Train Me Daddy Page 22

  “Or personally. I don’t want to be associated with you at all,” she said quickly and I allowed a small laugh to escape my lips.

  “Alright, Beverley. I’m only trying to help you and your product. For old times’ sake and also because I genuinely believe you’re brilliant and I want to work with you,” I said and swiveled my chair away from her to face the desk again. I could sense her eyes on me, watching me like a hawk. She was thinking.

  “Well, I don’t want to work with you,” she snapped and I nodded my head and flipped open the file in front of me.

  “You mentioned that already, but in case you change your mind; I’m still open to the idea,” I said while reading the papers and not looking at her. She was still standing there and I could sense her fuming. The one skill I had developed in the corporate world was to keep my calm and allow the negotiation to take time. There was no rush. If anyone should have been in a hurry, it would have to be Beverley. But I knew her too, as much as she thought I didn’t, I knew that I need to give her time. She was in shock and I was aware that I shouldn’t be pressing her too much at that moment. So, I decided to be calm instead and give her time to think about what had just happened.

  As much as I wanted to turn back to her, look at her, watch her body move…I didn’t. While she on the other hand; remained standing where she was and after some time turned around in a huff. I didn’t raise my head to look at her as she opened the door, but a smile lingered on my face. Beverley hadn’t changed at all.

  Only when she had slammed the door shut behind her and I heard her heels clicking the marble floor outside as she walked away, did I look up. Her perfume was still lingering in the air in the room and I took in a deep breath of it.

  Beverley still managed to recharge my batteries. I couldn’t stop smiling. As much as she pushed me away, I wanted her. Because deep down inside, I knew she wanted me too. Even in college, I caught her staring at me. She’d watch me silently from the bleachers when I played basketball and every time I looked at her, she would turn her face away.

  All this while, she had simply assumed that I wasn’t interested in her. It was easy for her to confuse my true interests, because she wasn’t naive. She saw me with other girls. The stereotypical girls a guy like me should have been dating. And it was definitely my fault that I’d never made a move. But, Beverley was unreachable in college. She never gave me a chance to get to know her. Her one and only aim in college was to win and defeat me in the process. But now I finally had my chance.

  I couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss as I gathered the file together and made my way out of the meeting room. Claire, my personal assistant found me as I shut the door behind me.

  “How’d it go? Ms. Wade didn’t seem very pleased,” Claire said as I handed the file over to her.

  “She’ll come around,” I told Claire with a smile as I walked away from her and towards my own office. In fact, I couldn’t stop smiling all day. Kissing Beverley had been the single best thing that had happened to me the whole week. A college fantasy had come true and now I knew what I had always suspected…that she was the only woman who could set me on fire. Nobody else even came close.

  Chapter 7

  Beverley

  That kiss had overtaken my mind, and I hadn’t spent a single moment since then without thinking about it. In college, if I wasn’t studying; which was all the time, I was fantasizing about Grant. He was handsome, smart and smooth as velvet. He got all the girls and even now, after we were out in the real world, nothing had really changed. Grant Jennings had become one of the hottest guys in the country. Good looks, intelligent mind and money were all a winning combo. I knew exactly how other women felt about him, and I knew I didn’t stand a chance.

  But why had he kissed me? I couldn’t deny the thought that he had kissed me just because he could. Because he was just another one of those entitled jocks who assumed he could have any woman he wanted. But a small part of me couldn’t help but wonder if he kissed me because he wanted to kiss me, and not just any woman.

  Then there was also the business about selling my company. He was crazy to think that not only would I sell my company to him, but that I’d actually go and work with him too. Especially after this! After he’d kissed me! The best plan of action would be to simply ignore him. Move away from Silicon Valley and try and start a new life somewhere else!

  I stood up from my chair with a jerk and paced the floor of my office. I had to be going mad to entertain the thought of running away from San Fransisco because of one kiss! One kiss that didn’t mean anything to him. But it meant a whole deal to me. I’d spent so long fantasizing about Grant, that this kiss was capable of completely breaking me.

  A sudden knock on my office door snapped me out of my thoughts. Sasha stuck his head in.

  “I’m gonna head out. It’s nearly eight,” he said and I nodded my head. He didn’t leave. He could see that I was working up over something. Without me inviting him in, Sasha stepped into my office and shut the door behind him. Sasha had been my first hire. Even though we weren’t exactly friends, I had known him for four years now and he was one of the handful of people I actually knew well in San Fransisco. Clearly, he believed we were friends because he walked up close to me and I stopped my pacing, in surprise.

  “Bev,” he said in a soft kindly voice.

  “Sasha?” I said, confused by his behavior.

  “I can see you’re still thinking about Lonex’s offer,” he said, tipping his head to one side. I crossed my arms over my breasts and glared at him.

  “Well, it’s my company. I built it up from scratch. I have to put some thought into it,” I told him. My brows were crossed. I was annoyed that he thought he could talk to me about it. I didn’t need his help. I didn’t need anybody’s help.

  “Yeah, but it has to happen. You have to sell. And who better to sell than Lonex? Especially if they’re offering you that amount of money,” he said and I noticed the concerned look on his face. I took in a deep breath and nodded my head. There was no point taking my temper out on him. Sasha hadn’t done anything wrong, in fact if anything, he was the model employee. The least I could do was lend him an ear.

  “I know what you’re saying, it’s just that…” I said, looking about me. I couldn’t find the right words to use to explain the situation to him.

  “Do you have some kind of complicated history with Grant Jennings?” he asked and I couldn’t do anything but stare at him in surprise. How had he figured that out? Did I really make it so obvious?

  “Well, kind of,” I said and licked my lips. I suddenly felt vulnerable. If Sasha had been able to figure it out, did Grant also know how I felt about him? Why I was being so resistant to sell to him?

  “For your sake, Bev, I suggest that you just work it out with him or work it out by yourself. I don’t think you’ll come by an offer like this again,” Sasha said and placed a friendly hand on my shoulder. My arms remained crossed over my breasts and I looked at him with my eyes widened.

  “Thanks for the advice Sasha, I’ll think about it,” I said and he nodded his head. I realized in that moment, that my employees…the three of them, were also confused. Me selling the company could mean anything. If the new buyers didn’t want to keep the original team intact, it could mean that they were going to lose their jobs.

  “Sasha!” I called out to him as he began to walk away. “Will you please tell Susan and John that I’m going to figure it out? That I’ll do what is best for you guys,” I said, in a weaker voice. Sasha passed me a half smile and nodded, before leaving my office.

  I was alone again, but I remained standing where I was. I knew I needed to figure things out soon. The longer I took, the deeper this web was going to get. I wasn’t magically going to be able to rescue my company out of a financial crisis. Sasha was right, Grant had given me the best offer I could ask for.

  And also, he had kissed me. Which in its own way was also a game changer. I had some big decisions to make and to m
ake them quickly. And all these decisions could have disastrous consequences on my life if I didn’t make the right ones. But suddenly, I was up for the challenge.

  Chapter 8

  Grant

  I stood on the balcony of my brand new house, cradling a crystal glass of whiskey in my hand. I was pleased with what I saw. I’d worked hard with the architect to come up with a contemporary and sleek design for this mansion, made entirely out of wood and glass; and I was happy with the result. The driveway was flanked by manicured lawns and brick paths, while on the back of the house, an infinity pool was newly constructed. The house was spread over two stories and decorated inside in accents of white and wood.

  When I looked up at the sky, I noticed that it was an exceptionally starry night. I breathed in the cool fresh air and allowed it to energize me. I was still thinking about Beverley.

  It was the end of a busy work week. Every other day, including weekends; I stayed in the office till at least ten in the night. Except on Fridays. On Fridays, I allowed myself the pleasure of coming home by eight and enjoying the house I had spent so much time and money in building it.

  It was a big house no doubt, and I was its sole occupant. I had a staff of four full-timers who looked after the maintenance of the grounds and the workings of the house, but I rarely ever saw them. Because I was away all the time, and because they never made an appearance in the evenings; I was all the more aware of being completely alone in the house. It was peaceful on most nights, but tonight I was feeling restless.

  I knew it was because of Beverley, not only because we had kissed; but because I’d seen her after so long. I’d forgotten that feeling of excitement, that adrenaline rush I got every time I was around her. She kept me on my toes, she motivated me in college to work hard and prove myself. Even though, like she said, we didn’t know each other…she was the one I secretly wanted to impress.

  The initial feelings of guilt of buying her company, were now replaced with the excitement of seeing her again. I knew I should have been slightly more concerned by her reaction to the offer and the kiss, but if she had reacted in any other way, it would have only surprised me. I appreciated that she never took anything at face value. That Beverley didn’t make any decisions without closely calculating the risks and putting thought into it. It’s what set her apart. It was what made her brilliant.

  I walked away from the balcony and went back inside. Taking the spiral stairs down, I went into my den where I sat down with my whiskey. On other Friday nights, I would have enjoyed a movie by myself, or read a book, but tonight I couldn’t concentrate on anything apart from having Beverley’s body pressed up against mine.

  I had traded in a busy social life a couple of years ago and replaced it with work. Nobody in college partied as hard as I did, in fact, I carried on that habit even when I moved here. But as my business took off, my success made me more ambitious and greedy and I couldn’t think of anything other than work. And now, just the thought of meeting a large group of people at a club and getting shit-faced and sleeping with a girl I didn’t know…just made me feel sick.

  I was sitting on the couch with my legs spread apart, still thinking about Beverley. I could feel her soft skin on my fingertips. She had all but melted in my arms. She was small and delicate in my arms, even though she was fiery and strong to talk to. A complete contrast and another thing about her that made me shift in my seat.

  I placed the glass on the coffee table in front of me, and my hand subconsciously went to my crotch. I’d masturbated to fantasies about her before, but the prospect of this one made me instantly hard. I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes as I focused on the image of her face. Her beautiful heart shaped face with her pouty pink lips. The green eyes that shot daggers at me. Her blonde straight hair and how silky they had felt to the touch.

  I could picture her clearly, and I stroked my erect cock through the fabric of my pants. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself and unzip my pants, not yet. I imagined what it would be like to undress her, if she’d have goosebumps on her skin, if she’d pull me to her and ravage me with her mouth.

  The doorbell rang loud and clear through the house and I jumped off the couch. The clock on the wall told me it was nearly nine and I definitely wasn’t expecting anyone. I cleared my throat, conscious of the explicit thoughts I’d just been having of Beverley. Grabbing the glass of whiskey back up from the table, I made my way towards the front door.

  In the foyer, I could finally see outside. All the walls were of glass and a bright front door light was shining down on Beverley standing there. I quickened my pace, confused and in shock. The last place I had expected to see her next, was at my own front door. She was staring inside the house, and I watched as she tucked in strands of silken hair behind her ears.

  “Beverley!” I exclaimed as I opened the door wide.

  She was standing with her hands clasped together, and to my surprise she smiled at me.

  “It was incredibly easy for me to find your home address online,” she said, and without another word from me, she pushed past and walked into my house.

  “Are you surprised to see me, Grant?” she said and I raised my eyebrows in agreement.

  Chapter 9

  Beverley

  I’d expected his house to be impressive, but what I saw really took me by surprise. Everywhere I looked, a minimal decor and good taste greeted me, including the low hanging abstract chandelier from the ceiling. Grant was standing in front of me, speechless still, holding a glass of drink in his hand.

  He was in a pair of tan pants and a casual old t-shirt, his blue eyes were bright and his lips looked thin and firm set.

  “Yes, I’m a little surprised,” he said in a low voice.

  “Am I intruding in your personal space?” I asked him and took a few steps towards him. Grant clenched his jaw and a flicker of a smile washed over his face.

  “Of course not,” he said curtly and I smiled wide at him, arching an eyebrow up at him.

  “It doesn’t feel too good to be intruded upon, does it?” I said to him coyly and he kept his eyes on me, watching me as I walked closer to him. I was aware of the open see-through nature of his house, but there was nobody around and only darkness around. Whatever feelings of self-consciousness I would have felt any other time, were gone now. Seeing Grant again had set my blood pumping and now there was no backing down.

  “Is that what this is about?” he asked, still in a low voice. “You’re trying to teach me a lesson for kissing you?” he continued, and he placed the glass in his hand on a floating shelf on the glass wall beside him.

  I shrugged my shoulders as I inched closer to him. His gaze dropped for a few moments to my breasts and flickered and then he looked up at me again. Before I showed up here, I’d changed into what I thought was the sexiest dress I owned. A short blue cocktail dress which had a plunging neckline that revealed my cleavage. It clung to me as I moved towards him, my high black stilettos clicking softly against his wooden flooring.

  “I don’t know if I want to teach you a lesson. More like I want you to see how strange it feels when you’re surprised with something,” I said to him finally. Only a few inches remained between us, and Grant was looking down at me keenly. He raised his eyebrows and smiled fully now.

  “Surprised? You mean, when I offered you a job in my company?” he asked. I had to crane my neck to look up at him now. In college, I couldn’t imagine being this close to him but our kiss in the afternoon had filled me with renewed strength.

  “You flung it on me,” I said.

  “I didn’t expect you to make a decision right then. I wanted you to take your time and think about it,” he replied and I took in a sharp breath. We were veering from the topic. I wanted to keep talking about the kiss. If this was the only chance I’d have to get close to Grant again, I was going to take it. He was going to buy my company, what else could I have to lose? My mind! But I wasn’t thinking about it then. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking abou
t that kiss all day, and I wanted more.

  “You were right Grant,” I said in a soft voice and licked my lips. His eyes fell to my lips and then swung down to my breasts. “It was nice to see you again,” I added.

  He lunged at me. Closing the space between us with one quick step. His arms snapped around me and he pulled me to his body. Our lips were locked together and he groaned. This time, our kiss wasn’t as gentle and surprising. He thrust his tongue between my lips and I welcomed him in. I wasn’t going to waste any time, I jutted my hips out to meet his body and he leaned me backwards.

  I could taste him in my mouth. My hands found his shoulders and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He was leaning me backwards, lower and lower as we kissed. Desperately, like we’d been hungry for days.

  My hands fumbled with his t-shirt and I slid it up his torso. He pulled his face away from me and I rolled his t-shirt up, over his head and flung it to the floor.

  Grant’s fingers found the inside of my thigh and he gently started sliding my dress up. I moaned lightly and he looked up at me and smiled. Then his eyes fell to my breasts and he let go of my thighs. Still holding my waist with one arm, his other hand went up my body. He squeezed my breasts once and then found the zip on the side of my dress.

  It was happening. It was actually happening! I bit down on my lip as he pulled the zip down. I was in Grant Jennings’ arms. My dress slid off and he helped push it off my shoulders and it fell down my legs to the floor. I was now only in my blue lace bra and panties.

  Grant finally let me go. I stumbled backwards and gawked at him. His torso was bare, chiseled like he was a piece of crafted woodwork. His skin was the color of sand, and his stomach was flat with a thin trail of dark hair disappearing down the front of his pants.

  I could feel myself growing wet. When Grant was done looking at me, he undid his pants. I licked my lips, with my heart beating out of my chest. His pants slid down and I saw the definition of his athletic thighs. He was strong and rugged and not ashamed of his body. While I could feel goosebumps on my skin, my body was on fire. I was unashamedly staring at him.