Urges: Part Three (The Urges Series Book 3) (2 page)

For some reason, the
idea of talking to Gary about Trent is a lot more appealing than
talking to my mother. Maybe because I think that he'll actually
listen. In truth, I would like to get some of this off of my chest,
and since there's really no potential for a relationship between Gary
and I, it wouldn't hurt to tell him things.

“
The
short version is that I made the mistake of getting involved with my
boss, and as a result, I quit my job today.” This is his chance
to escape the long boring details. If he seems disinterested, then
I'll know he was just being polite.

“
That
certainly doesn't sound good.” He stares blankly at the porch,
as if trying to analyze the small snippet I gave him. “What's
the long version?”

“
Do
you really want to hear this?” I crease my eyebrows.

“
I
only want to hear what you want to tell me.” Gary smiles
politely.

My mom was right.
He's a sweet guy.

“
Well,”
I begin, my mind going back to the hotel room. “The guy wasn't
my boss to start with. It was really bizarre how we met.” Now
that I think about it, maybe I should skip the part where I posted an
ad online looking for sex. I certainly wouldn't want that getting
back to my mother. “I went to a club and met this guy, not my
boss, who invited me back to his hotel room. When we got to his hotel
room, he left me there. A few minutes later, the guy who later ended
up becoming my boss came in.”

“
That
sounds confusing,” Gary cuts in.

“
It
was. I had no idea who he was. He came and sat with me and started
lecturing me about how I shouldn't come to hotel rooms with men I
barely know.”

“
That's
good advice.” He wrinkles his nose at me, and I can tell that
he's judging me. My story still wasn't tame enough, but it was far
better than the original version.

“
I
was drunk, so I wasn't really thinking right.” Another lie. I
was perfectly sober, waiting to get pounded by the gorgeous blond
Adonis. “I hit on him, and he advanced on me.” I bite my
bottom lip for a moment, thinking of Trent's hard body on top of
mine. The way he held my hands above my head to keep me in place.
That was the real him. The guy who had come into the room pretending
to be protective, the kind, professional man who works behind the
desk everyday at Chilly Creations, Inc.—that's the facade. I
know that now.

“
And
the two of you had sex?” Gary asks, noticing that I'm quickly
becoming lost in thought.

“
No.”
I shake my head. “I'm not sure how to say this without sounding
more bizarre. Let's just say that he gave me a good warning about
what can happen when a woman goes off with a man she doesn't know.”

“
He
raped you.” His eyes widen in shock.

“
No.
I said we didn't have sex.” I glance over at him, indicating
that I'm not getting into it more deeply than that.

“
Alright.”
He nods slowly, trying to process everything. “Then what
happened?”

“
Then
I left and forgot about it. Well, not really forgot about it so much
as pushed it to the back of my mind. The lesson he tried to teach me
sunk in, not that I typically go out to clubs trying to get laid. It
was just a fluke, much like everything else that happened beyond that
point.

“
I
went to interview for a job at the company he works for. At the time,
I didn't know he worked there. Had I known, I never would have gone
in. But, I didn't know, and so I did go, and he saw me there and
helped me get the job and became my boss.

“
I
thought everything was fine between us, that we were both going to
forget what happened at the hotel and try to keep a professional
relationship. There was sexual tension between us though. I felt it,
but I never realized he did until I stayed late one afternoon to help
him go through some files.”

“
This
is where things get inappropriate, I bet.” The grin across
Gary's face reminds me of a teenage boy about to watch porn for the
first time. He's enjoying where this story is headed a bit too much.

“
Yes.
That's where things got inappropriate.” I can't help but smile
as well. Now that I think about it, the whole thing sounds completely
outlandish and like the perfect setting for a porno. Who hasn't had
the fantasy of sleeping with their incredibly hot boss on the desk in
his office. Perhaps I should be more grateful for the experience, but
it just left me emotionally shattered. “We didn't have sex in
his office, but we did mess around. In hindsight, I should have
realized he had control issues then.”

“
What
makes you say that?” He readjusts in his chair, so he can look
at me without having to turn his neck so far.

“
Well,
in the hotel room, he held me down with my hands above my head,
making sure I couldn't get away from him. In his office, he bound my
wrists together with his tie.”

“
The
guy sounds kinky.”

“
You
don't know the half of it.” My head tilts back in exaggeration.
“After we messed around in his office, he acted like nothing
happened between us, but that obviously wasn't the case. We were both
still thinking about it, and when he finally brought it up to me, he
gave me all of these weird warnings about pursuing him. He told me he
didn't date, and I was fine with that. I thought we'd just be friends
with benefits or something. I mean, I wanted him, and he wanted me,
so what's the harm in it?” I shrug. “He took me to his
house and led me down into the basement.” My pulse races as I
think about how this is stuff I'd definitely not want my mother
knowing. “This all stays between you and me, you hear.
Everything I've said so far.” I point at him.

He nods. “Of
course. Completely confidential.”

“
Good.
Anyway, to make an exceptionally long story short, he did a bunch of
BDSM type stuff to me.”

“
BDSM
type stuff?” Gary quirks an eyebrow in confusion.

Repeating any of it
makes my stomach queasy. I absolutely refuse to give details. “You
know, like whips and chains kind of stuff.”

“
So
he whipped you?” His expression changes from amused to
protective in half a second.

“
No.”
I hold my hands out. “But he did do some things that made me a
little uncomfortable. Nothing I need anyone to go kick his ass for. I
mean, it was my choice to go down there with him, and once I did, I
had a pretty good idea of what I was in for. I thought it would be
worth it if we were going to be seeing each other regularly.”

“
But
it wasn't worth it?” He still looks displeased. There's a small
part of me that adores the fact that he seemed ready to come to my
rescue the moment that I mentioned the possibility of abuse, even
though he doesn't know me. The girl he is interested in is very
lucky.

“
I
thought it was, until we went upstairs afterward. I mean, he's
handsome and exciting and dominant. Sexy.”

“
But?”
He knows there's a but. There's always a but when it comes to things
like this.

“
But
then he said some really rude things and pretty much sent me packing.
We didn't speak much after that until today, when he called me into
his office, and I was sure he was going to fire me. I didn't want to
give him the pleasure, so I quit.” Again, not exactly true. I
only quit because I felt like he had backed me into a corner where I
had no other choice. The thought that I could have kept my job if I
just hadn't opened my big mouth still eats at me.

“
It
sounds like you're better off now that it's over.”

“
I
suppose I am. It's just hard knowing I lost my job over something so
stupid.”

“
It's
not stupid.” He shakes his head. “There's a reason people
say you should never get involved with someone you work with. Rarely
does it not make things awkward. The fact that he was your boss put
even more pressure on your situation. I'm sorry that he was an
asshole to you.”

“
Me
too.” I smile weakly. “Lesson learned.”

CHAPTER TWO

“
Fennel.”
My name sails across the house in an annoyed, clipped tone. I barely
have time to blink myself awake before I feel the pounding of
footsteps moving across the house.

What time is it?
I turn and look at my clock just
as my mother opens my bedroom door. It's nine in the morning, and
considering that my mother knows I quit my job the day before, you'd
figure she'd let me sleep in. It's not like we ever do anything this
early in the morning anyway.

“
Some
guy is at the door asking for you.” She gestures down the hall
with her thumb. “I told him you were still asleep, but he won't
go away. Says he's your boss and that he needs to talk to you.”

“
I
don't have a boss.” I pull my pillow over my face and groan
before my brain switches to the realization that Trent is standing in
front of my house.

“
Do
you want me to be nasty to him?” A short laugh escapes her
lips. Nothing would make my mother happier than barking at Trent
until he ran away. Being cruel to people and things that annoy her is
one of my mother's favorite pastimes.

“
No,
I'll handle it,” I say out of curiosity more than anything
else. What is he doing here? We said our peace to each other. Well, I
said my peace to him. Now, I just want him out of my life.

As soon as my mother
closes my bedroom door, I roll out of bed and throw on a pair of
sweatpants and a T-shirt before stomping out of my bedroom to the
front door. I feel like a small child throwing a hissy fit. He
disturbed my life and my sleep, and I'm not really ready to deal with
him. My hair isn't brushed, I have horrible morning breath, and I
just don't give a shit—about him, about anything, right now.

“
What
do you want?” I grumble as I open the front door.

He looks me up and
down before his eyes fix on my face, and he smiles. “I wanted
to talk to you.”

“
So
talk.” If I could pierce through him with my gaze right now,
he'd be bleeding to death. For the first time since I started working
for him, his good-looks aren't getting to me. Bitterness is the only
thing I feel for him, from what he did to my emotions and my life.

He looks past me
into the house. My mother is sitting in her arm chair, drinking
coffee, most likely watching us with interest. I know he sees her.
“I'd like to talk to you in private,” his voice is low.

“
And
I'd like a pony. We don't always get what we want. You're fine right
where you are.” It gives me great pleasure to talk to him like
this. It's the only pleasure I'll ever have from him again. There's
no way I would let him inside my house, allow him to get me alone.
Knowing that we're being watched will keep him at bay from saying
anything that might sway me to feel things I shouldn't.

“
The
things I want to discuss are rather personal.” He shifts his
weight.

“
If
you want to discuss personal things, then you should get a shrink.”
I want to add that he needs one, but I don't want to let on that
there was more between us than meets the eye. While I told my mother
that I quit because someone at the office was making me feel
uncomfortable, I didn't tell her that it was him. She knows nothing
about my relationship with Trent, and as long as Gary doesn't blab
the details to her, hopefully she never will.

“
Would
you just come outside?”

I'm testing his
patience. The thought that he can't be in control of this situation
makes me happy. It's nice that the ball is in my court for once.

“
Say
your peace and go. You woke me up, and I'm not in the best of moods.”
I cross my arms over my chest to show him I mean business. He's got
approximately one minute to say what he came to say before I slam the
door in his face.

“
I
wanted to apologize,” he whispers, glancing into the house
again.