“Congratulations, Maya. Sounds like you just had your first orgasm.” As I said this, I chuckled.
“Oh my.” She laughed softly. “Well, that was a big step up on my other disastrous experiences. Wow,” she said in awe. “Now I know.” She took in a deep breath, adding on an exhale, “Now I know why people do this. Orgasms.”
“Now that it’s run its course, how do you feel?”
She yawned. “Too tired to be embarrassed.”
I tipped my head back and laughed. It warmed my heart when she chuckled along with me. “Oh, Maya. It was a pleasure for you, but mostly for me.”
She uttered a soft, “Quinn?”
“Yeah?”
She slurred sleepily, “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” I’d said that a lot in this business, but this time, I meant it. “I probably should go. Goodnight, babe. Sweet dreams.”
Her response warmed me. “’Night, honey.”
Later that night, I fucked the sense out of my client, Monica. She moaned, screamed, and came over and over as I plowed her.
And I felt nothing.
Not a damn thing.
Mia
The smile on my face was a new addition to the morning. It was definitely a welcome one, that was for sure.
After my very first orgasm, I slept. I slept in the nude, and this was something I had never been able to do before without feeling bothered by it. I slept in the nude, and enjoyed it so much that I’d already planned to do it again tonight.
This morning when I woke, I felt light and refreshed. My step had a bounce to it, and I had one person to thank for that.
Quinn.
What was it about him?
I’d chosen him specifically for the nature of his character. It didn’t hurt that he was gorgeous and he knew how to treat a woman in the bedroom, and as I had recently discovered, out of it as well.
Damn.
The flutters in my belly hadn’t stopped since this morning. Sunday was approaching and I was nervous. This man had heard me come. He knew the intimate sounds I made as I pleasured myself.
How humiliating. God. Why did he have to be so thoughtful? And sweet? And funny? I hadn’t been expecting that side of him. I thought he’d be an arrogant prick. After all, he had all the elements to back up such arrogance.
But he wasn’t arrogant. He was incredible. I found myself appreciative of the unlikely friendship we had developed. I just hope it didn’t get weird come Sunday.
I strolled into work with my hair down and walked by Ella, greeting her with a tiny wave. I placed an apple on Pip’s desk and winked at him as he bit into it, chuckling. It was going to be a good day. I could feel it in my bones.
My desk was smaller than the others, but today, that didn’t bother me. I sat down, got comfortable, and logged into my computer. I still had ten minutes before I was officially on the clock, so I reached into my bag and pulled out my cell.
Me: Is the happiness meant to last this long? My cheeks hurt from smiling. I don’t think I like it.
Behind me, a cautious voice asked, “What is up with you today?”
Gasping in fright, I clutched at my chest and spun in my chair. When I saw her standing there with narrowed eyes and tapping her foot, I sighed. “Jesus, Ella. You scared the crap out of me!”
She looked at me in a way that said ‘I’m onto you.’ Then she sniffed the air around me.
Brows almost to my hairline, I smacked her arm and whisper-hissed, “Stop it! You’re freaking me out.”
Just then, my cell chirped. I checked it quickly.
Quinn: Hell yeah. What did I tell ya? Amazing stress relief.
I smiled down at the display as Ella asked, “Who’s that?”
Sobering in an instant, I placed my cell face-down on my desk. “No one.”
She snorted. “Yeah, right. You’re clearly not crushing on whoever is textin—” Understanding dawned on her and she smacked my arm. “Oh, my God! You’re fucking
him
! Who is he?” In-between my shushing and trying in vain to cover her mouth as she babbled, “Girl, you better tell me who this guy is. We are workplace BFFs. We don’t keep shit from each other!” I gave in.
“He’s just a friend.”
She grinned, her smile sly and catlike. “Yuh huh. Sure.”
I shook my head. “No, I swear. He’s a friend. That’s it.”
Her wild, curly hair falling over her shoulder, she flicked it back with a sassy flip of the hand. “Well, if he’s just a friend, you better be telling him about your sweet, sexy friend Ella who has more curves than he can likely handle. Tell him she really needs to get laid, you dig?”
In a moment of complete brainfart, I almost told her where she could hire him for the night. Slapping a hand over my mouth in alarm, I simply nodded.
As she walked away, she looked me up and down before muttering absently, “God, you are so weird.”
I slid back into my office chair, fighting a groan, and stared absently into my computer screen.
Damn, Ella… you don’t know the half of it.
Work was uneventful. This was probably because Addison had worked offsite today. It was as if the entire office was happier, in better spirits, because she wasn’t there.
And although I felt the same as the others, it was kind of sad that one person had the power to make an entire office full of people cower in fear.
In short…Addison was a super bitch.
Mom had invited me over for dinner, not that I needed an invite. The invitation was more of an order. I was avoiding her, and she was onto me.
Harry was waiting for me when I walked out of the office with a grin. “Yo, turd!”
Not quite reaching to his level of name-calling, I discreetly scratched at my face with my middle finger. I could not let my work peers hear me call my brother a douche canoe…or could I? I didn’t think the workplace etiquette pamphlet I received covered sibling name-calling.
Just as I approached the car, a hand stopped me, lightly gripping my arm. “Mia?”
I looked up to see my outer-office boss. “Nicholas.” I smiled, genuinely surprised. “Hi.”
My brother’s expression turned into a scowl. “Can I help you?”
Nicholas peered over at my brother. “I’m Nicholas Dietrich, Mia’s boss.” He spoke confidently and held out a hand, which I knew my brother would take. They shook hands and my brother introduced himself as I rocked back on my heels. “So…”
Nicholas ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry to bother you. I need to get into the office. Can I borrow your pass?”
Confusion crossed my face. “Why can’t you use yours?”
He looked at me, but glanced over at my brother before clearing his throat and explaining cautiously through gritted teeth, “Someone seems to have deactivated my card.”
Understanding dawned in my mind.
Addison.
What a bitch. She couldn’t do that. It was his business too.
Harry cleared his throat and I looked up with an apologetic expression. “Can you wait a few minutes?”
He sighed and rolled his eyes. “If I get a parking ticket for your stalling—he pointed at Nicholas— “then you’re paying.”
Nicholas held up a hand in agreement. “Of course. I only need a minute.”
Harry nodded, puffing out a breath and waving us off.
We walked to the elevator in silence. Only when the doors closed behind us, he spoke, “How are you liking Addison Ltd?”
A beaming smile appeared on my face. “I love it. I love the people. I love the work-pace. I lo— Well, I like the boss.”
He snorted. “You do? I find that hard to believe.” He looked forward, but side-eyed me. “Has she given you ‘the talk’ yet?”
I shrugged. “What talk?”
He gently shook his head. “The don’t-fuck-my-husband talk.”
My mouth gaped. I leaned forward and whisper-hissed, “She does that a lot?”
Nicholas chuckled. And it sounded like rolling thunder. I liked that. He confirmed, “She gave you ‘the talk.’”
“I don’t understand her. She still uses her married name, calls you her husband, and acts crazy when you’re in the vicinity. I don’t get it.”
He made a noise deep in his throat, a little like a growl. “She likes the benefits of still being considered a Dietrich.”
I watched him closely as his jaw worked. He was a very attractive man. I thought about what he said and his assumption. I had an assumption of my own.
Looking back to the doors, my brows rose. “Or she still loves you.”
The elevator doors opened before Nicholas could respond. I scanned my card and we both walked into the office. I followed him down to his deserted quarters and stood by the door. He went through his things, muttering, “Damn,” and, “It’s gotta be here.” Before long, he placed his hands on his hips and came up empty-handed, looking frustrated. “I know where it is. It’s in Addison’s office. But I can’t get in there without her key and she takes it everywhere with her.” He slammed the desk drawer, making me jump, and breathed, “Damn.”
I didn’t say a thing. I didn’t want to get involved in something that clearly wasn’t my business.
Nicholas blew out a long breath. “Sorry. I know your boyfriend is waiting for you.”
My face bunched in disgust. “Firstly,
ew
. Secondly, Harry is my
brother
.”
He stood tall while his head tilted to the side in thought. “There is a slight resemblance.” His eyes searched my face and I felt as though I was being dissected, taken apart. “Is there
a
boyfriend?”
I was finding it hard to swallow. Somehow I managed to let out a hushed, “Not at the moment.”
He absently scratched at his chin. “Interesting.”
“Not really.” My shoulders jerked weakly. “I should probably go. If you’re done, that is.”
He nodded. “Right. I apologize for wasting your time, Mia.”
As we walked side-by-side, I smiled. “That’s okay. All you kept me from was my mom’s meatloaf,”—my eyes widened dramatically—“and trust me, that’s more than okay with me.”
His lip twitched. “Mom not a great cook?”
“Oh no, she’s a great cook. But her portion sizes are astronomical, and if I don’t eat every morsel on my plate, she puts on a guilt trip of massive proportions and I spend the rest of the night feeling like crap. But Harry and I have a system. Every time Mom gets up, he snags pieces of my food.”
Nicholas’ eyes dropped down to my light smile. “Sounds like he’s a good brother.”
I nodded once. “The best.”
He held the door open for me and followed me out. “Thanks again, Mia.”
“Anytime, Nicholas.” I smiled at him and lifted my hand in goodbye then made my way back to the car just in time to sit and listen to Harry’s loud and tone-deaf a cappella version of “Living on a Prayer.” He started the car as soon as I got in, turned to me, tapping the steering wheel, and yelled a lively and animated, “
Oh, we’re halfway there! Whoa…livin’ on a prayer!
” He held his hand out. “
Take my hand…
” I slapped it away and he looked affronted, but kept singing, “
We’ll make it, I swear!
”
I shook my head and looked out the window, trying hard not to laugh. But when he wound down his window and shrieked, “
Bon Jovi fo’ life, bitches!
” I lost my fight, bursting into fits of laughter. We spent the rest of the car ride singing and dancing without the radio. And when we got to Mom’s, it wasn’t so bad.
She only tried to sneak me one extra serving of dinner and two of dessert.
Still in the afterglow of my big
O
, I arrived to work on Friday morning in a state of Zen.
Making my way past Ella, I touched her pretty hair and muttered, “Morning, El,” with a small smile.
Ella croaked out, “Mia, wait!” but I didn’t stop. Instead, I turned to look at her as I walked backwards to my desk. The look on her face told me something was wrong. I slowed my step, but kept walking. “What?”
A cough from behind me sounded. I paused mid-step and turned. Addison stood there perfectly coiffed, as usual, and she looked madder than a wet hen. Her lips thin, she uttered a deadly, “My office. Now.”
Oh, shit.
I was in trouble. I
never
got into trouble. I was trouble-free. A no war zone. I was fucking Switzerland, goddamn it!
I thought hard. What had I done?
It hit me as soon as I entered her office. I started to utter, “I can explain…” when she cut me off with, “I had one rule. One rule, Mia.” She poised herself on the edge of her desk. “I’m so disappointed.”
I was confused. “I’m sorry…but what?”
Her smile was as icy as fro-yo and her voice was warning. “I told you to stay away from him.”
My face paled as my heart raced in panic. I was about to lose my job. “But I didn’t do anything!” I stepped closer and explained in a rush, “Mr. Dietrich caught me as I was leaving and he asked me to let him in, because his pass had been deactivated. As far as I know, Mr. Dietrich is still the owner of this business…”
Addison hissed, “
Part
owner.”
“…and by not letting him in, I could have left myself open to cursory action on his part. As a new employee of this business, I had only followed orders given to me by my superior. Surely I can’t be punished for following the orders given to me by my boss.” She didn’t respond. A short burst of courage passed through me, surprising even myself, so I added for good measure, “If you attempt to punish me, I’ll take this matter to my lawyer.”
I wasn’t sure it was possible, but her eyes flashed and her expression turned even colder. Through gritted teeth, she muttered, “That will be all, Mia.”
Before she could change her mind, I walked back to my desk, hoping the flicker of respect I had seen in her eyes was not indeed a figment of my imagination.