“Well, Mr. Callahan, there are a lot of things I want that I don’t get. That’s just life. Furthermore, I know you’re still new to the workforce, but being a coffee runner is not part of my job description. You have an assistant, AKA a secretary for that, not to mention a Secret Service agent who is outside thumbing through Cosmo.”
Jesus, Ty must be out of his mind with boredom if he’s reading Cosmo. I pushed that thought out of my mind to focus on Isabel. “I never said it was part of your job. However, I do believe it is part of your job description not to be insubordinate to your superior.”
Yep, I actually said that. When Isabel’s face turned almost purple with rage, I was pleased to see my words were having the desired effect. After she jabbed her finger into my chest, it took everything within me not to drag her onto my lap.
“Look, soldier boy, I know you’re used to barking orders and having your men and women scramble to obey them, but we’re not in Afghanistan anymore, Toto. Now I’m going to walk out of here and tell your secretary you’re about to piss yourself for an espresso.”
God, that mouth…that luscious fucking mouth I wanted wrapped around my throbbing cock—focus, Thorn. I forced a smirk onto my face at her mention of Alice getting my espresso. “Alice isn’t here.”
“Excuse me?”
“She took a half day to go to the dentist.” And thank God she did because I desperately needed Isabel to get the hell away from me.
Isabel’s fists clenched at her sides as war raged within her mind. Although she clearly wanted to both choke me and tell me to go fuck myself, she valued her job too much to do so. A shudder went through her body before she hissed, “Fine. I will go get your precious espresso, but don’t doubt for one minute that I’ll be filing a grievance via the proper channels.”
God, I loved her fire. She was the type of woman who made life interesting both in and out of the bedroom. “You make sure you do that.”
When she whirled around and started stomping out of my office, I called, “Oh, Ms. Flannery?”
Slowly she pivoted around, her body shaking with silent rage. “Yes, Mr. Callahan?” she questioned in a strangled voice.
Now it was time to go for the jugular with my assholery. “I would offer you some cash, but I’m sure you’ll want a receipt to corroborate your story.”
She nodded her head at me before sprinting from the room. As soon as I felt enough time had passed for her to get on the elevator, I bolted from my chair and into the bathroom. Since my pants were still partially tented, my cock wasn’t going down without a fight…or at least a release.
After locking the door, I unzipped my pants and dipped my hand inside. One thing I hadn’t abandoned from my time in the desert was going commando. As I fisted my hand around my cock, Isabel’s image automatically formed in my mind. Gritting my teeth, I willed it away, but it was no use. Somehow she had burrowed deep beneath my skin, and I couldn’t seem to get her out.
Since the Starbucks was just down the block, I knew I didn’t have a lot of time. I had to go for the down-and-dirty fantasy. As I closed my eyes, the images played step by tantalizing step in my mind.
After shoving Isabel’s skirt over her hips, I bend her over my desk. Tearing away her lacy thong, I smack both of her ass cheeks—hard. She cries out with pleasure rather than pain, because she wants it as rough as I do.
Nudging her thighs apart with my knee, I slam into her slick walls. She’s already dripping from need and from me going down on her. Of course I’ve tasted her—made her come twice. God, the cries of ecstasy…she’s so wet…so hot.
I press my fingers deep into the flesh of her ass and pound in and out of her. I’m relentless as she demands I take her harder and faster, and we come together with my name echoing on her lips.
In a frenzy, my hand worked over my cock as I came with a shout. As I rode the spasms of my orgasm, I fought to catch my breath. When I finally finished shuddering, a wave of guilt washed over me. What kind of creepy pervert was I to jerk off in the middle of the day while fantasizing about my coworker?
With a grunt of disgust, I went about cleaning myself up. After washing my hands, I tucked my slackened dick back in my pants and zipped up. After unlocking the door, I peeked my head out to make sure Isabel hadn’t returned. With the coast clear, I walked back over to my desk and plopped down in my chair.
Just as I started to get back to work, Ty popped his head in the door. “Are you all right?”
“Peachy. Why do you ask?”
“I thought I heard you shout as if you were in pain.”
Fucking hell. Talk about not having a moment of privacy. “It wasn’t me.”
Ty peered curiously at me. “Okay. I just wanted to check.”
“I’m fine. You can go back to reading Cosmo.”
“Excuse me?”
Glancing back down at my files, I said, “Isabel told me you were reading Cosmo. Get any good sex tips?”
“Actually, I read an interesting article on how masturbating at the office can relieve stress and tension.”
I snapped my head up to meet his amused gaze. “Wait, what?”
Ty waggled his brows. “I think I figured out the source of that shout.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, Thorn. Considering how guilty you looked when I came in here, coupled with the fact that you’re all flushed, it isn’t hard to figure out.” He shrugged. “It’s not like I’m going to judge you.”
“You don’t find it rather creepy to be jerking off at work?”
“No. You took care of business discreetly. Creepy would be jerking off at your desk in the hopes someone would walk in and see you.”
With a grimace, I muttered, “That is creepy as hell.”
“Were you trying out Barrett’s gift?”
I rolled my eyes. “Jesus, you two are like a couple of gossiping old women.” When he cocked his brows at me, I replied, “Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I was not.”
“Pity. I wanted to get your thoughts on it. I was debating getting one for myself.”
Motioning to my desk drawer, I said, “You’re welcome to this one.”
“Oh no, I wouldn’t dream of depriving you.”
“Aren’t you kind,” I said dryly.
“I try.”
As Ty hung around my desk, he stroked his chin thoughtfully. His mannerisms told me there was something he wanted to say but he was debating whether or not it was worth it. “All right, spit it out.”
“I couldn’t help wondering if your previous meeting with Isabel had anything to do with you needing to rub one out.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I countered, “You know my stance on that.”
“While that might be true for your brain, it doesn’t necessarily mean your dick is on the same page.”
“Unlike some men I know, my dick doesn’t do my decision-making.”
“That’s a fucking farce of a statement considering you were just jerking off.”
“If you don’t have anything else to discuss with me besides my dick, I really need to get back to work.”
“You sure are testy for someone who just got off.”
“Goodbye, Ty,” I muttered.
He flashed me a final grin before heading out the door. After starting out, he stopped and glanced back at me. “Heads up—she’s baaaack,” he said.
Maybe it was time to request a change in my security detail. Isabel appeared just seconds later, looking exceptionally beautiful with a flush in her cheeks from running around.
Right. Time to curb that bullshit. With a roll of my eyes, I asked, “Jesus, did you go to the Starbucks ten blocks from here?”
“No, I went to the one just down the street,” she replied as she handed me the espresso. When our hands met, I couldn’t help noticing the softness of her skin. Jesus, I need help.
“Well, it took you fucking forever. I might as well have ordered an iced coffee.” As I took a swig, I
noticed Isabel leaning forward. I supposed she was worried I was going to find fault with it. To let her off the hook, I pronounced, “It’s good.”
Relief flooded her face. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Her reaction only fueled the gnawing guilt I felt about being such a bastard toward her. Inwardly, I battled with myself about coming clean with Isabel, admitting that me being an epic asshole was just a ruse and I was really sorry for being such a jerk.
In the end, I knew nothing good would come from being honest. Instead, I flipped the asshole switch again. “I suppose you’re waiting on a thank you?”
Isabel smirked. “I wouldn’t dare expect you to be grateful for someone going above and beyond to do you a favor.”
I couldn’t help smiling at her reaction. Since it wasn’t within me not to express my gratitude, I said, “Thank you, Ms. Flannery.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, her tone one of surprise.
Since it felt like we were about to have a moment, I quickly motioned to the paperwork before us. “Would you like to get back to work so we can be prepared to leave for dinner on time?”
Just like that, the moment was broken with the reappearance of my assholery. She narrowed her eyes. “There’s nothing I would love to do more.”
Once she exited my office, I sighed. If only there was a way I didn’t have to see Isabel. Since I refused to admit defeat, I wouldn’t dare ask to be moved to another department. For the time being, it appeared I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, or in my specific case, a rock-hard dick.
The shrill sound of my alarm alerted me it was time to get ready to leave for the dinner meeting with Halliwell. Normally, I was used to seven or eight o’clock dinners, but Halliwell had requested six o’clock, which made it feel like we were dining with the senior citizen crowd.
When I rose out of my chair, a stabbing pain crisscrossed its way across my abdomen. As I pressed my hand against my stomach, it slowly subsided. Considering I hadn’t eaten anything but a few fiber-infused protein bars, I couldn’t imagine why my stomach would be hurting.
After brushing my teeth and changing my tie in the bathroom, I headed back into my office. Isabel poked her head in the door—of course she would be punctual. “Would you like me to call for a cab?”
“That won’t be necessary. We can take my car,” I replied.
“Figures,” she muttered under her breath.
As I grabbed my bag, I used my other hand to text my driver. Then I joined Isabel in the doorway.
“Do you have everything?” she asked.
“Yes, Mom, I do,” I teasingly replied.
With a roll of her eyes, she turned and started walking to the elevators. I fell in step behind her with Ty at my side, and we made the trek downstairs and to the car in silence.
After Ty took a seat in the front, Isabel reluctantly slid into the back with me. As the car eased into traffic, I was assaulted by another stomach cramp. At what must’ve been my grimace, Isabel asked, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” When I glanced at her, she actually appeared concerned. Well, it was a mixture of concern and a bit of horror. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to fuck this up.”
She shifted in the seat. “I didn’t say you were.”
“You didn’t have to—it was written all over your face.”
Ducking her head, she smoothed her skirt. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you’re going to do just fine.”
Sure you are. We didn’t say anything else to each other on the way to the restaurant. After the driver let us out, I followed Isabel into the lobby, where Halliwell’s silver head stood out among the other patrons. “Robert, it’s great to see you,” I said as I thrust out my hand.
“It’s wonderful seeing you, too. How’s the civilian world treating you?”
“Pretty well. It’s definitely been an adjustment.”
“I can only imagine.” He motioned to the two other men with him. “These are two of my associates at Halliwell Enterprises, Peter Nations and Gerald Hughes.” After I shook their hands, Halliwell’s gaze bounced from mine over to Isabel. “And you must be Ms. Flannery.”
A warm smile lit up Isabel’s face. “Yes, sir. It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
As he shook her hand, Robert said, “I’ve heard great things about you from Murray.”
An appreciative flush filled her cheeks. “Thank you. I’m truly honored to hear my reputation precedes me.”
“It does. I know you’re quite an asset at Callahan.” Robert smiled at me. “How fortunate for you to get to work closely with Ms. Flannery.”
Since throttling a client would be frowned upon, I merely forced a smile onto my face. “Yes, it is.”
When I dared to look over at Isabel, I could tell her smile was just as forced as mine. Halliwell seemed oblivious to any tension between us. “I’m so thrilled to hear what you have in store for me tonight.”
“We’re pretty excited ourselves.”
“Mr. Callahan, your table is now ready,” the hostess said.
The moment I stepped out to start walking to the table, I was seized by another stomach cramp, and this time, it didn’t let up. Instead, it remained after we sat down. As I picked up the drink menu, I desperately tried focusing on something besides the pain.
When it got to the point where I could barely focus on the conversations around me, I put my menu down.
“Gentlemen and Ms. Flannery, I’m terribly sorry, but could you please excuse me for a moment?”
Halliwell nodded. “Of course.”
“Go ahead and order me a sparkling water,” I instructed as I rose out of my chair. When I threw a hurried glance at Isabel, I noticed she’d paled slightly while chewing on her bottom lip. I guess she was afraid my escape-artist stunt was derailing the presentation before it even got started.
As I started toward the bathroom, sweat broke out along my forehead while goose bumps simultaneously pricked their way along my arms. I’d experienced this feeling one other time. There’s not really an equivalent of the FDA in Afghanistan to regulate all the side-of-the-road food stands. During my first tour, I decided to sample some of the local cuisine, and it was one of the worst mistakes of my life. We’re talking a stomach calamity so severe I ended up getting an IV from the medic.
I’ll spare you the gory details of what transpired over the next hour after I locked myself in a stall. Yes, that would be sixty minutes of agonizing stomach cramps with evacuation at both ends. Okay, that last bit was probably too much information.
Let me backtrack a little. I’d probably been gone about ten minutes when Ty appeared in front of my stall. “Are you all right?”
“That would be a negative.”
“Do you need anything?”
“Got any Zofran in your pocket?”
“Sadly, no, but I could probably get some ASAP.”
“That’s okay. I’ll make it.”
“Are you sure?”
As another wave of nausea overtook me, I shook my head. “Not really.”
“Hang in there. I’ll call in the cavalry.”
I didn’t know how he did it, but it wasn’t too long before Ty reappeared with some Zofran.
“You got a dealer on the side?” I teased as I reached under the stall for the bottle.
“I’m a man of many talents.”
“How long have I been gone?”
“Half an hour.”
“Fuck. I gotta get out there,” I groaned.
“Thorn, you’re puking and shitting your guts out. You’re sure as hell in no shape to run a business meeting,” Ty argued.
I shook my head. “But I’ve got to. We need this deal.” I desperately need this deal.
“For what it’s worth, it looked like Isabel started the presentation without you.”
Although I should have been grateful for Isabel trying to salvage the meeting, I was utterly pissed it wasn’t me. With a frustrated grunt, I uncapped the Zofran and popped a pill under
my tongue. Pinching my eyes shut, I willed my gastrointestinal system to get a hold of itself so I could get the hell out of there and advance my career.
In the end, the meds didn’t help much. Finally, at the sixty-minute mark, I raised a symbolic white flag by staggering out of the stall. “Okay, let’s get out of here,” I muttered.
Ty nodded before slipping an arm around my waist. After we exited the bathroom, I started back toward the table. “Whoa, where do you think you’re going?”
“To apologize to Halliwell about having to leave.”
Shaking his head, Ty replied, “That’s not happening.”
“I can make it,” I growled.
“I don’t doubt that. I’m referring more to the fact that you smell like a sewer, and you’re covered in puke stains.”
I scowled down at my shirt before muttering, “Fuck.”
“Yeah, you’re completely knackered.”
With a defeated sigh, I let Ty pull me to the exit at the back door. Oh how the mighty had fallen. Once I got inside the car, I texted Isabel to let her know I was heading home.
She immediately called me. From the clanging sounds around her, I imagined she was standing outside the kitchen. “Thorn, I don’t want you to worry one bit about the meeting. Halliwell appears ninety percent on board, so everything is fine.”
“That’s just peachy,” I sourly replied.
“Listen, I know you hate not being here, but remember it’s your work he’s embracing.”
Huh, that was unexpected. Over the last few weeks, any form of a compliment from Isabel to me was non-existent. I knew from the tone of her voice she was truly sincere and not just feeding me a line of bullshit to make me feel better. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
“Just take care of yourself okay?” I couldn’t help being surprised by the almost pleading tone in her voice. It was hard to imagine she remotely cared about my well-being.
“I’ll try.”
“You sound a little weak. I’m sure you’re dehydrated. Maybe you should go by an urgent care and get some fluids.”
That concerned comment completely floored me. Of course, my sex-starved mind immediately went to a fantasy of her wearing a skimpy nurse’s uniform while she attended to my needs. I shook my head to rid myself of the vision.