Christmas Pet

My eyes traveled up and down her curves, and it was on the tip of my tongue to tell her to undress and lay on the table so I could eat her out.

She lowered her hand and held it against her stomach.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you jump, Ms. Holmes.”

My gaze zeroed in on her lips, which were still open in shock. A flash of those lips wrapped around my cock flitted through my head.

“I’ll call you later, Bella.” She pulled her AirPods from her ears and shoved them into her jacket pocket. “I didn’t realize you’d be in this early.”

I crossed my arms and grinned, “I’m always in this early.”

“I wasn’t aware.” Panic lined her face. “Did you hear my conversation? I can explain.”

I moved toward the coffee bar. To lie or tell the truth? I decided to go with a lie. “I didn’t hear a word. I just arrived a few minutes ago.”

Relief lowered her shoulders, and Pearl blew out a long sigh.

“Why are you here before dawn, Ms. Holmes?”

“I wanted to make a good impression on my first case.” She nodded towards the box she’d been carrying. “I baked sugar cookies for everyone.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Of course, you did. Would you like a coffee?”

“Isn’t that my job? To get your coffee?”

“Despite what you might have heard, I’m not a narcissist who expects people to wait on him hand and foot. I’m more than capable of getting my own coffee and getting coffee for other people. There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Pearl. And I suspect there’s a lot I don’t know about you.”

She nodded and grabbed the back of a chair, holding on as if her life depended on it. “I’m excited for this opportunity, Mr. Matthews. I’ve been dying to work with you for ages. I appreciate you giving me the chance. I’m ready for an associate position, and this is a great way to prove it.”

“This case isn’t going to be easy. Neither is working for me. I’ll fill you in on the ins and outs when everyone gets here. It’s a messy divorce. This case could be a bloodbath.”

“That’s the reason I got into this area of law. To see if I could help stop people who once were in love from destroying one another.”

“In this line of business, I’ve learned that most people are out for revenge. Call me jaded, but I no longer believe in love.”Chapter Two – PearlIn a few more seconds, my heart would jump out of my chest and run for the hills. If Mr. Matthews had heard any of what I’d said, he would have fired me on the spot, or I would have quit.

My neighbor and best friend Isabella had called me while on her spin bike. Most days, we spoke at the same time. She worked as the CEO’s secretary at McKenzie Tech. Besides the odd Netflix bingeathon, we rarely got time to see one another.

Celebrity gossip was her weakness, and when I told her I was going to assist James Matthews on a case, she’d freaked out and asked for every detail, but I couldn’t tell her anything because I didn’t know whose divorce case it was. Even if I did, my contract would prevent me from whispering a word.

James Matthews was the biggest celebrity divorce lawyer in the country and over-the-top gorgeous. With his chiseled jaw, athletic build, and his just tumbled out of bed hair, he was my fantasy man. And when it came to matrimonial and family law, he was an encyclopedia. I could, and would, learn a lot from him.

Watercooler gossip suggested that James pushed people past their limit and to their breaking point. He could push me as far and as hard as he wanted. I wouldn’t break. I might look like butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth, but I was tougher than a soldier with ten tours under his belt.

As far as everyone in the office knew, I was all peaches and cream and the girl next door, and in some ways, I was.

I liked to bake cookies and cupcakes, and I liked to make people smile. My mom had always said you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. But that didn’t mean I didn’t have a darker side that craved someone to control and command me.

The way James now studied me from beneath his hooded eyelids sent shivers to my toes. I’d been telling the truth when I’d told Bella the thought of working with him left my panties soaked. Last night, I hadn’t been able to sleep because of my sky-high arousal. Since Friday, when his assistant told me to report to the conference room on Monday to take up the free spot on his team, I’d been on the verge of instantly orgasming.