by Reeni Austin
She stopped. “What’s the occasion? To what do we toast?”
Victor rubbed his jaw, thinking. “Race cars.”
After a brief hesitation, she laughed.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Did I overstep my bounds with Isaac?”
She lowered the glass and took a deep breath. “I don’t know…”
“Are you afraid to let him get attached to me?”
Her brows knitted as she tried to think of something to say. “Uh…”
“Is that what happened with his dad? Did he leave you and Isaac?”
She gulped. “Not exactly. Why are you asking me this? I don’t understand you at all. That’s a very personal question and you barely even know me.”
Victor watched her eyes as he took a slow sip of his wine. He knew he’d hit a sensitive part of her past. “I have almost no memories of my own father. That’s why I ask. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. Why do you always look so anxious around me?”
Cara cocked her head to the side. “Gee, I don’t know. Maybe because my life’s been a roller coaster since I met you? I get fired from one job and laid off from another. Suddenly I’m working for you and I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be doing all day. Oh, and you pop up at my house, give my son gifts, talk to my mom without me knowing about it.” Her eyes were wide. “Why would a guy like you come all the way to Newark to have dinner on a Friday night?”
“What? All the way to Newark? It’s not that far.” His voice softened. “Has it occurred to you that maybe I simply like you?”
She fidgeted, tucking her hair behind her ear as her eyes wandered around the room. “No. That’s not possible. I saw the kind of woman you date.”
Gently, he covered her hand with his. “I don’t know what you heard, but she and I are over. Completely over. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.”
She wiggled her hand away. “Well, something doesn’t make sense. Men like you are never interested in women like me without having an agenda.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Why wouldn’t I be interested in a woman like you? You shouldn’t be so down on yourself.”
“I’m not down on myself. I’m realistic.”
He leaned down to her until his face was inches from hers. “You know what? The only thing I find unattractive about you is your attitude about yourself.” He nudged Cara’s wine toward her. “Drink. Loosen up a little.”
She glared up at him. “Why should I?”
“Because I’d like to get you drunk and have my way with you.” He laughed, knowing she had no idea whether he was serious.
She wanted to be stubborn. For a second she imagined throwing her wine in his face and telling him to get lost. But a stronger desire quickly took over. One that made her forget her desperate urge to resist him. With her eyes firmly set on his, she brought the glass to her lips and tipped the bottom of it to the ceiling.
“More?” he asked.
Her voice was weak. “Yes.”
Victor poured more wine for her.
Cara drank the contents in one swallow.
He smiled. “Another?”
“No.” She plunked the goblet down.
“Good.” Victor put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up to his. “If you make me wait any longer I think I may have to fire you.” And then he bent down and covered her mouth with his. His tongue quickly parted her lips and slipped in between.
She melted into his arms, unable to control her reaction.
His hands went to her hair, his fingers trailing through her soft tendrils until he felt the weight of her breasts against him. He instantly pulled her closer and kissed her harder. His hands slid down her back to lift up her blouse.
She shuddered when she felt the tips of his fingers digging against her body shaper like he wanted to tear it off. But she was too mesmerized by his kiss to be embarrassed. If he was put off by the extra weight she carried, he didn’t show it. His urgent tongue fiercely licked the inside of her lips as his hands worked even lower, slipping under her waistband to the fleshy rise of her backside.
Damn it, Cara thought. If I’d known he wanted me like this I wouldn’t have worn my shaper.
She forgot to resist him; she forgot about analyzing his motives. Her body was alive, her senses ignited by his longing for her. It didn’t matter where it came from or how long it would last. She knew she’d be a fool not to let him ravish her.
As her arms tightly clutched his body she felt one of his hands drift up her back and around her waist, then cupping her breast.
He pulled away from her for a moment, only long enough for them each to take a breath. Cara couldn’t stop her throat from letting out a deep moan. Victor’s mouth instinctively went back to hers as his hands resumed their exploration.
That’s when they heard the sound of tiny footsteps enter the kitchen.
They pulled away from each other with a gasp.
“Mommy.” Isaac frowned as held his stomach. “Tummy.”
Cara’s eyes flashed between Isaac and Victor, wondering what her son had seen. She ran to Isaac. “You’re sick?”
Patty entered the kitchen. “Isaac! Why didn’t you come to my room?” She looked at Cara. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve run out of my bedroom the second I thought I heard his door open. I’ll take care of him.” She glanced at Cara with wide eyes, then took Isaac’s hand and led him out of the kitchen.
Victor winced and mumbled, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Cara said.
“No, it’s not.” He looked outside the room to make sure Patty and Isaac were gone, then walked to Cara. He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “I’m so sorry. I got carried away. I know this is weird for you. I’m your boss and now I’m some creep who’s trying to seduce you in your mom’s kitchen—”
“Please, it’s fine—”
“No.” He pressed his palm against the back of her head and whispered in her ear, “I can’t believe I did that. You’re just so damn beautiful, I couldn’t hold back anymore.”
“Oh.” She closed her eyes, basking in the feel of his warm breath and his compliment.
“I don’t know what to do now.” He gave her a slow, wet kiss on the cheek before his lips returned to her ear. “I should go. I’m sorry.”
Victor was already three steps toward the door before she realized he had walked away.
Cara’s eyes popped open and she followed him in silence, her mind racing, too flustered to think of anything to say.
When he reached the door he simply opened it and gave her another kiss on the cheek, then whispered, “See you Monday,” in her ear.
“See you Monday.” She watched him walk to his car. They exchanged a smile and a wave before he backed out of the driveway.
Cara closed the door and made a beeline for the wine bottle in the kitchen.
Chapter Eight
On Monday morning, Cara stayed in her car in the parking garage, in a deep phone call with Marcy. “Now remember, if you go by the house don’t say a thing to Mom.”
Marcy sighed. “I won’t. How many times do I have to tell you?”
“Good. She’s so nosy. I swear, I gotta move outta that house.”
“Give her a break. She only wants to see her daughter in a happy relationship for once.”
“It was just a little making out. There’s no relationship.”
“Maybe not yet…” Marcy chuckled.
“I’m not in the mood for this argument. I have a very awkward day ahead of me and I need to stop procrastinating and go inside.”
“It’ll be fine. Just follow his lead. If he acts like nothing happened on Friday night, you go along and act like nothing happened. And if he comes to your office and throws you down on the desk because he wants more, you just—”
“I’m too irritated to let you finish that sentence.” Cara opened her car door and stepped outside, holding the phone to her ear. “I gotta run. I’m already late…
” She stopped talking when she noticed a blue car with dark tinted windows, parked near the elevator. “You ever have the feeling you’re being watched?”
“Watched? By who?”
Cara squinted, unsuccessfully trying to see through the windshield. She shook her head and quickly looked away, concentrating her effort on getting to the elevator as fast as possible. “Oh, nothing. I think I’m just nervous and paranoid.”
“Calm down. Call me if there’re any new developments. Your life’s way more interesting than mine right now.”
“Sure. But I wish mine was a little less interesting. Bye.” Cara chuckled as she hung up the phone.
A few minutes later, she was relieved to find Victor’s office door closed and Gary nowhere in sight. The clock in her office said 8:07. Hopefully nobody would ever know she was a little late. She turned on her computer and was just about to head to the break room for her first cup of coffee when her office phone beeped and Victor’s voice sounded.
“Cara? You there?”
She gasped, then pressed the intercom button. “Yes?”
His voice was urgent. “My office. Now.”
Does he want to pick up where we stopped on Friday night? “I’ll be right there.”
Cara stood and straightened her skirt, then rushed to Victor’s office. Her heart sank when she saw Gary perched attentively on a chair in front of Victor’s desk.
Victor spoke aloud to who Cara quickly realized was a client on speakerphone. His expression was all business when his eyes made contact with Cara’s. He gestured for her to take a seat beside Gary and went on with his conversation, his hands folded atop his desk. “The exchange rate won’t be a factor…” He smirked at Gary as he continued.
Gary smiled and wrote frantically on a notepad.
Cara fidgeted in her seat. She didn’t think to bring a notebook. Was I supposed to know about this meeting? Why does he want me here?
It went on for a while longer as Cara did her best to follow along. She quickly deduced this was a call with a venture capitalist who was now hesitant about an overseas investment. Victor, however, was charming and kept his cool during the meeting, even making the anxious client laugh a few times.
Gary nodded and interjected answers when Victor deferred to him. But Victor never asked Cara for input, confusing her more than ever. Victor showed no emotion the few times he glanced her way.
Maybe he just wants to watch me drool over him. Cara struggled to keep her eyes from lingering on Victor for long, but it was nearly impossible. He was all she had thought about for days. Watching him work his magic with a client made him even sexier.
When the call ended, Victor shot Gary a wicked grin. “Great way to start a Monday, huh?” he said. “You sure you wanna piece of this business?”
“Absolutely.” Gary stood and returned his grin. “I better get started on this report.” He read his notebook as he turned around to head to his desk outside the room.
Victor waited until Gary shut the door before his eyes flew to Cara’s. His tone was soft. “So, how are you this morning?”
“Um…” Cara stammered, caught off guard by his easy question after the tense phone call. “I’m not quite sure what to say.”
“Not quite sure, huh?” He stood up and casually strolled around the desk to sit in the chair where Gary had been. He swiveled it to face her then leaned forward, elbows against his knees. “Tell me the truth. How are you this morning?”
“I don’t know. I expected it to be awkward.”
“Yeah. Me too. But you know what? I woke up this morning and realized it didn’t need to be awkward. I don’t need to feel embarrassed that I made a pass at you. I don’t need to be paranoid that you’ll try to file sexual harassment charges against me.” He chuckled and flashed her a lazy smile. “What I need is a way to spend more time with you so we can let things happen naturally. And I think Mr. Kincaid may have just made that possible for me.”
Cara was so flustered, it took a few seconds to remember that Mr. Kincaid was the client with whom Victor was speaking. “What?” She swallowed. “More time with me?”
“Yes.” Victor held her gaze for another moment then picked up a file on his desk and handed it to Cara. “Familiarize yourself with this company. The Lochmere Group. It’s Kincaid and his partners. I’ll need you to provide some expertise.”
“Me? What about Gary? You’re training him to do what you do, right?”
“Yes, but I need him here. He takes care of everyone while I’m out of the office, which is almost constantly these days. From the call just now, you know The Lochmere Group has a lot of political interests and they’re afraid of being seen in a negative light for investing in a foreign company. It’s not true, though. There will be absolutely no jobs added overseas and the U.S. factories will see significant growth. Anyway, we’ll need your public relations help to put the right spin on this endeavor.”
Cara cleared her throat, determined to act like she had actually been able to pay attention to the phone call. “Don’t they have their own public relations staff?”
“No, actually. It’s not a big corporation, just a group of investors. They can either hire a publicist or they can let me take care of it so they’ll like me enough to continue to give me their business.” He smiled. “So, what do you think? Will Isaac be okay with me taking his mommy away for a few days?”
“What?” Cara’s eyes were wide. “You want…me…away…with you? For a few days?”
“Yes. Is that a problem? Because you don’t have to go. I won’t fire you.” He lifted an eyebrow. “I’ll be disappointed, but I definitely won’t fire you.”
Cara gulped. “Are you sure?” Her stomach was suddenly in knots. “Listen, no matter what happens, I really can’t afford to lose this job. I—”
“Stop.” He put his hand on her knee for a brief moment. “I know what you’re gonna say and you have nothing to worry about. If, for some reason, you end up hating me and you don’t want to work for me anymore, I’ll make sure you still have a job. I promise. I can always have you transferred to another department or find you a job opening with one of my clients. Honestly, don’t let yourself be worried about that.” He looked in her eyes. “Just say you’ll come on this trip to Houston with me. It’s only for a night. We’ll fly out first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll have you back here before the end of the next business day, if all goes well.”
“Just so I understand, you want me there because you really need my help?” She paused for a deep breath. “And, you want to spend time with me?”
“Yes. Please, don’t be nervous. I don’t like to play games.” With a lighthearted shrug, he added, “And I guess that means I’m not very good at this. I’m a simple man. I see something I want, I go after it. No games.”
“And that’s why you offered me this job?”
“That was a coincidence. I knew you had a need. I had a way to fill it. You shouldn’t have to struggle unnecessarily. If I’d met you another way, I’d still be interested. Trust me.”
She scoffed inwardly. Trust him? If only it were that easy.
Victor looked at his watch. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be in meetings the rest of the day.” He gently tapped her knee. “Gary will have all the details to you before you go home this evening. That is, if you decide to come. And I hope you will.”
Cara watched Victor reach for a folder on his desk, then stand and turn around in the direction of the door. “You’re leaving already?”
Victor walked fast. With his hand on the doorknob he glanced at her over his shoulder. “You don’t think I’m stupid enough to attack you at work, do you?” He winked. “That’s what private planes are for.”
* * *
About two hours later, as Cara was browsing online for information about Houston, Rhonda appeared at her door.
“Hey!” Rhonda said. “How’s it goin’ over here?”
“Pretty good. How are you?”
“Fine. So, you maybe wa
nna do that lunch today? Welcome you aboard? It’s been a week now.” Rhonda walked around Cara’s desk to stand beside her chair. She gawked at Cara’s monitor. “Houston, huh?”
Cara instantly clicked away to a blank browser. “Yeah. Just researching a client.”
“Mm hmm.” Rhonda’s voice got quiet. “I already heard your boss requested the company jet tomorrow. He taking you with him?”
Cara struggled to keep her voice steady and not show her surprise at the question. “I don’t know yet.”
“Oh.” Rhonda’s eyebrows shot up. “You don’t know yet? You mean, he gave you a choice?”
I should’ve just said no. Cara mentally kicked herself for what she’d already told Rhonda. Daily, she received subtle warnings from Gary to keep Victor’s activities quiet. “No, he’s just not sure if he needs me. That’s all.”
“Oh yeah? Well who’s he taking then? His trip request said there were two people. Gary never travels.”
A throat cleared. Rhonda and Cara looked up to see Gary in the doorway, head cocked sideways as he glared at Rhonda.
“How’d you hear about the trip request, hmm?” Gary asked. “Sally in accounts payable?”
Rhonda smirked. “If you must know, it was my boss, Mr. Noonan. He was ranting about it in his office because he wanted the jet tomorrow but Barboza beat him to it.”
“Well then,” Gary said, “I guess Mr. Noonan will have to settle for brushing his legs against the commoners in first class. Or worse.” He let out a small gasp and brought his hand to his chest. “Coach!”
Rhonda and Gary shared a hearty laugh as Cara closed the browser Rhonda had caught her using.
After Rhonda settled down, she said, “Well, for what it’s worth, if it were me, I’d love to get that man alone in an airplane.” She made a grunt of approval. “Yes, Victor Barboza could take me on an airplane. An elevator. A backseat.”
Gary’s eyes rolled. “I’m aware.”
“Oh, please,” Rhonda said to Gary. “Don’t act like you haven’t thought about it.”
Gary squared his shoulders, his eyes playful. “Look, you can have your little trashy conversations with the sluts over there in acquisitions but here in Mr. Barboza’s department we keep it classy.” He grinned.
