Upside Down by Liz Gavin Page B

Mark’s? Finally, the question that had tormented me after each one of these daydreams: why would I even consider Cindy instead of Mark for a lover? I had no answers.
    One morning, she took her teasing way too far. I had had an early meeting at a client’s office so I arrived at mine around ten o’clock and took the private elevator up. Being a private elevator meant that, when the electronic display blinked and the bell beeped on our floor, I was the only person who could be expected to come out of it because I was the only one who had access. And the very intelligent new receptionist knew it quite well.
    Anyway, I got off the elevator and didn’t see her behind the counter. Cindy was never late so I got worried. I stopped by the counter to check if her purse was in there, which would mean she was somewhere else in the office. I choked on my coffee because I was greeted by her round derrière wrapped in the black pin skirt of her uniform. She was on her fours looking for something on the floor.
    “What happened, Ms O’Rourke?”
    “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you coming. I’m looking for my cell phone.”
    The little tramp did n’t stand up to talk to me. On the contrary, she looked over her shoulder and wiggled her rear in the air. I kept my face straight and serious and raised my eyebrow at her before pointing at a small table on the corner.
    “Isn’t that your cell phone over there?”
    “Oh, my, silly me ! That is my cell. Thank you, Ms. Sullivan.”
    She finally st ood up and I swore she winked at me but it was so fast I couldn’t be sure.
    “You know, today is my day off from the bar and I’d love to go to a gym near here. Can you recommend me one?”
    “There’s an excellent fitness center on the twentieth floor. Most people from the office go there.”
    “Do you go there, Ms. Sullivan?”
    “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”
    “Interesting.”
    I was in no mood for her little games. Also, she mentioned the bar where she worked in the evenings, which reminded me of something. So, I changed the subject.
    “ I’ve been meaning to ask you the name of the bar you work at.”
    “It’s the Living Room at the W Hotel,” she winked and I saw it clearly that time. A cold shiver ran down my spine. That uncomfortable ominous feeling again. Luckily, Mark appeared and she didn’t have a chance to say anything else.
    “Good morning, Ms. Sullivan. Ms. O’Rourke. Can I have a word, Ms. Sullivan? I need to wrap some things up with you before your eleven o’clock meeting.”
    “ Absolutely. We still have some time and I need to straighten some things up with you, too. Talk to you later, Ms. O’Rourke.”
    I did n’t wait for her reply. I marched into my office and, when Mark closed the door, I locked it behind us. Before he figured out my intentions, I pinned him to the door with a loud bang and kissed him. I invaded his mouth with my tongue as I invaded his pants with my hand. He grabbed the lapel of my suit jacket, pulling me closer, and returned the kiss in kind. We moved to the couch without breaking the kiss, without saying a word. We fell on it, Mark on top, not wasting any time on foreplay. He was always up for some fun and I had had all the stimulation I needed watching Cindy wave her bottom at me. I didn’t want to think about that, though. I didn’t want to examine my real reasons for jumping Mark’s bones like that, either. I just wanted to seize the moment.
    A m oment that came fast and furious. We panted, moaned and gasped when we found pleasure so suddenly. There was an extra rush when a couple got down and dirty as fast as we had just done. That was precisely why I loved quick sex - the thrill, the urgency, the adrenaline.
    When we finished, Mark stood up to straighten his clothes and I stayed on the couch watching him. He was a gorgeous man. He was a generous lover. He said he was falling in love with me. What else could I ask for? Who else did I need? Stubborn that I was, I