The Briefcase

A short drive and later Jessica arrived to find Eric sitting at the bar, patiently waiting for her to show. A glass already empty, Eric held his hand up ordering another as she approached the bar.

"Well, somehow you're going to explain to me how you found out that Rebecca Norse was now a client." Jessica said aloud, just off of his shoulder.

Eric turned toward her voice, his sexy smile already in place. "I didn't, but I do now." He chuckled, pleased with himself.

Shit! You trapped me! Jessica thought and glared at him, her hand resting against the bar.

"You might as well sit down, since a deal is a deal." He winked.

Jessica dropped her briefcase by the legs of the bar stool. Grasping the side of the bar, she then sat down onto the padded stool. The bartender set Eric's drink down and looked at Jessica, ready for her order.

"Amaretto, in a brandy snifter, not heated," she said with an edgy tone.

"Rough night?" Eric reached for his glass, taking a large swallow of what appeared to be scotch, catching a piece of ice between his teeth.

That depends on you...Eric. She thought. "I'll let you know, it's not over yet..." Jessica answered with an evil glare.

Eric swiveled in his chair and turned towards her, her crossed legs between his. He curiously studied her reactions. "Have you eaten dinner yet?" Eric asked, noticing the buttons that were undone on her blouse, and Jessica quickly looked in the direction of his eyes.

"No, I haven't." I can't believe I didn't check. she thought. "I was thinking of eating out, instead of the frozen dinner route."

Eric chuckled, "You're kind of a mess." He leaned forward, placing his thumb at the edge of her lips and with a smooth stroke, he brushed away the misplaced lipstick.

"Thh-h-hank you," she muttered, his thumb playing with her bottom lip.

Her skin still buzzed from the pleasure she recently had felt, and she swallowed hard, looking into his eyes. Eric continued to stare and blinked, finally, his hand dropped from her parted lips. He sat back onto his stool and his grin widened. "You're welcome."

I need to keep control, she thought, as her skin felt the absence of his hand. She slipped down off her stool and stood between his parted legs.

"Where are you going?" Eric asked, reaching for her hips, stopping her just before she turned.

"The ladies' room." She looked down at his hands. "I don't need any help," she said sarcastically, as he squeezed her hips were she stood.

"Don't be too long, we need some dinner." He winked.

"The deal was drinks. I don't recall dinner being apart of it." Jessica placed a hand at her hip.

Eric rose to his feet, his chest now against hers. His hand came up, a finger under her chin, and then he tipped it up toward him.

"If you don't eat, that drink is going to catch up with you." His tone was protective, gentle and suddenly it kept her feet planted in front of him, unable to move.

Jessica looked into his hazel eyes, blinking several times. "I wouldn't want you to fall." Eric's mouth was only inches away.

The sudden rush of adrenaline raced through her limbs, Oh! Jessica gasped. Her skin felt flushed with heat as she watched the obvious secret spill from his lips.

The meeting, it was you... Eric, you were there. Jessica took another deep breath, looked into his eyes as her mind raced, trying to find the words but, instead she broke free from his hold and quickly walked to the ladies' room.

Now what? Jessica thought and pushed the door open to the ladies' room. It hit the wall behind it as she approached the mirror and then leaned over the sink, out of breath. She turned the cold water on and splashed her breasts and then touched her lips with her wet fingers.

"Someone had to get you away from those TV-dinners and late nights at the office." Eric's deep voice filled the bathroom as Jessica turned her head to see him leaning against the open bathroom door.

"You set this whole thing up!!" Jessica barked as she took a step back from him.

It was the only thing she managed blurt out. No longer a scene with "that stranger", the scene played back in her eyes, as she stood there feeling small aftershocks of where his fingers had once been.

"No. I put a request in. You can invite anyone into this club, but they must find their own way," Eric answered smoothly, as he moved away from the bathroom door he was leaning against. The swing operator brought the door to a close and he took another step forward.

Jessica lifted her arm and pressed her palm out straight, like she was stopping traffic. "Wait! Stop right there!" she said sharply, her knees beginning to tremble, as she backed up against the paper towel dispenser.

"I don't bite Jess." Eric chuckled and with a sexy smile and took another step towards her.

"Eric, I'm your still your client. It... it just can't happen..." Her eyes were wide and wild, as she stuttered, "...people talk." And then she moved away from the paper towel holder, her back meeting the wall behind her.

"Your case is settled..." He took another step. "...We're not at the office right now Jess." Eric's voice dropped to just above a whisper, and her open hand was now pressed flat against the warmth of his chest.

Jessica searched for another excuse but couldn't find one, or the words to speak it. He stroked the back of her hand with his, curling his fingers inside her palm.

"Did you have a good time at the meeting...?" he teased, opening her fingers. His warm breath kissed the inside of her palm, as he pressed his lips there and then looked at her from behind his lashes. Giving her palm another squeeze, he smiled and placed it back against his chest.

"Yes," Jessica breathed, "But, you-..." His fingertip at her lips stopped her in mid sentence. He paused, seeing that she was now speechless, as he took it away.

Releasing her hand, the tips of his fingers trailed along her arm, across her collarbone and then up the soft line of her neck. The palms of his hands framed her jaw, the edges of his thumbs softly playing with her bottom lip.

Eric leans down, "I think you should've been on that table..." he whispers. Her breath catches as she recalled his whispering tone behind her ear while she stood in the boardroom watching the couple. The thump of her heartbeat started inside her ears.

"...Maybe we should go back, another meeting will soon start..." Eric's gravelly smooth bedroom voice sent bursts of desire from the tips of her breasts to her pussy, Jessica inhaled a quivering breath.

"You're already wet," he seductively added, feeling her body shift and react.

"Oh!" her mouth opened, a hot stab of pleasure squeezed her walls tight.

"How long since a man brought you to orgasm?" He turned her jaw to the side, and then bit down on her earlobe, avoiding her open lips. Too long... Jessica thought, as her eyes rolled back to close.

"How long since a man had his hands on your pussy?" His hand moved down, reached around and then encircled the shape of her sweet ass. An aggressive grab bunched her skirt into his hand, bracing her tightly up against the length of his hardness.

Jessica flattened her hands against the wall. Her mind was too lost to answer his questions. The forgotten muscles and tissues squeezed and then released, a steady ache, wanting more of what he'd already given her.

"You went there for this..." The sensation of how much Eric wanted her, rubbed like a delicious friction against the mound of her pulsing tunnel. "...a little adventure, carnal pleasures."

His rough bedroom voice reminded her of the first fuzzy tingles of the orgasm he'd drove her too. "I loved the way it felt when you came in my hand," he growled, and right then she wished for him to be inside her.

Jessica's knees began to buckle, his tempting tone breaking her will to fight him. Ohhh... just one kiss... She reached for his neck and then pulled him down onto her lips. Plunging her tongue into his mouth, she greedily sucked at his lips and tongue.

"Mmm!" he growled into the opening of her mouth, curling his tongue, tasting hers.

Nothing compared to Jessica's lips. She kissed like a wanton. Like she was addicted to his kiss, the stroke of his tongue. She took his tongue like a woman on the edge of cumming. And he loved it. The sweet taste of her pierced his senses, firing through his nervous system.

His left hand cupped and squeezed the form of her ass, both hands now tightly circling, grinding his hips against her. Jessica broke away from the kiss, trying to catch her breath. "Ohh, I- I feel dizzy, Eric..." Her voice weakened and she was a little dazed, "...You have to stop." She said, panting softly.

"You need some food..." He squeezed once more and then reluctantly released the hold he had on her. His arms went around her, drawing her against him. "...I can't have you fainting on me..." He chuckled, looking down into her eyes, dilated from desire. "...At least not from lack of food."

***

They returned to the bar, taking their drinks to a nearby booth. Jakes was almost empty that night with, the sound of football filling the bar and grill with back-ground noise.

Jessica ordered a giant hamburger while Eric sat quietly across the table, watching her devour it in a matter of minutes. "You really shouldn't skip lunch." He smirked, looking at the food left at the corners of her sweet mouth. "You need to take better care of yourself Jess." He said smoothly, knowing that she'd worked through her lunch hour often.

She stopped for a moment, "Why did you tell me it was you?"

"There's more to us than just business Jess..." he answered, as she wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. His lips twitched, wanting to do it for her.

Eric thought of nothing else since the first time he'd touched her lips and felt her body against his. He wanted Jessica to belong to him, but he knew she was strong-willed and if pushed, she'd make herself unreachable. That was a risk he wasn't willing to take.

His cock flinched behind the zipper of his slacks; her sweet scent haunted him. He craved the way her body enjoyed pleasure and he wanted to give her the greatest pleasure that she'd ever imagined. But could he control the need to keep her to himself?

"You can't have me Eric. I don't mix business with pleasure." Jessica fought to stand her ground, as she took a drink from her glass. Maybe swallowing the words would help.

"You will come to me when you're ready and then I will have all of you. And when that happens, I will show you the pleasure that your body richly deserves." His voice deepened as he spoke.

He stared back at her, dark, dangerous. His expression was hungry, intense. A ripple of control had simmered beneath the shell of his hardened body and was now shown in the depths of his eyes. She could feel the intent behind that look. Eric wasn't just in control of a courtroom when he worked, which she had seen in person. He was in control of the woman in his bed.

There was no regulating it. She could feel her breasts heaving, and she knew he could see his effect on her.

"I will not belong to you or anyone else." Jessica forced a measure of control from her own voice, as he leaned forward, placing his chin against his folded hands, measuring the truth in her tone.

His lips parted, his lashes lowered as he stared back at her. "I'm going to spank you until you cum. Then sweet Jess, I'm going to kiss it all better," he promised, and the promise sent a shower of heat exploding through the tender heated flesh between her legs.

"Don't do this to me," she finally whispered. She felt the dampness growing, her clit swelling, even her nipples were so sensitive she could barely stand the lace bra that covered them. "It's time for me to go."

They stood in the parking lot next to her car. She tapped her keys, unlocking her car door and then turned to look at him. "Thanks for dinner Eric."

"It was my pleasure Jess."

Jessica moved to open the car door, but he pressed the corner of the door with his hand, stopping it from opening. Not wanting to look up, "Are you going to let me go?" she looked down at her keys, only afraid how much she truly wanted him.

He let her win this time, but it was far from over.

The tip of his finger went to the end of her chin, turning her face heavenward. "Yes... tonight, I will." He breathed, as his lips descended upon hers, nipping at her bottom lip.

Jessica sucked in a quick breath before Eric engulfed her lips. The small of her back burned with need as his hand flattened at the base of her spine. He pulled her away from the car, enveloping her body against his. Moving his hand from the frame of the door, he sank it into the curls of her hair. Jessica felt the swell of her lips from the pressure of his kiss, and he gave one last tug on her bottom lip and stepped back.

"My client number is 'abandon'." He whispered, "Call when you want me to come to you."

Eric backed further away from Jessica, the cool air passing between them. She could only smile thinking of the things he said, and then turned, opening her car door.

"Goodnight Eric" She smiled, shutting the door, as she started the car. She smiled through the glass, backing out, as she turned the car out into the street and drove away.

***

The weekend was short and Jessica sat sighing over the amount of paperwork that was still piled up on her work desk. She turned in her chair, leaning back in the soft cushion of the seat, staring out the sun-lit window of her office. Eric was all she thought of. His dominance, the confident promise of pleasure and the way he looked at her.

Jessica had never felt something so powerful in the way that Eric wanted her, it was different, he was different. She wondered just how much of herself she'd already given too him in the short time they'd known each other. He was coming after her and there was no place to hide. Her body betrayed her words and as much as she hated to admit it, she wanted him, all of him. But her business came first and she'd worked too hard to get where she was.

Sam rapped her knuckles against her open door. "Penny for your thoughts..." she smiled and entered when Jessica looked at her with a returned grin. "...You have two private envelopes here." Sam continued, walking up to the edge of her desk.

"Thanks," Jessica held her hand up and then looked back at Sam --who was still staring at her, obviously looking for any juicy information she was willing to share. "Was there something else?" Jessica asked.

"Oh no, that's it." Sam smiled, reluctantly walking back to her desk, as she took one last glance at Jessica before leaving her office.

Jessica opened the first small envelope and pulled out the thin sheet of paper.

***** We have received your signed document. You are now officially a member of The Clients. We can now issue you the number to your client cell phone. Clients will now be able to contact you directly. We ask that you think of a nickname using the letters on the keypad of your client cell phone, according to the number we have given you here. 266-8705 Your protection is a high priority. Thank you, The Document Handler

*****

Jessica grabbed the cell phone from her briefcase and stared at the keypad. She thought for a moment. A nickname... hmm... she tapped her pen on the desk.

Buzz.

"YYYes?" the desktop phone speaker startled her.

"Eric Jackson is on line two and Rebecca Norse just called. She is sending the forms by fax." Sam notified her.

"Okay, I'll take the call." She tapped the button and picked up the phone off its cradle.

"Hello Eric." Jessica said, picturing his dark, intense eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" his sweet voice filling her ears.

"Yes, thank you. But, I really wasn't ill." She snorted, the call was an excuse to talk to her. "What's up? Another client?" she asked, filling the conversation with small talk.

"Yeah, you weren't sick, but your body seemed weak to me." He ignored the question and Jessica could feel a pinch if helplessness; she was weak only around him.

"You better check your eyes, you could be seeing things," she bit back.

"I wasn't looking Jess, I was feeling." He seductively dropped his voice to a husky tone.

Jessica looked down at the envelope and then searched the keypad of her cell phone. Control... that's my nickname... she thought with determination. She picked up the other envelope and sliced it open. A red index card slipped from the envelope and she looked at the bold black letters.

***** The Clients' Ball

Location: 9600 E. Emerald Dr. Tonight, 8 pm. No briefcase- Silver chain required.

*****

"Jess?" he asked, searching for her voice. "Did I loose you?"

"Yeah," she paused, laying the card in her briefcase. "I'm here. Look, I have to get back to work Eric." She rushed to get off the phone.

"Jess..." he breathed into the phone with a slight pause. She found herself hanging on what he was about to say. "Get off work earlier tonight," he said with a gentle tone. "You've been working too much lately."

"We'll see how much work I get done. Oh, Eric... I think you should call my client cell, unless it's a business-related call," she said with a professional tone, trying to put distance between them.

"I don't have your number Jess and if you were busy, you just needed to say so."

"Control. It should be easy for you to remember," she answered flatly.

A small chuckle came from his end of the line. "Interesting, is that for my benefit?" Eric asked sarcastically.

"You've got nothing to do with it Eric," she lied, and then laughed, hearing the dominance at the edge of his tongue.

"See ya soon Jess. Real soon." He whispered, and then the line went dead.

Jessica pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it. Could she push him away? Did she want to? Setting the phone in the cradle, she wondered what would happen if he lost his patience. Would he walk away or take her? Glancing at the invitation, she smiled, deciding to have fun either way.

"The Clients' Ball, a little fun and new sights to see. You're just going to have to deal with it Eric," she said aloud, shutting her briefcase.

***

Black, shiny stilettos sat in a box on the floor below an oblong mirror. Jessica clutched the oak frame, giving it a slight tilt which brought her body into full view. The black fishnet stockings, stayed in place, hugging the middle of her thighs. She adjusted the height of them and then curled her index finger into the strings of her silk, red panties, moving them to the tips of her hipbones. Traveling up her abdomen, the tips of fingers danced over her skin. With a slight squeeze to the laced cups of her red bra, her hands captured the soft forms of her breasts.

Jessica reached for the hanger that hooked onto the frame of the bathroom door. She held a red, silk evening gown in front of her, picturing what her body would look like in it. A plunging neckline with a backless view, she dropped the hanger and pulled it down over her head, and it rested snug against the curves of her body.

Silk tails of red material hung off the back of her thin straps. Attached to the straps, it was like a loose scarf that hadn't been tied. She stepped into her heels and then turned. Over her shoulder, the view of her arched spine poured down into the V of her dress.

Standing in the bathroom, Jessica pulled her hair up. Two wooden sticks crisscrossed were stabbed through her wavy brown curls, pinning them to the top of her head. From her jewelry box, she wrapped pearls around her neck, a loose choker-like necklace, enveloping her soft neckline.

She stood at the front door, unhooked the silver chain from her briefcase and dropped it into her purse. Scooping up the keys from the dish, she left, shutting the front door behind her.