Chapter Five
Amy got in the car with Lucas, immediately becoming engulfed by his scent. Why did the guy have to smell so good? She could feel a fluttering in her stomach. How could she want to be with the man after the things he’d done? She was trying not to see the good things about him because it was so much harder to maintain her distance when she let down her guard.
They rode in silence for a while before he suddenly pulled into a parking lot. This wasn’t the car dealership. What was he doing? Maybe he was going to drop her somewhere and hope she got abducted.
“We’re going shopping first. That way the things can be delivered and the crew can finish up your apartment,” he said in explanation. He didn’t wait for her to answer. He stepped out of the vehicle and came around to her door and opened it. When he did those small things, like treat her as a lady it made her see the more human side of him, making it harder for her to resist his charm. She would rather he acted cold so she could justify her own distance.
She got out of the vehicle and walked next to him into the vast store. “I really don’t need any decorations. I’m sure the apartment is fine as it is,” she tried to tell him. She wasn’t comfortable with all the things she was receiving. It felt far too much like assistance.
“One of the perks is to get the place furnished. Let’s get this done,” he stated in a voice that said deal with it, it’s going to happen.
She soon found it was much easier to go along with him than to argue. He took her through each department, asking her preference on colors and styles. As they continued on he seemed to be enjoying himself.
When they were finished in the store Lucas made arrangements for the items to be delivered to her apartment immediately. “We’re ahead of schedule Amy. It looks like you may be able to move into your place tonight,” he said as they exited the store. “I’m hungry. Let’s go get lunch.
The car lot may take a while,” he commanded.
He didn’t ask if she was hungry. He didn’t ask if she wanted to share a meal with him. He simply stated she would go to lunch with him and that’s what would happen. If she hadn’t been so hungry she would’ve refused to eat just to prove a point but she knew he wouldn’t even notice and then she was the one who’d be suffering the rest of the day.
They ate their meal in awkward silence until; thankfully he received a phone call, which occupied him for the rest of the time. She was relieved, as she didn’t want to try and make small talk. The pressure from the day was beginning to settle on her shoulders and she was looking forward to having some time to relax on her own.
They headed over to the car lot after lunch. She’d never owned a car before. She’d never even priced one. She knew she would get one after college but she hadn’t had the money yet. She’d taken a few drivers training courses while in college so she knew how to drive but wasn’t real comfortable behind the wheel.
She didn’t want Lucas to know of her insecurity about it though so she decided to suck it up and brave the situation. “Do you want a manual or automatic?” was the first question he asked her.
“I would prefer an automatic.”
“If you want my opinion I think you should go with the Mercedes ML450 Hybrid SUV. I’ve done some research the last few days and it’s highly rated in safety. It gets great gas mileage and is recommended on the consumer reports,” he offered, sounding like a cars salesman.
“I really don’t know anything about cars, Lucas. I wouldn’t know where to begin,” she answered. His head spun around to look at her but she was looking out at the car lot like a lost child so she didn’t notice. It was the first time she’d ever used his first name. He found that he liked the sound of it on her lips.
He knew she didn’t realize what she’d said. In her nervousness at being there she’d temporarily let her guard down. He liked that side of her. This Amy, minus the armor, seemed much sweeter and more innocent and he wanted to wrap her in his arms. He wanted to protect her. He was finding he wanted to be with her, more than as just an employer. He liked that she wasn’t jaded to the world. He found her refreshing and was finding it harder and harder to believe she could be a manipulative woman with an ulterior motive like so many others. There was no way a woman could act that well. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her again.
He stopped himself, barely. He was in no way ready to open his heart to anyone. He would remain in control of himself and he would be able to forget about what they’d done the night before. Neither of them needed to enter into some affair that would end with her losing a job and him with regrets. He would figure things out when he had more time to think.
“Well, if you don’t know much about cars then I hope you’ll take my advice but the choice is yours. You’ll be the one driving the vehicle,” he simply stated.
Lucas walked her into the building and skirted around the salesmen, heading straight to the manager’s office. “Lucas, it’s good to see you again. You’re early but I’ve already pulled out the car you asked for,” said the gentleman behind the desk, who had a genuine smile and stood to shake hands with both of them.
“Thanks Frank, I appreciate it.” Lucas was already turning to lead Amy back through the showroom and out the side doors.
They walked out the door and sitting there was a beautiful crimson vehicle. Lucas led her over to it and opened the driver’s door for her. She looked up at him with surprise in her eyes. The car was so pretty. She was trying to be practical but it was just so pretty. She would prefer it any day over his expensive Porsche.
Amy felt her eyes start to sting a little and quickly put her head down and took a walk around the vehicle to clear the tears away. She got herself under control and pulled herself into the driver’s seat. Before she started the car, she made sure to locate where everything was.
Suddenly her face broke out into a huge grin and she looked for the ignition. “Where do you turn this on?” she asked, while looking at him with a confused, yet ecstatic expression on her face.
Lucas laughed and explained that it was a push button start.
“One of the new features of the hybrid cars are they run on electricity when you’re traveling at slower speeds. The gas will kick on when it’s needed,” he finished.
She pushed the button and the lights came on but there was no sound. She looked at him again with confusion on her face. “How do you know it’s on if there isn’t any noise?” she asked him, genuinely puzzled.
Lucas couldn’t help himself. He laughed out loud, really enjoying himself. She was just so unlike any other woman he knew. His open laughter at her wiped the smile from her face. She didn’t like being laughed at. “I’m not laughing at you. I just find you to be a breath of fresh air.” He continued chuckling. “Place the car in gear and trust me, it will drive for you,” he said.
“What is this, a space car?” she muttered under her breath. He managed to keep his laughter from bursting out that time and pretended to not hear the comment. They drove around for about an hour. She loved it. It drove like it was on glass. Even once the engine kicked on there was only a purr. It was amazing and she didn’t want to stop. She almost forgot Lucas was even there with her, which was a pretty amazing feat in itself.
“Amy, it looks to me like you love this car. Why don’t we head back to the lot and sign some papers so you can take it home?” he asked her. She looked a little disappointed that the ride would be over but nodded and turned back towards the car dealership. She didn’t want to get out once they got there but reluctantly left the vehicle.
The paperwork only took about twenty minutes since Lucas was a preferred client and they had everything already prepared for him. The lot had to do a final cleanup and check out everything so they told her it would be delivered to her place that night. She was surprised by how disappointed she was she couldn’t drive it right away but she would get to in the morning.
After they pulled out of the lot she figured Lucas would be taking her back to the cottage but he turned in the opposite direction. “I thought we were all done for the day?” she asked.
“We’re done. Your apartment’s ready. I figured you’d want to go home and check it out,” he replied.
“Yes, definitely,” she said with real enthusiasm. They pulled up to a beautiful building. It looked more like a four star hotel than an apartment complex. There was a fountain with a cupid shooting out water in the circular front entryway. It was spectacular looking. They went down inside an underground parking tunnel, where he used a card to enter and then he pulled into a parking spot where a sign had his spot reserved.
“You’ll park here,” he said while pointing out a space near the elevator. He came around the car before she’d even unbuckled. He opened her car door, something she was getting used to. It felt nice to be treated like a lady, even if she knew he would do it for anyone and it didn’t make her special.
They walked into the plush elevator and he pressed the only button available. “This elevator only goes to the lobby. It’s another safety precaution. We take the security of our tenants very seriously.”
The elevator chimed and the doors opened to a huge lobby area that would rival the best hotels in New York. There was a great big desk sitting against the far wall with a security guard eyeing the monitors in front of him. “Good evening Mr. Anderson. You’re in early tonight,” he said before smiling at Amy.
“Hello Fred. How are you doing?”
“Good. Good.” He replied pleasantly.
“Fred, this is our newest tenant, Ms. Harper. She will be living in nineteen-A.” he finished.
“It’s real good to meet you Ms. Harper. I hope you’ll enjoy living here. It’s a great place. I work the evening shifts Tuesday through Saturday but I live here in apartment two-A if you ever need me. I already put a list of numbers in your apartment so don’t feel bad about giving me a call at any time,” he finished.
Amy liked Fred instantly. He seemed to be around fifty years old and had one of those smiles that made you feel safe. She felt extremely secure in the nice building, like the rest of the world couldn’t get to her if she didn’t allow it. She liked the extra security measures in place and she also loved all the beauty.
It really looked far more like a hotel the more she saw. Was Lucas sure it was an apartment complex? “Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour before showing you your place,” Lucas said before turning.
He led her down a hallway to the left. They entered a doorway that had a state of the art gym in it. Lucas then led her through another door where there was a full sized pool. Her mouth almost started watering. Could it be real? She not only got a place, which she didn’t even care if it was the size of a shoe box, because she also got a swimming pool and gym and security.
The next door he led her into had a hot tub and sauna. Lucas was watching her reaction to the things he never even thought about as special anymore. He was used to having things like this at his disposal. Her face lighting up in delight actually humbled him a bit. He noticed she was working hard to control her features but she would never succeed at poker. She just couldn’t hide the pleasure running across her face.
He showed her the private backyard garden that had a couple of benches in it and another fountain. She knew she would spend hours in that garden reading a good book; that is, of course, after her work out and swim.
Finally she lost her ability to maintain her calm and just let herself enjoy the amazing place. She actually spun around in a circle and laughed aloud. She almost grabbed him in her excitement but at the last minute pulled back.
“Um, sorry about that; I tend to get too excited sometimes,” she mumbled and walked back into the building.
“Well, you may want to reserve judgment until you actually see your apartment,” he said, while leading her back into the lobby. He was having a difficult time keeping the smile from his face.
She was contagious in her excitement and he found her a pleasure to be around. He was trying not to like her and it wasn’t working out so well for him.
He pressed the button and stepped inside. She followed him and they rode to the nineteenth floor in silence. They stepped off and she looked around. The hallways were extra wide and had some beautiful paintings hanging on the walls. It seemed like the hallway went on forever. She was surprised by the extreme size of the building.
When she was told it was a corporate apartment complex, she’d just assumed it only had a couple of floors with minimal units there. But from what she was seeing, there must have been at least a hundred.
As they were walking down the long hallway though, she noticed there were hardly any doors.
They came towards the end and he placed a key in the door to the left. Her curiosity got the best of her and she asked him, “There aren’t many doors up here. How many apartments are on each floor?”
“This floor only has two of them. They are bigger than the other units and then there are a couple of conference rooms up here as well,” he replied. “The other floors have quite a few more, but each apartment is spacious. Most of our employees have families and we want them to be comfortable living here,” he finished.
They walked in the door and her breath rushed out before she could stop it. When he said the place was large, he hadn’t been kidding. It was enormous. There was a vast entryway that was tiled in a beautiful soft grey color.
They stepped further into her new living room. The furniture they’d picked out was all arranged, along with a few extra items, such as a large screen television with a bunch of DVD’s on the side. She walked up to them and noticed some romantic comedies.
“Esther said you told her you loved romance stories, so she picked a few movies out she thought you may like,” he said in explanation.
That was such a personal thing to do, it touched her. Lucas stood back and let her wander around the apartment. There were two decent sized rooms with beds and nightstands. The main bathroom was decorated in her new linens, with a few added touches of bath and body washes that came from nice boutiques.
She opened the door at the end of the hall and tears came to her eyes again. It was the master bedroom. There was a huge four poster bed in the middle of the room and it was covered in the purple comforter she’d picked out and had netting tied to each of the posts. It was the kind of bed she’d always dreamed of owning.
She walked over to the bed and jumped into the middle of it and let out a little giggle. She could imagine spending many nights curled up in the bed with a great book. The apartment really was a dream come true for her.
“I don’t know what to say. I’ve never known a company to be so generous. It makes me feel guilty having all this when so many people don’t have even a third of it. What if you guys hate me after a month? What if I’m a complete failure and I can’t do the job after all? This is all so much pressure,” she said, starting to feel panic.
“Amy, we wouldn’t have done this for someone that we didn’t have full confidence in. You will do an amazing job, you already are. You deserve these benefits and not to repeat myself, but we do this for all executive positions,” he finished.
Amy bowed her head. She wasn’t getting any treatment that they didn’t offer others and that actually made her feel better. She didn’t want to stand out. She didn’t want to feel guilty for what they’d given her. She’d never gotten gifts in her life and it was like receiving twenty-five years worth of birthday and Christmas gifts and then some. She would just enjoy it and try not to feel guilty. For now, it was all hers. She was going to enjoy her moment.
Amy walked back into her living room and Lucas was standing with his back to the wall watching her. Here goes, she thought. He didn’t look as if he was planning on leaving anytime soon and she really just wanted to de-stress and enjoy her new place. If things were different she would be able to imagine the two of them snuggling together on the couch, watching one of her romantic comedies, but it would never happen. She needed him to leave so she could breathe again.
She took a deep breath and remained calm. “Well, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do all you did today. This place is amazing. It’s better than I could’ve ever imagined or hoped for, though I really don’t need all the space. If you want to move me into a smaller apartment and save this space for an employee with a family, I’m fine with that.” She was talking quickly so he couldn’t interrupt her.
“I’m not saying I don’t love the place, because I do. It’s seriously more amazing than any place I’ve ever even seen, let alone lived in but it just seems to be such a waste of space for only me,” she continued rattling on.
Without realizing what she was doing, her hand went to her stomach as she said those last words.
The thought she could be pregnant at that moment was terrifying and yet oddly comforting in a weird way.
Lucas knew Amy was rattling on so he wouldn’t have any time to speak. He figured he would let her talk herself out and then get his say in.
When she finally stopped speaking and looked up at him, he stared at her for a moment. He saw her visibly firm her shoulders, while maintaining eye contact. She seemed angry all of the sudden and he couldn’t figure out why.
“I think you should go now, Mr. Anderson. I have a lot to do tonight and I would like to get settled in please,” she said tightly. She stood there across the room from him with her arms crossed, refusing to say any more.
Lucas finally stepped away from the wall and started walking towards her. It reminded her more of a prowl, than a walk. She took an involuntary step back as he got closer. She was furious at herself for showing that little bit of weakness. She decided the best defense was a strong offense.
“Mr. Anderson,” she emphasized his name, “Last night was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened and it will not repeat itself. I’m sorry if you think you deserve it or that I’m going to just roll over on my back in appreciation of all this stuff but I’m not some cheap hooker,” she finished.
As she stopped speaking she was a little bit frightened by the look that came into his eyes. She took another step back without thinking about it. That seemed to make his eyes light up even more with fire. She was really pissing the man off. He must not like to be rejected. Well, he would just have to get used to it with her because she didn’t want him. Well, she did want him but she was certainly going to fight the attraction.
Lucas was more angry than he could ever remember being. He had to stay where he was because he feared that he may strangle her if he got too close. How dare she think he expected her to pay back his company’s generosity with her body! She was the one who was out for the ultimate prize, him! She hadn’t been innocent when she was crying out his name in pleasure. She had wanted him just as badly as he’d wanted her.
He stood there glaring at her for a couple of minutes before he was finally calm enough to speak.
“I told you earlier we had to talk about a few things, which we still need to talk about. But right now, let’s straighten out those comments you just made. I have never paid for sex in any form.
Any woman that I’ve taken to my bed has come willingly, begging for more. Last night you were just as willing to jump into bed with me, as I wanted to be there with you. It took two of us to make love last night and I refuse to take all the blame,” he said in anger.
Amy’s temper was just about equal with Lucas’s as his words continued slashing at her. She reached up to slap his face again, but he caught her hand before it connected. “I told you, I would only let you get away with that once,” he said, smirking down at her.
He then yanked her into his arms and smashed his lips to hers. He was so angry that his kiss was almost bruising in its intensity. He wasn’t gentle as he willed her to surrender to him. He grabbed her hair and yanked her head back so he had easier access.
She fought against him for a few moments and then her body betrayed her and she started kissing him back just as passionately. When he knew that he had her full surrender, he pushed her away from him, though it seemed like the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. Her eyes were glazed over with passion and her anger had turned to need.
They both stood there panting heavily, fighting with their emotions. “Sit down Amy,” he finally said, much calmer. He walked over to the sofa, expecting her to follow him.
As reality started resurfacing, Amy berated herself. She told him she wouldn’t be doing anything with him and then at the touch of his lips all rational thought was erased and she could do nothing but pull him closer to her. She was beginning to realize there was a thin line between love and hate. She wasn’t nearly as antagonistic towards Lucas as she wanted to be.
The more she was around him; the more she noticed the attractive things about him, not just his great looks, which of course were still amazing. What was even more attractive than his looks though, was the way he talked with other employees and was willing to lend a helping hand.
Maybe she’d pre-judged him too soon and that was what had caused them to be so antagonistic towards each other. She knew she’d been giving off a negative attitude from the first day she started. She was willing to make a change. She didn’t want to get involved with him in a relationship but she could respect him as a boss.
She finally figured she may as well get this over with and sat in the chair opposite of him. “So, I’m physically attracted to you. It doesn’t mean anything though; I meant what I said earlier. Last night shouldn’t have happened. It was just a moment of weakness for me. I don’t want to lose my job and I don’t want to have a cheap affair with my boss. We need to remain professional from now on,” she stated, in what she hoped was a professional manner.
He sat there, looking at her like she’d lost her mind. “I agree with you Ms. Harper,” he said, reverting to her last name. “Last night shouldn’t have happened. But we need to deal with the consequences of the night. I forgot to use protection, which is a first for me. I know you were a virgin and therefore were most likely not on birth control,” he finally stated.
“I don’t neglect my responsibilities, so if you’re pregnant I need to know as soon as you do. I won’t have a child of mine raised without me. We would marry immediately. Do you understand?” he finished.
Amy was so stunned by Lucas’s words, she didn’t reply for several heartbeats. She wouldn’t have thought it was something he would even consider. If she’d become pregnant, she would’ve thought he was more likely to ask her to get rid of it. She never would but she knew many men wouldn’t want an unexpected pregnancy. The more she thought about it though; the more it made sense he would do what he considered the right thing; to take care of his child. He came from a very loving family, who would never deny one of their own.
Amy took some deep breaths before speaking to Lucas. She told herself over and over in her head she couldn’t afford to lose her job and if she was pregnant she couldn’t afford for him to know about it. He could easily prove he could take better care of the child. She didn’t need, nor did she want a man in her life. She needed to focus on herself. She’d watched her mother go through more men than anyone could count. She’d also watched those men abuse her mother all the time. Most men couldn’t be trusted.
“Are you going to just sit there and glare at me or are you going to behave like a grown up and talk?” he snapped. He wasn’t going to analyze the fact he was the one who sounded like a pouting child.
“First of all, just because I’m an employee of yours doesn’t give you the right to speak to me the way you are. Second of all, I would never marry you for any reason especially to torture any child of mine,” she said coldly.
“If there’s a child, you damn well…” Lucas began demanding of her again, but she interrupted him.
“If there were a child, it would be mine and mine alone. This isn’t the old days where a woman has to do man’s bidding. But a child isn’t something you have to worry about. I’ve already checked my calendar and there’s nothing to fear.”
“Last night shouldn’t have happened. I’ve been dating a man for about a year now and have been reluctant to take that last step. Since being with you wasn’t too uncomfortable I can now cement our relationship,” she lied to him.
Lucas was stunned by her words. He knew she’d been a virgin. The thought of her with another man sent a physical pain coursing through him that he didn’t understand. She had a boyfriend!
She sure hadn’t mentioned him when she was moaning out his name. He was steaming mad, but maintained an outward calm.
Lucas got a stealthy look on his face and walked slowly up to her. She remained standing there, not backing away again. She would show strength even though she was shaking uncontrollably on the inside.
Without any words Lucas bent down and yanked her head back, moving his face to within an inch of hers. He stayed rooted there until he saw desire return to her eyes. “So last night was just a test run for you and your boyfriend,” he said in a voice so quiet it was far more frightening than if he were yelling. She could feel the coiled power running throughout his arms.
She wasn’t afraid of him hitting her. She was far more afraid he would kiss her again. Her resistance was at an all-time low and if he took her lips again she would end up begging him not to stop. The heat kept pooling in her body in anticipation of just that happening.
“I don’t appreciate being used Ms. Harper, not at all and I really don’t appreciate you lying to my face. Last night may have meant nothing to you but while I was hard and deep inside your body there was no other man on your mind. You were quivering and shaking for me. When you lay with this boyfriend of yours my face will be what you see. But he won’t make you quiver the way I did. You can just think about that,” he pushed her away from him and then walked out of the apartment.
Amy waited until she heard the door shut before she allowed herself to lose her composure. Once she heard the click she slumped where she was and allowed herself to have a good cry.
Why had she let this happen? If she’d only taken her bath later and not been standing there in only a towel. If only she could’ve been able to say no then maybe, just maybe they would be able to be in the same room without snapping at each other or trying to rip each other’s clothing off.
Maybe they could’ve stayed completely professional. Even as she thought it though, she knew it was a fantasy. The fierce attraction was just too strong, even from the first day.
She remained in the same spot for more time than she should’ve, crying and feeling a little bit sorry for herself. She then got up to settle into her place. She wouldn’t let this affect her anymore. She would go to work and then stay far away from him at all times. It was the smart thing to do.
She’d been smart for the first twenty-eight years of her life; she would just have to forgive her one lapse in judgment. Everyone was allowed to make a mistake once in a while.