Melted Read online

  Then, suddenly, they were. He hadn't uttered a word in rebuttal, just wrapped his arms around me and closed his mouth over mine. I returned his kiss hungrily, feeling his tongue part my lips and explore my mouth. His hands moved all over my body, while my hands found their way into his dark hair letting the strands slide through my fingers as I dug my nails into his scalp pulling me to him as close to me as possible.

  I arched into him as his arm encircled my waist drawing me in. His mouth roved over to my neck, nibbling softly before returning to my lips. He groaned softly as his hands explored me, rubbing my tight round ass and cupping my firm breasts.

  He grabbed one of my legs under the knee and pulled me further into him, ripping my skirt in the process. The loud tearing sound broke the spell, and the gravity of what was happening came crashing down. I was kissing my boss…on my first day of work…after I screamed at him…for trying to fire Dustin…and my boss was Charles Kerwin, one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world.

  I broke the kiss and released myself from his grip. It was easier than it should have been given his size. A small part of me wished he'd held on a little tighter. I backed out of the office. When I hit my desk, I quickly grabbed my purse. I caught a quick glimpse of Dustin, still sitting at his desk wearing the expression of someone who had just witnessed a train wreck. In all honesty, he did.

  “Tess!” he jumped up, “What the hell…” His voice died away as Mr. Kerwin filled the doorway. He didn’t look angry. He looked scared or concerned. He was probably terrified that I would sue him.

  I turned when I saw him and ran down the corridor. I could feel his footsteps behind and hear his voice calling for me. There was no way I could outrun him, but fortunately for me, spending the last five years in this building meant I knew it like the back of my hand and that trumped his one day. A few quick turns and a couple of stairwell switches and he was gone. I lost my shoes in the process, but it was the only way to make a quick getaway. I decided to play it safe and made a beeline to my car, praying for once it would start on the first try. Thankfully, it did, and I tore out of the parking lot. It wasn't until the building where I'd spent my entire working career disappeared from my rear view mirror that I felt the first tears fall.

  I cried for myself, the unemployed, high school graduate with precisely one job on her resume.

  I cried for Dustin, who put his trust in me and now he was probably unemployed too. How would I ever explain this?

  I cried for Tanya, who worked so hard to prepare me and was so excited about her promotion, hoping my insane behavior wouldn’t reflect on her.

  I cried for the loss of the only place that ever felt like home. I knew everyone’s name. We attended barbecues at each other’s house. We weren’t just co-workers. We were a family.

  And finally, I cried because even though I should be furious with him, the truth is, being in Charles Kerwin’s arms made me the happiest I’d ever been.

  Charles

  She vanished. She was almost in my grasp, then she turned a corner and disappeared. I searched for another ten minutes and found her shoes discarded in front of a door leading to a stairwell. My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from security confirmed she had left the premises. She was gone again. Every time I get close, she runs away. This won't happen again. I need to find my angel immediately, and I knew just where to start my search.

  He was still sitting at his desk. He looked to be in shock. He was furiously tapping on the screen of his smartphone and whispering into the receiver of his desk phone. He quickly hung up when he saw me marching down the corridor gripping the pair of tiny shoes in one hand. I slammed them down on his desk and got in his face.

  “Who was that on the phone?” I demanded. “Was it Ms. Findlay?”

  “No.” He shot back. He was clearly intimidated but defiant. “It was my fiancé,” he paused for dramatic effect as my face must have registered confusion, "Mark." He gave me a look as if he'd just told me water was wet or the sky was up. I exhaled deeply. The relief I felt quickly gave way to guilt, and I was angry at myself for acting so rashly. I couldn't explain the way this woman made me feel. It's like I had no control. I moved heaven and earth to be near her. She'd run away for the second time, and it was my fault. I had to go to her and make it right.

  "I need to find her." Dustin was now eyeing me with a look that almost resembled pity. Seeing my guilt made him relax, and all the fear had left his face.

  "You did all of this for her, didn't you?" He asked, but the question was clearly rhetorical. He continued, "I saw you that night. You two could have burned the place down with those sparks I saw flying." I stared at him in disbelief. This was confirmation, if this guy could figure out my plan, Tanya, who spent ten years being two steps ahead of me must have worked it out immediately.

  “Then why did she run?”

  “That’s what she does,” he sighed. “She’s terrified of letting anyone in because she’s afraid of losing them. She lost both of her parents after working here for a few months. They were all of the family she had. Mark and I have tried to set her up with tons of different guys over the years,” after seeing the look on my face he quickly added, “but she was never interested. That night in New York, I saw something change in her.”

  "Something changed in me, too." I couldn't believe I was confiding in this guy. Twenty minutes ago, I was ready to fire him, but now I could see why Tessa liked him so much. She was willing to risk her job for him. She was fiercely loyal to the people who mattered most to her, and it made me fall even more profoundly.

  “Clearly.” He added sarcastically. “You bought a multimillion dollar company headquartered in the middle of farm country just to get close to her.” He smiled, “Not that she isn’t worth the effort. She’s pretty amazing.”

  "I know," I said impatiently. "So help me find her."

  "I'm going to help you," he said slowly swiveling his chair to face me fully, "and not just because you're my boss," another dramatic pause. "You are still my boss, right?” He raised one questioning eyebrow. I could help but smile. Dustin was shrewd. It made me like him even more.

  “Yes,” I nodded, “I’m still your boss. Now, where can I find her?”

  “Great.” He smiled, clearly pleased with his negotiating skills, but if he had any idea of my desperation, he would have asked me for a raise and stock options. “But you have to promise me something.” His smile faded. “You will protect her. You will never hurt her. And most importantly, you will never, ever leave her.”

  “I promise.” I said, “I won’t let her get away again.”

  Tessa

  I had no idea where I was going. I didn't want to go home. My phone had been buzzing and pinging nonstop since I left the office. Most of them were from Dustin and Mark. I was sure Mark would be waiting for me in my driveway after getting an earful from Dustin. I don't think I could ever face them again. I was also getting calls from Tanya. In addition to preparing herself to helm a national food corporation, she also trained me to take over her position with so much care and patience. I repaid her by behaving unprofessionally and driving away. I began crying even harder.

  I'm still reeling from my insane outburst in Mr. Kerwin's office. I have never done anything like that before. Something about that man makes me emotionally unstable. I've never been that same since that night in New York, and Dustin had my number. He started grilling me as soon as he got back to our hotel room, where I'd retreated to after I'd left the party. He, of course, stayed until the end.

  “Tessa!” He burst into the room and slammed the door behind him with a flourish. He was very drunk. “What?! I mean, WHAAAAAT?!” He threw himself down on my bed. Dustin was an adorable drunk.

  “I don’t know what you mean, Dus.” I knew exactly what he meant. He lifted his head and gave me his patented, “Really, bitch? Really?” glare. Then his eyes drifted over my body which was hastily covered by the hotel duvet. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. I felt my face flus
h. He smiled knowingly.

  Earlier in the day, we had gone to Times Square to be cheesy and touristy, even though we regularly accompanied our bosses there. We'd been walking around for hours when Dustin pulled me into a toy store, but its shelves weren't lined with teddy bears and plastic blocks. They were lined with whips, straps, blow up dolls and vibrators: lots and lots of vibrators.

  "Can I help you?" A high perky female voice called from behind us. "You look a little shell-shocked." The owner of the voice was a cute, short brunette with a youthful face. She looked like she was fifteen and dressed as if she worked in a library, not in a sex toy shop.

  "It's her first time." Dustin chimed in. Her face changed into the expression my mother made with I told her I had gotten my first period, a weird mixture of pride and admiration. I was suddenly twelve again, and I adopted the same feeling of embarrassment.

  “Good for you, sweetie.” She smiled and squeezed my arm. “Your first dildo is always the most special.” Apparently, my first dildo is a milestone my mother forgot to mention. She began sizing me up, before grabbing a few different vibrators for me to choose from.

  "Oh my," Dustin exclaimed sarcastically. "Definitely, this one!" He picked up a monstrosity that was as long as my arm with a large keypad. He pressed one of the buttons, and with a loud whirring noise the electronic phallus came to life wiggling and jerking. He quickly found the off switch and placed it back on the counter. Then he turned to look at me. I felt the blood drain from my face. "Omg! That look is priceless!" He snapped a pic with his phone. "I'm sending this to Mark. He's gonna die!"

  “Actually,” I whispered to the salesperson, “I’ve never actually…”

  "Masturbated?" she asked quizzically, and not in a whisper. My eyes went wide, and I looked around before leaning closer.

  “No,” still whispering, “I’ve done that. I’m mean, not like with a machine, but, I’ve never, um…been with anyone, or having anything in me…besides a tampon.” I really needed to stop talking.

  “What?!" Dustin screamed then gathered his composure and repeated in a more civilized voice, "What? You're a virgin?" He was looking at me like he was seeing me for the first time. "I knew it had been a while, I mean you haven't dated anybody as long as I'd known you, but I assumed… not even in High School?" I shook my head. "Damn! My best friend is a twenty-three-year-old virgin."

  I couldn't believe Dustin brought me in here, but now that I'm inside I didn't want to leave without something. The salesgirl gave me an encouraging smile.

  "I have the perfect thing." She reached up and grabbed a blister pack that contained something that looked like a small silicone butterfly. "This is just what you need. It's small, discreet and it stays in place. There's even a wireless remote, and this newer model connects with an app. You can control it with your phone!" She was beaming. "And…no penetration," she added with a wink. I nodded; not making eye contact.

  “This,” my best friend grabbed the butterfly and plopped it on the counter with his small pile of items, which didn't include the robot arm, “is on me.”

  Back in our hotel room, after running away from the handsome billionaire who did nothing more than look at me, the butterfly was on me.

  Later that night, I pushed through the crowd, out the doors of the club and into the crisp cold air of the city. There a taxi outside, seemingly waiting for me. I jumped in and directed him to our hotel. I ran out of the car and into the lobby. I didn’t stop running until I was in my room safe and sound, but safe from what, I wondered.

  I'd known exactly who Charles Kerwin was. I knew exactly what he did. Hell, he'd been in the news continuously. I even knew he'd be at the event. It was all my boss could talk about but, seeing him in person did something to me. It was more like him seeing me.

  His blue eyes pierced me like a knife. I felt a wave of heat that started between my legs and spread through my body like a wildfire. He was staring at me, no, devouring me with his eyes. I was rooted to the spot; my breath caught in my throat.

  He leaned forward, almost imperceptibly as if to make a move towards me and I panicked. But now, here locked in my hotel room I couldn’t stop thinking about those eyes, those broad shoulders and massive hands. I wanted those hands all over me and then my hands were all over me.

  I lifted my dress and slid one of my small hands into my panties. My fingers found the searing hot wetness between my legs, slick with nectar and so very sensitive to the touch. I kept imagining Charles Kerwin’s face as I rubbed my sensitive nub, encircling it with my two middle fingers.

  The two fingers slid lower as I imagined they were Charles Kerwin's giant hands, slipping both fingers inside my core and letting my thumb take over the responsibility of stimulating my clitoris.

  Charles Kerwin, the billionaire, industry titan could have and probably has had any woman he desired. He shouldn't have even have glanced my way, but tonight he set me on fire with one smoldering look and awakened feelings that I didn't realize were there.

  I felt the climax building in waves that radiated from my core to every inch of my flesh. I writhed and squirmed on the bed, my hand furiously rocking back and forth between my legs.

  I screamed his name and the orgasm hit me like a tsunami. My body went rigid, my toes curled and my breath caught in my chest. As the waves subsided and my breathing returned to normal, my thoughts drifted to the butterfly, still in Dustin’s shopping bag.

  The climax was amazing, but it wasn't enough. It had only succeeded in fanning the flames of desire that Charles Kerwin sparked. I wanted more.

  I retrieved it quickly, but my legs were still shaky from the orgasm I'd just given myself. Ripping open the packaging was tricky, but when I did the wiggling device plopped into my lap followed by a small white remote with three buttons: a power button, and two buttons with one arrow pointing up and one arrow pointing down. Following the directions precisely, like the proud nerd I was, I slipped the device into my panties gently resting it against my still sensitive clitoris. I took a deep breath, pressed the power button giving the butterfly life.

  I screamed and frantically gripped the remote, pressing the down arrow for dear life. The vibrating subsided from a frantic rattling to a gentle hum, and I relaxed into the hot waves of pleasure as I imagined Charles Kerwin's handsome, chiseled face with his square jaw working up and down as he tasted the sweetness between my legs. I came over and over again and I by the end I was utterly exhausted.

  I must have drifted off to sleep with the butterfly still quietly buzzing when Dustin came in. The remote seemed to have slipped out of my hand while I was sleeping.

  Once he realized what was happening, he mercifully decided not to press the issue.

  “I’m way too drunk to process… all. Of. this." He gestured wildly towards me, encircling me with his finger. "But we will discuss all of this when we get back home." He collapsed on to his bed fully clothed before calling out sleepily, "and turn that fucking thing off."

  That night was a month ago. It feels like years ago. I had a life, a job and some idea of what my future held. Now all of that was gone.

  And even still, I couldn’t forget that kiss. It had shaken me to my core. It seemed to be the answer to the question my body has been asking since that night in New York. It was warm, safe and hot as hell.

  I closed my eyes and let myself sink into the moment, and when I opened them, there was deer standing in the middle of the road.

  She was a beautiful doe; I remember thinking as she lifted her head and stared at me as I barreled towards her. Almost immediately, I stomped on the brakes and jerked the wheel to my left. Driving barefoot probably didn't help the situation. Years of stomping on the pedals wore down the tread, and my foot slipped on and off the pads as I struggled to gain control.

  Dustin had been telling me to get rid of this old junker for years. I had plenty of money, both from my paycheck which I barely spent and the small fortune that my parents left me, which is untouched for the most part, but
this car was a sweet sixteen birthday gift from my parents. I couldn't get rid of it because I couldn't get rid of them, but my nostalgia was coming back to bite me in the ass as I began to fishtail. I luckily managed to avoid Bambi's mother, but I couldn't regain control of the car and ran off the road.

  There was a loud bang, and everything went black.

  Charles

  Dustin Tanner was either the best friend in the world or the worst. He gave me a list of all the places Tessa could have gone, including her parent's graves, her home, and sites she likes to go to be alone. I sent a member of my security to each location with strict instructions not to approach her but to contact me immediately. I waited on standby, ready to leave at a moment's notice.

  One thing I was sure of, he was a kick-ass assistant. He also cleared my schedule for the week and rescheduled my most difficult meetings, without my having to ask.

  I couldn't focus on work. I was consumed by guilt, anger, longing, and confusion. I always believed love was bullshit but love at first sight? That was fucking insane. But here I was utterly taken by this woman. She was all I could think about. Now, she was out there somewhere alone. And I was here dicking around while my security team searched for her.

  One by one, I got word that they all came up empty-handed. My blood began to boil. I marched over to Dustin's desk.

  “…Tamika, sweetie, you are saving my life.” He was crooning into the phone, “So, I have Mr. Atherton, next Thursday, same time. Thank you, love you, and I'll get those Hamilton tickets messengered to you by the end of the day! Kisses!" He laughed to himself and swiveled in his chair to face me. The blood drained from his face when he saw my look of desperate fury.

  "Where. Is. She?" I demanded through clenched teeth. "She hasn't left town. She's not at any of the places on the list you gave us, and the helicopter can't find her either. She didn't disappear. If you're bullshitting me, so help me…" I stopped mid-sentence at the look on his face. He looked genuinely worried and confused.