Sweet Rivalry (1001 Dark Nights)(4)

A step forward. A shift of bodies. Another glimpse of him leaving me to wonder what he does here. Is he a regular with a corner office on the twentieth floor with a view of the city below, or is he like me, just passing through for a few days to get a job done before heading home to his wife and two point five kids? Scratch that. No wife and kids at home. That ruins my fantasy of him. Nah, I bet he likes to go out after work, have a few drinks, and play the field for a bit before taking someone home with him for the night. Because no doubt, a man as attractive as he is definitely doesn’t spend many nights with an empty spot on the bed beside him.

And I bet he’s a god in the sack. Has to be. A man can’t look like he does and be a fumbling, bumbling idiot who’s all hands and has little to no dick. Hot-Suit Guy is a dirty talker who likes to be in control.

I’m certain of it.

Maybe I should volunteer my services to him so I could find out for sure.

Talk about a surefire way to relieve the stress of a long day. Damn.

The line shuffles forward and yanks my overactive imagination back to reality. Given more time, I’m sure I could make up some more theories I’d like to prove or disprove about Hot-Suit Guy with the nice ass and sexy beard.

I need help. Truckloads of it.

This whole train of thought is a stark reminder of something I’m fully aware of: how long it’s been since I’ve gotten good and off. And God, how I need to get off.

But I can’t think about sex. Or finding someone to have it with. Not yet. First I need to bust my ass, prove myself to the men in the boardroom upstairs that I can handle a job of this magnitude, that I haven’t lost my edge, and be awarded this job I’m here to bid.

While sex might help relax me, it’ll also distract me because then I’ll only want more.

And winning this bid is undeniably my number one priority. The only want I’ll allow myself to have. Leaving without winning the contract is not an option.

But once I win it, then I’ll reward myself with sex. Mind-blowing sex, in fact. And who knows? Maybe if Hot-Suit Guy is a regular here, I can chat him up in the line over the next few days, make nice with him, and then possibly learn the truths to my assumptions.

Work first. Reward sex next.

That’ll give me something to look forward to during the next few days. The ones I can’t wait to dive headfirst into that will be an ever-changing combination of stress, exhaustion, strategy, and manipulation. An unscripted dance amongst us bidders while we size each other up, calculate our numbers, and explain to the developer why we’re the most valuable candidate for the job.

It’s the game I love. The competition I thrive on. My return to the job that I’ve been desperate to make.

And there’d be no better way to make a statement that Harper Denton is back than to leave this building with the multimillion dollar contract for Meteor Development tucked securely under my arm.

And just like that, as a reward for my positive thinking, when I look up, there he is, in full view.

I take in the expensive briefcase, the venti Starbucks, and the expensive watch peeking out from beneath the cuff of his shirt. And just my luck that while I’m afforded a full view of his body, the one thing I’m the most curious about is obscured by his hand holding his cell phone up to his ear: his face.

So instead I drink him in. He really is magnificent. I note his posture and the way he carries his body when he moves forward a few steps. There’s an air about him that says he’s no-nonsense and in control, powerful, and at the same time he doesn’t seem uptight. He has that Southern California professional vibe. I can’t put my finger on it but he reminds me of someone I can’t quite place. Regardless, a man who can pull off being in control and playful has definite merits.

Like “spank me until my body aches in want, and then make a game of hitting each erogenous zone with his tongue before he’ll satisfy that ache he created and let me come” type of merits.

The mind-blowing-sex reward just became even more appealing.

I shift my legs to abate that sweet ache my thoughts of him just sparked and realize how rare it is that the hum in my veins over a man has been rivaled by the thrill I get competing in the boardroom. And for that thought alone, I indulge a bit more in thoughts of him, knowing when I get stressed upstairs, I’ll be able to fall back to them.

Use them as an inspiration and a reminder of what I get when I achieve success.

I’m jolted from my ridiculous yet fulfilling fantasy as Navy Blue Blazer Guy accidentally turns and bumps into me. Apologies are exchanged before he lifts his hand in greeting to someone he sees across the lobby and unexpectedly leaves his place in line. I move forward, my gaze naturally landing back on the bearded eye candy now two people in front of me.

“Shouldn’t be. No…I’m confident. From what I gather, the project seems pretty straightforward so…”

His voice hits my ears and breaks through my waning patience. And hell if his voice isn’t as audibly sexy as his body appears to be. It has a grate to it that sounds like what my wild imagination conjures up is akin to the feel of his hands running over my skin. Rough but smooth. Patient but commanding. A little bit of an edge to it. But it’s what he says next that holds my attention more soundly than his overriding sex appeal calling to every ounce of estrogen within my body.

“Seriously. This isn’t my first rodeo but it’s definitely a new approach. The bid list is being kept private so I’ll find out who’s competing as soon as I get in there… Dude, you know me. I’ve talked to people here and there, know some of the names being tossed around. Harry from Meteor was supposed to be a shoo-in, but now I’ve heard he’s gone. Not sure the circumstances but that’s a definite plus for us.” His laugh that follows is full of arrogance. The sound of it bristles over my skin, washing away that feeling of familiarity that tickles the edges of my mind. I inch closer, my back a little straighter now, and my attention more than piqued. “I know. Yeah. I don’t know for sure why but I heard they hired some hotshot fresh from New York, so you know what that means…a glorified assistant straight out of college they’re feeding to us wolves who has no goddamn clue what he’s doing. Good luck with that, buddy. At least I’ll have some entertainment watching that train derail.”