Checkmate Duet Series

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

TRAVIS

File folders are messily stacked on my desk, which is driving me f*****g insane. But I’m more annoyed I have to work through lunch. Or rather, my ‘lunch’ with Alyssa.

Blake dumping his workload on me is a d**k move. He’s threatened by the progress I’ve made since I started. He’s supposed to want me to do well, but I think if he thinks I do too well, I’ll end up taking his job. So, he pretends to set me up for success when he’s waiting for me to fail. He might be right about me taking his job if he continues pulling this s**t on me.

I’m lost in reading the reports when I hear my office door creak open. I pop my head up to see Alyssa.

I’m so not in the mood for her neediness right now.

“Yes?” I ask without looking directly at her. “I’m busy.”

“You stood me up,” she states, her tone sharp.

“Yeah, well…” I look up and see she’s standing directly in front of my desk, her t**s on display. I swallow. “I’m on a tight deadline.”

“Too bad…” Her voice laced with seduction. “I could help you unwind.”

I’m tempted, f**k, I really am. But Blake will murder me if I don’t get this s**t done.

“Not today, Alyssa,” I say, groaning at my own words. “I’ll make it up to you,” I promise, flashing a wink at her.

“Well…” She rounds the desk, toward me. I spin in my chair and catch her between my legs. “That doesn’t mean I can’t give you a little motivation…” She kneels in her tight skirt and runs a finger along my thigh. “You won’t even know I’m here.” She winks, and I know she’s so full of s**t, but I’m at a loss for words the moment she wraps her hand around me through my dress pants. She slides her knees along the floor, gliding my chair back toward my desk. She kneels lower, hiding herself under the desk and begins pulling at my belt and zipper.

“Alyssa…” I warn, grabbing her elbow. “We can’t…”

“Shh,” she hisses. “Get to work, Mr. King.” I hear the amusement in her tone, and I can no longer deny that mouth of hers.

I try to straighten in my chair and finish reading the reports, but it’s useless. There’s absolutely no way I can concentrate on anything other than the wetness of her mouth and how it feels wrapped around my d**k. The moment she puts a hand around me and begins stroking, the room begins to blur.

“Jesus, Alyssa…” I try to even my breathing. “I can’t focus.”

She removes her mouth but continues moving her hand up and down. “What do you need help with, baby? Maybe I can talk you through it.” Talk me through it? Is she f*****g kidding?

“I don’t think so…” I groan, her tongue gliding along the tip and teasing every single nerve in my body. “Fuck.”

I ball my hands into fists, trying to resist the urge to curl my fingers in her hair and pull her head back so she looks up at me when I come in her hot little mouth. Right as I’m on the edge of filling her throat, my phone beeps with Betty on the intercom.

“You have a visitor, Travis.”

Are you f*****g kidding me?

“Uh…” I exhale, trying to catch my breath. “Not now. I’m busy.”

“It’s your lunch, asshole.” I hear Viola’s voice on the other end. f**k, this can’t be good.

“I’ll be right there,” I say, pulling away from Alyssa.

“What are you doing?” she whines, licking her lips.

“You need to leave.”

“Seriously?” She stands, adjusting her skirt and top. “I cut out early on a budget meeting to come see you, and you kick me out before I’m even done?” She c***s a brow, and I know she’s pissed.

I begin pushing her out the door. “Never come in here again. We meet somewhere else,” I remind her of the rules. “You’ll get me fired.”

She tilts her head, rubbing a hand on my cheek. “Maybe this’ll teach you to stand me up.” She winks, grabbing the door handle and letting herself out.

I sigh in relief, buttoning my suit jacket. I’m about to go meet Viola at the receptionist’s desk, when I see her coming this way.

Oh, f*****g hell.

“What part of ‘I’ll be right there’ got lost in translation?” I ask, knowing it’ll piss her off even more.

“Don’t start with me. I brought you your damn lunch.” She throws a brown bag at me.

“Would it kill you to be polite?” I tease, knowing asking Drew would lead to Viola at my office again.

Her eyes graze down my body and land on my groin. “Would it kill you to stop screwing every bimbo you come across?”

I glance down and see the tent I’m sporting.

“It would actually.”

She rolls her eyes and turns back toward reception. “I may or may not have added a little special ingredient in your sandwich. Enjoy the extra saliva,” she calls back over her shoulder.

I smirk. “I always do!”

She flips me the bird and turns for the elevators.

I laugh and shake my head. Fighting with Viola is the best foreplay I’ve had in a long time.

Once I’m seated back at my desk, I open the brown bag and grab the sandwich out of the Ziploc bag. It’s lumpy, and I’m even more hesitant to eat it.

What the hell?

I peel back one side of the sandwich and see she’s crushed up hot Cheetos on top of peanut butter, pickles, and sunflower seeds. It looks just as gross as it sounds.

But f**k it, I’m starving so I take a bite anyway.

Blake storms in promptly at four p.m. and asks if I have everything finished. Somehow, I just managed to complete the review minutes before he came in, so I proudly hand it over to him.

“All done, sir,” I say, giving him a cocky salute.

“Really?” He looks impressed, but I can tell by the way his jaw clenches that he was banking on me failing.

“Yup. It’s not easy having beauty and brains, but someone’s got to do it.”

“You’re full of shit.”

I laugh and shake my head. “Nah, man. It’s all there. Nearly killed myself to do it, but I didn’t want to let you down.”

“Or you wanted to kiss Mr. Crawford’s ass,” I hear him mumble, and I’m starting to sense some regret in his tone. “Okay, well, I’ll let the boss look it over and let you know how it goes.”

“Great.” I interlock my fingers and c***k my knuckles. “Does that mean I can take a vacation day tomorrow?”

“Uh, sure.” I hear the hesitation in his voice, but I don’t question it. “I’ll let Mr. Crawford know.”

I begin packing up my stuff, eager to get the hell out of there. “Thanks, man. See you Monday.”

I have five and a half feet of fury waiting to curse me out back home. And this time, I might actually enjoy it.

Once I’m home, I start unbuttoning my shirt and ripping my belt off. I can’t stand being in these clothes any longer than necessary. I don’t see or hear Viola anywhere, although her car is parked in the driveway, so I pull my shirt off and pull my pants down before tossing them on the arm of the couch.

I walk to the kitchen and pull open the fridge to look for a beer. Once I find one, I twist off the cap and slam the door shut again. Just as I take a swig, a girl walks in, who is not Viola, and stops frozen in her tracks.

“Who are you?” I ask, fully aware I’m down to my boxers. Her eyes glass over before finally blinking and looking back up to my eyes. “Did you hear me?”

She swallows. “Yes, sorry. You just scared the s**t out of me. Viola said her brother wasn’t home.”

“I’m not her brother.” I take another swig, roaming my eyes down her petite little body. “I’m the roommate, Travis,” I say, taking a step toward her. “You must be a friend of Viola’s?”

Before she can answer, I hear Viola stomping toward us. “Don’t touch him, Ash. You’ll catch an STD.”

Her eyes widen, and I’m pretty sure I see her friend take a tiny step back.

“I’m surprised you even know what an STD is, considering you’re a virgin and all.” I flash a wink at her when her friend isn’t looking.

She huffs. “I’m not a vir—gah, never mind. f**k off, Travis. And put some damn clothes on.”

“I don’t think your friend minds.” I turn and smile at her. “Do you?”

“Uh…I…” she stammers, and a part of me feels bad I’ve put her in the middle.

“Didn’t think so.” I grin, walking past her toward Viola. “Looks like you’re in the minority, princess.”

I sit on the couch and click on the TV. I hear Viola speaking to her friend as they finish bringing in all of her s**t. I glance back and see bags lining the floor.

“You realize you’re only staying here for a couple of weeks, right?” I shout. “No need to nerd up the place with all your Harry Potter books and capes. Wouldn’t impress my guests.”

“You’re an i***t,” she snaps. “And since when did you consider your one-night stands ‘guests’?”

I turn fully, facing her. Her cheeks are flushed, and I know it’s killing her that she has to be here alone with me. “You want to see how well I treat my guests?” I flash a crooked smile, knowing it’ll rile her right up.

“I wouldn’t let my worst enemy near you,” she fires back, narrowing her eyes at me. f**k, she’s hot when she gets super pissed. All the more reason to push her buttons.

I tsk. “If you could keep them away that is…”

I turn back around just as she tells her friend it’s time to go. She whispers a few curse words, and I know this is going to be a lot more fun than I expected.

I can’t do this.

I can’t go back in there and be alone with him for the next two weeks.

But what other choice do you have? I don’t. I’m not going to stay with my mom or my dad. I wouldn’t go back, even if there was a zombie apocalypse.

Guess I’m just going to have to suffer it out. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be drunk while doing so.

“Listen, Travis,” I say immediately as I walk back inside the house. “There needs to be some house rules if you plan on torturing me while I’m here.”

“Most girls don’t mind the foreplay beforehand, but if you insist…”

“Ew, shut up. That’s number one.”

“What?”

“No more s****l innuendos. No talking about your victims, either.”

He smiles.

“And clothes. Put some damn clothes on.”

His smile gets wider. “Anything else, princess?”

I groan. “No bringing them over either. Not while I’m here.”

“Yeah, right. This is my house, Viola.”

“Well, I don’t want to hear your nasty charades while I’m trying to study.”

“Put some music on,” he suggests, being difficult.

“I don’t want to walk out to some half naked girl while I’m trying to eat breakfast either.”

“Okay, so no sleepovers. That works much better for me anyway.” He shrugs.

God, he’s relentless.

“Whatever. If you’re having dates over, then so am I.”

He snorts. And then he laughs. The motherfucker laughs.

“What’s funny?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Were you not telling a joke?”

“Screw you, Travis.” I grab one of my bags and throw it over my shoulder. Two can play this game.

After unpacking and organizing my things in Drew’s room, I grab my shower kit and some extra clothes. I plan to hide out in bed and study for my last day of class before break. I have exams in two of my classes, and although I've been studying for them all week, I'll use any excuse to avoid Travis.

When I finish rinsing my hair and body, I turn off the shower and squeeze the excess water from the ends of my hair. I pull the curtain back, reaching for my towels, and gasp when I realize they're gone.

What in the hell?

I look around and don't see my towels or any of my clothes, not even the dirty ones. Argh! f*****g Travis.

I step on the floor mat and dry the bottoms of my feet before walking toward the door and slightly open it.

“Travis!” I scream, covering myself with the door from the neck down. “Travis King!” I shout again, and he finally comes into sight.

“Yes, princess?” he asks in a smooth, calm voice. He takes another step toward me.

“Where in the hell are my clothes?”

His lips turn down. “How should I know?”

My eyes narrow at him. “Quit playing, asshole. Bring me my towels and clothes now!”

“And, uh…what if I don’t?” he challenges, crossing his arms over his broad chest and showing off his ripped biceps.

“I swear to God, Travis,” I threaten. “I’ll make you wish you never met me.”

He grins, pleased with how riled up he's making me. “What did you expect, V?” He crosses his arms. “You made me a delicious sandwich, and I just wanted to repay you.” He presses his palm to his chest, faking his sincerity.

I groan, my cheeks burning with anger. I know I'm not going to win this one.

Either I wait in here until he goes to bed or leaves the house, or I walk out butt naked, giving Travis King exactly what he wants—humiliation at my expense.

I think on it a moment, anxiety of wasting time in here instead of looking over my notes for International Finance Management. I mean, it's not like he hasn't seen a woman naked before. I just hadn't planned on him seeing me naked.

“Well, V…” he taunts. “What's it going to be?”

He knows I hate it when he calls me that. My body is shivering cold, but my insides are fired up, boiling.

“My name isn't V,” I warn, “for the hundredth time.”

“I think it’s a very fitting nickname, considering…”

“I'm not a virgin!” I snap out, seething, knowing he was about to say it. That's it. I'm walking out. I'm not listening to him anymore!

“Well, so you say but—” His words stop as soon as I whip the door open and expose myself. His eyes widen, although he tries to act unaffected.

“f**k you, Travis.” I walk past him, flipping him my favorite finger, and head down the hallway to Drew’s room.