The next morning, I crawl out of bed before the crack of dawn to hustle into work. I make it there before the sun has made an appearance, and the office is hopping as I’m not the first one in. Gratefully I’m not the last, either. However, I haven’t beaten the old man, my father himself, which has been a goal of mine for some time.
Jeff, my co-worker, spots me as he steps out from the kitchen area. He slings an arm around my shoulders.
“The Money Man’s in the house,” he announces, getting people to look up from their work stations like I’m some kind of rock star. He leans into me conspiratorially as we pass the cubical pool of first-year recruits and more quietly, but not so much, says, “Ben, my man, it’s Friday. Don’t make plans for the night. We’re taking Mark out to get laid. His wife—”
“Soon to be ex-wife,” I counter. I don’t know why I bother. Mark doesn’t seem to want to let her go.
“Whatever, she’s stringing him along by the balls. We’re heading to Savanna’s after work. And you’re coming.”
Savanna’s is an upscale club in an up and coming trendy part of town. We stop at my small office, the one the old man grudgingly gave me when I decided to come back and work for him after a stint in New York. He’s still pissed I went to New York to work for a big firm out of college and not for him. So he’s forcing me to earn my place in his firm and not just using my name to snag a corner office. It doesn’t bother me. I love a challenge. And getting the old man not to be smug after I decided New York wasn’t for me is worth it.
Jeff steps back. “Your dad is in a mood. Watch out.”
I nod.
“Anyway, we’re taking a cab to the club after work, so don’t sneak out.” He points at me as he heads to his junior office a few doors down. “We’re counting on you.”
I don’t get two feet behind my desk before I hear my name by a familiar voice.
“Benjamin, late are you?”
Tongue in cheek, I know better than to answer.
“If you think you’re up to it, I’d like your risk analysis on the IPO we discussed yesterday.”
“I—”
Dad cuts me off. “Ten minutes, large conference room.”
He leaves me feeling very much like a chastised child. It’s a good thing I worked late yesterday evening, expecting him to put me on the spot. No doubt all the analysts have been rounded up to hear a report I hadn’t been asked to prepare. But I had anticipated it.
The meeting runs long and leaves me behind with all the other business of the day, but I nailed it. I deflected every question fired at me with a well-researched answer, giving my father no choice but to be mollified that I’d done the work.
Catching up the rest of the day, I’m busy and out of the emotional shitstorm in my head … which is why I put in at least sixty hours a week.
When Jeff drags me out of the office earlier than normal, I’m grateful for one thing. And that’s alcohol. I pay for a few rounds as the guys get Mark good and twisted. I’m halfway there myself, although my tolerance for the stuff has increased, and it’s taking more to get a buzz these days.
Downing a shot, I watch as Jeff ropes in a sexy blonde for Mark. A woman with dark hair and clear blue eyes is not too far behind and she winks at me. She has a gorgeous exotic mix of features that makes her a stunner. I buy her a drink or two before I allow her to lead me towards the private restrooms in the back.
She doesn’t waste time and works my zipper down as she drops to her knees. I take a fistful of her silky dark hair and wind it around my hand. She works a condom on my semi-hardened cock and I start to wonder if she’s a professional. I say nothing and let her work me up from half-mast. Only I’m not into it. She’s an attractive woman, but I can’t go there. I’ve had many nights like this and it’s getting old.
I pull her mouth away and tuck myself back in my pants. “Sorry, sweetheart. It’s not working.” Before she can balk and spew curses at me that will draw everyone’s attention, I add, “I think I’m too drunk to get it up.”
It isn’t exactly true, but no reason to cause bad blood.
“Maybe next time,” she says with a wink.
I nod. She gives me her phone number, and I take the trouble to program it in my phone, more of the illusion that it’s me and not her, which is mostly true. We leave the restroom and I join my friends. I say nothing when they stare at me; I don’t have anything to prove to these guys. The night that should have been fun is turning out to be a bust. I eventually cab it home when I finally hit that sweet spot on the drunk scale, and I don’t want to wrap my car around a tree.
Somehow I make it to bed, still dressed, which is where I find myself in the morning. A bottle of water and a cup of coffee later, I cab it back to pick up my car. My stomach growls and I pull into the first store I see. It’s not where I normally go, but it’s right there. I need to get a couple of things, like bread, milk, eggs, bacon and cereal, for the lazyass hangover breakfast of champions which is a hodgepodge of everything and anything.
I step inside the unfamiliar store and gaze around to determine which direction I should head first to fulfill the small list of items.
That’s when I spot her. My dick stiffens and points in her direction like a divining rod. I’m not sure what to make of it. This has never happened, especially considering I can only see her mostly from behind. I do get a view of side boob and her rack is impressive from that angle. I step forward because her lower half is hidden by the display stand in the produce section.
Then I see it. Miles of long, smooth, tanned legs. She looks like she might be headed out to the beach because she wears a loose white tank top with a bright blue bra or bikini top that peeks out from the side where the tank top hangs open. Her tan extends up and under a pair of frayed at the edges shorts that don’t have to be tight to make my pulse race.
Blood leeches from my brain and I can barely think. I haven’t even seen her face and I could chisel a stone statue with my dick. Her hand lands on a round melon and she turns enough to give me a profile view. Damn if she isn’t the full package. Her face is as pretty as the rest of her. Strands of golden blond hair mixed with honey brown are pulled into some messy knot at the base of her neck. I find myself tethered to her like a dog on a leash. Unconsciously, I begin walking towards her.
When I get the full view, she isn’t as exotically stunning as the woman in the club last night, yet I find myself way more attracted to the one in front of me.
Her hand is still on the melons and she’s squeezing them, or so it appears.
“Excuse me,” I say.
Startled hazel eyes flecked with gold meet mine as a smile grows on her lips. “Yes?”
Her voice is like a hand stroking my dick and I have to have her in my bed tonight.
“I’m going to have to write you up for molesting the fruit. It’s unseemly with kids in the vicinity. I’ll need your name.”
This is where she can shut me down because she thinks I’m corny as hell or she’ll give me a shot by telling me her name.
“Hmm,” she says taking her hand off the melon in feigned shock. “I could give you a fake name.”
“You could or I could ask for ID.”
She giggles and that mouth. It takes the strength of ten men to keep my eyes leveled on hers and not take in her extraordinary chest. I wait a few seconds before she says, “I’m Samantha Calhoun, but my friends call me Sam.”
She holds out her hand. I take it and lift it to my lips. “Nice to meet you, Samantha. I’m Ben Rhoades.”
“Ben? Is that short for Benjamin?”
“Ah,” I say reluctantly letting go of her hand. “That’s a long story. One you can only hear if you agree to go out to dinner with me.”
She raises her brows. “Is that so?”
I shrug.
“Okay, I think I want to hear this long story.”
“Tonight?” I ask because I want her in my bed so badly, I’m almost ready to beg. And isn’t that some shit? If not fo
r my jeans, my dick would have popped out and told her himself.
“I can’t. I have plans.”
Of course she does. I remember it’s Saturday. I probably look like a total loser for suggesting it. “Monday?”
“Monday?” she repeats.
“Yes, I have a thing tomorrow, and who has plans on a Monday?”
She smiles. “Monday’s good.”
She pulls out her phone and I have déjà vu for a second remembering last night with the exotic beauty in the private bathroom. We exchange phone numbers and I promise to call her with the details.
“Great,” she says and her smile is beautiful.
I turn up the wattage on mine, then leave her after I say, “I should report you to the Produce Manager, but consider it a warning this time.”
She giggles again and I know I’m in. I head towards the dairy department and I don’t look back. I don’t chase women. Never have and I won’t start now. If this doesn’t work out between us, there are plenty of other women in the world to satisfy my needs.
About The Authors
A.M. Hargrove
One day, on her way home from work as a sales manager, USA Today bestselling author, A. M. Hargrove, realized her life was on fast forward and if she didn't do something soon, it would be too late to write that work of fiction she had been dreaming of her whole life. So she made a quick decision to quit her job and reinvented herself as a Naughty and Nice Romance Author.
Annie fancies herself all of the following: Reader, Writer, Dark Chocolate Lover, Ice Cream Worshipper, Coffee Drinker (swears the coffee, chocolate, and ice cream should be added as part of the USDA food groups), Lover of Grey Goose (and an extra dirty martini), #WalterThePuppy Lover, and if you're ever around her for more than five minutes, you'll find out she's a non-stop talker. Other than loving writing about romance, she loves hanging out with her family and binge watching TV with her husband. You can find out more about her books at http://www.amhargrove.com.
Terri E Laine
Terri E. Laine, USA Today bestselling author, left a lucrative career as a CPA to pursue her love for writing. Outside of her roles as a wife and mother of three, she's always been a dreamer and as such became an avid reader at a young age.
Many years later, she got a crazy idea to write a novel and set out to try to publish it. With over a dozen titles published under various pen names, the rest is history. Her journey has been a blessing, and a dream realized. She looks forward to many more memories to come.
You can find more about her books at www.terrielaine.com.
Stalk Terri
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For Other Books by Terri E. Laine Visit www.terrielaine.com
The Cruel and Beautiful Series:
Cruel & Beautiful
A Mess of a Man
One Wrong Choice
Ride or Die
Chasing Butterflies
Catching Fireflies
A Beautiful Sin
The Wilde Players Dirty Romance Series:
Sidelined
Fastball
Hooked
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For Other Books by A.M. Hargrove visit www.amhargrove.com
For The Love of English
A Special Obsession (3/23/2017)
The Wilde Players Dirty Romance Series:
Sidelined
Fastball
Hooked
A Beautiful Sin
The Cruel and Beautiful Series:
Cruel and Beautiful
A Mess of a Man
One Wrong Choice
The Edge Series:
Edge of Disaster
Shattered Edge
Kissing Fire
The Tragic Series:
Tragically Flawed, Tragic 1
Tragic Desires, Tragic 2
The Hart Brothers Series:
Freeing Her, Book 1
Freeing Him, Book 2
Kestrel, Book 3
The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart
Sabin, A Seven Novel
The Guardians of Vesturon Series
One Wrong Choice (A Cruel and Beautiful Book Book 3) Page 34
