Working Him: A Billionaire Romance (7 page)

Chapter 11:  Garrett

I watched her from the doorway, the way her fingers flew over the keyboard as if she were playing an instrument. She had been on my mind all fucking morning and most of last night, the kiss replaying in my mind and going a lot further in my dreams. I wanted Rachel, yet she scared the bejesus out of me. Rachel was the type of woman that a man settled down with, carried out those long term relationships and had kids with. I wasn’t used to those types of women. I was used to the women who didn’t expect anything past a few months, who used me just as much as I used them. Women like Rachel, I didn’t even know how to go about luring them into my bed.

Pushing away from the doorway, I walked back into my office and sat down, pulling up my emails. I needed to get my ass to work, follow up with the condo purchases and look at my sales for the month. The problem was, I could hear Rachel’s voice through my walls every time someone came in or the phone rang. I could still smell her perfume from her visit this morning, where I had walked in at just the right time to save her from another one of Travis’s advances. He wouldn’t have gotten far with her, but just the thought of him touching her made me want to go beat him to a bloody pulp.

“Dude, we got a meeting.”

I looked up to see Travis in the doorway, a grin on his face. “What?”

“The condos,” he said excitedly. “They want to see us again, tonight. I think they’re going to tell us the news we’ve been waiting for.”

“Hell yes,” I said, pumping my fist in the air. This was the pick me up I needed. This was exactly what I had been hoping for. “This is it, Trav. This is our break.”

“I know,” he grinned before disappearing from the door once more.

I leaned back in my chair and wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I was about to solidify all of my hard work in this business. Travis, myself, and this business would be set for life once we got this deal and by the sound of it, it was already ours for the taking.

***

Later That Night

“I’m sorry, Mr. Louden, Mr. Douglas. We appreciate you placing your bid in but we have decided to go with another company. Thank you for your interest.”

I sat back in the chair, knowing that what I was feeling was showing on my face. “We didn’t get the contract?”

One of the men, I couldn’t remember his name, shook his head. “I’m sorry, surely you understand we had many great applications and pitches and the decision was not an easy one.”

“Of course,” I said slowly, all of my excitement draining to my feet as I stood, forcing myself to shake hands with the room before filing out, Travis following behind me. I waited until we were outside before I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to punch something.

“What the hell happened back there?” Travis asked, astonishment all over his face as we walked to my car together. “I thought we had it in the bag, dude.”

“I just don’t understand,” I said slowly, shoving my hands into my pockets. We had researched the building, prepped all of our people, done everything right down to the last penny and even won the damn award to show those fuckers that we were in the elite class. But none of it had mattered. We had still lost the contract and the future of our business hung in the balance now. While we were successful, whoever got that contract would quickly rise to fame and the flux of real estate would lean their way. It was just the way of the world we lived in.

“Well, I’m going to get rip roaring drunk,” Travis announced as he walked toward his car. “And get laid a few times. Want to come?”

I shook my head and kicked at a rock in front of me, watching it skitter across the ground, much like the bumpy road of my career. I wanted to be alone, not surrounded by people. This was a personal blow to my ego, not getting this deal and now I was going to have to find something to replace it. What that would be, I didn’t have a clue. “Nah, go on ahead, have fun. I’m out.”

Travis leaned over and clapped me on the shoulder. “Hey dude, there are going to be a ton of other deals. We’re already successful as fuck. Don’t let it get to you, okay?”

“Have a good night,” I said, stepping towards my car. Travis was right of course. We were successful regardless of the deal and I could still purchase that house on the beach if I wanted to, but my pride was seriously wounded.

I climbed in my car and drove toward my condo, feeling dejected. I needed a few stiff drinks and my balcony for a while to process this in. Tomorrow I would get up with a different frame of mind, but tonight, I wanted to drown my sorrows in what this deal could have meant for the both of us.

It didn’t take me long to reach the building and I climbed out of my car, walking toward the entrance with a clenched jaw, my strides angry. How could I have lost this deal? Hadn’t I done everything like they wanted?

“Garrett?”

I turned to see Rachel in the doorway, holding the glass door open, a bag in one hand and a bottle of wine tucked under her arm. She looked fucking radiant, without a stitch of makeup on and dressed in tiny running shorts and a tank top that clung to her breasts invitingly. I couldn’t believe how happy I was to see her and all of the thoughts of our kiss came rushing back. “Rachel.”

“Are you okay?” she asked hesitantly as I walked through the open door. “You look upset.”

I sighed in frustration and ran a hand over my hair, causing it to stand up on end. “I-I got some bad news tonight.”

“Oh no,” she replied, her expression melting into empathy. “Is there anything I can do? I hope it isn’t too bad.”

“What? No, no one died or anything. It’s just, well, a deal I wanted didn’t pan out.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I realized how petty they sounded. I was a damn successful businessman, a millionaire yet I was crying over a dead deal.

Rachel bit her lip and held up her bag, the smell of lo mein filling the air. “I’ve got booze and Chinese. Want to come drown your sorrows with me?”

Surprised, I looked at her. She was inviting me up? Really? “Are you sure?”

She grinned. “I don’t offer up my favorite Chinese to just anyone, Garrett. You look like you need some cheering up and I don’t have any plans other than to veg out so why not?”

“Yes,” I said quickly before she could change her mind. There was no one else I would rather spend time with than her.

She walked to the elevator and pressed the button, the doors opening.

“I never asked how you came to be living in the same building as me,” I brought up casually as the elevator ascended to the nineteenth floor. It was comical, really, to know she was only one floor down from me, easily within reach this entire time.

She fiddled with the plastic bag, looking suddenly nervous. “It’s a friend of mine’s condo. I told him I was relocating and he is allowing me to stay until I can find my own place.” She looked over, giving me a slight smile. “Like a secretary could afford a place here.”

That was my sentiments exactly, but I did not like the fact she had mentioned her friend as a ‘he.’ Was the guy blind to not try and make the moves on Rachel? Maybe he was gay.

The doors opened and we stepped out into the hall, walking down until she stopped before a door, inserting the key and pushing it open. “Welcome.”

I stepped in, seeing the familiarity between her place and mine, including the balcony. It was tastefully decorated, though I saw no personal effects amongst the shelves that would even indicate that Rachel lived here. If she was truly looking for her own place, it made sense not to put out a bunch of stuff. Still, I thought it was weird that she had nothing personal laying around.

“I’ll just grab some glasses and plates,” she was saying as she laid the bag on the counter, along with the wine. “I’ve got a bottle chilling in the fridge already.”

“I’ll get it,” I said, walking over to the fridge and opening it, smirking as I saw the various takeout already on the shelves. She lived like I did, with no interest or time to cook for just one person. For her though, I would cook up a meal in a heartbeat.

Grabbing the wine, I pulled it out of the fridge and turned to see Rachel already unpacking the bag, various containers littering the counter. “That’s a lot of food for one person,” I remarked, setting the wine on the counter. “Are you sure you were going to be alone tonight?”

She laughed and reached for some silverware in one of the drawers, giving me a nice view of her ass in the process. “I always struggle to figure out what I want when I go so I get a little bit of everything. You’re in luck that I like a buffet.”

I grinned, some of my anger melting away. This was what I needed. I needed her company to put me at ease. Rachel handed me a plate and I filled it with the piping hot food, pouring us both a glass a wine. “Do you want to sit on the balcony?”

“Sure,” she answered, grabbing her plate as well. “Lead the way.”

Balancing the plate and my glass, I opened the balcony door and stepped out, taking one of the cushioned chairs that were separated by a small table, both facing forward to the beach. Rachel took the other and we sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying the food.

“So,” she finally said, setting her plate on the table and picking up her wine glass. “Want to talk about it?”

I chewed slowly, not really wanting to tell her I failed. I wasn’t used to failure and I certainly didn’t want her to see me as weak. “It was a deal,” I finally replied, putting my plate on the floor and grabbing my wine. “A huge deal. This was going to put me and Travis over the top, make us the premier realtors of South Florida. I thought I had it in the bag, that we had proven to them that we were good enough, the right company to handle this job, but they turned us down.”

“Did they say why?” she asked softly.

I shook my head, taking a sip of the tasty wine. “No and I think that’s the hardest part, you know? I want to know why I failed. I want to know why I wasn’t good enough.”

“Oh Garrett,” she sighed. “Don’t let one deal define who you are.”

I looked over at her and chuckled. “How come you always know what to say, Rachel? Even as a kid, you were full of witty words.”

She laughed and I was mesmerized by her beauty. “I wouldn’t say witty. I was always nervous around you the older we got, trying to get your attention from those other girls.”

I exploded into laughter myself. “Come on, you always had my attention.”

She drained her glass and set it on the table, shaking her head. “Yeah right. Once you got, well, you know.”

I looked at her interested in what she was going to say. “When I got what?”

Chapter 12:  Rachel

I felt my cheeks flame as Garrett waited for my response, wondering why in the hell I had even brought it up or him up for that matter. But he had looked so sad in that doorway and my heart had lurched at the thought of him being alone, no matter what was causing it. I was glad it had been just a deal that had effectively ruined his night and hated the fact that I was going to do the same to him in two days’ time.

With the information I had found in Travis’s office, Christina was able to compare to the money that was being bled out of the company and solve the case. Brian was travelling down to meet with the respective law enforcement and Travis would be arrested on fraud charges, hiking up the accounts to be able to skim money off the top. The banks that fronted those accounts were going to be going after him for that excess cash that he was charging, nearly tripling his commission when compared to Garrett’s. The case was nearly wrapped up and so was I. I was about to turn Garrett’s life upside down.

“What were you going to say, Rachel?” he prodded, his voice low.

“When you got your hormones,” I blurted out, quickly taking the last sip of my wine.

He laughed, all vestiges of his bad day disappearing off of his handsome face. “Well, I remember when you got yours, too. I noticed.”

“What?” I asked, picturing myself as the reed thin kid who seemed to be all angles and no curves. There hadn’t been anything to notice.

“I had been around you all my life,” he said, his eyes piercing mine. “I felt the changes, Rachel. Don’t believe that I didn’t.”

I suddenly felt hot and bothered, standing and gathering our plates in an effort to catch my breath. Garrett followed me with the glasses and I put them in the sink, washing off the food for the dishwasher. When he came to stand behind me at the sink, my breath froze in my chest.

“I don’t know what it is about you,” he said, his breath tickling my ear, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders. “Trust me, I have asked myself a dozen times why I am so fucking attracted to you, but I have no answers.”

“Garrett,” I breathed, knowing I echoed his words. I should tell him to leave, to keep from going to the one place that was certain to lead me to ruin. He had no idea what I was going to do to him in a few days and I imagined he was going to hate me for it.

His lips touched the side of my neck and I closed my eyes, gripping the side of the sink as I arched toward him. His hands slid around my sides and cupped my breasts, kneading them and sending a pool of warmth straight down between my thighs. Oh god, his touch, it was setting me on fire.

“I want you,” he growled, his hard body pressing into my back, the evidence of his arousal nestling near my ass. “Can I have you, Rachel?”

I focused on his hands on my breasts, teasing my nipples though my thin top, his lips on my neck, nipping at the tender skin there. I wanted him too, so badly, though I shouldn’t have him. My emotions were going to be heavily involved regardless of what I did.

“Please,” he continued, one of his hands travelling down the length of my body to the waistband of my shorts, delving in to find the wetness of my silk thong there. “You want me, too. I can feel it. Let me have you.”

His finger found my tight nub and I gasped, the motion of his finger coupled by the cool wet silk of my panties causing an erotic reaction within me. He growled against my neck and I arched into his touch, the hand on my breast now inside my shirt, tugging on my nipple and causing small electric shocks in my body.

“Please,” I sobbed as his motion slowly teased me. “Please, Garrett.”

His hands left me and I nearly sobbed aloud at the disconnect, my body on fire. Turning around, I found him watching me, his hand stroking the front of his trousers, his eyes as hard as sapphires. He wanted me, I could see it in his face, in the way he was trying to remain casual, though the clench of his jaw told me he was struggling with his own self-control. Why not allow myself this tiny slice of heaven, a memory to carry me through the next few weeks? Walking over, I reached for his free hand.

“Come,” I said huskily.

He followed me down the hall into the bedroom I had been claiming as my own, glad that I had picked up all of my clothes earlier. I turned toward him, reaching for the buttons on his dress shirt. His hands sought my own tank but I slapped them away.

“Please,” I said, looking into his eyes. “Let me do this.”

His hands fell away and I undid each one of his buttons, every inch of his muscular chest and taunt abs coming into view, causing my mouth to go dry as I pushed it off of his shoulders.

“You’re beautiful,” I said reverently, my hand trailing down his form.

He laughed and I smiled, reaching for his belt buckle on his trousers, undoing it quickly and pushing them down over his legs, his hardness springing out. He was large and heavy with need and I felt my own need rise in my chest. This was the right answer. This was what we both needed.

Kneeling before him, I took him into my hands, sliding my fingers over the steely length of him.

“God, Rachel,” he said as I kissed the bulging tip, the velvety softness brushing against my lips. “You’re killing me.”

“Shh,” I said, stroking the throbbing vein. “Let me take care of you.”

He groaned, his hands delving into my hair as I took him into my mouth. Working my hands, I nipped and sucked until his hands pushed me off of him and threw me onto the bed.

“I can’t take it anymore,” he forced out. “Clothes, off, now.”

Wet with anticipation, I stripped my clothes off as he slid on a condom, biting my lip as he loomed over me.

“I will make this up to you,” he said, kissing me hard on the lips. “But you didn’t play fair and I have wanted you for so long.”

“We have all night,” I said, reaching for him.

He pushed inside me and I moaned this time as he filled me to the core. It had been so long. Garrett reached down and kissed me again, forcing my mouth open as his tongue delved into my mouth, his body moving over mine. I felt the pressure build as he started to move faster, breaking our kiss to feast on one of my erect nipples. I arched against the pleasure, exploding into pieces as he thrust faster and deeper. “Oh god, Garrett!” I shouted, my fingers digging into his shoulders. “Yes!”

“Rachel,” he said as he roared to his orgasm, stiffening before he collapsed on top of me, our sweaty bodies smashing together.

For a moment I just laid there, the after effects of my orgasm racking my body. I didn’t know what to say or how to even feel about this. My feelings for him were strong and I already dreaded the fact that I was going to ruin his life. I had no choice. Travis was doing something illegal and it was my job to bring him down. I just hoped Garrett saw it that way as well.

“Well,” Garrett mumbled against my shoulder. “That was a long time coming.”

I ran my fingers over his strong back, fighting back the tears. “I hope this doesn’t make it weird around the office.”

Garrett chuckled and looked up at me, his blue eyes full of warmth. “What I need to do is get a lock on my office door and move you in.”

“Travis will be jealous then,” I said softly as he used one of his hands to push the hair from my face tenderly.

“He’ll have to find his own,” Garrett answered, slowly pulling away from me.

I propped up on one elbow as I watched him walk across the bedroom toward the bathroom, enjoying his naked form. What had I done?

Garrett wasn’t gone long and I scrambled to get under the covers, patting for him to join me. He slid into the bed and immediately pulled me close, my cheek resting on his shoulder. “Well,” he said as we lay there in the dark, the time approaching midnight. “You have been a lifesaver tonight, Rachel. I-I didn’t know what I was going to do about blundering that deal, but I’m glad I had you.”

“And food, don’t forget the food,” I said softly, resting my hand on his stomach.

He chuckled and kissed my forehead, letting out a large sigh. “Give me about ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go again.”

I snuggled against him, worry filling my mind. I needed to enjoy these precious moments because all hell was about to break loose.