My skin burned as her nails trailed down my back. She was warm and my hand traveled on her body like it had never touched her before. I let go of her lips and traveled down her neck, inhaling everything that was Evaleen because I couldn’t get enough.
I lifted my head to find her eyes heavy and lips bruised.
“You are the sexy one, Evaleen. You’re the beautiful one, and the smart one. And no, you aren’t the sweet one, but I love your spicy flavor.”
I tilted my hips and dipped my fingers between her legs. Her eyes rolled back as I pumped in and out of her. Fuck, she was so sexy like this.
Removing my fingers I lifted them to her lips, painting them. Then I descended on her. Kissing and sucking her lips. Raw sounds came from us, and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have her. After everything that had happened to her, as much fear as she clung to in her mind, Evaleen let me in.
She wrapped her legs around me and pulled me closer. She was so warm, so wet, and when her fingers dug into my hair, I did it. I pushed my cock inside her and she gasped. But then she melted, her eyes opened to tell me what she wanted.
Tentatively I moved knowing what a mistake I was making. But I was lost to her. I knew I was clean, getting tested twice a year. We even discussed it when she moved in. But I had never actually had sex without a condom before. In my mind that was something people did when they loved each other, when they knew they would be together for a long time.
I loved Evaleen. I wanted to be with her for a very long time, but did she love me?
She let me take her virginity but look how long that took for her to give up. How can I expect a woman closed off for so long to fall in love with me? What have I ever done to make her trust me with her heart?
I reached between her legs, leaning to one side to give her the only thing I knew I could, an orgasm. I found her clit and pinched and rubbed it the way she liked.
“Yes, Edgar. Fuck, I’m gonna come.”
She didn’t lie. I felt her squeeze and pulsate around me. There was nothing better and I wanted to slow down, ride it out, but Evaleen had other ideas. “Fuck me harder. Please, Edgar.”
I did. The sounds of slapping skin, a creaking bed, and moans filled the room. Her orgasm kept going which sent me over the edge. It was longer than before and without the condom, so much better. I don’t know if it was just my mind telling me this but it felt like I was filling her with everything I had. Just that thought made me wild.
I groaned rocking into her.
When it was over and I rolled off her slick body, both of us sweaty and trying to catch our breath, I turned my head to her. Taking her hand in mine I said, “I’ll be your best friend, Evaleen.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
Evaleen
My door opened to my office. It was my bestie.
“Up for lunch, Evie-Pevie?” he said.
I shook my head turning back to my laptop. “Edgar, I don’t like pet names okay? And besides, Evie-Pevie is dumb. Sounds like something a bully would say.”
“How about shnookums.” He closed the door standing just inside the room with a frown on his face. Apparently, my distaste for pet names wounded him deeply.
“No.” I closed my laptop and reached into my desk drawer to pull out my purse. When I looked up he had his arms out and mouth open in shock.
“Not even babycakes or dimples?”
I stood and walked over to him, pointing my finger at his chest. “You are just doing this to get a rise out of me, Edgar. Don’t think I haven’t learned your ways in the six weeks we have been living together. Also, I don’t even have dimples, you do.”
“That is where you are wrong, Sassy McGee. I have dimples on my cheeks right here.” He pointed to his face. “You have dimples on the other cheeks, right here.” He slapped my ass. It stung. The burn slowly creeping to an ache between my thighs.
My eyes shot to the window that looked out into the department. “Edgar, anyone could have seen you do that.”
“I know.” He stepped closer, obviously intent to do much more. But my hands went up to stop him.
“Edgar, I could get fired.”
“Then let’s tell them. Tell Jacob that we are together.”
My eyes fell to the floor and my hands busied themselves with picking at my nails. “How about we get lunch first. I’m starving.”
I avoided this topic. Edgar had brought it up several times over the last few weeks. But I always had some excuse to wait. Call me a coward. Call me weak, but I knew Edgar wouldn’t last.
The man was used to having a variety of women. It’s not like I’m something special. I may be his first real girlfriend, but men like Edgar don’t marry their first girlfriend. Men like Edgar never marry.
When I opened up to him a few weeks ago and asked him what this was between us, I knew he was sincere when he said he only wanted me. But will he be that willing in a few months? I doubt it.
Call me paranoid but I get the feeling that once we tell people about our relationship, it will be doomed to fail.
“How is your new hire, Trey Larson, down in IT? The one taking over Ashton’s old job.”
I pointed to the summer HR intern who sat in the middle of the department playing on his phone. “Chip had sent him to your office two weeks ago for the interview. So, I never got a chance to meet him yet.”
Edgar opened the door to my department and we made our way to the hall toward the elevators.
“He’s good. Quiet, but knows what he’s doing. I think Grace has taken a fancy to him.”
I stopped in my tracks and he leaned past me to push the elevator button. “Really? Oh, Henrik won’t like that.” A throaty laugh that I reserved for one person bubbled to the surface.
“Don’t you mean he will be relieved?”
My lips quirked, savoring all the ways this will eventually play out for Henrik. “Edgar, I may just be learning all the ways of sex, but I am no fool when it comes to feelings. Despite Henrik’s protests about Grace, deep down he will miss having the doe-eyed girl following him around like he’s her hero.”
We entered the elevator once it opened but instead of pushing the ground floor button, I pushed the twenty-sixth floor.
“Why are we going to my floor?” Edgar asked in confusion.
“I must meet the man who has stolen Grace’s heart. Then I will shake his hand so I can rub it in Henrik’s face.”
“But I thought you two made up? Henrik doesn’t even work here anymore, Evaleen.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Yes, Henrik had apologized last week for being a total ass to me all these years, which shocked the hell out of me. I really believed that man would die clutching his icy heart at his desk. But I can’t be right all the time.
Despite his apology, there was some lingering need I had to watch Henrik suffer.
I never said I was nice.
But that wasn’t why Edgar was asking me. He was distracting me from what he really felt. He may fool his brother and everyone else he knows, but Edgar can’t get anything past me.
My eyes may leak a lot of tears at the wrong times, but they do have the power of making people admit the truth. It’s a great power to have for someone in HR.
“Fine, I’ll admit it, I’m hungry.” He cast his eyes sideways with a sheepish smirk. “With our morning sex I never got a chance to eat breakfast,” Edgar said.
The doors opened and we stepped out.
Edgar followed me as I made my way over to Trey’s desk, which used to be Ashton’s desk.
Trey had his head down, focusing on something on his laptop. I saw brown shaggy hair.
“You must be the new hire, Trey Larson. I’m Evaleen Bechmann, head of HR. I just wanted to introduce . . .” My words faded away because my mouth fell open and refused to shut when Trey glanced up. He stood. Rising and rising. He was taller than Edgar.
But not an awkward tall like you might expect from a geeky IT guy, but big and beefy. He had a thick beard and I expected him to be wearin
g a flannel shirt and carrying an ax.
I tried to configure how Grace and he would work, size wise. He must crush her in bed. Assuming he actually took advantage of Grace’s advances, which wouldn’t surprise me. Grace was a bit weird but very cute.
He held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Bechmann. Grace has told me a lot about you. Actually, she’s been very helpful informing me about the company.”
Trey’s smile was warm, gracious, and his stance confident.
I giggled. I might have been blushing too. How could I not? He was gorgeous. Was the IT field suddenly attracting ex-runway models?
I pulled my hand away from his reluctantly and began to fan myself. “Is it hot in here? Boy, you sure are hot, uh, I mean, it feels hot in here.”
I giggled, again.
That’s when I heard someone clearing his throat. I turned to find Edgar staring at Trey with a gaze that could only be described as murderous.
I should pull it back a bit before Edgar whips out his penis and there’s a debate about length versus thickness.
“Well, it was nice to meet you, Trey. Edgar has spoken highly of you. Grace is, uh, sweet for helping you out. I hope she hasn’t been bothersome?”
Trey lowered his gaze to his desk, blushing. “No, she has been very kind.”
Damn, I never thought I would think this, but I hope Grace doesn’t hurt this guy. He was so sweet.
I tugged at Edgar’s arm, having to yank hard to get him away from Trey. I thought Edgar was about to foam at the mouth.
He was quiet the entire elevator ride and it wasn’t until we were seated waiting on our food at Chuck’s Sausage Shack that he spoke. “What was that about?”
“What? I like the Chicago Dog.”
He narrowed his eyes and pointed toward the door. “You know what I mean.” He fluttered his eyelashes and covered his mouth after what can only be described as a schoolgirl giggle came out. He lifted his voice in falsetto and fanned his face. “Oh, Trey, what big arms you have! Oh, Trey, can I blow you in front of Edgar.” He tried and failed horribly at mimicking my voice.
I snorted. “I didn’t say any of that. I was completely professional. As for you, I can’t say the same.”
He sat up straight, adjusting his tie. “I was nothing but professional. There was nothing about me that was . . . uh, was—”
“I believe the word you are looking for is sane.”
His eyes became slits as he gripped the corners of the square table. “Do you want me to bend you over the table right now to prove to you how better I am than Trey? Is that what you want, Evaleen?”
I folded my arms and tried to hold back the smile that wanted to burst from my lips. “Yes.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
When confronted with a ridiculous situation, call a person on their bluff. Nine times out of ten it will cause them to backtrack. As for that tenth time, I don’t know about that. I would advise running if that ever occurred.
“Here let me help you.” I started to stand and bend over the table but Edgar shot up. He came around and made me sit back down.
“No, Evaleen, I’m not going to have sex with you in here. Look, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” His shoulders sagged as he leaned back in his chair. “I have never acted that irrational before. Well, once, but you stopped me then too.”
His face wasn’t so red anymore and that vein in his neck went back to a normal level.
“I get it, Edgar, you were jealous. It’s not easy watching someone you care for, someone you are attracted to, have eyes for someone else. But, just to be clear, I only have eyes for you.” He smiled and took my hand.
“You do realize, Edgar, that’s how I’ve felt everytime I saw you with a woman for the past five years.”
THIRTY-NINE
Edgar
“Not even the broth?” Evaleen’s mom held a spoonful of her amazing soup up toward Evaleen.
She scrunched her entire face and shook her head. “No, ugh, get it away from me.”
Her mom quickly put down the spoon and placed her hand on her daughter’s forehead.
“No temperature. Is there anything wrong, Evaleen?”
“I think I have that stomach bug that’s going around. I know Daniels in Sales had it last week,” Evaleen said after taking a sip of water at my dining room table. Once Evaleen and her mom moved in over a month and half ago I removed the middle section to the mahogany rectangle table, turning it into something more intimate.
“Maybe you should go rest in the bedroom,” her mother said before helping her up.
“I’ll go lay in the other guest room. I don’t want you to get sick, Edgar.”
“I can take that room if you want. Until you feel better,” I offered and felt guilty I wasn’t doing more to help Evaleen, but her mom swatted me away whenever I stepped near.
“I’ll go to the drugstore after dinner and pick up some stomach medicine. Also, some gelatin,” I said as her mom helped Evaleen away.
When I was young my mom used to get me that when I had the stomach flu. It was the only thing I could keep down.
When Ms. Bechmann returned she appeared concerned. She stood in the entrance way of the dining room, folding her arms with the exact same posture as I was used to seeing on her daughter.
“How is she?” I asked.
“Not well. She ran to the bathroom before we even got into the bedroom and threw up. I hope it’s not something she ate?”
“She did have a Chicago Dog for lunch.”
I had made a joke when she ordered it again, as that had turned into a daily ritual, that maybe she try a different tubular meat for lunch. But I wasn’t about to bring the joke up to her mom. Or how I turned into a man-ape and suggested bending her over the table.
I had a feeling Ms. Bechmann wouldn’t find any of those things funny.
We finished up the meal which was delicious as always. I stood and pushed the muted green velvet chair into the table and took everyone’s dishes out to the kitchen.
I told Ms. Bechmann she didn’t have to cook for us all the time but she insisted. She used to work as a maid, cleaning office buildings and even moved up to management, but Evaleen knew she only did it to support them.
Evaleen told me when she made executive at Mimir she told her mom to quit. That she would support both of them from now on. I believe they are a team. They take care of each other, and I couldn’t imagine having Evaleen in my life without her mom being there.
Ms. Bechmann tried to wash the dishes but I refused her help and made her relax on the couch. When I was done I stopped by the living room on my way to the front door. Ms. Bechmann was lounging on the couch reading a magazine. I told her I was heading out to the drugstore.
It was only a short walk from the house and since the sun was still up and the air was warming up, I took a leisurely stroll to the store. Chicago was full of color and everyone had their front yard gardens blooming with flowers.
When I got to the store, I picked up the medicine and a few other things before making my way to the counter. As I stood checking out, I glanced up into the rounded security mirror on the ceiling. What I noticed there shocked me.
There were two men talking one aisle back. One was tall, about my age with brown hair in a black T-shirt. It was the man from the picture Mr. Marks had sent me with Damien and Ashton in it.
He seemed intensely focused on what the other guy was saying. The other one being Damien.
Once I paid, I grabbed the bag and went to stand on the other side of the aisle so I could hear what they were talking about.
“I heard from Jay,” said the distinctly dark voice of Damien.
“Yeah, and?” the other guy asked.
“Plant it on Monday. Did you get the documents?”
Oh my God. Was Damien part of a terrorist organization? I took out my wallet, pulling out the card that detectives gave me but something stopped me from calling them.
Two things actuall
y. One, those detectives were idiots who cared more about coffee than they did the security of our business and the people in it. Number two, they closed Ashton’s case as a suicide. How does a person lose a limb while drowning in a calm river?
Mr. Marks said the organization Damien was associated with went high up. Perhaps the detectives were bribed, or worse, part of it.
As I was putting the card back into my wallet, the men left. I glanced up into the mirror and couldn’t find them anywhere in the store.
I hurried out and glanced to the right down the sidewalk to find them nearing the street corner. Luckily, many Chicagoans were enjoying the nice weather so I could easily blend into the crowd while following them as they turned onto another street.
Damien wearing jeans and a black leather jacket, walked up to a limousine and opened the back door. I ducked behind a woman with a stroller as he turned to face the sidewalk to talk to the guy he was with. A moment later, Damien got into the limo and shut the door, leaving the guy on the street.
I decided to follow Damien’s friend. Maybe he could lead me somewhere that would give me a clue as to what they were planning. At the very least, I could find out where this guy lived or hung out, so I could find him again with Mr. Marks.
I wasn’t a teenager anymore. I understood the importance of help.
The guy turned and headed toward me. I took out my phone and brought it to my ear, pretending to take a call. As he got closer, his eyes flickered up to mine but I acted like I didn’t see him, too focused on my phone conversation.
Once he had passed me, I tucked my phone back into my pocket. I turned only to slam into him. He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me over to an alleyway nearby. I tried to get away but his grip was unrelenting.
He shoved me against the brick wall near a pungent dumpster. “What agency do you work for?” The guy still had a firm grip on my shirt so I couldn’t escape.
“What? No one. I wasn’t following you,” I lied.
His green eyes narrowed as he gazed up and down my body. Soon his free hand followed, patting me down and poking around in the drugstore bag.
The Attraction File (Cake Love Book 2) Page 19
