by Sophia Gray
“They’re not too old to work,” I countered. “Audrey, you shouldn’t have to take care of them like that. It’s not the child’s job to take care of their parents.”
Audrey didn’t say anything. She snuggled closer, draping an arm over my bare chest. Even though she was clearly content, I couldn’t relax. She was definitely too good for me. Audrey didn’t know anything about my past, but I had a feeling that if she ever found out, she wouldn’t give me the time of day again.
After all, I was a downright villain compared to her. I wasn’t the kind of person who volunteered at soup kitchens, or who knitted for the poor. I was an asshole, a jerk—the kind of guy who flipped you off after he was the one who cut you off in traffic. I was lower than low, dirt—the kind of guy that Audrey would run away from as quickly as she could.
“Enzo? Are you okay?” Audrey opened her soft blue eyes and looked at my face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I replied with a sigh as I stared at the ceiling. “Nothing at all.”
Chapter Twelve
When I finally left Audrey’s shitty apartment, my head was spinning. I was confused—I’d never felt like this before, especially after such a great fuck. Even though Audrey was clearly inexperienced, I had a hard time remembering the last time I’d enjoyed myself so thoroughly in bed. Everything about her had been perfect. Just thinking about the way her body responded to mine would have normally made my cock rock-hard.
But something was bothering me, and I felt like I couldn’t even enjoy my usual post-coital routine.
Usually, after sleeping with a girl, I’d go out by myself. I made a rule to never spend the night with anyone, and with a few incredibly drunken exceptions, I’d been able to stick to that rule hard and fast. After I fucked a girl, I’d usually go to a bar and sip a glass of scotch.
This wasn’t a time where I thought about picking up anyone new, but rather a time to reflect. It wasn’t typical for me to sleep with someone more than once or twice—more than stability, I craved variety. I craved different types of women who were willing to do lots of different types of things.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t take my mind off Audrey as I slipped out of her shitty Pilsen apartment. I couldn’t believe what she’d told me. Was she telling the truth? Did she really send the vast majority of her wages to her parents? I didn’t think Audrey was the type of woman who would lie about that sort of thing, but I couldn’t really imagine her doing it. It was too good; it was like some fairy tale or Biblical fable. Then again, I knew she wouldn’t lie to me. Audrey was one of those people who seemed physically incapable of lying. She was so good, so sweet.
She was much, much too good for me. I hated to admit it, but just thinking of her was arousing me again. It was almost enough where I wanted to turn around, go back to her apartment, and dive back into bed.
Stay focused, I instructed myself as I pulled the collar of my coat up around my neck to ward off the Chicago chill. February was one of the worst months to live in Chicago—you’ve already gone through a few months of cold weather, but you’ve still got at least one more to go. People started feeling desperate, craving warmth and sun and human touch. It was one of those months where I’d wasted my time in tiki bars, going home with the bikini waitresses. But none of that stuff ever brought me real warmth, and I was starting to realize that I’d been chasing an empty dream for a long time.
I sighed. I was standing on the corner, with not a soul in sight. The “L” tracks loomed over my head like something from a mechanical nightmare. I didn’t like the idea of going home—my chrome and steel condo didn’t exactly seem inviting, even though I loved it. I knew that somehow, I was going to wind up doing what I always did in times like these.
The LennoxCo sign loomed large and fluorescent over my head as I let myself in the building, not an hour later. The office was completely deserted, and even though it felt chilly, I was instantly sweating in my bulky jacket and blended scarf. Once I’d wrestled out of my outer layers and tossed them to the side, I let out a deep sigh of relief.
Work was my salvation; the place where I went when I could no longer face anything else in the world. I knew that if I went home, I’d just wind up thinking about Audrey. Or worse, drunk on red wine and browsing porn sites. I didn’t want to succumb to loneliness tonight; I wanted to channel the way I felt into my work.
And besides, if I knew anything about Hodges, I knew that he’d start closing in on my ass pretty soon. He’d been playing offensively and playing to win—my demurring had done absolutely nothing to push him off the track. And now that he knew about Audrey, I didn’t want to take a single chance.
I knew that I had to stay on top of my game and make sure that asshole didn’t have even a single opportunity to try bankrupting me and ruining LennoxCo. And Audrey, I thought, wincing as I closed my eyes. Audrey. Pure, innocent, lovely Audrey. I couldn’t let Hodges anywhere near her—he’d swallow her whole without even pausing to chew. I wasn’t going to let that happen. I’d rip him limb from limb if he even looked at her the wrong way.
I bit my lip, leaning back in my chair. I’d never felt like this before. I didn’t know what it was exactly. Not lust, more of an obsession. It reminded me of when I was still young and green and sleeping with older women—the women who’d taught me about BDSM. I’d always been a Dominant, but it had taken years of finesse and practice to realize how to effectively utilize my “tools” in the bedroom.
I snickered, closing my eyes and remembering Audrey’s perfectly flushed face as she cried out with the power of her own orgasm. Somehow, I was willing to bet that she’d never felt like that before. But I had a feeling she was going to be experiencing a lot more moments like that, at least if I had anything to do about it.
The sun was coming up as I was sitting at my desk. Hodges, Audrey, hell, even Karen were swirling through my head. I knew that I had to think of a plan, something really diabolical, to unsettle Hodges before he could attack.
“Best defense is a good offense,” I said in a low voice as I pulled up my email. Even though Hodges was smart and powerful, he was careless and egotistical. I knew there had to be something, even just something small, that he’d revealed which I could use against him. The problem was finding it; over the years, he’d sent me thousands of emails. Grinning to myself, I realized that I finally had a plan. I just hoped it would work.
# # #
By the time everyone else was in the office, I was feeling much better about things. I’d gone upstairs to the gym and showered after getting in a quick workout—straining myself early in the morning always made the rest of the day go more quickly. I hadn’t slept, but I felt invigorated and energized all the same.
“Enzo?” Audrey’s voice was low and soft as she stood in the doorway. “You’re here early. Would you like some coffee?” I watched as she licked her lips, taking time and biting down on the delicious pink flesh. “I mean, I’ll go get some for you,” she added. “I know how you always take your coffee in the morning.”
Watching her flit around nervously, I couldn’t help but grin. There was always something interesting about watching a woman behave around me after we’d slept together for the first time. More often than not, she’d be bending over backward trying to please me. But Audrey seemed just as neurotic as usual, maybe with a tad more blushing.
“Great, Audrey,” I called out as I glanced down at my desk. “I have a big project for you when you come back.”
Audrey’s cheeks pinked but she didn’t say anything. I watched as she darted away from my desk, breathless, walking quickly in her horrible orthopedic shoes.
When she returned, Audrey pressed a steaming hot mug of coffee into my waiting hand. After handing it to me, she stood there, shyly crossing her legs at the knee and rocking back and forth. I noticed that aside from how her hair looked more well-brushed than usual, she didn’t look any different. I had to admire that—a lot of girls would show up in practically nothing but lingerie and makeup af
ter sleeping with me. Audrey wouldn’t have thought of that, though, and that made her kind of special.
“What’s the project?” Audrey cleared her throat and looked down at the floor. “Something big?”
I nodded. “Something very important,” I told her seriously, taking her by the wrist and pulling her over to the small round table in the corner of my office. “I need you go through these emails from Hodges. They’re a few years old but pay really close attention. I want you to see if anything seems off.”
Audrey cocked her head to the side, like a dog whose master just suggested a walk. “What do you mean off?”
I sighed. “It’s a little hard to explain. Hodges screwed me years ago, with promises of investing in a consulting firm that was cheaper than most. I fell for it because I was desperate and greedy, and I wound up almost losing everything.”
Audrey blinked at me. Her blue eyes seemed wide with fear and mistrust. “But why would he do that?”
I ran a hand through my hair. It was still damp from the hurried gym shower. “Because he wants to ruin me,” I said simply. “And he’s out trying to do it again now. But we have to outsmart him. I have to find a way to demonstrate that he knew he was getting me into some bad business decisions. Have you ever heard of a pyramid scheme?”
Audrey licked her lips, and a sharp pang of desire shot through my body. “Um, I think so. Like those Tupperware parties?”
I laughed, throwing back my head. “Not exactly. More like the kind of thing where investors are promised rewards simply for buying into the program, not because of any actual revenue they were going to bring in.”
Audrey nodded. “Oh.” I could tell that she didn’t exactly understand, but it was actually kind of cute.
“So go through these,” I said as I put my hand on her shoulder and guided her towards the stacks of papers. “Keep an eye out for anything that looks unusual. I’m sorry I don’t have any more suggestions, but I think you’re smart enough to pick up on something weird.”
Audrey nodded. She looked confused and aroused, and part of me was tempted to pull her towards me and kiss her roughly. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll go through these. Thanks, Enzo.”
I watched as she sat down hard on the chair and began swinging her shapely legs back and forth. Today, she was clad in a baggy jumper with a turtleneck underneath and thick loose leggings over her orthopedic shoes. Despite the horrible outfit, I couldn’t look at her without feeling my cock twitch in my pants.
I shrugged, feeling helpless. “Just look for anything that seems weird, or strange, or make a note if he repeats himself. Does that make sense?”
Audrey nodded again. She still looked confused, but just as willing to help as ever. “I’ve got it. Thanks.”
Chapter Thirteen
Audrey
After Enzo left my place last night, I could barely focus on what had happened. I kept wanting to pinch myself—it all seemed like a dream, like a really incredible, unbelievable dream. He’d actually been here, inside, with me! We’d had sex! It had been amazing. I couldn’t think about what we’d done without feeling blood rush to my face and my nipples tingle with arousal. I never imagined that I’d be the kind of woman someone like Enzo would want, but if last night had proved anything, our chemistry was undeniable.
When he’d gone, I put some water on to boil for tea and wrapped up in cozy sweatpants. Amazingly, Pepper was very well-behaved: she showed absolutely no sign of being upset with me. I’d have thought she would have spent all of her time growling at Enzo, but she’d stayed in the living room the whole time we were in bed.
I blushed and bit my lip as I waited for the water to boil. My body felt different, older somehow, and I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. Enzo’s words kept playing out in my head. How he’d made me call him ‘sir’, how he’d looked at me with an intense, lusty fire in his gray eyes. I’d never seen that side of him before.
When I’d first met Enzo, everything about him seemed so carefully controlled. Even though I’d caught him sleeping with Karen on the first day, it had seemed… well, different from how Enzo had acted with me. When we’d been together, it had seemed like we were alone in the universe. When he was fucking Karen over his desk, though, it almost seemed like he was showing off.
I shuddered as the water began to boil, dropped in a bag of green tea, and took a deep breath. What was going to happen now? Was I going to lose my job? Was Enzo going to get bored with me and find another woman to sleep with?
Part of me wished now that I’d spent more time in college trying to make female friends. Growing up, it hadn’t exactly felt fair—all girls in school cared about was whether or not you were wearing the latest trends. Everyone, at least everyone who cared about me, told me that everything would change in college. I’d pinned all my hopes on that mantra. Hell, I’d even scribbled it in dry-erase marker on the mirror in my family’s tiny, grubby bathroom.
But it hadn’t felt true, at least not at first. In retrospect, I’d been expecting too much to happen overnight. In college, I wasn’t instantly popular or beautiful or more well-liked. If anything, at first, I felt more invisible than ever. My crush on Peter had given me something to obsess over, but I kept waiting in vain for the pack of girlfriends that would never come.
“Your roommate is probably going to be your new best friend,” Mom had warned me as I was packing the small trunk full of my belongings. “Don’t tell her too much about our family.” Mom had crossed her arms over her chest, almost afraid.
I remembered laughing in response. “Yeah, right, Mom, she’s not gonna wanna be friends with me.”
Sadly, I’d been more correct than my mother. My roommate was a girl named Melissa and very unhappy with me. She’d been blonde and tan and gorgeous, with a wardrobe full of Lilly Pulitzer and monogrammed everything, and definitely wasn’t on scholarship. I’d tried being nice to her, then leaving her alone. But every new thing I did seemed to disgust her more than the last.
Suddenly, Pepper barked and growled, startling me out of my reverie. She padded over to me and whined, butting at my thigh with her big, blocky head.
“I know, girl,” I said, leaning down to rub her ears. As I moved, a gust of warm air came out of my collar, and Enzo’s scent mingled with mine once again. My cheeks flushed, and my skin seemed to tingle, like he was right back in the room with me.
Pepper whined, leaning against me and sliding down to the floor on her belly.
“I wish I had other girlfriends,” I mused out loud as I rubbed her soft head. “I wish I had someone to talk about Enzo with.” I swallowed hard. “I have no idea what I’m doing here, Pep. What if he hates me? What if he never wants to see me again?” Tears came to my eyes, and I brushed them away with one hand. “If he liked me, don’t you think he would have stayed? Isn’t that what men are supposed to do if they like you a lot? They only leave if they don’t want to sleep with you, right?”
Pepper made an uneasy sound in her throat and closed her eyes. I got the feeling she was sick of hearing so much about Enzo, but I couldn’t stop talking about him. He was magical to me—even the mere mention of his name sent my heart fluttering around in my chest like a bird on steroids.
“I’m sorry, girl, I know you’re sick of hearing that name,” I murmured as I took a sip of my green tea. It was spicy and piquant, and comforting. I loved the taste of green tea, even though I’d once hated it. Carl had given me a big box for Christmas last year, and now the taste was something familiar and homey, almost like spending time with him. “I can’t stop thinking about him though,” I muttered as I lowered myself into a rickety kitchen chair with my steaming mug of tea. “He’s incredible.”
Pepper whined and burrowed her face underneath her front paws. She rolled around on her back, sticking her legs up in the air and gazing at my face.
“I bet someone wants a belly rub,” I said affectionately as I reached over and rubbed my hand through her short, greasy fur. “And maybe a ba
th this weekend! You stink, Pep.”
Pepper barked once more.
“I know, I know, you’re not crazy about baths.” I leaned down and nuzzled her. “And I’m not crazy about talking about Enzo all the time, but here we are.”
Pepper growled and got to her feet, sauntering off towards the living room.
I stared into my mug of tea, wondering just how lost I was.
In the morning, I didn’t exactly feel better about my situation. I tugged on the first thing that my hand hit in the dresser. Some girls may have changed the way they looked after sleeping with someone like Enzo, but I didn’t want him to think that I was becoming obsessed with him.
Except you are becoming obsessed with him, a little voice said in the back of my head. You’re totally obsessed with him, and you know there’s no going back from this point on.
Rolling my eyes, I tugged on my bright pink parka and snow boots. It had snowed again overnight, and the sidewalks were an icy, slushy mess. I shivered inside my coat, wrapping my arms around myself as I walked to the “L” station. I hated winters in Chicago, and part of me wondered why I hadn’t looked for a job in Florida after graduating from college. But I knew the real reason without having to even question myself: because I couldn’t have left my parents.
