Chapter 4
Chapter Four
F rankie leaned back in her office chair and sighed. She rubbed her weary eyes, wondering when she’d last looked away from the computer screen.
Her cell rang. She picked the Droid up from her desk, looked at the caller ID and groaned. She briefly toyed with letting the call go to voice mail, but she’d put off talking to her mother long enough.
She hit the send button. “Hi, Mom.”
“Happy Birthday, baby!”
“Thanks. You’re about a month late.”
“I’ve called you every week since the day, but I can’t ever seem to catch you when your phone is on.”
Frankie felt more than a twinge of guilt at her mother’s words. She’d been avoiding her calls. Between starting the new job and the wager with Reed, she’d never felt mentally up for a conversation with her mother. Talking to Georgia Carlyle was taxing on the best of days.
Frankie glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten p.m.
“You’re up late.” Typically, her mother was in bed before nine.
“Well, it was your father’s turn to host poker night, so I’ve been very busy. Who knew four men could eat and drink so much? I just finished cleaning up.”
Frankie sighed. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s watching TV. He’s tired, poor dear.”
She considered for one moment letting the conversation die there, then she ruined it and asked the question burning on her lips. “Did he help you clean up?”
“Oh, Frannie.”
Frankie pulled the phone away from her ear, knowing she wasn’t going to like anything her mother said that followed that cursed nickname. Her father, a complete and utter asshole, got his jollies out of controlling every aspect of her mother’s life. He told her what to wear, who she could hang out with, what to make for dinner every night. And her mother followed every command. To the letter.
Frankie was surprised she’d made it to eighteen with any of her tongue left. God knew she’d spent every year since birth biting it in an attempt to stop from telling her father what she thought of him.
“Listen, Mom. I can’t talk long. I have a big presentation in the morning.”
“Oh, okay.”
Frankie tried to block out the hurt in her mother’s voice. It was a sound she managed to provoke from the woman too often.
“I was hoping to hear about your new job. How’s it going?” her mother asked.
“It’s fine. Great. I’m actually sitting here right now in my huge, new office.”
Her mother sighed loudly. “Oh, sweetheart, you’re still at the office? I wish you wouldn’t work so much. You’re not getting any younger, you know. Don’t you think it’s time you found yourself a nice young man, settled down and had some babies? Your father would like that.”
Frankie fought to block out her mother’s words. The conversation was far too familiar. Unlike most normal fathers, her dear old dad didn’t harbor any pride for her accomplishments, insisting instead that she was wasting her life. In her dad’s mind, women weren’t supposed to aspire to jobs that belonged to men. He told her once she’d wasted her college education majoring in business. Women were suited for three jobs, according to Mr. Carlyle—teacher, nurse or housewife.
Her patience in tatters, she realized why she’d been avoiding her mother’s calls. “Have to go, Mom. Bye. Love you.”
She hung up before her mother could reply and as always, she felt remorse for being so short with her.
She stood up and stretched, suddenly feeling like a caged cat. She refused to let her mother’s comments get to her. She’d long ago given up the hope that her parents would ever understand her, ever be proud of her.
Turning, she glanced out the window, looked down at the cityscape below. For the first time in a long time, she was beginning to feel a sense of belonging. She looked toward Reed’s office and wondered if her fresh new outlook on life had something to do with him.
Ordinarily, she would have put a wide berth between her and Reed Donovan simply because she wasn’t looking for anyone who reminded her of her father. It had been a major miscalculation on her part. She’d forgotten that sex and relationships didn’t have to go hand in hand. While she’d sworn off the marriage institution, eschewing a committed relationship in favor of her career, that didn’t mean she couldn’t indulge in a few naughty liaisons every now and again.
She was thirty years old and she’d achieved a major goal on the career front landing this job. Finally she had the time to explore her personal pleasures as well.
She shut down her computer, grabbed her purse and started to head out. Frankie noticed the light under Reed’s door when she turned off the lights in her own office. She didn’t know why she was surprised. She was getting used to closing the joint down with him.
It had been nearly two weeks since Reed had cashed in on his winnings from their wager. Mercifully, he’d been as happy to return to the status quo in regards to their unusual relationship as she was. There were too many things about the man that played with her mind, her libido, her sense of self. She’d never let a man fuck with her head like he did. Worst part was she knew he wasn’t even trying to play the typical dating games. There was no doubt in her mind that he was just as confused as she was. Sadly, there was little comfort in that thought.
She walked to his door and quietly opened it. “Still here?”
“Working on my proposal for Simply Lovely tomorrow. Needed to add a few finishing touches.”
“Need some help?” she offered, walking in to the office.
He grinned and turned off his computer. “Nope. Just finished. Hope you’re ready for my next fantasy.”
She rolled her eyes. “Not this time, babe. I’ve got this bid in the bank.”
He leaned against his chair, and she couldn’t help but notice the tiredness under his eyes. She’d overheard him arguing with Brian earlier in the day. Obviously her new boss wasn’t pleased with the way she and Reed were approaching their partnership. She could tell it bothered him to fight with his uncle. “Everything okay between you and Brian?”
He started to dismiss her question with a simple nod, but it quickly turned to a shrug. “Is anything ever okay with me and my uncle?”
“I have to admit the two of you seem to have an odd relationship.”
He lifted his arms, linked his hands behind his head. “Odd how?”
She dropped down into the seat across from his desk. During the course of the past two weeks, she’d spent countless hours in this chair, the two of them just talking. Once Reed dropped the cocky facade he showed the world, he was actually an interesting man to converse with. He was intelligent, insightful, even thoughtful.
“It’s obvious there’s a deep respect between the two of you.”
He snorted. “Respect? Try again, sweetheart. That’s definitely the wrong vocabulary word.”
She shook her head. “No. It’s not. You respect your uncle. Anyone can see that. And he respects you.”
He started to contradict her words again, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.
“Let me finish. I’m not sure you see it, but I’ve watched Brian when the two of you are in the room together. He listens to what you say, and if you don’t offer your opinion, which I have to say is pretty much next to never, he asks you for it. I’m not saying he always agrees with everything you do or say, but he listens and he appreciates your comments.”
Reed was silent when she finished speaking, and she wondered for a moment if he’d even heard what she was saying.
When he did finally respond, his words came slowly, as if he were measuring every one. “I think my uncle is one of the greatest men I’ve ever known. There’s very little of value I’ve learned about life, about business, that I didn’t learn simply by observing him. But you’re wrong, Frankie. I’ve recently come to the realization that I’m a disappointment to him.”
“A disappointment?” She knew his words were wrong, and she wondered how he could have come to such a terrible misunderstanding.
“He sent me to London for nine months to play office manager rather than allowing me to do the job he hired me for. Then I come back to discover he’d hired the talented young upstart Frankie Carlyle. He didn’t hire us to be partners. He hired you to cover my back because he doesn’t think I have the talent to continue to succeed in this job. I figure I’m living on borrowed time.”
She was shocked by his comments and overwhelmed by his erroneous thinking. How could he believe any of that? How could he not see what seemed so obvious to her? “That’s not true.”
He shrugged, and she knew from his perspective the conversation was over.
“Reed. None of what you said is true.” She felt strongly about her beliefs, but the look on his face told her nothing she said would penetrate his damn hard head. When Reed latched onto something, he held on to it with the tenaciousness of a pit bull.
Suddenly she understood the tiredness in his face, appreciated why he felt like he needed to work so hard. He was fighting to prove himself to his uncle.
“Big day tomorrow,” she said, changing the subject to one she was sure he would welcome. No one enjoyed trash talk more than Reed Donovan.
A grin broke on his face. “Wanna declare defeat now? Save all the muss and fuss tomorrow?”
She leaned forward in her chair, giving him a bird’s-eye view of her cleavage. “Nope. I’m going to relish every moment of watching you go down. Hmmm. Going down. I may need to work that into my victory lap.”
He reached toward his crotch. “I’ve got something here you can lap…with that tongue of yours.”
“Crude, Reed. Even for you.”
He stood with a chuckle. “Yeah, I think it was at that. Come on, Carlyle. I’ll take you to Carter’s bar and buy you a drink. The calm before the storm.”
She rose as well. “Ah. A drink would definitely hit the spot right about now.”
He took her hand and led her toward the door. The gesture was nothing more than friendly, and yet she couldn’t still the slight tremble in her stomach his touch provoked. She was starting to feel like a silly schoolgirl around him. She kicked the feeling out with a vengeance, releasing his hand to push the button on the elevator. Mentally, she tried to batten down her hatches, find a way to close her heart to the man before he managed to weaken every defense she possessed.
Frankie walked back from the conference room, brimming with happiness. She’d won. Simply Lovely picked her ad campaign. She’d fought to restrain her victorious smile for nearly thirty minutes as the CEO of the company praised her ideas. Reed had put up a good front, but she could see in his eyes a wariness, a slight tinge of worry.
He was hers to play with, and she had every intention of bending the man to her whims. He’d played her like a violin on his desk, pulling words and feelings from her that she still wasn’t able to think about. He’d thrown her world for a loop. Now, she was about to shake his rafters, watch his foundation crumble a bit.
They approached the door to their offices. She waited until his hand was just at the knob, let him believe he’d escaped for the moment.
“Oh, Reed,” she said, smirking when he paused and sighed heavily. “I’m going to need to see you in my office in ten minutes.”
He narrowed his eyes and she wondered if he’d refuse to honor the bet. Balk at it.
He nodded. “Fine.” His tone was nothing short of a bark, and she couldn’t suppress the giggle that escaped. He studied her face for a moment. “You aren’t going to play nice, are you?”
A full-fledged smile covered her face as he repeated the words she’d said to him. “Oh, Reed. I’m going to play just as nicely as you did.”
She watched him swallow heavily. “I was afraid of that.”
He turned and walked into his office, closing the door with more force than necessary. If their secretary wondered about the odd conversation, she was professional enough to maintain a poker face. Frankie glanced at her watch. Eleven thirty.
“Jessica,” she said. “We just landed a big client this morning and I think we should all reap the rewards. Why don’t you head out to lunch now? Take a couple hours and enjoy yourself.”
Jessica’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Frankie nodded. “The afternoon schedule is light. I’m going to take a long lunch myself.”
“Well, there is this new dress shop on the corner I’ve been dying to go to.”
Frankie smiled. The new shop was Simply Lovely. She’d gone there herself a few times over the past two weeks in order to prepare her campaign. “It’s a fantastic shop. I think you’ll love it. Enjoy yourself and like I said, don’t rush back.”
Jessica thanked her once more, grabbing her purse and leaving the office.
Two can play that game, she thought as she waved goodbye to the secretary as the elevator doors closed. Reed had sent their secretary away during their last interlude, but he’d let her believe the woman was sitting just outside the door listening to her screams, her pleading. Turnabout was fair play.
She walked into her office and noticed the connecting door between her office and Reed’s was closed. He was probably over there debating if he’d be seriously injured if he tried to escape via his window. She glanced at the street. They were nine floors up—he was trapped. She laughed again.
She’d followed through with the wager when she was on the losing end and he’d made her pay big time. Revenge could be so very, very sweet.
She picked up the bag tucked beneath her desk and pulled out the chin-up pole she’d purchased earlier in the week. Once the connecting door to their offices was open, she intended to put it up in the frame. It was supposed to be used for pull-ups, but the secure bar was going to serve a different purpose today.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She’d been calmer when she’d been the loser. She was too excited, wanted this fantasy too much. Until Reed’s D/s game the other week, she’d always envisioned herself in the Domme role, never as the sub. While she’d loved everything Reed did to her, there was a large part of her that felt like a child on Christmas morning about to open the ultimate gift. Another glance at her watch proved she was wasting time.
Reed was a man of his word. Regardless of his reticence or the fact he was pissed as shit about losing, he’d be here very soon, ready to pay up. And oh, how she’d make him pay.
She rushed into the bathroom attached to her office, unbuttoning her blouse as she went. Quickly, she removed every piece of clothing. The vinyl catsuit slid onto her body like a second skin. It was one piece and zipped up the front. She made sure to leave the front open to reveal a couple inches of her cleavage. The clothing would give Reed an eyeful of her ample breasts, but not much more. By the time she was finished with him, he’d be begging for all of her.
She heard a knock at the door. She cracked the door to the bathroom and watched Reed walk into her office like a man going to meet his executioner. He started to close the connecting door behind him.
“I’ll be out in a moment.” She stood in such a way that he wouldn’t be able to see her. “Leave the door between our offices open and put the bar on my desk up. Once you’re finished, I want you to kneel in the doorway and wait for me.”
“Frankie.” His tone proved he was pissed as shit at being ordered around.
“Do it.” She shut the bathroom door firmly, not giving him a chance to say more. This was her fantasy, and she’d won it fair and square.
She pulled her hair loose from its ponytail, fluffing out her long dark tresses in a way that said fuck me . She rarely wore her hair unpinned, and she couldn’t wait to see Reed’s eyes when he saw it down for the first time. She quickly applied some shiny lip gloss and pinched her cheeks.
Life certainly hadn’t been dull since Reed Donovan had entered her world and while she knew exactly what she wanted to happen today, she also knew that she wanted him to enjoy their interlude as well. He’d managed to take his darkest fantasy and somehow make it hers too. She wanted him to like what she did to him, wanted him hot and bothered and turned on. Before she could hold back the thought, she realized she wanted him to want this as much as she did. And then she wanted him to want more.