“This must be good. You forgot your morning mug. You looked all glowy when you left the gallery on Friday. I’ve been dying to talk to you all weekend, but I was—occupied. Can I assume you got lucky?”
Lena shook her head. “Does bad luck count?”
“Not usually, but I’m confused. I thought a major hunk followed you out of the building.”
“He did. As you suggested, I let myself get carried away. We went back to his place and had absolutely mind-blowing sex. Remember those multiple orgasms you said I should have? Well I did. It was amazing.”
“Hah,” Michelle said. “I knew it.”
“Until the next morning.”
“You stayed until the morning? I would have thought you’d leave as soon as you could. Hell, you don’t usually spend the night with men you’re dating. I never imagined you’d stay with someone who picked you up at a bar.”
“Gallery,” Lena said.
“Not the point. Was it that good?”
“Actually, it was better than good, and afterward I was so exhausted I thought I’d rest before leaving. Instead, it was the next morning before I woke.”
“Yikes. He turned out to be a complete creep in the daylight?”
“Worse. He turned out to be someone I know.”
“You lost me. How could that happen? He didn’t look familiar the night before?”
“No, because when I knew him he was fifteen.” Michelle spit out her coffee in an attempt not to choke. This was a first in their friendship. Usually it was Lena being surprised by Michelle’s actions or situations.
“Okay, you really need to start at the beginning.” Lena explained her connection to Daniel. Michelle winced. “Well, at least you had a good reason for not recognizing him.”
“Thanks for the understatement. It goes well with my coffee.”
Michelle smirked. “Nothing wrong with a younger lover. It’s very popular these days. Hell, there’s a sitcom based on it.”
“I don’t think guiding my life around popular trends in television is a wise move. Besides, this felt more like a bad episode of Jerry Springer than something from must-see-TV.”
“So much for a simple night of pleasure.”
“No kidding.”
“Are you going to see him again?”
This time it was Lena’s turn to choke on her coffee. “Are you kidding? I snuck out of there as quickly as I could, and I assume he’s smart enough to know I want to leave the night as a memory. Nothing more.”
“Are you certain? I mean, if the sex was incredible, maybe it would be worth it to see him again.”
“Completely certain. As certain as I am that I need to concentrate on finalizing things for the Jaffe account or the trip on Wednesday will be a waste of time and money none of us can afford.”
“But…”
“No buts, Michelle. Until the company is back on its feet, I don’t want to think about men or sex.”
For the next two days, Lena kept her focus where it needed to be—on work. If her thoughts as she drifted to sleep were of a well-built, gray-eyed man who knew exactly where to touch her, she chalked it up to exhaustion and either ignored it, or used her favorite vibrator to help her relax. She tried not to dwell on the fact her fantasies all featured Daniel, and it was his name on her lips during her solo orgasms.
On the nights she didn’t masturbate to thoughts of him, she dreamed about him. One night she woke drenched, tangled in the sheets, her pulse racing. In her dream he was licking her until she came then forced her to come that way a second time before he fucked her passionately. He was tireless and insatiable, and his desire made her feel the same way.
It was maddening. She needed to forget him. If time could make bad memories fade away, she assumed—hoped—it would do the same for good ones.
Chapter Five
“Welcome back,” Michelle said as she walked into Lena’s office before Lena had her coat off.
“Thanks. It’s good to be back to the familiar.” Returning after travel was always hectic. Lena would have preferred to have her first hour alone, but clearly it wasn’t an option as Michelle sat down and made herself comfortable.
“I know you don’t love business trips, but from your last email it sounded as if everything went smoothly.”
“Very. I’m glad Gary was there. We made a good pair presenting the work the teams created. Jaffe was so pleased he took us to dinner with a colleague of his on our last night. I think we have a good shot at a new account with them.” Lena sank into her chair and sipped at the cinnamon coffee she brought from her favorite café. Under her desk she traded her commuting flat shoes for one of the three pairs of black pumps she kept at work. As she turned on her computer she looked over at Michelle. Her friend had a familiar ask-me-before-I-burst look on her face. “Okay, spill it. What’s on your mind this morning? New man? New apartment? New flavor of Ben & Jerry’s?” She knew it could be anything.
“Well,” Michelle said, dragging the word out, “I have a surprise for you.”
Lena cringed. “I hate surprises.”
“No you don’t. You love them.”
“You love them. I dread them.”
“Oh, that’s right. Well, never mind. I have one for you anyway. You and Gary may have landed a new account, but if it comes in within the next month you’ll need to hand it to someone else to lead, because you’re going to be point person on a different one instead.”
“There’s a new account in the company?”
“There may be.”
“That’s wonderful news.” During the trip Lena worked to keep the undercurrent of desperation out of her presentation and meetings, but she couldn’t completely forget jobs were on the line if she didn’t do hers well. “So, tell me about the client.”
“I got us a meeting in just over two weeks with Golden Cosmetics. We’re the last agency they’re looking at.”
“You’re kidding. That’s amazingly wonderful,” Lena said. They had not had success breaking into the more fashionable and glamorous markets, which usually gave their business to large, not boutique, firms. Golden Cosmetics was a local company that hit big thanks to a blitz on a home shopping channel and opening small, well-staffed kiosks in the mall. Lena heard the rumors about them looking for a company to help them with marketing as they grew, but didn’t think they stood a chance. “How did you manage that?”
“I found them an artist who intrigued them and who is working exclusively with us.”
“Who?”
“Daniel Royer, the artist from the gallery opening the other week.”
“Royer,” Lena said, her stomach falling. This could not be happening.
“Yes, that night is turning out to hold several unexpected surprises.”
“No kidding,” Lena said flatly. Her friend didn’t know the half of it. She’d never mentioned to Michelle the name of her young lover.
Not noticing Lena’s expression, Michelle continued. “I was searching the call for proposal sheets and when I saw Golden, I thought of him. I used the postcard you left on your desk to get in touch with his agent who arranged a meeting for the next day. He wasn’t sure at first—I don’t think he thought of his work as being commercial in the literal sense—but ultimately he agreed. I couriered his work over to the cosmetics company’s offices, and they got back to me in hours. His work is so original they were immediately curious. We have an official presentation with them in less than three weeks. That’s all the time they would give me. Daniel starts work this afternoon.”
“Great,” Lena said flatly.
“I know. Everyone is buzzing.”
“I’m sure they are, but I can’t do this.”
“The hell you can’t. You know how big this company and the industry are. If we get in, we’ll tap into a huge market of clients. It could change everything for us.”
“Michelle.” Lena raised a hand to stop her friend. Lena couldn’t let her go on. “Daniel Royer is the man I slept with a little over
a week ago.”
“Oh…shit.”
“Hitting the fan,” Lena agreed.
“I hate to say it, Lena, but regardless of what happened between you two, we need this account, and they want to see a campaign with his work.”
“I know,” Lena said, and she did. The truth was she would do anything to save her business. Even if that meant working with Daniel.
“So,” Michelle said after they sat in silence for a few minutes, “I guess this means you’re surprised?”
“Completely.” I hate surprises.
* * * * *
For the rest of the morning, Lena did the only thing she could—she avoided everyone by staying in her office behind a closed door and reviewing the research Michelle had done on Golden Cosmetics. By the time she walked into the conference room a few minutes before two o’clock, she thought she was ready, but when she saw Daniel sitting there her resolve slipped.
Anticipating his presence didn’t stop her heartbeat from racing at the sight of him and when he smiled, her mouth went dry. When his eyes met hers she knew she hadn’t imagined her initial attraction to him. His appeal wasn’t due to the alcohol she drank. Unfortunately, this new knowledge wasn’t helpful. It didn’t make her any less nervous to work with him.
“Hello, Ms. Crane, or can I call you Lena? It’s good to see you again.”
She chose a chair on the opposite side of the table and a few seats down. She was being childish, but she wanted to have as comfortable a distance as possible between them. Sadly, she admitted to herself, that would require her to be in another building at least, another state at best. “Under the circumstances—all of them—I think Lena is fine.”
“Lena it is. I suppose Thumble…”
“Is out of the question,” she finished for him. He gave her a too-knowing smile. Anger made some of her tension slip away, but she couldn’t be continually annoyed if she was going to work with him. “My colleagues know we’ve met. You don’t need to be formal, but there’s no need to be too familiar either.”
“But we’ve been very familiar, Lena,” he said in a low voice. “And we might have been again if you hadn’t left so abruptly. I thought we started something wonderful.”
“An orgasm does not necessarily indicate the beginning of a relationship.”
“How about multiple orgasms?”
There was that phrase again. “Not even that, which you’d know if you had more experience.” She couldn’t believe she’d played the age card, but she was in desperate need of distance. Being in a room with him was too difficult. She swore she could smell the warmth of his skin from across the table.
“Do you have orgasms like the ones you had with every man you sleep with or only the younger ones?” She couldn’t mistake the annoyance in his voice. “Perhaps our night together was typical for you.”
“Of course it wasn’t,” she answered quickly. Shit. She needed to be more careful around him.
“Well, I think that proves there’s something different between us, don’t you?”
She was saved from answering by the arrival of Michelle, Gary and Michelle’s assistant. Introductions were made, pleasantries exchanged, and the meeting began.
Lena sat there for nearly two hours responding automatically and trying not to meet Daniel’s eyes for more than a glance. The company needs this, she reminded herself repeatedly, and tried to do her best to sound enthusiastic. It was the longest meeting of her life. By the end they had some initial ideas that could be workable. Gary and Daniel seemed to hit it off and the marketing team had a handle on where to start. Lena didn’t feel as though she had a handle on anything, and she and Daniel were the entire design team. Everything rested on them.
“I think this will be an excellent partnership,” Michelle said as things ended. Lena noticed she didn’t meet her eyes when she said, “There’s real chemistry between our creative team and Golden’s vision.”
“I agree.” Daniel looked directly at Lena when he continued. “We have the potential to create great things together.” Lena smiled and fled the room as quickly as she could, claiming a call with a client. Daniel may be the younger of the two of them, but she was the one acting immature.
It took her until after five o’clock before she was confident enough to step out of her office. Knowing Michelle would still be at her desk, she went to talk to her. Since she was on the phone, Lena sat in one of the cozy chairs Michelle purchased on her own to personalize the office. If they compared the two women’s offices, people would think Michelle’s focus was art. Her friend’s space reflected her taste and made clients feel more like they were stepping into a room of Michelle’s apartment. Unlike Lena’s office, which had little decoration other than art on the walls, Michelle had pillows on the window sill, a dramatic floor lamp, and other little touches that caught a visitor’s eye. Michelle said if she was going to spend a lot of time here, she wanted a place she enjoyed. Usually Lena loved making a game of trying to spot what her friend recently added, but today she was too distracted.
“I thought you’d get around to stopping by. So, how do you think it went?”
“Horribly.”
“Really? I thought it went well for a first get-together. We’re a great team.”
“It’s not the team. It’s Daniel.” Lena put her head in her hands and said something into her lap.
“I didn’t catch that, sunshine. One more time, please?”
Lena looked up. “I can’t work with a man I’ve had sex with.”
“Great sex, if I remember correctly.”
Lena moaned again. “This is impossible. While we discussed slogans, images and viral marketing, I was having visions of taking Daniel back to my office and having sex with him on my desk.”
“Wow, love those erotic fantasies. You should go for it. Could be fun.”
“You are not helping, Michelle. I’m already overheated and unfocused. I don’t need to indulge my fantasies. I need a cold shower. We need someone other than me on this account.” Even as she suggested it, she knew it wasn’t an option.
“No can do. This account needs our absolute best—which is you—and it was Daniel’s art that opened the door. It’s the two of you or nothing.”
Lena nodded. She needed to make this situation work. “What should I do? You’re the one who’s good with men. Help me.” Lena watched as her friend thought before answering and was grateful she didn’t offer a glib response. She had no tolerance for humor over this situation.
“There has to be a reason you were attracted to him, before you went to bed with him. What was it?”
Lena thought back. “He was easy to talk to. He listened to my opinions and comments and shared his own. And when he looked at me, it was as if I was the only woman in the room. He was that way in bed too. I can’t remember a man getting me that excited. He was so unselfish. I melted.”
“I love that feeling,” Michelle said with a sigh. Lena frowned. “But that’s not what you want to hear. Okay, let’s focus on the first part. You were comfortable talking with him. When you see him next, try to concentrate on talking. Remember, you’re having a simple conversation, nothing more. Open with a safe topic. You talk, he listens. He talks, you listen.”
“That’s it?” It sounded too simple to help the turmoil in her thoughts.
“It’s a start, right?”
“I guess so. Thanks.” Lena stood to go then stopped at the door. “You’ll be here if I need a pep talk, right?”
“Pep talks, shoulder to lean on, alcohol to drink. Anything you need. Keep me posted.”
When Lena got back to her office, she found Daniel waiting for her. She would have preferred not to see him again at least until the morning, but she wasn’t that lucky. Over his shoulder she could see him sketching something with wings and a woman’s body. “I thought you would have headed home by now,” she said, trying to adopt Michelle’s advice and keep her tone light.
“Gary gave me a tour around the space, showed me
some of your past accounts and helped me get settled in my office. Never expected to have one of those. Besides, I wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“About why you left that morning without managing a simple goodbye.”
So much for a safe topic. “It was awkward, Daniel. Staying for breakfast would have been too weird.”
“Nothing was weird until you found out who I was and how old I was.”
“Are.”
“Excuse me?”
“How old you are. Or should I say how young. You’re twenty-eight.”
“Rumor has it I’ll grow out of it.”
“Yes, while I grow old. Of course, I don’t care about getting older.” She wanted out of this conversation.
“What does age have to do with how great we were together?”
“It probably shouldn’t bother me, but it does. I guess I don’t have the Demi Moore gene. I was nervous enough indulging in a one-night stand with a man I just met, only to learn I hadn’t ‘just’ met him, but I knew him when he was fifteen. It felt all wrong.”
He sat back in the chair, his long legs crossed. She wished she didn’t notice how broad his chest looked in the plain oxford shirt he wore. “Well there we completely disagree. I thought everything during our night felt very wonderful.”
She saw the hurt in his eyes and hated herself for being the one to cause it. “Daniel, you know I had a terrific time, but…” She took a deep breath. She wanted to be honest and tell him it was one of the hottest nights—and the best sex—she ever experienced, but what good would it do either of them? She needed a business relationship with him, not a personal one. “It was one night and it wasn’t meant to be more.”
“I bet I can prove you wrong.” Because of his long legs, he was in front of her in two steps. Before she had a chance to wish she’d stepped behind her desk, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, kissing her deeply. She had no time to think, let alone stop him. His mouth was demanding but warm and her body responded at once. “I thought you were incredibly hot in that little black number you wore to the gallery, but I have to say, this conservative business outfit is a turn-on as well. Especially since I know no matter what you’re wearing under your skirt, you have a penchant for lace thigh-high stockings.”
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