Blurb

Belle Freedman is a wide-eyed enthusiastic small-town girl, who has just landed an internship at the biggest ad agency on the East Coast. Her new boyfriend, Jesse, has followed her to New York so that they can chase their dreams together…to make it big in the Big Apple. Belle believes she has it all, a kind boyfriend and a brand new job.

When she has a chance encounter with a stranger on the elevator, things begin to start changing in her world. Devon Rymer is not only one of the partners at the ad agency, but he is also well into his forties, single and the hottest man Belle has ever laid eyes on. Suddenly, the world she thought was perfect, doesn’t seem so perfect any more.

Belle wants Devon. He is irresistibly handsome and strong, but she has a boyfriend, and a job to keep.

* * *

Belle

Belle stood staring at herself in the full length mirror at the corner of their studio apartment. She had spent hours laboring over the right look. First day at the new job. She had butterflies in her stomach and she drew in a deep breath to steady herself. Behind her, Jesse, her boyfriend, was flipping pancakes in the section of the apartment that they called the “kitchen”.

Through the reflection in the mirror, Belle could see Jesse at the stove. His longish blond hair was ruffled and he was still in his boxer shorts with no shirt on. Belle watched him in silence for a few moments. His slender pale frame, the concave shape of his stomach…she had always thought he was the “cutest” boy ever since she’d known him. And now he was her boyfriend!

“How do I look?” Bell asked, flipping around to face him. Jesse looked up and fixed his eyes on her with a bored expression. He was always grumpy in the mornings, that was something that Belle recently discovered about him, ever since they started living together.

“You look great. Stop fretting,” he said and started stacking the pancakes on two plates. Belle tried to be in a cheerful mood, even though the nervousness was wrecking her on the inside. She didn’t want Jesse to feel worse than he already did about his own situation.

She had been offered a position, even if that was as an intern, but it was a job nonetheless. Jesse was yet to find a job or internship of any kind. They had already been in New York for over three months and it was going to get harder and harder to pay the bills if he didn’t find some kind of employment soon. Belle’s meager internship stipend wouldn’t even cover the rent they were paying.

She walked over to the small table beside the stove where Jesse had started setting their breakfast. Belle took a chair and he took the one across from her. She could see that he hadn’t shaved in days, and she had lost track of how many times she had tried to politely suggest that he take a shower.

“What are you going to do with your day?” she asked, digging a fork into the pancakes. She heard Jesse take in a deep breath and looked up at him. He looked offended that she had asked him that.

“If you’re trying to subtly hint that I should go out there and look for a job, I’m going to do that any way. You don’t have to mother me,” he snapped at her and she fell silent.

“I was just making conversation. You don’t have to do anything,” she mumbled, already kicking herself that she had even bothered to ask.

Jesse’s mood swings were unpredictable. Some mornings he woke up feeling energetic and excited about going hunting for jobs, and on other days he was grumpy and touchy about it. Belle was hoping that he would feel inspired today so that he could uplift her mood too for her first day.

They ate their pancakes in relative silence for a few more minutes.

“Well, have a great first day,” Jesse said suddenly and stood up. Taking his half finished pancakes, he shoved the remains into the bin beside the stove.

“What’s wrong?” Belle asked, stopping her chewing.

“Nothing. I’m going back to bed for a few hours. It’s only eight,” Jesse said distractedly. Belle gulped, trying to control her heart from racing out of her chest. She wished she could do something to ease his frustration. She watched as Jesse crossed the room and fell on to the mattress on the floor and rolled over to his side.

He hadn’t even offered her a kiss goodbye or a hug. She finished her food in silence, throwing nervous glances at the man she had a crush on for so long. She wasn’t sure if she had done something to upset him, or what she could do to make him feel better. For now, she was getting late for work so she stood up from the chair.

“I’m off, Jesse. Hope you have a nice day. I love you,” Belle said as she grabbed her purse off the floor near the door. Jesse made no movement, but had his face pressed into his pillow. She heard a muffled goodbye and opened the door.

She closed the door gently behind her and took the steps two at a time as she rushed outside. This was too much to handle. Her first day at a job and also Jesse’s mood swings. She wasn’t sure what bothered her more.

Jesse had been her middle school crush, back in their hometown. They went to the same State college, and her feelings for him returned. It wasn’t until the last year, when they happened to bump into each other at a house party, that they actually started talking and went on a few official dates. When Belle told him that she was moving to New York, Jesse declared that he loved her and would move with her.

So they had officially been a couple for no more than three months, since they moved to New York. No more dates at restaurants, or going for movies or sharing milkshakes. Real life and real responsibilities had come tumbling down on them, when they were least prepared for it. While Belle had a plan for her professional life, Jesse had none and so the hunt had begun and he kept hitting a brick wall.

All the romance that should have existed in a young relationship, between two twenty-two year olds never made an appearance. He was too upset about finding a job, and every day ended with him falling into bed exhausted and uninspired. Belle gulped as she hurried down the busy New York streets towards the subway. Starkly aware that tonight wasn’t going to be the night either, when Jesse might make a move and be the first guy to make love to her.

* * *

Belle

Bell looked up at the forty storied building and licked her lips nervously. She had only been here once before, when she came in for the interview. It was exciting for her to be working there, but at the same time she wasn’t sure what her first day was going to be like. She had been hired to intern with the marketing team at the advertising agency, and she had no prior experience in it. The only reason she had even been hired, Belle assumed, was because of her professional and cheerful personality. The interviewer seemed to like her go-getter and proactive attitude.

Belle pushed open the glass doors and stepped into the lobby. She knew that Rymer & Mills had their offices across five of the top floors, so she went straight for the elevators. Her heels clicked against the marble floors loudly as she walked, and Belle began to wonder if she was even dressed appropriately. She pressed the elevator button and stood with her hands clasped together in front of the double doors.

She caught a faint reflection of herself in the polished steel doors. She had picked out a gray professional looking pencil skirt that reached her knees and accentuated the curves of her hips. She’d tucked in a white shirt neatly on top and picked out a pair of high black stilettos to complete the look. She had spent a considerable amount of time on her hair, to achieve the perfect fishtail braid and now she was happy with the way it lay on her shoulder, just about reaching the top of her breasts. For her lips she had chosen a chocolate brown color to match her coffee brown eyes.

When she sensed someone come and stand beside her, Belle straightened her shoulders. She was self-conscious now that someone had caught her staring at herself. The elevator doors pinged open just that very second, and she stepped aside to let the people out.

When the carriage was empty, she looked to the side and noticed that a man was holding the door open, gesturing her to take a step inside.

“After you,” he said in a calm deep voice and Belle felt her cheeks flush. He was an incredibly attractive man, and she didn’t want to stare. So, she quickly stepped into the elevator and pressed her back to the cold metal wall. The man stepped in after her, and stood to the side.

He seemed older, at least in his early forties and had dark short hair with some smattering of white near the temples. He was much taller than her, and was dressed in a sharp black suit, with a white shirt and a rich red tie. His eyes were a clear sparkling blue, which he turned to her, and a soft smile grazed his lips.

“Which floor?” he asked, and Belle realized that she had indeed been staring at him.

“Thirty-five,” she replied nervously and she noticed that the man arched an eyebrow. He pressed the button, and didn’t press another one. She gulped. So, he worked at her new office! And she had just been staring at him like an ogling teenager.

Belle looked away, hanging her head towards the floor, but she could sense that he was looking at her.

“First day?” he asked, as the elevator started up. She jerked her head to look up at him, fully aware that her cheeks were burning up by now.

He had a hand thrust into the pocket of his pants, and the other one clutched a brown leather briefcase.

“Yes,” Belle replied meekly and the man only smiled.

“Nervous?” he asked, after a few seconds of silence and she shifted on her feet.

“Little bit. It’s my first job too,” she said and took in a deep breath.

He nodded his head and then looked past her towards the changing lights on the elevator.

“I’m sure you’re good at what you do if you’ve been hired at Rymer & Mills,” he added and Belle breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t looked at it that way before. She had got the job. Even if it was an internship. She had been handpicked out of hundreds of applicants and she knew she was ambitious and confident enough to survive the six months of internship. So, technically, he was right…she had nothing to really worry about.

Belle let out a small laugh and their eyes met. His blue eyes were kind and sharp at the same time, and she wondered what position he held at the agency. If he worked there at all.

“What do you do?” she asked him, when he hadn’t said anything for some time.

“Ah, nothing at the moment. I’m hoping I’ll find something to do today,” he said and Belle’s mouth opened slightly. She couldn’t believe that he had been so polite and encouraging towards her, when he was just on his way to a job interview.

“Oh, best of luck with that,” she said and the man smiled and nodded.

“Thank you,” he said politely, just at the doors pinged open again. He gestured to her again to lead the way, and Belle stepped out, smiling as she passed him. She felt their clothes graze gently and there were instant goosebumps on her skin. There was something magnetic about this polite stranger, and she whipped around just as he was stepping out of the elevator himself.

“I’m Belle Freedman, I hope you get the job,” she said and stuck out her hand to him. The man looked quizzically at her hand for a few moments, before lifting his head to look at her again.

“I’m Devon Rymer. Welcome to my agency,” he said and took her hand in his and gave it a strong shake. Belle’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She knew she had never felt more embarrassed before.

* * *

Devon

Devon was smiling as he shook Belle’s hand. He knew he had an iron grip and an intimidatingly strong handshake, but this girl didn’t seem to be affected by it. She only looked surprised, because she hadn’t known who he was.

She was the one to draw her hand away, and Devon took note of her huge brown eyes, the way her neat braid lay delicately over her shoulder. She was sharply dressed, especially for her age. He assumed that she was in her early twenties, and he tried to remind himself not to stare.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I had no idea,” she said, taking a few steps away from him. Devon smiled and shook his head.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I know I’m a private person, there’s no way you could have known what the partners of the agency look like,” he replied, pushing his hand into his pocket again. He was expecting the girl to blush, or turn her eyes away from embarrassment, but she stared back at him with an unwavering gaze.

“Well, thank you for your kind words earlier,” she said, and Devon realized that she was thinking of taking her leave now. For some reason, he wanted to keep talking to her, but he couldn’t think of anything to say to her to make her stay.

“Have a nice day, Ms Freedman,” he said instead and she smiled widely. He noticed how bright her eyes were when she smiled and how her lips lifted up on the sides as she did it. He couldn’t bring himself to look away.

She nodded to that and then walked away, towards the reception area. Devon stood in front of the elevator doors for a few more seconds, watching her walking away, before he breathed out a deep sigh and started making his way towards his own office.

His secretary Lily found him soon enough, and intercepted him in the corridors.

“Mr Rymer, we have two meetings set up for you before lunch. You are supposed to meet with Pat Lynch & Sons first thing,” Lily was walking with him, keeping pace. She also had his double shot Americano in her hand, which she eventually handed to him.

Devon’s mind was occupied with thoughts of Belle instead, and he stopped abruptly in front of his office doors.

“Lily, do you know about a Belle Freedman, who has been hired as an intern? It’s her first day today,” he said and Lily looked back at him with some surprise in her eyes. She didn’t expect him to be talking about an intern that early in the morning. In fact, Devon, rarely ever spoke about interns to begin with.

“Well, I don’t know her personally. But is there something you want me to find out? I can ask Susan, she’s in charge of all the interns,” Lily said, fixing the files and papers in her hands.

Devon was thinking, and he wasn’t really looking at Lily.

“Have her come over to my office, maybe between the two morning meetings,” Devon said. Lily nodded and turned on her heels to walk away. “Oh, and also ask Susan to keep a close eye on her, and give me a report at the end of day about her work,” he added, before pushing open the door to his office and walking in.

Once inside, Devon placed his coffee on his desk and walked around to the glass wall that overlooked the Hudson River. He had his jaws clenched as he watched people walking over the bridge. From the thirty-fifth floor, they looked nothing more than just tiny dots.

He couldn’t get Belle Freedman out of his mind. Not only was she gorgeous, but there was something comforting in her voice. She seemed sweet and cheerful, and he wondered if she was from a small town. He was sure that she wasn’t from New York, and he suddenly felt worried if the city might affect her. If in a few months, Belle might turn into a completely different person.

The phone on his desk beeped and he walked over and pressed a button.

“I’ve set up a meeting between you and Ms Freedman for eleven fifteen, Sir,” Lily’s voice came through.

“Good, thanks Lily,” Devon said.

“And I’ve told Susan what you said. She said she’ll come in and have a word with you at the end of the day,” Lily added.

“Thanks Lily,” he said again.

“Also, she was wondering why you’ve taken an interest in her, and if there’s a problem. She was worried that she might have made a bad hire,” Lily continued.

“No, Not all. There’s no problem and please tell Susan that she’s made a great hire. I like Belle, she seems enterprising and bright,” Devon said and with that he ended the call and sat down on his chair.

He steepled his fingers on his desk and narrowed his eyes as he thought about it some more. He couldn’t put a finger on the exact reason why he had taken an interest in Belle. It wasn’t just her looks was it…? Because he knew he could have any number of beautiful young women he wanted, in fact he tried to keep his distance from them as much as possible, so that a relationship didn’t come between him and his work. Besides, wasn’t Belle a bit too young for him?

There had to be something else about Belle that he had noticed. Just during their five minute conversation in the elevator, he was instantly drawn to her. To her smile. To her innocent confidence.

Devon shook his head, to drive the thoughts out of his brain. He had an entire day’s worth of work to get through and he wasn’t going to allow a girl to occupy his mind.

He pressed the buzzer again and got through to Lily in an instant.

“Set up the board room for the first meeting, I’ll be there in five minutes,” he said and with that, he took two large gulps of his scalding coffee.

* * *

Belle

She was nervous as she walked towards Devon Rymer’s office. Her team leader, Susan, had informed her that Mr Rymer wanted to personally meet with her at quarter past eleven, and Belle had no idea what for. Susan couldn’t give her the details of the meeting either, so Belle had spent most of the morning fretting over what she had done wrong.

As far as first days at work go, Belle assumed that it had been going well. She had been given the task of conducting some simple market surveys, and she had spent the morning doing that; completing her task well before the eleven fifteen meeting with Devon Rymer.

So, now she walked self consciously towards his office, as directed by Susan and found his secretary sitting at the end of the corridor behind a desk.

“You must be Belle,” the middle aged woman said, looking up at her from over her crescent shaped spectacles.

“Yes, I’m here to meet with Mr Rymer,” Belle said and stuck out a hand to the woman.

“I’m his secretary, Lily. Nice to meet you Belle. Mr Rymer will be with you shortly,” Lily said and shook Belle’s hand weakly.

“Sure,” Belle said and took in a few deep breaths. Try as she did, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she had conducted herself wrongly in some way. That Mr Rymer wanted to talk to her to tell her off. Maybe it had something to do with the way she was staring at him!

“Don’t be nervous. He told me that he thinks you’re an enterprising young woman,” Lily interrupted her thoughts. Belle looked at her and forced a smile on her face.

“Really?” she asked, surprised to hear that. Lily shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

The phone beside her on the desk rang and she pressed a button.

“You can send Ms Freedman in, if she’s arrived,” the deep voice said and Belle instantly recognized the voice to be Devon Rymer’s.

“You can go in now,” Lily said kindly and Belle nodded.

She took small slow steps as she walked down the corridor towards the only door that was located at the end of it. Devon Rymer’s office was isolated from the rest of the floor in one corner. She couldn’t even imagine how wonderful the view had to be from that room.

She knocked softly on his door, and heard his voice asking her to come in.

Belle turned the knob and pushed open the door. Devon Rymer was sitting behind his desk, signing a sheet of paper. He looked up at her, and she was struck again by how intensely attracted she was to him. Belle gulped.

“Take a seat, Ms Freedman,” he said, straightening himself in his chair.

Belle closed the door behind her, and walked nervously towards the desk. His office was made of only glass walls, so bright sunlight flooded the room. She noticed the sleek, minimalistic decor of the office, the eggshell white leather chairs, the large oak desk, the potted plants. He had a pretty simple room, with no paintings or additional decor. It seemed like Devon Rymer was a no-fuss kind of man.

Without a word, Belle took the chair across from his desk, and realized how intimidated she was in her surroundings now. Despite what Lily had told her outside, she wasn’t feeling too confident. She couldn’t think of one good reason why he had called her into his office.

“How has your first day been going so far?” he asked, breaking the silence. His clear blue eyes were trained on her, and he was looking at her with an intensely fiery gaze. Belle could barely find the strength to keep looking at him without blushing. He seemed to be the kind of man who knew everything about everything.

“It’s been going well. I’m learning a lot. I’ve been conducting some market research for clients who sell teenage magazines,” Belle replied, shifting in her seat. Her hands were clasped together on her lap and she was pressing her fingers together.

“Good. What would you say has been your one major finding?” he asked, sitting back in his chair. Belle gulped before answering. She noticed how broad his shoulders were, he didn’t have his suit jacket on and she could see the muscles rippling under his thin white shirt.

“I would say that teenagers will only subscribe to magazines if they get free samples of products with each copy. Otherwise, they just have the internet for everything,” Belle replied, and tried to match his eyes with a confident gaze.

A soft smile was grazing Devon’s face. He looked handsome, with rugged features, in the bright light of the room. Belle wondered if she had ever seen eyes as blue as that before.

“You’re picking up fast,” he said finally, and she nearly breathed a sigh of relief. She had prepared herself for an onslaught of complaints. She smiled at that, and he smiled too. Despite how intimidated she was in her surroundings, she couldn’t help but admire how comfortable he had managed to make her feel.

“You’re not from New York, are you?” he asked and she was slightly taken aback by that question. Belle cleared her throat and lifted her chin in the air.

“I’m from Little Canada, Minnesota,” she replied and Devon Rymer’s eyes narrowed.

“Where did you go to school?” he asked.

“Minnesota State, Mankato,” Belle said and now he nodded his head.

“Are you living by yourself in New York? Ms Freedman,” he continued.

Belle shook her head and tried to force a smile on her face.

“No, I live with my boyfriend, and please Sir, call me Belle,” she replied and felt her cheeks burn up. Across from her, Devon Rymer’s features darkened and he clenched his jaw tightly. Again, she wondered what exactly he was thinking and if she had done something to displease him.

* * *

Devon

He couldn’t control the rush of jealousy he felt the moment he heard the words escape Belle’s beautifully luscious chocolate brown lips. She had a boyfriend! What was he thinking? How could he just presume that she was single? Then the thought struck him, that she was an employee at his agency. He was her boss. There was a code of conduct he had to maintain. Devon cleared his throat and picked up a pen from the desk.

“Okay, Belle. I hope you’re setting into New York nicely,” he said and she seemed to buy what he was saying. Devon was worried that she would be able to see right through him. That somehow she would know what was on his mind. Till that instance, when she told him she had a boyfriend, Devon hadn’t officially acknowledged to himself that he was interested in her as more than just an employee.

“It’s a lovely city. I can’t say that it’s easy, but I’m having a lot of fun here,” she said cheerfully and tucked in a few loose strands of her brown hair behind her small ears.

Every movement she made filled Devon with tension. He realized that he was growing more conscious of her body, of her presence, by the second.

“New York is tough, but you seem like someone who’ll make it,” he replied and Belle nodded and smiled. She seemed like the kind of person who looked at everything in life with positivity. She could brighten up a room by just walking into it. Her boyfriend was very lucky, Devon thought to himself and stood up with a jerk.

“Well, thank you for coming in to see me, Belle,” he said and stuck out his hand to her. She looked surprised for a few seconds, like she didn’t expect the meeting to end so suddenly. Then she half stood up and reached for his hand and gave it a tight firm shake. Again, Devon was pleasantly surprised by the strength in her arms.

When she drew her hand away, she straightened herself up and was looking at him curiously.

“I was worried there for a bit, I wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me because I’d done something wrong,” she said and he laughed too, forcing himself to do so.

“No, of course you haven’t. I just wanted to check in on you because you looked quite nervous in the elevator earlier,” he replied and Belle licked her lips. She remained standing where she was, with her hands clasped together and she looked around the office.

“This is a wonderful office, you have a lovely view,” she said and he wondered if she was stalling. If like him, she too wanted to keep talking. He tried to push that thought out of his mind. She had a boyfriend, Devon had to remind himself of that again.

“Thank you, Belle. I like to keep it simple,” he said and she fixed her large brown eyes on him again. Devon could see her perfectly shaped pert breasts rising and falling under her white shirt, and he felt a movement in his pants.

“Hope you have a good first day, thank you again for coming in,” he said quickly and sat back down. He didn’t want her to remain in his office and make it any worse. Devon was certain now that it was more than just curiosity in an interesting person. He was attracted to her sexually, and he wanted to avoid feeling that way as much as possible.

Belle nodded, thanked him and then walked out of the office. At the door, before she left, she threw him a quick grateful look and then she was gone.

Devon sat back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair, and let out a huge sigh. Inviting her to a private meeting was a bad idea, he told himself. He should have just left it at that in the morning. There was no reason for him to interact personally with an intern.

He was annoyed with himself because he couldn’t believe that he hadn’t thought this through. Belle was a young, vibrant, beautiful and intelligent young woman. What were the chances that she didn’t already have a boyfriend? Besides, she didn’t seem to be the kind of person who would be interested in the things most women in New York were interested in. She wouldn’t be interested in Devon’s money or his power. And he felt like he was too old for her.

Frustrated, and at the edge of his seat, Devon picked up his personal cell phone and dialed a number. One he had been dialing less often in the past couple of months. On the third ring, she answered the phone.

“Alisha,” he said, closing his eyes.

“Devon, ah, Devon…I haven’t heard from you in a long time,” Alisha’s voice sounded groggy. He got the feeling that she had just woken up from her sleep. Devon had known Alisha for the past six years and he knew she was a late riser. A social butterfly, and with all her daddy’s money to spend, Alisha would have been up till the wee hours of the morning entertaining guests.

“I was wondering what you’re doing this evening,” he mumbled into the phone, ignoring her previous statement. Alisha laughed a cackling laugh, she was glad to hear him say that.

“I have a cocktail party to attend, but you know I would cancel that in a heartbeat for you,” she said.

“Great, I’ll pick you up at eight,” Devon said and hung up the phone.

His heart was racing, he was still too anxious to sit still. He knew he needed the distraction and Alisha would be the right kind. In the six years that he’d known Alisha, she had never pushed him to get into a serious relationship with her. If she had any stronger feelings for him, she never showed it. And he definitely needed some good old no-strings-attached sex, if he was going to get over picturing Belle Freedman naked.

* * *

Belle

Belle came back to her studio apartment, and found Jesse sitting on the couch, still in his boxer shorts. At least he had put on a shirt at some point, and he had a big bowl of popcorn on his lap which he was eating while watching ice hockey on TV.

“How was your day?” Belle asked, as she dropped her bag on the floor by the door and walked over to him. She didn’t want to comment on his laziness or the fact that he hadn’t done any cleaning up of the dishes or the apartment.

“The usual. I dropped my CV off at a few places,” he said, and looked up at her. Belle could see it in his eyes that he was lying. He hadn’t left the house.

She came over to him and sat down beside him on the couch.

“My first day was good. Devon Rymer, one of the partners called me into his office and said that I was doing a good job,” she said and reached for Jesse’s hand. He allowed her to hold his hand, but didn’t drag his gaze away from the TV.

“Oh yeah?” he said, popping some popcorn into his mouth. Belle couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his disinterest. It was like he just didn’t care.

“Aren’t you interested at all in how my day was?” she asked him, getting a little angry now. Jesse finally turned to her, with his lips pressed together.

“Of course I am. I’m just watching the game babe. And I already know you’re good at your job,” he said, forcing a smile on his face. Belle pulled her hand away and scrunched up her face. She was excited about how the day went. She couldn’t exactly tell Jesse how thrilling it was to talk to Devon Rymer, but she at least could tell him about the rest of the work she did. But now he was only pretending to be interested.

“What do you want to eat?” she asked him, deciding to change the subject so that she didn’t lose her temper even more.

Jesse looked at her apologetically.

“I ate already. Chinese takeout. Sorry, I was really hungry,” he said and Belle rolled her eyes again.

“You couldn’t even wait for me to come home!” she said and stood up with a jerk. Jesse stood up too and started following her to the kitchen area.

“I’m sorry, babe. I really am. I wasn’t sure how long you’d be. I figured since it’s your first day, you might be delayed,” he was saying, and Belle just shook her head. The frustration was rising in her chest. This was not the kind of relationship she had imagined for them. It was supposed to be an adventure, a romantic adventure in New York.

She started rummaging in their mini fridge for leftovers, when she felt Jesse’s hands on her waist from behind. She straightened herself up and whipped around. He was smiling at her apologetically and pulled her closer to him.

Belle bit down on her lip, aware of the feelings of arousal she had in Devon Rymer’s office that morning. Perhaps sex with Jesse would help quench those needs, she thought. She decided to forgive him and brought her face closer to him now. Jesse leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was gentle and slow and Belle moaned softly.

He pulled away after a few seconds and she was blushing, looking up at him from under her heavy eyelids.

“Should we just go to bed?” she asked him and Jesse suddenly let go of her waist.

“I’m not sleepy yet, babe,” he said and the smile on Belle’s face drooped.

“No, I meant…” she began to say, but Jesse had already started walking away from her towards the couch. She couldn’t understand why they hadn’t had sex yet. Weren’t boys his age supposed to want sex more than girls? Wouldn’t he be excited that they were living together and now he had his opportunity to have sex with her as much as he wanted?

It seemed like she wanted it more than he did.

“I know what you meant, Belle,” Jesse said, sitting back down on the couch again. Belle grabbed the open door of the fridge tightly, she could feel her teeth grinding against each other. She was beginning to feel humiliated now. This constant rejection from her own boyfriend was taking its toll on her.

“What is the problem, Jesse?” she asked him, afraid of what the answer might be.

“I just think we should wait,” he said bluntly, without looking at her. He had settled the bowl of popcorn on his lap again.

“Wait for what? We’re in a relationship and we’re living together!” she said, her voice rising in anger now. Jesse looked at her, only for a second and turned his gaze to the TV screen again.

“Don’t you want to save yourself for the right moment? Like when we decide to take our relationship to the next stage? Isn’t that the right thing to do?” Jesse said and Belle whipped around from him.

She had never thought like that. Her own virginity was because she hadn’t found the right guy yet, not because she was saving herself for the right moment, or marriage. Up until now, she had no idea that was the reason why Jesse was holding out. He was a friendly, intelligent, good looking guy who dated several girls in college before herself…Belle hadn’t doubted that he was a sexually active guy.

She bit down on her lip as she tried to keep herself from looking at Jesse. She couldn’t believe what she had gotten herself into.

“I love you babe, I just think we should wait,” she heard him say and she pressed her eyes close to try and shut out his voice.

* * *

Devon

Alisha was sprawled on his bed, when Devon woke up the next morning at seven. He looked over and found her sleeping, with her face turned away from him. The events of the previous night came flooding back into his brain and Devon ran his hands through his hair and shook it out.

The night was going smoothly. He had taken her to a cocktail bar, they had several drinks together and as per plan, he brought her to his apartment. When she started taking her clothes off however, Devon stopped her in her tracks. Alisha looked confused. Wasn’t that what he wanted? Wasn’t that why he had called her? Devon pushed her away. He insisted that he didn’t want to have sex. When Alisha asked him why, he couldn’t give her an answer.

They got into bed nevertheless, because it was too late for her to go home and they had slept together several times for it to become comfortable. Alisha tried to seduce him again, she had even managed to peel off his pants, but Devon didn’t allow her to get any further than that. He was tired, was his excuse; and Alisha didn’t look like she believed him.

She went to sleep, pissed off at him for wasting her night, and Devon remained awake almost the entire time, wondering what was wrong with him.

Having sex with Alisha, or any woman; had never been a problem for him before. But for some reason, this night, he wasn’t even turned on by her. The only thought in his mind was that he wanted to be with Belle. He had called Alisha for that very reason, to rid himself of thoughts about Belle. But she hadn’t been successful at that. He still wanted Belle. Hers was the only face that floated up in his mind every time he closed his eyes, and he had spent the whole night dreaming about her.

Alisha moved and stretched her arms, as Devon stood up and started putting his shirt on.

“Going to the gym?” she asked him, raising her head slightly.

“Yeah,” he replied and walked over to his walk-in closet.

Alisha had propped herself on her elbows and was watching him walking around the room. When Devon looked over at her, he couldn’t help but admire her chocolate brown nipples and her small perfectly shaped breasts. Breasts he had enjoyed sucking on many occasions before. Today, however, Alisha’s naked body had no effect on him.

“What happened to you last night?” she asked him, tucking in strands of her brunette hair behind her ears.

Devon took in a deep breath and picked out the gym clothes he would need. He was debating whether to tell Alisha the truth. They had been friends for so long, friends with benefits; that there was practically nothing that they didn’t know about each other.

“Oh my God, you’re in love!” Alisha screeched and a hand went up to her mouth.

Devon met her gaze and shook his head.

“No, it’s not that. I don’t even know her. We just met,” Devon said and a mischievous smile had formed on Alisha’s face. She was straightening herself up, to sit up in bed.

“So it is about a girl,” she said and Devon shrugged.

“Who is it?” she asked, as Devon took out the shoes he needed.

“I can’t tell you that,” he said and Alisha raised an eyebrow at that.

“Is she like forbidden fruit or something?” she asked and Devon remained quiet as he tied his shoelaces.

“Okay, at least tell me what the problem is,” she said and Devon took in another deep breath.

“She has a boyfriend, and she might be too young for me,” he said, standing up again. Alisha was gazing at him, with her eyebrows crossed.

“It’s so unlike you to give up so easily. What’s going on?” she asked and Devon looked back at her.

“I like her. She’s a nice girl. I don’t want to put her in a situation that could end up hurting her,” he said and Alisha stared at him wide eyed. She was finding it hard to believe that Devon Rymer, the shrewd successful advertising mogul who she knew, was softening up because of a girl he barely even knew.

“I really can’t even picture this girl, who has brought you to your knees. So much so that you won’t even fuck me. It’s crazy!” Alisha said and then she laughed.

Devon was changing into his gym clothes now, piling up his night clothes on the floor next to his feet. His housekeeper would take care of them after he was gone to the gym. He was accustomed to these daily luxuries.

“You have to do something about it, Devon. She could be the one!” Alisha said and Devon shook his head.

“Like I said, she has a boyfriend and she’s too young for me,” he said and Alisha rolled her eyes.

“So what? You have to do something, Devon!” she said and he had already started walking towards the bedroom door.

“I appreciate your advice, Alisha. And I’m sorry that I called you over last night. Have a nice day. You can see yourself out, I trust,” he said at the door and Alisha sank back into bed. It was too early in the day for her.

“You have to fuck her if you want to get her out of your head, Devon!” he heard her say as he closed the door behind him.

Devon clenched his jaw as he walked towards his front door. His housekeeper, Bertha, was already in the kitchen, cleaning.

“Morning Bertha, leave the cleaning up of my bedroom till midday please,” Devon told her as he kept walking.

“Yes, Sir,” Bertha mumbled.

He had his own personal gym on the floor below the penthouse apartment, but today Devon was feeling like an actual run outside. He needed the fresh air.

* * *

Belle

Devon Rymer had called her into his office again, two days later, and Belle approached the door with some hesitation. His secretary wasn’t at her desk today, so she had no way of knowing why exactly she had been summoned. She could already feel the butterflies in her belly, just at the thought of seeing him again.

“Come in!” she heard his sharp voice when she knocked on the door. Belle opened it and stepped inside. He was sitting behind his desk, but stood up when she walked in. He was in another one of his pristine white shirts and today the tie at his neck was a deep purple, that seemed to somehow match his clear blue eyes.

He had square small reading glasses on, which he was taking off and he placed it on his desk. He looked tall and foreboding as he stood and Belle felt her hands tremble slightly. She couldn’t calm her nerves.

“You wanted to see me, Sir?” she said softly and he nodded his head.

“Yes, Belle, come in. How are you?” he asked and she walked towards his desk.

“Things have been going great. It’s a great office to work in,” she replied, realizing that her voice was beginning to sound a little shrill. She had come closer to his desk, but wasn’t sure if he wanted her to take a seat.

“I have spoken to Susan recently, and she reported that you’re a good worker. The best intern that we’ve had to date,” he was smiling at her, and Belle could feel her knees going weak. She couldn’t be sure if it was all the pent up sexual tension from Jesse holding out on her, or if it was an actual feeling…but she could feel goosebumps forming on her arms.

“Thank you, that is very kind of Susan and you. I’m trying my best,” she said and he walked around his desk. The fact that he was now coming closer to her, made her heart beat faster. She had never been this attracted to an older man before, and the fact that he was her boss and therefore in the taboo area, turned her on even more.

“The reason I’ve called you here is because, Belle, I was thinking of giving you a more client facing role. I believe you are good with people, and it might be useful if you sat in on a few client meetings,” he said and Belle blushed. She felt her lips stretch to a wide smile. She was humbled and honored and aroused, all at the same time.

“Thank you, Sir. That would be amazing,” she gushed. He had walked even closer to her now, and was leaning against his desk as he looked at her.

“You can call me Devon, Sir is too formal,” he said and Belle jerked her head up to look at him. She knew Susan called him Sir, so did his secretary. She couldn’t think of a reason why he didn’t want her to do the same. But it only excited her more. She could see that Devon Rymer had taken a special interest in her, and as much as she appreciated his professional interest, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was attracted to her too. The same way she was attracted to him.

“Okay, Devon. I really do appreciate the opportunity,” she said and took a few steps towards him now. She wasn’t sure why she was doing it, but she just wanted to get closer to him. See how he might react to their proximity. It thrilled her to find that he didn’t move away, in fact he was extremely comfortable.

“You deserve it, Belle,” he said softly and she took in a deep breath. She knew that they were already standing inappropriately close for a professional setting. But neither he nor she made a move in any direction. It was like they were allowing their bodies to do the speaking.

“Mr Rymer, Devon…” she was fumbling with her words and he took a step towards her. Their bodies were now only inches apart, and she could breathe in a whiff of his masculine cologne. It made her weaker in her knees.

“Is this awkward for you?” he asked, in a low guttural voice and she looked up from under her heavy lids to meet his fiery blue gaze.

“No,” she said and shook her head.

Devon came closer, the fabric of their clothes were grazing now and she took in a sharp breath.

“Are you sure?” he asked and she looked up at him again. She was mesmerized by his eyes, his voice and by the thought that she might actually get to touch him. All reason and common sense and reality had flown from her mind. In that moment, all she could think of was touching Devon Rymer.

“Yes, I’m sure,” she said in a softer voice and this time when their eyes met, she knew what was going to happen.

He lowered his head abruptly and took her jaw in one of his large hands. In a flash he had angled her small heart shaped face towards him and their lips met. She gasped, loudly, as their mouths pressed together. Devon’s tongue was forcing her lips open, she gave way to it and then he was exploring her mouth. His long velvety tongue inside her mouth was the most sensual thing she had ever experienced. It was like he was already making love to her.

Belle reached up to hold on to his shoulders for support, and slowly, as they continued to kiss, he moved her. She was now against his desk, her back pressing against its cold wooden surface. He was leaning towards her, kissing her with more force.

Belle could feel a wetness between her thighs, something she had never experienced just from kissing. But this was no ordinary kiss. Devon Rymer wasn’t the usual college guys she used to make out with. Just knowing the fact that he was way more experienced than her, turned her on even more.

He pulled away from her suddenly, and Belle gasped again. She stared into his deep blue eyes for a few moments, and a soft smile started forming on his face.

“I’ve wanted this from the moment I saw you,” he grunted and Belle bit down on her lip. She was watching him from under her heavy eyelids. His lips were glazed from her own mouth as he came closer to her again.

Belle thrust her hips out towards him, and his hands went to her shirt. She threw her head back as he caressed her breasts, gently at first. Then he squeezed them. She moaned.

Within seconds he was unbuttoning her maroon cotton shirt, untucking it from her skirt. She felt the coolness of the air as her breasts were exposed, only covered now by the black lace bra she was wearing.

Belle’s legs were parting, and Devon had wedged himself between her thighs. She could feel the material of her tight pencil skirt stretching, she was beginning to worry that it might tear. But then her thoughts were elsewhere, because Devon had pulled down the straps of her bra. Her breasts were completely exposed now, and he gently pinched her small pink nipples.

Belle moaned again and threw her head back. Some thoughts flitted through her brain occasionally. That she hadn’t told him how inexperienced she was, that she was a virgin. That this was all new to her. She was afraid of even touching him.

She felt his hands on her waist, and he lifted her up on the desk. Slowly he brought his head down so that he could lick her pert nipples. Belle winced as he did it. His long velvety tongue licked her nipples, one by one, like they were lollypop. He had his eyes fixed on her the whole time. She pressed her eyes close to enjoy the moment, and then she felt his hands between her legs.

Belle gasped again, and when she looked at him, Devon was smiling.

“You’re sweet,” he said in a low growl, and his hands found the zip on the side of her skirt. He slid it down, and Belle was worried that he would now be able to fully see how wet for him she was. He dragged her skirt down and threw it on the floor.

She was in matching black lace panties, and Devon didn’t waste time to touch the soft throbbing mound between her legs. Belle blushed, nobody had touched her there before, and she quickly squeezed her thighs together.

“Don’t be shy, it’s delicious,” he groaned and gently, he pried her legs open again. It was turning her on to see him even looking at her. But Devon looked like he had eyes only for her wet hot core. She was surprised to find that he slowly lowered himself, still fully dressed, to the floor. His face was now at level with her legs, her throbbing dripping center.

Their eyes met, and Belle was biting down on her lip.

Devon gently used his fingers to move her panties aside. Belle took in a deep breath as he looked at her, at the spot that was still untouched. He could see how wet she was, and she blushed. He brought his face closer and she closed her eyes. The feelings gushing through her veins were all new to her. An uncontrollable urge to grind herself to him, to feel his cock against her leg.

While her eyes were closed, she suddenly felt his tongue on her mound. He was licking her there, and Belle moaned. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do, how she was supposed to react. It was an explosive feeling she couldn’t control. Only her own fingers had ever been there before, but she was always so afraid of it. Now having Devon’s tongue there was a whole new feeling.

Slowly, he licked her again, then just like his tongue had parted her lips, he parted her again and slid his tongue into her. Belle gasped and she felt him reach out and hold her thighs tightly. She could see his head between her legs. Her thighs parted wide apart, and Devon started thrusting into her. His tongue slipped in and out of her, licking and flicking her juicy folds.

Just when Belle was beginning to give in to the sensation, Devon moved his hand. His fingers found her clit and he started stroking her there. Belle moaned loudly this time, unable to control the rush of sensations in her veins. She felt like she was going to pass out.

Devon didn’t stop. He continued to lick her, his tongue sliding in and out of her, while his fingers stroked her clit. Far from stopping he was only increasing his speed. Belle was moaning, her mouth hung open and her eyes rolled back in her head. This was the best, most freeing feeling she had ever felt. Nothing else was in her mind other than reaching that point where her body would take control. Devon was bringing her to the edge, she could feel it rising at the base of her belly. It was growing inside her, his tongue was making it happen.

His phone on his desk next to her suddenly came alive.

“Mr Rymer, your three O clock is here. I’ve put them in the board room,” his secretary’s voice wafted through.

He pulled away from Belle abruptly, letting go of her legs, and he stood up. Belle slapped her legs close and jumped off the desk, aware of her own nakedness.

“Yes, thank you, Lily,” Devon said and reached over to press a button on the phone.

Belle was already picking up her discarded clothes off the floor.

“Umm…I have a meeting right now,” she heard him say behind her. She didn’t want to look at him. She could feel her cheeks burning up from embarrassment.

“Yes, of course,” she said as she pulled her skirt up and zipped it. Then in silence she dressed herself fully, avoiding his eyes. And she was out of his office in under two minutes flat.

* * *

Devon

Devon sat through the board meeting dazed, feeling more like a zombie than an actual living person. He couldn’t get the image of Belle’s naked body out of his mind. When he had called her into his office, he had no plans of stripping her off her clothes or touching her. He just wanted to see her again. But, seeing her standing there, accepting his proximity, had stirred something in him. She seemed just as excited by the prospect of being with him, as he was.

Now he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t know if she had wanted the same thing he did. Had he somehow crossed a line with her? He saw that she was enjoying herself, he had heard her moan, she encouraged him to go on…but he still couldn’t help feeling guilty. She had a boyfriend!

“Thank you, Mr Burnet, that’ll be all for today,” Devon said, standing up abruptly from his chair. The guy giving the presentation stopped what he was saying and stared at Devon blankly. Everyone seemed to walk on eggshells around him, it appeared to him. And it made him slightly angry. People were scared of him for some reason in his office, and Devon couldn’t understand why. At least Belle didn’t appear to shy away from him, not yet anyway. But after what happened, he couldn’t be sure how she might behave now.

As he walked back to his office, Devon resolved to keep his distance from her. Thankfully, it hadn’t gone farther. It stopped at the right moment.

He shut the door of his office behind him with a bang and walked hurriedly over to his chair. He needed to think.

It was easy to figure out that Belle Freedman was inexperienced. He wondered if she was a virgin. But then again, she said that she was living with her boyfriend. So wouldn’t they have had sex by now? Devon couldn’t distract himself from thinking about her. He wanted her again, at the same time as insisting to himself that he needed to stay away.

It was nearly half past four by now, and his employees were beginning to wind up to start going home. Devon decided that he was going to stay in the office longer than necessary tonight. He could go over reports, maybe even go over Belle’s reports!

He shook his head and stood up from his chair. In a moment of panic, he pulled out his personal phone and dialed Alisha’s number. She answered soon enough and sounded like she was delighted to hear his voice.

“What’s happening with you?” she asked when she answered the call.

“I nearly fucked her,” Devon said, pressing his temples.

Alisha was laughing.

“When have you nearly fucked a woman? You’ve either fucked someone or not fucked them,” she said and Devon shook his head.

“I don’t know what’s happening to me. She’s driving me crazy. I had her in my office today. I kissed her and things got a little heated up,” he said and he heard Alisha take in a deep breath.

“And who put a stop to it?” she asked.

“I did. Well, kinda…we were interrupted, but I pretty much pushed her away after that,” he replied and there was silence between them for a few seconds. Alisha wasn’t saying a word. It was as though all of this was coming as a shock to her.

“I really don’t know what to say, Devon. You’ve never behaved like this before. Is it just because she has a boyfriend? She wouldn’t have kissed you back or allowed things to escalate if she didn’t want it too,” Alisha reasoned and Devon stood up from his chair.

He walked over to the glass wall behind him and looked out to the busy Hudson River below.

“Maybe she’s just confused. I think she’s a virgin. So it could be that she doesn’t know what she wants,” he said.

Alisha was thinking again.

“A virgin girl in a relationship, who is much younger than you. This girl has clearly pulled a number on you,” she said finally, and Devon let out a deep breath.

“I know, it’s insane. I can’t stop thinking about her, and when I do I get turned on,” he replied.

“And you still can’t tell me who she is?” Alisha urged him.

“No, I don’t want to jeopardize her position. I’m putting an end to this,” he said.

“How?” Alisha asked and Devon shook his head.

“I’ll figure out a way,” he said and then ended the call.

Staring out at the dimming light outside, Devon knew he didn’t want to go back to his empty apartment. He wanted to spend some more time in his office, he could still feel Belle’s presence here. Besides, he knew that if he want back to his place, he would only end up fantasizing about her, and might masturbate to her and that wasn’t something he wanted to do. He wanted to try everything he could to push her out of his mind.

Devon licked his lips as he thought. Something needed to be done. Something substantial, to put some distance between themselves. Even if it meant that it might hurt them both for now, it would have to be done for their own long-term welfare.

For the first time in his life, Devon was beginning to feel like he needed companionship. Not the kind that Alisha provided, but something deeper. He knew that he had found that connection with Belle, but they had met under the wrong circumstances.

Devon shook his head and walked back to his desk and sat down. He would need to come up with a solution, and fast, before things got out of hand.

* * *

Belle

Belle was back in her apartment by half past five. She was desperate to come back home, to find some time to think. She could still feel Devon’s mouth on her, between her legs, as she walked up to the apartment. She had felt like that the whole day, fantasizing about him. The way he had made her feel. But now, as she pushed open the door, a wave of guilt hit her.

Thankfully, Jesse wasn’t at home. She went straight for the shower. She felt like maybe if she washed herself she could also wash the guilt off. She had wanted Devon Rymer so badly, so desperately in that moment that she hadn’t thought about Jesse. But Belle had always believed that she wasn’t the type of person who would ever cheat in a committed relationship. She had committed herself to Jesse, and they might be going through a rough and rocky start, but she owed it to him and to herself to give the relationship a chance.

Besides, it didn’t even seem like Devon wanted more. It appeared that it was one moment of weakness, on both their parts and he had very quickly changed his mind. Why would a powerful, successful man like Devon Rymer want her in the first place? She thought as she scrubbed herself. When he could have any woman he wanted, what made Belle so special?

She dried herself and changed into casual home clothes, and walked out of the bathroom to find Jesse home.

“How was your day?” he asked her, as he unlaced his sneakers.

Belle gulped before pasting a smile on her face. Just facing Jesse had brought back that wave of guilt in her. She could barely look him in the eye any more.

“How was yours?” she asked him and he shrugged his shoulders.

“Unsuccessful,” he said and walked over to the kitchen area to pour himself a glass of water.

“Have you eaten already?” she asked him, drying her hair with a towel.

“Yeah, you?” he asked her and Belle clenched her jaw. What was happening to them? Weren’t couples supposed to eat together?

“No, but I’m not hungry I guess,” she said and watched as he walked over to the couch and sat down with a thump.

“Jesse,” Belle said, placing a hand on her left hip. He looked up at her, while he plugged in the controls of his playstation.

“Yeah?” he asked, and he looked away, like he wasn’t expecting her to say anything important. Now that she looked at him, she realized that she felt nothing. None of the emotions she had felt when Devon had looked at her. Even without touching her, he had managed to make her bubble with excitement. Something that Jesse had never been able to do.

“What are we going to do about next month’s rent? I won’t be able to afford the whole thing,” she said and gulped. She had so much more to say, to ask him, but his attention was drifting already.

“We’ll manage. I’ll figure something out,” he said distractedly. Belle rolled her eyes and breathed in deeply. Her cellphone on the kitchen counter beeped and she walked towards it. She was feeling mixed emotions of guilt and anger, and they were all directed at Jesse.

On her phone, she saw that she had received an email, from Devon Rymer. Quickly turning her back to Jesse, with a flush of guilt rushing to her cheeks, she opened the email.

Hello Belle,

I’m sorry about what happened in the office earlier. It was entirely my fault and I take the blame for it completely. But I don’t think we should allow for it to happen again. I’m going to ask Susan to move you to our Brooklyn office. You’ll keep your role, but just be out of my way. I wanted to warn you myself.

Devon Rymer

Belle read it again, three times over and then Jesse’s voice interrupted her thoughts. She hadn’t been able to believe what she was reading. She had expected things to get awkward between the two of them now, but this was the last thing she saw coming.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said and she jerked her head up to look at Jesse. She could feel her nostrils flaring.

“I’m being moved to the Brooklyn office,” she said, as she stared at him with unblinking eyes. She still couldn’t believe it.

“That’s great isn’t it? Your office will be closer to us that way,” Jesse said, still tapping away at his playstation controls. He was speaking robotically, just with mild interest in what she was saying. He was more engrossed in his game.

“No, I want to keep working at the Manhattan office,” she said, suddenly snapping out of her dazed thoughts.

“So, what are you going to do about it?” Jesse asked.

“I’m going to go speak to Devon Rymer. I know he doesn’t leave his office before seven. If I go now, I can still make it,” she said and looked expectantly at Jesse. She wasn’t sure why she was staring at him. Perhaps she was hoping that he would stop her, that maybe they might sit together and discuss the situation and he could give her some support. Perhaps she was waiting for some sort of sign from the Universe that would tell her that she shouldn’t be going to see Devon.

But nothing happened. Jesse continued to play his game and Belle licked her lips. She knew that was not what Devon wanted. That would be exactly the opposite of what he wanted. But if he was going to move her from the Manhattan office, she wasn’t going to go out without a fight. She was going to face up to him. After all, he was wrong; he wasn’t entirely to blame. She was just as much at fault as he was and he needed to know that.

* * *

Devon

Devon had the lights dimmed in his office. He was aware that apart from the security personal downstairs, there was no other soul in the building. It was nearly eight now, but he continued typing away at his computer. Keeping himself engrossed in work had helped him to distract his thoughts from Belle and what happened earlier that day.

He was also glad that he had found the strength to send that email to her. Once she moved to the Brooklyn office in a few days, he wouldn’t be in danger of bumping into her in the elevator or the corridors. He’d be able to take the temptation away of calling her to his office too.

The soft ping of the elevator doors opening outside alerted him, and Devon looked up from his typing. A few moments later there was a sharp rap on the door.

“Come in” he called out, thinking that it might be Lily and that she had forgotten a file or something. The door opened, and instead of Lily, Belle was on the other side.

She was panting, giving him the impression that she had been running.

“I wasn’t sure if you would still be here but I decided to take my chances,” Belle said, stepping in confidently.

She was dressed much differently than she usually was for work, and that took Devon by mild surprise. In a pair of distressed boxy jeans that just about reached her ankles, and an oversized t-shirt; Belle looked casual chic and fashionable. Her waist length bronze hair was left open and was still a little damp, and he wondered if she had just had a shower. She usually tied her hair in a bun or plaited it for work, so seeing it open like that made Devon shift in his seat.

“How can I help you, Belle?” he asked, in a curt voice.

She entered his office and shut the door behind her.

“You can help me by explaining why you want me gone from this office,” she said, striding confidently towards his desk.

Devon took the glasses off his face and placed them on the desk. He then steepled his fingers in front of him, and confronted her directly. Belle’s brown eyes were even more darker than usual and her pink glossy lips were stretched in a thin pursed line. She didn’t look amused.

“I explained in my email why, Belle. I thought I made myself quite clear,” Devon said, trying to maintain an authoritative persona.

“You didn’t explain it at all. You apologized for what happened and then said that you want me out of your way,” she said, walking up close to the desk. There was still the obstruction of a desk between them, and Devon was glad for it.

She looked sexy when she was mad, and a new side to her sweet delicate personality was revealed, which was only succeeding in turning him on more.

“That was precisely my point. Because of what happened today, I think it would be best if we kept some distance between us,” he said and moved his chair, shifting it father away from his desk.

Belle squinted, looking at him fiercely.

“It wasn’t just your fault you know. I wanted it too,” she said, after a few moments of silence. Her voice had softened a bit. Devon looked at her and then slowly nodded.

“Sure. You’re right, it takes two hands to clap. However, I believe it is my responsibility to put an end to this before it goes any further,” he said and now he slowly stood up from his chair. Belle was following him with her eyes, watching him like a hawk. It amazed him that she didn’t budge or flinch. That she wasn’t intimidated by him in the least.

“You’re talking about responsibility like you’re in some kind of guardian position. We are both adults here, Devon. I’m a grown woman and I know how to take care of myself,” she snapped. For the first time, Belle looked like she had taken offense.

Devon raised his hands, palms forward in a defensive position and breathed in deeply.

“I don’t mean to upset you, Belle. In fact, I want the exact opposite of that. Which is why, I think to avoid another conversation like this happening, and so that you don’t have to find yourself in a situation where you’re unfaithful to your boyfriend…I believe it would be best if you move to the Brooklyn office,” he said.

Belle was watching him with interest, with her eyes narrowed and no softness on her face.

“So, is that what it is? This is about the fact that I have a boyfriend? You don’t have to worry about my relationship,” she snapped at him and Devon pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants. Just when he thought this was all finally over, that he had taken the crucial step necessary for them to move on…he was in the same position again. Just watching Belle speak, looking at her delicate body and fiery brown eyes were enough. He wanted her again.

“I’m not worried about your relationship. I’m worried about ours. We effectively ruined it this afternoon, and all I want is your professional success. So in order to keep this purely professional, you have to move away,” Devon said and clenched his jaw.

He could see that she was thinking, she licked her lips and stared at him. He wasn’t sure of exactly what she was thinking, but he hoped she wasn’t thinking of coming any closer to him. One more step and it would be impossible for him to resist her. He was doing everything in his power to hold back.

For her own good, and his own sanity - Belle Freedman needed to get out of his office right now.

* * *

Belle

Belle couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She couldn’t fathom how Devon was so calm and composed when she was experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions herself. Everything he had said till now had made complete sense, but she had only snapped at him in response because she didn’t want to hear him say those things.

“What if I told you that I won’t let this ruin my professional pursuits?” Belle asked, softening her voice. Devon arched his eyebrows and took in a deep breath.

“I’m one of the partners of this agency, I’m your Boss…you’re my employee. Belle, this could end disastrously for both of us,” Devon said and she took a few steps towards him. She saw that he had clenched his jaws, he was holding his ground. But the other thing that she could sense, was that his resolve was beginning to crack. She knew that the closer she got to him, the harder it would get for him to control himself.

“Why are you being so negative, Devon?” she said, slowly, maintaining eye contact with him. Now she was sure of what she wanted. She wanted him inside her. She wanted the whole thing. She knew that she wouldn’t truly be satisfied till he had taken her completely, till he finished what he started.

“I’m being realistic Belle. For your sake and mine,” he said and Belle came even closer. She could feel her fingers trembling as she took each step. She had never been this forward with anybody, especially not with someone who was this attractive or this powerful. It was thrilling to see that she had an effect on him. Devon’s eyes were glazing over, his gaze kept dropping to her heaving breasts under her t-shirt. He couldn’t look away.

“Can we worry about all that later?” she asked and stopped in her tracks, when she was directly in front of him. She had to crane her neck to look up at him, and Devon was looking down at her with weakness in his eyes. He wasn’t going to make the first move, not this time, she was sure of it.

He only clenched his jaw in response and Belle sank to the floor.

She wasn’t sure what she was doing. She had no experience in the art of seduction, but all she knew was that she wanted to see him naked. It was his turn now.

On her knees, Belle looked up at Devon. He was towering over her, and she suddenly felt an electric shock run down her spine when she realized how powerful and muscular he actually was. She looked up at him with expectant eyes, begging him to tell her what to do next.

But she wasn’t surprised when he slowly pulled the zip down on his pants. Then he unbuttoned it and the pants came tumbling down to the floor.

Next were his boxers, and for the first time, Belle saw a fully erect cock right in front of her face. It was throbbing, with a smooth tip and Devon pointed it at her. Keeping his blue eyes on Belle’s face, he proceeded to take his tie off, then his shirt and finally, he was standing completely naked in front of her.

Belle looked up at him, taking note of the chiseled muscles of his torso, his wide shoulders, the smattering of dark hair on his chest and arms. Devon Rymer was fully male, dripping with masculinity. She could feel herself growing wet because she knew exactly what he could do to her.

“Take me in your mouth, Belle,” he grunted, in a deep authoritative voice and she did what she was told. She reached for his cock, circled it with her hands and then slowly brought her face close to it.

She felt Devon’s hands in her hair, he had gripped her hair and was now gently pushing her face closer to him. Belle opened her mouth wide, welcoming his cock in. For the first few seconds she thought she was going to gag, but Devon was taking his time. She relaxed her throat muscles, allowing his length to slide in inch by inch. It was strangely exciting, having him in her mouth. She had never expected it to be this sexy, but it was like a preview of what his cock inside her wet throbbing center was going to feel like.

When Belle looked up, she saw how much Devon was enjoying himself, how good this was making him feel. It only turned her on more. She started moving her lips, sliding his cock forward and backward and slowly but surely, she knew she was getting used to it. He tasted salty, masculine and strong in her mouth and Belle could feel the throbbing between her legs grow stronger. She wanted him inside her now.

His grip on her hair increased and Devon had now begun to guide her. She was glad that she was successful in seducing him, because if he turned her away she wouldn’t have been able to survive that humiliation. He gently pushed and pulled her head and stood with his legs apart, so that she could pleasure him in the right way.

When she looked up again, his eyes were fixed on her. She saw that he was coming closer and closer to the edge, and just when she thought he was going to give in, Devon pulled himself out of her mouth.

Belle felt her heart sink. She wasn’t sure why Devon had abruptly pulled out. She was worried that he was putting an end to this. That he was going to kick her out of his office and out of her job.

“Take off your clothes,” he said as he took a step away from her.

Belle let out a sigh of relief as she stood back up. While Devon had his eyes on her, and his hands holding his cock, Belle started undressing herself.

He watched her as she slid down her jeans, then took of her t-shirt. She felt more confident undressing in front of him now, given that he had already seen her naked. She took off all her underwear and eventually she was standing in front of him, completely naked.

Devon was stroking his cock, staring at her, at her breasts.

“Touch yourself. I want you wet and ready first,” he said in a low growl and again, Belle did what she was told. Slowly, a little embarrassed, she touched herself, with one finger first. She did what he had done earlier. Stroking her clit, she stood with her legs pressed together as he watched her.

She could see that Devon’s cock was growing, if that was even possible, as he stroked himself more. His jaw was clenched together, his eyes were focused on where she was touching herself. Belle’s mouth hung open as she stroked her clit, repeatedly, with growing speed till she knew that she couldn’t take it any more.

“Slide your finger in. Just one,” he commanded and she hesitantly did it. Slowly, an inch at a time. Belle gasped when she felt her finger go into her folds, she could feel her own sticky juices. It only made her want him more. Devon was watching her, stroking his cock with his nostrils flared. She could see the force of his own arousal. He was torturing them both by keeping his distance, but she didn’t want to jump the gun. He was the expert here.

Then, when she least expected it, he stepped towards her. In one quick motion, he had grabbed her by the back of her head and was pushing her backwards. They were staring into each other’s eyes, it was like he was burning a hole into her head. Belle was growing self conscious by the minute. She wasn’t sure if she’d be good enough for him.

It was when her bare back touched the cool surface of the wall, that Devon stopped pushing her. He let go of her hair and his hands traced a line down her front, from her neck, over her breasts to the base of her belly. His finger found her wet mound and he stroked her clit again. Belle moaned. The anticipation was killing her.

“Devon, I haven’t…” she tried to say, but he placed a finger on her lips.

“Don’t say another word,” he said, looking deep into her eyes and Belle realized instantly that he knew. He knew she was a virgin. She felt her cheeks burning up again. She hadn’t realized how inexperienced she must have appeared to him, for him to know that she was a virgin already. But for some reason, he didn’t seem to have a problem with it.

His hands left her clit, just when she thought she wasn’t going to be able to bear it any longer. He grabbed her butt, with both his hands and then as easily as he would a feather; Devon lifted her up. In a single motion, instinctively, Belle knew what to do and she wrapped her legs around his hips.

Devon used his body to press her to the wall again, and Belle felt his erect cock against her wet center. It had just grazed her, and she gasped. She was already reaching the precipice. He had amped up her sensations to the level where she knew she was ready. More ready than she had ever been.

With her legs around his hips, and his hands holding her by the waist, Devon peered into her eyes. In the dim light of the office, Belle looked back at him and she saw that he was going to be gentle with her. That he understood everything. He wanted her to feel good.

Without a word, with their eyes locked; Devon drove himself into her. Slowly, he pushed his cock in. Belle felt her wet folds parting as his cock entered her. She gasped again, from the shocking feeling of having his cock inside her. She gripped him by his shoulders, tightly, and she felt her own muscles stiffening.

“You’re so tight and small,” he grumbled in a low voice. Belle bit down on her lip. Every word that came out of his mouth made her want him more. He knew exactly the things to say to her. She felt her muscles starting to relax. Devon was pushing himself in more. Inch by inch, she could feel him inside her. He was taking it slow, till he was inside her completely. Then he pulled out.

Belle screamed from the shock of it, but Devon thrust himself into her again. Holding her tightly, up against the wall, he drove into her and pulled out again. Belle’s eyes rolled in her head. She knew that some men were good at sex. But, she had never expected her first time to feel so good. For it to be so easy.

He kept his eyes on her, as he pumped into her, increasing his speed. All the discomfort of the initial few seconds of having his cock inside her had gone, Belle was enjoying herself. His cock had reached somewhere deep inside her, which she knew was going to make her come.

“Devon…” she breathed his name. He kept thrusting, in and out of her, till she couldn’t hold back any more. Her orgasm came like an explosion. She had no control over her body, as she shook and wriggled. Belle was screaming, at the shock of what she was feeling. She faintly sensed that he had released himself into her as well, but her only concern was her own orgasm.

It rocked her body, her toes curled and she knew she had a wide smile on her face. Devon didn’t stop at that, he pumped into her with quick hard thrusts till he had fully emptied himself into her. After that, Belle was ready to simply collapse to the floor.

* * *

Devon

They were lying naked, beside each other, on the carpeted floor of his dimly lit office. Devon was still breathing hard, while Belle was looking up at the ceiling. Neither of them had said a word since he released her from his grip and they both sank to the floor.

It could have been a few minutes or even half an hour, Devon felt like he had lost all track of time. But he had to say something, it didn’t seem like Belle was going to say anything.

“Are you on the pill?” he asked, breaking the silence. The thought had suddenly occurred to him, because now he was certain that she was a virgin. Her hymen was already broken though, which could have been caused by masturbation; but he was sure that no man had been inside her before. Or if they had, they had done a very poor job of it. It made Devon feel good that he had been able to make Belle feel good. He had watched the intensity of her orgasm. She wasn’t going to forget it very easily.

“Yeah, ever since I moved in with Jesse,” she said, looking over at him.

“But you’ve not had sex with him yet?” Devon asked, still avoiding her gaze. They were looking up at the ceiling together, because he didn’t want to face her, or himself. This was the last thing he wanted to happen. Because just like her, Devon knew that he wasn’t going to be able to forget Belle so easily either.

“No, he wants to wait till we get married,” Belle said quietly and Devon drew in a deep breath.

“I’m sorry if this has confused things for you,” he said, after a few moments of silence. Belle was silent too, then she shook her head and turned to him. Devon couldn’t avoid looking at her any more. He turned to her, and looked into her large brown eyes. Her hair had fallen like a curtain over her side, just about covering her breasts.

“It was already a confused mess. I wanted to have sex, and he didn’t. We have a lot of things to work out,” she said and Devon nodded quietly.

“See, this is the reason why I want you to move to Brooklyn,” he said and then watched as she got up from the carpet. He couldn’t help admiring her lithe naked body as she walked over to where her clothes were strewn on the floor.

Devon felt a pang of loneliness again, as he watched her getting dressed in silence.

“Yes, you’re probably right,” she said as she slid up her jeans. Devon got up too, dragging his gaze away from looking at her. His clothes were lying near the desk, and he walked over to them.

“I’ll speak to Susan tomorrow, and organize a move by day after. You’ll be able to work better if we keep our distance,” he said, as he buttoned up his shirt and pulled up his pants. Belle had slunk her t-shirt back on now, and she flipped her long hair out of her clothes.

“Is it really this easy for you? You seem quite experienced in things like this,” she said and Devon jerked his head up to look at her with narrowed dark eyes. He clenched his jaw.

“I’m not experienced in it at all, Belle. This is the first time something like this has happened. I like to keep my work and private life as separate as possible,” he said and tucked his shirt into his pants.

Belle was standing with her arms crossed over her chest, as though she didn’t believe a word of what he said.

“And, it’s not easy. But I’m your boss, you have a boyfriend and you’re at least twenty years younger than me,” he said. Even though he had just had her, and even though Belle’s flushed face and flared nostrils told him that she was in a sour mood; Devon couldn’t help wanting her again. He wondered how many times it would take, for her to satisfy his craving. Right then it felt like it could take forever. Like he would never stop wanting her.

Belle rolled her eyes and looked away from him.

“Yeah, I have a boyfriend. Who I have to go home to. Who I have to face now,” she said, with her eyes turned to the glass wall. Devon debated whether he should walk closer to her. Eventually, he decided that she needed human contact. That all this was probably too confusing for her. So, he walked over to her and she turned to look at him.

Her watery eyes, the prideful jutting out of her chin…all contributed to how sexy she looked in that moment. Devon wished that he could keep her there, and make love to her all night. Instead, he only grabbed her face with both his hands, encasing her cheeks with his palms. He peered into her eyes and tried to smile.

“It’ll be fine once you move to Brooklyn. This was a mistake. I did something wrong, just like you did. You’re not alone in this,” he said and Belle fell into his arms. She wrapped herself into his chest and Devon had no other choice but to stroke her silky bronze hair. He got a whiff of her lemon scented shampoo and he closed his eyes in order to savor that moment.

She wasn’t crying, or sniffing…she was simply holding him.

“I want to feel guilty, I want to feel bad, but I don’t. I know this isn’t good for you, or your agency, and I’m only an intern with a complicated life, but…” her words were coming out in a jumble and Devon placed a finger on her lips.

“Don’t say another word,” he said and they couldn’t help but smile at each other.

“I should go now,” Belle said suddenly, drawing her arms away from him. Devon let her slip away, and then he stood in the center of his room and watched as she walked towards the door.

“I’ll remember this forever,” Belle said, just before she opened the door to step out.

* * *

Belle

It was nearly eleven by the time Belle returned to the apartment. She had tried to delay coming home, not only because the guilt had started to set in but because she felt like she had never met another person like Devon Rymer before. He was gentle with her, caring and not the arrogant self sufficient man she expected him to be. He was not only a powerful successful man, but also someone who treated her with respect. She wished that she had met him under different circumstances. But she knew the circumstances couldn’t be changed, and she had to return home to Jesse.

She jangled the keys in the lock and pushed open the door, to find the apartment shrouded in darkness. Jesse had already gone to bed it appeared.

In the darkness of the room, Belle tried to be as quiet as possible as she went to the kitchen area to pour herself a glass of water. Next, she went to the bathroom to wash herself. She was afraid that she might smell of Devon and sex. Belle silently stripped herself off her clothes, then she dampened a towel and washed between her legs. She splashed some cold water on her face too, hoping that would soothe her nerves. But nothing helped.

Slipping into her satin night dress, she tied her hair up in a ponytail and stepped out of the bathroom.

On the mattress on the floor, she could see Jesse’s shadowy outline. He was turned towards the window, away from her side of the bed. She wondered if some other guy would have stayed up for her. Or was this the norm? She had never lived with a boy before, and the initial excitement of sharing her life with another person was quickly fading.

Belle walked over to the mattress silently, sudden guilt gripping her heart. She had done something wrong. She had slept with someone else. She had cheated on Jesse. What had he done wrong? Other than not being able to find a job and denying her sex; was there anything else that was gravely wrong with him? He didn’t treat her badly, neither was he violent or abusive; and as far as she knew, he was a faithful guy.

Belle couldn’t sleep. She tried to edge herself as far away from Jesse’s sleeping body as possible. She didn’t think she deserved to be touched, just after she had been unfaithful to him. The guilt kept her awake. She couldn’t stop thinking about how deeply it would hurt Jesse to find out that while he was saving himself for her, she had already given up her virginity to her boss. How could she possibly rectify it? How could she ever take it back?

Belle turned to face the other way and felt a fat teardrop escape her eyelid and fall on the pillow underneath. It was all her fault. She was the one who had seduced Devon. He had tried to push her away, but she came to see him, she told him that she didn’t care about what happened. She wanted to sleep with him.

While her boyfriend was by himself in their apartment, waiting for her.

When Jesse moved, Belle’s heart stopped. She didn’t want him to wake up, she didn’t want to speak to him. She felt like she was the worst human being on the planet, by cheating on a good guy.

“Hey, how did it go? Did you meet your boss?” Jesse’s voice was groggy. Belle gulped and tried to even her breathing before opening her mouth to speak.

“Yeah, but I have to move to the Brooklyn office. I don’t have a choice,” she said, still turned away from him. She felt him move again, and realized that he was turning over to her side now. She sensed his arm reach around her waist and he brought her tightly close to him.

“It’ll be fine. You’ll be closer to home and closer to me. We can meet for lunch every day,” he said, still groggy but she could sense that he was smiling. She didn’t reply for a few seconds and then heard his heavy breathing. He had fallen asleep again.

Belle didn’t move. Jesse’s arm around her waist felt like a ton of bricks on her body. It didn’t feel natural, it sent a cold shiver down her spine. But she remained in that position, laying with her eyes wide open.

She couldn’t remember anymore what had attracted her to Jesse in the first place. Was it his boyish long blond hair? The dimples on his cheeks? Or was it because all her friends thought he was cute too? She knew she was too quick to agree to move in with him. They didn’t know each other well enough. At the time however, it was comforting to know that she wouldn’t have to live in New York all alone. She should never have doubted herself. She should have known that she could make it anywhere.

Belle tried to sleep, but she couldn’t stop her mind from working on overtime. Devon and Jesse, Jesse and Devon. Not like she knew Devon either. All she knew about him, was that she felt an uncontrollable physical connection with him that she had never felt with anyone else before. She wished she could talk to him more, because she got the sense that he actually understood her and he saw something in her that most people didn’t. He definitely saw something in her that Jesse didn’t.

But that chapter was over. She was in it with Jesse, and now she would have to find a way to forget about Devon and move on with Jesse. It had only been four months that they were together, and Belle believed that she still owed it to him to give him another chance.

* * *

Devon

Devon couldn’t sleep. His penthouse apartment felt empty and alone, and he wished that he could have Belle there with him. Which he knew was a ridiculous thought, because he knew nothing about her. But he also realized that he hadn’t ever felt like this about another woman before.

Devon had spent his entire twenties working hard, gaining the experience he needed working for other advertising agencies, making connections. When other people his age were out partying, Devon was working hard at his desk. He had close to no social life, other than one night stands with women whose faces he didn’t even remember any more. His thirties were spent in trying to establish his own agency. This too required a lot of hard work, and again, Devon had no time for actual relationships.

By the end of his thirties, Devon had built an empire and one of the most successful advertising agencies on the East Coast. Now in his forties, and after a string of multiple short lasting affairs and flings, Devon was tired of women. He didn’t even know where to begin to have an actual relationship. In a sense, he was a virgin too, just like Belle. He had no experience in real dating, he had no clue what it felt like to be with a woman consistently over a long period of time. The only woman he had slept with more than twice; was Alisha. And he knew for a fact that he didn’t want to be in a relationship with her.

Just when he was giving up, Belle had magically appeared in his life. There was an instant connection there. It started on the elevator, when he felt the spark, a sexual attraction that would have driven him to insanity if he hadn’t called her to his office. Ever since that, the attraction he felt towards her was more than just physical. Something unlike any other he experienced.

She wasn’t just forbidden fruit to him. He knew that was certain now, because they finally had sex. It was more than that. He wanted to keep seeing her. He wanted to share a meal with her. He wanted to sit on the couch and watch a movie together and then fall asleep in each others arms.

As he lay awake in bed, thinking about Belle and day dreaming about what a relationship with her would look like; he wondered if this was what falling in love felt like. But she was the wrong person; in the wrong circumstances. She was beautiful, charming and intelligent…but she was his employee, had a boyfriend and was way younger than appropriate.

And yet, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He couldn’t stop thinking about how well they connected. The sex was hot, he had taken her virginity but it was more than just that. When they were lying beside each other on the carpet floor; Devon hadn’t been able to stop his mind from wandering. He wished he could simply scoop her back into his arms, kiss her on her lips and then go and get pizza somewhere.

But he knew it was impossible. He needed to maintain a professional relationship with her. There had to be some other woman who also made him feel that way. He didn’t believe in love at first sight. Hell, he didn’t even believe in love. He had spent his entire adult life sleeping with and seducing beautiful women, and not one of them had made him feel like he could spend his entire life with them.

How had this twenty something girl from Little Canada, an intern in his office, stirred these emotions in him?

Devon jumped out of bed and stared at the clock. It was only four in the morning and he hadn’t had a wink of sleep yet. He walked over to his closet, stripped down his clothes and changed into his running gear. Maybe some fresh air would clear his brain, he figured.

Belle Freedman had messed up his life, he thought now. He should be angry with her. He led a comfortable life as a confirmed bachelor, concentrating on his work and the success of his agency. He was happy that way. But now he had a taste for a different kind of happiness, and all this other stuff just seemed bland. His penthouse didn’t excite him. He had no use for his gym. He didn’t feel like going to work. He was going through all the emotions that teenagers went through, but he was forty-three years old! He should have been way past that age. He shouldn’t be feeling these feelings, for a girl he couldn’t have. For the first time, Devon felt powerless and out of control.

Devon left his apartment and took the elevators down to the lobby of his luxurious apartment building. The security guard at the door was surprised to see him that early. He smiled at the man and jogged out into the streets. The sky was still dark, the streetlights were still on and Devon began to run. He had no idea which direction he was running in, but all he wanted was to shake off that feeling.

He didn’t even want to imagine the kind of guilt that Belle was feeling. He was guilty himself, for being weak and sleeping with her. He wondered if this would ruin her peace of mind. She felt so delicate and small in his arms when he held her. He had stroked her hair and wished that he could fix everything. But he knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t even have her in his arms again.

Devon plugged in his earphones and turned the music on loud as he continued to jog. He had decided he would till he was out of breath, till his chest felt like it was about to explode; so that he wouldn’t have to think about Belle and how much he missed her.

* * *

Belle

Belle was hunched over her keyboard, her fingers midway in the air. She had been trying to concentrate for some time now, but her mind was elsewhere. When she looked up at the screen, she saw the cursor blinking. She had forgotten what she was about to type.

“Hey, Belle. Do you have the report ready?” Jasmine stuck her head around the cubicle, and Belle looked up with her wide brown eyes.

“Umm…give me half an hour? Please? Sorry, I got slightly delayed,” she said and Jasmine licked her lips, before disappearing without saying anything.

Belle had been working in the Brooklyn office for a week now, and she didn’t think it was going very well. Jasmine was her mentor in this office, and she could sense that she had failed to impress her. She tried hard, she tried her best…but she couldn’t help but think about Devon all day. She hadn’t seen or spoken to him since that night in his office. It was obvious that he was keeping out of her way.

Susan had explained to her that she was needed more in the Brooklyn office and she would have more opportunity to learn there. It was true that she was closer to their apartment now, but the distance from Devon was only making her think about him more. Belle decided that she only needed to give it time. That with time the wound would heal. That she would be able to make amends with Jesse and move on, but it had been a week and she still couldn’t stop thinking about how Devon had made her feel.

Belle shook her head and tried to concentrate again. She forced herself to work on the new market survey, and completed it within half an hour.

She walked over to Jasmine’s desk, left it by her computer because Jasmine wasn’t at the table and then she walked out of the office. It was already a quarter past one and she knew Jesse would be waiting. They had planned on meeting for lunch.

Belle hurried, weaving through the crowds till she found Jesse sitting on the wall at the spot where they had decided to meet. They didn’t have the money to go to an actual cafe or restaurant, so they had planned that he would pack lunch for them and bring it along with him.

“Ham sandwiches!” he said with a grin and waved two foil wrapped sandwiches in the air as Belle hurried towards him.

“Sorry, I got caught up at work. I only have fifteen minutes,” she said and he leaned over to plant a kiss on her cheek.

“Don’t worry about it babe,” he said kindly and handed her one of the sandwiches. Belle unwrapped the foil and took one ravenous bite of the sandwich. Jesse jumped off the wall and she noticed that he had an unusual smile on his face.

“What’s up?” she asked, realizing that she wasn’t actually interested in what he had to say. She wanted to go back to the office, sit at her desk and day dream about Devon instead.

“I got a call back from the restaurant where I dropped in my CV yesterday,” Jesse said, beaming still. Belle forced a smile on her face and nodded her head.

“That’s great news, Jesse! When do you have to go back?” she asked.

“At three today. I think I’ll get the job, babe. I told you I’ll figure it out,” he said and Belle reached over to give him a kiss.

“I know, I’m happy for you,” she said and her muscles stiffened when Jesse reached for her hand.

“I’m happy for us. We can finally start living our lives,” he said and Belle agreed. She allowed him to squeeze her hand, but pulled it away instantly on the pretext of unwrapping her sandwich.

“I’m looking forward to it. They pay well. Enough to make rent anyway. But I’m sad that we’ll be seeing each other less often,” he said and Belle pursed her lips.

“That’s normal isn’t it? It’ll take some pressure off me,” she said and Jesse’s face darkened instantly.

“I didn’t realize that you felt so pressurized,” he said and Belle shook her head.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that we could live a more comfortable life from now on,” she said and Jesse looked away from her and concentrated on eating his sandwich instead.

“Well, yeah, whatever. I’ll not have to depend on you for subway money any more,” he said, a little bitterly and Belle reached out to touch his arm. He drew his arm away, and she took in a sharp breath.

“I didn’t mean to offend you, Jesse. I’m just glad that you finally found something, and I hope it makes you happy,” she said, trying to sound kind. Jesse said nothing and Belle remained silent too. In silence they finished their sandwiches and then Belle looked at her watch.

“I should head back. Best of luck with the interview. I know you’ll get the job,” she said and stared at him longingly. She wanted him to say something nice, to reassure her again that everything would be alright. She was anxious that she couldn’t rely on his mood.

“Bye, see you later,” he said instead and turned around and walked away from her. Belle gulped, unsure of what the future of their relationship was going to look like. She wished he could be in a good mood more often, that she wouldn’t have to walk around on eggshells all the time; afraid of upsetting him.

She shook her head as she watched him walking away from her, and when he was out of sight, she went back to the office and sat at her desk. Her only hope was that she could get past the next few weeks without having a breakdown, and then maybe, just maybe she could go on with her life without yearning to see Devon all the time.

* * *

Devon

He could sense that Alisha was watching him eat. He was taking his time with his food, pushing it around with his fork on the plate. They had been sitting at the restaurant for nearly an hour and she had already finished her meal.

“You look like you’ve lost your appetite,” she said finally, and Devon looked up to find her sipping from her glass of white wine. It was only two in the afternoon and he wasn’t in the mood to have a drink yet.

“Just not hungry,” he said and Alisha leaned towards him across the table with a wry smile on her face.

“It’s about the girl isn’t it?” she said and Devon stared at her, a tomato stuck in his fork.

“I’m trying to get over that,” he said and Alisha sat back in her chair and stared at him some more.

“I’ve never seen you like this, Devon. She must be some kind of angel,” Alisha said with a disbelieving laugh and he washed down the food in his mouth with some water.

“It’s nothing. I’m just getting old and sentimental probably,” he said and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

Alisha licked her lips and looked suspiciously at him.

“So, you slept with her. What more do you want?” she asked and Devon took in a sharp breath. He regretted telling Alisha everything now. The last thing he wanted was to dwell on the subject any more.

“Nothing, Alisha. I don’t want anything more. I just want to forget about her and move on,” he said and Alisha arched her eyebrows.

“Wait a minute, are you in love with her or something? Didn’t you say that she was a young thing?” Alisha said and he glared at her. Alisha wasn’t going to back down. She wanted an answer.

“Yes, she’s young. In her early twenties and no I’m not in love. I don’t even know her that well,” he said irritably. Why couldn’t Alisha see that he just wanted to stop talking about it?

“Granted that you don’t know her well, but that doesn’t mean you can’t develop feelings for her,” she continued and Devon slapped the napkin down on the table. Alisha didn’t seem affected by it.

“I don’t have feelings for her, Alisha. I just like her. I enjoy her company. She’s smart and intelligent and the sex was good,” Devon said and sat back dejectedly in his chair. Just talking about Belle made him sad. He wasn’t used to feeling powerless, he wasn’t accustomed to not getting what he wanted. Alisha was still staring at him. Now her look was turning from curiosity to sympathy.

“You know, Devon. Not in a million years would I have imagined seeing you this broken up over a woman,” she said finally, after a minute’s silence.

“I’m not broken up over her!” he said, losing his patience now. Alisha ignored it. She was going to say what she wanted to say.

“I’m sure you know that I spent the better part of our friendship being in love with you. Till I realized that you were impossible to love, or rather you yourself were incapable of the feeling,” she said and Devon stared at her in surprise. He hadn’t expected Alisha to ever speak this way.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised. I have feelings too! I’m not made of stone. And you don’t have to feel sorry about me either, I got over you pretty quickly,” she added and Devon relaxed a little. He still didn’t know what to say to her.

“But I was satisfied in knowing that nobody could have you, it wasn’t just me. But I’m starting to believe that you are capable of feelings after all, Devon,” she said and he looked away from her. He had his jaw clenched and his eyes focused on the view outside the restaurant. This was not the kind of conversation he wanted to have. The less he acknowledged Belle’s hold on him, the better it would be, but Alisha didn’t want to let it drop.

“Don’t worry, darling,” she continued, “you won’t have to feel like this forever. I can attest for it from first hand experience.”

Devon looked back at her without a word still. He regretted inviting her to lunch with him. He hoped that she would manage to distract him, but he had forgotten that she knew him better than anyone else.

“You know what might work to cure these blues?” she asked and Devon raised an eyebrow at her.

“What, Alisha?” he said and her face broke into a wide smile.

“A good old fashioned romp in the bed with me. How many times have I managed to lift your mood?” she said and over the table she reached for his hand. Devon drew his hand away from her and stood up from the table.

“I’m sorry, Alisha. I value our friendship and your advice, but that side of our relationship is over,” he said, probably a little harshly. Alisha was laughing again, and she stared at him with mockery in her eyes. Almost like she was enjoying herself, watching him suffer over a girl.

“Why? Just because I confessed that I once had feelings for you?” she asked as Devon took out his wallet and counted the money.

“No, because I know now what the real thing feels like and I don’t want to find an easy solution to my problem,” he said and placed the money on the table.

Alisha sat back in her chair lazily and looked up at Devon, her smile had turned sour.

“Suit yourself. I’m not the one who is a lonely bachelor living up in his ivory tower without any actual friends. Best of luck getting over your heartbreak,” she said and picked up her wine glass again.

Devon said nothing but turned and walked away from her. He couldn’t believe that Alisha too, of all people, wasn’t the person he had thought she was.

* * *

Belle

When Belle returned to the apartment that evening, her eyes were burning and her shoulders were aching. She had spent the whole day trying to do her job well. As an intern, she was not only required to produce well researched market surveys, but she also had coffee runs to do and errands to run for others in the office. At the end of the day, Belle was tired and feeling heartbroken. But she still remembered that Jesse had a new job and she needed to support him.

When she opened the door, she found Jesse in boxer shorts and an old t-shirt. She was surprised, but tried to hide it with a chirpy voice.

“Hey! How’d it go?” she asked, shutting the door behind her.

Jesse was on the couch, playing on the console again and he looked up at her with a bored expression in his eyes.

“How’d what go?” he asked and Belle felt her heart sinking. She walked up towards him and softened her voice. It had obviously not gone well.

“The job interview,” she said, trying to sound as neutral as possible. Jesse paused the game, placed the control on his lap and looked up at her like he detested her for asking him that question.

“How do you think it went?” he asked and Belle shrugged and looked away from him. Of all the times he had been in a bad mood, this had to be the worst.

“You said you were excited about it and they pay well, so I don’t know…” she said and met his gaze again. Jesse rolled his eyes and looked away from her, as though she had said something offensive.

“They don’t want to hire me, alright?” he said and stood up from the couch. Belle followed him into the kitchen area.

“Why not? What happened?” she asked and Jesse ignored her. He went over to the mini fridge and extracted a can of beer for himself. Belle looked at the beer in his hand quizzically. What was he turning into?

“Nothing happened. I went for the interview. They interviewed me and said that they don’t want to hire me,” he said and walked past her again towards the couch. Belle whipped around to follow him back to the couch. She had her doubts about whether he did actually go to the interview.

“What questions did they ask?” she asked, folding her arms over her breasts.

“General questions. Why are you grilling me?” he said, spreading his arms wide. Belle stared at him and realized that her nostrils were flared. She was losing her patience with him.

“What questions exactly, Jesse? I want to know what we can do to improve your interview skills,” she said, tightening her grip on her arms. Jesse was breathing hard and suddenly he dropped his arms and walked over towards Belle.

He placed his can of beer on the floor beside her and then his hands on her arms.

“Don’t worry about it, babe. I’ll find something else,” he said with a smile and leaned towards her. Belle didn’t move. She was fuming. She was doubly sure now that he hadn’t even gone for the interview. Why was he jeopardizing his career? Why did he assume that she could just provide for them both on her internship money? She didn’t even have the money to buy a coffee on her way to work. She was broke and miserable and feeling unloved and he just didn’t care.

Without saying anything, Jesse leaned towards her and tried to kiss her lips. Belle moved her face away. She felt nothing when he was close. No spark. No electricity. No attraction. And it was beginning to scare her.

“Hey,” Jesse whispered, a smile forming on his face. He kissed her cheek and then Belle sensed his hand reaching for her breasts.

Belle moved away from him with a jerk.

“What’s wrong babe? Isn’t this what you want?” Jesse asked and stepped towards her again. Belle froze as she stared at him. Jesse was beginning to disgust her. She felt like she was cheating on Devon now. Even though she was never going to see him again.

Jesse stroked her cheeks with his hands and kissed her forehead. Then the bridge of her nose and finally her lips. The kiss did nothing for her, except make her hate him a little more.

“Are you worried that I don’t know what I’m doing? Don’t worry babe, I’ve slept with girls before,” he said, looking at her with enthusiastic eyes.

Belle pushed him away and glared at him.

“You said you wanted to wait!” she screeched, now losing all control. Jesse looked surprised as he looked at her, trying to develop a look of innocence on his face.

“Yeah. I wanted to wait with you, babe. I think all those girls I slept with are sluts. I don’t want you to become like one of them,” he said and Belle’s mouth fell open.

“So why do you want to do it now?” she asked and Jesse took in a deep breath, like he was trying to explain something to a little child.

“Because I love you, babe. Because I want to do this with you. Because I know we’ll be together forever,” he replied and Belle could do nothing but stare at him in shock. Hearing those words coming from him made her sick to her stomach. She wanted to throw something at him. Punch the wall if she had to. Scream and make a run for it. Instead, she was frozen to the spot and felt like she couldn’t move a muscle. The guy she thought would make the perfect boyfriend in college had turned out to be her worst nightmare and she wasn’t sure how long she could go on like this.

* * *

Devon

Devon was at his office, working late again and the next time he raised his head to look at the time, it was already nine. He pushed his file away and shut down his computer and took in a deep breath. The lunch with Alisha had affected him in a big way.

It had been a week since he last saw Belle, and now he was beginning to recognize the heartache and loneliness settling in again. He didn’t want to arouse suspicion and hence hadn’t asked Susan or Jasmine how she was doing. He could only hope that she was happy at the Brooklyn office and that her life with her boyfriend was going well. He only wanted the best for her. He didn’t want to disrupt her peace of mind.

Alisha was probably right, he figured, to assume that he was capable of actual feelings. Even though he didn’t want to discuss those feelings with anybody else, he knew that they existed. Belle had stirred them in him and he felt protective and possessive towards her. Which was why it was wise to send her away before anything else happened.

The soft ping of the elevator outside snapped him out of his thoughts. His heart began to race because he couldn’t help but wonder if it was Belle again. A far fetched daydream, but he couldn’t help his mind from wandering.

There was a sharp knock on the door and instead of saying anything, Devon stood up and walked over to it. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm his mind, and opened the door. Belle was standing on the other side. Her face looked pale, her eyes were widened and by the looks of it, she had been running again.

“Belle!” he said her name aloud and she fell into his arms immediately.

“I’m sorry, I had to come and see you,” she said and he stroked her head. She was still in her formal office clothes and her hair was braided elaborately in that fishtail plait that he remembered. She was in a slim gray dress with a wide black belt at her waist. She looked professional and beautiful.

When she finally pulled away from him, she took a step back.

“Come in,” he said in a quiet voice and he walked back towards his desk. She shut the door behind her and he could hear his heart thumping out of his chest. It was exciting to see her again. He knew very well what the possibility of her being there could lead to. He wanted to touch her again, take her into his arms…but it was still inappropriate.

“I had to come, because I had nowhere else to go,” Belle was saying and he noticed that she looked nervous. She had clasped her hands together and was pressing her fingers tightly. Devon leaned against his desk as he looked at her.

“My door is always open,” he said and she looked up at him sharply. Her brown eyes were large and looked bloodshot. She could have been crying, he thought and immediately, he had the urge to take her in his arms again.

“I know you didn’t want to see me again. You wanted us to keep our distance. But I have nobody else in New York,” she continued and Devon shook his head. Her breasts were heaving, her lips looked as pouty and luscious as usual; and even though she seemed distraught, Devon couldn’t help but recall the moment when he first saw her naked.

“Don’t worry about it, tell me what’s going on,” he said in a soft voice. Their eyes met again and Belle looked like she was beginning to relax a little.

“You know how I told you that my boyfriend said he doesn’t want to have sex right now, that he wants to wait. He just told me that he’s had sex before. With other girls before me and he didn’t want to sleep with me because he thinks they are all sluts,” the words came tumbling out of her and Devon couldn’t help but go closer to her. He wanted to take her into his arms, hug her close to his chest…but he was still afraid of touching her.

“Belle, that is a horrible thing to say and do. I don’t know what to say to you, but it’s not unnatural that you’re upset,” he said, finding himself at a loss for words.

“I don’t know if I want to be with a guy like that. Who thinks like that. Who thinks sex is dirty,” she said and Devon shook his head.

“I know, I’m glad you came here,” he said and Belle rushed into his arms again.

“And he keeps ditching his job interviews. He stays at home all day and plays on his playstation. I can’t afford the rent by myself any more,” she continued, looking up at him and he could tell that she was on the brink of a breakdown.

Devon touched her face lightly and stroked her chin.

“I can’t tell you what to do, Belle. But he doesn’t seem like a supportive boyfriend to have,” he said, choosing his words carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was break up a relationship. He would have done anything to have her, but it would have to be her choice.

Belle gulped as she stared at him.

“I don’t think we’re good together. I feel like I did it too quickly. We’ve only been together four months, and I keep thinking that he deserves another chance,” she said and Devon nodded.

“I understand, but if he doesn’t make you happy, you can’t keep giving him chances,” he said and Belle drew closer to him. She was slowly raising her hand so she could touch his face. Devon stood still, breathing in her scent.

“I want to stop feeling guilty about what we did, Devon,” she said.

* * *

Belle

Devon didn’t look surprised when Belle said the words, instead he brought his face closer to her. His dark hair was neatly brushed to the side, she could see the gray at his temples, the firm set of his thin lips. He looked powerful and wise as he held her face. Their noses were almost touching now and Belle drew in a deep breath.

“I don’t want to feel guilty either,” he said in a heavy breath and Belle felt like she was going to melt away. She wasn’t sure why she came to his office again. She couldn’t even be sure if he would still be there. But she took the chance, and now she couldn’t help but be in his arms. She wanted to be close to him. He was the only one who could make her feel good.

Devon gave her a moment, to push him away if she wanted to, but when she didn’t he pressed his lips to hers. Belle opened her mouth, welcoming his tongue in. She gasped as they kissed and clung to his shoulders, her arms wound tightly around his neck. Devon’s hands went down from her face, to the back of her neck and she could sense his fingers on her back.

He was beginning to pull the zip down on her dress. Their lips were still fuzed together, and Belle reached down the front of his shirt to his belt. While the zip on her dress came slowly down, she unbuckled his belt and undid his pants. She was desperate to have him in her hands. Her dress hadn’t even fallen off her shoulders, but his throbbing growing cock was already in her hands.

Devon pulled away from the kiss, and she was panting for air. Neither of them could say a word, they could only communicate with their bodies. One week had been too long to be apart. Through his boxers, Belle stroked his cock. She could feel it growing stronger and harder in her hand. She couldn’t wait to have it inside her. She was wet between her legs for it. She felt like it was only Devon’s cock that could make everything alright.

Her dress fell from her shoulders and Devon pulled it down her torso. She had to let go of his cock and he watched as her body was revealed to him. Her red bra and panties made him stare. Her breasts were heaving from the anticipation and he stared at her with thirsty eyes.

He lunged at her again, tearing the bra off. She heard the clasp snap open and collapse to the floor, and her breasts were in Devon’s hands. He was sucking her right nipple, making loud smacking sounds with his mouth, while his other hand went down her belly.

Belle closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of having his mouth on her. She started unbuttoning his shirt, so she could feel the smooth muscles on his chest and his abs. She pushed the shirt off him, while his hand lifted her panties and his fingers went under it to her wet burning center.

Belle gasped again. He had pushed in two fingers without warning and she nearly stumbled back from the sensation. Devon caught her in time and pulled her back towards him. He kept his mouth on her nipples, alternating between sucking each one.

She could feel his cock between her legs now. She was so close to an orgasm. His fingers slid in and out of her, while he used his thumb to play with her clit. Devon lifted his face suddenly up at her, and their gazes locked.

Without a word he quickened his pace with his fingers. He was pumping into her, making her body shake and Belle couldn’t help but moan. She wanted him to keep doing it till she came. His thumb stroked her clit while his fingers pumped into her. He was reaching her deep inside, in that spot that made her body give up. She was about to come and she clung to him, closing her eyes tightly. She could sense that he was watching her, he wanted to see her have an orgasm.

Devon pulled out his fingers abruptly and Belle gasped. She wanted more. She wanted to come but he didn’t want her to just yet. A smile was forming on his face because he could see how badly she wanted it.

“Devon, please,” she cried, pleadingly. She wanted to have that orgasm, quickly.

“Yes, Belle. I’m going to make you come,” he grunted and whipped her around. Belle was facing his desk now and he bent her over it. Her butt was thrust out towards him and she felt him come up close to her. This was new to her too, but she could feel her wetness throbbing. She wanted his cock where his fingers had been.

Belle could hear herself panting as Devon ran his hands down her bare back. When she couldn’t take the wait any more, she turned her head to look at him pleadingly again. Devon smiled, before placing his hand on her shoulder. He arched her back slightly, just a little bit towards her and then she felt him sliding in.

This time he didn’t take it slow. He drove his cock into her and Belle screamed. Keeping a steady grip on her with her shoulder, Devon pumped into her with force. Belle moaned and groaned, being pushed to the brink of orgasm as he continued to slide in and out of her. His cock felt big and tight inside her, but that was the feeling she had waiting for all week and nothing else felt as good. Within minutes, she knew she was dangerously close to coming. Devon wasn’t slowing down and she could feel her body giving way.

When she orgasmed, he came with her and they both moaned loudly as they exploded into each other. She could feel him shoot into her, his seed oozing out inside her and it made Belle smile. She kept repeating how good it felt and Devon was laughing. There was nothing to be ashamed of any more, no more guilt, they could finally release and feel good about it.

Devon started to pull out of her and Belle collapsed on the desk. When he was out of her completely, she finally turned around to look at him. He looked even more handsome naked, she thought as he stood in front of her. He was staring at her too and they both had wide smiles on their faces.

“So, what now?” she asked and jumped up on the desk, her legs dangling off the edge. Devon walked closer to her and placed his hands on her arms.

“What do you want to do about all this?” he asked, his voice growing a little serious. Belle still couldn’t stop smiling. She couldn’t believe that he still wanted her, that he wasn’t just imagining everything.

“I told you everything, do you want to tell me something as well?” she said and he grinned at her and took his hands away from her.

“The truth is, Belle. I want to be with you and if there is a chance, I want to find a way to be together,” he said and leaving her on her desk, he walked to the toilet in his office. When he returned he had a bid wad of toilet paper in his hand.

“I wasn’t sure if you were interested in me seriously,” she said, and watched him as he walked over to her.

“You’re all I’ve thought about for the past week. In fact, since we first met,” he said and delicately, he dabbed the tissues between her legs. Belle couldn’t help but smile at that. She felt her limbs melting, she wanted to bury her face in his chest. She wished they could stay like this forever.

After Devon was done wiping her, he proceeded to wipe himself and Belle bit down on her lip.

“So, you sent me to the Brooklyn office because…” she began and he looked up at her and his eyes softened.

“Because I knew this would happen if we saw each other again,” he said and they both smiled knowingly at each other. It was amazing to her that they could be so comfortable with each other, she couldn’t remember the last time she had such an easy conversation with Jesse. And while they were both naked!

“In fact, Belle,” he said, a little more seriously now and placed his hands on her knees. She looked at him with questioning eyes. Her heart was thudding in her chest.

“If you’re okay with it, I think you should still work in the Brooklyn office. If we decide to give our relationship a chance. It would be healthier if you worked in a separate office. Like I said, I don’t like to mingle my work with my personal life,” he continued and Belle shook her head.

“I don’t know what Jasmine or Susan have told you, but I haven’t been able to concentrate on work since I moved there. I haven’t performed as well as I did in this office. But that was because I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” Belle explained and Devon reached over to pinch her chin playfully.

“I understand, and don’t worry about it. I want you to do well at your job. I don’t want to do you any special favors, but I also have complete faith and trust in you. You have immense potential and I know I don’t have to worry about you,” he said and Belle blushed. Her heart was fluttering, she felt like she was on seventh heaven and that none of this was really happening. How could someone be this perfect?

“So, you do want to give our relationship a chance?” she asked him and Devon looked at her, deep into her eyes.

“I do, do you?” he asked and Belle smiled and nodded her head.

“I just want to figure things out with Jesse first, and this time I want to take it slow,” she said and he laughed.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to move in with me tomorrow,” he said and Belle laughed too.

“I want us to get to know each other first,” she said, through her laughs and Devon nodded his head.

“You should know, that I’ve never seriously dated a woman before. So, I’m probably more inexperienced than you are at this thing,” he added and Belle laughed again.

“You’ve never been in a serious relationship before?” she asked and Devon shrugged.

“What can I say, I never had the time,” he said and Belle shook her head indulgently.

“And I never found the right woman, I wanted to spend the time with,” he added and she leaned towards him so they could kiss again. Every time Devon kissed her, she felt like she was falling deeper for him. Whatever this feeling was, she had definitely never felt it before.

When they pulled away, Devon started picking their clothes off the floor. He handed hers back to her and Belle held up her torn bra and they laughed again.

He started dressing himself and Belle watched him questioningly. She didn’t want to go back to the apartment yet. She wanted to spend more time with him. She wanted to start getting to know him right away.

“Do you want to call it a night then?” she asked, her words choking in her throat. She didn’t want to have to admit to him that she wanted to spend some time with him. Devon was in the process of buttoning his shirt when he looked up at her with crossed brows.

“What? No! I thought we could go get pizza or go back to my place and watch a movie together or something,” Devon said and Belle jumped off the desk to rush to him and kiss him again.

* * *

Belle

Devon dropped Belle to her apartment building the next day in his Mercedes and when Belle stepped out of the car, she looked up to their studio apartment on the third floor. The window was shut and Jesse didn’t seem to be at it, nevertheless, she didn’t care. She stood at the car door till Devon turned to her with a smile.

“I’ll see you tonight?” he asked and she nodded, before leaning in towards him and planting a kiss on his lips. They smiled at each other and she turned to walk into the building. At the door she looked at the car again, and Devon was still there. He hadn’t asked his chauffeur to drive off yet.

Belle was beaming as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. The situation needed to be dealt with calmly, she knew that, but all she really wanted to do was go in and tell Jesse everything and ask him to leave. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect, she had stormed out of the apartment the previous night, leaving him fuming after her.

Belle jiggled the key in the lock and finally pushed the door open. It was eight in the morning, which meant that he was probably still sleeping. Besides, it was a Saturday and Jesse never woke up before eleven on the weekends.

When she stepped inside, she was surprised to find that all their things had been turned over. It was like a tornado had hit their apartment. Jesse was standing on top of the mattress, still in the same clothes as the previous days and his eyes were bloodshot and he looked like he was about to scream.

“Where the Hell have you been?” he thundered.

Belle slammed the door behind her and slipped the keys into her purse.

“What happened here? Did you do this?” she asked, in an equally high pitched voice.

“Tell me where you were last night. I tried calling you like a million times,” he said and stepped off the mattress.

Belle remained standing where she was and glared at him, her own fury rising.

“I spent the night at a friend’s house because I didn’t want to see your face,” she said. The words came tumbling out of her. She had decided to be calm and gentle with Jesse when she broke the news, but she couldn’t control herself.

She had spent the night in Devon’s luxurious penthouse apartment on the forty-fifth floor of a Manhattan sky rise. But she wasn’t going to tell Jesse that.

“Which friend? You don’t have any friends in New York,” he spat out, taking long strides towards her. Belle straightened her back and glared at him. Jesse was studying her, like he was looking for clues about where she had been. Belle’s makeup was off, her hair wasn’t tied in a plait any more and she was starkly aware of not wearing a bra. She had taken a shower in Devon’s place though, so at least she looked somewhat presentable.

“How do you know if I have any friends here or not? You don’t know anything about my life, Jesse,” she said and she folded her arms over her breasts. He had come up very close to her and now he was breathing down on her face, but she only glared back at him. She wasn’t afraid of him. She wasn’t even guilty any more.

“You were with some guy, weren’t you?” he snarled and Belle arched her eyebrows.

“So what if I was?” she said and Jesse grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently.

“You cheated on me!” he yelled and the door behind her slammed open. She hadn’t locked it but neither did she expect it to swing open either. They both turned their heads to look in surprise.

Devon walked in, more calmly than he had pushed the door open but his eyes were narrowed and the features on his face had darkened to a stormy hue. His blue eyes were piercing Jesse.

“Step away from her,” he said in a controlled voice.

“Who the Hell are you?” Jesse yelled, but he dropped his hands from Belle’s shoulders.

“That is none of your concern,” Devon said and Jesse looked sharply at Belle.

“Who the Hell is he?” he repeated himself. The last thing he was probably expecting was a man in his forties in crisp tailored clothes to barge in through the door.

“Jesse, I need you to leave my apartment,” Belle said, mimicking Devon’s calm voice. Jesse was still in shock.

“Do you understand what she’s saying?” Devon said and Jesse’s jaw dropped open.

“She’s my girlfriend. Who is she to you?” he asked, in a high pitched voice.

“I am not your girlfriend any more, Jesse. You have till the end of the day to pack your bags and leave,” Belle said and stepped in Devon’s direction. A knowing look came over Jesse’s eyes.

“So, this is the friend you spent last night with? Are you his girlfriend now?” he said, forcing a laugh in his voice.

“Go back home, Jesse. New York isn’t for you. You need to get a job or move in with your folks if you can’t find one. I’m not going to waste another penny on you,” Belle said and she walked over to Devon who wrapped an arm around her.

Jesse continued to stare at them for a few more seconds in silence, before Devon cleared his throat.

“You have till this evening. Six. I’ll be here with Belle to make sure that you’re nowhere in sight and then we’re getting the locks changed,” he said and gently, he tugged Belle away.

She didn’t look back as they walked with their arms around each other. She shut the door behind her and only then realized that she was shaking slightly.

“Why didn’t you leave?” she asked him, as they took the stairs down together.

“Because I wanted to make sure you were safe. From the stuff you told me about him, I was expecting him to act out,” Devon told her and Belle placed her head on his shoulder.

“I feel bad for uprooting him like this, but he’s depended on me for too long. And I don’t love him,” she said softly, as they walked back out on the street again.

“I understand, Belle. You’re doing what is best for you. Let’s spend the day together and after that we’re going to find you a new place to live,” Devon said as he opened the car door for her.

* * *

Belle

Eight months later

Belle was sitting at her desk with her legs crossed with a pen stuck behind her ear, as she typed away at her computer. She was engrossed in her work, and hadn’t even taken a lunch break today. When she looked at the clock on her screen, she noticed that it was seven already. The office floor was entirely empty and a lot of the lights had been dimmed down. Never before in her life, had she felt this fulfilled with a task. The Brooklyn office had a good effect on her work life balance, and she was grateful to Devon for pushing her towards it.

She suddenly remembered that she had to meet Devon at six thirty!

Belle tried to finish typing the last sentence as quickly as she could and when she was done, she sighed. Blowing a lock of her bronze hair away from her nose.

“Hello, there,” she heard Devon’s deep smooth voice and she turned in her chair to find him standing at the end of her cubicle. He looked handsome, in his black suit and crisp cream shirt. His blue tie matched his eyes, and a smile spread over Belle’s face.

“I’m so sorry, I lost track of time,” she said and got up from her chair to hurry over to him.

Devon took her into his arms and they kissed deeply. She pulled away from him when she remembered where they were. Nobody in either of the offices knew that they had been in a relationship for the past eight months.

“Don’t worry about it. I checked, nobody’s here,” he said and drew her in again, so he could bite her bottom lip playfully.

“So, this is your desk,” Devon said, looking around. In order to maintain secrecy, he had never visited the office and didn’t maintain any contact with her, through any official channels. Belle still lived in Brooklyn because that was the only place she could afford, and she was strict about not accepting any special favors from Devon.

“My little nook,” Belle said and bit down on her lip. Even though Devon owned everything here, and he was still her boss, to Belle it felt like her boyfriend was visiting her workplace for the same time. She had started feeling giddy with excitement.

“Susan sent me an email today to say that Jasmine has offered you a permanent position here?” Devon asked, smiling at her. Belle was gushing, she couldn’t keep her cheeks from burning up. She knew Devon was proud of her, she was proud of herself. And she had done it without any of Devon’s help. She had worked hard in the past months to impress Jasmine. Make herself indispensable. And Devon had kept himself out of it.

“And I’ve accepted it,” Belle said and Devon took in a deep breath and nodded.

“Congratulations, my love,” he said and swept her into his arms again. He kissed her cheeks gently and when she pulled away, he was staring deep into her eyes.

“I’m happy for you, and I only wish the best but I was also hoping that maybe we could be less secretive about our relationship now?” he said and Belle arched her eyebrows.

“How do you mean?” she asked and Devon took his time with his answer. Belle couldn’t help but smile at how nervous he was. This was evidently a big step for him. This was the longest relationship he had ever been in and they couldn’t be happier.

“I wanted to ask you to move in with me. I know you had a bad experience with your ex boyfriend, but I was thinking that maybe we’ve spent enough time together to know what to expect now,” he said and let go of her. She could see the anxiety in his eyes. To him this was as good as asking her to marry him. Baby steps.

Belle burst into a laugh, and when he looked wounded, she leaned over to kiss him again.

“You don’t have to look so afraid, Devon. Of course I want to move in with you. My living experience with Jesse…my whole relationship with him was nothing like what we have,” she said. Devon looked pleasantly surprised. For some reason, he hadn’t been expecting her to say yes.

“So you’ll move in with me?” he asked and Belle nodded her head.

“And I want to be a little more open about our relationship too, without letting it affect my work here,” she said and Devon kissed her forehead.

“Yes, I agree. We shouldn’t let it affect your work. Maybe we can think about that, and for now just work on getting you settled into my place,” he said and started leading her away from her desk.

They were walking in and arm towards the elevators on the floor. Belle was still blushing and Devon was still beaming like a teenager. It had been eight months since they first started seeing each other, and Belle knew that it was the best decision she had ever made.

“Where are we going?” she asked him, as the elevator doors pinged open and he led her in.

“Wherever you want to go, my love,” Devon told her. Belle pressed the button for the ground floor and turned to place her hands on his broad chest.

“How about we go to my new home?” she said and they were kissing again.

* * *

BLURB

Lena has always been a free-spirited woman. She’s traveled to every corner of the globe, searching for happiness. She managed to find it within her career as a world-renowned chef, but she’s still missing one very important thing. She’s missing love.

After nearly a decade abroad, something has called her back to the city where she first put down her roots. Now that she’s back in New York she’s ready to settle down for a little while and accepts a job at a brand new restaurant owned by a man named Jamison.

Jamison has a reputation as a playboy, but Lena is sure she can handle his swagger and charm. What she doesn’t expect, however, is the bond that builds between them and his genuine interest in her. She is the first woman to ever resist him and it only makes him want her more.

And she certainly never expected that this man, this womanizer turned gentleman, might actually come to love her and help her face the things she’s been trying so desperately to run from.

* * *

Lena

One hundred and twenty-two. What does that number mean? Well, it’s the number of countries I have visited in my lifetime and it is what I have chosen to introduce myself with. My name is Lena Patterson and I don’t think there’s a better way to impress upon people what kind of person I am than the number of countries I’ve visited. It doesn’t tell you how much I make in a year or what political party I belong to, but what it does say is that I have a deep desire to learn, explore and live life to the fullest. This wasn’t always the case, however.

I grew up in a small town in Alabama called Bellefontaine. It was the type of town where everyone knows everyone else’s business and people whisper cruel things behind their neighbors backs but smile at them on the streets. People who’ve never lived in a small town in America think of it as wholesome and some even want to raise their children in places like Bellefontaine. I understand the appeal to an outsider, but to me it was a cage.

People in Bellefontaine were born there and most of them died there. No one went college, people distrusted the ‘big cities’ and change was unwelcomed. I remember my mother talking about New York City like it was a stain that needed to be erased. It was a place to be avoided where children’s minds were corrupted. It was the Devil’s City and my mother would do anything in her power to keep me away from the sins and temptations of the world.

That’s why we never travelled. Anything outside my parent’s little bubble was terrifying to them. They didn’t want to be away from the church and the people that they’d grown up with. They wanted everything to stay the way it was when they were kids, even if that wasn’t the best thing.

I was happy to listen to them when I was young. I didn’t really have a choice. Our TV didn’t have cable and my access to the internet didn’t really begin until I was already a teenager and even then, it was limited. I knew very little of the world outside Bellefontaine.

When we were forced to go to Birmingham, my mother kept me close, keeping me from anyone who might want to compromise my morals. Birmingham is relatively small as far cities go, but to me it was a shining metropolis that was full of hope and promise. I wanted to live in a city like that. I wanted to get out of Bellefontaine.

I spent my teenage years rebelling against my parents like most teenagers. I would get rides with my friends and we would go to the city and stay with relatives or people we barely knew. It wasn’t the safest way to live, but it made us happy.

As the internet became more prevalent and smartphones put the power of information into people’s hands, I started to get more and more curious. I wanted to know more about the world and I was determined to find answers to my questions.

My mother was appalled when I was accepted to New York University. She pointed a bony finger in my face and told me that if I moved to New York, neither her nor my father would visit me. I accepted it and moved away to begin the best years of my life.

While I went to school I took full advantage of what the city had to offer. I explored every nook and cranny of the city, spending my weekends and days off crashing in people’s apartments, enjoying parties and all the things I’d missed out on growing up.

My first year was wild, and if I have to be honest, I don’t really remember much of it, but that doesn’t matter. I enjoyed being away from home, but soon realized that a college education wasn’t for me. I bounced around in several majors, but never really found my niche until I joined a study abroad program.

I spent a semester in France where I shacked up with a boyfriend who showed me my love of cooking. We would spend hours in the kitchen together, showing each other family recipes. The relationship didn’t last, but my love of cooking did.

I never went back to NYU and instead applied for a visa and started culinary school. I learned from some of the best chefs in the world and when I was done, I travelled world, taking various jobs to hone my craft. After my first three years working, I started getting recruited by five star restaurants all over the globe. I made a name for myself in the culinary world and soon everyone knew who I was. Magazines interviews me and some of the most powerful people in the world were hiring me to cater their events. I traveled the globe doing what I loved, feeding my wander lust and feeding people.

New York called me back, however. I missed the city lights and the bustle of the streets. I was ready to settle down for a while and continue my career in a more stable environment. I loved traveling, but I wanted to stay put for at least a little while.

That’s how I found myself in the apartment of my best friend, Miguel. He was from Bellefontaine as well and had moved to New York when I did, though he opted to stay in school and become a lawyer. Now he had a fancy pent house in the city and a handsome husband.

We stepped through the door and I toed my shoes off. It was a habit I’d picked up while traveling through Asia. “Thanks for picking me up at the airport.”

Miguel chuckled and nodded towards his black, patent leather couch. “Not a problem. I’m honestly just glad to see you face to face. It’s been years since we saw each other in person.”

“I know. I was just having a good time, you know? Enjoying the world.”

He poured me a glass of wine and handed it over to me, settling on the couch, sipping the pink bubbly liquid. “You were always a wild spirit. Are you sure you’re ready to stay for a while?”

“I think so. I’m an old lady now. I’ve sown my wild oats and I think I’m ready to stick around for at least a few years.”

Miguel rolled his eyes and snorted a little. “You’re an old lady, huh? At twenty-seven?”

I grinned and shrugged, took a sip of the thick, red liquid in my glass. Miguel had damn good taste in wine. He reclined back into the couch and started to undo his tie glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

“Do you have a job lined up?”

“Mmmm!” My mouth was full of wine, but I waved my hand, showing him I had something to say. “Yeah!” I pulled my phone out of my pocket and scrolled through my messages. “So, I announced I was leaving Spain and the press got a hold of it pretty quickly and within like four hours, I had all these job offers.”

Miguel glanced at my phone, one eyebrow raised. “Impressive.”

“I know, right? I didn’t really expect to get this kind of response!”

“You are a world-famous chef.”

I beamed at him, my cheeks going a little red. I knew it was true. I knew I was good and I knew my talents were worth a lot to a lot of people, but I was raised in a humble family and sometimes I still struggled when it came to taking compliments.

“Thanks!” I sang, pulling up an email.

“I have an interview with this guy tomorrow.”

Miguel took the phone and glanced at it, crossing one leg over the other. “Oh boy. You’re gonna go work for this guy?” “I’m going to go interview with him. Why?”

Miguel chuckled and handed the phone back. “That is Jamison Whittle.”

“Yeah?”

“New York’s biggest playboy millionaire.” He put on a ‘rich guy’ accent and turned his nose up just a little.

“You know him?”

“My firm has done work with some of his businesses. He owns properties all over the world and his toe dipped in several industries. I guess he’s looking to get into the restaurant game now.”

“He has no restaurant experience?”

Miguel shrugged a little and finished off his glass of wine, taking it to the kitchen. He started to put it in the sink but then set it back on the counter, pouring himself a second glass. “I’m not sure. I don’t know him personally, but I think this is going to be the first restaurant with his name on it.”

“Perfect!”

“Perfect?” He asked, settling beside me again. “I would think that would be bad news.”

“Not at all.” I sang, grinning brightly. “If he’s never run a restaurant before, then that means he has no idea what he’s doing, right? It’s like getting a slab of clay thrown in front of you. I’ll get to mold that restaurant into what I want it to be and I won’t have to spend months trying to fix whatever the last manager fucked up.”

Miguel glanced at me and then looked away. “Unless the guy running everything is just as hard headed as you.”

“I’m not hard headed.”

“Right, and the pope isn’t catholic.”

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. “Anyway, if he gives me any push back, I’ll just fight him on it.”

“And he’ll fight right back.”

“You’re being very negative.”

Miguel held his hands up. “Look, I’m not trying to argue with you, I just don’t want you walking into the lion’s den uninformed.”

“Well, thanks for the warning.”

“Plus, he’s a notorious womanizer, so you might want to keep your guard up?”

That was a quick transition. I glanced at Miguel and cocked my head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’re a pretty girl and he likes pretty girls, so watch out.”

Pretty girl. I’d heard that a lot in my life. My long, jet black hair and olive skin was a gift from my grandmother who was one hundred percent native American. My emerald eyes, however, were from my dad. The stark contrast often caught people off guard. I’d never really had a problem finding lover’s and flings. Men liked my wide hips, ample ass and toned arms. I didn’t really think about my beauty often, though. I wasn’t a vain person.

“I’m pretty good about not falling into the snake pit.”

Miguel chuckled and stood. “I know. If anyone can resist Jami, it’s you. Just be aware.” He stood and offered his hand to help me stand.

Once I was off the couch, Miguel led me to the guest room. It was a light purple and blue themed room with a large bed and en suite bathroom. “Man, this is a nice place. Especially for New York.”

“I got lucky.” He said, tipping his now empty glass my way. “Get some sleep. I’m sure dealing with Jamison is going to be exhausting.”

“I think I’ll be alright.”

Miguel smiled and pushed himself off the door frame. “Well, if anyone can handle him, it’s you.”

I smiled and blew him a kiss before he disappeared down the hallway. I sighed and went to the bathroom, closing the door and turning on the hot water. I’d had a long flight and I was looking forward to finally washing all the travel grime off me.

Right before I stepped into the shower, my phone went off. I glanced at the buzzing device I’d set on the counter and sighed. It was probably an email. I reached out to pick it up, but stopped short when I realized it was my dad texting.

‘U need to come home. Mama is sick.’

I set my lips in a thin line and deleted the text just like I had all the others before it. The text had dampened what was left of my evening, but I tried to ignore it. A part of me felt cruel for never answering, but there was still a burning anger in my belly. I remembered the day I told my mother I was leaving. She’d slapped me across the face and told me to leave and never come back. She’d never visit me in New York and I’d never be allowed back home. I did exactly as she asked and stayed far, far away from Bellefontaine.

I’d seen my father a few times since leaving home, but he’d always come on his own, trying to patch things up between me and my mother, but it never worked. She and I were both stubborn women and neither of us were willing to apologize.

The texts had started coming in about three months ago, but I paid them no mind. My mother had been the one to remove herself from my life and I wasn’t going to apologize for the radio silence. Maybe I should have bit the bullet and just let it go, but there was something in me that hung onto the sadness and anger from that day.

I fell into bed and was asleep before my head hit the pillow. It had been a long day and I had a feeling the next day was going to be even longer.

* * *

Lena

I’d expected to wake up to the urgent sound of my phone’s alarm, but instead I heard the sounds of birds singing and felt the warmth of the sun kiss my face. It wouldn’t have been a nice way to wake up, if I hadn’t had to be awake before the sun came up.

I sat straight up in bed, my long hair a tangled mess, curling around my face. I cursed as I kicked the blankets off and grabbed my phone to check the time. It was 7:30 and my meeting with Jami was at 8. I cursed to myself and jumped out of bed, running to my suitcase and pulling out the only real professional outfit I owned. I worked in a chef’s uniform and when I wasn’t working I could be found in sweaters and leggings.

I wiggled into the fitted black dress and stumbled into the bathroom, hastily applying the bare minimum amount of makeup. The dress as riding up as I ran through Miguel’s living room, grabbing my purse and waving to him as he told me good luck, seemingly confused by my rush.

By the time I got out of the house, it was 7:50 and I still had a thirty- minute train ride. I ran as quickly as I could in heels, stumbling through the crowds and brushing past people who gave me annoyed looks, but I didn’t really care. I had somewhere I needed to be.

When I finally got on the train I slumped into one of the seats and leaned my head back against the window, closing my eyes and panting as I tried to catch my breath. I had a few moments to relax, even though I knew I’d be stressed until I got to my interview. I knew this wasn’t the only job offer I had, but I just didn’t like being late.

I ran a hand through my hair, tapping my foot impatiently until the train came to a stop. I was the first one off and soon I found myself on the streets of the upper east side, looking for a restaurant called “Jamison’s Place”. The name was unoriginal, bland and said a lot about the man who owned it. How could a playboy be so boring and uncreative?

Finally, I turned the corner and laid eyes on the large, three story stone building. The sandstone was beautiful and the architecture had a touch of old New York, even though the building was brand new. The sign looked like something from an Irish pub and my curiosity was piqued. This certainly didn’t look like the postmodern monstrosity I’d been expecting.

I walked inside, checking my watch as I wandered through a tall archway that led into a dimly lit restaurant. 8:30. Shit. Was I really an hour late? I sighed and looked up, taking in the metal tables and industrial décor. This wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was nice.

“You’re late.”

I jumped and spun around when a voice spoke up from behind me. As I turned I came face to face with a tall man with sandy blonde hair and eyes the color of honey. He smirked and stared down at me as I took in his sculpted jaw, solid frame and fitted suit. He was…Perfect. At first I couldn’t speak. His full lips and well tripped beard made my knees weak and I had to clear my throat, to regain my composure. Maybe I should have been concerned with how familiar he seemed with my name, but then again, he had my full resume so it wasn’t all that alarming.

“Ah…Yes. My plane came in very late last night and I fell asleep without setting my alarm. I’m so sorry, Mr. Whittle” It was only a little lie, right?

He nodded and motioned towards one of the booths in the corner. “That’s perfectly fine. And please, call me Jami. Please, sit.”

I nodded and glanced over my shoulder before going to the booth he’d pointed at and settling in. I glanced at him, chewing my lower lip unconsciously as he slid in across from me. “I’ve read a lot about you.”

“Hopefully good things?”

“Only good things. You’re said to be the world’s best up and coming chef.” He had a light accent, though I couldn’t quite place it.

“Well, that was kind of the publication.”

“Luckily it’s a publication I trust.”

I nodded and sat still, glancing around and waiting for the questions to begin. He didn’t say anything, though. He just sat across from me, his meaty, but well-manicured hands threaded together and his eyes focused as if he were in deep thought.

“Are we going to continue with the interview?” I squirmed a little. I was afraid that if I didn’t say anything, neither would he.

“Oh, this isn’t an interview.”

“What?” I sounded more alarmed than I meant to.

“Well, I suppose it is, but I’m not going to ask you questions. Anyone who can read knows you’re a good manager and a good chef. I trust your reputation, but I wanted to taste your food for myself.”

“Oh?” I was intrigued again. I’d never had an interview where I was asked to cook. “And why have you decided to conduct this kind of interview?”

He smirked and leaned forward. “Because I want someone who can make good, southern comfort food.” His accent was stronger now, and I suddenly realized it was the same accent I’d fought so hard to get rid of.

“Comfort food?”

“Sure. This place doesn’t have anything like that. You ever try and get chicken and waffles in New York? It’s impossible.”

I was shocked at the request, but nodded. I could make comfort food. Hell, I’d been cooking it since I was a kid, but I’d never had anyone ask me to do it, especially not since I’d become a professional chef.

“Can you do that?”

“I could do it in my sleep.”

He slapped the table and grinned, standing and offering me his hand. “Let’s get crackin’ then.”

I paused but took his hand, my face heating up when he pressed a tender kiss to the back of it. What was this? Some kind of romantic comedy? I brushed the gesture off as a quirk and followed him back to the kitchen. It was one of the largest I’d ever been in and I couldn’t help but whistle as I walked through the swinging doors.

“This is swanky. You don’t see Southern food restaurants with kitchen like this.”

“If I’m going to bring Southern food to New York, I’m going to do it in a big way. Go big or go home?”

After doing some research about Jami on the train ride, I’d quickly learned that was his mantra. Everything he did big. He owned the biggest properties, the biggest stock shares and the biggest night clubs in New York. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume that he had something to prove.

“Do you have everything I need to make a full country breakfast?” I could see all the utensils, but I wasn’t sure about his food stock.

“I sure do.” He motioned towards the walk-in freezer and fridge and I grinned, ready to start.

It didn’t take much time for me to find everything I needed to make biscuits, gravy, eggs and pancakes. It was probably a bit much, but I wasn’t worried about calorie count. I wanted to show him some of my specialties. Now that I’d met him, I was suddenly very interested in working for Jami. I wondered if it had something to do with his beautiful, golden eyes.

I went to work right away, working with the same skill and finesse that I used when making French or Italian cuisine. My skill was not limited to exotic dishes and I put just as much love and effort into pancakes as I did in beef wellington.

It took me less than an hour to finish the meal from scratch, which should have been impressive since everything from the biscuits to the syrup was made from scratch. I put everything on a plate and turned to present it to Jami, who hadn’t taken his eyes off me through the entire process.

“Very good.” He hummed, taking the plate. He cut off a piece of the pancake and put it in his mouth, groaning softly. “This is heavenly.”

I grinned brightly, opening my mouth to thank him, but before words could come out, he pressed a bite of pancake to my lips. My eyes darted up to his, but I took the offered bite, my body flushing. Somehow, this seemed incredibly intimate.

“Ah…Thank you,” I murmured behind my hand as I chewed the sweet, maple covered treat.

“If all your meals are this good, I don’t see why we can’t work together.”

My heart leapt with joy and a grin pulled at my lips. “Really?!”

He chuckled and nodded, taking a bite of the biscuits. “Really.” He turned and set the plate on the table behind him, stepping forward. “But before you go, I have one last question.” He moved towards me until I was pressed up against the prep table, my hands resting on the metal surface. I laughed nervously, looking away, unable to hold his intense gaze. “And what is that?”

His fingers rested on my jaw and he guided my gaze to his meet his. “I want to take you out.”

“Out?”

“On a date.”

I laughed and put a hand on his chest, slowly pushing him away. “I don’t think so.”

I knew my answer was a lie, but he didn’t have to know that. I could hear Miguel’s warning loud and clear in my mind. I’d just gotten home. The last thing I wanted to do was mix myself up in some kind of whirlwind romance with my boss.

Jami seemed shocked, but stepped back. “You’re saying no?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

He smirked and wrapped his arm around my waist, but I managed to sneak out of his hold. “I could show you this city in ways you’ve never dreamed.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes at the cheesy line. “You’ll have to try harder than that.” Sure, he was my future boss, but if he was going to hit on me like this, I felt like I had a reason to be a little snarky.

He smirked and tucked his hands in his pockets. “Is that a challenge?”

“I suppose it is.”

He shrugged casually and started to walk by me, heading for the doors. He paused beside me, leaning in, his warm breath tickling my ear.

“I accept.”

With that simple declaration, he left me flushed and strangely aroused, only pausing at the door to offer one last comment.

“You start work on Monday. I’ll see you at noon.”

* * *

Jami

I couldn’t get her out of my head. Even as my daily routine went on, I couldn’t get Lena out of my head. She was a beautiful woman with a shapely body and a spark inside of her that ignited me as well. I wanted her badly, but I couldn’t seem desperate. That wasn’t how I did things. Normally, I wasn’t the type to go after women. I didn’t go after them because they flocked to me, but this time I was going to make an exception. Lena was a well-traveled woman with some world experience under her belt. She wouldn’t be as easily swayed as the women I’d courted before her.

Playboy was the word that was often used to describe me, but I didn’t really agree with that term. It sounded slimy and unappealing. I preferred to think of myself as a connoisseur of women. I loved women. I loved having them around, I just didn’t like keeping them around. I was always upfront with the women who came to my bed, but when morning comes around they always seem to forget the conversation and the request that they be gone by breakfast time.

Some are more persistent than others and some are so offended at the fact that I don’t want to give them a ride home, that they stomp off and never come back. I prefer the second type of woman, to be honest. I’m sure they told all their friends about me, but it didn’t stop the flow of women I saw in my life. My money and my charm were too much for them to resist. Hopefully, Lena wouldn’t be any different.

I placed a tooth pick between my lips as I walked through the doors of my towering office building. The marble floor clicked under the worn leather boots I wore every day. Most of my clothes got replaced when it came time to wash them, but it was hard to find a good pair of shoes. I hung onto my shoes until they were literally falling apart at the seams.

I greeted my employees in the hall way, waving and nodding my head politely. Sandy blonde hair fell into my eyes as I approached my secretary. Rachel was one of the only women who’d worked for me that I hadn’t fooled around with. Don’t get me wrong, I’d tried like hell to get her on a date, but she was the first and only woman to ever rebuke my advance completely. It was part of the reason I kept her around as my personal secretary and assistant. There wouldn’t be anything weird in the way of our working relationship.

“Rachel!”

“Mr. Whittle,” she said, tipping her head in my direction, her eyes not leaving the computer screen.

I put my hands flat on her desk and leaned over, grinning brightly. “How many times do I got to ask you to call me Jami.”

She cocked a perfectly sculpted brow and I could see her trying to resist rolling her eyes at me. “You know I prefer to keep our relationship professional.”

I grunted a little and stood back up. “To a fault.”

She shrugged her slender shoulders and went back to typing. God, I loved the way she ignored me. There was something thrilling about it. Powerful women were such a rare find. It was the reason I was so interested in Lena.

“What do I have going on today?”

“You have a meeting at 1:30 with the housing committee, but that’s about it.”

“Gotcha.” I started to walk away, heading for my office.

“Oh, and you ought to know that there’s a woman named Marie waiting for you in your office. She said she knew you, so I thought I should let her in.”

Rachel didn’t agree with my playboy ways and had a habit of retaliating by letting the women I slept with into my office. I think she got a kick out of seeing me try and confront them. She was lucky she was such a damn good secretary.

I groaned but made my way towards the elevator, taking it up to the thirteenth floor. Many people thought it was strange I put my office on such an infamous floor, but I’d done it on purpose. I didn’t believe that some number had a supernatural power over the universe. I’d made my own luck and I believed in that whole heartedly. It only seemed appropriate to flaunt my beliefs by putting my office in the thirteenth floor.

The long stretch of hallway was filled with the sound of muffled voices making deals and making money. It was music to my ears. When I finally reached my office, I could see the outline of a tall, busty woman through the frosted glass. The name Marie sounded familiar, but I couldn’t put a face to it. It was a fairly normal thing for me to not quite remember what my conquests looked like.

I stepped into the office and the woman’s face swung around. Her too-thin brows were pulled together and her bright red lips were twisted into a frown. She stood up, black dress clinging to every curve and line of her body, not leaving much to the imagination.

“Why didn’t you call?” she demanded.

God. Her voice was a little too high and her Brooklyn accent thick. It was like nails on a goddamn chalkboard. I winced and held my hands up, sighing softly. “I don’t call back, babe. We talked about that.”

“Don’t call me ‘babe’! You’re a sack of shit! My friends warned me about you! They told me about how you use women!”

I rolled my eyes and brushed past her, settling in my high back, leather chair. “Don’t start with this bullshit, Marie. You knew what this was. You knew what it was every time you came home with me. You use me just as much. Don’t pretend you don’t like the drinks and dresses I buy you.”

Marie was a returning customer. Now that I saw her face, I knew that I’d been with her at least twice. Both times we’d gone to restaurants outside of her price range and I’d treated her to clothes shopping, explaining to her that these little trysts weren’t signs of affection. They were obligations that I had accepted a long time ago. I wasn’t a total asshole, I wanted to give these women something in return for their time.

“I’m not a fucking hooker!”

“I never said you were!”

She stared at me, her hands balled into fists at her side. “You think you can pay me off with dresses and food! That’s not how relationships work!”

My eyes flashed with anger and I slammed my hands down on the table. “Look here, Marie! I was very straightforward with you! I told you what I wanted and I gave you what you wanted! It was a fucking exchange! I don’t play these dating games and you knew that from the start! You had every chance to walk away and you stayed exactly where you were!”

“I wanted you!”

I leaned back in my chair, my golden eyes narrowed, staring at her in slight disbelief. Did she really think she was going to pull the wool over my eyes? Did she think I was born yesterday? I’d been doing this for a long time and I knew exactly what women like her wanted.

“You wanted money.”

“That’s not true!” She argued, walking over to my chair. She reached out and touched my cheek, her cold fingers running along my unshaven jaw. “I want you, Jami…I want to be with you.”

“What’s my real name, then? What is Jami short for?” She looked confused and just stared at me. “Come on. I told you on our first date and all you’d have to do was a quick internet search if you forgot.”

“Well…It’s a trick question,” she murmured, her face going red. “Jami isn’t short for anything.”

I stood up and grabbed her arm, tugging her towards the door. “I could handle the fact that you’re annoying. I could even handle your disgusting begging, but what I can’t stand is fucking liars.” I opened my office door and pushed her out.

She stood there, shocked and just staring at me. I was angry now. At first, I’d just been annoyed, but now I was pissed off. “Get the fuck out of here, Marie! And don’t every come to my offices again.”

“But—“

“Don’t ‘but’ me! My fucking name is Jamison!” I snapped, slamming the doors closed.

The office was silent for a moment before the muffled dealing resumed. I fell into my chair and put my head in my hands for a moment, taking a deep breath through nose before letting it out through my mouth.

People who knew me always asked why I didn’t date. They asked me why I’d rather just sleep around. I was thirty-two now and most people assumed that I would have settled down by now, but the truth was that I didn’t want to settle down and I had no real intention to. Women like Marie were the reason I didn’t settle down. For some reason, people thought that only men were able to be knaiving assholes, but the truth was that women were just as capable. I didn’t want to end up trapped in a relationship with a woman who couldn’t care less about me.

For a long time, I just sat there, trying to relax and get over the anger rushing through me. I needed to just let it go and continue on with my day, but I was struggling a bit. Encounters like the one I’d had with Marie got under my skin more than I liked to admit.

There was a knock at the door and I lifted my head, grunting softly. “Come in.”

Rachel walked in, a stack of papers in her arms. She set them on the desk and glanced at me. “You look sour.”

“Don’t ever let that woman in this office every again.” I sounded a lot sharper than I meant to sound, but I couldn’t help it. Marie had put me in a bad mood.

“Mmmm…Did she piss you off?”

“Damn right she did. And I mean it, Rachel. If you let her in here again, you and I are going to have some words.”

She held up her hands as if to silently say she understood. That’s one thing I could always count on her for. She made me deal with my shit, even if I didn’t want to, but she always listened when I said enough was enough.

“If she tried to come back on the premises, I will make sure she’s removed.”

“Thank you,” I murmured going through the files. “What are these?”

“It’s the paper work on the cook you hired for your new restaurant.”

“Oh?” Wonderful Maybe it had her home address, not that I was going to do anything sketchy. “Perfect. Would you take down her address and have flowers sent over.”

Rachel looked at me, confused. “Flowers?”

“Yes. I want her to feel welcomed.”

“I don’t think It’s a good idea that you get mixed up with a new employee, Jami.”

I offered her a smile. “I ain’t getting tangled up with anyone. Just send her some flowers, alright?”

She rolled her eyes and took the paper. “When this comes back to bite you in the ass, I’m not cleaning up your mess,” she called as she leaved.

Once she was gone I closed the door and sat back down, glancing at the smiling face on the paper. Lena was gorgeous, and despite Rachel’s loving advice, I wasn’t going to give up until she was in my bed.

After all, it had been a long time since someone put up such a good fight.

* * *

Lena

There was nothing like the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. Especially when it was brewed in your own coffee maker in your own apartment. I’d finally found a place and was eager to get settled into a routine. I’d never really had one before, but I wanted to try and ground myself. I was starting to get tired of running around without any kind of plan.

I settled onto my couch, folding my legs and staring blankly at the TV. It was weird having one of those again. I’d spent a lot of time in countries where the average family didn’t have a TV. Besides, I was often too busy running around exploring to stop and watch TV. Things were going to be different now that I was back in the States.

I sipped at my coffee and picked a book up off my coffee table, thumbing through it and humming softly to myself. Soon I was so engrossed in my reading and had tuned the world out completely. It was just me and my book. So, when my phone suddenly rang I jumped, spilling my coffee all over my lap and book.

“Fuck!” I picked the book up, trying to shake the access coffee off the pages, even though I was only making it worse.

I grabbed my phone and held it to my ear, sounding more annoyed than I meant to. “Yes?”

“Bad time?” It was Miguel.

I sighed and sat the book down on the coffee table, trying to blot the liquid off the pages. “No. The phone ringing surprised me and I spilled coffee all over myself.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. What’s up?” I asked, settling back on the couch after setting my book on the windowsill to dry.

“Well, I think I got some of your mail.”

“Some of my mail? Who the hell is sending me mail? I haven’t been here for a month yet! Are they already trying to send my credit cards? I swear, some people just—“

“It’s not credit cards. It’s flowers.”

That took me by surprise. I hummed softly and cocked a brow, leaning against the wall. “Flowers? Who the hell is sending me flowers?”

“Beats me. Just thought I’d let you know.”

“There’s no name?” I asked, brows furrowing together as I tried to think of who might send my flowers.

“There’s a note, but it just says ‘looking forward to a very long, happy working relationship’.”

“Oh God.”

“What?” he asked.

“They’re from Jami.”

“Why is he sending you flowers?”

I grunted and leaned back against the couch. “Because he’s delusional and he thinks I’m going to go on a date with him or something.”

“Ahhh…Is he trying to butter you up?”

“I guess he is, but it isn’t going to work.”

“Good for you, girl. I’ll just throw these away.”

I struggled to keep my mouth shut when he said that. I didn’t want him to throw them away, if we were being honest. I wanted to see them. No one had ever sent me flowers before. I hadn’t stayed in one place long enough for someone to want to send me flowers. Most of my relationships up until this point had been one night stands. I was over with one night stands. That’s why I was avoiding my new boss at all costs, even if he was gorgeous and just my type.

“Sure.” I said, shrugging and silently hoping it might make me sound disinterested.

“Keep fighting the good fight, Lena. He’s not going to give up until he’s bored or until you say yes.”

“I’m always up for a good fight.”

“Atta girl. I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Absolutely.”

The line went silent and once I knew he was gone, I groaned softly and ran my hand over my face, shaking my head and sighing. This was not good. I was already starting to feel him tugging at me. I already wanted him. Now, my feelings were far from romantic, but they were physical. I wanted to feel his strong hands on my hips, tangling in my hair as his hand came down on my ass…

My cheeks went red and my eyes widened as the thoughts came into my head. What in the world was I thinking? Why was I suddenly wanting him so badly? I’d managed to push these thoughts away up to this point and now they were coming in strong.

I slammed my book closed and jumped to my feet, walking towards the bathroom. I needed a cold shower…

__________

It was finally opening night and I was ready to do what Jami had hired me to do. I was going to cook some really good food for a bunch of rich people who had no appreciation for the food I was cooking. I’d done that a million times before and it went just as well as it had all the other times. The food we put out was the best damn southern comfort food this town had ever seen, and by the time it was over, I was left feeling tired and satisfied. It was almost as good as sex.

I could have left clean up to my staff, but once the majority of it was done, I sent them home and decided to finish it myself. My fingers were sore and my ankles popped with every step, but I was used to it by now. The kitchen was still hot from all the cooking so I’d taken off my uniform, leaving me in a black tank top and the leggings I always wore underneath for situations like this.

When the door opened, I glanced over my shoulder. The rubbing scuffing sound was loud enough to hear through the entire kitchen.

“Hello? The kitchen is closed!” I called, my hand on a large butcher knife, just in case.

Jami came around the corner and smiled softly, tilting his head to the side. “If it’s closed then why are you still here?”

I put my hands on my hips and smiled, trying to be pleasant. After all, he hadn’t tried anything funny. Maybe I needed to go easier on him.

“Someone has to clean up, don’t they?”

He slid out of his blazer and my cheeks flushed when his strong, muscular arms pulled at the fabric of his shirt, showing off just how toned he was underneath. He rolled his sleeves up his powerful forearms and I cleared my throat, turning away before he could see the blush on my cheeks.

“You alright?” He asked, starting to pick up bowls and other items.

I never expected him to come in here and help me. Rich guys didn’t normally like getting their hands dirty.

“I’m fine.”

I could practically feel his smirk burning into my back as we moved around each other, picking up pans and dishes. We worked together silently, though I could feel his eyes on me. He was being completely transparent and I wasn’t sure how to deal with it, especially because I wanted him just as badly, even though I was holding it back.

When everything was finished, I wiped my hands on the apron around my waist before taking it off and tossing it aside. “I think that’s it, Jami. Thanks for your help. It really— “

As I turned around to thank him, I was silenced when his lips pressed against mine. I would have stumbled back, but I found myself trapped between Jami and the stainless-steel prep table. My fingers curled into fists as I tried to resist the warmth in those lips. He tasted like whiskey and fine cigars. He tasted like what I imagined a cowboy might taste like. He didn’t have the scent of a real estate mogul, he had the scent of a man who’d worked with his hands and dug into the earth. It was absolutely intoxicating.

I finally threw my arms around him, embracing him and scrambling to pull him closer. I couldn’t resist it. Now that it was right here in front of me, I couldn’t resist it. I wanted him so bad I couldn’t deny it anymore. Maybe this would get it out of my system and I could move on with my life. So much for resisting temptation.

He put his strong hands on my waist and lifted me off the ground, settling me on the cold steel prep table. The kiss deepened and I felt his tongue run along my lower lip, silently beckoning me to let it enter. I parted my lips and our tongues met in an eager dance, tangling and struggling for dominance. I finally let him take over, his hands wandering over my barely dressed body.

His thumbs hooked underneath my shirt and he pulled it up, exposing my small, but perky breasts. Calloused thumbs ran over my rosy nipples, eliciting a moan from me. He pulled away from the kiss and grinned up at me, his hand pressed into my lower back. He ducked his head and took one of the nubs into his mouth, suckling eagerly, teeth grazing the tender flesh. I cried out and tangled my fingers into his sandy hair, holding him in place.

Warmth washed over me and every inch of my body came awake. It was like being on fire and I loved every second of it.

“Fuck!” I threw my head back, my toes curling as he pressed his fingers into my thighs, forcing my legs apart. I wasn’t going to fight him, either.

He pushed me back and soon I was staring up at the sterile cooking light, being bathed in the warm light that radiated from it. His hands ran over my body as his lips made their way back to mine. He’d pressed one powerful thigh between my legs, rocking it so it caused the most delicious friction. I whimpered and tugged at his hair, enjoying the way he grunted when I did.

A warm coil of pleasure was forming in my belly and I found myself hoping that we went all the way tonight. I’d spent so much of my time thinking about him lately, and I wanted it to stop. Maybe if I finally got what I wanted, I could push him from my mind and move on with my life. After all, I didn’t want to get mixed up with a guy like him. He’d only break my heart.

He was rocking his thigh faster now, and I could feel the heat rising in my body. I was seconds from wriggling out of my skin-tight leggings when he pulled away, stopping completely. He grinned at me, panting softly. His own face was flushed and his hair was falling into his eyes. Oh, God. What was this? Was he going to tell me to get undressed?

“So how about that date?”

All the heat in my body turned ice cold at those words and I rolled my eyes, finally coming to my senses. I put my hands on his shoulders and gave him a solid push. He stumbled off the table and watched me, his hands tucked into his pockets.

“You’re a damn creep!”

“Huh?”

I spun around and looked at him, my lips twisted into a snarl. I pushed him again and he stumbled back. “I don’t want anything to do with you!”

“Sure, didn’t seem that way a minute ago.”

I could have screamed with frustration but instead I picked up a knife and pointed it at him. “Get out of my kitchen!”

He seemed to realize he fucked up and held his hands up, taking a step forward. “Hey. I didn’t mean to— “

“I said get out!”

He paused and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before turning and walking out of the kitchen without another word. Once he was gone, I leaned against the prep table and put my head in my hands, letting out a muffled scream.

Now I was going to have to sterilize the damn prep table all over again.

* * *

Jami

I wasn’t the type of guy to apologize often, but when I did, it was because I really fucked something up. Blindsiding Lena was not the best decision I’d ever made, but I was going to try and make it right, if she would let me.

I’d tried sending candies, stuffed animals and all manner of presents to her door, but it turned out I had the wrong address. The man who I’d been sending things to finally called my office and told me he appreciated the gifts, but that I should stop wasting my money.

Once I got off the phone with the man, I realized that it was probably better she didn’t get my gifts. I was quickly discovering that Lena wasn’t the type of woman to be swayed by material things. When I came to that conclusion I was even more eager to take her out, though for the first time in my life, the goal wasn’t to just sleep with her. I wanted to get to know her.

That’s why I showed up early to the restaurant, asking her to meet me for an executive meeting. She seemed hesitant, but agreed. I knew that she doubted me, and she had every right to. I even felt a little guilty about the lie, but I could only hope that the outcome would be good enough to out weight the lie.

I was sitting at one of the empty tables with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Lena came through the door, her white sundress fluttering in the wind, kissing her smooth thighs. She wasn’t wearing any make up and her curls were loose and wild. I was taken aback by her, shocked at the way my heart was beating so quickly.

“Lena.”

“Jami.” She gave me a curt nod and slid into the seat across from me, putting her hands on the table.

I paused and poured us both a glass of wine. “Look…I know I lied to you, but I hope you’ll hear me out.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I’m not stupid, Jami. I know you were lying. I don’t know what you want to talk about, but I know it’s not work.”

I nodded and cleared my throat. “I want to ask you on a date.”

“I already told you no.”

“I know, but I wanted to try again, and this time there’s no funny business.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. “I don’t believe that for a second. I know all about you, Mr. Playboy. I’m not going to be another notch on your bedpost.”

I held up my hands and sighed. “That’s not why I’m here, alright? I know I have a reputation, but if you dug a little deeper, you’d find out that I don’t chase women.”

She cocked a brow and crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying that I want to take you out on a date so that I can get to know you better.”

“And you’re being honest?”

“Entirely.”

She snorted a little and leaned back in the booth. “Are you trying to impress me?”

“If you’ll give me the chance,” I said with a grin.

She hummed and tapped her fingers on the table. “And there’s not going to be any funny business?”

“None at all. Everything is on your terms.”

She paused and sighed. “If I agree to go on this date with you, will you leave me alone?”

I couldn’t stop the grin that crossed my features. “Swear it.”

“Alright. We’ll go on a date then.”

“Great! I’ll pick you up later tonight? It’ll give us a chance to get ourselves in order.”

“Sure thing.” She smiled as she stood, walking by me and pausing to put her hand on her hip. “Don’t let me down, yeah?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

I watched her ample behind as she left, grinning brightly. Nothing I’d said was a lie. I still wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to pursue a relationship with Lena. My interest would probably fade, but I knew I need to get to know her. She had wounded herself in my brain and I couldn’t get the thought of her out of my head. Every time I tried to ignore my desire for her, she was right there, forcing me to confront these strange feelings that I hadn’t had since…Well.

My lips pulled into a frown as I thought about what had brought me to this point. There’s a reason for everything and my playboy lifestyle was no different. I cleared my throat and slid out of the seat, ignoring the nagging thoughts that were scratching at the back of my mind. I just shook my head and sighed, walking out of the restaurant. I didn’t want to linger on those thoughts.

Besides, I had a date to plan.

* * *

Lena

Miguel watched as I spun around, the bright red dress fluttering just above my knees. My hair was half up, small tendrils falling in my face and tickling my neck. My lips were painted the same color as my dress, offsetting the black pumps on my feet.

“You look amazing, Lena. I’m surprised you’re so dressed up. I thought this was just to get this guy off you’re back.”

His words hit a chord. I was trying awfully hard for someone I wasn’t really interested in. I waved my hand, dismissing his words. “He’s a rich guy. He’s probably going to take me to a fancy restaurant where the cooks can’t cook half as good as me. I might as well dress up for the occasion, right?”

He cocked a brow and shrugged. “It just seems like you’re setting the poor guy up.”

“Poor guy? Since when are you on his side?”

“I’m not on anyone’s side, love. I’m just pointing out the fact that you might be playing unfairly.”

I turned to face him, hands on my hips “I’m not playing a game. Just because I want to dress up nice doesn’t mean anything. Look, I haven’t been on a date in years and even if this is just a charade, I’m still going to have fun with it. In the meantime, maybe he’s telling the truth. Besides, between you and me, I kind of hope I end up going home with him.”

“What?”

I smiled a little and glanced over my shoulder. “I’m an evolved, sexual woman and I can admit when I’m attracted to a man. I don’t want to get mixed up with him, but maybe if I just sleep with him and get it out of the way, I won’t be so distracted by him.”

“So, even though you told him you aren’t interested in sex, you actually are?”

“Look, I’m a prideful woman. I’ll admit that upfront. I don’t want him thinking he’s won, you know? I just want to go on this date, go back to his place and call it a night.”

Miguel didn’t look convinced, but he also didn’t look like he was going to argue. He held his hands up and shrugged. “Do whatever you want, just don’t get yourself in a mess you can’t get out of.”

The knock at my front door ended the conversation and I grabbed my purse. “Don’t worry about me. Make sure you lock up before you leave.” I’d given him a spare key in case I needed anything.

“Sure thing. Have fun.”

I walked to the door and threw it open, beaming brightly at Jami. He wore a fitted suit without a tie, the first few buttons undone. I had to resist the sigh that was pushing at my lips. He looked amazing. He really did.

“Hey!”

Jami smiled and waved, his long, thick hair pulled back out of his face. “You look nice.”

“So do you.”

He smiled and offered his arm to me and I felt the heat rush back into my face. I put my hand in the crook of his elbow and he guided me down the steps of my apartment complex. He even opened the door of the expensive sports car.

“Aren’t you the gentleman.”

“Mama taught me right. That’s one of the many perks to dating a southern boy.”

“Mmmm. I see.” I settled in the car and waited for him to get inside as well. I glanced at him and smiled. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

I was still fairly certain he was going to take me to a fancy restaurant. Wasn’t that the status quo for dates? He’d buy me a nice meal, order a bottle of wine and then take me back to his place. It wasn’t an exciting prospect, but I was alright with it. I just wanted to get through the night so my life could go back to normal. I just wanted to stop thinking about him.

We drove through the loud streets and I took in the multitude of people filing along on the side walk. The mix of culture and influence in New York was part of the reason I was drawn to the city. It was something different, something wild and full of hope. It was the place I’d always dreamed of being. My phone was buzzing in my purse, but I wasn’t going to answer. I already knew who it was. It was my dad and I just didn’t have it in me to deal with it tonight.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?”

“Nah. I’ll take care of it later. I’m on a date right now. Isn’t that kind of rude?”

He smiled and turned his attention back towards the road. “I think you’ll really like where we’re going.”

“Well, I trust you know what you’re doing. I’m sure you’ve taken lots of girls out on dates, hmmm?”

He smirked a little. “Well, I’m not one to brag.”

At least he wasn’t trying to lie. We made small talk until the car rolled to a stop at the opening of a small alley where people had gathered. “What is this?”

“This is little Italy. Haven’t you ever been here?”

“Not really,” I murmured, standing and closing the car door.

Jami tipped the valet and offered me his hand, which I took surprisingly quickly. He pulled me along the alley until we came out on the other side, underneath the neon lights that announced the name of the small alcove. The light radiated down onto us and when I looked around I couldn’t help but smile, watching children run through the streets with sparklers, giggling and squealing with joy.

“What is this?”

“This is the Italian light festival. It’s something a little different. I thought you might enjoy it.” He said with a soft smile.

“Wow, Jami. I didn’t think— “

“You thought I was going to take you to a fancy bar and get you drunk.”

My cheeks went hot and I nodded, smiling a little. He shrugged and squeezed my hand. “That’s alright. Given my current track record with women…I don’t blame you.”

At least he was self-aware. He gave my hand a tug and I followed him into the street. We spent the evening sampling food from various restaurants. The people who spooned pasta onto our plates were dark haired man and women who’d owned their restaurants since they immigrated from Italy. Lively music played in the streets and every hour, on the dot, a flock of paper lanterns were released into the sky. I watched them in wonder, my heart beating faster.

I hadn’t expected a date like this. I hadn’t expected something so wonderful and unique and I certainly hadn’t expected to end up in his arms at the end of the night, build close to his strong body as we swayed together to the sounds of Italian instrumentals.

The cool wind blew through my hair, tickling my shoulders and neck. I looked up at him and smiled, putting my head on his shoulder as we moved in perfect sync. “This is nice.”

“You really think so?”

“Yeah. I’d say you knocked the ball out of the park.”

He chuckled and pressed his hand into my lower back. “I didn’t think a fancy restaurant or bar was a good date for a chef. Besides, you can cook better food than any restaurant I could have taken you to.”

He spun me round and I was grinning when I faced him again. “You know how to butter a girl up, don’t you?”

“It’s one of my many talents.”

Damn this guy was charming as hell. Everything he said and did caught me off guard. I hadn’t expected myself to be so happy to be here. I had expected a lackluster date and instead I got my first taste of culture since being back home.

The veranda was filled with other couples, moving to the sound of the music and I couldn’t help but feel like we were just like them. There was just as much hope and promise in our budding relationship.

As the music ended, Jami pulled away and smiled, nodding towards the inside of the building. I followed him through the ornate structure, brushing past hand painted murals and rich, oak tables. We finally came to the other side of the veranda where a single table sat with a bottle of wine. I crossed my arms and chuckled to myself.

“Mmmm…So you did pull some strings.”

He smiled and pulled one of the chairs out so that I could sit. “Just a few.”

I rolled my eyes playfully but settled in the seat, looking up at him. “This has been really nice. It’s better than I expected.”

“I’m glad I could exceed your expectations.” He poured us both a glass of wine and sat down as well, holding a glass up.

I clinked mine against his before taking a long drink of the sweet, pungent liquid. This was good wine. “So, what is with this whole playboy persona, huh? I mean, when I told Miguel about it, the first thing he told me was to beware of the big bad wolf. He said you were going to try and seduce me and then run off.”

“He wasn’t wrong to warn you. That is my calling card around town.”

“Why?”

He glanced up at me and sighed, sipping his glass. We were both already tipsy from the drinks we’d had earlier in the night and our lips were already loose. I figured now would be the best time to really get to know him.

Jami sighed and leaned back in the wrought iron chair, inspecting the drink in his hand. “Why? That’s a good question,” he mused. He set the glass down and looked at me for a moment. “Because I never wanted to get attached. I didn’t want to end up in a situation where I’d fallen in love with someone only to realize they didn’t want anything other than my money,” he said bitterly.