I stop writing as heat flows from my fingertips to my toes, turning into an ache as it fills my breasts and then an inch as it settles between my legs. I can't ignore it.
I put my pen and my journal down. Then I close my eyes and lie back.I lift the hem of my oversize shirt all the way to my armpits. I trap it between my teeth before pushing the waistband of my underwear down to my knees.I raise my knees and slip my hand between my legs. My fingers search for my nub and find it in seconds. As I stroke it, I touch my breast with my other hand. I pinch the nipple gently, then start to rub it.My hands in place, I let my imagination wander. I've never had sex before. Never had time for romance except for the one I had in high school which, thankfully, didn't get physical, because that guy was a jerk. So, I simply conjure the sex acts from the memories of the books I've read, pretending I'm the heroine.I think about the book I just read, about that scene in the orchard. I pretend I'm lying on top of my cloak on the grass, the hero above me with his ebony eyes gazing into mine.He's supposed to have red hair like every member of his family and a scar on his cheek, and yet I can't seem to picture his face. I can feel my desire ebbing away.No. Think of a man. Any man.Any man with piercing eyes and a l facial structure any artist would love to capture. A man with a perfectly fit body wrapped in a suit, who exudes testosterone and power.Suddenly, Shawn comes to mind. His coal black eyes. His raven hair. His jawline that never gets covered in hair and looks especially defined when you look at him from the side or when he's thinking and his hands are tucked beneath his chin. His thin lips that barely smile but bring out the adorable lines at the corners of his eyes when they do.He kisses me with those lips. I place my hands on his cheeks and pull his face down. He grabs my wrists and pins them above my head as his tongue subdues mine. His fingers tease my nipple and my nub at the same time and moans leave my throat, only to be muffled by his skillful mouth.That mouth descends on my breast and heat spreads across my back. His hand moves faster, strumming me like a guitarist working magic on his strings. I'm soaking wet. My breath comes in gasps. My hips rise off the bed and my toes curl into the mattress.The wave of pleasure comes. It sends me shaking all over and knocks the breath from my lungs.I throw my head back and let out a cry as I savor the height of that wave. After it passes, I drop my hips and straighten my legs. I take a moment to catch my breath before pulling my clothes back into place. Then I rest my hands on my chest as I stare at the ceiling.As my mind clears, dismay and remorse welcome me back to reality.What the hell, Felicity?Masturbating to your boss? Not cool.I slap my forehead. I know I was feeling lonely, but that's no excuse for doing what I just did.Shawn is my boss. Sure, he may well be the hottest boss in the world, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't find him attractive. I've actually had a crush on him for the past two years, since the moment I saw his picture on the company website right after I was hired. And when we first met by the pool at his father's house?My knees got so weak I nearly fell into the water.But he's my boss. He's the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and one of the richest men in the country, and I'm just an assistant who can't even afford to travel. I may be always by his side but we're worlds apart. Then there are the rules, of course. As boss and employee, there's a line between us that absolutely cannot be crossed.So, there's no way we're ever going to have sex.I'll just have to settle for bringing him coffee, answering his calls and putting papers on his desk. And those chats that we sometimes have after work.I look forward to those, actually. They're my favorite part of the week, the reason why I usually stay in the office even after the others have gone home.The conversations never last for more than five minutes and we never talk about anything important, but in those five minutes, we seem like friends instead of boss and assistant.I know that's the most I can ever hope for, and lately I haven't even been getting that. Maybe that's why I started fantasizing about him. Maybe I just miss him.He's been so busy with the company's newest and biggest acquisition, some financial firm in Switzerland, that he's been attending more meetings and staying at the office later than ever. I think he sleeps there sometimes. He's even going to Switzerland soon to iron out some details and —A sudden realization stops my thoughts in their tracks. Speaking of Switzerland, wasn't I supposed to send the tailor additional funds to finish Shawn's suits?Shit. I've been trying to plan so many things for his trip that such an important little detail slipped from my mind. But I'm going to fix that now.I wash up and get dressed as fast as I can, then gather the stuff on top of my bed and shove it inside my purse as I run out the door.Hopefully, I can fix this blunder before Shawn notices."Thank goodness. Such a close call." I let out a sigh of relief after getting off the phone.I managed to get in touch with the tailor in Switzerland. Thank goodness he was already awake. I've just sent him payment from the digital wallet set up on my office computer and told him to deliver the suits to the hotel as soon as he's finished with them.In short, I've managed to prevent a disaster. Now, Shawn is all set for Switzerland.And I can go home.My lonely flat.I glance at the door to his office as I gather my things. I can see the sliver of light beneath it so I know he's still inside. I should get home before he knows I'm here and —I gasp as I see the leather-bound journal inside my purse.What?I pick it up and flip through the pages just to make sure it is what I think it is. It's my journal, alright. I must have accidentally shoved it inside my purse along with my other things while I was panicking over my mistake.Oh, Felicity, you can be so stupid sometimes.I'm about to
Strange, I think as I watch Felicity disappear behind the elevator doors. I feel like the woman I've just spoken to is completely different from the one I've been working closely with for the past two years.It's not just because Felicity looked different. I've only ever seen her in stiff dresses or colored silk blouses and tight-fitting skirts, but tonight she was wearing pants and a white top that seemed to hang from her shoulders. The topmost button was left undone, too, and though her cleavage remained concealed, I could see her black bra through the thin fabric. I had to keep myself from staring at it, in fact. Then there's her hair.Apart from that first time I met her, I've always seen her with her cappuccino mane all combed back and tied up, which is attractive enough, but nothing compared to when she has her hair down. There's just something sensual about a woman whose shiny locks are flowing freely past her shoulders, like they're inviting me to run my fingers through them.
"Another," I tell the bartender after setting down my empty glass of Scotch for the fourth time. He refills it from the bottle within seconds."Same here," Ryker says, pointing to his empty glass of gin tonic."Looks like the two of you are having it rough," Asher remarks as he takes a sip of his martini. "It's that Swiss acquisition, isn't it?""The question is: Why don't you seem as anxious?" Ryker asks him. "Or have you forgotten that if this acquisition doesn't push through, it will be bad for the whole company?""I know, but it will still be worse for the two of you," Asher says.Ryker frowns."Maybe we should just leave him here when we go to Switzerland," I say."What do you think, Ryker?""Hey!" Asher complains. "No fair. I've already made plans for Switzerland."Ryker raises an eyebrow. "Plans?""I've heard Swiss women are gorgeous."Ryker rolls his eyes. I know what he's thinking — that some things never change."We are going to Switzerland for work, you know," I remind Ashe
Shawn is taking me with him to Switzerland? I can't believe my ears.He's never brought me along on his business trips before. Why now? Why all of a sudden? If he was planning on bringing me along, he could have told me weeks ago. I've already made all the arrangements. He didn't think of it then, so why think of it now? What made him change his mind?"I know it's a bit sudden," Shawn tells me. "But I've realized that this trip is even more important than I thought. I've never handled an acquisition this big. I want to be prepared for anything, so I need you there."Perfectly understandable, but I still can't bring myself to believe it. My fingers clutch the edges of the tablet in my hands, afraid that like this dream come true I've just been handed, it might slip away and shatter.Can this be real? Is it really alright for me to go to Switzerland with Shawn? I mean, we'll be traveling together and we might find ourselves alone together. What if I lose my composure again like I did la
The flight from Chicago to Zurich takes a little less than nine hours.I spend the first half hour marveling at the inside of Shawn's jet - well, it's owned by the company, actually, but this one is for the exclusive use of the CEO.It's a Gulfstream, or so Henry, the lone flight attendant on the plane, tells me. It's supposed to carry only eleven passengers, so I thought it would be small and cramped. Boy, was I wrong.Sure, it definitely looks like a dwarf on the outside compared to the gigantic commercial planes, but inside there's enough space for a kid to run and kick a ball around. And that's just the seating area. There's a dining area with a bar, a kitchen, a bathroom with a shower and a conference room.More than the space, it's the atmosphere of luxury that has me gasping and gaping in awe. The soft leather seats that come with neck massagers and convert into flat beds. The thick, burgundy carpet. Ambient lighting. My own 15-inch TV. Then there's the service designed to make
"I don't think I've ever eaten anything quite like that," I say as I dab my lips with the table napkin. "Is this what you eat all the time?""Not all the time," Shawn answers. "But it's one of my favorites. The chef who designed this, he was serving his food in a small hut when I first met him. Now he has an empire not just all, over Asia but all over Europe, to — ""And he's here?" I ask with arched eyebrows."No. He hates flying, But the chef who cooked for us this evening trained under him, among many others. He's very skillful,"I put my hands up. "No need to convince me. If the next dish is as good as this, I'll be very happy."Shawn grins. "I think you will be."Moments later, the second course arrives — a pair of pot stickers with a bit of salad on the side and a dark dipping sauce.The moment I see it, my chest tightens. I grip it as I draw a deep breath."Is something wrong?" Shawn asks me.I shake my head but fail to conceal my emotions. "It's just that this is one of the th
I guess those heaps of energy ran out.I turn off the light above Felicity's seat and press the button to push it back a bit further so she'll be more comfortable. She stirs but remains asleep. I drape the fleece blanket over her, Wrapping it around her shoulders. She gives off a sound of contentment like the purring of a cat. It makes me smile, but at the same time I feel a sliver of anxiety as I stare at her sleeping face.Felicity, what am I going to do with you?I've never met a woman who could make me feel so many emotions all at once. Earlier, while she was working, I couldn't help but admire her for working so hard. Her fingers were punching the keyboard like crazy, her eyes boring holes into her screen. It made me feel almost ashamed because it felt like she was working harder than I was. But it also inspired me to keep working hard myself. At the same time, I wanted to wrench her laptop away from her and tell her to stop working so we could continue with the conversation we h
The first thing we do is take a cruise across the sparkling lake, which is right next to the hotel.Afterwards, we head to the Old Town. We explore it on foot, starting from the Bahnhof on Main Street. Then we take a stroll past the colorful houses on Augustinergasse, drop by the Lindenhof and stop by the Uraniastrasse Police Station to see the vibrant murals by Augusto Giacometti.Through it all, I notice that Felicity still seems wary of my company. She keeps her distance from me and doesn't speak unless spoken to. Every now and then, she slips and drops her guard, especially when something interesting catches her attention and she forgets that I'm there, but when she remembers, she's quick to put it up again.I still don't understand why, but I don't mind. I'm still glad I decided to accompany her. It's evident she's excited to explore Zurich, even though she's trying her best to hide it, and the more she sees, the more she seems to fall in love with the city. As she takes in the s