Taste Me

  ________________________________________________

  My Stiff Competition

  Book Three

  Business Enemies. Lovers. Both?

  By Sage Alexander

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2020 Sage Alexander – All rights Reserved

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  About The Author

  Let’s Stay In Touch!

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  Chapter One

  Pierce was here. For what seemed like an eternity, Erika couldn't move. It was like all her limbs had locked into place, and there was no way to move them. He was talking to Jacob, and there was a high chance that he was going to look in the wrong—or right, depending on which way you saw it—direction and see Erika.

  All of a sudden, her survival instincts kicked in, and she quietly went back into her office, closing the door as gently as she could and leaning back against it. Her heart was beating incredibly fast, and it was a wonder it hadn't fallen out of her chest.

  He was here. And he had almost found her out. She did not want to imagine the betrayal that would have crossed his face if he had seen her. Pierce was a proud man. Even though they were falling in love with each other, Erika knew their relationship was too young and unstable to survive a big hit. A hit such as accidentally finding out the woman you are falling in love with is your competitor.

  She leaned against the door for what she thought was about ten minutes, then went over to the chair behind the desk and settled in. Her stomach was cramping, which happened when she was extremely nervous, and she fought the urge to start biting her fingernails.

  There was a knock on the door, and she froze. Literally. If it was Pierce, then she was going to die. She knew the thought was absurd because Jacob wouldn't have let him cross to her office, but when fear reared its ugly head, her thoughts ceased to have rationality.

  "Who is it?" she called out shakily, praying to all the gods and deities that it wasn't Pierce.

  "It's Jacob," the person behind the door answered. Erika let out a loud sigh of relief then told him to come in.

  Jacob walked in with a frown on his face. He had a lot of things on his mind, and he wasn't going to stop until his boss listened to whatever he had to say. Erika already knew what he was going to say. But she let him talk. He clearly needed to.

  "So Pierce was here. And from the paleness of your skin, I figure you already know that" he started. He wasn't going to sugarcoat anything, from how hard his start was.

  Erika took a deep breath and nodded. "I heard him. I even saw him. So I came to my office."

  Jacob looked thoughtful. "What if next time, you don't hear him before he sees you? What are you going to do then?"

  "I..." Erika bit her lip and looked away from Jacob's piercing gaze. She knew he was making sense. But she didn't see how she could solve her problem now. Besides, this incident had passed. Tomorrow was going to take care of itself. It always did.

  "I'll just have to be careful, Jacob. Today wasn't the best, but I'll make sure that I'm never put in that situation again," she assured him.

  Jacob sighed. That had been the answer he had known she would give him, but somehow, he had been expecting something else—a more sensible reply. Erika needed to realize that life didn't work out the way you wanted it to. After all, what Pierce Hunter had done, he had thought she would have already come to terms with this.

  "You can't control fate, Erika. You can't control when he'll see you and when he won't. What if you're sitting in the lobby, and Hunter comes out of nowhere?" Jacob saw that Erika was already getting emotional, so he stopped and sighed. "I don't want to see you hurt."

  "I know... I know I should just tell him. But Jacob," she turned her earnest eyes on her friend, "I am so scared. I don't know if our relationship can take this. I mean, look at him! He's making threats, giving ultimatums, and he wants us out of business. That's one side of him. But I still see the other side that loves me. I don't... I can't lose him."

  "If you continue lying to him, you'll lose him."

  "I'm not lying... I'm just... just omitting the truth," Erika muttered. She knew she sounded stupid. Omitting the truth was still lying, but she needed to lay on her defenses.

  Jacob looked at Erika for a while, then sighed. She wasn't going to be changing her mind anytime soon, that much was obvious. He could very well call Pierce and tell him everything, but that would make matters worse. He wanted to help. But it wouldn't be the right thing to do because the only person who could make things right was Erika herself. And it was clear that the mule-headed girl was going to stick to her words.

  "I've never thought of you as a child until now, Erika," Jacob said quietly, then he walked out of the office.

  Erika sat there with a stricken look on her face. Jacob had always been respectful, and he had never given any indication that her age mattered. He had treated her like an equal, listening to her opinions and making sure she knew that each of her magnificent ideas was worth it. Until now.

  She knew she was behaving like a child. But what do you do when you find love? She needed to keep this, to preserve it. There was no way she was losing Pierce when she had just found him. None at all. And if she had to tell little white lies to ensure that he stayed with her, or that they stayed together, she would not hesitate.

  Jacob didn't understand. He had never been genuinely in love and had someone who could understand him, sometimes even better than he understood himself. But, he still didn't lack a love life. Erika did. And if she got rid of Pierce, then she was going to stay alone. She didn't want that. She couldn't let it happen. Especially when she finally found someone whom she had such a deep connection with on all levels.

  ***

  Erika went home weary. It had been a while since she had been this exhausted and drained. She needed to talk to Pierce. She was probably being too dependent on the man. But he was the only one who remotely seemed like he could understand her, even if he was also the cause of her problems.

  "You sound tired," was the first thing Pierce said as soon as she called him.

  "I am," Erika replied, sighing. She hated that she wouldn't be able to explain everything to him. Pierce was not stupid. If she gave an explanation that was even a little similar to what he had experienced today, he was surely going to put two and two together.

  "What happened?" he asked quietly.

  "Rough day at work. I'll be fine," she tried to say in an upbeat tone. But her voice broke a little, and she swallowed, hoping that Pierce had not caught that.

  "I'm coming over," Pierce said, then he hung up before she could say anything. Erika was happy that he was coming over. It would mean that she wouldn't sleep lonely and sad tonight.

  About half an hour later, she heard a knock on the door. Erika scrambled out of bed and opened the door immediately, jumping into Pierce's arms as soon as she saw him. Pierce was surprised, but he tightened his arms against her, wanting to protect her from whatever or whoever was troubling her.

  "Hey. Princess. Let's go to your bedroom, okay?" he said in that deep voice of his. When Erika heard his voice, she felt like all of her troubles disappeared.

  Erika reluctantly let go of him and led him to her bedroom. She was already in her nightie, so she watched as he stripped out of his jeans and t-shirt, staying in just his boxers.

  Despite her sour mood, Erika was able to admire his body. He was fit, and if he hadn't told her (and Google hadn't confirmed it), Erika would never have believed that this man was forty-one. He looked ten years younger even!

  He caught her staring and gave her a small wink. "Why are you staring at me like that?" Pierce asked. Erika looked away as a blush spread on her face.

  "I... you look good," she said in a small voice. Pierce's smile spread, and he walked towards her.

  "Let's go to bed, shall we?" Pierce said, without alluding to her problems of today. But she knew he would eventually bring it up.

  They got into bed, and Erika immediately lay her head on Pierce's chest and pressed against him like he was going to disappear. His heartbeat was strangely peaceful, and it wasn't long till she fell asleep. Pierce didn't complain; he just pulled her closer and slid his hand around her waist. If he could, he would stay like this with her forev

er.

  Chapter Two

  Pierce woke up before Erika, even though she had fallen asleep before him. He stared at her for a moment, marveling at her beauty. It was a wonder some young punk hadn't already taken advantage of her. Not only was she breathtaking, but she was also very naive and trusting. He wasn't complaining, though. It was just shocking, given that she’s so attractive.

  He stroked her skin softly, thinking about their age difference once again. It was something that had popped in his head more than once. He was forty-one, she was nineteen, he was over twenty years older than her; old enough to be her father. The thought was sobering, and when Pierce would catch people staring at them, he wondered if they thought he was some lecherous old man.

  Pierce had never been the type to let people's opinions control him; if not, he wouldn't be where he was right now. But sometimes, it weighed on him. He didn't think of Erika as a little girl. She was a beautiful woman and very mature. If she hadn't told him her age, he'd have guessed her to be around 25. Her maturity grounded him. That was one thing about her.

  He looked down at her as she slept. Pierce smiled. She was stunning and fuck if he wasn't getting addicted to her. The physical part of their relationship was going slow. But it was happening. And Pierce was in no hurry to speed it up. It was worth taking his time not to scare her because of her inexperience. As far as he was concerned, Erika was his woman, and that was all there was to it.

  He loved how peaceful she looked. But he was starting to feel like a creep, just staring at her. So Pierce decided to wake Erika... the fun way. He leaned into her and placed his mouth on her ear. He knew his breath was tickling her as she swatted around her ear weakly.

  Pierce laughed softly. And he marveled at her. She was one of the best things that had happened to him. She was making him rethink everything. He was not a particularly nice person at times. He saw what he wanted, and he got it, screw the consequences. Early in life, he learned that money and success came with him being ruthless at times in business. With money and success also came a sense of entitlement of what should be his. And throughout his life, he had taken advantage of that entitlement a lot.

  He had Erika. But he felt like it was elusive. It was like she was going to slip out of his hands at any moment. Erika didn't trust him fully, she hid things from him, and if there was one thing Pierce wanted, it was to know all of her. But with the way things were going, it was not going to happen any time soon.

  Pierce wanted to use that feeling of entitlement he had and tell her to trust him. But he knew it would make her withdraw more from him. And that was the last thing he wanted. If she trusted him, it should be because she wanted to and not because he had made her feel like it was an obligation.

  He looked down at her and stroked her skin again. She was unlike any woman he had met in his life. And he wasn't going to let her go, not now, not ever.

  Pierce watched as Erika's eyes opened slowly. It was amazing how she looked this beautiful so early in the morning. She was a little disoriented for a few seconds. Then she looked up at him and gave him a small smile that warmed his entire being.

  He wasn't the mushy type. His relationships with women in the past had been more of a business transaction. He knew what he wanted from them, and they knew what they wanted from him. So an exchange relationship where both parties got what they wanted was perfect for him.

  But with Erika, he wanted to commit. He wanted to give her everything without asking for anything in return. And he was discovering that as the days passed, he was committing without even realizing it.

  "You're up already," she said, and Pierce fought the urge to take her into his arms and kiss her. He would have. But he knew Erika was shy about things like morning breath.

  "I am," he replied huskily. Then he couldn't help himself, so he leaned in and placed a tiny kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Good morning Princess."

  The blush that spread on Erika's face was satisfying. "Good morning," she replied, peeking up at him from underneath her long lashes.

  Pierce leaned forward to kiss her again, but this time around, she put her hand on his chest and turned her head away. "Morning breath," she whispered, then slid agilely from underneath him and headed towards the bathroom.

  Pierce laughed, then sat back in bed and watched the sway of her hips as she walked to the bathroom. He adjusted his erection and sighed. He was just like a teenager now, having erections from checking out a girl's body. Erika did that to him.

  He got up from the bed and walked to the bathroom behind her, loving the way she blushed when she looked up at him. He towered over her as he stood behind her. He loved their differences. He loved the fact that she was so delicate that he could lift her up and love her.

  Erika seemed to love it too as she leaned back into him. Then she pointed to the sink and said, "You can use that spare."

  Pierce marveled at how domestic he was being. Waking up next to his woman and doing their morning routines together. It was a strange thing, but he craved it, and he hoped he could have this for the rest of his life.

  "Let's call in sick?" Erika asked hopefully, looking up at him with those eyes. When she stared at him like that, he couldn't refuse her a thing. And he was pretty sure that she was starting to realize it. The weird thing was, he didn't care.

  "On one condition," he said, pulling her towards him.

  Erika was quick to react, placing her small hands on his shoulders and smiling brightly up at him. She knew the condition wasn't going to be anything extreme. And she already knew that Pierce was going to agree. He was amazing.

  "You spend the whole weekend with me. At my place," Pierce whispered huskily, then he bent and placed a kiss near her mouth.

  "Deal," Erika said in a whisper as well.

  "Now, can you kiss me?" Pierce asked.

  "It would be my pleasure," she replied.

  Pierce kissed Erika softly, placing his lips on hers and asking for entrance. Erika opened her mouth and closed her eyes as she grew breathless with the kiss. It was passionate, but it was gentle. Erika had never made love, but she knew it would feel like this.

  The kiss felt like they were both sharing a part of themselves, parts no one else had seen before. It was very different.

  Erika was the first to pull away. She looked up at Pierce, and they stared at each other for a while. Then she choked out, "Let me go call my boss," Then, she practically ran out of the bedroom.

  Pierce ran his hand through his hair and stared at the open door through which she had left. He hoped to hell the kiss hadn't scared her. He sighed and picked up his phone, then dialed his assistant.

  "Cancel all my appointments for today and the rest of the weekend," he said as soon as Grey picked up.

  "But sir, are you—"

  "Do as I said," Pierce insisted, then hung up before the man could add anything or ask anything. Good. Now that that was done, he moved to the living room.

  "Okay, bye. I'll see you Monday," Erika said softly, then a panicked look came over her face when she spotted him. Pierce frowned. What was she scared he would find out? Who was she talking to?

  "Was that your boss?" he asked, looking straight at her as he walked towards her.

  "Y-yes," Erika stuttered. Then she swallowed and asked, "Is everything in place?"

  "Yes," was all Pierce said, then he took her phone, placed it on the couch, and said, "Now I have you all to myself."

  Chapter Three

  "Pierce, stop!" Erika exclaimed, then giggled. They had spent the whole day doing things that most couples did. And now they had gotten ice cream, and this grown man didn't know how to eat it without teasing her.

  Erika was happy. This was something she never knew she had craved. Being here with Pierce, spending the whole day with him, and just enjoying his presence was absolutely marvelous. Sometimes she felt like if she pinched herself (which she had), she was going to wake up from this very amazing dream. This man was too good to be true!

  "I'll stop," he said, staring at the little smile that had formed on her lips. He had the urge to kiss her, so he leaned in and did so, nibbling on her lips then letting her go.

 

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