17. BODI
17
I ’ll never confess to Kayla I heard every word she said.
‘He’s the best. He makes me laugh, makes me happy. He even cooks for me.’
I wasn’t supposed to hear, but I did, and when those words reached my ears, it completely washed away the worry I felt about my dad.
I don’t know what it means, but I know it makes me feel good, putting a skittish smile on my face every time I replay it in my head.
I stare at the gold liquid in my glass, resting my elbows on the pop-up bar as I glance over my shoulder through the KPI cafeteria that looks nothing like it did six hours ago.
She really did an amazing job. The decorations are gold with white and red stripes, and even though she pushed through on the cotton candy stall, she also arranged a rhythmic gymnast, a fake fortune teller that takes the piss out of everyone, and a high striker for entertainment. There are two staffed bars that specialize in fancy cocktails, and servers who are walking around with food that’s typical for a day at the carnival.
It all looks incredible.
When she said carnival, I expected bright colors, childish & cheap, tacky shit. But she took the theme and made it something elegant, something both fun and classy.
She made it Kayla.
After she wandered into the living room, wearing that shiny piece of fabric and a pair of Doc Martens, it has been hard to focus on anything else. I try to mingle and network, to show interest in my employees and the business partners she invited, but every single time, I catch myself looking for another glimpse of her.
I constantly want to know where she is, who she’s talking to, and can’t freaking stop.
I’m obsessed , but I will deny it fiercely if anyone asks.
She always looks great. She’s young and fresh and fucking beautiful in everything she wears on a daily basis, but seeing her all dressed up like she is tonight?
It does stuff to me that isn’t supposed to be happening.
I’ve been horny for the last three hours, doing my best effort to drink my twitching dick into a slumber, but it doesn’t help one bit. All my mind does is think about how badly I want to kiss every inch of her body. How I crave to feel the warmth of her pussy over my fingers before I coat my dick in her wetness. How I’m desperate to breathe in her scent and hear her moan my name in a sultry tone.
I grunt, then throw the contents of my glass down my throat and the bartender gives me a questioning look.
“Another one?”
“Please.” I offer him a tight smile and he grabs the bottle to splash two fingers into my empty glass before I pick it up to continue my attempt to drown out my forbidden cravings.
Useless .
“It’s a good night, don’t you think?” With my glass hanging mid-air, I twist my head towards the voice. Rachel’s steel-gray eyes meet mine. Her face is caked with make-up, and her lashes flutter with more volume than I remember from when I hired her, but she never left an impression I considered for too long.
“It is.” I smile, taking another sip of my drink, then turn around to look around the room.
“She did a great job,” Rachel continues.
“She sure did.” I nod while my eyes search for Kayla again.
Like a moth to a light, it doesn’t take long before I find her talking to Agnes with a beaming smile on her face. Agnes says something that makes her laugh loudly and, simultaneously, a smirk lifts the corners of my mouth.
“So, how are you getting on?”
I frown at Rachel’s question, not sure what she means.
“Kayla,” she clarifies with a tone that has me wondering if there is more intent. “Are you keeping her?”
Am I keeping her?
Yes. No. Fuck.
I assume Rachel is talking on a professional level, but for some reason, my mind goes in a different direction. Thinking about what would happen if she were to continue living with me. After the last few weeks, we’ve built a routine. We have a certain pace that seems to grow on me every single day.
I like the fact that I’m not alone when I’m home and even though I try to keep my distance, at least a little, I enjoy knowing she’s close and the thought of her moving out eventually makes me cranky as fuck.
“Bodi?” Rachel cocks her head, following my gaze, and I clear my throat to get her attention back to me, feeling busted as fuck.
“I think so. So far, she has been a real help, and clearly, she has the skills to organize.” I bring my hand forward to show the party. “If I would’ve done this, there would be a bar and a DJ.”
Rachel laughs, her hand landing on my arm. “Right, but you have different talents.”
I frown at her fingers, and tentatively she pulls them back.
“You don’t have any issues with her age?” she asks.
Something stirs beneath my calm exterior as I register the condescending look washing over her face. A telltale clenching of my jaw betrays the irritation bubbling within me. It’s a mask of superiority, and her tone carries a little of something I might identify as envy.
I don’t like it.
“I don’t,” I reply, my voice steady but laced with protectiveness. “Do you?” I lock eyes with her, silently challenging. Her gaze slowly widens, a realization dawning as she recognizes her misstep.
“No, no, no. Not at all.” She attempts a tight smile, then straightens her shoulders, betraying a hint of discomfort. I take a deliberate sip of my drink, trying to wash away the bad taste in my mouth.
“I was just wondering because she doesn’t have a degree and she’s young and all. We’ve been questioning if she’s qualified. How did you find her, anyway?” Her words spill out, an attempt to regain control of the conversation.
I rear my head back, her stance having changed to something provoking.
“She’s the cousin of my best friend.” Not a lie. “And you’re right. She’s not qualified. But I promised to give her a shot, and I think she’s doing a great job so far.” I pause, keeping my eyes focused on her with a frown. “Unless you have any complaints about her?”
“Oh, no!” She chuckles, the sound more fabricated than I think she realizes. “She’s lovely.”
“Good.” I bring my glass to my lips and Kayla’s light blue eyes find me.
They act as a beacon, drawing me every single time they land on mine, and when she gives me a coy smile, my heart beat picks up with a joyful feeling.
I give her a wink, and her cheeks blush from across the room.
My dick twitches to life, again , and I grind my molars as I take another sip. I let the sting of the whiskey sit on my tongue for a few seconds to turn my focus anywhere else, but when it doesn’t help, I once again pour all the liquid down my throat before slamming the glass on the bar.
I need a fucking minute.
“If you will excuse me for a moment?” I give Rachel an apologetic look, even though I’m not regretting cutting off this conversation one bit, then take a few big strides toward the hallway. My body heats up, the fabric of my shirt feeling damp against my skin, and I loosen my tie while pushing out a frustrated breath.
I was hoping getting somewhat intoxicated would help, but so far, it only seems to make things worse. It only makes me want her more, to blur the boundaries that I should keep.
Finally, I reach the solitude of my office, away from the party noises, and I close the door behind me. I move forward to stand with my hands resting on the back of my neck, my eyes closed as I focus on my breathing.
It takes me a few deep breaths before finally, my body calms down a bit, until the sound of the door opening makes me turn around. The corner of my mouth lifts when I look into Kayla’s daring expression.
I’m fucked.
A mischievous smirk tugs at her lips as she locks the door, then lets her back fall against it. I bite my lip while my gaze traces every curve of her enticing body. The air thickens with anticipation. The fabric of her dress is begging me to be touched, and I’m going crazy just thinking of how her skin feels under my palm.
With a swift move, she reaches out, yanking me toward her. My dress shirt comes untucked from the sudden movement, and my hands land beside her head, doing my best to restrain myself from touching her.
“What are you doing, babe?” I huff, dipping my chin enough for our lips to almost touch.
I shouldn’t bring my mouth so close to hers. I should keep my eyes shut and close off my senses as much as I can. But instead, I peer down at her hooded eyes that are staring into mine with longing. A strand of her brown hair has dropped free from her braided hair, and the silky wisp is tempting me to touch it while the smell of her fresh fragrance makes it impossible for me to think.
“I’m seducing you,” she says, looking up at me through her lashes. “I have been seducing you for a while, but you have more restraint than I anticipated. You weren’t this difficult last time.” A charming smile takes over her pretty face.
I hate being difficult.
“Last time you were still a Stanford student,” I argue out of habit, even though my mouth seems to move closer to hers with every passing second.
“I can quit if you want me to...” Our noses brush together, and my insides are burning. Her fingers slide underneath my shirt, slowly, scorching, until they find my spine, and she trails them up and down my back. My mind wants to keep arguing, scolding me to do the right thing. But every fiber in my body is drawn to her, like a magnet, unable to ignore or resist the attraction we have.
“Stop.” The sound of my voice is desperate, but my body isn’t even listening anymore. It’s pulling on the last restraints of my brain, begging me to stop doing the right thing.
“Do you really want me to, baby?” The sound of baby falling off her plump lips makes my dick hard enough to slice through my pants, painfully pressing against my fly. Her champagne breath fans my face, and I brush my lips over hers. The warmth that radiates off of her brings shivers down my spine, physically torturing myself by holding back.
“You’ve been drinking.”
“I did,” she admits, biting her lip. “But it was only one. I promise.”
“You’re the worst,” I whisper.
“I am.” There is a mischievous glint in her eyes, and it’s the moment I know I’m done for.
I need her.
I want her.
I can’t resist her.
“Punish me for it,” she whispers, and all resolve rushes from my body.
My lips crash against hers, her manicured nails digging into my skin, while my hands take hold of her face. Her touch is electrifying, just like I remembered, and her plump lips are searing.
It’s slow, sweet at first. I give in to a longing that’s long overdue, but I also want to savor it.
I don’t want to rush it. But when her lips part, and her tongue darts against mine, my kiss grows hungry, and I can’t. Reveling in the craving that has been surging through my veins since the moment I saw her standing in my office with a suitcase and a beaming smile.
Forcefully, I grab the back of her neck, groaning against her throat while I press my growing bulge against her stomach as our tongues keep dancing more urgently.
Her hands depart from my spine, unbuttoning my shirt with a speed I didn’t even know was possible. She pushes it off my shoulders, before my hands continue their journey down her body.
“You drive me mad,” I breathe , pushing up the fabric of her dress. The texture of her pantyhose feels rough under my palm until suddenly I’m greeted by her warm, silky skin. I break loose, searching for her cheeky blue eyes. “Are you wearing a garter?”
“Hmm,” she purrs. “You wanna see?”
“Fucking hell, babe. You’re killing me.”
“I know.” Content, she presses her lips against mine once more, and her tongue dives back into my mouth, deepening our kiss. A rhythmic dance forms as our mouths explore every inch of the other’s, setting a pace that makes me simultaneously wild and brainless. I could keep kissing her all day, living in a permanent high.
“I’m supposed to do the right thing here,” I huff between kisses.
“Shut up, Bodi.”
“I’m your boss.” I don’t even know why I’m still talking, because I’m not even listening to myself.
“I won’t tell HR. I promise.”
“You promise.” I grin sarcastically, our touch never fully breaking.
She lets out a confirming whine. “But only if you touch me between my legs in the next five seconds. Otherwise, I’m forced to report you for sexually torturing your employee on the work floor.”
“You have such a dirty mouth.” I chuckle while I bring my hand closer to her core. My fingers grace the lace of her panties, and she moans as I catch the evidence of her desire.
“Keep going, and I can show you just how dirty it is.”
“Fucking hell.”
The thought of her lips sucking on my dick makes all restrictions fall to the side, and I bring her dress up with both hands before I get to my knees, pulling her panties down with me.
I want to taste her.
Eagerly, I dig my nose against her sex, breathing in her sultry scent, and instantly, I’m hooked all over again. I look up, bringing two fingers to my mouth before I run them through her folds. Her mouth flies open on a gasp, her knees buckling.
“Fuck,” she hisses.
The desperate look in her eyes spurs me on, and I lick my lips before running my tongue across my palm, then slide it over her entrance.
Her eyes shut and her fingers spread on the door in an effort to keep herself up.
“You want this, baby?” I taunt, brushing around her opening.