Feel the Heat: A Contemporary Romance Anthology (42 page)

“I left my car in underground parking.”

“Very well.” He gave a curt nod. “Have a safe drive home, Ms. Andrews.”

Swallowing against the tightness in her throat, and hating that things were ending this way, she made her way to her car. Blurry eyed, she drove the short trip home, and once inside her condo, she collapsed on her bed, exhaustion and heartache pulling at her as she fell into a fitful sleep.

Before she realized it, her alarm went off, and after hitting the snooze button, she climbed from her bed in need of coffee. As she walked to her closet to pull on her robe, she wondered what she’d wear to work, suddenly hating her entire wardrobe, hating that she had to make the choice each and every morning. Moving numbly and trying not to think of Quinn, she walked to the kitchen in desperate need of coffee, but the knock on her door startled her.

She hurried to it, hoping to find Quinn on the other side, but terrified that she wouldn’t. She pulled it open and found a courier standing there, a beautifully wrapped gift box in his hand.

“Please sign here,” he said, looking rather bored.

Pulse leaping, she scribbled her name down, and rushed to her kitchen table, shaking the light box as she went. She tore off paper, then removed the lid, setting aside the note as the beautiful dress inside gained her full attention.

Quinn
…

She pulled the silk from the box and held it to her, the material so soft and luxurious against her body. The dress was professional enough for work—which touched her deeply, because it showed how much he truly cared for her and the image she needed to maintain as a lawyer––yet it was still sexy and sophisticated and would showcase her curves in a classy, stylish way.

She searched the box, pulling out the tissue paper until she came upon a push-up bra, but no panties to be found. A moan of excitement bubbled in her throat and her pussy quivered in erotic delight as she thought about going to work sans panties, with no one it the world knowing but her and Quinn.

As she thought about all the things he did to her, for her, during their whirlwind weekend, she ripped open the note. As she read it, her heart leapt with joy, knowing she was the luckiest woman in the world to have such an attentive and wonderful Dom like Quinn caring for her.

Emotions rose in her and heat settled deep between her legs but there was nothing she could do to contain her squeal of delight rising from her throat when she read the note a second time.

“You are to wear this to work, and nothing else. I will be by to see you at some point during the day, and if I discover that you’ve strayed from my instructions…
you will be punished
.”

T
he End

W
ant more
? Check out
Yours to Teach
and
Yours to Keep
.

N
ew York Times
and
USA Today
best selling author, Cathryn is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and red wine. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cathryn can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love.

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B
ack before Sterling Financial
Industries had become Sterling Drake Financial, her name had simply been Felicia Webb. Sometimes it had been Felicia. Sometimes Miss. Webb. But now? With Frank "Eagle Feather" Drake as her boss?

She was Moonbeam Honeysuckle Webb.

Or, at least that was her name according to the company's brand new spiritual advisor, Simon "Warrior Soul" Hammersmith.

Still, considering Simon's horn-rimmed glasses, slight frame, and general accountant-like demeanor, she figured she'd be calling him Mr. Hammersmith from now on.

"Moonbeam," Her boss called to her and she looked up from the place where she'd been sitting, squinting off into the sunset.

"Yes, sir?" she asked.

"How many times do I have to tell you, we don't believe in sirs or ma'ams now. We're all equals, no need for formality."

"Right." Felicia's top knot suddenly felt that much tighter compared to her boss' flowing mane of gray curls. With a wave of his hand, he swept them over the collar of his floral Hawaiian shirt and smiled down at her with the same dreamy expression he'd been wearing since the first meeting she'd been in with him.

Back then, she'd had no idea what was about to befall her. She'd thought this might be a new chance--a new boss to impress with her skill and efficiency. Someone who'd notice her for what she was instead of keeping her at the same menial post because she refused to go out with him.

She'd been wrong, though.

Boy, oh boy, had she been wrong.

"Come join the circle, Moonbeam." He patted her shoulder and she did her best not to flinch before setting off to join the semi-circle of cross-legged professionals on the sand. A few feet away from them, the ocean lapped at the shore, leaving little traces of foam with every pull of the tide. Just looking at it made her stomach clench up in terror.

After this morning's palmistry seminar--where she learned that she needed to find her inner truth and embrace the triple goddess, whatever that meant--and this afternoon's practice in trust falls, she didn't have much hope for the evening activities. In fact, she had the sneaking suspicion that they were only a few minutes away from stripping off their business casual and running into the ocean to find peace with nature or some other such nonsense.

Once Felicia settled on the sand between Tiny Dancer and Yoga Princess--otherwise known as Drew and Sarah from HR--Frank cleared his throat and beamed down at them.

Briefly, Felicia wondered how this probably looked to outsiders simply strolling along the North Shore. Frank, with his long gray curls, his purple lei, and the golden orange sunset at his back. The corporate staff surrounding him like breathless sycophants. If she had to guess, she imagined it looked not a little like a cult.

"Hello everyone." Frank said in his usual dulcet tones. "I hope you all had a pleasant break this afternoon and that the retreat's events have been inspiring as well as fulfilling. Don't get me wrong. I know that this merger has been...shall we say unorthodox?" Frank let out a little chuckle and everyone nervously followed suit. Everyone, that was, except Felicia, who was so busy trying to keep a straight face that she couldn't bring herself to move even a fraction of a muscle.

"I'm sure several of you have wondered why we've been engaged in these activities. A few of you may even have found them to be silly. That's fine." He spread his hands open and nodded. "I know that you're all used to corporate America. But I have some good news for you. Corporate America is changing. We're not a 9-5 punch-in, punch-out type of company, and you're not cogs in a machine. You're individuals. And to show that, we've been working to help you not only to explore that individuality, but to embrace it. To be YOU-nique." He air-quoted the phrase, "you," and Felicia’s urge to roll her eyes nearly short-circuited her brain.

"This type of company isn't for everyone." His gaze lingered on Felicia for a fraction too long. "But by the end of this retreat, you may find that what once seemed silly now feels completely normal. We want you to embrace these changes, to embrace new experiences. That will not only make you a better worker, but it will also make you a better you."

Frank grinned, then said, "Now, if you'll all please rise, I'll lead you to our final activity for the day."

The gleam in the older man's eyes left Felicia sincerely doubtful that wine and cheese was waiting for them somewhere, and the knot in her stomach tightened another fraction of an inch before she closed her eyes and followed his lead.

A little ways down the beach, just before the sand gave way to crags and rocks, there was a long thin strip of coals. Smoldering, greying coals.

"Gather round, gather round." Frank called, and Felicia blinked as she studied what lay ahead of her. '

He couldn't he serious. The workman's comp alone...

"Now, I'm sure some of you will be familiar with how this works. It's a simple enough exercise, designed to show you exactly how strong you are as an individual. With some courage and willpower, you can walk across these coals and come out the other side a new person. Allow me to demonstrate." He kicked off his thin sandals, then bowed to them all, his palms pressed together.

"Namaste," he said, then turned toward the smoldering pit and stepped quickly and quietly across it. He didn't let out so much as an inhale of breath.

Then again, Felicia supposed it was probably a simple enough task for a man who looked like you only wore shoes on very special occasions. The bottoms of his feet could probably take a bullet without him having to flinch.

"Now, who would like to go first? Warrior Spirit? Yoga Princess?" Frank looked from the lanky man to the stocky, tired-looking woman and both stared back at him with blank, stunned expressions.

"Now, now, don't be shy. I know that change is scary, but we're a corporate family now. The only way to grow is to take risks. Embrace change."

Felicia pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side, thinking again of the first time she'd seen the man in front of her. He'd looked so normal in his suit and tie, even if the tie was from the Jerry Garcia collection.

She should have known then. She should have seen through it to the crazy tree hugger underneath.

But then she thought of the big corner office still sitting abandoned. The place where her old boss used to sit from on high and work her and her comrades into the ground. If she could only win over Frank--er, Eagle Feather--then maybe she could actually see some change. Change for the better. Something that she could be in control of. Proud of.

"I'll do it." She stepped through the crowd and Frank's eyebrows betrayed his surprise.

Let him be shocked. Maybe he didn't think she was a good fit for his new vision--hell, maybe he knew it for a fact. But if she knew one thing, it was that she was the kind of girl who could fake it until she made it, and today she was going to fake it with the best of them.

After kicking off her shoes, Felicia walked toward the coals and squared her shoulders. She breathed in once through her nose, then out her mouth.

"Here goes nothing," she whispered.

* * *

"
A
nd you're
sure you have everything you need?" Candace practically shouted into her mic, and Trey put his hand to his ear and nodded.

"You know, sis, you're not shouting to me from New York. We have these new-fangled things called computers now."

His sister rolled her blue eyes, so much like his own, on the video screen. "Always the funny man. You're avoiding my question. Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes, I'm 30. I can take care of myself." Somehow his older sister had always been impervious to that message, though. All through college and med school, she'd always started every conversation with the same few questions. How are you doing? Do you miss me? Do you have everything you need? And then, of course--

"So, are you seeing anyone?" He could have asked the question along with her if he'd wanted to. Instead, he decided to smile.

"Candace, give it a rest."

"It's been a year. Aren't you--you know? Like, don't you want to--"

"I'm not discussing this with you."

"All I'm saying is that your hand must be awful sore."

"Candace," he reproached, then ran a hand through his blond hair before scrubbing it over his face.

"Fine, fine, don't talk about it. Just be the only doctor in history who isn't pulling in vagina left and right."

"You must not know many doctors if that's your idea of what it's like."

"Hey, I've watched General Hospital. I know things." She grinned at him, and the general din of the city filtered in behind her.

His heart flipped over in his chest just listening to it. The sounds of the city. His first home.

"You thinking about how much you miss me?” she asked, and he offered her a shrug. “You've got a weird look on your face."

"Sort of." He did miss her, it was true. He'd only been on the island for about six months now, and that time away from his sister--from his only family--had been hard. Being away from New York had been tougher than he'd expected, too. It was just so...different here.

So much slower.

People never seemed like they were in a rush to get anywhere. Nobody yelled when they were cut off on the highway or when someone cut in front of them in line. In fact, it was starting to feel like serenity was pretty much the only state of being here. Which, he supposed, was good. After all, that's why he'd taken this job in the first place.

It was the chance he'd been waiting for. Away from the competitive surgical fellowships and all the hustle and bustle of being a doctor in the city. Away from the demands of east coast life. Away from the needless seriousness of it all.

"I worry about you." Candace's voice broke through his thoughts and he frowned.

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Trey, be serious. I know it was a tough break-up with Mallory, but--"

"I'm not talking about that again. She made her choice. I made mine. It's over."

"But we've never really--"

"Candace, please." The beeper on the table beside him buzzed to life and he glanced over at it curiously before looking at the screen.

'What's that?" she asked.

"I'm on call. Gotta go."

"Okay, but just promise you'll call me later this week," she said as another loud horn blared behind her.

"You got it. Love you."

"Love you back."

He clicked out of the window and tossed on his jacket before hustling out of his little two-bedroom condo. It was a nice place, close to the resort and right on the waterfront. The stuff dreams were made of. And the fact that the resort paid for him to stay there only made it that much better.

Clearing his throat, he waded through the sand to get to the employee gate, then entered his code and headed straight for the first aid area. A nurse was already sitting at the counter, a steaming cup of coffee already waiting for him in front of her.

"Nancy," he greeted her, and she nodded back before scooting his mug toward him. He took it gratefully, then asked, "What's the story?"

"Would you believe it's another of those stupid coal walks?"

"Another one?" Trey sighed. Back when he'd been in New York, he'd seen a lot of crazy accidents--and a lot of crazy things that weren't accidents at all--but at least they'd all had the benefit of being unique. Here on the island, one tourist after another seemed to think it was a good idea to sprint across fire. Like common sense didn’t exist if you were on vacation.

"How bad is it?" He asked and Nancy shook her head. "Not terrible. First degree. Should be fine."

"So...why am I here?"

"Seems the lady had a panic attack while she was on the coals. Thought it'd be good to get a doctor involved."

"Good thinking. Thanks."

Nancy nodded. "That's what I do."

Try picked up his coffee, glanced at the tablet she handed off to him, and let out a long, slow breath.

Another victim of a corporate retreat. He should have known. The resort was constantly booked by one business or another, trying to reward their investment bankers or hedge fund managers for another year of success. Sometimes there were even doctors like himself, on one pharmaceutical conference or another.

He wondered what this one was, then shook his head. It didn't matter.

He already knew they were all the same.

"Okay, Felicia Webb," he read. "Here goes nothing."