The Geek Tycoon (6 page)

C
harlotte had always suspected
that Tony was a wild man underneath his cautious nerd persona. His Maserati was a clue and she’d seen glimpses of uninhibited behavior when he was younger. She’d suggested the sexy movie on purpose and wow, had he come through like a champ.

The movie had another hour to go so they spread the comforter on the carpet and continued to enjoy each other. Just when she thought she couldn’t possibly come again, he’d proved her wrong. But eventually exhaustion set in. Drawing the edges of the comforter over their sated bodies, they slept.

When she woke in the light of early morning, she was disoriented at first, especially because she was alone inside the protective warmth of the comforter.

“Good morning.”

She rolled in the direction of Tony’s voice and found him sitting on the sofa, dressed but disheveled, his hands clasped loosely between his knees as he gazed down at her with undisguised tenderness. He wore his glasses but he was unshaven and she’d never seen him that way. The dark bristles gave him a rakish air that fit the memories she had of their night together.

No matter what happened next, and she had no idea what that would be, she’d never look at Tony the same way again. She stayed snuggled under the comforter because she couldn’t pull off rakish. Her hair was likely a tangled mess and guaranteed her mascara was smudged. She probably looked like a deranged raccoon. “Good morning to you, too.”

“I hate to say this, but I have to leave. We’re both due in the office in an hour.”

“Yikes!” Forgetting modesty, she sat up and threw off the comforter.

“Now I
really
hate to leave.”

She absorbed the heat of his gaze and desire flowed through her, strong and fierce. “We could call in sick.”

“That would be one way to handle it.”

“Not the responsible adult way, though.”

He sighed. “No. Which means we’ll go into the office.”

“Right.”

“And we need to be on the same page.”

“You mean what we say or don’t say to the others?”

“Yeah.”

She wished they could transport themselves to a desert island where they didn’t have to worry about that issue and could explore this new development in private. “I guess we should talk about that.”

“We should, but we don’t have much time.” He paused. “We could just decide not to say anything.”

“You mean act like nothing’s changed?”

“It’s an option.”

“I’m not sure it’s a viable option. You’ve known your friends a long time. I think they’ll figure out something’s different.”

“Do you want to go public?” He sounded surprised.

“It’s okay with me.”

“Really?”

“Sure.” She tried to read his expression but couldn’t. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“You could be worried about what people might think if they find out you’re sleeping with the boss.”

“I’m not. Anyone whose opinion I value knows we’ve been friends for years. It’s a non-issue.”

“This could be a momentary slip you’d rather not tell the world about.” Tension was etched in his face.

Ah, now she got it. He didn’t trust that she actually wanted more than a one-night stand. “I don’t consider it a momentary slip.”

Some of the tension eased from his expression. “Are you sure? Last night just sort of . . . happened, and I was prepared for that to be the end of it. I mean, you satisfied your curiosity, and –”

“Oh, Tony.” To heck with what she looked like. Getting up from the floor, she came over and sat next to him. “Last night wasn’t about satisfying my curiosity.” She laid a hand on his thigh.

“It wasn’t?”

“Okay, maybe a little.” She smiled at him and rubbed his thigh. Her touch got him hot and she liked watching his eyes darken. “I’d never seen you naked. That was a treat.”

“But I’m not a jock.”

“I don’t want a jock. I want a friend and a lover. I can’t make any guarantees at this point, but I think we’re off to a great start. You’ve seen what a disaster I am first thing in the morning and you’re not running for the hills.”

“A disaster?” He stared at her in disbelief. “What are you talking about? You’re beautiful!”

If she hadn’t been in love with him before, she was now. “Thank you.”

“I mean it. You’re all mussed and rosy and all I can think of is dragging you back down on that comforter and using another condom. Maybe we should call in sick. We could say we shared a meal and both came down with food poisoning.”

“No, that’s a terrible idea. It’s not the way to begin if we intend to tell everyone we’re seeing each other.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “That’s just it. I don’t want to tell them.”

“You don’t?” Now it was her turn to worry about his intentions. “Why not?”

He looked into her eyes. “This will sound dorky, but then, I’m a dork. I’ve imagined making love to you for years and now, against all odds, we’ve spent an incredible night together. It was special.”

“Yes, it was.”

“I’m not ready to share it with anyone else.”

That was reason enough for her, at least for the time being. “Okay.” She cupped his bristly face. “We’ll keep it a secret for now.”

He rested his hands on her shoulders. “The fact is, I still can’t believe any of this is real.”

“It’s real.” She leaned forward and kissed him. “I promise.”

T
he next three
days in the office were a challenge as Charlotte struggled to act as if she wasn’t having amazing sex every night with her boss. She couldn’t tell if Rylan and Frazer noticed anything different about the dynamic, but she caught Dulcie, the receptionist, giving her curious glances. No doubt Dulcie had caught Charlotte gazing at Tony’s ass when he walked down the hall.

She’d tried not to do things like that. Really she had. But she’d loved every minute of their private time together and was more than ready to let the rest of the staff know they were a couple, especially Blake Pearson. Besides Dulcie, he was the only one who seemed to sense that something was different. He didn’t exactly leer at her, but he came close a few times.

If given a choice she would have avoided him completely but she felt obligated to keep an eye on him. She didn’t want another incident with Miranda, and Dulcie could also be a target. No woman was safe with a lecherous guy like Blake around.

The weekend gave her a blessed reprieve from Blake and trying to disguise the fact she was sexually involved with Tony. They spent Saturday night at Tony’s penthouse apartment, but despite the luxurious surroundings he confessed to liking her townhouse better. She had to agree it was cozier, so they returned there first thing Sunday morning.

He helped her cook brunch and they made slow, sweet love all afternoon. That night he suggested hiring a car to take them to dinner at a restaurant about twenty miles away. Then they could have wine and not worry about drinking and driving.

He tipped the maître d’ and they were tucked into a secluded corner of the restaurant. Although she liked the intimate setup, it reminded her that their relationship was still a secret. The food was excellent but plenty of good restaurants existed closer to home so he might have chosen this one because they wouldn’t run into anyone they knew.

She understood his impulse to prolong their privacy, though, and she vowed to be patient. The shadowy corner where they sat combined with a second glass of wine made her feel mellow and sexy. While they talked she slipped off her shoe and caressed his ankle with her bare toes.

He smiled at her. “Is that a signal that I need to text our driver?”

“Maybe.” She finished off her wine. “Unless you want to meet me in the bathroom.”

He blinked. “The bathroom?”

“It’s supposed to be exciting.”

He looked relieved. “So you’ve never actually done it.”

“No, I’m teasing you. Having sex in a public restroom isn’t my idea of a great fantasy.”

“What is?”

“Oh, that’s easy. Sex with you in the office elevator. “

He swallowed. “No kidding?”

“No kidding this time.” She held his gaze. “Think about all those mirrors.”

“I . . .“ He drew in a shaky breath. “I can see how that would be . . .”

“Amazing.”

“Yeah.”

“I imagined it once when we happened to be riding the elevator together and I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since.”

“You thought of it sometime this week?”

“Long before that.”

“Wow. I had no idea.” Judging from the heat in his eyes and the change in his breathing he was imagining it, too.

No one would be in the building tonight, but she didn’t think he was ready for that particular fantasy and might never be. Having an elevator adventure where they worked would be an emotional risk for both of them but more so for him.

If their relationship fell apart she had the option of leaving. He didn’t and he’d be reminded of her every time he took that elevator. Better to simply go back to her townhouse and enjoy quality time in her warm bed.

She waited while he texted their driver and paid the bill. He’d insisted that tonight was his treat because she’d fed him several home cooked meals recently. She’d had fun doing that. He was easy to please and willing to help in the kitchen even if he didn’t know much about the process.

Considering that he’d grown up in a wealthy family he was remarkably unspoiled. If and when they announced that they were seeing each other she intended to thank his parents. She remembered them as decent people and they’d obviously raised Tony right.

When their driver arrived with the town car not long afterward, Tony gave him the office building address.

She was so shocked she forgot to buckle up. “Tony?”

He squeezed her hand and smiled. “Fasten your seatbelt.”

She complied but then she turned to him. “Look, we don’t have to do this. I completely understand if you’d rather –”

“I want to.” He lowered his voice. “It’s your fantasy. Let me give you that.”

She was stunned that he’d risk so much to please her. He might not be ready to broadcast their relationship to the world, but he was willing to lay his heart on the line so that she could have the experience she wanted. She almost blurted out those three loaded words.

No, not now. The situation was already crackling with emotional tension. Besides, she already knew how he felt about her. He wouldn’t be taking her to the office otherwise. She’d find the best moment to tell him she felt the same, but right before they walked into the building wasn’t the time.

She was trembling as he unlocked the door and led her inside. Turning back, he locked them in before taking her hand as they crossed the lobby.

She kept her voice down even though the place was empty. “I’ve never entered an office building specifically to have sex.”

He punched the button and glanced over at her. “Really?”

“Really. I may have had a fantasy about this elevator but I didn’t anticipate having that fantasy satisfied tonight . . . or ever.”

“Then I’m glad we’re here.” The elevator doors slid open and he drew her inside the brightly lit, mirrored interior. As the doors closed, he hit the button that stopped the elevator from moving. Then he gathered her close. “Now tell me how this fantasy is supposed to go.”

Her heart thudded in her chest. “Fortunately I’m wearing a dress.”

“I factored that in.”

Despite her agitation, that made her smile. “First I take off my shoes.” She stepped out of them and kicked them aside. “Oh, wait. Do you have a –”

“In my pocket. In case we didn’t make it past your sofa.”

She gazed into his eyes. “I adore you.”

“Likewise.”

“Then back me up against the wall of this elevator and prove it.”

Hunger darkened his eyes. “Glad to.”

Pressing her against the mirrored wall, he shoved her skirt up to her waist, took hold of her panties and ripped the delicate lace.

“Tony!”

He gulped for air. “Always wanted to do that.”

“I think . . .“ She paused to catch her breath. “I think you understand this fantasy.”

“Hope so.” He paused to unzip his pants and roll on a condom. “I figure now we make a lot of noise in a confined space.”

“Oh, yeah.” And so they did.

With her legs wrapped around his hips and his cock buried deep, he thrust with deliberate intent until their groans and cries echoed in the small cubicle. Everywhere she looked they were reflected in glorious detail as he pumped rhythmically, bringing her closer, closer, and
there.
She surrendered to the waves of a climax that brought her back to shore and to a man brave enough to give her a fantasy he might live to regret.

A
lthough Tony had spent
every night with Charlotte since the fateful pizza and electronics episode, he’d always headed home to shower and dress for the next day. They hadn’t reached the stage where he felt comfortable bringing his clothes over to her place. Besides, by going back to his penthouse, especially on weeknights, he’d created a mental separation between their sexual relationship and their work relationship.

Or so he’d told himself, but all bets were off when he parked his Maserati in the garage and walked toward the elevator on Monday morning. Now each time he rode it he’d remember making love to her against the mirrored wall.

Her Prius wasn’t in its designated spot yet, which was both a disappointment and a relief. He wasn’t sure how he’d react when they rode the elevator together in the light of day. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the mirrored cubicle.

“Hold the door!” Blake Pearson hurried over.

Tony automatically hit the button to keep the door open and then wished he hadn’t. He didn’t want to deal with Blake right now. The guy was one of the reasons he was reluctant to make his new situation with Charlotte common knowledge.

Less than twelve hours after telling Blake that he wasn’t involved with Charlotte he’d had sex with her. Blake wouldn’t ever find that out, but Tony still cringed when he recalled his sanctimonious speech about sexual harassment suits and not touching female employees.

Dealing with Blake’s reaction wasn’t his main reason for keeping quiet about Charlotte, though. The chief sticking point branded him a yellow-bellied coward and he freely admitted it. He’d wanted her for so long with no hope of having her. Even though she seemed happy with their new arrangement, he couldn’t convince himself she was in it for the long haul.

But if he kept their amazing experience under wraps and took it one day at a time, maybe she’d discover that she actually did want to stick around. If instead she bailed, he’d be spared the humiliation of having everyone in the office know that he’d tried out for the big leagues and hadn’t made the cut. Yeah, that was the coward’s way out, keeping quiet. He was so tempted to take it.

Blake was in high spirits this morning, which was irritating as hell. He grinned at Tony. “How was your weekend?”

“Good.”

“Mine was
great
. I hooked up with Cheryl Harrison, except she’s Cheryl Newberry now. Remember her?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Of course you do. You have a computer chip for a brain. Anyway, she’s recently divorced so we had a
very
good time, if you know what I mean. Divorced women, man. Take it from me, that’s where the action is.”

“If you say so.”

“I do. They’re not looking for a commitment any more than I am. I can hit it and quit it. Perfect.”

Tony hated this conversation. Charlotte was divorced. He didn’t see her fitting Blake’s profile, but what if he was wrong? No, he wasn’t wrong. She’d said she wasn’t interested in a one-night stand. But what if she only wanted a temporary fling?

He didn’t think so. Nothing about her behavior indicated she was poised for flight. When he was thinking rationally he wasn’t afraid she’d bolt, but apparently his irrational side hadn’t gotten the memo. His head began to ache.

“You okay, Tony?” Blake peered at him. “You look a little nauseated.”

“I’m fine.”

“I know what’s wrong with you. You’re not getting any. Maybe Cheryl has a friend. Divorced women hang out with other divorced women. I might be able to fix you up with –”

“Don’t.” The elevator stopped at the third floor and Tony had never been so glad to see those doors open. He started toward his office.

“No, seriously.” Blake followed him down the hall. “Let me do this for you. You’ll thank me for it.”

He whirled so abruptly that Blake took a step back. “Do
not
fix me up. Is that clear?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure thing.” Blake held up both hands, palms out. “Chill, man. I was only trying to help. You look stressed.”

“I’m not stressed, damn it!” He was aware that Dulcie was staring at him from behind her receptionist’s desk. Lowering his voice, he turned to her. “Good morning, Dulcie.”

“Good morning, Tony.” She eyed him warily. “Happy Monday.” The staff had formed a habit of saying that to counteract the negativity of TGIF.

“Happy Monday to you, too.” With a last warning glance at Blake, he walked into his office. He kept the door open because he wanted to see if Charlotte would wave on her way down the hall.

She did more than that. She ducked in and gave him a big smile. “Happy Monday.”

The tightness in his chest loosened. “Happy Monday.”

She walked over to his desk and murmured softly. “You look really hot this morning.”

The comment plus her curvy self in a silk blouse and form-fitting skirt had a predictable effect on his package. “Blake thought I looked stressed.”

“Are you?”

He gazed into her beautiful brown eyes. “Not anymore. Now I’m just aroused.”

“We’ll take care of that tonight.” She winked at him and left his office.

He blew out a breath. She was so great and in his heart he knew she wasn’t going anywhere soon. Maybe eventually she’d grow tired of him, but in the meantime he was denying them both the pleasure of a quick kiss hello in the morning or a warm smile whenever they passed in the hallway.

She’d wanted to go public and she deserved better than having to sneak around until he grew a pair. It was time to man up, acknowledge their relationship and take the damned risk that it wouldn’t end up happily ever after.

As for fallout in the office, yeah, he was technically the boss and he was involved with an employee, but BMUS wasn’t a Fortune 500 company yet. He and the guys could work out a policy that would allow him to continue to see Charlotte without breaking any rules. She was the HR expert. She probably had some ideas on the subject. He’d broach the subject tonight.

Feeling calmer than he had when he’d arrived, he made some calls and caught up on his emails. Because he’d left his door open he was able to hear what was going on in Charlotte’s office next door. He went on alert when he heard her low-pitched voice as she talked to someone, although he couldn’t tell whether it was in person or on the phone.

He couldn’t make out what she was saying, either, but she sounded angry. Then four words came through loud and clear.
Let go of me.

He was out of his chair and at her door in seconds. The sight that greeted him turned his blood to ice. Blake had grabbed her wrist and backed her against the wall.

With a roar he charged in and spun Blake around. His fist connected with Blake’s jaw and the guy went down. Tony stood over him, adrenaline pumping. “Touch her again and you die, sucker!”

Charlotte put a restraining hand on his arm. “Be careful. His father’s –”

“I don’t give a goddamn about his precious father! Pearson, you stepped over the line!”

Blake scrambled out of reach. “Okay, Tony. Okay. I didn’t think you had a claim.”

“Think again.” He dragged in air. “She’s with me. Got that?”

“Yeah, sure.” Blake stumbled to his feet. “Should’ve warned me, man. She’s divorced. I figured –”

“You figured wrong.”

“I can see that, now. But last week you said –”

“Things changed.” Gradually the red haze cleared from his brain. “Charlotte is off-limits.”

Blake nodded. “Right.” He edged his way out of the office.

“And so is every woman on my staff, asshole!”

“’Got it.” Blake’s voice was faint as he retreated to his office. A door closed.

Tony faced Charlotte. “Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head. “But . . . you hit him. What if he quits? Or tells his dad?”

“I’ll take that chance.”

Her gaze flicked to the doorway. “You might want to explain that to your staff.”

He turned to discover everyone except Blake clustered outside the office, eyes wide. “Hey, come on in. We have something to discuss.”

Rylan shot him a quick grin as he followed the others in. “Bastard had it coming.”

Tony took off his glasses and scrubbed a hand over his face. Then he settled his glasses in place and looked at the people standing in a loose semi-circle in front of them. He felt a responsibility to them, but he felt a greater one to himself and to Charlotte. “Two things. I hit Blake, which could have repercussions for the company. I don’t regret doing it but I may have put us all in jeopardy.”

“Maybe,” Rylan said, “but I doubt it. I heard him on his phone last week bragging to his old man about how much everybody here loves him and how valuable he is to the team. I don’t think he’ll want his daddy to know you decked him for sexually harassing Charlotte.”

“I hope you’re right, but if trouble comes, I’ll find a way to handle it that minimizes the impact.” He didn’t know how, yet, but he’d worry about that if and when he had to. “One more thing you need to know.” He paused and looked at Charlotte, who gave him a quick nod. “Charlotte and I are together, and –”

“I knew it!” Dulcie jumped up and down, causing her blonde cap of curls to bounce.

“I didn’t.” Rylan scratched the back of his head and turned to his brother. “How ’bout you?”

Frazer shook his head. “Nope, but I’m happy for you guys. You make a good couple.”

“Yeah, you do.” Miranda tossed her long dark hair over her shoulder and smiled at Tony. “And thanks for popping Blake, by the way. Does my heart good.”

Their acceptance and loyalty choked him up a little and he had to clear his throat. “We don’t have an office policy covering personal relationships, but obviously we need one and it should be something we can all live with.”

“I can suggest a few options,” Charlotte said. “But we probably could use a brainstorming session.”

Rylan glanced around at the group. “Sounds like we’re ready for a pizza and beer night.”

“Yeah,” Miranda said. “But do we have to invite Blake?”

Tony nodded. “Yes, we do. He might not come, but we have to invite him. We’ve been excluding him and that’s not a good way to deal with the situation.” He could tell from Charlotte’s smile that she approved. “That’s it, then. Guess we’d better get back to work. Picasso’s at six?”

“That works.” Frazer came over to give him a high five. “You did us all a big solid today, dude.”

Dulcie laughed. “A big solid. Frazer, you kill me.”

He glanced at her and smiled. “My pleasure.”

Her dimples flashed. “Mine, too.”

After they all left, Tony walked to the door and quietly closed it. When he turned around Charlotte was gazing at him with what could only be love shining in her eyes. “You probably shouldn’t close the door.”

“I know.” He walked toward her. “Want me to open it?”

“Not until I’ve thanked you for coming to my rescue.”

“You could have handled him.” He drew her into his arms.

“I know.” She gently took off his glasses. “But every girl needs a hero.”

His heart beat faster. “Anytime. Anyplace.”

“That’s good to know because . . . because I’m desperately in love with you, Tony Bainbridge.” She swallowed. “You may not believe me, yet, but –”

“I’d be a fool not to believe you.” He pulled her closer. “You’ve told me in a million ways that this is for real. It’s time I trusted what you’re saying.”

Her smile dazzled him. “Yes, it most certainly is.”

“I’ve loved you for years.” He caressed her satin cheek. “But you already know that.”

“I do. But when you hit Blake I
really
knew it.” She took a deep breath. “This will change the office dynamic.”

“Yeah.” He gazed into her eyes. “Starting now.” As he kissed her, he felt the pieces of his life slide together with the kind of smooth precision only an engineer would appreciate. Sometimes the nerd
did
get the girl.