by Ashe, Karina
“Yeah, Carly. What?”
“Nice greeting,” purred the voice in his ear.
“You’ve been calling me all day when I’ve told you a hundred times I don’t like personal calls while I’m working.”
“Well, it was business.”
“Yeah, funny business.”
“Come on, Derek. What’s happened to you? You used to be fun.”
“Carly, that was when I was ten and you were six, and we played together while our parents drank themselves into a stupor at the weekend barbecues. And I only played with you then because Cade was fourteen at the time, and his favorite pastime was beating up his little brother. So, it was either hang out and tease you or have my big brother use me for a punching bag. I’d say we’re both old enough now to know better.”
“Mmm, I remember some other fun times, like when I was nineteen and you were—”
“That was a mistake, Carly. I’ve apologized many times. Please don’t bring that up again.”
“It didn’t feel like a mistake to me, Derek. It was the day my dreams came true.”
“Carly, please.” Derek’s voice softened. “Don’t make me do this. You know I don’t want to hurt you. If it were anyone but you, I’d have blocked the calls by now. Look, you’ve just finished grad school, and you have your whole life to live. Don’t waste your time chasing something that can never be.”
“Derek—”
“No, Carly. There’s nothing left to say. Please. Stop the calls and showing up where you’ll think you’ll find me.”
Silence.
“Carly, are you there?”
A loud sigh. “Yes.”
“All right. Goodbye, then.”
“Don’t hang up—”
But Derek had already clicked off. He sank back into his chair, holding the small trash bag in his lap. Maybe he was crazy. Most other men would be selling their souls to hook up with a sexy babe like Carly. He shook his head. He screwed up that one night when she showed up at his apartment almost seven years ago. It was almost two o’clock in the morning when he heard banging on his door. He’d dragged his drunken body out of bed, cursing, only to find her standing there in the rain, crying.
She rushed into his arms and told him how her college boyfriend had just dumped her. She had been planning to secretly spend the night with him and had told her parents she was sleeping at a girlfriend’s house, so she couldn’t go home. She begged him to let her stay the night on his couch.
He felt sorry for her, and told her the guy must be a real asshole to let her go. It was late, he’d had more than a few beers, and she was all warm and sweet smelling against his chest. He intentions were only to comfort her, but one thing led to another, and little head got the best of him that night.
Derek regretted his indiscretion and did everything he could think of to let her down gently. Then, a couple of years later, she let it slip that there was no boyfriend, and she had come over with the idea of seducing him. Worse, it turned out she’d been a virgin before he took her that night.
Since then, Derek had been less sympathetic about the event. But because he never wanted the incident known to her parents or his, he tolerated her when she was around, especially since it was only for short periods of time when she was home on vacation breaks from school.
But now that she’d graduated, she had moved back permanently and was underfoot all the time. He had to end it once and for all, and he hoped like hell this time she’d finally get it into her pretty little head that there was no future for them together.
Derek was well aware that most women that hooked up with him were chasing a good time and a rich husband. Before he started his own business, he was widely known as one of the handsome heirs to the Holmes billions. Several years ago, he came to the conclusion that he wanted to be more than a figurehead in his father’s company and a pretty boy for some spoiled brat like Carly or gold digger looking for a rich husband. That’s when he began his landscaping business. Now, four years later—and with the help of his brother who gave him his initial clients through his own business, Holmes Construction—he had built his own net worth to a half billion and was on track to making his own billion without his inheritance, which he planned to give away.
Derek became aware that he was wringing the trash bag into twisted little knots and quickly tossed it over to the door. He thoughts went back to Lauren as he remembered the act she had inspired only minutes before.
What was it about her that was driving him to distraction? She certainly was nothing like any woman he’d ever been attracted to before.
Derek sat upright. That was it! Lauren was nothing like any woman he’d ever known!
Not only was she physically unlike the women in his life, she had no idea about what he was worth. To her, he was a lawn guy, a blue-collar worker who owned a small business. Everything about her suddenly became more appealing.
He was already enthralled with the idea of making love with a woman who wouldn’t disappear under him and who he wouldn’t be afraid he’d crush with his weight. She had real curves in all the right places, and he couldn’t wait to bury his face in her breasts. He’d slide his hands between her legs, feeling the softness of her fleshy thighs. He imagined licking the sweet juices that trickled down from her honey pot and driving his tongue into her depths. She’d wrap her legs around his head and fuck his face while he squeezed those beautiful ass cheeks.
Fuck, little head, you don’t let me think straight.
Derek forced himself to breathe and turn his thoughts away from his sex. After a couple of minutes, his cock relaxed and he got to work. He turned on the computer and began preparing an estimate for work on her property. As he was putting together his proposal, a plan for how to court Ms. Lauren Daniels popped in his head like the proverbial light bulb flash.
If she showed any interest in him, it wouldn’t be for his money, it would be for him alone. He couldn’t wait to test his theory, and he knew exactly how he would do it.
Lauren surveyed her living room with satisfaction. The boxes were gone, her books were aligned neatly on the bookshelves, and she’d managed to hang a few prints on the wall. Her new couch hadn’t been delivered yet, but she had an oversized armchair and ottoman next to an end table that held her Tiffany lamp, so she had a comfortable setting for reading or listening to music.
She sat in the armchair now. The window shades were rolled down but until she had drapes that could be pulled to ensure privacy, she wore her sleep shirt around the house, although she was naked under the soft cotton. She had her feet propped up on the ottoman with her knees bent and the folds of her shirt fell between her legs. She idly let her fingers of her right hand brush her inner thigh as she thought about the upcoming week at work.
As much as she had enjoyed the week off, she looked forward to returning to the office and getting back to the projects she’d been working on. Her clients depended on her for budgeting, investing, and finding ways to save money by lowering their taxes and expenses. Much of it was routine, but she enjoyed researching investment opportunities.
She was good at it, too. Her clients were mighty pleased at the close of the last fiscal quarter when their assets were anywhere from twenty-five to fifty percent higher than the previous quarter—and that was across the board. Lauren earned herself a cubicle with a window, and she’d been there less than one year.
She could have a corner office in her father’s firm, but she preferred to earn her position. Her plan was to make the money to open her own company in a few years. She wasn’t in any hurry, but the sooner that happened, the sooner she’d be the one calling the shots, not her father, her mother, or her boss.
Her cell phone rang. Lauren didn’t recognize the incoming number and was hesitant to answer. After closing on the house, her number was made available in the county’s public records as a new homeowner, and she had been besieged by telemarketers selling everything from insurance to cable television. She wasn’t going to answer, but
her finger slid across the screen and she accidentally pushed “Answer” instead of “Ignore.”
“Shit.”
There was silence on the other end.
“Hello?” Lauren winced, hoping her expletive hadn’t been audible to the caller.
“Hi, Ms. Daniels. It’s Derek Holmes from Holmes Landscaping. I have a proposal ready for you with an estimate, and I was wondering if I could send it by email. That way I can attach photos of the plants and trees I have in mind.”
“Oh. Sure.” Lauren sat up in the chair and pulled her shirt over her knees, as if he could see through the phone.
“What’s your email address?”
Lauren hesitated for a moment. “When are you sending that?”
“As soon as I get your address.”
“Good. Then, I’ll give my personal email, rather than business. That way, I can look at it right away. Tonight, I mean.” Lauren rolled her eyes, silently cursing herself for sounding like a nitwit.
“Sure. My phone number is on the paperwork, so if you have any questions at all, call me. Tonight even.”
Lauren lit up with the thought of lying in bed later, talking to Derek on the phone. Didn’t matter that they’d be talking plants. She could pretend they were having phone sex.
She gave him her email address. “Are you sure about calling you tonight, though? I wouldn’t want to bother you if you have plans for the evening.”
“Nothing important. It’s sent, by the way. If you’re near your computer, you could open it up and we could go over it right now.”
“Actually, I’m not. But, give me about an hour. That should be enough time for me to review everything. Do you want to call me back?”
“All right. I have a copy of the proposal on my tablet, so I can pull it up and go over everything with you whenever you’re ready. I’ll call you back in about an hour.”
“Great. Talk then.”
Lauren clicked off and jumped up to get her laptop from the kitchen counter. Sure enough, there was a new email from Derek Holmes. She opened it and quickly scanned through all the photos. She didn’t even look at the estimate. She’d pay whatever he asked.
Lauren closed the laptop and took it and a notepad with her as she exited the kitchen. She turned off all the lights on the first floor and headed upstairs to her bedroom. She tossed the computer and pad on her bed and opened her nightstand drawer, perusing the assortment of sex toys laid out before her.
She rested her hand on the big black cock, but then moved over to the rabbit, her true favorite. This model had a short extension at the base of the unit that worked her clit while the dildo penetrated and vibrated inside her. She pulled off her shirt and slipped naked under the covers. She had about forty-five minutes until Derek called back, and she was going to use some of that time to come up with some intelligent questions about his proposal so he wouldn’t think her a total twit, especially after what she had done earlier in the day.
After filling one side of the notepaper with bullet points and questions, Lauren leaned back on her pillow. She had set her phone, the rabbit, and a set of nipple clamps out. She closed her eyes and contemplated her next steps. It was easy to get excited thinking about Derek. She started to review their brief meeting in her mind. The part where she sprayed him was funny, and she laughed.
Then two less amusing images flashed in her mind. One was the caller’s face she saw on his phone. The pretty blonde. The other was the image of how Lauren had looked to him, the way she saw herself in the mirror after he left.
What was she thinking? A gorgeous guy like that would never be interested in a plump frump like herself!
In disgust, she tossed the rabbit and the clamps back into the nightstand drawer.
Why was she even fantasizing about him, anyway? It wasn’t like she had ever looked twice at a man like him.
Maybe because men who looked like that didn’t look at her, or maybe it was because she rarely had contact with any males outside of school or work. Most of the guys she dated or had been set up with were professionals or on track for a professional career.
Derek was the first man who wasn’t a white-collar dweeb that she ever gave a second thought. Maybe he wasn’t for her, but the idea that she could date someone who wasn’t rich or on the way to becoming rich appealed to her. Even better, a guy like Derek who met her now wouldn’t know about the family fortune. If she were lucky enough to have some man interested in her, it would be for herself, not the money.
Her cell phone rang. It was the same number as before.
“Hi, Derek. I hope you’re sitting down someplace where it’s quiet. I have a ton of questions for you.”
Chapter 2
Usually Lauren relished sleeping in on Saturday mornings, but not today. Today she was up with the sun to get ready for Derek’s arrival with his crew to work on her landscaping. Ditching her regular morning routine of a five-minute shower, she luxuriated the process and soaped up with scented moisturizing gel, shaved her legs and underarms, and applied a special coconut conditioning rinse after her shampoo that promised to tame the frizzies and split ends.
Instead of pulling her wet hair back with a clip and letting it dry on its own, Lauren used a blow dryer and brush, coaxing her rich brown tresses into soft waves that framed her face and cascaded over her shoulders. She drew the line at applying makeup, but she did slick a shiny pink gloss across her lips.
She slipped into a new matching strapless bra and panty set, a birthday gift from her friend, Samantha, that Lauren had never worn or thought she would. But today she wanted to feel beautiful.
She was surprised when she caught her reflection in the full-length mirror on her closet door. The new lingerie suited her and seemed to emphasize her assets while diminishing the appearance of the muffin-top that her regular underwear created. Normally, she paid little attention to her undergarments, usually purchasing whatever she found in her size that was on sale.
She turned, examining herself from all angles. Maybe Samantha is right, and I should spend a little more time and money on things that make me feel good instead of settling for whatever is available.
Lauren selected a pretty floral sundress with narrow shoulder straps. The bodice was snug, but not too tight, and the full skirt draped gracefully from her waist. The style sported a retro look, and Lauren thought how well she might have fared if only she had been born in the age of Doris Day and Marilyn Monroe, when a woman’s curves were revered instead of mocked or eliminated in Photoshop.
She glanced at the clock and gasped. It was almost eight. She quickly slipped on a pair of strappy high-heeled sandals and headed downstairs to brew a pot of coffee and pop a batch of blueberry muffins in the oven.
The doorbell rang just as she placed the first tray of muffins on a cooling rack and the second one in the oven. Lauren checked herself in the hallway mirror before she opened the door to make sure there weren’t any embarrassing streaks of blueberries or flour on her face. She took her lipstick from the pocket of her dress and smoothed the gloss over her lips.
The doorbell rang again, followed by a loud knock. Lauren swung the door open. Derek stood there, arm raised as if he were about to land another knock at the door.
“Sorry, it took so long,” she said. “I was getting something out of the oven.”
Derek stared at her and said nothing.
Lauren panicked. What was wrong? She had checked herself … oh God, she hadn’t checked her teeth! What if she had blueberries stuck in there or purple stains on her teeth? With her mouth closed, she ran her tongue over her teeth in an attempt to remove any offending particles.
Derek recovered quickly.
“Good morning! I wanted to let you know we’ve arrived.” He gestured behind him.
Lauren looked over and saw a crew of four men jumping down from Derek’s truck. Parked behind them was a SUV with the company logo. The men were all wearing tee shirts with his company name, like the one Derek wore the other day.
Lauren stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind her. Her eyes traveled to observe the four workers unloading equipment, bags of fertilizer, trays of flowers, and the shrubbery they were going to plant from the truck.
She turned to him. “I thought you’d be doing the work.”
“I have a few appointments this morning, but I’m here to supervise the set up and make sure the crew knows exactly what to do. And I’ll be back later to make sure everything gets done right.”
“So, you’re not going to be here while they work?”
“The first few hours, they’ll be pulling out the dead stuff, digging the beds, and laying the fertilizer and new soil. I’ll be back before any of the planting is done. I promise you have nothing to be concerned about.”
Lauren tried to keep the disappointment out of her eyes. She nodded.
“Of course. I’m sure it will be fine. That they’ll be fine.” She heard her inner voice screaming in her head. Shut up and get back in the house before you make a complete fool of yourself.
“I guess I’ll see you later then,” she said, turning to open the door for a quick retreat.
The smell of blueberry muffins wafted past her as she stepped inside.
“That sure smells good. Are you baking in there?”
She turned around in surprise. “Yes, I made some blueberry muffins. Would you like to come in for some? Or I can pack a few muffins with a cup of coffee to take with you, if you’re in hurry to get to those appointments.”
Derek’s eyes lit up. “I have a little time. Let me first check on my guys, and then I’d be grateful to you for a little breakfast. It’s not that often that I get to eat anything home cooked any more.”
