Once Upon A Time Page 4

  I suddenly choked.

  No, really. I choked on freaking air as I tried to grasp exactly what Phil was telling me. Kate gave me the client? She actually gave me a client because I deserved it? Shit, had we morphed into the twilight zone? But I had a weird feeling it wasn’t because I deserved it. Something didn’t sit right with me about it. I shrugged it off.

  “Holy shit balls, Pay!” Quinn screeched like a cat on helium.

  “See? I told you!” Kylie smiled, flashing me a wink before consuming the rest of… whatever the hell she was drinking.

  “I’m going to the ladies room,” I announced suddenly, standing from my chair and turning to Phil. “Want me to grab you a drink on the way in?”

  I needed air. I needed oxygen and right now my body had decided it was going to forgo it and make me dizzy from the lack of it.

  “Yes, please.” Phil nodded politely, seemingly encouraging Kylie and Quinn to raise their glasses, indicating they wanted one too. What a surprise.

  Grabbing my purse, I moved from the table. The bar had gotten busier since we had arrived only an hour ago. There were people everywhere, bodies grinding against each other as the music was turned up and the bass took hold of every unassuming stranger with alcohol in their systems. I chuckled as I slid past a couple who looked more like they were having sex on the dance floor, wondering if I should've thrown a condom at them and advised them to make safe choices.

  Wouldn't that make me a hypocrite?

  Probably.

  Shaking my head, I weaved through the crowd and walked in the direction of the bathroom. I could feel the muggy heat from the overload of bodies in one room sticking to my skin like a second layer. I felt dirty, the sheen of sweat coating every inch of exposed skin. I managed to snake my way around the moving bodies, making it to the bathroom with some images I could've done without. Moments later I was washing my hands, running the palm of my right hand along the back of my neck. I was too hot, too freaked out that I’d been given a client from my boss. She’d given me the step I needed to start moving up the PR ladder. I just hoped I wouldn't screw it up.

  Wiping under my eyes, I quickly dried my hands and left the bathroom, dodging a horde of gaggling women as they shoved past me.

  “Well excuse you,” I muttered under my breath.

  As I stepped out into the hallway just off to the left of the bar, I noticed the thundering bass had gotten slower, more erotic. I had no idea what song was playing but whatever it was made me feel… sexy? Fuck, I’m a moron. Rolling my eyes, I was about to step out to head to the bar when I heard a crashing sound followed by a muffled voice from the very end of the hallway I was about to exit. The hell was that? I had no idea why the sound intrigued me so much, and, as odd as it was, I wanted to find the source of it. Turning, I made my way down the darkened hall, stopping at three black doors in the process. I held my ear to each one, finding myself becoming more and more frustrated that I couldn't find the source of the noise.

  What the hell was I doing anyway?

  Sighing, I decided to blame the cocktails and unidentifiable shots for my inability to make rational choices. Turning on my heels, which were pinching the shit out of my ankles, I was about to walk right out of there and call it a night when I heard the voice again. But this time it wasn't muffled; in fact, it was pretty damn clear.

  “Your excuse is pitiful, Mr. Michaels.”

  My feet were quickly moving of their own accord. It was if I had no control over what the hell I was doing as they took me in the direction of the gravelly voice from somewhere deep inside the bar.

  My heels clacked against the dark flooring as my steps increased. I quickly found myself standing in front of another black door, my hand resting on the door knob. For some reason, I don't know why, I placed my ear against the wood, listening to the voice that had entrapped me only moments ago.

  “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again,” a male voice apologized.

  “You better hope it doesn't.”

  There it was again, the voice that had pulled me to the very spot I was standing in. It sounded rough, dark… dangerous. As if the very sound of it was criminal. I couldn't speculate for long. The moment the owner of the voice finished his sentence, the door opened faster than I thought possible, taking a stumbling me with it.

  “Ooooof!” I groaned, landing on my hands and knees onto some very plush carpet.

  As I stared at the floor, embarrassed as hell, I heard the most illegal sounding chuckle to have ever graced my ears. My head was bowed, staring at the fibers of the softest carpet I’d ever touched, when I felt a presence standing in front of me while another simply stepped over me and exited the room.

  I gulped hard, not knowing what the hell to do other than crawl on my hands and knees until I found the door on which I’d so gracefully entered. Finding a little courage and pushing back the utter embarrassment that had taken over, my gaze ascended, coming to a halt at some very shiny, very expensive-looking dress shoes. My greedy eyes seemed to have a mind of their own as they moved once again, stopping at some very long, very thick legs, covered in grey dress pants. Of course, my eyes decided now would be a good time to move a little higher to the poor stranger’s crotch, staring in freaking awe as I hungrily took in the very pronounced bulge in his pants.

  Fuck, woman! Get a grip, stand the hell up!!

  I must've been staring for much longer than appropriate as the stranger coughed gently, clearly hiding a chuckle behind it.

  “S-sorry,” I stuttered, coming to my senses and standing up.

  Wiping at my knees, I straightened my dress before dealing with my hair that, I had no doubt, was all over the place from my compromised position on the floor. When I thought I looked somewhat presentable, my eyes finally landed on the face of the stranger in front of me.

  My jaw dropped.

  I also think my vagina pretty much howled in delight before detaching itself from my body, making a beeline for the sexy stranger in front of me and dry humped his expensive shoes before running back and reattaching itself. Wet and ready like a damn cheerleader.

  The stranger was… tall, so very fucking tall that I had to crane my neck slightly to really look at him. He must have been at least six-three, just over a foot taller than my tiny five foot two frame. Then his eyes: charcoal grey eyes that immediately felt like they were scrutinizing every detail of me, from my hair to my dress to my lips to my hips, yet his eyes were solely focused on my own. Breaking eye contact, I really took him in. His hair was the blackest black I’d ever seen, long on the top but short at the sides. A strong jaw line, hiding beneath an obvious five o’clock shadow which captured me like a giddy teenager. Then there was his lips…

  “Is there a reason why you’re staring at me like I’m your next meal?”

  Oh my shit.

  I think my pussy clenched at the mere roughness in his voice. And those lips? Yeah, the ones my eyes were completely trained on, moved with such fluidness that I suddenly wanted to bite them.

  Whoa. Back the fuck up, Pay! What the hell’s wrong with you?!

  Composing myself, my eyes moved back to his, noticing that in the mere seconds I had been scrutinizing the Cupid's bow of his full thick lips, the charcoal color of his eyes had gotten darker, almost black.

  “I’m sor—” I paused. Wait, what? I wasn't looking at him like that… okay, maybe I was, but he didn't’t need to know that! “I was not looking at you like that!”

  The stranger, whom I’d inwardly named Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Dangerous, titled his head ever so slightly to the right, a small smirk gracing his perfectly sculptured lips.

  “You’re sure about that, miss?” He paused, clearly waiting for me to fill in the silence but I couldn't help but move my gaze back down his body to his chest, where the rest of his grey suit clung to him, clearly showcasing his defined body underneath. Oh shit.

  “Uh… Pay. Payton. Payton Miller,” I stuttered, barely able to even get my own damn name to pass through m
y lips.

  His right eyebrow arched a millimeter, small enough not to be given a second glance but I saw it. Oh, I definitely saw it.

  “Well, Pay. Payton. Payton Miller,” he said without an ounce of humor, “is there a reason why you fell onto your knees in my office? Or why you’re still looking at me as if I was juicy enough to sink your teeth into? Hmm?”

  Completely mortified, I held my hands up by way of apology and started to step back. I watched as Mr. TDD stepped towards me, a glint of mischief in his eyes as he did so.

  “I’m sorry. I didn't mean to barge in. I'll just be leaving now.”

  Then he spoke again, his voice dripping with absolute sin.

  “You know, I like my woman on their knees. But you, Miss Miller, took that to a whole other level.” He growled as I took another step back. “Door close.” He smiled, following my footsteps forward. The sound of the door shutting behind me only made my heart pound and my knees tremble. Did the door really just close by the sound of his voice? Why did I even care? I needed to get out of here.

  “Open the door,” I whispered, taking another step back, cringing as I felt the hard wood of the door against my shoulder blades. Come on, Payton, he’s just a man. A very hot man, but still a man, nonetheless. “Now.”

  My hands were very much still in front of me and as Mr. TDD took another step towards me, his chest collided with my bare palms. As if by way of reflex, my fingers splayed against the crisp white shirt that clung to his chest. Oh my, he was muscular.

  “See, I have this problem,” he stated, grabbing at my wrists and pulling them from his chest, placing them at my side. Leaning in close, his lips grazed my ear and an involuntary shudder went through me. “I like my privacy, and you, Miss. Miller, just compromised it with your blonde hair, electric blue eyes and a peach dress that should only ever be worn by the bedroom floor.”

  Speechless.

  I was completely speechless.

  But my body was doing all the talking necessary. My nipples had hardened beneath the lace confines of my bra, painfully brushing against Mr. TDD’s suit jacket. My pussy was clenching hard, not from his words but by the voice that had captivated me in the first place.

  “I – I need to get back to my friends,” I stammered, unable to control the liquid pooling between my thighs. “They'll be wondering w-where I am.”

  Like hell they will, I thought.

  “Is that what’s really running through your pretty head, Miss Miller?” he whispered, his lips still achingly close to my ear. “Because your head and your pussy are in a battle right now and the smell of that battle is fucking intoxicating.”

  My blood instantly boiled. Who the fuck did this guy think he was? Okay, I was being nosey, and yes, if I hadn't gulped back that last cocktail I probably wouldn't’t be standing in this predicament with him. But he just referred to my damn vagina and I didn't even know his name.

  “You need to let go of my hands.” I growled, moving my head towards his, which was still too damn close to my ear.

  He pulled his head back an inch, just a freaking inch. The tip of his nose brushed against my own, his mint-scented breath mingling with mine as I panted. Why the hell was I panting? I noticed his hands hadn't left my wrists and the minute I was about to scream he quickly cut me off.

  “I haven’t let go of your wrists for a simple reason, Miss Miller,” he said, squeezing the flesh for good measure. “It’s because what I’m about to say would probably earn me a slap across the face.” He chuckled, running his nose against mine. “And I’m quite partial to my face.”

  “You piece of sh—”

  The stranger suddenly pinned my wrists above my head, his body instinctively moving in closer to my own.

  “Remember, you were listening in on my conversation, not the other way around. So before I let you walk out of this office, you’re going to listen to what I have to say.” He growled. Oh my, he actually growled like a fucking lion. “You find me attractive.”

  I… well shit.

  “No,” I replied meekly.

  Lie. Absolute fucking lie. Of course I found him attractive, any female with eyes and a fully operational vagina would find him attractive.

  “That wasn't a question, Payton.” He smirked, still running his nose along mine.

  I think I died. No, really. Somewhere between him stating that I found him attractive and him grounding out my name with that voice of his, I actually died. Wait, was that a… british accent hidden beneath his lethal voice?

  “You know nothing about me,” I whispered in the smallest voice possible. This man was turning me stupid with the look of dominance in his eyes, by the voice that was keeping me captive.

  “You have been in my office for ten minutes. That’s long enough for me to know that if I ran my fingers over your panties, you’d be completely fucking soaked. I also know that you’d scream in ecstasy when I run my tongue over, across, inside your pussy right on the very desk you keep eyeing behind me.” He paused, ghosting his lips across mine before pulling back. “I also know, right now, you've never been so fucking turned on in all your life.”

  I closed my eyes tight. He was right. I’d never been so turned on in all of my life that it was making me panic. I had literally met this man only ten minutes ago. How was it possible that within ten minutes he could turn me on so much without even touching me?

  Mr. TDD had damage written all over him. Damage lured me, pulled me in and tempted me to the point of no return. Damage was my middle name and he was seducing me by using his own damage against me. He was playing with fire… it’s a good job I welcome the burn.

  “So sure of yourself, aren't you?” I asked, grabbing his attention, plucking my confidence out of thin air. He pulled back just enough for me to see the dark coloring of his eyes. Jesus, they were so unique. “But you've got one thing wrong.” Leaning forward, I moved my lips to his ear, matching the movements he'd made on me moments ago.

  “I’m not wearing panties.”

  I REGRETTED IT THE MOMENT the words tumbled out of my mouth. What the hell was I doing? I should've been pushing him away from me, slapping his ridiculously handsome face. I should've been removing myself from the situation, yet I was goading him. Why? Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe even my blissful state of mind due to the client I had been given, or just maybe it was the heady scent of my stranger, who was pressing every inch of his body against mine.

  Whatever it was, it only fueled the fire he’d already started.

  The stranger stood silent, his scent wrapping around me like a blanket of warmth. It was woodsy, like the smell of autumn rain on the first day of the season. I couldn't help but inhale as I waited for Mr. TDD to address my statement. The scent alone was clearing the alcohol-induced fuzz that had taken over my head, bringing me right back down to reality where I stood in a stranger’s office while he pinned me against his door.

  Just as I was about to open my mouth to inform him I was leaving, his lips crashed down against my own. I couldn't help the involuntary sigh that escaped my lips the moment his mouth seized mine, the taste that was uniquely him coating my lips like a fine gloss. I was stunned into silence, questioning whether I should knee him between his legs and run, but those thoughts were quickly squashed the second he dragged his tongue along the seam of my lips.

  I was pretty sure the floor had bottomed out because nothing could've prepared me for this.

  Instinctively, I opened my mouth, allowing him room to explore. All thoughts about leaving had gone right out the door I collapsed through, my mind had shut off and just begged my body to feel. Tentatively, my tongue moved and found his, softly stroking, flicking, moving in a deep erotic kiss that had me completely weak at the knees. A deep carnal sound rumbled through my stranger's chest as his grip on my wrists tightened, his body so impossibly close to mine that I could feel every ridged muscle underneath his suit. My hands flexed as the need to cling to him took over. I wanted to touch him, I wanted him to feel exactly
what he was doing to me.

  “Let me touch you,” I begged.

  I don’t beg. But right then I would've offered him anything just to run my fingers through his impossibly black hair, to scrape my nails against his scalp while he devoured my mouth, anything just to get my damn hands on him.

  “No.” He growled, taking my mouth with so much force, I moaned hard against his lips.

  As if he could feel exactly as I did, he removed one hand from my wrists, using his other to restrain them both. Now able to roam, his hand moved slowly from above me to the soft skin of my cheek as he bit down on my bottom lip. The sting was there, as a tang of copper filled my mouth. But the second the sting arrived, it swiftly left as he soothed the spot with his tongue.

  I think I could’ve orgasmed from his kiss alone. This kiss was igniting the heat between my thighs and I couldn't help but shift my legs so my very core was able to absorb the friction from his dress pants. His smooth large hand quickly descended the moment he felt my thighs wrap around his dominant leg. Without hesitation his hand was cupping my breasts over my strapless peach dress. He gave my right breast a squeeze, seemingly appreciating the firmness within his palm.

  Pulling back from the kiss, his hooded eyes found mine and I think I quivered. “I’m going to let go of your wrists. If you move, I will punish you. Understand?”

  I nodded my head, trying not to think, trying not to make sense of what the hell was happening.

  In an instant, his hand left my wrists and splayed across my breasts. I dropped my hands to my sides, unsure as to what his next move would be. Then, I whimpered. My once strapless dress which encased my breasts was pulled away from my body in one swift move, the fabric bunching around my waist as my lace-enclosed breasts became exposed to the cool air of the room. My bra was a strapless black lace number, one I really liked. Well, that was until the moment he grabbed both cups and pulled, ripping the fabric in half. I watched with my mouth agape as my favorite bra fell to my feet.