The Baby Favor Page 2

  I wanted to be inside her, and I wanted her to be screaming my name in ecstasy.

  I called Janet.

  “I’m going to need some time before the next interview.”

  Chapter 2

  Amy

  “I don’t know how it happened, Zeus, but I think I got a job!”

  Zeus was at the door to greet me when I arrived home, jumping up to put his paws on my shoulders and lick my face, almost knocking me down. His tail was wagging rapidly back and forth, toppling the over-stacked mail on the coffee table, mimicking my excitement. I wasn’t sure exactly what possessed me to get such a huge dog, but he was such a precious puppy. Besides, having a two-hundred pound Saint Bernard as a roommate was the best security I could ask for.

  After I stopped by the kitchen to throw him a treat, he followed me through the tiny apartment to my bedroom, where he flopped beside me on the bed.

  I was still a bit puzzled about what happened back at Rittsman Enterprise. Never had I expected to be hired so quickly, and certainly not by the head of the firm, Derek Rittsman himself.

  Derek Rittsman.

  “He was… wow,” I said aloud to Zeus, who seemed to only care about getting his belly rubbed. But he was a good listener, anyway.

  Derek Rittsman had carried himself with such confidence, such power, which made sense, considering his position. I would have expected that. Being in the same room with him made my stomach twist and flutter. The way he stared so intently at me, with those piercing eyes, almost as if he were undressing me…

  “Ugh. Fantasizing about a sexy billionaire. I really need to get a life, Zeus.”

  Zeus had fallen asleep.

  I leaned back, biting my lip and wrapping my legs together as I thought more about Derek. It didn’t hurt to dream, no matter how unrealistic. My hands began to wander—but I was interrupted by the loud ring of my cell phone.

  It was my sister, Abigail, who, as always, was filled with infectious energy.

  “Amy, darling, did you go to your interview? How was it? When are you going to hear back? Did you like it?” I was bombarded with questions.

  I sat up in bed, playing with the edge of the quilt. “Yes. It was very nice. They actually hired me.”

  “What? Already? Tell me everything!”

  I smiled. “Well, it was actually pretty crazy. I was interviewed by the head of the firm. The top guy. The big boss.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. I don’t know why. But he was, you know, very nice. We talked a little. I was really surprised that I was hired on the spot. We didn’t discuss much, but he was really enthusiastic. It was a little weird. Not in a bad way, though.”

  “Oh, Amy, you’re just wonderful. I’ve been telling you for such a long time. When are you going to get it through that thick skull of yours?”

  I sighed. “Maybe they’re just hiring a lot of the people who apply. Maybe they’re just going to weed out those who aren’t—”

  “Oh, stop right there. Can’t you hear how ridiculous you’re being?” Abby clicked her tongue. “I’ll tell you what happened. That CEO guy or whatever took one look at you and fell in love. Did you wear that black dress I told you to wear?”

  “Well, yes, but—”

  “Honey. I’m not saying you were just hired for your looks. You’re smart, you’re friendly, you’re funny… you’ve got it all. There is absolutely no reason that they wouldn’t hire you.”

  “I guess.” Abby wasn’t going to stop until I agreed with her, so I might as well get it over with.

  “That’s what I thought,” Abby said. “Now, tell me more about this guy? Was he hot?”

  “The… the guy who interviewed me?” I began to stumble over my words, embarrassed. “I mean, he was okay.” More than okay. “He was very nice, very charismatic.” And the way he was looking at me… “But Abby, I can’t think of him that way. He’s my boss now, remember?”

  “So? Office romances are a thing.”

  “I’m being realistic,” I said, sighing. “It doesn’t matter how much I want him, because someone like him is so… unattainable, for someone like me. I’m basically invisible to him.”

  I could practically hear Abby smirking on the line. “So, what I gathered from that was, you want him?”

  “Ugh. Abby!”

  Abby giggled. “I knew it! My innocent little sister lusting over someone. I never thought I’d see the day. You have to sleep with him now, you have to.”

  “I don’t have to do shit,” I said, trying not to laugh along with her. “Even if I wanted to. It’s just not going to happen.”

  “Whatever you say, Amelia. We’ll see.” Abby was still ecstatic. “Now, what are your plans for the night?”

  “I was thinking about staying in bed and binge-watching some old movies,” I said. A typical night in. I knew Abby would protest.

  “Oh, absolutely not. I’m taking you out. We’re going to celebrate. My baby sister got an internship!”

  I shook my head. “That’s not necessary.”

  “Are you kidding me? When’s the last time you went out and had a good time?”

  “Umm… a couple months ago, maybe?” I bit my lip.

  “Are you ki— oh my God. When we went out for your twenty-first birthday? That’s it? Seriously?”

  “Mm-hmm.” There was no escaping her now.

  Abby groaned. “You are hopeless, Amelia. Hopeless. Listen. I’m going to pick you up at eight tonight, okay? I want you to be ready. I want you to be fabulous. Wear that red dress I bought you. It’s gorgeous, I don’t care what you think. I’m going to take you out on the town, and we are going to party. There will be men, there will be booze, and there will be things that we never discuss again!”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Good. Now, I have to go, but I’ll see you tonight.”

  * * *

  I found the red dress my sister instructed me to wear buried deep in my closet. It still had the tag on it. It was a short cocktail dress made out of silky scarlet material, something I never would have picked for myself.

  As my sister and best friend, Abigail was basically my advisor in life. The thing was, we were polar opposites. She was tall, slim, graceful, athletic, confident, and sexy—in other words, everything I was not. She always meant well, but I couldn’t even look at her without wishing that I was more like her.

  Getting ready to shower, I stripped off my clothes in the bathroom then glanced in the mirror. Short, awkward, clumsy, round… way too round, that was me. Frowning, I tried sucking in my stomach. Better, I guess. I turned away.

  Turning the shower as hot as it would go, I ducked under the water. The water pressure in my apartment was shit, but it was all I could afford. And I was used to it.

  Lathering shampoo into my hair, my mind began to wander again, to thoughts of Derek. I imagined him in the shower with me, standing behind me, washing my shoulders and back, then letting his hands explore, and pressing against me… mmm…

  I poured a generous helping of shampoo into my hand and began rubbing it over my breasts, creating frothy suds that allowed my fingers to slide so seductively over my skin. Then I reached down to my pussy and lathered my clit in the suds.

  I tried to imagine it was Derek’s mouth on my clit, sucking it like a tongue. I imagined him down there, on his knees, making out with my pussy. I slid my finger inside myself and tried to imagine it was his tongue reaching inside me.

  Then I imagined him reaching up to my butt and grabbing my butt cheeks tightly in his big, strong hands. He’d spin me around so my back was to him. Then he’d spread open my butt cheeks and put his lips on my butt. He’d rub his tongue up and down the crack of my ass, stopping to press extra hard when his tongue was right on my anus. I touched my butt, sliding a slippery, soapy finger inside as I imagined him rimming me.

  Then, with two very slippery, very soapy hands, I began to doubly penetrate myself, with one finger sliding in and out of my butt, fucking my ass, and another doi
ng the same thing to my pussy.

  I don’t know which finger I wanted to be his cock, the one in my pussy or the one in my ass. Either would have been perfect. As I continued fucking myself in both holes, I felt my orgasm rush through me like a wave crashing on the beach. As I came, I imagined him cumming in my pussy, then pulling out of my pussy and cumming in my ass.

  The bottle of shampoo slipped and banged on the shower floor, obnoxiously loud, startling me out of my fantasy. Zeus poked his head in through the bathroom door, probably checking to make sure I was still alive enough to feed him dinner. I stuck my tongue out at him.

  “I have got to stop daydreaming about this man,” I said out loud. He’s your boss now. A man of his stature would never, ever be interested in a girl like you.

  I got out of the shower, dried myself off, and got ready for the night. My routine was short and uncomplicated. I twisted my hair up into a high bun, rubbed myself with lotion, and put on mascara. After putting on my favorite lacy black bra and underwear, I did what I was dreading most, and slid into the dress.

  I felt bare. The red dress was tight, with an off-the-shoulder neckline. The skirt fell almost to my knees, and hugged my waist and thighs. The color was loud, noticeable. The dress did exactly what I imagined Abby wanted it to—it said, LOOK AT ME!

  I wanted to take it off, but I didn’t. My sister would force me to put it back on. Instead, I found a pair of black heels I didn’t remember owning.

  While I waited by the door, I rubbed Zeus’ head. His unwavering affection helped to calm some of the anxiety I was feeling.

  Ten minutes past eight, I received a text from Abby.

  “I can’t make it tonight, stupid car isn’t starting and I can’t find a ride. We’ll go out this weekend. So sorry. XOXO.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief, then got the next text.

  “P.S. You should still go out. Bet you look bombin’. Take pictures and tell me all about it. Go have fun.”

  “Damn it, Abby,” I said, but I was smiling. “I guess I could go have a drink.”

  I responded that it was fine, and assured her I would go out.

  Since I didn’t have a car, I had to walk. There was a bar about four blocks away that was pretty nice.

  On the way there, some drunk college guys whistled out their windows at me and I ducked my head, turning red. They must have been mocking me. Maybe I looked even more ridiculous than I thought. I almost turned around, but I was getting close.

  The bar itself wasn’t especially busy—it was a Monday night. A few groups of people my age, some older men, no one particularly interesting. I ordered a drink and sat at the end of the bar, beginning to regret coming alone. I must have looked pathetic. I traced the wood grain on the counter, resolving not to make eye contact with anyone.

  Until someone said my name.

  “Amy, wasn’t it?” The voice was deep, low, and unforgettable.

  I swallowed, my breath catching, and glanced up shyly. Oh, shit.

  Sure enough, Derek Rittsman stood beside me, a warm smile on his gorgeous lips.

  Chapter 3

  Amy

  “Umm…” I lost the ability to speak for a moment. “Amy. Yes. Yes, sir. That’s me. And you’re Derek.” Idiot, of course he’s Derek. Stop acting like a stuttering middle schooler.

  He chuckled. “That’s right. Mind if I join you.”

  My heart might have actually stopped. “Please do.”

  He sat beside me, and gestured to my empty glass. “What are you drinking? I’ll get you another.”

  “Oh, thank you. Spiked cactus.” The only thought I could form was, Abigail is going to lose her mind.

  “Another bourbon for me, and a refill for her,” Derek said to the bartender with a charming smile. “Add her to my tab. Thank you.” He turned back to Amy. “I hope you’ll forgive me for saying so, Amy, but you look absolutely stunning.”

  “Oh, I…” Oh, fuck me. Fuck me. “Thank you. I… my sister got me the dress, and…”

  “I’m not talking about the dress.” His words were smooth, layered with temptation, as he sipped his drink and lifted an eyebrow.

  In an attempt to calm myself down, I took a few deep breaths before trying to speak again. It worked. My voice came out much more steadily than I felt was possible, given the situation. “I’m surprised to see you here. I didn’t realize that men in your position frequented local bars.”

  Derek’s mouth twitched. “Oh, you know, I like to get out just as much as the next person. And people rarely recognize me, anyway.”

  “Of course, of course.” I stirred my drink, a smile creeping to my lips as I began to relax. As soon as I got over who he was, Derek was easy to talk to. He didn’t act the way I expected an extremely wealthy businessman to behave. He was genuine, friendly even. If anything, being with him was starting to relax me. Or maybe it was the alcohol.

  “So, tell me, Amy. What are you doing by yourself in a bar on a Monday night? It isn’t the kind of place I’d expect to find someone like you.” Derek smiled.

  I nodded. “I’m celebrating getting the internship, actually. My sister was going to take me out, but her car broke down. So here I am. Drinking alone.”

  I half expected him to laugh at how pitiful that sounded, but instead he nodded thoughtfully. “Well, if I’m not intruding, I’d be happy to celebrate with you. I could use a little company myself.”

  “Oh, of course. I would love that.”

  “Well then. To you.” He lifted his glass to me, and I met it with my own, laughing. Typically, I hated talking to people I didn’t know, socially awkward as I am, but I couldn’t help but be drawn in by Derek.

  “So,” I said, after another sip. “Are you out celebrating something too? Did all your friends cancel?”

  “No,” Derek said, laughing lightly. “To be honest, I don’t have many friends in the area. Just business allies. Not the sort of people I want to go out with. This was more like a ‘drinking to forget’ night for me.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” I looked into my lap, kicking myself for being nosy.

  “Don’t be.” The smile returned quickly to Derek’s face. “Now I get to spend the evening with a beautiful woman. I consider myself lucky.”

  I felt myself blushing, and glanced up at him. Normally, a voice in my head would be telling me that he was only flattering me, that I shouldn’t get my hopes up, that there was no way this could end the way I wanted it to. But I looked at my new boss and I saw authenticity in his calm gaze.

  “Alright, Amy. I know we had a chance to get to know each other earlier, but that was all business. I would love to get to know more about you personally.”

  “Okay. Well.” I looked up, thinking. “I actually started school for photojournalism, before I changed my major.”

  “Why’d you change it?”

  I shrugged. “I decided it wasn’t a sensible career. I couldn’t even afford a nice camera, much less college. I guess I realized it was just a dream, and I had to get back to reality. But yeah, I always thought traveling the world and taking pictures would be the best kind of life. It’s not very realistic, though.”

  “I understand,” Derek said.

  “Do you?” I asked, laughing.

  Derek smirked. “I know you’re probably thinking, ‘What could this rich corporate business owner know about unfulfilled dreams?’ What I mean is, when I was younger, I wanted nothing to do with the family business. I would tell myself that I was going to go off on my own and do this plan or that, regardless of what my father said. Clearly, that didn’t happen. I soon realized that taking the more financially stable path was a smarter idea than continuing with my young, rebellious dreams.”

  I nodded along with his words. “Exactly, so you do get it. Well, I’m gonna be honest. I was expecting you to be completely stuck-up and unrelatable.”

  He leaned back, laughing. “So… have you found the truth to be otherwise?”

  “Oh, yeah. You’re totally chill.” The al
cohol was definitely starting to affect my ability to talk sensibly. But when he offered to get me another drink, I happily accepted.

  When we had finished another round of drinks, Derek looked at me with a mischievous, slightly drunk grin. “Want to get out of here?”

  “Mmhmm.” The lustful undertone in his voice, the way that his eyes shamelessly danced over my body, was irresistible. I wanted him, with a desire I had never experienced before. There was something about this man, something incredibly tempting, and if he was offering there was no way I was going to turn him down.

  “Perfect! Come with me then.” He took my hand and led me out the door. The cool evening air brushed over us and I shivered as he pulled me close to him and wrapped an arm around me.

  “Where are we going?” I asked, looking up at him.

  “I’m going to give you a never-before-seen experience,” he said. “I call it, ‘Rittsman Enterprises: After Hours’. The office is a completely different place when it’s dark and empty. Up for it?”

  I smiled, already laughing. “Absolutely.”

  The office was down the street, so it didn’t take us long to arrive. He opened the door with a swipe of a card. The machine beeped and the light turned green, then unlocked. We were in.

  “So here we have the reception room. A very nice room. Very nice. Designed it myself. Top notch. No better place.” He was putting on the self-centered act that I had earlier admitted to expecting him of. He had such a cheeky smirk when he spoke, waving his hands around the room, over-exaggerating every word and movement. In no time, I was gasping for air from laughing so hard.

  He led me around the first floor, stopping at every room and saying something like, “Sharon’s office, also known as the dragon’s lair,” or, “Harry works here. He’s fucking nuts.”

  When we got to the end of the hall at the elevator, I turned to look at him.