Possessed - Part Three (2 page)

When I show up at Stephanie’s door, she squeals, slams her hand in front of her mouth, and then drags me in, closing the door behind me.

“Oh, my God! Sam, you have to tell me everything.” I throw off my coat as she pulls me into the hallway. “Did you get your phone back?” she asks.

“Yes. He came to my house with the phone. And then he told me that he was Mr. Awesome.”

She stops in her tracks, turns around, and stares at me, her jaw dropping. “No …”

“Yes.”

“No …”

I muffle a laugh. “Stop saying no.”

“Your boss is that dude from the app you were secretly texting?”

“Yes,” I say, slamming my mouth shut, feeling embarrassed already.

“I can’t believe it!” she yells, shaking her head. “This is too good to be true.”

“Good? Oh, no, definitely not,” I say as we move into the kitchen.

She starts making hot water. “Sit, sit,” she says.

I sit down in the chair next to the window and stare outside. I feel totally numbed by what happened today and yesterday. It’s like I’m dreaming … only, I can’t decide whether it’s a good dream or a nightmare.

Stephanie comes back with tea and cookies, which I munch up quickly. “Spill it!” she says.

“Which part?” I ask with a mouthful.

“Everything of course!”

“Well … most of it is just cringe worthy, to be honest. I mean, first I sleep with him. Twice. And then he tells me he’s that dude I had casual fucking sex with.”

“What? Casual sex?” Her jaw drops again.

“Oh, yeah … I forgot to tell you that part.”

“Oh, my God, you ho-bag!” she jests, punching me in the shoulder. “I love you.”

“For sexting with a stranger? I’m so dirty,” I say, taking a sip of my tea.

“No; for just doing whatever the fuck you want.” She laughs. “You gotta enjoy life. Who cares if you sext or exchanged naked pictures with a random stranger?”

“He wasn’t so random, after all …” I muse.

“That only makes it better!” she says, smiling. “It’s like being handed a winning lottery ticket.”

“It’s confusing, really. I mean, Leo is one man, and Mr. Awesome was another. And now the two just suddenly merge. It just doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s weird, you know. To see them both as the same man.”

“But it’s perfect! He likes you, you like him. You’ve been chatting with a guy for sex. Now you get to have both.”

“Who said I like him?” I look up from my tea.

“Oh, please, it’s written all over your face,” she muses. “You can’t hide shit from me, girl. Don’t even try to pretend.”

I laugh, sipping up some more of this strawberry tea. My favorite. “Well, maybe. Maybe I like him. Just a teeny, tiny bit.” I make a small gap with my index finger and thumb.

“Bullshit. You like him a lot. Otherwise, it wouldn’t bother you the way it does. You’d just not want anything to do with him anymore, say goodbye, and find a new job.” She reaches for my arm. “Instead, you’re here, talking to me about how confused you are. You’re not confused. You just can’t deal with the truth. You hate yourself for liking him.”

“Hmm …”

“You just like dicks.”

I gasp. “Steph!”

“Not in that way, although … yes, definitely in that way, too!”

I throw a cookie at her. “You did not just say that.”

“I meant the dick bit more as douchebaggery, but this works, too.”

“Ugh, you’re not helping.”

“I know, that’s what friends are for, honey. To smack you in the face with the cold, hard truth.” She throws a cookie back at me. “Now eat the damn cookie. You need some cheering up.”

I chuckle. “Thanks.”

“So, you’ve been sexting with him … no wonder he suddenly got all interested in you.”

“Yeah, it does explain a few things. But I didn’t just sext with the guy. I actually told him how shitty I felt about my boss. Imagine Leo reading that crap I said about him … to his face. Oh, God.” I bury my face in my hands. “What have I done? I should’ve never gone to that app.”

“Stop! Seriously, stop.” She rips my hands from underneath my head, causing my head to bump into the table.

“Ouch,” I say.

“That’s what you get for slamming your head into my table, idiot.”

“Well, you pulled my arms away.”

“Because you’re talking shit about yourself, and I won’t allow it. You had fun on that app. You needed it.” She points another cookie at me. “And if you don’t stop denying the fact that you enjoyed doing it and don’t stop acting all embarrassed for being a woman with needs, I will fucking throw another cookie at you. Just like Iago and that Sultan. I’ma put you in a cage and force you to eat cookies, woman. Don’t make me do it.” She threatens me with the cookie, almost making me snort out my tea.

“I get it, I get it. No more cookies, please. I beg you,” I say, laughing.

“No more shame for random sex. No more,” she reiterates.

“Yes, yes, I know,” I say. “It’s just the fact that he’s my freaking boss which makes it so uncomfortable. If it were any other guy, I’d be okay with it … I think.”

“Don’t think. Stop thinking. Just listen to your bloody heart for once. What’s it saying?” she asks, eating the cookie she just threatened me with.

“All kinds of different things, none of them are clear.”

“Like what?”

“That I hate him for lying to my face. For not giving a shit all this time and then liking me all of the sudden. For using me. For seducing me into bed.”

“You wanted him to seduce your heart first,” she says.

“Exactly.” I warm my hands on the cup of tea. They suddenly feel so cold.

“Well, sometimes things start reversed. That doesn’t mean they’re bad or not real.”

“But he was never interested in me before! Not before that whole fake wife thing.”

“Maybe he was, but he just didn’t show you.”

“Why? Why would he do that?” I ask, my voice fluctuating in tone.

“Wait.” She holds up her hand. “First, another cookie.” She holds it out to me. “Eat it. You know you want to. Keep it together, woman. No falling apart on my table.”

I snatch it from her hand and take a bite. “Good girl,” she says, and we both laugh, crumbles falling from my mouth.

“Maybe he was afraid. Maybe he didn’t want you to get hurt. Who knows? Only he does, really. You should ask him.”

“But then I come across as the whiny bitch.”

“If he thinks that, ditch him right away. We talked about this already,” she says, frowning.

I roll my eyes. “Steph …”

“Yeah, I know, you aren’t able to actually ditch him because he’s your boss. Oh, and you like him too much.”

I sigh. “Oh, here we go again.”

“Stop denying it. You like him, and he hurt you. That’s why you’re so mad. Not because of all that shit he did. You know he’s genuine. He likes you. Why else would he go through all that trouble to hook up with you?”

“For sex,” I say.

“A guy like him can get sex anywhere, honey. He wanted it from you and only you. That says something.” She takes a drink from her tea.

“Hmm … maybe you’re right. I should just ask him upfront. I’m just being a chicken shit.”

“Exactly.”

“That’s why I came to your house right away. He was at my house, telling me about this Mr. Awesome thing.”

“You came to the right place to spout your feelings. Now that we’re on that topic, what’s the current stance on him and his wife? Is it real?”

“Yes. He explained that he’s trying to divorce her, but she won’t allow it. She wants his money now. Bitch got hurt, now she wants to suck him dry.”

“Holy shit, well that at least puts him in the clear.”

“Not really. He got drunk and married her, and then when she didn’t want to help him keep up the façade in front of his parents, he got me to help him instead. I mean, it’s still pretty bad.” I make a face.

“Tell me about it …” she says, sighing. “Well, at least you know now. He’s not as bad as he looks. He’s just desperate to keep up a certain image … and to keep you.” She winks.

“Maybe. I really need to talk with him.”

“Yes, you do. And if you don’t want a relationship with him, at least make sure you get the money he promised you before you quit your job.”

I laugh. “Wow, you got this all figured out, don’t you?”

“I got you covered, girl.” She cracks her knuckles. “You know that.”

“Always.” I smile. “Thanks for listening. I really appreciate it. We haven’t done this often enough lately.”

“Tell me about it, sheesh. If my life were only half as interesting as yours was, I’d be jumping through the roof. Instead, I get a date with a smug asshole who only wants to fuck.”

“Oh, God, is that the guy from …”

She nods, which tells me enough. “I’m sorry, Steph.”

“Don’t be. At least I got great sex. That’s already a huge plus. Now all I need is to find a real man. Hey, I heard about this app that can produce wonderful men who love pleasing women and aren’t too shy to show their true colors. Think you could hook me up?” she jokes.

I pick up a few crumbs from the table and throw them at her face. “Ha-ha. If only it was as easy as you make it sound. This isn’t some kind of perfect fairy tale.”

“Life isn’t perfect. You just gotta roll with the dice you’re given!”

“Oh, such wisdom, Yoda. Write a book about it, must you.”

“I wish,” she says. “But my writing sucks. I’ll leave that part up to you.”

“Geez, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

We drink our tea, and it’s quiet for a second, but then she opens her mouth again.

“You know, I think you should go talk to him.”

I chuckle. “No shit, Sherlock.”

“Why are you still sitting at my table then?” she retorts.

“Cookies. Why else? Not because of you,” I jest, laughing.

She throws another cookie at my face. “Here’s your fucking cookie.”

“Thanks, I needed that.”

“You can ask him to throw cookies at your face the whole day. Better yet, go ask him now.” She throws another one.

“Okay, okay, I get it.” I hold up my arms to protect myself.

“You obviously care about him or whatever. You have a problem, go solve it.”

“But what do I ask? I’m not even sure I want to know the answer.”

“Knowing is better than not knowing. Besides, it’s not like it can get any worse, right?”

“Gee, thanks, bitch,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“You’re welcome,” she muses. “I’ll be your bitch anytime.” She gets up and brings our mugs back to the kitchen while I grab my coat. “Now go find out if he’s for real.”

“Thanks, I will. Wish me luck!” I say as she opens the door to let me out.

“I’ll be texting you!” she yells after me. “You’d better text back. I want to know all the details, you hear me?”

“I will,” I yell. “But first I have a man to catch.”

She winks. “Whip out that fishing pole, girl!”

When I arrive at my house, I find Leo’s limo parked right outside my house.

With furrowed brows, I stare at it while parking my own car in my driveway. As I step out, Leo does, too.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“Waiting for you,” he muses, smiling.

“You were here all this time?” I frown.

He walks toward me, tucking his sunglasses into the hem of his shirt. “Yes. I didn’t leave.”

Wow, this dedication is kind of awe-inducing. “Why? I was away for like an hour or something.”

“I know. I don’t care,” he says, casually strolling toward me. “I’ll wait as long as I have to.”

“Okay …” I gulp.

“Can we talk? Because I think we left off on the wrong foot.”

“Yeah, that was pretty much the moment you mentioned that you were Mr. Awesome.”

“About that … I have a very good reason.”

“Tell me then,” I say, turning toward him. “If you care so much about me, prove it.”

He cocks his head. “All right. If you want me to spill it all here out on the street, I will. For you.”

I swallow from his comment. Now I feel bad for making him do this. However, I want to know why he went on to the app and played along for so long, knowing it was me.

“I didn’t go on the app to find girls. I went on the app to find you.”

I frown, shocked. “To find me? So you’re telling me this wasn’t about getting laid?”

“Well, it was, but I only wanted you.” He hides a smile, his skin flushing a bit. “If you mean that I went after girls before you, of course I did. Any man does that. All men want to get laid, but they want a girlfriend, too.”

“Right … that’s not making this any better, Leo. I don’t understand why you’d want to connect with me on the app. You’ve been ignoring me all the time that I’ve worked for you.”

He holds out his hand in defeat. “That’s because I didn’t know what to do with myself.” He sighs. “Okay, hear me out. When you applied for the job, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Physically, you were everything I love. And when you opened your mouth, I fell in love with your voice. I wanted to hear that potty mouth talk every day. When you accepted the job, I thought I was dreaming.”

I don’t know what to say. My jaw drops; I’m flabbergasted.

“But I knew it wasn’t right,” he proceeds. “You work for me. How would that look? A CEO dating his employee? Everybody would talk. They’d accuse you of trying to get higher up. They’d accuse me of favoring you for a job because of sex. It’s taboo.”

“I know, which is why I don’t think this is a good idea,” I add.

I don’t know why I’m saying this. Maybe I’m just being chicken shit, but sweat is literally dripping down my back.

“That’s what I thought, too. But I couldn’t stop staring at you. When you talked to me, I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to make it look like I was hitting on you, so I opted for nothing at all. Besides, it would make it easier. At least, that’s what I thought.”

“It kind of hurt my feelings, you know.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I couldn’t stay away, either. And you know what else? I’m sorry for finding out you were on that dating app.”

“How did you find out?” I ask, tilting my head, curious for his answer.

He places his hand on the back of his head. “I went through your email.”

My jaw drops again. “You went through my private files?”

“Technically, they’re company files.”

“Not if you’re looking at my emails!” I yell.

“Right …” He bites his lips, frowning. “I know it’s bad, I just couldn’t resist. Once I knew, I made an account there, and next thing I know, I was chatting with you as Mr. Awesome. Talking to you without the stigma, without all the fuss … it was addictive.” He clears his throat. “I couldn’t stop. Especially not when I found out that you love to be dominated. My cock had a will of its own when that came out. It was like a match made in heaven.”

“So, you went to that app because of me? To talk to me and seduce me?” I repeat.

He licks his lips. “Yes … it was meant to be something casual, innocent. But I kept wanting more and more. Then the incident in Las Vegas occurred and I had to turn to you to be my fake wife. That’s when I knew I couldn’t resist the temptation anymore.”

“So that’s why you suddenly started showing interest …”

He takes a step closer. “Sam, I’ve never
not
been interested.”

“But you weren’t allowing yourself to take the step.”

“Exactly,” he says.

I look down at the ground. “But … that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still wrong because I work for you.”

“It doesn’t, but I don’t care anymore. I
have
to have you. Even if that means facing legal problems.”

I take in a much-needed breath, feeling overwhelmed by what he just told me. If it’s true, then … wow.

“Do you believe me?” he says.

I nod. “I think so, but it doesn’t make it any less … scary.” I turn around and walk toward my door.

“Scary how?” he asks, following me.

“Well, the fact that my boss knows how I truly feel about him, coupled with all the dirty details about my sexual appetite, makes it kind of shameful.”

“That’s nothing to be ashamed about. I actually admire how you express your sexual freedom. I haven’t met many girls open and willing to do those things.” He leans in as I turn the key in the lock. “That’s why I like you. You’re not afraid to do what you love and speak your mind.”

“I might be afraid… a little,” I say.

“Of me? There’s no reason to be. I won’t hold anything against you. I won’t tell anyone. It can be our dirty secret.” His finger gently strokes my arm, causing goosebumps to scatter all over my body.

“I don’t want a dirty secret, Leo …” I say. “I want something real. Something I can feel in my heart, not just in my vagina.”

He chuckles, coming even closer until his arm is around my body, his hand resting on my belly. His head is near my ear, and he whispers, “Why do you think I don’t want that?”

“Because of what you do … you tease … you seduce …” I mutter.

“To prove to you that I am what you want,” he says, his hand still caressing my arm, making me shudder. “What you’ve been looking for on that app as well as in real life.”

“What do you think I want? Have you asked me?”

“You’ve told me many times. You want a relationship. Someone you can trust. Someone who gives you what you need. Someone who makes you laugh. I’m sorry if I missed a few points there, but let me prove to you that I
am
that man.”

“Or you’re just trying to get into my pants again,” I say.

When I try to open the door, he pulls the handle, closing it again. I whimper, feeling his body so close to mine.

“You’re right, I am. I won’t deny that. I think about having you every day … in my bed, in yours, on the couch, on the table, in the kitchen, on my desk, under the shower, in the bathroom of that cafe we went to.”

I slam my lips together to prevent a giggle from escaping. I can actually imagine us having sex at all of those places and more. Does that make me dirty? Or just honest?

“I know you thought about it, too. We want each other so badly we hate each other for it. But why? What’s the point?”

I sigh. “I don’t know. But I won’t admit it.”

“Because you think it makes you weak?”

“Because I’m afraid I’ll get hurt if I do.” There, I said it. It’s the truth.

“I can’t promise you that I won’t hurt your feelings every once in a while. Sometimes that shit just happens,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t try to make you as happy as you can possibly be.”

“You want me … How do I know it’s not just temporary?” I say.

“I’ve always wanted you, and it won’t stop. Not just now, but every day, I want you near me. I want to touch you, I want to hear you, taste you, everything. I want you, Sam. I
need
you. Not just for a day. That’s the truth. And I know you want me, too. You turned to the app to find someone who could fulfill all your needs. I
am
that guy.”

“Not just sexually,” I add, sucking in a breath when he breathes hot air into my ear.

“Would any man try this hard if he wasn’t out to claim a girl’s heart?” he muses.

“I don’t know … I’d take you for a panty whore.”

He chuckles. “Only when it comes to your panties.” He sniffs my neck, making me laugh. “You always smell so nice.”

“You’re such an animal, sniffing and groping me.”

He growls, “Just for you, Princess.”

I shiver when he calls me that.

He turns me around in his arms, placing one hand on the door and the other on my face. His thumb gently strokes my cheek, an appreciative smile adorning his face. “I love you.”

“What …?”

“I love you, Sam. I always have.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Is this real? I feel like I could scream, cry, and jump him all at the same time. His thumb brushes along my broad smile, and before I have time to say anything back, he leans in and presses his lips to mine.