The Temp (30 page)

76

It was time.

He’d given her enough already, surely they’d caught up and were fast friends again or along those lines. The elevator ride made him dizzy as he waited stepping out into the lobby. He wasn’t drunk, couldn’t be, only caught up in the turmoil.

He never meant to overhear, it was an accident.

Eve’s voice travelled into the foyer.

“Carra, please tell me what you know,” she cried.

“I can’t,” the girl whimpered for a moment and things were quiet. The girl whimpering didn’t strike him as the same girl he’d seen walk in an hour earlier. “You’re in danger Eve, I don’t know anything else. Someone knows about your past.”

“Did you tell anyone?”

“No, Eve, I could never,” it sounded like genuine surprise from the girl. “I have to go, I shouldn’t be here. I’ve said too much.”

“Carra,” their steps carried to the front door.

Roman had a moment to consider, it wasn’t even a moment. He opened the stairwell and threw himself behind the door. What else could he do? He’d wanted to know what was going on and rocking up amidst their argument would only cut their conversation short. If Eve was in danger…

The front door banged open.

Their steps muffled onto the foyer carpet.

The elevator dinged.              

“Carra, please don’t go. After all this time”-

“Take care of yourself Evee, maybe one day we’ll see each other again.” The elevator doors closed and a soft ding told him the girl had left.

Roman leant against the door of the stairwell until he was sure he heard Eve step back into his apartment. He stood there longer than he needed to, going over the events in his mind. What should he do? Should he confront Eve on this? Would she tell him?

And Carra? What of her? Perhaps she would tell him herself. He’d found her after all, he could certainly find her again, especially if Eve was in trouble.

*

Eve sat on the lounge for what felt like hours after Carra left.

Carra had given her an address she could be reached by and would only stay a few days until she disappeared again for good.

When Roman finally returned the night was in full swing. He staggered in.

“Rome,” Eve shot up and went to him in the dark. The lights weren’t turned on and as the night had woven in Eve hadn’t moved an inch.

“What are you doing in the darkness?” his hand reached out holding her cheek.

“Why didn’t you leave?  I thought you would leave.”

“Why would I leave?” hurt lined her voice.

“Because I found Carra for you, isn’t that what you wanted?”

“You thought I would leave once you found her?” Eve didn’t know what to say in response. How could she? Maybe a part of her had considered it.

In the darkness Roman was a mere shadow and a ghostly face in spilled moonlight. Her fingers reached out to him catching his cheek, stroking into his hair.

“Is that why you were angry?”

Roman didn’t say anything. His hands founds the contours of her body and tugged her in inhaling into her neck as if she would vaporise at any moment. He took her hand abruptly and headed up the stairwell.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m going to fuck you.”

Eve swallowed. “Rome?”

“You’re mine,” he growled.

They didn’t make it to the bed. He had her pressed against the wooden floorboards a foot from his bed, tearing her clothes apart at the seams. He was animal, without thought, without consequence, in need of her, possessing her.

Eve arched like a cat in heat and his fingers slid inside her.

“You’re wet.” His fingers pulsed inside her and Eve’s blood rushed down below. She moaned gutturally unlike anything she’d ever known before. She wanted more. She needed more. Her nails pressed into his back. And his fingers were gone a second later. She had a moment to feel bereft before he plunged inside her. She hadn’t registered as he’d unzipped himself or opened the wrapper.

He was inside her, digging into her very core.

She cried out. Her nails dug into his hips. She wanted more, needed so much more. He pumped in and out. Hard and fast. Grinding her back into the floorboards. He was forceful and addictive as he pressed his weight against her and into her.

He pumped further and further and her legs stretched out. Each give and take became a war against her body. She screamed as it hit her suddenly but he didn’t stop sending her screaming further into a world of pain and pleasure.

He pulsed and groaned between her, stilling in a cold sweat on top of her. His body relaxed marginally and slowed as he lowered against her. His breathing came hard and fast in her ear as he lay there shelled over her.

Eve had never been so bereted, so satiated and ridden into bloodlust. Her body felt strong and weak, the adrenaline coursing hot and sickly through her veins. She feared she would pass out from the mere sensation, the ecstasy.

They panted down and up into each other, his face spilling in dark shadows, his demons clear before her. For the longest time neither of them said anything.

The air was filled with heavy breaths, pants and steam dying down, the smell of sweat and sex tainting the air.

At last Eve said it. “Are you alright?”

Roman panted in her ear and pulled himself off and out of her. She was so tiny and fragile beneath him.

He rolled to her side, his shoulder touching hers.

Ever so gently, almost to the point that it might not have happened…Their fingers entwined.

77

Eve checked her phone for the first time in days.

It was Monday morning and she was back in her apartment. She’d insisted on going back early this morning after Roman had to leave for the office.

Eve’s new temping job was to start at midday today.

There were seven missed calls from Trigger. Her pulse accelerated. She raised the phone. She couldn’t put it off any longer. She had to call him, let him know what was going on; after all he was her handler.

As she was about to hit the call button, her phone buzzed.

“Meet me at our usual spot in thirty,” Trigger said and hung up. Eve stared at the phone opened mouthed. She’d been summoned and in the most intimate way
, meet at their usual spot
, as if there was something more between them. A sickening guilt stole into her heart, why did she feel like this? Why did her cheeks colour, her fingers tingle? Why Trigger?

Eve sat on the sofa in her apartment. It felt like forever since she’d been there and yet it had only been two days, two full on days-day and night and her mind swam with everything that had happened. Had she and Roman really taken those steps together?

Had she lost her virginity?

Her hand went down to her abdomen feeling the sensation of his caress on her and inside her, she arched against the sofa. There was no way she’d made it up. How could she? Before this she hardly considered touching herself and now it was like she knew exactly where his hands had been to know that was the way to do it. Of course, her touching herself was only a fraction of the real thing. A fraction. Yet her hand travelled missing him already, her blood spiking beneath her skin, as if it really were him. He could set her free, make her fly.

She opened her eyes and sat up. Trigger. He was waiting. More to the point, he was pissed. Probably. Had to be. He never put the phone down on her before. He was never so terse. So. Her blood spiked again. She sat up further. What was she doing? Reacting to Trigger, was she insane? Her mind was frazzled; she was tense and so relaxed. And so-

*

“Trig,” she said his name like a whisper. Her cheeks heated in the alley and she faced away. Again she was reacting unnecessarily. Guiltily, like she owed him an explanation. She didn’t. Did she?

“Eve, where have you been?” he gripped her shoulders. His voice was anxious, his skin pale in the filtered light. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, what he was reacting to. He was always reacting to the blackmailer and her refusal to submit to their needs. “There’s been movement from the others.”
The others,
he never called them what they were,
blackmailers.

“Oh,” Eve pulled away unsure what to say. Had she wanted him to be worried for her? She was left cold without his touch.

“Things have changed. They think you’re in a better position,” his gaze bore into her but she wouldn’t look his way. “Are they right? Were you with him this weekend?”

Eve drew herself out of his grip. “Isn’t that what you wanted me to do?” her voice was colder than usual, her defensive barriers rising in front of him.

“It was,” his voice fell. “I just”-his hands went into his pockets. “I guess I have mixed feelings about it.” He glanced at her again. “You know I was only following orders.” His eyes implored in the silver light. She bit the inside of her cheek and faced away,
not this, not now.
Was Trigger giving her a glimpse of his feelings for her? Why now? No matter what happened, she couldn’t reciprocate. There would never be a Them. Even if- “Do you love him?”

“It’s none of your business,” she shot back. The question had been unexpected and she hadn’t prepared her poker face in time. She didn’t know the answer anyway. She should. She should be saying no.
Say no.

“Do. You. Love. Him?”

Eve put her hands in her pockets. “It doesn’t matter. He’s made it clear there’s nothing between us and there never will be.”

“So you’re ok to go through with this?”

Eve sucked in a breath. “Yes.”

78

They have you on stand-by.
They have you on stand-by. They have you on stand-by.
Eve wished the voices would go away. It was Trigger’s voice inside her head willing her to go on. There were the photos. There was Carra. There was her past, all those secrets had accumulated. What could she do? Nothing.Wait. Exactly as before.

That’s what a Temp was good at, taking orders.

She was a Temp and would always be. In Roman’s life. Temporary.

As Eve let herself in to his apartment, she couldn’t help feel like the most powerful temp to ever step into a place like this.

“I thought you’d be back sooner,” Roman sat on the lounge with his electronic organiser on his lap.

Eve dropped the keys on the counter. “I had to get a few things.” Her lips turned up in a smile. She took off her coat as he watched her, dropping it on the ground. She sauntered over to him placing her hands on either side of him on the lounge, encasing him.

*

“Wait turn that up,” Roman shot up from the lounge.

Eve picked up the remote and increased the volume. She’d closed her eyes only for a few minutes a half hour ago. It had turned into a nap and when she next opened her eyes Roman lay next to her. The TV continued on in the background like white noise.

Roman watched the screen of the news presenter, Eve couldn’t tell what had caught his attention until the company logo flashed before them.

“And now in business today, Roman Industries stock has dropped after files were leaked on the web.” The woman continued on…Eve’s heart seized.
No.
This couldn’t be it. She hadn’t been given any warning.

Roman’s phone buzzed. He picked up on the first ring. He got up and walked out of the room, the phone pressed to his jaw.

There were feint wisps of words, nothing decipherable, she had to know. This concerned her, it had to. She edged closer. She wasn’t supposed to know, her curiosity got her, she’d been on edge with the blackmailers feeling an invisible clock ticking in the background. Only time would tell when she would be needed, it would definitely be soon. And this had not been part of the plan…not that she’d known any of it.

Eve was in the dark and only now was it becoming clear to her.

“Why am I hearing about it firsthand on the news?” his voice rose. Eve tiptoed back to the lounge, watching the news bulletin as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes. She didn’t know much about the business and finance world, only enough to know this was bad. Roman returned a few minutes later where she sat. He opened his mouth.

“You have to go into the office, I know,” Eve beat him to it. She hated surprises and goodbyes especially and this was one of those moments she’d hate forever. “Go,” she whispered.

Roman sat next to her placing a hand over hers. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

“Ok,” Eve got up, no use sugar coating it. She had to go. She grabbed her things.

Roman put his hand on her arm. “I didn’t”-

“It’s ok. I’ll go. Call me when this is over.” He’d need his own space, like the first time he’d been called away, it was his way.

“No.” Eve paused. “I want you to stay.”

“Rome, you don’t have to. I’ll come back later. I know you have to work”-

“Why are you fighting me on this? I’m trying”-

“Rome, I know this isn’t permanent.”

“I know,” his eyes glazed over. “I want you here when I return. You can go back and get a few things. I want you here. Today.”

“Rome.”

“Damn it Eve,” his voice rose to a clip.

Eve came round behind him. “Ok I’ll stay. I’ll be here when you get back. Go. Your company needs you.”

I need you,
Eve wanted to say.

I need you,
Roman might have said.