HIS BRANDED BRIDE: Steel Devils MC

by Sophia Gray

  Leaning back in my chair, I pulled up The Wall Street Journal. LennoxCo had a complimentary subscription for all employees, and I often encouraged the people working under me to read it. Of course, right now the only person I wanted working under me was Audrey. And I didn’t exactly want her reading the goddamned paper.

  “Audrey,” I called out. Damn! Even my voice sounds weird! “Can you come in here?”

  Audrey got up from her desk and ran breathlessly into my room. As always, she looked like she’d just come from some kind of bag lady marathon, clad in horrific clothing and sweating, with her cheeks pink and the tip of her tongue sticking out. Remembering our kiss made me growl with lust. The way that Audrey had melted into my arms had been incredible, and now I was dying to make her melt once again.

  “Yes?” Audrey’s voice was meek. “What is it, Enzo?”

  “I want coffee,” I said shortly as I shoved a mug across my desk at Audrey. It was still full, and lukewarm coffee splashed over the sides.

  Audrey stared. “Should I reheat this, or do you need it fresh?”

  I stared right back. Her blue eyes were wide open, and her gaze was fixed on my face, just as mine was on hers. Dammit, grow a pair and just fuck her already!

  “Of course I need it fresh,” I snapped. “Go. Now!”

  Audrey grabbed the mug and skittered out of the room before I could stop her.

  With a heavy sigh, I picked up the landline and called Sebastian. Sebastian Roberts, or Seb, had been one of my best friends since college. When I went off to found LennoxCo, he went to work for his father’s hedge fund. I’d always envied Seb—his mind was even sharper than mine, and he somehow managed to get everything done perfectly despite a ton of drinking and sleeping around.

  After his father’s fund went down, he came to work for me. Before Audrey, he’d linger outside my office and flirt with my secretary. It was like he knew that it got under my skin, which made him all the more determined to do it. Now, I wondered if he’d try the same tricks with her.

  “What is it?” Seb’s voice was low and humorous. “It’s barely ten in the morning, asshole, why the hell are you calling me?”

  I chuckled. “I need your… I need your help with something. Can you come over here?”

  “Lennox you are killing me!” Seb groaned, but I could tell he didn’t actually mind. “I’ll be right over.”

  I leaned back in my desk chair, grinning wickedly. I hoped Seb would arrive right before Audrey. I really wanted to see how he’d react to this little brunette who had me in such a bind.

  “Here you are, Enzo,” Audrey chirped. She’d washed the mug and had it refilled with fresh coffee. “I made sure that it was hot.”

  “Thanks,” I said, my voice dismissive. I stared at her. Her outfit was as bad as it ever had been: a knitted bright orange sweater over a lumpy pair of slacks and her beige orthopedic shoes. She was wearing those little stockings that end above the ankle, and they were sagging around her tight skin. She could have been auditioning for the part of a homeless person on Broadway. I chucked under my breath.

  “What is it?” Audrey pressed her hands against her pants. “Is something wrong?”

  Right at that moment, Seb bounded into my office. He was my foil, my opposite. He had blond hair and green eyes and tan skin. Like me, he was obsessed with working out—we always teased each other at who was better at squash—and obsessed with clothing.

  I got up, and we did our fraternity handshake. Seb didn’t even look at Audrey; it was like she wasn’t even in the room.

  “Man,” Seb said. He stepped back and looked me up and down. “You don’t look so good.” He glanced around. “New girl got you down?”

  “She’s behind you,” I said with a smirk. Seb looked surprised, and Audrey’s cheeks flushed. “Audrey, this is Sebastian Roberts. We went to school together. He used to work for a hedge fund, but he couldn’t stand the pressure, so he came here instead.”

  Audrey looked skeptically from my face to Seb’s.

  “That was a joke,” Seb cut in. He’d finally turned to face Audrey with an incredulous look on his face. “And who are you, the little match girl?”

  Audrey blinked. “Um, no,” she said softly. “My name is Audrey, Audrey Turner.”

  I winced. The sound of her hideous Wisconsin accent was coming out again. “I work for Enzo. I’m, uh, his secretary.”

  Seb chuckled. “Well, technically you’re an administrative assistant now,” he said slyly. “Wouldn’t want you to offend HR without knowing it.”

  Audrey’s blue eyes went wide. “I’m sorry,” she said. Her jaw hung open. “Enzo, do you want me to go?”

  “Stay,” I said, waving my hand in the air. “Chat. This is about the time you take a break in the mornings, right?”

  Audrey glared at me. It was clear that she’d rather be anywhere but in my office currently. Well, too bad, I thought with a smirk. You’re my secretary, and you’re here. Tough shit.

  “So, Audrey,” Seb purred. He stepped closer, and something unpleasant jolted in my stomach. “Have you worked here long?”

  Audrey glanced nervously from Seb to me. “Um, not long.” I noticed she was taking extra pains to correct her accent. “A couple of weeks. I think this is my third or fourth week.”

  “Ah,” Seb said devilishly. He clapped his hands together then. “So, you’re right on time!” He stared at Audrey’s body through her lumpy outfit. “And you know what happens to Enzo’s rejects, right?”

  “Enough,” I said as I stood up. I couldn’t explain what happened to me just then—normally, I loved to watch Seb in action. Especially when he went to great pains to make my secretaries uncomfortable. “Audrey, you can go,” I said, my tone curt, pointing towards the door.

  Audrey scurried away, closing the door behind her.

  Seb shot me a look. “What the fuck was that about? You normally don’t give a fuck when I move in on your girls. What’s the matter, not happened yet?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Not even close,” I muttered. “So drop it.”

  Seb narrowed his eyes. “You seem out of sorts, my man.” He leaned over my desk. “Need a trip to The Pink Diamond?”

  I snorted. “I don’t think a trip to the strip joint would cheer me up. Sorry.”

  I walked Seb back down to the main floor of the office. I didn’t normally leave the executive floor, but this shit with Audrey was bothering me so goddamn much. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was really upsetting me.

  “Hey, Enzo,” Karen said flirtatiously. She was standing in the lobby with some of her friends. They all looked magnificent—like show dogs—all in perfectly tailored suits with pencil skirts hugging their heart-shaped asses. Karen looked especially radiant. Her long blonde hair was pale, and she was tan, even though it was approaching February.

  “Later, Karen,” I told her firmly. It was too late; she’d walked over to me and tried to put her arm around my neck.

  “Why are you being so cold?” Karen’s voice sounded wounded. “You know that little girl won’t have anything to do with you. I mean, God, why would you even want that?”

  “Fuck off,” I spat out, pushing Karen’s arm away.

  Her eyes narrowed. “If you keep this up, I’ll tell HR everything,” she hissed in a loud whisper. “You don’t even know, Enzo!”

  I leaned in. Little bitch thought she could beat me at my own game? Good fucking luck. “If you try that, I’ll go to HR and tell them that you’ve been sleeping with your boss,” I growled out at Karen. “And I still have a pair of your panties floating around somewhere. Don’t think that I won’t dredge them up and show HR!”

  Karen glared at me. “Forget it,” she said tartly, spinning on her heel and walking away.

  I clapped my hand on my forehead. Just what the fuck had I gotten myself into?

  # # #

  By the time I got back to my desk, I was in a foul mood, and my new coffee was cold. I didn’t want to face Audrey again, ev
en though it was almost time for my lunch. Instead, I turned on my computer and began scrolling through my emails.

  When I saw that I had three new messages from Hodges, I groaned again. This day, this week, everything was fucking out to get me. I couldn’t stand the idea of that weasel trying to worm his way back into LennoxCo, but I knew that I had to see what he had to say.

  Enzo,

  I’ll be calling later in the afternoon, and it would be great if you could accept. While I know that you’ve been hesitant to accept any of my offers so far, I’d be pleased if you could hear me out this time.

  Just as a reminder, if you don’t decide to take the call, think about the paperwork from the consulting firm deal. You may not have found it interesting at the time, but I think there would be certain officials who would love to look over that now.

  Best,

  Richard.

  Fuck. I closed my eyes and let my head rest in my hands. Back when Hodges first approached me about investing with him, I hadn’t realized that he was basically concocting a pyramid scheme. He’d gone around to several companies and tried to sell potential investors on a multi-level scheme.

  I groaned. I hadn’t seen it at the time, and every day I wished I could go back in time if only to slap myself awake. Richard had been doing nothing but peddling an illegal scheme. While I hadn’t felt lucky at the time, in retrospect, I knew that I had been: Richard hadn’t ever gone to the police with the paperwork. If they found the documents, I’d be in white-collar prison for years. The rest of my life, even.

  I swallowed, feeling uncomfortable. Chicago had a routine history of corruption, but the only thing that stood out in this city above corruption was loyalty. Richard was asking me to be loyal to him. I didn’t know if I could—he’d almost ruined me once. I was sure that if he bought LennoxCo, he’d somehow manage to drive it into the ground. The company was like my child, and I wasn’t okay with seeing Richard ruin it.

  “Enzo!” Audrey called to me from her desk. “Richard’s on the phone! Richard Hodges! Do you want to take the call?”

  Dammit. He was moving too fast today! “Yeah,” I called back. “I’ll take him on line one.”

  Audrey beeped the call through. When I answered, I was dismayed to hear that Hodges sounded exactly the same as he always had—falsely jovial, like he was a god bearing good news.

  “Enzo, it’s been too long,” Hodges said grandly. “What would you say to a game of squash and dinner tonight at the Four Seasons?”

  “Can’t, sorry,” I replied in a flippant tone. “Maybe sometime next month. Or maybe next year, Richard.”

  Richard laughed. It was a dangerous, low sound. “Maybe you’ll agree when I tell you that I know a little more than you think. I’ve been watching you, Enzo.” All traces of friendliness were gone from his voice, and now he just sounded like exactly what he was at his core: a menacing and desperate man.

  “Oh yeah?” I raised my eyebrows. “And what have you seen?”

  “Well, I know there’s a certain little frumpy woman that you can’t take your eyes off. How’s that?”

  I practically jumped out of my chair. Through the glass partition in my door, I saw Audrey. She was leaning over the desk, working hard at something, and the corner of her tongue was sticking out of her mouth. A lick of desire shot through me as I watched her twirl from side to side in her desk chair.

  “You’re wrong,” I said flatly. “That’s my new secretary, Audrey. She’s the one who’s been taking your calls.”

  “Oh, I know,” Richard said casually. “She’s adorable to speak with, Enzo. That cute little mistake about my name!” His sarcastic tone made me shudder. “I can see exactly why you’re obsessed with her.”

  I frowned. “That’s not true.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, Enzo. You don’t have to lie to me. Not anymore. I know exactly what you’re up to, and don’t forget it.”

  “What do you want?”

  Hodges laughed. “Well, I want to own LennoxCo. And maybe change the name to something a little more fitting. I don’t think 'Enzo Is A Loser' would fit on the tax forms, but HodgesCo sure would.”

  I bristled, feeling angry and tense beneath my skin. “That’s what you think,” I hissed out. “You know I’d never sell anything to you. You’re not even getting a single share of this company, asshole. When we go public, you’re forbidden from buying any shares.”

  “Oh, planning an IPO?”

  I could have smacked myself. I’d never meant to reveal that to Hodges.

  “Enzo, it’s okay,” Hodges said in a soothing voice. “We’re old friends. You don’t have to keep secrets from me.”

  “I’m not keeping anything from you.” I growled.

  “Good, then you won’t put up much of a fight when I decide to dig out that paperwork from the consulting firm and show it to a few friends,” Hodges said. “I have to run, Enzo. Bye now!” He hung up before I could respond.

  I stared at the phone for a long time afterward.

  # # #

  At the end of the day, there was a soft knock on my door. I knew it was Audrey before I could even call out and tell her to come in. Unusually, she didn’t wait for me to say anything before she pushed the door open and strode into my office. It was the most assertive thing I’d ever seen her do.

  “Enzo?” Standing in front of my desk, Audrey was meek and quiet once more. She shifted, reaching her arm up and crossing over her shoulder to scratch an itch on the back of her neck.

  As I watched her twist and writhe in front of me, lust exploded in my loins. I need to have her. I’ve got to have her. Right. Now.

  “Audrey, come here.” My voice was stern as I rose to my feet.

  Audrey stepped forward. She ducked her head down, then walked around the side of my desk and stood directly in front of me. Even with the slight heels on her shoes, she was still incredibly diminutive. I could tell she was shaking with fear and arousal.

  I put my hands on her shoulders and kissed her passionately. Audrey didn’t respond at first. Then, as her mouth began to warm up to mine, she melted into my arms. I felt all resistance leaving her body as my tongue slipped between her parted lips. Amazingly, she tasted like strawberries.

  Audrey moaned. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down close until our bodies were pressed against each other. Underneath all of the baggy clothes, she really did have an amazing figure—I felt a taut stomach and a nice, curvy rack. I groaned into Audrey’s mouth as she trailed her hands down my back. Her touch was featherlight and gentle, as though she was afraid that she’d hurt me. As good as her hands felt on my body, I wanted to be in charge. I wanted to be the one in control.

  Quickly, I grabbed both of Audrey’s wrists with one of my hands and held her arms over her head. Her arms were thin, and she was light. I could tell that her toes were struggling to stay on the ground as I raised her arms high in the air. Audrey didn’t struggle. Instead, she pressed against me and caressed my tongue with her own. The soft, wet feel of her hot lips against my mouth was too much, and my cock stiffened and twitched in my pants. I was so desperate for her, I felt like I was going to explode if I didn’t fuck her right here and now.

  Audrey gasped. She broke the kiss and arched her neck, throwing her head back and moaning louder. It was the loudest sound I’d ever heard escape from her lips and hearing it turned me on more than I ever could have imagined. As I held her arms above her head, I used my free arm to grope her chest through her hideous clothing. Her breasts were taut and large, and my cock throbbed with lust as I ran my hands over her skin.

  Audrey moaned again. She closed her eyes and blindly pressed her face against mine, sucking on my lower lip and biting it gently with her teeth. Pleasure and desire swirled through my body as I led her over to the black leather couch and pushed her down.

  Audrey went flying through the air, landing on her back with her legs splayed. Eagerly, I dropped to my knees and crawled between her legs. Her crotch smelled amazing
—like musk and strawberries—and my mouth watered as I reached under her sweater for the waistband of her baggy trousers.

  Audrey looked at me with a delicious, warm pink flush on her cheeks. “Enzo,” she said softly. “Enzo, what are you doing?”

  “I want to taste you,” I growled out as I tugged the baggy fabric down Audrey’s slender hips and thighs. Underneath, she was incredibly creamy and pale. I watched her white thighs trembling before slapping them gently apart with one of my hands.