The Wild Side (Forever Wild #4) (2 page)

After the morning with Pam and Abbi I decided not to head into the office right away. I didn’t know if my cube mates would question where I went for coffee or if they would even notice I was gone
, but since I didn’t have any real work scheduled on my calendar I thought I’d take an impromptu meeting.

I hadn’t been to the office building in a few weeks, but everything about it still felt the same. Some girls were turned on by mone
y and power and I could see why; just walking into Max Green’s office always made my mouth involuntarily drop in awe as I stared at the floor to ceiling windows and looked out onto Lake Michigan. Instead of the sterile feel of my office with fluorescent lighting and white walls, everything in his office was dark and rich like an English castle than an office building.

I walked up to the secretary’s desk, which was a giant, wooden circle that ha
d two Asian women behind it who were more than just secretaries. They knew the ins and outs of every single person at Max’s firm. They were the eyes and ears of the company. I wondered what would happen if the two of them just walked out one day.

“Hello, I’m here to see Maxwell Green,” I said, trying to speak in an even tone with as much confidence as I could muster.

The woman briefly looked up from her computer. “Ms. Wilder, do you have an appointment to see Mr. Green? You know he’s very busy.”

It always amazed me that the woman seemed to r
emember every single person who came into his office, or maybe it was just because she hated me. Every time I came in, even if I did have an appointment, she said he was busy. I wondered if it was because she knew that I was sleeping with him.

“I don
’t have an appointment, but if  he has some time this morning, or if maybe I could sche—” She cut me off with a brief wave of her hand.

“Ms. Wilder, I said he was busy. He has phone conferences scheduled all morning and will be out of the office this afternoon. You can c
ome see him next Tuesday at two pm. Don’t be late.”

“Okay. I can do that.” I took a step back and turned toward the elevator. I wanted to tell her off and tell her exactly where she could shove her schedule, but I didn’t wa
nt to piss of Max’s secretary. Especially not if I was supposed to keep him as a client.

“Valerie, is that you?” Max’s smooth voice carried over me and I turned around to see him walking out by the secretary’
s desk. He had a smug smile on his face as he looked over at his secretary whose eyes were definitely now off her computer. “Ming, why didn’t you tell me that Valerie was here?”

“Sir, I didn’t see her on your appointment list, I apologize,” Ming said
, and it was the closest I’d ever seen the put-together women get to being flustered the way she breathed between her words and kept looking from the computer to him.

“She’s right, I didn’t have an appointment and you’re busy. Sorry to bother you ...” I turned slightly, trying to make my getaway back to the elevator. This was a bad idea. I couldn’t ask Max to be my client and go with me to a new business.
I figured he would probably say I had to get on my knees to seal the deal or something. The whole thing was a big mistake.

Before I could make a full turn around, Max’s hand was clasped at my elbow
, slowly turning me toward him until our eyes met. “You’re not bothering me at all. I have a conference call in about fifteen, so why don’t you join me in my office before then? I’m sure you have some business you came here to discuss?” He raised his eyebrows expectantly. What he expected, I didn’t know.

I swallowed hard, licking my lips to try and get some moisture back into my mouth so I could speak again. Attention from the opposite
sex was getting old real quick; I didn’t know how stick bitches kept up with it all the time. “Yeah. Yeah, I can totally do that.”

“Great.” He moved his hand from my elbow to the small of my back
, guiding me past the secretary’s desk to his office. I swore I saw Ming glare at me as I went past her, but I could have just been seeing things.

Max’s office alway
s reminded me of something I thought The Beast would have in Beauty and The Beast. Even though there were floor-to-ceiling windows, everything else about it was dark. His dark wooden desk sat in an L-shape looking out over the view, with brown suede chairs opposite it for clients, and his leather desk chair seated behind a slim MacBook. That was it for furniture. No personal touches whatsoever. Not even a diploma on the wall or a clock. Max Green liked to keep his personal life personal.

He shut the door behind me and let his fingers stay on my lower back a second longer before he pulled away, only to step directly in front of me. He was so close I could smell his expensive cologne and it surrounded me, suffocating me. It was as if he was pulling me in, not wanting me to escape.

“How’d you know I was here if your secretary didn’t tell you?” I asked, trying to think of something, anything, to say to bring the attention off the fact that we were so close that my chest wasn’t even an inch from his.

“Valerie, sweetheart
, I know everything that goes on in my office. I only let Ming and Li think they have total control.” He leaned in, his lips on my earlobe. “But you know how much I like being in control.”

“I see,” I said, pulling back and tucking
a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to get some distance between us.

“But I assume you came to my office for a reason.” He got the message, loud and clear, taking a few more steps backward until he was sitting on the arm of one of the suede chairs in front of his desk. He crossed his arms over his chest and his right ankle over the left. “So, what can I help you with?”

“Okay, so I’ve been your publicist for at least six months now and it seems like we work well together in the strictly business sense.” I was trying to make my point clear that I was there for business, not the under-the-desk kind.

“Yes, you’ve done a great job with my PR. Are you looking for a raise? Telling me that your salary has increased and I need to pay you a bonus?” His words held a condescending edge to them, like he was asking them but he already knew the answer to the real question at hand.

I shook my head, slowly taking a step forward and keeping my head held high. If I was going to keep him as a client and go forward with this step in my career, I had to be brave. “It’s none of that. I’m here because I’m leaving my current company and going off on my own with Abigail Lewis and Pam Rodgers. We’re each asking our current clients if they would be willing to stay with us when we moved.”

He nodded slowly as if he was deep in thought before a small smile slowly crept on his face. “So what you’re saying is that you’re taking what little experience you have in the public relations world, going off on your own with two other women, who frankly are playing in a business that still is in the good ol’
boys club, and expect me to take my multi-billion-dollar empire along with you just because you did some work for me behind the computer and then some extra bidding under my desk?”

Funny. In college I could give a speech to a room full of gi
ggling fraternity boys and hung-over girls without a problem, but to stand up and talk to Max Green absolutely scared the shit out of me. “Yes, that is exactly what I’m asking. If you don’t want to continue using my services as a publicist, that’s fine. You can find someone else, I’m sure. And as for the other services that you mentioned, we’ve already discussed that and you already know my answer to that as well.”

He stared at
me, his eyes focused like he was the lion and I was his prey. His very stare made my insides do somersaults and not in the good way. I just wanted the examination to be over and to either be thrown out on my ass or for him to just accept my damn offer.

“How can I ever say no to you, Valerie? You’ve done a wonderful job as my publicist so far and I look forward to working with professionally and however else you care to work with me in the future.” He smiled, a genuine smile that wasn’t forced but actually lit up his whole face, warming up his once statue-like expression.

I let out a loud sigh of relief and slumped my shoulders. “Are you serious right now? You still want to keep me around?”

He stood up, taking slow steps over to me, but maintaining his distance with his hands in his pockets, as if he were testing the waters and making sure it was okay to approach.
“Of course I’m serious, Valerie. You’ve done a great job and I’m sure you will continue to do so. I wouldn’t want to lose you and I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep you around.” He took another step forward, his eyes meeting mine as he lowered his voice. “Professionally or otherwise.”

I swallowed hard. Damn the saliva loss. I’d have to Google how to not let my mouth go dry when guys talked to me. “That sounds great, Max. I will let Abigail and Pam know. I will also be sure to give you all my new contact information as soon as I’m set up. Well, besides my cell phone number since you do have that. But my new work email and such.” Shit. I was ram
bling. This was the point where Wes would usually kiss me because I was rambling on about nonsense, but I didn’t want Max to kiss me, so I just bit my lip instead.

“You know, I wish I would have found a way to go to that Vegas conference
, then maybe I wouldn’t be the one sitting here, waiting for you. Maybe I’d actually have you,” Max said softly, his eyes still intensely focused on me.

I wanted to look anywhere but at him. My knees felt like they were about to give out. His very stare was so powerful, so lustful. Everything about the man oozed sex appeal. But he wasn’t sweet. He wasn’t there when I needed him. He wasn’t Wes. But was Wes
wasn’t really mine either.

Ugh. Men were a hassle.

“We still have a business relationship, Max, and I’d like to keep at least that.” I could barely get the words out and I was proud of myself for not collapsing into a puddle of goo at his feet.

He nodded. “I understand and I know you want to
remain faithful to your husband. I assume he’s still around or has he left town?”

“No. He’s still here.” Not that it was any of Max’s business. Why he asked if he left town was a mystery, but I wasn’t going to elaborate further. “But, you have a conference call that I shouldn’t keep you from and I need to get back to the office. Should I email you my information this week?”

The smile returned to his face. “That would be great, Valerie, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. Hopefully outside of the office as well.”

“Maybe, Mr. Green. Maybe.”

Before going home, I had one more stop to make. I texted Wes and told him I would be late, but he should  meet me at the bar in Wrigleyville. He said he would stop by as soon as I gave him the okay.

Marcus owned a small bar that wasn’t far from my apartment. It used to be sort of a dive when he first bought it and didn’t have the best
reputation by its former owners; that’s why he called our PR firm. Now instead of being the place known for having puke on the wall, it was one of the best places to go for open mic night with an intimate setting.

Since it was a week
night and pretty early, the place wasn’t too crowded, but a few patrons were seated on black bar stools along a sleek granite bar. The whole room was long and narrow, leading up to a stage at the end with long black curtains behind it. When I first came into the space there was a mechanical bull there that was stained with some sort of white powdery substance. That was before artsy Marcus came in.

He took out the Western/throw-
up theme, painted the whole room red, put in a new granite bar along the right wall and a few square tables along the left wall. He had local artists come in and hang their artwork up each month above the tables to display and sell. An idea that he had, but just needed me to help him execute. The guy had a passion for everything that he did and when my boss said he didn’t want to work with a deadbeat hippie like Marcus, I was scared to run into some ganja-smoking guy that didn’t want to do anything but hang out in the back room.

“Is that my beautiful Valerie Wilder?” Marcus’ smooth voice carried over the bar and I looked over to see his large smile. He was anything but a deadbeat hippie. Sure he had the dark dreads, but the Rastafarian man dressed like he walked out of GQ and knew his shit when it came to business.

“It sure is, my handsome Marcus Haynes!”

He came around the bar with open arms and embraced me in a huge hug. I accepted it warmly. There was nothing sexual about it and I took it as more like coming home to an old friend.

Once he let go he looked at me. “I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve seen you. I hope you’re not here to tell me that you’re dropping me as a client.” He puckered his lips into a pout.

“No, actually quite the opposite. Would you mind if we took a seat?” I pointed to a corner table near the window.

“Uh-oh, you’re making me sit down for this.” He followed me over to the table and then pulled out the chair for me.

“Oh it’s nothing bad, it’s good. Actually very good.”

“Do tell!” he exclaimed as he took the seat across from me.

“Well, we’ve been working together ever sin
ce I started out as a publicist. You were one of my very first clients and I’d like to think of us as friends as well.”

He put his hand to his chest. “Oh, honey, please don’t tell me you really are breaking up with me. I’ve only had one girl break up with me and that was because she caught me putting on her lipstick. Should have realized I was gay then
...”

I rolled my eyes. “No, Ma
rcus, I’m not breaking up with you. I’m here to tell you that I’m leaving the firm and going off on my own with two other women from the company and I’m hoping that you’ll stay with me as a client.”

“You’re shitting me.” He dropped his hands on the table.

“I most certainly am not shitting you.”

“Of course I’ll go with you!” He held his arms out. “Look what you helped me do for this place. Without you none of this would be possible.”

“Oh, I really didn’t do that much.”

“Of course you did. Don’t sell yourself short.”

I shook my head. “No, this was all you, Marcus.”

“Please, you helped me with all of my social media and came up with all of the branding. Without you I wouldn’t even know how to market. This calls for a celebration. Tell me whatever you want to drink and I’ll make sure it goes on my tab tonight.” He reached out and clasped my hand in his.

“I don’t know about that. I can’t stay for too long ...”

“Why, you got a hot date or something?” He raised his eyebrows.

“I do have a friend that is supposed to meet me here later ...”

“And yo
u are just telling me now? You better tell him to get over here this instant! Free drinks, I’ll order some appetizers, and open mic night is starting in an hour. I’m sure if I get enough drinks in you we can do a great rendition of some Sonny and Cher.” Marcus laughed.

“Actually, Wes is a really great singer.”

“Well then he better get his ass over here so we can see how great he is with this crowd and open mic.”

***

It only took ten minutes for me to
down two chocolate martinis. I didn’t expect them to be so strong. Way stronger than I was used to having, especially when they were free. I was giggling so hard that the room was spinning.

Luckily a warm
hand caught my elbow before I slipped out of my chair. Not that I wouldn’t have been able to catch myself ... Probably ... Maybe ...

I looked up to see Wes smiling back at me. “Do all your business meetings require alcohol, darlin’?”

“Darling?” Marcus squealed across the table and I glanced in his direction to see his eyes roaming over Wes’s body. And there was a lot to savor when it came to Wes in his low-slung, faded blue jeans and plain black T-shirt that showed off his exposed biceps. It was definitely one of his arm workout days because they were looking especially toned. That or the drinks were making me especially horny because I wanted to run my tongue along them ...and along other parts of his body.

“
Yeah, sorry, Marcus; this is Wes. The guy with the amazing voice I was telling you about.” I put my hand on Wes’s stomach, partly for support and partly because I wanted to feel his abs underneath the soft cotton material of his thin tee.

“Yes, I see. Funny you never mentioned that you had a man before today ...” Marcus pried his eyes away from below W
es’s belt and stood up, extending his hand.

Wes shook it firmly, the gentleman cowboy as always. “Well, sir, the relationship
is still pretty new, but I hope when she did finally mention me it was all good stuff.”

Marcus let go of Wes’s hand and pointed toward the stage. “She did say that you had a voice that I had to hear and it is open mic night.”

Wes put his hands in his back pocket, absently kicking his foot. “I don’t know about that one.”

“Oh come on, baby! You have an amazing voice! Don’t be shy!” I nudged him.

“I don’t know ... I’ve never really sang for an audience before ...” He looked down at the ground, making a small circle with his boot.

“How do you expect to perform if you’re nervous about a weeknight crowd on open mic night?” I asked, raising my eyebrows, even though I knew he couldn’t see it.

He shrugged, keeping his head down.

I grabbed his hand, pulling him closer to me and forcing his eyes to meet mine. “Then pretend it’s just you and me. I’ll sit right there in the front. Look at me and no one else. It’ll just be us. Back at my apartment. We’ll take it slow.” Just like he wanted it the other night. Slow
. When he said that he was mine. I didn’t forget that. It could have been because we were in the heat of the moment and about to have sex, but I couldn’t forget when he uttered, “I’m yours.”

Wes licked his lips and nodded slowly. “Okay. Okay. I can do that. For you.”

Marcus clapped his hands, knocking our gazes away from each other and toward the bar owner’s huge smile. “Looks like we have a performance to get ready for.”

***

Marcus stood on the stage, like a ringmaster at the circus. He owned it. For being a weeknight I was surprised that every table and every seat at the bar was occupied. I was even more shocked when everyone stopped their conversation as soon as Marcus tapped the mic.

“Hey, everybody, how are you all feeling tonight?”

The crowd gave a pretty good round of “yeahs” and some clapping and cheers.

“I know it’s a week
night and you’re all here to escape the weekly hell that we call work, so I’m going to try and make it a little better for you.” He extended his arm out to the right of the stage, where Wes and I sat at a small table. “Tonight, my friend, Valerie, has brought in her boyfriend Wes. Besides having the body of a Greek God, she tells me that his voice will make the women and men in this room’s panties drop.”

A few laughs came from the crowd and some ra
ndom woman in the back yelled “Take it off!”

Marcus smiled, shaking his head. “I guess, without further ado, I’ll welcome the first victim of open mic night, Wes.” Marcus clapped and the crowd joined in as he stepped off the stage

I squeezed Wes’s hand and whispered, “Good luck.”

He squeezed my hand back before brushing his lips across my knuckles. He then stood
up and sauntered onto the stage and the lady in the back yelled even louder, “HELL YEAH HE MAKES MY PANTIES DROP.”

Wes laughed, leaning forward onto the mic. “Well, thank you
, ma’am, but I’m very much taken.” He glanced in my direction, putting his head down and then back up. “She’s the one who convinced me to come out here tonight, even though I’m kind of nervous about this whole thing. If y’all can’t tell I’m not from around here.”

The crowd laughed.

“I’m sure the accent gave that away ...” He took the mic off the stand. “And if that didn’t, the song I’m about to sing probably will.” He took a few steps more toward the middle of the stage, putting one hand in his back pocket. “Now, I’m just a southern boy from Alabama and I don’t have my guitar or anything with me, so you’re going to have to put up with some country music and it’s gonna have to be acapella.”

“JUST SHUT UP AND SING ALREADY,” someone yelled from the back of the room.

I turned sharply, craning my neck to see who it was.

Wes just took it all in stride and when I looked back at him he was smiling. “All right, I guess I’ll give y’all what you want.”

He started in slow, humming along to a tune I didn’t recognize, and then he came in with his voice as smooth as honey. The lyrics flowed from his mouth and caressed my ears like they were meant just for me. Once he got to the chorus and uttered the words “Wild in your smile,” he turned toward me, his eyes locked completely on mine. It really was like he was singing only to me. It didn’t matter that we were in my client’s bar. It didn’t matter that anyone else was around us. I was completely wild for him. Everything about him.

By the time the song was over, I found myself wanting more. I couldn’t get enough of his voice and I didn’t want him to stop singing. I never wanted him to get off the stage, unless it was to put his mouth somewhere else.

“How’d I do?” he asked as he took the seat next to me.

I blinked, forcing myself out of my
trance. “That was amazing! You had nothing to worry about. You’re always amazing.”

He took a large gulp of water from the glass on the table. “You’re just saying that cuz you love me.” He grinned, setting the glass down.

Love? Did he just say that? Maybe he meant that in the way my friends and I said it ... or it could have been more. Because that was exactly the way I was feeling about him.

But before I could ask, Marcus was at our table, pulling up a chair right in between us. “Valerie Wilder, where the hell have you been keeping this man? His voice really is panty dropping hot!”

Wes shook his head, but couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “I don’t know about that one.”

“Don’t be modest with me, southern boy. I’ve had a lot of amateurs come on that stage, but none of the
m have a voice like yours. You’re definitely coming back here and I’m going to make sure it’s a night when we actually have someone important in the crowd to hear you. Okay?” Marcus put his arm around me. “I mean, besides the best publicist in the industry.”

Wes took a
small sip of his drink. “That all depends on how long Valerie wants to keep me around.”

Marcus’s eyes raked over Wes’s body. “Honey
, if she doesn’t want to keep you around, you just give me a call.”

Wes laughed. “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.” His eyes met mine across the table. “But I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

I bit my bottom lip. “Me too,” I whispered.