When I finally left Audrey’s shitty apartment, my head was spinning. I was confused—I’d never felt like this before, especially after such a great fuck. Even though Audrey was clearly inexperienced, I had a hard time remembering the last time I’d enjoyed myself so thoroughly in bed. Everything about her had been perfect. Just thinking about the way her body responded to mine would have normally made my cock rock-hard.
But something was bothering me, and I felt like I couldn’t even enjoy my usual post-coital routine.
Usually, after sleeping with a girl, I’d go out by myself. I made a rule to never spend the night with anyone, and with a few incredibly drunken exceptions, I’d been able to stick to that rule hard and fast. After I fucked a girl, I’d usually go to a bar and sip a glass of scotch.
This wasn’t a time where I thought about picking up anyone new, but rather a time to reflect. It wasn’t typical for me to sleep with someone more than once or twice—more than stability, I craved variety. I craved different types of women who were willing to do lots of different types of things.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t take my mind off Audrey as I slipped out of her shitty Pilsen apartment. I couldn’t believe what she’d told me. Was she telling the truth? Did she really send the vast majority of her wages to her parents? I didn’t think Audrey was the type of woman who would lie about that sort of thing, but I couldn’t really imagine her doing it. It was too good; it was like some fairy tale or Biblical fable. Then again, I knew she wouldn’t lie to me. Audrey was one of those people who seemed physically incapable of lying. She was so good, so sweet.
She was much, much too good for me. I hated to admit it, but just thinking of her was arousing me again. It was almost enough where I wanted to turn around, go back to her apartment, and dive back into bed.
Stay focused, I instructed myself as I pulled the collar of my coat up around my neck to ward off the Chicago chill. February was one of the worst months to live in Chicago—you’ve already gone through a few months of cold weather, but you’ve still got at least one more to go. People started feeling desperate, craving warmth and sun and human touch. It was one of those months where I’d wasted my time in tiki bars, going home with the bikini waitresses. But none of that stuff ever brought me real warmth, and I was starting to realize that I’d been chasing an empty dream for a long time.
I sighed. I was standing on the corner, with not a soul in sight. The “L” tracks loomed over my head like something from a mechanical nightmare. I didn’t like the idea of going home—my chrome and steel condo didn’t exactly seem inviting, even though I loved it. I knew that somehow, I was going to wind up doing what I always did in times like these.
The LennoxCo sign loomed large and fluorescent over my head as I let myself in the building, not an hour later. The office was completely deserted, and even though it felt chilly, I was instantly sweating in my bulky jacket and blended scarf. Once I’d wrestled out of my outer layers and tossed them to the side, I let out a deep sigh of relief.
Work was my salvation; the place where I went when I could no longer face anything else in the world. I knew that if I went home, I’d just wind up thinking about Audrey. Or worse, drunk on red wine and browsing porn sites. I didn’t want to succumb to loneliness tonight; I wanted to channel the way I felt into my work.
And besides, if I knew anything about Hodges, I knew that he’d start closing in on my ass pretty soon. He’d been playing offensively and playing to win—my demurring had done absolutely nothing to push him off the track. And now that he knew about Audrey, I didn’t want to take a single chance.
I knew that I had to stay on top of my game and make sure that asshole didn’t have even a single opportunity to try bankrupting me and ruining LennoxCo. And Audrey, I thought, wincing as I closed my eyes. Audrey. Pure, innocent, lovely Audrey. I couldn’t let Hodges anywhere near her—he’d swallow her whole without even pausing to chew. I wasn’t going to let that happen. I’d rip him limb from limb if he even looked at her the wrong way.
I bit my lip, leaning back in my chair. I’d never felt like this before. I didn’t know what it was exactly. Not lust, more of an obsession. It reminded me of when I was still young and green and sleeping with older women—the women who’d taught me about BDSM. I’d always been a Dominant, but it had taken years of finesse and practice to realize how to effectively utilize my “tools” in the bedroom.
I snickered, closing my eyes and remembering Audrey’s perfectly flushed face as she cried out with the power of her own orgasm. Somehow, I was willing to bet that she’d never felt like that before. But I had a feeling she was going to be experiencing a lot more moments like that, at least if I had anything to do about it.
The sun was coming up as I was sitting at my desk. Hodges, Audrey, hell, even Karen were swirling through my head. I knew that I had to think of a plan, something really diabolical, to unsettle Hodges before he could attack.
“Best defense is a good offense,” I said in a low voice as I pulled up my email. Even though Hodges was smart and powerful, he was careless and egotistical. I knew there had to be something, even just something small, that he’d revealed which I could use against him. The problem was finding it; over the years, he’d sent me thousands of emails. Grinning to myself, I realized that I finally had a plan. I just hoped it would work.
# # #
By the time everyone else was in the office, I was feeling much better about things. I’d gone upstairs to the gym and showered after getting in a quick workout—straining myself early in the morning always made the rest of the day go more quickly. I hadn’t slept, but I felt invigorated and energized all the same.
“Enzo?” Audrey’s voice was low and soft as she stood in the doorway. “You’re here early. Would you like some coffee?” I watched as she licked her lips, taking time and biting down on the delicious pink flesh. “I mean, I’ll go get some for you,” she added. “I know how you always take your coffee in the morning.”
Watching her flit around nervously, I couldn’t help but grin. There was always something interesting about watching a woman behave around me after we’d slept together for the first time. More often than not, she’d be bending over backward trying to please me. But Audrey seemed just as neurotic as usual, maybe with a tad more blushing.
“Great, Audrey,” I called out as I glanced down at my desk. “I have a big project for you when you come back.”
Audrey’s cheeks pinked but she didn’t say anything. I watched as she darted away from my desk, breathless, walking quickly in her horrible orthopedic shoes.
When she returned, Audrey pressed a steaming hot mug of coffee into my waiting hand. After handing it to me, she stood there, shyly crossing her legs at the knee and rocking back and forth. I noticed that aside from how her hair looked more well-brushed than usual, she didn’t look any different. I had to admire that—a lot of girls would show up in practically nothing but lingerie and makeup after sleeping with me. Audrey wouldn’t have thought of that, though, and that made her kind of special.
“What’s the project?” Audrey cleared her throat and looked down at the floor. “Something big?”
I nodded. “Something very important,” I told her seriously, taking her by the wrist and pulling her over to the small round table in the corner of my office. “I need you go through these emails from Hodges. They’re a few years old but pay really close attention. I want you to see if anything seems off.”
Audrey cocked her head to the side, like a dog whose master just suggested a walk. “What do you mean off?”
I sighed. “It’s a little hard to explain. Hodges screwed me years ago, with promises of investing in a consulting firm that was cheaper than most. I fell for it because I was desperate and greedy, and I wound up almost losing everything.”
Audrey blinked at me. Her blue eyes seemed wide with fear and mistrust. “But why would he do that?”
I ran a hand through my hair. It was still damp from the hurried gym shower. “Because he wants to ruin me,” I said simply. “And he’s out trying to do it again now. But we have to outsmart him. I have to find a way to demonstrate that he knew he was getting me into some bad business decisions. Have you ever heard of a pyramid scheme?”
Audrey licked her lips, and a sharp pang of desire shot through my body. “Um, I think so. Like those Tupperware parties?”
I laughed, throwing back my head. “Not exactly. More like the kind of thing where investors are promised rewards simply for buying into the program, not because of any actual revenue they were going to bring in.”
Audrey nodded. “Oh.” I could tell that she didn’t exactly understand, but it was actually kind of cute.
“So go through these,” I said as I put my hand on her shoulder and guided her towards the stacks of papers. “Keep an eye out for anything that looks unusual. I’m sorry I don’t have any more suggestions, but I think you’re smart enough to pick up on something weird.”
Audrey nodded. She looked confused and aroused, and part of me was tempted to pull her towards me and kiss her roughly. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll go through these. Thanks, Enzo.”
I watched as she sat down hard on the chair and began swinging her shapely legs back and forth. Today, she was clad in a baggy jumper with a turtleneck underneath and thick loose leggings over her orthopedic shoes. Despite the horrible outfit, I couldn’t look at her without feeling my cock twitch in my pants.
I shrugged, feeling helpless. “Just look for anything that seems weird, or strange, or make a note if he repeats himself. Does that make sense?”
Audrey nodded again. She still looked confused, but just as willing to help as ever. “I’ve got it. Thanks.”