CHAPTER NINE
The next morning, Megan went into the office feeling better, physically, but emotionally she was still a little on edge. Her heart was still feeling the effects of her time with Jensen, her head was still fighting her heart and now, she had Tristan interested in her, even after her huge screw up. She was thankful for his early meeting out of the office so she wouldn’t have to face him just yet. She wanted to get caught up and redeem herself for the time wasted in putting his presentation together for the second time.
She walked into her office and smiled when she saw a large bouquet of roses sitting on her desk. She set her things on the chair and pulled the card as she bent down and smelled the lovely aroma.
A little something to apologise for my behavior last night ~ Tristan
Megan smiled and took in the aroma again. She picked up her phone and texted him.
Thank you so much for the flowers. They are beautiful.
She set her phone down and clicked on her computer, knowing he was in meetings all morning. She was surprised to hear her phone notify that she had a text.
You are very welcome. It was the least I could do after the way I acted last night.
She smiled after reading his text and returned a reply.
They were a lovely surprise.
I hope you like roses.
I do, very much so.
Are you feeling better today?
Much. Thank you for dinner last night. You were right. Best Chinese ever.
I hope we can do it again soon. I won’t be back in the office until after lunch so you are free from feeding me today.
Megan laughed out loud. Okay. I’ll see you after lunch sometime.
She set her phone aside and opened her emails. Reading down through them she opened one that looked important and began reading it when her phone went off again. She smiled and picked it up.
Meet me for lunch.
But I thought you just told me you weren’t going to be back until after lunch?
Before she sent it, she glanced up at the name and her stomach flipped. It was Jensen. She erased her text and re-read his.
Meet me for lunch.
She studied the words. She wanted to see him. She started to respond when he sent another text.
I just want to talk. Give me a chance to explain this whole fucked up situation. Will you meet me?
Yes. Meet me at my place at eleven. I will have a couple of hours before I have to get back to the office.
She didn’t get a response back so she set her phone to the side and kept her eye on it. She went through her emails and opened one with a download involving a ticket with her name on it to France. Her jaw dropped as she read the email it was attached to. The ticket was for a business trip Tristan and a few of his associates were going on over the weekend. When she first started working for him, she remembered mention of it in the first meeting she attended. She grabbed her phone and quickly called Tristan.
“I’m sorry to bother you,” she said as soon as she heard him pick up. “One of the tickets to the conference in France was mistakenly sent to me with my name on it.”
“Calm down. It’s not a mistake. I want you there with me in case I need you.”
“Seriously?” she squealed. “I’m going to Paris?”
Tristan laughed. “Yes. You are. Unless, of course you can’t make it.”
“Oh my God! I can! I will be ready!”
“Wonderful news. I will see you sometime after lunch.”
Megan danced around her office and started mentally preparing for her weekend in Paris.
She never received a text back from Jensen about lunch so she wasn’t sure if he was going to meet her or not. She didn’t want to stand him up so she grabbed her purse and her flowers and left the office a bit before eleven. She arrived at her apartment and just as the door closed behind her, her doorbell chimed. She walked back to the door as her heart rate increased and she opened it, seeing Jensen standing there with a bottle of wine. His smile faded quickly when he saw the roses in her arm.
“Who got you the flowers?” he asked abruptly. She furrowed her eyebrows at him and turned to put them in the kitchen. He followed her through her living room after closing the door and asked her again. “Who are they from, Megan?” His voice dripped with jealousy.
She didn’t respond until she got into the kitchen and behind the counter. She looked at him, as he stared back at her waiting for an answer.
“None of your business,” she said matter-of-factly. She turned on the water and filled a vase she found in the cupboard. She felt very satisfied that she was able to stand up to him, instead of melting at the sound of his voice. “Sit down and I’ll make you some lunch.”
He sat at the small kitchen table and watched her as she pulled out the ingredients for a simple salad. She pulled a head of lettuce out of its packaging and rinsed it under the cool water.
“Cute place,” he said, looking around. “Small, but cute.”
“Thanks. It’s no mansion but it’s home.”
“I still think you should come back with me.”
“Thank you for wanting to watch out for me. Really, but I think I’m okay here.”
“I can take care of you.”
“I don’t want to live with a couple,” she snapped. “Especially when I’ve been intimate with one of them.” When he looked at her after that statement, she quickly looked down, grabbing two tomatoes and putting them under the water. She felt her anger grow and she continued to wash the tomatoes until she pacified her temper. “Do you like quiche?”
“I do.” His voice sounded defeated. He watched as she pulled out a dish from the refrigerator and set it on the stove. She turned the oven on and went back to washing vegetables for the salad. “Can I talk to you about Kristina?” he asked.
She stiffened at the mention of her name. “Of course,” she said.
“Without you being judgmental or closed minded?”
She looked at him, knowing what was next. She wondered if his story was going to be believable.
“Kristina used to live with me at the mansion, and not by choice. I came home from work one day and she was just there, with all of her stuff. She rearranged my furniture to her liking and even had painters coming in to redecorate. Luckily I got there before they did. She moved into my life before I was even ready to commit to her. The ring she wears as an engagement ring, she bought. I never gave it to her. I never asked her to marry me.”
“You are kidding right?” she asked sarcastically.
“Jesus Megan. Will you listen to me?”
“Are you trying to tell me she made your entire relationship up?”
“The chick is psycho. We had only been dating a few short weeks when she started becoming what she perceived to be the perfect mate for me. I tried breaking it off with her several times.”
“Apparently she didn’t get the memos.”
“I have changed my locks, beefed up security and even kept Black on full alert. The only other thing I can do is move, but I’m sure she would find a way to find me and get back into my life again.”
Megan was staring at him, hanging on his every word. “It really sounds like a good story, but I really don’t believe you.”
“What else can I do to wake you up?”
“I want proof.”
“Proof. O…Okay. I can get you proof.”
“Come on. Lunch is ready.” She pulled the quiche from the oven and cut it up, setting it on the table with the salad and bottle of wine. He waited for her to sit before dishing each of their plates up. Megan poured the wine and began to eat.
“What are you doing this weekend?” he asked, his eyes on hers. “Are you available?”
“No.” She took a sip of her wine. “Why?”
“I want to take you away.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? Are you busy the whole weekend?”
“Yes,” she said taking a large bite of her salad.
“What are you doing that keeps you so busy?” He stared at her until she could talk, making it awkward for her to eat.
“I have to work,” she said, finally swallowing her food.
His lips tightened and he looked displeased with her answer. She wanted to apologise, but kept the words in her mouth.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” she said abruptly. She was still angry at his whole situation and the fact that he put her in such a predicament with Kristina.
“Is the medicine that the doctor prescribed working okay?”
“Yep.”
He slammed his fork down on his plate, making her jump and look up at the same time. “What? What, Megan? What do I have to do to make you snap out of this…this bullshit you are in?”
She looked at him and smirked, knowing she was getting to him. “Gee, I don’t know,” she said with sarcasm.
“If you don’t stop it, I am going to turn you over my knee and spank your arse.”
“Excuse me?” She put her fork down and felt the familiar arousal at his dominance toward her. “You wouldn’t dare!”
He stood up without warning and quickly walked around the table toward her. She had time to stand up but not to get away from him as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into him. She squealed, punching him in the chest and struggling to get away from him. He pulled her in and picked her up over his shoulder, holding her tightly and walking into the room he chose to be her bedroom.
“Put me down, you bastard!”
When he saw that he chose the right room, he dropped her onto her bed and stood over her, his chest heaving in and out. She looked up at him, panting and extremely aroused at his control over her. She didn’t move.
“How long do we have?” he asked. She could see the lust in his eyes and wanted him as bad as he wanted her.
“An hour,” she breathed.
“Take off your dress,” he demanded.
Without hesitation, she slipped her shoes off and pulled her dress up over her head. She was breathing heavily, a chill running through her body, as she waited for him to make the next move.
He sat on the edge of her bed and licked his lips, his eyes on her body. “Bend over my lap.”
She crawled toward him and crawled over his lap, lowering her body onto his legs. She felt his hand slide down her back to her buttocks. She closed her eyes as he caressed her skin where her ass cheeks met her legs. When he slapped her there, she winced and bit her lip. She forced a breath in and waited for the next one. A sting penetrated her in the same spot as his hand slapped her again. Her breathing picked up and her body squirmed. He slapped her again and she yelped at the pain that fed her arousal. She tried to position herself so she could rub herself against him, but he pulled her back into position then spanking her again three more times. By the time he was finished, she was so aroused she could only think about his cock inside of her and his body surrounding her.
“Jensen,” she panted.
“Yes?” he said, forcing control over his tone.
“Please….”
“Please what?”
“Please…I want you.”
“You do?”
“Yes,” she panted. “Please, fuck me.”
“What about Kristina?”
She stopped squirming against him. Did he really just mention her? She grew angry again and tried to get up.
“Let me go.” What her body was feeling was nothing like she had ever felt. Such arousal for the man she had wanted since she met him, mixed with a growing anger over his infidelity toward his fiancée. He forced her back down and spanked her again.
“What do you want, Megan?”
She struggled to get up, but he held her there, cracking her ass again. A moan escaped her as she struggled against what her body wanted and what she knew wasn’t right. He rubbed her skin where he struck her and let his fingers graze between her legs. He leaned down to get closer to her ear. “What…do…you…want, Megan?” His voice was demanding, but silky.
“I want…you.” She closed her eyes, knowing he had defeated her. She gave in to him yet again. He directed her to sit up on the bed and face him.
“Take off your things,” he said, staring at her.
She watched him unbuckle his pants as she stripped her panties from her body, then unclasp her bra, tossing it next to them. Before her bra hit the floor, he was on her, pinning her to the bed, kissing her hard, pressing his body into hers. She was hungry for him and she missed him so badly that it caused an ache deep down inside of her. He pushed her legs apart with his knees and immediately entered her, savagely fucking her on the bed, her body jarring upwards each time he thrust himself into her. She felt satisfied, even before he gave her an orgasm. She felt like he was quenching a long time thirst her body craved. His skin against hers was moisturizer in a hot, dry desert. His mouth poured a waterfall of desire, energy and everything she had ever craved into her. His cock fed her hungry body with the rich and luscious foods from the best countries.
He lowered himself onto her and fed his hands into her hair, propping himself on his elbows on each side of her head as he continued to fuck her. His hands grabbed handfuls of her hair, keeping her where he needed her so he could watch her face as she approached her orgasm. It fueled him to watch her back arch and her head go back. It pushed him over the top when her mouth gave out a panting moan and her body stiffened beneath him. He kissed her deep and hard, each time penetrating her mouth with his tongue.
He rolled over and pulled her onto him, imprisoning her body in his arms. “You are mine,” he growled, glaring at her. “Do you understand me?”
She quickly nodded and eagerly kissed him. His thumb stroked her cheek when his phone rang.
“Good timing,” she said, smiling at him.
He waited for her to roll off him and got up to retrieve his phone from his pants. “Hello…. Hey, yeah.” He glanced at Megan before pinning his phone between his cheek and shoulder and pulling his boxers and his pants on.
Megan overheard a woman talking from the other end and couldn’t help but to wonder if it was Kristina. A pang hit her stomach as he picked up his shirt and went into the bathroom. She scowled at the door and jumped up off the bed, grabbing a towel out of the linen closet and cleaning up before dressing.
The bathroom door opened as he was hanging up and he walked to her, putting his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. She kept her head down and her eyes on the floor.
“I have to go,” he said. “Some things have come up that need my attention.” He stepped back. “Are we okay now?” She nodded still looking at the floor. He put his fingers underneath her chin and pulled her gaze up to his. “Are you sure?”
She faked a smile and nodded. He kissed her forehead and walked out of the bedroom. She waited for him and they left her apartment together, going their separate ways once they reached the street.
Back in the office, she ran into Tristan.
“You’re back already?” she asked, looking at her cell phone.
“Where have you been?”
“I…took my lunch at home. I didn’t think you were going to be back this early.”
“I was going to surprise you with lunch but I waited for almost two hours.”
“I’m sorry. I got busy with a project at home and lost track of time.”
“Your lunch hour is just that, an hour. Let’s not abuse that.” He raised his eyebrow at her, obviously upset that she wasn’t there when he got back. He walked out of her office with the lunch he bought for her.
She grimaced and walked to her desk.
“Are you okay?” he asked, peeking back into her office.
“Why do you ask?”
“You are walking a little funny.”
“I’ve never been better,” she smiled, feeling the warmth in her cheeks.
“I need the schedule for the week. We may have to jockey some things around.”
“Hang on.” She sat at her desk and pulled up Tristan’s schedule. “You…have a meeting this afternoon at three with…” her words caught in her throat. “Mr. Dean.”
She felt the panic rear up inside of her. She had attended every meeting Tristan had so far since she started working for him. She took a big breath and looked at him. “If it would be okay with you, I’d like to stay in the office and catch up on some things.”
“Is there a problem meeting with Jensen?” Megan opened her mouth, hoping for a witty reply but he interrupted her attempt. “I could really use you there.”
She nodded, pressing her lips together. “I will be there.” She watched him nod and smile at her, then disappear from her doorway. She buried her head in her arms, worrying about how this was going to transpire.
After trying to work for about an hour, Tristan led her down to the parking garage where the company car met them. She took a big breath, trying to calm her nerves as she got into the back with him. Conversation consisted of meeting preparations and going through the paperwork, which was fine with Megan. It kept her mind off from what was going to happen when Jensen found out she was working for Tristan.
When they pulled up to Jensen’s building, her stomach flipped at the familiarity of it. She followed Tristan inside and met Jensen’s PA.
“Why don’t you wait here and I’ll come get you if I need you.”
She nodded, backing up and sitting in a nearby chair. She was confused, not knowing why she had to stay behind. She wasn’t going to be of any use to him in the seating area. She glanced toward Jensen’s door and saw a shadow move around as Tristan entered the room. The door closed and she looked around the room. Jensen’s PA was watching her so she pretended to be absorbed in the files she brought along. She didn’t like feeling left behind. She heard the clicking of heels walking rapidly across the hard glass floor and she looked up to see what the distraction was. A gorgeous blond, dressed in a skin-tight dress and ridiculously high heels was walking across the lobby toward Jensen’s office. Her make-up was visible from a mile away and her hair was absolutely perfect like that of a model just finishing up with a photo shoot. When the PA stood up and opened her mouth to talk, the woman put her hand up without bothering to stop or look her way.
“I know my way.” Her snotty attitude made the young PA sit down quickly. The woman looked at Megan, looking her up and down. Megan recognized her then.
Kristina!
The PA picked up her phone. “Security…. Jensen Dean’s office please.”
Megan stood up, leaving her things on the chair next to her and watched Kristina walk past her and barge right into Jensen’s office. She was furious at him and knew it was Kristina on the phone to him after they were together in her apartment. She started walking toward his door to give him a piece of her mind when Tristan quickly walked out, closing the door behind him. He looked shocked and thankful that he got out of there quickly.
“Tristan?” Megan asked. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Completely uncalled for.”
“What?”
“I have never seen something so unprofessional in all my life. Right in the middle of our meeting, that bimbo marches in and just starts making out with him.”
“What?” Megan felt her heart drop into her stomach.
“Yeah!” he said, flailing his arm toward the door. “They deserve each other.”
She had all she could do to fight back the tears threatening to surface. She jumped when she heard something hit the wall behind the door. They heard the two talking loudly but couldn’t make out what they were saying. She wanted to burst in and slap Jensen across the face. She stared at the door, getting the courage to do so, when Tristan linked his arm into hers and pulled her away from it.
“Come on. Let’s get back.”
Megan stayed quiet on the ride back to the office, keeping her gaze out the window but not really looking at anything. She felt Tristan looking at her, but she didn’t want to explain her feelings. Somehow, he knew.
“Why don’t we take you home?”
“We still have a few hours. I have to finish the….”
“You can deal with whatever you have to finish tomorrow. It doesn’t seem to me that you have much left in you today. Go home. Chill out. Have a glass of wine. We will start again tomorrow.”
When the car pulled up to her apartment she opened the door and turned back toward Tristan. “Thank you for being a good friend…and a good boss.”
He nodded and she got out of the car. Tristan didn’t pull away from the curb until she was inside. She turned and waved, smiling as he did.
She got into the apartment and saw a very large teddy bear sitting on the couch with a large red ribbon around its neck. Lorena immediately came out from her bedroom, looking extremely annoyed.
“Cute bear. What’s wrong?” asked Megan, trying to put her own problems aside.
“What’s wrong you ask? Come here.” She grabbed Megan’s arm and pulled her into the kitchen. When she rounded the corner she saw several flower bouquets and chocolates taking up the counter top.
“Wow. Who….”
“They are all yours.”
“Mine?” she blurted out.
“Yep. Including the bear.”
Megan smiled and went to the first bouquet closest to her. It was made up of daisies and small carnations. She pulled the card and opened the small envelope. When she read it, she lost her smile and went to the next one. She pulled it and quickly opened it. She went to the next one as her eyes narrowed and read the third one. She threw them on the counter and crossed her arms.
“Who are they from?”
“Jensen. Destroy all of it. I’m fucking done with him.” She walked out of the kitchen and into her room, slamming the door behind her.