Holt's Holding (3 page)

I drove easily out of Baltimore city and entered the
beltway.
 
My IPod, blaring thru the
speakers, was common.

I always used this time in the car just to center
myself.
 
In many ways, the drive to work
was what I needed to prep myself for the endless barrage of; “Lillian
get
me this…or I need that…Where is…!” I hated the demands
my boss put on me.

Junior editor…right more like his personal slave.

Pulled from my thoughts, my blue tooth always rang thru the
speakers.

“Good morning Julie.”
 
Gotta
love caller ID.

“Hey love!”
 
Her voice groggy, no surprise there; as this was not normal for
her.

“And how are you doing this morning?”
 
I teased remember her one niter.
 
Hell, I was having a hard time forgetting
him.

“Tired…ugh, I have to pack.
 
I finally got a freelance assignment, so I’m flying out to Haiti in the
next three hours.”

“Wow…I take it your covering the earthquake?”
 
I was happy for her…this was indeed the break
she was waiting for.
 
And a good thing
remembering her one
night stand
.

“Yup…It’s such a shame what happened…but
an exciting opportunity for me, and my camera”
,
she sounded so tired
.

“So, I take it your one niter didn’t give you too much time
for sleep!”
 
I teased.
 
Fuck, I knew I
shouldn’t
have brought him up.
 
Yet, what possessed
me,
was clearly stupidity.
 
Trying to make light of it, “I guess
that’s
something you can do on the plane” ok I was a bit
jealous remembering the way he looked at me.
 
Hell, I could tell that he
was built
under that
suit, not to mention his height was something I always looked for.
 
I think he was 6’5 or taller.

Julie laughed with me.

“Oh lord Lilly…he wasn’t a one niter…” she giggled some
more “He’s my half-brother Charlie.
 
I’m
sorry I would have told you sooner, but you were out last night.”

Half-brother?
I had
forgotten she had mentioned him from time to time.
 
Great, he was even more of an off limit for
me now.
 
What am I saying!

“Oh shit…I thought he was…shit, I was so rude this morning,
I just ran out. I
don’t
even know if he left or not. I
got so distracted when my boss called. Shit, he must think me to be a scatter
brain.”
 
Ok, I
was
frazzled
.
 
She was my roommate,
regardless of how close we were or not, he was her family.
 
I was raised with manners and clearly
didn’t
bestow him any.

“That’s a lot shit calling’ Lilly…no worries. Who gives a
shit” she paused laughing “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I just
didn’t
know if he were actually going to stay. I offered
what seems like forever ago, an invitation to stay with me while his brown
stone's renovations were still ensuing. He said that it
would
be completed
by the time he planned to move to the states.
 
I
didn’t
expect him,
honest. Then last night he just showed up. I hope you’re not mad?” Her tone was
sincere.

“It’s fine…he’s your brother.
 
How long is he staying?”
 
Fuck me.
 
Please say a day or two…I
can’t
afford this
type of entanglement.

“Only for a week, I think…it shouldn’t be an issue…He’ll
stay in my room, since I’m going to be gone. Plus, he works a lot, as do you;
so I doubt that the two of you will cross paths too much.”
 
Julie paused, and I could tell a warning was
coming…I knew what her long pauses meant.
  
Giving her time, I waited a moment for her to throw me her warning.

“Lil…he’s my brother and all, but he’s well …without
totally sounding mean; well he’s not the type of man too…and you are, well…”

Quick to cut her off, “I get it off limits. No worries, I
don’t
have time for a man beyond a one night stand. I would
not ever get involved with my friends brother. Warning heeded.”

“Lil not what I meant…he’s just not right for you.
 
He has a bit of a reputation, and well…
It’s
not you I’m concerned of but him.
 
He’s likely to pursue you just for
sport.”
 
Her voice sounded sincere and
almost a bit sorry.
 
Interesting.

“Julie no
need
to explain
anything.
 
As you said, he works a lot,
as do I, so I doubt we will actually see one another?
 
Well except when he makes coffee in the
morning.
 
Damn, that was about the best
part of waking up today.
 
Love me some
coffee!” We both laughed.

“So you’re cool with him staying?” She asked, waiting
patiently for my answer.

“It’s fine…no worries…and congrats on the job!”
 
I did my best to ease her concerns.
 
But
, I was
concerned.
 
I
didn’t
even know him, yet my body reacted to him with such need, such intensity
leaving me with one simple fact, it intimidated me.

“Thanks!
 
I’m looking
forward to my first assignment!” She sounded so young with all her enthusiasm.

“You’ll do great.
 
Have a safe trip and see you when you get back.”

“Thanks Lil!”

I hung up the phone, and the music replaced the call, thru
the speakers.
 
Shit, now I have a male
roommate for the next week.
 
I guess the
only good thing is that I work too much.
 
Damn he was gorgeous.
 
My mind adrift
remembering his eyes, the way he looked at me, and how easily I
got
caught up in them.
 
That heated draw ran straight to my core.
 
Fuck.
 
I was sure I was already wet with a mere thought of him.
 
This was a problem in my book.
 
A Huge fucking problem.

Julie was trying to warn me about him.
 
He’s
off limits, I
had to remind myself.

Laughing, I almost entertained the idea.

Whom was I kidding?
 
I was already aroused, and the idea was enough to make my soak my
underwear.
 
I was indeed attracted to
him.
 
There was something, eerily
familiar about him.
 
I
can’t
put my finger on it.
 
I obviously felt
drawn, yet my instincts seemed to scream at me, that he would be a monumental
mistake.

Wow…clearly I need to put him out of my mind.

OFF Limits
!!

I knew, I would be repeating those words a lot in the next
coming days…or, I can just stay away from the apartment as much as
possible.
 
The bigger question started to
pull my attention; how in the world was I this taken with him?
 
I
didn’t
know him,
and the brief encounter this morning, shouldn’t have produced anything more
than a momentary glance his way; that should be quickly forgotten.

Damn it.
 
He was my roommate’s brother.
 
I never involved myself with anyone’s
brother.
 
Nor did I believe in anything
at first sight.
 
I
wasn’t
a romantic, if anything I was the complete opposite.
 
My reputation was one I earned, and something
I
didn’t
allow to bother me as I’ve been label cold,
and my favorite, inaccessible.
 
My
reputation worked well for me.
 
I liked
my
reputation,
it kept most clear from me and only
those who had the courage to come forth.
 

Now, here I was, not understanding how in the world he had
me in such an unfamiliar place.

Maybe it was just being caught off guard in my
home, that
had me.
 
Yes, that had to be it, along with the simple
fact,
I hadn’t been with anyone in some time now.
 

Sex…that was the attraction and need, which had me, wanting
him like a
schoolgirl
.

It had to be.
 

I could fix that problem easily maintaining my rule, no
friends’ brothers.
 
However, his scent
still lingered in my nose, as was the way his eyes barred into me.
 

Crap
I’m
in trouble.

I would need to stay away from the apartment as much as
possible.

Suddenly, my state of feeling
hungover
was no longer a problem.
 
Now it was the
idea of Charlie staying in my apartment a full week.

Shit.
 
I think that
has become my word of the day.

I ran into the office building waving a hello to Peter at
the security desk. He was a kind older man whom always made my day. He always
offered some type of wisdom when he thought I needed it. This seemed to be a
lot these days.

Ugh, I seriously hate elevators today…Perhaps they are all
conspiring against me? I laughed to myself.

I kept hitting the button, and nothing…of course six
elevators, and not one when you freakin need it.

I stood, and anxiously tapped my foot. Ok, patience was
undeniably something I lacked. Looking down at the marble floor, the scent
rocked me. I knew that cologne, familiar, not like the apartment but very
familiar…I just
didn’t
know from where?
 
It
was mixed
with
Julie’s brother’s cologne, or maybe this was my lack of sex conjuring it.

I turned looking to my left then to my right. Pursing my
lips and scrunching my brows, I
wasn’t
sure where it
was coming from.

Finally, the elevator door opened. Pausing and biting my
lower lip, I shook my head.

“Good morning Lil.”
 
The voice, female and devious, with the charm of the Midwest.
 
Willing myself to smile, and shake my head
out of my stupidity, I sighed. Gathering my composure, I looked up at Sam from
Hr.
 
Sam had become both my
friend,
and happy hour partner for the better part of the
past two years.
 
She was roughly the same
height as me; however, she was extremely slender.
 
I envied her legs, which seemed to go on
forever, and her perfect hair that held a more strawberry blonde tint.
 
She looked like the prom queen from high
school in some Midwest town. I had to admit she even carried the country girl
charm.

“Good morning Sam.” I stepped in.
And
pressed the top floor.

“I hear there’s something big going down today.” She
offered as if she was
in the know
.

“Hmm, I’m not sure.” Sighing, “I’ll be in meetings all day,
but not sure why? Mr. Leiber had me change up his schedule only yesterday to
fit these meetings in never saying what they were to entail.”

“I’m not actually supposed to comment, but word is we were
taken over by some prodigious corporation based out of London.”
 
She pursed her lips tight and raised her
brows. I knew I could count on her to spill.

“Interesting, I hadn’t heard anything,” Biting down on my
lip, I shuffled my stance nervously without realizing that I was even doing it.

“No-one one had. This was a hush, hush.” Sam shook her
head, clearly missing my display of nerves.
 
Which, I was grateful for.
 
I
never lacked control of my emotions, and I do mean never.
 
Her presence though, I guess she pulled the
need to trust her out of me.
 
I use the
term lightly, as I trust no one.
Well, perhaps one person.
 
Looking to her, I pulled my steal blanket
over body and smiled with interest.
 

“Hopefully, they get rid of Mr. Leiber…that would make my
day.” I laughed rolling my eyes.

“They can take Janet with him,” She laughed with as much
enthusiasm.
 
We both found ourselves
laughing hard, like
schoolgirls
. Exchanging different
insults of our bosses, we
didn’t
even notice the
elevator came to a stop.