Romance: Edge of Desire (2 page)

Chapter 4

It arrives in the form of a strapping, tall and devilishly handsome man strolling in the front door. 

“Good morning Brad,” I nervously greet him. “How may I help you?”

He takes a few moments to respond, “A latte to take away please.”

“What size?”

“Pardon?”

“What size?”

“Well, I don’t normally get asked that first thing in the morning,” his smile is cheeky and disarming. 

“For the coffee,” I stop the sexual innuendo with this beautiful man. “I meant what size for the coffee?”

“Oh, the coffee,” he jokes.

I smile, “What will it be then?”

“Large,” he winks.

Oh yes, Brad. I bet it is large…

The chemistry between Brad and I has been building over the past month. He has come in every day, sometimes twice a day, and we always hit it off. He is definitely the highlight of my day.

By my calculations, we have had thirty-four interactions… roughly!

“You don’t look like your usual, perky self this morning? Was it a big night last night?” he asks with the cheeky grin still on his face.

“Not really…” I avoid answering his question.

“What’s wrong, Harper?” the change of tone in his voice captures me off-guard.

Despite having grown a flirty relationship with him, this was the first time I had heard his voice laced with genuine concern. It’s strange, but I feel the care in his voice.

I take a deep breath to compose myself, “Um… today is my last day here.”

“Last day? What are you talking about? Have you got a job somewhere else?”

“No. Unfortunately, today is my last day in this job, and in this city.”

“Why?”

“It’s hard living in a city like this on a barista’s wage. I just can’t afford it anymore. I’m going to have to move back to the small country town where I grew up.”

“Is that what you want to do?”

“No. I want to stay here in the city – I love it here. But I can’t afford it. I have too many debts that I can’t pay back. I’m going to have to move back to the country, get a job, and work hard to pay those debts off. After the debts are paid off, maybe I can save some money and move back here. Maybe.”

“Anytime a beautiful woman leaves the city, it is a loss.”

Is he calling me beautiful?

This is definitely the excitement I was after today.

“The city won’t miss me,” I dismiss Brad’s compliment.

“Don’t be so sure,” he states.

I hand him his takeaway coffee over the counter, and as my hand reaches across the bench, his hand reaches in.

For a moment, our hands touch. 

But it is not a normal touch.

The touch of his large hand sends shivers dancing through my body, the emotion flurrying throughout my soul.

As he holds the cup, his dashing green eyes connect with mine… and I become lost.

His eyes are endless.

Even though it seems like an eternity before he takes the cup out of my hand, I don’t want the moment to end.

He doesn’t say another word as he takes the coffee, turns around and walks out the door.

Although I don’t want him to leave, I enjoy watching his cute bottom walk out the door.

Wow.

He steps out the door and my shoulders let the tension go, and a sigh of lust is expelled from my lungs.

Wow.

That is what the great city can do.

When you least expect it, it can spring a moment of magical lust upon you.

That was my moment. The perfect way to end my adventure in the city – lost in the eyes of my fantasy.

I look over to Nicole but she is too busy in her work to have noticed the fleeting moment of lust. 

Smiling to myself, I am content with my last interaction with Brad. 

I am happy to leave the city now, as the smile won’t leave my face for the rest of the day.

Chapter 5

As I start to make coffees again, lost in the dream that is Brad, he walks back in the door, still holding the takeaway cup in his hand.

“I can’t get through a day if you’re not here,” he pushes to the front of the coffee line. “You can’t leave.”

“Sorry Brad,” I giggle at the firmness in his voice as I make another coffee. “But I can’t afford to stay. You’ll just have to cope without me.”

I can almost see the thoughts rush through his head, “Where are you going?”

“I’ve already told you. You don’t listen very well.”

“It’s hard to listen when you’re faced with such a beautiful woman.”

I smile, “I’m going back to the country. Back to my family and where I grew up. I just have too many bills and debts to pay. I can’t keep up with this city life on the wage of barista.”

“No,” he shakes his head and runs his fingers through his soft hair. “Come work for me then.”

“Doing what?” I laugh at the outrageous suggestion.

“What do you like doing?”

“Making coffees,” I say the first thing to come into my head.

“Then come make some coffees for me.”

“Still doesn’t pay back all my debts and bills.”

“I’ll triple your pay.”

I laugh again but Brad is not smiling.

He is serious.

Oh.

“You’ll triple my pay just to make coffees? Yeah, right. You wouldn’t be a very good business man if you did that.”

“I’m serious. I work in the building next door. Actually…” he shrugs his shoulders. “I should be more specific. I own the building next door. You start tomorrow morning. Come to the front desk and you’ll be sent up to the top floor to make coffees for myself and my executives.”

“You’ll really triple my current salary to make coffees?”

“Seeing you every morning has given me the inspiration that I need to perform my job well. There are twenty-five people in my close team and we would drink one hundred cups of coffee a day between us. Can you handle that?”

“I make more coffees a day here.”

“Then you’re hired. Go to reception in the building next door tomorrow morning at six o’clock and they will take your details. They’ll organize your pay and your access pass into the elevators.”

Before I can reply, Brad turns around and walks back out the door.

I didn’t even say yes…

Did I?

But I can’t say no.

Not to an offer like that. That is the job offer of a lifetime.

Nicole grabs me by the arm and marches me to the back of the store, leaving another girl to handle the rush of customers.

“You still don’t know who he is, do you?”

“He’s Brad. The highlight of my working day.”

“I haven’t told you because I didn’t want you to get too nervous around him, but he’s more than just ‘Brad’. He’s Bradley Adams.”

I shake my head as the name means nothing to me.

“Damn girl,” Nicole smiles. “Even after two years in this city, you still haven’t been paying attention to the gossip pages. You should really get into the gossip of this city. It is so great to hear about the dramas of other people’s lives.”

“That sort of stuff doesn’t interest me…”

“It should now,” Nicole laughs again. “Mr. Bradley Adams is just the most eligible bachelor in this city. He’s rich, mysterious, powerful and impossibly good-looking. Most women would kill just for a chance to even talk to him.”

“Really? But he’s just my Brad. A charming, handsome, well-dressed customer.”

“And soon to be your new boss.”

“But I’m not even sure I should take the job offer.”

“What?” Nicole’s eyes almost pop out of her head. “Are you serious? The sexiest man in the city has just offered to triple your pay to work closely with him. What part of that would you say no to?”

“I don’t think…”

“Stop thinking,” Nicole interrupts. “Don’t do that. It’s dangerous. Just have a good last day here, show up tomorrow morning at his office and get that first paycheck. Even that first paycheck will get most of the bills down, and if you can stick it out for three months, you will be in front again and be able to live a great life living in the city.”

“But…”

“You have to decide whether you want to go home, or do you want to take a risk with this magical man. Do you want to stay in the city?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then you have to take the chance. This is your golden ticket. Chances like this do not come along very often. You have to take it.”

“I don’t even know what he does for a living.”

“He does more than earn a living. He is one of the richest men in the country - he probably eats $100 notes for breakfast.”

“That wouldn’t be very healthy. I read somewhere that fifty percent of all bank notes contain some trace of cocaine.”

“That’s probably why he is smiling in all his pictures then,” Nicole laughs.

“So how does he make his money?”

“Investing in the stock-market. They call his building the ‘millionaires factory’ because everyone that works there earns a lot of money fast. But they burn out quickly too. People don’t work for Mr. Bradley Adams for very long. Although we always see him smiling, he has a reputation as a very hard man to work for. A lot of people actually hate him.”

“Great,” I say sarcastically. “I definitely want to work for him now.”

“No – you’ll be different. He likes you. He could have sent one of his assistants in here every morning to get the coffee. Trust me, the coffee is not the reason he comes in here every day. YOU are the reason he even walks into this shop. Not the coffee. YOU.”

“But…”

Nicole shakes her head, “You can either go home to the country or you can take a risk and stay in the city.”

“There is really only one option then.”

Chapter 6

After a night of tossing and turning, and with Nicole’s words ringing in my ears, I decide to take the risk. What’s the worst that can happen?

The walk to the entrance of the building is intimidating. The massive structure almost reaches into the clouds and makes me dizzy just looking at it. Despite working next door for the past two years, I have never been inside this modern skyscraper. 

The men and women that work here enter very early in the morning and leave very late at night. I could usually tell the ones that worked in this building – they were the workers who looked the most stressed and tired.

And they always asked for triple shots of coffee.

So the building remained somewhat of a mystery and I have never been sure of what happens behind these doors. 

As I walk into the foyer of the building, my mouth drops open.

Oh my…

This place is grand in every way.

The open foyer is at least two stories tall, filled with artwork, sculptures and class. This building is clearly designed to impress.

Slowly and apprehensively, I make my way over to the reception desk.

“Hello,” I smile, expecting a friendly response.

A pair of stern eyes look up from the mobile phone behind the desk and stare straight at me. I can almost sense the disgust. The very pretty mid-twenties woman looks like she could be a model, but is clearly not suited to this job.

She even shakes her head as she talks to me, “Nobody is interested.”

“Sorry?” I ask confused.

“Nobody is interested in whatever it is you want to sell.”

“I’m not selling anything.”

“A journalist then? My, I thought you had to be pretty to be a journalist. Clearly they accept anyone these days.”

I am shocked at the rudeness of the woman.

“I’m… I’m not a journalist. I’m here to see Mr. Adams.”

“Ha!” she laughs out-loud. “Everyone wants to see Mr. Adams. But you – you cannot see him.”

Clearly I am not the type of woman that usually works for Mr. Adams. But I’m confident that I am a smart, beautiful and witty woman. I don’t need this woman’s approval.

“I have an appointment.”

She stares at me again, judging every aspect of me. She turns to her computer and starts tapping the keyboard with aggressive taps, “Name.”

“Harper Simpson.”

She taps the keyboard again with her long nails. I see the moment when she reads my name, and I can feel the deflation in her voice, “The coffee girl?”

“Yes, that’s me,” I say with excitement.

“Fill this in.”

She throws a paper file on the counter and slams a pen on it. I smile and begin to fill in the paperwork, including all the standard personal details. When I have finished with the form, I hand it back to the girl.

“Wait over there.”

Gladly, I walk away from the receptionist desk to wait on the very comfortable couch nearby. This couch would be worth more than everything in my apartment combined.

But as soon as I sit down and begin to enjoy the comfort, the dominant figure of Brad catches my eye.

As soon as everyone in the foyer realizes that Brad has arrived, the vibe of the place changes from a busy atmosphere to hushed tones. Everyone is staring at Brad and he doesn’t even seem to notice.

His walk is full of confidence and purpose, and his tailored suit shows his class.

Tall, strong and handsome.

Damn.

“Hello again,” he smiles charmingly as he walks to me.

“Hi,” I squeak.

“Please follow me this way. We’ll go straight up to the top floor.”

I walk behind his broad shoulders and feel the eyes of everyone upon me.  I’m sure they’re all asking themselves the same question – who is that girl? 

And what is she doing with Brad?

“This is a big elevator,” I blurt out as we enter it alone. Even the elevator is opulent and spacious.

“There’s enough space to do anything we want in here,” he winks.

The sexual innuendo dances off his cheeky remark.

“What do you do here?”

“In the elevator? I prefer to keep that a secret.”

Again, more sexual innuendo.

“No, what is it that you do in this building?”

“I do more at home.”

I am starting to get a clear message from Brad and I’m not sure I like it. 

This man is a player.

“I’m the CEO of this investment fund,” he notices that I don’t fully engage in more flirting.

“The CEO? How did you manage that at such a young age?”

“I started this business out of college. I threw everything I had at it – and slept in my car for a year.  Luckily, I became very successful, but that was only due to hard work. I bought this building as a thirtieth birthday present to myself.”

“Impressive,” I whisper, and I’m not sure if I mean his physique or his business.

The elevator dings as we reach the desired destination and as soon as the doors open, my mouth drops open in amazement. 

Wow.

I thought the foyer was grand but this is amazing.

“You’re impressed?” he asks.

I don’t even answer.

Instead I stare at the office that has floor-to-ceiling windows and a stunning view out to the city below. “Is this the top floor?”

“Yes it is. One of the best views in the city,” he smiles. “You have to work in places that inspire you. How impressed are you?”

“Very.”

“Good. I like to impress beautiful girls.”

Although first taken in by his charisma, his endless comments on my femininity is staring to wear thin.

I am a strong woman who is more than just a piece of meat to entertain rich men.

“Nancy works in the office to your left. Have a chat to her and she will show you where your coffee machine is.”

His hand touches the small of my back as he guides me to the area where Nancy’s office is.

The touch sends emotion racing through my body, and I can feel my temperature starting to rise. Damn. Despite talking to this man every day for the past month, I am still nervous around him. I never realized how powerful he was.

“Who is Nancy?” I ask.

“She’s one of my personal assistants. A wonderful, intelligent lady. I’m sure that she’ll help you out. We have a coffee machine in the kitchen down the end of the first hallway. I ordered the new coffee machine a month ago but nobody has used it yet.” 

“And why not?”

“Because it was so much more fun to buy the coffee from you,” he winks and then turns to walk away.

Wow…

I really like watching that butt leave the room.