Professional Liaison (3 page)

“I…uh need to get back to work. Talk to you later, Marcus.” Alice disappeared around the corner of the cubical before Marcus turned around and noticed Melissa.

“Hi, Ms. Gordon.”

“Marcus, can I see you in my office please.”

His mouth dropped open before it snapped shut again with a click. “Sure.”

Melissa headed back toward her office expecting him to follow. The coffee cup hit the desk with a soft snap when she set it down. Soft leather touched the back of her legs when she leaned back in her executive chair and shot a glance at the nervous looking young man standing in her doorway. “Come in, Marcus, and shut the door please.”

Once he complied with her request, he shifted from one foot to the other as he stood at the corner of her desk.

He swiped his palms down his pant legs before he sat in the chair across from her.

“I heard what you said when you were talking with Alice, Marcus.”

“Yes.” Melissa reached over and tapped the button on her phone.

“Yes, ma’am?” her secretary said over the intercom.

“Hold my calls until I call you back, Andrea.”

“Now.” She took a sip from her coffee and set it back down. “Don’t look so nervous, Marcus. You aren’t in trouble.”

He physically relaxed and a rush of air slipped from his lips.

“I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your confidence in my abilities as the CEO of this company.”

One shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I’ve seen you work your butt…sorry. I guess I shouldn’t say that.”

Melissa smiled and shifted her gaze to her hands for a moment. “It’s okay. You and I have known each other for quite a while.”

“I’m glad you got this job over Jack, but you know what some of the employees are saying.”

“I know and it doesn’t really bother me. I’ll prove myself to them over time. If they don’t like me being the CEO, then they can go elsewhere.”

“You know I have your back, right?”

“Yes, Marcus, I know and I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know.” She folded her hands on her desk. “What’s your position now?”

“Lead technical consultant in IT. Why?”

“I wanted to check. I’ve been keeping an eye on your performance. Don’t you have a review coming up soon?”

“You know I don’t personally do the reviews for anyone other than the managers and VP’s, but if you keep up your current level of performance, I can see you in a management role in the near future.”

“Thanks. I love my job and I love working for Marshall Enterprises.”

“I’m glad. It’s important to enjoy your job. If you don’t, there’s no use doing it.” She leveled him with what she considered an intimating stare. “Next time someone wants to gossip next to the water cooler, ignore them and walk away. Alice will only feed the gossip until everyone stops taking.”

An angry flush of red crept up his neck and he narrowed his eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”

“You can go back to work now and again, I appreciate your support.”

* * * *

Melissa swept through the glass doors, her mouth watering from the scents of oregano, olive oil, pasta, tomato sauce and other rich spices assaulting her nose. The Italian restaurant sitting on the corner was one of her favorites and she came here often. Spotting Mandy across the restaurant, she made her way to her cousin’s side.

“Hey, yourself.” Mandy’s green-eyed gaze swept over her with an interested glance. “You look well rested and refreshed.”

Melissa chuckled, pulled out the chair across from Mandy and sat down before she reached for the water glass. “How could I not?”

“How’s the new job?”

“Good. I can see there will be several people I need to prove myself too, but I’m okay with that.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll do fabulous.” A frown pulled down the corners of Mandy’s mouth.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s my mother.”

“What about her?”

“She’s been on me again to have a baby.” Mandy traced the water droplet down her glass. “I can’t seem to make her understand, Brad and I will have one when we’re ready. We’ve only been married five years.”

“Tell her to butt out.”

Mandy’s gaze shot up to hers and her eyes widened as a dry laugh erupted from her mouth. “Yeah, right. You can tell your mother that but mine doesn’t see things the way yours does. Besides, Marilyn has already given your mother two grandchildren.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t drive me crazy about having kids, too.”

“Does she really?”

“Every chance she gets. She keeps better track of my biological clock then I do.”

Laughter bubbled from Mandy’s mouth and Melissa felt her lips twitch.

“What can I get you ladies today?” the waiter asked, stopping near her elbow.

Her gaze met Mandy’s across the table before they both gave the handsome man their complete attention. His brown hair and blue eyes were a deep contrast to his tan skin and almost blinding white teeth. Broad shoulders, trim waist and rock hard thighs completed the look and when her attention came back to his face, her cheeks warmed with the cocky grin he gave her.

Pulling her attention back to the menu, she chose something quickly and when Mandy gave him her order too, he smiled and left.

“Damn, Melissa. What’s up with you? You were practically devouring him with your eyes.”

“So I can’t appreciate a good looking guy when I see one? I’m single and available.”

“Not single and horny these days?”

Melissa felt a wicked grin lift the corners of her mouth. “Nope.”

“Did you get lucky lately or something?” A perfectly arched eyebrow rose over Mandy’s left eye.

“You could say that.”

“Really? Anyone I know?”

She frowned and cocked her head to the side, giving Mandy an incredulous look. “Drew?”

“The guy you sent to my office last night to take me home to the bubble bath, wine and flowers?” Her breath sped up at the look on Mandy’s face.

“Lissa, I set up the wine, bubble bath and flowers, but I never sent a guy to take you home.”

Air rushed from between her lips and she placed her hand against her chest before she smiled again and laughed. “Oh my God. You had me going there for a minute, Mandy. The look on your face. I could almost believe you didn’t have anything to do with that incredibly gorgeous, younger guy coming to my office last night.”

“Yeah, right. Then how did he know you set all of that up?”

“I don’t know, but I swear to you, I did not send a guy over to your office to take you home. It sounds like a great idea. I can’t take the credit for it.”

“Okay. This is a bit creepy then.” She chewed her lip.

“Did you have a good time at least?” Mandy chuckled.

Heat crawled up her neck and splashed across her cheeks as she dropped her gaze to the tabletop.

“I take it that’s a yes?”

“Shush. You’re embarrassing me.”

“What did he look like? Maybe I know him.”

She debated to whether to describe Drew to her cousin on the hopes she knew him or could tell her who he might be. Her curiosity got the better of her, so she told Mandy everything she knew about the mysterious man she’d had wild sex with the night before.

“Sounds yummy, Lissa.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t recognize your description as anyone I know. I’ll ask Brad when I get home. Maybe he knows him. Did you get a last name or anything?”

Melissa choked on her water. “I hardly got his first name. He told me originally, it was confidential.”

“Very mysterious indeed.”

The waiter brought their drinks and Mandy sipped from the white wine she’d ordered.

“How much younger did he seem?”

“Probably ten years, I would guess.”

“It’s not like you are over the hill or anything. My goodness! You’re only thirty-five.”

“I don’t usually go out with nor have sex with someone who appears to be in his mid-twenties, no matter how gorgeous they are. It’s like sacrilegious or something.”

“So what made you do so last night?”

Capturing her bottom lip between her teeth, Melissa sighed for a moment and said, “I wish I knew.” She leaned forward and whispered, “The minute I opened my door to find him there, I was practically wetting my panties.”

“Oh man! Sounds interesting. Tell me more.”

Her gaze shifted around them to make sure no one listened. “He came to the door and when I told him everyone had left for the day and that I knew he wasn’t looking for me, he said he was. He knew all about you setting up the bath, the wine and the flowers. It’s weird, Mandy. There has to be a connection somewhere. He drove straight to my house and for some ungodly reason I let him take me home.” She shivered. “I never trust men like that.” Leaning toward her cousin, she said, “And after we went inside, I let him make love to me.”

The napkin came up in front of Mandy’s face and she swished it back and forth, fanning herself. “Damn.”

“I guess it had been too damned long since I’d been with a man or something. Hell, I don’t know.” A frown pulled down the corners of her mouth. “I’m not usually so careless.”

“We all need to cut loose every once in a while, Lissa. Nothing wrong with that.”

Their lunch arrived and topics turned to other things. Once they were finished, Melissa paid the tab and they walked to their cars.

“Why don’t you come over this weekend? We are having a barbeque with some of the guys who work with Brad at the site.”

“Hell no. The ones who are married are bringing their wives and kids. It’s going to be a family affair, but if I know Brad, he invited all the single guys too. He already told me to invite every single female I know.”

Melissa shook her head. Her cousin-in-law thought every single female in town needed to be paired up with a hunky construction worker, including her. Brad and Mandy had to be about the cutest couple she knew. Even after five years of marriage, the two of them were so in love, it set the bar very high for what she wanted. If she ever met a guy she wanted to share her life with, they needed to have the kind of relationship she saw when she looked at her cousin. Except for one thing, he had to be strong enough and confident enough to bend her to his will in the bedroom.

Her thoughts turned to Drew and how he had dominated her the night before. She didn’t even know him, but he’d taken her to the peak of ecstasy, held her there until he let her have her pleasure at his command. Her face flushed when she remembered his words, ‘Come for me, Liss.’ No one ever called her Liss. Everyone she knew either called her Melissa or Lissa. The way he’d shortened her name and let it roll from his mouth had her pussy clenching even now.

“Hello? Lissa?”

“Uh? Sorry. I was off somewhere else for a minute.”

“That’s obvious. The flush on your cheeks makes me wonder.”

Shaking her head, she said, “It’s nothing. Anyway, what time this weekend?”

“About three. We’ll be barbequing and having a bonfire as well. It should be fun.”

“All right. I’ll be there.”

Mandy hugged her and then stepped back. “Great. I’ll see you then.”

She opened her car door and slipped inside. The thought of spending the afternoon with Mandy and Brad made her smile.

I just need to get through the next two days before that can happen.

When she made it back to her office building, she stood near the elevator and tapped her foot impatiently while she waited. The security system on the elevator for her floor was only kept secure once the last person left for the day within the management team. Only she, the manager of the IT department and the top four executives of the company held the security key. One of them always had to be the last one out of the building in the evenings and now, that job usually fell to her.

The elevator opened to the big, silver letters of Marshall Enterprises on the wall over the head of the receptionist sitting behind the high counter.

“Afternoon, Ms. Gordon.”

“Any calls for me?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Andrea handed her several slips of paper.

“Thanks.” Melissa smiled at the young girl and then sorted through the small pile as she walked toward her office. She didn’t know exactly what she hoped to find with each flip of the paper.
Maybe a call from Drew?
She shook her head.
Forget him. It was a one-night-stand and you’ll probably never see him again. Get over it and move on.

Inhaling on a ragged breath, she pushed open the door only to find the biggest bouquet of flowers on her desk, she’d ever seen. The heady scent of lilies engulfed her senses as she walked toward the flowers almost in a trance. Red, pink and white lilies along with blue cornflowers, daisy poms, baby’s breath and greenery in a large clear vase took up one whole corner of her desk.

“What the…” Setting her purse on the desk, she reached out with a shaking hand to grab the small card stuck within the arrangement.

Who could this be from? It’s not my birthday. My parents, maybe, for my promotion?

She smiled and tapped the card against her chin before she slipped the small card from the envelope. Her jaw almost hit the desk when she read:

I enjoyed last night more than you’ll ever know.

Drew

Chapter Three

The noise of the crowd around him made Drew smile. He loved family get-togethers. Coming from a fairly large family himself, it made him feel a little more at home and less lonesome for the home fires of Tennessee. Growing up south of Nashville on the family ranch didn’t prepare him for coming to the big city of Phoenix, Arizona. The heat didn’t get to him like it did at home. The humidity in Tennessee rivaled the temperatures here only if they were over one hundred. Working in construction now to pay the bills, he’d been lucky to hook up with one of the premiere construction companies in Phoenix, Collins Construction.

“Hey, Drew!” Brad waved from near the barbeque.

Drew smiled and raised his hand while he headed in that direction.

“Grab a beer. There are some over there in the cooler.”

“Thanks,” he replied before he grabbed one and walked back near his boss. “Quite a crowd.”