iveystorm@g*******m

Chapter 2

The last half an hour has been unbearable we had short conversations and tried to get to know each other but there was just something about Jason Highland and I just don't know how to ignore it.

For the love of all things shiny in life why is my body reacting to him in this was.....I'm an engaged woman.

"So Ms. Graham, what should we do first?"

OMG that voice. I keep jumping when he talks and I don't know why.

"Call me Ivey please....... and lets head on the road I have a project I need to secure over at Google."

"Nice, you really are as straightforward to work as Mark said, just let me grab some stuff from my car and we can head out."

His smile was so cute.

We headed out of the office after I sent Mark a quick I.M of the day’s activities. The elevator seemed tight and I so small compared to this huge hunk of a man. Those biceps hmhhmmmm I would love to be wrapped up in them.

I was so caught up in my dirty little thoughts on the walk through the parking lot that I didn't even realize that he was looking at me very attentively.

"Everything ok?"

He said a little worried as we exited the elevator in the underground parking area.

"I'm good, which car is yours?"

I said as we walked side by side.

"It's the grey Audi-R8 parked next to the cute dark grey Mazda CX-5..."

I laughed and shook my head, he did not just call my SUV cute.....I can't even believe I parked right next to his car and when I got out of my car I was appreciating his ride earlier when I drove in. I should have known I had never seen it here before.

It fit him though; sleek, sexy and all male. Just thinking about him and his ride made me wet.

I realized he was staring at me again, probably thinking I was crazy.

"That cute Mazda is mine Hun....... Nice ride though."

I said laughing. He looked so cute with that embarrassed look on his face. He was rubbing his head as if searching for the right thing to say next.

"So......do you wanna take my ride or your cute SUV?"

I had to smile, I just couldn’t help it.

"Your ride....... I've always wanted to ride in one of them."

Things started to finally relax we rode in his car to 76 at 9th Avenue. It was just a half-hour drive but we talked and got to know a lot about each other. He was a really cool guy.

He was a top recruiter for an agency in Berlin before he moved back to London to take care of his mom who died from cancer early this year and took this job for new scenery. Like myself, he was an only child, loved to read and was searching for what we classified as a new meaning to life.

He talked and talked and I could tell that he was nervous which made him even cuter and made me smile uncontrollably. Then he finally gave up when he ran out of things to say and said.

"So tell me about you, Ms. Top Head Hunter?"

I laughed out loud when he said that as it brought back fond memories from Columbia.

"Please don't call me that my friends ruined it for me back in university, I'm just a recruiter."

It took a while for him to understand but when he registered what I meant he laughed. His voice was so rich and deep, all I could think of was those lips and how much I wanted to kiss them. When I realized the direction of my thoughts I quickly shut them down.

"I apologize Sweets.... anything you want to share with me?"

Sweets…..I could see from his reaction that it was an accidental slip but it was just sweet, man is he trying to get jumped.......... Lucky for me we had arrived at Google's office and I was free of the confined sexy car with the delicious man

"We're here, just turn left and head down to the underground parking."

"Yes ma'am."

We parked on the second level in the space I'm always assigned when I visit this office as I've done a lot of recruiting for them. On our way towards the elevators we passed a few employees I was familiar with and two guards who knew me well, all smiled and acknowledged me, this usually made me feel great but at this moment I felt shy and wanted to just be invisible. I could feel him watching me. His presence was just so large.

"You are quite popular here."

He said as we got on the elevator.

I felt like I had to provide an explanation for some reason, he just made me feel so small and uncertain but it wasn't his size.

"I've done a lot of work for this office. They are one of our firms biggest clients plus a college buddy works here."

"I see."

He wasn't looking at me when he replied, which made me want to know what he was thinking. That was the first time I wanted to get into someone's head so bad.

We rode the elevator all the way to the 15th floor, as we entered the office area all eyes were directed our way. They watched like hawks. Every female in the room was literally drooling, while men just stared and that’s when I registered It wasn't me at all it was all for my partner. He didn't even seem to realize.

He walked beside me and when I gestured to the office we were using he placed his right hand at the small of me back and stared me in. His touch set fire to me. My feet almost gave way and my brain went to goo. It’s like the man was a furnace. At first, I felt I was the only one affected but when I turned around to speak to him his eyes were dark and grew darker as he stared back at me, like a man starving.

We just stood there for what seems like forever looking into each other’s eyes, no words were but it’s like there was some kind of mutual exchange. At one point I swore he stepped closer but my brain wasn't sure. A slight knock pulled us both back to reality and when I looked to the office door it was David Hanson the company's VP of technology.

"Hello Miss. Graham, how have you been?"

"Hi David, I told you to just call me Ivey you've known me since I was twelve years old man. This is my new partner Jason Highland he'll be working with me on the Toronto Project."

They both shook hands and exchanged pleasantries but David was rigid and Jason just looked brooding. I had no idea what got up them, maybe it was just a guy thing.

"Nice to meet you Jason."

"Likewise David."

They were being so odd, we were all in the same age group though they probably had about two to five on me, but yet still were behaving like the other stole the others toy during recess.

"All the information you need are in the files on the desk and uploaded onto the cloud I will provide the password as well.....

Make yourselves comfortable and call me if you need anything."

They were still staring each other down and I swear they forgot I was still in the room. So I cleared my throat.

"Thanks David but we won't be staying long I have another meeting to make today so we'll just be taking what we need heading out."

"Ok. Before you head out could I speak with you privately in my office.....Ivey?"

This wasn't a strange request but the way he said "privately" and the fact that he was still having some kind of stare-down match with Jason just made this awkward.

"Sure no problem give me a minute."

He shook his head and left the office without another word.

"What's his problem?"

Jason asked in a gruff voice.

I decided not to answer that question because honestly, I wasn't sure either. Instead, I placed my bag on one of the chairs and looked around for what I needed.

"Can you grab those yellow folders marked Job Descriptions and that black one please.  I'm going to see what he needs and meet you in a minute by the elevators."

"As you wish ma'am."

He was smiling again and that made me feel relieved, now I had to find out what was up David’s ass. He was never usually like that. We grew up together in Alaska after his mom moved there when he was fifteen and we went to Columbia University together. We have kept in touch a lot since grad and he got me my first break at Google and now he was acting all strange and s**t the last few months. I knocked on his office door and he called for me to come in.

"Hey boss man, what's up?"

I said jokingly when I entered his office.

His face was relaxed now and he smiled. He wasn't the most attractive guy I knew. He was around 5 foot 7, fair-skinned and not really toned, he had nothing on Jason, but he was a sweetie and has always been a great friend. We grew apart a bit after Antonio and I got together but not even that ruined our friendship and I was happy about that.

"You know I hate when you call me that.......come in and close the door."

"Oki Sir."

He didn’t even wait until I turned around, straight into the interrogation he went.

"Who is that guy and how am I just hearing about you having a partner on this project? I thought it was just going to be you and me working on this."

"Come on David look how large this project is I couldn't ask you to pull all those late nights with all you have to deal with already plus Mark thinks this guy is great and I am looking forward to working with him."

He sighed, got up from around his desk and walked towards me. A part of me knew that what was going happen next was not going to go well but I just stood there, it was David. He stopped in front of me and used both his hands to unfold mine from around me so he could hold them, I didn't even realize I was hugging myself.

"Ivey come on I see how he was looking at you, maybe you should let Mark know you want to work this one alone......That way it can be just us like old times."

Before I even knew what’s happening BAM!! David had his lips pressed to mine. I had to push him to get him to stop. I couldn't believe that just happened. What was he thinking?!

"What the f**k are you doing? Are you insane I'm engaged and we are just friends, why would you do that?"

He looked shocked for some reason, he turned away and ran his hand through his army cut auburn hair. What is going on with him today?

"I'm sorry Ivey, I shouldn't have done that, I just thought....... Just forget it ok I'll call you later"

"I don't think you should, we'll talk when I come back to the office. I think we need some space because you obviously have some stuff to work through."

I turned to walk out the door and as I reached for the handle he said......

"Just be careful of that guy Ivey. I can see from the way he looks at you that he's not just looking for a working relationship."

This just pissed me off more. Who was he to say that? He knew nothing about Jason.

"I'm a big girl David and you don't know him so don't pull that judgment shit."

By the time I got back to the office to grab my bag, I had felt Anger, Annoyance, Embarrassment, and Confusion. "How and why did that just happen?" It is all I kept asking myself as I made my way to the elevators. When I hit the flat in front of the elevators I saw Jason. At first, I could see that he was trying to read my face and as if he knew that I needed it he gave me that drop-dead gorgeous smile and I forgot the f****d up position my friend just put me in.

"You good Sweets?"

"Yeah I'm fine, just a little flustered today. Did you grab everything I asked for?"

"Yep and I brought them down to the car."

"Good and maybe you should stop calling me Sweets, we are work partners and I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea."

"It no problem Ivey not trying to make you uncomfortable, it’s just that you seem like such a sweet girl. Everyone at the office made you seem so dangerous but you're cool."

That was nice to hear, most of the other men at the office only tried to hit on me and when I brushed them off I became the office b***h, but someone finally took the chance to develop their own opinion and I appreciated it. Why am I letting what David said to get to me? And even if Jason is attracted to me it’s not one-sided and nothing is going to happen anyway. So I smiled and said.......

"Thank you.... You can keep calling me Sweets, I like it but let’s just keep it in a more private setting, meaning not in the office ok?"

He smiled again and I realized that God had made him perfect up to the dimples on each side of his cheeks.

"I'm cool with that..... Ready to go?"

I entered the elevator as he held the door for me and as it closed with us inside and I saw the smile on his face, I knew he was going to be trouble.

By the time we were back on the road, I had almost forgotten about the whole David situation and was listening to Jason talk about what he wanted to do now that he lived in the "Big Apple". I laughed every time he called New York "The Big Apple” because it was something only tourists do and I realized I was getting comfortable with him and we just might make a good team.

"So where to now boss lady?"

"Well, I thought I could kill two birds with one stone. I need to stop by our Upper East Side office to grab my laptop and my case files and I believe you should see it, so let’s go."

"That sounds cool, it’s a lot better than waiting till Mark takes me, and he forgets a lot."

"It’s like you've been here forever, He sometimes forgets his own name."

We both laughed and I felt so at ease with him.

It took us twenty minutes to get to the office, within that time I was able to let Jason know as much about me as I was comfortable with. He was nice about it all and when he found out my dad died he understood it all after losing his mom and dad a year apart. It’s when we got to the part about me being engaged and talking about Antonio that’s when something changed. His smile disappeared and his entire body got as hard as stone. I tried to ignore the feeling but I couldn't. He was still listening attentively and talking back but he was closed off to me, no feelings showed.

When we got to the office and I introduced Jason to everyone, he was all smiles and friendly, the complete opposite of in the car. I just told myself to get over it but when I saw how my female staff was swarming in like vultures to a carcass I just lost it and told them all to head back to work. We didn't spend more than a few minutes there, I showed him around and then headed to my office. He followed me in and sat at the edge of my desk as I grabbed what I needed and closed all my files since I wasn't working there for the next couple of months. Then suddenly Jason asked

"Are you happy with him Ivey?"

I was so shocked, I couldn't even answer. It came out of nowhere.