It is just nine at the factory and I have let the girls in, they are all seated at their machines and working hard as I wait for Liam to turn up. He is late and I am not impressed. I text him this morning warning him he needed to be here early as I had something very important to discuss with him. I suspect he is deliberately taking his time knowing full well it will wind me up. Tony is due in less than half and hour and I am not prepared for him at all. I'm sold on his idea but Liam will protest against and oppose it for sure.
Anxiously I begin pacing the office frightened with every second that passes that Liam is going to let me down and fail to show. Frustrated and angered I snatch my phone from the desk where I had discarded it earlier upon realising that he hadn't yet answered and go to call him. I grit my teeth and curse my own stupidity I knew I should have messaged him last night but I was so intoxicated when I had returned to my flat that it completely slipped my mind.
Tony and I had such a good night last night and I drank so much more than I had originally intended. The flow between the relationship and us we were building came naturally, but after last night I was suddenly so much fonder of Mr Gordon than I had been previously. Soon I find myself lost in a reverie of the previous night and I end up smiling unintentionally as I silently remember some of the flirty little exchange we had. It takes up the next twenty minutes and before I know it I am sat in my chair lost in a reverie of all sorts of things from my past. Calling Liam to warn him he better come running has completely slipped my mind as I hold the mobile loosely in my hand with only his name highlighted on the screen.
"Alright Carla?" I hear his cheeky voice and it makes me jump.
I scowl as I look up to see Liam poised at the doorframe with a big grin on his face and am horrified to see that even though he is late he hasn't even bothered to shave, wash his face or even dress properly. He looks as though he has just rolled out of bed in his crumpled t-shirt and with his tousled hair. He is such a loveable rogue and as I watch him swan in and take his seat I find myself lost in a world of fantasy where he finds me irresistible and can't keep his hands off of me.
"So what's all this about?" he asks as I am snapped back to reality.
"Well…" I say slowly as I get up from my seat and as seductively as I can make my way round to him. I place each of my hands on the arms of the chair and lean in close so that I am sort of draped over him. I instantly lose my train of thought as I drink him in and find myself hooked on his scent, the cause of my distraction.
Our lips hover just millimetres apart and it is taking everything for me to resist the temptation. I don't want to be the one to make the first move and I can feel the intensity between us and know he feels it too. I can feel Liam squirm awkwardly obviously feeling that I have him in a compromising position. His lips part and his hot breath beats against my skin. Then it happens, a spark of electricity bounces between us and our lips almost touch.
There is a cough from the doorway that interrupts our moment. I had totally lost track of time and it is gone half past nine. As I pull away from Liam and look up I see Tony stood confidently in the door way who seems surprised. I peel myself off of Liam and stand up straight smoothing down my dress. I feel my cheeks reddening with embarrassment and watch Liam squirm as he tries to hide his also.
"Good Morning Carla. I hope I didn't interrupt anything" he purrs, his beautiful Scottish accent oozing charm.
"Oh no, not to worry" I smile hopelessly at him and then look to Liam to back me up.
"Err Yeah mate, come in…take a seat" mumbles Liam and I can tell he is somewhat flustered about having almost been caught with me. I watch him in awe as he gets up and in a gentlemanly fashion offers Tony his luscious leather chair. He glances across to me with an intense glare and then disappears from the office to get a chair from outside.
I return to my chair as Liam comes back in and positions himself beside me. Tony is grinning ear to ear unlike us two. We are red faced and flustered having now found ourselves in the awkward position of wondering how much of our intimacy Tony has witnessed. I am nervous, wondering if he will now play on that to strengthen his position and force a better deal for himself. My lips are dry as is my throat, I swallow to try and lubricate it so I can talk.
"So, shall we talk some business then?" I ask, directing my question to Tony and praying he will take the floor.
"We shall Mrs Connor" he nods, still smiling at and in a mocking fashion.
We begin discussing figures, starting off where we left the business talk at dinner and over the desk Tony hands me a proposition. Before my hand can even reach to take it Liam stands and snatches it from him. As he sits he begins flicking the pages as Tony starts to explain its benefits, for me of course.
"What is this?" asks Liam as he stares at me.
"What?" I ask feigning innocence.
"Right here" he says pointing to some wording. "It says that Tony is buying shares. My shares?" he states and it develops into a question.
I squirm awkwardly unsure of what to say and glance at Tony with a 'help me' expression. He stands and looks to Liam. He smiles and comes round to our side of the desk where he stops behind my chair that I have swivelled back to face Liam. I feel a weight pushing down on the back, tipping it acutely backwards as Tony rests his palms on the leather just behind my head.
"Liam, Carla and I feel that the business would benefit from a little financial input from me. I want to buy your shares, or just some of them if you would allow me?" Tony says laying it straight on the line for Liam. I am surprised, I expected him to dress it up with some ribbons and bows but then again I suppose he is a cut to the chase kind of man.
There is silence in the office as I watch Liam take in everything Tony has just said and try to process how he feels about it. I can read him though, he's in shock and if I am noting correctly he is a little hurt. His gaze is fixed upon Tony before it slowly lowers to me. I wait with anticipation with him to say something but we find ourselves locked in a silent stare.
"Can you give us a moment Tony?" Liam asks in a monotone voice but doesn't break eye contact with me.
"Of course Liam. In fact why don't I leave this with you, give you time to think and say meet you both in the pub say around seven?"
Finally the eye contact between us is broken as he nods at Tony but not in an agreeable manner just one it seems of understanding. There is a release of the pressure on the top of my chair and it springs forward gently. Tony is leaving and Liam is raging, this has not gone as well as I had planned. I swing my chair around to face Tony before he can walk away.
"Until later" he says as he reaches for my hand, lifts it gently and graces it with a kiss. "I look forward to seeing you...both" he states coolly and slowly and his eyes twinkle with delight as he looks at me.
Tony has only been gone for a matter of seconds when I finally stop staring in the direction to which he disappeared and turn back to look at Liam. His nostrils are flared and his breathing is heavy, he is about to irrupt.
"What the hell is this Carla!" he yells.
"Were you ever going to tell me? …. I mean this was mine and Paul's business. You are here by default"
He is filled with rage. It is so attractive and I am so turned on. I have stopped listening to his hurtful accusations and let him continue to rant as he waves the pages of what is more like a contract than anything else in front of my face. He was getting closer and closer, our roles most definitely in reverse from earlier as he was hovered now over me.
"I can't believe you want to move your new fancy man in Carla. Our Paul has barely been dead five minutes. It's disgusting!"
Now that caught my attention and I am offended. My eyes water as if tears might form and I am upset Liam thinks I am such a cold hearted cow I would move straight to another man. Tony is not my new fancy man! He is a business associate and will remain so, after all it is not him I want. Scowling I reach up and bat him away from me so that I can get out of my chair. I am insulted by his childish accusation and go to march from the office when he reaches for me and grabs my wrist stopping me dead in my tracks. He spins me to face him and then pulls me in close. That pulse off electricity runs through me again at the feel of his touch and I can tell he is not finished.
"I won't do it Carla. I won't let him be part of our business" he whispers and with such passion. He is being protective and I love him even more for it but I can't let him see that I am weak and that I want to give into him. Keeping my defences up I react with the first thing that comes to mind.
"Well you don't have much choice Liam" I hiss through gritted teeth.
"And why is that?" he snaps back, his softer voice and passion replaced by a harsher one.
"Because I will sell him some of mine if I have to"
I regret it the second I say it and feel Liam's grip on my wrist gradually increase as his anger at me grows. It has shocked him, he never thought I'd do that. I know I won't either, I will never hand over my shares of Underworld because as I have the majority it gives me the power. I thrive on that power, so I cannot lose in a tiny sliver of it. Silence once again fills the gap between us and we are so close as we had been earlier that our lips are millimetres from one another. My chest is rapidly rising and falling, keeping in rhythm with my erratic heartbeat and I feel so very tightly wound. There is a sudden intensity between us as we can only hear one another's heavy breathing. It has been a very heated few minutes and I think we have both forgotten where we are. Forces beyond our control are attracting us to one another and this feels so right. I can't stand it, I push out of his grasp and again make a dart for the door when he grabs me again and spins me to slam me against it. With a his palms flat against the door his arms cage me in, there is no way of escape and it is all happening so quickly. His lips meet mine before I even realise and we are kissing before I even have a chance to stop him.
