Substitute

by Rey, Isobel

  ‘Come on, let’s get you inside,’ he said.

  Carter moaned and swore on the ground.

  ‘Stay down, or I’ll put you down, again,’ said Nathan. He was not a man to argue with.

  Nathan put his arm gently around her shoulder, not rushing her, but guiding her towards the door. He cast a swift backward glance at Carter to make sure he wasn’t getting up off the pavement, then walked Alexia in through reception. The two girls on the desk were open-mouthed, but he silenced any thought they might have of questioning him with a curt shake of his head. The girls shut their mouths and stood back. Does everyone do his bidding? thought Alexia.

  He took her into his office and offered her a stiff drink. She shook her head.

  ‘I’m guessing an ex-boyfriend?’ asked Nathan.

  Alexia nodded dumbly. She tried to speak, but her voice was nowhere to be found. She was in shock. Nathan looked at her and saw that her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

  In one swift move she was in his arms, and he was holding her, really holding her. The subtle smell of his aftershave filled her nostrils and she melted into his embrace. His body was hard and strong and she spread her hands on his chest as she rested her head against him.

  ‘It’s OK, he’s not going to hurt you. He can’t get to you now.’ Nathan’s voice was soft and gentle. She had not imagined it could sound so soft; she had only heard the commanding boss, never the soothing one.

  He cupped the back of her head with his strong hand, and she felt him rest his cheek against her head. His other arm was wrapped around her, holding her close.

  She stood there as he rocked her ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly in his arms. It was so comforting and felt so right. Her tears had stopped. He drew back slightly to look into her face.

  His black hair was dishevelled. Strands normally perfectly in place had escaped and were hanging over his forehead. His eyes were heavy with – what? Concern? Alexia couldn’t read him. She just looked up at him, her face inches from his. She felt his strong fingers move from her head and run down her cheek. Her knees buckled and that wetness filled her again.

  She felt her own fingers on his chest and had to stop herself from curling them into the fabric of his crisp white cotton shirt. She realised the tips of her fingers had crept underneath the lapels of his dark suit, dislodging the shoulders slightly. She felt her breathing become heavier, and she felt his chest. Was he breathing harder too?

  She stared at him, slowly realising that his mouth was inching towards hers. His lips were smooth and firm. They were slightly parted as he moved towards her. He stopped. The lurch of disappointment almost tipped her into grabbing him and begging him to kiss her. He must have read her thoughts as, suddenly, his mouth was on hers.

  She was completely enveloped in his arms and his kiss was overwhelming. The need inside her roared into life. This was like no other kiss she’d had. Tony and Richard had made her needy but this – this was completely different. Nathan was no callow boy, he was all man.

  Pressed against him, she could feel his hardness. His cock nudged against her stomach. Damn him for being so tall; she wanted to feel it against her own loins, to feel its hardness against her pussy. He was so hard and the length of him seemed to go on for ever, up her stomach. She could feel it pulsing against her soft belly. She wanted to climb up, up his tall, hard frame, to open her legs around him and slide down onto him. She wanted to feel him inside her. She realised how Phillipa must have felt that Friday night in the boardroom, without a thought of her surroundings. Only feeling, no thinking; her need, her deep, aching need.

  She felt herself almost lifting off into his arms, into him. His mouth was searching hers, his lips hard and needy. His tongue traced hers and she felt as if he wanted to devour her.

  She heard a low moan escape his lips as he pulled away from her to look at her face. She couldn’t read the expression. She’d expected lust, but there was something else.

  In the distance she could hear voices, like a gentle babbling from a faraway radio. Suddenly his eyes grew clear and hard and he stiffened, his arms going rigid. He stood like an animal that has scented a predator, frozen, listening for its approach. The voices grew louder. One of them she knew. Tony’s. Coming down the corridor!

  Nathan’s blue eyes darkened. Without warning, he set her back on her feet and strode away from her to his desk. She almost collapsed, her knees still weak from the surging in her body. The sudden absence of him felt like a rush of cold water through her loins, quashing the fire that he’d set roaring.

  She wheeled round to look at him; he was smoothing his hair down and picking up a file on the desk. There was a loud knock on the door behind her. Without waiting for an answer, Tony strode in.

  ‘Hey, boss …’

  Tony faltered when he saw her, his playful eyes suddenly puzzled. He locked eyes with Alexia and she felt a lurch in her stomach.

  She couldn’t help herself; she turned to look at Nathan, to see his reaction. His eyes were hard and his jaw tight as he regarded the two of them standing close together.

  He strode over to Tony. ‘This is the file you need. Make sure Iorizzo knows he has to behave this time.’

  Alexia’s mind was whirring. Iorizzo – his name was in the file Romy had handed her this morning. He was the hottest footballer in the world. Wild, Italian, and so famous he only used his last name.

  ‘Yeah, sure, of course.’

  Tony’s eyes darted to Alexia. He was trying to read this scene, but he was having trouble.

  Nathan turned his back on them both and went to his desk. They were dismissed.

  Alexia shakily picked her bag up from the floor where it had fallen and walked past Tony and out into the corridor, moving as fast as she could without attracting attention, back to the open-plan office where most of the staff worked. But Tony caught up with her.

  ‘Hey …!’ He grabbed her arm and hit the spot where Carter had dug his fingers into her and bruised her. She winced and pulled back.

  Tony exhaled, showing his frustration. Not having witnessed the morning’s scene on the pavement, he thought her wincing was a reaction to him.

  ‘Well, you’ll have to find a way to be around me for the next couple of days.’

  Alexia looked at him. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I’m coming too, didn’t Nathan tell you? Seems we’ll be together, in a hotel, where there are lots of beds!’ He winked at her, then strode away.

  Could this day get any worse? thought Alexia. Carter, then Nathan, now Tony! She slumped at her desk. Her mind was whirling. A few weeks ago she was on the run from a brutal relationship. She thought her new life could only be calmer than that, but it had never been so crazy. What on earth was going on? It seemed she had slid head-first into a whirlpool of confusion and – what? Desire? She felt Nathan’s mouth on hers again as she remembered how he’d kissed her just a few moments ago. Was it just a few moments? It seemed like an eternity.

  She almost whimpered. She realised that some of the staff were looking at her. She put her head down and pulled the file from her handbag.

  The afternoon passed in a blur of phone calls, to the football club, the venue, the catering manager, several press contacts. Alexia was grateful for the distraction. But it all felt unreal. Was she really booking a hotel room for herself? Was she really going? She finished her last call, finished typing up itineraries. Sent her last emails, including one to Nathan confirming all the arrangements. Would he reply? What would he say?

  She watched her Outlook box, waiting for his name to drop with that tell-tale two-tone signal. But nothing. She had to make sure he was happy before she left, just in case there was a snag she’d missed. But still nothing. It was nearly 7 p.m. She knew he was still in the office, as were a few others. There was nothing for it; she’d have to ask him.

  Shakily, she got to her feet. A clenching feeling in her loins made her feel quite unsteady. She walked on trembling legs to his office and stood
outside the door. She could hear his voice … On the telephone? The sound of him made her nipples feel exposed despite being tucked away safely under her clothes. She listened to him and could feel them almost pop out at the sound of him.

  She realised she was clutching the file to her breasts, half in fear, half trying to rub herself.

  Should she knock? She stood there, momentarily frozen, unable to decide. She couldn’t disturb him if he was talking, but how long would he be? She couldn’t just stand here …

  Knock, knock, knock!

  She didn’t remember deciding to knock, she just realised she was doing it.

  ‘Come!’ said the voice inside.

  She opened the door. Nathan was on the phone, just as she thought. He looked up. No change of expression on his face. No acknowledgement of her presence, no smile. Nothing.

  She took two paces into the room.

  ‘Hang on a sec …’ Nathan pulled the phone away from his mouth and looked at her.

  ‘Yes?’

  His tone was flat, matter of fact. Was it cold or just business-like? She couldn’t tell. The sight of those eyes, those dark blue eyes, so soft earlier, now so cold it made her stomach somersault. She felt a clutching churning in her pussy and she struggled not to squirm.

  He breathed out heavily; she was wasting his time, just standing there.

  ‘I sent you an email,’ she stammered. ‘Everything’s ready for tomorrow. I just wanted to know if …’

  ‘Yes, I’ve seen it; it’s fine. Be here tomorrow at 9 o’clock sharp, we have a strategy meeting for the event and you’ll need to be here …’ He paused, as if checking himself. ‘Thank you,’ he added.

  She was about to answer, but he’d already gone back to his phone call. Alexia was dismissed. Again.

  She mumbled an acknowledgement and crept out, closing the door silently behind her.

  She almost ran down the corridor, into the office. She picked up her coat and bag and made for the door. She dashed across the street, straight onto a waiting bus and home.

  The shuddering, bumping, and lurching bus took an eternity to deliver her safely home. She had never been so glad to be cocooned in the flat.

  She walked in to see Romy going into her bedroom wearing a very sexy negligee, and carrying a bottle of sparkling wine. She looked very dishevelled, and not at all ill.

  ‘Romy, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be in bed?’

  ‘Oh yes. Well …’ She held up the champagne just as a very handsome man wearing absolutely nothing sauntered out of the bathroom, his cock semi-hard, straight past them into Romy’s bedroom. ‘Busted!’ she said, by way of explanation.

  ‘What the hell …?’

  ‘Look, I’m fine, clearly. No cold, nothing wrong.’

  ‘Then what was this morning all about? ‘

  ‘Look, I …’ Romy looked into the bedroom, smiled at her companion, and shut the door on him. She walked over to Alexia. ‘I wanted to make sure you and Nathan were, you know, thrown together. So he could see you weren’t Tony’s tart.’

  ‘Oh my God!’ Alexia’s knees buckled. She slumped into a chair. ‘What have you done!’ she wailed.

  ‘A bloody big favour to you – except you don’t realise it yet. And we are a sports agency after all – you’ll be his sub.’

  Alexia’s eyes widened.

  ‘His second half substitute!’ laughed Romy. She tipped her head and tried to look innocent. ‘Look, I really think he likes you and I’ve never seen him notice anyone in the office. He’s never asked about a temp before … Never!’

  Alexia blinked. Likes me? That can’t be true, she thought. But that kiss … She flushed and breathed out hard.

  ‘Hey, you OK? Tony hasn’t had another go at you, has he?’

  ‘No,’ said Alexia. She knew her dishevelled state needed an explanation but she wasn’t going to mention the kiss. ‘Carter turned up at the office.’

  ‘What? How the hell does he know where you work?’ Romy was incredulous.

  ‘I don’t know, but he won’t be coming back. Nathan came out and punched him.’

  ‘Whoa! You’re fucking kidding!’

  ‘No, I’m not. God knows what he thinks of me now. He must think I have a string of men.’

  She was suddenly miserable again. First Tony, then Carter … What would Nathan think now?

  ‘Well I bet he didn’t get up again. Nathan was in the army before he started the agency, something in the sneaky-beaky brigade. He can handle himself.’

  An image of Nathan in uniform crossed in front of Alexia. She felt a huge surge of wanting as she thought of his upright bearing, the hard muscles under his tunic, and his ruthless efficiency in dispatching Carter. She was getting wet again.

  ‘Are you OK?’ asked Romy.

  ‘What? … Yes, yes, I am. Carter disappeared; I don’t think he’ll be coming back.’ She remembered the guttural sound that came out of him as Nathan’s punch landed in kidneys. ‘It’s OK, I’m just tired.’

  ‘You sure? Must have been a hell of a shock.’

  Yes, it was a shock, but not as much of a shock as what happened next, thought Alexia. She realised that, just a few short weeks ago, Carter appearing would have rocked her to her core. But now? Now she didn’t care. All she cared about was Nathan and that kiss.

  ‘Look I’m OK. Just go back to you friend.’

  Romy smiled sheepishly. ‘Nicky. Well, his engine is running … ‘

  ‘Yeah I could see that,’ said Alexia, remembering the bobbing and stiffening cock that had sailed past her a few moments ago. She felt a pang of jealousy of the sex her friend had clearly just had and was about to have again. Why was it so easy for everyone else?

  Romy kissed her on the forehead and skipped back to Nicky. Alexia picked herself up from her chair. She felt so heavy. She shrugged herself out of her work clothes, made herself a simple supper, and poured herself a glass of wine. She finished her food without really tasting it and realised she had polished off three glasses of red.

  She poured herself another as Richard walked in.

  ‘Hey, beautiful. You on your own?’

  ‘Hi,’ whispered Alexia. She still felt sheepish around him after the night before.

  ‘Turns out Romy isn’t ill. She just wanted me to go on a trip instead of her.’ She felt the need to conceal the truth about Nathan from Richard.

  ‘I kinda worked that out,’ said Richard, sitting down on the sofa next to her. He took the glass of wine from her hand and drained it in one go.

  ‘I got the job!’ He smiled.

  ‘Oh, that’s brilliant. Well done.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s pretty good.’ He shrugged. ‘Means I’ll be working evenings, though.’

  ‘That’s OK, isn’t it?’

  ‘Oh sure, it just means that …’

  His gaze swept over her and Alexia felt his intention. She blushed.

  ‘I told you last night I wasn’t going to fuck you because I think you’re saving that for someone else.’

  Why was he saying that? Alexia wondered. And then she realised he might be right. Was she saving it? She was no virgin, but she knew she had never truly been made love to or made love in return. She’d never been fucked, really fucked by someone she wanted, truly wanted.

  The wine and Richard’s nearness made her want to clench her pussy to try and squeeze away the feeling that was uncoiling in her now. That feeling of want, the one that seemed to be running her life at the moment.

  Richard held her face in his hand. His mouth was so close to hers.

  ‘But, my lovely, you need to loosen up and you need to feel your own passion. It’s all bottled up in there – and it ain’t doin’ you no good. And I said I’d teach you to uncork it so you’re ready for whoever this guy is. So … Class is now in session.’

  He got up off the sofa and took her hand. He pulled her towards her bedroom and she let him take her there. The raging emotions of the day had left her washed out and exhausted, but she neede
d release from it all. She needed this.

  She was wearing light blue sweatpants which hung around her slim hips. Richard stood in front of her and pushed his fingers into the waistband.

  The warm touch of his fingers made a small moan fall from Alexia. She breathed out, relieved to feel the human contact. To feel a man’s hands on her. He leant forward and kissed her. She could taste the red wine on his lips; that sweet blackberry darkness she’d been drinking all evening was now mixed with the taste of him.

  She curled her arms around his neck, wanting to hang off him and drink in his scent. His tongue circled her lips and he bit her gently as he dug his fingers into her flanks beneath the soft material of her trousers.

  Her cunt clenched and unclenched; she wanted him so badly. Nathan’s kiss had started a fire this morning that had been there all day. It hadn’t gone out, it had only been damped down, to flare again under Richard’s hands.

  ‘Hey, tiger!’ He laughed and dropped to his knees, taking her sweatpants down to her ankles in one swift swoosh of fabric.

  He was face to face with her pussy and he saw how his undressing of her had caused a rush of juices. Her pale pink panties were wet and quivering.

  Alexia’s legs were trembling. She could feel the heat of his breath whispering through the curls beneath the slim strip of satin covering her modesty. He knifed his hand up between her legs and she gasped as the edge of it made contact with her swollen labia.

  She shook her feet free of her trousers and stood with her legs parted. She heard Richard moaning, ‘Good girl! Open up for daddy …’

  And she wanted to open up; she wanted badly to open up to him, to feel his cock inside her. But he wasn’t going to do that. He’d told her he wasn’t.

  His fingers pulled the damp satin to one side and she closed her eyes. Her hands rested on his head, her fingers in his soft, dishevelled curls, and she felt his head move forward. She felt the warm wetness of his stiffened tongue flick her clit.

  She gasped. She waited a moment, wanting to feel it again. Waiting for his tongue to send that sweet jolt of electricity through her. But nothing happened. She waited. And waited.