LUST (4 page)

My abrupt words caught her off guard, and
she puffed up and began to say something. Suddenly she stopped and
stared at me red faced. “Jesus, you’re right! I need to shut my
mouth and do my damned job! I can’t lose this job over a couple of
sleazy nights at the Hilton!”

I nodded in agreement, “See there? All you
have to do is change the way you think. Men aren’t worth losing
your apartment and having a glitch on your resume. You’ve worked
too hard to get here. Just let it go. Ignore him and do your
job.”

Her arms flung around my neck, “Thank you so
much…?”

“Liz Martin,” I answered with a smile.

“Well thank you, Liz Martin. Are you new
here? I haven’t seen you before,” she asked now drying her face
with a paper towel.

“I started last Monday.”

She leaned forward and closely inspected her
eyes in the mirror, “So why are you here so late tonight, Liz? It’s
Friday after all. This building is desolate after five.”

I paused, “Would you believe I’m heading up
to Carlton Michaud’s office?”

The short brunette studied me carefully
through the reflection in the mirror, “Oh God! I didn’t know
Michaud did that kind of thing. I thought he was gay! Liz, you
won’t tell him will you?”

“Oh hell no! What happens in the women’s
bathroom stays in the women’s bathroom! Wait, what was your
name?”

She smiled cautiously, “Lana Bowers. I swear
Liz, I didn’t know you were sleeping with Michaud. Please don’t
tell him what I said about Mike!” She wrung her hands nervously.
Clearly she was in a panic now that she knew I was heading upstairs
to the boss’ office.

I held my hand over my heart, “Lana, I swear
on the Bible that I will not tell your secret.” I smiled genuinely
and pulled her to me for a confirmation hug. “But… Lana, Michaud
hasn’t slept with anyone else here?”

She shook her head timidly now, “Not in the
five years I’ve been here. I don’t think Bell does either though.
The only playboy seems to be Sheffield.”

“And you’ve never seen him with other
women?” I didn’t know why I was asking all these questions, other
than I intensely needed to know. Carlton had told me in no
uncertain terms that he’d been single a while, but he never
mentioned other women at all. Usually by the end of a first date
you have a general idea of how many women who’ve broken your man’s
heart. Sometimes you even had a name and an idea of what the women
looked like. Not with Carlton. There were no clues whatsoever that
he’d ever been on a date in his life. Palmer and I stayed up late
one night and Googled him; even the internet held no surprises. At
charity functions he was always the stag bachelor. His chastity had
earned him the title of one of the ‘Most Eligible Bachelors’ in New
York, but there was not one single photo of him with a woman. That
was rare in a society like New York; I’d already had my own photo
taken with a few tourists. The paparazzi were wicked tricky up
here.

“No one’s ever seen him with a woman. That’s
why we all thought he was gay. Of course, we’ve never seen him with
a man either. He’s so gorgeous you’d think we’d all be lining up to
get a date with him, but he doesn’t seem interested. He treats
everyone here the same… except you apparently.” Lana scrutinized me
as if to study what I had that no one else did. I wished she’d tell
me if she found an answer.

“Listen Lana, don’t tell anyone I’m seeing
Carlton,” I said almost sternly. It had to be said, otherwise she
may think it was spreadable information. So far only Palmer, the
doorman, and Lana knew about our relationship. I didn’t want it to
go any further than that. I was positive that Carlton didn’t. I
washed my hands and dried them.

Lana shook her head fervently, “No, no, what
happens in the women’s bathroom stays in the women’s bathroom,
right?”

I nodded, “Right. Have a great night Lana,
and forget that prick.” I pushed open the bathroom door and headed
for the elevator.

As the elevator rose to the eightieth floor
I wondered again why Carlton hadn’t dated before. Why had he
delegated himself the mysterious eligible bachelor? Maybe he was
just so discreet that no one ever saw him with his lovers? We’d
only been together in his apartment, or mine, then walking the dogs
in the park on warm evenings. For all intents and purposes, we
weren’t dating either. We were having more of a fuck buddy scenario
it seemed. By the time the elevator door opened I doubted that
Carlton and I could ever have a future.

He stood in the hallway pacing in his socks.
Did this man ever wear shoes? “What took you so long? I was getting
ready to send out a search party!”

“Ran into a friend in the restroom. She had
a mini crisis,” I said without giving away the bathroom secrets. My
eyes scanned his attire. His shirt was open at the neck, and his
tie was missing as were his shoes. In his hand was a crystal
tumbler of bourbon. I furrowed my eyebrows in question, “Is this a
party?”

He laughed and leaned forward to kiss my
lips, “It is! Come on, I think it’s time you met the boys. They are
all chomping at the bit to lay eyes on you.” His broad hand covered
mine and led me through the bulletproof glass wall that protected
the inner offices. I took note that the double glass doors were
frosted and engraved with our company logo.

In the central hallway of the office, past
the reception desk, were three matching carved mahogany doors. They
were almost identical to Carlton’s front door at his apartment. He
pushed through the center door and drug me into his office. I was
stunned by the panoramic view of Manhattan before I noticed the men
lounging in the room. They both snapped to attention when we walked
inside, “Men, this is Liz Martin. Liz, Benning Bell-how stupid a
name is that- and Mike Sheffield.” Both men stumbled from their
lounging positions and stood. They both made a mental inventory of
each curve I had, right down to the unruly blond curls on my head.
I felt naked beneath Mike Sheffield’s gaze; he had the look of a
southern used car salesman. A greasy, wrong side of the tracks kind
of appearance that drove a lot of women wild; it certainly had
attracted Lana Bowers. He stepped towards me, ensconced in the
scent of bourbon and cigars, and bent low to take my hand. I
offered it politely, but cringed as he drew it to his lips and
kissed it. A disgusting sleaziness swarmed around him like dirt
around Pig Pen. Thankfully we southern girls knew the trick to wipe
white trash grime off our bodies: gin.

Benning Bell stood behind Mike and shook his
head, “Damn it Mike, now you’ve slobbered all over our only hope of
getting Michaud laid. Come here girl, and hug my neck!” His bear
arms pulled me to him with a crushing friendliness. His hair
matched the color of the freckles on his face perfectly. His laugh
reminded me of the Santa at the Charleston Mall when I was a
toddler.

“Nice to meet you all,” I grinned.

Carlton’s hand was in the small of my back;
he was inadvertently sliding it up and down. “Umm, Carlton?” I
moaned sliding his hand from my back. I shot him a dangerous glare.
He should already know that his touch drives me insane. Even in
full company I felt my nipples harden with his simple touch.

Confused, he looked into my eyes. I’m sure
the word ‘LUST’ was written there. He chuckled, finally realizing
his mistake.

“Liz, let me pour you something; you’re the
guest of honor after all!” Benning’s Cheshire cat grin turned
towards me again. “What’s your poison?”

“Gin please, on ice, no lime.” It was more
for antiseptic purposes than anything. Mike Sheffield gave me the
‘willies!’ Benning waddled across the room to the bar and began
muddling with the bottles.

“Come have a seat next to me, gorgeous,”
Mike bolstered. “I promise I won’t bite.”

Carlton shook his head immediately, “Not
going to happen, Mike. Here Ms. Martin, take my chair.” He led me
around his desk and pulled his massive leather chair out for me. I
sat down against the luxurious glove leather and let out an,
“ah!”

Carlton chuckled, “Pretty sweet chair, huh?
The bonus is that the sleaze ball can’t stare at your legs from
behind my desk.”

I was glad to know Carlton wasn’t fooled by
boyhood friendships. Clearly he knew what Mike was up to, and that
he was dangerous. I warmed with his protection as Benning sat a
short crystal glass of gin in front of me. He smiled and waved his
hand flamboyantly in front of him as though he was presenting gold
to a princess. “So Liz, tell us about you. Carl says you’re from
South Carolina? Where exactly is that?”

My brows furrowed, “Where is South
Carolina?” I asked dubiously. Certainly he was teasing.

Mike gushed into laughter from his perch on
the arm of the leather sofa. Carlton rolled his eyes and sat on top
of his desk next to me. Benning seemed as though he had asked a
legitimate question. I sipped my drink and glanced up at him
casually, “A little further south in the pond.” The men all rolled
with laughter. Their English accents were charming, and suddenly I
could imagine all of them going to college together, getting into
trouble, drinking all night at bars… they seemed like the perfect
trio.

Mike leaned forward to set his drink on the
glass table, “And your law degree?”

I nodded, “Charleston School of Law.”

He shook his head, “Never heard of it. You
sure it’s a real school?”

I crossed my heart with my hand, “I swear.
It’s relatively new though. A group of Charleston judges decided
that law school graduates from the State college were
unsatisfactory. It started to become a problem for clients because
the judges didn’t want ‘those idiots’ in their courtrooms. Someone
had the brilliant idea for the judges to train students themselves.
Thus, Charleston Law.”

Benning fell heavily into one of the leather
chairs across from the desk. “Charming.”

Mike’s eyebrows raised and he nodded,
“Understandable, quite understandable. Very English thing to do,
don’t you think?”

I grinned, “You should visit Charleston
sometime, Mr. Sheffield. I believe you’ll find most of us have held
on to the old English ways.”

He studied me, “For instance?”

“For instance, tea and crumpets in the
afternoons. Although I admit we call them cupcakes.”

He shuffled in his seat, “Cupcakes sound so
frilly, definitely not English.”

“Alright guys, enough of the interrogation.
Don’t you have better places to be than lounging around my office?”
Carlton smiled deviously at his friends.

Benning downed his drink, “My damned phone
is giving me a thrill. I guess I need to get on home and see what
Candy wants. I swear that woman thinks I’m her personal gardener
and handyman.” He stood and walked towards the double doors, “It
truly was an honor meeting the woman who finally bedded Carl. How
long
has
it been Carlton?”

“Get out of my office Benning,” Carlton
scolded but his expression was teasing.

Mike sat his empty glass on the table and
stood, “Quite right!. Better get home to the old ball and chain
myself. Sincerely nice to meet you, Liz. I hope to see you again
very soon.” I didn’t like the tone of his voice at all; it was
almost a threat in my mind. When the doors closed behind him I let
out a long breath.

Carlton stared at me curiously, “I take it
Mike doesn’t charm you the way he imagines he does?”

I laughed and shook my head, “No he
doesn’t.” I dipped my hand into my gin glass and rubbed some of the
liquid across the spot he touched. Carlton studied me with
amusement.

“So you invited me up here to meet your
friends? That’s almost a commitment, Mr. Michaud.”

He spun around on the top of his desk and
faced me, “Miss Martin, are you taunting me with those sexy feet of
yours?” His eyes were glued to my heels. Unconsciously I’d let the
heels fall away from my feet beneath his desk.

My eyes narrowed, he was close to me again
and the shivers resumed. Sitting on his desk in front of me he
seemed like Goliath preparing for battle. His eyes smoldered with
need and his suit pants couldn’t restrain the bulge forming below
his waist. “Why don’t you slide over here in front of me and let me
see that? It looks swollen, Carlton! Maybe it needs a little first
aid?”

Carlton laughed, but slid smoothly so that
he rested seductively in front of my face. He straightened his back
as my hands found his waistband. Reaching out I put my hand on the
back of his strong thigh and pulled him closer. I was so relaxed
with the gin coursing through my veins I felt almost as warm and
sensual as he looked. His familiar scent flooded my senses and I
nuzzled my face into the warmth of his crotch. Damn he smelled
delicious! He straddled me as I unzipped his pants and let them
slide down to his ankles. His boxer shorts followed them and he
stepped out of both as if he were giving me a lap dance. The thrill
nearly choked me. Heat was rising at an alarming speed through my
limbs as I pushed him back onto the firm wood of his desk.

Curly hairs tickled my nose as I sucked in
his masculine smells. I lifted his manhood into my hands, admiring
how long and pulsing it had become. Issuing small kisses along his
shaft I sought his large balls beneath my tongue. Like a kid
opening a present on Christmas day, I was thrilled at the feeling
of them tightening under my tongue. I pulled them one by one into
my mouth. Carlton moaned above me, his fingers winding into my
hair. I toyed with them until I was sure they were as tight as I
wanted. Then I moved upwards towards the hard cock that was
bouncing around above my nose in an effort to not be forgotten. I
ran my tongue up its base, savoring every meaty ounce of the
delicious prick. The head was already dripping my
favorite
cocktail: pre cum. I lapped at it eagerly, not allowing the least
little bit to get away from me as Carlton wriggled above me. “Oh
shit, Liz, suck it!” he moaned. Pulling my lips into a snug circle
around the head I sucked it inside my mouth. His guttural groans
absorbed me; they resounded deep inside my own sex and caused my
clit to shudder. My face was wet already from the mixture of saliva
and pre cum, it dried it onto my face at intervals as I turned my
attention to each individual vein and crevice of his manhood. “Liz,
I’m going to come if you don’t slow down!” His voice sounded near
desperation.