On His Desk by Mia Faye

Chapter 27

MICHAEL

This is my favorite time of morning. When Elly and I are having breakfast and Paige is getting ready for the day. She loves pancakes dripping in syrup, which I’ve taught myself how to make.

I sip on my coffee while she nibbles on her pancakes and drinks her milk.

“Are you looking forward to going to school today?”

She looks at me like I’m crazy. “That’s not how school works.”

I chuckle at that. She sounds like a little grown-up when she says such things. I’m excited to see what kind of person Elly will become. I know she’ll be awesome and clever and a lady you can have an intelligent conversation with.

She holds up a pancake. One of the misshapen ones I cooked. “It’s huge mongus.”

I laugh. “You mean humongous?”

She frowns. “That’s not how you say it. It’s huge-mongus.”

I stifle my laughter. She sounds so solemn and I don’t have the heart to correct her. Huge-mongus it is. Paige emerges minutes later, carrying a cup of coffee and a permanent frown on her face. She’s not a morning person.

“What are your plans for today?” she says and sits down next to me.

“We have a small party at the office today after work,” I tell her. “I’ll come home late tonight.” I explain this for the benefit of Elly so she doesn’t wait up.

“Can I come?” Paige says. “I used to go to a lot of those with Charles. He always said that I was an asset when I accompanied him.”

I’m shaking my head even before she finishes talking. “It’s not that kind of party. It’s an inside party for the company. Strictly no outsiders. We’re celebrating a major win for the company.”

I ignore Paige’s pout. I’ve been looking forward to this party, the first I’ve ever been excited about. I get to spend some time with Ava. There’s no way in hell I want Paige there. Besides, that would be encouraging her. She has this notion in her head that we’re a family or a couple. Not going to happen.

Elly kisses and hugs me before leaving for school.

“I’m interviewing a few potential chefs,” Paige says.

I have no idea what she’s talking about.

On seeing my blank look, she lets out an exaggerated sigh. “I asked you three days ago, and you agreed.”

I remember now. She’d asked me if I could hire a chef. I’d been bone-tired at the time and said yes. I can hardly go back and say no now even if I don’t see a real need for a chef.

“Fine,” I tell her, and she smiles.

Paige is beautiful when she smiles, but she would be more so if the smile actually reached her eyes. Paige is manipulative and has always been. Even when we were together, I knew that side of her, but it didn’t bother me much because usually, it was petty issues.

From her triumphant smile, I can tell that she thinks she has one over me. Paige will always be Paige. She can never come out honestly and ask for what she needs. It must have taken her days to wait for what she believed was the right moment or a weak moment when I was tired and more likely to say yes. Paying a chef is nothing to me. What I do appreciate however is a woman who talks straight. Like Ava. She doesn’t plot or connive. If she needs something, she’ll ask and give her reasons why it’s important. Now, that’s the kind of woman who has my respect.

I clear up and wash the dishes and then go to my room and get ready for work. Twenty minutes later, I’m huddled in the back seat of my car reading and replying to my emails on my phone.

I pass by Oliver’s office on the second floor but he’s not in yet. There’s a vibe of celebration in the office. Everyone is looking forward to letting loose at the party. I talk with a few associates before heading to the fifth floor.

I get off the elevator just as Ava is walking down the hallway to her office with a cup of coffee.

“I love what I see,” I tell her, eyeing her curvy ass.

She smiles and looks over her shoulder. “I like the smile. What brought it on?”

“Isn’t it enough that my woman makes me smile?” I ask, the words leaving my mouth unchecked. “I’m also excited about the party this evening.”

“I thought that might be the cause,” Ava says.

“I could do with one of those,” I tell her.

She follows me into my office and deposits her mug on my desk. She returns minutes later with another mug of coffee for me and her iPad.

“Do you want to go over your schedule for today?” she asks, and I nod.

Ava updates me on the emails that I need to respond to. There’s one from a group of brothers who inherited a large patch of beach-front land in Rhode Island from their parents and want to build a holiday resort.

“Should I schedule a meeting with them?” she says.

“Yes,” I tell her. “We can fly out to Rhode Island in the coming week. Book us a room in one of the beach hotels.”

“We?” Ava says.

“Yes, you’re my PA. You get to go with me,” I tell her. “First class please.”

She grins. “Yes sir.”

“Three days should do it,” I tell her.

“I’ve never been to Rhode Island,” she tells me. “I can’t wait.”

Her excitement is contagious. The thought of spending three whole nights with Ava is exhilarating.

She gets up. “I better go make those bookings,” she says and makes a pretense of adjusting her blouse, but what she does is expose more of her cleavage to me.

“Is there something wrong with your blouse?” I ask her and stand up. Faster than she can answer I’m by her side, peering at the top button like a scientist would a rare specimen.

“Yes,” Ava murmurs, her gaze on my lips.

There’s how much self-control I have when it comes to Ava seducing me and I’ve reached my limit. I take the iPad from her hands and place it on the table.

“I’ll take care of the blouse for you,” I tell her and slowly pop the buttons open.

I kiss her deep cleavage as I push the blouse from her shoulders and off. I unclasp her bra, leaving her breasts bare. Her nipples are already hard without a single touch from me. I lower my head, lick one nipple and then the other. Ava gasps.

I suck each nipple deeply. Ava forks her hands through my hair. I love playing with her gorgeous breasts.

“I love it when you suck my nipples,” Ava moans.

“You have beautiful breasts, baby,” I tell her.

“She does.” I almost fall over at the deep voice behind me.

I whirl around to find Oliver with his hands raised in the air.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I should have knocked but the door was open.”

Ava is cool about it. Calmly, she picks her blouse puts it on, and then picks up her bra.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” she says and then strolls out and shuts the door softly behind her.

“Wow! That’s one cool lady,” Oliver says staring at the door. “I’ve seen her ass, her tits, the only thing left—”

“Don’t say it!” I tell him moodily, upset at the interruption when we were just getting going.

“Hey, sorry about that,” Oliver says, a laugh in his voice. “I always knew you were up to no good up here.”

“Well…”

“I don’t blame you, she’s hot,” Oliver says looking at the door as if Ava will reappear.

“I’ve never met anyone like her,” I tell Oliver as we sit down. She’s sexy and passionate but beyond our awesome sex life, Ava is an awesome human being. I notice that Oliver is staring at me. His look is contemplative.

“What?” I say.

“You’re falling in love with her, aren’t you?” he says.

I shake my head. “Definitely not. Have you forgotten? I don’t do love.”

Oliver shrugs. “Whatever you say.”

***

My balls are tight and heavy with tension as I never got to finish what I started with Ava.

Oliver and I take a walk to look at a fresh food packaging and delivery store looking to expand its operations. It was an intriguing idea that hit the market at the right time and now the two female founders were looking to expand.

When I return to the office, I find a note from Ava saying she is on the second floor helping prepare for the party. I growl and pace the office like an angry lion denied of its meal. And in a way I have. I had planned to have Ava sprawl on my desk, her curvy ass perched in the air, and take her from the back. With the door closed. Now, all I have to show for my plans is a raging, painful hard-on, and no Ava. I’m tempted to text her to come back up, but that’s not fair.

She’s probably having fun bonding with her colleagues downstairs. I turn on my computer and try to distract myself by working. I’m never short of emails from start-ups looking for funding. It’s important that Oliver and I take these emails seriously as we’ve found several gold nuggets from them over the years.

I work steadily until my phone vibrates, jolting me back to the present. I’m surprised to see that three hours have zipped by. I can always count on my work to distract me when I need it.

It’s a text message from Ava.

The party has started, where are you?

I grin and type out a reply.

On my way.

I close all the open documents and browsers on my screen and hurry out of the office. I feel like a teenager going to his first party.

The party is being held in the large staff room and is already in full swing when I arrive. The happy buzz of conversation tells me that people have already drowned a few glasses of wine.

“Mr. Fowler, good to see you,” James from accounts tells me and lifts his glass.

“Good to see you, James,” I tell him. “I need one of those.”

He directs me to the table where the drinks are arranged. I pour myself a double whiskey and add in some ice. When I’m done, I make a beeline for Oliver who is chatting to two associates, all the while keeping an eye out for Ava.

“Do you want something to eat, Mr. Fowler,” a familiar-looking woman says.

“Sure,” I tell her, and she smiles suggestively and goes away.

“They’ve started zooming in on you,” Oliver whispers into my ear when I join them.

I laugh but there’s no humor in my laugher. Office affairs have never been my thing. Ava is my first and last. My gaze bounces around the room searching and when I find her, she’s in a group standing by the window.

She feels my glance on her and looks my way. My heart pounds as though I’m seeing her for the first time. She smiles and lights up the room. Someone pats her arm, and she turns away from me. My gaze shifts to the person who has her attention now. An associate by the name Luke who makes Oliver and I look like saints when it comes to women. He’s been involved in a few office scandals all of which involved affairs with colleagues. He leans into Ava’s ear and whispers something that makes her laugh.

A burning sensation comes over my chest. Seconds later a pain shoots across my jaw from clenching my teeth. I drag my gaze from them and force myself to converse with Oliver and the others.