by Katie Dowe
Sydney reared up in shock as something else took over, something so powerful that it threatened to overpower her. He held her against him and used his tongue to soothe the sting that he'd caused. They both waited until the storm of their combined passion had waned a little bit.
Julian tried to move. Christ! He was still hard and unwilling to come out of the tightness of her, but he had to move. It had been a gigantic mistake but he couldn't have stopped if he wanted to. As if she knew what was going through his mind she pulled away from him and gathered up her tattered blouse over her bare breasts.
She closed her eyes as the material scraped the sensitive buds. He eased out of her and stumbled back, pushing his semi erect penis back into his pants and zipping up. With a last look at her he turned and left. “I think it's best if you call it a night,” he said when he reached the doorway. His voice was cold and she couldn't believe that it was the same man who'd made mad, passionate love to her.
Chapter 6
She made it home. She pulled her jacket over her tattered blouse and left swiftly, feeling like a scarlet woman who had engaged in forbidden sex and had to sneak away before the owner of the house came home. She practically ran from the building, relieved that it had gotten dark already. She barely noticed the sharp October breeze against her face or paid attention to the delivery guy who'd brought their meal. She hadn't seen Julian when she was leaving and she was pathetically happy about that. He'd looked and spoken to her as if she'd held him down and demanded that he make love to her.
She stabbed the start button on her car, not wanting to spend another second there in case he came out. She had no idea how she was going to face him Monday and was happy that this was Friday and she wasn't required to come in on the weekend. She drove home, her mood pensive and recriminating thoughts clamoring through her mind. What had she done? You had sex with your boss! A voice in her head screamed. “Oh God!” she whispered. As if she didn't have enough problems. She knew he wasn't married but surely there was someone waiting for him in Switzerland.
He was an eligible bachelor and one of the richest men in the world. She was the interim bank manager for a bank. She did the math and knew that they didn't suit. He'd had sex with her because she was available and he was far from home. He'd been working hard for the past couple of months and he needed sexual release and she had been there.
She slammed her palm on the steering wheel and remembered how hard she'd worked to be taken serious in the financial world only to have it destroyed because she'd opened her legs to a man who was not only her boss but a billionaire who could have any woman he desired.
On top of that, he might find a way to get rid of her! She was going to be unemployed, just like her brother. Maybe it was a curse, she thought as hysterical laughter welled up inside her. She'd been chiding her brother for his lack of ambition and his lack of drive but she'd gone and done the opposite. Have too much ambition and too much drive. She should have gone home when the time came for her to go home and this wouldn't have happened.
She pulled up outside her apartment and sat in her vehicle as she stared sightlessly at the trees which had started to change colors. All around there were signs of Halloween and reminders that winter was on its way. She blinked and rested her head on the steering wheel as despair flooded her.
*****
Julian was aching. He'd paid the delivery guy and dumped the food on a table in his office. He'd forgotten all about it because being inside her had precluded every other thought. He could still feel her wetness on his semi erect penis and he couldn't stop thinking of being inside her. He groaned and walked swiftly to the window. He'd seen her drive away and watched her taillights as they disappeared.
His phone rang and he was tempted to ignore it but it could have something to do with his mother. He picked up and answered. “Darling?”
“Mother?” he frowned as he heard her voice. “Is everything okay?”
She laughed that tinkling laugh of hers. “I'm fine darling it’s just that I slept for a long time today or was it yesterday? Oh, no bother. I slept for a very long time due to the medication they have me on and I cannot go back to sleep. It’s after three in the morning here. What time is it where you are?”
“Nine. Are you sure you're okay?”
“Yes, darling. I just wanted to hear your voice. I miss you.”
“I was just there Mother,” he relaxed and went to sit behind the desk.
“Darling, I miss having you living here. I find myself wondering if you're eating okay and taking care of yourself properly.”
“Mother, I'm a grown man and I've been on my own for years.” His tone was tinged with amusement.
“I know darling, but I'm still your mother. Have you met anyone there?”
His heart skidded as he thought of Sydney. “No,” he told her mildly. “I'm here to work, remember?”
“I wish you would settle down,” she said with a sigh. “I hate that you're alone.”
“I have you,” he said with forced joviality.
“You need more.”
*****
“Hey girl!” Brian's voice was slurred and his eyes bleary as he watched Sydney come in.
Sydney stopped in the middle of the darkened room. It smelled strongly of alcohol and was stuffy, as if the windows hadn't been opened in days. It was after three in the afternoon and yet her brother looked as if he hadn't taken off his pajamas since he got out of bed.
“I hope you brought something to drink,” he grinned at her foolishly.
Sydney felt the weariness of responsibilities shrouding her. She'd spent most of the night reliving the lovemaking and wishing she could go back in time and undo what had been done. And now this.
“I'm going to make a pot of very strong coffee and then you're going to take a bath. I don’t have time to babysit you Brian, I have my own stuff dealing with.” She marched into the kitchen and started brewing the coffee. She sat in the kitchen, rested her head in her hands and took several deep breaths. She was so tired and depressed. She'd cried last night, something that she hadn't done in ages. She blinked and lifted her head and her eyes caught the picture of her parents hanging beside the large bay window. Her mother was looking up at her father with such a tender expression on her beautiful face that there was no doubt that they were in love. He had his hand on one of her shoulders and he was looking down at her as if she was the only woman in the world. And she had been that for him. Sydney blinked the tears from her eyes and got to her feet. She got a large mug from the cupboard and poured the coffee into it. She had things to do so she might as well get started.
*****
“Are you playing cards Gessner? Or are you just warming your butt for the moment?” Prince Alexander asked the man mildly as he looked over at him. “You've been losing for the past fifteen minutes.
“I guess I just feel sorry for you, your highness,” he said with a grin.
“No need to do that my friend. I've cleaned you out of your considerable fortune since you came here half an hour ago. I think with the money I won from you I'll go and buy my princess a diamond necklace.”
“I'm sure she doesn't need any more,” another player and friend said dryly. Walter Bingham hadn't only gained recognition by owning one of the largest e-commerce companies but also due to his wife having had quadruplets some time ago. “I fold,” he said quietly as he placed his cards on the table.
Julian looked at the cards he was holding and kept a straight face as he placed his cards on the table. “Beat that your highness.”
Prince Alexander looked at the man darkly as he placed his cards on the table. “So I guess I have to give you back all the money I won from you.”
“And go ahead and tell your princess why you haven't bought her more diamonds.”
“I will get you back,” Prince Alexander vowed. “Right after we discuss some business.”
Julian went into one of the private conference rooms available for meetings, and accepted the gl
ass of cognac that the waiter came forward to give him. He nodded at the man and crossed his legs, looking out at the darkened lawns as he waited for the prince. He sipped the liquor, his expression thoughtful. He'd flown out to the club when he'd gotten the call from the prince telling him that he was visiting from Costa Land and would like to discuss business with him. They weren't only associates but were also friends and Julian had welcomed the excuse to leave and come out here. It was the weekend and he needed to take his mind off his problems, more specifically the pent up desire he was feeling for a certain employee.
He looked up as Prince Alexander came into the room and closed the doors behind him. He had a glass of whiskey in his hands and he sat in one of the comfortable sofas that were available. “Costa Land is thriving and becoming quite a tourist attraction,” the man commented as he looked at his friend.
“I saw in the papers that you've invited a number of commercial businesses over there. I thought you wanted it to remain as it is.”
“Things are changing my friend,” the prince said thoughtfully as he leaned back in his chair. “And as my wife rightfully said that we can control what comes in. She's quite the business woman.” A tender smile played at his mobile lips, causing Julian to stare. The man was clearly besotted. “We want Gessner Financials to be the main bank there. There are two other banks but they offer limited services. I like the way you do banking.”
“I thought Edward would be a better selection,” Julian murmured.
“You not only do banking but also insurance and your watches add a touch of class anywhere. Besides, Edward plans to come on board as well,” he said with a grin.
“When would you like me to start?”
“I know you have a bank you just acquired so I'm thinking in January. I just needed to get your feel on it. Are you planning on settling here or are you going back to Switzerland when you're finished?”
Julian’s mind flashed back to Sydney and his body tightened as he remembered being inside her. Christ, he was craving her. “Maybe,” he said lightly as he downed the rest of his drink.
*****
The bathroom smelled like rancid vomit and she had to hold her breath as she cleaned out the toilet and the sink. She'd forced her brother to drink tons of coffee and he'd brought up the liquor after a while. He'd showered and she had guided him into the bedroom where he was fast asleep. She had tidied up as best as she could and was now in the bathroom, trying to do the same. She was tired and bone weary, not only physically but mentally as well. She wanted to go to her apartment to get some rest and maybe cry a little bit and think about what to say to Julian when and if she saw him tomorrow at the bank.
She was praying that he wouldn't be there but that was only one part of her. The other part wanted to see him and taste him and have him make love to her like he had on her desk. “You're an idiot,” she muttered as she dusted around the television stand. Something fell from behind it and she bent to pick it up, staring at it curiously. She frowned as she opened the envelope. It was a letter that was in her father’s handwriting and it had been addressed to her mother. She hesitated before taking it out and went to sit on one of the sofas to read it. “Darling,” she blinked at the endearment. “You have shown me a life that I cannot begin to tell you how much it means to me. You have shown me a love that surpasses all other love and given me two children from that love. How can I tell you how much you mean to me? I thank God every day that you came into my life and I am humbled by the love I have for you. I wish that our two children will find what we have or even better but is there anything better than what we have? My darling wife you are the sunshine in every part of my day and the best part of it. I will love you to the ends of the earth and beyond that. Each morning I open my eyes and look forward to seeing you next to me. My love and my heart forever.”
Sydney folded the paper and sat back in the sofa with tears in her eyes. “Oh Mom and Dad,” she whispered. “I wish you were here to sort us out and to tell us what to do. We have made such a mess of things and we have no idea how to fix it.” She closed her eyes and sat there for a long time as she thought about them.
*****
He was not there when she got there and she gave thanks for that. She heard from Greta that he wouldn't be coming in for the day. She felt the resentment that he hadn't called and told her that, she had to hear it from his secretary. He was an important man after all and she was just one of the employees who opened her legs to him.
How could she have been so stupid, she thought in agony.
She heard the discreet knock on her door and straightened up with a smile on her face. She was a professional and she knew how to do her job.
She got up from her seat as the man came forward. “Mr. Green please come in,” she said, holding out a hand to him. “I am so happy you could make it.”
The elderly man who owned a few cafes around town nodded and smiled at her. “I used to bank here and then it started to go down and I took my money out. I want to come back now that Gessner Financials has taken over. They're as solid as a rock and that's what I want.”
“And that is what you'll get,” she told him with a smile as she gestured for him to take a seat. She handed him a portfolio for him to browse through while she explained the new procedures to him and how much improved they were. “You don’t have to sell me young lady. I'm already on board.”
Sydney smiled at him in delight. “Well, let’s get started.”
*****
Julian knew he was being a coward but he could not help himself. He couldn't go back there and face her. He'd sat in his apartment last night and pondered his next move. He'd never had to second guess himself where relationships were concerned before because no woman had ever meant anything to him. He'd grown up watching his father around his mother and seen the love there until his illusions had been shattered when his father had died and he'd realized that it had been just that: an illusion. The man he thought of as being so solid and up front had cheated on his mother, the woman he had pretended to love. He would have understood if it had been a one time thing but he'd been with Lina’s mother for years, living a double life. It had broken something in him and he knew he could never get over that.
He was more or less finished with Midwest Investment bank. He'd done the transition and cleaned up the mess so he didn't need to be there any longer. He had other places that needed his attention. He had banks all over the world and the watches that they made were doing very well. He could go to Costa Land to look over the place and decide where the bank should go or he could go to Switzerland and stay for a little bit. He didn't have to give up this place in case he came back and wanted to stay for a little bit. He was sure she could manage.
His body tightened as he thought of Sydney. He groaned as if in pain as he remembered being inside her. He'd lost control with her and had left marks on her skin. Her lip had been swollen where he'd sucked on it. He'd felt like devouring her, ravishing her until he was satisfied. He'd wanted to strip her naked and feed off her body from top to bottom and he'd wanted to make love to her over and over again.
His breathing became harsh as desire flooded him and he'd gone into the shower to take a cold bath but it had not helped one bit. So now he was faced with a predicament and he knew he had to leave for a little bit. He needed to get his head on straight before he faced her again.
*****
“Do you have any idea when our esteemed boss will be making an appearance?” Lorna asked as soon as she came into the office. It had been three weeks since they'd seen him and only Greta had heard anything from him. Sydney was over him and what had happened between them, or so she tried telling herself. Her brother was doing a little better and she made it her point of duty to check up on him whenever she could. It was now almost the end of November and they were getting ready for the Christmas promotions which they had decided to go all out on.
“No idea,” Sydney busied herself on her laptop, wishing that Lorna hadn't brought
him up. She did better when she didn't think of him. “There's no need for him to come back anyway. We're doing fine.”
“You're right,” the girl crossed her long legs and looked at Sydney in speculation. “Have you heard about Marco?”
“What about him?”
“He's divorced and unemployed. I feel sorry for him.”
“He brought it on himself.”
“Girl, we all make mistakes,” Lorna sipped her coffee. “I slept with him when I first started here.”
Sydney looked at the girl, startled.
Lorna laughed ruefully. “I'm not perfect and he's a good looking man. I was working late one night and so was he and we just started fooling around. I knew he was married but I didn't think about it at the time.”
Sydney felt the familiar feelings stirring inside her. She'd done the same thing, so who was she to judge.
“How long did it last?”
“A couple of weeks and then he went on to the next employee. I was pretty hurt about it but I got over it and realized that I had dodged a bullet.”
“It’s always a mistake to get involved with your boss.”
“Tell me about it girl.” Lorna got to her feet. “Well, see you later.”
Chapter 7
“I am so happy you've decided to spend Christmas Day with me,” Brian stoked the fire and then came over to sit next to his sister. He'd been trying so hard to get his life together but Sydney knew that if left by himself on this day he would probably regress. She'd spent Thanksgiving with him as well. It hadn't been only for him but for her too. She hadn't heard from Julian but had seen his pictures in the papers and on the internet. Talk about him opening a branch of Gessner Financials in Costa Land, pictures taken with him and the prince and princess who as the article said were also close friends of his. It had been brought home to her more fully that he was way out of her league and anything that she'd been harboring or thinking was futile.
