The Beginning of Us (93 page)

Making my way to the closest coffee shop, I stopped suddenly when I saw a black limo parked out front.

I shook myself.
Lots of people use limos, Keely
. Yeah. Right.

Forcing myself to take a step forward, I headed inside the coffee shop and joined the line. The scent of coffee beans, spices, and baked goods invaded my nostrils, making my stomach growl.

“Two venti coffees, please. Your strongest.”

My eyes popped up at the familiar deep, smooth voice coming from the man standing at the counter. The black pinstriped suit clung to his large, hard body, fitting him in all the right places.

Parker
. My mouth watered, my stomach giving a flip. My body was hungry, in need of substance that wasn’t food. My cheeks heated, momentarily surprised at the way he affected me.

His back straightened and he looked down at me over his shoulder. A slight smirk spread across his ruggedly handsome face. “Whatever she wants,” he turned back to the barista. “Is on me.”

I coughed. What I wouldn’t give to take him up on that.

He winked at me and grabbed his drinks. Making his way towards me, he leaned down to my ear. “I look forward to seeing you in my office...pet.”

My eyes widened and I couldn’t help but stare as he left the small cafe.

“Ma’am?”

I cleared my throat, as I turned back around. “Sorry.” I quickly made my order and headed to Reed Industries, not knowing what Parker had in store for me. I didn’t know much about the man but that the kiss we shared left an undying need fluttering in the pits of my being. Desire unfurled deep in my belly just thinking about the guy. He had stirred something inside of me: darkness, to the point where all I thought about was him and I hadn’t even known him for twenty-four hours.

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the overwhelming building heading towards my impending doom. I clutched my purse tight against my body, rolling my shoulders back and forth until the knot in my neck loosened.

As I made my way into the clean and crisp office building, my breathing accelerated, my body tingling. The closer I got to Parker’s floor, the louder the blood rang in my ears. My heart beat louder and harder as I got closer and closer to him. All I could think about was his hands on me. The taste of his breath. The scent of his skin.

By the time I made it to his floor, I was trembling with an unexpected want. Anxiety gnawed away at my gut, twisting and turning in its wake.

“Miss Price?”

“Hi Liz,” I squeaked out at the receptionist.

She smiled softly and shook her head. “Mr. Reed is ready for you.”

I took a breath and walked past her.

“Keely?”

“Yes?” I answered, stopping in my tracks.

“Be careful,” she whispered.

I chewed my bottom lip and nodded before pushing through the big double doors. “Mr...I mean, Sir?”

Parker stood at the large window that overlooked the city, his hands clasped together behind his back. “Come here.”

I closed the door behind me, placed my coffee and purse on the table, and walked over to him.

Without looking at me, he grabbed my hand and pulled me in front of him before placing his hands on my shoulders.

The slight contact sent a shiver over my body, the tiny hairs on my skin standing at attention. “Sir?”

His large hand moved to my throat, his thumb grazing back and forth over the side of my neck. His hold was gentle but strong.

It did things to me that I couldn’t explain. It made me feel…
owned
. Like I belonged. For once in my life. It should have scared me but it didn’t. Warning bells should have gone off in my head, but they never did. For some reason, being this close to another man, to Parker, I felt safe.

“What do you think of the view?” he asked, keeping his hands on me.

“Um...” I glanced out the window and stared in awe. The morning sun was just rising, peeking out over the tall buildings with an orange reddish glow, kissing the city. “Breathtaking,” I answered.

“I agree but I was thinking of moving my office or moving to a different part of the city altogether. I’m not sure. What do you think, Keely?”

I stared up at him. “You want my opinion?”

He tilted my head and leaned me against him. “Yes, angel, I do.”

The connection I felt with this man terrified me. His big body pressed against the back of mine; parts of him pushing into me that were larger than what I could have ever imagined.

He placed his hands on the window, caging me in. “Tell me.”

“I...I really love the view. You can watch the city wake up and it’s…it’s like you’re on top of the world.” I couldn’t help but note the symbols on his knuckles, the intricate designs on his forearms. Did he have tattoos everywhere? More piercings? What made him get them in the first place?

“What are you thinking about, little one?” he whispered in my ear.

“Your tattoos,” I breathed.

“Do you like them?” His lips grazed over the shell of my ear spreading a hot tingle over my body.

I nodded. “They’re against everything a businessman is supposed to look like.”

“And what does a businessman look like?” He grabbed my wrists and placed my hands on the window, holding me in place.

My heart gave a nervous start at being restrained but a bigger part of me enjoyed it. “Clean shaven.”

He brushed his cheek against mine, the slight stubble scratching at my skin. “What else?”

I chewed my bottom lip. “No piercings or tattoos.”

“No? Well, that’s boring.”

“Parker...I don’t know what you want but—”

He pushed into me. “You’re not stupid. You clearly know what I want.” His grip on my wrists tightened.

I gasped when he ground his pelvis against my rear. The hard erection he was sporting made a moan escape my lips. “Why?”

“I like the way you submit to me,” he purred in my ear and let me go.

On shaky legs, I turned to him as he sat in his large leather chair. “I...what do you mean?”

“You don’t know me but your body is comfortable enough with me to do what I want.” He rubbed his chin. “Subconsciously? You’re mine and you don’t even know it yet.”

My mouth opened and closed. I didn’t know what to say. I felt like maybe I should apologize for giving in so easily. “So just because I apparently bend to your will, that’s the reason why you want me?”

He rubbed the scruff of his jaw, a slight smirk spreading on his face. “You do things to me that no woman ever has. The idea of getting inside of you is all I think about.”

My jaw dropped at his casual confession. “Well…I’ve been with a man like you. I’m not doing that again.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

I nodded, swallowing hard at the cold confidence that oozed out of his pores.

“I will crack your walls, beautiful.”

I turned away, glancing out the window. My walls. With a shaky hand, I brushed the curls that had fallen free from my bun off of my face. “You’re the boss...”

“And that means that I can do whatever and whomever I want, little one.”

“Why?” I whispered.

He shrugged. “That I’m trying to figure out, angel.”

His pet names for me made my stomach flutter and my heart skip a beat but the one that struck a chord with me was...

“Pet.”

Yup. That one. “Why do you call me that?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Does it offend you?”

“No. Not at all.” Not that he would care if it did anyways.

“What’s the problem, then?” he asked, spinning towards me.

“I...I don’t know.” I shook myself, needing to change the conversation. “You hired me as your assistant. What do you need me to do?”

He gave a small smirk before turning back around in his chair. “Go give Liz all of your information so we can make sure you get paid. And then I want you familiarizing yourself with Reed Industries.”

I nodded and headed towards the door.

“Come back after you speak with Liz.”

***

“If you could ask me anything, what would it be?” Parker asked during lunch before stuffing a piece of sushi in his mouth.

“Hmm...” I curled my feet under me on the white leather couch in his office and looked down at my handwritten notes. “How did you start it all?” We had been chatting all morning about his company. I was truly fascinated with how they were in the market for young entrepreneurs. He started at a young age and he wanted to pass his knowledge to other likeminded kids and young adults.

“That’s what you want to ask me?”

I frowned. “Well, what else would I ask?”

He leaned back on the couch across from me and crossed his ankle over the opposite knee. “How about why I kissed you last night?”

My cheeks heated. “Well...okay. There is that. So…why did you?”

“One question.” His eyes shone with amusement. “Is that what you want to know?”

I nodded slowly.

He rose from his spot on the couch and closed the distance between us. He brushed the back of his hand down my cheek.

I shivered under his touch, swaying towards him. Mentally hinting for him to take it further. My eyes fluttered closed and I tilted my head, silently begging for him to kiss me.

“That’s why,” he whispered in my ear.

I gasped when his hand wrapped around my throat and he pushed my head back against the couch. “Parker.”

His eyes darkened. “When you are in this office, you will call me Sir.”

“Yes…” I licked my dry lips. “Sir.”

He grinned and pulled me to my feet.

I followed him around to his desk as he sat in the large chair.

“You’ve been studying my company all morning.”

“I still don’t know everything,” I said while he clicked away on the computer.

“And you probably never will.” He clicked a couple keys on the keyboard, windows popping up every so often on the computer screen. “I started this business when I was twenty-one. I didn’t inherit it. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. My parents made okay money but never enough to put me through school. I worked three jobs to pay my way through college and then university. And I worked damn hard to get Reed Industries to where it is today. I can only go up from here.”

“It’s quite impressive,” I pointed out, leaning against his chair.

“It’s something,” he mumbled.

“Are you happy?”

He frowned, his gaze meeting mine. “You think I’m not?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know you that well so I can’t really tell but…but I know...”

“What, little one? What do you know?” he asked in a mocking tone.

I swallowed hard. “Forget it.” I made a move to walk away when my hand was grabbed from behind me. “Parker.”

A wicked glint flashed in his eyes before he bent me over, pushing me face first onto his desk. He leaned into me, restraining me against the hard wooden object. “What do you think you know, pet?”

I gasped, gripping the edge of the desk. “Please. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“You didn’t offend me, Keely. Now answer the question. What, do you think you know?” he demanded.

My eyes widened as his hand slid up the back of my dress, pushing the fabric to my hips. “Parker.”

He growled. “Wrong answer.”

THREE

Parker slid his finger under my panties, his knuckle brushing over my core.

I whimpered, shaking beneath him. “You don’t seem happy. That’s all.”

“How would you know what makes me happy?” he asked, fisting my hair tight in his hand.

“You were happy at Dale’s Deli last night,” I pointed out. “But here, you act like you have to be here and don’t want to be. I’m sorry. I didn’t think…”

His grip on my hair loosened. “Stop apologizing. I won’t hurt you, Keely.” His breathing was deep and even, his hand brushing the strands off of my forehead.

My chest rose and fell in tune with his, the beating of his heart vibrating through my body. “Sir.”

“I was happy last night. Spending time with a woman who I hardly know but feel comfortable around enough to share a piece of me. But you coming for me right now would make me even happier.”

My eyes widened at his words as he pushed a thick finger inside of me. I moaned, clenching around him. “Oh God.”

“Remember what I hired you for,” he said, pumping into me slow and deep. “To do, say, be what I want. I will break those walls.”

“Why?” I cried out when he pushed into me as far as he could.

“Because something about you makes me want to own you, pet. Those walls will crumble by the time I get through with you.” He nipped the side of my neck.

“Parker.” I arched under him. “Please.”

“What did I say?” he snapped, pulling my head back and thrusting his finger in and out of me hard.

“Sir.” I pushed back against his hand, my hips moving of their own accord. A nagging feeling washed over me but I ignored it. Parker wasn’t
him
.

“Come for me, Keely,” he purred in my ear.

“Oh God! Sir.” I groaned as a fast release washed over me, shaking through my body.

“Beautiful.” He kissed my cheek and released me, sitting back in his chair.

I went to stand when a sharp bite landed on my rear. I gasped, trying to pull from his grip but his hold on me only tightened.

“I will have you. I will own you.” His lips continued to caress my ass.

“Yes. Please.”

Parker pulled my dress down and helped me to an upright position.

I swallowed hard at the coldness in his green gaze and tried to look away but I couldn’t.

He pinched my chin, placing a small peck on my mouth. “You, Keely Price, have just made a deal with the fucking devil.”

***

“Girl, what has your panties all in a twist?”

I glared at Troy and went back to reading my romance novel. Probably didn’t do me any good since the sex scenes were hot and I wasn’t getting any. Yet. Unless you counted the mind-blowing orgasm my boss had given me. Oh dear God. What the hell was I thinking? Had it been so long that I would spread my legs for the first guy that showed me interest? Hell no.

The way he had looked at me, the way he touched me…it made me feel alive. It was gentle but rough. Passionate but controlling. He handled my body like he was a master of seduction.