Chapter 19
Vanessa
What a difference it was waking up in Los Angeles in November compared to New York. I fell in love with California immediately. Even our hotel room boasted west coast beauty. I had so many things I wanted to do once our plane’s wheels hit the tarmac. But not once had he warned me how exhausting traveling was.
Although we arrived at the hotel at five p.m. Pacific time, my body’s east coast clock betrayed me. Combined with the adrenaline of flying, the extra-curricular activity in first class at his hand, and not having a good night’s sleep because I was so excited all caused my energy to crash. Barely making it through dinner, courtesy of room service, he tucked me in with a chuckle and a chaste kiss on the forehead.
The upside, I woke refreshed, ready, and anxious to conquer California. After consuming the breakfast Kyle had delivered to our suite, we worked off the calories in that great big California King.
While Kyle showered, I admired the scenic pictures on the wall of our bedroom. The Hollywood sign, Rodeo Drive, the Santa Monica Pier, and the Walk of Fame, were all places I wanted to visit. Maybe not all on this trip, but one day.
I smelled him before I felt him. Kyle wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Do you see something you like?” His warm breath caressed my ear, eliciting goose bumps to form all over my skin.
When I spun in his arms to face him, our eyes locked. “Yes, as a matter of fact I do.”
A genuine smile spread across his face. “I’m glad to hear it, but I meant the pictures. How about after our meetings we start checking off a few of these sights you’re dying to see?”
I clapped like a child and beamed. “Oh, yes, please! Can we also do Mann’s Chinese Theater? And Jimmy Kimmel’s show is up the street. Wouldn’t it be great if we got tickets?” I dragged in a breath and remembered something else. “Wait, Madam Tussaud’s, we have to do that. And we absolutely must find Marilyn Monroe’s star on the Walk of Fame, but I’ll have to lay on her name because… well, how often does one get to see their last name on a star?”
“Are you done?” His eyes crinkled in the corners, the mirth on his face obvious. My head bobbing caused him to laugh before kissing my lips. “We will see everything and more. The limo is at our disposal for our entire stay.”
At the mention of the limo, all I could think of was that poor limo driver having to endure our antics from LAX to the hotel yesterday. Regardless that the privacy glass was up, I was sure he felt the rocking of the car. What started out as a blow job ended with me riding Kyle like a world-class jockey ready to win the blue ribbon.
Once we were both dressed and presentable, I grabbed my bag and dragged him by the hand out of our suite. “Let’s go, Mr. Flirt. We have things to see.”
When we walked out of the hotel, I popped on my sunglasses. The same limo driver greeted us with a smirk… yeah, he knew we defiled the back seat of his car yesterday.
I gave him a quick wave before sliding into the car. Kyle told him where we were headed before he settled on the seat next to me. This car could seat eight, yet we treated it as if it was a small coupe.
“Who are we meeting with first?” This process excited me, but I couldn’t help but feel pressured. Kyle was so sure I had instincts when it came to selecting the right person for the job, it started to make me nervous.
He opened the calendar app on his phone. “We’re meeting with Roxanne DuMont at ten and then Bailey Hughes at eleven.” He tucked the phone back into his pocket. “After that, we’ll grab a bite to eat and hit everything on your list.”
“Did you say Roxanne DuMont? As in the Roxanne DuMont, one of the highest paid swimsuit models? Wasn’t she also in the latest centerfold where she had nothing on but her smile?”
Kyle chuckled. “Yes, the swimsuit model. I have no idea about the other magazine you’re referring to.”
“Liar.”
He held up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
“Were you a scout?”
“No.”
We both laughed at his nonsensical comment. “Well, she’s stunning. Let’s hope her skin has a good chemical makeup.”
He smiled brightly. “Listen to you and your scientific lingo.” Kyle pulled my hand to his lips to kiss the back of it. “Thank you for coming with me.” Again our eyes locked, and the static between us replicated a bug zapper taking victim after victim. If we had been in a romance novel, the moment would have been perfect for a long meaningful kiss. Those so-called moments had been happening more frequently. Somewhere between the Atlantic and the Pacific, along with the carnal hunger that made us want to devour each other, there was this new spark I couldn’t understand.
The car came to a stop in front of an office building, giving me the opportunity to douse the flame. “Where are we?”
Kyle dipped his head to look out the window beside me. “Soren’s office. He keeps a small team in L.A. to cater to his west coast clients. When I told him I planned to come out here, he arranged for me to use a conference room.”
“That was nice of him.” The driver opened my door, and when we got out I realized Kyle didn’t have any samples with him. “Did you forget the fragrance samples in the hotel?”
He shut the door and took my hand. “I had them shipped here. Bringing liquids on a plane is a pain in my ass.”
Once inside, I pulled out of his grasp. “What?”
“I work for you for the next few hours. It’s unprofessional.” On the ding of the elevator, I walked past him with a smirk.
No sooner had the doors closed when he pushed me up against the back wall. “No one in here to witness my unprofessionalism, Miss Monroe.” For the duration it took to climb the eleven floors, Kyle’s mouth was fused to mine. On the twelfth floor, he pulled away. “You may want to fix your lips, Miss Monroe.” He swiped his thumb across his lips and presented it to me as evidence.
“Sexual harassment on the first day,” I quipped. Gazing at my reflection in the closed elevator doors, I quickly repaired the damage he did to my lipstick while he chuckled beside me.
Jude’s staff was all very welcoming as they gave a quick tour of the fourteenth floor that housed Soren Enterprises. A few minutes later, we settled into the conference room waiting for Roxanne to arrive. I must have organized the small bottles on the rectangular table a dozen times.
“Nessa, relax.”
“Okay.” I sat in the chair next to Kyle, who was at the head of the table, and calmly folded my hands on the legal pad I brought with me.
A slight knock on the door frame caught both of our attention, and we both stood. Pictures of this woman were nothing like the real thing. Photoshop was not needed when it came to Roxanne DuMont. Her platinum blonde hair cascaded over her bare shoulders and down to her size D breasts. There was no doubt in my mind she could be the next Baywatch babe.
The corners of her naturally plump lips curled up when she saw Kyle. I, on the other hand, had become a ghost. That was until Kyle asked, “Would you like something to drink?”
“Can your secretary grab me a green tea?” Roxanne then brought her attention to me. “Thanks, love.”
What the fuck did she just call me?
When I didn’t budge, Kyle picked up the phone and asked the receptionist if she could please bring in some beverages… including the prima donna’s tea.
Once again right off the bat, I didn’t like one of Kyle’s selections. A pang of worry hit me square in the chest. What if I didn’t like anyone? This would be so much easier if it was for a man’s cologne and a lot more fun.
Kyle stood next to me. “Roxanne, I’d like to introduce you to Vanessa, my vice president in charge of special projects.”
Rather than appear shocked at the title he gave me, I stretched my arm across the table to shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” There, that was nice.
Her long boney fingers wrapped limply around my hand, and a fake smile made me wonder if maybe I was wrong and her lips were filled with Botox.
“Let’s all have a seat.” Kyle pulled out my chair and while he did the same for Roxanne, I scribbled a note down on my pad.
He took his seat beside me, his eyes cut to the message, and he turned to Roxanne. “Thank you for coming in today. As you know the reason you’re here is to determine if you’re a good match for a new fragrance I created, Risqué.”
Her voice came out like a porn star’s. “I love that name.”
Of course she does.
“Risqué is part of our Destination line. Each fragrance is intended to transport the wearer to a romantic location.” Kyle spritzed the inside of her wrist. When she rubbed it together with her other one, he cringed. I wasn’t sure why her action ignited such a response from him. Roxanne brought one of her wrists to her nose and inhaled. “It’s okay. But don’t worry, I’m a good actress, too. People will think that I love it.”
“Picking the right perfume is a personal thing.” He took my hand in his, flipped it over, and sprayed a touch of Risqué on my wrist. I brought my nose closer to my arm and inhaled. This woman was clueless. This scent had me instantly sitting on an island sipping a piña colada.
Kyle gave my hand a squeeze, looked at Roxanne, and said, “Thank you for coming in today. We will let your agent know our decision.”
At first she looked stunned until she realized he dismissed her. Then she wordlessly stalked out of the room, and when the door closed behind her tight ass, I let out a breath. Kyle called reception and cancelled her tea.
“For what it’s worth, I do love Risqué. For me, I imagined sitting in the sand staring at turquoise blue water.”
He smiled, lifted my hand to his nose, and inhaled. “It smells so much better on you. I knew there was a reason I wanted you here—you’re a natural. A beach is exactly where you should have pictured yourself.”
Pride caused genuine happiness which was obvious by the look on my face. No one had ever paid me such a warm compliment. “Thank you. I do have a question, though. Why did you make that face when she rubbed her wrists together?”
“Because when someone rubs their wrists together immediately after the fragrance is applied, it inhibits the release of the top note. Imagine sex without foreplay.” His voice deepened. “You won’t get the entire experience.”
Staring into his gorgeous eyes, and hearing his explanation, made me want to prove his theory right there on the conference room table. And since he dismissed Roxanne, we had the time. Kyle was super sexy on a normal day, but dammit, scientist Kyle did me in.
When he said, “Bailey is the opposite of Roxanne,” I was reminded why we were there.
Once again that damn pang hit me. “Kyle, what if I don’t like Bailey? Then what? Do we need to start all over again?”
“No. If Bailey doesn’t work out, I’m adding spokesmodel to your title.”
Kyle
Overall, our trip to L.A. was a complete success. Bailey turned out to be a perfect spokesmodel for Risqué. As quickly as our interview with Roxanne had gone, the one with Bailey went on for hours. The girls immediately hit it off, and I witnessed a side of Vanessa I’d never seen before. She was just as much of a perfectionist as I was. No detail was too small to overlook.
After we left Jude’s office, we grabbed a quick bite, and hit as many landmarks as we could. That started a trend for the entire week. Each night while in bed, I promised her the next day would be even better. My promise to top the skating rink experience was fulfilled on Wednesday night when I took her to Griffith Park. It wasn’t easy by any means, and our hearts pounded from fear more than passion. But while staring at the Hollywood sign, as she announced her orgasm, made it all worth it.
Another G-rated highlight was Disneyland. Before my very eyes she morphed into a little girl thrilled with everything her gorgeous green eyes witnessed. Today was our last day, and we spent it in Santa Monica enjoying the beach, the pier, and each other.
I wanted to bring in room service again and spend our last night naked in our suite, but there was one more thing I wanted to show her. Fortunately, it would make a perfect backdrop to things I planned on saying.
The tiny inn I found was a forty minute drive from L.A. Known for their ambiance, as well as their locally grown organic menu, I thought it’d make a nice way to end our perfect week. It took a bit of begging on my part to even get us in on such a short notice, but never underestimate a man with a plan… if we ever got there.
“Nessa, we need to go,” I called through the closed bathroom door.
“Coming.”
I sauntered over to the mirror and adjusted my tie. Through the reflection, the door behind me opened just as she hesitantly stepped through it. In a knee-jerk reaction, I spun to be sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. There she stood in a fitted, strapless black dress that hugged every curve she had from her breasts to her knees.
“Too much?” The uncertainty in her voice surprised me. How could she even doubt what she chose to wear was anything less than perfection?
Only when she began fiddling with the hem had I realized I hadn’t moved or spoken. In three short strides, I came toe to toe, gripped her face, and crushed my lips against hers. She stumbled a bit, holding my wrists to steady herself. When I pulled away to allow her to breathe, her eyes remained closed for a moment before sliding open to stare into mine.
“I take it you like it?”
“So much so, I regret making this reservation.” I couldn’t help but give her another hard long kiss. “Vanessa, you are breathtaking.”
“Uh oh. You called me Vanessa.” She smiled demurely. “You only do that when you’re serious.”
“I’m dead serious.” I stepped back, taking her hand in mine and spreading her arms wide so I could get a close-up look at her. “You’re perfection.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes raked over my black suit as she flexed her fingers. I released her hands and watched as she straightened my tie before smoothing it down under her palm. “You don’t look too bad yourself. This tie does wonders for your eyes.”
The feel of her hands on me, even with my shirt and tie as a barrier, caused my skin to sizzle with need. “We better go… now. Or we’ll never get out of here.”
Romance oozed from every corner of the inn. On purpose, tables were small and intimate, accommodating two diners. Vanessa scanned our surroundings with a small smile, but otherwise said nothing.
In fact, since arriving she became very quiet. I attributed it to sadness over our time in California coming to an end. After we ordered our entrees, I asked, “Are you okay?”
She looked up and smiled. “I am. Thank you for an amazing week, Kyle. You cannot begin to understand how much this means to me. Showing me all that you did, making each and every day more fun and more exciting than the one before. I don’t deserve all this attention.”
“What a silly thing to say, of course you do.” I took her hand in between both of mine. “Nessa, you’re very special to me. Before you came along, the only way I knew how to connect with a woman was through my master flirting skills. In these weeks we’ve been together, I learned two things.”
Her eyes widened as she waited for me to continue. I stared down at her hand in mine, tracing a pattern over the top of hers. The first thing was easy to admit as I said, “I almost feel like you tamed the flirt in me. But oddly enough, it seems like he needed to be tamed by someone like you. When I’m around you, I’m different.”
“Different how?”
That was a loaded question. Different in the way I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it, but admitting that much to her now would no doubt send her running in fear. If there was one thing I learned about her, it was baby steps were required to get her to accept the changes between us. For instance, her ridiculous rule stating no sleepovers was now long forgotten. No romance was another thing I broke her of.
“Different in how I see women now,” I finally admitted.
She laughed and shook her head. “I’m afraid to ask how you see them.”
“Not at all.” The smile fell off her face. I lifted her hand and placed a kiss on the inside of her palm. “The thing is… now… I only see you.”