Matt watched the woman standing in front of him, who looked like she needed to catch her breath. C.J. never failed to impress him with her work ethic, as she had since the day he hired her as one of his staff attorneys. He had told her during the interview that despite the fact that they'd grown up together, she'd start at the bottom like the other hires and have to prove herself to him.
Kyle just nodded and set out to do just that and it only took her several years to graduate to being his top attorney, his right hand man…or woman and together they had built the security firm to be a great success.
She had done so much legal work for him, written contracts, done depositions and even appeared in court or at jail to bail him out when one of his field cases in his investigative agency had gone awry leading to a misunderstanding. He knew he could trust her to do anything and to watch his back if necessary.
But he had something highly personal to ask her to do for him and he didn't know how she'd respond. While hanging 10 stories above the street from his broken rappel rope, he had time to do some reevaluation of his life to that point and before he managed to extricate himself, he had made some important decisions about his future.
At least one of them involved a legal contract and she after all, was his top attorney and his closest friend.
"I thought I lost you there a moment," Matt said with a smile.
She shook her head.
"Just thinking about the Watson job," she said, "He called earlier today."
Matt nodded and then gestured for her to sit down.
"I need to talk to you about something important but not here," he said, "Maybe we could go out to dinner tonight. How about Frank's Steak House?"
She nodded which sent relief through him because he really needed her counsel on this issue and picked one of her favorite restaurants to make the proposal.
"Sure…I'll be there. What's it about?"
He hedged.
"I'll tell you then. I still have to iron out the logistics but it's very important."
She nodded again, not needing further explanation. He looked at her then taking in her beauty, because despite her conservative taste in office attire, she couldn't hide it. Her luxurious mane of long dark hair that she wore in a wavy style just below her shoulders, which left him wondering would it feel like fine silk if he ran his fingers through it now?
Her eyes were hazel but today he would really see the green shine through and her generous lips pursed right now perhaps as she wondered what they were discussing tonight. Those things raised his blood pressure even before his inventory of her body moved below her neck.
She kept herself amazingly fit just like he did, only on her it accentuated her softer curves that clothes molded to really nicely when she chose to shed her business uniform and wear dresses at social events or casual jeans and tee-shirts when she wasn't at work. Even dressed in a black outfit that fit her like a second skin on one field assignment, well he had to stop thinking about that or he'd be stuck behind his desk the rest of the afternoon.
Yeah she turned him on but then she was an attractive woman and he a guy, plus she was his closest friend. He just never put her in the category of women he'd taken to bed, or against the nearest hard surface or in other places. Besides, she didn't seem to be attracted towards him in the least.
And he couldn't figure out why since he knew women buzzed to him like bees. It had always been that way. But not with her, and that vexed him even though he knew he had no business feeling that way. Men who were close friends with women didn't idle away hours thinking about what it'd be like to slide their fingers into their panties to caress their pussies. If she only knew…she might laugh or she might slap him, he didn't know which; he just guessed she wouldn't want his hands there.
Not that he didn't fantasize about her, wondering what it'd be like to kiss her sexy lips, and not as a close friend either. He didn't want to just brush his mouth over hers in passing as a friendly gesture, no he wanted to taste what she had to offer and then go in for the kill.
"Matt…what's going on with you lately," she asked, "ever since you almost died on that last job."
He bristled under her assessment of it.
"I didn't almost die; my rappel harness just got caught."
She just rolled her eyes at him because that had nearly gotten his ass splattered all over the sidewalk. He knew that's what she'd been thinking but he also knew she'd choose her words carefully.
"Okay…you didn't almost die; you would have survived a 10 foot drop onto concrete."
He rubbed the back of his neck studying her.
"Were you really that worried about me?"
She looked at him.
"A little…but if you'd died, it'd break my heart and you know that."
He sighed, knowing that much about her. Even if she had no desire to unzip his pants and wrap those sexy lips around the part of him that ached or pull him onto his desk to have her way with him, he knew she did care about him.
But he had to push those feelings aside because he had some serious planning to do for his future and he needed her help. When she heard what he had planned, he wasn't sure he would get it. At least not until she told him how crazy it all sounded and that he needed to rethink what he had planned.
She might object to it but she wouldn't talk him out of it once he had made his mind up. While he had been hanging precariously on that rope, it was like time had stopped, leaving him plenty of time to evaluate all his life choices with a kind of clarity that only comes when facing death in the eye.
What he'd never tell her is that during some of those fleeting images that had rushed through his brain had been of her and more than a few of them involved her with much less clothing than she wore now. It hadn't been real, none of it and it had never happened, but what she had been doing to him, filled his mind now, even as she sat in front of him.
"It all worked out because I'm sitting in front of you right now."
She folded her arms.
"True, but you've just asked me to talk to you about something very important at my favorite restaurant," she said, "so that tells me that your brush with death affected you more than you're letting on."
Oh, she read him so well but she'd find out what he wished to ask her tonight and she'd react to it then. After he plied her with thick juicy steak, baked potatoes and plenty of wine first, so she couldn't refuse him.
"I'm perfectly fine," he said, "I might be making a few…adjustments in my life but other than that, life will be normal."
She chuckled at that.
"If you call chaotic and unpredictable normal, then I suppose that's true."
He couldn't deny that but both of them loved what they did and they had built a great partnership together becoming an unbeatable team. They had built one of the top security firms in the country together, solved a bunch of investigative cases and had achieved international recognition. Still, at the pinnacle of success, he had felt something missing in his life.
His brush with death as she'd called it just amplified it.
"Houston, what's troubling you?"
He blinked his eyes and pushed through some papers on his desk before looking at her directly.
"Nothing…especially if you can help me tonight…"
Her demeanor turned serious.
"Oh Houston, you know I'll do whatever I can to help you," she said, "unless it's totally insane and then I'm sorry but I'll have to do my best to try to rein you back in."
His mouth twitched.
"Good luck," he said, "but I won't need it."
An image flashed in front of him just then of him holding onto her naked body as he kissed every inch of it. Inhaling the tips of her breasts into his mouth and working his way even lower…he shook that thought from his mind.
"Matt, you sure you're feeling all right," she said, "You look a bit flushed."
He reached for his Scotch, which he'd like to sprinkle little droplets over her breasts and lick them up while she writhed against him. No, no, he couldn't think of her like that, not when what he made in mind tonight was to help him with some…business. Not the usual type that she'd been familiar of course but she'd have the necessary skills to help him.
"I'm fine…I'll see you tonight at Frank's," he said, "You can dress casual if you'd like."
She nodded.
"I have cardio yoga before that," she said, "but I'll have time to shower and change at home if it's seven."
"That'll work and thanks C.J.."
She got up and shot him a piercing look.
"For what Matt, for agreeing to eat out with you?"
He sighed.
"No for agreeing to hear me out tonight," he said, "What I'm asking you to is somewhat…different."
She shrugged.
"That's okay, I didn't come to work here because I love daily routines."
He smiled knowing that she thrived on challenges and of not knowing what each day delivered just like he did. That quality along with a few others would drive her agreement to help him once he provided her with more details.
But still what he was asking...he'd have to wait until tonight and see. He watched her leave, his eyes lingering on how her lithe legs flattered her skirt. Her hips sashaying just enough to tantalize, oh he'd love to grab hold of them while did a little horizontal dancing. If he thought she'd ever go for it, he'd make his move…but first things first, what he needed tonight was for her to agree to help him.
His future and that of their company depended on it.
C.J. left Matt's office and went back into her office, feeling more than just a little concerned about her best friend. She wondered what he had to discuss with her at dinner tonight and why he thought he needed to ply her with steak and wine first.
Whatever he needed to ask her to help him with clearly mattered to him, and she had to do whatever she could for him. It hadn't helped matters that while he'd been talking, she'd been standing there wishing he'd get out from behind that desk, take a hold of her and kiss her, until she begged him to take her on his desk. But why would he be thinking about her like that when he hadn't ever done so before, besides he had been her closest friend and she didn't want to blow that relationship for a few minutes of thrilling sex.
And she knew it'd be mind blowing. No, she had to be his friend and help him with whatever he asked and park the lustful fantasies. But she sat there wondering what it could possibly be that he'd asked her.
None of her entries on her list of possibilities even came close.