Chapter Ten
“We are never leaving this room. If I were to leave you alone, I’m sure that some other guy would scoop in. Don’t you think we deserve some happiness? Life is stressful enough or haven’t you noticed some recently acquired gray hairs.” He had done his best to cover those hairs by either cutting them out altogether or using a Grecian formula.
“I can keep a secret.” Claire was lying there with the sheet barely covering her body. Her left leg was draped over him keeping him close and never wanting to let him go.
“It’s boring business talk and I doubt seriously that you would be interested. I’ve had some personal experience with women who claim to want to listen but they get this vacant look in their eyes. They don’t mean to, but I can ramble on for quite some time,” he said. “My business is something I’m passionate about. I think it stems from wanting to impress my father.” She was the perfect complement to his life. The one thing missing was somebody to talk to. A lover and therapist couldn’t have come at a better time.
“I can assure you that I’m a good listener. Anything you say will go in the vault where it belongs. I know you try to be here 100% of the time, but I still see the inkling of business raising its head.” The sheets smelled like him and she was tempted to ball them up and take them with her when she left. It wasn’t like they were going to miss a couple of sheets in the grand scheme of things.
The room reeked of sex and could easily be mistaken for a one-hour layover for those looking to get busy.
“I’ve made a mandate with my staff to keep quiet under the threat of unemployment. It wouldn’t look good if I were to speak out of turn. I like to believe that I run my business using myself as an example for others. I know in my heart what I’m doing is right to bring my company into the next decade in the black.” He was dangerously close to saying something that he shouldn’t. The way she looked at him made him feel like he could trust her with just about anything including his heart.
“You can’t keep all of this bottled up and it’s not healthy.” She was giving him a reason to open up his mouth.
The way he had used it on her was a testament to his gender. She would no longer take what she was given and would demand satisfaction by any means. His mouth and the way that he used his hips were going to the benchmark she was going to use to measure against others.
“It seems you have me as a captive audience of one. This will have to be kept strictly in confidence and discretion is something that goes without saying,” he said. "I want to tell you, but I don’t want you to feel it necessary to judge me. It’s a lucrative deal that could bring in millions in revenue in one year.” The secret was on the tip of his tongue.
Her hand scratching lightly against his chest was a good way to loosen his lips. She didn’t have to say a thing and kept her lips shut. Her lips were made for kissing and giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to another part of his anatomy. There was definite experience in her eyes.
Something was nagging at his consciousness like he should’ve been seeing the truth right in front of him.
“Who am I going to tell? I probably won’t even recognize some of the business jargon. I’m the perfect person to talk to because I won’t understand half of what you say.” She’d already proven there was more going on upstairs than some of the airheads he had spent his time with.
“I don’t believe that any more than you do. It does beg the question why you would want to know the details of a boring merger.” He had barely made what sounded like an accusation when he heard the buzzing of his phone.
“I don’t know where this is coming from. I would think you would be happy that I would show an interest in what you do. It doesn’t have to be all about the sex even though I don’t think that I could get it any better someplace else,” she said. “You should be proud and you make me believe there is hope for more than just business in my life.” She watched him out of the corner of her eye and found his strong jawline to be a sign that something had changed between them.
“It looks like we’re going to have to postpone this conversation until a later date,” he said. “The restaurant I was going to bring you is still reserved in my name. They cater to those with money. I can always claim it’s a dinner to talk about the particulars of the property I’m interested in.” He was slightly alarmed by the urgency of his investigator trying desperately to get his attention.
“I can’t promise to keep my hands to myself. There is nothing on the menu to compare to what I had right here in this room,” she said. “I know trust is not something that comes easy for you and we have that in common. Most people disappoint you and I’ve learned to walk away before that happens. I don’t want to do that with you.” Claire threw off the sheets and showed no shame when she walked across the room naked as the day that she was born.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less. The only thing I request is that you keep your clothes on in the restaurant,” he said. “I would not be opposed to one of us slipping under the cover of the tablecloth. It’s just a matter of which one of us is going to have the balls to do it.” The investigator claimed to have something to report, but was only going to do it in person.
“I feel like I’m losing my balance when I’m around you. A man like you needs to show confidence at all times. I suspect you and I are built from the same cloth. It’s the reason why we feel uniquely qualified to give each other what we need.” She had broached the topic about the merger, but felt that it was necessary to keep it as subtle as possible.
“I can’t even begin to tell you what these last few days have meant to me. I never thought that I would be in a marriage of convenience,” Eric said. “Sleeping with others has been an exercise in futility. The sex was good, but it always left me feeling dirty afterward. There is a time and place to revel in the nasty acts behind closed doors.”
“I’m no stranger to the shame of a one-night stand. It’s the desperate need to connect to another physically that sometimes leads to bad decisions.” Claire had her fair share of those nights which were only a blur of limbs flailing in the air.
The morning after, when she awoke with a headache had her chastising herself for allowing this man to get close. The worst of them was Nicholas. She recognized a kindred spirit and knew that misery loved company. They were two peas in a pod living for the rush of the con. It was the only thing they had in common.
The few times they had been together physically left her feeling like something was crawling over her skin. His words degraded her and, at the time, she thought she deserved him. There was something missing and she didn’t even realize it until she met Eric.
“I’m looking forward to seeing you tonight. Claire, we might be strangers, but it feels like we were destined to meet. I’m not just saying that and I mean every word from the bottom of my heart,” he said. “I can be the wind in your sails. I can help you accomplish your goals with no strings attached. Where do you see yourself in five years? I want to give you the fighting chance for success, but I need a starting point.” He could tell no one had asked her what she really wanted to do with her life.
“I’m going to have to give it some thought. I hope that you don’t take this the wrong way, but I am curious about what you would do without the money. Your life was pretty much mapped out for you from the moment you were born. If you had the chance to do it all over again what would be the dream?” She wasn’t expecting an honest answer, but she could hope there was something more between them than an animalistic release of endorphins.
“You’re the first person to ever ask me that,” he said. “I guess I’ve always been fascinated with art. I have my own personal collection which I would love to share with you. My father said I was wasting my time and I was inclined to believe him. I have a creative flair never fanned into a flame.” He had never divulged this information to anyone.
“I have to say, a man of your charisma could probably live in two different worlds. Those hands sizzled along my flesh and I can easily see the artist underneath the businessman,” she said. “I feel privileged to be able to lift the veil to what you desire the most. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Others may laugh at your passion, but I’m not like anyone you know.” She would have loved to be his muse standing like Godiva with her long hair fanning over her breasts.
“I’ve never had a life-like model before and maybe I can convince you to be my first.” There was just something about her. He wanted to uncover what was underneath the charming smile on canvas. He felt a vulnerability and a damaged soul screaming to come out.
“I could be convinced after an expensive dinner to pose for you. We all have secrets, some darker than others. I’ve said too much. We’ve been having such a lovely time that I almost ruined it. Forgive me and it will never happen again.” She was falling into the trap, which she had claimed to be immune to.
“I’ve seen you at your best and I’m not afraid to see you at your worst. Everybody hides who they really are until they are comfortable with the person they are spending time with. I can be hard to deal with,” Eric said. “Don’t give me that smirk. You can ask any of my staff and they will regale you with some tirades, which left them shaking in their boots.” His temper had flared several times and he was taking steps to curb his need for violent outbursts.
“Trust me, you have not seen me at my worst and you don’t want to. I can be very territorial and I protect my heart by any means necessary,” Claire said. “I don’t want to believe that you can hurt me, but I have seen others fall victim to know it’s possible. I can’t stop myself from… loving you. Saying it takes this huge weight off of my shoulders and I can only hope that I’m not making a mistake.”
“Love is the strongest emotion of all and is quite fragile in the wrong hands. Sometimes it’s worth the risk to have your heart broken,” he said. “I don’t know how it’s possible, but you seem to see me better than anyone. If I were to break this down, I would become slightly suspicious by how easily we get along.” Pulling back the curtain was something he was avoiding.
“I do find myself at a crossroads in my career. I make my living batting my eyelashes and whispering seductive things into the ears of buyers. My only concern is how fast I can relieve them of their pocketbooks,” she said. “I paint a pretty picture, using flowery words meant to entice them into buying something beyond their means. A simple life in a shack on a beach would be a nice way to slow down. I can think of someone I would want to take with me and I’m looking right at him.” Love could cut her down to size and she was well aware of the pitfalls of showing more than intended.
“The only person that can make us happy is ourselves. It might sound like a fortune cookie, but you have to wake up and respect the person looking back at you in the mirror. I’ve forgotten how easy it is to lose sight of what is important. It should never be about the money.” The paintbrush was calling his name and there was something natural about losing himself in the moment.
“Talking to you has given me insight into myself. It’s not good enough to have a hefty bank account. There needs to be something else to go along with enjoying the finer things in life. I’ve lost sight of what makes me truly happy. I have you to either curse or thank for showing me what I have been missing.” She was standing at the door trying to leave. Turning and leaping back into his arms caught him off guard.
“I know that I’m irresistible, but this is ridiculous. We’ll see each other tonight and I promise not to stand you up. Having dinner with you is something I’m looking forward to.” He lowered her to her feet and lifted her chin long enough for them to share a soft kiss with promises of more to come.
“We have to stop this or we’re never going to leave this room. I know I started this, but I’m going to be the one to finish it.” Without thinking about it, she flung open the door and ran down the hall without looking back. It was the only way she could leave, a lone tear streaking down her cheek without his knowledge.
He went out into the hallway to see the elevator door close. There was a moment of dread like he was never going to see her again. It pained him to think this was the last time they were ever going to share a moment of sweet bliss.
He was lost in her smile and the way that her body molded around him. There was no better feeling than seeing the look of euphoria on her face. There were other lovers in the past, but he could barely remember their faces. Something about Claire was burned into his mind and was permanently imprinted on his body. He never had an interest in marring his body with a tattoo, but her scent was branded on his skin.
The meeting was set and he was curious to know the reason for the urgency of his investigator to see him in person. It would’ve been simpler to inform him over the phone. He stated emphatically that walls sometimes have ears. There was a moment he thought about canceling. He knew the truth was something he was going to have to face sooner than later.