After the Interview (13 page)

C J watched Zoe pace back and forth as she talked on her phone. With every step she took, the robe opened and he saw the length of her leg up to the top of her thigh. If she keeps this up, the robe will offer a tantalizing view very soon, C J thought, a hint of a grin on his face. Sensing his eyes on her Zoe stopped momentarily to adjust the robe and tighten the belt. Getting the feeling that this phone call wasn’t ending soon, C J picked up his own phone to check his emails. Logan had arrived in Kenya safely, good to know. C J added a reminder on his calendar to call Jack Dupre and set a lunch date. It wouldn’t hurt to see what he had to say about Logan. He also noticed an email from his secretary that included several attachments. No, I won’t start that now, C J thought, knowing he would end up dedicating at least an hour to read through the contract updates.

Feeling a shift in the bed, he looked up to see Zoe slowly making her way toward him, and the robe was gone. Ah things are looking good, he thought. C J set his phone on the nightstand, never taking his eyes off of Zoe. From where he sat right now she was perfection, and he felt damned lucky to have her.

ℓ

Hunger is a funny thing, Zoe mused, no matter if it’s sexual hunger or the need for food. It doesn’t just creep up on you slowly but suddenly you realize you’re starving. She and C J had just spent almost an hour taking care of their sexual hunger, and now Zoe was starving for food but didn’t want to move from C J’s side. This morning with C J had felt less like sex and more like lovemaking. A distinction worth noting, Zoe thought, but she reminded herself not to get too caught up emotionally. It was hard to forget the way C J looked at her as he pulled her into his arms and started kissing her tenderly. Oh Zoe had felt the passion, pressed up against his body, and it had been hard for her to take things slowly. C J had luxuriated in deepening the tender kisses to ones that were long, probing and passionate. Add the touch of his hands on her body to this and Zoe had let him know she was ready for more. Not wishing to rush, she had gently caressed C J’s penis, noting how he had sighed at her touch and waited expectantly as she put him at the opening of her body. Then, as the next kiss deepened, Zoe had moved slowly and purposefully to ease him deep inside her. The emotions created by being so intimately connected to C J shocked Zoe and made her catch her breath. Opening her eyes and seeing pleasure on C J’s face, Zoe smiled, and neither one of them moved for several moments.

It didn’t take long for desire to overcome contentment. Zoe had started moving slowly at first, almost teasing C J to join. When he responded by slowly sliding his penis almost totally out of Zoe, she wrapped her leg around his back, using the pressure of her calf and foot to press his body to her while she slid right back to where she needed to be. Letting out a long breath, C J started to move more quickly. Zoe immediately arched her back, moving her hips to lengthen each thrust. The intensity of desire overtook them and their movements became furious and uncontrolled as they reached a climax that C J later said he was sure the maids down the hall had heard. Zoe had been amazed when she realized the deep throaty yell was coming from her; that had been a first. Now Zoe lay with her cheek on C J’s chest, still damp from the exertion. She felt happy right now. No matter what happened tomorrow or the next day, being here, feeling the warmth of C J’s body was a piece of life Zoe never wanted to forget. Perfection just as it was. She knew how easily the people you loved could be taken from you in a heartbeat.

“Hey, I’m starved. Let’s head to my apartment so I can get some less rumpled clothes to wear, and I’ll make us something to eat,” Zoe offered, her head propped on C J’s chest.

C J opened his eyes, looked at Zoe warily and said, “Can you cook?”

Zoe thumped C J’s chest in mock anger and rolled out of the bed. As she headed into the bathroom to get her clothes she said, “Have I disappointed you yet?”

“You make a good point,” C J said, sitting up and moving to place his feet on the floor.

C J heard water running when he neared the bathroom and was glad to see Zoe had opted for a quick bath, allowing him free run of the shower. Good thing, because languishing in the shower seemed to be a favorite pastime of theirs. Glancing up as he was toweling off, C J caught sight of Zoe in her business attire from last night. Boy, that was not her usual crisp tailored look.

“Is that stuff even dry?” he asked.

“Not really, but it’s going to have to do until I can get home and change,” she answered.

“I could go buy something,” C J said.

“Are you ashamed to be seen with me, C J Fairchild,” Zoe asked with a tinge of sarcasm.

“No, but I am worried about what your doorman is going to think about me. He already has me pegged as a stalker, remember,” C J answered, frowning.

“Did you bring a coat with you?” Zoe asked, a bit agitated.

“Yes but it got soaked last night,” C J answered.

“It will do,” Zoe answered. “Come on, let’s get moving. I’m really hungry.

C J couldn’t help but smile when they stepped out of the room, and the maid quickly averted her eyes as they passed her. “Told you she heard.”

Zoe acted as if she did not hear a word he was saying until the elevator door closed, and she burst out laughing. “We should stay at my place tonight.”

C J looked at Zoe with lifted eyebrows and smiled. “Deal.”

Zoe couldn’t help but feel many eyes on them as they walked through the lobby towards the exit. When they made it outside, she said, “Tonight we are definitely staying at my place.”

Luckily there were several taxis waiting at the hotel entrance. On the ride to her apartment Zoe pointed out restaurants and businesses of interest. C J had been to New York on several occasions for work but had always flown in, flown out and only stayed overnight when necessary. The city had never appealed to him. The people never seemed satisfied, and walking through the trash spilling onto the sidewalks was akin to being in a minefield. Looking at Zoe, C J smiled and decided the city would be bearable with her as his guide. Seeing it with Zoe was going to be an adventure.

Chapter Nine

“Hello, Henry,” Zoe said before her doorman could acknowledge their presence. “This is my friend, C J Fairchild, visiting from Houston.”

“Hello, Mr. Fairchild, glad to see you found Ms. Alden,” he said with no trace of welcome in his voice.

“It’s good to see you again, Henry, and thank you for all of your help yesterday,” C J said as pleasantly as he could choke out.

Once the elevator doors closed behind them, C J turned to Zoe and said, “What the hell is up with that guy?”

“Henry’s a good guy but a bit protective. I’ve known him for years and he was very fond of Jean,” Zoe said, “It’s unusual for me to bring a man to my apartment.”

“Well hell, maybe I should check into a new hotel and we can hide out there,” he said.

The elevator doors opened and C J saw they were facing apartment #700. Zoe exited left and headed down the hallway, which was dead quiet. C J was struck by the sterility of the white walls in the corridor and the fact that every door was the same color, white. It made C J think of a top security facility he had toured with its secluded compartments and the workers going about their tasks day-in and day-out with no change in their routines. About halfway down the hall on the right, Zoe stopped at #705 and pulled out her keys. Turning to C J, she said, “I’m glad you’re here. This is a big deal for me to have you stay with me.”

C J gave her a huge grin and said, “Well let’s get in. I’m starving.”

Entering the apartment, Zoe headed across the living room and into her bedroom, not at all worried C J would feel neglected. I can’t get out of these damp clothes soon enough, she was thinking as she tossed the borrowed coat onto the bed and began to unzip the creased skirt.

C J started to follow Zoe, but the moment he heard the scrape of a dresser drawer opening he decided to let her change in peace. Turning his head from left to right he was able to take in the layout of the kitchen and the connected living area. Zoe’s lifestyle and personality were evident in the apartment’s furnishings. The place wasn’t cluttered but C J saw items he knew were keepsakes from the different countries she had lived in or traveled to. Carved masks from Africa and figurines from the Far East were interspersed on shelving with books in several languages. He also noticed Zoe’s favorite place to sit; this was evident by the green throw haphazardly thrown on the seat of an oversized chair. No wonder—the view from this chair out her living room window captured his attention immediately, and C J was mesmerized to see Manhattan spread out below.

“I never imagined this clear a view existed here,” C J said, loud enough for Zoe to hear him in the other room.

“I will show you something better, but first, we eat,” Zoe said, walking into the room dressed in a pair of jeans and a loosely fitting sweater.

“Both things sound good, and I have to tell you that you look great in those jeans,” C J said as he walked up to the kitchen island, smiling. “Need help?”

Zoe, moving with purpose now, opened a drawer, pulling out forks and knives. She placed these on top of two plates with cloth napkins and said, “Please move that mail off of the table by the wall and set our places. Once you do that I’ll give you task number two.”

What seemed like a simple task was complicated by the fact that C J saw no place to put the mail, so he carried it to what looked like a small desk on the other side of the living room. As he turned, C J noticed a photo of Zoe and two men on the bookshelf, standing arm in arm in front of the Eiffel Tower. I wonder which man is Jean?

Zoe had just placed a large pot of water on the range to boil and was pulling food out of the refrigerator and setting it on the counter, when she turned to see C J looking at the photograph.

“Jean is the man on my right,” Zoe said, “and that’s his brother, Antoine, on my left.”

“You look very happy,” C J said soberly.

“Yes, I was happy then and I’m happy now,” Zoe said, pausing, “I’ll be even happier when you get that table set and start on this salad. You can chop tomatoes, I assume.”

“Do you prefer peeled and seeded in the French style?” C J asked smartly as he finished the table and headed back to the counter, which served as an island separating the rooms.

Zoe smiled and said, “Your choice since you are obviously skilled in the kitchen.”

C J sat on a stool and set about making the salad while Zoe diced pancetta and threw it into a pan on the stove. As the pancetta heated up and started to sizzle, its aroma wafted over to C J and he suddenly felt very hungry.

Zoe grabbed a crusty baguette off of the top of the refrigerator and poured some seasoned olive oil in a small bowl between them on the counter.

“This might not last long,” C J said pulling off a piece from the end of the baguette and dipping it into the oil. He offered it to Zoe and she leaned forward, taking a bite and closing her eyes in delight. C J finished the piece of bread and then started opening the wine while watching Zoe cook. This was obviously serious business for her, and he knew better than to disrupt her. Once she had the pasta in the boiling water, Zoe set up the eggs, cream and cheese to finish the spaghetti carbonara. She glanced up to see C J watching her intently, and she winked as she tucked her hair behind her ear and started transferring the hot pasta to the skillet and its contents.

At first they ate in total silence because they were both ravenous. Then conversation resumed with C J asking Zoe about some of the items she had collected. He enjoyed trying to guess their countries of origin and was on the mark for most of them. Zoe mentioned the shelf filled with Jean’s cameras but C J could tell she didn’t want to linger on that topic. When C J starting asking about some of the buildings he could see, Zoe brightened and stood up. Before he could ask what was going on she was refilling their wine glasses and walking toward the door to her apartment.

“Well come on, C J, I have something to show you,” Zoe said impatiently as she walked to the apartment’s front door.