Obsession (5 page)

I smiled gratefully at
him.

“You still enjoy
ing the
experience?” Deputy Garreti asked as he shifted in his
seat.

“It’s been wonderful. I’m
really learning a lot,” I lied. The truth was, I’d done this work
study so I could sleep in an extra hour every morning by missing a
class. I didn’t realize the added benefits of seeing the
eye-catching cadets who’d come in to relieve the deputy. They made
the job more interesting.

“
Well
, the cadet should be in soon,”
Deputy Garreti sighed while rubbing his belly. A soft growl came
from his stomach. I turned my head so my hair would hide my face as
I attempted to hold in my giggle.

“Sorry I’m
late.”

My eyes darted toward the
cadet, but quickly found their way back to the paperwork in front
of me. I had to keep my cool. He’d never be interested in me if I
acted like a typical whiny, dipshit seventeen-year-old
girl.

“No harm done. Keep Jamie
company for me,” Deputy Garreti said as he slowly rose from his
seat.

“Always do.” I looked up
from my paperwork and smiled at Rod. He winked at me as Garreti
watched our innocent actions. Only if he knew how innocent Rod made
me not want to be.

The door to the back room
closed as Rod sat down. We both watched as Garreti left, anxiously
waiting to hear the sound of the lock click, leaving the two of us
alone in this portion of the building.

Rod slowly turned in his
chair, his hands resting on either side of the armrests. The blond
locks of hair fanned across his forehead in a disarrayed swoop, and
the blue sparkle in his eyes were all too inviting.

“We going to talk about
what happened last week?” he asked with a devilish grin.

My cheeks heated as I hid
behind the caramel color of my hair. I remembered every second of
our closeness the previous week. “What’s there to say?” Taking a
deep breath, I purposely bit my lip, raising my eyes to meet Rods.
“
I
don
’
t regret it.
” My hand
found the top button of my shirt, slyly releasing it.

Rod tilted his head to the
side. “Wouldn’t your father be disappointed?”

As I turned in my chair, I
purposely slid my thighs so the black skirt I wore hiked up closer
to my hips so a good mid-thigh was showing. “I hardly think an
innocent kiss would upset him,” I breathed, “but it’d be better if
he didn’t know.”

“I like secrets,” he
murmured, as he dipped his head lower, leaning forward in his
chair.

“Who doesn
’t?” I said seductively
back, or at least I thought I was being seductive.

“Go lock the door,” he
commanded, his arms never budging from his armrests.

On shaking legs I stood,
trying to keep my stance semi wide so my skirt wouldn’t fall back
into place as I walked by him. I grinned in triumph, noticing his
eyes finding my bare thighs. I’d picked up some heels with my last
paycheck and practiced walking in them the entire weekend so I
wouldn’t trip and fall.

Once I reached the door, I
switched the lock, pulling on the handle to make sure it wouldn’t
open. I stood there for a second, my hand finding my blouse again,
undoing another button. Along with the heels, I’d had just enough
for a push-up bra and matching sets of panties. Hiding the new bag
from my mother was surprisingly easy when I had the beat up Toyota
to keep it in.

“
Come here,” Rod demanded
after I locked the door, crooking his finger toward me. I thought
my insides were going to burst. This was actually happening. An
older, hot as hell man wanted me. I was about to become a
woman.

I confidently walked toward
him, even though my heart was practically beating out of my chest.
“What exactly do you want from me, Jamie?”

I went to speak, but words
didn’t come out. What if he didn’t want what I wanted? I didn’t
know that much about sex, except for the little bit I saw on
television and the internet.

“What do you want?” I asked
timidly, failing miserably at sounding sexy.

He let out a slight laugh
while shaking his head. His hands found my thighs, making my
insides clench from his touch. “You’re not wearing any stockings.
That would complete the ensemble.”

“Okay.” My voice was soft.
“Would you like me to get some?”

Rod’s strong fingers slid
their way up my thighs and under my skirt, hiking it up so the back
of my cheeky underwear was exposed. “
Stockings.
Thursday.” His thumbs hooked in my lacy panties, and the
forcefulness he used as he tore them down my legs was
disarming.

“
Don’t you want to see how
they look?” I asked as he urged for me to lift my legs.

He smirked at me as he spun
them with his finger. “I’ll look at them later. Take off your
shirt.”

I stared at him blankly,
then quickly removed each button. His eyes followed my fingers as
he twirled my underwear. My shirt dropped to the floor, leaving me
in a hiked up skirt, push-up black lacy bra, and heels. According
to books and the internet, it was every man’s fantasy.

A low growl came from Rod.
“If you don’t want me to fuck you, I suggest you leave this
office.” His tone had no humor. “If you’re here to tease me, I
won’t put up with it. I’m a man, Jamie.
I don
’t play
games with teenage girls. Get on your knees.”

The audible gasp I released
didn’t go unnoticed by him. “
Last chance, Jamie.
Get on
your knees, or walk out that door.”

My eyes fluttered as I set
my hands on his thighs, making myself comfortable on my knees
before him.

Rod nodded in approval.
“It’s time for you to give me some more innocent
kisses.”

I lurched forward in my
bed.

The nightmares never took long to find
me.

My head pounded as I pressed my
shaking hands to my forehead, noting the clammy feeling of my skin.
The moment those letters were in my hands, my sleep dwindled. The
alcohol from last night didn’t help. And unfortunately, I
remembered everything.

Kissing Nathan was a new low for even
me. I knew he was gay and didn’t want anything to do with women,
but I’d still pursued him. I was an adult now and had no time to
waste on making irresponsible decisions that could ruin the
relationships I actually cared about. Nathan was gone from my bed,
leaving no sign of his take on my aggressiveness.

This is always what happened when
those letters came around. After my first drunken one night stand
in college, I’d realized casual sex helped numb me from Rod’s
torture. As long as I was in charge, the evening would be blissful.
Me on top and in total control, the sexy prospect underneath me and
unable to harm me because I had him pinned down.

My first night with a new man had been
a powerful experience, giving me all the confidence I’d needed to
become a stronger woman who knew what she wanted. Besides, it felt
like I was giving Rod a big fuck you by screwing another man who
wasn’t him.

But then those letters started to find
me, and I realized that as long as I didn’t stay monogamous with
one man, the letters would come farther apart. I didn’t want Rod to
reach his breaking point with someone I cared about. I shuddered,
remembering how far he’d gone the first time.

Sex still numbed me, but once it was
over, thoughts of Rod’s hands caging me weren’t far behind,
throwing me into a constant loop of anxiety. The best I could do to
ease the fear of Rod from my bones was to head to work.

Hopefully this hangover would fade,
then I’d ask Nathan to forgive me for being a drunken
idiot.

My head was still thumping by lunch. I
hadn’t eaten anything besides two cups of coffee, but those didn’t
really count because they came right back up before the caffeine
could take effect. My brother Landon had always scolded me when I
wouldn’t take Tylenol and drink a glass of water before I’d pass
out after drinking. I always regretted not listening to
him.

You’d think my sexual frustration
would have disappeared with a hangover, but not for this
girl.

Of course, I could get the
job done myself, but having a man’s hand grasping your skin, the
way he’d move firmly and aggressively while revving you up to that
moment of release … I was hot just thinking about it. Bulky,
muscular arms, calloused hands, and strong thighs could easily cure
me of my agitation.
Mitch
’s face popped into my head,
and I suddenly felt nauseated again. What was I thinking? He was
too much of an idiot, too conceited and egotistical. He’d probably
only last a few minutes anyway.

Growling in frustration, I
let my head fall lazily on my desk, running my hands through my
hair.
Why was I thinking about him like
that? And why did my vagina just flex?

“Sleeping on the job? I
thought only
I
was
allowed to do that?”

I jolted upward, knocking the back of
my head on the cabinet. “God damn it, Mitch! What the hell are you
doing here?”

When I looked up, it was as though he
had appeared from my own sick, filthy dream. He was broad and sexy,
his sandy hair short and messy, his cheekbones devastatingly
chiseled as his mouth gave me his typical wicked grin.

He chuckled under his breath, clearly
amused by my lack of attentiveness. Leaning against the end of my
desk with his arms crossed in front of his chest, he studied me.
His smirk was so hot, yet so fucking annoying.

“Don’t you have buildings to
build?”

“Yes, I do. Don’t you have clients to
gain?”

I didn’t like his laughing tone. “I’m
above quota.”

Mitch licked his lips. “As of
yesterday, I thought you were lacking?”

I raised a brow at him. “According to
whom?” Oh my God, did Nathan talk to him?

He looked down and softly laughed,
then stood tall. “I believe you were the one who admitted you’d
been lacking.”

I crossed my arms and legs tightly,
waiting for him to continue. He was the last person I wanted to
play the guessing game with, especially while nursing a killer
hangover. Then I remembered my conversation with Nathan from
yesterday that Mitch had overheard. Of course he was sending this
conversation into something inappropriate.

Mitch’s gaze moved to my chest. For a
moment I thought maybe I had vomit on my shirt, but when I looked
down, I rolled my eyes. The way my arms were crossed helped to
boost my cleavage in my red shift dress. Just as I was about to
ream him a new one for being such a pig, his stare took my breath
away. The look in his eyes was primal and hungry, and I had to
squirm in my seat to avoid the tingling in between my
legs.

“Could you not?”

Mitch looked back, a
mischievous grin spreading across his face. “Maybe if they weren’t
so out in the open.” I huffed and shifted my arms, raising my chin
to him. “Oh, you don’t have to cover up, I thoroughly enjoy the
view.” He had the nerve to wink at me and I became more
flustered.
He’s such a dick.

My office phone rang, saving me.
“Conklin Architecture, Construction, and Design. This is Jamie, how
can I help you?”

“Having a rough morning?” Nathan slyly
asked.

My hand found my head as I winced.
“That about sums it up. Are you mad at me?”

“For what? Begging me to kiss you on
the front porch? Please. I’ve seen your tits and had you grinding
against me. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before.”

His dismissal made me flush slightly,
but my lip quirked into a smile. He wasn’t upset or uncomfortable;
another reason why I loved him.

“He’s seen your tits?” Mitch’s jaw was
hanging down nearly to his chest. Gosh, why did Nathan have to talk
so damn loud! My head craned toward Mitch, giving him my best death
glare possible.

He held both hands in the air, but the
smirk on his face proved he wasn’t really surrendering.

“You didn’t tell me Mitch was there.”
Nathan laughed.

“Why don’t I just put you on speaker
phone?” I said coldly, annoyed with both their playful
attitudes.

“Actually, that’s a fantastic idea. I
need to talk to him.” I huffed and switched to speaker.

“Jamie, stop being so grumpy,” Nathan
scolded playfully.

Mitch chuckled under his breath,
pissing me off even more.

“She just needs some release,” he
hummed.

“Yeah, I know,” Nathan
laughed. “But enough about Jamie’s sex life.”
Oh my God, it’s like I’m not even in the room.
“Mitch, I need you and Tony to meet Kobiashi in
an hour at the Plaza Towers. He wants a walk through of the suite
before we start adding drywall.”

Mitch flattened his palms on my desk
as he leaned closer to the phone. “Tony’s breaking ground on the
high rise apartments in Palm Springs. There’s no way he’d be able
to get here in time.”