Текст книги "Tempted"

Автор книги: Claire Adams

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

At exactly three minutes to the hour Mr. Mahoney entered the waiting room from the back office. Aiden turned towards him and stood to greet him, smoothing out the fabric of his jacket. I stood and put the magazine down on the table.

Both Aiden and I took an expectant step towards him, expecting him to lead us back to the office. To our surprise he raised his hands and offered an obsequious smile.

I was unsure what to do next.

"We appreciate your patience. If the two of you will bear with us just a few moments longer," he said. "The board would like to meet with each of you one at a time. Aiden, we will be seeing you in just a few moments. Ms. Michaels, if you care to follow me."

He gestured for me to join him down the hallway.

I did my best to keep my posture and face in a professional manner as I followed him. The plush softness of the carpet threatened to swallow me whole with each step I took. I had never notice the length of the building of before.

My stomach had turned into knots and I felt as if I might throw up at any moment.

I was glad that I hadn’t eaten after all.

The look on his face had revealed nothing when he had come to gather me from the waiting room. We arrived at the office door and he opened it, inviting me to step in. The other members of the board sat around the conference table on the other side of the office. I stepped inside and they all stood for introductions. Ms. Klein introduced me as Mr. Mahoney took his place at the head of the table.

"Everyone this is Blair Michaels," Ms. Klein said. She gestured to each member in turn, two that I had only seen in passing. "This is Jack Warren, our newest partner."

"How do you do," I said, shaking the hand of the silver haired gentlemen with his hand extended.

Ms. Klein continued, "And this is Frederick Klein, one of the founding members of the firm and my brother. He will be retiring at the end of this month."

"And not a moment too soon!" he bellowed as he shook my hand.

"It's an honor to meet you sir," I said, hoping that my voice sounded more confident than I felt.

"If you would have a seat Ms. Michaels."

Mr. Mahoney gestured to the empty chair across from the partners. I did so, but couldn’t help but to feel like someone on the receiving end of an interrogation.

They all faced me with calm resting faces that I couldn’t read in the slightest bit. I stilled my hands from shaking by folding my fingers together and placing them on my lap under the table. I concentrated on keeping my features subdued but attentive.

Mr. Mahoney continued, "First we would like to tell you how difficult the decision has been. Both you and Mr. Player have done an exceptional job."

"There was some discussion," Ms. Klein interjected. “Of finding a way to retain both of you since you both worked so well together. Up until the final decision we remained torn. Truly."

"In the end we decided that the original agreement would work best after all,” Mr. Mahoney continued. “It is unfortunate, but we only have so many resources. Please believe that we deliberated long and hard over the decision, but we wanted to let you know that we have decided to ask Aiden Player to assume the full time position."

I felt certain that I was going to be sick.

And I didn’t give a fuck if they had to see it.

"We also want to tell you that you will receive the highest of reference from each of us upon your next job application, and if there is anything that any of us can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to ask. We all have confidence that you won’t have difficulty finding work."

I took a moment before speaking. I could hear Mahoney's speaking, but the words had begun to swirl together.

Finally I found my voice. "I understand," I said speaking in a calm and confident tone, unlike my inner emotions. "Thank you for everything. This has been an amazing experience, and I have learned more than I could have imagined. Thank you all for the opportunity, and it was more than an honor to meet you all. I can assure you that Aiden will make a wonderful lawyer. I think you have made the right choice.”

I managed to get through it sounding sincere, though I wasn’t certain that I meant the statement about Aiden in the same way in which they heard it.

"Thank you, as well,” Ms. Klein said in response. "Please stop and see Willa on your way out to pick up a company card for references."

"Of course," I said.

They all stood which I took as an indication that our part of the conversation to be over. I shook each of their hands, trying not to rush. All I wanted to do at that point is to get out of the room before I embarrassed myself entirely.

I made it out of the office and into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind me. As soon as I was out of sight from the partners I let the smile slip from my face. I felt the anger and shame rush the blood into my cheeks. My hands shook as I reached for my car keys.

I needed to get out of there as soon as possible, and it occurred to me that I would have to walk past Aiden to do so.

I steeled myself, firming my jaw and steadying my gaze as I headed down the hallway.

He had remained seated in the waiting room, and sat with his ankle crossed over his knee. He glanced up as I waltzed into the room without pause. Before I slipped my sunglasses I glared at him with all the fury that I could find letting it spill out of my eyes without restraint.

"Congratulations," I said, spitting the word like a curse, heading straight for the staircase so as to avoid having to wait for the elevator.

I didn’t see his face as I left, nor did I want to.

He had been a dick to me.

Now he’s getting the job.

Fuck me.

I made it to my car, but I had to wait about fifteen minutes before I had pulled myself together enough to drive safely.

I got home and instantly threw off my clothes, letting them land in the corner of my room. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to go ahead and put on my pajamas and crawl into bed, even though it was only six in the afternoon, or close to it, or if I wanted to eat the entire contents of the refrigerator.

I thought about calling my mother, but I wanted to revile in my misery for a little while longer. I did find myself relieved when I arrived and Kelsey wasn’t home.

One thing was certain.

I didn’t want company.

Not yet.

What I settled on was to change into a tee shirt and jeans, pour myself a drink, and curl up on the couch. I turned on the television and binged watched some cooking show in which contestants had to win against each other. The judges could randomly change any ingredient during the process of the preparation. Sounds fair, I thought as one chef's chicken Marsala had to incorporate canned peas.

I found it quite cathartic when any of the contestants were kicked off for various reasons. I simply imagined Aiden's face in place of the chef who had lost.

By the time Kelsey arrived home, I had had about three drinks. I must have had tear marks down my face as well as I slouched upon the couch turning my eyes towards her as she entered.

"How did it go?" she asked as she set down her bags.

"How do you think?" I said, raising a glass.

"Hm..." she speculated for a moment, tapping her fingers against her chin. "Well normally the early imbibing of beverages indicates a celebration."

I rolled my eyes and glared vicariously at her.

"On the other hand," she continued. "It could also mean that you’re drowning your sorrows."

"Bingo," I murmured.

She paused and looked me over perusing the situation.

"Okay," she said cheerily. "Here's what we are going to do. First, let's get some food into your body, and then some coffee, and then I want you to tell me all about it. Sound like a plan?" This last bit wasn’t a question.

I followed her with my eyes as she called the delivery place for a couple of large meatball subs and a bag of bread sticks. It sounded good despite myself. While she did that I tucked my feet underneath my legs and pulled the throw blanket over my shoulders.

Absently I picked up my phone, just to glance through it as she disappeared into the kitchen. It was then that I noticed I had three missed calls, all starting about half an hour after I had left the firm, and all from Aiden.

He hadn’t left any message.

If he wanted to talk to me he would have to try harder than that.

I had nothing to say to him, and I didn’t want to hear anything that he had to say. I punched my phone closed and curled back up on the couch to wait for the food.

An hour and a half later I felt considerably better, having eaten. I still felt hollow and defeated, but at least my head had cleared somewhat. I cupped my hands around the warm late day coffee cup that Kelsey had pressed onto me, letting the contents further calm my nerves.

"You’re going to be fine!" Kelsey insisted. "What you should do, is go into Entertainment Law. There's a huge market for it. You already live in the right area."

"Maybe," I said as I dipped a bread stick into the small cup of marinara. "But my expertise is in criminal law."

"Tell you what," she said. "Don't even worry about it tonight. I think we should do something that neither of us have done in a long time."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Let's get our cutest outfits on and let's go clubbing!"

"Are you even serious right now?" I said rolling my eyes. "Besides, you went clubbing just last week."

"When was the last time you've been?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"That is entirely beside the point,” I declared. "It does not sound fun at all. Getting groped by a hundred drunken people while overly loud bass lines bring our hearing ability down a few notches? No thanks."

"Geez, Grandma,” she said rolling her eyes.

"Besides," I insisted. "I think it's supposed to rain tonight. I picked up my phone to glance at the weather app, only to find another missed call from Aiden from about ten minutes ago. "Wow, someone can't take a hint,” I mumbled.

"What's that?" she asked.

"I've had, like, five missed calls since I got home,” I said.

"Really?" she drew out the word and grinned, leaning forward as if to hear the rest of the details. "From whom might these calls be from?"

"Who," I said.

"What?"

"It should be, 'who might the calls be from'." I looked at her evenly as she rolled her eyes.

"Quit changing the subject," she said.

"Lawyer, remember?" I said. "At least that was the plan."

"Oh, come on!" she said in a tone that indicated she had finally had enough. "Get over yourself already!"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you think you’re the first person to get passed over for a job?" she said. "Wallow in it. Feel sad for a little while. Then get over it! Get out there and find another job. I'll bet the offers were lined up when you graduated law school, weren't they."

"Um... I guess so,” I said.

She was right.

They had been.

"And you got how many missed calls from Aiden?"

"Five," I said. "But how did you know they were from Aiden?"

"You just told me,” she said with a grin as she ducked the throw pillow I launched in her direction.

Out the window to the balcony I saw the clouds had piled up gray upon gray and small droplets of water began to pelt against the patio door.

"See?" I said, gesturing towards the window.

"They do have indoor clubs, you know,” she insisted.

Our conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Kelsey gave me another raised eyebrow. I tilted my head to indicate that she answer it. She stood and walked over. When she opened the door I couldn’t see who it was, but I could guess based on the look on her face. She leaned her head back towards me.

"It's for you," she said in a sing song voice. I threw the blanket off and walked over to the door. She stepped aside and grabbed her car keys. "I'm heading out,” she chirped.

"Are you?" I said with a glare.

"Yep." She grinned at me as she sailed out the door. "Talk to you later!"

I would have to kill her when she got back.

Aiden stood in the thresh hold drenched from the down pour. His hair plastered against his forehead and the black tee shirt he had changed into clung to his body in a way most distracting, despite how angry at him I remained.

God, he looked amazing.

"Don't you have a job to tend to?" I said in my most condescending tone.

"Oh for god's sake, Blair,” he blurted. "I turned it down!"

I hadn’t expected this response.

"You what?" I asked.

"I turned down the job,” he repeated. "I didn't take it."

"What? Why?" I asked, confusion muddling my anger.

"Oh for... Can I come in?" he asked.

He had gotten my attention.

I stood aside and gestured for him to come inside. Without a word I slowly walked to the linen closet and got him a towel. He silently waited, his hair dripping in the entry way, until I handed him the towel.

I stood with my arms crossed as he toweled his hair.

Finally he stopped.

He kept his eyes down to the floor and didn’t speak for a few minutes. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, waiting to hear what he had to say, and still not sure if I cared.

"Look," he began. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I... The other night, Blair. I don't expect you to forgive me. I wouldn't forgive me for the things that I said."

"Then why did you say them?" I said, still glaring at him.

 "I don't know how to tell you this, but... I wasn't entirely myself that night."

It took me a moment to understand his meaning.

"Were you... high?" I asked.

"You could say that,” he answered.

"Aiden," I said, gesturing wearily towards the couch. "Would you like a cup of coffee?" I asked though I kept my tone distant.

I didn’t want him to think this was friendly coffee.

"That would be nice,” he said. "I may have caught a chill out there in the damn rain."

"That would be a shame, now wouldn't it,” I said dripping with sarcasm.

"I deserved that," he called after me as I stepped into the kitchen.

I returned with a cup of coffee for him.

"Let's start from the beginning,” I said.

"Okay."

He sat down on the couch and I sat across from him in the chair.

"What happened the other night?" I asked. "What was the meeting about? Before you came over."

"Let’s just say the meeting contained a misunderstanding. It triggered an episode and I just went on an old fashioned bender. Made me paranoid. Of course I lashed out at you, because you’re the person I care about the most."

"Is that so…"

I wasn’t convinced and I wasn’t sure what he wanted from me by coming over.

"Yes, Blair,” he said softly. "That is so." Something about his voice when he spoke caught my attention. He had lost the confrontational defensive edge.

He glanced up from underneath his eye lashes, giving me a look that would have melted me up until the last night he was here. I leaned back and listened.

"I want you to know, I don't expect you to forgive me. Not in the slightest. But I just want you to know, I had to tell you in person that I didn't mean a word of what I said the other night. Not a single word."

My cool disposition was starting to crumble.

The last thing I wanted was for him to see me fall apart, but with the pain and anger rising up to the surface I feared that is exactly what was about to happen.

"Then why did you say it!" I said in a voice sharper than I intended.

He lowered his eyes and shifted in his seat, as an uncomfortable silence passed between us.

I stared him down hard, sending daggers through my eyes at him.

He kept his eyes averted, tapping his fingers alongside his coffee mug. He took a sip of the hot liquid and then set it down on the table.

For the first time in our lives I noticed the palpable difference between us.

Every other time, we had held on to the undercurrent of our friendship, something I had thought would always be there.

But this time it was gone.

I felt certain that he noticed it too, the way he couldn’t bring himself to look at me. Finally he spoke again.

"There's no excuse, Blair,” he began. "Try to understand. My mind wasn't in a good place. I wasn't right, but... I thought you had tried to hurt me and I wanted to hurt you back just as badly."

"But why did you think that I had told the firm anything?" I asked.

"I knew that you were the only one who knew."

"But... I hadn't even told Kelsey. I hadn't told anyone. How did the firm find out? Who told them?"

"I did,” he said with a sheepish look.

"What?"

This I had to hear.

"That meeting, it turns out they were vetting me for the part,” he said. "I didn't know it at the time, but... Part of their policy is to ask about any medications that I might be on. Of course I didn't recognize that's what was happening, so I jumped to the conclusion that they were asking about the Amphetamines. I thought you had ratted me out," he finished, letting his words fade into silence as he sat with his elbows on his knees, his hands hanging limp in front of him. "So I admitted to the addiction, and left the office. After I met up with my doctor friend, I spent the next couple of hours driving around trying to figure out how to confront you about it. Things got a little bit out of hand as you already know, and I’m so, so sorry."

"Wow,” I said.

I didn’t know how else to respond.

"The things you said really hurt me, you know."

I would never admit it, but I felt a little bit angry with myself for still feeling attracted to him, the way his wet hair had fallen over his forehead made him look even more pitiful than his words belied.

I really wanted to stay mad at him for a little while longer.

"I know,” he said simply.

He raked his hands through his hair sending it standing in all different directions. Without thinking I laughed and reached forward to smooth it down, before I realized what had happened. I pulled my hand back when he looked up at me, as if I had touched a hot stove.

For the briefest moment I had let the door open once more.

A tiny inkling of that familiarity had snuck through, just enough to make me want to find it again. He noticed the moment also, and reached out to take my hand before I had pulled it back all the way. I sat frozen, caught between my anger towards him and my desire to rush into his arms.

He kept his eyes fixed on me and laced his fingers through mine, carefully as if he didn’t want to disturb the delicate dynamic. I recognized a need in his eyes, different that I had seen before, not longing, not desire, but something more, something that I couldn’t yet define. I didn’t know what I feared the most. The look in his eyes or the thought that there might be a similar look in mine looking back at him.

"Dammit Blair," he said in a low voice, almost as if speaking to himself. "I love you. I don't want to mess this up."

"What?" I said unsure if I had heard correctly.

"I said I don't want to mess this up."

"No, before that."

"'Dammit Blair'?" he said. I noticed as he spoke a tiny crook of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Aiden..,” I said giving him another glare.

 With that he clasped my hand fully and pulled me around the coffee table and over next to him on the couch.

"I said, I love you, Blair." He hadn’t taken his eyes off of mine during the whole conversation. "Did you hear me that time? I love you, Blair Michaels."

Again I found myself unsure how to respond.

Of course this declaration didn’t change the hurt that I still felt, though it had diminished a great deal since he had arrived. But it did change the expectation of what I wanted from him. The man before me now, I knew without a shadow of a doubt was the same Aiden that I had grown up with, sweet, charming, sensitive.

Of course I loved him.

Despite this realization I wanted to stay mad at him, and part of me was still a little angry that he chose these words to break down my defenses, as if he knew they were the only words that could reach me. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly keeping my eyes steady on his.

"I love you too, Aiden Stephen Player,” I said with certainty.

"Middle name?" he said with a grin as he placed his hand behind my head and pulled me closer. "I must be in trouble,” he murmured.

"Have no doubt,” I responded before my lips succumbed to his. "You are."

We had a lot of things to work through, that much remained certain, but I had seen a darker side of him and knew that I could forgive him. He had also seen a side of me that I wasn’t proud of.

We lounged on the couch for a while, enjoying each other’s kisses, something I had thought I would never have again. Ever so slowly it began to come back. I knew this was a new beginning for both of us, but I still felt a little bit hesitant.

He held my face in his hands and took turns gazing into my eyes, almost as if seeking something there, permission or forgiveness I couldn’t tell. He kissed my face, from my lips to my eyelids and back again, around my forehead along the edge of my hair line. His fingers tangled into my hair as he held my close to him, and I nestled into his embrace placing my hands upon his chest.

The feel of his heartbeat under my palm had become the elixir to which I was helplessly drawn. My fingertips touched the flesh just at the neck line of his tee shirt, and I found myself compelled to trace along the edge of the fabric, up the side of his neck and around the curve of his ear.

He pulled in his breath as my hands moved across his flesh, making me feel a growing sense of power. My own body had begun to respond as well, all the previous anger melted away and transformed into desire for him despite myself.

I held back but my lips betrayed my need and I brought my teeth down in gentle pressure upon his lower lip. He drew back for a moment at the pain, but smiled and shook his head before he leaned in placing his mouth on the curve of my neck.

We spoke without words as our hands traveled over each other’s bodies.

I hadn’t yet decided if I wanted to invite him to my bedroom.

I knew I wanted to.

The question remained as to whether or not I should.

I considered the words of Kelsey and those of my mother, both who had encouraged me to enjoy life a little bit more. With my head lying against the back of the couch, and his arm around my shoulders, I considered the surge of adrenaline that accompanied his touch, his hand at my waist, his lips on my skin.

I knew that I had a whole world of possibilities before me.

For now I didn’t have to worry about any of them. I had the love of my life wrapped in my arms. His fingertips had found the hem of my shirt. He slipped his hands underneath the fabric and traced the flesh of my stomach, sliding along the edge of my jeans. He noticed that I my breath caught at his touch, and he smiled at my reaction. I began to tug his tee shirt off over his head but stopped before I did so.

"Wait," I whispered, smoothing the fabric back down. "Come with me."

Taking his hand I pulled him from the couch and led him down the hallway and into my bedroom. It wasn’t as spacious as his, and perhaps not as modern. I noticed that he didn’t mind the layout as he hadn’t taken his eyes off of me yet.

I pulled him down onto the mattress, pushing aside the plush animals and tossing them to the floor. He pulled off his tee shirt, revealing the sexy swirls of tattoos on his arms and shoulders.

I pulled him down and threw him over, straddling his torso. There was something I had wanted to do since the first day I had seen him and today would be the day.

I pulled my tee shirt off and watched his eyes widen upon the realization that I hadn’t been wearing a bra. I smiled and leaned down to kiss his mouth once more, letting my nipples graze across his bare chest. His fingers clutched at my hips, curling around the belt loops of my jeans. I raised back just a little bit with a mischievous smile on my face, and whispered in his ear.

"Lay completely still,” I said.

He nodded but I could sense that his teeth were clenched together and his breath had grown ragged. I moved my lips from alongside his ear and traveled down the side of his neck, letting my breath be the only thing that made contact.

Until I reached the first curl of his tattooed skin.

I flickered my tongue along the ink markings, tasting the saltiness of him and the remnants of rain that had dried on his skin. With one palm remained planted on the center of his chest, I traveled along the length of his arm, tasting and kissing as I went. His body twitched at my touch, and he let out a small moan with each breath. His arm muscles tightened underneath my touch and I traveled back up the other side of the markings.

When I reached his shoulder, I traveled down the middle of his chest letting my hand slide over, absently tracing a circle around his nipple as I found it. He pulled in a sharp breath once more, struggling to keep control.

"God, Blair,” he moaned. "Do you know what you do to me…"

I had an idea.

But I wanted to do more of it before I made up my mind. The rush I felt at his reaction compared to nothing else, not even winning a court case. My mouth found his other nipple and I let my tongue trace circles mirroring the other side with my fingertips.

I felt my own body respond in the same way, my nipples growing hard. My stomach lay across him, leaning against him and I felt his manhood grow beneath me, straining against the fabric of his jeans. I couldn’t resist the temptation and I moved one hand to caress the promising package. His hips twitched at my touch.

"Soon enough," I whispered.

I wanted to play with him for a little while longer, before I let him have his way.

While my fingers fumbled to unbutton his jeans, I kissed down the length of his taut abs, catching out of the corner of my eyes, his hands clenched into fists, clutching at the fabric of my sheets.

At last I unleashed his member, letting it spring forward hard and pulsing with expectant need. I wrapped my hand around his shaft and lifted my head to look into his eyes. I gave him a small smile, as once more my breasts pressed against him more firmly this time.

The way his body lifted just slightly off the mattress every time I touched him drove me crazy. I felt as if I had total control over him, and he was letting me have my way.

I leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips and my fingers slowly began to massage his cock. As if to clue me in to his eagerness and frustration he bit my lower lip, much as I had done to him before. I could the see the fire behind his eyes when I looked up at him.

"You're going to pay for that,” I said with a hint of a smile.

"I hope so," he whispered.

I kissed my way back down his chest, tracing my tongue down the core of his abs, and flicked the tip of his head, tasting him for the first time. He let out a moan, and I played with him tracing my tongue around his firmness, licking and dancing my lips around his head.

I had wanted to take more of him, but his manhood had proven to be much larger than I had expected. I would never let him on to that though.

Instead I decided to continue with the torture, tracing my tongue alongside the shaft tickling the base with my fingertips.

Finally he could take no more.

He had placed his hand on top of my head, massaging his fingers gently through my hair. He pulled his hand into a fist and lifted me off of him. He sat up, and with an animalistic growl he grabbed me around the waist. Before I knew what had happened he threw me down onto the bed. The tables had turned.

My whole body screamed for his touch and so much more as he brought his face down between my breasts. His hands pulled at the waist band of my jeans, slipping them off within seconds. With his teeth and his hands he pulled down my panties around my ankles where I kicked them off to join the other clothes that had fallen by the wayside.

As if to return the torture that I had administrated, he hovered over me, with his mouth over my right nipple which had grown hard and erect begging for his touch, his mouth, his tongue. His eyes flicked over to mine with a crooked grin on his face, before he brought his mouth down on me. The fire seared through me immediately and I wanted to wrap my legs around his naked torso. He kept his body just out of reach, except for the delicious torture of his mouth.

He circled his tongue around the pink flesh, pulling the hard tip into his mouth and then letting it go slightly only to caress the sensitive area with his teeth sending me into convulsions of pain and pleasure.

He pulled my body closer to his, wrapping his arm around my waist and straightening me out on the bed. With his other hand he lifted my arms above my head, clutching both of my wrists together as he ran his other palm along the length of my torso.

My legs twitched and flailed, as I felt as if I had lost all control of my desire. I wanted him inside me but relished in the rising desire that he incited in me. I couldn’t help but let a gasp escape my lips as he moved his mouth to the other nipple. The hand that didn’t hold my wrists had moved to the now exposed breast. With his mouth he teased one and with his fingers he teased the other. In my nether regions I sensed his manhood resting against the entrance of what I most wanted, and I hitched my hips towards him.

"Soon enough," he whispered pulling back slightly.

I wanted to fight back.

I wanted to throw myself onto him and straddle him until our bodies became one. But he had me pinned, my arms held down against the mattress.

I remained at his mercy.

He had eased up on my breasts, let go of my wrists and kissed his way down my stomach. I kept my arms where they were and clasped my hands around the wooden bars of the frame behind me. I wondered for a moment what he might be up to until he landed upon my womanhood in such a way as I had never before experienced. I cried out as his tongue caressed my already moist portal, flicking and teasing me to the heights of ecstasy.

"Oh god!" I cried as my voice rose with my adrenaline, my head pressed back into the sheets tangling my hair even further. "Oh god, Aiden! Don't stop!"

I had lost all control and tilted my body towards him. He lifted my hips and buried his tongue deep inside me, even as he had positioned his hand flat on my stomach in such a way as to stimulate my nerve center with the pad of his thumb. I had lost all measure of what he was doing to me, except for the sensation of pleasure that coursed through my body.