Blurb

Beverley Wade has always been a nerd. In college, she had eyes only for her books and the campus heartthrob, Grant Jennings. Grant was not only a fantasy for her but was way out of her league and also was her biggest competitor. By the time college was over, Beverley was relieved that she wouldn’t have to deal with her conflicting emotions for Grant any longer.

But when her start-up tech company in Silicon Valley faces financial disaster, the highly successful Grant Jennings swoops in to buy her off. Not only is Beverley furious that her old rival wants to buy her company, but it seems like suddenly he can’t keep his hands off her either.

Can Beverly trust Grant? Or, will Grant’s chiseled body and dreamy eyes be too hard for Beverly to resist?

Chapter 1

Beverley

I looked on either side before crossing the road, safety first! Even though my mind was whirling with thoughts and I couldn’t concentrate on a single thing, I could still walk to my office blindfolded. I knew these streets like the back of my hand. I couldn’t fathom what it would feel like, to not go to that office any more. I’d dedicated the past four years of my life to it. Building up the company from scratch, working weekends to ensure that we might be able to finally break even. I had poured my blood and sweat and soul into it, and just when I thought that I just might be able to make it…my accountant told me that the company was going under, that I wouldn’t be able to pay my employees and the only way out would be to sell the company while I still could.

This was an absolute nightmare. I was walking to the office, but I might as well have been a ghost, because I wasn’t thinking any more. What was I supposed to do now? Get a job? I’d been self-employed since college.

From the moment I graduated, I made plans of starting my own company. The tech industry was reaching its peaks and I had an idea for a mobile game. I moved to Silicon Valley, rented a small apartment and converted it into an office. I wrote the code for the app myself and within the first three months, it had reached a thousand downloads on various app stores. I hired employees, I set up a separate office space and we worked tirelessly to ensure its success.

And now it wasn’t the way I expected. I would have to sell the game to a bigger corporation just to stay out of bankruptcy and be able to pay my employees. I was ashamed and angry and feeling completely lost.

I took the stairs up to my office, and pushed open the wooden door that led me to the small reception area. My office had three rooms. A reception area for Susan, the receptionist, a room for the other two programmers and one for myself where I sat behind a desk facing three connected computer screens.

Susan looked up at me with a nervous expression on her face when I walked in.

“Morning, Bev,” she said and I forced a smile on my face. There was no reason for me to smile any more.

“Morning, Susan. I’ll be in my office if there are any calls for me,” I said, still in a daze. But, Susan stood up all of a sudden and startled me.

“Bev, there has been an offer” she said, and I looked at her still a little confused with my brows crossed.

“An offer for what?” I asked her and Susan looked like she was struggling to get the words out.

“For the company, you know?” she said and my heart sank. This was getting more real by the minute.

“Someone made an offer to buy my company?” I asked her in a raised voice. Sasha, one of the programmers, stuck his head out from his room and looked at us. Susan sat back down and nodded her head, like she was ashamed of herself. They all knew exactly how badly I was taking this.

“Who is it?” I asked Susan, who also doubled up as my assistant and secretary. She looked at her papers, and shuffled through her notes.

“I got a call from them only half an hour ago. From the offices of Lonex Apps?” Susan said and looked up at me. Now, she was beginning to look like she was worried for me.

“Lonex Apps?” I said, in a much shriller voice. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“That’s what the man said on the phone,” Susan replied and I fisted the palms of my hands and tried to control my rage.

“You mean, Grant Jennings’ company?” I asked and Susan shrugged her shoulders.

I was asking the wrong person, Susan wasn’t up to date with the inner workings of Silicon Valley. But, I had no one else to take my temper out on, and I had a lot of temper inside me at that moment. I couldn’t believe that Grant Jennings’ company wanted to make an offer.

“What does this mean?” Sasha’s voice interrupted my thoughts and I whipped around to face him with narrowed eyes.

“I don’t know what this means. I don’t even know what they want,” I growled at him.

“Lonex is huge, they are becoming even bigger by the day. I’m sure if they want to buy us out, they’ll have a big sum to offer…don’t you think?” Sasha continued, unaware of the bubbling feelings of rage that were erupting in me.

I tried to control them, I barely could. Sasha’s words were slowly sinking into my brain and driving me nuts. Just when I thought that my day couldn’t get any worse, it had.

“I mean, Grant Jennings…that dude really knows what he’s doing. I bet he has big plans for the app. This could actually be great, Bev,” Sasha said and I shook my head silently. I didn’t want to hear his name, I didn’t want to think about what Grant Jennings wanted to do with my company. I wouldn’t sell to him even if I had to go bankrupt.

“Hey, didn’t you go to college with him or something?” Sasha said and I glared at him, before turning on my heels and walking straight into my office. I banged the door shut behind me and leaned against it, just to catch my breath.

This was the worst possible way that Grant Jennings could make a re-entrance into my life. I thought I never had to think about him again. That my feelings for him in college were over and I could finally move on with my life. But here he was again, turning my world upside down…but this time I was resolved not to let him.

Chapter 2

Grant

The meeting was set up for the next afternoon. Our secretaries had spoken to each other, so I hadn’t actually heard Beverley’s voice, but I got the feeling that she wasn’t pleased. In fact, I had expected her to turn down even before meeting up with me. But, I had a look at the company’s financials, I was aware of their state of affairs. That would have made her desperate to meet with me.

I was sitting behind my desk in my swanky new office, and a smile erupted on my face when I thought about her. Beverley Wade…my biggest competition in college. We had four classes together, and in each one of them she always made a point to try and prove herself to our teachers and to me. She had underestimated me in the beginning. I was captain of the basketball team, I dated cheerleaders…she had probably assumed that I was just a jock. That I was also an ace student and that I’d turn out to be her biggest competitor in class; was not something she anticipated.

Beverley was something of a nerd in college, the exact opposite of me. That is what the rest of the world thought, including her. With black rimmed circular glasses, her dirty blonde hair tied in a ponytail at the back of her head; she was always in oversized t-shirts and plain shirts and ill-fitting jeans. She took pride in her scores, not in her looks. She had a fiery temper and always took the high moral road.

Beverley sat at the front of the class and always had her hand up when questions were asked. While I sat at the back, and if I happened to give the right answers; she never failed to whip around and shoot me a look. But, surprise was always mixed with her rage. She was always shocked that I had the answers and then that shock immediately turned to anger that I had managed to trump her.

My friends thought she was a geek. Everyone thought Beverley was a geek. A fairly attractive geek but a geek nevertheless!

To me, Beverley was delicious. Her anger and competition with me, made me secretly smile and fantasize about taming her. What would Beverley taste of? What would it feel like to pin her down in my bed? Sometimes, when I slept with another new cheerleader, or a sorority girl…I imagined Beverley’s face and I could never control myself after that. She was like a forbidden fruit. I knew I could never have her. She detested me, but it was exciting just imagining it. Undoing that ponytail, taking off her glasses, overpowering her and making her orgasm. That would teach her.

It wasn’t just sexual though, she challenged me. I found it refreshing to go to class and try to beat her to it, but she never seemed to be having fun. It was always a competition to her, while to me it was just a friendly game. And now we had found ourselves in this position. We had both started tech companies to build apps and games, and we had big ideas for it. We had both moved to Silicon Valley with this idea and very little money in our pockets, and she maintained her distance from me. But in the past four years that we had been here, I had not once bumped into her. It had to be a carefully constructed scenario, I could sense that she had been avoiding me like the plague. Probably because of my company’s success.

I had the backing of wealthy investors within six months of starting Lonex, while I heard that Beverley was still trying to perfect her app. I paid attention to the business side, passing over programing reigns and responsibility to a dedicated team of experts. I focused on expanding my company, while Beverley still wrote her own code, worked with only two programmers and hadn’t found any investors yet.

I wished I could reach out to her and give her some advice, but there was no way that she would have accepted it. In her eyes, I was still the womanizing basketball heartthrob who sweet talked his way into getting better grades. She thought I was an airhead, while she was the genius. And probably I didn’t deserve any of the success I had gathered.

Now here we were. She was on the brink of bankruptcy and I was a billionaire. I didn’t have to talk to her to know that she was not a fan of this situation. But there was no way that I was simply going to sit back and allow Beverley’s company and hard work disintegrate into nothing. Whether we were friends or not, I still believed that she was the smartest person I’d ever met. Buying out her company was a no-brainer. Even if she didn’t look at it as a rescue, that was the only way I knew how to keep her afloat.

It had been close to five years since I last saw her, we were both in our late twenties by now, on two different ends of the spectrum; but I hadn’t stopped thinking about her. I knew nothing about her personal life, I practically knew nothing else other than that her company was sinking; but just the prospect of seeing her again excited me.

Our lives had changed drastically now, and she probably hated me more but I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if we could work together. If we could finally put our differences aside and work as a team. It would require a lot of effort, because Beverley was a tough cookie, but it would ultimately be beneficial to my company as well as to me.

Now, all I had to do was make sure that our meeting the next day went according to plan.

Chapter 3

Beverley

I was nervous the whole way to the Lonex office building. I’d brought Sasha with me for moral support, even though I was the sole proprietor of the company. He was more than happy to tag along; starry-eyed and fresh faced about entering the hallowed halls of the Lenox brand. I could tell that he looked up to Grant. Grant Jennings was his hero, as he was to several others in Silicon Valley. A self-made, good looking guy only in his late twenties who was the poster child of tech start-ups. Every guy wanted to be like him and every girl wanted to sleep with him. I’d read the articles, I kept track of him even though I carefully avoided him.

We walked into the lobby of the building, which looked more like a hotel lobby than an office. People were lounging on purple couches and at the back there was a table tennis area. Beyond the glass walls at the back, I could see a swimming pool and some people eating ice cream. This was definitely a dream job for a lot of people, and I could sense that Sasha was getting excited.

I walked towards the reception area, with Sasha trailing behind and the woman behind the desk looked up at me with a friendly smile.

“We’re here to see Mr. Jennings,” I said abruptly, without any formal greetings.

“Good afternoon, you must be Ms. Wade,” the woman said, the wide smile was still on her face.

I could see everyone around here just looked exceedingly happy and carefree. When did they even work?

“Yes, I am. Is he expecting us?” I said, and the sour look on my face didn’t seem to dissuade her.

“He is, indeed,” she said and I caught her looking past me, her cheeks were turning to a bright red. I could sense him behind me, and then I heard his voice.

“Beverley, how are you?” his voice was deep and it scorched my skin the moment I heard it. His voice had always thrown me off, and even after five years I didn’t seem to have recovered from that effect. I whipped around to find him standing in front of me, with his hands thrust into the pockets of his jeans.

I had seen photographs of Grant online and in newspapers, shaking hands with business partners and investors, giving speeches and holding meetings. He was always dressed in sharp suits and yet today, he looked quite different. Very much like I remembered him from college. It was like he hadn’t aged a single day.

The only difference was that he had grown a beard. A neat dark beard that was perfectly trimmed and shaped. His eyes were a painfully bright blue and his features were sharp and chiseled. He hadn’t lost his athletic body, and he towered over me with his wide shoulders and broad chest. Even through the gray t-shirt and jeans combo he had on, I could tell he was hiding bulging muscles and washboard abs. His hair was dark, like his beard and slightly shaggy. Not exactly the look of a ruthless billionaire.

“Hello, Grant,” I found myself saying blankly, while he smiled at me. He had a knowing brilliance in his eyes, like he was somehow glad to see me. And why wouldn’t he be? He was about to buy my company, or at least make me an offer. It was his biggest victory against me to date. I could feel my knees buckling, and I tried to keep my back straight and my chin jut out.

“Mr. Jennings, I’m Sasha Winnings. I’m so glad to finally meet you,” Sasha was gushing beside me and he thrust out his hand to Grant.

“Hello Sasha and please call me Grant,” he said, turning to him for a brief moment before looking back at me again.

“It’s been such a long time!” he said, the smile still stretching across his face. I couldn’t smile, I could barely breathe. Just being near him again had a destabilizing effect on me. I wanted to hate him so much!

“I haven’t been counting the days,” I said and he laughed. The same laugh. He threw his head back and his shoulders shook as he laughed at what I’d said and I could feel the back of my neck beginning to burn up.

“I wasn’t expecting you too. It’s been though, four and a half years!” he said and I shrugged my shoulders. I despised him more now, because he looked so calm and casual given the circumstances under which we were meeting. As we looked at each other, I noticed the way his eyes looked in my body. If he was surprised to see me, or had noticed some change in me…he jus wasn’t showing it. He simply studied me with curiosity and I felt like I was burning up under his gaze.

“Shall we go upstairs so we can have a chat?” he asked, like it was just an ordinary date in a coffee shop.

“Lead the way,” Sasha interrupted us and Grant threw him a friendly look before turning back to me.

“Beverley?” he said in a smooth self-sufficient voice and I clenched my jaw.

“Of course,” I replied and he turned to start walking. Sasha walked beside him, enthusiastic to make conversation while I remained behind. I felt like I was losing my voice. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to conduct a serious meeting feeling like this.

Grant was leading us towards a capsule elevator with clear walls. He pressed a button and the doors opened instantly and the three of us went in.

In the closed confines of the elevator, I felt claustrophobic to be so close to him. Grant was smiling and making polite small talk with Sasha, while I lingered on the side trying to keep as much distance between us as possible. I tried to steal glances at him, but Grant wasn’t looking at me anymore. Thankfully!

Chapter 4

Grant

Beverley looked different now, but in lots of ways she was still the same. Her blonde hair was longer and reached beyond her shoulders. She kept it open these days, and it fell like a sleek shining curtain around her face. Her eyes were still the same though, green and large and she looked defiantly at me. She was dressed differently as well now. She’d traded in her old college clothes for a pair of straight gray pants and a red silk blouse. Her shoes were gray pumps and she was carrying a large leather bag with her. There were no glasses on her face either.

She followed me out of the elevator, and I had to turn occasionally to make sure that she was still there. She was avoiding my eyes, while I was constantly aware of her presence. It was like five years apart had made me more desperate for her. The moment I laid my eyes on her, I’d felt a movement in my pants. I had to do everything in my power to not take her into my arms.

“After you,” I said and stretched my arm towards the board room I’d ordered to be ready for the meeting. I was slightly disappointed that we couldn’t be alone, and that she’d brought one of her employees with her. I’d just have to work around it.

I noticed the way she walked as she went past me and into the room. She looked around her for a few moments and then took a chair, without me asking her to. Sasha sat down beside her and I took a chair across them. Other than the three of us there was nobody else in the room, since it wasn’t my intention to intimidate them.

After there had been some silence between us, I cleared my throat. Beverley shot her eyes up to look at me, and I saw the rage in them. Just as I’d predicted, she was mad at me for what was happening to her.

“I wish I didn’t have to discuss business when we haven’t seen each other for so long,” I said, directing my attention only to her. Just as I remembered her doing in college, she rolled her eyes at me.

“Just get on with it, Grant. We don’t need to exchange any more pleasantries,” she said and I couldn’t help but smile at her. Even after all these years, Beverley had no time for formalities or corporate etiquette. She wasn’t a sellout like me. Sasha looked slightly embarrassed, but I didn’t care. He didn’t know our history.

“How about I give you a number and let our lawyers take care of the rest? I don’t want this to be a negotiation,” I told her, resting my arms on the table. Beverley had hers folded on her lap.

“Sure, whatever you prefer,” she said calmy and I reached for the file beside me. I flipped it open and slid it in her direction. Sasha was the one who caught it and pulled it closer to them.

I could see his eyes widening as he read the number. Beverley had her head over the page but she hadn’t made a single move.

“This isn’t what the valuation for my company is, this is way more than necessary,” she said in a strained voice. Sasha looked nervously from her to me. He wanted her to take it right then and there before I changed my mind, but Beverley wasn’t going to keep quiet about it.

“I know,” I said and stapled my fingers. “But that’s what I think your company and hard work is worth to me,” I continued and she took in a sharp breath.

“I wasn’t looking for any favors, Grant. I’m just in the market for a buyer, that’s it,” she said and our gazes locked. Her green eyes were narrowed and darkened, she had a scorn on her face and I wished that she would just relax. But I’d never known Beverley to just relax.

“I’m not doing you a favor, Beverley. This is purely business. I can save the programs you’ve written and make a lot of money from them. This is for my gain,” I said and she looked at Sasha.

“I need to think about it,” she said abruptly.

“Bev, really, there’s nothing to think about,” Sasha cut in and I tried to suppress a smile. She whipped around to look at him and I could see that she was glaring. Sasha slunk back in his chair and she turned to me again.

“I need to think about this, Grant,” she said in a formal business-like tone.

“Of course, take your time. I’m in no rush,” I told her with a smile but that didn’t please her either. She slapped the file shut and slid it over to me again, before standing up. Sasha scrambled to his feet beside her, while I remained seated.

“Thank you for your offer, Grant. I’ll keep you in mind, I have to meet with a few other potential buyers and I’ll get back to you,” she said and I continued to smile. I knew there were no other potential buyers. At least none that were offering her this much money. She was just being prideful. She didn’t want to have to resort to taking money from an old enemy.

I nodded my head in silence, as Sasha and she fled away towards the door.

“Beverley, do you mind we have a quick word?” I said and then looked at Sasha, and said “alone” politely.

“I’ll get on back to the office, Bev. It was nice to meet you Mr. Jennings…Grant,” Sasha said before opening the door and disappearing.

Beverley remained standing where she was, with a slightly surprised look on her face. She didn’t look like she wanted to be there alone with me. I stood up and closed the gap between us, and placed my hands on her arms.

“It’s nice seeing you after so long, Beverley,” I said, looking her straight in her eyes and she looked like she was ready to slap my face.

Chapter 5

Beverley

Grant’s hands on my arms felt like I was being burnt. An electric shock ran down my spine and after a few moments, I jerked myself away from him.

“I don’t understand what’s so nice about all this. It isn’t nice for me,” I snapped at him and Grant’s eyes widened. The lingering smile remained on his face, and I couldn’t help but admire the chiseled features of his face.

“Fair enough. The circumstances are shitty. I agree. And I wish I didn’t have to do this,” he said and pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

I couldn’t understand why he was being so nice to me. But then again, Grant had always been nice to me, even in college. And to me that was even more annoying. It was like he was trying to be charitable to a lost puppy.

“Well, here we are and you’ve made an offer to buy my company,” I said and clenched my jaw. Grant was watching me keenly. He hadn’t looked away once and I was now beginning to blush under his gaze.

“Beverley, my advice is that you accept my offer. I’m not doing you a favor, like you think. I want to keep your company afloat,” he said and I widened my eyes at him.

“You want to keep my company afloat? How?” I said, and realized that my voice was raised.

“By simply taking your company under my wing. I want you to continue heading your team, I want you to continue doing the good work you started. I know you just need more time,” he said in a quiet voice.

“You mean, you want me to come work for you?” I said, placing my hand on my heart from the shock.

“If you put it that way, then yes, but basically I want to give you the freedom to keep doing what you’re doing. There is a brilliant new product waiting to hit the market and I don’t want company financials to get in the way,” he said.

I shook my head.

“I don’t want to work for anyone, least of all you,” I said and Grant licked his lips.

“I understand that it’ll feel strange, but trust me, nothing has to change. You can keep your office and keep going to work. You’ll have all the independence that you need,” he added and I rolled my eyes.

“Other than that, I have to still answer to you,” I said. I didn’t want to look at him anymore. What he was proposing was a literal buy off. Working for him would give me no freedom!

“Yeah, for major business decisions, nothing more,” he said and stepped towards me. I jerked my head around to look at him again. Our gazes were locked. I was squinting at him with a sour look on my face.

“I am not going to work for you,” I said through gritted teeth, and I was surprised to find that his face broke into a smile.

“I didn’t expect you to agree to it so easily. You’re as egotistical as ever,” he said and my mouth fell open.

“Egotistical? You think I have an issue with my ego? How can you even pass a judgement like that? What makes you think like that? We weren’t even friends in college. We were just classmates,” I said with a snarl and Grant slowly nodded his head.

“You’re right. I don’t know you. We weren’t friends…but I wish I knew you,” he said and I stared up at him. I was in shock again. What he was saying didn’t make sense. Why did he wish he knew me? I was the geeky nerdy classmate who his friends jeered at. I was competitive and unfashionable and kept my distance from him on purpose. Why on Earth would he want to know me?

“See, you look surprised. It seems like you have been quick to judge me too. You don’t know me either,” he said and I gulped. He was right. I didn’t know him, but I didn’t want to know him. Grant, for years, had been my ideal man. I knew that if I got close to him, I would never be able to get over him. No other man would be good enough if we even so much as became friends.

“You’re judging me again,” he said in a softer voice. I watched, frozen in my place as he brought his face towards me. I couldn’t do anything, my limbs didn’t move. Grant did it slowly, allowing me the chance to push him away, but I couldn’t. I knew he was going to kiss me and I wanted it to happen.

Our lips met and I gasped. I had fantasized about kissing Grant for so long, that I didn’t think this could actually be happening. I felt my skin sizzling as he kissed me and my hands flew up to his chest. I grabbed fistfuls of his t-shirt and his hands found my waist. Our lips were pressed together and I closed my eyes shut. I could feel the roughness of his beard on my cheeks. I could feel him pulling me closer to him. My hip bones pressed against his belly. I heard a moan escape my lips.

Then something snapped. What was he doing? Was he actually trying to seduce me into selling my company to him? I let go of his t-shirt and pushed him away from me. My breath was ragged and hard and Grant licked his lips. He was smiling.

“What do you think you’re doing!” I shrieked at him and Grant remained silently standing where he was.

“I told you, I’m glad to see you,” he said casually. My mind was swinging and I couldn’t believe what had just happened.

Chapter 6

Grant

Beverley looked like she had been struck. Her cheeks had flushed to a firetruck red, her green eyes were wide and in shock. She was holding herself, with her arms wrapped around her torso like she was trying to hide her breasts. I couldn’t help but laugh at her. It was like she was trying to defend herself against my attack. But her body didn’t lie. I had felt her pulling me close to herself. She did kiss me back, pressing her lips to me as we remained wrapped together. I had heard her moaning and gasping. She wanted that kiss just as much as I did.

“This is how you greet all your old college acquaintances?” she said. That dignified prideful tone of her voice was gone now and she seemed more embarrassed than anything else.

“Not really, just you,” I said shrugging my shoulders. I’d wanted to do that for a very long time. Kiss Beverley. And she tasted even more delicious than I’d imagined. I should have done this a long time ago, I thought.

I walked away from her, deciding to put some distance between us. I didn’t want her to think that I was forcing myself on her. She was quiet for some time as I walked back to my chair.

“Will you think about my offer, Beverley?” I said, and sat back down.

She remained standing near the door, glaring at me with her mouth slightly open. Her arms had fallen back into place and I could see that she had her fists curled up. I could sense that she wanted to break something. Was she mad because her body had given away and how turned on she was by that kiss?

“There is nothing to think about, Grant. I do not want to work for you,” she snarled.

“Not for me Beverley but work with me,” I replied calmly.

Beverley took in a sharp breath and straightened her shoulders. I could see that she was trying to calm herself and even her breath.

“It’s the same thing. I don’t want to be professionally associated with you,” she said and I arched an eyebrow at her.

“Or personally. I don’t want to be associated with you at all,” she said quickly and I allowed a small laugh to escape my lips.

“Alright, Beverley. I’m only trying to help you and your product. For old times’ sake and also because I genuinely believe you’re brilliant and I want to work with you,” I said and swiveled my chair away from her to face the desk again. I could sense her eyes on me, watching me like a hawk. She was thinking.

“Well, I don’t want to work with you,” she snapped and I nodded my head and flipped open the file in front of me.

“You mentioned that already, but in case you change your mind; I’m still open to the idea,” I said while reading the papers and not looking at her. She was still standing there and I could sense her fuming. The one skill I had developed in the corporate world was to keep my calm and allow the negotiation to take time. There was no rush. If anyone should have been in a hurry, it would have to be Beverley. But I knew her too, as much as she thought I didn’t, I knew that I need to give her time. She was in shock and I was aware that I shouldn’t be pressing her too much at that moment. So, I decided to be calm instead and give her time to think about what had just happened.

As much as I wanted to turn back to her, look at her, watch her body move…I didn’t. While she on the other hand; remained standing where she was and after some time turned around in a huff. I didn’t raise my head to look at her as she opened the door, but a smile lingered on my face. Beverley hadn’t changed at all.

Only when she had slammed the door shut behind her and I heard her heels clicking the marble floor outside as she walked away, did I look up. Her perfume was still lingering in the air in the room and I took in a deep breath of it.

Beverley still managed to recharge my batteries. I couldn’t stop smiling. As much as she pushed me away, I wanted her. Because deep down inside, I knew she wanted me too. Even in college, I caught her staring at me. She’d watch me silently from the bleachers when I played basketball and every time I looked at her, she would turn her face away.

All this while, she had simply assumed that I wasn’t interested in her. It was easy for her to confuse my true interests, because she wasn’t naive. She saw me with other girls. The stereotypical girls a guy like me should have been dating. And it was definitely my fault that I’d never made a move. But, Beverley was unreachable in college. She never gave me a chance to get to know her. Her one and only aim in college was to win and defeat me in the process. But now I finally had my chance.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss as I gathered the file together and made my way out of the meeting room. Claire, my personal assistant found me as I shut the door behind me.

“How’d it go? Ms. Wade didn’t seem very pleased,” Claire said as I handed the file over to her.

“She’ll come around,” I told Claire with a smile as I walked away from her and towards my own office. In fact, I couldn’t stop smiling all day. Kissing Beverley had been the single best thing that had happened to me the whole week. A college fantasy had come true and now I knew what I had always suspected…that she was the only woman who could set me on fire. Nobody else even came close.

Chapter 7

Beverley

That kiss had overtaken my mind, and I hadn’t spent a single moment since then without thinking about it. In college, if I wasn’t studying; which was all the time, I was fantasizing about Grant. He was handsome, smart and smooth as velvet. He got all the girls and even now, after we were out in the real world, nothing had really changed. Grant Jennings had become one of the hottest guys in the country. Good looks, intelligent mind and money were all a winning combo. I knew exactly how other women felt about him, and I knew I didn’t stand a chance.

But why had he kissed me? I couldn’t deny the thought that he had kissed me just because he could. Because he was just another one of those entitled jocks who assumed he could have any woman he wanted. But a small part of me couldn’t help but wonder if he kissed me because he wanted to kiss me, and not just any woman.

Then there was also the business about selling my company. He was crazy to think that not only would I sell my company to him, but that I’d actually go and work with him too. Especially after this! After he’d kissed me! The best plan of action would be to simply ignore him. Move away from Silicon Valley and try and start a new life somewhere else!

I stood up from my chair with a jerk and paced the floor of my office. I had to be going mad to entertain the thought of running away from San Fransisco because of one kiss! One kiss that didn’t mean anything to him. But it meant a whole deal to me. I’d spent so long fantasizing about Grant, that this kiss was capable of completely breaking me.

A sudden knock on my office door snapped me out of my thoughts. Sasha stuck his head in.

“I’m gonna head out. It’s nearly eight,” he said and I nodded my head. He didn’t leave. He could see that I was working up over something. Without me inviting him in, Sasha stepped into my office and shut the door behind him. Sasha had been my first hire. Even though we weren’t exactly friends, I had known him for four years now and he was one of the handful of people I actually knew well in San Fransisco. Clearly, he believed we were friends because he walked up close to me and I stopped my pacing, in surprise.

“Bev,” he said in a soft kindly voice.

“Sasha?” I said, confused by his behavior.

“I can see you’re still thinking about Lonex’s offer,” he said, tipping his head to one side. I crossed my arms over my breasts and glared at him.

“Well, it’s my company. I built it up from scratch. I have to put some thought into it,” I told him. My brows were crossed. I was annoyed that he thought he could talk to me about it. I didn’t need his help. I didn’t need anybody’s help.

“Yeah, but it has to happen. You have to sell. And who better to sell than Lonex? Especially if they’re offering you that amount of money,” he said and I noticed the concerned look on his face. I took in a deep breath and nodded my head. There was no point taking my temper out on him. Sasha hadn’t done anything wrong, in fact if anything, he was the model employee. The least I could do was lend him an ear.

“I know what you’re saying, it’s just that…” I said, looking about me. I couldn’t find the right words to use to explain the situation to him.

“Do you have some kind of complicated history with Grant Jennings?” he asked and I couldn’t do anything but stare at him in surprise. How had he figured that out? Did I really make it so obvious?

“Well, kind of,” I said and licked my lips. I suddenly felt vulnerable. If Sasha had been able to figure it out, did Grant also know how I felt about him? Why I was being so resistant to sell to him?

“For your sake, Bev, I suggest that you just work it out with him or work it out by yourself. I don’t think you’ll come by an offer like this again,” Sasha said and placed a friendly hand on my shoulder. My arms remained crossed over my breasts and I looked at him with my eyes widened.

“Thanks for the advice Sasha, I’ll think about it,” I said and he nodded his head. I realized in that moment, that my employees…the three of them, were also confused. Me selling the company could mean anything. If the new buyers didn’t want to keep the original team intact, it could mean that they were going to lose their jobs.

“Sasha!” I called out to him as he began to walk away. “Will you please tell Susan and John that I’m going to figure it out? That I’ll do what is best for you guys,” I said, in a weaker voice. Sasha passed me a half smile and nodded, before leaving my office.

I was alone again, but I remained standing where I was. I knew I needed to figure things out soon. The longer I took, the deeper this web was going to get. I wasn’t magically going to be able to rescue my company out of a financial crisis. Sasha was right, Grant had given me the best offer I could ask for.

And also, he had kissed me. Which in its own way was also a game changer. I had some big decisions to make and to make them quickly. And all these decisions could have disastrous consequences on my life if I didn’t make the right ones. But suddenly, I was up for the challenge.

Chapter 8

Grant

I stood on the balcony of my brand new house, cradling a crystal glass of whiskey in my hand. I was pleased with what I saw. I’d worked hard with the architect to come up with a contemporary and sleek design for this mansion, made entirely out of wood and glass; and I was happy with the result. The driveway was flanked by manicured lawns and brick paths, while on the back of the house, an infinity pool was newly constructed. The house was spread over two stories and decorated inside in accents of white and wood.

When I looked up at the sky, I noticed that it was an exceptionally starry night. I breathed in the cool fresh air and allowed it to energize me. I was still thinking about Beverley.

It was the end of a busy work week. Every other day, including weekends; I stayed in the office till at least ten in the night. Except on Fridays. On Fridays, I allowed myself the pleasure of coming home by eight and enjoying the house I had spent so much time and money in building it.

It was a big house no doubt, and I was its sole occupant. I had a staff of four full-timers who looked after the maintenance of the grounds and the workings of the house, but I rarely ever saw them. Because I was away all the time, and because they never made an appearance in the evenings; I was all the more aware of being completely alone in the house. It was peaceful on most nights, but tonight I was feeling restless.

I knew it was because of Beverley, not only because we had kissed; but because I’d seen her after so long. I’d forgotten that feeling of excitement, that adrenaline rush I got every time I was around her. She kept me on my toes, she motivated me in college to work hard and prove myself. Even though, like she said, we didn’t know each other…she was the one I secretly wanted to impress.

The initial feelings of guilt of buying her company, were now replaced with the excitement of seeing her again. I knew I should have been slightly more concerned by her reaction to the offer and the kiss, but if she had reacted in any other way, it would have only surprised me. I appreciated that she never took anything at face value. That Beverley didn’t make any decisions without closely calculating the risks and putting thought into it. It’s what set her apart. It was what made her brilliant.

I walked away from the balcony and went back inside. Taking the spiral stairs down, I went into my den where I sat down with my whiskey. On other Friday nights, I would have enjoyed a movie by myself, or read a book, but tonight I couldn’t concentrate on anything apart from having Beverley’s body pressed up against mine.

I had traded in a busy social life a couple of years ago and replaced it with work. Nobody in college partied as hard as I did, in fact, I carried on that habit even when I moved here. But as my business took off, my success made me more ambitious and greedy and I couldn’t think of anything other than work. And now, just the thought of meeting a large group of people at a club and getting shit-faced and sleeping with a girl I didn’t know…just made me feel sick.

I was sitting on the couch with my legs spread apart, still thinking about Beverley. I could feel her soft skin on my fingertips. She had all but melted in my arms. She was small and delicate in my arms, even though she was fiery and strong to talk to. A complete contrast and another thing about her that made me shift in my seat.

I placed the glass on the coffee table in front of me, and my hand subconsciously went to my crotch. I’d masturbated to fantasies about her before, but the prospect of this one made me instantly hard. I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes as I focused on the image of her face. Her beautiful heart shaped face with her pouty pink lips. The green eyes that shot daggers at me. Her blonde straight hair and how silky they had felt to the touch.

I could picture her clearly, and I stroked my erect cock through the fabric of my pants. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself and unzip my pants, not yet. I imagined what it would be like to undress her, if she’d have goosebumps on her skin, if she’d pull me to her and ravage me with her mouth.

The doorbell rang loud and clear through the house and I jumped off the couch. The clock on the wall told me it was nearly nine and I definitely wasn’t expecting anyone. I cleared my throat, conscious of the explicit thoughts I’d just been having of Beverley. Grabbing the glass of whiskey back up from the table, I made my way towards the front door.

In the foyer, I could finally see outside. All the walls were of glass and a bright front door light was shining down on Beverley standing there. I quickened my pace, confused and in shock. The last place I had expected to see her next, was at my own front door. She was staring inside the house, and I watched as she tucked in strands of silken hair behind her ears.

“Beverley!” I exclaimed as I opened the door wide.

She was standing with her hands clasped together, and to my surprise she smiled at me.

“It was incredibly easy for me to find your home address online,” she said, and without another word from me, she pushed past and walked into my house.

“Are you surprised to see me, Grant?” she said and I raised my eyebrows in agreement.

Chapter 9

Beverley

I’d expected his house to be impressive, but what I saw really took me by surprise. Everywhere I looked, a minimal decor and good taste greeted me, including the low hanging abstract chandelier from the ceiling. Grant was standing in front of me, speechless still, holding a glass of drink in his hand.

He was in a pair of tan pants and a casual old t-shirt, his blue eyes were bright and his lips looked thin and firm set.

“Yes, I’m a little surprised,” he said in a low voice.

“Am I intruding in your personal space?” I asked him and took a few steps towards him. Grant clenched his jaw and a flicker of a smile washed over his face.

“Of course not,” he said curtly and I smiled wide at him, arching an eyebrow up at him.

“It doesn’t feel too good to be intruded upon, does it?” I said to him coyly and he kept his eyes on me, watching me as I walked closer to him. I was aware of the open see-through nature of his house, but there was nobody around and only darkness around. Whatever feelings of self-consciousness I would have felt any other time, were gone now. Seeing Grant again had set my blood pumping and now there was no backing down.

“Is that what this is about?” he asked, still in a low voice. “You’re trying to teach me a lesson for kissing you?” he continued, and he placed the glass in his hand on a floating shelf on the glass wall beside him.

I shrugged my shoulders as I inched closer to him. His gaze dropped for a few moments to my breasts and flickered and then he looked up at me again. Before I showed up here, I’d changed into what I thought was the sexiest dress I owned. A short blue cocktail dress which had a plunging neckline that revealed my cleavage. It clung to me as I moved towards him, my high black stilettos clicking softly against his wooden flooring.

“I don’t know if I want to teach you a lesson. More like I want you to see how strange it feels when you’re surprised with something,” I said to him finally. Only a few inches remained between us, and Grant was looking down at me keenly. He raised his eyebrows and smiled fully now.

“Surprised? You mean, when I offered you a job in my company?” he asked. I had to crane my neck to look up at him now. In college, I couldn’t imagine being this close to him but our kiss in the afternoon had filled me with renewed strength.

“You flung it on me,” I said.

“I didn’t expect you to make a decision right then. I wanted you to take your time and think about it,” he replied and I took in a sharp breath. We were veering from the topic. I wanted to keep talking about the kiss. If this was the only chance I’d have to get close to Grant again, I was going to take it. He was going to buy my company, what else could I have to lose? My mind! But I wasn’t thinking about it then. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss all day, and I wanted more.

“You were right Grant,” I said in a soft voice and licked my lips. His eyes fell to my lips and then swung down to my breasts. “It was nice to see you again,” I added.

He lunged at me. Closing the space between us with one quick step. His arms snapped around me and he pulled me to his body. Our lips were locked together and he groaned. This time, our kiss wasn’t as gentle and surprising. He thrust his tongue between my lips and I welcomed him in. I wasn’t going to waste any time, I jutted my hips out to meet his body and he leaned me backwards.

I could taste him in my mouth. My hands found his shoulders and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He was leaning me backwards, lower and lower as we kissed. Desperately, like we’d been hungry for days.

My hands fumbled with his t-shirt and I slid it up his torso. He pulled his face away from me and I rolled his t-shirt up, over his head and flung it to the floor.

Grant’s fingers found the inside of my thigh and he gently started sliding my dress up. I moaned lightly and he looked up at me and smiled. Then his eyes fell to my breasts and he let go of my thighs. Still holding my waist with one arm, his other hand went up my body. He squeezed my breasts once and then found the zip on the side of my dress.

It was happening. It was actually happening! I bit down on my lip as he pulled the zip down. I was in Grant Jennings’ arms. My dress slid off and he helped push it off my shoulders and it fell down my legs to the floor. I was now only in my blue lace bra and panties.

Grant finally let me go. I stumbled backwards and gawked at him. His torso was bare, chiseled like he was a piece of crafted woodwork. His skin was the color of sand, and his stomach was flat with a thin trail of dark hair disappearing down the front of his pants.

I could feel myself growing wet. When Grant was done looking at me, he undid his pants. I licked my lips, with my heart beating out of my chest. His pants slid down and I saw the definition of his athletic thighs. He was strong and rugged and not ashamed of his body. While I could feel goosebumps on my skin, my body was on fire. I was unashamedly staring at him.

Next, with his eyes on me, Grant hooked his thumbs on the elastic of his boxers and started sliding it down. I gasped dramatically as his cock came into view. He had a raging hard on. A proud throbbing cock hung between his legs and he grabbed it in his hand.

“Is this why you’re here?” he asked me and I looked up at his face. Grant’s features were darkened, his blue eyes had narrowed and a glazed look had come over his face. He was staring at me like he wanted to devour me.

“Maybe,” I said weakly and I watched as he began stroking himself. The wetness between my legs grew sticky and hot. I could feel the knots in my stomach tightening. That was exactly why I was there!

“On the floor, now,” he said in a commanding voice and I had no idea why I did what I was told. Never before would I have just done what I was told, especially by him. But I was mesmerized by his body, by what he could do to me. By what he was already doing to me by just standing there naked in front of me. I wanted him inside me. Right away.

I got down on my knees on the rug on the wooden floor. We were still in the foyer, with glass walls around us. Any moment someone could just drive up and knock on his front door. It was thrilling to know that.

Grant took a few steps towards me and now he was standing over me. His throbbing hard cock hung over me and I looked up at it. I wanted to plead with him to do something, to quench this feeling inside me.

“On your back and spread your legs, Beverley,” he said, in the same authoritative voice. I gulped and did what I was told again. I got on my back and gingerly I spread my legs. Grant hadn’t touched me in some time, and I was yearning for his touch.

So, when he kneeled down in front of me and grabbed my ankles, I gasped again. He smiled, keeping his eyes on my face.

“I’m going to get rid of this now,” he said and slowly, he started rolling down my panties. I had to bring my legs closer together again so he could take it off, and he flung it away from him.

I was shy again. He was looking directly at me, at my swollen wet center that was throbbing in anticipation for his cock. Grant clenched his jaw, like he was planning what to do and then he looked at me again.

“Do you want me to stop now?” he asked, with his brows crossed. I shook my head quickly. There was no way I wanted him to stop. Grant stretched my legs apart again, by just holding my ankles and he wedged himself closer to me, closer to my center.

I arched my back up towards him, trying to reach him that way and he smiled again. He lowered himself, his hands trailing up now. When he gripped my waist, I arched my back again and then I felt his mouth on me. Just a flick of his tongue and I moaned.

“Relax, Beverley,” I heard his muffled voice and I took in a deep breath. He held me tightly as I felt his tongue slide into me. Grant’s tongue was inside me. He was finally inside me! I was ready to explode right away. I wouldn’t be able to bear it for much longer. Keeping me in place, he started thrusting his tongue in and out of me. I moved my hips to the rhythm and couldn’t control my moans any more.

In a few moments, while he kept his mouth pressed to my wet center, his hands found my breasts. Through my bra, he flicked my nipples as he continued to suck and thrust into me. I knew I was close to the edge. I was going to fall over very soon, the quickest I’d ever come. All because I’d waited for this for so long.

Then he moved his hand, lower again to find my swollen clit. With his thumb he started stroking it, keeping his tongue sliding in and out of me with an increased speed. The slippery sound of his tongue inside me, the stroking of my clit, his other hand playing with my stiff nipple…it was all too much. He had pushed me over the edge and my body gave up.

My orgasm came as a shock and my body shuddered. Grant didn’t stop. He kept pumping into me with his tongue as I felt myself explode. I had no control over my voice either, and I shouted out his name repeatedly, begging him to not stop. I felt my toes curl and I grabbed fistfuls of his hair in my hand. His beard scratched the tender skin around my clit, he kept going till my body finally stopped jerking.

I was still in a daze. My soul was still recovering as it started slowly sliding down back to reality. I sensed him moving, sliding his tongue out of me, shifting to a sitting position. When reality hit me, it hit me hard and I jerked myself up and my hands flew to where his mouth had been.

A smile formed on Grant’s face as he looked at me, he was breathing heavily as well.

“You know how long I’ve waited to do that to you?” he said and I realized that I had my nostrils flared. I was ashamed that he had made me so vulnerable, that he had pushed me to drop all my defenses.

“You can have my company, Grant,” I said and stood up from the floor. I scrambled towards my clothes while he remained sitting on the floor.

“That’s it? That’s all you got?” I heard him say, as I started picking my clothes up.

“I came here to tell you that I’ll sell my company to you, but I’m not going to work with you,” I said, without turning to look at him.

Chapter 10

Grant

“We don’t have to talk about work right now, Beverley,” I said, looking at her while she slid up her panties. She was avoiding my eyes again and all I wanted to do was look at her. My cock was still hard for her, I hadn’t orgasmed yet and I wanted her body again.

“Yes, we do. That’s all we should have talked about,” she said and bent forward to pick up her dress. My boner was beginning to weaken. I could feel my temples beginning to throb. The frustration of not having her completely was setting in, as I realized that she was about to leave.

“Why did you come to my house then?” I asked her, and recognized the bubbling rage in my voice. I had expected Beverley to be a tease, but now I was simply angry. She whipped her head around to look at me. I was still completely naked, and sitting on folded knees, while she was getting dressed.

“Because I wanted to tell you in person that I’ve decided to sell the company,” she said and I shook my head. I didn’t believe her. I reached for my pants and stood up to slide them up my legs. She was in the process of zipping up her dress when I did up my pants.

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” I said in a low gruff voice.

“What are you talking about?” she said as she ran her fingers through her hair. Even though my boner was gone by now, I could still feel my cock throbbing in my pants. I was desperate for her to not leave. I wanted to see this through. I knew I wouldn’t have any peace of mind till I had her completely.

“You didn’t just come here to tell me that. You could have called, emailed, sent your lawyers to tell me that,” I said and clenched my jaw. Beverley was fully dressed now. The blue dress she was wearing made her cleavage pop out and I couldn’t help but look at her breasts. I was so close to having them. I couldn’t stop my brain from imagining her being naked again.

“I wanted to see your house. See how much wealth you’ve amassed,” she said in a sour tone. I narrowed my eyes at her.

“So, this is about money? I’d never imagined you to be about money, Beverley,” I said and she puckered her mouth. In a way that made me want to grab her and kiss her lips again.

“Again, you think you know me but you don’t Grant,” she said and crossed her arms over her breasts. She was standing with her hip cocked to one side. In that blue dress, with her long legs and high heeled shoes…after I’d just tasted her in my mouth. It was difficult to compare her to the nerdy tech geek I went to college with.

“So, it is about the money? You wanted to see how much money I have?” I asked her and she rolled her eyes. It was almost comical, how hard she was trying to pretend that she hated me. Even though she had been screaming my name just minutes ago and begging me to not stop making her come. It made me smile.

“No, okay, it isn’t about the money,” she said and I arched an eyebrow.

“So, why did you come here? Don’t try and bullshit me again and tell me you came here for business talk,” I said and I walked towards her.

To my surprise, she stepped away from me. Her arms fell away and she licked her lips.

“I don’t know why I did, but I shouldn’t have,” she said. I stopped in my tracks when she started inching away from me again, but I wanted to touch her. My hands almost shook with the physical force of my desire for her. I couldn’t remember the last time I wanted to be inside a woman so badly.

“Okay, so let’s talk it over then,” I said, dropping my voice to a lower decibel. She rolled her eyes again.

“You think you can just seduce me into getting your way? Unfortunately for you, Grant, I’m not like all the other women you sleep with,” she said and for some reason that made me smile. It was a hint at her feelings towards my sex life. She was jealous.

“Right now, Beverley, there is no one else around us. So, let’s just talk about you and me,” I said and held my smile. She shook her head, like she was trying to convince herself and not me.

“There is nothing to talk about. I just told you that I don’t want to work with you,” she said and I took in a sharp breath.

“I didn’t mean talk about work, I meant talk about you and me and what happened here,” I said and she shoved past me abruptly, walking quickly towards my front door.

“What happened was a mistake, and I shouldn’t have come over here,” she said and placed a hand on my doorknob.

I followed her with my eyes and clenched my jaw. I could still feel the frustration of not having her running through my veins. It was making me light headed and mad with her.

“Go then,” I said, with a bitter tone in my voice. She threw me a look of fury and turned the knob and pulled the door open.

“My lawyers will be in touch,” she said as she stepped out and shut the door gently behind her.

I stood watching her as her heels clicked against the brick pathway. She was hurrying away towards the main road where she’d probably parked her car. In the dark, she eventually turned into a distant blue haze as she walked and I picked up the glass and drank the leftover whiskey in one large gulp.

Chapter 11

Beverley

I had the radio on full blast as I drove back to my apartment, hoping that the music might help in drowning the thoughts in my head. All those years of yearning for Grant…and when it happened, it was even better than my fantasies. Grant was gentle and thoughtful and knew exactly how to make me feel good. And then the thought occurred to me that, he was probably just as gentle and thoughtful with all the women he slept with.

I arrived at my apartment building and ran up the stairs, and slammed the door shut behind me. I realized that I was panting and thirsty. As I poured myself a glass of water, flashes of Grant shook my mind. I could see him naked, and standing in front of me, his cock in his hand…I wanted him inside me. I still did, even though I’d put a stop to it. The truth was that I was afraid of going any further with him, I was frightened of how that might change my life.

In college, when my feelings for him were the strongest; I expelled those thoughts from my brain by trying to hate him, by trying to compete with him. I tried to find faults with him, remind myself that he was just another jock…that he wasn’t good enough for me. But now I knew that none of that was true. He was smart and immensely successful and he had actually beaten me to the game. I was the one selling my company to him. In the long run, he had won.

Other than the fact that he was immensely good looking and the object of every woman’s affection, I couldn’t fault him for anything else.

I emptied the glass of water into my throat and sat down on my couch. Had the kiss, my orgasm…all been another display of his victory over me? I couldn’t stop thinking about how he tasted, how his tongue slid into me, how he stroked me right where I needed it. My orgasm had been strong, shook my body and had now overtaken my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. How would it feel if he was actually inside me? Had I imagined all this?

I shook my head. I regretted the decision now. I’d thought it would be a good idea to go to his house, to try and see what else he wanted from me. Before I went there, I was sure that I would be able to handle another kiss, if that was what he wanted. But now I knew that any physical contact with Grant meant disaster for me. It was like I was falling down a hole, deeper and deeper. It would be so difficult for me to move on from this, to find someone else who could even compare. This was all my fault.

I rushed towards my laptop and switched it on to compose an email to my lawyers. I wanted them to initiate the handing over of the company to Lonex as soon as possible. I wanted to get it over with. Grant was right, as was Sasha. This was the best offer I could get, and Lonex absorbing the company would mean that my code, my programs and my work might actually have a chance to survive. It would also mean that my employees would be taken care of. And also of course, the money was better than I could hope for.

As long as I could get past the fact that I’d seen Grant naked. That his mouth had made me come, I’d be able to move on with my life.

I composed the email and sent it off, only to realize that my fingers were shaking. I was still reeling from the shock of nearly sleeping with him.

I could move away? I thought. I could move to a different city, try and start over. I entertained the thought in my mind for a while, before I figured that alcohol might help.

I had a bottle of whiskey stashed away, which I found and poured myself a large one. It started off as a few sips, but eventually turned into one large gulp. I poured myself some more. What did I have to worry about? It wasn’t like I had to get to work the next day. I had nowhere to be. With that email to my lawyers, I had begun the process of officially being without work. So, what was there stopping me from getting all out drunk and spending the whole day in bed the next day? When was the last time I’d taken a vacation or even a day off?

My thoughts wandered to Grant and I imagined him vacationing in the Bahamas or the Swiss Alps. His arm around a supermodel, or maybe two. Once again, Grant Jennings had overtaken my life. I wish I’d stayed away from him. That I hadn’t gone to that meeting, so that he couldn’t kiss me and mess up my brain.

Within half an hour of starting to drink, I was already drunk. I stripped myself of the blue dress and kicked off my heels. I’d have to wash those clothes, take a shower…hopefully that would get rid of Grant’s smell on them. I could still feel his hands gripping my waist. The weight of his head between my legs. Now I was beginning to wish that I hadn’t stopped him. That I hadn’t pulled away.

There were too many conflicting emotions running through me, and I couldn’t settle on a single one. I’d sold my company. I’d nearly slept with a man who I had feelings for but no future with. I was considering leaving the city I had settled down in. Nothing was going my way, and I felt more miserable now than I’d ever felt before.

Chapter 12

Grant

“Shit, shit, shit!” I kept swearing to myself as I dressed myself. I knew I should have held back, controlled myself. Despite how frustrated I felt, I also knew that Beverley had a very valid reason to be angry with me. Not only was I buying her company, but I had also seduced her. Or had she seduced me? She was the one who had turned up at my house in the middle of the night. What else was it supposed to mean?

Once I was dressed; I walked back to my den and poured myself another few drinks of whiskey. I needed to drink these thoughts away. That was the only way I could deal with it. I still wanted her. I wished she hadn’t pushed me away.

My mind reeling with drink and thoughts of Beverley, I found my phone and her number stored in it. I could feel myself swaying on my feet as I dialed the number. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say to her. In fact, it was pretty obvious that she wouldn’t even take my call. She had stormed out of my house without turning back.

Beverley answered, and I crossed my brows in confusion. I hadn’t expected her to. But then I realized that she might not have had my number.

“Hello?” her voice sounded groggy. She had left my house an hour earlier, she couldn’t have already fallen asleep!

“It’s me,” I said, trying to steady my voice.

“Grant?” she asked, and I noticed that her voice had become somewhat screechy.

“Yeah, I just wanted to check if you’d reached home okay,” I said and sat down on my couch. I heard her taking in a deep breath.

“Yes, I’ve been driving home by myself for several years now,” she said and her voice sounded slurry. Had she been drinking?

“Yeah, I figured, but I just wanted to check,” I said, and took another gulp of the whiskey.

“Check what?” she asked and a giggle escaped her lips. She had definitely been drinking. I found myself smiling as well. We were both drunk.

“That you were home,” I said.

“You want to come to my home?” she asked and I resisted the urge to agree.

“I would have if you weren’t drunk,” I said.

“Always the knight in shining armor,” she said and then we both fell into silence. I’d never seen or heard Beverley drunk before. In college, we all figured that she was a teetotaler, which suited her otherwise serious image as well.

“What are you drinking?” I asked her, after we’d been silent for a few minutes.

“Some whiskey. I got it as a gift. I don’t usually drink,” she said, sounding groggy again. Every time she felt silent, I wondered if she had fallen asleep.

“What are you drinking?” she asked me and I laughed.

“Whiskey too. I didn’t get it as a gift though, and I drink it quite often,” I replied.

“Figures. You seem like a whiskey kinda man,” she said.

“I didn’t drink any whiskey in college though,” I said and Beverley was laughing.

“Of course not. It was beer-pong and body shots for you then,” she said and I fell silent. I didn’t want to discuss college with her. That was a whole different story that needed to be talked about in a sober state. I was afraid of making any confessions that I wasn’t prepared for. Beverley had started humming a tune, I smiled again. I didn’t know that she was a funny and pleasant drunk.

When we hadn’t spoken for a few moments, I decided to break the silence. As nice as it was to just sit there and listen to her breathe, I didn’t want her to just hang up either.

“I’m sorry, Beverley,” I blurted out and she started laughing.

“Because you made me come?” she asked and I sat up straighter in my couch. Drunk Beverley was much more bold than sober Beverley.

“I’m sorry if you didn’t want to,” I said.

“Who doesn’t want to have an orgasm? Orgasms are great,” she said and I couldn’t help but laugh. I’d never heard her talking this way.

“You’re right, orgasms are great,” I said.

“So why are you apologizing then?” she asked in a quieter voice.

“You were angry after that and stormed out of my house,” I said and sat back in the couch, with the phone wedged between my head and shoulder. I had started to take off my slippers and lie down on.

“Yeah. I got angry. What are you doing now?” she said and I smiled again.

“Lying on my couch. What are you doing?” I said.

“Lying on my bed,” she replied and we were quiet again.

“I’m sorry about the company, Beverley, I really am. I want to help,” I said and immediately realized that it was a wrong thing to say. I was going to spoil the moment.

“Goodnight, Grant. I hope we never have to see each other again,” she snarled and cut the call. The voice I heard in the end was more recognizable, that was the Beverley voice I knew from college and the one she’d used when she fought with me and then left my house earlier.

I remained on the couch, hugging the cushions and cradling the phone against my ear still. This was such a high-school thing to do, but these were also high-school feelings I had for her. I wanted to hold her hand, I wanted to make her laugh. The sex was good. I wanted her body too, but I wanted to be the man who could make Beverley happy.

I figured it was just the alcohol talking. She had been drinking as well. In the morning, I’d feel better. So, I closed my eyes and tried to drift away but the only thoughts I had were of Beverley and how interesting she was.

Chapter 13

Beverley

To say that I woke up with a throbbing headache would have been an understatement. When I looked up at the clock, it was already midday and I had been lying on the couch, cradling the empty bottle of whiskey.

Eventually, I dragged myself out of bed and went in for a shower. I was stupid to assume that I didn’t need to get into work. I knew the rest of the team would be there, and I was immediately guilty for being hungover.

I managed to dress myself, into a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt and while fixing the sunglasses on my face, I left the house.

I walked to work as usual, and found the others huddled on a table when I walked in. I could still feel a dull ache at the back of my head, which was beginning to make me sick.

“Bev! You look like you had a rough night,” John said and I didn’t bother to respond to that.

“What are you guys talking about?” I asked, hitching the sunglasses up on my head.

They exchanged looks, till Susan cleared her throat and fixed her eyes on me.

“We heard about your decision. The lawyers got your email,” she said.

“Oh, that!” I said and shrugged my shoulders. “That was a no-brainer. It had to be done,” I said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

They were still exchanging nervous looks, till I placed my hands on my hips and stared them down.

“You don’t look like you’ve taken it well, Bev,” Sasha commented and I rolled my eyes. That was a bad idea, because it made my brain hurt and I winced.

“I’m not thrilled about giving my company away, if that’s what you mean,” I said and rubbed a hand over my face. As long as they didn’t find out that I also nearly slept with Grant Jennings, I figured I’d be alright.

Susan stood up from her chair and walked towards me.

“Do you want something to eat?” she asked in a kindly motherly voice.

“I’m fine, Susan. I’m not hungry and I’m not sick. I suppose we should continue on as usual till everything is finalized,” I said a little sharply.

“Will you still be working with us?” John asked and I shook my head.

“Why would I be working here? It isn’t my company anymore,” I told him and they all stared at me, like they were worried for my health.

“From what I could tell, Mr. Jennings…Grant is a reasonable man. In fact, he thinks of you as his friend. I’m sure he would want to keep you on. We want you to stay on, be our boss,” Sasha said and I let out a deep sigh.

“Well, you better get used to not having me around, because things are going to change here very soon,” I snapped and realized that I was taking out my anger with Grant on them, and I checked myself.

“Sorry…I’m sorry guys. I’m getting too emotional. I’m fine, really,” I said as Susan approached me to give me a hug.

“We all know how hard you’ve worked. You started this company from scratch and you gave it your best,” she said and I pulled away from her.

“So did Grant Jennings. Look at what he’s achieved. I’m a failure and the sooner I accept it, the better it is for me,” I said to her and looked at the guys. They all looked worried for my welfare.

“I’m fine! I really am. In fact, I’m actually going to go get something to eat,” I said and pulled the sunglasses back down on my face.

“Where are you going?” Sasha asked.

“Pop’s Bar maybe, I don’t know,” I snapped at him again.

“Are you planning on drinking? It’s only two in the afternoon,” Susan offered and I whipped around to look at her.

“I’m an adult Susan, but thanks for your concern,” I snarled at her and left the office, pulling the door shut behind me.

At the back of my mind, I knew they had every reason to be concerned. They had never seen me in this state. I was hungover, upset and going hunting for more alcohol. They were naturally worried for me. But they didn’t know what I was feeling, what I was going through.

Despite being hungover, I perfectly remembered the previous night. Why had I just decided to show up at Grant’s house? Why hadn’t I been able to resist undressing?

And then the phone call! I remembered the phone call as well and I winced. That was such a disaster. I had said embarrassing things to him about enjoying orgasms and beer-pong. I hoped I would never have to see him again. That this deal could just get over, and I could finally move on with my life.

I’d been happy when I was engrossed with work. I didn’t have time for a social or love life and I was content with that. And now, all I could think about was Grant and how good he had made me feel. All those unrequited feelings I had for him in college came gushing back in an avalanche that was set to bury me. And this time, I knew exactly what I was missing out on.

I walked to the bar around the corner from our office building and walked in. It was dark inside the place, even though there was bright sunshine outside. I pulled out a stool at the bar and sat down, covering my face with my hands.

“What can I get you?” the bartender’s voice cut through my thoughts and I slowly dragged my hands away from my face.

“Just some water, please, thank you,” I said to him and buried my face into my arms on the counter. I wished I could just shut the world out for a few days and wake up as a new person.

Chapter 14

Grant

I hadn’t been able to concentrate all day at the office. My lawyers had already begun the process of absorbing Beverley’s company and other than signing a few papers and an early morning meeting, I had nothing else to do.

I was mad at her, mad at myself for feeling the way I felt. I wished she would just talk to me so we could figure things out. I didn’t want her to think that this was just a seduction. I wanted her to know that I was buying her company to keep her work safe. I had tried to explain it to her the previous evening, even on the phone call, but she wasn’t willing to listen.

“I’m going out,” I said to my assistant as I pulled my jacket over my shoulders and walked out of the building. Paul, my chauffeur held the door of my car open for me but I dismissed him.

“I’ll drive, thanks Paul,” I said and he handed the keys over to me.

In the car, I tried to settle the thoughts I had of Beverley. I had made the wrong decision. We should have just talked. I shouldn’t have kissed her and we shouldn’t have stripped down naked the previous night. We needed to talk and have a logical conversation before taking it to the next step.

What next step? Why was I even thinking there could be a next step? Hadn’t she made it very clear that she despised me? Besides, I wasn’t the kind of person and neither was I at the stage in my life where I could think of next steps in a relationship.

I parked my car outside the office building and took two steps at a time upstairs. I barged in through the door and found a woman sitting behind a desk. She looked up at me, surprised to find a man bursting in through the door.

“Can I help you?” she asked standing up.

Sasha appeared from a room when he heard the door slam.

“Grant!” he exclaimed and I swung my head from the woman to him.

“Is she in?” I asked him and they must have both seen the madness in my crazed eyes. I was desperate to see Beverley again. Before she completely slipped through my fingers.

“Bev?” Sasha asked and I let out a sigh.

“Yes, where is she?” I asked and Sasha exchanged looks with the woman.

“She said she was going to Pop’s Bar. It’s just around the corner, but we can’t be sure if she’s still there,” he said and I clenched my jaw. What was happening to her? Why had she gone to a bar in the middle of the day? I was worried for her well being, but also conscious of what the others might be thinking. They were her employees after all and she must have an image to maintain. I didn’t want them to get the wrong idea.

“Thank you, Sasha,” I said and forced a smile on my face.

“Is everything alright?” he asked and I smoothened the lapels of my suit.

“Yeah, of course. We just needed to discuss some things,” I told him and nodded at the woman who had been glaring at me all this while. She didn’t look too impressed with me. I figured that everyone else, except Sasha apparently; probably hated me for buying the company.

“Hopefully she’s still at the bar,” he said and I smiled at him again.

“Thanks, I’ll find her. So stupid of me to not try her phone,” I said, trying to sound casual and taking my leave, I walked out of the office.

Out on the streets again, I caught sight of the bar at the corner. I clenched my jaw as I walked towards it. I may not have been best friends with Beverley, and I might not have even been in her life for all these years but I was sure that she wasn’t the type of person to be lounging in a bar in the middle of the day. I hoped she was alright.

I walked hurriedly and pushed open the doors of the establishment. It was a dark place, with a handful of people in there already. Techies with their laptops and glasses of cold beer beside them. I scanned the room and found Beverley slumped on the counter. The barman was listlessly polishing glasses in front of her, unbothered. I weaved through the tables towards her, and before I could stop myself I was pulling her up by her shoulders.

“Beverley! Are you okay?” I asked and realized that she had her eyes open. She wriggled against me and finally managed to push me away.

“What do you think you’re doing? Leave me alone!” she hissed and I stepped away from her. I pulled my jacket back down in place and fixed my cufflinks. She was glaring at me and looked me up and down like she was assessing me.

“What are you doing here? And why are you in a suit?” she said.

“I had a morning meeting, and what are you doing here?” I asked her in a softer voice. Beverley reached for the glass of clear liquid in front of her and emptied it in her mouth. I clenched my jaw as I stared at her.

“What are you drinking? Why are you drinking?” I said, in a low guttural growl and she arched an eyebrow at me.

“It’s just water, and anyway, what do you care? And what makes you think that I need to answer to you?” she said. Defiance was streaming out of her large green eyes. Her straight hair was a little frizzy today and she was in old clothes.

“I care because I’m worried that this business deal is taking an emotional toll on you, and I feel responsible,” I said and shoved my hands into the pockets of my pants. A half weak smile crept up on her face and she looked away from me.

“You’re not responsible for me, Grant. I’m my own person,” she said.

Chapter 15

Beverley

“Beverley, I’m trying to help you,” Grant said it through gritted teeth and brought his face really close to mine. If other people in the bar could hear us, he didn’t seem to care. He was standing in front of me and now had me cornered; with his arms on either side of me. Our faces were only inches apart.

“Why?” I spat out and he took in a deep breath.

“Because your product is good and you’re an old friend,” he said and a sarcastic laugh escaped my lips.

“Friends? We were never friends, Grant!” I said and he stared at me. His blue eyes had darkened and I could see every strand in his beard. His gaze was focused on me, on my nose and my lips and then back to my eyes again.

“Call it what you want then, college loyalty,” he said, in a softer voice. But my nostrils were flared. I wasn’t prepared to see him, not so soon after what had happened the previous day. In fact, I had planned on never seeing him again.

“You don’t need to help me, and you definitely don’t need to show up at a bar and rescue me,” I said, jutting my chin out at him. For a moment I thought he was going to kiss me again. His lips were set in a thin line and I could smell the heady musky scent of his cologne. He was too close to me for comfort and I shifted in my stool.

“I’m not trying to rescue you, I’m just trying to talk to you,” he said and I rolled my eyes.

“You keep saying that, but I don’t know what we can talk about. It’s a business deal and our lawyers will see it through,” I said and looked away from him. Even with my eyes averted, I could tell that he was glaring at me. Thinking of the next thing to say.

“Beverley, this isn’t a competition anymore,” he said, in a much quieter voice and I whipped my head around to look at him.

“Who said it’s a competition? What makes you think I’m competing with you?” I asked him, trying to fool myself at the same time. It had always been a competition with Grant. Previously, in college it had been just friendly fire, but now it was a full fledged war. At least in my eyes.

“Why are you taking it so badly then?” he asked and I straightened myself.

“I would have taken it badly no matter who was buying my company. It isn’t about you,” I told him and I realized that my lips were quivering. He watched my lips and then narrowed his eyes at me again.

“So, why did you leave last night?” he asked, after a few seconds of silence. I crossed my brows and pretended to not know what he was talking about.

“Because I didn’t…” I tried to say the words, but I was melting in his eyes.

I felt him reach for my hand and he yanked me off the stool. My heart was racing again, as he tugged me gently, leading me around the tables till we reached the toilets at the back of the bar. When I realized where he was taking us, my stomach fell. I knew what was going to happen and my mind went into a tizzy.

But I didn’t resist it, because that was exactly what I wanted. Once again, in Grant’s presence; all common sense had disappeared and I was left with this raw need to have him.

Unconcerned by who was watching us, Grant pushed open the door of the toilet. There was just one, a unisex toilet that was thankfully well maintained and he let go of my hand when he locked it shut behind us.

“Grant, I…” I tried to say but he had grabbed my face with both hands again and we were kissing.

This time the kiss was hungry and it was like we were devouring each other. His beard scratched against my face, as I weaved my fingers through his hair. With one hand he pinned me by my neck to the toilet wall, and his other travelled down my front.

With his fingers splayed, he grazed my stiff nipples through the fabric of my t-shirt, while our lips remained locked. I could feel myself growing wet and I thrust my hips towards him. This time I wanted more than just his mouth and he knew it too. I could feel his rock-hard cock throbbing in his pants as he pressed himself to me.

Grant pulled away his lips from me, just when his hand travelled down my jeans. I gasped when his fingers found my wet core.

“There it is again,” he grunted and I bit down on my lip. He nibbled on the side of my jaw and his tongue traveled down my neck, which I was now presenting to him. His hand was still inside my jeans, slowly beginning to stroke my clit.

I couldn’t control myself any more, and I reached for his belt which I undid in a flash. He didn’t help me as I unzipped him and finally his pants fell to the bathroom floor. Grant quickened the speed with which he was stroking me, I could feel his fingers getting wet with my own juices. I pressed my back against the toilet wall and wound my arms around his neck to pull him close.

Grant slid out his hand and then started undoing my jeans. He looked up at me suddenly and our eyes met. His were small and glazed over, his lips were wet with my saliva. I licked my lips in anticipation.

Grant pulled my jeans off in a hurry, and then my panties; and before I could say or do anything, he had lifted me off the floor, guiding me to wrap my legs around his waist. We kept our eyes locked as I settled in and he pressed me to the wall again. He had both his hands holding me up now, and I knew my mouth was hanging open.

The velvety smooth tip of his cock was grazing against my wet hot core. I gulped and kept my eyes on him. I knew he was big already, I’d seen his cock earlier and I was preparing myself for the sensation.

But nothing could have prepared me for what I felt when he slid into me, smoothly and an inch at a time. I moaned and he grunted as he continued. My back was pressed to the wall, both our eyes were wide open and he had no idea how long I’d waited for this. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him how good it felt, but I kept my mouth shut.

Grant was inside me. I could feel his hard cock stretching in me, stroking me at the spot that needed to be stroked. When he slid out, I gasped and then he slammed into me again. Now it was all about the speed and creating friction and he started pumping into me.

I closed my eyes, because I couldn’t bear to look at him any more. He drove into me with force and both our breaths caught in our throats. He grunted with every thrust, while my back slid up and down the wall with every push. My hands were on his shoulders, my nails digging into his skin through the jacket of his suit.

He looked handsome, he was the most good looking guy I’d slept with…and also the man who had been the object of my affection for all these years. This felt better than my fantasies.

Grant moved his hips and now his cock stroked me deeper inside. He didn’t slow down, he kept pumping into me and I knew he was bringing me closer and closer to the edge. If his mouth on me had felt amazing, this felt even better…if that was possible.

I braced myself for an orgasm and my eyes flew open. Grant had a lingering smile on his face, he wanted to watch me come. He was enjoying putting me in this position. I screamed as I came, unbothered by who could hear us outside. Grant grunted and I felt him release himself inside me at the same time. We were looking at each other as we came together. My toes curled in my sneakers while my nails dug deeper into his skin. If I was hurting him, he didn’t say anything and instead kept thrusting into me. I could feel him shoot inside me, empty himself into me.

As I felt my breath beginning to recover, I realized that it was ending and I didn’t want it to. I wanted to experience it for longer, I didn’t want my orgasm to end because that would mean that I’d have to go back to the real world. And go back to hating him.

Grant kept me hoisted up, with my legs around his waist till we were both breathing normally again. Then slowly, he slid himself out of me. I was quick to jump off and I was unsteady when my feet hit the ground. He found my waist again.

“Steady,” he said in a quiet indulgent voice and I shot him a look.

“I’m fine. You can let go of me now,” I said and he took his hand away.

It was only now that I was noticing how small the bathroom space was. I had no idea any more how we’d managed to have sex here. I looked around me, while pulling my panties and jeans up my legs. Grant was doing the same beside me, and neither of us had said a word.

I could feel myself weakening already. I’d just had sex with Grant Jennings. My biggest fantasy from college had come true. I turned to him then, while he ran his fingers through his hair to smoothen it.

“It’s done now, we can finally move on,” I said and shrugged my shoulders. I was still on the defensive. I still didn’t want him to know just what I was feeling. Grant stroked his beard a couple of times, keeping his blue eyes pinned on me.

I watched as he clenched his jaw, and just from his gaze; I knew that I’d said something wrong.

“Sure, Beverley. You’re right, it’s done and we can move on,” he said in a gruff voice. I opened my mouth and felt my voice crack.

“Umm…thanks,” I said, at a loss of words and Grant squared his shoulders before giving me the once over.

“Good to go?” he asked, in a business like tone. I gulped and nodded. I wished I could throw my arms around his neck and bury my face in his chest, but he was already walking out of the toilet and walking away from me.

I followed him out. Nobody in the bar seemed to have noticed, or at least they weren’t staring at us.

“Grant!” I called out to him, not prepared with what I wanted to say. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me.

“Thank you for the offer…for the company I mean. It was very generous of you,” I said, aware of the distance between us. He pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants and nodded his head gently. Without a word, he turned around again and walked out of the bar, leaving me in the darkness of the dingy room.

I should have said more, or I should have told him the truth. But neither of those were an option for me, because Grant Jennings was still way out of my league.

Chapter 16

Grant

I left work early and came back to my house to spend some time alone. The day had been rough because I couldn’t get Beverley out of my mind. I drove with the top down on my convertible and tried to breathe in some fresh air into my lungs. Nothing was helping. I turned the music up and then down and I still couldn’t think straight. All I could think about was how hot the sex with Beverley was and how abruptly it ended. She had thanked me for my business offer when I left the bar, but that was it. She couldn’t care less that we had the most explosive sex of our lives together. Or at least, that what it was for me.

When I went looking for her at her office and then at the bar, my intention had been to talk to her. I knew she was having a hard time selling the company and I didn’t want her to suffer because of it. I also wanted to try my luck in convincing her to come work with me. But, I’d failed on both those accounts. Instead, I had managed to completely loose control and we ended up having sex.

Sex with Beverley was something I fantasized about since college. My preoccupation with Beverley, was something I blamed on my lust for her. So, technically, sleeping with her should have solved that problem for me. As she said, it was done now and we could both move on. But it didn’t seem like I could move on. I had never thought about a woman after having sex with her. This was a first for me and I didn’t know how to deal with it.

Back in my house, I paced around my den. I was still in my clothes from the day, conscious of the smell of Beverley on the fabric, or I could have just been imagining it. Either way, I couldn’t stop wondering what it would have felt like to sleep with her in my house, on my bed, so that we could talk after.

What was happening to me? I felt like I was going insane. Usually, once the job was done and I’d slept with a woman, what I wanted most to put some distance between us. And now, after Beverley, all I could think about was having her again.

I was mad at her, angry at me. I could still her voice ringing in my head. “It’s done now, we can finally move on.” I’d seen the rage in her eyes. She hated me, despised me more now that we had actually done the deed. It was almost like she had slept with me just to punish me. I was sure that she wanted to have nothing to do with me after. Whatever dreams I had of us working together as a team, were now ruined.

With my mind in confusion and my temper rising, I took out my phone and called the lawyer.

“How is the transaction going?” I said into the phone. I must have sounded pissed off, because he started explaining the process to me immediately, almost nervously.

“I don’t care how it’s being done. How much longer till I have full possession of Wade Co?” I barked into the phone.

“We’re waiting for signed papers and a confirmation. A week maximum? We’ll try and speed up the process,” he said and I cut the call. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk.

I clenched my jaw as I flung the phone away from me and it landed on the floor. I saw the screen crack and I turned away from it. I could get a new phone, I thought.

In a week I would own Beverley’s company. I would have won the game and we wouldn’t have to see each other again, just like she wanted.

I wasn’t sure why I was so angry suddenly, when sleeping with Beverley had occupied my mind since I first met her in college. I had been so close to asking her out, several times. But I had peer pressure to back me into a corner. I was expected to date cheerleaders and sorority girls and Beverley Wade had the reputation of being a nerdy prude in my circles.

Besides, wasn’t it obvious now that she always hated me? She despised my popularity, the fact that I played a sport and also that I managed to be her academic equal. She had probably never even been attracted to me. She had definitely shown no signs of having any desires to even be associated with me. Who was I kidding? It was probably for the best that I’d never asked her out. She would only have turned me down.

I tried to steady my nerves. It was over. The maddening yearning I felt for her since the previous night when she came to my house…was done. I got what I wanted, including her company, why did I care any more?

I switched on the big screen television in the den and sat down on my couch, hoping that I could distract myself. Within a few minutes I switched it off again, because even though my eyes were open, I was only thinking of her. Beverley against the toilet wall, her legs wrapped around me, how green her eyes were and how her nails had dug into my shoulders as she came.

I wanted her again. I wanted more than just a quick fuck in the toilet of a dingy bar. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted, but I wanted something else.

For now, I tried to remind myself that I was going to own her company. If she was so resistant to my good intentions then I wasn’t going to force her any more. She’d get exactly what she wanted.

Chapter 17

Beverley

In my apartment, I couldn’t sleep at night, but I’d decided to stay away from alcohol. As tempting as that prospect was. I had changed from my day clothes into a pair of old pajamas and tucked myself into bed earlier than usual. I wanted to feel the comforting warmth of the covers around me, the familiarity of the pillow under my head. But I still couldn’t sleep.

Whatever effects of the hangover I was suffering from in the morning, were gone the moment Grant found me at the bar. Like I told him, I hadn’t been drinking but I just wanted to enjoy the quiet of the bar and its dark confines. But I’d seen the look of worry in his eyes when he pulled me off my stool. Worry was the last expression I had expected to find on Grant’s face. Self sufficiency, confidence and being smug were the ones I thought he was used to.

Then he’d dragged me to the toilet and we’d had sex, loudly and ferociously; like our lives depended on it.

How long had I fantasized about sex with Grant? Since college. Since the first day I saw him in class. He was the hottest guy on campus and everyone had a crush on him. He had the unique allure of being smart and handsome at the same time, and I’d always known that I didn’t stand a chance. The worst part was that he was always also polite and nice. I hated him for it. I hated how perfect I believed he was and how much I wanted him. I wished he was mean to me, I wished he wasn’t always so charming.

I took out all those feelings as anger and competition, when deep down inside, I harbored feelings for Grant that were yet untouched by anyone else. I’d only had one real boyfriend, a guy I met in San Fransisco a couple of months after I moved here. We dated for six months and then I broke up with him when he asked if he could move in with me. I didn’t want to take it to the next level, because I knew he was just a decoy. To keep my brain distracted from thinking about Grant.

I knew Grant had moved to San Fransisco as well, that he too had started his own start-up and I wanted to do everything in my power to stay away from him. After that guy, there were a few one night stands but nothing serious. I told myself, and my family, that I was just busy and that I worked too hard and had no time for a relationship. When the whole time, all I did was compare other guys to Grant. To a guy I hadn’t even seen in person for several years.

And now we’d had sex. I should have been feeling great that my wildest fantasy had finally come true, but I didn’t. Instead, I was lying in my bed and cursing myself for having been so weak. The anger I’d felt towards Grant was quickly diminishing. I wanted to be in his arms, I wanted more than just sex with him.

I wasn’t entirely naive; I knew very well that Grant wasn’t that kinda guy. He never had been in college and if I was to believe his reputation in Silicon Valley, he was a serial dater instead of a committed monogamist.

And yet, I couldn’t help but harbor hopeful feelings. I’d seen the hurt look he threw at me when I dismissed him after sex. He looked like he had something more to say, that he would have liked to sit down and talk with me after. But I’d ruined the moment, as a defense mechanism. I’d tried to act casual and disinterested just so that he wouldn’t have the opportunity to turn me down.

Now I wondered what would have happened if we had actually sat down to talk. I had to admit that he was still being kind to me. What if he was being truthful when he said that he offered to buy my company only to keep my product afloat?

I sat up in bed when that thought entered my head. I was beginning to wonder if it wouldn’t be that bad if we worked together. What would I have to lose now? Now, that we had already broken the barrier of sex. How much worse could it get after this?

In fact, if I worked at Lonex I might actually be able to keep doing my work. And if I was to trust Grant, he would give me complete freedom and independence like before. So, it could technically be business as usual. A smile formed on my face and I bit down on my lip. Just the prospect of talking to him again, accepting his offer was exciting me.

I didn’t want to think about the consequences of how it might affect my heart…if I was going to see him more often. Instead, I was thrilled at the idea of not completely losing my company and of working with him in close quarters.

I fell back on to the bed and my mind was swirling with day dreams and ideas. What if he did actually like me? What if the sex had meant something to him? Was that why he looked upset when we parted so abruptly?

I wanted to speak to him right there and then. I looked at the clock and it was nearly ten. I wasn’t going to call him now. I didn’t want to give him the impression that I was looking for another booty call. Instead, I forced myself to fall asleep so I could wake up the next morning fresh. I’d make the call next day, I thought. I’d call him and tell him I liked his idea, and invite him to lunch. We had a lot of things to talk about and I didn’t want to waste any more time.

Chapter 18

Grant

I drove myself to Wade Co the next morning, with the top down again so my hair was ruffled by the end of it. I had my jaw clenched and my knuckles turned white from the grip with which I was grasping the steering wheel. I was on a mission, and I didn’t want to budge from it.

I parked the car, and keeping my cool I strolled into the office. The woman from the previous day was sitting behind a desk, filing her nails.

“Mr Jennings!” she said with a start and stood up from her chair.

“Hi, I’m sorry we haven’t met yet,” I put on my best smile and walked up to her with my hand stretched towards her.

“I’m Susan, I’m the receptionist,” she said and I noticed the slight blushing of her cheeks. Good, I thought, I was having the right effect on her.

“Hello, Susan. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” I said with the smile still on my face. We shook hands gently, till I pulled away from her and folded the sunglasses in my hand.

“If you’re here for Ms Wade, she’s not in yet,” Susan said and I was pleased to hear it. I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to deal with Beverley first thing.

“And are the others here?” I asked her and Susan crossed her brows.

“You mean John and Sasha? Yeah, they usually come in by eight,” she said and I nodded.

“Good. They work hard,” I said, just as a guy who I hadn’t met before, emerged from one of the rooms.

“You must be John,” I said to him and extended my hand to him.

“Yes, I am. And you are Grant Jennings,” he said with the usual starstruck expression I saw on so many faces. Sasha was quick to come into the reception room as well, and I shook his hand too.

“Bev isn’t here,” Sasha said and I nodded.

“I’m aware, Susan told me already,” I said.

“She usually comes in by nine, but she hasn’t been in the best mood lately,” Susan cut in and I nodded and smiled at her again.

“I’m not here for her actually. I was hoping to catch all of you together,” I told them and Susan sat back down slowly on her chair.

“How can we help you Mr Jennings?” John said.

“Please, call me Grant,” I said to him, and without invitation, I took the chair across from Susan’s desk and sat down.

“I wanted to get to know you all and give you a brief introduction on how Lonex works,” I said to them and I watched as Sasha and John’s eyes widened.

“So, you mean you’re keeping us on?” Sasha asked and I smiled.

“Of course I am. You are the people who know the product best. It would be a shame to lose any of you,” I told him and they exchanged looks.

“And what about…Bev? Beverley,” Sasha added and I took in a sharp breath.

“It appears as though Beverley has other plans,” I said and a nervous look took over all their faces. I could see where their loyalties lay. “But I don’t want you to worry. You will all be well taken care of and I want you to slowly naturalize to Lonex’s surroundings,” I informed them and made myself comfortable on the chair.