Mr. Buff: A Flaming Romance Read online

  “I already told you; it’s over. I’m not interested in going to the opera or any other function with you. No. That’s it. Stop calling. I won’t change my mind.”

  Screw being nice. With the press of a button, he cut her off midsentence. Biting back a curse to keep from offending the elderly lady walking beside him, he made his way to the twenty-four-hour gym at the base of his building.

  Under normal circumstances, no one would dare call him this early. Everyone knew he was intense and took his workouts seriously. It was the only way he had to deal with the amount of stress he was thrown each day. Not Leslie. Cool and distant at every call, he couldn’t figure out why she kept trying. Being a pampered heiress, she was used to getting whatever she wanted, but this time she was shit out of luck. Bitchy models and needy daddy’s girls exhausted him. A woman who knew her own mind, that’s what he wanted.

  After a grueling session of weights, cardio, and boxing at the gym, Andrew walked into his office as he did every morning, ready for coffee and a cold shower. His eyes strayed to gaze at the office across the alley for his daily temptation, only to find she wasn’t there.

  When he’d first seen Alexandra, or Alex, as everyone called her, he’d been run over by instant lust. To call a woman so feminine by a man’s name seemed wrong. In his mind, she was always Alexandra. Her beauty only inflamed his infatuation. With hair that hung in thick, jet-black, glossy waves past her shoulders enhancing her sexy golden skin, she was gorgeous. The aura of self-assurance surrounding her fascinated him.

  Dropping his gym bag on the ground, he walked over to his laptop to take a quick glance at his email. He had mistakenly left his webcam recording. Fast forwarding through the media file, he stopped and played it at regular speed when he saw the image of Alexandra Berte fill his screen. He lowered his face for a closer view. His breath caught when the woman walked toward the large glass window in her office.

  Bent at the waist, she hoisted her skirt up, her face creased in disgust. Excitement rushed through him when he took in her half-naked lower body. He knew that even over her clothing she was a sexy little package, but shit, this was his own private strip show. Fuck, the woman had perfect legs.

  Slack-jawed, he watched her struggle to remove the sheer material of her nylons. In the process, she exposed every sensual curve for his viewing pleasure. He continued watching her limp and wiggle. He gulped, and her sexy, round ass jiggled in her panties...her teeny, tiny panties.

  Chest heaving and almost falling out of her purple top, she bent forward, giving him a clear bird’s-eye view of her creamy breasts. Caught on something, she tumbled backward. Her body turned until her mouthwatering ass kissed the glass, leaving an imprint of two perfect globes. Face red with frustration, she tried to stand without falling over.

  His throat was dry, and his hands were in fists. He wanted to reach out and help her balance. At long last, she got the offensive material off. Tossing the torn nylons on the floor, she stomped on them. He chuckled at the glare she threw the fabric as she threw it in the trash.

  She turned her still-pink face and flashing eyes to glance at his office. Oblivious to his webcam recording, she sat down, fixed her drooping ponytail, and went to work. He fast-forwarded until he saw her stand, grab her bag, and walk out.

  Still dazed and with his heart racing, he went to clean himself up. One of the perks of his position was a large, private bathroom with shower included.

  Replaying the scene he’d just watched, he looped the part where her ass and breasts jiggled for him.

  Stripped of his sweaty workout gear, he threw the clothing in the laundry pile, walked into the tiled cubicle, and shut the glass door behind him. Erection throbbing, he soaped his body.

  He fisted his dick in a chokehold and thought of sexy Alexandra. Looking for some relief over the lust that surged at thoughts of her, he squeezed, groaning. Images of her sexy mouth, luscious tight nipples, and legs spread open for him to fuck took over his mind. Eyes closed, he fisted tightly and grunted. He thrust his full length into his hand. He pictured her sucking him deeply in her mouth.

  In the best erotic scene he had ever conjured, she pinched at her taut nipples, blew him, and whimpered in the back of her throat. Her skin was flushed with arousal, and he pictured her growing bolder. She’d pull him out and suck him in, her cheeks hollowed to a suction grip on his dick.

  In his mind, she ran her tongue on the underside of his cock, and his balls drew tight. He worked himself faster in his fist. She opened her throat and took him so far, he was unable to see any of himself outside her lips. Inside his head, he fisted her hair and thrust into her lips. The imagined Alexandra hummed in approval at his aggression. He groaned and intensified the pumping of his hand.

  “Fuck!”

  The tingle of his climax approached in record time. He formed images of her hand jerking him at the same time she blew him. Tension coiled in his gut, and he watched her suck him deep and swallow when he came in her mouth. His movements became short and jerky, and he groaned and shot his semen all over the tiled wall. He leaned against the cool surface and panted.

  Her image alone had given him one of the most intense orgasms of his life. His mind wondered what it would be like to finally have one with her. His shallow pants and the low tinkle of the spray were the only sounds in the bathroom. A renewed sense of control filled him while he cleaned himself and the wall. If only it had been her soft body he’d been able to come inside of. He dressed and got to work.

  4

  Arriving later in the morning since last night’s overtime, Alexandra didn’t see Mr. Buff in his office. She thought she’d miss him since he usually had meetings this time of the morning. Might as well get to work.

  She sat behind her desk and pulled out the tax forms from the past few years and brought up the accounting software. When reconciling last quarter’s payroll and tax filings, her totals weren’t adding up.

  Late yesterday afternoon, she went to the accounting department to request copies of state and federal tax forms. The manager was out, but the ladies in the office were glad to help. She understood why Nina enjoyed working at this company.

  A lot of times, office politics ruled businesses and ruined any comradery that would be possible. That was why Alex did only temp work and short-term projects.

  She’d put up with enough crap in her life and saved up enough money so she could work when she wanted. Surprisingly, her temp agency kept her quite busy so she didn’t sit at home alone throwing pity parties for her lack of love life.

  Opening the spreadsheet she created yesterday, she ran through the rows and columns again to make sure she hadn’t entered incorrect numbers. Her ten-key data entry speed was among the fastest and most accurate—just from repeated use for over ten-plus years.

  Everything added up until she calculated in the independent contractor amounts. The tax forms submitted to the IRS were one hundred thousand dollars fewer than what the system showed.

  Painstakingly going through each contractor, she added quarterly totals to compare the system to amounts paid in. She had a few more accounts to go through. If she didn’t find the difference here, she would be at a loss as to where to look next.

  As her luck would have it, the second to last vendor held the discrepancy, down to the penny. Skimming the vendor file, she found it setup incorrectly, sending totals to the wrong chart of accounts number. Digging farther, she discovered this had been happening for years. That totaled to almost a half million dollars a year. Someone was getting a huge tax break.

  This error would cost thousands in penalties and interest. Good god, thank goodness this wasn’t her fault. If it were, she’d be puking for screwing up so big time.

  After printing several screen shots and gathering the forms, she headed to the company’s president’s office. This was too important to go to accounting and let someone set it aside. Or worse yet, shredded the evidence to cover it up.

  She knocked on the top executive’s d
oor, waiting for permission to enter. She heard a voice but wasn’t sure what it said. Assuming it was her cue to come in, she opened the door. At the desk sat the head of accounting talking with the president.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Alex said as she pulled the door to her.

  “Alexandra,” the big man behind the desk called, “please, come in.” She peeked around the door and saw the wide, relaxed smile of Mr. Sholes. She didn’t remember the accounting manager’s name. He didn’t come across as the welcoming type when she was introduced on her first day there. She avoided him for the most part.

  “Thank you, sir,” she said, walking in and taking the other seat in front of the desk.

  “What can I do for you?” the president asked. He sat back in his chair, arms open and accepting. His round, happy face gave him the look of the Marshmallow Dough Boy. Her anxiety lessened.

  “Mr. Sholes, when I was reconciling taxes and payroll, I came across a discrepancy that is alarmingly big.”

  The man glanced at the accounting manager. “You know anything about this, Robert?”

  “No, sir. I don’t.” Robert glared at her. “Let’s see your proof.” Alexandra laid out the sheets and pointed out the conflicting numbers.

  “My god,” Mr. Sholes said. “That’s a million dollars every two years. This is serious enough to get prison time. This needs to stay between us. If the culprit gets wind and runs, I’ll kill them. May do that anyway. A million dollars!”

  Robert’s face was red, and he sputtered. “I-I don’t know how this could be. When we run reports, everything balances.”

  “Robert,” Mr. Sholes said as he gathered the papers to himself, “I want to look at this on my own over the weekend. Don’t change or do anything until I tell you to. Understand?” Sholes frowned heavily, making her uneasy again.

  “Yes, sir.” The accounting manager’s narrowed eyes rolled to her without moving his head. Shit, was he the perpetrator? Did she just bust a fraud scam he had going?

  “Robert, would you give Alexandra and myself a moment?”

  The manager jumped up from his chair. “Yes, sir,” was all he said on his way out. When he took hold of the door, he looked over his shoulder at her. Chills ran down her back from his hate-filled eyes. Damn, he was not happy. The door closed quickly.

  The president leaned forward and laid his glasses on the desk. “Thank you very much, Alexandra, for coming directly to me,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “Robert is correct about the reports balancing. I look at them every quarter and annually.”

  From her past experience, she had an explanation. “Sir, it’s possible that after reports are run and everything is filed, the numbers are changed and finagled after the fact.”

  Mr. Sholes sat quietly, staring at the papers on the desk in front of him. Should she leave now? Should she say something?

  “Sir,” she mumbled, “should I go?”

  “No, no. Please stay a moment.” He looked up and smiled. “How do you like it here, Alexandra?”

  “I enjoy it, sir. The people are friendly and the view is great.” Her cheeks warmed a bit at the admission. She prayed he didn’t ask what she meant.

  “Good. I’ve heard good things from others about you and your work. Nina told me you do temp work only. Would you consider working full-time here?”

  That surprised her. She wasn’t expecting to be offered a job after outing the company. She smiled. “I’ll think about it, sir. But I’ll let you know it’s promising.”

  “Wonderful. That’s what I like to hear about my business,” he continued. “My wife and I have sacrificed a lot over the years to get where we are today. A lot of time and heartache, too. I will do whatever necessary to make sure no one brings this company down.” He nodded toward the papers. “I can’t thank you enough, Alexandra.”

  She was starting to feel a bit embarrassed at the praise laid on her. After all, she was only doing her job. “Thank you, sir,” she said. “I should be getting back. Payroll is due today.”

  “Yes, yes,” Mr. Sholes said. “Good work.”

  Alexandra hurried down the hall and into her office, so happy that Robert in Accounting wasn’t walking around. He was the logical choice for the crime. She read somewhere that it’s the long-term employees most likely to commit fraud with an employer. They’d been there long enough to know how everything worked and how to get around things, too. Robert fit that description.

  He had access to the system, was smart enough, and had the opportunity. A tiny voice in her head said just because he looked guilty, don’t count out others.

  5

  Lifting her eyes from the blurred figures, she blinked to find Nina stepping through her door and heading straight toward her window. She looked out with the avid attention of a bird of prey hunting for meaty quarry. But Mr. Buff had left for the day, so there was nothing for her to see.

  “Sorry, you missed him. He left a while ago, and I don’t think he’s coming back.”

  She finished assembling the employee payroll accounts she had been working on and placed them in a drawer. Alex locked the drawer and then shut off her computer. She grabbed her small bag and stood.

  “Oh, did I tell you, there’s this place I’m taking you tonight?” Nina bombarded her with excitement as she went through the reasons why the lounge would be fun.

  “I don’t know, Nina. I’m not in the mood today.” She sighed. The drive to go out after work was gone. She wanted to go home and mope. Life sucked, men sucked...well, not all men. Mr. Buff seemed to be staring into her office much more often. Every time—

  “Alex?”

  —she looked up from her work, he would be watching her. The two were smiling and waving more than they had ever done before. Or was it just her imagination in overdrive, creating something out of nothing?

  “No. No me vengas con mierda. Don’t give me no shit. You know Friday night is our time to relax and unwind. We’re going to this lounge for a little bit. It’s great; Jen and I love the super comfy sofas in these dark cubicle areas so you can have privacy and man watch. I am dying for you to see it! And you are not backing out.” Nina turned her smile loose. “Come on, Alex baby.”

  “All right, all right. I’m coming.” She joined Nina at the window to stare out at the evening sky.

  Nina gave a quick shake of her head. “We’re going to get you someone good, you’ll see. Don’t worry, I’m on the case. I’m going to go through all the clients I know who are nice. Before you know it, you’re going to be barefoot and pregnant in somebody’s kitchen.”

  Alex smacked her in the arm while they walked toward the office door. “I’m not looking to be barefoot and pregnant, you nut. I just want to meet a guy I can feel comfortable with for longer than the blink of eye. For a relationship that’s more than a booty call.”

  She threw a glance over her shoulder at Mr. Buff’s dark office, sighed, and walked out the door.

  Come Again was packed. Most of the patrons consisted of middle-aged executives and hot twenty-one-year-olds looking to hook up.

  As she and Nina walked in, it seemed all men in the area turned to check them out. Or it could’ve been her imagination, worried that what Jack had said about her was true for all men. She hadn’t been out since their breakup. Not that she was missing him, but more like she felt down on herself. Jerk.

  Nina bumped her on the arm. “Jen’s here. Come on.” Nina dragged her across the barroom.

  Alex asked, “Is this the Jen Ortiz you always talk about?” After Alex had started working for the same company as her cousin, she and Nina had done more social things than all the years past. She and Nina were friends by family, and at gatherings, Nina mentioned Jen several times.

  Nina gave Alex a sly look. “Did I mention that Jen Ortiz was Mr. Buff’s secretary?”

  Alex froze in her tracks. “You know him?” she asked, referring to Mr. Buff.

  “No. I know of him,” Nina replied. “Never met the man, and Jen doesn’t talk about work when she�
��s out.”

  Alex wasn’t sure about this all of a sudden. She’d be socializing with the woman who worked with the man she’d been lusting over. What if she let something slip?

  Nina pulled on her to get her going. “Oh, don’t mention anything about husbands or men, really. She just went through a divorce after ten years of marriage.”

  When Jen saw Nina, the secretary jumped up from her chair to give her a hug. “It’s been forever,” Jen said.

  “I know,” Nina said. “I’m sorry. Since Alexandra started working, we’ve been doing things.”

  Jen’s slightly worn face showed laugh lines around her mouth telling Alex the woman was probably really nice. Jen said, “Alex, your cousin?” Jen gave Alex a hug then. “Nina talks about you a lot.”

  “All bad stuff,” Nina added. “All the trouble we got into growing up.”

  Alex rolled her eyes. Got into trouble they did. Two young girls ready to take on the world and letting nothing get in their way.

  “Come on,” Jen said, “I have a table where we can sit and eat. Have you guys had supper?”

  “No,” Nina said, “and I’m starving. I want the steak.”

  “Steak?” Alex blurted. “What kind of bar serves steak?”

  Nina snorted. “I said this was a ‘lounge,’ not a bar. That’s why it’s so cool.”

  Alex had to agree and slid into a chair at the table. They ordered a round of drinks and the night’s dinner special. When the drinks came, they sipped their hard alcohol. Alex got her usual apple martini, and people-watched.

  “Oh god,” Jen said, her eyes following someone in the crowd. “Leslie Lynch is here. Again.”

  “Is she still bothering your boss?” Nina asked.

  “The woman won’t give up,” Jen growled. “I have no idea why he went out with her the few times he did. The only way to keep her away is to kill her. Which I’ll do if she pisses me off much more.”