Substitute (7 page)

She wheeled round to look at him; he was smoothing his hair down and picking up a file on the desk. There was a loud knock on the door behind her. Without waiting for an answer, Tony strode in.

‘Hey, boss …’

Tony faltered when he saw her, his playful eyes suddenly puzzled. He locked eyes with Alexia and she felt a lurch in her stomach.

She couldn’t help herself; she turned to look at Nathan, to see his reaction. His eyes were hard and his jaw tight as he regarded the two of them standing close together.

He strode over to Tony. ‘This is the file you need. Make sure Iorizzo knows he has to behave this time.’

Alexia’s mind was whirring. Iorizzo – his name was in the file Romy had handed her this morning. He was the hottest footballer in the world. Wild, Italian, and so famous he only used his last name.

‘Yeah, sure, of course.’

Tony’s eyes darted to Alexia. He was trying to read this scene, but he was having trouble.

Nathan turned his back on them both and went to his desk. They were dismissed.

Alexia shakily picked her bag up from the floor where it had fallen and walked past Tony and out into the corridor, moving as fast as she could without attracting attention, back to the open-plan office where most of the staff worked. But Tony caught up with her.

‘Hey …!’ He grabbed her arm and hit the spot where Carter had dug his fingers into her and bruised her. She winced and pulled back.

Tony exhaled, showing his frustration. Not having witnessed the morning’s scene on the pavement, he thought her wincing was a reaction to him.

‘Well, you’ll have to find a way to be around me for the next couple of days.’

Alexia looked at him. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I’m coming too, didn’t Nathan tell you? Seems we’ll be together, in a hotel, where there are lots of beds!’ He winked at her, then strode away.

Could this day get any worse? thought Alexia. Carter, then Nathan, now Tony! She slumped at her desk. Her mind was whirling. A few weeks ago she was on the run from a brutal relationship. She thought her new life could only be calmer than that, but it had never been so crazy. What on earth was going on? It seemed she had slid head-first into a whirlpool of confusion and – what? Desire? She felt Nathan’s mouth on hers again as she remembered how he’d kissed her just a few moments ago. Was it just a few moments? It seemed like an eternity.

She almost whimpered. She realised that some of the staff were looking at her. She put her head down and pulled the file from her handbag.

The afternoon passed in a blur of phone calls, to the football club, the venue, the catering manager, several press contacts. Alexia was grateful for the distraction. But it all felt unreal. Was she really booking a hotel room for herself? Was she really going? She finished her last call, finished typing up itineraries. Sent her last emails, including one to Nathan confirming all the arrangements. Would he reply? What would he say?

She watched her Outlook box, waiting for his name to drop with that tell-tale two-tone signal. But nothing. She had to make sure he was happy before she left, just in case there was a snag she’d missed. But still nothing. It was nearly 7 p.m. She knew he was still in the office, as were a few others. There was nothing for it; she’d have to ask him.

Shakily, she got to her feet. A clenching feeling in her loins made her feel quite unsteady. She walked on trembling legs to his office and stood outside the door. She could hear his voice … On the telephone? The sound of him made her nipples feel exposed despite being tucked away safely under her clothes. She listened to him and could feel them almost pop out at the sound of him.

She realised she was clutching the file to her breasts, half in fear, half trying to rub herself.

Should she knock? She stood there, momentarily frozen, unable to decide. She couldn’t disturb him if he was talking, but how long would he be? She couldn’t just stand here …

Knock, knock, knock!

She didn’t remember deciding to knock, she just realised she was doing it.

‘Come!’ said the voice inside.

She opened the door. Nathan was on the phone, just as she thought. He looked up. No change of expression on his face. No acknowledgement of her presence, no smile. Nothing.

She took two paces into the room.

‘Hang on a sec …’ Nathan pulled the phone away from his mouth and looked at her.

‘Yes?’

His tone was flat, matter of fact. Was it cold or just business-like? She couldn’t tell. The sight of those eyes, those dark blue eyes, so soft earlier, now so cold it made her stomach somersault. She felt a clutching churning in her pussy and she struggled not to squirm.

He breathed out heavily; she was wasting his time, just standing there.

‘I sent you an email,’ she stammered. ‘Everything’s ready for tomorrow. I just wanted to know if …’

‘Yes, I’ve seen it; it’s fine. Be here tomorrow at 9 o’clock sharp, we have a strategy meeting for the event and you’ll need to be here …’ He paused, as if checking himself. ‘Thank you,’ he added.

She was about to answer, but he’d already gone back to his phone call. Alexia was dismissed. Again.

She mumbled an acknowledgement and crept out, closing the door silently behind her.

She almost ran down the corridor, into the office. She picked up her coat and bag and made for the door. She dashed across the street, straight onto a waiting bus and home.

The shuddering, bumping, and lurching bus took an eternity to deliver her safely home. She had never been so glad to be cocooned in the flat.

She walked in to see Romy going into her bedroom wearing a very sexy negligee, and carrying a bottle of sparkling wine. She looked very dishevelled, and not at all ill.

‘Romy, what are you doing? You’re supposed to be in bed?’

‘Oh yes. Well …’ She held up the champagne just as a very handsome man wearing absolutely nothing sauntered out of the bathroom, his cock semi-hard, straight past them into Romy’s bedroom. ‘Busted!’ she said, by way of explanation.

‘What the hell …?’

‘Look, I’m fine, clearly. No cold, nothing wrong.’

‘Then what was this morning all about? ‘

‘Look, I …’ Romy looked into the bedroom, smiled at her companion, and shut the door on him. She walked over to Alexia. ‘I wanted to make sure you and Nathan were, you know, thrown together. So he could see you weren’t Tony’s tart.’

‘Oh my God!’ Alexia’s knees buckled. She slumped into a chair. ‘What have you done!’ she wailed.

‘A bloody big favour to you – except you don’t realise it yet. And we are a sports agency after all – you’ll be his sub.’

Alexia’s eyes widened. 

‘His second half substitute!’ laughed Romy. She tipped her head and tried to look innocent. ‘Look, I really think he likes you and I’ve never seen him notice anyone in the office. He’s never asked about a temp before … Never!’

Alexia blinked. Likes me? That can’t be true, she thought. But that kiss … She flushed and breathed out hard.

‘Hey, you OK? Tony hasn’t had another go at you, has he?’

‘No,’ said Alexia. She knew her dishevelled state needed an explanation but she wasn’t going to mention the kiss. ‘Carter turned up at the office.’

‘What? How the hell does he know where you work?’ Romy was incredulous.

‘I don’t know, but he won’t be coming back. Nathan came out and punched him.’

‘Whoa! You’re fucking kidding!’

‘No, I’m not. God knows what he thinks of me now. He must think I have a string of men.’

She was suddenly miserable again. First Tony, then Carter … What would Nathan think now?

‘Well I bet he didn’t get up again. Nathan was in the army before he started the agency, something in the sneaky-beaky brigade. He can handle himself.’

An image of Nathan in uniform crossed in front of Alexia. She felt a huge surge of wanting as she thought of his upright bearing, the hard muscles under his tunic, and his ruthless efficiency in dispatching Carter. She was getting wet again.

‘Are you OK?’ asked Romy.

‘What? … Yes, yes, I am. Carter disappeared; I don’t think he’ll be coming back.’ She remembered the guttural sound that came out of him as Nathan’s punch landed in kidneys. ‘It’s OK, I’m just tired.’

‘You sure? Must have been a hell of a shock.’

Yes, it was a shock, but not as much of a shock as what happened next, thought Alexia. She realised that, just a few short weeks ago, Carter appearing would have rocked her to her core. But now? Now she didn’t care. All she cared about was Nathan and that kiss.

‘Look I’m OK. Just go back to you friend.’

Romy smiled sheepishly. ‘Nicky. Well, his engine is running … ‘

‘Yeah I could see that,’ said Alexia, remembering the bobbing and stiffening cock that had sailed past her a few moments ago. She felt a pang of jealousy of the sex her friend had clearly just had and was about to have again. Why was it so easy for everyone else?

Romy kissed her on the forehead and skipped back to Nicky. Alexia picked herself up from her chair. She felt so heavy. She shrugged herself out of her work clothes, made herself a simple supper, and poured herself a glass of wine. She finished her food without really tasting it and realised she had polished off three glasses of red.

She poured herself another as Richard walked in.

‘Hey, beautiful. You on your own?’

‘Hi,’ whispered Alexia. She still felt sheepish around him after the night before.

‘Turns out Romy isn’t ill. She just wanted me to go on a trip instead of her.’ She felt the need to conceal the truth about Nathan from Richard.

‘I kinda worked that out,’ said Richard, sitting down on the sofa next to her. He took the glass of wine from her hand and drained it in one go.

‘I got the job!’ He smiled.

‘Oh, that’s brilliant. Well done.’

‘Yeah, it’s pretty good.’ He shrugged. ‘Means I’ll be working evenings, though.’

‘That’s OK, isn’t it?’

‘Oh sure, it just means that …’

His gaze swept over her and Alexia felt his intention. She blushed.

‘I told you last night I wasn’t going to fuck you because I think you’re saving that for someone else.’

Why was he saying that? Alexia wondered. And then she realised he might be right. Was she saving it? She was no virgin, but she knew she had never truly been made love to or made love in return. She’d never been fucked, really fucked by someone she wanted, truly wanted.

The wine and Richard’s nearness made her want to clench her pussy to try and squeeze away the feeling that was uncoiling in her now. That feeling of want, the one that seemed to be running her life at the moment.

Richard held her face in his hand. His mouth was so close to hers.

‘But, my lovely, you need to loosen up and you need to feel your own passion. It’s all bottled up in there – and it ain’t doin’ you no good. And I said I’d teach you to uncork it so you’re ready for whoever this guy is. So … Class is now in session.’

He got up off the sofa and took her hand. He pulled her towards her bedroom and she let him take her there. The raging emotions of the day had left her washed out and exhausted, but she needed release from it all. She needed this.

She was wearing light blue sweatpants which hung around her slim hips. Richard stood in front of her and pushed his fingers into the waistband.

The warm touch of his fingers made a small moan fall from Alexia. She breathed out, relieved to feel the human contact. To feel a man’s hands on her. He leant forward and kissed her. She could taste the red wine on his lips; that sweet blackberry darkness she’d been drinking all evening was now mixed with the taste of him.

She curled her arms around his neck, wanting to hang off him and drink in his scent. His tongue circled her lips and he bit her gently as he dug his fingers into her flanks beneath the soft material of her trousers.

Her cunt clenched and unclenched; she wanted him so badly. Nathan’s kiss had started a fire this morning that had been there all day. It hadn’t gone out, it had only been damped down, to flare again under Richard’s hands.

‘Hey, tiger!’ He laughed and dropped to his knees, taking her sweatpants down to her ankles in one swift swoosh of fabric.

He was face to face with her pussy and he saw how his undressing of her had caused a rush of juices. Her pale pink panties were wet and quivering.

Alexia’s legs were trembling. She could feel the heat of his breath whispering through the curls beneath the slim strip of satin covering her modesty. He knifed his hand up between her legs and she gasped as the edge of it made contact with her swollen labia.

She shook her feet free of her trousers and stood with her legs parted. She heard Richard moaning, ‘Good girl! Open up for daddy …’

And she wanted to open up; she wanted badly to open up to him, to feel his cock inside her. But he wasn’t going to do that. He’d told her he wasn’t.

His fingers pulled the damp satin to one side and she closed her eyes. Her hands rested on his head, her fingers in his soft, dishevelled curls, and she felt his head move forward. She felt the warm wetness of his stiffened tongue flick her clit.

She gasped. She waited a moment, wanting to feel it again. Waiting for his tongue to send that sweet jolt of electricity through her. But nothing happened. She waited. And waited.

She was breathing hard, eyes still closed. She realised she could hear sounds floating into the room. She opened her eyes and let the sounds fill her ears.

Moans and gasps came from the other room. Romy and Nicky were fucking, really fucking, and they weren’t being quiet about it. The animal sounds sent another thrill through Alexia. Her friend was getting hammered and Alexia had seen the size of the cock that was hammering her when it was only semi-hard. Really hard, it must be huge. No wonder Romy was being so vocal.

‘Well, isn’t that just getting you horny,’ said Richard from down below.

Alexia looked down to see Richard peeling away her panties. She could still hear the other couple. Moan, moan, moan, fuck, fuck, fuck … On and on they went.

Alexia couldn’t stand it; she pushed her hips forward to Richard’s mouth, but he laughed and held her hips.