[English novel] SOMETHING GREAT (Điều Tuyệt Vời)

Something Great
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I gasped and stiffened when his shoulder touched mine. Leaning in, his breath brushed against my ears when he spoke. “I guess they only give pamphlets to beautiful ladies.”

Thankfully, the upbeat music blasted and a speaker came into view, breaking my nervousness. Max reached into his bag and handed me a packet and a pen. “Here you go,” he whispered as I shifted my attention to him. “Your job is to pick several dresses for the cover of our next shoot, and I’ll pick my favorites, then we’ll compare.”

No pressure there…the reason why I was asked to go, I guessed. I wasn’t exactly sure of the reason for my trip. Not given much information before hand, I figured I would get more instruction…but I didn’t know it would be from Max. “Sure, of course.” It was all I could say.

I thought of two things as the models gracefully strutted down the long runway; how lucky I was to be there, and how Max’s eyes occasionally shifted to me as I felt the weight of his stare. Model after model, dress after dress, brand names from Gucci, Dior, Dolce and Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta…I was in a heavenly show. And yes…there were hot male models, but I forgot to take pictures for Becky. Oh well…she’d have to imagine it when I told her about it.

Jotting down notes of several of the dresses I thought would look great on the front cover of the next issue of Knight Magazine, I stopped when I saw something crimson sway back and forth. My eyes glistened seeing the most gorgeous gown I had ever seen. In ways, it reminded me of the red dress Julia Roberts wore in an older movie called Pretty Woman, one of the movies my friends and I watched during our time together. But this dress was a hundred times prettier…no, a thousand times prettier…at least to me.

It was Gucci brand. Slightly off-the-shoulder, it snuggled her curves and flared out, with a long ***y slit up the front. Over the material underneath, sheer chiffon layered the dress.

“What do you think of that dress?” Max whispered.

Unable to peel my eyes off it, I spoke. “It’s absolutely...can I say…I’m in love,” I giggled. “I believe that’s the winner. It’s my number one pick,” I gushed, still glued to the model. Her long, soft curled brunette hair swayed not just with the music, but with the rhythm of her ***y stride, making the dress even hotter. I wanted to be her…I wanted to be wearing that dress…shoot…I wanted to be the dress. And that thought made me giggle. I heard a soft chuckle beside me, and I could see Max’s grin from the corner of my eyes.

When the show was over, everyone stood and applauded for what seemed like forever. Max turned to me. “There is a gathering you need to attend tonight. It wasn’t in your agenda, but you need to be there.”

I swallowed a lump down my throat. “I…I don’t have…I didn’t shop…I didn’t bring…what time do I need to be there? Maybe I can go shopping for a dress.” Oh God! I started panicking, but obviously Max saw the expression on my face.

When he placed his hands on my shoulders, I immediately calmed down. “Don’t worry. Go back to the hotel now. I’ll have several dresses brought to you. You can decide which one you like most.”

My eyes thanked him, but I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth. He was just…amazing that way.

“Oh…I’ll send a limo for you, and don’t forget to bring your cell phone.” Then he turned me toward the exit, leaned down, and his breath brushed up against the side of my neck. “Go.”

Quivering from his lips slightly touching my skin, my body gravitated off the ground as I headed out to find the exit door. “Limo?” I mumbled under my breath. Excitement brewed even more.

Chapter 15

As soon as I got to the hotel, I headed straight to my room. Waiting as patiently as I could, I thought about texting Max. There were no dresses there. Had I misheard him? Okay…no big deal. I had time to get ready. Digging into my suitcase, I pulled out my little black night purse that was just big enough for my cell phone and small items. Switching items into the small purse, I noted I had several text messages. Darn! Why did I keep forgetting to push the sound button back on?

They were from Becky and Luke. First, I clicked on Becky’s text.

Hope you’re having fun. Your room looks fantastic. I want to come. Lol!

I texted back. Love it here so far. Tell you all about it when I get home.

And I couldn’t wait to tell her. She would flip to hear Max was there.

Clicking over to Luke, my face flushed. It was a combination of guilt and…I didn’t even know if there was something else. It was just that…mostly guilt. I was having a blast, and even though I wouldn’t admit it out loud, I was happy to be there…and…Max…I wasn’t sure what I was feeling, or allowed myself to feel. Whatever this feeling was, it was winning, taking over my logic that I shouldn’t be dating my boss’s son. Perhaps when we were back home I could think straight.

A soft knock on the door pulled me back to the present. Peeking through the small peephole, I saw someone holding a long black garment bag. “Yes?”

“I have your dress, ma’am.”

Cracking the door open, I smiled. “Thank you.”

“May I come in and place this down for you?”

I stepped aside. “Oh…sure.” Reaching into my purse, I fidgeted with my wallet as I watched him place the garment gently on my bed, along with a fancy box.

Eyeing me, he raised his right hand. “Ma’am, that is not necessary. I don’t work for this hotel.”

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“Oh…umm…I thought there were several other dresses I could pick from.” I tried not to sound snooty.

“I was told to bring this one and this box.”

“Oh,” I said, feeling like a dork. I hoped I didn’t offend him. “Then…you came from…?”

“I work for Mr. Knight.” He paced to the door, opened it, and turned to me. “Have a great time tonight, ma’am.” Then he closed the door behind him.

Glancing at the clock, I saw that I had half an hour to get ready….plenty of time. Gingerly, I unzipped the bag and…. No, it couldn’t be…could it? Taking it out of the bag…yup…it was. How? Surely it wasn’t exactly the same dress the model had worn. She was taller than me…unless they had spares. Silly thoughts ran through my mind as I stared at the box. Spares? For what? Who knew about these things? I could ask.

Without any further hesitation, since the box was for me, I opened it. Holy sweet Jesus…they sparkle like…diamonds. Crystal clear, shiny…can’t breathe…I’m holding a diamond necklace. Round-shaped diamonds were joined together to line up as one. I’d heard of tennis bracelets, but was there such thing as a tennis necklace? Was this real? I was sure it wasn’t a gift. Perhaps borrowed? Actresses did that all the time. I was sure it was borrowed. And if by some chance it wasn’t, I would return it to him. But…it was absolutely gorgeous, and it was going to look stunning with the dress.

**

Though it was freezing outside, the temperature was perfect inside the huge rented building, so I checked my coat. It was a stand-alone building, the type of building companies rented to have a party to accommodate all their employees. White lights hung throughout the room, making the place magical. Soft instrumental music filled the air, and the smell of appetizers churned my stomach. With all the excitement, I had forgotten to eat dinner.

Striding toward the reception room, I was cautious not to stumble on my dress. Thank goodness it covered my black heels, but at the same time I wished it was little bit off the ground, mostly because I knew the dress was borrowed and I didn’t want to dirty it.

Clutching my night purse tightly, I swayed across the room looking for Max or anyone from our company, but I found myself uncomfortably turning other people’s heads instead. They must think the dress or the necklace is beautiful too. With all the eyes on me, I mostly kept mine rooted to the floor, but sometimes I peered up so I wouldn’t run into anyone. That would be totally embarrassing. To be polite, I would return a quick smile when I accidentally gazed into a stranger’s eyes, but must they make it so obvious they were staring?

There were many groups of people mingling, smiling, laughing, talking, and truly enjoying themselves, but I felt alone at that moment as I stood there by myself…until my phone vibrated inside my purse. Though I was standing smack in the middle of the room with several eyes on me, I almost wished I hadn’t worn the dress. Opening my purse, I took out my cell phone. It was a text message from an unknown caller.

Hello, lady in red. You look breathtaking. I could just stare at you all night.

I blushed just as red as my dress. Who are you?

You don’t know? Shame on you!

Sorry!

You should put your hair up like that more often.

Why?

It would be easier for me to nibble on your ear.

Okay…you either know me well or…Shoot! I’d accidently pressed send.

If you want to know, look to your left.

Putting my phone back in place, I did as the messenger suggested. As if on cue, Jake turned around. His eyes fell from my hair down to my shoes. There was an awkward pause, then he beamed a huge smile and came toward me. “Jenna. You look absolutely beautiful. I mean, not that you don’t everyday, but….”

His compliment made me blush, but the flush deepened when he gave me a long tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. A part of me felt disappointed the text was from Jake. Who did I expect it to be from? The phone buzzed again, but I ignored it this time. “You look great too,” I replied.

He kept eyeing the dress…or was it me? “Is that the Gucci dress from the runway?”

“To tell you the truth, I’m not quite sure.” Before he could ask me tons of questions I couldn’t answer, I changed the subject. “So…is your team here?”

“Yes. We just got here. They headed directly to the bar,” he snorted. “And Megan is here somewhere.” He looked around, as if searching for her.

Ignoring the phone buzzing again, I placed my hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay…no need to find her. I’m sure I’ll catch her later…soon.” Soon would be too early. Ever since she was snooty to me, I wanted to avoid her much as I could.

“Jake, I’m so sorry. Can you excuse me? My phone keeps buzzing.”

“Sure, but don’t forget to save me a dance later.”

“There’s dancing?” I said under my breath as I reached in for my phone.

Not that left, the other left. And I hope you’re not disappointed it wasn’t Jake.

I scowled, knowing he was hiding there somewhere, toying with me. At least I could relax knowing the text wasn’t from Jake…not that he wasn’t attractive. And why was I even thinking this? Being far away from home, thoughts of Luke faded somewhat. But that wasn’t fair to him. Speaking of which, I had forgotten to text him back. I placed a mental reminder in my head, turning to the other left. What other left? I guessed he meant his left. It was confusing, so I just turned the opposite way from where I’d turned last time. There were crowds holding their ****tail drinks, but nobody approached me to let me know who it was.

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Where? Do I even know you? I texted back, feeling frustrated.

That’s not a nice thing to say. Look up.

Too busy looking at the polished white floor, I hadn’t realized it was a two story building. My eyes first followed the stairs and then up to my right, then…. Wow…he made me breathless, making time stand still by locking his eyes to mine with that smile he did so well. His expression said it all, calling out for me, and I was responding with my eyes. Wearing a black tuxedo and a crimson tie to match my dress, his body was leaning forward to rest his elbows on the banister, and he looked ever so debonair. I had simply died and gone to heaven.

Spellbound by him, my heart was shown no mercy as it thumped rapidly against my chest. Intensely setting his eyes on mine, his stride toward me was graceful, steady, yet powerful, and dangerous, like a predator setting on its prey. I was immobilized, and he was going to have me for dinner. Oh God! He was coming for me.

With every step he took toward me, my heart pounded harder, wanting and needing him. I could already feel his strong yet gentle hand on my cheek, his breath on my skin, and I was already quivering from his presence alone. Naughty thoughts began to dance in my head, filling me with blazing heat.

Suddenly, his gaze broke, and I saw something purple filter through my vision. With open arms, Megan was quickly approaching him. In fear of what I may see, I turned quickly as my heart dropped to the floor. She might as well have dug her heels through it. Snapping out of the spell, I headed to the bar. When I got there, I had no idea what I was ordering.

“Do you have something sweet with no alcohol?” Forget that. I needed a drink to cool me down from the heat and anger…anger toward him and Megan, and toward myself for being stupid. “Wait…something with a little alcohol…please?”

The bartender was trying to hold in a laugh, most likely knowing my low tolerance to alcohol since I’d said the words “a little.” He reached for a wine glass, poured some liquid from several bottles, and handed it to me. “Here you go. Something sweet, and not too much alcohol.”

“Thank you,” I said. Turning my heels to walk away, I almost ran into Jake. Thank goodness he had retreated several steps, or I would have poured my drink on him. But then again, he would have deserved it for sneaking so close behind me like that.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

At that moment I needed the distraction, and Jake was there. “Hey Jake.” I lifted my drink to him. “I’m here. I went to get a drink.”

“Me, too. And I also got a drink for you. It’s red wine, nothing special.”

“That was sweet of you. Thank you.”

“Since you already have one, I’ll hold onto this one.”

It went quiet for an awkward second as I glanced around the room for Max. I told myself not to, but I couldn’t help it. When he was nowhere in sight, I took a sip of my drink. Sweet, but I could taste the alcohol. Most people wouldn’t, but being a lightweight, I did for sure. It had the usual effect when I drank a few sips. It felt warm in my chest and my cheeks.

A waitress holding a plate of shrimp in her hands, started to head our direction. She caught my gaze on her plate so she stopped.

“Here you go.” She handed Jake and me napkins as we both reached in to grab some shrimp.

“Thank you,” I said, already devouring the shrimp. Eating that shrimp reminded me that I hadn’t eaten dinner, and how starved I was.

“They’ve done a great job in decorating this place,” I said, breaking the silence. “I mean, even though it’s just a bunch of lights and sofas here and there, it really looks…beautiful. Don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I guess…I don’t really care for the decoration. I like their appetizers and free drinks…and now your company.”

I knew I should say something to respond, but I froze when I saw Max with another lady…one of the runway models. She was tall, blonde, and attractive like the other models. Not wanting to stare, I tried to look away as I wondered what they were talking about to make her giggle like that. But every woman giggled like that around Max. Oh God! Do I? Telling myself to turn around didn’t help. At that point I probably looked like a stalker or a jealous girlfriend, but I was neither. Then something purple got in my way.

“Jenna. Where did you buy your dress?” Megan asked, without even a greeting or a smile.

Not wanting to tell her, I pondered what to say. I had been so excited to see it that I hadn’t questioned it. All I knew was that Max had told me to wait for a few dresses, but only one came…the one I was marveling at, the one that I told him should be on the front cover. Hmmm….

“Jenna. Is that real?” Her eyes were deadlocked to my necklace.

“Borrowed,” I stated, and looked away. From the corner of my eye, I could see the model’s hand brushing against Max’s arm. Pure jealousy raged through me. What is wrong with me? I was just about to turn away when Max caught my stare. He ignored the blonde and winked at me.

Oh please, not the wink! That wink that produced all sorts of crazy flips in my stomach. Without responding or acknowledging him, I turned and gulped down all of my drink. What had I done? Any minute now I’d be looking as red as a stoplight. I needed water. When I turned, Megan was still staring at me.

“So…you came with Mr. Knight? I mean, Max?” She started with her questions. “And, now you’re wearing one of the runway dresses. Hmmm…you do know what this means, don’t you?”

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“Excuse me?” I was starting to get a little heated from the drill of questions she had no right to ask. It was none of her business.

Megan shifted her weight and took a sip of her wine. Her purple dress was beautiful, but not on her. “Well…there are rumors, and I don’t know if you want to know, but—”

Jake gaped between Megan and me, then back to Megan. “I don’t think she really cares, Megan.”

She shot him an evil eye that made him back away. “Well…as I was saying. I’m just thinking of you. This really doesn’t concern me. Rumor has it that Max likes to pick an apple, shine it up, eat it, and spit it back out when he’s finished. So do be careful. You should stay away from him.” Then she walked away, waving to someone from afar.

“Hey,” Jake cheered, slightly rubbing my arm. “It’s probably the alcohol talking. She really isn’t that—”

Before Jake could finish his sentence, I took the wine glass out of his hand and gulped it down. Either I was really buzzed or the phone was really buzzing in my purse, but I ignored it. I was already feeling light-headed, but the alcohol was helping me forget…forget what Megan had said…forget Max…especially Max.

“Let’s dance.” I tugged Jake toward the band where people were swaying to the music.

As Jake and I danced—though I couldn’t really dance since I was in the stupid dress that I now wanted to take off—Megan’s words echoed in my mind, lingering a bit longer than I wanted them to. No way was I going to be that apple that shone for him, and no way was I going to be that apple he would spit out…oh…what else did she say? I couldn’t remember any more.

Swaying to the music, strands of my hair that were pinned up fell onto my bare back. Though it was not a backless dress, it did reveal half of my back, but I didn’t care. Twisting to the left, I saw Max. He had moved closer to the dance floor too, and he was still with that blonde chick and several others, but it looked like he was not paying attention to them. Whatever…I didn’t care. But I knew I did care for only one reason...his eyes, staring at me, were too intense; he could’ve burned holes right through me. Or was he burning holes through Jake? Not only that, he twitched a little when Jake’s hand went around my waist. After that, I looked away…somewhat intimidated by Max…somewhat afraid.

The music that pounded through the floor changed its pace to a calmer one, which was a relief because I couldn’t move another muscle. Plus, the room was scorching hot, like a harsh, searing summer in Los Angeles when it was over one hundred degrees. Was I sweating, too? I wasn’t dancing fast for that long. The room started to spin, and there was a humming sound in my head. Everything seemed to move at a slower pace. I could feel my arms draped around Jake’s neck, but I didn’t remember doing it. I couldn’t even register when Jake’s mouth opened to say something. Even through my haze, I realized that I was utterly high.

Wondering where Max was, I turned to look where he’d been before, though it felt like it took a great deal of effort to do so since my mind and body were not in sync. He was gone. Then I heard his ***y voice singing in my eardrum. It was not my imagination. Max was standing next to me, and I felt Jake’s grip on my waist loosen.

Max’s strong arms held me in place as he swayed to the music. I wasn’t sure what I was doing…maybe just standing there. One thing for sure, somehow my arms were on his. “How many drinks have you had?” His tone was stern but gentle.

“I…I think…one…no, two?” I replied softly, unable to look him in the eye. Basically, I was talking to his chest. I was worried I had lost my job.

“You want to talk to my chest, or do you want to look at me?”

I was in trouble…a huge amount of trouble. Not only was I buzzed, I was sure I was red from head to toe, blending in with the dress. And clearly, this was totally unprofessional. Feeling ashamed, I let my emotions get the best of me. I let Max get the best of me. Maybe he couldn’t tell? I hoped.

“Look at me,” he ordered.

I peered up slowly, squinting my eyes. My head was throbbing, pulsating like my heart.

“Just as I thought,” Max said in monotone.

“Sorry…I’m sorry. I’m so hot.” I was sure I slurred my words, because they sounded unclear and strange to my ears.

“You’re hot…in more ways than one,” he said, gliding his arms to my back. When he touched me, I quivered, aware of his hands on me even in this con***ion. “Geez…Jenna!” His voice was loud. I heard it vibrate in my head, but I was pretty sure the loud music drowned out his voice. Max touched my cheeks and pulled me away, with his fingers tightly gripped on my arm. “You’re burning.” Now his arm was around my shoulders. “Come on. I’m taking you out of here.”

Chapter 16

Blinking my eyes open, I couldn’t recall how I got there…elevator, I thought. It was quiet, away from the crowd, away from the noise, but I was still roasting inside, as if my body were an oven, baking at the highest temperature. Feeling something cold underneath my bottom, I looked down to see myself sitting on a granite counter, and the slit on my dress parted open, exposing my legs from my upper thigh down. Lazily glancing around, I noted there were two sinks and three stalls. I was in the women’s restroom. Someone walked out of the stall. No, I was in the men’s room. What the heck?

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“Are you okay?” Max’s face was in my view. His hands were on the counter on either side of me, examining me with an amused grin on his face.

Thank God it was Max…what was I thinking? Not good at all. But better him than a stranger, I supposed. “Hot Max,” I slurred.

“Yeah…you can call me that any time, babe.” His lips curled up, brushing his hand against my cheek.

His hand felt so cool on my face, I welcomed it by letting out a soft moan. Did he just call me babe? That was the only thing that I understood.

“Yes…I understand,” he continued. “You feel very hot. Are you okay? Do you need something? I should have gotten you some water, but I didn’t want to leave you here by yourself, and I certainly didn’t want to bring you down there.”

Taking in his cool hand on my cheek, I grabbed it and placed it on the space between the necklace and my cle**age. That felt so good, but Max stiffened. I had never seen him stiffen like that before…or maybe I was wrong.

“Jenna…what are you doing? I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Now you’re making me feel hot,” he sighed, pulling back, creating a wider space between us.

I managed to let go, only to refocus on his tie. “Pretty,” I giggled. “I…like…ved.” Then I yanked him closer to me and rubbed his tie on my face.

“I like red too,” he chuckled. “But I like red on you. And you are way too buzzed.”

“Soffft,” I mumbled, ignoring what he had said.

“Jenna,” he pulled me back again. “How many drinks did you have?”

“No dinner…so hungry....” I waved up three fingers and pointed to each one as I spoke. “Two…one…two.”

Max chuckled out loud. “You’re holding up three fingers.” He closed one down. “There…two.”

“Thanks…Max!” I said out loud, and pulled him in for a hug. “I…like…touch…you.”

“Yeah…I’d like to touch you too, babe, but you need to agree to go out to dinner with me first.”

My head had made its way to his shoulder, and it rested there. “Dinner…hungry…yes.”

“Okay…you said it. So only two drinks, and this is how you are? Such a lightweight. And seeing how you look as if you were badly sunburned, you must be allergic to alcohol, too.”

“Aller…ic,” I sighed deeply.

“If you knew what would happen, and knowing you, with all that ‘gotta be professional talk,’ why did you drink?”

Only hearing some of what he said, I didn’t answer.

“Jenna, answer me. I know you can hear me.” His tone startled me so much that I twitched. “Sorry…I didn’t mean to scare you.”

It was mostly the alcohol talking and a part of me was screaming to hold back, to get a grip on myself. I didn’t know if it was the quiet or that just the two of us were there alone in a small space, but I opened up. Though slurring my words, I opened up way too much.

“You….” I poked him on his chest. My finger bounced back from his hard abs. “Bad.”

“What do you mean?”

“You…and…girl…ssss.”

His eyes enlarged and his face lit up with an amused smile, seemingly liking what I was saying. “So…you were jealous?”

“No…yes…no….” I shook my head, desperately trying to compose myself, running my hand down my face. What was I jabbering about? Then Megan’s words invaded my mind, making me upset. “You eat app….les…sh…ine…spiiit.” Trying to make a spitting gesture, I bit my tongue and blew.

Max chuckled. “You make no sense.”

Sliding the palm of my hand from my face, down to my neck, over my breast, I moaned as I tried to pull down the dress. “Hot.”

Max’s eyes got wider, then leaned closer. “Don’t do that.” He sighed against my ear. The puff of air from his mouth felt soothing and cool.

“More,” I stuttered, running my hands on his face.

Max pulled back and started to blow softly…on my face…on my shoulders…and a little lower, shooting tingles through me. When he stopped, my bottom lips puckered to pout.

“Jenna, don’t do that. You are just too adorable when you do that. Okay…I need to cool off.” Max took sidesteps and splashed water on his face.

“Tired…hot,” I groaned.

“I know, but I need to cool you down first.” His eyes lit up with an idea. Reaching over, he pulled out several paper towels, folded them into squares, and ran them under the sink. After squeezing them somewhat, he placed them over my forehead, and a soft moan escaped my mouth.

“Don’t make that sound, Jenna. You’re turning me on,” he squirmed.

“Hot.”

“Yes…I know you’re hot, but you’re not as hot as I am right now, babe.” He sounded agitated, and a deep growl parted his lips. Reaching over, he ran the paper towel under water again. Instead of placing it back on my forehead, he placed it on my cheek, gliding it slowly down my neck, my shoulder, to my collarbone, and what he did next awakened my *** drive. He squeezed the water, letting it pour down the middle of my cle**age, which sent all sorts of crazy shivers through every part of me.

“Ma….” I moaned, reaching for him, but he caught my arm.

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“No, no, no. You can’t touch me and I can’t touch you. You don’t know how badly I want to take you right here and now, but it would be wrong…wrong by you, and plus you have no idea of half of what I’m saying to you. There is also that ***ual harassment policy, and we’re here on business, not for pleasure…although the pleasure is mine to see you this way…opening up and all. Hell, I should have given you a drink the first time we met. Yes…the first time we met, ‘cause I wanted my hands all over your body. I know you won’t accuse me of anything, but anyhow…not this way…not here. After you go out with me…on a real date…then I can touch you anywhere you like.”

Running my fingers through my hair, all I could do was stare while my head pounded, understanding most of what he said. I wanted to tell him I wanted him too, but no words escaped my mouth. I had already said too much, and I was fighting the urge to just seize him and kiss him madly, but there was that word again. He was my boss’s son. And what the hell was I doing?

With a sigh, my head thumped on Max’s chest. “Tired…hot.”

Max’s hand stroked my hair, making me relax, making me sleepy. “I know. Just hang in there. The redness looks better. Maybe in five minutes. Don’t worry. I’m right here. I’ll take good care of you.”

“Sorrrry,” I mumbled, wrapping my arms around him, snuggling up to him. In his arms I felt comfort…in his arms I felt safe…and in a strange way…this felt right.

Chapter 17

“Jenna,” Max called softly, pulling me into his trance. The way he said my name sounded so ***y to my ears. Piercing his eyes at me with a wicked grin, his hands on the back of my dress were making their way down slowly...sensually. My dress had come undone, that I knew for sure from the sudden exposure of my br**sts, that caused me to shudder from the cool air and lust. Somehow Max had unhooked my bra at the same time, but it didn’t surprise me; he was good with his hands in more ways than one.

Excitedly, my ni**les hardened, wanting and needing to be touched by him. “You’re beautiful, Jenna. I’ll never get enough of you,” he said, caressing my breast with his face, teasing me with a flicker of his tongue on my left nipple.

“Oh…Max,” I moaned as I ignited between my legs. Wanting and needing more of him, I gripped a handful of his hair. When he sucked my ni**les harder and slightly bit one, I moaned louder, arching my back.

Releasing me, he gripped my hair, pulled my face into his, and sucked my lips. Sliding his body in between my legs while his lips were still on mine was easily done since I was on the restroom counter with my legs spread apart. Letting go of my hair, his hand glided down to my cheeks, to my shoulders, and then squeezed my br**sts. With a pinch on both of my ni**les, I bit hard on his bottom lip, which seemed to inflict both pleasure and pain. Sliding one hand lower, he found my G-string panties and rubbed his thumb right over the most sensitive part.

“Max…please,” I begged through gritted teeth. Throbbing, burning, and aching for him, I wanted him inside me. As if he knew what I was thinking, with a strong quick yank, he tore my underwear, which left me even hotter and panting for him even more.

“You want me Jenna? I know you do. Show me,” he demanded as he continued to touch my wetness.

Reaching for his belt loop, I pulled it to the right, and it unbuckled. Max released me, bent down, and stood up again, but somehow I couldn’t see it. Why couldn’t I see his hardness? But it didn’t matter. He was already inside me, growling.

Oh God…he felt so good. With every thrust, my heart pounded with ecstasy, fulfilling my desire for him. Then with a yank, he cupped my behind sternly and pumped, grinded, and pressed deeper and faster, riding me like he couldn’t get enough. I was…I was screaming. My body felt like it was going to explode as I felt myself climaxing. Then…it all stopped. What the heck?

Suddenly, Max disappeared and everything went dark, but the ache between my legs was still there, pulsating like a thumping heart. It was worse than it was from the start. Then I realized it was a just a dream…a very hot, wet, steamy, aching, needing-to-get-rid-of-this-throb dream. It felt wonderfully real, and a part of me wished it were. This wasn’t the first time I’d dreamt about him like that.

Though I was still groggy, feeling like I had swallowed a handful of sand made me want to wake up—that and the need that was still inconveniently there—but I couldn’t open my eyes. My eyelids were heavy and tightly shut, as if they were glued together. The need for a glass of water to quench the overwhelming burning sensation in my throat forced me to sit up, but when I did, a moaning sound escaped from my mouth from the throbbing headache. Not only that, the room was spinning, so I kept my eyes closed.

Knowing I could get to the kitchen in my apartment with my eyes closed, I headed out of my bedroom. Then bam! I ran into the wall. What the…? I shot my eyes open…at least, as much as I could. Then it dawned on me. I was in my hotel room, the expensive, beautiful room that I was probably never going to get to stay in again after today.

Oh, this headache…and…I need water…and why am I feeling this way? Trying to recall the previous night, I couldn’t since I was extremely parched. I decided I would get relief first, then try to remember. Squinting my eyes as I looked at the clock, I saw that it was close to ten in the morning, but since the curtains were drawn, it felt as though it was still night. Seeing a bottle of water that had been opened, though I had no idea how it got there, I reached for it and froze. Next to the bottle was a note on a small peel of a sticky yellow notepad. It read: Drink me. It looked like Max’s writing.

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The past night’s occurrences vividly rushed to the forefront of my mind, and both my eyes flew wide open. I went to the party and got wasted. Oh no! This was terrible…so unprofessional. I had never drank that much before. How much? I had two…I thought. Then Jake and I danced…then…Max. How did I get here?

While I was thinking, I started to gulp the water. It felt cool and refreshing slipping down my throat, so I gulped more down. Wanting to sit down for a bit, I turned, and there he was, sitting on the sofa, sprawled out, comfortably watching me. He looked too gorgeous in the morning light, with just a plain white T-shirt and cotton shorts on. Half of the water I had just gulped spit out of my mouth like a mini fountain, and the other half went down the wrong pipe.

As I coughed relentlessly, Max came to me. “Are you okay?” He massaged my back. “Here…take another sip. It should help. You did mention something about spitting last night, but I didn’t really think you meant it,” he chuckled. “And you must have had some wild dream, or you were in awful pain to moan like that.”

Oh God! My face burned with heat, and I was too embarrassed to look at him; if I did, he would know I dreamt about us having *** in the restroom. I only hoped I hadn’t said his name, or said the things I’d said in my dream out loud.

Taking the bottle out of his hand, I took a couple of sips, placed it down on the nightstand, and looked up at him. He was right. The horrendous coughing stopped, but left me with some lingering ones. “I don’t remember. What happened? I mean…how did I get here? I mean….” How do you ask these questions to your boss’s son? Not that he would squeal on me, but….

Before he could answer, I sat on the edge of the bed. I suddenly realized I was wearing a plain white T-shirt that looked just like his. And to top it off, I had nothing on underneath except for my G-string panties; and even worse, I wasn’t wearing a bra. Not having a chance to look in the mirror, I was horrified. I could imagine my makeup all smeared, and my hair looking like a bird’s nest. Pulling the blanket, I covered my br**sts and tucked the blanket under my arms.

Instead of sitting next to me, Max stood in place. “Everything is alright, Jenna,” Max started to say. “Don’t worry about this…okay?” His tone was so tender that I believed him, but I needed answers.

“How did I get here?”

“I brought you here. No one knows about this. You were red…really red; or, as you said it…you were ‘ved’.” He gave a devilish grin.

“I did not,” I stammered. Did I?

“Oh yes, you did. You also said a bunch of other stuff.” Max sat on the bed, creating massive flutters in my stomach by his proximity.

I gulped and closed my eyes, then opened them to ask him a question I was dreading to ask. “Did we…umm…did you and me…did you spend the night?”

He looked at me with a sideways glance. “Don’t bite your finger, Jenna.” He pulled it out of my mouth. I was totally unaware I was doing that. Looking baffled, he answered my question. “Depends on what you mean by ‘spend the night.’”

Unsure of why anger was brewing inside me, besides the fact that he wasn’t giving me a clear-cut answer, I tried to calm myself down, but it wasn’t working. “Who changed me? And why am I wearing your T-shirt?” My tone came out a little bit angrier and louder than I wanted it to.

Then there it was…that hurt and anger in his eyes that made me want to take back what I had said and how I had said it. Under those thick eyelashes, his eyes daggered at me for long seconds without a word, but I could tell he was mad from the way he wrung the comforter. Finally, he bolted up like he had sat on fire, and ran his hand through his ***y short hair.

“You…you think I took advantage of this situation? You think I could be that low?” Now he was pacing back and forth. “First of all…I took care of you so you wouldn’t make a fool of yourself. For someone who can’t tolerate alcohol, you sure didn’t care last night. That was very unprofessional of you. You represent the company when you’re at a function, not yourself.”

My headache was throbbing again, and this time it was from guilt and shame. I should have been more careful with my words, and I should not have assumed things like that, but what was I supposed to think? Water pooled in my eyes, but there was no way I was going to shed a tear.

Max continued, but his tone was softer this time. “You were burning up last night. I was worried for you. I’ve never had an experience with anyone who couldn’t tolerate alcohol, so I didn’t know what to do, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave you by yourself. I didn’t want to fumble through your drawers, so I gave you my T-shirt. I swear I didn’t look, which is the reason why it is on backwards. You changed yourself. When I tucked you into bed, I managed to make you take a couple of sips of water….you were very stubborn by the way…then you were knocked out. Just in case you needed me….” He pointed. “I slept on the sofa. Now you know what happened.” Then he stormed out of my room.

The whole time he was speaking, my head was down in shame. I felt so awful. He took care of me, and this was how I thanked him. The tears that threatened to fall were making their way down my cheeks, and when Max left, I couldn’t fathom the reasons why, but my heart ached…really ached…for two reasons; I felt bad, and he’d just walked off, like we had broken up. A part of me told me to stay put, but the other half told me to run to him and apologize. The second half won.

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“Max,” I muttered under my breath, and walked out of the bedroom into the living area. I had forgotten I was half-naked, but I didn’t care. I needed to apologize, and by the time I put my clothes on, it would have been too late. Either he didn’t hear me or he’d chosen to ignore me, because he kept on walking through a door that wasn’t the front door. All this time, I hadn’t realized there was an adjoining door; but then again, I had never noticed because the place was too damn big.

Max was out of sight, so I started jogging to reach him. I had only turned my head for a split second to observe I was in a bedroom, and not another living room like the one I had, when I slammed into something hard. Instinctively, not wanting to fall flat on my butt, I reached for something stable. My arms were suddenly wrapped tightly around the nape of Max’s neck, and I felt something warm around my back. My…oh my…my flesh…my bare butt, my G-string butt. I tried to pull away…I think…or maybe I didn’t, but Max’s grip on me was too strong.

One of Max’s hands was holding me steady on my bottom, causing me to be on my tippy toes. Our bodies were pressed so tightly I could feel my ni**les perk, feeling his heart thumping hard, making my body move in the rhythm of his. Heat combusted like a wild flaming fire throughout my body, and I completely dissolved in his embrace.

Quivering from the warmth of him, I stared at his manly, ***y Adam’s apple as neither one of us moved a muscle. Knowing one of us had to move, I slowly peered upward. I felt his neck muscles stretch as he peered down. We were eye to eye, nose to nose, lips to lips, and heated tingling sensations shot between my legs. “I’m…I’m so sorry,” I managed to breathe out, worried that if I spoke any louder he would hear how hard I was panting.

He didn’t respond to my apology. Instead, his angered eyes softened with tenderness, and perhaps even…desire…wanting. Every puff of his heated breath on my lips was tantalizing me to the point I was unraveling. With a sharp intake of my breath, I felt the tiniest, idly circular motion on my bottom, causing an aching need between my legs. It got worse when his eyes shifted to my lips while he bit down on his bottom one.

While I concentrated on his lip that I wanted to devour so badly, I hadn’t realized my hands had slid down to the sides of his neck. With every angle, every curve, my hand glided downward to his ripped muscular chest that was perfect in every way. He was beautiful and he knew it.

When his clenched hand loosened on the back of the T-shirt I was wearing, I knew he was finally letting me go. Reaching for my face, he blotted the wetness with his thumb. “You were crying?” He sounded shocked. His relaxed body stiffened, more alert. “****…I’m sorry to blow up on you like that. It’s just that….” He raked his hair back and parted his lips, seemingly wanting to say something. Instead, he pressed his forehead against mine. “I’m sorry too. Don’t cry. I don’t like to see you cry. Go take a shower; I need one too…an icy cold one.”

When Max twitched his brows playfully, I knew everything was back to normal…except for the aching need between my legs that still lingered. I needed a cold shower too. With a huge smile that was returned from Max, I pulled the back of his T-shirt down as I started to walk out of his room. Though it looked like a dress on me, I needed the security of knowing he couldn’t see my behind.

“Nice ass,” I heard him say faintly. Whether or not it was said for me to hear, it produced a huge, giddy smile on my face. In some twisted way, his words were hot, and I blushed all the way to the shower.

Chapter 18

A cold shower was what I really needed, but a hot shower was even better. Feeling the beaded drops of water on my body helped me relax the tension in my muscles. Though the headache was better, it was still there, but knowing food would take care of that, I dismissed it. Standing under the soothing running water and seeing the steam fog up the glass door put me in a trance, and my mind started to wander with thoughts of Max.

Why was my room so much bigger than his? For goodness sake, he was the boss’s son. Hell…he practically owned the company. Then it occurred to me. The front desk lady took a bit longer than usual to check me in. Not only that, Max knew where my room was before I did. Oh my God! He did. He switched rooms with me so I could have the bigger room. Now I felt really horrible, and guilty, and everything else I could think of. He was just…and something warm glowed in my heart.

A part of me wondered why I was chosen to accompany Max on this trip. The team was just the two of us. That didn’t seem right. Did Max arrange it that way? He knew how much I wanted to go from our lunch conversation. I didn’t know if I should be angry or happy about it, but I didn’t want to ask him after he had taken care of me, and after the sweet things he had already done. I decided to do what Mrs. Ward had told me at our meeting—don’t ask questions and enjoy.

After washing my hair, I opened the bottle of gel soap that smelled of lavender and poured it on the round white puff wash sponge that was provided. How I was going to miss this bathroom that was bigger than the size of my bedroom…make that twice the size of my bedroom. Gliding the soap down my neck, over my shoulders, down my arm, and over my breast, I stopped. Feeling my nipple pressed on Max’s chest had done all sorts of crazy things to me, and I was feeling that same feeling again. The ache, the desire, the want was back. Wanting that feeling to go away, I turned the cold nob, but I had pushed too far. Ahhhh! Cold…so cold. I jumped.

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Slipping into a long, white bathrobe, I tied it loosely and twisted my hair into their long white towel. Practically everything was white, except for the walls and the floors that were made from marble—the color of caramel to be exact. After I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and felt refreshed—and a whole lot better—I stepped out of the bathroom.

From afar, I saw Max holding a laptop. His eyes were on the screen as he headed toward me. Though I was completely covered, I panicked, and I couldn’t move. Neither one of us had closed the door. I guessed it was fine…after all, we were on opposite ends of the room.

“Jenna,” he called excitedly, peered up, and halted. His brows arched and gave me a flirty sideways glance. His lips curled in a crooked sly smile, but he didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. I could only assume what he was thinking in his dirty mind, because mine was there for a second until I snapped out of it.

“Max,” I said, tightening the robe to secure.

“You okay there?” He approached closer…a lot closer. He brushed my cheek with the palm of his hand. “Your cheeks are red.”

Placing my hand where he’d just touched, I spoke. “I took a really hot shower.”

“Oh…well let me show you something on my computer.” He sat on the edge of the bed and gestured for me to sit next to him. “Look at our front cover for our next issue. The lady in red. It’s only a lay out, and we need to have the model or an actress actually do a shooting, but I think it looks great. What do you think?”

It was the same red dress I had worn last night, and the same dress I told him should be on the front cover. He’d actually listened to my opinion; and not only that, he took my advice and put it into action. “That looks fantastic,” I cheered. My body was filled with genuine excitement. “It’s…absolutely gorgeous…though I think her hair should be slightly up, like with loose curls. Then she would look stunning.”

“You mean the way you had it?” His eyes blazed into mine. “She wouldn’t look half as beautiful as you did last night,” Max said sincerely, softly, melting me into the mattress.

Speechless, I sat there, feeling dazed, as I stared back at him…until he looked away first.

“Anyway…I’ll show you the finished product.”

“Max,” I said softly.

“Jenna?” He gave me his full attention.

My hand had a mind of its own. It went straight to Max’s forearm and it stayed there. “Before I forget, I would like to thank you for taking care of me. I’ve never been like that before, and it was very unprofessional of me.” I didn’t want to say the word buzzed or wasted. It sounded so adolescent. “Umm…it was my first time.”

“First time…really?” His brows arched with amusement.

“Yes,” I replied shyly.

“Are other things firsts with me?” He smirked.

“Be quiet,” I giggled lightly, pushing him away with my hand, but his hand caught mine and then he let go. Heat…dangerous heat…spread from my hand, up my arm, to my cheeks. “Anyway, also, thank you for allowing me to wear the same dress. That was so sweet of you. And the necklace…I don’t know what to say. And speaking of the dress and the necklace, I don’t know where they are,” I sighed worriedly.

“I took the necklace off you, and before you get any funny thoughts, I didn’t look. I helped you with the zipper on the dress, but that is all. After you got into bed, I took them to my room. They were picked up this morning when you were in the shower.”

“Oh…and I was wondering how you knew my size. The length and fit were perfect.”

“They carry more than one size, and being in this industry long enough, I know. All I need to do is just examine your body with my eyes, which I have been doing a lot lately,” he winked.

Oh…blush…blush…blush. I looked down, not knowing how to respond to that.

“I’m hungry,” Max said, brushing the tip of my nose with his finger. “You must be famished, since you didn’t eat dinner last night. Why don’t you get ready?”

“How do you know I didn’t eat dinner last night?” I fidgeted with the bathrobe belt. The thing was so long.

Max took it from my hands and placed it on the bed. “This robe is too long on you. Be careful. You may accidentally trip on it.” He stood up. “Oh…to answer your question. You told me lots of stuff last night, babe.”

Did he just call me babe? Taken back by his words and wondering what the heck I’d said to him, I stood up. “Did I say many crazy things?” I gulped nervously.

“What you said to me is a secret, so I can’t share,” he chuckled.

“What?” I smiled, glaring playfully at him.

“Well…we better get ready. We can have brunch, then head out to the airport.”

“Sure,” I said, moving to my right while Max moved to his left. Bumping hard against each other, the momentum pushed me back. Max, being the gentleman he was, reached for me, but when he did, he stepped on my robe. Somehow, the robe slipped down to my waist, and Max fell on top of me on the bed.

The sound of his laptop hitting the floor was what I heard first. Thank goodness it didn’t sound like it had been broken, but Max didn’t seem to care enough to look. His eyes pierced mine, heated and shocked, just as much as mine. Topless, br**sts exposed, my ni**les flared through the thin layer of his T-shirt when I felt his chest, and the yearning between my legs exploded. Feeling my chest rise and fall rapidly, I struggled to control my urges and my breathing. Boss’s son, I kept telling myself, but it wasn’t working.

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“I’m so sorry,” Max chuckled. “You know, you don’t have to get almost naked to get my attention. You already have that, and a lot more.” His muscles were now flexed, supporting his weight on his elbows. “I promise I didn’t see anything. I mean…I’m sure there is much to see, but I didn’t see what you thought I saw, or might have seen.” He sounded really nervous. “Okay…so what I will do is…um….” He glanced around the room, seemingly looking for something.

“Max…can you just pick me up? Or maybe you can close your eyes.” The truth was, my muscles felt so weak from his close proximity that I had lost control of my body.

“Well, if you’re giving me a choice….” He didn’t finish. He helped me up with my body still pressed against his. The towel on my head loosened, and my wet hair tickled down my back, producing a different kind of shivers. “Then I’ll do it this way.”

What was the matter with me? I could’ve pulled up the robe myself, but I couldn’t move. I was enjoying his hands on my naked back, and the delicious seductive heat that blistered through every inch of me. Max didn’t seem to want to move either. He stood there, holding me, when he could’ve let go. Instead, his feather light touch smoothly glided down my spine and created more dangerous tingles. He kept on going and took hold of my robe that stopped at my waist.

“You drive me crazy. What am I going to do with you?” he whispered, hardly audible, but I heard. I also heard a low groan that sounded way too ***y to my ears.

Feeling that soft cotton rubbing against my skin, I could tell he was fidgeting with it, most likely contemplating whether to drop it or pull it up for me. As much as I wanted him to let go of it and let it pool around my feet, I was glad he didn’t, because my self-control was completely gone at that point. Gingerly, the robe went over my shoulders, and he even fastened it for me.

Still standing there body to body, he spoke without looking at me. “So…like I said.” He cleared his throat. “You may step on your robe and trip. We’d better get ready. I’ll move first.”

When he turned to reach for his computer, a cold empty space took his place. Standing there, breathless, I was immobile for I don’t know how long, until Max brought me out of it.

“Jenna….”

I turned. He was outside of my room, so I followed his voice…across from where I stood, still in my bedroom, him in his. He was topless, with a bath towel around his bottom half. Oh dear Lord! I had imagined what his chest would look like underneath his sweater or T-shirt on many occasions, and he did not disappoint. With ripped muscles along the curve of his arms and six-pack abs that sizzled, he made my dreams come alive.

“Just to let you know, you agreed to go on a date with me.”

“What? I don’t remember. Was it when I was not myself? ‘Cause that doesn’t count.”

“Everything counts, babe.” That was the third time he’d called me that. My heart did a pleasant flip, and I wasn’t sure if I liked that feeling. “We’ll talk about it later.”

“There’s nothing to discuss.”

Then I heard the water running from his side of the room. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to take a shower.”

“I thought you already took one.”

“Babe, after what just happened, I need another one, and a lot colder this time.”

Chapter 19

Stretching and yawning, I woke up in my own bed. It felt good to be back home and see the sun again, except…I was back to reality, something that was both good and bad. Arriving late last night, Becky had already gone to bed. A part of me felt guilty for not replying to all her texts, but I knew she would understand. Then there was Luke. Not that Max and I were an item, but what I had experienced with him in New York was something I’d never felt with Luke.

Knowing this was one decision I couldn’t just decide in bed, I thought perhaps when I saw Luke again, my feelings may be stronger, since I hadn’t seen him for at least ten days. A part of me also felt guilty for texting him back only twice. Hearing footsteps sound, I knew Becky was awake. Jolting out of bed, I could not wait to see her.

Tiptoeing to the kitchen as quietly as I could, I observed her fidgeting with the coffeemaker before I could find the right time to make my move. Silently waiting…silent giggling inwardly…wait for it…wait…now.

“Becky!” I said out loud, draping my arms around her from behind.

She jerked back and panted. “****, Jenna. You nearly gave me a heat attack.” She squeezed me tightly, then let go and placed her hand over her heart. “I knew you came home last night, but for sure I thought you would still be sound asleep. What the…? Don’t ever do that again.”

“Sorry,” I pouted.

“Don’t pout. You look too darn cute. It makes me actually forgive you,” she smiled then frowned. “So…how was New York? Was it everything you hoped it would be?” Placing her mug under the coffeemaker, she opened the refrigerator and took out a container of eggs.

Leaning against the counter, I thought about how I would tell her everything that happened in New York, and I mean…EVERYTHING. “So, the show was fantastic.”

Becky poured the oil in the small frying pan. “That’s great.” She looked up at me. “I’m listening, okay.” She smiled. “I’m just starving. Want some eggs?”