The Attraction File (Cake Love Book 2)

by Elizabeth Lynx

  Changes in the laws with Great Britain and Europe made it almost impossible to continue distribution for our company. Since we are a retail company, distribution was a major part of everything we did.

  We had lawyers go over the new laws, but we had yet to find anything that would help us.

  I tuned out most of the meeting and was about to pretend I was reading a memo while really getting some shut eye when I heard Henrik.

  “Can I just ask why Ms. Bechmann is here on this trip? Last I checked, she was the head of HR. Are we hiring someone that I don’t know about?”

  I quickly scanned the table and noticed confusion on everyone’s face, except Evaleen’s. Hers was cracking. Before I could say something, she began to laugh, loudly. “What? Why would you ask that?”

  Oh no. Evaleen was laughing. Not a good sign. Even Jacob appeared unsure. I told him some vague excuse before we left why Evaleen needed to come on the trip, but Jacob still had questions. And, like the smart brother I was, I dodged every single one.

  There was no getting around it now. Henrik hated Evaleen, and I knew the feeling was mutual. If this could harm Evaleen, he wouldn’t stop until he saw blood.

  I gazed over to her and she was sweating. It made me think of this morning in bed, and last night on the floor, and yesterday after lunch in the broom closet, and all the places we had been together since arriving in this sex-inspiring city.

  “Yeah, why are you here, Ms. Bechmann? I’m a little curious myself,” my brother said.

  Think, Edgar. Think!

  Maybe I could beef up the candidate story I used back in Chicago. The one I lied to Evaleen about. That’s what I’ll do.

  I’ll tell my brother we might have found a candidate for the job and wink at him.

  While my wink had the power to get women into bed, it wielded a much greater power on my brother. It confused the hell out of him. He liked to see himself as someone who knew what was going on, even when he had no idea. When I winked, he pretended he understood.

  Perfect.

  Only I didn’t have to do anything. Henrik used his weapon instead: Business Jargon.

  “I’m sorry, Jacob, I forgot that Ms. Bechmann came along to help coordinate with HR here regarding individuals working in both locations and their taxation. The synergy—” Henrik stopped when my brother cleared his throat.

  I exhaled in relief. Glancing at Evaleen, I noticed she was nodding to Henrik, who nodded back.

  What in the hell was that about?

  First, she mentioned she caught Henrik doing something. Then Henrik saved her from Jacob’s question. And now they nod at each other like they have a secret club where members nod at each other in greeting?

  I needed to get to Evaleen and find out what was going on.

  The meeting ended. As I walked toward the elevator, I noticed Evaleen and Henrik talking to each other. There was still animosity in their glares, but something was off. They never voluntarily communicated to each other.

  When the elevator arrived, I tried to get inside with Evaleen but it was too full. Instead, I took the stairwell and ran down the six flights of steps. By the time I made it to the street, Evaleen had hopped into a cab and took off.

  I managed to get the next one and pulled up to the hotel right after her.

  “Are you avoiding me, Ms. Bechmann? Afraid of something?” I said a bit winded as we stood in front of the hotel elevator.

  She didn’t turn to look at me. “I have no idea what you are talking about, Edgar. Should I be?”

  The doors opened and we got on. Most of the people from the meeting went straight to a pub so Evaleen and I were alone in the elevator.

  She stood in the back and removed the pink silk scarf from around her neck. The blouse she wore today had a plunging neckline and I spent most of the day dreaming of making a trail from her lips to her belly button and farther with my tongue.

  I moved next to Evaleen, shoulder to shoulder. Leaning close I whispered, “I would be very afraid of what I might do to you here in this elevator.”

  She stiffened and I noticed perspiration beading on her brow, so I leaned so close I could smell her. “I might spread those sweet thighs of yours. Then, I bet if I dipped my fingers in between I’d find you so wet. I wouldn’t be surprised if your pussy was soaked right now just thinking of the nasty stuff I could do to you.”

  Evaleen shivered and I knew I had her.

  THIRTY-TWO

  Evaleen

  I didn’t get any writing done in London.

  Edgar and his wicked tongue. Don’t get me wrong, I loved his tongue and his cock, and when he used both on me I couldn’t imagine anything better. But how was I supposed to use this new-found knowledge of sex in my books if I never got a chance to write them?

  I had to explain to him that I couldn’t see him tonight. We had returned from London a few days ago and he hasn’t left me alone. I would complain, but how could I? The man was a god in bed.

  No, tonight I put my foot down and told him I needed a night off.

  I just hoped he didn’t start talking dirty to me—my utter weakness. Who knew I liked it when he spoke that way? I knew losing my virginity was a big deal, but I never knew it would open this intense sexual side of me.

  “Knock. Knock.” Edgar walked into my office.

  I glanced up and smiled.

  “You ready for the meeting? Jacob is on his way,” Edgar said.

  “Yeah. I wanted to talk to you while we had a moment,” I said and pointed to the chair on the other side of the desk.

  He smirked as he glided into the chair. “Am I being fired for having sex at the office with a coworker?”

  “Ha ha. Very funny, Edgar.”

  He stretched and put his hands behind his head. “That reminds me, we do need to talk. It’s about Ashton Graham.”

  “Oh, what about him?”

  He removed his hands from behind his head and leaned forward, resting on his elbows. The lighthearted sparkle in Edgar’s eyes died as he stared at me. “They found him.”

  “Great. Where is he?”

  “He’s dead.”

  I could feel the blood drain from my face. A million thoughts fluttered around my brain as I tried to make sense of that. Nothing that came to me was good.

  “Like of a heart attack?”

  I closed my eyes mentally crossing my fingers.

  “No, some kid fishing on the river thought he got a big fish, but he pulled out a man’s arm instead.”

  My hand went to my mouth as I felt bile rising. “Oh my God.”

  We hadn’t discussed Ashton since before we went to London. I was in such a sex-fueled/world-traveler fog that Ashton had slipped my mind. Being so happy with Edgar, I forgot that life never stayed perfect for long.

  I let my guard down and now reality slapped it back up.

  “Listen, Evaleen, I would feel safer if you stayed with me for a while.”

  “What? No, Edgar. No, I can’t live with you.”

  I couldn’t believe he was asking me that. I got up and grabbed a pad of paper and pen, intending to leave for the meeting.

  Edgar stood, blocking my exit. “Why not? Despite the age of my house, I do have it hooked up for security. There are cameras everywhere and the latest security system in place.”

  Surprised, I reared my head back. “Cameras? Were you filming us?”

  “Huh? No, Evaleen, no. Well, maybe. Okay yes. Yes, I was filming us.”

  “What?” I said. The word disappeared on my lips the lower my heart sank.

  I trusted him. What a fool I was.

  Of all the men I had known in my life, Edgar seemed like the only one who was kind and actually cared for people. He called Payne a friend, and anyone who did that had to be a saint.

  But it turned out I was wrong.

  “I mean, yes I have cameras in most of the main rooms in my house. So, technically, you were being filmed but I didn’t do it on purpose. I’m not a pervert.”

  I fold
ed my arms and glared at him. His lips softened and the dimples made an appearance.

  “Unless you want me to be.” Edgar’s eyebrows moved up and down.

  “No, Edgar. I do not want us being filmed having sex so you can do God knows what with that tape.”

  He took a step backward tripping on the chair he sat in minutes ago, but righted himself before he fell.

  “Look, Evaleen, I only want you at my house for safety reasons. Anyone could easily break into your apartment building.”

  “Now I feel great,” I said as I tried to hold back an eye roll.

  My eyes began to burn, and I knew I had to leave before the tears started to flow. Edgar was Edgar, and I had sex with him knowing that. That made sense, logically. But my heart felt something. It wasn’t as strong. It was a little beat up from when I last opened it to men.

  Edgar enjoyed sex with me and nothing more. I knew that and I tried to remind myself every time we were together, but I’m no sex robot. I happened to be born with a heart.

  “I’m not trying to scare you, Evaleen. That’s why I want you to stay with me.”

  He needed to stop talking.

  “Let’s discuss this later, Edgar, all right?”

  I tried to move but he grabbed my arm. My office door opened and Jacob stood there. I glanced up to find his eyes jumping between me and Edgar.

  “Ms. Bechmann, I hope you aren’t feeling faint again?”

  Edgar let go of me and turned to his brother. He plastered his winning smile on his face. “No, Jacob; I was just informing Evaleen of what the police found. She was a little shaken by it.”

  Jacob’s face softened. “Oh, I know. I couldn’t believe it. Suicide.”

  Edgar and I said at the same time, “Suicide?”

  “I got a call from Detective Mackeson about ten minutes ago. They believe he tried to kill himself. They found a note in his apartment. Terribly sad. We should discuss this at the meeting. How to address it with the company.”

  I glanced at Edgar as his eyes slid to mine. We all walked to Payne’s office in silence. I had a bad feeling about this. Somehow now that the case was solved I felt worse.

  Of course, I was sad that Ashton was dead, but I didn’t really know him. What disturbed me the most was Ashton’s dealings with Damien Rosen.

  We stood outside Payne’s door and I asked Edgar a question, “Did Ashton seem depressed or act strangely with you at any point in his two years with the company?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  Jacob knocked on the door but got no answer, so he opened it. We stepped inside and what we found made Jacob gasp, Edgar curse, and I broke out into the biggest smile of my life. I quickly suppressed it of course, but the grin was there bubbling just beneath the surface.

  Payne and Morgana were in a very compromising position. They were having sex on his desk.

  There was no way Payne could talk himself out of this one.

  I felt glee as we scurried out of the room and headed back toward Jacob’s office. There would be a very different meeting happening in a few minutes. One where I would witness Henrik Payne grovel for his job.

  I needed that today.

  “What are you going to do?” Edgar stared at Jacob as he sat at his desk, his head in his hands.

  “Obviously, they need to be fired. I mean, you saw them. That can’t happen at my company. I don’t care how much in love they may be. This is during office hours, and that was my office furniture they were using for their sex-den.”

  Edgar cleared his throat and glanced my way.

  That was something else Edgar and I needed to discuss—no sex at the office. I don’t care how horny I get. He needed to be strong enough to turn me down.

  There was a knock on Jacob’s door.

  “Come in,” Jacob announced.

  The door opened and Payne’s head appeared. I folded my arms and stood on the side of Jacob’s desk savoring every minute.

  “Please, Henrik, come and have a seat.”

  Despite what happened, Henrik appeared confident and maybe even relaxed as he sat. Like he had the secret to life figured out. Morgana must be really good at sex.

  “Mr. Mimir, let me explain. Ms. Drake tricked me. She knew I had an idea to help save the company with the distribution problem. She knew you would be coming by the office for the meeting. She wanted to get caught to claim the idea as her own and get me out of the picture—”

  I cut him off. He was lying. I hated Payne. He was rude, disrespectful, and selfish, but he was excellent at his job. I may have wanted him fired many times but never said anything because he was good for the company.

  But fuck that. Morgana was my friend and I knew for a fact it was her idea. She told me her idea the Monday we got back from London.

  “He’s lying, Mr. Mimir, and I can prove it.” I smirked at Payne knowing he only had minutes left as a Mimir employee.

  THIRTY-THREE

  Edgar

  I felt as if I needed a shower.

  Having just emerged from Henrik’s place I could still smell the scent of sweat and whiskey on me. The two things Henrik had been marinating in for the past few days after being fired from Mimir.

  He was a wreck and I couldn’t blame him. After the little trick he pulled and it not working out for him, I didn’t blame him for wanting to drown his sorrows.

  As for me, I was fine. Evaleen and I came to an agreement. No sex in the office and when we did have sex, she would go home at night to her mom.

  Of course, we haven’t stuck to that agreement as well as we would have liked. We did have a quickie in the supply closet yesterday.

  It was about time I showed her I didn’t just want her sexually, but much more than that.

  I headed down the street and turned a corner to a less crowded street. I made my way into a shop with a wooden storefront and various colorful flowers in tin buckets lining the front.

  “Welcome to The Bloom Room. How may I help you?” A smiling woman with silky silver hair piled on her head, dotted with baby’s breath, put down the bouquet she was working on and wiped her hands on her green apron.

  “Yes, I need a bouquet of flowers for someone special.”

  “Can you tell me about this person?” She came up to me clasping her hands in front of her.

  “She’s beautiful.”

  She smiled and adjusted her glasses. “Aren’t they all.”

  “No. I don’t mean she’s physically beautiful, even though she is. I meant her heart. When she walks into a room—”

  “She lights it up? I know just what you mean.”

  I shook my head. “No, she doesn’t.”

  “Oh, uh, okay. I’m sorry, sir; I’m trying to get an idea of this beautiful woman you speak of. Maybe if you tell me something else?”

  “What I meant to say was when she walks into a room heads turn. She’s striking, tall, like she belongs on a yacht in the Mediterranean. But she hides that part of herself. She hates it. The last thing she wants is for anyone to stare at the one thing she never asked for, her looks.”

  “How does she hide it?”

  I smiled imagining Evaleen in front of me. “She wears the frumpiest, most dowdy clothes you can imagine. Everything in her closet is navy, black, or brown. But there was one night. The night when she let me see her beauty. The rare moment that she hadn’t ever shown anyone, when she wore something beautiful and full of color.”

  The woman leaned closer, her mouth wide with wonder. “What? What was it?”

  “She wore a pink scarf. And that’s when I knew.”

  The woman gripped my arm. “Knew what?”

  “That I loved her. She has been hiding for so long. And I know why. Because if she showed everyone her true self, it would be too much. Her beauty is blinding.”

  I heard a sniffle and looked down to find the woman wiping her eyes. She took a moment and then raised her head. “I know the perfect bouquet for you.”

  She scurried around the room picking fl
owers from various vases and brought them together at the counter by the register. Once she finished wrapping it in a simple brown paper bag with a pink ribbon, I took out my wallet to pay.

  “How much?”

  She shook her head. “No. It’s on the house.”

  “I do appreciate that, but I can afford to pay.”

  Perhaps the scent from Henrik’s apartment was stronger than I thought and the woman believed I was homeless.

  “You have paid me more than you know.” She turned her head as a tear fell from her eye. “Today is a very hard day for me. The anniversary of the marriage to my late husband. You remind me of him when he was young. Handsome and could have had his pick of any woman, but he chose me. That woman sounds lovely, and I hope you understand that love may be easily given but it isn’t always easily won.”

  I nodded. “I’m sorry for your loss. It seems to me that your husband was the lucky one. Thank you,” I glanced at her nametag, “Jackie. These are beautiful, and you are a wonderful woman.”

  She came around the counter and gave me a hug.

  As I left I felt like that was a good omen. That despite the hardships of life, there could be love.

  I waved down a taxi and directed the driver to Evaleen’s apartment building. It was a short five-minute ride on Lake Shore Drive and after I paid the driver, I got out. Shutting the door, I noticed a man across the street staring up to the third floor of windows to Evaleen’s building.

  I nearly dropped the flowers when I realized who it was.

  Damien Rosen was standing directly across from me in a black leather jacket and jeans. I didn’t hesitate to make my way to him, but he turned to head north. I kept up despite his quick pace. He made a few turns and I was half a block away. Finally, he stepped into a coffee shop and I knew I had him.

  When I entered the small shop, I noticed only two customers, both female and one guy behind the counter.

  “Do you have a restroom?” I asked.

  “Yeah, but someone is using it right now.”

  That’s where he was. The coffee guy pointed to the back corner of the shop and there I stood waiting for the door to open. As I waited, I imagined how I would take him down. Sure, I was going to call the police but first, I was going to take a few swings at him.