Twelve Days: The Beginning Part 3

"Elise, I really need to kiss you right now - more than I need my next breath. I am right at the end of my control and if you don't stop me, then I can't promise that I can."

The desperation in his words pulled at Elise's soul and she gazed deeper into his eyes, hearing his deep and s.e.xy voice; almost feeling the pounding of his heart as he s.h.i.+fted closer to her and leaned in towards her. Somewhere in her head Elise knew that this was wrong, that she needed to stop this her husband and her best friend were in hospital for Christ's sake. Those thoughts should have been sobering, should have registered, should have shamed her and should have made her tell him to stop but she couldn't seem to form the words. She didn't want to form the words. Her mouth had dried up and all she knew was that if this beautiful man didn't kiss her now, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

As if seeing the submission in her eyes, Vaughn closed the remainder of the distance between them and gently pressed his lips onto hers cautiously. Seeking rea.s.surance. Instinctively Elise closed her eyes and shut off her mind, allowing herself to feel - only to feel. Vaughn was moving his hands onto her shoulders, down her back and then up into her hair, pulling her closer as he began to deepen the kiss. He was tentative at first - no doubt expecting her to pull away - but as the seconds became minutes he became more insistent, running his tongue along the seam of her lips, begging for entrance.

Elise heard a sigh and was alarmed to realise that it had come from her. In answer to his now-insistent begging, she opened her mouth and allowed his tongue to enter. He swept inside, tongue gently duelling with hers, running over the roof of her mouth and around and inside her lips. At first he was gentle, calm even and controlled. But as the minutes ticked by, Elise became aware of Vaughn groaning, the sound echoing in the empty room and vibrating through her all the way to her toes. He deepened the kiss, pushed more, demanded more, s.h.i.+fting to get as close to her as he possibly could. He was still on the floor and she was leaning down towards him but the position was awkward. Somehow, Vaughn scooted up onto the sofa beside her without breaking contact and pulled her into his lap. He handled her as if she weighed almost nothing and she marvelled at his hidden strength.

In this new position, she could feel his erection pressing against her thigh and felt her body respond, become aroused and wet with her panties providing little protection. Even though this was all totally wrong, it couldn't have felt more right and before she could think it through, she began to trace her hands under his jacket and across his chest - enjoying the feel of his abs flexing as he moved. Her fingers came into contact with his nipples and she couldn't resist the urge to tweak them, feeling them instantly hardening under her touch. Vaughn shuddered as the tips responded and became hard nubs and she realised suddenly that she had the power to turn this man on. Their kiss continued; timeless, endless. Teeth clashed and tongues fought as they pressed their mouths ever closer together - the sensation of just their lips being connected soon not enough for Elise. She continued her a.s.sault on his body and smiled against his mouth as she felt him still and draw an unsteady breath as her hands reached lower and brushed across the buckle of his belt.

Who would have thought, that less than twenty four hours ago, she was certain that she would never speak to this man again. And now look at her.

Elise knew that there were a million reasons why she shouldn't be doing this but under the demands of this man's mouth, she couldn't think of a single one; all coherent thought having long since left her. He was still kissing her deeply; running his fingers through her hair, tracing her cheeks with his fingers. Everywhere he touched she tingled, and she couldn't remember ever feeling this safe this complete. She didn't ever want the sensations to end and she squirmed in his lap, trying to get more purchase against his burgeoning arousal.

Abruptly, Elise felt Vaughn stiffen and then begin to gently remove her from his lap. She dragged her mouth away from his reluctantly as she became aware that he was trying to separate them and she looked up at him in confusion. What had she done? Or had he come to his senses? Remembered who she was and all of the complications that went along with it? She tried to push the unwelcome hurt of that thought to the back of her mind as she struggled to get her emotions under control.

Suddenly she became aware of an insistent knocking on the door and immediately realised why Vaughn had pushed her away. As if she had been switched into overdrive, Elise couldn't move quickly enough; sitting up, straightening her clothes, her hair, rapidly wiping her mouth and shuffling to the other end of the sofa to put as much distance between her and Vaughn as possible.

Vaughn was resting his elbows on his knees; his head bowed, breathing deeply and trying to restore a measure of calm. Briefly his eyes met hers, quickly heated and then s.h.i.+fted, turning towards the door. "Come in."

In the brief seconds before the door opened fully, Vaughn turned to look at her, his voice no more than a whisper.

"This did happen, Elise." He stood and walked over to the window, the telltale bulge in his trousers belying his outwardly calm exterior. With shaking hands, Elise smoothed her blouse one last time before turning towards the unwelcome intrusion.

The door had now opened fully to reveal Celeste, hopping madly from one foot to the other and regarding the two of them with a slightly odd expression. She looked at Elise in confusion then shook her head as if to clear it and turned her full attention to Elise.

"Elise, thank G.o.d, I've only just heard, I was out on a client visit. What the h.e.l.l happened? Are you alright?" She came running over to the sofa and plopped down on the floor in front of Elise, in pretty much the same place as Vaughn had been moments before. "I heard that Cole is in the hospital..., something about a fight with Dale? Jesus, Elise, are you sure you're OK?"

Across the room she became aware of Vaughn s.h.i.+fting and moving slightly but he had his back to them so she had no way of knowing what he was thinking. She looked back down at Celeste. "I'm fine 'Leste, really. A bit shaken but not injured at all. I just stood by and watched it happen, really. Dale has a concussion, Cole just superficial cuts but they've both been taken for observation. The police arrested them first though for a.s.sault and affray."

"s.h.i.+t, Elise, Cole arrested? And Dale? Jesus, what was going on? Annabel saw the whole thing but she's not talking, G.o.d knows why! I just don't get it. Why would Dale and Cole end up having a brawl in the reception for crying out loud?" Celeste was talking so quickly now that her words were making little sense and Elise was glad that her friend didn't really seem to want any answers she didn't have any to give her. At the moment she was just hoping that Celeste didn't pick up on any vibes between her and Vaughn, good or bad. The last thing she needed was her personal life out there on the office floor as fodder for the gossips. She had a sinking feeling though that it was more than likely already out there, after Dale's performance.

"I really don't know 'Leste" she said. She hoped that she sounded convincing when she answered.

"Dale was calling Cole 'pretty-boy' and I think it just riled him a bit." It sounded lame, even to her, but it was the best she could do without telling the whole, sordid story.

Celeste looked as if she was about to question her further but then must have thought better of it and chose to squeeze her leg in a comforting gesture instead. "Just as long as you're alright Elise, that's the main thing."

Vaughn had been quiet the whole time, continuing to keep his back to them as he stared out of the window. As if only just remembering he was there, Celeste stood up and addressed his back.

"Nice deception there, Vaughn. No one had any clue that you were anything other than one of us. Especially considering how much advantage you took of the complimentary bar!" Celeste moved closer to him and nudged him on the shoulder in a friendly punch.

Elise thought she saw him stiffen momentarily but then he turned around and, for the first time since he had entered the reception area, he smiled, in Celeste's direction.

"Is that so?" he said, "Am I not 'one of you' anymore, then?"

Celeste grinned "No freaking way! You're one of them, the upstairs lot. Cole is too but he keeps in with the troops at ground level, if you know what I mean! But you..... rumour is you own more than half the company. That definitely makes you one of them!" Celeste paused a moment as if suddenly realising something.

"s.h.i.+t! I guess that means you're unavailable then? There's probably some company protocol or other, isn't there? Just b.l.o.o.d.y typical!"

This time Vaughn actually laughed and it was a beautiful sound resonating around the office -deep but with a hint of s.e.xiness - and Elise felt her womanhood begin to throb again in response. Her reaction to this man was ridiculous. Crossing her legs to try to stem the feeling, she waited somewhat anxiously for his response. What if he said he was available? After all, he had been seen leaving the party with Olivia although that was before anyone knew his true standing. She didn't know how she would feel if he started flirting with her friend. She knew she had no business caring or even being jealous but after that seriously hot kiss, G.o.d help her, she was feeling blatantly possessive.

"I guess you're right," he replied, still laughing a little, "It wouldn't be good for the upstairs and downstairs lots to 'mingle', so to speak. Not company protocol at all."

Elise sighed inwardly with relief and then immediately chastised herself. This man was nothing to her; she was married and having a hard enough time convincing everyone else that that fact was important without having to convince herself!

Celeste rolled her eyes in resignation. "Company protocol sucks! b.l.o.o.d.y shame, that's all I can say. Oh well, my man is out there somewhere and you, my dear Elise, are going to help me find him!"

"W..w...what??" She hadn't been following the conversation for the last few seconds, having been sidetracked by the play of light from the window across Vaughn's beautiful face. Celeste looked across at Elise as if she was seriously mentally challenged; truth be told, she essentially was at this precise moment in time.

"My man." she repeated "You are going to help me find the man of my dreams. But first we need to go shopping!"

"Shopping?! Why?"

"I need a killer dress. You and me are hitting the clubs tomorrow night and I need something to wear. What say we go to the precinct tomorrow and have a look round? It is Sat.u.r.day after all and I reckon you need something to take your mind off today's events."

"I don't know 'Leste," Elise looked doubtful "I have to go to check on Dale and see what is happening at the hospital. They may want to keep him in and it wouldn't feel right going out shopping, if that's the case." She didn't add that Dale wouldn't let her anyway; that would just cause far too many questions that she was not ready to answer.

"Oh, come on Elise - if they do keep him in, you'll be all on your own. What better way to cope than with a bit of retail therapy?"

Elise paused for a moment and weighed up her options, wondering if she could get away with keeping it from Dale. Perhaps if they went first thing in the morning, she would be OK. If he had stayed in the hospital then she could just pick him up at lunchtime and he would be none the wiser. If not then maybe the concussion would mean that he would sleep late and she could whizz round in an hour and be back before he even knew she'd even gone.

She turned back to Celeste. "OK, you're on. But it has to be first thing in the morning and I may only be able to leave Dale for an hour or so". She felt rather than saw Vaughn stiffen at the second mention of Dale's name but she refused to turn to him to acknowledge it.

"Jeez, girl, you drive a hard bargain. OK, what say I give you a call in the morning and we can arrange where to meet?"

Elise was gripped by panic at the thought of Dale possibly hearing her phone call, and she had to inwardly fight with herself to remain calm. "Erm.. no... that's OK. You don't need to call me. Why don't we just arrange a time and place and then I'll meet you there?"

Celeste looked as if she was about to argue but to Elise's relief, just shrugged. "Alright, I'll meet you by the monument at 9.30am."

"Great!" said Elise, pleased that the awkward moment had pa.s.sed and actually starting to look forward to spending some time with Celeste. She didn't get to have nearly enough girly time so this would make a really pleasant change.

Celeste took that as her cue to leave. "OK then..., see you tomorrow and don't forget to have your shopping head on!" She exited through the door chuckling to herself and closed it softly behind her.

Vaughn had turned back to the window, concentrating on whatever it was that he was looking at and Elise wondered if he was regretting their pa.s.sionate interlude. She knew she should be too but with the memory of his lips still firmly planted in her brain, regret was not high on her list of emotions at the moment.

As the silence became heavier, Elise searched for something to say...anything.

"Thank you." she whispered eventually, "I really appreciate you stepping in and breaking those two meatheads up". Not what she wanted to say at all but she had no idea how to refer to the other 'thing' that had just happened between them.

Vaughn turned, startled, almost as if he had forgotten she was there. He ran his eyes up and down her body almost as if checking for injuries and heat coursed through her everywhere that his eyes lingered. Finally he settled on her face.

"It was my pleasure." he said smoothly, "I just did what any other sane person would have done. I'm not in the habit of condoning fighting on the premises, particularly when one of my most senior employees is involved. It was not the time or the place for whatever was going on with those two."

Elise doubted that he was right about doing the same as anyone else. She hadn't come across too many people in her time, who would jump into the middle of a fight.

She was a little concerned that Vaughn had so far made no reference to the comment that Dale had aimed in his direction; the one about wanting to 'f.u.c.k' her, the one that had sent him over the edge himself. It was strange how everyone seemed to be brus.h.i.+ng this under the carpet. Either no one really knew what had happened or they just didn't know how to broach the subject. Deciding that ultimately it really didn't matter either way Elise turned to leave, crossing in front of Vaughn as she headed to the door. There didn't seem to be any point in staying there was nothing left to say and if he was now regretting their kiss, then she needed to be as far away from him as she possibly could be.

As she pa.s.sed him he put a gentle hand out on her arm, momentarily stopping her.

"Elise, why don't you let anyone have your phone number or allow them to phone you?"

She frowned at the strange question. It was one of the last things she had expected him to say although she had by now come to realise that he was far from predictable. He was also very observant, not missing anything in the exchange between her and Celeste. At least it was a safe question and one to which she had a ready answer.

"Because I'm on a rubbish contract," she said, "it's really expensive to use." The practised lie rolled off her tongue without her even thinking about it. Usually most people accepted the 'rubbish contract' line without argument. The truth the reality - was just far too ugly to own.

"Oh" he seemed to consider for a moment and then continued "but surely you know that if people phone you, it doesn't actually cost you anything. Unless they're phoning from another country of course." Yes, definitely very observant.

Elise knew that. Of course she did! Even her limited grasp on technology recognised that fact. However, she wasn't able to admit to anyone that Dale monitored her phone and, as such, she never gave the number to anyone. On the one occasion she had given it to a girlfriend, Dale had found out and had been convinced that she was plotting to leave him. He had then proceeded to make her stay. Pay. Forcibly. The only way he knew how.

If Vaughn picked up on her hesitation, he didn't let on as she stumbled through a response.

"Erm.. well.. I really only use it for emergencies. It's not even charged most of the time."

"Not much use in an emergency then." He stated wryly and arched his brows at her as she began to wither under his gaze. Instantly she knew how he had got to the position in life that he was evidently now in. One carefully arched brow was all it took to make her feel like she had two left feet and a dunce's cap. She pitied anyone he went up against in business. She decided on a change of tack.

"Look...thank you for what you did today. I understand what a difficult position this puts you in but I would appreciate it if we could keep all of this as quiet as possible although with Annabel things may not be all that quiet." She murmured ironically as she continued. "I need to get to the hospital to check on Dale and see what is happening. I would appreciate it if I could take the rest of the day off to... sort things out and then hopefully by Monday, this will have all blown over."

For a moment Vaughn looked like he wasn't going to respond but then he released his grip on her arm. Watching as she absently rubbed it where he had been holding her.

"Of course you can take the rest of the day to .... sort things out. I hope that your husband is soon feeling better" he intoned with a complete lack of sincerity.

"Thank you. I'll see you on Monday." She turned to leave. It sounded glib but what else could she say?

"Oh, and Elise," at the sound of his voice, slightly deeper now, she turned back to face him again.

"This," he gestured to the sofa, clearly referring to their earlier interlude, "this did happen and it will happen again and I can promise you that neither of us will be quiet then". He emphasised the word that she had used only moments before, giving it a completely different meaning. "Don't forget."

Mortified, she scrambled for the door, feeling the colour rush through her body. Why did he have to mention that kiss again? She had tried really hard to compartmentalise things once Celeste had come in and she had been trying really hard to put it in the "do not disturb ever again" compartment. The fact that she was having serious trouble forgetting about it herself was beside the point. Her arousal begin to stir again at the intention in his sentence, the undoubted emphasis on certain words and realised that she needed to get out of this room fast before she did something that she would regret. Like, jump him. Big time.

As she turned the door handle another thought struck her and, unable to ignore it, she swung back to him to find him watching her with hooded eyes, a lingering of something she strongly suspected was desire, in his heavy expression.

"Vaughn, don't you want to know why Cole was so mad?" she asked. She had found it strange that he had not questioned Cole's actions either then or now. He had simply dealt the final blow to Dale, effectively defending Cole, and then almost moved on as if what had happened today was an everyday occurrence.

Vaughn continued to regard her steadily and he looked almost sad. For a while, Elise didn't think he was going to answer her. When he did his voice was soft and gentle, almost breaking, as he formulated the few short words.

"No Elise, I don't need to know why." he said simply. "I already do."

Chapter Seven.

It was 7pm and Elise had finally got home from the hospital. She walked into her lounge on tired legs and sank down onto the sofa without even bothering to turn on the light.

Dale was still in hospital as they had decided to keep him in for a couple of nights. The concussion had worn off and he was awake and talking but due to the quant.i.ty of alcohol in his system, they had been unable to perform certain tests and wanted to make sure that everything was absolutely clear before they released him.

Elise couldn't say she was sad about that. Dale had been in a foul mood when she had arrived at the hospital and the poor nurses were getting it in the neck. She could tell that he was still under the influence and briefly wondered how much he had drunk to end up in such a state.

Patiently she had sat with him, explaining that the nurses were only doing their job and eventually he had calmed down and become more amenable to their poking and prodding. The alcohol was finally starting to wear off and the Dale that she married was beginning to re-appear. It had taken her all afternoon though and had left her with no time to check in on Cole. She knew that he was OK but she wanted to see what had happened with the police and of course apologise for the mess that she had got him into.

Privately, Elise was relieved to have a couple of days away from Dale. Things had turned upside down in the last twenty-four hours and her exhausted brain needed some time and s.p.a.ce to process everything. She had to work out what she was going to do about Dale and his a.s.sociation with alcohol, which was undoubtedly getting worse. She also needed to think about their relations.h.i.+p, their marriage, where they were heading and what she could possibly do to get things back on track. If she even wanted to get things back on track. Things were rough right now but part of her still believed in her vows and so she supposed that she wanted to give Dale another chance. The real Dale that was. Not the one obscured by alcohol.

She also wanted to think about Vaughn and how she could possibly have let him kiss her like that. In the cold light of day, she had finally come to her senses. Although she had loved their moment and it had made her feel alive for the first time in ages, she knew that it was totally wrong and that nothing like that must ever happen again. Despite his insistence that it would and despite the fact that her lips were still tingling.

The other positive thing with Dale still being in hospital was that she could go out shopping with Celeste tomorrow guilt-free, and she acknowledged that that felt really good and was now something that she was very much looking forward to.

After sitting in the dark for what felt like an eternity, she made herself go and put the kettle on, hoping that a hot cup of tea would soothe her nerves. She stood and watched it absently, pondering on how things had suddenly become this complicated and wondering if life was ever going to be simple again. The irony of that was that her situation had been far from simple for a very long time she had just gotten used to it, which was not an altogether good thing.

The kettle began to jump around in agitation signalling that it was boiled, at the exact moment that her mobile phone began to ring; both sounds breaking through the interminable silence.

Unaccustomed to the ringing, it took Elise a moment to register the sound before she dashed into the lounge, rummaging through her bag trying to find it thinking it must be the hospital. Why couldn't they have called the landline? She had asked them to use the landline first. Cursing at the general population's inability to follow instructions, she finally dug out her phone and answered it.

It wasn't the hospital. It was Vaughn.

"Elise." His ridiculously s.e.xy drawl vibrated down the phone line causing her to tingle all over.

"How...." she swallowed, aware that that had come out as more of a squeak than a word.

"How the h.e.l.l did you get this number?"

"Elise, I am your boss. There is nothing that I can't find out if I choose to do so." His voice rumbled in her ear, the almost dominant tone managing to be safe and dangerous at the same time.

"Why are you calling me, Vaughn? There is nothing for us to say." Her voice barely wobbled and she was proud of herself.

"I disagree." He stated matter-of-factly, "However, I was calling to enquire after your husband's welfare. I presume you went to the hospital after you left here?"

"Yes, I did. He's going to be OK." She paused before adding the last statement. "No thanks to you."

She heard his sharp intake of breath and knew that she had overstepped the mark. If it hadn't been for Vaughn, then Cole and Dale would most likely still be fighting now and doubtless in a much worse condition. She had no idea why she was being so tetchy with him she should really be thanking him.

"Sorry.... that was uncalled for. It's just been a long day." She hoped he took her apology at face value and made an allowance for her overwrought emotions. After all, there was little else that she could say.

"It's OK, Elise," she heard him blow out a breath, "I know that this must be difficult for you."

He paused and she waited, wondering if he was expecting her to speak. She didn't think she could even; she was done in. Anything that came out now was unlikely to make much sense. The silence lengthened but still she waited, hearing his breathing quicken on the other end.

"Elise, I need you to know something" he said eventually, his voice was low and seductive. She waited again, s.h.i.+vers running down her arms, nerves tingling and hand shaking at the connection with the phone the connection with him.

"This thing between us isn't over - not by a long shot. You and I will happen, husband or no husband. See you at work on Monday."

He delivered his speech and then cut the connection. The line went dead.

Elise sat stunned, staring at the phone as if it could somehow help her make sense of the ridiculous conversation she had just had. Or rather the conversation that Vaughn had just had. The arrogance of the man knew no bounds. He didn't ask - no. He just a.s.sumed that she would want to have a thing with him. He was probably used to women falling at his feet but she wasn't just another one of his conquests; she was a married woman, and his comments were dismissing Dale and her vows as if they meant nothing. Regardless of how she felt when she was around the man and how his presence affected her, she couldn't let him walk all over her just because the mood took him. She had commitments h.e.l.l, she had a life and even if it wasn't perfect, it was her life and n.o.body else's business. If her marriage was to be compromised, that would be her decision and no one else's. She needed to stick to her resolve to keep away from Vaughn Granger. Spending any more time with him would only lead to trouble. That was an absolute certainty.