Pulse 2 (Pulse Series) (22 page)

I was trembling in my spot. I sniffed and wiped my nose. When I brushed the tears from my eyes, another one would appear to replace it. Rafael was standing right in front of me. He stared right into my eyes. I opened m
y mouth but nothing came out. I wanted to tell him how I felt but I couldn’t.

“
I’m not going to lie to you and say that we’re going to spend forever together. I’m not going to tell you I’m in love with you because I don’t understand the feelings I have inside. But I can be with you now. Only you. You’re different. And I know this because Cheryl… Cheryl wanted something from me. And I refused. It’s all because of you, Alice.”

I shut my eyes tight and squeezed the tears away. Rafael wrapped his arms around me
. His lips fell upon mine. I melted in his embrace. Everything he said to me was weighing down upon me but now it felt like he was lifting me up. I was floating in the air and in his arms. Just knowing that I had a chance to make him happy twisted my insides in a way that no man had ever done before. That’s all I wanted. A chance. And we had it.

He pulled his lips away from me. My face was a mess of saliva and mascara. I sniffed and wiped my nose then looked away from him. I
’d cost him everything. And he was willing to give it all away. Just for me.

I swallowed then exhaled a deep sigh. He loosened his embrace upon me and I was finally able to look up at him.

“So… now what?” I asked him.

“
I… I have to put some of my things away. But I’ll see you later… Tonight.”

I nodded to him as he pulled away from me. I headed toward the exit while he went back to his desk. I stopped at the door for just a moment then turned around. He was holding something. Something in his hand. I didn
’t know what it was. But as I stared at him, I could see a smile on his face. After everything we’d been through and everything he said to me, I’d never been more determined to keep it there. I would be there for him.

Chapter 22

Work didn’t feel the same. I was moved out of my office and stuffed into a cubicle. I no longer had my own space and privacy. There was a constant chorus of keyboards clicking and papers shuffling. I was lost in a sea of workers. I didn’t have to report to any meetings. I didn’t speak to anybody outside of a friendly greeting in the morning. There was no pressure about trying to do my job well. It just felt like a grind. But if there was anything to complain about, it was that I missed seeing Rafael as my boss. I didn’t see him all the time at work before but just knowing he was a few floors away made everything seem a little more bearable.

The first week of my new job finally came to an end. I wasn
’t sure what to do. Usually, Rafael would be there to invite me out to dinner with Wesley and Travis. I headed back to my apartment and as soon as I did, my phone vibrated with a text message.

Meet me tonight at 8? The usual place. Rafael

I’d never received a message from him before. He never called me. I didn’t have his personal phone number because our relationship was strictly professional. Having any kind of message on his phone would be evidence and just cause the suspicion we were trying to avoid.

I prepared for another dinner with Rafael with my usual enthusiasm. Knowing that our relationship was out in the open now almo
st made this feel like a date. I put on a short red dress and headed to the restaurant we would have our
business
dinners at. When I stepped inside, I saw Rafael sitting at the table. But he wasn’t alone. Wesley and Travis were already there to join him. I would’ve walked away immediately if they hadn’t already noticed me.

I hadn
’t spoken to either one of them since we were demoted. I was the reason they’d lost their opportunity. And I wasn’t sure I was ready to face them.

I made my way to the table and smi
led nervously at all of them. Rafael pulled his chair out for me and I sat next to him. Wesley and Travis didn’t say a word. I stared at the table as I greeted all of them.

“
Hey, guys…”

“
Hello, Alice,” Wesley said to me.

“
How are you doing, Alice?” Travis asked me.

“
I’m good,” I said. “I’m… fine.”

I looked up at the two of them and immediately began shaking my head.

“Guys, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I can’t apologize enough for everything that happened. I feel terrible—”

“
It’s all right,” Wesley said. “I actually don’t mind not having to be in those board meetings all the time. There’s no pressure. I can relax and take it easy.”

“
While I don’t completely agree with his reasoning, I do think this is for the best,” Travis said. “This
is
an internship. We need the experience. For us to be given that opportunity so soon is tremendous but Mr. Barnett was taking an extreme risk. It’s… for the best.”

Wesley and Travis seemed sincere about no longer being in the position they were in. But it w
asn’t enough. I shook my head in regret at the two of them. I was still sorry.

Rafael reached forward and placed his hand upon mine on the table. I turned to him and saw him smiling.

“I’ve seen something in you,” he said. “In all of you. You’re all fully capable of being the future of this company that I expected you to be. It’s going to take a little longer. You’re just going to have to keep at it. Your time will come.”

Everyone at the table smiled politely at me. I sighed with regret. The weight of everyt
hing I did was easier upon my shoulders but still hung over me.

“
As you know, I’ve spoken with the board about all of you,” Rafael said. “They’re aware of my recommendations for you. I can’t guarantee anything prestigious or important. But you’ll always have a place at Barnett Industries.”

“
Did you hear that, Wesley?” Travis said to his friend. “Even if you screw up, they’ll still let you in to mop the floors.”

“
Mop the floors?” Wesley said. “I think I’d make a
great
security guard.”

“
And you were actually considered for the board of directors.”

Travis shook his head as the rest of us laughed along with Wesley. The tension I was feeling just a few moments ago was gone and I finally began to relax. It was nice to be myself with people I cared about. There was
nothing left to hide.

“
Well, what do you say we get started?” Rafael said. “I might not be your boss at the moment but I’ve still got a lot of money. I won’t be completely out of the loop. We still have a lot of business to discuss.”

“
Hey, as long as you’re paying, I’m here,” Wesley said. “The food was the best part about the job. Are you heading back out to Hawaii any time soon?”

“
Don’t push your luck, Wesley.”

We all shared another laugh. It was one of many over the course of dinner. I was happy that thi
ngs had worked out as best they could. They didn’t completely hate me.

When dinner ended, we all sat in our chairs and relaxed. Rafael propped his elbows up onto the table and looked at all of us.

“So, it’s Friday night,” he said. “What are your plans for this evening?”

“
We’re just going to relax and wind down as usual tonight,” Wesley said. “Travis and I are going to have a few drinks. You’re welcome to join us. Alice. Mr. Barnett.”

I looked over at Rafael. I saw that look in his eyes. It was only for a sp
lit-second but it was long enough for me to see that it was there.

“
I think they can use some time to themselves,” Travis said. “This is the first time you’ve been together in public in this… capacity. Thank you again for dinner, Mr. Barnett. Come on, Wesley. Let’s go.”

My fellow interns excused themselves from the table. I was alone with Rafael. He looked me over and smiled.

“This is the part when you slip me a room key,” I said as I grinned.

“
No,” he said, shaking his head. “There’s no need for that any more. If anybody sees us walk into a hotel room, they’ll see us walk in together.”

“
Is that right? You know… if people
do
see us together, they might get ideas…”

“
Let them get ideas. I know that whatever it is they’re thinking of won’t be close to what’s actually happening.”

“
Mr. Barnett.
What exactly is on your mind for tonight?”

Chapter 23

I slipped the key into the door and watched the handle light up. I pressed down on the handle to push the door open when Rafael placed his hands upon my shoulders and turned me around. Before I could do anything, his lips were up against mine. I struggled underneath his kiss as he pressed me against the door.

“
Rafael,” I whispered. “Someone’s going to see.”

“
Let them.”

I kissed Rafael with my eyes open, shifting them left and right. I was waiting for anybody to appear. My heart was already racing and we wer
en’t even inside of the room. As he kissed me, I slowly started to fall backwards through the opening door. He put his arms around my legs and picked me up off of the ground. I wrapped my arms and legs around him in a lustful embrace.

Rafael carried me thr
ough the suite in his powerful grip while our faces were interlocked in our passionate kiss. I ran my fingers through his hair to bring him in closer to me. We ended up near the large window wall of the suite when Rafael placed me back down upon my heels.

Our lips didn
’t move from one another’s. He massaged my breasts through my dress, pulling the material down my body. At the same time, I tugged his jacket off of him then yanked on his tie. We were caught in a fit of passion as we undressed one another. My dress was hanging off my body like it always was. I frantically unbuttoned his shirt.

When his shirt was undone, I lifted his undershirt up to expose the perfect muscles on his abdomen. I lowered my face down to his body and kissed him on his firm stomach
. Even though his body was hard, his skin was soft on my lips. I ran his fingers through my hair as I moved my head lower toward his belt line. I undid his belt and zipped him down. With a tight grip on his pants and underwear, I pulled his pants down his legs. His cock sprang free and up toward my face.

I could barely make anything out in the darkness of the room. The only light came from the moon shining from the sky and the buildings and streetlights in the city. If this were any ordinary night out, I wo
uld be down there in those streets searching for someone to spend some time with. Now I was with the man I didn’t realize I was searching for this entire time.

I reached up and held his length in my palm. I stroked him for a few moments. His body jerked wi
th pleasure from my touch. I didn’t wait any longer. I opened my mouth and wrapped my lips around the tip. I ran my tongue over the head then sucked the drop of his fluid that spilled out of him. I swallowed it down my throat then lowered my head farther down upon my him. His cock throbbed inside of my mouth. The farther I moved my head, the more I could feel him twitching in my mouth.

I moved my head back and forth in a slow and steady rhythm. I sucked and swallowed him, my cheeks pressing down upon him. T
he sound of my saliva smacking against his flesh echoed through the room. I ran my tongue along the underside of his shaft as I took him in. His body quivered and bucked against me when I did. The slow and deep breaths coming from his mouth were the indication I was looking for to let me know that I was doing the right job.

I pushed my head down. My lips pressed up against his hilt. His tip pushed against my throat. I held the position there and swallowed him. My mouth and throat closed down upon him. After
a moment, I bounced off of him. I inhaled a gasp of air as soon as he popped out of me. I reached up and stroked his now soaking length while I caught my breath. He lowered both of his hands down on the back of my head and massaged my scalp.

“
Your turn,” he whispered to me as he looked down at me.

I nodded then worked my way back up to my feet. We engaged in another passionate kiss. I peeled his shirt the rest of the way off of him. He stepped out of his pants completely while he lowered my dress down the
rest of my body. It fell down to my ankles and I was in nothing but my underwear. I unhooked my bra and he pulled it down as I let it fall past my arms. He lowered his head down my body and swallowed one of my breasts into his mouth. I sighed a breath of ecstasy from the sensation. My head tilted back and my eyes closed.

He didn
’t stop there. Rafael dug a hand into my panties and his fingers found their familiar home against my clitoris. It swelled from his touch. The pleasure shot from between my legs and surged through the rest of my body. He lowered his fingers down even farther then slid them into me. He pumped his fingers into me fast and deep. The juice poured out of me and Rafael slapped it against my flesh. I whimpered and moaned into his mouth from the way he worked his fingers. I held onto him but it wasn’t easy to dig my fingers into his hard body. I couldn’t wait any longer.