Eden's Pleasure (Pulse Book 1) (36 page)

“Come on upstairs and sleep on it. You’ll have a better perspective in the morning.” Mikala was right. She turned off the club lights, and the pair headed to the apartment. Once inside, Mik turned out all the lights, leaving a small nightlight lit in the kitchen for Eden’s sake.

“Goodnight, Mik. Sleep tight.”

“I will while visions of the blond hottie run through my head and B.O.B. does his job.” They laughed, and Mikala slapped Eden’s rear end as she jogged off to her room.

Eden lay awake watching shapes appear on the ceiling from the shadows of clouds moving past the moon. Sleep wasn’t going to come tonight, probably wouldn’t again since she left Chase, a regret that fell heavy on her chest.

Not wanting to disturb Mikala, she turned on the small overhead light at the kitchen island, and read over the contract for the umpteenth time. This opportunity was a once-in-a lifetime chance to secure her career, not to mention financially, it was a dream come true.

The only thing holding her back was Chase. The idea of seeing him every day, of having to sit across from him at meetings, traveling in the elevator, walking through the same halls and talking with him on a business level without the personal warmth. How could she do it? She took her cell phone from the counter and re-read Chase’s last two texts.

I have to take charge
of my own destiny!
she concluded.

***

The next morning, she woke bright and early from the little sleep she managed to get. This was the first day of the rest of her life. She was putting her foot down and taking charge. No man, no matter what she felt for him, was going to come between her and what she worked so hard for. She had an opportunity to move forward, and she was taking it by the proverbial balls and running with it, come what may.

She tiptoed down the hall, closed Mikala’s door and grabbed her cell phone to make her call. She told herself that it was like any other contract negotiation that she had been involved with.
I’m a tough-ass businesswoman!
She sat down on the sofa and dialed the number, smoothing her pj’s as if she were going to be seen, and waited for the line to connect.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end of the phone was sweet and calm, putting her at ease right away.

“Mrs. Dean? This is Eden Fox.” Her voice sounded shaky and nervous. She covered the speaker of the phone and cleared her throat in hopes of gaining a solid composure.

“Eden. I’m very happy to hear from you. I didn’t expect a call so soon, though. I’m hoping that this means you have reached a decision?”

“Yes, I believe I have, Mrs. Dean.”

“Please call me Deanna. Are you free to meet for lunch at one o’clock at
Blu
?” she asked, catching Eden wholly off guard. That would leave no time to prepare her usual oration when pursuing a contract, but she would manage. This was like no other contract she had ever vied for, after all. The enterprise was making every effort to snag her, negotiations were reversed. This was new.

“Yes, Deanna, I am free. Thank you.”

“I look forward to seeing you. Oh and Eden? Let’s cut out all the formalities. I don’t run things quite as stuffy as my husband did…goodbye for now.” Eden hung up and buried her face in one of the sofa cushions, screaming with delight.

“I take it you have a meeting with Mom?” Mikala asked as she trudged by toward the kitchen, tying her robe closed and yawning.

“Yes. I’m meeting Mrs. Dean at one. We’re meeting at
Blu
.”

“Oh, very nice! And you’re saying yes? Like I need to ask from that smile slapped across your kisser and the roaring into my cushion. Tell me there’s coffee.”

“There’s coffee, and yes, I’m saying yes.” She threw the cushion into the corner of the sofa and ran into the kitchen, joining her half sleeping friend, shaking her arm violently.

“Calm down girl. You’ll pull something or wet your pants!” Mikala said with a sour look on her face. She was by far the worst morning person imaginable. Even the Grinch couldn’t outdo Mikala’s pissy demeanor in the morning.

Eden took two bowls from the cupboard and poured cornflakes into each, followed by milk, and placed one in front of her friend. She took a spoon and proceeded to wrap Mikala’s hand around it before sitting at her bowl and digging in with enthusiasm.

“Eat, Mik.”

The spoon rattled on the countertop. Mikala lit up a cigarette and sipped her coffee. “What about Chase? What are you going to do when it comes to his part in the equation?” she asked, yawning and picking at the contents of her bowl with no interest in eating such slop, as she called it. She took a long drag and blew the cloud of smoke away from where Eden sat.

“I’ll deal with that when the time comes. For now, my dealings are with Mrs. Dean. I want this, and I am willing to put everything aside for
now
to get it.”

As much as Eden was hurting and as much as she wanted nothing more than to run to Chase and confess her undying love to him and beg him to take her back, she needed this. She needed to stabilize her spiraling world, get her ass back on track, and get Eden back.

“Such confidence! Now you’re talking like the old Eden, the all-business Eden, the take-no-shit Eden. Just do yourself a favor, honey,” she said, dumping the contents from the bowl into the garbage under the sink, pouring another coffee and lighting another cigarette. “Don’t forget the Eden that you’ve become.”

“I don’t understand. Who exactly have I become?” Eden furrowed her brow and tapped her spoon onto her palm.

“There’s a kinder, gentler, and take-life-a-little-less-serious Eden. You met her, you know her now, and you need to keep hold of her. Invite her to play every now and then. All business and no play will make Eden a very dull, lonely girl,” Mikala warned.

***

Blu
was fairly busy. It was, after all, the hot spot to be on a beautiful fall day. The views were spectacular. Deanna Dean was waiting at a table by the window reading over the menu as the hostess showed Eden to her seat, handed her a menu and asked if she’d like something from the bar. She ordered a Perrier with lime over ice and put her hand out to her dining companion.

“It’s wonderful to see you again, Eden.” Mrs. Dean was such an elegantly beautiful woman. She shared her emerald eyes and smile with her son, making Eden very much aware of how much she missed him.

“I’m glad to see you too, Mrs. Dean…sorry, Deanna,” she corrected herself just as Mrs. Dean was about to protest.

A waitress came over and set their drinks before them, chanting the well-rehearsed day’s specials, and waiting for their orders. They both ordered the grilled shrimp salad, noting to each other in stereo that it was the best salad on the menu, and they laughed. They enjoyed small talk during the meal and both passed on dessert, ordering coffee while they turned to the business of the day.

“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Deanna asked as she took the contract from her briefcase and laid it on the table facing Eden. Eden did the same with her copy.

“You read it over completely? I don’t think you had a chance to take it to your lawyer. Did you want to do that before you sign?”

Eden shook her head confidently. “No, actually it was pretty straightforward and clear,” Eden said, happy with her decision.

“Very well. You saw that there will be no crazy clauses included. Your personal life is your own.” Deanna looked at her with a quiet reassurance that Eden appreciated. “I don’t like fine print and hidden agendas. I like straightforward and to the point.”

“I do too.” Eden squirmed when she thought for a moment that she wasn’t at all being straight forward or to the point with Chase, but now was not the time. She refocused on Deanna’s words.

“After much discussion, we decided to dedicate the twenty-fourth floor to the design department. I think it’s being used for storage and meeting rooms at the moment or it was. It’s actually a huge waste of space. Sound good so far?” Deanna asked, finishing her coffee.

“It sounds wonderful.”

“The floor has or will be gutted in the next few days. You’ll be free to design it to your liking, after all, it’s going to be yours. We have a full work crew waiting to get going. You will have two weeks max to complete it. Will that be enough time?”

“Sure, I think that will work. I have a lot of suppliers with ready materials, so I shouldn’t have to order anything. I hope it’s ok if I use them?” Eden felt a sense of panic come over her, an excited panic.

“You’re in charge. You choose your suppliers, personnel, and designers. Do you have any other questions or concerns?” Deanna asked.

“I just have one…why me? I mean, this is a great opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working for you…it’s just that it came out of the blue, so sudden,” she tried to clarify without sounding like an ungrateful cow.

Deanna set her cup down and wiped her mouth with the linen napkin from her lap and smiled. “I understand what you’re asking. So let me reassure you…Eden, you’re very good at what you do. Your designs speak for themselves. You have an excellent reputation, and you come highly recommended. You’re the perfect candidate, and I would have never considered you if I had any doubt at all…I do have one concern though.”

Eden’s heart thumped loud, and she choked back her fear. “You do?”

“My son is a huge fan, very taken with you, Eden. I just hope that your relationship with my son, whatever that may be, will not interfere. I’m also sure you won’t let it,” Deanna finished and looked up with a smile at her son, now standing next to their table.

“Ladies.” Chase was dressed in dark blue jeans with a white t-shirt and an aviator jacket. He looked breathtakingly casual, and Eden heated when she caught his delicious scent. He leaned forward and kissed his mother on the cheek before sitting beside her.

“It won’t, Deanna, I promise you,” Eden guaranteed her.

Eden’s heart was racing, and a familiar sensation of ardor rolled over her. She got her first taste of how difficult it was going to be working with Chase’s company. A vision of her stretched over a boardroom table while he drove himself to sexual climax shot through her head. She took a sip from her coffee cup, drinking the cold liquid to stop the blush that threatened to give her away, a blush that Chase knew oh-so-well and would recognize immediately.

“Eden, I asked Chase to witness the contract signing. I hope you don’t mind?”

“Not at all, Deanna. I’ll just find my pen,” Eden said, as she searched her purse.

“Here, use mine.” Chase held out his pen to her. She took it, making full eye contact with him. His eyes sparkled, and his smile was distracting, but she pulled herself out of her wicked fantasies to take care of business.

Eden signed both copies as did Deanna, then it was Chase’s turn. As his pen touched the papers he stopped and looked up at Eden, and his tongue smoothed over his lips as he hesitated. “You’re sure this is what you want, Eden? And you’re happy?” Chase asked her, waiting for an answer before continuing.

“Yes, this is what I want, Chase,” she said without doubt.

He smiled, satisfied with her answer, signed each copy and slipped his pen into the inner pocket of his jacket.

Deanna’s phone rang; she looked at the screen and smiled. “Sorry, I have to take this, please excuse me.” She moved swiftly to the balcony to take her call, leaving the pair to themselves.

“You look beautiful today,” Chase said, breaking the silence.

“Thank you.” A heat rose over her face as she fiddled with the contracts to stop it, without success.

“You know how much I love it when you blush.” Chase couldn’t help himself. His heart ached as he forced himself to remain in his seat, not nuzzling his face into her neck or licking his tongue across her earlobe.

“I know you had a hand in all this…thank you,” Eden said, intrigued, watching his eyes for verification of her suspicions.

“Ok, you got me.” He put his hands up in surrender. “Since it was my doing that got you fired from McLean and we have been playing with the idea of creating a design department anyway, you were the perfect person for the job, and you were available,” he admitted his part.

“You didn’t have to do all this…and I’m not blaming anyone but myself for my being fired…but I’m grateful.” She placed her hand on his forearm, and his eyes moved from his arm and her touch, to her eyes.

Deanna came back in to join them. She saw Eden’s quick release from Chase’s arm and grinned at her son. She took her jacket from the back of her chair, folding it over her arm, picked up a copy of the contract and slipped it into her briefcase. “I have to get back to the office, but you two enjoy. I took care of the bill. See you later, Chase, and Eden, you can get started immediately. I’m so glad you agreed to join our team.” She kissed Chase’s cheek and air-kissed Eden’s, then darted off in a scurry.

The waitress refilled Eden’s coffee without asking, and offered a cup to Chase who was happy to share a little time with Eden.

“I’m having the guest room redecorated,” Chase said, breaking the awkward silence.

“Really?” she asked, remembering his reaction when she surprised him with her design. “I thought you weren’t going to bother.”

“I wasn’t until I found your drawing on my office floor when I returned to the apartment. I decided it had to be done. It’s going to look really nice; it’ll remind me of you. Some of the fabrics are a little brighter than your plans…you’ll have to see it when it’s done.”

“Maybe, someday, I will.” She swallowed hard, wishing she could go that very minute. She could see, in her mind, the path to the room and the door opening, revealing the bright colors.

“I hope that someday can be soon.” Chase took a mouthful of coffee while he burned his eyes into hers. He knew she was fighting him, fighting her feelings. It was obvious. It was just a matter of time before he broke her, as he did in his first pursuit, but he would slowly seduce her properly. He needed her. His need to care for her was as strong as it had ever been and she needed to be taken care of.