I resisted its power as best I could, bringing my hand up to my mouth to fake a cough but it was too late. The immature titter escaped.
I wondered if that was my body’s way of punishment for not acting more like a ridiculous teenager when I was an actual teenager. I didn’t get a choice in the matter and had to grow up fast. Apparently, my body still held on to all that youthful silliness and was letting it out at the worst times, like in front of Edgar.
“Anytime, Evaleen.” He winked at me.
“I’m heading back, Ms. Bechmann.”
Just before Grace turned to leave she smiled at Edgar.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose. It wasn’t that she grinned at him, it’s how she did it. Like she had some secret.
“That was weird,” I said as I eyed her retreating figure before she turned the corner.
“Well, Grace has always been a little . . . odd.”
When I turned back to face Edgar he was fidgeting with a napkin. He never fidgeted. Edgar was always cool, relaxed, and in control. The only time I saw him lose it was last week in front of the detectives.
I figured Edgar was right about Grace and turned back to the coffee maker.
“Um,” Edgar said.
“Yes, Edgar? Did you need something?” I kept my focus on making the coffee so I was surprised when I felt his hand on my shoulder.
“Yes, I wanted to talk to you about something, Evaleen. What the detectives mentioned last week. Something that I don’t think they know about.”
I pushed the start button on the black coffee maker and turned to face him.
“Okay,” I said.
Edgar was rubbing the back of his head, his eyes taking in the room, refusing to land on me.
“I had hired a private investigator over a week ago to find out about Ashton. He discovered something interesting and since that picture of me that you took wound up on his computer, I wanted to show you what I found.”
“Why didn’t you say anything when they were questioning us?”
He shook his head. “I had planned to but you saw them. They seemed to want to make this out to be some jealousy issue that couldn’t possibly have existed. Asking us about our attraction to each other and if we had a personal relationship.”
I couldn’t help but agree with Edgar. They didn’t seem like they knew what they were doing. It made me worry for the safety of Ashton Graham. That his life may be in their hands.
“Yeah, I understand.” I leaned back against the counter and folded my arms. “Then they just casually mentioned the hacking. Like it was nothing. That was crazy.”
He sliced his hands in the air and nodded. “Right. That should have been one of their main concerns. Not some afterthought. Anyway, I wanted to show you what my guy found. I think you will be interested.”
The coffee pot beeped letting me know it was ready.
I realized I didn’t need it anymore as I was wide awake. My heart pounded in my chest as a bad feeling came over me. My mind raced with what Edgar had for me. Was it more hacking? Maybe Ashton was dead, killed by the mafia or the government. Perhaps Ashton was secretly in love with me and killed himself.
That’s it, no more crime shows for a few months.
“I do have a meeting with Mr. Mimir in a bit, so maybe you can show me later today?”
I was stalling. Something about it didn’t feel right. As if what he showed me would change everything for the worse.
“It won’t take long. I have it in my office, and I’ll send a text to Jacob that you are meeting with me. So if he needs you, he’ll know where to find you.”
Doesn’t that just solve everything?
My eyes scanned the room as I desperately tried to think of another excuse.
I was about to pretend to have an intense cramping issue due to my menstrual cycle, but then Edgar touched me. He placed his hand on my back, and I began to glide across the floor as he guided me out of the kitchen.
Why was I cursed with such a weak body?
All I remembered of the elevator ride down to Edgar’s floor was trying not to pass out. Knowing how good he smelled, like citrus and all things male, I held my breath the entire time. When the doors finally opened on his floor, I ran out and almost fell over gasping for air.
The plan to not smell him backfired as he helped support me as we walked into his office. He even wrapped his arm around my back, which made me more lightheaded than the elevator ride.
“Evaleen, I think you should sit down.”
I put my hands on my hips. “I can handle what you are about to show me, Edgar.”
Yes, I was scared of what he had to show me but I wouldn’t let him know that.
“I am talking about you almost passing out in the elevator. Then once I helped you into my office your knees buckled. I think you should sit down.”
He pushed out his desk chair and waved for me to sit.
“Oh, of course. You’re probably right.”
Heat traveled up my neck as I sat in his leather chair.
Edgar leaned over the chair as he opened his laptop. I tried to push the seat back, but when I did, he placed his hand on the top stopping the movement.
He was an inch from me. If I turned my head I knew my lips would brush his cheek, maybe even his trimmed beard. So I didn’t.
I remained motionless despite the tingling of my skin as his hot breath fell over my shoulder and down my chest. Even my best efforts in the elevator were for nothing as I couldn’t do anything to escape his scent now.
“Pardon me, Evaleen, I just need to reach past you . . .” His words faded as he leaned closer.
Edgar’s soft golden hair tickled my nose. I inhaled and was greeted with everything Edgar. Images of him bare chested in the forest came to mind.
Edgar groaned and shifted closer to the desk. He must have felt me sniff him. That was embarrassing, but what did he expect as he pushed himself on me like that?
I glanced down to move my head away from his and that’s when I saw it.
His erection pushing against his gray wool pants.
FOURTEEN
Edgar
I couldn’t remember what I was looking for on my computer.
Shaking my head, I tried to concentrate, but as her nose brushed my neck my brain stopped focusing on the computer. Every part of my body was highly aware that a beautiful woman was inches from me. Not just any woman, but Evaleen Bechmann.
My eyes strained at the glowing blue screen to find something to jog my memory. A file maybe. Something that pertained to us.
Yes. That was it. Mr. Marks sent me that picture yesterday, and I wanted to show it to Evaleen.
“I remembered,” I said.
“Remembered what, Edgar?”
Her breath swept over my cheek and I forgot everything again. There was a silence in the room that felt charged. Any movement she made or word she said pulled me closer to her.
“What I was looking for . . . But, I forgot again.”
At least I was being honest. She probably thought I was an idiot. Something as important as what we were talking about and within seconds, it’s gone. Evaleen had little respect for me before, she must wonder how I even had maintained a job now.
“Here, let me help.”
She leaned forward just as my head turned, causing my lips to land on her eyelid. I didn’t remove my mouth. That’s the important thing to take away from this. A normal person would instantly pull away and apologize, but I stood there sucking on her eye like some perverted eye admirer.
I bet that eye porn existed and people got paid big bucks to suck on eyelids. As the saying goes, If you could imagine it, there was probably porn of it.
“Um, Edgar?”
I straightened, giving Evaleen her sight back. “Yes, Evaleen?”
The back of her hand swept across her eyelid before she gazed up at me. Her licked eye twitched. “What was that?”
“Eye porn.”
Then I winked. Now that was when I
went from weird to sleazy. As if I meant to do that and it was sexy.
She stood and glanced around the room. “Is there a camera in here? Are you seriously filming a porn right now?” Her hand grasped at her chest as she took large gulps of air.
Waving my hands, I panicked. “No, no. Please, I was only joking.” I tried to laugh but it came out forced, and Evaleen noticed as her eyes narrowed at me. “That was weird. It was, I know it. I just meant, well, never mind what I meant. I’m sorry.”
Evaleen stared at me still unsure before a smile cracked her lips. “Of course. I get it. Yeah.” She tapped her head with the heel of her palm. “Silly me. It’s not like you couldn’t get any woman in the world to make a porn with, even eye porn; why would you slum it with me . . .”
She continued to laugh and shook her head, but something about how she reacted made me uneasy.
“Um, Evaleen, did you want to make a porn with me?”
“What?” Her voice went up an octave followed by a giggle. Not so much a normal laugh but something a young girl would do.
“I’m not saying we should do a porno because that would be weird and creepy, but that somehow you think—” I stopped when it dawned on me.
It was how she said it. How adamant she was last week that we would never have a relationship when we spoke to the detectives.
Evaleen wrapped her arms around her body and turned her head. But I needed to find her eyes. They always gave her away.
“Evaleen.” I lowered my voice and dipped my head toward her but she stepped back.
“Edgar, uh, I really should be going. I have that meeting.” Her voice trembled but drifted away.
“I already texted my brother to meet you here for the meeting. Please, look at me.” My fingers touched her chin as I lifted her head to face me.
I noticed tears streaked Evaleen’s cheeks but her eyes remained closed. “Evaleen, please.” My words gave her cause to scrunch her eyes even tighter.
I lifted my other hand and smoothed away the damp trails with my thumb.
“Why won’t you show me those beautiful blue eyes of yours?”
I brushed away some hair that was stuck to her cheeks when she sighed and finally lifted her eyelids.
“There you are.” I smiled but not for long.
Her gaze fell to my lips. All the tension dissolved on Evaleen. She was unbelievably sexy right now. Strands of her hair falling out of her chignon. Her lips swollen and cheeks flushed as if I just finished fucking her.
The air around us suddenly felt heated and thick.
My fingers slid from her chin to her neck. It was soft, and my fingers traced her delicate skin. I had a strong urge to bite her, suck on that skin. Find out her flavor.
So I did.
I dipped my head until my lips were brushing her soft skin. I didn’t care if it was wrong or that anyone could walk in; I needed to taste Evaleen. I thought she would push me off her. Call me names. Maybe even tell my brother and he would be forced to fire me, but the opposite happened.
Evaleen melted into my arms.
I tightened my hold around her as she curled into me. She pushed her chest closer and I crumbled. My hands were everywhere on her. Clawing at every soft spot I could reach.
Lifting my head, I gazed down at what I had done. Even with her eyes closed and head turned to the side, she was so much sexier than I could have ever imagined. Every fantasy I had blew to dust compared to this moment.
“I want to kiss you. Now. Right now. Can I kiss you, please, Evaleen?” The words fell out in one big tumble. Sucking her neck wasn’t enough, I wanted more.
I felt like some horny virgin that didn’t know what he was doing. I wanted to pull and kiss and lick and tug and suck every fuckable inch of her.
“Yes. Do anything you want to me.” Her voice deep with want.
“Oh, Evaleen, there is so much . . .” I let my hands finish for me.
Grabbing her hips, I lifted her. I turned, positioning her on my desk. Somethings may have fallen in the process, but I was too far gone to care.
I didn’t kiss her right away. Stepping back, I drank in my fantasy. Lifting my hand, I tugged the pins from her hair. It took a few, along with a clip I discovered in the process, but her hair eventually tumbled down over her shoulders.
Her long, dark lashes fanned over her cheeks as she turned her gaze to the floor. Evaleen was having second thoughts and I had to stop them.
“You’re everything I want and nothing I deserve, Evaleen. I know that. So, if you want to leave, I understand. But if you stay, I can’t promise I won’t beg for more than a kiss. I may beg for everything if you let me.”
Her hand raised to her chest, clutching her blouse. I covered it with my hand and guided it away. Another tear fell down her face.
“I don’t know if I’m capable.” Her trembling words stopped as tears fell once again. She covered her face with her hands as the sob began.
I embraced her and held her while she cried. Most men would panic if a woman cried in their arms from fear of a kiss, but not me. Not that I am better than other men, because I’m not, but I knew Evaleen.
She thought I didn’t understand her. Evaleen believed no one did. If she ever found out how I had come to know her so well, she wouldn’t want anything to do with me. So, I held her and let her cry. Even if it caused her to avoid me.
But that’s fine. Because now I knew. Evaleen didn’t hate me. She was attracted to me. It wasn’t only her kiss I was after. Before I thought I had no chance at that, but now I’ll give her the one thing I am good at, patience. Because of all the things I knew about Evaleen, it’s that she took a long time to come around.
But I’ll wait.
Evaleen pulled back and with trembling fingers, wiped the tears from her face.
“Wow, that was embarrassing. I really pick the worst times for a cry, huh?” She let out a few chuckles but they didn’t seem sincere.
I waved my hand in the air and shrugged. “Happens all the time. I have that effect on women. They are so overwhelmed by my manly sex appeal and striking good looks that they break out in fits of hysteria.”
Reaching over to the end of my desk, I pulled a tissue from a box and handed it to her. Evaleen nodded before taking it to dab at her face. “I forgot for a moment about your god-like power over women’s hearts.”
We laughed but it seemed hallow.
“I don’t know about god-like power over women’s hearts, maybe just their lady parts.” I tapped at my chin.
Evaleen scrunched up her nose. “Don’t use ‘lady parts.’ You make it sound like women are built in factories. Also, don’t say ‘whooha’ or ‘vajayjay.’”
I threw my head back, but this time the laughter that roared from my throat was honest. It took a moment to come down off the humor high. I was wiping the tears from the corners of my eyes as I said, “Okay, so what should I say Ms. Know-It-All.”
Just as she was about to answer there was a knock at the door. It opened before she could say anything. Standing in the doorway staring at us was my brother, Jacob.
FIFTEEN
Edgar
I watched as all the signs of surprise followed by understanding formed on Jacob’s face.
His gray eyes widened before giving way to a crinkled brow. Finally, his hand rubbed at his neck as his jaw firmed.
None of those actions eased my fears.
“Edgar. I need to see you out in the hallway immediately.”
I had to come up with something quickly. But first, I dipped my head to Evaleen. “Are you going to be okay?”
“No,” she said before her eyelids fell. Her chest rose with a breath. She steeled herself before she opened her eyes and nodded. “I mean yes. Fuck. This is it. At least I have time to fix myself up before the ax falls.”
“That won’t happen. I promise.”
I meant what I said to Evaleen. As I moved around the desk and stepped out into the hallway, my brother kept his stare glued on me. He must h
ave thought I would make a break for it. Like I would sooner jump out the twenty-sixth floor window than face my brother’s wrath.
Memories of just after he quit college to come help out at home came to mind. His lectures to me of how he was the man of the house and we needed to do everything we could to help Mom.
I lied and told a retail store I was sixteen, when I was actually fifteen, and worked before school unloading merchandise. After school, I worked in the same store as a sales person.
My brother got a salary position fetching coffee and answering phones at a downtown advertising company. It was at night that he worked on creating Mimir, in our mom’s garage.
Since he had made the most money, he bossed me around. He was still doing that.
I shut the door to my office and faced my brother’s fury. Before he could begin the lecture, I knew he planned out in his head, I cut him off. “Jacob. I’m glad you showed up. I think it’s best if Evaleen went home for the day.”
His head shot back. “What? But you two were just—”
“We were what?” I tilted my head and played up my confusion as best I could.
My brother may be able to build companies from scratch, but I could act my way out of anything if I wanted to. That’s the thing about giving the appearance you always have it together, people start to believe it.
I should have been an actor.
His head turned toward the door and he pointed. “You were . . . uh, you just had your hand on her back.” He lowered his voice and leaned toward me. “Ms. Bechmann was sitting on your desk, Edgar.”
“Wait, you don’t think we . . . I mean, on my desk?” I stepped back and waved my hands toward the door. My voice went up with each word.
Jacob nodded but doubt shadowed his stare. His eyes scanned the room as he bit his lower lip.
“It’s Evaleen, Jacob. I mean, I get why you might think me.” My mouth firmed into a line. “But Evaleen? Don’t you think she is smarter than that?”
Jacob scratched the back of his neck, and I knew I had him. He felt guilty. I grew up with my brother. We shared a bedroom for part of our life. I could read him backward and forward and upside down.
The Attraction File (Cake Love Book 2) Page 7
