Touching Angel's Desires (26 page)

“Believe what the hell you like. I am not interested in having sex
with you.”

“So are you telling me our past is forgotten?”

“No, it’s not forgotten. I enjoyed our time together. It was a very
special time in my life and was appreciated, but I’ve moved on. There is no
us
now. We’ve been over for years, Ben.
You know that.”

“Angel, I want to have you again.”

“For goodness’ sake Ben, give it a rest. Look, I’ve tried to be
nice. Now I’m telling you. I don’t want you. Please leave.”

Angel stood up and left the restaurant. She’d heard enough of his
voice. But she’d barely got more than a few yards down the corridor when she
heard it again, calling her name, pleadingly. For God’s sake, did the man have
no dignity? She attempted to ignore him, but he followed. She sped up her steps,
but by the time they arrived at reception, he’d caught up. He grabbed hold of
her arm, swinging her round and into his chest, wrapping his arms around her.
“Ben, get off!” she told him, struggling to get free.

“Come on, Angel,” he told her, holding her tight. “You know you want
to.” His hand cupped her buttock and squeezed.

“Ben, please don’t jeopardize our friendship or business
relationship,” she panted, pushing hard on his chest with both hands.

Over his shoulder she saw Libby approach. Angel pleaded with her
eyes, hoping Libby would get the message.

“Is everything okay?” she asked, pitching her voice loudly and
firmly.

Angel stared long and hard in Ben’s eyes. “Don’t make me knee you in
the balls,” she whispered. His face turned stiff and he released her, pushing
her away hard enough to make her stumble.

Angel looked at Libby who took her place behind the reception desk,
glaring at Ben. “Yes, everything is okay, thanks. Has the tour finished?”

“It has. Sophie’s taken them all for a drink in the restaurant. She
says it went really well.”

“Wonderful,” she replied. She turned her attention back to Ben who stood,
arms folded, leaning against the reception desk.

Angel matched his glare and he wilted. “Look Angel, I’m sorry, I
really am. I thought you were just playing hard to get. I think I should
leave,” he said. Relief surged through Angel that he had finally got the damn
message and she sagged against the desk as she watched him head to the main
front door. He stood for a second, looking back at her, a soppy, stupid, sad
look on his face. She hardened her expression and glared at him until he
finally left. She inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly, hating the
position he had put her in. For the first time, Angel had felt afraid. It was
not a good feeling. Would he have forced himself on her? Was he that type?

Chapter Nine

Angel spent the next few days making final preparations for the
weekend. Midweek was normally quiet, and she usually took a couple of days off,
but not this week. Although the closing date was supposed to be last Friday for
tickets, requests were still coming in, and Angel was still selling them. The
more that attended the better for Desires, and the workers. Desires would be
packed out to the maximum that fire regulations would allow.

Angel did allow herself an afternoon’s shopping to get a stunning dress
for the evening, plus accessories of course. And a break would do her good,
although her mind churned the whole time she was out with things still to do.

She had almost given up, scouring shop after shop for the right
dress when she saw one stuffed at the back of a designer shop she hardly ever
went in, as it tended to be pricy. This dress was marked down to half-price,
and when she tried it on, she could see why. Not because it was a poorly-made
dress, or because the style was unflattering, but because it would take a
certain type of woman to wear a dress like this. Luckily, Angel was that
certain type of woman. She started at her reflection in the changing cubicle
mirror. The dress was long and black and open at the front down to her navel.
It wasn't just open, it was entirely open. Her breasts were almost totally on
display. Only a wide, gem-encrusted, horizontal band covered the nipples.
Narrow shoulder straps attached to the diamante band held it up and the skirt
swept the floor. The skirt appeared modest, but as soon as she moved, splits opened
up to her hips at the front and the sides. Her breasts looked outstanding, in a
league of their own. She was turned on by her own reflection, imagining the
looks of pure lust and blatant desire on the men’s faces when they looked at
her.

The amount of flesh on display, however, drew Angel’s attention to
her winter-white skin. She bought the dress, then called her favourite beauty
salon, booking in for a hair trim, a spray tan, plus leg wax and partial
Brazilian, all on Friday, the day before the ball.

Her happy mood was punctured slightly when she pulled up sharply in
Desires’ car park, her usual parking spot being blocked by a large lorry. She
parked in a different space and entered the building. Shannon stood in
reception talking to a man. She turned to look at Angel.

“Oh, Angel. This is John. He’s come with his guys to decorate the
hall.”

“Thanks, Shannon. I’ll take over now.” As if on cue, the phone
started to ring, and Shannon scuttled round the desk to answer it.

Angel showed John to the hall.

“I assume everything is okay. I sent you the drawings,” Angel asked,
anxiously. She hadn’t used this company before, and hated taking a chance,
especially on something a huge as this.

“Chill, babe, it’s all under control,” he assured her. He headed
back to the lorry, bringing in a few other men to help with the construction.
Angel decided instead of having the men coming in and out the reception area,
it was best to take them around the other side, not needing anything to get
damaged, especially the old wooden floor.

She showed them the side door, unlocking it and then left the men to
it, heading back to reception. “Where is Bailey?”

“She’s with Luca, showing him his pitch.”

“Great,” she said, then pitched in to give Shannon a helping hand
for a bit—the phones seemed to be constantly ringing. On the computer, Angel scrolled
through the long list of people attending. They had sold out. Two hundred and
fifty people were coming to the ball, not including the workers and clients
that had been booked in, who automatically purchased entrance to the ball with
their booking. They would have exact figures on the evening as the computer
logged the arrivals.

Bailey came back with Luca. He greeted Angel briefly, then made his
apologies. “Busy, busy,” he said, before hurrying off to the main door. Angel
didn’t mind. She had enough to do without making small talk.

Angel immediately piled more jobs on the unflappable Bailey, who set
to work with no hesitation. Scrolling through the list of clients booked in for
the weekend, she came across Dan’s name in the list of available workers. She smiled.
He was still fully available for the entire weekend. She might just have a
partner for the evening after all. She had a sudden urgent need to speak to
him.

She headed to her office. She wasn’t about to have that conversation
in public. Her heart pounded as she brought up his name on her contacts list
and pressed the Call button, only to be disappointed when it went straight to
voicemail. She decided not to leave a message. She fully intended to get hold
of him at some point. Angel went in her room, getting changed and then headed
back in the heart of Desires, seeing the men putting up scaffolding, using a
floor protector underneath. Angel gazed back at Shannon and Bailey, still busy
on the phones.

Angel felt suddenly at a loose end. The plans for the ball had been
set in motion. Right now, there was actually nothing she really needed to do.
Except for Dan,
she thought whimsically.
She knew he was working at his day job, but maybe she could persuade him to
come into Desires tonight for fun.

She went back to her office and called his number again, and once again
got his voicemail. She huffed out an annoyed breath then headed back in the
reception, feeling like a lost sheep.

“Everything all right?” Shannon asked, glancing at her before looking
back at her computer screen.

“Yes, yes, fine.”

“Why don’t you go and chill for a while? You look as though you need
it.” Bailey suggested.

Angel looked at the girls seeing them still working hard. She wasn’t
sure she would be able to chill, especially as the only thing that filled her
mind was trying to contact Dan. There might be the possibility he wasn’t free
for the evening. He wasn't contractually required to be available during the
week. She dithered, not quite knowing what to do with herself.

“Is Larry coming on Saturday?” she asked.

It was an academic question. Larry never missed such a function. He
was a self-confessed sex addict, whose only interest was to see how many women
he could screw on any given night, always trying to beat his record. He didn’t
care about looks, body shape, anything, as long as he got his cock in her.

“As far as we are aware, he’s invited and replied, yes,” Bailey
answered, her tone carefully neutral.

Angel dropped the subject. She knew both girls despised Larry.
Bailey was into girls which annoyed Larry, as he knew damn well there was no
hope with her, which didn’t stop him from trying. But then, whenever she turned
him down, which was every time, he got nasty, which endeared him to nobody.
Whilst Shannon did like men, and did sometimes indulge in the delights of the
club, she was choosy about who she slept with. Larry was good-looking, sure
enough, but looks weren’t everything. It wasn't difficult to find men who
respected women, but Larry wasn't one of them.

Angel headed back to her office, opening the door just as her phone
rang. She launched herself across the room to answer it, thinking for one wild
moment it might be Dan returning her calls. Her stomach plummeted in
disappointment when it was the DJ ringing for her to approve some additions to
the playlist for the big night.

She approved all additions and quickly ended the call, then looked
at the phone still in her hand. She glanced at the clock. It was six. Dan would
have finished work by now. She brought his name up in her contacts list,
hitting Call before she could change her mind. This time it rang instead of
going straight to voicemail. Angel got excited at the thought of hearing his
voice, her lips stretching in a silly grin. But the phone kept ringing and her
grin faded when it went to voicemail again. She stared at the phone feeling nauseous
with despair, and decided to give it another attempt. It rang, and rang and
rang some more…

Then— “Hello, Desires,” came his smooth voice and her heart melted
to the sound. An eruption of excited shivers thrilled her spine.

“Hello, Dan, it’s Angel.”

“Hello there,” he said. She tried to analyze his tone. Did he sound
happy to hear from her? There was certainly no hint of annoyance or irritation,
or anything else for that matter.

“I was wondering if there is a chance you are free this evening?”
she asked him, crossing her fingers.

“Why?”

Why? He really had to ask? “I was…” She stopped, attempting to think
of something to say without sounding desperate, although she was. “I was hoping
that you could come in.”

“Why?” he asked again.

Angel scoured her mind for a convincing reason. “I have a few things
that I need to go over with you regarding the coming weekend, especially as I know
you will not be able to make the meeting tomorrow. I understand you are a very
busy man, and, well, I thought tonight might be a good opportunity to go over a
few points with you,” she told him, feeling pleased with herself. At least it wasn't
as bad as saying, “I want to get you in my bed.”

“Sure, I can be in at seven.”

“Seven’s great. See you then,” she answered, a huge grin splitting her
face. They hung up. Angel leapt up, suddenly unable to stay in her seat and
began jumping up and down like a head case, not caring how mad she looked.

She had an hour. She quickly ran to her room, lighting a few candles
to scent the room before grabbing a quick shower. She was about to shave when
she remembered the wax she’d booked. That was the only thing about waxing—the
hair needed to be a certain length. She wasn’t going to be hairy for Dan. She’d
have to cancel the wax and shave instead. She shaved everything, wanting to be
perfect.

She dried her hair upside down to almost dry before putting it in
big bouncy rollers and suffocating it in hairspray. She chose a tight fitting
mini skirt, and a skimpy fitted top which showed plenty of cleavage as well as
a little of her bra. She perused her shoe rack, choosing a pair of silver
platform stilettos. She expertly applied her ‘fuck me’ makeup, complete with luscious
red lipstick. She blasted her
rollered
hair with the
dryer once more, then took out the rollers, finger-combing it into place and
spritzing the waves with yet more hairspray. She hoped Dan would like the wild
sexy look. She glanced again at the clock. It was almost seven. She clipped her
beeper over her waistband then made her way to reception.