Candy Girl Read online

  Gabe couldn't pinpoint the exact moment she'd managed to creep into nearly every single one of his waking thoughts, but somehow she had. He'd contemplated for long periods of time about her appeal. He'd, after all, dated some knockouts. After mulling it over, he'd finally come to the conclusion that it was simply her.

  She probably didn't realize it, but Julie's serene aura attracted people to her like moths to flames. She didn't have to say a word to make a person feel better. From his observations, Julie was more than just the office sounding board; she was the glue that held the team together. Even people from other departments came to her desk to talk.

  At first Gabe believed it was the candy, but was soon dissuaded when he too fell under her spell. There was something about her that made him want to be in her presence, if for nothing else than just to hear her voice or witness the way she nibbled on her bottom lip when she was nervous. Or the way her brows furrowed when she was in deep thought. He found himself detouring to her desk more than he could explain. She was a hard worker and a determined little thing when she needed to get something done. He couldn't fault her where her work was concerned, but there was one thing about her that bugged the fuck out of him.

  Gabe absolutely despised the way the other employees seemed to take advantage of her goodwill. He wished she'd stand up for herself, and often wondered why she didn't. It wasn't because she was timid. Far from it, he'd long sensed the fire within her. No, it was something deeper.

  Whenever he walked by, however, she tensed up and became defensive. He'd come down on her a few times for the number of visitors in her cubicle, but not for the reasons she thought. He was probably crazy for feeling this way, but he was jealous of the way she welcomed everyone else in her space except him. It wasn't rational, and it was probably best if he didn't feature her in every single one of his wild imaginings, but hell, he was hooked.

  Many long nights he'd dreamed of what that body would look like without any clothing, her big brown eyes staring up at him, her head resting against a pristine white pillow while he plowed his dick into her pussy. He'd bet her cunt was tight. And sweet, just like the candy she provided for the masses. Would she be a silent lover, with soft little moans, or would she scream his name as he fucked her?

  Now, as he stood in the middle of his office fighting a raging hard-on, Gabe could no longer deny what he'd been fighting for months. He wanted Julie Bennett more than he could stand, and the frustration was fucking killing him. The only problem was, she didn't seem to know he was alive outside of work. What the hell was wrong with this picture? He was usually on the receiving end of unreciprocated crushes. It wasn't that he was conceited, but he was lucky to have received more than his share of female attention since his adolescent acne had cleared up. Perhaps this was his punishment for being the bastard his last girlfriend had claimed him to be.

  Whereas half the women in the office made excuses to come by his office or brush against him, Julie walked the other way when she saw him coming. What would it take for her to recognize him as a man and not just her boss? He'd kill for the day she didn't look at him as if he were a two-headed monster.

  The image of her ass swaying back and forth in a skirt that hugged her curves beautifully as she'd hurried out of his office filtered through his mind, and he groaned. He took a few agonizing steps to his desk before taking a seat in his chair. His cock had grown painfully hard, and it wouldn't go down until there was relief.

  Thankfully the office door was already closed; he shut his eyes and rubbed his aching hard-on. He inhaled sharply. Shit, he hadn't masturbated in years. There had never been a need to. Pussy had always been readily available to him, but after the last few unsatisfying encounters, Gabe realized any pussy wouldn't do. He wanted Julie's.

  When rubbing his dick through the material of his slacks didn't cut it, he unbuckled his belt and unzipped his fly. His cock throbbed painfully, chafing against silk boxers. Easing his shaft from its prison, Gabe circled it with his fingers and brushed off the drop of precum on the tip. Licking his lips, he squeezed his eyes shut as he moved his fist along his dick, imagining soft feminine fingers on his member instead of his own.

  Damn, if she were here right now, he'd have his desk cleared off with her on it. She'd be begging for mercy by the time he was through with her. He'd sample each of her sweet holes and savor the taste of those sweet, juicy lips he'd longed to kiss for God knows how long. Then he'd ease into her pussy and fuck her until she came. Finally he'd take that ass. Would she let him fuck her there? Had she ever done it before? The thought of taking her anal cherry sent him over the edge. Gripping his cock, he let out a loud grunt. Quickly grabbing some tissues on his desk, he placed them over the tip of his dick to catch his cum.

  Fuck!

  What had that woman done to him? Candy Girl, indeed. She had something much sweeter than candy, and he intended to get some.

  Chapter Two

  Could this day possibly get any worse? It was only ten thirty, and already the day bit the big one. It was bad enough that a routine annual pelvic examination had turned into probably one of the most horrible experiences of her life. It wasn't until she was undressed and in the stirrups that Julie learned her regular doctor had been called away to do an emergency C-section. But when her substitute—a physician who'd been practicing medicine since World War II—entered the room, she wanted to get the hell off the table.

  Of course as always, she went along with the flow, not wanting to hurt the poor guy's feelings. Now she wished she had. He'd been rough. His bedside manner had left much to be desired, and a couple of times he'd gone so still, she'd thought he'd died. By the time the whole ordeal was over, she'd wanted to go home and take a hot shower to get the smell of mothballs off her, but decided against it. The last thing she wanted was to see Corinne sitting in front of the television watching Jerry Springer when she should have been looking for a job.

  Then to have to listen to Rob's problems before she'd even got a chance to settle ticked her off a little. And finally being summoned to the boss's office had topped off her already rotten morning. Lunch was sure to be a disaster. Why her? She'd eaten all her vegetables when she was younger, brushed her teeth every morning and night, said her prayers, and even gave to charity. So what had she done to deserve the wrath of Carland? Ever since the man started, he'd been on her case. The bastard. The totally sexy, broad-shouldered, smoldering-eyed bastard.

  She released a long sigh as she pulled up in her driveway. Corinne's totaled Jeep taunted her with its buckled metal and ruined paint job. It was the excuse her cousin used to not look for a job. When Julie had suggested Corinne take the bus, she was met with derisive laughter. “Are you kidding me? Only degenerates take the bus.”

  Deciding not to argue the point, Julie let the subject go, figuring Corinne would ask to borrow her car regardless. And Julie would probably give in to her like she always did. It was like when they were little girls. Julie's parents had died in a car accident when she was eight, and she'd been bounced from one foster home to another until her aunt Rae took her in. She'd been so grateful to have a home finally that she didn't realize the real reason her aunt had given her a place to live until it was nearly time to move out.

  With a sigh, Julie shook her head to rid herself of unpleasant memories. Hopefully her cousin would find gainful employment soon…as well as a place of her own. She should have said no when Corinne asked to stay with her temporarily, but there was no point in beating herself up over it now. Besides, her cousin wasn't one to stay in one place for too long anyway. Eventually she'd move on to leech off someone else. Julie's two-bedroom apartment that had been just right for her and her Pomeranian, Rufus, was getting quite cramped with the chaos Corinne brought to their lives. If only she'd stop being so stubborn and make up with Aunt Rae, she'd have somewhere else to go.

  Getting out of her car, she noticed a familiar vehicle parked by the curb a few yards away from her building. That was strange. She tensed up, reali
zing it could mean a couple of things, neither of which she liked one bit. The instant she walked into the house, Julie sensed something wasn't right.

  For one, the place smelled as if an entire can of her apple-scented air freshener had been sprayed, making it hard for her to breathe. Rufus ran out the door the second it was cracked, as if to escape the cloud of the overpowering scent. “Rufus! Come back.”

  Upon hearing his name, the little dog whimpered but turned around with his tail between his legs. When he reached the stoop, Julie scooped him up into her arms. “It's okay, sweetie. Mommy will open some windows for you.”

  Rufus's ears perked up as he growled, baring his sharp little teeth.

  “What's wrong with you?” Julie frowned. Corinne wasn't lodged on the couch in her usual spot, where she'd created her own butt groove. The television wasn't on, and there were no empty containers of junk food strewn around the carpet.

  Julie didn't want to believe her cousin was capable of what was going through her mind, but in her heart, all the clues were pointing to the fact that she was.

  As she advanced farther down the hallway, she was greeted by the sound of two familiar voices.

  “Oh God. Yes! Yes! Yes!” Either Corinne was having a serious religious experience or she was doing something she shouldn't be. Her heart pounding in her chest, Julie took hesitant steps toward the source of the moans. Her bedroom. Before she opened the door, she knew what she'd find. The car outside only backed up her supposition.

  With trembling fingers, she turned the knob and pushed open the door. Lying in the middle of her bed in all their naked glory were Corinne and Henry. Henry lay flat on his back, while Corinne bounced up and down on his cock. He gripped Corinne's ample hips as he thrust into her as if his life depended on it.

  “Ah yeah, baby. That's it. Give me that pussy.” Henry was obviously in the throes of passion, but from where Julie was standing, he looked constipated. He was never like that with her. As a matter of fact, he insisted that they do it with the lights out. Half the time he didn't take all his clothes off. He never let her ride him as he was letting Corinne. Whenever Julie suggested they try something besides missionary, he'd tell her only sluts did the other things. Obviously he had no problem trying new things with her cousin. Her stomach turned, and she literally wanted to throw up.

  Corinne rode Henry as if she were on a mechanical bull, her bright red weave flying around her face. Julie's mouth fell open. Corinne had done some underhanded things to her throughout the years: pushed her off the swing when they were kids, blamed her for stealing money out of Aunt Rae's purse, and even stolen a few of her boyfriends right from under her. But this just took the cake, the icing, and the goddamn candles.

  “That's it. Fuck me, lover. Tell me you never had it this good. This is what it's like to fuck a real woman.” Corinne moaned, running her hands down the center of Henry's dark, hairless chest.

  “Yes. You're the best I've ever had.” Henry groaned.

  “Better than my stick-in-the-mud cousin?”

  Henry grinned. “Much.”

  Julie's heart plummeted to her feet. Not because she'd been madly in love with Henry. Their relationship had grown so comfortable, it felt more like a friendship than anything else. What bothered her was the blatant lack of respect either one of them had for her. To screw in her bed. Eww. She'd have to throw those sheets away and flip her mattress…and take a healthy dose of mind bleach.

  When she would have backed away and closed the door behind her, Rufus growled, making their presence known. The lovers stopped and glanced in her direction. Henry's eyes practically bulged out of his skull, while a smile of smug satisfaction curved Corinne's full lips. “Hello, little cousin.” There didn't seem to be a modicum of remorse about her.

  Henry on the other hand pushed Corinne off, slid off the bed with rapid speed, and moved toward Julie. “It isn't what you think. I can explain everything.”

  Julie's eyes slid to his average-sized cock, coated in her cousin's juices, and the bile rose up her throat. He didn't even use a condom! Did he think she was an idiot? Wasn't that what she thought? They were obviously doing the horizontal hokey pokey, and his attempt to deny it underlined his true lack of respect for her. He obviously believed she really was stupid.

  Rufus growled as Henry came closer.

  He backed up, holding his hands up in a defensive gesture. “Put the dog down, and we'll talk like rational adults.”

  “What's to talk about? Your boyfriend prefers me. I told you to pay more attention to your man, but you wouldn't listen,” Corinne taunted, not bothering to cover up. She rolled onto her side and propped her hand beneath her head as if she were Cleopatra.

  What the hell? Did she step on a crack in the sidewalk? Break a mirror? Piss off a gypsy? Or had she stepped into some alternate universe where weird stuff happened just for the hell of it.

  At a loss for words, Julie turned on her heel and left the room, the sound of her cousin's laughter following. When Rufus whined, she remembered she was still holding him. Going into autopilot, she placed the Pomeranian in his cage and threw in a couple of chew toys, a bowl of water, and food.

  As she walked to her car, Henry called out to her. He came tearing out of the house with only a pair of jeans on. “Julie, wait! It's not what you think!”

  She had slid into her vehicle by the time he reached her.

  “Wait, Goddamn it. You can't walk away like this. At least not without letting me explain.”

  Julie slammed the car door and shoved her key into the ignition, ignoring him. Henry banged on the window. “Open the fucking door, Julie. Let's not be childish about this.”

  Resisting the temptation to run over his feet, she backed her car out of her space and sped out of the parking lot without a backward glance as she drove back to the office, completely numb. When she finally parked in front of her office building, reaction finally set in. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd just found her cousin and her boyfriend in bed with each other, and she hadn't said anything to them?

  Once again her kindness had been taken advantage of, and now she was suffering the consequences for it. Who was she kidding? She was a pushover, and if this incident didn't prove it, nothing would. Whoever said no good deed went unpunished wasn't kidding.

  Julie couldn't get past the sick feeling making her gag. She was ashamed of herself for the lack of reaction. Her best friend, Sheridan, would probably have taken Corinne by the hair, dragged her out of the house, and given her what she dubbed a “West Philly-style beatdown.” Then she would have probably taken something large and sharp and sliced off Henry's protruding parts. The thought brought a smile to Julie's face. What hurt the most was Corinne's lack of remorse. Ever since they'd been kids, when Julie went to live with her aunt, Corinne had treated her with mild contempt. But in adulthood it had only seemed to get worse.

  It was her own damn fault.

  There was no point sitting in the car moping about it. Work would take her mind off the fiasco she called her life. At least temporarily. There'd be plenty of time to deal with the mess she'd left behind when she got home.

  By the time she made it back to her desk, her head was throbbing, and it felt as if something akin to a two-ton boulder rested on her chest. No sooner had she sat down at her desk and logged back on to her computer than Rob appeared. He eyed her candy dish with a huge frown. “I thought you said you were going to bring back peanut butter cups.”

  She sighed. Was he for real? Taking a deep breath, she turned around, pasting a smile on her face. “I'm sorry. I forgot them. Something came up, and I had to leave in a rush.”

  “What? I went to the cafeteria and bought milk to go with the peanut butter cups you promised you'd bring from home. What gives, Candy Girl?”

  Julie tried desperately to hold on to her now-razor-thin temper. Her head was pounding. Her boyfriend was cheating with her skank cousin, and this jackass was asking about some damn peanut butter cups? She rubbed her templ
es and closed her eyes briefly, shutting out the light. “Don't they sell peanut butter cups in the vending machine in the cafeteria, the large ones?”

  “Why should I pay for it when I can get it from you for free? It's simple economics, Candy Girl.”

  “Julie,” she muttered irritably.

  “Huh?”

  “My name is Julie.” She forced the words out, tight-lipped.

  Rob shrugged. “And my name is Rob. What's your point?”

  Something within her snapped suddenly. “My fucking name is Julie! Use it!” She didn't realize how loud she'd been until the entire office went silent. Not even the sound of fingers pecking at a keyboard could be heard.

  Rob's mouth gaped open like a fish on a hook, his face turning bright red. “Well, you don't have to get nasty about it.” As he walked away, she heard him mutter, “Guess it's someone's time of the month.”

  Son of a bitch.

  “Julie, is everything all right?” That soothing baritone broke through all the madness surrounding her.

  She whirled around, fully expecting to see a look of disapproval. Instead the compassion she saw lurking within the depths of his penetrating gaze sent her over the edge. One fat tear escaped, sliding down her cheek. And then another. Followed by yet another. The dam was ready to burst, and she was seconds away from letting loose.

  Gabe grabbed her purse and jacket before ushering her out the door. When they got outside, she burst into body-shaking sobs. Strong arms engulfed her, and she was pulled against a rock-solid chest.

  When he'd heard the outburst from down the hallway, Gabe couldn't believe it had come from Julie. When he'd reached her desk, he saw Rob Danford walking away in a hurry and Julie looking as if she wanted to dismember him. What had happened to his mouse? The Candy Girl?

  He held her in his arms, wondering what could possibly make her cry as if her heart was breaking. Gabe stroked the back of her head. “Shh. Everything will be all right.” Gently pushing her away from him, he produced a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit jacket. “Here. Take this.”