Desire never takes time off . . . Six foot two. Lips to die for. And boy, can the man fill out a suit. The gorgeous stranger sending Aysia Banks steamy looks from across the bar is the perfect way for her to take her mind off her high-stress job, and maybe even forget about her ex.. An invitation to dance leads to a smoldering night, which turns into a weekend of uninhibited, toe-curling, blow-your-mind passion. Things are starting to look up for Aysia—until Monday morning . . . Another city, another company to save. It’s nothing new to executive Marcelo Diaz, who’s used to calling the shots and getting what he wants. But what is different, is Aysia: the vixen he spent the weekend rewriting the entire playbook with. But before Marc can take things any further he’s shocked by what he discovers . . . Marc was hired to keep his employer’s reputation squeaky clean. Part of Aysia’s job is to enforce her department’s strict no-dating rule. And they work for the same company. Now, with their red-hot connection doused by office policies and politics, Aysia and Marc try to put their fling behind them. It should be easy. But when a behind-the-scenes power play threatens their careers, they’ll have to bring their hearts to the table . . .
Release date:
January 2, 2018
Publisher:
Lyrical Press
Print pages:
226
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I flicked my eyes open, surprised to find the tech guru’s face in front of me instead of his ass crack. It wasn’t that he was fat. If anything, just the opposite. He was a skinny kid. His belt barely held up his cargo shorts, and I swear I’d been watching his superhero underwear slide up and down his sweaty backside for a full eight hours. In fact, a quick glance at my watch—a throwback to the classier days of zero cell phone addiction—told me it was damned close. Even knowing I’d have the most secure computer in the entire building, complete with access to every bit of browser history on every other computer…eight hours of sticky ass crack wasn’t really worth it.
“Sir?”
“Right here,” I said, schooling my voice to mask my irritation.
It was the worst Monday in the entire history of Mondays, and it wasn’t even Monday. It was Friday. Things sure as hell weren’t boding well for the kick start to my new career at Eco-Go Developments. Putting aside the rain that had been slamming down since the second I arrived—just one of the climate differences between Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Los Angeles, California—not a single damned thing had gone right. From being given the wrong key to my office to being assigned an e-mail that didn’t exist to having an assistant quit without notice to losing a dollar in the vending machine at lunchtime. I was getting a serious headache. Sure, I’d come in a few days before I technically started, but that only excused about half the shit on my plate.
The tech didn’t appear to be in a hurry to go, either, making my temple throb even more as he shifted from foot to foot instead.
“So…” He trailed off, cleared his throat, and tried again. “Um…”
Was he expecting something? A tip? Did people tip their computer repairmen? Hell. Maybe they did. The man in front of me was clearly waiting. My hand slipped to my back pocket, searching for my wallet. I didn’t get as far as actually yanking it out.
“You know we do early Fridays, right?” the kid asked.
“Yeah, I know.”
“Everyone goes home at noon.”
“I’m aware.”
“Some of us go to this pub down the road called The Well. If you’re looking for something to do.”
“I’m not.”
“Okay. Just…it’s almost five.”
“All right.”
“Can I go?”
“I’m not your mother.”
“Right.” He blinked, then, and moved to go, but paused in the doorframe. “Is it true?”
I mustered as much patience as I could manage. “Is what true?”
“Did they really hire you to fire everyone so Eco-Go could save money?”
“Wouldn’t that be counterproductive?”
“What?”
“I draw a hell of a salary. Be pretty damned stupid to hire me to try and save money, wouldn’t it?”
He scratched his beardless face. “Guess so.”
“Are you worried about your job?”
“Me? No. I’m an intern. Unpaid. But I heard it around, so…”
I strummed my fingers on my desk, the only visible manifestation of my annoyance. “Let me give you a small piece of advice. One you can use through the rest of your internship, and through every job you have after.”
His mouth twitched uncertainly. “Okay.”
“Whatever the hell else you do, never, ever listen to rumors. Never buy into them, never feed into them, and never believe them. Got it?”
The kid stepped back, and it took me a second to realize I’d pushed to my feet and was leaning over the desk, my voice raised. Quickly, I raked a hand over my hair and collapsed back into my chair. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Admittedly, apologies weren’t my strong suit. At all. I blinked once, and the tech was gone anyway.
Another man in my position might’ve called after him. Someone new to the company, like me. Someone whose primary position involved maintaining his cool and making sure everyone else did, too. Like me. But I wasn’t another man. So instead of swallowing my pride, I turned my attention to my computer to get a head start on what would be real Monday’s workload.
Working backwards—last names, starting with the Zs—I began combing through the emails in search of anything that might overtly damage the company. It was boring stuff, mostly, but it gave me some insight into what I was coming into. It also gave me a chance to get to know the employees without speaking to them directly. People didn’t tend to give up their weaknesses freely. A few quick clicks, and I already had a mental list going.
Gerry Zellweger from payroll was big into cats.
Felicity Underhill from reception totally dug skateboard videos.
Antony Santori from supplies talked to his mother a lot.
Carl Reeves from accounting…
Well, shit, Carl.
I paused to take a closer look at what had just hopped up beside his name. A photo labeled with the words From Carl’s Phone. A girl in a red negligee sat in a curved chair, her eyes fixed out the window to her side. She held her hair in her hands, taming a wild mane of brown hair. Though the shot wasn’t particularly pornographic, it was definitely seductive, and something about it—her, really—caught and held me. I stared at the picture for a long moment, caressing her curves with my eyes.
“At least you’ve got taste, Carl,” I murmured, grabbing my notebook from the pocket inside my suit jacket.
I jotted down the accountant’s initials with a note beside it, then grabbed the mouse and prepared to move on. Instead, my hand slipped. It clicked the image and brought it to life, and the girl in the photo became a girl in a video instead. She stroked her hair gently. Up and down, up and down, in a mesmerizingly rhythmic motion. Behind my zipper, my cock twitched with interest. The more she teased her curls, the more I stared. The more I stared, the harder I got, and the sudden throb reminded me it had been quite a while since I’d put aside work in favor of play. Too long, apparently.
Fuck if I could look away now, though.
On screen, the brunette released her hair. The curls sprung free. They framed her face, and as she dragged her fingers to her ample cleavage, she turned in the direction of the cameraman.
Money shot, I thought.
I shifted in my chair as my pants grew uncomfortably tight. I leaned forward, waiting. Her eyes came up, their vibrant blue focused somewhere over the cameraman’s shoulder, and her stare was clear. Not even a hint of put-on sexiness.
She doesn’t know she’s being filmed.
The thought popped into my mind and stuck, even as the camera blurred, then went blank. I couldn’t be sure, of course, but just the idea that it was a possibility made me shift again, uncomfortable for a different reason.
“Carl, you might have good taste,” I said, “but you’re also a pervert. And you’re quite possibly breaking a few laws.”
I added a second note beside the first, thinking about how the poor computer tech would react when I did fire someone immediately. With a frustrated exhale, I closed the window on the computer and stood up to slide into my discarded suit jacket. It sure as hell wasn’t the way I wanted to make my debut.
In with a blaze of not-so-glorious glory.
I locked the door behind me and moved down the hall, pulling up my sleeve for another look at my watch. It was nearly seven now. I’d spent almost twelve hours in the office. Not an unusual amount of time for me to dedicate to work, but I was definitely glad to have Saturday and Sunday to settle in and prepare for the upcoming week.
I moved out of the building, and the scent of frying food hit me, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since this morning. In fact, I was starving, but I hadn’t taken the time yet to stock up my kitchen. I hadn’t even unpacked a plate, let alone filled the fridge, and the thought of going home to my bare apartment made me grunt.
Following the scent of fried onions and sizzling spices and remembering what the tech kid had said about a place called The Well, I walked up the block.
Walked. I gritted my teeth. That was another thing that hadn’t gone right today. No car. Delayed at the dealership. I hated the idea that I couldn’t up and leave the city anytime I wanted. That I’d have to call a driver or a cab or take a goddamned bus.
“Nothing an overcooked steak and watered-down beer won’t fix,” I muttered as I found the source of the mouth-watering smell.
The Well, read the sign.
It was a pub, done up in classic, stereotypical London-style. Which meant it didn’t look like a real London pub at all. I pushed my way through the heavy wooden doors anyway and scanned the busy floor for an empty seat. After a second, I found one.
Only one problem.
It was directly across from a stunning, wild-haired brunette with downcast eyes and a dress that doubled as a guaranteed hard-on. The very same woman from Carl’s home video.
* * * *
Aysia
“I hate him.” I didn’t look up from the swirling concoction in my glass as I said it.
“I know.”
My best friend’s reply was tinged with both sympathy and boredom. I appreciated the first bit and I couldn’t really fault her for the last bit. I’d been complaining for twenty minutes solid. If the drinks weren’t on me, and her current boyfriend hadn’t been out of town, she probably would’ve got up and walked away in disgust. Even the nearest and dearest of friends can only take so much bitching.
“Did I tell you that he thought I was a temp?” I added, just to spice up my complaint a bit.
“I know.”
“A temp! I practically run the human resources department. I’ve been working here for two years, and I make ten thousand more a year than he does.”
“I know.”
I lifted my eyes from the drink and narrowed them at Liv. She had a decorative umbrella wedged between her teeth and her gaze trained on a group of decently dressed, decently hot guys across the room. There was no way she was paying attention to a word I was saying.
“The sex part wasn’t even worth it,” I said, testing out the waters.
She exhaled, making the little umbrella quiver. “I know.”
“His penis was practically a cocktail wienie.”
“I know.”
“His testicles might as well have been shriveled raisins.”
She reached over and squeezed my hand without looking. “I know.”
“So. I’m going to quit.”
“I kn—wait, what?” Her attention finally turned my way, her blue eyes wide and alarmed.
“I’m going to quit,” I repeated.
“Aysia, you’ve been dreaming of working at Eco-Go since you were three years old. I think it’s what you named the first sand castle we built together.”
I decided to use her own words back at her. “I know.”
“You can’t quit over some bad dating decisions.”
“Yes. I can.”
“No. You can’t.”
“Look,” I said with a sigh. “There are other opportunities out there.”
“Opportunities like Eco-Go?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Y—”
“Stop it. You’ve said a hundred times that Eco-Go is one-of-a-kind. There are other builders out there who are focused on being sustainable. There are some that work on not-for-profit projects for low income housing. But you know as well as I do that Eco-Go is the only one effectively doing both.”
“I can do something else. Compromise,” I said.
She blinked at me disbelievingly. “Since when?”
“Since the man whose paycheck I sign told me he could help me get a permanent position with the company?”
“Is that a question?”
“No. I don’t know. Am I seriously that unnoticeable?”
“Is that a question?” Liv said again. “Because right now, you don’t sound anything like the Aysia Banks I know. Maybe you shouldn’t have taken today off. All that extra sleep rattled your brain.”
I swished my drink around and forced myself to take a little sip. She was right. About the not sounding like myself bit, anyway. A self-pitying moment like this one was rare. I didn’t even really hate Carl. He meant nothing to me. But I just couldn’t seem to shake it.
“I thought…” I trailed off, then tried again. “I don’t know what I thought. Something.”
“That Carl might fit your life plan?”
“Exactly.”
“But he didn’t.”
“Literally,” I muttered.
Liv laughed. “You’re awful.”
“No, he was awful. I was merely mediocre.”
“So maybe he should quit.”
I let out another sigh. “I keep getting this weird feeling that it’s going to blow up in my face.”
“The bad sex?”
“The bad sex with Carl. I mean, I’m the one who created Eco-Go’s dating policy. So one complaint…”
“And it’ll blow up,” she echoed.
“Yes.”
“Like now?”
“What?”
She leaned on the table and spoke in a whisper. “Don’t make it obvious when you look, but he’s over there beside that leggy redhead who works beside me in reception. He keeps glancing over here. Like, enough times that the redhead just glared at you, then stuck her tongue in his ear. I guess she didn’t get the dating memo, either.”
I suppressed a groan. I mean, not that I was surprised Carl was there. Like Liv and I, everyone from Eco-Go frequented the bar. I wasn’t going to stop coming just because we’d gone our separate ways so I didn’t expect him to. And it wasn’t exactly shocking that he’d moved on. Hell. The morning after we ended things, I’d seen him outside a coffee shop with his hands up another girl’s skirt. Clearly, a graceful waiting period wasn’t in his repertoire of severely limited tricks. What worried me was the idea that he was looking at me right that second. Where anyone else could see. And notice.
“He’s got balls,” I grumbled.
“Shriveled raisin balls?”
“Oh, so you were listening?”
“I’m always listening. I’m your best friend.”
“Good. So you know that I want to live my life free from the awkward, cumbersome things that go along with a romance. Especially an office romance.”
“Aysia—”
“And now I’ve ruined my chances of doing that, so I’ve got to move on.”
“Everyone has to get laid,” she said. “Even you.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You’re so crass.”
“Oh, please. You told me two weeks ago that if you did it with your vibrator one more time, you were going to name it and marry it.”
“Shut up.” So maybe I had said that. Maybe I’d even gone so far as to tentatively try out the name Francois. But I hadn’t actually gone through with it. Yet.
“You’re not going to quit,” my friend said. “And you’re not going to marry something that runs on double A batteries. You’re going to drink that drink. You’re going to drink another. Then you’re going to—”
“Stumble around then pass out in a taxi?” I interjected.
“Stop that!”
“Fiiiine. Then I’m going to what?”
“You’re going to march right past Carl, and you’re going to walk up to that tall blond guy with the polka dot tie, and you’re going to whisper in his ear to meet you in the bathroom in ten minutes. Then you’re going to thank me for making you wear the black lace panties instead of the grannies.”
“C’mon, Liv.”
“Just once, I’d like to see you throw aside your plans and live a little.”
“I do live. A lot.”
“Then why is that glass of yours so full?”
“Because I’ve got a modicum of self-restraint.”
“Drink!” she commanded.
Obediently, I lifted the lukewarm beverage and sucked it back. As Liv signaled the waitress, I craned my neck, trying to get a look at whatever poor, unsuspecting soul my friend had picked out for me. I spotted him right away.
“Curly hair, wide shoulders, and a little scar beside his nose?” I said.
“What? We’re not close enough to see that.”
“Yeah, I know. But that’s the guy, right?”
“Polka dot tie,” she repeated.
“Uh-huh. That’s Gillian’s husband.”
“No way! Gillian from supplies? She’s twice his age.”
“She is,” I agreed. “And I know it’s him, because I’ve eaten dinner at their house. Twice.”
“Ugh,” Liv replied. “Okay. Fine. We’ll pick someone else.”
“You do realize that my sex life isn’t yours, too, right?”
“Your lack of a sex life affects me directly.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because when you’re moping around all unsatisfied, I feel guilty being satisfied.”
I snorted. “Right.”
My friend sighed and hopped off her barstool. “I’m serious. And I’m going to the bathroom. By the time I get back, that second drink better be gone. You’d better have picked another guy out—one who’s going to fuck the melancholy out of you in the most delicious way possible—or I’m going to make you ask Gillian and her husband about the possibility of a ménage.”
Rolling my eyes, I took a pointed sip of the full drink that had magically appeared to take the place of the old one. Liv nodded approvingly, then sashayed across the floor, her minuscule hips swaying with the beat of the background music. It was my turn to sigh. Admittedly, my love life was pretty slow. But it was by choice, not chance.
I’d spent the last two years focused on work, climbing from an actual temp position to a director inside human resources—just a short jaunt away from my ultimate goal of running the department completely. The two years before that were dedicated to a course in personnel management, and in the three years before that, I’d crammed in a four-year ecology degree. So at twenty-five years old, the notches on my bedpost were a little slim. Not that I was a nun. I’d had a few short-term, strictly for-fun relationships. And few hookups. And of course, most recently, the month I’d wasted with cringe-worthy Carl from accounting. Even putting him aside, none of it was worth bragging about.
So maybe it really is time for a change.
Absently, I scanned the bar, searching. My eyes landed on a pair of wide shoulders immediately. He was alone. Hunched over a full beer, a scowl on his face. He looked about as unhappy as one guy with a burger could. So why my gaze stayed there, I don’t know. But something about the tight line of his back made me curious. His hands—clean but strong, masculine but tidily groomed—flexed on his glass in a way that made me tingle. And when he glanced up and back at me, his gaze hit me like a Mack Truck. He stared at me just long enough to make my pulse race, and just long enough for me to note the ruddiness of his skin, the brown of his eyes, and the sexy cut of his jaw. Then he looked away again, and I wished he hadn’t.
“Go for it, babe. Misery loves company.”
I jerked my eyes up at the familiar voice, and I cringed. Carl had somehow managed to extricate himself from the redhead, and he stood beside my table, his smug face smiling down at me. How the hell had I ever thought he was attractive?
I opened my mouth to tell him where he could shove his clichéd observations, but a warm hand landed on my bare shoulder, stopping me. Somehow, I knew exactly who those fingers belonged to. They squeezed against my skin in the same way they’d closed on the beer glass.
“Sorry, babe,” said a new voice—not familiar, but deeply, distractingly buttery and touched by a hint of dark humor. “Didn’t see that you’d come in.”
The stool Liv had vacated slid out, and a whiff of understated cologne filled my nose as an arm dropped over my shoulder possessively.
Chapter 2
Marcelo
Talking to her was a mistake. I knew it before I opened my mouth. Before I even got as far as her table. The memory of the red negligee wrapped around her cleavage was too fresh in my mind. Her wild mess of brown curls, her seductive mouth, and her utterly curved but completely petite body were even more enticing in person.
Letting the asshole continue to torment her, though, was out of the question. A quick glance up had told me she was uncomfortable, and that he wasn’t going to back down. Now his eyes were narrowed at me suspiciously. I let my mouth curve into a grin. He flinched. I grinned harder. Then I tightened my grip on the woman’s shoulder again, and after a second, her hand came up to mine and squeezed back.
“I didn’t see you come in either, honey,” she said, her voice not wavering at all. “Carl was just leaving.”
Carl from accounting, I thought, nice to meet you. Now I’m looking forward to firing you.
He opened his mouth. Closed it. Fixed an angry look at the girl, then turned and strode away.
I released her shoulder and started to pull away. Her hand shot out and landed on my knee, stopping me.
“Don’t,” she said. “He’s still watching.”
I leaned closer. “It’s a shitty thing, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“When a girl has to pretend to be with one guy to fend off another.”
She laughed and tipped her head my way, some of the tension in her face easing. “That is a shitty thing. But trust me when I say that I can handle Carl. I take a particular satisfaction in knowing he’s over there seething.”
“So you want me to stay for selfish reasons?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Nope. Use me all you want.”
“You say that now…” she teased, reaching for her drink.
She got the glass as far as her chin before my hand shot out to close on hers. Her skin was deliciously soft and smooth. Cool from the drink she clasped, but it still sent heat up through my palm. An image of her fingers filled my mind. Sliding over my forearm to my shoulders and my chest. Slipping down to find the buckle my belt and caress my already eager cock. It was an image that I wanted to make into a reality.
Instead, I forced the cup back down to the table, then dragged my hand away.
“Don’t,” I said.
“Um. Why?”
I swallowed. Why the hell had stopped her? Maybe because the liquid sliding down her throat would be more than I could handle. Maybe because alcohol could explain away Carl and the red negligee.
Back to that, I thought, irritated by the fact that the other man had intruded upon my interaction with her.
I shoved down a reminder that he and his douchebag video were the whole reason. . .
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