3 Even lower
EVEN LOWER
Mia
I ’m not sure how I’ve survived my first week without Cindy. It was hard enough to put up with Jackson’s crap when I rarely had to interact with him. Now that our barrier is gone, it’s taken everything I’ve got. If he treated me half as nice as he did Cindy, we’d probably be just fine. I still can’t get over the message he sent with her flowers. It was so incredibly sweet that I may have developed a slight crush on the man—until our next interaction, that is.
I let my guard down for one minute, and we ended up going for each other’s throats. It won’t happen again. Getting a response out of me only seems to encourage him further. It’s best to maintain appearances and squash his attempts to provoke me. If he’d stop behaving like an ass, maybe he would notice that I’m great at this job.
I admit, it’s been fun messing with him by wearing the most suggestive clothing I can get away with since his confession last week. It was worth splurging on a few items from the thrift store, even adding a pair of heels. Walker was spot-on—age has no bearing when it comes to physical attraction. At least I’m the only one who knows it goes both ways. Jackson and I have two things in common: attraction and scorn for each other. Hopefully, scorn will continue to win out, or there might be a problem.
So far, the job itself is a piece of cake. Jackson, on the other hand, is like dealing with a grizzly. Speaking of which, it’s time to poke the bear again. Though it’s not my intention, my mere presence seems to have that effect.
I knock on the door and wait. I’m certain I have a mild case of PTSD from his lesson on day one.
“Come in,” he calls through the door.
We’re making headway; that was only one knock. I fist-pump internally and school my features as I enter.
“I have the updates you asked for. Would you like me to go over them or leave my notes for your review?” I remain inside the door, waiting for a response, cringing at my fake ass-kissing.
After several beats of silence, he finally answers—or so I thought. “I hope you realize this job is more than just sitting at a desk, answering phones, and checking items off a list. It’s whatever I deem necessary as my —personal— assistant. Meaning, you’re expected to perform any task given, whether work-related or not.”
Where is he going with this, and why do the implications excite me?
Oh my God, Mia, stop.
“For example, today, I’ll need you to pick up my dry cleaning and deliver it to my condo. A list of groceries is on the kitchen counter to shop for and put away. You’ll find a credit card in your desk’s top right-hand drawer, and I’ll email the dry cleaner’s information along with my address and door code. Any questions?”
Relieved at not having to question my morals, I genuinely smile, relaxing the fake one I’d pasted on, and release the breath I was holding. That is not what I expected to hear after his opening speech. Phew .
“It sounds simple enough, but I use public transportation, which isn’t a problem, but I may not make it back in. Also, can I get your number to text in case I have any questions or need to substitute any items?”
He’s looking at me in a way I can’t decipher, like he’s irritated but smug at the same time. My responses never seem to satisfy him.
“Here.” He hands me his phone. “Text yourself.”
I do as instructed. “Okay, I’ll get going, then.” I smile and return the phone.
Grabbing my things, I head out while texting Walker the latest. He’s not impressed. But hey, at least it gets me out of the office and away from the bosshole. It isn’t so bad, other than I’m learning nothing. I was told “Jackson’s assistant”—my fault for assuming executive over personal. However, if I had to place a bet, this is probably another tactic to get me to quit. Well, too bad.
Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on how you look at it—I don’t make it back to the office. With public transportation, you aren’t always in control of your time. Today was one of those. It seemed I was always just missing the trolley or bus each time and waiting for the next one. Then, since this was the first time at Jackson’s, it took a while to find where everything went. If this becomes a regular thing, it’ll go faster next time. His place was clean, decorated nicely, and seemed comfortable. I was tempted to look around but left his dry cleaning on a doorknob in the foyer instead of searching for the bedroom, fearing he’d somehow turn it against me.
After messaging Jackson that I’ll see him tomorrow, I call Walker on the way home. He was already fired up, so I expected the outcome.
“So you are his personal bitch. You’re really going to put up with this crap, Mia? Come on, you’re better than that.”
“I don’t see what the problem is. At least I don’t have to deal with him while I’m out. I’d call it a win-win. Neither of us wants to be around the other. I’m surprised he hasn’t demanded to replace me yet.” Though he’s probably tried.
I hear the sigh before he speaks. “Look, I know you’re trying to do the right thing, but there’s no harm in playing poker. You’re good at it, and you’re not your dad. Fuck this asshole and do that instead. Your mom would understand if you told her the truth.” Yeah, not happening.
“I’ve already made my decision to stick it out. I’m not letting the bosshole win. Besides, what’s six months in the rest of my life?” Is this my stubbornness talking or my rationality? I’m undecided but going with rationale for now.
“I’ve said my piece—it’s your call, but I’m not guaranteeing I won’t try again. So… did you at least get some good snooping in?” Of course Walker would ask me this.
“Hell no. He probably has cameras, and then he’d have a reason to fire me. Come on, Walker, I thought you were smarter than that.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. But you could’ve just peeked in his nightstand really quick and told me the size of his condoms.”
“You’re awful. I didn’t even step foot in his room. And who cares what size his condoms are? I won’t be anywhere near that thing.”
He chuckles. “Oh, Mia, we need to get you laid so you’re more fun.”
“You have plenty of fun for both of us. Bye, Walker.”
“Bye, babe.”
He might be right that this isn’t worth it, but now it’s become a challenge that I’m determined to beat.
Jackson
I’ve been happy in my job since taking over for my parents a year ago—until now. It’s been weeks since Cindy left, and while I can admit that her replacement doesn’t suck, she doesn’t suck . Not that Cindy ever did, but I also never wanted her to.
All joking aside, Mia’s more capable than I’ll ever admit out loud. She’s kept her composure through all my rants, strange requests, and asshole behavior over the last month. I’ll give her props for the mask, but I can only imagine the things running through her mind while she smiles through gritted teeth.
Her work is impressive; she has a natural common sense that enables her to do anything asked with minimal direction and produce the answers I need without telling her how to find them. I stopped trying to get rid of her shortly after Cindy’s departure, and I’m thankful it’s working out so well. Unfortunately, my attraction hasn’t faded, and she’s still as off-limits as before, which is a problem today.
This week began no differently from the last. A typical Monday morning with tons of bullshit from the weekend to handle—which she’s doing like a pro, I might add. So, what’s the issue? She is, or rather, her goddamn body is. I should have made some bullshit dress code when I had the chance. Now, I’m forced to deal with all the filthy thoughts running through my mind because of her attire.
Heels. Need I say more? A tight-ass fucking skirt I’ve never seen before that barely reaches midthigh. Topping it off is the low-cut blouse, accentuating her perky tits that are pushed up to create a luscious mound of soft flesh begging for my tongue. Listen, I’m male. I get laid—a lot. I get who I want when I want, save for the one who can’t be touched, and it’s killing me. Not to mention, I’m fucking crazy for having these thoughts about a girl ten years my junior. Fuck this.
Making it through today is not possible. Finding someone to fill in for my fantasy is. Relief sets in after a one-minute phone call to my last hookup, knowing I’ll be sated soon. Now I need to create enough work to keep Mia busy. I’d send her to do my grocery shopping, but I learned my lesson last time. All I did that night was fantasize about her in my space. Thank God she didn’t put my dry cleaning in the closet. Fuck, imagining her in my bedroom would have been the death of me.
“Mia, could you come in for a minute?” I ask through the intercom, apparently feeling better with my solution on the way. I’m not usually so nice in my tone, nor do I typically ask. The habit developed early on and was ingrained by the time I decided to keep her on. Oh well… it works for us.
She knocks, as always, with my new practice of keeping the door shut—anything to maintain distance.
“Come in,” I call out.
“What can I do for you, Jackson?”
I can’t wait for her to ask that question in three weeks. God, she kills me. Her voice is my kryptonite. Her neck is my weakness, with her hair pulled back in a slick ponytail. She appears more sophisticated today, like there’s someone to impress, making the following words pop out of my mouth for no reason other than curiosity but taste an awful lot like jealousy.
“Do you have plans after work today?”
“I do, sorry.” She sounds nervous.
“Why are you sorry?” I ask, abstaining from the burning question of what those plans are.
“Well, I assume you asked because you had something for me to do.” She’s confused.
“If I had something for you to do, I wouldn’t care about your plans. My question was because you look ready to go somewhere.”
“Oh, well… I’m going to some fundraiser tonight.” She waves her hand in the air.
So, she has a social life. Interesting. I’ve never wondered about it until now, and I’m dying to know more. Like, does she have a boyfriend, and how do I not know that by now?
“What was it you needed then?” she asks impatiently.
Good question. It’s time to move on rather than get myself in trouble by continuing down that dangerous road.
I hand her a paper. “Here’s a list of things I need you to follow up on. I’ll also need you to stop by the maintenance department and deliver this to Jeb. Have him print off the monthly reports while you’re there. You can do that before you get my regular order from the deli and bring it all to me at one o’clock. That’s all for now.” It should be enough to keep her busy and conveniently out while my guest is here.
“Will do. See you this afternoon.” She turns around, utterly oblivious to my penetrating gaze on her backside.
Fuck. Is it noon yet?
It’s twelve-thirty, and I’m getting impatient. Mia’s left to run the errands I gave her, and if Valerie doesn’t show up soon, I’m going to lose it. My door stands open to welcome her arrival, and I’m deep in an email when I finally hear her approach. I look up to see the door closed as she saunters toward me, giving me the green light.
“Thank fuck you’re here. I’d be lying if I said this’ll be a fair exchange, but you did beg to suck my dick last time. Are you ready to come show me what you can do with that mouth of yours?” I push my chair back slightly from the desk and point to the floor before me.
She sashays over with a seductive look on her face. “I thought you’d never ask.” She kneels as I undo my belt and unzip. My dick’s been at half-mast all day, and now it’s ready. I pull it out and stroke myself as I reach around her head to pull her down.
“Open up for me,” I say, angling the head toward her mouth. I feel the first lick and moan. “Oh, yeah. Show me what you’ve got. Don’t hold back, baby. There’s not much time.”
She takes me in slowly as I look toward the ceiling and close my eyes. What comes straight to mind is none other than a sexy little assistant with black hair in a high ponytail and her full lips wrapped around my cock. I grab her hair, gripping it tight while she works me up and down.
“Fuck yeah.” Shit, I almost called her Mia but caught myself and said it silently instead. The thought is all it takes to make my balls tighten, practically ready to explode. “Suck harder. Yeah, just like that.”
I open my eyes, overcome with sensation, and catch movement in my periphery. Bringing my head down, I see Mia frozen in the doorway, holding my lunch with her mouth open in shock. Our gazes collide. I’ve hit a new low because this right here… it’s happening.
“Take it all in, little girl,” I say as I grip Valerie’s head, staring into Mia’s wide brown eyes. “You like that, don’t you?” I ask, talking straight to Mia, noticing the flush in her cheeks and the visible gulp she makes in return. “Yeah, you do. That’s right, baby.”
“I bet you’re soaking from this.” Her mouth parts and her chest starts to move quickly. Knowing she’s as turned on by this as I am is all I need to put me over the edge. I tighten my grip, flex my hips, and hold Valerie’s head down as I explode down her throat, all while watching Mia’s heated reaction.
“Fuck… fuck… fuuuck.” It seems to last forever while I’m fixed on the sight before me: Mia’s rapid breaths, the lustful slack in her jaw, and the haze in her eyes. I’m mesmerized as my climax finishes while my girl soaks in the scene before her. Suddenly, she breaks the spell, abruptly turning and closing the door.
Holy fuck, that was the orgasm of all orgasms.
“Did someone just walk in?” Valerie asks as she rises, wiping her mouth.
“No, I think someone slammed a door down the hall.” I tilt her chin up and brush my thumb across her cheek. “Hey, thank you. I needed that. Unfortunately, I don’t have time for an equal exchange, but maybe I can return the favor sometime.” I tuck myself in as she stands and leans down to kiss me goodbye.
“That’s okay. You warned me, Jackson. I’ll hold you to it because that was hella hot.” She blows me a kiss before leaving, shutting the door behind her.
She has no idea just how hot that was.
A few minutes later, I hear the faint knock of my naughty little assistant.
Mia
I’m panicking as I stand at the door waiting. Oh my God. What am I going to say? How should I act? He’s going to fire me. Maybe I should quit first. Shit, why did I stand there? I mean, seriously, what the hell was I thinking? Okay, I know the answer to that, but oh God, it’s so bad.
Things were going so well, too. He was finally getting used to me as I proved myself capable. He wasn’t consistently trying to break me down anymore, and we seemed to have found a rhythm. His initial reaction to me was justified when I realized how busy he was running the business alone. Sure, he has a team of people that handle the day-to-day stuff, but with the new acquisitions and everything they entail, it’s a lot to handle for one person. He still has his moments, but they’re tolerable. We were at least moving in the right direction, but now I feel like I’ve hit the reset button.
“Come in.” He doesn’t sound angry, not even as cranky as he typically does. I suppose it makes sense for him to be relaxed now. Gross, Mia .
There’s no way I can go in there. My hand is on the doorknob, but it refuses to move.
“Come in.” Crap. It’s louder this time, more demanding.
Taking one last deep breath, I open the door, bracing myself for whatever follows. Each step feels as if my feet are made of lead. While looking anywhere but in front of me, I propel myself forward and place his lunch on the desk before him.
“Have you learned your lesson in knocking?” He raises one eyebrow.
I’m not sure where his mind is as he stares straight-faced, waiting for an answer. There’s no indication of anger, but he must be after that, right? Crap, I don’t think I’ll ever look at him the same.
I tilt my head down in shame. “I’m so sorry. The door wasn’t shut completely, and I knew you were waiting for your lunch. I had it early, so I started to come in and heard you say yes and misunderstood the tone… obviously. I don’t know what else to say. There’s no excuse. I was shocked and then just froze, but it was so inappropriate. I don’t know what happened.” I finally look up from my rambling and am shocked to see the first smile I’ve ever seen from him.
He draws out my anguish and doesn’t speak for what seems like forever. “I know exactly what happened. I was in a similar situation once. You were thinking deep down that you wished it were you. Your body reacted and compelled you to watch—so turned on that your desire won over rationality. It’s natural. But I bet you won’t be walking into my office without knocking any time soon, will you, Mia?” He raises that eyebrow again, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was teasing me.
“N-No. Even if the door is ajar, I’ll wait for your response.” That’s for damn sure.
“All right then, let’s move on. Where is the maintenance report I requested?” He’s back. This is the Jackson I’m familiar with—the one I can handle.
Realizing my mistake immediately, I slap my forehead and groan. “Crap. That’s why I was early. I completely forgot about that. I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again. From now on, I’ll be more prepared with pen and paper to take notes if necessary. I’ll go get it right now if that’s okay?” Please let me leave. I need a minute to regroup after this fiasco.
“Be quick about it. I need it before my next meeting.” I’m dismissed as he starts unpacking the lunch I brought in. Thank God.
As soon as I close the door, my body sags back against it, and I drop my face in my hands for a moment. My heart has been hammering since I walked in on him, and it hasn’t slowed down. How can he be so calm and nonchalant about this? He said he’d been in the same situation and understood, but that’s crazy. I intruded on a private moment. There’s no way he’s okay with it. Although, I swear, at one point, it seemed like he was talking to me and not whoever the woman was under the desk.
Did that really happen, or will I wake up any minute now?
Propelling myself to move, I head toward maintenance to drop off the file I was given earlier and get the report. Dammit, I can’t believe I forgot. This whole thing could have been avoided had I just written it down. This was all my fault.
Wait. What am I thinking? It’s Jackson’s fault for doing it in the first place. Who does that at work? He’s the boss for crying out loud. That is so unprofessional.
The rest of the day goes to shit. My mind won’t shut up about what I saw. The worst thing is that Jackson was right about all those thoughts in my mind, and I’m so ashamed. As I stood frozen, my muscles clenched, and I could feel the wetness between my legs. I haven’t experienced that kind of desire before and can’t believe it happened while watching my boss get a fricking blow job. Seriously, what is wrong with me? I need some significant therapy, but Walker will have to do for now.
Thank God we already have plans for tonight. Ben is busy, so I’m his date for some fundraiser his parents are making him attend. I know he’ll talk me through this. We may not be at the same level, but he’s as advanced as it gets and can help sort through this mess in my head. God, how embarrassing.
“Hey, Mia. You on your way?” Walker picks up within the first ring.
“Yeah. Do we have time to chill at your place before we go to this thing?” Please say yes.
“Of course. But what’s wrong? Did the bosshole fire you?” My calm tone didn’t fool him for a second.
“No, but I don’t want to talk about it over the phone. I’ll be there soon.” He allows me to hang up by promising I’ll spill the second I get there.
Twenty minutes later, I’m crying in Walker’s arms, having a pity party from my mortification and shame. He insists it’s not my fault, although he disagrees that it was a dick move on Jackson’s part. Walker said he’d probably do the same thing since it is his office and he owns the company. The only problem, according to him, was that the door wasn’t shut.
“Walker, I just stood there, paralyzed. Our eyes were locked when he… when he finished. How gross is that?” Now that my tears are dry, we’re sitting on his bed cross-legged, facing each other.
“That’s not the word I’d use. I’m more along the lines of fucking hot . Mia, I think it’s time for you to move past the kissing phase so you have a different perspective. Damn, girl, I’m sorta jealous. People pay for shows like that, and from what you told me, it was a good one.”
“God, you’re such a perv. I mean, yes, it was… hot.” I shiver. “Ugh, even saying that out loud makes me cringe. Maybe now that I’m not studying all the time or playing poker, I do need to get out more.”
High school boys always annoyed me with their constant drama and new girlfriends every week. I’ve only had three boyfriends, if you could even call them that, and all we did was kiss. After that, I usually pulled back from lack of chemistry.
“But even if I wanted to start dating, how do you find people outside of school and work when the only coworker you see is your boss, who’s not an option?” Not that I would ever consider that. I am not lusting over my boss. Nope.
“Let me help you set up a dating profile. That’s what everyone in college does.” He holds his hand out for my phone.
“I am not doing that. I’ve heard of those, and they’re just hook-up sites. I’m not looking for sex. I just want to find one guy to date. Plus, I’m not in college yet.”
“Close enough, and it’s not just for hookups. You won’t find someone if you don’t get out there, Mia. We’ll be specific in your profile on what you’re looking for and what you’re not, and if someone’s interested in more than sex, they’ll reach out. Yeah, you’ll still get some assholes, but you decline them. Come on, what can it hurt?”
He reaches for my phone again, and this time, I give it to him.