Reckless Whisper

Chapter
One

The
minute Carla walked into the bar, she knew she’d made a grave mistake.

It was
filled with loads of Rick’s friends.
Of course.
After
all, this was the place closest to where they worked and Rick and his
colleagues would always hang out here. She’d come several times before, always
with Rick. This would be the first time she was venturing into the
vicinity
on her own.

She
wanted to turn around instantly, but then she saw Naomi’s face in her mind’s
eye. Telling her she was a coward.

Naomi
was her best friend and her flatmate – and also happened to be Rick’s
co-worker. It had been Naomi who’d introduced them months ago, and now felt
responsible for getting Carla hurt.

“If I’d
known he was a cheat, I’d never have hooked you up with him,” Naomi had said
regretfully last night. “He always seemed like such a nice guy.”

“I
thought so too,” Carla had said bitterly. “But after catching him “sexting”
some girl from his office typing pool, and then finding out he was actually
planning to take her with him on his next business trip…”

“I’m so
sorry, Carla,” Naomi had wailed, hugging her tight. “I wish there was a way we
could pay the bastard back. Guys like him always seem to get away with everything.”

Carla
knew Naomi
may
be right. Rick was handsome, successful
– a charmer. Carla had felt so proud to have him as her boyfriend. But
now it was over and he was probably on to the next girl stupid enough to fall
for his charms.

“I bet
he’s with her right now,” Carla had muttered, gulping down the last of the
wine. “They’re probably on that trip together as we speak. He’s forgotten all
about me by now.”

“Who
cares?” Naomi had replied. “He’s a cad, so he won’t be missed, would he?”

“Not at
all,” Carla had said vengefully. “But I’m going to make him wish he never made
a fool of me. I’m going to do something that will make him look like the bozo
he is. I’m going to make him pay.”

“But
how?”

“You’ll
love it when you hear it…”

*

Well,
Naomi had thought it was a great idea. But then, they’d both been more than a
little drunk. And yet now, with reality taking place, Carly wondered if her
“plan” had been a good idea after all.

She
looked around at the sea of faces, many of them glanced her way curiously. Most
probably already knew that she and Rick were history. She told herself she
detected one or two looks of pity. Gritting her teeth, she strengthened her
resolve and walked straight to the bar to order a drink.

Carla
wondered if, in the end, she’ll pick up some random stranger or if it would be
someone from Rick’s office she’ll be heading home with tonight. Then she told
herself, no matter. One way or another, the dependable office grapevine will do
its work of letting Rick know that his ex had shown up here and then left with
some guy – preferably someone richer, handsomer and please God,
sexier
than Rick.

Inroads
into her second drink since she arrived; Carla felt her nerve start to harden
from its shakiness earlier. She could do this. She wanted to do this. She could
get tipsy enough to actually carry the plan through. She’d certainly dressed
the part.

She was
well above five feet, a good height for a woman. She was a runner and
slim
thanks to all those miles she did every other morning.
She knew she had a nice face, a bit angular but framed well with her dark, wavy
locks. She’d made up her sparkling green eyes and curvy lips to perfection.
Best of all, she’d borrowed one of Naomi’s hot, drop-dead numbers. It was black
and clingy and short – with absolutely no back and just enough
neckline
in front to hold her C-cup tits in.

And not
to forget the shoes, of course – which were more or less just heels, all
five inches of them barely attached to her dainty feet by two tiny black
straps. She usually never dressed in such a come-on fashion, but tonight was
different. She wanted to be as comely as possible to attract the right target.

She
smiled at the bartender who poured another drink into her empty glass. Did she
just imagine the handsome man give her a tiny wink before he went off to attend
to another customer? Cheeky devil, she thought, eyeing him and checking out his
ass in the too-tight trousers. Probably gay, she guessed, deciding that hitting
on the bartender would be out of the question. She needed someone she could
flirt with blatantly and then leave with equally visibly.

Before
she
was
two sips
into her newly
filled drink, a figure appeared at her side. She hid a smile and looked up
expectantly to find a familiar face smiling back at her. Her forehead scrunched
up thoughtfully for a moment, and then she grinned in recognition. “Oh, hi,
Henry.”

“Carla,
such a surprise to see you here,” he said in a friendly tone as he placed his
hand on the counter.

Carla’s
eyes flicked over him speculatively. Good looking; a bit nerdy with those
glasses, but nice blue eyes. He was one of Rick’s pals undoubtedly, and he
worked in accounting. But was he the right candidate? She really did want
someone to make Rick green in the face when he found out what she’d done.

“I can
imagine,” she said drily, in answer to his last statement. The whole crew
probably knew about the breakup she figured. In fact, she was sure of it. They
probably knew the reasons, too. She could bet that Rick would make the picture
look just bad enough to make her seem the perfect fool for ever trusting him.

Her
smile widened as she noticed Henry looking her over with frank admiration. He
really was nice – too nice to be put in the middle like this. Besides,
was he really the type to want to zone in on his pal’s ex-girlfriend? Some guys
had no principle, she knew, but she wasn’t sure she wanted Henry involved in
her scheme. But if there weren’t any other takers…

“But as
you can see, a girl like me always likes to take things easy,” she said
lightly, lifting the glass to her lips and as her arm raised, managed to tilt
her cleavage out even more invitingly. She could swear she saw Henry’s throat
gulp. She added with a shrug, “I don’t let anything bring me down.”

“I
understand,” Henry said, in a voice somewhat strained. Now he couldn’t seem to
keep his eyes above her neck. “I mean, considering that you and Rick…I mean,
now that it’s over – it doesn’t mean your life shouldn’t go on um…as
normal.”

“Exactly.
You so get it. Right back on the wagon, that’s me,” she said, pointedly placing
down her glass with a smack of her lips as she faced him with purpose. She had
to admit; it just might be fun seducing someone like Henry…bringing him over to
the wild side will definitely be
loads
of fun…

Just as
she was thinking of making a very targeted suggestion to the now
pink-in-the-face Henry, someone shouldered in between them with a polite
“excuse me” as he addressed the bartender. Carla frowned at the intrusion, till
she caught his profile and then gasped – audibly.

He
turned suddenly at the sound, and she was face to face with the most beautiful
man she’d ever seen. He smiled a little at her dazed expression, before turning
once again to the bartender. “Your usual, Mr. Holt,” the man behind the bar
said respectfully.

“Thanks,
Rob,” he said, and Carla swallowed as his deep, gravelly voice washed over her.
Just then, Henry spoke from the other end.

“Mr.
Holt – I mean sir,” he said in a stumbling voice. “Didn’t see you there.”

“That’s
okay, Henry; and sorry to break in between you and your…lady friend,” he said,
turning so that his back was to the bar. He switched to Carla who still hadn’t
been able to close her mouth, which she finally did with a hot flush of pink of
her face.

Henry
seemed to have suddenly developed a stutter, as he said, “Oh, uh, sir, this is
um…Carla Stevens. Carla, this is Mr. Jason Holt, my…my boss.”

Really?
Carla thought in surprise, eyes raking with practiced speed over the tall,
blindingly handsome man standing beside her. He was dressed in a dark grey
suit, the white shirt unbuttoned at the throat, no tie. His eyes were a deep
brown; his hair was stylishly short and a mass of russet curls. She was
mesmerized by the piercing glint in those melting brown eyes.

Her
brain was barely able to function though and she realized that if this was
Henry’s boss, then by implication he was also definitely Rick’s boss. Well,
well.

“Nice
to meet you, Mr. Holt,” she said, and shook his hand. The contact was brief but
still managed to send a thrill up her arm.

He.
Was. Hot.

No two
ways about it. And he was looking at her with more than cursory interest, she
realized. Instinctively, she perked up – in more ways than one.

“You
don’t work for my company, do you?” he asked, regarding her with narrowed,
quizzical eyes, as if trying to place her face.

“Oh,
no, not at all,” she said with a laugh and a wave of her hand. Just then, as if
on cue, Henry’s cell phone rang, and with a self-conscious smile and a mumbled
“excuse me”, he went off to answer it. Carla had to bite back another laugh.
The accounts guy was really flustered to find his boss appearing out of the
blue.

Heck,
she
was flustered, herself.

Who
wouldn’t be with such an image of utter manliness standing before her? From
head to foot he was impeccably, undeniably sexy. The kind she’d kept especially
for her deepest, hottest fantasies – the type she’d never dream of
netting on a good day. But since today was a very wild and
reckless
day, she was very willing to take her chances…

She saw
him watch as Henry walked off, head bent over his phone, before he turned to
her with those molten eyes of his. “He’s not your type, you know?”

Carla
went really red despite
herself
, but gathered her wits
and decided to play along. She had an agenda of her own anyway, so she
definitely needed to be on the mark to get what she so wanted tonight…

*

“Oh,
you mean Henry?” she asked lightly as she took a welcome sip from her drink.
Was her head beginning to spin from all that booze, or was it just Mr. Hottie
standing next to her?

“Yes,
him,” he replied with a slight smile, then, “Are you sure you don’t work for
me?”

She
rolled her eyes playfully. “Of course I’m sure. I’m a florist, Mr. Holt –
I grow very rare orchids. However…I did date someone who works for you.” Her
finger twirled flirtatiously over the rim of her glass.

“Really?
Who?”

“Rick
Fulsom,” she said, wondering why she was even going there. But she had to make
conversation, didn’t she? Something to keep Mr. Red-Hot riveted while she
figured out her next move.

He
nodded slowly. “I believe he’s in marketing.”

Carla
nodded, willing her heartbeat to stop pounding. He was speaking quite normally
and yet, every single word sounded so sexy coming from his lips. Damn, he only
had to just open his mouth and she had her inner walls quivering. Either she
was already very drunk or just plain horny.

“You
spoke in the past tense, Miss Stevens. I guess that means you two are no more
an item?”