by Nella Tyler
“A pay raise,” she said, and I couldn’t tell if she was sarcastic, or if she was masking her seriousness with sarcasm. Either way, she was definitely worth the extra cash, and not because she was hot as hell, but because she was the finest damn assistant in all of Seattle.
# # #
As I reached into the refrigerator in the break room, I questioned to myself why I had never had a private fridge installed in my office. I believed it had something to do with Nathan insisting that it was important we weren’t typical CEO’s, and how he wanted us to blend in with our workers so they never felt we were above them.
Which, whatever. That never made sense to me, because all of the workers were beneath us. After all, it was our hard work, dedication, and imagination that brought this business from our Harvard dorms into that towering office in the sky.
I made a mental note to have a private refrigerator installed in my office within a week, and a wine cooler too. Perhaps even a stove, but that was something I needed to think about, because then I’d need to hire a chef because everyone and their mother knew I was the worst cook on this side of any body of water.
I twisted the cap off my bottle of water and shot the cap like a basketball into the trashcan adjacent from me without so much as looking first.
Whoops.
The cap hit a beautiful woman right in the face. She was familiar, but not in an intimate way, so that was a plus. Then I remembered, “Lindsay from accounting, right?”
“Yes,” she proclaimed with a smile. “Also known as that girl standing in front of the trashcan.”
“Yeah,” I winced. “I’m sorry about that.”
“And here I thought Caleb Markham wasn’t the type to say he’s sorry about anything.”
“Pardon me?” I cocked my head at her, inquisitively. She was beautiful, with medium-length brown hair and green eyes. She was petite and feminine, but she had brass balls and I was more than intrigued. “How do you know who I am?”
“For starters, you’re my boss.” She cleared her throat. “You also hired me personally.”
“Right.” I wagged my finger at her and positioned myself against the wall with my elbow for leverage. “Are you coming to the party?”
“Me?” She pointed a finger at herself and shook her head. “Probably not.”
“There’s going to be a lot of pretty girls there, but none as beautiful as yourself,” I said and bit into my lower lip, but as soon as the words passed over my lips, I straightened myself out. It was an all-too-common occurrence of me putting my foot in my mouth. “Can we pretend that I didn’t say that?”
“Pretend that I’m not pretty?” She rolled her eyes and arched a brow. “Is that something you say to a lady?”
“Forget the part where I was complimenting you as your boss.”
“It’s okay,” she whispered, “I won’t tell anyone.”
She certainly had a fire to her and I wanted nothing more than to get to know here, among other indecent things, but those had to stay on the backburner. “Seriously, are you coming to happy hour?”
She bowed her head and chuckled nervously, showing a completely different side to her. A side that I dug the hell out of just the same. “Why?”
“Because,” I said and took a measured step toward her. “I’m going and I want you there as well.” I watched her as I walked away, with nothing more to say. She batted her tongue nervously over her lips and her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red.
I prayed that she would listen to me and make an appearance because I just knew that if she was a no-show, my night wasn’t going to be as fun as I had envisioned.
My phone rang just as I was stepping back into my office with open bottle of water firmly in one hand and the phone in the other. I raised the phone to my ear and greeted the man on the other end, “What’s up, Dad?”
Chapter Four
Lindsay
It was seriously a last-minute decision. I was literally in the back of a cab heading home when I really thought about it. I had two people begging me to attend. One of them was a close friend, and the other was a man who drove me wild in my fantasies. I’d had my eye on him for a while for all the wrong reasons—he was beyond handsome and commanding, but he also had his life together. Or so it seemed.
And then there was Ina. She too had her eyes on one of the CEOs, but her dreams felt a tad more realistic than mine, or rather they did before my run in with Caleb in the break room.
It had been ages, centuries probably, since I had been out of the house or the workplace so I finally decided that instead of being a stick in the mud, I’d stop by the happy hour. If it was too boring or not to my tastes, I could slip out with ease after greeting the appropriate people.
I alerted the driver of the change of plans, and to my surprise, he didn’t even show the smallest hint of annoyance, but that’s probably because taxi rides in Seattle cost two arms and four legs.
I paid for my cab and cursed under my breath for forgetting to turn off my headlights the night prior. Due to my forgetfulness, I’d had to take a cab into work and then a cab home, only to be diverted to a fancy bar downtown.
I stepped out of the taxi and swallowed a nervous lump in my throat. It’s not that I had anxiety in its diagnosed form, but I was queasy and I couldn’t quite pinpoint why. After my freshman year of college, I dipped out on the scene as I focused on improving the prospects of my life.
It’s not a decision that I regretted, but sometimes I did miss going out and having fun with the girls. Alas, I no longer had a group of girlfriends. They’d dissolved into mere acquaintances over the years, and Ina soon filled the roles of all prior girlfriends.
# # #
I was craning my head in every direction, hoping to spot Ina as quickly as possible. In what should have been a sea of known faces, I recognized no one and Ina was nowhere to be seen. I cursed her name under my breath, thinking she had ditched me after working so hard to persuade me earlier in the afternoon.
The bar was nice—too nice by my estimation. Apparently, Caleb and Nathan had rented the entire space for the night, and in that regard I felt privileged, like the wealthiest of people. Thankfully, for the most part, everyone seemed to show up in the same clothes they had worn to work prior. There were a few women draped in too-expensive, shimmering dresses, but I wagered they didn’t work for M&D and were rather arm pieces for higher up executives.
My eyes followed a man balancing a tray full of shots on one hand. As he passed me, I reached for a glass and downed the shot in one breath. As the liquor—whiskey, I presumed—burned a path down my throat, I threw my hand to my chest and shook my head.
“You look stunning,” Caleb said from behind me, and I was caught with nowhere to go. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
I twisted on my foot to greet him with the most unusual of greetings. “I’m wearing my work clothes.”
“So is everyone else.” He leaned close to me and whispered in my ear, “You wear it so much better than the rest of these girls.”
“Thank you,” I said sheepishly and averted my eyes, praying to the Gods above that Ina would come rescue me. “You look handsome yourself.”
He cocked a cocky grin and winked. “I know, right?”
“You’re so charming,” I said deadpan.
To which he winked again. “I know, right?”
“Seriously?” I groaned, trying to play the game, but it was clear I was in the minor leagues. “Have you… have you seen Ina?”
“Who?”
“Right,” I muttered under my breath. “She’s a friend and I’m supposed to meet her here.”
“I don’t see her anywhere, which means you’re free,” he said, though there’s no way he could know that since he had just expressed that he had no idea who I was talking about. He reached his hand out to take mine. “Do you want to go get a drink?”
“I should wait.”
“Are you sure?” He pursed his lips. “It’s on the house.”
/> Hilarious, I thought to myself.
“Girl,” Ina screeched with both of her arms stretched out to me, awaiting an embrace. “You actually came.”
“I did.” I shrugged my shoulders and forced a smile.
She batted her eyes at me and motioned at Caleb with her head, as if she had no intention on being subtle. My cheeks flushed crimson red and I did everything in my power to not make eye contact with Caleb as I turned back to him with a nervous smile. “I’ll see you around?”
“Sure thing.” He nodded and pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “I’ll be here all night.”
Ina locked my arm around hers and we made our way down the length of the long bar. She reached for a shot from a tray as a server passed us by and downed it in one go.
“That’s the first thing I did when I got here,” I said with a light laugh. “It’s been forever since I’ve been in a bar.”
She shifted her eyes to me with a bent smile. “That’s my sixth shot, and I’ve only been here four minutes.”
“You’re going to die tonight,” I warned her and craned my head over my shoulder. I took notice of the way Caleb watched every step I took. His eyes were filled with thunderous lust, but there was something else etched across his face. Jealousy, perhaps?
# # #
There was a second bar in the back of the large space. Instead of the bar lining an entire wall with barely enough room to maneuver around the growing crowd, the back space was more open, with a large dance floor that was mostly empty. I calculated in my head that the average employee of M&D was well past the age where dirty dancing amongst a crowd of strangers was off limits.
Still, I looked at the dance floor with wonder in my eyes. I wanted nothing more in that moment than to dance the night away, though that may have been the three shots working their magic within my blood system.
“Have you seen Nathan?” Ina asked me with her head slouched against my shoulder. “I really need to see Nathan.”
“From the sounds of it, you need sleep,” I pointed out, my own eyes busy searching for Caleb. With three shots down, I suddenly had a little more confidence. Maybe I didn’t have enough to talk to Caleb the way I wanted to talk to him, but I was one level of a buzz away from showing off my crazy moves on the dance floor.
“Girl, what are you talking about?” She retreated from resting upon my shoulder and sat straight up. Then, she glared at me and laughed loudly. “This is so not what I expected.”
“Really?” I asked with a furrowed brow. “What exactly did you expect?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged with apathy. “I was looking forward to karaoke, body shots, and beer bongs.”
I laughed and then when I looked at her, I laughed again and dragged my palms over my tired face. “Somehow you confused happy hour with a frat party, and that is something only you would do.”
“Look, I know you’re young—”
“I’m two years younger than you.”
“The world obviously changed in those two years,” she said and let out a yawn. “I need to visit the ladies room. Want to come?”
“I’m good,” I replied as my eyes wandered back to the empty dance floor. When I looked back to Ina, she was gone. I spotted her pushing through the crowded bar and then past Caleb, who stood with his back against a wall… still watching me.
I averted my eyes and looked elsewhere. I had always known he was a flirt. Every girl in the office had talked about it at one time or another, but I never imagined he’d be flirty with me. And then there was the way he looked at me, looked right through me, as if he wanted something from me.
I shook the thoughts from my head and jumped to my feet. I was dizzy as soon as I landed on my feet. It had been a while since I’d had more than a small glass of wine and I was out of practice. Sober me never would have done what I did next.
I traversed to the center of the floor, not minding that the music blaring from the sound system wasn’t exactly the type of music I was used to. It was moody and quiet, with whispers that seemed to erupt from bass at the most random of times. It wasn’t dancing music but it lit my soul on fire as I found my body shifting to the melody.
All alone on the dance floor, I threw my hands over my head and let the music guide me, let it into my soul and went with the flow of hushed whispers. I got lost out there, craving the spotlight even while I zoned the rest of the world out.
And then a palm upon my shoulder. A cold shiver, goosebumps, ran down my spine. It could have been anyone but I had the feeling it was somebody special. I had a feeling it was him.
My suspicions proved to be right when I pivoted on my foot to face him. He was standing there, towering above me with his tall frame. He was so damn handsome, and one hundred percent off limits.
But he was the one who was chasing me, or so it seemed, and I wasn’t in the position to turn him away once more.
“I saw you out here dancing by yourself and I thought that was such a shame. Would you like to not dance alone?”
Those were simple words that formed a simple question, but somehow I found myself tongue-tied. In a split second, I’d reverted back into the shy version of me, and that was unacceptable if I was ever going to live out my dreams with him. I cleared my throat and answered with a nod.
Without so much as planning our next move, we both fell into the same position where he took my hand in his and held his other hand against my waist. He was stronger than I imagined, and I imagined that he was a titan. His iron grip held me in place while his other hand guided me in a slow circle. And we began to dance to the soft melody that was emitting from the sound system.
It was awkward dancing in the center of the room where anyone and everyone who worked at the office could see us, but I figured they wouldn’t bat an eye. For one, it was known that Caleb was a flirt, and secondly, nobody would assume there was anything going on between us. Not just because I was sure I wasn’t his type, but also because what kind of moron would make it known to his entire company that something was going on between himself and one of his employees?
And that’s just exactly who I was—just another one of his employees and now, just another woman he flirted with.
There was a crack in the stereo as the slow song faded into something a little more upbeat, but still with the same relaxed vibe. It was a woman singing, her voice ebbed and flowed with dark, haunting seduction. An unmistakable grin passed over Caleb’s lips as he pulled away from me and twirled his finger in the air, gesturing for me to turn around.
I obliged his request and noticed that others were slowly stepping onto the dance floor. Some of them danced alone while others brought along their significant others and one-night stands. It was a hodgepodge of sin and I was reveling in what was about to happen.
He pressed his body against mine, hard and made of steel, as both hands fell to my waist. He shifted himself against my body, carefully caressing my hips and setting me on fire. Still, I couldn’t shake the thought that people might be watching, so I closed my eyes and gave into the dance.
Beneath closed eyes, I felt a sense of freedom come over me. For too long, I had locked myself up in a figurative cage, hiding from the world while I focused on my career. I didn’t know it earlier in the night, but I knew it right then. A night on the town was exactly what I needed to loosen up a little.
His hand trailed from my waist to my stomach, holding me in place as he continued to swirl his hips behind me, taking me on a ride of pleasure while everyone and their mother watched. But I didn’t care, or at least I couldn’t bring myself to care.
“You’re beautiful.” He dropped his head over my shoulder and whispered hot fire against my ear. “I want you to come home with me.”
My heart raced. My mind raced too. He was my boss and this was under no circumstances a good idea, but I knew I couldn’t fight. I knew I couldn’t resist, and it wouldn’t be fair for anyone to expect me to. With one strong tug, he twisted me to face him. I caught mys
elf against his chest, placing a palm against his hard muscles.
“Just come home with me for, you know… a nightcap.” He smirked before biting into his lip. A nightcap my ass. “Nothing too crazy.”
It took me no time at all to respond with a hesitant smile. “Sure.”
“Really?” He cocked his head and took a measured step back, so as to not appear to be doing anything unethical.
“I meant what I said.” I shrugged and took notice of the way his eyes swam with lust. I imagined my eyes painted a very similar picture. It had been over a year since the last time I was with a man. For anyone over a certain age, that’s far too long to wait. And even though he was my boss, and that came with more risk than reward, I chose to think optimistically about what could transpire. Maybe something good could come out of it…
Like a relationship.
Yeah, like that would ever happen.
Chapter Five
Caleb
Just as I was excusing myself from Lindsay, her friend returned to the dance floor. I left the two of them alone to chat for a moment while I rushed to find Nate to tell him I was heading out with the girl I had mentioned earlier. I spotted him at the end of the bar and tapped him on his shoulder so that he would follow me out the front door and onto the city streets.
The city was bustling with traffic lined up for as far as my eyes could see. Inside, my own head was spinning, bustling in its own way. “You’re never going to believe this shit,” I said to Nathan before he even had the chance to question why I was dragging him outside.
“I’m sure I can guess what you’re going to say,” he said back with a knowing smirk. “I know you too well, buddy.”
“I’m taking that girl I told you about earlier home with me.”
“See?” He pointed at me and shook his finger. “I just knew that’s what you were going to say.”
