Thanks for having me here
today, Amber!
Fulfilling Bess
Copyright: Tessie Bradford, March
2015
Blurb:
Bess Wilks assumes she is about
to be sitting through another monotonous office meeting. Oh well, these
gatherings do provide perfect opportunities to test out new recipes for her
catering business on her willing coworkers. When Darrin Larabey walks into the
conference room, Bess is eternally grateful that the treat table is close
enough to use for support. Despite the passing of nine years since they’ve seen
each other, her body instantly heats to boiling and all manner of decadent
thoughts keep her from concentrating on the business at hand.
As vivid images
of making love with Bess in every way imaginable dance in his head, Darrin can
barely get through his presentation. The woman who has starred in his dreams
for years is sitting within arm’s reach, flushed and fidgeting in her chair.
The passage of time has obviously done nothing to diminish their smoking hot
chemistry and now he’s not a newbie intern and she’s not his boss. The erotic
possibilities are endless.
Excerpt:
“Good thing I skipped lunch today. Yep,
this one is definitely the best,” David announced when he finished chewing.
“You do realize you’ve said that after
devouring your last three selections, right?” Carol pointed out.
“I predict extra gym time in our immediate
future, dude,” Bob said while loading his plate to capacity. “We can carpool.”
“Hey, have you tried the crumb cakes, yet?
They’re amazing. Adding more cinnamon to the topping is exactly what they
needed.”
Bess Wilks smiled with pride. Her
coworkers were staunch supporters of her second career as a caterer and weren’t
shy about expressing which of her creations they liked and why others weren’t
favorites. It had been awhile since she’d brought in a full spread of baked
goods, and her colleagues’ across-the-board liking of her new recipes was
thrilling.
“So none of you are interested in tasting
one of my artfully displayed selections of seasonal fruits? Being carved into
flower shapes enhances their flavor,” Bess joked.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get to those
eventually, when the good stuff is gone.”
After a bit of laughter, the focus of
conversation returned to speculation on why they were here. No one knew why Tom
Billings, CEO of Mid-Michigan Freight, had called this meeting. There were so
many operational issues in desperate need of attention that it was anyone’s
guess as to today’s topic. Bess listened as she kept the various plates and
baskets stocked with goodies.
“This meeting is officially started.”
Tom’s booming voice preceded his entrance into the large conference room.
“We’ve got company, people. Try to behave.”
Bess turned around. The room seemed to
tilt. She backed up against the table for support, praying her ass wasn’t
leaning against anything that would leave a stain on her light-tan skirt.
“Believe it or not, I’ve actually been
listening to you guys bitching about our computer problems since we took on the
new warehouses. Here’s our solution.” Tom patted the man standing next to him
on the shoulder. “Darrin, let me introduce you to the staff that’s come on
board since you left.”
Bess’ pulse pounded in her ears and in
other, more intimate places. In all the countless hours she’d spent fantasizing
about him, it’d never crossed her mind that Darrin Larabey had been getting
more gorgeous since she’d seen him last; nine long years ago. Leave it to him
to fill out in all the right places. The form-hugging, short-sleeved, black
T-shirt accentuated his broadened shoulders and chest, and the jeans, shit; he
was pure sex on a stick from the waist down. Images of running her hands all
over his body bombarded her. She wanted to start in the strands of his dark,
wavy hair and not stop until she’d investigated every tantalizing inch of his
six-foot tall frame.
As Darrin greeted and chatted briefly with
those he was meeting for the first time, Bess realized the difference in him
was so much more than physical. Professional strength and poise radiated from
this man. His quiet confidence, without a hint of arrogance as he explained his
qualifications, was beyond impressive. Her nipples hardened scandalously in
response.
“Hey, Bess, long time, no see,” Darrin
said when he finally made his way to her.
Bess prayed she could keep her fingers
from trembling as she shook his outstretched hand. He stared intently into her
eyes, and his voice…damn, it was so rich and deep and sultry that it sent
vibrations straight to her quickly dampening pussy.
“Darrin, wow, what a…ah…surprise.” She
cleared her throat and desperately tried to rein in her licentious thoughts.
This situation called for professional, complete, intelligent sentences. “So
what brings you back to our little neck of the woods? You were so focused on
making it big in the corporate world when you left for New York.” Bess inwardly
cringed at the utter wrongness of what she’d let tumble out of her mouth.
“And my being here somehow implies to you
that I didn’t succeed?” he asked before she could attempt an explanation for
her stupid comment. “You wound me with your lack of confidence in my
abilities.” The intensity reflected in his eyes, coupled with his devilish
grin, raised goose bumps along her skin.
“Unless you all are looking to work
overtime, let’s get down to business,” Tom stated with authority.
Everyone took a seat. Bess ended up in the
chair directly across from Darrin. As he pulled folders out of his briefcase,
she couldn’t help checking the ring finger on his left hand. It was empty, but
what did that prove?
“Darrin, you have the floor,” Tom
directed.
“Tom has brought me in to modernize and
fully integrate MMF’s accounting, inventory, payroll and billing applications,
as well as to develop the web-based end of the operation, an area that is
sorely lacking at the moment. I’ll also be assessing the strengths and
weaknesses of the company as a whole and offering solutions to facilitate
growth and profitability.”
Bess struggled to concentrate on his
words. If he wasn’t married, he quite probably had some ultra-hot girlfriend.
There was no way on the planet some lucky woman wasn’t having her bed warmed by
Darrin. If by chance he was unattached, wasn’t she being enormously conceited
to even consider he may still be interested in her after she’d respectfully
rebuked his attentions so many years ago? Bess licked her incredibly dry lips
while staring at the play of musculature in his arms as he passed out
documents.
“I’m contracted for twelve weeks, which is
an aggressive timeframe for the scope of work. I need to meet with each of you
as soon as possible to discuss your job duties and get your input on what you
feel are the key areas of concern.”
So, he was here as an outside contractor,
not an official employee; that meant the no inter-office dating policy didn’t
apply. Bess’ heart thudded wildly as she carefully repositioned in her suddenly
uncomfortable chair. Geez, is the air
conditioning working in here? She watched Darrin jot down notes. His hands
were so large, his fingers long, his nails perfectly shaped. Those hands were
just the right size to cradle the back of her head as he held her steady for
his kiss or, better yet, to cup the fullness of her breasts.
“So, Bess, is Monday at nine good for
you?”
Her pen slipped from her fingers and
clattered loudly on the tabletop when Darrin addressed her directly.
“Bess only works on Wednesdays and
Thursdays, now. She came in this afternoon because of this meeting,” Tom
answered.
“Really?” Darrin raised an eyebrow with
the question.
“It’s fine, Darrin. You just let me know
what’s good for you.”
“How about now?” Tom offered. “I think
we’re done with the overview, right? Bess is still the accounting expert around
here. You definitely should get with her, first.”
About Tessie Bradford
Tessie Bradford is a bestselling
author of erotic romances which focus on journeys of sexual discovery. She
loves creating strong independent women who, with the guidance and love of an
alpha hero (or two or three), realize and embrace their submissive side.
Bringing to life on the printed page the stories that are constantly swirling
through her mind is a passion, a necessity, and truly a dream come true.
Tessie is a wife, mother and
grandmother whose hobbies include developing new culinary delights for her
family, reading a good book and travelling. Her adopted dog children provide
constant entertainment, much joy and truth be told, are kind of in charge of
the household!
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