CHAPTER 13
SORAYA
THE ANXIOUS FEELING I HAD after speaking to Graham last night had carried over into my sleep. I tossed and turned all night, unable to settle. By morning, I was downright antsy. Graham had said he was going into the office to work on some business last night—he had planned to take over Liam’s company through smart business maneuvers but had no intention of taking advantage of the man’s death to get what he wanted. Although that wouldn’t stop others. The vultures, he said, would be scavenging first thing this morning when news broke. Graham was going to somehow freeze out others from taking advantage and postpone his own planned takeover.
I was disappointed he wasn’t on our usual train, although I hadn’t really expected him to be.
Soraya: How are you this morning?
Graham: Tired. I’m still at the office.
Soraya: You mean you stayed there all night?
Graham: I did.
Soraya: I’m sorry. This must be difficult for you. Is there something I can do?
Graham: Just hang in there for me, please. I’m going to be swamped for a few days.
If I was unclear on just how affected Graham was by the news, his response solidified he was not himself. He hadn’t suggested I should crawl under his desk or spread my legs when I asked him if there was anything I could do.
Soraya: Of course.
Arriving at my stop, I exited the train and began my usual morning routine of stopping at Anil’s coffee truck. After I placed my order, a thought hit me.
“Can you make that two coffees and also two buttered bagels and two orange juices?” It wasn’t exactly gourmet, but it would make me feel better to do something for him. The man had followed me and sent Indian food because he thought I liked it; a bagel and coffee was the least I could do.
Heading back to the station, I called Ida and left a message I would be late and then hopped on the A train. Twenty minutes later, I arrived at Morgan Financial Holdings. Stepping out of the elevator on the twentieth floor, the gold lettering above the glass doors suddenly made me nervous. I had started to become accustomed to the butterflies that I got around Graham, but being on his turf—in the arena where I knew he ruled with an iron fist—had me feeling intimidated. And I hated that.
I squared my shoulders and walked to the receptionist. It was the same young redhead from the day I brought back his phone.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’d like to see Graham.”
She looked me up and down. “Graham? You mean Mr. Morgan?”
“Yes. Graham J. Morgan.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
Not this shit again.
“No. But he’ll want to see me. If you can just let him know Soraya is here.”
“Mr. Morgan doesn’t want to be interrupted.”
“Look. I know you have a job. And judging from our interactions, you’re probably even good at it. You seem to do a great job of blowing people off. But, trust me on this one, you won’t get in trouble for interrupting him to tell him I’m here.”
“I’m sorry…he was very specific…”
Oh for God’s sake. “I’m fucking him, okay? Just tell Graham I’m here, or I’m going to walk past you anyway.”
The woman blinked twice. “Excuse me?”
I leaned in. “Fucking him. You know, you insert…”
“Soraya?” Graham’s voice stopped me from continuing my anatomy lesson. He was coming down the hall toward me, taking long strides. I turned and waited, rather than walking to meet him. Damn. He was wearing those glasses again.
“What a nice surprise.”
“Your receptionist didn’t seem to think so.”
Graham quirked an eyebrow, his lip hinting at amusement, then turned to his employee with his business mask on. “Ms. Venedetta doesn’t need an appointment.” He looked to me and back to his receptionist. “Ever.”
He took my elbow and steered me down the hall he had just come from. The woman sitting at the desk outside of his office stood as we approached. “Cancel my 9AM call, Rebecca.”
“It’s Eliza.”
“Whatever.”
He shut the door behind us and no sooner than it closed, I was up against it, and Graham sealed his mouth over mine. The brown paper bag carrying the bagels dropped to the floor, my fingers needing to thread into his hair. He kissed me long and hard, his tongue doing that aggressive dance with mine while his hard body crushed me against the door. The desperation of his need turned me on instantly. Reaching down, he lifted one of my legs, allowing him to press deeper into me in just the right place. Oh, God.
“Graham.”
He groaned.
“Graham.”
My hand holding the coffee was starting to shake.
“I’m going to drop the coffees.”
“So drop them.” He mumbled against my lips and then his tongue was back searching.
“Graham,” I chuckled into our joined mouths.
He hissed out a frustrated breath. “I need you.”
“Can you let me put down the coffees and maybe take a look around your office before you maul me?”
He leaned his forehead against mine. “Are you asking me or telling me?”
“Considering that sounds like the answer will be no if it’s a question, I’m telling you.”
He groaned but stepped back.
“I love the glasses, by the way. Not sure if I told you that the other night when you wore them to Tig’s.”
“I’ll throw away my contacts.”
I walked to his desk, getting my first look around his office as I set down the coffees. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the Manhattan skyline on two sides of his corner office. There was a large mahogany desk positioned at an angle that faced one glass wall. Not one, but two sleek computers were positioned next to each other on his desk. The top of the desk had various case files strewn about, and piles of documents were flipped open in mid-review.
“Your office is beautiful. But it looks like you’re busy. I won’t stay long. I just came to drop off a bagel and coffee.”
“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to.” I got my first full look at him. He was still gorgeous, but he looked tired and stressed. “You look exhausted.”
“I’ll survive.” He motioned to a seating area. “Come. Sit. Have breakfast with me. I actually haven’t eaten anything since last night.” The other side of the office had a long leather couch with two wingback chairs across from it and a glass coffee table separating the seating. Graham sat, and I pulled out the bagels and unwrapped them.
“I got you what I like since I wasn’t sure what you liked.”
“I’ll eat whatever you feed me.”
“In that case…”
A dirty grin crossed his face. “Don’t think I won’t hold you down on this couch and feast on you until my entire staff knows you’re a religious girl.”
I shoved my bagel into my mouth to stop myself from daring him. The minute it took to chew and swallow also let me get my libido somewhat under control. “So…were you able to ward off the bad guys?”
“I am one of the bad guys, Soraya.”
“You know what I mean. To stop people from taking advantage.”
“Yes. And no. It’s complicated. In our business, there are many layers of ownership. I’m working through those layers now. But it seems Liam had established a poison pill to deter a takeover from an unwanted party. That poison allows existing shareholders to purchase additional shares at a discounted price, which would dilute the value of shares and make the acquisition less attractive to prospective takeovers.”
“So, he had an escape plan.”
“Exactly. And it would have worked well had he granted those rights to a corporation that was trustworthy.”
“I take it he didn’t.”
Graham shook his head. “No.”
“Sounds complicated and messy.”
“It is.”
“How are you handling the non-business stuff?”
“The non-business stuff?”
“You lost a friend.”
“An ex-friend.”
I nodded. “An ex-friend. But he must have been someone you cared about for a period of your life since you started your business together.”
“At one point. Yes. But as you know, things changed.”
“I saw on the news this morning that it was a heart attack.”
“Happened in the car. He swerved off the road and hit a tree. Was dead by the time the police arrived. Luckily, no one else was in the car. Genevieve said he was supposed to have had their daughter in the car, but she wasn’t feeling well, so she stayed home. Otherwise…”
He saw the look on my face.
“I spoke to her this morning. She called for help with the business issues, but I was already working on it.”
“I didn’t realize you were friendly.”
“We aren’t. It was a business call. She knew I would help, and there would be a benefit for both of us to stop others from devaluing the company.”
I nodded. It made sense. And it was ridiculous that I was jealous of a woman who lost her husband yesterday. “How is your grandmother?”
“She told Cambria to let me know she was cutting me out of her will if I didn’t break her out of the hospital.”
“Oh, no.”
“Actually, that’s good. It means she’s feeling like herself again. When she’s agreeable and compliant, it scares me.”
The relationship he had with his grandmother was fast becoming my favorite thing about him. You can tell a lot about a man by watching how he treats the matriarch of the family. “Is she still at Westchester Hospital?”
“I had her moved to the Hospital for Special Surgery.”
“That’s on 70th, right?”
“It is.”
“It’s only a few blocks from my office. Why don’t I stop in at lunch and visit her? You’re swamped here, obviously.”
Graham searched my face. “That would be great. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“Will you stay with me tonight?”
“At your place?”
“Yes. My driver can pick you up after work and take you out to Brooklyn to collect your things and then take you to my place. I’ll meet you there after I’m done here. The doorman will let you in if I’m not back yet.”
“Okay.”
We chatted for a while longer while we ate. After we finished our bagels, I gathered our garbage. “I need to get to the office, or Ida will come up with a list of things she needs to be done, that she really doesn’t, but will keep me in the office until nine o’clock.”
Graham kissed me goodbye, and I stopped it before it got too out of control this time. “Does this mean you’re going to take a train since I’ll have your driver?”
“It does.”
“Commoner.”
“Let’s not forget how we met. I take the train every morning now.”
“Now? You mean you didn’t before?”
A smile spread across his face. “First time I’d taken the train to work in years was the day I lost my phone. My driver was on vacation that week.”
“But you’ve been taking it ever since, too?”
“I have a reason to now.”
The anticipation I’d felt since our phone call last night finally quelled a bit after leaving Graham’s office. I wanted nothing more than to have trust in what was growing between us, yet a part of me was still afraid. He was so confident and fearless, and I tried to use that to reassure myself. I hated that weak and scared part of me. It was time I figured out how to get rid of it.
***
“MRS. MORGAN?” I CRACKED OPEN the door and peeked my head into her room. She was sitting up in bed watching TV.
“Come in, come in, dear. And call me Lil.”
I’d texted Graham to find out what she liked to eat and brought her a fish filet from McDonald’s, which Graham had told me was crap, but also her favorite junk food.
“I thought maybe you could use some company today. Graham’s been stuck at the office since yesterday. I work nearby.”
“Is that a fish sandwich I smell?”
I smiled. “Sure is.”
“Graham thinks because it’s not from some swanky restaurant that charges sixty dollars for a meal as big as a quarter, that it’s not good food. Love the boy, but he can be a downright snob with his head stuck up his own ass sometimes.”
I laughed thinking Stuck-Up Suit. “He does have an elitist side to him at times.”
There was a snack tray on wheels in the corner, so I pulled it closer and set up her lunch, then set up mine.
“Is that a soap opera you’re watching?”
“Days of Our Lives. My daughter got me hooked on them.”
“She got her son hooked, too.” I chuckled.
“You know about that?”
“I do. It’s sort of out of character for him.”
“It wasn’t at one time. Believe it or not, that man used to be a mush. He was with my Celia, anyway. Boy idolized his mother. Took it hard when she passed. Probably why he’s the way he is. Doesn’t get attached to many women, if you know what I mean. The ones he did get attached to, didn’t stick around. Wasn’t my Celia’s fault, of course.”
I knew she was also referring to Genevieve. The first woman he opened up to after his mother died had let him down. I’d never even met the woman, yet despised her already. “How are you feeling? Graham said your surgery is Friday.”
“I feel good. They keep trying to get me to take pain medicine, but I don’t need it, and it makes me sleepy. I think they just like to make old people sleep all the time, so we don’t ask for anything.”
I looked around the room. It was the nicest hospital room I’d ever been in. There was room for a half-dozen patients, yet there was only one bed in the room. In the corner, there was a beautiful arrangement of flowers. Lil saw me looking.
“They’re from Graham. Sends me a fresh arrangement every week on Tuesday, like clockwork. I used to have a giant garden, but it got to be too much for me to manage.”
“He’s very thoughtful when he wants to be.”
“There are two sides to that man. Thoughtless and thoughtful. Not sure he got the in-between gene.”
“You sure have him nailed down.”
“Somebody’s gotta see him for what he is and call him on his shit.”
I chuckled. “I suppose so.”
“Although something tells me you’ll do the same. I can tell…you’re good for him.”
“You think? We’re sort of opposites in a lot of ways.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s what’s inside of you both that counts.”
“Thanks, Mrs. M…Lil.”
I stayed for longer than my lunch hour, enjoying Lil telling me about the characters on her soap opera. The storylines were so far-fetched, I couldn’t stop thinking about Graham watching them—he was so stern and pragmatic. When I went to leave, Lil took my hand.
“He’s a good man. Fiercely loyal and loves his family. Very protective of his heart. But once he gives it, he doesn’t take it back.”
“Thank you.”
“You can fix the rest. Pry the stick out of his ass and hit him over the head with it a few times. He’s smart. He’ll figure it out real quick.”
“Now that, I can do.”
***
GRAHAM WASN’T HOME WHEN I ARRIVED at his condo. Blackie met me at the door, springing up and down like a little crazy dog.
“Hey, Buddy.” I lifted him, and he proceeded to lick my face. I still couldn’t get over the fact that Mr. Big Prick had a small fluffy white dog. “Looks like it’s just you and me for a little while.”
I looked around the large open space. Aside from Blackie’s panting, it was eerily quiet. The last two times I had been here, the tour had pretty much been limited to the inside of Graham’s pants, so I used the time to snoop a bit.
The condo was stunning. No doubt it was professionally decorated—cool grays and sleek silver gave the place a bachelor feel. It could have been featured in GQ, with the owner standing in the middle of the open space, his arms folded across his chest. But as beautiful as it was, it was missing something. Personality. There was no hint to who lived here.
Curious, I wandered into the living room. There was an oversized sectional facing a large, flat screen TV hanging on the wall. Beneath it was a sleek black cabinet. It took me a minute to figure out how to open it without any handles. Inside was a DVD collection. Caddyshack, Happy Gilmore, Anchorman.
Huh.
I kept browsing, moving up to the next shelf. Glory, Gettysburg, Gangs of New York.
Hmmm.
Make up your mind, Morgan.
I ventured into the kitchen. The refrigerator was a vast smorgasbord of takeout containers. And…three containers of Nesquik strawberry milk.
Huh.
In the bedroom, I eyed the nightstand. Checking out his DVD collection and the contents of his fridge was one thing, but invading his bedside table would really be crossing a line. I looked around the room for something else to check out. It was pretty barren—no pictures, no folded pieces of paper on top of the dresser from emptying his pockets the day before. My eyes narrowed in on that nightstand again.
“No,” I said out loud to myself.
I lifted Blackie up over my head, and we had a talk. “It would be wrong of me to go through Graham’s drawer, wouldn’t it, little buddy?”
He stuck his tongue out and licked my nose.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Inside the walk-in closet seemed more like Graham J. Morgan. Suits lined one side, mostly dark. An obscene amount of dress shirts lined the other. Everything was neat and organized.
Boring.
I walked back into the bedroom, my eyes falling immediately back on the nightstand. The damn thing was haunting me. “Maybe just one peek.” I stroked Blackie, who was still in my arms. He purred at me. Dogs purr? A purr would be the human equivalent to a yes, wouldn’t it?
Just one little peek…I won’t even move anything.
Walking to the drawer, I slid it open with my pointer finger. Inside was a black velvet satchel, a clear bottle of something that could be lubricant—although the label was facing down, and an unopened box of condoms.
Okay…so maybe I needed to move one or two things.
“You think there’s something good in that bag, buddy?” I was speaking to Blackie again.
But it wasn’t Blackie that answered.
“I know there’s something good in that bag.” Graham’s deep voice scared the shit out of me. I jumped, my arms jerking upward sent Blackie sailing into the air. Luckily, he landed on the bed right side up.
“You scared the hell out of me.” My hand clutched at my chest.
Graham stood in the doorway leaning casually against one side. “You were so engrossed in your snooping, that you didn’t hear me come in.”
“I wasn’t snooping.”
Graham arched an eyebrow.
“I wasn’t.”
“So I must have left the drawer wide open this morning?”
I folded my arms over my chest. “Guess so.”
He chuckled and walked to the table, sliding the drawer closed. “Well, if I left it open this morning and you weren’t snooping, then you probably don’t want to know what’s in the bag.”
“Not in the least.”
“Shame.”
“Why? What’s in the bag?”
“Kiss me.”
“Will you tell me what’s in the bag?”
He wrapped his arms around my waist. “I’ll show you what’s in the bag. Now greet me properly.”
I rolled my eyes as if it wasn’t something I wanted to do every time I looked at his ridiculously handsome face. Then I planted a chaste kiss on his lips. But before I could pull away, he had a handful of my hair in his hand and didn’t let go until he kissed me properly.
“Wouldn’t have taken you for a snooper,” he mumbled against my lips.
I pulled my head back and looked at him. “I’m not usually. But I can’t figure you out.”
“What’s there to figure out?”
“Slapstick comedy or Civil War flicks? The same type of person doesn’t usually have both.”
Graham looked amused. “I like both.”
“What’s with the three quarts of Nesquik? Strawberry, too.”
“I like it.”
“Obviously.”
“And so does Blackie.”
“You feed your dog Quik?”
“I do.”
“See…that’s the thing. Mr. Big Prick doesn’t have a cute little dog, and he definitely doesn’t share strawberry milk with it.”
“Maybe I’m not Mr. Big Prick like you think.” He slid my hand down to his crotch. “Maybe I just have a big prick, but I’m not really the prick you imagine.”
“What’s your secretary’s name?”
“Elaine.”
“Eliza. She just told it to you this morning. I was there.”
“I’m busy. It’s hard to find a good secretary to stay very long.”
“Only when you’re a big prick.”
“So maybe I am a big prick. But I’m not to you, am I?”
I sighed. “So what’s in the bag already?”
“What if I told you it was rope because I wanted to tie you up?”
I thought about it for a second, then shrugged. “I think I could get into that.”
He blew out a frustrated whoosh of air. “Damn. I should have bought rope.”
“That would entail a trip to the hardware store. I’m guessing you’re not a big DIY yourself kind of guy and don’t even know where one is.”
“How about one of those sex toy balls that strap around your face, so you can’t talk. What if I told you that was in the bag, big mouth?”
“A ball gag?”
“You knew what I was talking about fast enough.”
I leaned in and whispered, “I have Caddyshack, Happy Gilmore, and Anchorman, too. But instead of boring Civil War movies, I might have a few movies in a different genre.”
He groaned. “Are you telling me you have a porn stash?”
“Maybe.”
“You couldn’t be more perfect if I’d made you myself.”
“Thought you didn’t like my wiseass mouth?”
“Your wiseass mouth makes me hard, and later I’m going to fuck that mouth. You’re right, I don’t know where the damn hardware store is, but I’m resourceful, and I’m sure I can find something to secure your arms and legs while I have at it.”
He was only teasing, but listening to him talk about tying me up had me aroused, and Graham saw it on my face. “Fuck, Soraya.”
“Yes. Please.”
That was all he needed. It wasn’t until hours later that I finally learned what was inside the bag—the lingerie he had bought at Bergdorf’s the afternoon he went to pay for my dress for the gala. I didn’t get to wear it that night, but I did get a promise from Graham that the drawer would be filled with more interesting things for my next snooping session.
The next morning, I woke to a fully dressed Graham stroking my cheek. My eyes fluttered open. “Hey. Did I oversleep?”
“No. I’m early. I have a busy day and wanted to get an early start.”
I stretched my arms up over my head, causing the sheet to slip down and expose my bare breasts. The morning chill made my nipples instantly hard.
“Don’t do that. I’ll never leave.” Graham rubbed two fingers over one of the stiff peaks.
“Mmm…”
“Soraya…” he warned.
“What? That feels good. Don’t touch it if you don’t want my reaction.”
He shook his head. “Will you stay with me tonight again? I’m going to be late, but I’d love to come home to this beautiful sight in my bed.”
“You have to work late?” I looked out the bedroom window. “It’s not even light yet, and you’re already planning on working until after it’s dark.”
“No. I need to go by the wake tonight. There’s a session from seven to nine this evening, so I’ll probably stay at the office until then.”
“Oh.”
“Will you be here when I come home?”
“Why don’t I go with you tonight? To the funeral parlor. You shouldn’t have to do it alone. I can’t imagine it will be pleasant, your ex-best friend whose company you were trying to buy and his grieving wife who also happens to be your ex-girlfriend. You could use some company.”
“You’d do that for me?”
“Of course. Although it seems to be a thing for me lately. Funerals and dates.”
Graham chuckled and kissed me gently. “I’ll pick you up at 6:30. And thank you.”
After he left, I lay in bed for a little while before getting up. I couldn’t stop thinking…tonight was going to be interesting.