Billionaire Erotic Romance Boxed Set: 7 Steamy Full-Length Novels (49 page)

Leon stood up. He walked over to the sink and poured himself a glass of water. Then he poured another one and placed it down before me. I stared at him, too angry to speak. I still held the folder under my arm, staring at him incredulously.

Was he really this much of an asshole?

“I’ll stand before you, and you’ll suck on me for a while. Maybe if you’re really good, I’ll let you swallow every drop of me. It’s always nice to come a couple of time during sex, wouldn’t you agree?” He asked, pausing to study me. “Of course. But then I’ll work on you with some of my toys. Are you into butt play?”

I felt my anger well inside of me, mixing with my hurt feelings. It was like a repeat of our first meeting, only worsened because now we had already had sex. His words were like blades to me, cutting deep. One night stands and limited sexual encounters were no problem for me, but to be insulted this way afterwards?

“Leon, I’m not here to talk about your childish and perverted little fucking fantasies,” I snarled. I contemplated throwing my glass of water into his face and storming out and decided against it. However crude he was being, I was not going to lower myself to such an act of outright anger.

“I’m just full of mistakes today, I know. I apologize, I really do,” Leon said, his voice sardonic and harsh. “I mean, why just talk, right? Although imagining you wrapped in leather, my cock down your throat, it sounds so wonderful. I’m already growing hard. Do you want to come around and feel it?”

“Are you going to just sit there and sexually harass me or do you want to hear why I’m here? Your bullshit is growing old.” I was growing red in the face with anger. He was pushing me, hard. Even though I knew he was doing it, it didn’t stop it from hurting. “You can stop trying to push me away by being such a tool.  I didn’t come here to profess my love for you, you big hunk, you.”

Leon smiled. “I imagine not,” he said. I could almost detect the slightest hint of sadness in his voice and I dismissed it as part of his act. “But if you want, I can bend you over the desk? In all seriousness, why not?”

He put his feet up on his desk and eyed me curiously. If I hadn’t been so angry and offended, it was possible that I might have slept with him one more time before finally writing him off as a client forever. But Leon was acting like an angry little boy, lashing out at those around him. Although I admitted to myself that I was glad that I had relieved some of my tension before heading over here. It helped me to turn him down.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I came here to talk business with you, Leon. Although it’s beyond difficult to resist your charm,” I said sarcastically.

Leon laughed. “I’ve been told my charm is without equal. Alright, we’ll talk business. Have you come here to reconsider my offer?”

I paused to think. What was Leon’s offer? I searched through my memory for any clues as to what he was talking about.

“What offer?” I asked, capitulating to my cluelessness about what he was talking about.

“The job offer,” he said, the edge in his voice increasing. “You know, at my club. You could be a performer.”

The anger flared up again. With it, I felt a bitter disappointment. Whatever I had seen in Leon Christensen last night was gone, locked up behind the crass person that sat before me.

“I’m gainfully employed, thank you,” I said bitterly. “Is that all? Are there any more brilliant quips from the witty Leon Christensen? ‘Oh, would you like me to strap you down or put you on stage to be fucked in front of a nightclub?’’’ I said, mocking his voice. “You hold yourself in such high esteem, don’t you?” I asked angrily.

My anger turned against me more than it focused on Leon. The idea that I could have cared for this miscreant was even more laughable now, but I was in no mood for laughter. I couldn’t believe that I had allowed myself to have any feelings for him. I’d had sex with assholes before, absolutely, but I never allowed them to linger for much longer than an evening after the act. Now, I was standing before one that I had been sure I was growing attached to.

“Of course,” Leon said, smiling.

I tossed the folder on his desk. It slid across the slick wood and stopped right before Leon’s fingers. He picked it up curiously and opened it, his eyes scanning the sheets. A look of understanding dawned on him and he turned to look back at me.

“Maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for in her,” I said harshly. Leon disregarded me completely as he leafed through the file. He read through the pages, feigning interest.

“She looks fantastic,” he said, his voice filled with wonder. “So this visit really is all about business. If I go out with Miss Locke here, does this mean our business is concluded?”

I put back on my professionalism and contemplated his question like I would have if somebody else had asked it.

“Not exactly. If the match goes well, your file will be put on hold. But given our brief and unpleasant history, I’m going to say that once you go on a date, I’m closing your file.”

“Unpleasant? That’s certainly not what your face said last night while you bounced up and down on me. The fireplace roaring next to us, your wonderful breasts moving with our rhythm. Coming inside of you was so pleasant.”

I stood up and kicked the chair back. My temper shattered and I stared at Leon furiously.

“Shut up, you fucking boy,” I hissed. “You may be able to push around the women who like to be your little submissives, but not me. You’re all gusto now, but last night you were a scared little boy, crying about his dead friend. Your tears were so touching. Poor little Leon Christensen, a little rich kid whose other rich friend killed himself over a girl.”

The humor vanished from Leon’s face. He looked at me coolly, as if I had slapped him in the face. I laughed out viciously in a grunt and shook my head at him.

“You’re pathetic. Have a wonderful, lonely life,” I said. I turned and walked out of his office. Leon made no sound as I opened the door and walked out.

I drove much slower on the way home. I felt no satisfaction from my meeting with Leon. Everything had gone so poorly that I felt completely dejected. I pulled into a fast food joint and ordered a double cheeseburger and fries. Extra large Coke, not that diet stuff. I drank the Coke greedily and ate the cheeseburger in a few bites in the parking lot while I tried to force back tears.

Leon Christensen had been his old self, offensive and crude. It had struck a nerve when he actually referenced our sex from the previous night. It was something about the way he made it perverse that had riled me so much because it hadn’t been like that. Our sex had been tender, emotional, and special. The dead meat in my mouth tasted like processed garbage as I swallowed the truth about the previous night.

At the office, April was gone. I sat down at my desk, thankful to be alone. I sat there in silence for a long while, trying not to think about the ramifications of my meeting with Leon. What would this mean for me professionally?

I had never acted so rashly. Even if a client had offended me or acted improperly, I would never have lashed out in the past. I would have simply charged the client for time spent on his file and then closed his file, no recourse allowed. With the offending client gone, I would maintain my professionalism while dealing with the problem.

Now I had attacked a client personally after I spent a night having sex with him at my own apartment. It was a huge mess. If this leaked out, it would be incredibly damaging to my career and my reputation. Would any woman use my service if she suspected that I was sleeping with the male clients? What woman would want a suitor who was sleeping with the matchmaker like she was some sort of prostitute.

Those rumors would fly as well. I would be accused of being a high-class escort. The women I matched up might be construed as a front or even whores themselves. It wouldn’t be the first time that an escort service masked itself as a matchmaking agency. Hell, that’s even how they marketed themselves in the classifieds!

I fell into despair over my imagined demise. If Leon used some of his influence and wealth to start a smear campaign against me, I was finished. Even if he didn’t, if any of this leaked to anybody that I slept with a client, it would still be damaging. Guys would sign up for my service with the intent of trying to sleep with me. Sure, I could charge them for meetings that never led anywhere, but rumors were powerful things. And with the internet, rumors became tangible things that lingered in message boards and websites.

I wanted a drink. I needed to wash away the anxiety of the day with a very stiff drink. When I looked around my office, I knew that I had no liquor there and there was no way I was going to sit alone in a bar drowning away my sorrows. I was still full from the nasty fast food that sat like a lump in my stomach, so even a restaurant was out of the question.

My stomach turned over and I felt nauseated. Whether from stress or fast food, I didn’t know. It didn’t really matter. If I vomited now, I would probably feel better. Instead, I got up and made myself a cup of tea.

I looked around the office. April’s computer was dark, turned off for the day. Her chair was neatly tucked in against the desk and everything on the desk neat and organized. I studied every single inch the office, praying that no matter what happened, this would not be threatened. It was then that I realized I would miss April if she were gone. The next time I saw her, I was going to make sure she began calling me by my first name.

The look on Leon’s face when I lashed out at him filled my head. I had felt so justified at the time in attacking him. When he recoiled at my verbal lashing, it had even felt good. Yet now I felt nothing even close to good. I had attacked him with a low blow. It was unfair of me to use his darkest secret to attack him with, despite his piggish outbursts at me.

I had overreacted. This was perfectly clear to me. What if I had misconstrued Leon’s banter as trying to be offensive when it was simply flirtatious? Leon was accustomed to a very different sexual lifestyle than I was. What if being crude and offensive like that was part of the Dom-sub relationship?

I did not want to be any man’s sub, including Leon Christensen. Even if it was normal behavior within the circles he ran in, Leon was no fool. He knew that I was not into those sexual proclivities and that I had little reference for what the norms were. Even if he was trying to acclimate me to them and see if I responded to being a sub, it had seemed hard-edged and abrasive.

My words hung in my mind like a noose. I had been cruel. I had been foolish. Now, I would have to be humble. I was not going to pursue a sexual relationship with Leon Christensen, I promised myself this, but I did need to mend our professional relationship. I needed a clean break.

I walked back into my office brusquely. Rather than drive right over to his office and confess that I was wrong, I would sleep on it. My intuition screamed out against this, but I knew I needed to cool down and process everything. Every fiber in my being wanted me to go over there immediately and control the damage before Leon did anything rash.

I considered this. Would Leon do anything to hurt my professional career immediately? It was possible, but I had to trust that he wouldn’t. If he wanted vengeance, even an apology tomorrow might not quell that desire. There was nothing left to do but wait until tomorrow.

I pulled out a pad and paper. I began to write all of my feelings about what had happened. Soon, I was staring at a substantial apology. The computer hummed on as I brought up the word processor. Then I began to type the second draft.

Leon,

This is my sincere apology. I am sorry for my outburst in your office.

It is true that I came there to provide you with a match. Despite our night together, I am still compelled to do my job as best as I can. I believe we can both behave as professional adults and move past a simple night that we both enjoyed. It was a wonderful night that I do not regret.

I reread the line about not regretting the night with Leon. I was unsure as to whether it was even true or not, but as I thought about it more and more, I wasn’t ashamed that we had sex nor did I regret it. I continued on:

I do regret my behavior at your office. But please understand that what you were saying upset me. I should not have responded in such an angry fashion, but I lost control of my emotions. If I could go back, I would have explained to you how what you were saying was making me very uncomfortable.

My words were harsh and cruel. They were without base and I meant them only in the sense that I wanted them to hurt you. None of the things that I said have any truth to them. It was shameful of me to use your past pain to try to hurt you presently.

I understand if you refuse to work with me further, but I at least want to leave on a positive note. If we can move past this unpleasantness, I will still work on your case for you, free of charge. That is how I will show you that I am truly sorry.

I considered how to sign it, before finally deciding on a lame:

Sincerely,

Julie Facet

I reread the letter and printed it out. Then I deleted it from my computer. I was never going to give Leon the letter, but it helped me organize my thoughts. These were the words that I would paraphrase for him. With them all laid out before me, it made the daunting task of walking back up to Leon and apologizing to him seem smaller.

I left the office and decided to go to the gym to relieve some more tension. The prospect of fixing the mess that I had created was actually filling me with excitement now. In the morning, all would be made right again.

Chapter 13

I woke up early. I stretched, still sore from the gym. The shower felt wonderful against my skin and I spent an extra few minutes just soaking up the hot water and enjoying myself. I drank only one cup of coffee and ate a light breakfast of oatmeal and fruit.

Instead of driving to work, I drove right to Leon’s office. This time, I called him on his cellphone. It went to voicemail and I left him a brief message.