SandraThis time I didn't even try calling him first.Now, standing at the front door of Club Red, I step past the doorman with a nod in his direction. After the conversation I'd had with Rico about how only club members are allowed in, I fully expect the doorman to try to stop me.But he doesn't.So I walk into the club with my head held high. The music throbs deep in my bones, and I take in the usual sights, this time without slowing down or hesitating for even a second. Though there are plenty of interesting activities happening, I have one mission in mind.I'm here to find Rico and finally tell him how I feel.I like the man. As cold and cruel and awful and savage as he can be in business, he has a soft spot toward me and I trust him. I have no doubt that he wouldn't do anything to take advantage of me. Maybe I'm making a mistake, but I’ll only know that for sure when all is said and done. Right now, I'm choosing to trust my intuition, and my intuition tells me he's someone I can
RicoI see her knuckles go white as she grips the edge of Sandra’s desk. “You need to forgive me; otherwise, the past will eat at you forever. Besides, I made you strong.”I let out a tense chuckle. “No, you broke me. I made myself strong. Strong enough to survive you, no matter what you did to me. And now you’ll die alone among strangers who don’t actually know what you are. Get out of my life and don’t come back - you’re not welcome here.” With that, I glance past her at the two security guys waiting.“I’ll go. You don’t need to have your goons throw out a frail old woman, Rico. I’m your mother, not your enemy.” She waves both hands at me as if I’m the one victimizing her and walks toward the door. I see the security guys blink, but they know I don’t bring them into anything without damn good reason.It’s cute she considers herself my mother and not my enemy - I consider her neither. She’s nothing to me, and she hasn’t been for a long damn time. Even now, the place within me that sh
RicoI leave the office, annoyed that I didn’t even manage to figure out a game plan for landing that client.As I head toward Sandra’s desk, I find myself wondering how her day has gone and what she’s been up to. I stop, thinking about her as I pull on my suit jacket and button it up.“You’re looking handsome.” My mother’s voice drives into my temple like an ice pick, and I slowly rotate to face her.“And you’re not welcome here.” I clasp my hands behind my back to hide their shaking. I’m not afraid of her. But she does inspire dark thoughts in me. If I ever decide to get even for what she’s done to me... she’d have hell to face.Her eyes narrow, then soften. I take in her wrinkled appearance, seeing that time has not been kind to her. Her dark eyes search my face, as if seeking out proof that I mean the words, and I hope she finds the truth there - not that she’d pay attention. The only person whose wants matter to her are hers.“I have some news.” She speaks as if I didn’t say a wo
SandraWould we be best friends or enemies? I can’t help but think we’d be the best of friends, that we’d have stayed up late into the night sharing secrets, that we’d have been inseparable, sharing clothes, music, and whispered secrets about boys. I find those thoughts a lot more comforting than the worry that we’d have hated one another. I'd rather the bittersweet feeling of loss than to feel comfortable in thinking that I haven't lost anything at all.Thoughts of my sister invade my mind often, and I’m ashamed that I try to drown them out with work, worry, and day-to-day tasks. It's not that I don't want to think about her. Instead, it hurts when I do. My sister Deanna was born with a congenital heart defect. From day one, my parents knew she was on borrowed time. They enjoyed ten beautiful years with her before she passed away, but I only had five years with her, and I sadly don’t remember much about her. I have scattered memories of my mother telling me about her, sharing picture
SandraIt has been a day and a half since I walked in on Rico pleasuring himself behind his desk.A day and half since I watched him explode and wondered how that would feel if he’d been inside me.A day and half since I wished he’d take me across his knee and spank me for breaking his rules...“Your mind is elsewhere today, sweetie.” My mother's voice breaks me out of my thoughts and my cheeks burn in shame and excitement.I smile at the barista and take my coffee as my mom gives me a loving and suspicious side-eye glance. “Yeah, I'm just tired.” I have no idea what other excuse to make for my inability to focus and there’s no way I can tell her the truth. She’d never understand. Well, I know that she would immediately tell me to go to HR or sue him or something else. It's honestly my fault for walking into Rico's office without buzzing first. I broke a cardinal rule, a rule that I now understand better. No doubt he put that rule in for a reason, and by walking in without announcing
RicoI lean back in my chair, thinking about how much I want her. Surely I must be losing my mind. Not only do I want her help with my business, I want her in my bed. I'm not an idiot. I know that mixing business and pleasure is a recipe for disaster. But there's something so tempting and tantalizing about Sandra that I'm not sure how to hold back, either. One thing is for sure, I'm going to have to come up with a fix for all of this sooner rather than later.Maybe I’d feel better if I released some of this tension I'm holding on to. I close my eyes and think about Sandra in the shower, the little show she'd put on as if hoping I was watching her. I think about her face as she came, the excitement in her eyes, the thrill she felt in that moment.All of these thoughts have my body fully revved up and ready to go. Unbuttoning and unzipping my pants, I take myself out, still thinking about her, her lips, her eyes, that flirty way she’d looked at me...With a groan, I wrap my fingers arou