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  She didn’t know how the tabloids had found out, and she supposed it didn’t really matter. The bottom line was that this was going too far. Her family couldn’t be made to be a laughingstock because of Nicole’s relationship.

  Furious, Nicole hurried to the private elevator and was taken up to the top floor.

  She stomped to Red’s door and knocked loudly. “It’s Nicole,” she said.

  “Come in.”

  When she opened the door, he was alone at his desk, and he greeted her with a wide smile. “This is unexpected.” And then he saw her face and the smile died on his lips.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know where to start, actually.” Her fists were clenched and she was sweating, clammy, and shivering. “I’m pretty upset right now.”

  “I can see that.” He rose from his chair and came toward her.

  “No. Stay there. I can’t be close to you right now.”

  She saw the look of hurt cross his features momentarily. “Fine. What seems to be the problem?”

  “The tabloids know about us.”

  He shrugged and walked towards the bar. “I guess it was only a matter of time before they caught on. I’m surprised they found out so quickly, but, it’s what they do.

  Their specialty, I suppose.”

  “Haven’t you read the story? They make us into a joke. Seems I don’t hold a candle to Kate Hudson or your other famous conquests.”

  Red turned and looked at her. “Don’t read that stuff, Nicole. It will only make you crazy.”

  “How can I not read it? I heard people at the office laughing about it, mocking me.

  Apparently Casper’s got nothing on me when it comes to pasty white skin.”

  Red’s expression hardened. “Tell me their names.” He walked to her. “Tell me so I can…” He worked to control himself. “So I can have a chat with them.”

  “I don’t know them, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. I don’t want to get anybody fired.” She plopped down into the chair across from his desk. “Everything’s going wrong.”

  “Welcome to my world,” Red chuckled as he made two drinks at the bar. “Extra dry Martini,” he said carrying both glasses over and handing one off to her.

  “I can’t drink during a workday,” she complained, but took it anyway.

  “This isn’t just any workday.”

  “True.” She sipped it and made a face. “Yuck.”

  “Keep drinking, you’ll get used to it,” he said, taking a sip of his own and smacking his lips contentedly. “In the old days, ad men drank about ten of these a day and nobody blinked. Different times.”

  “You weren’t an ad man during those times.”

  “True, but I’ve heard stories, believe me.” He smiled and sat on the edge of the desk like he had that first day they met.

  “Why aren’t you upset?” she said.

  “First of all, I’ve had a long time to get used to this stuff.” He took another gulp of his martini. “And secondly, I can’t allow myself to get pulled into the drama of what people are saying about me. About you and me. I won’t let myself get dragged into the mud—that’s what these people want. They want to hurt me—have me calling up their offices with a rebuttal story. They want my attention. And I’m not going to give them what they want.”

  “You make ignoring their insults sound easy.”

  “Well, it’s not. But I’m a good actor.” He smiled at her. “You have to understand, Nicole. You’re in my world now, and it’s a pretty rough place.”

  “Yeah, I’m starting to figure that out.” She shivered.

  He stood up from the desk and moved behind her, started to massage her shoulders.

  His strong hands felt so good, so incredibly safe, and her nipples grew stiff and the blouse tightened across her breasts. “I remember the first day you walked in here and I could hardly contain myself. I wanted you so badly.”

  She closed her eyes and smiled as his hands continued to work. “It didn’t seem like you wanted me.”

  “You couldn’t tell by the way I was looking at you?”

  “I thought you were annoyed.”

  He laughed. “Hardly.”

  Red’s hands moved down from her shoulders and started to drift beneath her dress.

  “Red…” she moaned. “We shouldn’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because…” She was having trouble remembering why. And then her eyes fluttered open. “Because I’m supposed to be working. You said before that you didn’t want me taking advantage of our relationship. Remember?”

  He laughed again. “At the time—“

  “No.” She stood up and faced him. “Do you realize everyone down there hates me now?”

  “No, they don’t.” He wasn’t taking any of this seriously. His face wore a bemused smile and it was upsetting her a little.

  “They do, Red. They look at me like I’m the lowest piece of garbage. That story in The Rag, and you promoting me all in the same day…Do you realize how bad it makes me look?”

  His smile faded. “I know it’s difficult,” he said. “I should have warned you more about what might happen, what you might have to deal with being engaged to me.”

  She nodded. “A heads up would have been nice.”

  “I wouldn’t blame you for backing out,” he said softly.

  “Backing out?”

  “Pulling out of our engagement. This is going to be a nasty business in the press—

  the tabloids, your coworkers downstairs. Everyone’s going to say things, they’re going to be jealous and bitter and make up stories about you. About us.”

  “I would never break our engagement.” She stared into his eyes. “Are you having second thoughts? I mean, maybe I’m more of an embarrassment than you realized when you first proposed.”

  Red looked into her eyes and grabbed her shoulders firmly. “You’re not an embarrassment to me. I’m the one who feels embarrassed right now, because the way I’ve lived my life has brought about a situation that causes you pain. I’ve lived my life in front of cameras, encouraging the media to report on my private life, fostering a certain image.

  While it might have made me some money and given me a bit of fame, nothing is worth causing you even the slightest discomfort.”

  She believed him. She put a hand up and caressed his cheek. “I’ll be stronger, Red. I won’t complain about the stories from now on. I just…I was caught off guard by all of it.”

  He nodded. “Of course you were. I should have talked to you about it, but I’ve grown accustomed to this sort of thing. It was wrong of me not to think of you.”

  She smiled up at him, knowing that they were in this together now—a real team. It was the first time in her entire life that Nicole had truly felt like there was someone on her side, battling with her and for her.

  Because of Red’s words, and the way he held her, a horrible day had been turned into something magical.

  “I love you, Nicole,” he whispered, kissing her ever so softly on the lips.

  After the beautiful kiss, she looked at him. “I love you too. Thank you.”

  “Stay a moment longer,” he said.

  “I should go back to my desk.”

  His hands moved down to where her blouse was tucked into her skirt. He began pulling her blouse out, sliding his hands in between the fabric, his fingers touching the bare skin of her hip.

  “Don’t leave just yet.” His mouth was against her ear, warm breath that tickled and aroused her senses.

  “I can’t stay. Not now.”

  “Stay.” His voice was insistent, hungry. “Let me make it all up to you.”

  “How?”

  She wanted him to show her, and so he began. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to the desk, and she lay back onto it.

  Red pushed the papers and books and little awards statues off the side of the desk, and they clattered to t
he floor.

  Nicole’s legs were wide open as he thrust his hips against her, his nostrils flaring.

  Her blouse was a button up little number, and he reached down to her shirt and began unbuttoning them one by one. First, her breasts were revealed, then her stomach. He admired her body as she lay there.

  Red placed a hand on each leg and then ran his hand all along her leg, up her thigh, pushing the skirt up to her waist. As one hand moved slowly up the top of her thigh, his other swept up her stomach and to her breasts, slid under her bra and began playing with one nipple.

  Next he was kissing her firmly on the mouth, his tongue exploring, reaching.

  Nicole felt the heat building between her legs as he stimulated her body with his nimble fingers. She arched into him and grabbed his belt buckle.

  “No,” he said. He took her by the wrist and pinned her arm over her head as she lay across the desk. Then he grabbed her other wrist and pinned that above her head too.

  He pressed his body against hers and she could feel his hardness through his pants, rubbing against her wetness.

  “I want you inside me,” she begged, writhing beneath him.

  “I want your panties off,” he replied, and let go of her right wrist long enough to tear her little black panties off of her. With her skirt hiked up to her hips, the air of the room was cool against her nude lower half.

  “I’m so wet.”

  “Let me taste for myself.” He let go of her completely and dropped down, pulling her legs over his shoulders. Red engulfed himself in her warmth.

  Nicole moaned and thrashed, so close to orgasm, wanting to have one, but also wanting to put if off. She couldn’t stop herself from finishing though--Red’s mouth and tongue were masterful, playing all the right notes on her instrument.

  She bucked and thrust against his lips, and he pressed his tongue to her nub, flicking it endlessly while she cried out in ecstasy.

  Finally, she was spent. Red stood up, grinning. “That must have alleviated some tension, Nicole.”

  She climbed off his desk as he straightened his clothes. Nicole buttoned her shirt and pulled her skirt down, adjusting her clothing self-consciously. “I can’t believe we just did that in your office.” She glanced to the enormous picture window and her eyes went wide with terror. “Your window. Anybody could have seen in—the paparazzi, anyone!”

  “Relax,” he laughed, picking up his martini and having another sip. “The window is tinted, nobody can see in. I’m not a complete fool.”

  “Oh.” Nicole sighed, relieved. “So now I suppose I go back downstairs and pretend everything’s normal, even though nothing is.”

  Red came and put his arm around her, kissed her on the forehead. “Just be yourself. You’re a hard worker. You’re very smart and skilled. Nothing’s changed any of that. Don’t let them make you ashamed of who you are.”

  She nodded, not entirely convinced, but still feeling better than she had a few minutes ago.

  “Thanks,” she said, “for the pep talk and…the other thing.”

  “Anytime. And I mean that.” He walked to the side of his desk and started picking up the papers and things he’d swept to the floor.

  “Let me help you,” she said.

  “No,” he waved her off. “Back to work. Go. Go.”

  And so she went, after first giving Red a quick kiss on his clean shaven cheek.

  Feeling oddly naughty, but also rejuvenated.

  As she rode the elevator down, Nicole started to get a little angry at the way her coworkers had treated her today. Who were any of them to judge her? Nobody had even bothered to actually ask her what had happened or get her side of the story. They’d simply decided she was a gold-digging tramp getting special privileges because of her affair with Red Jameson.

  So what if she’d gotten hired to an entry-level position without “paying her dues”

  the way everyone else did? That kind of stuff happened all the time in business, and at least Nicole was a hard worker, willing to learn and grow.

  Nicole decided to tackle Remi’s treatment of her head on, striding out of the elevator and right to her boss’s office. The door was closed so she knocked twice, emphatically.

  “Come in.”

  When Remi saw who was entering her office, she rolled her eyes. “I’m kind of busy right now.” She turned to her computer and started to type.

  “Can we just talk for a minute or two? Or can I come back in a little bit when you’re less busy?”

  “Who said I’d be less busy in a little bit? I work all day, I don’t take time off for extra curricular activities.”

  Nicole folded her arms. “Is that a dig at me?”

  Remi sighed. “I really don’t have time for this, Nicole.”

  “Well, I’m not going to be bullied into quitting or moving to a different department.

  I’m staying on at this position.”

  The older woman finally turned her gaze to Nicole. “Fine. You want to work hard—you want to earn your way in this business? I’ll make sure you earn every last red cent we pay you with blood, sweat and tears.”

  Nicole smiled a little. In her heart, she knew she was a fighter. None of these people—except Red—truly understood that about her. “Bring it on.”

  “Can do, Miss Masters. Can do, and will do. Ta ta now.” Remi wiggled her fingers at Nicole, and the younger girl turned on her heel and left the office.

  ***

  When Nicole returned home to her own apartment that night, it was well after eight o’clock at night. She and Red had gone out to dinner after work, to a tiny little Thai Restaurant on the Upper West Side.

  He’d wanted her to come back to his house (their house) in Connecticut afterwards, but Nicole explained that first she needed to speak to her old roommate. Danielle may have been a jerk, and perhaps the friendship had run its course, but Nicole didn’t feel right just disappearing without an explanation.

  Red had been understanding of her wishes, if disappointed. “Have your heart-to-heart with Danielle and then come back with me. I can wait in the car. I’m patient,” he’d told her.

  But it just felt wrong to do that. The changes taking place were massive, and Nicole needed to try and take some control back of her life. Setting things to rights with Danielle was part of it. Besides, there would be plenty of nights to share her new home with Red, but this might be her last night in her old apartment, her old life.

  When Nicole opened the door, Danielle was sitting on her laptop at the kitchen table. She looked up and saw Nicole and her jaw dropped open. Danielle was so surprised—she looked as if she were about to dispense Pez from her mouth. It was so comical that for a brief moment, Nicole had to hold back a burst of laughter.

  She didn’t want to start things off by laughing in her former roommate’s face, not after everything else that had gone on between them lately.

  “I didn’t expect to see you tonight,” Danielle said, quickly closing her laptop. This made Nicole wonder exactly what she’d been doing—maybe reading The Rag, or one of the Internet forums, trying to get the dirt about Nicole and Red? Surely all the housewives would be saying how gross it was that Red had chosen to be with such an ugly, plain girl when he could have had supermodels and actresses?

  “Sorry I haven’t been in touch,” Nicole said, dropping her purse on the kitchen counter and leaning against it.

  Danielle nodded. “I understand. You’ve been busy…”

  “Listen,” Nicole said. She took a deep breath, knowing she had to just say it and get it over with. “I came back tonight to talk to you about the apartment situation.”

  “Okay.” Danielle’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t realize there was a ‘situation’ to talk about.”

  “Well, there kind of is.” She was dreading this conversation so much that she was having trouble getting the words out. Finally she forced herself to pull the trigger. “I’m moving out.”

  Danielle’s expression didn’t really change outwa
rdly, and yet there was a subtle shift. The set of her jaw tightened under the surface of her skin, her eyes hardened.

  “You’re moving out because I told your parents about Red?”

  Nicole shook her head emphatically. “No. Not because of that.”

  “Then why? Have I been that bad of a roommate? Am I messy, obnoxious, what is it?”

  “I’m moving in with Red. He proposed to me on Sunday and we’re engaged.” Just saying the words felt so bizarre, and from the look on Danielle’s face, it sounded as bizarre to her as it did to Nicole.

  “Engaged.”

  “Yes. I know it sounds funny.”

  “Funny? Not the word I’d use.” Danielle stood up and started to put her hair into a ponytail. “You’ve been seeing him, what—a few weeks?”

  “I’m not going to defend my choices to you, Danielle. I came here to tell you I’m moving out, and to give you notice so you can find a new roommate.”

  “You’re on the lease too, Nic. You’re the one who’s got to find a replacement.”

  “Fine, I can do that. Still, I thought—“

  “You don’t owe me anything. Go play housewives of the rich and famous or whatever it is you’re doing with that guy. I really don’t care.” She smiled. “No offense.”

  “Danielle, please don’t be like this. I want us to stay friends.”

  “Just be on time with the rent and find a person to take your place on the lease. I’d prefer it be a woman, and of course I’ll want to have a chance to meet whoever it is first, just to make sure we can get along.”

  Nicole sighed. “Of course.”

  Danielle finished putting her hair back. “How do I look?” she said, throwing her arms wide. “I wonder if I look beautiful enough to land a rich man who will take care of me.”

  “You look great, but you’re acting like a six year old.”

  Danielle smirked. “So now you’re an adult. Before Red came along, you were little Miss Innocent. You’d never even had an orgasm, for god’s sake!”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “He’s just a guy, Nicole. He’s a guy who gave you a great orgasm and you’re mistaking that for love. You can’t possibly be in love with a man you only just met, a man you probably know almost nothing about.”