deserved some nice woman who was not a busy career-oriented woman to go home to. Not only was he good-looking with sandy brown hair, blue eyes, and muscles that indicated he stayed in the gym, he also had a good head on his shoulder.
The fact of the matter was, Jimmy wasn’t her type, and she could never make him happy with her workaholic ways. He seemed to need to much attention.
“Alright. I’m not going to pressure you,” he said.
That’s what she liked about Jimmy. He never pursued her relentlessly.
“How about a hug?” he asked, holding out his arms.
She stepped into them, and returned his embrace. “Don’t quit on me either, just because I’m gone.”
“You’ve got my word.” Jimmy pulled back, and looked down at his watch. “Gotta go.” He picked up an empty box, and paused near the door. “I’ve been meaning to ask, when I can come work for your new company.”
“Oh, yeah.” She’d mentioned to him that he could have a position a while back. “We’re in the process of creating a logistics position. I’ll send David your information and have him contact you.”
“I look forward to it.” Jimmy smiled. “See ya, Alex.”
She waved goodbye.
Looking down at her clipboard, she signed her name on the packing slip. She was content before…when there was no man in her life. When there was no man to worry about breaking her heart.
***
When Alexia arrived home that evening, she wasn’t surprised to find a package in her rental box. She’d been getting deliveries for the past several weeks for the new company. There was no return label on the box, and when she opened it, there was a letter and book inside.
She skimmed the cover of the book, which featured a title of a picture of a pie chart graphic. “Investing on the right track.” Shawn’s name, followed by his certified financial planner designation was listed under the title.
He’d written a book? She had no idea. She picked up the card and slid her finger under the flap to open it. There was a handwritten note inside.
“Thank you for the clock,” it read. “It’s a nice addition to my office décor….” It went on to say that he’d been having a hard time to reach her and he also apologized for being such a jerk. “I haven’t shared this with you yet, but my first book has finally hit the shelves. What do you think...?”
Alexia couldn’t help but smiling. He’d accomplished so much. As much as she was hurt by the words she overheard in his office the other day, she was still very proud of him. She leaned back in the chair, book in hand, and opened it to the first page. Moments later, she’d become so engrossed in his biography and what led him on his career path, that she’d forgotten about dinner.
She forced herself to put the book down. Just as she got up, she spotted something among the tissue paper in the box. Lifting the tissue paper from the box, she discovered that it was a calculator.
Her breath caught in her throat in surprise. This couldn’t be. It couldn’t be her calculating from over a decade ago. There was no way.
She turned the calculator over in her hand, and her heart clenched when she saw the familiar engraving on the back. It was her name carved out on the back. This was hers. The same one that her father bought her at the start of the high school year. How had he found this?
Shawn had tied a note to the calculator with a string. Thank you for letting me borrow this, the note read.
Sitting down on the chair, she swallowed. She wanted to pick up her cell. There was nothing else in the world, she wanted right now than to hear Shawn’s voice. The anticipation would be gone tomorrow. What she wanted and needed were two different things. She wanted his company, but what she did not need was his deceitfulness.
Shawn was a seducer…a high achiever. And he’d do anything to obtain his goal. Even at the expense of her feelings.
Chapter Nine
“You’ve been distant this entire afternoon,” David said, as he fell in step beside her. “Hungry? We can leave now and have dinner.”
“It’s nothing, really.” Alexia stopped in front of table with filled with advertising brochures and pamphlets. “I didn’t get much sleep last night as I was going over opening day details. I plan to make up for it tonight.”
It was half of the truth.
He picked up a brochure, running his fingers over the glossy print. “Too bad. There will be sleep in our near future soon, cousin. Once we get all the knots untied and details straightened, our work should be much easier.”
“I really want to believe that.”
“Hey.” David nudged her in the back. “Don’t you know that guy?”
“What guy?” She turned around and looked in all directions.
He pointed toward a group of people huddled together. “That guy. The one standing over there by the entrance. The banker dude.”
It didn’t take long for her to spot Shawn among them. He stood out with distinction and his smiled seemed to light a glow around him. The tailored blue collared shirt, black slacks, and dress shoes made it apparent that he was there on business.
“Yeah.” Alexia tore her gaze away just as Shawn lifted his head in their direction. “I know him.” She turned in w
alked in the opposite direction, pretending to be engrossed in the products displayed on each table.
It was David who’d solicited her attendance at this business expo. How would she have known that Shawn would be here? She hadn’t seen Shawn in over a week, and his calls were now less frequent.
David stopped at another graphic designer’s table. “Wow, I like these.” He picked up a card and examined it.
That was all the excitement that the business representative behind the table needed to hear. He approached them and began discusses his product line-up with David.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Shawn approaching them. “Dang it,” she mumbled.
“Alexia.” His familiar voice caressed her like a blanket.
She spun around and met his gaze, which seemed serious.
“Hi, Shawn.”
His eyes moved from her to David, who was still occupied with the rep at the table. “Can I have a word with you? Alone.”
She’d successfully avoided him for weeks. The hurt may have been gone, but she would never forget that Shawn was capable to bringing out those emotions in her. She refused to be vulnerable again.
“What is there to have a word about?” she asked.
“Why you’ve been avoiding me like I don’t exist? Like there was never anything between us.”
David turned around then. “Everything okay, Alex?”
“Yeah, everything’s okay.”
“I thought you looked familiar,” David said to Shawn. “Shawn, right? The banker?”
“Financial advisor, to be exact,” Shawn said. “Nice to meet you again.”
They shook hands.
“Nice to meet you.”
With that, Shawn turned back to address her. “I’ve been calling you, attempting to understand why I get the silent treatment.”
David looked back and forth from her to Shawn. Alexia didn’t want to cause a scene, let alone give everyone standing within two feet of them to observe all of her personal business. Shawn didn’t seem to care, but she did.
Mz Mechanic Page 6
