Playing with Power - Book 5: New Adult Office Romance Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  Thanks

  Playing with Power

  Book 5

  Adele Huxley

  This book is work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. This book contains sexually explicit material and is intended for readers 18 years or older.

  Copyright © 2014 by Adele Huxley

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review.

  All requests should be forwarded to: [email protected]

  Sign up for the Adele Huxley Newsletter! Get updates about upcoming titles, latest news, and steamy one-off releases!

  www.AdeleHuxley.com

  The complete Playing with Power Series for sale on Amazon!

  Playing with Power - Book 1

  Playing with Power - Book 2

  Playing with Power - Book 3

  Playing with Power - Book 4

  Playing with Power - Book 5

  Prologue

  Bent over the glass computer desk, he used the bottom of his phone to crush two white pills into a fine dust. He slid a business card from his wallet and used it to cut the powder into three straight lines. He glanced at the card before tossing it behind his back.

  Parker Jarvis

  StyleSpur

  CEO

  “If you want a bump, get your ass over here.”

  The blonde stumbled from the bed, naked except for a pair of pink lace panties. She put a hand on Parker’s shoulder to steady herself as she bent and snorted a line deep into her sinuses. He casually fondled her ass when she stood, coughing and sputtering as the drug burned through her body. She crawled back to the bed and collapsed on her stomach, one arm dangling over the side.

  Parker sniffed the last lines in quick succession, rocking back in his computer chair as it hit. When his eyes snapped open, the dark room looked different, sharper around the edges somehow. For a moment, he focused on the glowing daylight coming from behind the dark curtains. Time meant nothing in this place. They slept when they were tired, ate when they were hungry, and fucked...well, they fucked pretty much all the time.

  He rolled his head onto his shoulder to see the young girl sprawled out and realized with disgust that he was already growing bored of her. It took him a minute to realize the slight vibration in his lap wasn’t a side effect from the pills, but his phone. His chin rolled to his chest and he cursed when he saw the caller ID.

  “Fuck you, Faith. Can’t you just give me some fucking space for once?” He threw the phone across the room, hitting the wall and falling unharmed in a pile of old takeout boxes.

  Running his tongue along his teeth, he made his way to the semi-conscious form on the bed. Admiring her for a moment, he started tugging her panties down. She’ll do for now, he thought. She tried to swat his hands away with a few feeble swings but by the time her panties were around her ankles, Rochelle had acquiesced. She knew it’d be over quick enough and could get back to sleep.

  1.

  Crush Your Enemy Totally

  All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit. - The 48 Laws of Power

  Sundays were an unofficial day off in the My Best Friend’s Closet offices, so Lauren found the main area quiet and empty. She went online to her favorite brunch place and ordered a massive amount of pancakes, waffles, fresh juice, and fruit. Her empty belly grumbled and she felt a sweet soreness all over her body. Resisting the urge to open a few work files, she relaxed at her computer and checked Facebook for the first time in over a week. These quiet moments were rare and she knew she had to savor them.

  About twenty minutes later she heard the distinctive squeak of her bedroom door and looked up to see Landon walking from the hallway. He pulled a gray shirt over his disheveled hair, yawning as he came near. He bent down and kissed her softly, the electricity between their lips still new and exciting. It was amazing that after so many kisses, he still left her so weak in the knees.

  “How’d you sleep?” he yawned again, dropping into another chair and kicking his feet up on the desk.

  “As well as can be expected. You snore, you know,” she said with a mock glower.

  “Yeah, and you thrash like someone with epilepsy. Good thing I have a king size bed back home,” he winked. “Are you hungry? I can make breakfast.”

  “Sweetie, we’re in Manhattan. People don’t make breakfast. I’m having it delivered.” Lauren laughed as he threw a celebratory fist in the air.

  “Oh thank you. I want to be as lazy as possible today. We’ve got so much coming up, I just want to spend the day doing next to nothing with you. You didn’t order coffee, right?”

  “No, I remembered you bought that special stuff yesterday.”

  “Awesome, I’m gonna go make it now!” he said jumping to his feet. So this is his lazy, huh? He stopped and kissed her on the top of the head. Lauren’s heart fluttered at the familiar gesture, so casual it was as if they’d been together for years.

  What are we? Are you my boyfriend, Mr. DeWitt? Am I your girl? Do we even have to classify it? she wondered as she watched him walk away. Maybe if we can stop screwing long enough to actually talk about it... That thought made her chuckle.

  The intercom buzzed. “Well, that was quick,” she muttered to herself as she went to let the person in. “Yes?”

  “Sorry to disturb, but this is Hank down at the front desk. A courier just dropped off an envelope for you and said it was urgent. Thought I’d let you know.”

  “Oh, okay. I’ll, uh, be right down to get it. Thanks.” Lauren scowled as she tried to remember if they were expecting anything important. It cost a pretty penny to send something urgent on a Sunday. “Hey Landon, I’ll be right back,” she called out as she stepped into the elevator.

  Once downstairs, Hank handed her a manila envelope and she let him know to send the food straight up. Getting back into the elevator, Lauren examined the envelope before opening it. There was no address, no stamp, just her name scrawled in a nearly illegible hand. She flipped it over and squeezed the two metal tabs together, reached in, and pulled out two large glossy photographs.

  Still a little foggy with sleep, she didn’t quite understand what she was seeing at first. One photograph showed a smoky, blurry nightclub scene with a couple dancing in the crowd. It was only when she flicked to the second photo she recognized her red dress. They were photos of her and Landon at the club in Brooklyn. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears and her fingers began to tremble.

&nb
sp; “What the fuck...” she whispered. The elevator came to a halt and the doors rolled open. She stepped into the apartment without looking up, eyes burning into the two photos in her hands.

  “Hey babe, where’s the foo—what’s wrong?” Landon asked.

  “Someone just sent this to me. What the hell is this supposed to mean?” Lauren said, her voice cracking. She held the photos out to him, her fingers shaking so badly they nearly fluttered to the floor.

  Landon took the large prints from her hand, his eyebrows furrowing as he examined both sides. He read the message scrawled on the back out loud.

  “‘You two make a great pair.’ These are from—”

  “From Friday night, yeah.”

  “Whoever took it couldn’t have been more than a couple feet away from us. There was nothing else in the envelope?” Seeing the worry on his face made her feel even more panicked.

  “No, nothing,” she replied tipping the manila envelope upside down. “There’s no address either, only my name. The doorman said a messenger dropped it off.”

  “Do you think it’s your ex? Would he do something like this?”

  The idea hadn’t even occurred to her but Lauren instantly shook her head. “I don’t think so. Nick’s not that kind of guy but then again, I never thought he was the sort to screw around. He’s pissed off about us but what does he have to gain by sending a photo like that? It’s freakin’ creepy.” She involuntarily shivered.

  “Maybe he just wants to screw with you,” he paused for a moment. “I thought he didn’t know where you were living now though.”

  “I never told him,” she shrugged. “Maybe Jess did, our old roommate. I still don’t think he’d — seriously, what’s the point of this? I honestly don’t even know what it’s supposed to mean.”

  He tossed the photos into the garbage can and rubbed her back, his dimples faintly appearing as he smiled. “There really isn’t a whole lot we can do. We don’t know who sent it or why. There’s no point getting worked up—”

  “No point, are you kidding? You’re leaving tomorrow and now I have to look over my shoulder all the time because I’ve got a fucking stalker who may or may not be my ex-boyfriend.” I don’t know how can he be so calm? Someone fucking followed us, knows about us, and is what...threatening us?

  “You’re really cute when you’re flustered,” Landon said with a half smile. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against his hip.

  Lauren huffed, feeling exasperated. “I’m not flustered. I’m scared and pissed off and upset.”

  She jumped as the elevator dinged and the doors rattled open, nearly shouting as the delivery man walked in with their breakfast. Landon took the bags from him and then handed her the food.

  “I’ll go down and talk to the doorman, see if I can get any more information out of him okay? Hold up, man. I’ll ride down with you.”

  Lauren walked to the kitchen on shaky legs, feeling far from hungry. She just couldn’t understand what Nick was trying to do or gain from following them. Wouldn’t she have noticed him at the club that night? Had he actually followed them there? As she methodically unpacked the breakfast, she felt a lump rise in her throat. She slammed the plastic bowl of pancakes on the counter and stormed into her bedroom to retrieve her phone.

  Her fingers trembling she typed out her message to Nick.

  You petty little man. I can’t believe you’d do something like this. You couldn’t just let things go, could you? Seriously, go fuck yourself.

  Her thumb hovered over the send button, hesitating, the blinking cursor urging her to write more. Maybe I don’t want to do this, she thought. Maybe provoking him will just make things that much more difficult. Regardless of the compromising position she’d found him in, she still felt guilty about him discovering her relationship with Landon. She certainly didn’t feel like she had the moral high ground.

  The elevator rattled open and Landon strode confidently toward her. She smiled at him as she deleted the text. No good would come of that, I’m sure. “Figure anything out?”

  “No, the doorman couldn’t remember anything specific about the courier. I wouldn’t worry, seriously. He’s probably just blowing off some steam.”

  “Those photos are pretty sexy.” Lauren couldn’t help but grin at the memory of their sweaty dancing.

  “If you want I can go grab them, maybe frame them, put them in the front hall back home?”

  “Jeez, lemme thinking about that...howabout, no?” Lauren was already feeling better about it. Landon was right. Nick was probably just blowing off some steam and the whole thing would blow over soon. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy his company before he had to fly 3,000 miles away.

  Lauren bit into his shoulder to keep from screaming his name out loud. Landon had her pressed against the wall, both arms hooked under her knees, and was pounding her hard and fast. Her screaming probably wouldn’t have alerted the rest of the apartment to their activities any more than the rhythmic thumping. She was beyond caring, however. No one had ever quite manhandled her like this before and she was loving every minute of it.

  Landon growled through gritted teeth before hungrily sucking on her neck. She’d already orgasmed twice and had enough clarity to enjoy how rough and aggressive he was being. This was a side of Landon she hadn’t seen yet. It was exciting.

  “Ungh, fuck...” he said with a clenched jaw. He slammed his hips against her, his muscles going rigid. She clung to his shoulders and held on as he finished inside her.

  He gingerly set her down on the floor and she led him back to the bed on shaky legs. She curled up against his chest, fingers tracing the edges of his muscles as she listened to his heartbeat slow.

  She giggled a little. “I guess I’ll have to remember that the next time I get an urge to flash you my panties.”

  “Seriously. I don’t know where that came from. You’d think we’d be tapped out by now,” he said panting. He gave her a half squeeze with one arm while he wiped sweat from his face with the other.

  Lauren paused, quickly debating whether or not she should bring it up at all. He’s leaving tomorrow morning. You had all weekend to talk about it but you haven’t.

  He nudged her and looked down, his chin pressing against his chest. “You okay there?”

  She shifted onto her elbows and cocked her head. “At the risk of sounding like one of those girls,” she said rolling her eyes dramatically, “I think we need to talk.”

  Landon’s eyebrows shifted slightly, an expression of amusement flooding his face. “You’re dumping me already? At least you waited until the end of the weekend. Just used me for the sex, huh?”

  Lauren playfully slapped him. “See? That’s what I mean. Can I even dump you? Are we even in a place where dumping can happen? I hate to sound like some crazy woman demanding to know where this relationship is going but—”

  He put his hand on her shoulder and pressed his lips together as if trying not to laugh. “You don’t sound like a crazy person, Wren, but you are moving in with me.”

  “You made that offer as a business partner, not anything else. You said yourself we need to be good at wearing different hats. I guess I just need to know what this hat,” she said gesturing to their naked bodies, “says.”

  “Fair point.” He cocked his head slightly and considered her. “Lauren Kemp, you’re one of the most amazing women I have ever met. You’re beautiful, intelligent, fearless. Every day I wake up excited because I know there’s a chance I’ll see you or speak to you. There’s no one else I would rather have by my side, regardless of what hat you’re wearing. So, I guess that means you’re my girlfriend? If you want to be, of course.” He flashed his most charming smile.

  Lauren was speechless. She scanned his face and saw nothing but sincerity. The corners of her eyes prickled as tears welled up. No one has every said anything like that to me before, she thought. A couple drops loosed from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She laughed, wiping them away before he cou
ld.

  “Of course I want to be,” she sniffed. “You are too smooth for your own good, you know that?” she said snuggling into him.

  He dramatically exhaled. “You don’t know how relieved I am to hear you say that. I’ve been going around telling everyone how amazing my girlfriend Lauren is. Can you imagine how embarrassing that could’ve been if you’d said no?”

  “Who’s everyone?”

  “You know, parents, friends, the guy who sells me my newspaper on Sunday mornings. Pretty much anyone I can get to listen to me for more than three minutes hears how great you are. I was starting to feel like that kid who has an imaginary girlfriend from camp, but now they get to meet you.”

  Landon pushed himself into a seated position, pulling the sheet around his waist. Although completely sore and spent from an entire weekend of it, Lauren felt a surge of desire to have him inside of her. She wanted to cling to the sensation as long as she could.

  His expression darkened slightly. “I know I told you not to worry about those photos but, as your newly minted boyfriend,” he said waggling his eyebrows at her, “I do want you to be careful. I hate leaving you, especially with some nut job ex-boyfriend lurking around. With the office shutting down soon, maybe it’s a good idea to go stay with Ali for a little bit.”

  “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind, although, if I told her the reason why I was staying there, Nick might be the one looking over his shoulder all the time. Ali’s not someone I’d want to mess with.”

  “Oh yeah?” Landon chuckled.

  “She’s got this bizarre corn-fed strength from working on a farm all her life. I’ve literally seen her chuck a full-grown man out the door of the Pony.” Lauren giggled at the memory. They’d been playing pool when this strange guy put money down that he’d beat her on the next game. Ever the gambler, Ali accepted and promptly thrashed him, sinking ball after ball. When he refused to pay up, Ali scooped him up over her shoulder and dumped him outside the bar like it was nothing.