Chapter Seven
Charlie headed upstairs to the executive suites. She was glad to be wearing her black power suit today. It usually gave her confidence, and right now she could use as much of it as she could get.
She wished Jake didn’t persist on making things harder than they had to be. All he had to was pretend that they didn’t know each other and they would get along just fine. When she reached the president’s suite, Charlie took a deep breath before entering, trying to calm her jittery nerves.
“May I help you?” asked a curious older woman, sitting at the desk in front of Jake’s office. She was obviously his personal assistant. The woman had a kindly enough face, which made Charlie relax. Nothing bad could possibly happen with her around, right?
“I need to drop off this report from Brian Shaw. He asked me to deliver it here.”
“Oh yes, Charlie Brown. Jake is expecting you. I’m Jennifer Collins, by the way. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.” She smiled warmly at Charlie.
“They’re all lies, I tell you,” Charlie teased, feeling totally at ease with Jennifer.
“I highly doubt that, my dear.”
Charlie wondered from whom Jennifer had heard all these “wonderful things” about her. “What should I do about this report? Should I just go in or can I just leave this here with you?” Charlie asked hopefully.
“Hold on, let me check first.” Jennifer buzzed the intercom.
“Yes?” Jake’s sensual voice came over the speaker.
“Charlie Brown is here,” Jennifer announced.
There was a slight pause, and Charlie could have sworn she heard him taking a deep breath. “Okay. Send her in.”
“You may go in now, Charlie… Umm… That’s a rather, famous name.” Jennifer blushed. “I’m sorry, that was rather rude of me.”
Charlie laughed. “No worries. I get that quite a bit. Charlie is short for Charlotte actually. I was teased a lot when I was growing up, but in an ironic twist of fate, the man I ended up marrying also had the last name of Brown. I think I’ll be cursed with this moniker for the rest of my life.”
Jennifer laughed at Charlie’s self-deprecating tirade. “Oh dear, how awful for you, but I think Charlie suits you very well.” Jennifer assured, wiping a tear of laugher from her eye. “Did you say you were married? I understood you were single.” Jennifer turned slightly red. “There I go again. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Charlie shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m a widow.”
“I’m sorry, dear. You know how office gossip is.”
She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of being fodder for office gossips, but what could she do about it? “Yes, I know, but don’t worry about it.” Charlie smiled to show there was no harm done.
“Is she still there, Jen?” Jake poked his head out of his office.
“She’s right here, Jake,” Jennifer answered.
Jake swiveled his head to look at the object of his inquiry. “Charlie, please step into my office.” He beckoned her to him.
Charlie looked at Jennifer for reassurance, but Jennifer was already busy pecking away on her keyboard. Once in the office Jake closed the door behind him. To Charlie’s dismay, he locked the door.
Her throat went dry at his nearness. She didn’t remember him being quite so sexy and smelling so good. She gulped nervously.
“Is that the report you’re holding?” he asked.
Charlie could only nod.
“Good.” He took it from her seemingly boneless fingers. “Have a seat.” Jake gestured to the huge black leather couch in the corner of his office. Charlie stood in awe for a moment. Jake’s office was nearly the size of her living room.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to stand.”
“Please sit. I won’t bite.” He gave her a lopsided grin that nearly made her knees give out. “Unless you want me to.”
She had to stay strong and not let him get under her skin. “I came to drop off the report and I have. Now, if you don’t mind, Mr. Fox, I have a lot of work waiting for me at my desk.” She turned to leave, but Jake was quicker.
“I do mind. I mind very much.” He placed his palms against the door on either side of her head.
“Please move,” she said through clenched teeth, her body tightening with awareness. She could feel his body heat. Good Lord, had the temperature just increased in here?
“No. You owe me something else, Charlie.”
“What are you talking about? I don’t owe you anything,” she protested, turning her head to the side so as not to get mesmerized by his hypnotic gaze.
“Oh, but you do.”
Before she could protest further, he grabbed her forearms, pulled her against him and lowered his head. Jake’s hot, hungry mouth moved over hers relentlessly. Too stunned to struggle, Charlie leaned weakly against his chest.
To her chagrin, her body trembled in response to his forceful kiss. He cupped her face, his thumb lightly stroking her cheek. Her lips parted instinctively allowing his tongue access. Charlie’s body went up in flames when his other hand held and squeezed her bottom, kneading it. He caressed her rear as if to reacquaint himself with the contours of her body.
Her panties grew moist as his hands began to roam all over. Against her better judgment, she wrapped her arms around his neck, listening to her body instead of her head. How could something that felt so good, be wrong? It was as if those three years had melted away, and things had always been this way between them.
She pressed her body more aggressively against him. The head of his throbbing erection rubbed against her thigh. Charlie was lost in the moment. She didn’t know how she got there, but she found herself on the couch with Jake on top of her, kissing her with the hunger of a man who had been denied for years. Three years to be exact.
Jake opened her jacket and unbuttoned her blouse. In the back of her mind, Charlie knew exactly where they were and what they were doing, but she couldn’t have stopped him had her life depended on it. Her small breasts were alert and ready for his mouth. Each taut peak ached to be sucked and loved. Jake obliged. He flicked one nipple with his tongue, sending waves of pure delight tingling up her spine. When Jake captured the tight bud with his teeth, she moaned.
Charlie grasped Jake’s hair to keep his head against her chest. Jake seemed to be in no hurry, nibbling, sucking and licking each of Charlie’s breasts. He slowly ran his tongue over the highly taut mounds. She shivered under the rough caress of his tongue. For the life of her she couldn’t remember what she’d come to his office for in the first place.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, kissing the valley between her breasts. He nipped her flesh, his body moving down the length of her until he was eye level with her belly button. Charlie had the sexiest navel he had ever seen. Everything was sexy about this woman. He tongued the indented flesh, which made her shiver in reaction. His tongue imitated the action of a cock thrusting in and out of a pussy.
“Oh, Jake,” Charlie moaned softly, rolling her head back and forth.
For three long years he’d waited for this moment: Charlie underneath him, wanting him and loving everything he did to her. His need had only been heightened the last three months with being so close to her and unable to do anything about it. But she was here now. Jake unbuttoned Charlie’s pants as he continued to place kisses on her belly. He explored the sweet taste of her that he had not forgotten. She was just as delectable as he remembered. The softness of her under his lips made his dick throb.
Jake nearly lost control when he got a whiff of her treasure. The intoxicating smell of her pussy made his cock so hard he was sure the seams of his pants would burst. “Do you want this Charlie? Do you burn for me like I do for you?” he whispered against her silky skin.
Charlie moaned loudly in response, seeming oblivious to everything except how he made her feel at that moment. It excited him to know he could elicit such a response from her.
Only when Jake freed Charlie of her panties did he unbuckle his pants. He wanted to make this last, but he knew it would be quick because he wanted her so damn badly. He had to fuck her now. His cock was barely free from his pants before he thrust deeply into her wet, waiting pussy. Her warm tunnel was moist and welcoming. Jake felt as if he were home at last. Wrapping his arms around her, he buried his face against her neck. She was tight. Her vaginal muscles squeezed his cock so lovingly, sucking him deeper within her welcoming sex.
“I’ve waited a long time for this,” he groaned against her skin.
Charlie whimpered her pleasure as he thrust deeply into her. The sliding motion of his cock filling Charlie’s wet channel produced a savage passion within the pit of his belly. Her pussy was maddeningly addicting. Jake doubted he could ever get tired of it, or Charlie for that matter.
“Mmm, Jake. You feel so good,” she moaned.
Charlie clung to him tightly, her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Jake’s mouth crashed down on hers once again. He thrust his tongue into the cavern of her mouth, exploring the sweet recesses and savoring her delightful taste. Charlie’s tongue shot out to meet Jake’s, kissing him back with a hunger to match his.
Jake lifted his head to look deep in her eyes as he continued to thrust. He looked down at her. The sexy way she was nibbling her bottom lip was threatening to push him to the edge. “I don’t know how I lived without this sweet pussy, baby, but I don’t intend to deny myself ever again, nor will I allow you to.”
With one last powerful shove, he blasted his seed deep within her hot cunt, shuddering against her uncontrollably. He let out a loud throaty groan. They lay motionless for several minutes clinging to each other and breathing deeply. This was Jake’s release of sexual frustration that had been built up over the last three years. Now that he had another taste of her, he wanted more.
Charlie lay in stunned silence, not believing what had just happened. What the hell had just come over her? It was a good thing she was on the pill…otherwise… She shivered at the thought. She’d just had unprotected sex with Jake yet again. This man must have put some kind of spell on her. Why else would she respond to him so readily or do something so irresponsible like having sex in the office? His last declaration worried her most of all. I don’t intend to deny myself ever again, nor will I allow you to. Jake had to be nuts if he thought he’d get a repeat performance.
She tried to wiggle from beneath him. “Get off of me. I have to go.”
“Please stay. We won’t be disturbed. No one gets by Jennifer without the threat of death,” he joked, tightening his arms around her. He devoured her face with his lustful stare as if he couldn’t get enough of the sight of her.
Charlie’s heart flipped. When he looked at her like that, she found it hard to refuse him anything, but refuse him she must. She couldn’t afford to get involved with anyone, especially with Jake.
She pushed against his chest in an attempt to free herself. Jake held her tighter still. “Let me go, Jake,” Charlie ordered.
Jake flinched as if he had been smacked. A look of confusion crossed his handsome face as he loosened his grip, enabling her to slide out of his arms. He sat up abruptly.
“There’s no rush, Charlie.”
“There is a rush. This shouldn’t have happened. This isn’t professional.”
“Fuck professionalism. Of course this should have happened. It was inevitable it would. From the moment we saw each other again, it was there. You felt it too, so don’t lie to yourself about this being a mistake, sweetheart.” He rolled away from her and stood up. Jake then pulled her against the length of his taut body. His cock was hard once more. Charlie’s pussy contracted with longing for him. Her nipples hardened. She silently cursed her traitorous body. It didn’t seem to know when to quit.
“Don’t try to lie to me again, because your body will tell me the truth every time. You can’t use the excuse of your dead husband this time can you?” he accused before crushing her lips with his.
They were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. “Jake, Steve is outside waiting for you and he’s insisting that he sees you,” Jennifer called through the intercom.
“Tell him to go away,” Jake growled. Charlie used Jake’s distracted state to twist out of his arms and get dressed in a hurry.
“This will not happen again,” she hissed as she buttoned up her blouse. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes and patted her hair back into place in hopes she at least looked presentable again.
Jake didn’t respond. He merely grunted while he adjusted his own clothing. In his rush to possess her, he hadn’t even undressed.
“Steve, you are going to pay for this,” he muttered under his breath, but Charlie could still hear him. For once, she was thankful Steve had shown up.
Jake watched as Charlie finished adjusting her clothing. “Damn, my make-up is probably a mess”
“You look beautiful as always, but when you get a chance, you may want to repair your lipstick.”
She glared at him. “And you may want to wipe it off your lips.”
Jake picked up a tissue from his desk and rubbed it against his mouth. “Better?”
Charlie nodded and made a move to leave, but Jake halted her by grabbing her wrist.
“Regardless of what you say, this is far from over.” His ice blue eyes glittered with determination and Charlie found herself shivering under his intense stare. How was she supposed to respond to that?
Charlie turned to flee when he let go of her wrist. She went flying out the door as if the devil himself was at her heels. Steve came strolling into Jake’s office, and he didn’t look happy. Whatever his problem was, Jake was not in the mood.
“What was so important it couldn’t wait?” Jake asked, taking a seat behind his desk.
“I came by a half hour ago looking for you, but Jennifer told me you were in a meeting going over the monthly figures.”
“And?” Jake shrugged.
“And you told me to let you know when the Garrison deal came through. You were insistent that I interrupt you when I received the news,” Steve reminded him.
“And so I did,” Jake conceded. “How did it go?”
A stormy expression crossed Steve’s face. “What the hell was she doing in here?” Steve demanded.
Jake decided to play dumb. Regardless of what had just happened, it was none of Steve’s business. “Charlie?”
“Who the hell do you think I’m talking about?” Steve, his face getting redder with his apparent anger, demanded.
“She came in here to drop off a report, is that okay with you?” Jake asked sarcastically, in no mood to have this conversation.
“Do me a favor and don’t insult my intelligence. I saw how Charlie looked when she tore out of here. What the hell happened?”
“Steve, I don’t think you’re in a position to demand anything right now. Either you want to tell me how the Garrison deal went or you can come back later. I have far too many things to do with my time than to play twenty questions.” Jake realized he was coming off a bit heavy-handed, but he’d be damned if he told Steve about anything that just happened. It was strictly between him and Charlie.
“I know something happened in here, Jake. For one thing, you always go over the financials with Brian and not his subordinates.”
“There’s a first time for everything, Steve. What’s your point?”
“Why did she go tearing out of your office? What did you do to her?”
“What makes you think I did something to her?”
“Don’t be a jackass. I told you how I felt about her. She’s mine!” Steve exploded.
“For God’s sake, she’s a woman, not a thing. And I should think the decision belongs solely to her. The whole office knows how you’ve been sniffing around Charlie, and they also know that she doesn’t want anything to do with you,” Jake pointed out cruelly. “Didn’t I tell you Charlie and I had met before?”
Steve ground his teeth together, his eyes shooting green daggers at Jake. If looks could kill, Jake knew he’d be dead on the spot. “Yes, you did, but we both know you made that up. If you knew her so well then why haven’t you mentioned her before? If I had met someone like her I sure as hell would have told you. How could you, Jake?”
“How could I what?”
“I smell sex in this office, you son of a bitch. I thought we were friends. You knew how I felt about her.” Steve accused.
Jake refused to feel guilty about what had just happened between him and Charlie. He wasn’t going to cater to Steve’s fragile ego, especially where Charlie was concerned.
“Did I really? You fall in and out of love with women so fast, what’s she to you? You’re not upset because you actually like her, your ego is bruised because she turned you down.”
“How the hell should you know how I feel?”
Jake raked his fingers through his hair. “Be honest with yourself, Steve, had she went out with you when first asked, you would probably have lost interest by now.”
Steve averted his gaze, and Jake knew he’d hit the nail on the head. “How the hell will I know now? You never gave me a chance to find out how I felt.”
Jake shrugged. “I think you already know, you’re just being stubborn.”
“You don’t know everything, Jake.” Steve glared at him before turning on his heel and slamming the door behind him. Reasoning with Steve when he was in one of his moods would have been pointless. Steve had a tendency to blow his top before gathering all the facts. His friend was right in that Jake didn’t know everything, but one thing he was certain of, he and Charlie Brown belonged together.