by Lexi Wilson
“You don’t have to give me a full report,” I said. “Just making conversation.”
She raised her eyebrows as she brought her coffee mug to her lips and took a sip. It was obvious this wasn’t something she’d been expecting to hear.
“Oh, you don’t want the hour-by-hour breakdown?”
Well, maybe a little. But I didn’t say it.
“Nah, just curious.”
She smiled, pleased by this answer.
“It wasn’t anything crazy. I went out with a couple of my friends and got some Chinese food. Then we went into Silver Lake to some dive bar and had some drinks. I was home by around one.”
It raised plenty of questions. Like, which friends? What bar? Did she really only have a couple of drinks and that was that?
And on top of that, I had the strong feeling she wasn’t telling me everything.
But I swallowed my curiosity, not letting it get the better of me.
“Sounds like fun. Haven’t been to Silver Lake in a while.”
She grinned. “It’s fine. Kind of overpriced, gentrifying like crazy. But there’s still a few decent places there to grab a drink.” She took another sip. “What about you? Get up to anything fun yesterday?”
Now it was my turn to not be totally honest, because there wasn’t a chance in hell I was going to tell her I’d hooked up with my secretary.
“Pretty low-key night. Some pizza and an action movie double feature. Bed nice and early.”
“That actually sounds a little better than my night, actually. I swear, the older I get, the less appealing going out and getting crazy sounds.”
I couldn’t resist. “So, you got crazy last night?” I added a smile after this.
She gave me a sly smirk in response, as if letting me know not to push my luck.
“Didn’t get crazy – just a few drinks.”
But there were no smart comments, no frowns at what my questions. Things, at that moment, were…halfway decent between us. It was a simple conversation, but it was the lightest, least dramatic we’d had in a while.
Maybe Amber had been onto something?
“What’ve you got planned for today?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Really, hadn’t thought out it past breakfast. Maybe I’ll take after you and do some lounging. I’ve got a full week ahead, after all.”
“That right?”
Natalie nodded. “Yep. I’m a graduate, remember? I’ve got to get this whole ‘job’ thing sorted out.”
“You know,” I said. “You could always…”
“I’m going to stop you right there – I’m not going to work for you.”
“Hey, just suggesting it because it’s a good idea. Get a little experience and earn some money and see where your career takes you after that.”
“I want to be able to earn what I have,” she said. “And my big brother opening up a spot for me in his company would be the total opposite of that. Not to mention I’m pretty sure you’d have some ulterior motives to having me at your company.”
OK, maybe she was right about that.
“Just a suggestion,” I said, still thinking about Amber’s words. “If you want to make your own path, you know I’ll support you. But always know I’ve got your back, and there’s always a spot for you at Horvath.”
She smiled again. “Thanks. I appreciate it – I really do. Maybe I’m being stubborn.”
“You’re being a McQuaid. Being stubborn is in our blood. Gets us into trouble.”
“Isn’t that the truth.”
We made our way through our breakfasts, and when we were about done, a thought occurred to me.
“I’m going to run to the store for a few things. You want to come with?”
“I swear,” she said with a grin. “You know you can pay people to do that, right?”
“I know, I know,” I said. “But hate ordering food with apps like that. Makes me feel lazy.”
“So you know what I’m talking about.”
“More McQuiad stuff.” She thought the question over for a moment. “Yeah, let’s do it. I’ve got some stuff I want to pick up.”
The idea was enough to perk me up. I never got the chance to spend any quality time with Natalie these days, and even a trip to the store sounded fun.
“I’m driving!” she said as she snatched the keys out of my hand on the way to the car. Before I could react, she glanced back over her shoulder and smiled as she pressed the button to open the locks with a click.
“Fine,” I said. “But only on the way there!”
We spent the drive to the store talking about nothing in particular, joking around and busting each other’s chops. It was…nice.
And it was all because of Amber’s advice. If I’d done what I’d been doing I would’ve grilled Natalie on her evening, gotten her all mad at me, and spent the morning with bad vibes in the air.
But instead, we were having a nice morning out of errands, grabbing some more coffee on our way to the store and taking the long way there, enjoying the gorgeous weather.
After a little purposefully aimless driving, we pulled into the parking lot of our usual store and got out.
“Junk food,” she said as I pushed the cart through the automatic doors. “I’m in the mood for some junk food.”
“Go for it. Pop Tarts and potato chips and frozen pizza. You’ve been busting your butt, sis – you deserve a little freedom.”
“Freedom,” she said, as if trying on the word for size. “Yeah. That sounds nice.”
We made our way up and down the aisles, grabbing whatever we wanted and tossing it into the cart. And as I looked into the contents, I noticed that what we’d been picking out were mostly snacks and treats we’d enjoyed in our childhoods, the stuff we loved and turned to for a little comfort when things were less certain.
But when we turned the corner into the frozen food aisle, I stopped in my tracks at what I saw ahead.
At who I saw ahead.
It was Amber.
There was no doubt in my mind it was her – I’d recognize that figure anywhere. But she wasn’t alone – she was with a little girl who appeared to be around seven. It had to be her daughter.
“Are you OK?” asked Natalie. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Sorry,” I said, shaking my head and snapping back into the moment. “That’s my new secretary up there – just wasn’t expecting to see her here.”
“Well, it is a grocery store,” said Natalie. “Come on – let’s go say ‘hi’!”
The thing about Natalie – she was friendly, never one to shy away from a social interaction, no matter how spontaneous. I followed after her, not sure how it was all going to go down.
Amber noticed us approach, her eyes going a bit wide.
“Nick?” she asked. “I mean, Mr. McQuaid?”
“Hey!” said, stopping in front of her, Amber’s little girl –who was adorable as they came- looking up at me with big, curious eyes. “Fancy seeing you here, huh?”
“I…I suppose so.”
There was a touch of awkwardness, and I was certain it was because she and I were both thinking about the insane sex the day before. Us having our families there with us only made it more strange.
“I’m Jamie!” said the little girl, sticking out her hand to me. “Nice to meet you!”
“And nice to meet you too, kiddo,” I said, taking her hand and shaking it. “I’m Mr. McQuaid, but you can just call me Nick.”
“Yeah, very nice to meet you, Jamie,” said Natalie with a big smile. “I’m Natalie, Nick’s sister.”
More handshakes all around.
And Natalie, being socially savvy as she was and sensing me and Amber needed a moment alone, spoke up, glancing at the ice cream down the aisle.
“Hey, Jamie,” she said. “You want to help me pick out some ice cream?”
“Sure!”
“Come on – it’s on the other side of the aisle.”
“Can I get some
ice cream too, mom?”
Amber tucked her hair behind her ear, looking away. “Um, sure. Pick out whatever you want.”
The two of them headed off, leaving me and Amber alone.
A few beats of awkward silence passed before I cleared my throat and spoke up.
“It’s good seeing you,” I said. “Really.”
“I know. Good seeing you too. Just that it’s a little weird with…you know. Worlds colliding and all that.”
At that moment I knew I needed to take some time, to think about what was going on between the two of us, to not rush into anything.
But that’s not what I did. Instead, I spoke up, said what I really was thinking.
“When are we going to see each other again?”
She was surprised by my bluntness.
“Um, see each other again?”
But I wasn’t about to be deterred. “Let me rephrase – I’m seeing you tonight.”
The slightest hint of a smile formed on her lips.
“Tonight?”
“Tonight. I’ll get a room at the Hotel Thornberry.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Isn’t that place…kind of pricy?”
“Doesn’t matter. Go there at seven, and give them my name. They’ll tell you were to go.”
Another small smile, as if I’d cut through the bullshit and given her what she really wanted.
“O…OK. See you then.”
But I wasn’t done with her yet. I put my hand on the small of her back and brought her close, kissing her right there in the middle of the store.
“Make-out session in the frozen food aisle?” she asked with a grin. “So romantic.”
“Just a taste of what you’ll be getting later tonight.”
“Mom!” shouted Jamie, appearing around the corner with Natalie, a package of ice cream in her hands. “Got it!”
“I think that’s our cue,” she said. “See you tonight.”
“Till then.”
I already couldn’t wait.
Chapter 15
AMBER
As I stood in front of Hotel Thornberry, the moon a silver disk high in the night sky, part of me wondered if I was making a big, big mistake.
What the hell was I thinking? I’d hooked up with Nick once, and that was fine. We all make screw-ups now and then.
But once was enough. I needed to put my foot down, to tell him that he was my boss and I was his secretary and this weird little thing of ours couldn’t go any further.
That wasn’t what I’d done, however. Instead, I’d let him work his charm on me in the middle of the damn grocery store, getting talked into another date.
Hell, “getting talked into” wasn’t even the right way to put it – that would suggest I’d given some push-back. Instead, he’d simply asked, and I’d said “yes.”
Then, instead of thinking it over and deciding it wasn’t the right call, I’d gone home, asked Mom if she could watch Jamie for the night, gotten myself dolled up, and driven my ass over to the hotel.
I had to be strong. As I stood in front of the admittedly-majestic building, the arched lights of the façade glowing warmly with interior lights, the columns out front seeming to stretch all the way up into the sky, I came up with a plan.
It was simple: I’d hang out with him for a while, have some dinner, maybe a drink or two. But most importantly, I’d tell him we needed to pump the breaks on whatever was going on between us. Hell, I’d only given him a half-day of work before we’d screwed in the front seat of his car.
I took a deep, steeling breath and nodded, ready to go through with it. When I was ready, I headed through the front doors, the doorman opening them up and greeting me warmly as I stepped inside.
The place was amazing, of course – old-school Los Angeles pre-war glamour, art deco décor all around me. A classy bar was off to the right, and the gray-clad men and women working rushed here and there, all looking busy.
Front desk. I stepped over to it and told them my name, and then Nick’s.
“McQuaid?” asked the clerk. She was as pretty as they came, and that was something I’d never gotten used to about LA – how freaking good-looking everyone here was. “Let me check…”
She typed a little on the keyboard to her computer, smiling and nodding when she’d brought up the information.
“The reservation for McQuaid is in the presidential suite. Let me get you a key.”
“The what?”
Before she could answer, the clerk had turned around to the big wall of hung-up keys, snatching the biggest one from the top row.
“Alright,” she said, handing it over. “So this has a little chip in it. You’re going to take the private elevator down the hall. Way the key in front of the reader and it’ll open up. The elevator will take you right to the top.”
I held the heavy key in my hand, still trying to process what was happening.
“The presidential suite,” I said. “That’s…pretty nice, right?”
She arched her eyebrows, as if surprised I’d even asked such a question.
“Nice enough for whatever royalty happens to be staying in town,” she said with a smile.
“Royalty? Oh boy.”
“Enjoy your stay.”
Key in hand, I made my way down the hallway toward the elevator at the far end.
The freaking presidential suite? I didn’t know much about luxury, but even I knew that meant something fancy.
I waved the key in front of the reader and, just like the clerk had said, the doors opened up. I stepped inside, my heart thudding in my chest.
What was Nick’s game here? Was he trying to overwhelm me with his money, to buy my affection? Or was it more innocent than that? Maybe he just had a lot of money, enough that spending a night in what had to be one of the most expensive hotel rooms in the city wasn’t a big deal.
Either way, I checked myself out in the mirrored walls of the elevator. I was wearing a pretty tight little dress along with some eye-catching heels. Nothing as scandalous as what I might wear at my old job, but not exactly modest.
And the scariest part was I’d put it on without even thinking about it. Was I unconsciously dressing sexy for Nick?
God, it was all so strange, almost as if I didn’t have control of myself when it came to him.
The doors opened slowly, and right away I realized just why the clerk had said the presidential suite was fit for royalty. The space was massive, with two stories and multiple bedrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows on the back wall, the view over all of Los Angeles, the moon hanging high above.
And standing in front of the windows was Nick himself, dressed in a sharp, dark suit, a glass of wine in his hand.
I wanted him from the moment I laid eyes on him. My pussy clenched, a hot, thrilling sensation running through my body.
He stepped over to me, a playful, knowing smirk on his face. His gaze went up and down my body slowly, as if he were checking me out and wanted me to know it.
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, my pussy tight, my nipples hard. I’d expected that it would be tough to resist him, but I wasn’t expecting anything like this.
“You look amazing,” he said, taking a sip of his wine when he finished and setting it down on the nearby stand.
I couldn’t even say a word…I didn’t know what to even say. Instead, I looked up him and down just like he’d done to me, pressing my thighs together in an attempt to force the sexual tension out of my body.
However, he wasn’t even close to being done. Nick closed the distance between the two of us, putting his hands on my lips. I sighed the second he touched me, biting down on my lower lip.
“Tell me what you want,” he said.
His voice was calm, in control. It was as if he knew he had me in the palm of his hand, like he was going to get everything he wanted.
Be strong, I told myself. Try to resist.
But it was fucking impossible. Something about him in that suit, standing in that roo
m, looking me up and down like he already owned me…it was impossible to resist.
So, I didn’t. I gave in, surrendered myself to him. And as if sensing it, he stepped close and put his lips on mine.
And the moment he did, it was all over.
I sighed as soon as his mouth touched me, my knees going weak. His hand swept around to the small of my back, holding me up, bracing my body against his. We kissed more and more, his taste flooding through mouth, the rich flavor of the red wine still on his tongue, his stubble just rough enough to feel good against my cheek.
I tried to take control. I grabbed his hand, leading him over to the far end of the room, in front of a blue, antique high-backed chair. He gazed down at me from his impressive height, making me feel small and vulnerable in the best way possible.
“Sit,” I said.
He raised an eyebrow. “Is that an order?”
“It’s…it’s an order. Sit.”
“A ‘please’ might be nice.”
Oh…what a smart-assey little prick.
But I kind of loved it.
“Fine,” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “Please, sit your ass down.”
He let out a quick bark of a laugh before shaking his head. “Alright – whatever the lady wants, the lady gets.”
Nick dropped into the seat and locked eyes with me, as if daring me to do whatever it was I had in mind.
I moved closer to him, and when I was right over top I leaned down, sticking my rear out as I put my hands on his legs and spread them open. Next, I kissed him again, my hands on his shoulders, traveling down, down, until they were at his black, leather belt.
My tongue tangled with his, I opened up his belt then button then zipper.
“Someone’s ready for me,” I said, stroking his cock through his underwear.
“I’ve been ready since the moment I saw you at the store.”
“I could tell. I was surprised you didn’t just take me in the frozen pizza aisle.”
“Maybe some other time.”
I grinned, reaching down under his waistband and grabbing his cock, stroking it slowly, teasing the tip with my thumb, tracing the contours of his head. God, he felt so fucking good, so stiff and long and thick.
