Control (3 page)

Chapter 4

Cole

It'd been a dick move, and I knew it.

"Cole!" A tall lanky gentleman in a pressed pinstripe suit stepped in front of me as I made my way toward her. "Jackson Markham. CEO of Vandrake Incorporated. Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure is all mine, Sir. I've studied your company over the last few year. Incredible start-up story. Love the power behind the push." I smiled and shook his hand.

"We'll be bidding on you today. I'd love to have you come join us for a few days and help me truly assess where the staff are motivationally. It's been a big growth year for us, and you know with growth comes pain."

"Absolutely. Any time we stretch ourselves to accommodate a new level of girth, it hurts. Just part of the game, right?" I took the card he handed me. I could only hope that he’d have the funds to bring me on board. More time with Alexis would do both of us good.

"Exactly! All right, well, count on coming out to Seattle soon. We're going to work hard to get you." He patted my arm and moved around me to go back into the conference room.

"Here you go, boss." Sam moved up beside me as I wandered through the meet-and-greet area and tried hard to avoid the hopeful stares of the crowd. I wasn't looking to have a casual conversation with anyone. I was looking for the woman I'd be spending the night with.

"What's this?" I snatched the card from his fingers and wandered down a corridor toward the restrooms. Alexis had disappeared somewhere down that way, and I could only hope that she was in the restroom and not gone from the event for the day.

"The business card you asked me to get. Her number is listed on the bottom." He moved in front of me. "She's in the restroom, but surely you're not-"

"Move. Watch how it's done." I tugged at my tie and moved toward the bathroom, pushing the door and glancing in. Empty.

"No fucking way, Cole," Sam whispered angrily. "You're seriously out of your goddamn mind. What if-"

"Shh... shit." I pushed at his chest. "Get out of here. Go talk to the girl she was with and find out more about her."

"Cole."

"Go." I gave him a stern look and slipped into the bathroom. After squatting and noting only one pair of shapely legs in the restroom stalls, I grabbed the “out of order” sign from the closet and slipped it out onto the door handle. Just in case.

A quick flick of the wrist and the door was locked.

I leaned back against the door and couldn't help but smile as she walked out of the stall with her eyes adverted to the ground.

"Sorry about that," I spoke softly.

She yelped and jumped, turning around and narrowing her eyes on me. "This is the women's restroom. Are you nuts?"

"Yep. Most billionaires are." I pushed away from the door as she turned toward the sink and started to wash her hands.

"I hope someone catches your wild ass in here and finds out what kind of man you really are." Her voice was shaking a little. Was she scared of me or what we could become given the chance?

"And what kind of man is that, Alexis?" I moved up behind her and looked up to watch her in the mirror, but didn't touch her. The scent of her perfume rolled over me, hardening my body with little to no effort at all.

What was it about her that drove me to want to break far too many rules? Was she worth it? No one before her had been. No one since Mina.

She moved away from me and dried her hands. "The kind of man who thinks he can take whatever he wants and get away with it. It doesn't work like that. There's a cost for everything you get in this world. Mountains don't move, Cole. That's why they’re fucking mountains."

I gripped her arm and pulled her to me as she gasped softly.

"You know what I want more than anything right now? What I alluded to on stage, but couldn’t say due to the sensitive nature of my deepest desires." I brushed my lips by her ear.

"No clue." She turned her face away from me, but didn't move. The violently pulsing vein in the side of her neck said that she was scared or excited. I hoped it was a little of both.

"You. Up on that counter with your panties pulled to the side, moaning while I roll my tongue through your wet folds and drink every drop of come you'll give me." I nipped at her ear as she began to pant.

"Stop." She turned to face me. "I'm not the girl you think I am."

"No? Maybe you're exactly who I think you are. Why else would I waste my time chasing you down to a bathroom?"

"I'm not fucking you. Find someone else."

"That's your choice." I released her and shrugged before glancing down at my watch. "But the way I see it... you have about five minutes before someone realizes that the bathroom isn't broken, and we get busted. Both of us."

"I'm leaving, so that isn't a problem." She shrugged and stayed in place.

So cute. Her thinking she had the ability to walk away from me.

"No, you're not." I licked at my lips and let my eyes move down the tight-fitting blue blouse she wore so well. "You're going to do what I want you to do."

"No, I'm not." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Just because you rule the world out there, doesn't mean you rule it in here."

I smiled at her silly comeback. "You wanna sit on the sink or bend over the bench over there? I kinda like the idea of you wanting me, but to have access to your ass too would make my day better than it already is."

I unbuttoned my cuff-links and licked at my lips again. My mouth was already salivating at the thought of tasting her.

"You're out of your mind." She turned and walked to the door.

"Tell me you're not wet and I'll leave you be." I turned back to the sink and gripped the side as I squatted and stretched my back. "And don't lie to me."

"It's none of your business."

"No? It's not because of me?" I rolled my shoulders and turned to face her. "Because I think it is. You got a little taste of what I'm capable of last night, and you want more. I know you do, Alexis. There's no one in here judging you. It's just me and you, and I wanna taste you more than I want anything else right now. Don't deny me. It would be silly and wasteful."

"You're a bastard." She walked toward the sink and turned to face me, pressing her ass against it and glaring at me angrily.

"Yep. I am." I gripped her hips and helped her up on the side of the sink as I leaned in and kissed her roughly. "A bastard who knows what he wants."

"I hate you already." She pressed her hands against my shoulders as I slipped her skirt up over her taut thighs and forced them open.

"I know you do. Keep hating me. It will save us from wanting more than a quick fuck in the sheets." I squatted and leaned in, pressed my mouth to her wet pink panties and breathed deeply. "Fuck yeah."

"Shit." She leaned back and lifted one of her legs, pressing her high heel to the edge of the sink and opening herself up for me.

"Such a good girl." I smiled up at her and tugged her panties to the side before leaning in and lapping at the wetness she refused to give me credit for. A groan rose from the center of my chest, and I pressed in farther, wanting to hear her cry out in release at least twice before we had to get back to the crowd just beyond the door.

"Fuck you," she whispered and slid her fingers into my hair, gripping tightly as she rolled her hips and ground her clit against my tongue. I pressed two fingers into her as she bucked, and worked her slow and deep until her breathing hitched.

"Just think, baby, the cock in my slacks is four times bigger." I drove my fingers into her again and she cried out, white-knuckling the sink and wrapping her other leg over my shoulder as I rolled my tongue over her swollen wet flesh.

"Don't tell me that." She arched and cried out again as I slipped another finger into her.

"You should know what you're missing out on." I chuckled and blew cold air on her pussy before diving in again. I'd never tasted anything more intense in my life, and without a doubt knew I was in trouble.

She was the type of woman I could come to crave. The last time that happened, the sweet girl beneath me became my wife.

Chapter 5

Alexis

My heart was racing so hard in my chest that I thought it might burst from my skin. I cried out again as warmth spread out from the center of my stomach and raced through my veins.

"Ride it, Alexis. Ride it," he grumbled against my center as I made the mistake of glancing down.

He brushed his tongue over my flesh as his eyes met mine and lust seared me. He was going to have me beneath him, screaming for more if I wasn't careful.

Why me? Why, of all the women in the room beyond us, did this bastard have to choose me? I was a recovering sex-addict, the type of woman that wanted to behave, but just couldn't seem to deny the delicious promises that lust provided.

"So good," he whispered and pulled his fingers from my body, licking them clean and helping me down.

"You're not at all who people think you are." I pulled my panties back into place and fixed my skirt before turning toward the mirror and pretending to wipe at my eye makeup. "You’re a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"Because I want to fuck a hot woman senseless?" He laughed and moved up behind me, pressing his thick erection to the curve of my ass and gripping my hips tightly. "You didn't have to get on the sink. You did it because you wanted to."

"That's true. I'm just a whore." I stood up and shrugged before moving around him. "It's a mountain in my life that I haven't figured out how to move. Thanks for setting me back a few steps."

"Ouch." He pressed his hand to his chest and moved to stand in front of the door. "Come here to me."

"No. Move. You got what you wanted. Go out there and smile and pretend to be a good guy. It's what you get paid to do." I didn't know where my anger was coming from. I'd just had the best two orgasms of my life and yet I was acting like a complete bitch.

"You're not mad at me. You're attacking me, but it's not me you're angry with." He gripped my wrist and pulled me to stand in front of him.

I glanced down, unable to help myself. "Move. Please. You don't know me."

He touched my chin and forced me to look up at him. "I want to."

"No, you don't. You want a quick fuck and then to move on to the next woman. It's all good. I get it, but whatever happened in here or last night... that's all I have to offer." I reached around him and unlocked the door. "Move please."

"Give me control, Alexis. You think you want it, but it's breaking you down." He slid his strong hand down my neck and cupped the side of my throat tightly before leaning down and brushing his lips by mine.

How quickly I could come to worship a man like him. Fear raced through me and I pulled back.

"Thanks for the fun." I moved around him and pulled the door open just enough that I could slip through. I'd made another mistake, but it was the last one I'd make.

The wetness between my legs was a quick reminder that if he wanted more, I'd most likely go down with a weak fight. I kept trying to forge a new woman out of the old one that I hated, and yet I hadn't figured out how to give up the addiction I had to pleasure. Not just physical, but the pleasure of being adored, wanted, coveted.

"Alexis. There you are." Jackson Markham moved to stand in front of me and gave me a fatherly smile. "Have you been enjoying the conference?"

"Absolutely. Some of the speakers have been incredibly insightful."

"Agreed. Where is Heather?" Jackson glanced around. "We should all have dinner later tonight with the rest of the group. Do you have plans?"

"No. Dinner sounds great actually." I checked my watch. "I'm going to run up to the room to make a quick phone call and then I'll be back down."

"Yes. Of course. We could meet for dinner about an hour after the last presentation today if that sounds okay?" He moved back and slipped his hands into his slacks.

"That sounds great." I gave him a warm smile.

"Oh, real quick. The bidding is still going on, but keep your fingers crossed. I'm praying like hell that we can get Cole Alexander to come visit us."

Ice water ran through my veins. "Why Mr. Alexander? I would have thought you would want one of the more business-focused speakers to come out to Vandrake."

"No. We can get those guys anytime. Cole is top notch. The kind of guy that can motivate just about anyone to do anything."

"He has a way with words, doesn't he?" I swallowed hard and glanced over my shoulder, half expecting him to come out and join the conversation. I had no doubt that he had plenty to add in the way of self-worship.
Fucker.

"He does." Jackson shook his head and smiled. "His story is honestly amazing. Have you read it?"

"Can't say that I have. I'm usually to be found with my face stuck in a marketing book." I chuckled as Jackson reached out and squeezed my shoulder.

"Of course you are. You're going to be a rising star in no time. Your transcripts and resume already speak volumes for you."

"Thanks, Mr. Markham. I'm nothing too special."

"It's Jackson, and everyone is special." He released me. "Okay, go make your call and promise me you'll read up on Cole. He's a great character and someone that we can all learn something from."

"Will do, Sir." I turned on my heel and walked quickly to the elevator, trying hard not to make it obvious that I was trying like hell to get out of the lobby before being caught by someone. Not just anyone.

Mr. Special himself.

"Stop it," I grumbled as I got on the elevator and hit the button for my floor.

"Hold the door." The cute guy from earlier slipped into the elevator with me. "Oh, hi Alexis. You already heading out for the day?"

"No, just making a quick call and then getting back to it." I wrapped my arms around my chest and turned to face the front of the elevator. "You're one of the organizers of the event did you say?"

"Yep. I love these things. Motivational speakers changed my life, and I love seeing it help other people too." He shrugged.

"Are you just helping with the conference in general or here with one of the speakers?"

"I'm Mr. Alexander's assistant."

I turned and lifted my eyebrow at him. "Really? Did he send you in here after me?"

I sounded ridiculous and yet I couldn't help myself.

"Um, no? Should he have?" Sam lifted his eyebrow at me, leaving me to feel like an idiot for asking.

"No. Sorry. Wishful thinking?" I gave him a girlie smile and moved up as the elevator opened. "See you around. Good luck!"

"You too, Alexis."

I waited until the door closed to turn and walk down the hall to my room. His tone said that he knew more than he should, or was I being paranoid? I shook it off and jogged to my room for a quick clean up.

As much as I hated to, I needed to get back downstairs fast. Heather would be looking for me and with my luck, Cole would be looking for her.

Surely he was done with me. I'd given up the goods. It was time to find another victim to help sate his lust.