Sensational

by Janet Nissenson

  But the evening unfortunately hadn’t ended after dinner. The limo had whisked them off to an exclusive private club where she’d had a tough time deciding what was more offensive – the décor, the pretentious sounding cocktails, or the music. They had danced a few times, and Daniel had grown increasingly handsy as the evening wore on. She’d lost count of the number of times his hand had groped her ass or grazed against the side of her breast, and she’d almost gagged when he had rubbed his erection against her thigh. The smell of his perspiration had begun to mingle with that of his hair gel and cologne, until she’d had to hold her breath just to avoid gagging.

  “And still the hell didn’t end,” continued Lauren. “After I almost broke his finger by removing his hand from my ass – again – I thought he’d finally gotten the message to keep his clammy palms to himself. But as soon as we were back in the limo, he practically jumped my bones the second the door shut. And while he was trying to pull my zipper down, I might have elbowed him in the nose a little too hard. Next thing I know he’s bleeding all over his Dior suit and screaming like he’d just had a limb amputated. His driver pulled over to see what was going on, so I chose that moment to make my exit. I caught a cab back to my aunt’s, ordered a pizza, and broke out my own damn tequila.”

  Karl and Chris were laughing almost uncontrollably by now, while the normally reserved Ben was grinning. George, however, was anything but amused.

  “There must have been a reason why he was so aggressive,” stated George. “Knowing the way you love to flirt with everyone, Lauren, I’m guessing you must have lead him on. How can you blame the guy?”

  “Hey. Cool it, Georgina,” she warned in an ominous voice. “I might flirt but I never lead guys on to that degree. And in Top Ten’s case, there is no possible way he could have misread my intentions. Because while he might have thought he was going to hit a home run last night, the way I see it he never got out of the batter’s box.”

  The fact that his co-workers and boss seemed to find the whole situation hilarious only made George angrier and more frustrated.

  “You’ve ruined everything,” he accused Lauren. “You screwed up this deal for Ted so badly that he’s blaming me for it. He probably won’t speak to me for a month. And our deal is off, Lauren. No free lunches, and as far as I’m concerned Nadine can book you a seat on a cargo plane from now on.”

  Lauren tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “Big deal. Knowing you we’d be eating at the cheapest places you could find. And you really need to stop panting over your brother-in-law, George. I mean, it’s perfectly obvious that you’ve got this big ole man crush on him, but get over it already.”

  George paled, then turned beet red, the vein at his temple throbbing like mad. He tried to say something, cleared his throat, and shook his head. When he could finally speak, his voice was filled with venom. “You are such a bitch at times, Lauren. No, make that all the time. No wonder you don’t have a boyfriend and scare guys off like you have three heads or something. You might be hot on the outside but you’re cold as ice on the inside. Instead of calling you the Queen of Confrontation, we should call you the Ice Queen. Or the Bitch Queen.”

  Karl, Chris, and Ben all stopped chuckling simultaneously, and stared at George in horror, unable to believe he’d actually found the nerve to speak to Lauren in such a manner. George stood his ground firmly, as though he was proud of himself for finally speaking his mind.

  No one saw Lauren move but in a flash she had George pinned up against the wall, her elbow pressing against his windpipe as he gasped for air.

  Her green eyes looked as lethal as a shard of glass, and her voice was cold and calculated. “You want to say that again, Georgina?” she asked menacingly. “Or would you prefer to apologize?”

  George emitted a frightful squeak as she pressed against his throat a little harder. As Karl and then Chris tried to carefully pull her away, she kicked Karl in the shin and swatted Chris away like he was a fly. It was then left to Ben to subdue her, and she gave a squeal of protest as he unexpectedly hefted her over his shoulder and began to carry her out of the room.

  “Make sure she didn’t bruise George’s throat,” he instructed Karl and Chris on his way out. “We’ll be back as soon as these two have a chance to calm down a little.”

  He banded an arm around the backs of her legs, keeping the lower half of her body mostly immobile as she kicked and thrashed wildly. But he wasn’t able to restrain her arms at the same time, and he let out a yelp of pain as she pummeled his back with her fists.

  “If you keep doing that,” he threatened, “I’ll spank your ass. Hard. And since everyone in the office is already going to have plenty to gossip about after word of this little scene gets out, I don’t particularly give a damn if we give them even more fodder.”

  Lauren made a rude sound but grudgingly stopped hitting him. Once inside his office, he dumped her none too gently on one of the club chairs before he closed the door.

  “Sit down,” he commanded, pointing a finger at the chair as she began to rise. “Sit down and calm down or I swear I’ll tie you up. I’ve got my climbing gear over in the corner, and as you’ll undoubtedly recall I’m very good with rope.”

  Lauren gasped, and glared at him furiously. “I cannot believe you’ve got the balls to bring that up,” she snarled. “And I’ll tell you right now, that is so not going to happen!”

  “Then sit your ass down, shut up, and get a grip,” he threatened. “Or I’ll give you another demonstration of my knot tying abilities. As I remember, you had a very difficult time extracting yourself.”

  She’d woken from a sound sleep towards dawn, still drowsy but overwhelmingly aware of the very pleasurable sensations rippling through her body. A groan had escaped her lips at the feel of Ben’s teeth tugging at one nipple, while his fingers plucked at the other over and over. Her hips had begun to lift off the bed, and she’d instinctively started to pull his head even closer to her breasts. Only to have been stopped short by the realization that her hands had been securely bound to the intricate scrollwork of her antique wrought iron headboard.

  “Hey!” she’d protested, tugging hard on the silken cords that he’d used to bind her. “This is not the least bit funny, Ben Rafferty!”

  He’d laughed softly as his lips had moved to her throat, his hand sliding down past her belly to the soft nest of her pubic hair. “It’s a little bit funny,” he’d murmured. “But mostly, it’s really, really hot to have you bound and at my mercy.”

  Lauren had snorted in derision. “First of all, I’m guessing I can get myself out of these flimsy little cords in two minutes or less. Second, you might have my hands momentarily incapacitated but I still have my legs – what?”

  There was no footboard attached to the bed, so he’d cleverly looped another cord around her ankles before tying it to the metal bedframe. She’d thrashed around wildly, her hips bucking off the mattress is a futile attempt to free herself.

  “Okay, really not funny,” she’d fumed. “You may get your kicks out of this sort of thing, but I’m not the least bit interested - ”

  “Shh.” He had placed two fingers over her lips before giving her a long, deep kiss, his tongue sweeping through her mouth over and over until she was groaning.

  Ben’s lips had trailed an erotic path down her throat, between her breasts, and all the way down to her quivering belly. She’d gasped as his fingers slipped inside her tight, wet sex, his thumb circling her clit repeatedly.

  “Easy, sweetheart,” he’d soothed as her head had thrashed back and forth against her pillow. “Let me take care of you now, hmm? This is why I tied you up, so that I could focus solely on you for a little while without you distracting me.”

  “Ohh.” Her eyes had fluttered shut, her breath had turned shallow as he’d pumped his fingers in and out of her with long, shallow strokes. “God, Ben, that’s so good, so – ahh!”

  She’d come then, the suddenness of the orgasm taking her by s
urprise. But Ben hadn’t released her afterwards, had kept at her for nearly an hour, feasting on her breasts and pussy, touching and kissing every inch of her body, until she had been a trembling mass of sensation. She’d lost count of how many times he’d made her come, until it felt like she was having one long, continuous orgasm.

  And when she had finally managed to work her hands free, she’d been too limp and exhausted to do much more than caress his stubbled cheek. He had gently untied her, intent on letting her go back to sleep, but she had pulled him to her then, urging him to slide inside of her.

  That had been the morning when she’d very nearly whispered “I love you” to him. The words had been on the tip of her tongue, but she’d fallen asleep almost immediately after they had climaxed together.

  She stuck her tongue out at him now. “Hardly. I was just humoring you that morning. I could have slipped out of those cords anytime I wanted to.”

  Ben smiled knowingly. “If you say so. But if you don’t sit tight and calm down a bit, we’re going to put that theory to the test. Now, tell me. Why in hell did you agree to go on a blind date in the first place? I imagine a woman like you would be fighting men off with a ten foot pole.”

  Lauren snickered. “Well, duh. That goes without saying. As to why I finally gave in to George – who knows? Mostly just to shut him the hell up, but I guess I was a little bored, too. Figured what the heck, how bad could it be. Guess I figured wrong – way wrong.”

  Ben propped a hip against his desk, an unwilling smile crossing his face. “You scared the shit out of George just now. I thought for sure he was going to either stroke out or puke. But you’ve got to take it down a few notches in the future with him, okay? Like it or not, you’re stuck with him and the two of you need to figure out how to get along.”

  She blew out a frustrated breath. “Fine. Even though he’s a pompous ass and doesn’t have a clue about what he’s doing. But I’ll play nice if he does. However, what I won’t do – ever – is apologize to that little shit.”

  “I’m not asking you to apologize,” he replied. “Just stop terrorizing him. Or insulting him. Or threatening him with bodily harm.”

  “Well, hell,” she huffed. “You’re just being a real killjoy today, aren’t you?”

  Ben laughed. “Come on, let’s see if we can actually get some work done this morning and re-start this meeting. Hopefully Karl and Chris have been able to help George stop shaking.”

  “I doubt it,” she muttered as they walked to the door. “He’s always twitching or stuttering or something. Sometimes I’m half convinced he has Tourette’s.”

  Ben shook his head. “One of these days you’ll find something to appreciate about poor George. Until then just try to get along, okay? And don’t let him talk you into anymore blind dates.”

  “Not just him,” she answered darkly. “No more blind dates ever.”

  “Good. And Lauren - ”

  She quirked a brow at him. “What?”

  Ben’s voice gentled. “I don’t blame you for making that asshole’s nose bleed. He deserved it and a whole lot more. And you deserve someone a whole lot better than that dick.”

  This time she was the one left staring after him as he walked off down the hallway, telling herself she’d just imagined the tender look on his face.

  ***

  Early September

  Lauren stared in disbelief. “You’re doing what? Is this some sort of joke? Did Chris put you up to this as a way of getting back at me for punking him last month?”

  Ben shook his head. “No joke, I assure you. In fact, I’ve rarely been more serious in my life. I’m pulling you off this assignment, Lauren, and sending Ivan in your place. In turn, you’ll go out with his crew to Utah.”

  “Utah? Oh, yeah, because that’s the same as Brazil, huh? Every bit as fun and exciting,” retorted Lauren with heavy sarcasm.

  Ben sighed in frustration. “That’s got nothing to do with it, as you well know. I’ve already explained why you can’t go to Brazil right now. It’s just not safe under the circumstances.”

  She thumped an angry fist on his desk. “And I’ve told you that’s all a bunch of BS. I can take very good care of myself, and I’ve got three guys with me for backup – well, really two because George can’t even look out for himself much less - ”

  “Lauren. Stop.” He held up a hand, halting her tirade. “You’ve read the stories just like I have. There have been half a dozen young women kidnapped from the surrounding area in the past month. None of them have been found yet, and the theory is that they’ve all been sold into prostitution. Or murdered. And there is absolutely no way I’m intentionally putting you in harm’s way until the gang who’s been doing this is apprehended.”

  “Why don’t we just postpone the whole trip until the situation’s been resolved?” she suggested.

  “That was my first suggestion, actually. But apparently the flights have already been booked, and can’t be changed at this point. Plus, with the next Olympics being held in Rio it’s important to get the story published before any of our competitors get a jump on us.”

  “So no one’s concerned about the rest of the crew? I mean, if this is such a big deal, isn’t it risky to send anyone?” she pointed out.

  “There is some risk, of course,” he agreed reluctantly. “And we’ll have an extra security detail assigned to the crew as a result. But you as a female would be at particular risk, and you fit the exact profile of the other women who’ve been taken – young, beautiful, and American. There’s talk that this gang is upset with the government about all the money being spent getting ready for the Olympics, and that they’re trying to discourage tourists from coming to Brazil as revenge.”

  “And I still say I can take care of myself,” she insisted stubbornly. “I’m not your average dumb tourist who wanders off where she isn’t supposed to be. I’ve traveled to far more dangerous places, taken much greater risks. And I promise for once to obey all the rules, to stick with the rest of the crew and not try anything stupid.”

  “No.” Ben’s reply was crisp and no-nonsense. “None of us are willing to take that risk. I’m not willing to take that risk. Look, most of these women were taken at gunpoint. How would you feel if Karl or Chris got shot by this gang so they could get to you? Do you really want that on your conscience?”

  She glared at him sullenly. “Aren’t you all worrying over something that’s not likely to ever happen? I mean, I read over those stories and none of the kidnappings actually happened around the main tourist sites.”

  “They were close enough,” Ben fired back. “Not to mention the fact that you wouldn’t be staying in Rio the entire time. Some of the proposed Olympic venues are a ways from the city, and two of the women were abducted near one of them.”

  “This isn’t fair!” she burst out. “You’re penalizing me just because I’m a woman. And I’m way better prepared to take care of myself than any of the other guys on the crew. You’re just doing this to prove a point or something.”

  He arched a brown. “And what exactly would that point be, in your opinion?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t figured that part out yet. But I don’t accept your decision, Ben, or agree with your reasoning. I think you’re totally overreacting here, and I’ll go see Brad van Patten in person if I have to and make him change your mind.”

  “The hell you will.”

  Lauren stared at him in surprise, the stern tone of his voice not one she’d ever heard from Ben before. He had a deadly serious look on his face, and for the first time since she’d known him, was more than a little intimidated by what she saw.

  “You will not go over my head on this, understand?” he emphasized. “Besides, Brad has already been made aware of the situation and agrees completely with my recommendation. It’s just this one trip, Lauren,” he explained, his voice gentling. “Don’t look at it like a punishment when all we’re trying to do is keep you safe.”

  “I can
keep myself safe,” she mumbled resentfully. “I don’t need to be babied or treated differently from the others.”

  “But you are different from the others,” he clarified. “You’re a female, and a very attractive one to boot. And you’d be a prime target for this gang. So you’re going to Utah instead to do a story on the five National Parks.”

  “Ho, hum.” She pretended to yawn. “That sounds fascinating. So much more exciting than the Copacabana, Sugarloaf, or the Tijuca Forest. Come on, Ben,” she coaxed. “Please. I promise to be extra diligent. Just let me go to Brazil. I’ll beg if I have to.”

  “My decision is final,” he stated firmly. “I’m not changing my mind, Lauren. And if you persist in being stubborn about it, I’ll call your father and tell him all about the situation. Maybe you’ll listen to him.”

  Her jaw dropped open in shock. “You wouldn’t dare. And my father – unlike you – respects my opinions and wouldn’t dream of interfering in my business.”

  “Wouldn’t he?” challenged Ben. “When I spoke to him that day he sounded very concerned about his little girl. I can’t imagine he’d allow you to willingly put yourself in danger.”

  “It’s not his decision to make,” she shot back.

  “No, but it is mine. And none of your usual little tantrums or threats or even flirting is going to work this time. The decision is final and I’m not going to discuss it again.”

  The closed off expression on his face told her that so far as he was concerned the discussion was also closed. But Lauren rarely went down in a fight that easily – if ever – and hadn’t quite utilized all of her weapons.

  “From where I’m looking at this situation, it reeks of sexual discrimination,” she declared. “You’re holding me back from advancing my career because I’m a woman. I’ll bet HR would love to hear about this.”