Damn, that man irritated the shit out of me. Clearly, this was my sexual frustration getting the best of me, but I’d be damned if I’d sleep with Grayson Mandrake. All I had to do was make it to the end of the day, and then I wouldn’t have to endure that man till Friday. I can do this, I told myself. Of course, my inner voice was laughing at me. I always knew she was a bitch.
I couldn’t stop thinking about him and kiss we shared. My hands in his hair, pulling it. His hand inching up my thigh. The way his voice almost made me want to stop breathing.
“Emmalin?”
I snapped out of my trance, realizing that Glenda was calling me.
“Yes, ma'am. I’m sorry.” She raised her eyebrow at me. Shit.
“Mr. Mandrake had lunch catered. They’ve arrived, so I’ll have them set up at the bar.”
“Okay, thank you.” I watched the caterers coming in, setting up a perfect array of assorted pastas, toppings, and different sauces. It all smelled delicious. After they left, I just stood there staring.
“I hope you like Italian. I didn’t know what you liked, so I had a ‘create your own pasta bar’ brought in.” I turned to find Grayson standing a little too close. He was always so close, taking up all the damn air. I took a half step back.
“Thank you, it’s fine. Breakfast and lunch. Well, if I didn’t know any better, I would say you’re trying to fatten me up.”
He laughed. “Well, don’t forget I’m still trying to get you to dinner too, and for the record, you have the most amazing body I’ve ever laid my eyes on.”
Blushing, I looked down at my hands. Bastard. Operation Ignore the Greek God in Front of Me was starting to falter. I cleared my throat. “So, since you got a chance to ask some personal questions at breakfast, I’m assuming it’s my turn to get personal?”
His eyes went dark as he looked at me. “I would love nothing more than for you to get personal with me.” He smiled. Shit. Walked right into that one. “Okay, fine. What would you like to know, that you can’t already find by doing a simple search, that is?”
“What is your fascination with me?” I felt confident in that question.
He grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth, then faced me. “It’s not a fascination. It’s a want. I’ve wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you. I want you in my bed, I want you in my mouth, and I want your body shaking and your voice hoarse from screaming my name each time I make you come.” Shit. He leaned in closer, holding my gaze. “I always get what I want, Emmalin. Make no mistake about that.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “What makes you think that’s what I want?” My voice betrayed me as I spoke. He was so close I could see just how deep blue his eyes were.
“Well, Emmalin, the way you’ve squeezed your legs together to, no doubt, alleviate the tension your wet cunt is feeling from your soaked panties.” His hands lightly grazed my thighs. “The way you’re practically trembling from me barely touching you. The way I’m sure you want nothing more than for me to push you up against that wall, rip your panties off, and fuck you to your heart’s desire as your cunt squeezes my cock like a fist.” His lips barely touched mine, but it was just enough for a moan to escape my lips.
He smiled. “I would say you do.”
Before I could answer, there was a knock on the door. Grayson cursed under his breath. I pulled back and stood up from the bar. There was a reason for that knock. The door opened and in walked Glenda.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Mandrake, but your father is on line one. He says it’s urgent.” Grayson ran his hand through his hair. “Do you have a magic ball or something, Glenda?” Glenda cocked her head, confused. He shook his head and said, “Thanks, Glenda. Send it to the blue room. I’ll be right in.”
Facing me, he opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but then shut it before turning and walking out.
The rest of the day, I was in and out of the office. Between unexpected meetings, conference calls, and visitors, I never saw Grayson for more than a few seconds. The next thing I knew, my shift was ending. I was relieved since the day had been crazy, but I also couldn’t stop thinking about him. He was clearly a distraction. Something I wasn’t interested in.
“I’m sorry I’ve been such a shitty friend.”
I poured Isabella another cup of coffee. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not okay. I invited you to a party, and the next thing I knew, I was swept away. Then I spent the next few days in an orgasmic bliss before even calling you. I’m so sorry. That’s not me at all.”
I smiled. “I forgive you. So tell me what exactly happened. I didn’t get to stay long.”
“I met up with that Chace guy, who is so fucking hot, and well, a little of this, a little of that.” She leaned in closer. “That guy can eat some pussy.” I gasped, looking around to make sure no one else heard. “What? Don’t act like a prude. That guy is all about making sure you are well taken care of.”
I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh. “Thanks for telling me. It was that kind of party, by the way. Talk about embarrassing.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to get you out of your comfort zone.” She smiled.
“Speaking of taken care of, I have your dress and shoes. I can bring them by tomorrow.”
“Girl, please. Keep those. Wear it again and again and again.” She laughed. “So, tell me what happened to you?”
I took a sip of my tea. “Well, I didn’t make it far. I started talking to some guy before I was abruptly taken away from him, by someone I later found out was none other than Grayson Mandrake.”
“Shut up! I told you, his whole vibe is just pure sex. Did you go back to his place?”
“Not exactly. He took me home.”
“Nice. So you guys went to your place?”
“No, no. He took me home, as in he drove me to my place, I got out of his car, and he went home, presumably.”
She stared at me almost in awe. “Damn. Leave it to you to get Grayson Mandrake. Well done. I mean, not that you can’t get Grayson Mandrake. You’re a million times better than who I’m sure he hooks up with. Though, from what I hear about Grayson, he doesn’t exactly just drop a girl off at her house and then leave.”
“What have you heard about him?” I leaned against the counter, arms crossed, a bit more intrigued.
She took a bite of her croissant before answering. “Well, it’s no secret that women practically fling their panties at him, and he willingly lets them. He’s also known to share.” She took another bite.
“Share?”
“Yeah, you know, share, as in share women. Apparently, it’s a thing between him and Chace I found out. They’re known to share girls, and even at the same time, I guess. But it’s just what I’ve heard. Hearsay.” She popped the last bite of croissant in her mouth before draining her coffee. “Anyways, I have to go, so let’s get together soon, okay? Dinner, you and me, and I won’t take no for an answer.”
She placed a twenty on the table—way more than what her food cost—got up, and walked out.
Share? I knew Grayson had a reputation just by looking at him, but I never thought he was one to just share. Was that what he expected of me? Well, not this girl, that’s for sure. Nor was I interested in being another fuck for him either. I glanced at the clock. Eleven. Time to get the hell out of here.
I was heading out the door when Grayson walked in. He smiled at me. I smiled back, only my smile was in the form of a stern glare like he just deliberately got into the ten items or less lane with a cart full of shit. I finished putting on my coat, and marched past him out the door. He ran after me.
“So, we’re back to this again?”
I kept walking. He came up behind me and grabbed my arm. I snatched it out of his grasp so quickly I almost fell over.
“Mr. Mandrake, I have said more than once that I am capable of seeing myself home. I’ve done it for years, and I’m not changing that now.” I turned and continued on my way. He easily kept up with me.
“What’s this about? I don’t have a problem taking you home.”
“And about that, how did you know where I live?”
“What?”
“The first night we met, you insisted on driving me home. Not once did you ask me for my address, yet you knew exactly where to take me. So I ask you again, Mr. Mandrake, how did you know where I live?”
He ran his hand through his hair. Maybe I wanted to run my hand through his hair. Focus.
“I have very good security and can pretty much find out anything about anyone I want.” He shrugged like it was no big deal. I took a deep breath. Goodness, he makes it sound like he runs the mob.
“What do you want from me, Grayson? I’m not interested in being another notch for you, or be someone to be shared around, like this is the sharing circle from grade school or something.”
He stepped closer and pulled me against him. “I would never share you with anyone, do you understand me? You belong to me.”
My breath caught in my throat. I closed my eyes, and all I heard were my thoughts.
You’re mine, you know that? You belong to me. You will always belong to me, and no one else. Screams. My screams. Screams no one heard.
“Emmalin!” His voice broke into my thoughts. I was vaguely aware of him standing in front of me. He gently shook me, and my eyes locked with his. “Emmalin!”
I took a deep breath and yanked myself out of his grasp. Scanning our surroundings, I noticed the snow was falling harder and was wetting my hair. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths before opening them. I felt lightheaded. Finally, I peeked up and found Grayson studying me closely.
“Are you okay? Are you sick? You look pale.” He felt my face for a fever. I heard him, but he seemed far away.
I managed to shake my head, and I was pretty sure I heard myself say that I hadn’t eaten since lunch. As I started to sway, he grabbed me and pulled me back into the café, seating me in the nearest chair before running to the counter and demanding something quick. He returned within seconds with a sandwich and some tea. After a few bites, I began to feel better. I continued to eat, savoring every morsel.
“Your color is back again.”
I nodded. “Thank you for the food. I guess I didn’t realize that the day had gone away, and I just got caught up with work.”
“It’s nothing,” he said.
“To you, it may be nothing. To others, it can be viewed as you saving a life.” He looked at me thoughtfully, as if trying to decipher what was going through my mind.
He nodded, taking in the surroundings of the place. “It’s a nice café, but you seem to work a lot.”
“I do what I have to do to get by. People do it every day. It’s no big deal.”
“Do you ever get some time off?”
I nodded taking a sip of my tea. “I do, but I prefer to stay busy with working, I guess.”
He stared at me intently. “When do you sleep?”
I didn’t answer.
He cleared his throat. “So about earlier—”
I cut him off. “Look, you don’t need to explain. It’s none of my business. What you do, or don’t do, and who you do, is none of my business. You’re none of my business.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Is that supposed to make you feel better? You know, when you put up that wall that you always tend to do around me? So how about you do something for me and stop lying to yourself.”
My mouth slightly parted, and I stared down at my tea. It bothered me that this man was able to read me so well.
“Look, I can’t change who I am, who I was, or what I’ve become. There were ways for me to have fun, and I took advantage and did my dabbling.”
Did I want to know about his past? After all, why should I care? He was my boss. “And what are your expectations of me?”
He leaned forward. “I think we established that earlier at our luncheon, but I’m more than eager to remind you.” He grinned. I stared down at my empty cup, chewing on my bottom lip.
“I’m pretty tired, so I think I’ll go.” Grabbing my bag, I forced my tired body out of my seat. He stood with me.
He laid a fifty-dollar bill on the table. Yeah, because clearly no one I’ve interacted with carries small bills. He walked out ahead of me and held the door open. I went through and admired the snow on the ground that was starting to collect.
“I don’t mind taking you home. I want to,” I heard him say. Sighing, I headed to his car.
We drove to my apartment in silence. I mostly stared out the window at the falling snow. Winter was definitely upon us. Fuck my life indeed.
He was just starting to speak when his phone rang. The dashboard lit up with the name Ashley. He tried clearing the screen before I could see it, but alas, I saw it. He cleared his throat. “Are you working the same time tomorrow night?”
I was starting to wonder why he bothered to even ask since he seemed to know everything about me already. Well, almost everything.
“Yeah, Thursdays are my fifteen-hour days.”
“Fifteen hours?” He had the nerve to appear shocked. I studied him, not really knowing what he wanted me to say.
“It’s fine. I like the work, and the owners are great about letting me have additional hours.” I began to open the car door, but his hand covered mine.
I froze at the touch. Warmth. He slid a piece of my hair behind my ear, lingering a little longer than he should have, but for some reason, I liked it. His hand trailed down the side of my face, and he gripped the collar of my jacket. As he rubbed it between his fingers, he frowned.
“This is too thin for Chicago winters.” I glanced down at my excuse for a jacket and back up to his cerulean eyes.
“Thank you for the ride, Grayson.” With that, I got out and made my way inside.
Ten more minutes and Thursday would be officially over. I didn’t think I’d ever been so tired in my life. Thursday was Vines night. My favorite night. People came in and read poetry, and some played acoustics.
“You ever thought about reading something?” Caleb asked.
“Me? Yeah, right. I would be so mortified and make a complete fool of myself. Everyone would hate me and boo me off the stage.”
“I doubt anyone could ever hate you, and I’m sure no one here would ever boo you off the stage.”
I laughed and playfully hit him on the shoulder. “You’re just saying that because you’re my friend.”
“No, I’m saying that because it’s the truth. You’re the most beautiful woman in here. You could read the ingredients on how to make a pie, and I guarantee you, every guy in here would drool.”
“That’s because I’m reading about pie. I’d drool, too.”
Caleb laughed, and someone cleared their throat.
“Am I interrupting?”
My eyes locked onto the blue eyes of Grayson Mandrake. Slowly, I took him in, all 6’3 of him, in a suit that clearly defined his muscles in all the right ways.
Caleb stood. “Can I help you with something, sir?”
Grayson’s eyes never left mine. “No, you can’t, but she can.”
I checked my phone and saw it was fifteen minutes after ten. Shit.
“I’m glad to see you’re still here and didn’t try walking home in this weather.”
Caleb stepped in between us, looking from Grayson to me. I stood and started collecting my things. “Caleb, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Oh, didn’t you hear? They’re closing for a few days, in anticipation of the storm. It’s supposed to hit really hard tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s right. Well, I’ll see you next week then?”
“Of course. I’ll call you.” He leaned in for a hug and kissed my cheek. He shot one last look at Grayson, who oddly enough appeared as though he wanted to commit murder, before walking off.
I watched Grayson and saw fire in his eyes. His jaw was clenched, and his fists were balled at his sides.
When he finally looked at me, his eyes softened.
“Shall we?” he asked, as he grabbed my coat to put it around me, but not before I caught a scowl.
“You seem to have a very interesting fascination with my coat.” He started buttoning up my coat, but I fanned him away.
“Is that what you’re calling it? A coat. Well, we seem to have very different definitions of what a coat entails.”
Smiling, I shook my head. “It’s not much, but it’s mine. Remember that, and I like my coat.” I picked up my bag and headed for the door. He quickly caught up to me to open the door.
“You're very gentlemanly tonight. Special occasion?”
He smiled. “I just like being around you any chance I get.”
I shook my head, not knowing what to think of that statement. Honestly, I liked being around him as well, but that wasn’t something for me to think about at the moment.
We rode in silence. That seemed to be our thing. He always looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t. Probably best. I watched the snow fall. I hated this time of the year. Traveling in the cold was never my strong point, especially being from Arizona. I still hadn’t adjusted to the winters of Chicago yet. The snow was becoming noticeable and not just small flakes as we pulled up outside my apartment. I sighed.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, just thinking,” I answered vaguely.
“Well, I would love to hear it.”
I smiled and shook my head. We sat in the car in silence. Before it became even more awkward, I cleared my throat. “I’ll see you tomorrow at work.”
He nodded, and I opened my car door to get out.
“Good night, Grayson.”
“Good night, Emmalin.”