“Is that so wrong? I love you.”
I softened my voice before this turned into an argument, “It’s not wrong. I was short on time.”
“Am I seeing you at all tonight?”
I hovered my mouse pointer over an email in my mailbox. “I’ll try. Should I come to your place?”
“That makes sense since I don’t have any idea when you’ll be home. Besides, I have food in my house.”
“I’ll need to work on that.”
“Unless you want to stay at my place every night.”
“You don’t like my home?”
“I didn’t say that, but I’m much more domestic than you are.”
“I have to agree.”
“Can you call me if you’re coming over?”
“I’ll try my best, but sometimes these dinners can run late.”
“I hope to see you. I have a student meeting in a few minutes.”
“I’ll talk to you later.”
We hung up, and I slumped in my chair. I wanted to see Austin tonight, and I could hear the disappointment in his voice. My life was no longer just mine; it was part of his, and I would need to make time for him.
I spent most of my day dealing with a negotiation for a lead actor in a biopic. His demands were frustrating. Who wants a daily fruit basket and a dish of yellow M&M’s in their trailer each day? I wouldn’t agree since the first part of filming would be out in the Mojave Desert. I wasn’t sure if we could accommodate the requests.
7
Hassan met me at Fusion before Jameson Wentworth arrived. We got a table near the back of the restaurant, and I ordered a glass of white wine while Hassan stuck to water.
“You’re nervous.”
“I’m not.”
“You normally don’t drink during these dinners.”
“I had a rough day, and I need something to take the edge off. Don’t read into it.”
“Just want you as sharp as always. Jameson is a tough customer, and he told me earlier he was bringing his son JJ, who serves as his Vice President.”
I sipped at my wine. “He’s already bringing in reinforcements? That can’t be good.”
“I’m not sure what his angle is since he approached us.”
I frowned. “I thought Spotlight was looking to get into animation?”
“We were, but not immediately. Jameson presented us with this offer.”
“You should’ve told me before we got here.”
“Why? We’ve done our due diligence.”
I sat up straight and focused my eyes on Hassan’s dark ones. “I worry when a company approaches another. Who else has he approached, and will this turn into a battle?”
Hassan waved his hand. “You worry too much.”
“And you don’t worry enough.”
A minute later, Jameson Wentworth walked in with his son JJ. He was a tall, handsome man of about sixty with salt and pepper hair and light blue eyes. His son was slightly shorter with the same color eyes and chestnut hair. He was handsome and held my hand firmly for a little too long when we were introduced.
We discussed business, but it seemed JJ was more interested in me than Spotlight purchasing Sunny Sky. His constant gaze disturbed me. I excused myself after our meal was finished and went to the bathroom. We’d been here over two hours, and it was past 9:00 PM. I wanted to leave and get to Austin’s, but first I would need to extricate myself from this dinner. Hassan didn’t need me. He was handling it just fine on his own.
When I came out of the bathroom, JJ was waiting against the wall in the vestibule to the lounge, chewing on a toothpick. He quickly approached me, removing the slice of wood from his mouth.
“You’re quite a negotiator. I bet you scare men into submission.”
“It’s my job to negotiate, and if a man is scared by how I am at the bargaining table, then he has no business being there.”
JJ placed his arm against the wall above me. I felt crowded. “What about in other places besides the bargaining table? Do you submit to men or they submit to you?”
“This is highly inappropriate. Would your father appreciate this kind of behavior from you?”
He smirked, dropping the toothpick into the pocket of his black suit jacket. “What kind of behavior? We’re having a conversation.”
I stood up as tall as my petite frame would allow, narrowing my eyes at him. “Mr. Wentworth, you might be able to charm women with your money and your position, but I rank higher than you. I’m not impressed. Now get out of my way so I can finish this meeting.”
I went to push by him, and he grabbed my wrist. “You’re gorgeous, do you know that?”
I gritted my teeth, trying to dislodge my arm. “Let me go.”
JJ leaned his face close to mine. “Have lunch or dinner with me and whatever happens after.”
Fear gripped me, and I felt bile rise in my throat. “Absolutely not. You really have some suave way of persuading women. How dare you. It’s sexual harassment. Now let me go.”
JJ released me and stepped back so I could pass. I assumed women fell for his bullshit by the shocked look on his face. My heart was beating so fast as I approached our table, and I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.
“Samantha, do you feel like dessert?” Hassan asked.
My stomach churned as I sat down. “I need to leave.”
“Stay a few minutes longer. Jameson was telling me about the inner workings of the animation department.”
“I really can’t stay. I’m sorry.”
I stood up and grabbed my purse from the booth. Hassan scowled at me, but both he and Jameson rose to tell me goodbye. JJ didn’t come back to the table, and when Hassan hugged me, he whispered in my ear.
“We need to have a discussion tomorrow.”
I gave him a tight smile and texted my driver to bring the car around to the front entrance. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I only wanted to be in Austin’s arms. I felt slimy and disgusted that JJ put his hands on me. I told my driver to take me to Austin’s and bit my cheek to keep from crying.
In the years I was CEO of Spotlight, I’d been disrespected and treated poorly by my male counterparts, but not lately. I wasn’t too keen on working with the Wentworth family unless JJ was out of the picture. This was exactly the reason why I wore frumpy business suits and little makeup. I didn’t want to be objectified because of my looks.
The drive through Los Angeles to Austin’s house took over twenty minutes, and I could taste blood as I chewed on my cheek. I didn’t wait for my driver to let me out, instead, throwing the door open and running up to Austin’s door. I banged on his glass and pressed the doorbell several times just wanting to get inside. I needed his comfort. He yanked the door open and took one look at my face before he pulled me into his arms and led me to the living room.
Austin’s voice was distressed. “What happened? You’re white as a ghost?”
“Dinner was a clusterfuck,” I choked out before I began to cry. Sobbing was a new experience for me because I did it so rarely. I couldn’t stop myself and pressed my face against Austin’s chest.
He embraced me in a tight hug. “Jesus Christ, Samantha, what the fuck happened?”
I couldn’t speak because I couldn’t breathe. I was crying so hard that I gulped for air. Austin rubbed my back and whispered soothing words into my ear.
“Shh, baby. It’s okay; I’m here.”
I was glad he was because if this happened weeks ago, I would’ve gone home and bawled my eyes out without anyone to comfort me. He held me for as long as I cried, and when I finished, he used the hem of his black t-shirt to dry my tears.
Austin placed his hands on my shoulders. “Want to tell me what happened?”
I nodded, averting my gaze from his eyes to his chest. “It went well. Everything was fine until I went to the bathroom.”
He knitted his eyebrows together. “What happened when you got back?”
“It was before I got back. The son of the
CEO cornered me and started to make lewd overtures.”
Austin practically yelled as he tightened his hold on my shoulders. “He what? Who the fuck does he think he is?”
“I’ve been treated this way before, but not lately. It was a shock to be so disrespected.”
He ground his teeth. “I should kick that bastard’s ass.”
I sniffled back more tears. “I wish I declined to go.”
“It’s your job.”
“Hassan Jindal, the chairman of the board, was not at all pleased at my abrupt departure. He wants to have a discussion tomorrow.”
“Are you telling him what took place?”
“I should.”
He pulled me against him. “You will. If it blows up the deal, then too bad.”
I clung to Austin, and he tightened his hold on me, kissing the crown of my head. “I wish I was there.”
I spoke into his chest as I clung to his shirt. “You can’t protect me all the time, but now you see why I don’t dress to reveal anything. Even without it, I get attention.”
“Because you’re beautiful. You can’t hide your face.”
“I just want to be taken seriously.”
“Don’t let some asshole bring you down. You cleaned that company up after some other asshole brought it down with his sexual advances toward his employees. You should be proud. I’m proud of you. You impress me so much.”
I let go of his shirt to gaze up at him. He looked at me sympathetically and wiped the tears brimming on my lids.
“No more tears. You go in tomorrow and tell Hassan what happened.”
“He needs an explanation. I’m very surprised he hasn’t called me yet.”
“You should’ve kicked that jerk in the balls. He obviously has gotten away with this shit before. Wash your face and get changed. Do you want to watch some television?”
I shook my head. “I just want to lie in bed with you.”
“That’s fine. It’s almost ten anyway.”
We went to his bedroom, and I headed to the closet to change. I left a few articles of clothing to wear to work and bed a couple of days ago. Tonight, I changed into a pair of pink pajama shorts and a white tank top. When I came out, Austin was already in bed, waiting for me. He pushed back the covers so I could slip in. I snuggled against him and put my head on his chest.
“Don’t worry baby; tomorrow will be a better day.”
“I hope so. I was so happy about the roses. Thank you.”
“They pale in comparison to you. Promise me you’ll try to relax.”
“I’m trying, but this whole thing is very unsettling.”
Austin stroked my cheek with his knuckles and wrapped his arms around me. I fell asleep quickly only to wake up a few hours later while it was still dark. Austin was snoring, and I tried to go back to sleep, but anxiety kept me awake. I wiggled out from under his arms and went to the kitchen for a drink of water.
I didn’t feel sleepy and went to the patio doors to look out at the pool below. It was cool out tonight; swimming would be off the table. I pressed my nose to the glass and looked out at the lights in the valley.
“Baby?”
I turned to find Austin standing behind me with a worried look on his face.
“I’m fine. I needed a drink of water.”
“Come to bed.”
“I’m not sure I can sleep.”
He held out his hand for me to take. “Humor me. We can talk if you like.”
“You have a class early tomorrow morning. I don’t want to keep you up.”
“I’ve gotten less sleep and taught. I’m giving a test tomorrow. No teaching will be taking place. I can take a nap at my desk.”
“I have anxiety.”
Austin squeezed my hand. “You did nothing wrong.”
“I had a bumpy ride in the beginning of my tenure. I had to put people in their place to get where I am. Now I feel like I just took ten steps back.”
“Why? Because some little over-privileged dick propositioned you? Frankly, I’m surprised you don’t get propositioned each day.”
“I don’t go out enough to be propositioned.”
“Let’s go back to bed.”
I let him lead me back to the bedroom. When we were tucked in, and I was cuddled against him with my head on his chest, Austin asked me a question. “I’ve been wondering something.”
“What’s that?”
“Why were you so receptive to me if this is how you are?”
I snuggled against him. “I was on vacation.”
“That’s your excuse?”
“Well, I was. Haven’t you ever had a one-night stand before?”
“That’s how you saw me?”
I kissed his bare chest. “I liked you. You were fun and persistent without being a pig.”
Austin ran his fingers along my spine, sending chills through me. “I wanted you in the worst way.”
“Then why didn’t we have sex sooner? We kissed, and I was burning for you to fuck me.”
“I didn’t want to scare you away. It was love at first sight for me. I know that sounds silly, but it was.”
“It doesn’t sound silly. I liked you.”
“I thought you did. I wanted to play my cards right, so maybe we could be together when we got back. You know how happy I was to find out you were from Los Angeles? What are the odds?”
“And here you were all the time, but we had to go thousands of miles away to meet each other.”
“Sometimes it’s fate. The right place at the right time.”
I lifted my head and pushed my lips against his, holding them there until his tongue pushed them open. Austin licked around their perimeter and probed my mouth. I moved my body onto his so that I was straddling his waist as I fisted his thick hair. He moaned, and I could feel the effects our kissing was having on him. It was affecting me too as my core flooded with desire. I pressed my pussy over his erection, and he gasped into my mouth.
“Little tease.”
“I’m only a tease if I don’t carry it through. I have every intention.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why?”
“You had a bad experience. I don’t want to compound is.”
“An experience with you will wash it from my mind. I need you.”
After we made love, I snuggled into Austin’s embrace. His love and the way he touched me made everything better. I was a person who enjoyed my solitude, but now I wanted to share my time with him. I didn’t want this to end. With each passing moment, I wanted to tell him I loved him. I heard his even breathing before I fell asleep, and I said the words.
“I love you, Austin Doyle. I love you so much.”
The next morning, I woke up full of dread. I would have to tell Hassan what JJ Wentworth said and did to me. During the meal, we discussed the terms of the purchase of Sunny Sky Studios. Some of the staff would be retained, including JJ Wentworth. They were terms I couldn’t live with, and he had to go even if I would be his boss.
Austin was in the shower, and I turned on my back to look at the ceiling. He came out a few minutes later, a light blue towel hanging low on his waist. I turned onto my side and licked my lips.
“Don’t give me that look,” he said.
I chuckled. “What look?”
“The one I’ve seen so many times before.”
I pressed my cheek into the pillow. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He put his hand on the knot in his towel. “The come fuck me look.”
“Do you want to come, fuck me?”
“Ah, my insatiable little tease.”
“Stop calling me a tease. I deliver, and you know it.”
“It’s 5:30. Isn’t your driver coming to get you in an hour?”
“No. I want you to drive me to the office.”
Austin’s face brightened. “Really? I’m surprised.”
“Why?”
“Because you said I distract you.”
�
��I’ve given up. Near, far, you’re a distraction. I can’t wipe you from my head, and your gifts aren’t helping. The roses are in my office. I’m sure it smells yummy by now since the door has been closed all night.”
Austin went into the closet. “How big is your office?” he called.
“It’s big.”
He came out with a pair of black boxers on. “Do you have a seating area with furniture?”
“I have a small sectional couch. Why?”
Austin stroked his stubbled chin. “Do you have your own bathroom?”
“Unfortunately, not.”
“Too bad.”
He turned and walked back into the closet to dress.
“Hey, what do you mean too bad,” I yelled.
Austin poked his head out the door, “I’ve never had sex in an office before.”
“Are you out of your mind? You think I would jeopardize my career by fucking you in my office?”
“I could stop by after hours dressed like a pizza delivery boy, and you could have your way with me.”
I sat up, holding the sheet against me. “I think you’ve watched too many porno flicks. That never happens.”
“But it could. We could make it happen.”
“Finish getting dressed. I’m going to take a shower.”
As Austin neared the office, my stomach started to roil with anxiety. After I got out of the shower, I found an email waiting from Hassan saying he would be at Spotlight by eight. I kept reassuring myself that what I did the night before was the right thing to do. I made my decision, and I was sticking by it. Austin must have known what I was thinking because he reached over and took my hand in his.
“Do you want me to hang around downtown?”
“You have to administer a test today.”
“My teaching assistant can do it. All he has to do is hand them out and collect them. I don’t need to be there. My next class isn’t until noon. I can wait.”
I clung to his hand. “I’ll be fine. This isn’t anything I haven’t dealt with before, although it’s been quite a while.”
“You know you can call me anytime. I keep my phone on vibrate. I can cancel my afternoon class if I need to.”
“Thank you.”
Austin pulled up in front of my building and gave me a soft kiss on my cheek before I got out.
Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology Page 172
