Fatal Attraction (Dark Desires 4)

By the time I was done and stepped out of my office, most of my employees had already gone for the day, and the only lights visible were the ones coming from the conference room where I knew a team was working out a few bugs in one of our most recent software releases. Alice was at her desk, blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail, fingers tapping away at the keyboard like lightning.

There was a bittersweet feeling about the office when it was this empty. My mind went back to when Ridder Technology had been nothing more than a few cubicles in a run-down building just outside Austin, the only space I could afford at the time. We practically lived there, worked day and night, toiled like our lives depended on it and success was just out of reach.

That was six years ago. Now Ridder Technology had its own high-rise building in downtown Austin, and I had enough money to feed a small nation. It felt good being on top of the world, and looking out at my kingdom, I knew there was only more to come.

I dropped the manila folder on Alice’s desk, and she gave me a quick glance, her fingers never leaving the keyboard.

“Signed and ready,” I said.

“I needed those three hours ago,” she said.

“I’ve only got two hands,” I replied. “I’m heading out. Call Miles and have him wait for me downstairs.”

“Try not to stay up too late,” Alice called after me. “We have a long day tomorrow.”

“Sure thing, mom,” I called back and made my way towards the elevators.

Chapter 2: Chance

I took my time getting ready.

If there was one thing I had learned over the years, it was that people expected me to show up late. Being to any event on time made me look a little too desperate, like I was seeking approval or something. Of course, Dennis thought that was a load of crap, but I knew what I was talking about.

I took the Porsche Carrera, let the top down, and enjoyed the night air as I drove through the streets of Austin to Dennis’s building. I made sure I took the longer route, one with enough room to let me go a little wild, and arrived at the party two hours after it had started.

Dennis greeted me at the door, already tipsy, dragging me inside with an arm thrown over my shoulder. The party was loud, full of women dressed in as little as possible, and enough drinks to make the Mardi Gras seem lame. Within seconds, I was surrounded by chatting women, high profile celebrities, and business investors who just “had to get in on whatever I was cooking up in my oven”. Fucking parasites.

“Chance, darling!”

I turned just in time to catch Wendy O’Connor as she threw herself in my arms and planted a very wet and drunk kiss on my lips. The Austin Times journalist was one of my biggest fans. I had been interviewed by her at least three times in the past two years alone. She had a taste for the rich and famous, and shared my love for the spotlight. As well as my thirst for sex. I could fill a drawer with the panties she’d left behind.

“Big entrance, of course!” she shouted over the sound of the pounding music. Her breath reeked of vodka and cigarettes, and I knew that if I wasn’t careful, we’d probably end up in the bathroom upstairs bumping uglies until she puked all over the sink while I hammered her from behind. An intoxicated Wendy O’Connor was not a woman I wanted to spend the night with.

“Wendy, beautiful as always,” I said, holding her at arm’s length.

“When am I going to bring you in for another interview?” she asked, giggling as she fished for the straw of her drink with her tongue.

“Whenever you need me, I’ll be there,” I said, looking for a way out. “You know I can never say no to you.”

She rested a hand on my chest and leaned in, her lips close to my ear. “I’m not wearing any panties,” she whispered. “And I shaved my pussy just for you.”

“Okay, good to know,” I said, turning her around so that she was facing a group of men and women laughing a little too loudly. “How about you tell these guys how horny you are while I get a drink?”

I disappeared before she could object, and made my way to the bar where Dennis was chatting up a trio of beautiful blondes.

“And here’s the big man

himself,” Dennis said, pulling me close. “So, Chance, the girls here were wondering how I got so lucky to be Chance Ridder’s best friend.”

I knew what he was doing, and played along right away. “Met him in college, the brains behind everything I am, ladies. Without Dennis here, there would never have been a Ridder Technology. He’s just modest about it all, lets me take all the credit.”

“And there you have it!” Dennis cried out, pulling me in for a tight hug.

I leaned in and whispered, “You owe me.”

“You fucked up our meeting today,” he mumbled back. “You owed me.”

“Enjoy your evening, ladies,” I said, gesturing to the bartender and asking for a bourbon.