Geek Girl's Romance: Love in the Workplace Page 3

  Embarrassed beyond words, she lifted her head from Holden’s shoulder and turned her flushed face toward him but kept her gaze on his zipper as she popped open the button on his jeans. She bit down on her bottom lip as she glimpsed at his Pacific surf-colored eyes, and when a cute, sheepish smile turned his lips upward, they looked utterly kissable. She panted, hoping he was as smitten with her as she was with him.

  Magnetism exuded from him, threatening to make her swoon as he put his wet fingers into his mouth, tasting her juices as he licked them clean. He pulled her close, capturing her mouth for their first deep kiss. Holden’s lips felt soft but firm while his tongue’s enthusiastic plundering drove her wild.

  She unzipped his pants, but unlike her, he was wearing underwear. With one finger, she traced the outline of his engorged member, fascinated by the size. Never in a million years would she have guessed he had been hiding such a monster beneath his clothes. Just as her fingertips scurried up to his waistband and began to pull the elastic away from his warm flesh, an unwelcome sound interrupted. Holden tensed, trying to ignore the ringtone, but instead of going away, the noise kept coming.

  He growled, balling up his fist and shaking it close to his face. “Fuck!”

  Tilting her head, she widened and lowered her eyes, puckering her lips into a seductive pout. “Yes please.”

  Holden’s gaze met hers roaming toward the ceiling, his lips curving into a bittersweet smile before he shook his head in disbelief. “Why now? I can’t fucking believe he is doing this to me.” He huffed as the phone paused and then began to ring anew. “I’m sorry but it’s work. I have to answer.”

  Mary Allison hid her disappointment as best she could. “Of course.”

  While grabbing his cell, Holden slipped out into the kitchen to take his call. Mary Allison took the opportunity to use her blanket to tidy up the couch before throwing it in the laundry room and running back to seductively drape her body across the arm of the sofa. When Holden returned and took a look at her stance, his face went from downtrodden to stricken.

  “Problem?” She lifted her chin while wetting her bottom lip with her tongue.

  Holden sighed loudly. “Mark Melton is freaking out. His drop-dead date is Monday and his assistant has the flu. He’s convinced he can’t finish alone and is having a meltdown. It’s my ass if that damn crazy doesn’t get his work in by noon Monday because I already gave him an extension.”

  “Yikes,” Mary Allison blew air through her teeth. As the realization struck, she lifted an eyebrow and yanked her head back. “Wait…extension? You give extensions to your other authors?”

  Holden’s gaze cut away from hers and he made a nervous sounding laugh. “Like I’d leave you alone long enough to need one. That’s not even the point though. I have to go calm that nutter down and track down some of our part-timers to help him.”

  “I understand but you can’t leave like that.” She reached over and stroked her finger up his dick. Holden hadn’t taken the time to zip or button his pants yet.

  “No.” He placed his hand over his cock. “I can’t let our first time be a half-ass quickie.”

  Mary Allison’s ears perked up as she heard the word “first.” Did Holden have designs on a second and third time?

  “When we make love, I’m going to take my time and do it properly.” He leaned in for a kiss.

  Stunned by his choice of words, she accepted his kiss but grabbed his sleeve to make sure he didn’t get away. She wrapped her arms around his waist and slipped her hands up the back of his shirt, trailing her nails across his skin. Holden groaned into her mouth before slowly pulling back to break the kiss.

  “You don’t fight fair.” His blue eyes glimmered.

  “You know, some people think I’m a pretty decent artist.” She shrugged.

  Holden raised an eyebrow questioningly and shot her a look. “Just what are you saying?”

  She smiled. “Well, I wouldn’t be opposed to helping you out.”

  “Oh shit! Mary Allison, are you serious? You have no idea what you are offering, but I won’t turn it down.”

  “I don’t mind, but of course, you will owe me.” She smirked and winked.

  “I will pay up tenfold!” He pulled her into a big hug.

  “All right, give me a second to change pants.” She pointed down at the soaked crotch of the pair she was wearing.

  “Oops, sorry about that.” His entire face turned red.

  “No need to apologize for what you did there.” She grinned before she turned to walk off to her bedroom to change.

  Chapter Three

  When they arrived at Mark’s place and Mary Allison first laid eyes on the guy, he wasn’t at all what she had expected. For whatever reason, she’d pictured him as an unkempt, obese recluse, sitting around in a dirty white t-shirt while scarfing potato chips. The truth was something much different. Slender and kind of cute, he stood only a few inches taller than her, had a boyishly handsome face, and was dressed like an Abercrombie model. Despite the presence of a few thin lines between the man’s brows, Mark looked more like a high school senior than a successful, thirty-three-year-old artist.

  The state of the man’s apartment was a shock as well. Except for a spotless and well-organized work area, the rest of the place was an absolute dump. Fast food wrappers, empty energy drink cans, and other unidentifiable trash littered the kitchen table, coffee table, end tables, and pretty much any other flat surface above the floor. Several clusters of books stacked in medium-sized towers stood haphazardly in both the den and kitchen. Garbage bags, needing to be hauled out to the trash chute, sat piled around the kitchen trashcan. A disorganized jumble of what appeared to be clean clothing was left to wrinkle on the couch while dirty clothes were strewn in piles on the floor. She had heard stories about some graphic artists and writers getting bogged down during peak times and losing sight of everything else, but she had never actually witnessed such a scenario until she walked into Mark Melton’s home.

  “Who is she?” The small fry shrieked at Holden as if Mary Allison wasn’t standing right there.

  “Calm down, Mark. Mary Allison is an artist. She’s here to help you.”

  “Really?” the man asked as he looked at her with adorably wide, brown eyes. His childish features and expressive face reminded her of a pitiful cartoon cat.

  “Absolutely.” She held out her hand. Instead of shaking hands with her as she had expected, Mark leaned down formally and pulled the back of her hand to his lips for a kiss, as if he were some sort of aristocrat welcoming her to the ball. Considering the situation and the filthy surroundings, Mary Allison looked over at Holden and raised a questioning eyebrow.

  He mouthed the words “told you” while twirling his finger around beside his ear to signify Mark was batshit crazy.

  “Well, let’s dig in.” She removed her hoodie jacket and sat down at a drafting table. To get a feel for his work, Mary Allison spent a few minutes flipping through previous issues of Mark’s comics and was impressed by his talent. His illustration style was very different from her Japanese-manga-inspired drawings but she had no doubt she could mimic his technique. In regards to the story’s plot, Mark was an imaginative guy with fresh ideas, but based on how many storyboards they needed to finish he was way behind schedule.

  While she and Mark worked, there wasn’t a lot for Holden to do, but Mary Allison would have killed him if he left her alone with Mark. The man-child was high-strung, stressed and likely to freak out if he ran into a hitch without his editor hovering nearby to hold his hand. To pass the time, Holden read some of Mark’s earlier works.

  After a grueling stretch of illustrating in another artist’s style, her body head, heart, and body felt exhausted. When she worked on her stuff, her inspiration guided her; but creating someone else’s vision was much more difficult. She wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting in the same spot but her neck hurt, her tummy was growling, and her back teeth were floating.

  “Ugh! Fuck t
his bullshit. I need a break.” She stretched in her seat before she stood up and stretched.

  Mark jumped up from his stool and his eyes showed a hint of terror as he whined, “You’re leaving me?”

  Mary Allison groaned. “No, but can I go tinkle?”

  A wave of relief seemed to flow over the pint-sized man. Mary Allison could see his stiff body loosen up and relax, starting with his face and progressing downward toward his feet.

  “Bathroom is down that hallway, first door on the left.” He pointed before sitting back down.

  Mary Allison bolted to find relief but when she entered Mark’s bathroom, she gagged, feeling as if she was standing in the middle of a giant Petri dish labeled Live Staph Infection. Along with several dirty handprints, the sink and mirror were both splattered with toothpaste leavings. A tan bath mat, sprinkled with debris, sported a suspicious-looking brown mark. The smell was foul enough for Mary Allison to pull the neck of her shirt over her nose and mouth and look around for a litter box but there was no evidence of a cat or any animal other than Mark. If she hadn’t had to go so badly, she would have insisted Holden drive her to someplace cleaner. Mary Allison shook her head. Even pissing in my pants would be more sanitary.

  Holding her breath, she flushed the toilet before opening the lid. No way did she want to risk finding any surprises. Mary Allison hovered over the commode as if she was using the restroom at a seedy, just-off-the-interstate gas station. After she was done, the sight of the dirty, germ-laden sink made her reluctant to wash her hands. Instead, she opened a cabinet underneath and was surprised but happy to find a can of disinfectant spray.

  Once she banished any minions of disease straight to hell, she decided it was safe to clean her hands. Finally, she made her way back into the living room. She stared at Mark. “You are the worst kind of person.”

  “Huh?” he asked. Both men looked up at her.

  She scrunched up her nose. “Your bathroom is the ultimate in filth.” After glancing over at Holden and noticing his worried expression, she realized she had said too much, but before she could take it back, Mark Melton burst into tears, bolted into his bedroom, and slammed the door.

  “Bullocks.” Holden groaned and sighed.

  Mary Allison wasn’t sure what the hell Mark’s problem was. “Shit! I’m sorry.”

  Her editor shook his head. “You only said what I’ve been dying to say. I just wish you’d held your tongue until we finished up here. I’ll go coax him out. You order some pizza.”

  Mary Allison’s bottom lip rolled over as she recoiled. “I’m starving but I’m not eating a damn thing in this rat hole.”

  Holden looked at her with glazed-over eyes before nodding and heading off after Mark. While she waited for Holden to deal with the loon, she opened her iPad, sent out a few Snapchat streaks, and then checked her Facebook page. She had a private message from Donnie, her best friend of many years. She cherished the lifelong bond she’d forged with the utterly adorable, completely gay, former jock. When she was five, the two had become best friends on the playground at the neighborhood park over a shared Hershey’s chocolate bar. From that day forward, their hands and hearts were always intertwined.

  Before she could respond to her message, Mark and Holden returned. Mary Allison felt bad about upsetting the little guy so she apologized.

  “No, you’re right. I get all out of sorts and emotional when I’m behind. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset.” He dabbed at his eyes with a tissue.

  Holden removed his money clip from his pocket and removed a couple of twenties. “Mary Allison, will you please go get some takeout?” Stepping in closer, he whispered, “You can eat at the restaurant before you return.”

  “Wait!” Mark squealed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Retrieving some cash, he held it out to Mary Allison. “Let me pay. It’s the least I can do.”

  Deciding he was damn right, Mary Allison took his money and handed Holden’s back to him before asking for his keys and taking both men’s food orders. After Holden walked her out to the hallway, she grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close, stroking her hair. “Thank you.”

  She smiled. “Why aren’t you afraid of getting ptomaine poison?”

  “Sadly, I’m immune to the filth. I’ve been looking after Mark for a bit of a stretch.” He laughed while wagging his head.

  He stroked her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss. As his soft, warm lips pressed against hers, her pulse quickened, and giddy energy filled her belly before she sauntered off to the building’s front door.

  Chapter Three

  After facilitating a little breathing room for Mary Allison, Holden helped Mark settle at his workstation and then headed off to the kitchen to make some coffee. Since the place was such a cesspool, Holden had to wash the coffee pot and a couple of mugs. His gaze darted around the room, and he exhaled a heavy breath. Mark’s place was always a mess when he was behind on his deadlines but he only let it turn into a pigsty when his writer’s block was severe enough to cause depression. When those dark times struck, Holden had to drag the little runt out of the house. Forcing him to get some perspective usually helped him find some inspiration. Why didn’t he call me earlier? It’s a good thing we showed up when we did.

  Once the coffee was ready, Holden filled the mugs and took them out to the art studio. Carefully he placed Mark’s cup on a separate desk to avert the disaster a spill over the storyboards would cause.

  “Thanks,” Mark said as he turned to pick up his cup and take a sip. “And, I’m sorry.”

  Holden lifted an eyebrow. “For?”

  “Being late, and…dramatic, and—”

  “A cockblocker.” Holden rolled his eyes.

  “Wha—” Mark’s eyes widened.

  “Never mind. Just do your work. You’re very talented, but you’re also a huge pain in the ass and never more so than today. None of my other artists caused so much trouble, and I wouldn’t put up with it if they tried. You’re lucky I have a soft spot for you, you little spaz.”

  Mark took another sip and then grinned. “I’m special.”

  Holden sighed. “That’s what you took for what I said?”

  Mark nodded before turning toward his work. Holden shook his head. The desire to knock him off his stool was palpable, but smacking the overly sensitive, neurotic, and oddly promiscuous whiner would only cause more hold-ups, and ever since Holden moved back to the States, the little guy was also the closest thing he had to a best friend. The transition had been tough for Holden and Mark had been the only one to reach out to him during the worst of it.

  Mark didn’t look up from his work as he asked, “How’s your brother?”

  “Half-brother and I’m guessing he still hates me.”

  “I’m sure it’s not to that extent. He’s just jealous.”

  Holden scoffed. “What does that spoiled asshole have to be envious of? Dad raised him, gave him everything, including his last name, and made him his heir.”

  “Your father brought you over to train and join the company. That has to mean something.”

  Holden laughed bitterly. “Are you stupid? He needed a spare, and to light a fire under Ian’s ass. My mere presence made the spoiled brat to stop slacking off start taking his position seriously, which in turn allowed their father to dump more responsibility on Ian. Slowly their father moved toward an early retirement filled with golf, wine, and high cholesterol foods the old man shouldn’t be eating.”

  Mark giggled while adding some shading to his drawing. “That sucks. I thought Mr. Lord brought you over because the business was in trouble.”

  “That’s what he said, but it was bull shit.” Holden dropped his ass on a stool next to Mark and slurped his java. “Lord Publishing was in the black from all the erotic romance eBooks alone.”

  Mark fanned himself with the neckline of his shirt. “Yaaasss! I live for that shit. We have some talent in the House of Lord.”

  The corners of Holden’s lips
turned upward. “Why am I not surprised?”

  “You were so salty when you were transferred to work with us.”

  “Wouldn’t you be if someone was jerking you around and stuck you somewhere just because they wanted you to be lost?”

  “You showed that prick! Sales are way up.” Holden could feel Mark’s smirk without even looking.

  “Did you tell you dad how you feel?”

  “Pfft…Alexander Lord is the same manipulative, selfish bastard he has always been. He didn’t mind disrupting my whole life on a farce so why would he care?”

  “Didn’t he come clean about you to his wife years ago so he could include you in the family?”

  “Like I’d leave my mom all alone—fuck that, but I confronted Ian about the transfer. He handed me a bunch of bullocks about rotating him through all of the departments.”

  “But you think it’s retaliation for being born?”

  “It was. Whatever. Don’t care anymore. He ended up unwittingly doing me a huge favor. Do your damn work and mind your own business.”

  “Oh, I’m so touched.”

  “The fuck?”

  “The favor—meeting me.”

  Holden rolled his eyes and drank some more coffee as hie recalled his first taste of the graphic novel department. He’d had no idea what to expect and felt like quitting, but he didn’t want to let Ian win so he resolved to succeed come hell or high water. He dug in and learned everything he could about the genre and found himself enjoying it.

  “Even when my contributions bolstered sales, Ian used my accomplishments against me by praising me to our father just so he could look like a doting brother while getting me stuck in graphic novels for much longer than originally planned.