The Billionaire's Lover: Curves To Keep (Part One) (A BBW Erotic Romance) (5 page)

“Hi, my name is Gabrielle Young and I have an
interview with Tyler Edwards. Could you direct me to his office?”
Gabrielle felt a stab of insecurity; it was unlikely that Edwards
did very many interviews at the level he was at. What if the
receptionist didn’t believe her? Gabrielle told herself firmly that
she would just find the secretary she had seen him with before and
get instructions from that woman if it came to it. She had arrived
in good time, and even if she was delayed by the need to find out
where to go, she would arrive punctually five minutes before their
appointment. The woman looked at her with sharp curiosity.

“If you’ll excuse me one moment, so I can
confirm?” Gabrielle nodded, feeling the tension ease inside of her
somewhat. A second irrational fear sprung up to replace the first:
what if, after making the date with her, Edwards had instead
instructed that when she showed up she was to be escorted out by
security, as a way of humiliating her in turn for barging in on him
with the secretary? Gabrielle swallowed against the tightness in
her throat as the receptionist murmured softly, the words so quiet
that Gabrielle couldn’t even make them out. The next instant, the
woman was putting the phone down and smiling brightly up at her, a
look of new respect in her eyes. “Mr. Edwards has been informed of
your arrival. You need to take elevator five up to his office—it’s
the only one that reaches there. Use this card.” The woman extended
a plastic key-card, and Gabrielle took it, smiling with relief and
thanking the receptionist before she began to make her way to the
elevator that she had pointed to.

When Gabrielle stepped into the elevator, she
saw that the floors were labeled slightly differently from those on
the elevator she had used previously. She saw the button for the
topmost floor, much higher than the one she had reached before, and
selected it. A recording announced that she needed to present her
credentials for access to the private floor, and Gabrielle inserted
the key card into the slot that she found after a moment, to the
side of the button for the floor she had selected. The elevator
chimed and released the card back to her and Gabrielle tucked it
into the small purse she was carrying, and put the purse into her
portfolio case. The elevator made a smooth ascent, the sound of its
systems whisper-quiet, and Gabrielle felt her sense of nervousness
and excitement growing as the display over the doors moved through
floor numbers quickly. She quickly ran through a few interview
questions in her mind, preparing herself mentally.

Gabrielle had thought that she would arrive
to a private lobby, with another receptionist waiting and guarding
the CEO. When the elevator pinged and the doors opened, she found a
huge office with no receptionist in sight. Gabrielle told herself
that it made sense, ultimately; the card was security enough
against someone unwanted coming up. Only people who had managed to
get through the main receptionist would be able to take the
elevator to the office. Gabrielle stepped out, looking around in
mild confusion; the elevator itself opened onto a sitting area with
no desk, only a few couches and chairs, a low coffee table and a
few potted plants adding a quiet professionalism to the grouping.
Walking around a slight corner, Gabrielle saw that the office
extended behind the elevator; Edwards was seated at his desk, his
attention on some documents he was reading with a pen out.
Gabrielle stepped across the floor, her steps muffled against the
carpeting. She wondered if she should clear her throat or otherwise
announce herself—and would have done so, when Edwards glanced
up.

“Ah, Gabrielle,” he said, smiling slightly.
He extended a hand, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk.
“Please have a seat. I apologize for not being ready for you just
yet—I’m caught up in a contract that needs to be taken care of by
the end of the day.” Gabrielle sat down, laying her portfolio case
aside and watching as the handsome man in front of her briefly
turned his attention back to the documents on his desk, making a
few marks on them before setting them aside.

She was almost uncomfortable by the intense
gaze that he turned on her, sitting back in his seat for a long
moment, looking completely at ease. “I assume that you’ve brought a
portfolio and resume for me to look over,” he said quietly, raising
one eyebrow slightly. Gabrielle nodded, opening her case and taking
out the required pieces. She took a surreptitious deep breath as
she handed them over to Edwards, who put the resume aside at first
and instead looked through the portfolio. He flipped through the
pages of her design work, moving back and forth, pausing for a few
heartbeats before continuing. It was a careful perusal of her
portfolio, and if nothing else, Gabrielle was gratified by that
alone. Next he looked at her resume, peering at it for several long
moments as Gabrielle fought against the urge to talk or to
fidget.

Finally, Edwards looked at her once more,
putting her resume aside and folding his hands on the desk. “Tell
me why it is that you want to work for Edwards Industrials,” he
said simply, his gaze intent on her face. Gabrielle had prepared an
answer to the question, but for an instant—a heartbeat—her mind was
blank. She recovered in the very next instant however, and smiled,
thinking to herself that she was not going to let Tyler Edwards
ruffle her.

“I’ve done a lot of research into the
company, and the culture you have—diversity and an emphasis on
innovation—are exactly what I’m looking for in an employer. I
applied to the internship because it was my understanding that
securing an actual job within the company—much less the design
department—was difficult, and I thought the internship would be a
way to get my foot in the door.” Edwards nodded slowly.

“There are at least half a dozen firms like
mine that put an emphasis on diversity and innovation. What do you
think sets us apart—since you’ve done your research?” Gabrielle
felt her smile deepening.

“Edwards Industrials has a unique reputation
in the industry for quality design work. One of my favorite
designers, whose career I’ve followed since I was in high school,
worked at Edwards Industrials as an intern before going on to
establish her own design startup.” Edwards raised an eyebrow.

“Why didn’t you apply to work for her startup
then?” Gabrielle shrugged slightly.

“While I appreciate the work she’s doing, and
would certainly love to meet her, I would prefer to work for a
large company—a Fortune 500 company, with the kind of reputation
that Edwards Industrials has—rather than take my chances with a
startup that might fold for no good reason in a few years.” Edwards
smiled slightly, and Gabrielle could tell he was enjoying the power
he had over her in that moment. She fought against the instinctive
urge to expand on her answer, swallowing against the nervousness
she still felt.

“Are you a naturally risk averse person?” he
asked her, steepling his fingers together in front of his face.
Gabrielle considered the question.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m risk averse; I
prefer to calculate the rewards versus the risk that I’m taking. If
the risk is worth the reward, I’m happy to take it—which is why I
took the chance of barging in on you last week.” Edwards chuckled
slightly, and Gabrielle felt her cheeks burning, remembering the
event with sudden sharp clarity.

“That’s right—that was a risky move on your
part.” His gaze was making Gabrielle uncomfortably aware of her
body; he wasn’t staring at her lewdly—in fact, he was watching her
facial expressions the entire time—but Gabrielle still had the
suspicion that she was somehow fidgeting without knowing it. She
licked her lips and took a deep breath as quietly and as
unobtrusively as possible, telling herself to stay calm. Edwards
began firing questions at her more rapidly, asking about her
education and her previous jobs, her freelance work. He inquired
minutely into her resume, and Gabrielle was amazed that he had
taken so much from it in so short a time. She answered frankly,
gradually becoming more comfortable with the interview as it wore
on, telling herself not to be ruffled—that a man as powerful as
Tyler Edwards would respect her more if she didn’t let him see her
sweat.

“I would be more than happy to have you
contact my references, if you’re in any doubt as to my experience
and qualifications,” she said, as she sensed the interview
beginning to wind down. Edwards grinned slowly, sitting back and
watching her with his bright-eyed gaze.

“I have no doubt at all that you would be an
excellent addition to the team,” he said, with the air of admitting
something he had been holding close. “I’m happy to be able to offer
you the internship position you applied for.” He paused, and
Gabrielle saw his eyes darken slightly. His smile changed, becoming
something other than polite, and Gabrielle felt her pulse begin to
quicken. “I hope you don’t mind if I ask you some personal
questions,” he said slowly. “Keeping in mind that these questions
have no bearing on you getting the position—that’s already
decided.” Gabrielle’s interest was piqued. She considered for a
moment, and the sight of Edwards spanking the secretary flashed
through her mind briefly but vividly.

“I don’t mind if you ask,” she said,
suppressing the excitement she felt. “But I do not promise to
answer.” Edwards nodded, and she saw admiration in his eyes.

“Are you currently in a romantic
relationship?” he asked her, and Gabrielle saw his gaze shift from
her face to her body, felt the brief caress of his look at her
curves.

“I’m not,” Gabrielle said,
wondering—hoping—and uncertain where Edwards was leading.
Certainly, she thought, if he did try to make an issue of her
marital status, she would contest it.

“That’s interesting… do you have frequent
one-night stands, or do you satisfy your needs through
self-pleasure?” Gabrielle felt herself blushing and glanced down
for a moment, trying to compose herself.

“Why do you ask?” she managed to say, licking
her lips self-consciously and finally meeting Edwards’ gaze once
more.

“You strike me as a very sensual and very
sexual woman, Gabrielle. I can’t imagine that you’d live a life of
utter celibacy without some form of gratification of your needs.”
Gabrielle’s blush deepened, and she took a breath to steady
herself. She couldn’t quite believe that Edwards was obviously
hitting on her, in spite of the fact that there was no other
explanation for his behavior.

“I manage,” she said, fidgeting slightly. In
spite of her discomfort, she realized that her body was heating up,
that she was becoming slick with desire. She bit her bottom lip,
trying to keep herself steady. She knew—she could tell—that Edwards
was enjoying her discomfort.

“And just how do you manage?” he asked her
quietly, his gaze focusing on her eyes, her lips. Gabrielle shifted
in her seat, feeling an unaccountable urge to flee. She had been
fantasizing about this man—a little at least—from the time of their
first meeting. She had wondered what it would be like to be
dominated by him. Now that it was really happening, however, she
wasn’t sure how to respond to him.

“I… find partners, if I am feeling a
particular need,” she said, her voice cracking slightly in
uncertainty. “I do…engage in self-pleasure on occasion.” Gabrielle
was both embarrassed and exhilarated, barely able to maintain eye
contact with Edwards as she spoke. She forced herself to sit up
straighter in the chair and take a deep breath. She was not going
to let him dominate her so easily, she told herself firmly.

Edwards stood up, towering over Gabrielle as
he stepped around his desk. He was only inches away from her, and
Gabrielle felt her heart pounding in her chest. He was so much
taller than her, and she could see his lean, muscular build through
the fine suit he wore. Irrelevantly, she wondered how he had time
to go to the gym with everything else he had to do. “How do you
pleasure yourself?” he asked her, his bright blue eyes looking down
into hers. Gabrielle sat back, feeling intimidated by him but also
attracted to him all at once.

“I—I have some personal toys,” she stammered,
surprised at how shy she was suddenly. If any other man had asked
her about her personal gratification habits, she would have either
refused to answer or would have bluntly detailed the variety of
toys she had at home. Edwards nodded.

“I have some personal toys as well,” he said,
standing upright and walking back around to the other side of his
desk. “Of course, it’s considered much nicer to share.” He smiled
faintly, glancing at Gabrielle as he opened a drawer in his desk.
Gabrielle heard rustling, the sound of metallic clinking, and the
next moment, Edwards withdrew and displayed a pair of handcuffs,
holding them up so that Gabrielle could see them. “Stand up,
please.” There was not even the slightest suggestion of a
question—a request—in Edwards’ words. Gabrielle stood, her
portfolio case clattering to the floor from her nerveless hands.
Tyler Edwards’ eyes glittered and he left the drawer open, stepping
back around the desk and standing before her. Gabrielle’s knees
were weak, a tremor running through her body as he gazed at her
intently for a long, silent moment.

He pushed the chair she had been sitting in
moments before backward, gesturing for Gabrielle to take a step
back. “Take off your blazer,” he told her firmly. Gabrielle moved
to obey with automatic movements, slipping the garment off of her
shoulders and down her arms. She cast it backwards into the chair,
her hands shaking from a mixture of anxiety and arousal. “Now
unbutton your blouse—slowly.” Gabrielle was grateful that she had
chosen one of her sexiest bra and panty sets for the interview, in
spite of the fact that she hadn’t even considered the possibility
of Edwards coming onto her. She began to unbutton her shirt, her
fingers nerveless and fumbling from her intense arousal and her
lingering fear. Edwards watched every moment, following her fingers
with his gaze as she worked downward slowly but surely. She pulled
the tail of the blouse out of the waistband of her skirt and
finished the last two buttons, her breaths coming more shallowly as
she stood there, keenly aware of her exposed skin.