Girl Crush (Redwoods Book 1) Read online

  My boss has Lucia pinned up against the wall beside the elevator, his hand is up her skirt and her leg wrapped around his waist. He’s kissing her with so much force, and his other hand has her hair fisted. Her neck is twisted at an angle that looks uncomfortable, but by the sound of it she’s feeling no pain.

  I know I should turn around and go back into my office and give them some privacy, but I can’t seem to take my eyes off of the scene in front of me. My feet are rooted to the floor and my eyes are set on his hand that’s up her skirt. I’ve never seen this type of behavior in person. I mean I’ve seen it in movies, but that never affected me like this is. I’m so turned on right now that I can actually feel my panties getting wet.

  I watch for a few more seconds, shifting my legs slightly trying to relieve a little of the pressure. I’m about to turn around when I see Mr. Vaughn raise his head and it looks like he’s smelling the air, before I can move he spins around and his eyes lock onto mine and I wouldn’t be able to move now if I wanted to. I swear I see a change in them just like that first day in his office but before I can make anything of it they go back to normal and his face completely changes to a look of rage.

  Lucia looks around him and sees me standing there she places her hand on his arm as if she’s trying to calm him down. Hell, it wasn’t my fault he couldn’t take it to his office. “I’m so sorry Mr. Vaughn.” I stutter out, “I was just leaving for the night.” I turn the other way deciding to take the stairs. I can walk one floor then jump on the elevator from there. There is no way I can walk past them now.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for, Kerrigan. We thought everyone had gone home for the weekend.” Lucia speaks up as I’m turning around. I nod in their direction but I can’t make eye contact with either of them. Making a hasty retreat to the stairwell before anything else can happen I hear Lucia tell me to have a good weekend before the door closes behind me.

  Once I’m alone in the stairwell I try to calm my nerves and I take a couple deep breaths. How the hell am I supposed to look in him the eye again after what I just witnessed? That was the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen. Once my heart rate calmed down I walk down to the next floor and get onto the elevator to make my way home for the weekend.

  It’s still light out and completely hot. The second the air hits my skin I feel clammy and disgusting. I was hoping the air would cool my body off after what I just saw but no such luck. I look up toward the sky and notice a full moon is coming. Maybe that’s it, something strange always happens to me on a full moon. I get in my car and head home, hoping my weekend will be relaxing.

  I wake up in the greens of the forest. I look around trying to make out where I am exactly when a little puppy starts scratching my leg. I kneel down on the ground at his level and rub his ears. His tail is wagging back and forth and he rolls over on his back and I begin to rub his belly. I chase him around in circles before I look up at the trees feeling at peace with everything. When I look back down what was once the cute little puppy is now a boy. I jump back from him and laugh while he smiles at me. “DJ, you’re a silly boy.” He continues to smile at me, “Buttercup, when are you going to realize it’s always me?”

  I wake up with a start, and once I catch my bearing’s I realize I was woken up by a howling sound. Thinking back over my dream the main thing that stood out was the boy’s eyes, they remind me of the color of Mr. Vaughn’s eyes. But that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

  I get out of bed and walk to the kitchen to pour me a glass of water, looking out my window I see the bright full moon shining down and I have a sudden urge to be out under the glow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the moon look so bright. I grab a jacket and head outside not caring one bit that it’s the middle of the night.

  The second I’m out under the moon, my body instantly relaxes. I feel the warm air on my skin. Running my hands up and down my arms, I start to feel goose bumps forming on my skin. I’m not sure why since it’s warm out here but my whole body feels weightless and free right now.

  I don’t know how long I’ve been standing outside under the full moon before I feel eyes on me. Spinning around I almost crawl out of my skin when I see something move across the parking lot, I’m sure it’s just a cat or some other type of wildlife being that I’m so close to the Redwoods, but I decide it’s time to head back inside anyway.

  When I turn around I bump into something solid and scream, “Arg!!!!!”

  I feel hands on my shoulders trying to steady and calm me, “Shh...” He runs his hands up and down my arms, “Buttercup, you’re fine, it’s just me. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Bryce.” I whisper, and sink into his arms. I can feel the vibrations of his heart thundering in his chest.

  “What the hell are you doing out here in the middle of the night?” He sounds angry.

  “I couldn’t sleep, I had a weird dream that woke me up and I felt the need to be under the moon.” I look at him more closely, and see that he’s in ripped sweat shorts and a white tank top, “What are you doing out here, Bryce?”

  He’s looking at me strangely and starts to pull me toward my apartment. He looks flustered and something else I can’t quite think of. I see him look back over his shoulder before answering my question, “I couldn’t sleep either so I thought I would go for a run.”

  Nodding I allow him to lead me back to the building. I’m suddenly feeling completely drained, “Thanks for scaring the shit out of me, but I think I’m going to head to bed.”

  “Sorry, Buttercup.” He grins, “I will see you in the morning.” He kisses my forehead and from the distance I hear that same howling sound and notice Bryce flinch.

  I don’t mention it to him instead I make my way inside my apartment and turn to look at him, “Night, Bryce.”

  “Goodnight, Kerrigan.” I hear him say as I’m shutting the door.

  I take one last look out my window and up at the moon feeling completely safe and secure here, closing my blinds before I walk to my room and crawl under the covers and fall back asleep.

  The next morning I wake up feeling groggy and not at all myself. The dream of the little boy kept flashing through my mind and I couldn’t get my brain to shut off so I tossed and turned all night.

  Getting up out of bed I make my way to the restroom and relieve myself before heading out to the kitchen for breakfast. After looking through all my cupboards nothing is standing out and I’m suddenly not so hungry anymore. I drag myself back to my bed and crawl under the covers trying to make myself fall back to sleep.

  It must have worked because the next time I wake up it’s to someone pounding on my front door. I look over to the clock and see that it’s almost three in the afternoon.

  What the fuck? How did I sleep so late?

  I sit up and the second I’m standing I feel a wave of nausea and pain throughout my body and I run toward my bathroom, making it to my toilet with seconds to spare before I throw up everything I ate yesterday. I sit back on my legs and wipe my face with the back of my hand trying to take deep breaths and calm my stomach down.

  The person at my door doesn’t give up, I still hear pounding but I don’t care. I lie down on my cool bathroom floor and curl up in a ball trying to alleviate the pain and give the nausea time to pass. Now I know why I was so tired and achy this morning when I woke up. I have the flu. The knocking stops and I shut my eyes and drift off to a land of bliss.

  I’m not sure how long I lay on the floor before he walks in and finds me, “Oh fuck, Buttercup.” I hear Bryce exclaim.

  My sink water turns on and then I feel a cool washcloth being placed on my forehead and his strong arms lifting me off the ground.

  “Thank you for letting me in Joyce. I was worried and now I’m glad I came to you for the key.” Bryce says.

  “You’re welcome, I’m glad I could help. Take care of her. I will lock up on my way out.” I’m assuming he’s referring to Joyce, the manager of my apartment complex.

  He lays me do
wn on my bed and continues to run the washcloth across my forehead, down the side of my face and around my neck.

  “Buttercup, you’re burning up. Can I take your pants off to help cool you down?” He asks.

  Nodding my okay to him, honestly I really don’t care what he does; I just want to feel better. He moves off the bed and removes my pants and pulls a sheet up to cover my body. I don’t know how long he continues to try and cool me off but when I wake up again he has a thing of medicine in his hand, “Can you sit up, Kerrigan?”

  I shake my head I’m too weak to move much more than that. Bryce slides an arm behind my back and helps me up just enough that I can take the medicine he hands me. “Ew…what is that medicine, it tastes awful.” I whine.

  “It will help you Kerrigan, I promise.” He says lifting the medicine cup up helping me finish it.

  “Hmmm... Thank you B.” I mumble as he helps me lie back down. Within moments I feel myself falling back asleep.

  I hate being sick, I only hope that I can get over this by tomorrow and actually make it back into work on Monday. Even though I’m dreading it like crazy because I don’t know how to look my boss in the eyes after what I saw Friday night, I know I can’t afford to take a day off when I just started there.

  Ugh, my mouth feels like it’s full of cotton balls. I sit up slowly making sure I won’t upset my stomach once again and look over to the clock on my nightstand. It’s almost six o’clock on Sunday. Throwing my legs over the side of my bed I stand up slowly before attempting to walk to my bathroom. I really need to pee and I have to brush this taste out of my mouth.

  I don’t know how many times I threw up yesterday and last night, I just know toward the end there was nothing left to come back up. I vaguely remember Bryce stopping by and staying with me throughout the day and night.

  After I’m done brushing my teeth, I redo the bun on the top of my head and go out to the living room to see if he’s still there. When I get closer, I hear whispers letting me know that Bryce is still here and he’s not alone. I don’t mean to eavesdrop on them but I can’t help myself from listening.

  “It was horrible Stella, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone throw up absolutely everything in their stomach and continue to throw up when nothing was left. She looked so helpless and vulnerable.” Bryce says.

  “I know, honey, but it’s going to keep happening and it will only get worse.” Stella says.

  I can’t make out what Bryce says after that, it’s almost like they started whispering even quieter now. I hear Stella whisper, “She has to Bryce, it’s the only way to stop it.”

  I feel horrible for listening as much as I have so I decide to make my way out there and interrupt them so they know I’m awake. I shuffle my feet until I’m in the room with them, Bryce is the first person to look up and see me. He smiles at me but it’s not his usual big grin. “How are you feeling, Kerrigan?” He asks with so much concern in his voice.

  I make my way over to him on the couch, sit down and curl into his side, needing his comfort. “I’m better, I still feel weak, but at least I don’t feel like I have to throw up anymore.” I look over to where Stella is sitting, “How are you doing Stella?”

  “I’m good, honey. I just stopped by to check on you. I heard you had a bad case of the flu.”

  I can see it in her eye she’s trying to hide something, but I’m not going to call her out on it, I don’t want them to know that I heard what they were saying before I walked in.

  “Well thank you for checking on me, I will be back to work tomorrow for sure.” I say, trying my best to not sound completely rude.

  She stands and when she passes me by, pats me on the shoulder, “I’m sure you will, Kerrigan, but take it easy. The flu takes a lot out of a person, especially someone as small as you.” She and Bryce nod at each other and she leaves my apartment, leaving me and Bryce alone.

  I turn in his arms, “Thank you for taking care of me, Bryce.”

  His arm tightens around my shoulder, “You’re welcome, Buttercup. I’m just glad you’re feeling better. I was so worried yesterday when you didn’t answer the door and then when I found you on your bathroom floor it scared me to death.”

  I know I only met Bryce a few weeks ago, but I truly have no idea what I would do without him in my life. “I’m sorry I worried you, but I’m feeling better if you had things you needed to do since I’ve taken up all your weekend.”

  He shakes his head, “I’m good right where I’m at. I don’t mind taking care of you. How about some toast for your stomach, I’m sure you’re starving.”

  “Toast sounds great, Bryce.”

  Bryce goes into my kitchen and comes back a few minutes later with the toast and some chicken broth. I had no idea I had that. I look at him with the question in my eyes he answers me, “Stella brought it over thinking it would help.”

  “Hmm. It does taste good with the toast.”

  I finish the toast and soup then we relax for the rest of the evening and the whole time I’m sitting with him I keep going back to the conversation I heard between him and Stella.

  What did she mean it’s the only way to stop it? What is there to stop?

  What is Bryce hiding from me? Better yet is why is he hiding it? It’s not like we’ve known each other forever, hell we just met. But ever since I came here, I keep getting the feeling people know something I don’t and it’s starting to grate on my nerves.

  Bryce gets up and leaves around eight and I head to bed dreading tomorrow. Not only have I felt like shit all weekend but I will have to face my boss and I don’t know if I can look him in the eyes without thinking about what I watched on Friday night or the fact that I can’t stop thinking and wishing it was me instead of her. I know that will never happen and I make myself get that idea and thought out of my head.

  I slept through the night and actually woke up this morning feeling one hundred times better than I did last night. The only thing I’m not looking forward to today is seeing Mr. Vaughn. I know it shouldn’t matter and in all reality what I saw was completely his fault but I’m nervous to walk in there this morning.

  I make it to work about fifteen minutes early hoping I can get in my office and start work without having to see him, but all my plans went out the door when the elevator opened on our floor and Mr. Vaughn’s office door is open.

  I tiptoe toward my office hoping he won’t see me but I stop in my tracks when he says, “Miss. Marks, please come into my office.”

  Well fuck! I guess it’s now or never. At least he doesn’t waste any time.

  I walk toward his office and don’t bother knocking since his door isn’t closed, I just walk in. “You wanted to see me, Mr. Vaughn?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even.

  “Sit down, Miss Marks.” He motions toward the couch over on the opposite wall from his desk.

  Sometimes I feel like my body instantly responds and does what he asks, and I head straight for the couch. I don’t understand why he wants me there and not in the chair in front of his desk. But when he gets up out of his chair, my body starts to tremble as he walks closer to me.

  He has a folder in his hand so at least that makes me a little more comfortable knowing that we are actually going to be talking about work. He sits down on the couch next to me a little too close and sets the folder on the table and when he angles his body toward mine our knees brush and chills run up and down my body.

  “Did you like what you were watching happen on Friday night, Miss Marks?” His eyes hold mine in place and I gasp, not knowing what or how to respond.

  Once I regain my composure I answer his question. “What I saw doesn’t concern me, Mr. Vaughn, so it doesn’t matter if I liked it or not.” I take a breath and before he can say anything I continue, “But if you want my advice you should really keep your private life behind closed doors, not where anyone could walk in on you.”

  Holy shit, where did that come from?

  I see him shake his head slightly and he star
ts to speak but stops. He readjusts his tie and looks me in the eyes. “You’re right Miss Marks, and I was out of line with my question. What you saw isn’t something that happens here at my office ever. It was a onetime incident and it won’t happen again.

  I have no idea what to say in response to that so I only nod. We both just sit there and stare at each other, I can’t seem to stop looking in his eyes and if I’m honest with myself, it’s the most relaxed feeling I’ve had in a long time. Being this close to him should have me feeling anything but relaxed.

  I pull myself out of my thoughts and realize he asked me in here and I doubt it was to ask what I thought about Friday. “Did you need anything else Mr. Vaughn?” I ask.

  He clears his throat, “Yes, I did actually call you in here for a business item.” He leans forward and opens the folder on the small table. He pulls out the papers inside and holds them out to me. I grab them and start to look over them. While he continues to speak, “This is a new client we are hoping to obtain. They are looking into Vaughn Enterprises and one other company here on the west coast. I want this client’s business. So we are going to go out there on Wednesday to meet with him and try to win him over.”

  “Okay, what did you need me to do to help?” I ask.

  “I want you to look over everything we know about him and his business, try and see if I missed something that could sway him our way instead of the other company.”

  I nod, “I can do that.” I stand up ready to retreat to my office, “Is that all, Mr. Vaughn?”

  “I need you to come with me, Miss Marks. Help me present to him why it best suits him to join our Vaughn Enterprises.” He says, halting me in my place.

  I swallow hard and I turn back around. “You need me to come?”

  “Yes. That is your job after all, Miss Marks.” He says in a tone that sends shivers down my spine.

  “Right, right. Of course.” I mumble.

  “We leave Wednesday morning and will return late Thursday.” He says. I nod in understanding and my feet are planted to the ground. “That will be all, Miss Marks.”