7 Chapter 7 - Too late to cry
Why was her mouth so dry? She licked her lips nervously. She gingerly touched her lip with the tip of her finger, they felt sore.
Nick watched her carefully and felt a tug of desire when she began licking her lips. She seemed clueless as to what had happened. His plans were coming together perfectly. The one thing he hadn't accounted for was his pull towards her, even now, knowing what he had orchestrated did not stop him from wanting her with a fierceness that at times frightened him. He willed those thoughts from his mind even as her unique smell wafted up his nose. She had a spicy yet fresh scent that was burrowing into his brain. He groaned and covered it with a cough as she looked blindly around the room in confusion.
"Well kudos to you Tatalee, you single handily got us the contract with the 'Romario Conglomerate'. Cesar Romario signed the contract at two am this morning and he said that he needs someone like you on his team because you really know how to handle your business and make a man throw away his money," Nicholas smiled broadly.
"Did I do anything stupid to embarrass you Nickolas or myself?" Tatalee asked shyly.
"No honey bunny you out drank the shit of the two Mexicans and played strip poker until I heard you snoring. You fell asleep in the penthouse and a carried you to the suite next door" Nicholas replied.
Tatalee frowned. She had no memory at all of the night. Her body felt strange and heavy. She looked at her skin beneath the sheet, she had wrapped herself in but there were no marks or any other indication that she had done anything but sleep. Still an uneasy feeling ran through her as she thought about the behaviour of the two men at dinner. She looked intently in Nick's eyes, surely, he would have told her if anything had happened. That is if he had been there.
"What were you doing all this time Nickolas?"
"Well somebody had to remain sober, crunch the numbers and sort out the business end. Julio joined your party at two am and look at him now in his underpants and boots on the floor," Nicholas chuckled. "I can't thank you enough for what you did but I suspect that I am going to have you flushed out with coffee for you to function. Fortunately I took a room at the hotel and had Naomi drop off your work clothes. Let's go little woman."
Tatalee knew she should protest but when he lifted her up off the floor like she weighed less than a twig, she melted into his arms. Soon she was out cold. Nick smiled as he carried her across the hallway. The sheet fell to the ground and the zip on her little black dress gave way after just one pull and fell. Oyster sauce and champagne stains were on the front and the back of the dress. Nickolas gasped at the sight of half-naked body with only the gold chain around her neck and a pair of black G-strings. She was a sight for his tired eyes. He laid her on the bed after wiping her face and neck with a warm moist rag, then covered her up beneath the sheets.
He closed his eyes as a wave of desire blanketed his body. He could feel his muscles trembling with the effort of holding himself back from touching her the way he really wanted. He would start slowly at first, teasing a response from her body. The peppery taste of his kisses would ignite her passion and as his kiss became more urgent he would wrap her legs around his waist. She would be out of her mind by that time and he could do whatever he pleased. She would be his to command and his to control. His fingers hovered over her body and he drew in a steadying breath.
He had imagined this for so long, he did not want her to be unconscious for his assault on her senses. He wanted to see her out of control and begging for his touch. He wanted to watch her face as he took that last step. He withdrew with a backward glance. He wanted her fully cognizant when he boarded her plump little kitty that strained the thin cloth that was around her waist. She snored lightly as he set the alarm for eight am and made himself comfortable in the chair across the room. He snuggled the jacket with the cash tucked away in the pocket. There was no way he could make such a sweet deal slip away through his fingers. What happened in the suite next door would be a closely guarded secret, but Tatalee Hobson was a trooper and he wasn't lying to her earlier. She had made the difference for the team. He chuckled. If only she knew what her contribution had been,
Her actions had caused him to be able to repay the loan for the cruise and replenish the credit cards with the earnings from pimping out Tatalee. Hopefully there would be something left for him to slip into her purse, but if not he would always find a convenient distraction to tell her thanks. Tatalee was the image of the sleeping beauty who was spread eagled beneath the four hundred count sheets just a few feet away from him.
His dick ached as he closed his eyes and thought about her curves. She was lying helpless and defenceless, but the smell of the cash was too enticing to release it, not even the potential of releasing the tension he was feeling in his scrotum was enough distraction from what he was holding on to in his jacket. A smile played on his lips. Soon he would have her. Just the way he imagined.
Four hours later, the buzz of the alarm clock startled him. His arms were empty and panic set in. He looked across the bed and it was empty.
"Shit, she stole the money," he said and jumped up,
"What was that Nickolas?" Tatalee asked, emerging from the bathroom fully dressed. "I woke up early and hung up your jacket, but I need to start the paperwork early. I made a cup of coffee for you, but felt sorry for you and decided to let you sleep a little longer," Nicholas replied. He cleared his suddenly dry throat and tried to force a casual note in his voice as he asked the question.
"Where is the envelope Tatalee?" Nickolas asked as a faint sheen of sweat covered his forehead as he thought of all the possible answers she might give to his question.
"Don't worry Nickolas it is still sealed and it is still in the pocket of the jacket," Tatalee replied with disgust in her voice
"Oh, I thought housekeeping came into the room early and borrowed the jacket and its contents. I would never have thought that of you Tatalee to have absconded with my jacket. You can walk down to the office from here I will rest and then meet with the guys. After that I'll go home and swing by the office in the early afternoon to sign off on the papers that you are going to prepare. Remember our discussion last night that the maximum loan amount but the forced sale value is the key figure. I know you will find a way," Nickolas said.
"Yes boss I will. But, I am depending on you to give me some guidance when you come into office later," Tatalee replied.
"No problem," Nickolas replied.
Tatalee watched as he drank the lukewarm coffee as she headed to the door. "Later boss," Tatalee replied.
"Mmmhmm" was his reply.
Tatalee stretched her body that felt as if she had been through a marathon the night before, but her memory of the entire events of the evening were still hazy, but her body felt jittery and excited. A mild headache accompanied her on her walk to the office from the hotel. Only Nickolas Stern could have done something like this to her to make her overnight and then walk from the hotel, but at least he had found a way to get her fresh clothes. Her head was abuzz with his parting words about the two figures but the sale price would be different and what figure would be used to secure the bank's interest on the title of the property.
"Shaving cream," she said when she realised what she had agreed to do, she reached into her handbag and found three crisp notes beside her cell phone. "Wow this was the equivalent of two months' salary in Jamaican currency, flip," she said. "I agreed and consideration has changed hands. That means it's up to me to fix the documents," she muttered to herself.
The requested loan amount and the forced sale value of the property were stapled to the US$ notes as well along with the data for the Romario Group.
Her brisk walk to the office was fuelled by the need to get her task completed and avoid the eyes of the observant in the office. That was when she got an idea. She would prepare the paperwork for the amount on the sales agreement and the security documents and then have Nickolas sign the change to alter the loan amount after the committee pre-approved the loan and he would then defend it at the board and provide the additional surety from the client. The pre-approval did not require his authorisation at this stage and only with the ratification of the board would he be required to sign.
She prided herself on being efficient and fast and pulled up one of the numerous documents that she had already prepared. To her surprise Nick had already emailed a copy of the sales agreement and the registration documents and had then signed as true copies. How and when did he do this? But Nick was Nick and he had a way of making magic happen.
Within thirty minutes the pre-approval documents were completed, and in his absence Tatalee knocked on the president's door.
