Fearful Cravings (2 page)

Later that night, to celebrate a successful presentation, Chloe went out for a drink. She'd tried to talk Tom into going with her, but he had a date. Now that the presentation was over, she was able to relax. Either way it went, she'd given a professional presentation. It was in the client's court, and she'd have to wait.

After her second drink, she relaxed. The stress of the day drained from her. Chloe was not one of those people who kept the stress of the job with her when she left. Not for very long at least. She was in the mood to dance, so her eye traveled around the bar until someone caught her interest. She beamed a huge smile at him, hopped off her stool and wiggled her hips on her way over to him.

“Dance with me, handsome.”

He nodded and let himself be dragged out onto the tiny dance floor. There were only a few couples dancing since the dance floor was so small. Chloe didn't need much room since her moves consisted of grinding her ass into her dance partner's crotch. His fingers skimmed her waist, occasionally dropped to grope her ass. He didn't dance so much as let Chloe dance against him while he pressed his hardening cock into her ass.

When she finally turned to him, her eyes were bright with laughter, her face flushed and her smile wide. Her smile left her as she pulled him in for a thorough kiss. He returned the kiss tentatively at first because it surprised him but then with equal intensity. Abruptly, she pulled away from him, dug her fingers into his shirt and with a wild grin whispered, “Buy me a drink.”

She sauntered off to the bar knowing that he would follow. Suddenly her good mood waned. She remembered Danica's words over lunch. This guy would be exactly like the others, wouldn't he? It made sense that if she was overly aggressive she'd get men who were more than willing to let her take the lead even during sex. But did she want a man who was aggressive? Chloe had to admit she was confused.

He turned to her, “What would you like?”

His question hit closer to home than she'd imagined it could. What would she like? Good question.

She shook her head smiling apologetically, “I'm sorry. I have to go.”

During the cab ride home, she stared out the window contemplating the men she'd picked up recently. Up until this point, Chloe wasn't much for introspection. She worked hard and expected to play hard, too. She loved sex, and while she still loved it; she had to admit there was something missing. A gnawing need deep within that wasn't being fulfilled. She couldn't pinpoint that need and couldn't quench it if she couldn't even identify it.

The cabby turned and rapped on the plastic partition, “Miss? Is this your stop, or did you want me to take you somewhere else?”

She'd been sitting there staring up at her building for some time, long enough for the cabdriver to wonder if she was all right. She threw some bills at him without looking at the meter. As she got to the glass doors, she became aware of a couple walking towards the building as well. She pushed the door open so as not to be rude, but didn't raise her eyes. She was completely lost in her own world. She pushed the button for the elevator and stared at the closed doors while waiting.

There were murmurings behind her and the very audible sounds of muffled moans. Chloe closed her eyes willing the elevator to hurry. She contemplated taking the stairs, but she was too drained to think about climbing them.

The elevator dinged. Chloe twitched, hurried inside. She kept her head down, jammed her floor button and stepped back from the panel. Another hand hit the button for the floor above hers. She flicked her gaze to the couple finally. It was him. He gave her that crooked smile and nodded to her. Chloe nodded back and concentrated on not staring. She watched the indicator lights over the doors. This elevator was notoriously slow but tonight seemed to be moving at a snail's pace.

Sudden motion brought her attention back to her neighbor and his date; the same woman as last time. He'd spun her around so she was facing Chloe, pinned her arms at the small of her back and was kissing her neck. The woman closed her eyes and whimpered; a sound filled with mixed emotions. To Chloe, it sounded like a little bit of fear or reluctance mixed in with the arousal.

He whispered against her ear, “Open your eyes. Don't be rude when we have an audience.”

The woman's face was full of pink color. She was embarrassed but there was more. She murmured, “Yes, Sir.”

Chloe was fascinated. She couldn't stop staring if she tried, and she didn't try. His face was cold, arrogant but full of amusement and arousal.

With one hand holding the woman's arms pinned, the other was groping and digging into her breasts. When he was sure he had Chloe's attention, he tugged the dress down. Both Chloe and the woman gasped as one. The woman had round, firm breasts. They were fairly large with hard, pink nipples. Chloe watched him pinching and twisting those nipples while murmuring into the woman's ear. Chloe couldn't hear what was said. She leaned forward, straining to hear what he would whisper into the ear of the woman he just exposed to a stranger in the elevator.

“Do you want her to touch you? What you would do to please me? Would you get on your knees and suck me in this elevator in front of our audience? Tell me.”

Chloe's breathing was as erratic as the woman he was touching. The woman nodded, but he slid groping hands from her breasts to her neck, holding her neck lightly, he angled her head back and to the side. Her back arched, her breasts thrust out obscenely in front of her. His voice was loud enough for Chloe to hear. She was paying rapt attention, leaning forward when she really didn't have to. His voice was louder, meant to include them both in the conversation. 

“Say it out loud, my pet. Tell my neighbor how you would crawl on your hands and knees all the way into my apartment to get a taste of me.”

The woman's whole body shuddered, and she whispered, “Please...”

He laughed, and released her arms but not her neck, to pinch her nipple hard. “Say it.”

His voice was controlled and sure. He knew she'd cave and give him exactly what he wanted. He was so confident. Suddenly, Chloe knew the woman had indeed crawled to his apartment. Chloe was stunned.

The woman's voice when it finally emerged was scratchy and a sob wasn't far away, it leaked into her words, “I would, Sir. I'd suck you right here in this elevator. I'd crawl after you into your apartment for the taste of your cock in my mouth.”

Chloe's panting was mixed with the woman's noises, so she wasn't even aware of it until the elevator dinged at the fifth floor, and the doors opened. Flustered, Chloe broke eye contact and hurried out of the elevator. She hesitated, though she was unsure why. She took a few steps then turned back to the couple. He had spun the woman around and pushed her to her knees. Her breasts were still exposed as she knelt in front of him. He winked at Chloe as the doors slid shut blocking the view.

Chloe's breath escaped in a shaky explosion.

She trembled while trying to fit her key into the lock. It scraped around the hole until finally it hit home. She was like a sleepwalker moving through her apartment. She had been tired and drained emotionally when she'd gotten into the elevator. Now, she wasn't sure what she was. Tired still, yes. Emotionally drained, not so much anymore. Her emotions were in a whirl.

She was even more confused than when she'd left the bar. She was aroused, completely and totally stimulated, but her emotions were at war inside her. It was certainly exciting to see that happen in front of her. But she couldn't imagine crawling after a man and in public. The idea horrified her and turned her on at the same time. How amazing was he in bed that the woman would crawl on the floor? Chloe couldn't imagine it.

She stripped off her clothes and crawled into bed naked. The coolness of the sheets against her heated skin was exactly what she needed. She couldn't turn her mind off. It replayed the scene in the elevator over and over. It was such a quick encounter that couldn't have lasted more than a minute and yet lingered in her mind for longer.

She caressed her breasts remembering the caresses in the elevator. In Chloe's mind, she'd replaced the woman. He was caressing Chloe's breasts, whispering in her ear and pinching her nipples. Though he whispered, there were no actual words against her ear, just hot breath and the force of his hand pinning her arms behind her. He pushed Chloe to her knees in the elevator and unzipped his pants. She eagerly brought his cock to her lips and flicked her tongue against the very tip. She gazed at him to watch his reaction. He grinned that crooked smile at her and Chloe exploded.

Almost immediately, she fell asleep.

The next day was Sunday. Chloe wasn't in the mood for people. She stayed home and watched old movies on television. She was a huge fan of comedies. They always cheered her when she was feeling down. They had the added bonus of making her forget her whirling thoughts and confusions. By Sunday night, she was feeling better and went to sleep without thinking about anything except whether Monday would bring word of how her proposal went with Walker and Sons.

Monday morning at 8 am., Chloe passed by Tom's desk. He was on the phone but he stopped her with a gesture. She patted him on the arm and kept going into her office. She had accounts that needed her attention. He knew where her desk was kept.

He rushed into her office waving messages. “Why didn't you wait? I have news!”

She was fond of Tom, but he could be overly dramatic. “What's your news, Tom. And how do I have so many messages already?”

He presented them, slapping each one down individually, “This one is from Mr. Walker. We have the account.”

He slapped another down onto her desk, “This one is from Mr. Mahoney who says congratulations.”

“And this one is from Mr. Walker's son, Reece, who says he will meet you in your office at 4 pm. today.”

He grinned the entire time. She couldn't stop a smile, “We got it?

Tom nodded at her."We got it.”

She stifled the giggle that threatened to rise. She was a professional. She resisted the urge to dance around high-fiving Tom. Inside though, she was dancing, twirling and tossing confetti. Outwardly, she couldn't stop grinning.

“Give me some mock-ups of the brand logos we discussed the other day. I want to see the latest from the art department. I gave them directions last week. The ones they came up with were good, but I'd like some variation to show the son when he comes in at four.”

When Tom threw up his hand on the way out of her office, she ended up high-fiving him.

She felt silly for it but she couldn't leave him hanging, could she?

Chloe spent the next six hours clearing out other client's work. When she got a new account she liked to spend some time uninterrupted getting to know the client's brand and working closely to deliver on their expectations. It meant that she would need to clear her schedule for unexpected meetings like the one that Mr. Walker, the son, had sprung on her.

Instead of grabbing a quick bite to eat, she had Tom order in food for the meeting. It was delivered about an hour later. There were no donuts only a variety of sandwich platters for nibbling during the meeting. She assumed it would be a late working lunch of sorts.

By the time 4 pm. rolled around, Chloe was finished shuffling her other clients and was prepared to meet with Mr. Walker. Not long after the scheduled time, Tom knocked on her door as a mere formality and ushered in her newest client.

“Chloe, Mr. Walker is here for his 4 o'clock meeting.”

She rose from her chair, smoothed her skirt and looked up into the face of her sexy neighbor.

He gave her that crooked smile that she had last seen in the elevator as he shoved his date to her knees to suck his cock.

Chloe was dazed.

She stood there. She couldn't speak. He stuck out his hand, and some instinctive part of her knew the proper response was to shake his hand.

Tom sent her a quizzical look behind the man's back.

Tom gestured to the door, “Let's go to the conference room. Chloe had me order sandwiches in case you hadn't eaten. Can I get you a drink? Coffee perhaps?”

Tom's voice trailed off as the two walked towards the conference room. Chloe was still rooted behind her desk. Her brain wouldn't function properly. There was a thin layer of disbelief settling over her brain blocking it from making the necessary connections.

Tom came in a moment later hissing at her, “What is
wrong
with you?”

She shook her head and barely managed to squeak out, “I'll be right there.”

Tom eyed her warily as he left the room. “Don't screw this up. We've both worked too hard to get this client. You don't want to get fired, do you?”

That woke her. She loved her job. It wasn't important like brain surgery, but it was fulfilling and she was good at it. Companies needed her to help them transition their businesses to the next step. She took pride in her ability to give them what they needed.

She steeled herself. She could do this. It was a little weird, but it's not like he'd seen her naked or in an embarrassing position. Nervously brushing her skirt down, she stalked off to the conference room.

Everything she'd asked Tom to get was on the conference room table.

“How are you, Mr. Walker? We're very happy that Walker and Sons has chosen our firm. I have some samples here from the presentation that I gave your father on Saturday. I'd like to show you what we've come up with for a marketing campaign.”

His crooked smile spread wider as Chloe talked, and when she finished, he put his hand up. “First, please call me Reece. I insist. There's only one Mr. Walker.”

She nodded, but there was a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. What was two? What was the second thing? She fervently hoped it wasn't a mention of an elevator, or crawling, or sex.

“Second, my father is reluctant to make the necessary changes to his beloved company that will bring it  up to this decade. I need to see everything you have. If he agreed to hire your firm, it could be because you were closest to keeping his company the same old brand it's always been. My father does not deal well with change. That would mean, Chloe, that we have a lot of work to do.”

Chloe stiffened. Did he just insult her?

“Mr. Walker, I can assure you that the presentation, my ideas, and the work of this firm is top-notch. We gave your father a marketing plan that appealed to a casual businessman's elegance and sophistication. In line with your current brand's aesthetic but updated.”

“That's the problem. I want to break out of the old line completely. Walker and Sons needs to take a fresher direction. We have hot, new designers. We have a fresh outlook. I'm taking the reins from my father and his generation.”

He rose from his chair and advanced on Chloe as he spoke. If his clothing was any indication, the new designers were earning their money. He defined casual elegance, but fresh, modern and damned sexy. His blazer looked soft enough for Chloe to wrap herself in. She resisted the urge to finger the material as he circled behind her chair.

“Don't get me wrong. What you have done here is phenomenal. I don't believe my father made a mistake in hiring you, but I have a different direction in mind.”

He put both hands on the back of her chair, leaned down and lowered his voice near her ear, “Will you help me, Chloe?”

She whispered the only answer she could give him, “Yes.”

He stood behind her for a moment, both of them silent. She didn't know what was on his mind, but hers was thinking about the campaign until his fingers brushed against her shoulders and the spicy scent of him enveloped her. Suddenly, she was thinking about the elevator. How confidently he controlled the encounter.

His voice was a low tremor against her ear, “Will you stop calling me Mr. Walker?”

“Yes.”

“Good, Chloe. I'm glad.”

Every time he said her name a small shiver moved from her shoulders to her legs, and between them. She cleared her throat, fidgeted with the storyboards then stood to get him out from behind her. He was distracting and fogging her mind.

“All right. Can I suggest we start fresh? I heard your father's vision for the company. Let's hear yours.”

He gave her that crooked smile as he sat opposite her. She was beginning to think it was an arrogant smile at times, too. She grabbed a legal pad, and stopped paying attention to his smile as he laid out his vision while she took furious notes.

Later, Chloe dragged herself into her building. It was after midnight. She had been at the office all night. Why is it so easy to party until 4 am. but working late will drain a person?

The first poke of the elevator call button was too light. She sighed, lifting her arm to push the button again. She propped herself against the wall with her eyes closed. Maintenance should fix this elevator. It shouldn't take this long for the car to travel six floors. It took long enough that her mind drifted. She imagined the elevator stopping on every floor to pick up every occupant, except her, on its way to the lobby. She could see it fairly vividly. The cute couple from 3C jammed in with the elderly man from 2A who hated everyone. The elderly man slamming his cane on the toes of the obese man from 4D.

She was definitely tired.

She straggled into her apartment, dropped everything to the floor just inside the door and eyed the couch. She stood indecisively, swaying as she tried to calculate the distance to her bedroom. Too much effort. She collapsed on the couch and within minutes was fast asleep.