Upside Down E-Book

Liz Gavin

• Herausgeber: Elessar Books LLC
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

A heart-melting romance you cannot put down with a love triangle that will weaken your knees.
From power player to power games.
Dominant lady – Check!
High stakes – You bet!
Broken hearts – Absolutely!
Happily-ever-after – Yes, please!
In or out of the office, Carol always comes on top, but in affairs of the heart, one should learn to make concessions. Or so she’s heard. Recent tensions in the stock market and frustrations in the bedroom have taken their toll on her. Fantasying about the new cheeky receptionist is the last thing she needs.
Mark is aware he’s been letting Carol down in bed. which might drive her away. Even though a good submissive shouldn’t confront his top, he cannot risk losing her. He has never rebelled against Carol. Until now. He won’t stand idle and let her run away from love.
Since day one at business school, Cindy has followed Carol’s successful career with avid interest. Determined to win the admiration of her role-model, she secured an entry-level position at Horizon Inc. as the new receptionist. Lines soon get crossed and hard limits get blurry. Cindy falls for her boss, despite knowing Carol’s straight. Or is she?
Carol has learned the hard way never to let love spoil things. Finding her heart torn between two lovers is uncharted territory.
One-click this now to find out how this unconventional love story unfolds.
This is a complete story. No cliffhangers.

Leseprobe

Upside Down

Sexy & Sinful

Liz Gavin

Cover Designed byBookin It Cover Designs

Edited bySisters Get Lit.erary Author Services

Elessar Books LLC

Contents

Synopsis

Upside Down

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Epilogue

Thank YOU

About the Author

Also by Liz Gavin

Copyright@2014 by Liz Gavin

All rights reserved, including the right to publish this book or portions thereof (except for reviews, news media reports, brief quotes with attribution, and purposes of promotion of this book or other novels by Liz Gavin) in any form whatsoever.

This book is a work of fiction. All characters in this novel are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The material in this book is for mature audiences only because it contains graphic sexual content and is intended for those over the age of 18 only.

Created with Vellum

Synopsis

A heart-melting romance you cannot put down with a love triangle that will weaken your knees.

From power player to power games.

Dominant lady – Check!

High stakes – You bet!

Broken hearts – Absolutely!

Happily-ever-after – Yes, please!

In or out of the office, Carol always comes on top, but in affairs of the heart, one should learn to make concessions. Or so she’s heard. Recent tensions in the stock market and frustrations in the bedroom have taken their toll on her. Fantasying about the new cheeky receptionist is the last thing she needs.

Mark is aware he’s been letting Carol down in bed. which might drive her away. Even though a good submissive shouldn’t confront his top, he cannot risk losing her. He has never rebelled against Carol. Until now. He won’t stand idle and let her run away from love.

Since day one at business school, Cindy has followed Carol’s successful career with avid interest. Determined to win the admiration of her role-model, she secured an entry-level position at Horizon Inc. as the new receptionist. Lines soon get crossed and hard limits get blurry. Cindy falls for her boss, despite knowing Carol’s straight. Or is she?

Carol has learned the hard way never to let love spoil things. Finding her heart torn between two lovers is uncharted territory.

One-click this now to find out how this unconventional love story unfolds.

This is a complete story. No cliffhangers.

Upside Down

Sexy & Sinful

ChapterOne

It was a hot day in August 2009. One would imagine a life-altering date like that would have been branded to my memory. But I can’t remember the exact day. I tried my best before giving up. The only thing that I recall to this day is that it was sweltering hot, and I couldn’t sleep. I tried to find a cool spot on the bed and eventually gave up. I shut my eyelids tight hoping to relax. Yet all I could see was the S&P 500 Index chart in my mind’s eye.

The red arrow plunging fast.

I opened my eyes again and turned my head toward the night table. The red display on the alarm clock indicated two-fifty in the morning. My room was pitch black and silent. Despite the A/C on full blast, I couldn’t figure out why I was unable to sleep.

I had an important meeting early in the morning. My clients wanted reassurance in the middle of a global crisis. I needed my rest; otherwise, I wouldn’t function the following day. The clients expected to meet with the heartless financial genius they had hired to take care of their investments, not a bloodshot-eyed, sluggish, and cranky sleepyhead.

After tossing and turning for ages, I cracked an eye open to check the time again and grunted as the clock blinked into view. Three in the fucking morning.

“Oh, that’s ridiculous!” I said aloud as I sat on the bed.

It was too fucking late to take a sleeping pill. If I took one, then I would sleep until noon. I weighed out my options. Things didn’t look promising until I had a brilliant idea. There was a more pleasant way to relax.

“Why didn’t I think of that earlier?” I whispered into the night.

Opening my drawer, where I kept the vibrator handy, I found the rubber dildo easily. Although I preferred to take my sweet time with it, that night things would have to unfold fast. I sat up straight against the mahogany headboard and arranged the silk pillows around me to get more comfortable. I set it to high speed when I turned the switch on. Tonight was not about having a long session with my battery-operated boyfriend. It was about having the job done quickly so I could get some much-needed sleep.

I didn’t have time for foreplay, either. Usually, I started playing with my breasts. Although not large, they are extremely sensitive. I loved hardening my nipples with the vibrator. It was naughty! Then, I would stretch them between my fingers, the electric sparks connecting to my throbbing sex and it felt awesome.

No time for any of that tonight.

I rubbed the huge head of the fake dick around my entrance, creating some friction and lubricating my passage for the main event. The dildo was wide, and I was tight, so I needed the lubrication. I leaned my head back on the padded headboard and tried to relax my muscles. It didn’t work.

“Apparently, it’s not an urban legend: stress does kill the libido. Just my luck,” I muttered under my breath.

Betting visual aids would do the trick, I leaned my head back and called to mind my gorgeous assistant. I envisioned Mark Aikens, under me. If he were there, I would take his big, beautiful shaft, impaling myself with it. I knew Mark very well. His cock was bigger than my dildo and he made my toes curl when he filled me up with it. I knelt on the bed, closing my eyes to make the fantasy more believable and rode the vibrator pretending it was Mark’s hot dick. I circled my hips, swayed back and forth but didn’t feel a thing.

“Focus, Carol Anne Sullivan!” I grunted.

I plopped myself on my back, moving my ass close to the headboard, raised my legs and put my feet flat against the wooden panel. I guided the rubber dildo back inside me and closed my eyes to visualize Mark’s muscled body between my thighs as I wrapped my feet around his neck.

A recent graduate from Harvard Business, Mark was a star athlete on their rowing team. He had the body to match the stereotype: wide shoulders, narrow waist, muscular chest, strong, long arms and legs.

As I remembered the way he used to moan when I bit and sucked his nipples, I pressed the dildo against my front wall. Its crooked tip felt great pressing my G-spot. I arched my back and imagined Mark thrusting his hips against mine, going deep inside me.

My scorching sex began to quiver, sweat broke over my skin, and my breathing got heavier. That vibrator never failed me. A big wave of pleasure was swelling inside me.

That was when the battery died.

“No, no, no! This can’t be happening!” I shouted as I threw the fiendish rubber dick across the room. It bounced off the wall, sputtered to life for one or two seconds then lay on the floor, utterly useless.

“The damn thing is mocking me!” I shouted as frustration gripped my chest, stealing my breath away.

All revved up and in desperate need of release, I shoved two fingers inside my empty sex to solve the problem. I reached as deep as I could. Nothing happened. I bit my lips and tried to recall Mark’s body, but the image escaped me.

After a few more attempts, I gave up. “I’ll take a shower to cool down.”

Since I slept naked, I got up and went straight to the shower, turning the water on. I didn’t test the temperature or anything before marching under the showerhead and letting the water pour down the back of my neck and back. I splayed my hand on the cool tiles and allowed the water to soak my fevered skin.

The jets were pretty hot, but I didn’t care. They should relax me. Still, my throbbing flesh wouldn’t cooperate. All the energy and tension I managed to build had nowhere to go. I felt like a live wire, which had been cut and left lying around, twisting on the ground, sparks flying everywhere, without a proper outlet to channel the electrical energy.

In the middle of my pleasure-plus-sleep-deprivation-induced haze, I noticed the handheld showerhead hanging on the wall and remembered it had a massage setting.

“Well, it might just work.”

I had already played with myself in the shower but had never tried it with the handheld before. Desperate times called for desperate measures, so I grabbed it, switched the water on to pulsating and directed the jets to my entrance. I spread myself with one hand and twisted my wrist from side to side making the jets caress my engorged nub. The water flooded my folds and tapped against my hard clitoris. The sensation was amazing. I would have never imagined a showerhead could make me feel like that.

So hot.

So kinky.

I moaned and increased the flow of water letting it spray faster and harder over my sex and sometimes directing a wicked jet into my asshole. The muscles puckered at the sudden invasion and the feeling reflected in the nerves that formed my clitoris. My legs buckled under me and I leaned against the cold wall for support.

Pleasure hit me without warning and with a strength I hadn’t expected. I closed my eyes, seeing bright spots and colorful dots clashing behind my eyelids creating amazing patterns. I gasped and cried out. I swallowed hard because my mouth and throat had gone dry. The spasms started inside my walls and rippled through every muscle in my body washing away the stress, the tension, and the frustration.

At last relaxed, I toweled myself quickly, leaving droplets of water on my body for a refreshing feeling on my skin. The cool air in the room triggered delicious goose bumps when I entered it. I lay on my stomach in the middle of the king-size bed. My flesh was still throbbing, but all my muscles were relaxed and I drifted into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.

The alarm clock went off just a couple of hours later, but I was clearheaded and ready to go. I went through my morning routine of jogging in Central Park, showering, and having breakfast, with some time to spare. I got to the office earlier than usual.

Mark was already at his desk.

“Good morning,” I greeted him politely.

In public, I treated him as any of the other people I employed. I didn’t give him special treatment just because I was having sex with him.

“Good morning, Ms. Sullivan,” he replied in a respectful tone.

As I went by his desk, though, I noticed his pants bulging. I bet he checked out my butt as I walked to my office. He loved that part of my anatomy, and I was wearing a tight pencil skirt, which I knew showed off my perfectly round ass.

“Bring me the clients’ files, will you, Mark?”

He stood up to locate the papers in the cabinet and I noticed how awkward his stance was. I didn’t make him stand up on purpose. I really needed to review the files before the meeting, which would start in twenty minutes. Nevertheless, I had a wicked smile on my face when I sat behind my desk and took the folders from his hands.

Keeping Mark on his toes was a great way of reminding him I was in charge in and out of the bedroom.

The meeting ended up being a success. I didn’t solve the financial crisis, obviously, but I was able to calm down my hard-to-please clients. However, events of the previous night sneaked up on me every time I looked at Mark. I wasn’t a blushing kind of woman, so my face must have been hot from excitement, not embarrassment. I had to find some time in my schedule to bang him senseless; otherwise, I would go insane.

After everything I went through last night, I craved a warm body rubbing against mine. And Mark was my lover. He didn’t complain about submitting to me in bed. Why would he? He enjoyed kinky sex. Plus, he was sleeping with his hot boss, having tons of pleasure, no strings attached. That was every guy’s dream.

I checked my daily planner and found out I could squeeze in some ‘me’ time in the afternoon, right after an appointment I had with a candidate for the receptionist position. I let the Personnel Department handle the recruiting, hiring, and firing. But I made a point of interviewing each future employee at the final stage of the process. I wanted to know my team members personally. Besides, my word was final.

Grinning, I texted Mark, “Get us a suite at the W Hotel around three in the afternoon.”

ChapterTwo

“Done,” he texted back, less than five minutes later, with a confirmation number for the hotel reservation.

I relaxed in my chair and got to work on the laptop. A little later, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in!”

When the door opened, Mark entered carrying a pile of papers for me. I checked the contracts and signed them up while monitoring the electronic NYSE market on my screen. I had been doing that for so long that it was like second nature to me. I did it without thinking.

After I returned the papers, Mark didn’t leave the room. So I looked up and saw his mesmerized gaze glued to my face.

“Do you need anything else?” I prodded, arching an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Sullivan, I didn’t mean to stare or intrude. It’s just that I’ve been working with you for almost two years as your assistant, plus three years or so with the trading team before that, but I’m still fascinated by your genius. I don’t know how you do it. How can you be right so often in a volatile market such as this?”

I chuckled and gestured for him to take the chair across from me. It gave me time to think about his comments.

“What exactly would you like to know?”

“Anything you’d like to teach me, Carol. I’m sorry. I mean, Ms. Sullivan.” His cheeks turned bright red at his slip of the tongue.

“We’re alone, Mark. It’s fine if you call me Carol.” I studied his eager expression for a moment. “Are you asking me to explain to you how I know which stocks to sell and which ones to buy?”

“Basically, yes. If it’s not a big commercial secret, that is. I’d love to understand how your mind works.”

I smiled and pondered at how to best answer him.

“Believe it or not, this is not an easy question. In fact, I’ve been asking it myself for a while. What I can tell you, though, is that I’ve always been good with numbers, with making quick decisions under pressure. Those qualities are an essential part of my business success. But I wouldn’t be able to explain my working system, even if my life depended on it, simply because I don’t know how.”

I paused to try to translate my feelings into words and he seized the chance to speak.

“Carol, the way you buy and sell the stocks at the best time possible is uncanny. Of course, you get it wrong once in a while, but your winning rate is legendary,” he murmured, sounding like a little boy praising his baseball hero. It was so endearing I made an effort to keep my emotions in check. “Sometimes, it seems supernatural.”

“You flatter me but that’s not really the case. You know how it works. The team gathers information on the companies whose stocks seem more promising. They report their findings to me so that I can analyze the companies’ numbers. I compare their production data and check on their business background just as any other thorough broker would do.”

“Yeah, right!” He scoffed. “You make it sound like anyone can do it. But, when the bell rings in the NYSE, you sit behind your computer to monitor the electronic trading session and make millions, both for Horizon and for our clients, just like that.” He snapped his fingers to illustrate his point. “That’s not an explanation at all, Carol.”

“Sweetie, I’m not being evasive on purpose nor trying to hide anything from you. When I look at the computer screen, something happens, which I can’t explain. I just know how the trading session will unfold. Like you said, I don’t get it right every time but my rate is pretty high, indeed.”

“That is why you’ve got to be so respected in the business.”

“And so feared,” I volunteered the part he left out. I smiled at his beaming red cheeks. He looked so cute when he blushed like that. “Come on. I know my reputation. It is my job to know it, by the way.”

“Nevertheless, it’s an unfair reputation. If you let people see the real you, they wouldn’t fear you.”

His adoring expression, as he put his hand over my shoulder and squeezed it lightly, set alarm bells in my head. They were ringing louder than sirens on emergency vehicles. The conversation was getting too personal, too fast for comfort. I turned on my usual self-defense secret weapon—mockery laced with self-deprecation.

Time to remind Mark who was the boss in and out of the office.

“My naughty pet,” I whispered the term I used as his Dominatrix. His nostrils flared, but he dropped his head like the good sub he was. I went on, “You of all people should know that’s not true. If people in our business knew what I can do with a whip and a pair of handcuffs they would run for the hills screaming in terror.” Laughing drily, I returned my attention to the computer effectively ending our conversation.

Mark was smart enough to know his time with his mentor was up. He unfolded from the chair and left the room. As soon as he closed the door behind him without a sound, I quit pretending to work. I stared at the white wooden rectangle for a long time wondering if there was any truth to his words. I was going to turn thirty soon and that put me in a pensive mood.

Maybe the thirtieth birthday was some kind of milestone in a person’s life. Who knows? It might be a good time to rethink my choices. There would still be time to make up for possible mistakes and wasted time, right?

For whatever reason, his words stuck with me for the rest of the morning. Although I had trouble concentrating again, I forced myself to forget them in order to work. Many people depended on me—employees and clients alike. I had a huge responsibility I couldn’t neglect because I was going through an early midlife crisis. I took a series of deep breaths, stretched my arms over my head, then went to the en suite bathroom to wash and shake off the last distracting thoughts. When I sat back behind my desk there wasn’t a shred of insecurity or self-doubt in my mind. I was back on bitchy Wall Street-broker mode.

Life was good!

Later, around lunchtime, I was at my desk, lost to the world, when I heard a subtle knock before the door opened and closed. I looked up to find Mark entering the room without waiting for my reply. Sometimes he did so when nobody was around, and he knew I could talk to him.

I frowned when I realized he was carrying some deli paper bags.

He laughed at my bewildered expression and commented, “I bet you haven’t ordered anything to eat, have you?”

“Of course I haven’t. I forgot all about lunch.” I winked at him. “Besides, you’re the one who’s supposed to take care of these little details for me.”

“So eating is a little detail now, eh? I’ll be sure to text that to your doctor next time I set an appointment for you.” He laughed but looked more worried than he should be.

“Oh, come on! I was teasing you. I’m in excellent shape. When was the last time I got sick?”

“True. I’ve never seen you sick. But you need to eat. It’s almost one o’clock. That’s why I’ve ordered your favorite—Caprese.” His smile was breathtaking, as he handed me two bags.

“Thank you. You’re a lifesaver. I wanted to finish some stuff before that interview. That’s why I didn’t order anything.” I took the two bags while he kept the other two. “I see you’ve ordered something for yourself, too. Great. Grab a chair and let’s eat.”

He cleaned a spot on my desk, on my left, and lowered his perfect ass down on the dark wood. He was still wearing that absolutely irresistible smile, his dark green eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Who’s a naughty boy, today? What if somebody comes in?” I nudged his rock-solid thigh with an elbow.

“Not to worry. I locked the door when I came in.”

I ran a hand up his thigh.

“That was very thoughtful of you,” I whispered as my hand stopped a few inches shy of this bulged zipper and I lifted my eyes to him, smiling the fakest innocent grin I could manage and we both laughed. “Now, be a good boy and behave. We’ll have plenty of time for this later.”

I squeezed his erection lightly over his pants, licking my lips, eyes searching his green gaze. Mark sighed and squirmed on the table, as his eyes got darker than a lush rainforest. I knew that look very well. He wanted me almost as badly as I wanted him.

He leaned toward me until our noses almost touched. “You’d better be prepared. I had a very hot dream last night involving you, handcuffs, and a whip.”

“Hmm, sounds perfect. Mine are in my bag. You know me: never leave home without them.”

We laughed and Mark sat straight again to eat his sandwich. We bantered like that a little longer until we finished lunch. I liked to keep those encounters as friendly and not work related as possible. They were our bonding time and I treasured them more than I would ever have confessed to Mark. He was one of the brightest people I knew and that was saying a lot because intelligence was the most important trait I looked for in the people I invited into my intimate circle of friends and lovers.

“I could go on talking to you for hours, but we have work to do. Besides, I want to get rid of the receptionist candidate as fast as possible so we can head to the hotel.” I wiped the crumbs off the table and my lap then threw the bags inside the wastebasket. “Ms. O’Rourke must be arriving soon. You’d better go back to your desk.”

Mark moved my chair until we were facing each other, lifted me until I stood up, and settled me between his legs. He locked his feet behind me so I could barely move. He grabbed my butt cheeks in both hands, pulling my front against his hardness. The power of seduction is intoxicating and I exalted when I felt how hard he was for me. I sighed, crossed my arms behind his neck. I speared my fingers through his thick hair and pulled his head down for a quick kiss. The idea was just to taste and tease him. But the kiss got hot and hungry fast. Our upper bodies seemed glued together and I ground myself against his hard cock. It was his turn to moan. I dug my fingers into the muscles on his back and bit his full lower lip. Then I ran the tip of my tongue over the spot, pretending to soothe the pain but really stoking the fire. He tightened his legs around me pulling me closer than I thought possible as he squeezed my butt cheeks. I thought he would explode inside his pants if he kept doing that.

“God, I want to take you right here, right now,” I confessed in a strangled whisper.

“I’m all yours, ma’am,” Mark replied as he nuzzled my neck and chuckled against a sensitive spot he knew well. His voice was muffled, but I felt his growing desire against my body.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves down and withdrew slowly from his embrace. He was panting as much as I was, but he didn’t try to keep me from pulling away. He leaned his forehead against mine as he caught his breath.

I promised, “It’ll be worth the wait.”

He smiled. “Can’t wait!”

ChapterThree

“Let’s get back to work,” I murmured, straightening my spine.

He slid down the table, smoothed his clothes, and walked out of my office. I ran my hands down my own outfit and went to the bathroom to check my reflection in the mirror. I reapplied some makeup and fixed my hair. In the office, I always wore my hair in a professional-looking bun to tame my otherwise wild red curls. Some of them had gone astray during my little tryst with Mark. My cheeks were flushed but it made me look healthy, so I liked the effect.

I went back to my desk a few seconds before my intercom buzzed.

“Ms. O’Rourke is here to see you, Ms. Sullivan.”

“Send her in.”

I had read Ms. Cindy O’Rourke’s résumé before lunch. She was a young genius who had just graduated from Columbia. I expected a nerdy, shy young girl to enter my room. I was taken aback by the siren that walked toward me. Cindy O’Rourke was a tall, gorgeous blonde. She had a slender body with curves in all the right places that swayed as she entered my office. She was wrapped in a tight black mini dress that was far more appropriate for a cocktail party than a job interview. I couldn’t avoid frowning at her choice of clothes.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Sullivan,” she offered her hand to greet me. She had a strong grip, which surprised me, but not half as much as the jolt of energy that traveled like a lightning bolt from my hand straight to my lower body when our hands touched. “It’s such an honor to meet you. I apologize for the outfit, but I’ve got a part-time job as a waitress nearby. I’m covering for a colleague today, so I’ll go there straight after this.”

“Well, that means you’ve got team spirit. That’s something I appreciate. Please, have a seat.”

Somehow, I managed to keep my reactions hidden from her as I let go of her hand to point at the vacant chair in front of my desk. My office’s décor had been planned to impress and intimidate clients—all in chrome, leather, and glass. The glass tabletop allowed me to notice the hem of her absurdly short dress moving up her strong, round thighs as she occupied the low leather chair. I got very uncomfortable when I glimpsed a pair of lacy black panties as she crossed her long legs. I forced my eyes up to look into her dark blue gaze, but it was a mistake because mine moved slowly upwards as my brain registered every tiny detail of her splendid figure wrapped in that tight dress of hers. I had never checked out a woman before but that day my body seemed out of control. I just couldn’t help it.

When our eyes met at last, she was smiling at me. However, I couldn’t read her expression right because her smile looked smug and that had to be wrong, a mistake on my part. I was obviously imagining things because if she had noticed my inappropriate behavior she should have been upset or uncomfortable or both. Right? I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt so dumb without being drunk or high on something. I told myself to get a grip and thanked God for having secured that suite at the hotel because, judging by my reactions to that young woman, I wouldn’t be able to get to the end of the day without sexually attacking somebody—apparently, anybody. I shook my head in order to clear my thoughts and started the interview.

“Ms. O’Rourke, I know jobs are hard to find these days, but this is a low-level entry position; especially for somebody with a résumé as good as yours. Why did you apply for it?”

“I’ve read every article that has ever been published about you and your company, Ms. Sullivan: how you’ve started the company, how you’ve turned it into a billionaire business and how you’ve changed the way stockbrokers work today. In fact, I wrote a paper about your company when I was still in college.” She paused for a fraction of a second and I knew she was gauging the effect her words had had on me. I guessed she didn’t want to sound too eager to please. But I’ve always been an excellent poker player so she had to go on without being sure of my real thoughts. “The chance of working for you, in any capacity, is the only reason I’ve applied. I figured if I got this chance, I would be able to build a career inside the company.”

I had never respected people who sucked up to me with empty flattery. Ms. O’Rourke looked and sounded sincere.

“Thank you, Ms. O’Rourke. I’m sure a bright young woman like you will progress fast within the company. Now, do you think your other job schedule will conflict with this one?”

“Absolutely not. This position is a part-time morning job and I work nights at the bar. Today is an exception.”

We talked for another half hour or so. The young Ms. O’Rourke was truly very intelligent and charming, although I kept picking up strange signs from her. If I hadn’t known better, I would have said she was flirting with me, which would have been inappropriate even if I were a man. She was way too smart to make that kind of mistake in a job interview. I checked my watch and realized it was time to finish that conversation or I would be late for my much more rewarding appointment with Mark.

“Ms. O’Rourke, the job is yours. I’ll tell Mr. Franklin, he’s with our Personnel Department, to contact you about the paperwork and send you an email with the specifics. Now, is there anything else you’d like to know about the company or the job?”

“Are you gay?”

She looked me straight in the eyes when she asked that, but she didn’t seem defiant. There was a glint of curiosity in the blue depths of her eyes mixed with something else I couldn’t quite figure out. I returned the stare and laughed. I wasn’t offended by her bluntness.

“People ask that a lot, Ms. O’Rourke, although rarely to my face. I like the fact you did it directly to me. I respect that.”

In fact, I respected people who weren’t intimidated by my position and power. She had scored some important points with me.

“And the answer is ‘no.’ People assume I’m gay because nobody ever sees me with a date—male or female, for that matter. Although the tabloids have a whole different version for my love life, the simple truth is I don’t do relationships. I have no time, nor energy, for the traditional dating rituals. My business is practically a 24/7 responsibility.”

“It’s a pity.”

When I didn’t reply but rather raised an eyebrow at her comment she blushed and quickly added.

“I mean, it’s a pity you don’t have time for yourself. I understand the sacrifices your position requires, but you’re young and beautiful. You should date, have fun, enjoy life.”

Her fair skin got a deeper shade of red, and her voice was throaty. She had seemed so poised up to that point that I felt sorry for her discomfort. I smiled trying to put her at ease.

“Thank you, Ms. O’Rourke. You are very kind. But not dating doesn’t mean I don’t have fun or enjoy life. I do, believe me. I just prefer to keep a low profile, so the paparazzi never see me on these occasions.”

However, my attempt at relaxing her wasn’t exactly a success because she squirmed in the chair. I decided to put an end to her misery standing up and stretching my hand in goodbye.

“Well, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. My people will call you later today with the details. When can you start?”

“As soon as you need me.” She also stood up and shook my hand.

“Be here tomorrow at nine. Mr. Franklin will show you around and start your training.”

I went around the desk to see her to the door while I texted Mark telling him to meet me at the hotel in fifteen minutes. That was why I didn’t see her halting a few feet before the door. I bumped into her back and dove to catch my phone before it hit the polished floor. To my utter embarrassment, I miscalculated the distance and practically grabbed her soft, round bottom together with my phone.

“I’m so sorry. Forgive me.” I tried to look serene, but it was my turn to sport a bright red glow on my cheeks.

“Don’t worry. It was my fault. I stopped abruptly.” She touched my arm for a brief second as if to reassure me she wasn’t offended.

Once more, my imagination played tricks on me. I could have sworn her voice had trembled and her words had come out as little more than a breathless whisper. I shook my head and opened the door.

“Welcome to Horizon, Inc. I’m sure you’ll be a great addition to our team.”

“Thank you, Ms. Sullivan. See you tomorrow.”

I closed the door, sent the email to the Personnel Department, shut down my computer, and ran out of the office. My morning had been filled with steamy fantasies starring Mark plus the previous night episode with my dildo followed by the shower fun. None of which had been enough. I needed the real thing.

As I took my private elevator down to the lobby and pressed my hand lightly over my groin to ease the throbbing emptiness and the burning desire, I couldn’t understand why I saw a pair of round female thighs in my mind’s eye instead of Mark’s muscular ones.

ChapterFour

I was straddling Mark and feeling pleased with myself for having given him such mind-blowing pleasure. He was a vision to be admired as his body exploded inside me and his frame trembled in rhythm with the hot jets hitting my womb. He had closed his eyes, thrown his head back on the pillows, and his hands were tugging at the black plush handcuffs I had used to tie him to the headboard as he thrust his hips up and buried himself deep inside my body. I ran my hands up and down his chest to soothe him as I leaned down to kiss him softly.

“You’re mine. Your pleasure is mine. You know that, right?” I whispered in his ear, licking it playfully.

“Yes, ma’am.” His voice sounded hoarse and sexy as sin. He opened his still clouded eyes to stare into mine and struggled to calm his breathing down before speaking again with a deep crease set between his perfect eyebrows. “But why did you stop? I know you haven’t finished yet. You didn’t climax.”

“Mark, sweetie, I’m so sorry. But it’s not working for me today. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

I shrugged and answered him as if the whole thing wasn’t a big deal, hoping against all hope my poker face would deceive him. It didn’t.

“I’m not buying it. What’s going on?”

He was starting to know me too well for my own peace of mind. I never let my lovers get too close but I would have to deal with that some other time.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged again, unlocked the cuffs, and plopped on the bed beside Mark. He rolled onto his side to face me and ran a hand from my shoulder to my navel then inserted his little finger in my belly button as he scattered soft kisses on my cheeks, nose, and the corners of my mouth.

“I am sorry, Carol. I don’t know what I did wrong.”

He sounded so crestfallen I smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

“It’s not your fault, silly. It’s just that I’ve been very stressed-out lately. I can’t sleep. I can’t relax. I thought fucking would help me relax. It always does. Apparently, I was wrong.”

I sighed when he found a sensitive spot on my neck while his hand traveled up again to my breasts and his fingers rolled and tugged at one nipple.

“Besides, you played a starring role in my date with a dildo last night until the damn batteries died. Today, I wanted the real thing. At least you had a great time, huh?”

“Oh, yeah, as always.” He chuckled against the oversensitive skin of my nipple before swallowing it whole.

He suckled it and I closed my eyes when the fiery, exquisite sensations coursed through my nerve endings and zeroed in on the muscles in my lower body. The exact same ones he was teasing with his naughty fingers.

“Let me try one last thing, babe. I don’t want you to be frustrated.”

He gave me one of his panty-soaking smiles before kissing the hollow of my throat. One hand played with my nipple as he moved his mouth along my neck, down my chest. When he avoided my breasts, I knew he was teasing me. I moaned when he sucked a sensitive spot under my breasts then another one near my belly button. I gasped loudly when his thumb pressed the entrance to my opening as his tongue swirled inside my belly button.

“Hmm, that feels awesome. Don’t stop,” I urged him.

“You’re so gorgeous. I can never get enough of your body.”

Mark went on scattering soft kisses over my skin until he reached his final goal. He knelt on the bed between my legs and gently spread my knees apart. His eyes traveled down my body, caressing me with the fire burning in them, from my head to my aching folds, which were indecently exposed to him. My inner walls throbbed, my muscles were singing from the sensations he awakened in me and my throat went dry. Breathing became almost torture when I saw Mark licking his lips in anticipation as he focused his stare on my wet flesh and leaned down toward it. He stopped inches away, turned his head to kiss the inside of my thighs, and tapped my hard nub with the tip of an index finger. My whole body trembled as I gasped.

“Oh, God, that’s hot!”

He just laughed, making the air vibrate around my sensitive flesh. He knew exactly what he was doing to me, and I threw my head back on the pillows, moaning. I tried to move up to get closer to his mouth, but a devilish smile split his beautiful lips and he drew back.

“Relax, Carol, I’ve barely started.”

He bit my upper thigh close to the spot where it joined my crotch, and I dug my fingers in his scalp. His mouth was hovering above my entrance just a hair’s breadth away, but it felt like miles. I wanted him to end the torture and get down to it. Literally. He was so close I felt his fast breathing inside myself. And his laughter vibrated through my folds.

“Anxious much?”

“God! Fuck, you’re good at this! Now, stop playing around and get to it.”

I lifted my hips and muffled his chuckle with my crotch. He buried his face in my flesh, inhaling deeply. It was so decadent and wicked, but I loved it.

“You smell so sweet!”

I bent my knees to open myself up to him. He stood up by the foot of the bed, slid my body down until my butt reached the edge of the mattress then knelt on the floor in front of me. I draped my legs over his shoulders, locking my feet behind his neck and he grabbed my thighs as he lifted me up toward his eager mouth. I writhed and thrust as his thick tongue licked my folds.

“Oh, you’re a naughty girl, aren’t you? I can taste myself on you.”