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Authors: D. H. Cameron

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BOOK: Rock Hard Love
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As my mind cleared, I began to consider the meeting and the affect James had on me in there.
He was handsome, no doubt, tall and muscular with an edginess that whispered of danger. Honestly, men like him scared me. I avoided them and always had. I know it was ridiculous, but my mom had me convinced that every guy on a Harley-Davidson or in a leather jacket was about to rape me. My parents raised me in a wholesome and rather protective environment and men like James had no place in my life. Sometimes I wondered what it might be like to let loose and go wild, but I didn’t think I had it in me.

So why did I find James so attractiv
e? Why was I dreaming about him doing things to me I shouldn’t be dreaming about? I had no idea so I forced myself to work so I wouldn’t think about it any longer. I didn’t take a lunch and I worked late, leaving my cubicle only to use the restroom and refresh my coffee, taking the long way around to avoid going near Victoria’s office. I still remembered correcting her and her obvious displeasure with that. I was surprised I hadn’t been hauled into her office and scolded, or even fired, yet. Peter checked on me once but I could tell he had other things on his mind so we didn’t discuss the meeting in any detail.

Finally, at almost seven that evening I headed home to my apartment.
As I sat in traffic in my little red Fiesta, away from the distraction of my work, my mind wandered again. Suddenly, I was nude and James was ravaging me in my mind. His head disappeared between my thighs and his scruffy beard tickled me as his tongue zeroed in on my hot nub. I wrapped my legs around his broad shoulders and as I pulled him in closer, I heard the blare of a car horn. The fantasy burst into nothingness as I saw at the green light and the empty road ahead of me. I checked my rear view mirror and found the driver behind me waving at me with his middle finger.

My tires squealed as I mashed on the accelerator and took off, my face flushed and red.
Only then did I realize I was absently stroking my inner thigh just under the hem of my skirt. I pulled my hand away and blushed even deeper, looking around as if another driver might suspect what I was doing. I turned on the radio and found an AM talk station to occupy my mind. Politics, yes. That would surely kill any thoughts of a naughty nature.

I made it home having learned more about entitlement spending and tax revenue than anyone should have to endure. Thankfully, Josie’s car
was parked in her spot next to mine. I needed to spill my guts and get her take on the events earlier that day and my vivid, sexual fantasies. Josie Rodriquez was my roommate, a wardrobe assistant at a major movie studio and the best friend I had. She was Latina and catholic, but she wasn’t nearly as reserved as I was even though I wasn’t really religious at all. She wasn’t a slut or anything but she had more experience with men than I did. That wasn’t saying much though.

I had dated a guy in high school
during my senior year, the first year mom and dad let me date boys openly. He got to second base with me. I might have even orgasmed with him as he fondled me through my panties in his old Ford F-150. Maybe. He got his share of hand jobs, but that was about the extent of it. In college, the University of Southern California courtesy of mom and dad’s savings, I lost my virginity to a guy at a party. That experience still embarrassed me. I’d had sex exactly two times after that with two different guys and each as big a disappointment as the first.

I wasn’t a prude, just the product of a rather strict, small town upbringing and
a mild case of shyness. I’d discovered that my own touch was at least as gratifying as sex with another person. I guess that’s what you got when you dated boring guys. Boring sex. But the guys so many other girls seemed to enjoy pining after, men like James, scared me. If I was being honest, the way they made me feel was a lot like James made me feel, far more anxious than I was comfortable with. With James, however, my imagination got away from me and I wasn’t really sure why.

“He
y, girl!” Josie said as she sat watching reruns on one of the local channels. She was in her pajamas already and curled up under a blanket even though it was still warm outside.

“Hey,” was all I said and she diverted her attention from the television and looked at me.
She always knew when something was up.

“Was the witch on the rampage again today?” she asked.

“Yeah. I kind of shut her down in a meeting this morning,” I said and Josie’s eyes went wide.

“No, shit?
Shy little Simone?” Josie asked obviously surprised by my behavior.

“That’s not all,” I said as I walked down the hall and into my room to change
with Josie following. I kicked off my heels and shimmied out of my skirt as Josie plopped on my bed.

“Dish, girl.
You’ve piqued my interest,” she said and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. Josie thrived on gossip. If she sensed I, or anyone else for that matter, knew something she didn’t, she made it her mission in life to find out what it was.

“You know that band, Battery?” I asked and she nodded
. “The lead singer was in today and he was giving it to Victoria. She contradicted him but I found some meeting minutes and corrected her. She wasn’t happy,” I said but I’m not sure Josie heard anything after I mentioned James.

“You met James Turner? Fuck me!
He grew up in Palmdale just over the hills. God, he’s so sexy,” Josie exclaimed as if nothing else I said was of any consequence.

“Yeah,” I said and then I remembered the last thing he said to me and felt a delicious burning sensation in my core.
“He asked me out,” I told her as I shed my blouse and slipped into a sleep shirt.

“Shut the front door!
You’re fucking with me, right?” Josie asked and I shook my head. She fell back on the bed, clutching her chest as if having a heart attack. “Details, girl!” was all she said as she writhed in her mock death throes. I told her everything, even the way I’d felt around him and my sudden fantasy in the car on the way home.

“I think I’m going nuts,” I
remarked as I finished my story.

“You don’t like guys like James Turner.
He doesn’t wear sweaters, he has facial hair, he’s not a virgin,” Josie joked, well aware of my inexperience and my penchant for nice, safe men.


Very funny but I’m serious. I’ve never felt like that before. Ever. Either way, I’m not going out with him. It’s against company policy and you’re right, he’s not my type,” I told he but even I didn’t believe it. Josie cocked an eyebrow and then laughed.

“Whatever, girl.
You can give him my number if you don’t want him,” she said. I laughed and felt better for having spilled my guts. My momentary lapse of reason and judgment was probably just that, temporary insanity. I joined Josie out on the sofa and we watched television for an hour or so before I headed off to bed. I’d worked hard all day and I was mentally fatigued. Thankfully, sleep came quickly and my earlier fantasies did not make an appearance. Apparently, purging to Josie had gotten James out of my system.

~~~

The next morning I showed up for work as usual and delved right into my routine, Sunny 107, coffee and then I checked my emails. I had none since I’d left so late the previous night and I was only Peter’s assistant, but I could dream, right? I began editing some meeting minutes for Peter when I felt someone behind me. I turned and found Victoria filling the doorway of my cubicle. “Come with me, Miss Navarro,” was all she said as she turned and walked towards her office. I swallowed hard and as I left my little cubicle, I looked back as if I was seeing it for the last time. I was sure she wanted to see me about my outburst in the meeting.

Victoria walked around
and sat behind her glass and metal desk, her long legs crossed and her dress that probably cost more than my car smoothed over her lithe body. She wore those old-fashioned horn rimmed glasses and had her blonde hair up in a bun giving her a severe look. She was beautiful but in an ice queen meets uptight librarian kind of way. I just knew this was the end. I took a seat and prepared for the worst, retribution for contradicting her in front of a client. I was already writing my resume in my head.

“Well, looks like you made quite an impression yesterday,” she said and I cocked my head not expecting her to begin like that. “Mr. Turner called me last night and insisted that you represent him from this point forward.
I tried to tell him you’re merely an assistant and haven’t the skills or the backbone to represent him and his band effectively, but he made it clear that he didn’t care what I had to say. What’s new? Looks like you’re moving up to the big leagues,” she told me with that fake smile she wore to pretend she didn’t want to cut your heart out and eat it.

I gasped and sat
utterly speechless before Victoria. She smirked and said, “Feeling in over your head? You should be. Mr. Turner is quite the handful. Nevertheless, hear this, Miss Navarro. You fuck this up and you’ll never work in this business again. That’s not a threat, that’s a promise. Good luck with your new client. Oh, and by the way, I’ve told Peter that he is forbidden to assist you in anyway. You’re on your own. Have a nice day, Miss Navarro, and get out of my office.”

I stood and walked back to my cubicle in shock.
I nearly collapsed before I made it to my chair as reality hit me. I felt sick. I was terrified. Why couldn’t she have just fired me? James was in my head again, this time standing over me as his eyes bored into my soul. Whether he wanted to have sex with me or he was displeased with my representation of his band, I couldn’t tell even though it was my own daydream. Why would he do this? Why would he put me in a situation where I was sure to fail miserably? Life wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t bad either. What the hell had happened to my little world? What did I do to deserve this?

 

~3~

 

As I sat in my cubicle, feeling sorry for myself and wondering how even to begin representing Battery, some cheery pop song, Katie Perry I think, came on the radio. I shut it off, not really feeling Sunny 107 in the Morning suddenly. As I considered what to do first, including the possibility of quitting my job, the phone rang. I picked it up out of habit, “Roland Talent. This is Simone.”

“Good morning,
little girl,” came the deep, resonate voice of James Turner. “Congratulations. I hear you’ve been promoted,” he said. I felt my blood boil. I was usually shy and quiet, which made my outburst during yesterday’s meeting all the more confusing, but I had a temper. It took a lot to unleash my inner bitch and James just did it.

“Why are you doing this to me?
I’m not an agent. I’m barely a functioning assistant. I can’t represent you and your band. On top of that, Peter isn’t even allowed to help me. Is this because I wouldn’t go to dinner? Are you trying to ruin me?” I asked in a hushed but stern voice. A moment of silence followed and then laughter. What the heck was so funny about my career going down in flames before it even started?

“Oh no, you’re just what I need.
Listen to you. I definitely want you by my side,” James said suggestively and then added belatedly, “in negotiations.” His intent was clear, however. The vague sexual suggestion had me flustered again like after the meeting the day before. My anger melted and gave way to something else. I was still hot but this feeling was much more pleasurable and decidedly frightening.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked trying to ignore the moistness between my thighs.

“I like your style. I’ve never seen anyone stand up to the Fraulein like that. Even Peter defers to her more often than not,” James said. That was true. Peter was a good agent, but he wasn’t as assertive as he could be. He represented his clients well, but it was more about finding middle ground for him than dominating the opposition. He was a sweet guy, a family man and the kind of guy I hoped to marry someday. At least that was the plan before I met James Turner. Now I wasn’t sure what I wanted or why I was suddenly reconsidering my entire life.

“I usually don’t do that.
I’m not sure what came over me yesterday. I guess I should thank you. If you didn’t put me in this position, Victoria probably would have fired me. So, thank you for delaying the inevitable,” I said trying to sound snarky but I’m not sure it worked.

“Well, now I can have dinner with you.
I’ll pick you up at your office at five. We’ve got a lot to discuss,” James said. Great! Now I had to face him in person and I knew what that would do to me. It was already happening. I had to make a concerted effort to stop my mind from wandering where it shouldn’t.

“Is that what this is about?
Dinner and dessert? Is this just all some ploy to get me into bed?” I asked, my temper not fully gone just yet.

“No, that’s not all this is about.
I honestly think you’ll represent the band well,” James replied. I chose to ignore his subtle implication that this was about getting me into bed and focused on my new job.

“Fine, I guess I don’t have much choice.
You’re my client now,” I said in resignation.

“See you at five, little girl,” James said seemingly pleased with himself.
I was about to ask him not to call me that, but the phone went dead. I hung up and took a deep breath. It didn’t help much. My panties were likely soaked and my stomach felt as if I was going to throw up. I hadn’t been this flustered since, well ever. I closed my eyes and fought the urge to cry, confused now more than ever. Why did he put me in this situation? How did this happen? Most of all though, I wondered why I couldn’t stop imagining the man looming over me, both of us naked as he made love to me? Why did I find such an uncivilized man so exciting?

BOOK: Rock Hard Love
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