Chapter Twelve
I Don’t Just Deal
I was running late, something I completely detested. Madison had called me that morning and asked me to make a last minute stop to Grant’s with a package from his office. I found the request a bit odd and maybe a tad bit sketchy considering the fact that she called me from the office phone, which meant she was working today. When I questioned her on it, she said she was leaving early to head to her sister’s house in Connecticut and didn’t have time. Figuring that was a legitimate reason, I agreed to make the delivery for her.
When I picked the box up from his office, it felt like I was on a stealth mission trying to avoid Grant. If it was all a set up to get me into his office, then I wanted to come out on top. Thankfully, the bitch at the front desk had what I needed seeing as how I couldn’t go back to his office since ‘Mr. Morgan was out of the office until after the holiday.’ I really hated her.
I said a hello to the doorman that was filling in for Sal during the long Thanksgiving weekend and headed up the elevator. My foot tapped, and I glanced at my watch while the car felt like it was moving as slow as molasses.
God, I hated being late.
If I didn’t hurry, I wasn’t going to make the train to my mother’s, and I’d miss her surprise birthday dinner at her best friend’s house. It was her sixtieth birthday, and I didn’t want to not be there. It was bad enough my dad wouldn’t get to see it.
Assuming Grant wasn’t home, seeing as how he couldn’t get the package himself, I unlocked the door and raced into the living area to drop it in my customary location in the kitchen. I skidded to a halt though when I saw him leaning against the wall outside the kitchen with his arms and legs crossed, like he was waiting for me. And damn it all to hell, the man looked sinfully good.
“Shit, you scared me!” I yelled, and my hand flew to my chest in an attempt to steady its beat.
“I see that.”
“Madison led me to believe you wouldn’t be here.”
“She did,” he stated rather than asked. I raised my eyebrow and put my hand on my hip while the other held his package.
“You knew I was coming?” I asked with a voice more level than I thought possible at the moment.
He nodded. “I did. I’m the one who asked her to get you here. You’ve been avoiding me, Elizabeth. Desperate times and all that.” He shrugged his broad shoulder and pushed off the wall. I took him in as he stalked toward me. He was wearing lounge pants and a tight white t-shirt. His feet were bare and they were as f*cking hot as Hades in July. Was there anything about this man that was ugly?
“You… You tricked me here?” I whispered, unable to move when he pulled me in his arms and pressed my body to his.
“I did. I can’t stop thinking about you, Elizabeth.”
Ditto, I thought.
“I felt we were due for some time,” he said with a seductive and mischievous grin.
“Some time to what?” My heart fluttered as his head dipped and his lips trailed up to my ear, leaving soft kisses in their wake.
“Some time to explore this connection between us. You come alive for me in the bedroom. It’s exhilarating to watch. I almost come myself when I see how turned on you get. I can’t get enough of you.”
“I don’t want that, Grant. I told you that I don’t sleep around, especially not with clients.” My words were meant to be convincing, but that was belied by the fact that my body sagged into his. I felt him hardening against me, and my body responded in kind.
“So, we’re still on about that, huh? What if I told you I could easily remedy that by firing you? Would you let me take you then?” He nibbled on my earlobe. I tilted my head to the side to offer him more access, but then his words washed over me like a bucket of ice water.
He couldn’t do that. I needed this job. He paid more per hour than any of my other clients, and his tasks were generally the easiest. When Madison told me what he was willing to pay for my services, I jumped on it. There was no way I was going to let him think I charged less.
“No!” I shouted and pushed out of his arms. I set the package on the table and turned back to him with what I hoped was a determined expression on my face. “You will not fire me and we will not sleep together again, so stop asking already. It’s getting to be a bit creepy.” I knew I was doing an about face and was sending mixed signals, but this needed to stop if I was going to keep my sanity.
He flinched at my lie and I knew that meant I was making progress. “You’re a lawyer. You know I could get a restraining order. Please don’t make me stoop to that level. I’m not judging you for the life you choose to live, but I will not allow you to use me just for sexual gratification. Go find yourself some other floozy to take care of your problem.” I gestured towards the erection that was now protruding out of his loose pants.
“Fine,” he sighed in frustration and ran his hands through his hair. “You’re going to be the death of me. I wish you would stop finding reasons to push me away. I showed myself to you that night at the Waldorf, Elizabeth. Do you really believe I’m this womanizing bastard? Do you really believe I would do that to you? And can you honestly say that you think I do that with every woman I’m linked to?”
“I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is I have a lot on my plate and this isn’t making my life any easier. Please,” I begged. “Stop making up sham errands for me to run. I’m probably going to miss my mother’s entrance at her surprise party now that I came here. So if you don’t mind, I’m just going to go. Have a nice Thanksgiving, Grant.”
I turned to leave, but his hand on my arm stopped me. I looked up into his face. He looked sheepish at the announcement that his selfish behavior was costing me something important. “Take my car,” he said softly while he stared into my eyes.
“Are you nuts? I couldn’t take your car to Poughkeepsie.” His new shiny, black Mercedes SLS convertible was his baby. It sat under a blanket in the underground garage. I know he purchased it right before I started, but I’ve never known him to drive it.
“You can and you will. You’ll make it there in time if you don’t have to wait for a train and sit through stops.” He reasoned with me. His body moved an inch closer to mine, and his scent began to invade my space again.
“What if something happens to it? I could never pay you back.”
“That’s nothing you have to worry about. Just take it. Please. I’ll worry about you if you don’t. It will be really hard for me not to stalk you if you force me to worry.” He walked over to the cabinet on the wall that housed his keys, and he handed me a set. His fingers closed over mine and squeezed. “If you don’t take the car, I’ll have to drive you myself.”
My heart flipped at this devilish grin, but there was no way I was taking him up on that particular offer.
“Okay,” I said and pulled my hand with the key away from his.
“Happy Thanksgiving. I’m sorry I made you late. That truly wasn’t what I wanted.” He seemed so sincere and contrite that my heart skipped for a brief moment. He really was sweet when he did stuff like this, and it made it hard for me to stay mad at him.
“Thank you.” I went up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “I’ll be back on Sunday. Is that okay?”
“Yes. Now go. And drive careful, beautiful.”
“Okay. Thank you again.” I smiled and rushed to the door. I hated to admit it, but I was pretty damn excited to be driving his car.
?????
“That was awfully nice of your client to let you take his extremely expensive car,” my mother noted as I downshifted the Mercedes and it purred like the sexy kitten it was. The only thing that would top this moment was if it were warm enough to put the top down and feel the wind in my hair.
“It was his fault I was running late, Mother.” I sighed, knowing this wasn’t going to end anytime soon.
We were on our way to her friend Nancy’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. Nancy lived in a nearby town called New Paltz. It wasn’t a terribly long drive, but it sure as hell felt that way seeing as how I had to sit through Gail Ward’s Inquisition as I liked to call it.
“Yes, but it’s not every day a man lets a woman he barely knows drive a car that has to cost six figures easily.”
“Trust me. He can afford it,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Okay, dear. If you want to keep lying to me and yourself, feel free. Just know a big, fat ‘I told you so’ will be waiting when you finally fess up.”
“God, Mother. You drive me insane. For the last time there is nothing going on between Grant and me.”
“Oh, so his name is Grant.” She practically rubbed her hands together in excitement after my slip up. “And this Grant is the same one who sent a car service for you when I was sick?”
“Yes, Mother.” I sighed heavily this time, hoping she would clue in that I really didn’t want to talk about this.
“Fascinating,” was all she murmured after that. And that frightened me. Whenever she let go of something so easily, it usually meant she was up to something.
“I promise you. There is nothing going on with us. Can we please not talk about my job? I’d like to enjoy a nice, quiet, stress free weekend with you.” My voice pleaded with her. I could feel my blood pressuring rising every second that this conversation continued.
“Yes, dear. I’m sorry I upset you. I’m just going to say one last thing and then I’ll leave it alone. You are a very beautiful woman. And I’m not just saying that because I have to. I’m saying it because it’s true. You deserve nothing but the best. Your father and I always hoped you would find someone who would take care of you and cherish the fact that he, or she, had found a rare, precious gem when they found you. If this Grant person is that man, then I’m happy for you. I know your father would be too.”
Tears filled my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to beat them back. That was probably the sweetest thing my mother had ever said to me.
True to her word, she didn’t mention Grant or the car the rest of the time I was home. Well, except for when Nancy oohed and ahhed over it.
“Who’s car is this?” Nancy asked.
“Oh, it’s just Elizabeth’s nice, new man.” My mother bragged like I won the lottery by taking up with Grant.
“Not my man, Mother,” I corrected her through clenched teeth. And fists.
Ignoring me as she usually does, she just waved me off like I was crazy and went on to extol the virtues of both the car and its owner.
Mothers.
?????
When I returned the car to its parking spot on Sunday night, I was more than a little disappointed to discover Grant wasn’t home for me to gush over the car to him or to thank him again. Part of me had hoped that he would have been waiting for me since I had told him when I’d be back after I texted him to let him know I arrived safely. It was just as well, though. We needed to keep our distance. It was for the best. But that didn’t mean it didn’t suck big hairy moose balls either.
?????
“I’m sorry you didn’t get to go home for Christmas,” I said around a mouth full of pizza.
Maya and I were supposed to go to her parents, but a major snowstorm hit the Northeast, and we were stuck in Manhattan. We were lucky we even got pizza delivered seeing as how the roads were so shitty and all the public transportation had shut down. Thank God we’ve been known to flirt with Rocco, the delivery guy from our favorite pizza place. He was more than happy to make a special trip for us.
“I know, but what are you going to do. At least I get to spend Christmas with you. It would have really sucked if I was snowed in by myself.”
“True story.”
My mom’s friends all pitched in to pay for her to go on a cruise with them for her birthday present. Of course, none of them have children and are either spinsters or widowed so they booked the trip for Christmas week. I’m happy for my mom to get to enjoy herself and have some fun in the sun, but if it weren’t for Maya I would have been all alone tomorrow.
“So did I tell you that I happened to walk in on Paul McKinley in the shower last week?”
“What? No!” I breathed and bounced up and down in front of the fireplace eager for details. We hadn’t had a storytime since before Thanksgiving. We were long overdue.
“Oh yes. And when I say that I mean… Oh yes, yes, yes! He was hung.” She had her hands up to her chest in a prayer position as she relived her encounter with him.
“How the hell did you manage that?” I took a sip of my wine and sat back in anticipation.
“I had my iPod on while I was putting his laundry away, so I didn’t hear the water running. I went to go put the clean towels in the linen closet in his bathroom and there he was. In all his glory. I think I fell in love. Not only is his face beautiful and his body killer, but his cock is… God I can’t even describe it. It was the best one I’ve ever seen. And it rose to attention when he saw me standing like an idiot in front him. That just made me fall even harder. So… I was wondering. Can I pawn Paul off on you so I can go on a date with him when he comes back from Aspen?”
I choked on my pizza when she asked that. Maya pounded on my back as I spit and sputtered. “You’re serious?” I asked once I could finally breathe again.
“Deadly,” she replied, looking nervous that I would say no.
If she had just told me she was going out with him instead of no longer working for him, I might have had a problem with it, but Maya knew how I felt about that, and she was respecting my wishes, so I could hardly punish her for my hangups.
Besides, Maya deserved happiness and if Paul wanted to date her, then she deserved it.
“Sure. We’ll rearrange a few things after New Year’s.”
“Thanks, E. You’re the best!”
I grabbed her hand. “Anything for you.”
“Okay so now that that is out of the way. What do you got for me?”
“Hmmm… let’s see. Oh, I know. It’s not as good as yours, but Mrs. Moyer had the nerve to call me yesterday and demand that I find servers for her Christmas Eve dinner. Who the hell waits until the day before the holiday dinner to worry about servers? I was running around like a crazy person all over the city for my other clients while calling all the wait staff temp companies I had on speed dial. And that was after she made me run around looking for gifts for whom, she wasn’t sure and decorations that she didn’t know what they were either. I had to make four return trips to the store before she was finally happy. Happy F*cking Holidays,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“What a moron.” Maya stretched out on the rug and propped her head in her hand.
“Tell me about it. Thank God I charge hourly. Oh, and Tom Callahan opted not to give me a Christmas bonus this year, even after I gave him a hundred dollar bottle of champagne. He had the nerve to send his manager out to get the gift when I delivered it the other day. He didn’t even come out himself to thank me. This is the second year he has stiffed me. F*ck if he’s going to get a gift next year.”
“Shit. I hate when actors get so full of themselves that they forget about the people who were there for them along the way. He’s been your client for years. And he just had a blockbuster hit. He can afford to give you a bonus.”
I knew she was right, and I agreed with her whole statement. Sometimes I wondered why I wasted so much time and energy on people that could honestly give two shits.
“Oh, and I was talking to the concierge at the Jensen’s building the other day. You know that famous model that lives a few floors above Ed and Pamela?” When she nodded, I pressed on with my story. “Well, apparently she was found by her maid completely passed out. Drug overdose. And the craziest part was, she was in the middle of having sex with another woman when it happened. Apparently, the rumors about her and Bill Preston are just that… rumors. She has a secret woman on the side.”
“How the hell did they keep that out of the papers?” Maya gasped.
“Money, my dear. Money can solve just about any problem.” I downed the rest of my wine and got up to get another bottle from the kitchen.
“Hey, E?” Maya called out. “I have something to tell you, but I’m not sure if I should.”
My stomach dipped as I watched her chew on her lip nervously. Whatever she had to say couldn’t be that good if Maya was scared to tell me.
“What is it?” I pressed when she didn’t continue.
“Well… see… I kind of saw Grant Morgan leaving a woman’s place the other morning. It was like seven o’clock in the morning and I was going for my run in Central Park. I just happened to see her kiss his cheek right before he got in a car and drove away.”
And with that, my stomach bottomed out, and I wanted to vomit. So much for him not being able to get me out of his head just a month ago. Sounded to me like he had no problem moving on at all.
“Good for him.” I tried to sound chipper, but I was anything but. Not showing how gutted the fact that he had moved on made me, cost me. But I did it, because I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of ruining my Christmas.
“I’m sorry, E. I really thought he cared about you. Men can be such slimes.” Her voice held conviction, and her eyes were focused past my shoulder like she was thinking of something else altogether.
“It’s fine,” I brushed her concern off. “I told Grant to leave me alone. And he has. So nothing to be upset about.”
Even though I hadn’t seen Grant except once in passing, I still held out hope that he wouldn’t listen to me. I wanted him to continue harassing me, even if I didn’t plan on giving in. That probably made me a selfish cow.
“Now back to Paul’s penis. I want a full description. And did he ask you on a date while standing there buck ass naked and aroused? I want deets bitch.” I changed the subject and let Maya run with her excitement over her potential new relationship.
What I didn’t do was ask what the woman looked like, even though it was killing me to not know. And I refused to dwell on the fact that up until that point I had missed the hell out of Grant and even considered calling him on Christmas. Every time I looked at my tree I felt an overwhelming urge to lay in front of the twinkling lights and the fireplace and make love to him.
Too bad Grant didn’t feel the same way.
?????
Looking around the room, I felt like patting myself on the back for a job well done. Maya and I spent hours transforming my client–Travis Hamilton’s – Park Avenue penthouse from modern and drab, to funky and fab. There were hundreds of black and gold balloons bouncing along the ceiling with their strings hanging around everyone’s heads. At the stroke of midnight, confetti would magically drop from the sky and shower everyone as they celebrate. Expense was no option on this one – from the decorations to the band to the catering. I spent thousands and thousands of dollars on caviar and champagne alone, and that didn’t even include the top shelf open bar Travis insisted on. I guess you could do that sort of thing when you’re born with a trust fund and made six figures each year working on Wall Street.
I usually adored New Year’s Eve parties. I’ve been known to let loose every now and again and surprise everyone. Given enough drinks, I’d give even the craziest person in the room a run for their money at being the life of the party. I just wasn’t sure how I felt about being the driving force behind making sure this party went off without a hitch. The success of this shindig could secure me new clients, though. And I desperately needed job security right now.
A glance at the clock told me there was fifteen more minutes until midnight. Fifteen more minutes until I had to watch all the party goers ring in the New Year. They’d shout and kiss and hug. They’d toast to the start of a new beginning, filled with resolutions and promises. Many of which would end up broken, but each one would start off with the best of intentions. And I’d be here lonely and alone.
I ran my hands down my black, sequined dress and watched as the catering staff efficiently handed out champagne to everyone before the stroke of midnight. Just as it had been all night, I felt like my every move was being avidly watched. It sent a shiver down my spine.
A fingertip traced up my arm and a small thrill shot through me, hoping it was Grant. I’d been forced to watch him with some blonde bimbo all night. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t secretly hope he’d leave her to follow me around. I was well aware it was me who told him the one time could never be repeated, but I wasn’t envisioning how it would feel to have another woman rubbed in my face for a whole evening.
I was quite shocked that he was even here. Last I heard he was out of town since Christmas on some big case.
Turning my head, I saw Travis’ gorgeous, masculine face enter my line of vision, as his hand moved to rest on my hip. I wondered how much he’d had to drink. Other than when Travis asked me on a date a couple of years ago, he had never acted inappropriately with me. There was no mistaking the fact that he was well into my personal space right now, though.
“You’ve outdone yourself, Lizzie,” Travis whispered against my neck. The little hairs on my body stood at attention with the feel of his warm breath caressing my skin. My eyes briefly closed, liking the sound of that nickname on his tongue. I usually hated being called Lizzie because it made me feel too young, but the way Travis just said it, made it feel sexy and intimate.
“Thank you,” I whispered back, caught up in his unusually dark, indigo eyes. Those eyes paired with his Adonis looks, had many a woman caught up in his magnetism. Unlike Grant, Travis didn’t mind long-term relationships. His last girlfriend lasted well over a year and only ended because she moved to Milan.
“What do you say we ring in the New Year together? I’m not with anyone. You’re not with anyone…”
I bit my lip at his proposal. For as much as I was intrigued by the idea of getting to taste Travis Hamilton, he was friends with Grant, and I’d already broken my rule of keeping my personal life separate from my business life.
And look how well that turned out.
My eyes moved over the crowd and stopped when I spotted Grant with his arms around his date’s slender waist. She nuzzled his neck and ran her hands up his chest. I quickly looked away and tried to figure a way out of all of this. I felt like I was caught between a rock and a hard place. This back and forth in my head was making me dizzy. Did I want Grant? Did I want to kiss Travis?
Gah! This wasn’t like me!
All too quickly, the crowd began to loudly countdown to the ball dropping. Caught off guard due to my internal struggle, Travis spun me around to face him, tightening his hold on my hips.
Five, four, three, two, one…
All I could do was stare as his head started to lower, and his mouth moved with each number. When he hit one, his mouth crashed onto mine. His lips were soft, yet firm and so very, very warm as he slanted his head and took the kiss deeper. Of their own accord, my arms wrapped around his neck and held on tightly as he made me weak in the knees.
This man could kiss.
His tongue swept inside my mouth and brushed erotically against mine, sending shivers throughout my whole body. My back arched, fitting my chest tighter to his. My nipples were now hard points, aching to be touched. I couldn’t believe I was this turned on by a simple kiss.
Travis pulled back and panted against my lips before lightly brushing my mouth with his. It was a struggle to compose myself. Everything inside me said this was wrong. But at the same time, I was thankful that I wasn’t stuck on the sidelines, watching as everyone else played tonsil hockey.
Don’t you mean Grant and his hussy?
I take a step back from Travis and straightened my dress. I turned and looked to where Grant last was, but he was gone. My heart sunk a little knowing he might have left. I was sure he’d rather be alone with his date, seeing as how her legs went up to her throat. I would bet that he was dying to be between them.
With a shake of my head, I look back to Travis, who had a glazed over look in his eyes. I couldn’t tell if it was lust, alcohol, or a mixture of both causing that look.
“Travis, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let that happen. You’re my client and well, I just shouldn’t have let that happen.”
“I’m not sorry. Lizzie, I’m not looking for a relationship. I just wanted to have some fun. You were here, you were single.” He shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. “It’s no big deal. You don’t have to quit or anything.”
I gave a little laugh to conceal my rising alarm. The magnitude of what I had just done started to weigh on me. Travis must have sensed my panic, because he placed a hand on my arm and reassured me that there were no hard feelings. “Seriously, Lizzie. It was one kiss. Forget it even happened.”
I started to feel like an idiot for beginning to overreact. Travis and I were friends. A kiss shared between friends wasn’t going to ruin anything.
I blamed Grant for all of this. If he hadn’t come back to my apartment and tempted me into a sex-a-thon, I wouldn’t be such a mess right now.
“Thanks. I just… you know the rule,” I give him a smirk and decide it was time to get the hell out of there. “I need to check on things. Thanks for being so understanding, Travis.”
He gave me a heart stopping grin before I turned and made a dash for the master bathroom. None of the guests were allowed back there, so I knew I’d be safe having my mental breakdown in there.
Looking in the mirror, I was shocked by how that one kiss f*cked up my appearance so badly. There were strands of hair escaping the knot in the back of my head and my lipstick was worn off, leaving weird splotches on my mouth.
I smoothed my hair back and reapplied lipstick from the purse that I had strategically placed in the bathroom earlier today. Staring back at my reflection, I gave myself a long overdue lecture.
Elizabeth Ann Ward, what you need is to forget all about your one weekend full of mind-blowing sex with Grant f*cking Morgan and take control of your life again. Stop fantasizing. Stop reliving. Stop obsessing. And for God’s sake, stop giving him so much control over you. Oh, and stop kissing clients!
Once I had thoroughly chastised myself, I squared my shoulders and headed out into Travis’ bedroom. I needed to make another sweep of the party and ensure everyone’s needs were being met. This night couldn’t be over soon enough. My feet ached, my back was sore and I felt exhausted.
The room was dark except for the light streaming in from the open bathroom door. When fingers wrapped tightly around my arm and my back pressed into the wall, I let out a little shriek. A hard body leaned into me, and the hands around my arms slid down and pinned my hands at my sides.
“Do you enjoy kissing my friends in front of me, Elizabeth?” Grant’s silky voice reverberated in my ear.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He kissed me, not the other way around,” I argued weakly.
“Oh, yes. You looked seriously hard pressed when he shoved his tongue down your throat,” he replied dryly. An undercurrent of anger laced his words.
“What do you care? You’re here with a date. Can you honestly tell me you haven’t kissed her?”
His silence was all the answer I needed. “That’s what I thought. We aren’t anything to each other besides employer and employee. I can kiss whomever I want to and you just have to deal.”
“What you’ve seemed to have forgotten is that I don’t just ‘deal’ with circumstances. Never have and never will. I’m through playing things your way, Elizabeth. I don’t care about your absurd rule. Clearly you don’t either, since I saw you kissing another client,” he said under his breath, and I could have kicked myself for that mistake. “If I want to kiss you, I damn well will. If I want to f*ck you, I’ll do that too. And if you even think about telling me it’s a mistake again, I’ll gag you.”
My eyes widened at his forcefulness. Grant had never taken that tone with me during his earlier pursuit. The image of me tied to his bed and gagged flashed in my brain, and a throb started between my legs. I sagged against the wall and tried to steady my now racing heartbeat.
“You like that don’t you? You like being treated like a naughty girl…” His voice trailed off as his hand slid under my dress and swept across the front of my now damp panties. A hum of approval came from the back of his throat as he pressed his fingers in and put pressure on my *.
“Don’t you see? You were made for my pleasure. Why do you keep fighting it?”
His fingers continued working magic between my legs, bringing me close to the edge. I started to pray to all that’s holy that he pushed me off soon and gave me the release I craved. And then suddenly my prayers were answered when he slipped his fingers beneath my panties and pushed them inside me, rubbing against the perfect spot. My muscles seized, and a low moan escaped me as I rode the wave of pleasure that only Grant could provide me.
His fingers gently eased in and out of me, before petting my tender flesh and bringing me down from my high. Once the tremors had subsided, I leaned back against the wall and watched Grant lick my juices from his fingers. The sight caused another delicious spasm in my core.
“Until we meet again my dear, sweet Elizabeth.” Grant pressed a kiss to my nose and then he exited the room, leaving me to wonder what the hell I was going to do now.