by Amy Brent
A thousand feelings swarm my insides. I didn't know what to say or think or do. I could shout, run, maybe start crying - part of me felt like vomiting. I hate this man. Or at least I want to. I can't believe how incredibly handsome he looks. His hair is pushed back. His lips move up into a gorgeously large smile, the kind of smile you catch yourself smiling at for no reason. His ordinary clothes are replaced with a tight-fitting suit, but the tie hangs untied around his neck and the buttons slightly reveal a perfectly formed chest.
“You bought me coffee.”
Out of the hundred things I could say to him, ‘you bought me coffee' came out of mouth! What is wrong with me!?
“I did. I should have introduced myself then, but I was unsure about your feelings toward me.” He walks toward me. He glides across the room and he settles into the chair next to mine. “Please.” He motions to the seat. I felt frozen.
“Sit down, Eleanor,” he commands. Something inside of me snaps. I suddenly become aware of what is going on, and I obey him. He leans forward. The amount of intimacy between us makes me nervous and I lean back, but I can smell him. He smells like the outside and cigarettes,
"There is nothing I can say that will even begin to express the level of regret and remorse I feel for the other day. Really, I'm sorry, Eleanor. I didn't see you at all in the road. It was like you appeared out of nowhere, and when the car hit you. I can't forgive myself." His hands clasps mine and he stares at me deeply. I can feel my heart quicken, and warmth spreads from my chest down to in between my legs. I cannot believe this is happening.
“You really are quite beautiful. Gregory told me about you. He told me how brilliant you are as well. O-Tech cannot lose you. Please, let me take you out to dinner tonight, and we will talk about your position here with us. At least before you decide to leave.” He leans back and lets go of my hand.
“You want to take me to dinner?” I stutter out. “I don't think that's appropriate.”
He bites his bottom lip.
“Well, I need you to understand how horrible I feel about this. What do you want for Christmas?”
I blink.
“What?” I laugh out loud and this makes him smile.
“Come on. Let me get you something!”
“No. What kind of question is that? I’m not a twelve year old. I don’t know what I want for Christmas.” I shake my head.
“I know what I want,” he says abruptly.
“Oh, yeah? And what is that?”
“You.”
The smile slowly fades off my face as what he says sinks in.
“Please, go home and relax; I will pick you up tomorrow night.” His eyes look down at my leg. I’m glad I wore my black loose trousers, or else he would be looking at a swollen tree trunk, “How is it?”
“It's fine,” I say gently. He nods and rests a hand on my leg. I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.
“Really, I’m so sorry. My driver will take you home.”
I stare at him for a long time.
“I would like to go out for dinner, but if I stay at home all week I’m going to go stir crazy,” I say slowly.
He smiles at that.
“If you want to stay I won’t make you leave. But if you find it too much. You are more than welcome to go home.”
He helps me up and follows me out of the office. Everyone stares as we walk out together. I feel his hand resting on the small of my back.
Chapter 4
I stare at my reflection inside my small cramped furnished by Ikea apartment. The wind roars outside. I am wearing a tight black dress, that cuts off at the knees. It arrived in my mail this morning with a note tied onto saying - "wear this and I will see you at eight - Leon." It hugs my curves perfectly. How did he know what size I am? I tousle my hair over my shoulder and wrap my coat around my shoulders. I had only told my mother and my best friend about the dinner. They both called it a date. I made it clear this was not the case. We will simply be discussing my position at O-Tech. He is foolish to think that I would still want to work there. He is practically bribing me to not make the situation a big deal. But then his Christmas list crawls its way back into my mind, and I feel myself start to get wet.
I want to wear my heels, but there is no way my legs will be able to handle that stress. They have improved greatly within the course of the few days, but it is still hard to walk around. I glance out of the window. A black Mercedes pulled up in front of the apartment building. The driver gets out of the car and opens the door. My stomach starts to do flips and all sorts of other gymnastics. I take a deep breath. It is just a job discussion I tell myself. I look back in the mirror and see myself staring at the dress. Why did he buy this dress? I throw my coat over on, grab my small purse, and head out.
Snowflakes lazily fall onto the ground. The driver stood by the door and waved.
"Merry Christmas, Ms. Smith," he says with a deep bow and then opens the door, revealing an empty backseat. "Mr. O'Brian had an urgent business matter and will be meeting you at the restaurant."
“Okay.” I sit in the backseat. The light brown leather smells brand new. I lean back and look out the window. I feel like I am drifting through some sort of dream. I pass crowds of people window shopping making their Christmas purchases. Noses are cherry red and warm. Their heavy coats hide their bodies in hope to fight the terrible cold.
"Do you like music Ms. Smith?" he asks, turning on the radio. Deck the Halls begins with its warm charm. I had been so wrapped up in preparing for my new job that I had not given myself any time to get into the holiday spirit.
“This is perfect,” I hesitate, as a question burns in my throat, “Does Mr. O'Brian do this for all of his important business dinners?”
“Do what, Miss?” His warm brown eyes catch mine in the rear view mirror.
“I guess, the dinner and you?”
He shrugs.
“You're the first that I know of.” His eyes look back to the road. He probably would not reveal too much about the mysterious billionaire’s private life, and I should not expect him to divulge that information. I fumble with the ring on my finger. The car comes to a stop, and the driver steps out to open my door. He extends a white gloved hand, and I take it gently.
“Might I say, Miss Smith, you look absolutely stunning.”
“Thank you so much.”
He nods and shuts the doors. I suddenly have the urge to jump back into the car and go home. The restaurant is a large historic building with a French name written on the front. A door man stands behind a podium and stares at me. I have never been to a place so fancy. I do not have a clue on how to act or behave. A tall woman wrapped in a fur coat clutching the arm of another woman in a long black coat pass me. Their noses high in the air. They breeze away from the man at the podium as if they owned the place...they probably do own the place. I shiver as another breeze pushes through. Classical Christmas music plays into the entryway. I am way out of my league here.
I walk up to the man standing at the podium, clutching my purse.
“Uh, hello,” I say in a weak voice. He glances over and frowns.
“Can I help you, Miss?” he asks in a way that tells me he has no real interest in assisting me.
“I am meeting someone for dinner...I think there’s a reservation.”
“Name,” he cuts me off, holding a tablet in his hand.
“Try, Smith or maybe O’Brian?”
He looks up fast then.
“O’Brian?”
I nod.
“As in Leon O’Brian?” He is almost stuttering.
“Yes, that Leon O’Brian,” a deep voice answers. I feel a hand swiftly clutch the side of my small waist and pull me in. I let out a gasp in surprise and turn. Leon stands next to me casually. He looks down and winks. I almost fall over he is so incredibly handsome. His dark eyes focus in on the host, and his square jaw tightens.
The host is quick to respond.
“So, sorry
about that. Right this way, please.”
We walk in through the front doors and are lead to a large private booth. Heavy red curtains hang around it. A small chandelier glows with dim candle light.
“May I take your coat?” the hostess asks, setting menus onto the table.
“Yes, please,” Leon responds. His large hands reach onto either side of my shoulders. I suddenly feel so small and vulnerable with his strong body so close to mine behind me. He slides the coat off revealing the dress.
“Wow! You are truly lovely,” he whispers into my ear.
“Thank you...and thank you for the dress.”
We sit down at the table across from one another. The waiter appears without giving us anytime to speak.
“And what can I get you two to drink?” he asks. I look over at Leon. His dark blue suit looks almost black in the romantic lighting, but his silver tie sparkles in the flickering light.
"We will have the Chateau Lafite Rothschild." I cringe; that is a thousand dollar bottle of wine. The waiter disappears in a hurry. Leon reaches a long arm over to the curtain surrounding the private booth and pulls it shut. Suddenly, his gaze becomes like a hungry wolf, very focused. I do not know what to say about all of this. He is almost trying to buy me with some sort of show. It is so very personal, and now, we are really alone closed off from the restaurant.
“Why are you doing all of this?” I blurt out.
“You don’t like it?”
“No - it just. Is this normal?”
He smirks at my question and leans back.
“No, I suppose it’s not, but it's not normal for an employer to almost run over his employee.” His hand rubs the dark stubble growing on his face. The desire to touch him overwhelms me, and I clasp my hands together.
The waiter returns with the wine. He reveals the bottle to us and has Leon try it; then, he pours the glasses. Leon lifts the glass holding the dark red liquid in it to make a toast. I stare hopelessly into his eyes. I am lost there.
“To Eleanor, may she continue to work at O-Tech,” he says with a smirk. Clink; our glasses meet, and my mouth fills with the warm wine. The taste is sweet and rich, smoothly running down my throat.
“That is amazing,” I sigh, taking another sip. He smiles in return, and we both take another drink. Pull it together, Ell. He is winning you over. We continue our dinner talking about small things like family. He reveals his relationship with Greg, who is his best friend. They started the company together, Leon is the one who creates the algorithms for the software, and Greg handles the business side. I cannot believe I am talking to a guy this hot about numbers.
The appetizer and main course come out. They are both some French dish equally delicious, but my head is starting to spin from the wine. I didn't drink much in college and start to feel the heavy warmness drift through my body straight between my legs. I am completely aroused. I shift in my seat as we continue talking about family, but now I am drunk. I can tell he is too. His cheeks are a brighter red.
"You and Greg are both pretty amazing," I add through a sip of wine, "my dad did not want me to take this job."
"Why not? He knew you were going to get hit by a car on your first day?" he laughs. I narrow my eyes. The whole point of dinner comes back to me.
"Are we going to talk about that at all? Like why are you doing this?" I ask; a bit of anger rises out of my throat. I fear the wine has cleared me of a filter. The change in my emotion throws him off slightly. He cocks his head, and we stare at another for a long moment.
"Because I want you to know that I value you. I feel so horrible about that night. You could have ruined my career or pressed charges, but you didn't."
“It was an accident,” I say, picking at a piece of bread. “But you don’t need to buy me off like this.”
“I’m not-” his voice stops. “I’ve just never met anyone like you.”
“You don’t even know me,” I respond with a smile. “I am a mystery.”
He scoots in closer, so I could feel the heat of his body so close to mine.
“You are, but I know when something special walks into my life, and you are one of them. I don’t usually ignore these things.” His hand disappears from the table. I feel its weight slide onto my leg and ever so gently find its way under my dress and onto my clit. I shudder at the sensation of his touch.
There is something so intoxicating about him, and I yearn to explore every part of his flawless body. He continues to play with my pussy. I try to hold it together, but the sensation is overwhelming. I let out a light sigh.
“Let’s go,” he whispers into my ear.
Chapter 5
Beams of sunlight gaze through my apartment window. My naked body brushes against the soft flannel sheets, but my head throbs hard. I glance over at the clock. It reads 2 pm. 2pm! My brain wakes up, and I sit up. Memories of the night come back to me in large chunks.
"Oh, my god…" I whisper to myself, touching a hand to my dry mouth. I look over at my nightstand where a glass of ice water and two Advil are placed on top.
“Hello?” I cautiously call out, pulling the sheets over my breasts. Leon’s head pops into the door frame.
“Oh hey there!” he almost sings. “Drink up your water; I just ordered us some food. You didn’t have anything in the fridge.” He smiles at me with that same warm, perfect smile. I suddenly become very aware of my nakedness. We are so close to one another. He waltzes into the room and sits on the end of the bed. I marvel as the rare, early December sun shines on his broad chest. Several tattoos cover his rippling muscles.
“Drink your water,” he instructs in a deep voice. The glass is cold, and the water tastes better than any 1000 dollar bottle of wine. I chug it and then wipe my mouth all while keeping the blankets up against my chin.
“Why am I naked? What’s going on? Wait - did we-” I ask firmly. I wanted to remember my first time!
“Oh, no. Don’t worry. Painkillers and alcohol don’t mix well. I shouldn’t have ordered that wine with your leg and all. You passed out as soon as we got in the car. I didn’t want to leave you alone last night. Wanted to make sure you were okay,” he places a hand on my leg. “How do you feel?”
“But why am I naked?”
“You threw up on yourself.”
“Oh...sorry.” I feel my face become red with embarrassment. What was I thinking?
“I’m alright now.” I look down at my empty glass. He takes it out of my hands and heads to the kitchen. I take my time getting up. I reach for an old dirty shirt on the ground. I should feel embarrassed about the state of my apartment, but after everything Leon and I had been through there is a strange level of comfort. I slide the MIT shirt on; it is long enough to cover my bare body, and I walk into the kitchen.
“I’m going to take a shower,” I declare awkwardly. He smiles and nods.
“Food will be here in about ten minutes.”
In the bathroom, I take the shirt off and jump into the shower. The hot water rushes over my skin. Desire begins to build inside of me for Leon to come into the bathroom and press his hard body on mine. I turn the faucet slowly. The water stops. I wrap a towel around myself. I can not believe he’s seen me naked. I open the door,to find him setting a buffet of food onto the countertop.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked to eat,” he continues reaching into the bag. “So I went ahead and ordered a little bit of everything.” There are bagels, sandwiches, fruit, different cups of soup.
“You didn’t have to do all of this.”
“I wanted to.” His eyes lock onto mine, and I feel as though he can see right through to my naked body. I feel my clit begin to tingle just from his gaze alone. I let out a slight cough.
“Thank you; really.”
I walk into my bedroom, replace the towel with a navy blue robe and return to his feast. He has about three plates already made for me sitting in front of the bar stool. We begin to dig in not talking much. Everything he bought tastes so deli
cious. I take a long sip of freshly squeezed orange juice.
“Was it all too much...last night?” he asks. “I tend to go overboard when I like someone.” The words slip out of his mouth, and both he and I are surprised by them. “I mean - god.” He starts to laugh at himself. “I sound like I’m fucking fourteen.” The sound of his laughter is low and sweet.
“It’s okay. I get it. I like you too. Is this weird...I don’t know. I know it probably sounds ridiculous considering I just met you and really know nothing about you except you’re my boss and are a billionaire and there’s no way someone like you would even think to look at someone-”
I am interrupted by his soft hands reaching on either side of my face and his warm lips pressing against mine. It happens so fast; I have no time to think. His lips are experienced. They pull into mine, and his tongue finds its way into my mouth. I feel like a puddle melting under his spell. Yearning overcomes my instantly, and I hold my body against his. Only the thin sheer robe stands between our skin. His hand makes its way down my back and onto my ass. Every part of me his trembling with desire and excitement. I feel my nipples harden as his other hand grazes over my breasts and gently pulls on them; the hardening cock between his legs pushes up against me.
