All Bottled Up

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  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520

  Macon GA 31201

  All Bottled Up

  Copyright © 2009 by Christine d’Abo

  ISBN: 978-1-60504-351-7

  Edited by Laurie Rauch

  Cover by Anne Cain

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: January 2009

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  All Bottled Up

  Christine d’Abo

  Dedication

  There have been so many people who have helped me along the way. To my very good friends Amy Ruttan, Wylie Kinson and Red Garnier. You’ve all been there every step of the way, and have put up with my crazy IMs on Friday nights. Thank you so much. To my editor Laurie, who’s been patient with my quirks. And last but not least, to my husband Mark, who understands my half responses to his questions, and who keeps me well supplied with coffee and chocolate. I love you, hon!

  Chapter One

  “I would then lie on the blanket, pull up my dress to show him I’m not wearing any panties, and ask him if he’d like anything to eat.”

  Another typical day at Way to Go Travel for Viola. She loved to dispense sex advice to her clients first thing in the morning. Taking a deep breath, she leaned slightly into her cubicle and spoke what she hoped were words of wisdom.

  Viola tried not to giggle when she heard her customer gasp and then laugh on the other end of the phone. She’d always wanted to use that line on a man herself, but never in her life had she been given a chance. Her love life wasn’t exactly stellar these days. Viola smiled again when she heard her customer frantically jotting the line down.

  “You are wicked, girl. Okay, so I don’t need to worry about someone coming along and seeing us?”

  “Mrs. MacKay, this resort is so private they guarantee you won’t see another soul for the entire ten days of your vacation.”

  There was a pause on the other end, and Viola had to strain to hear what was going on. For a moment she thought they’d gotten disconnected, until she heard the other woman let out a deep breath.

  “Do you have any questions, Mrs. MacKay?”

  “What if he doesn’t want to go down on me at the beach? I mean, that’s the whole point of this trip, to try to ignite that old flame.”

  Her heart ached for her client. Over the years, she’d listened to her fair share of customers, all wanting to escape to paradise for different reasons. But it was the Mrs. MacKays out there who really tugged at her heart. Viola leaned in deep behind her cubicle wall and lowered her voice.

  “Well, if you don’t wear any panties all day, and put on clothing that lets him know you’re not wearing any, that will help. Also, flirt with him. Grab his ass. Hell, grab his crotch. By the time you lean back on the blanket on the beach, he’ll be ripping off his clothing to get at you.”

  “But he’s not really the adventurous type. At least, I don’t think he is.”

  Viola fingered the leaf of her bamboo shoot and looked at her pale, grinning face in the small mirror she had stuck to the side of her cubicle wall. “You’d be surprised. Most people have a naughty side, one they only need to be coaxed into showing. What do you think he’d say if he heard you talking right now?”

  Mrs. MacKay laughed. “I think he’d have a heart attack.”

  “There you go.”

  “Viola, I was wondering. I almost hate to ask…”

  Viola closed her eyes. This was the part of the conversation she loved, when her clients really began to trust her, to share their secrets. It made the rest of her job as a travel sales associate bearable. Thank God her friend Beth was her quality analyst or she would have been fired long ago. Or her calls would have ended up online somewhere.

  “My husband has always wanted a…well…a blowjob. We’ve been married thirty-four years and I’ve never done that for him. I’d like to try, on this trip I mean.”

  Shit. Viola’s mind raced as she figured out what to tell her. Blowjobs weren’t her area of expertise. Not that she was against them, but she’d never wanted to spend that much time down there with any of her boyfriends. Most of the men she’d dated were more interested in a quick screw and a nap than playing around. Heaven forbid she have an orgasm. The world might stop turning! That’s why God invented vibrators.

  “Believe it or not, I think the best blowjobs are the ones that start off playfully. Tease him as you unbutton his pants. Don’t try to put his whole cock into your mouth. Lick around a bit and I think…” she stopped mid-sentence. Bill, her boss, was making his rounds and heading her way. Shit, shit, shit. “And I think you made an excellent choice with your resort package, Mrs. MacKay.”

  “No, no, no, please continue. I’m making notes.”

  The poor woman sounded frantic. Viola bit her bottom lip, trying to gauge Bill’s progress. Damn it, he was heading straight for her. No time to even whisper any last words of encouragement.

  “Yes, I wish I could as well. What I can do is send you a link with that additional information you requested. That will give you all of the steps you need to perform that last excursion we were discussing.”

  Viola quickly searched the Internet for information about oral sex and smiled when an article not from a porn site popped up. It even had pictures!

  “Oh, oh, someone’s coming. I’m sorry, dear, I don’t want to get you in trouble. Thank you very much for all of your help. This will really make my anniversary wonderful this year.”

  “You are very welcome, Mrs. MacKay. Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

  “No, I think I’m all set. You are such a sweet girl to help me out like this. I could just hug you. Now I just need to go out and buy something sexy to wear.”

  “I’m so happy to hear that. You have your confirmation number, which you can use if you have any additional questions. And please make sure to review the link. I’ll send it to you in a minute, so you should have it shortly. Thank you for calling Way to Go Travel. Have a great day!”

  Viola disconnected the call with enough time to minimize the open window on her computer, and watch Bill as he approached her cubicle. She tried not to stare, but she couldn’t help it. Damn, he was hot. He wore his brown hair a little long, so he had a tousled look to him. His brown eyes were rich and warm like a blanket. And while he wasn’t perfect, she really couldn’t complain. It’s not like she was a runway model or anything.

  She certainly didn’t think he was as big an ass as Beth said he was. So what if the only time he talked to her was to give her another special assignment. He trusted her. He even smiled at her on occasion. That was more attention than most men paid her these days.

  Even now her heart flipped when he sauntered up beside her low cubicle wall, leaned over it and tried to look down her shirt. Not that he would have much luck with that today. She was wearing her long, baggy blue sweater that started at her collar bone and covered her entire upper body and part of her bottom. Beth called it her Bill armor. She found it comfortable, especially in the cool fall weather. It’s not like she was trying to discourage Bill from checking her out.
br />   “Viola, you look like you’re getting ready to pack up for the day. Doesn’t your shift go for another hour?”

  Not once did he look into her eyes. He kept talking directly to her chest. She crossed her arms across her bust in an attempt to distract him. Okay, so he wasn’t perfect. But at least he found her attractive.

  “Actually, I just finished my last call. Remember, I’m leaving early today so I can catch my plane. You approved it three weeks ago.”

  God, she’d been so happy when she won that contest. Top sales associate for the quarter. Little Miss Viola White from Halifax, Nova Scotia, beat out two hundred and seventy-five other associates in North America to claim the top spot. The entire office actually applauded for her when the email came. It wasn’t until later she found out about the company clause. If the winner was unable to go on the trip, it automatically defaulted to the employee’s immediate supervisor. She was still trying to figure out the rocket scientist who came up with that rule. Probably an immediate supervisor.

  “Right, your prize trip for winning the contest. Is that this week? I completely forgot.”

  He leaned over and fingered the dark green shoot that currently grew out the top of her bamboo. Bill always toyed with it every time he came to talk to her. Viola watched his long fingers caressing the leaf, the way he rubbed it over and over between his thumb and forefinger. That’s how she knew he’d be a gentle lover. By the way he touched her plant.

  She tore her gaze away from his hand to look at his face, trying to figure out if he was toying with her or not. Had Beth been here she would have rolled her eyes. Bill damn well knew the trip was today. It took him a second to meet her gaze, but when he did, she was completely enraptured with his rich brown eyes.

  “So when do you fly out?”

  If he’d been pissed off about her going, he seemed over it now. His toothy smile shone down at her, which she immediately returned.

  “In about five hours, actually. But I need to get home and finish packing. And take my dog to the doggie hotel. That gives me just enough time to get to the airport to pass security. Then nothing but smooth sailing until I reach Cozumel.”

  Poor William, her dog, would be traumatized. He couldn’t stand being away from her for more than a few hours, let alone a seven-day vacation. Even when she had to work a double shift, he’d get all pissy at her. He’d ignore her for a good ten minutes once she got home before mauling her. Well, maul as much as a Dachshund could. She couldn’t imagine how he’d react once she got back from this trip after leaving him with a bunch of strangers.

  Bill didn’t seem too interested in her dog and began to look around the sea of cubicles. She figured him for a cat person. His only flaw.

  “So.” She needed to change the subject before he wandered away. “Who will be covering my shifts when I’m gone? I know we’re a bit short staffed these days.”

  Bill’s lips twitched into a small smile. “Rupert will take over your accounts for the time being. I’ve been conducting interviews all week to find some additional staff. We’ve had some attractive candidates.”

  Attractive. Yes, more than an average share of attractive, young women had paraded past her cube this week on their way to his office. The majority couldn’t have been older than twenty, maybe twenty-two at the most. How the hell was she supposed to catch his attention after him spending time with such attractive women? It wouldn’t have killed him to interview a man or two.

  She didn’t have to look at her own appearance to know she didn’t quite match Bill’s definition of attractive. Her 34Bs were all she’d been blessed with and she wasn’t about to feel bad about what she couldn’t change. Well, given enough money she could, but she wasn’t going to pretend to be someone she wasn’t. So what if she was a size twelve and not a zero? She happened to like to eat.

  “That’s good. Rupert’s a great guy.” A quick glance at her floating magnetic clock told her it was time to go. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Bill? I need to finish off my case notes on my last client and then I was going to pack it in.”

  She couldn’t forget Mrs. MacKay and her blowjob article. The poor woman would attack her husband like a popsicle if she didn’t send it along. What kind of vacation would that leave her with?

  “Actually, I have a few things I need you to take care of before you head out.” Bill’s other hand emerged from behind the cubicle partition and dropped a stack of five or six file folders. “These are special cases and I’d hate for them to sit for a week while you’re gone. I don’t have time to get them finished. I need you.”

  No! He can’t be doing this now! Viola held a mental freak-out session in her brain, where she punched a very large hole into a cardboard cutout of Bill’s face. She immediately felt guilty. Bill’s the boss and he was only doing what he felt was best for the company. So what if she’d miss her flight because she was stuck doing a job that was supposed to be his and that she never got the credit for. She took a calming breath, and somehow managed to keep a smile on her face.

  “I’m only going to be gone for seven days. Besides, I’ve been training Brian to handle some of these. He’s more than ready to take on an official special assignment.”

  Bill straightened and crossed his arms so that his elbows brushed the top of her cubicle.

  “I don’t trust Brian. I trust you, Viola. Please make sure you get these done before you leave today.”

  He then snapped around and marched back down the aisle and into his office. Viola stared after him feeling very confused. Was she just insulted for her poor teaching skills or praised for her quality of work?

  Or maybe Bill is just a jerk.

  No, he wasn’t. He was handsome, charming and even a little sexy. No, he wasn’t the perfect man, but she had failings of her own. What was important was the fact he was perfect for her. She needed a man like Bill, someone who she could rely on, have fun with. God, someday maybe even have kids.

  All she had to do was find some way of getting him to notice her so she could show him that.

  Viola pushed her mental fantasies aside for the time being. Bill could wait until she got back from vacation. She wasn’t going to get out of there on time unless she hauled ass and got this work done. Viola gave her head a shake, kicked her loafers off her feet, and tucked them under her butt. Now what?

  First things first—Mrs. MacKay. She logged into her personal email, typed off a quick note, and sent the link. The last thing she needed was an official record of that conversation on the company server. Even Beth couldn’t hide naughty emails sent from the corporate system.

  Next she made a few clicks of her mouse and set herself unavailable on the phone system. She needed time to think. She picked up her water bottle and filled up her bamboo shoot with enough water to last a few days. The “Hello My Name Is” name tag that she’d stuck to the side of the jar bled ink as a drip rolled down past the name—Ross.

  “First real vacation in three years and I have to stay late,” she said to Ross. “I suppose I’d better bring you home too. I wouldn’t want to abandon you in this place.”

  She sighed and picked up her private extension phone. It only rang twice.

  “Hello?”

  “Beth, I have to work late.”

  “That sonofabitch. I told you he would pull this shit.”

  “It’s not like he’s doing it on purpose. He just trusts me. I think he might actually be coming around and starting to notice me more.”

  Beth sighed. “I don’t know where your idol worship of the man came from but he doesn’t deserve it. You can do better than Bill.”

  Viola closed her eyes and listened as her friend continued her tirade of Bill bashing. After a minute of near solid swearing, she laughed.

  “You always make me feel better.”

  “Hey that’s what a best friend is for. Anything I can do to help? Want me to come in?”

  “No, it’s your day off. Besides I don’t think there’s a good excuse for you to co
me in and check up on me.”

  “A quality analyst doesn’t need an excuse. But okay. What about William?”

  Viola’s feet hit the floor. “Oh my God, I won’t have time to take him to the doggie hotel. And I haven’t finished packing yet.”

  Beth’s chuckle grated for the tiniest of seconds. Viola took a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heart. It was only an all-expenses-paid trip to a five-star luxury resort after all. Nothing to freak out over.

  “I’ll tell you what. I’ll bring William to my place. We can keep each other company while you’re away. And I’ll throw the rest of your clothing into a bag for you. That way you can grab and go, baby.”

  Her fingers spun one of the file folders around on her desk. “Not unless I get these cases closed in time. You don’t mind?”

  “Consider it done. I’ll head over now and bring your pouting pet back with me before he sees you.”

  “This is going to be so strange traveling alone.” Viola sighed and nudged a file folder with her finger.

  “You won’t be alone for long. The guys will be all over you.”

  Viola rolled her eyes. “Sure they will.”

  Beth’s sigh came through loud and clear. “How many times do I have to tell you, you’re an attractive woman. Give yourself a chance.”

  “I’m short.”

  “You’re five-seven. That’s not short.”

  “I have gross hair.”

  “You have blonde hair and hazel eyes. People would kill for that. All you need is a haircut.”

  Viola closed her eyes. “Okay, enough. I give up. I’m a goddess trapped in baggy clothing and who needs a haircut.”

  This was an old conversation that never ended well for her. One couldn’t argue with Beth and actually win. Safer for all involved to roll over and die before things got scary.

  “Call me when you get to the airport so I know you’ve made it in one piece.”

  “Will do. You are the best.”