by Ivy Nelson
Garrett took the sheet of paper handed to him and read it. “This is nearly four million dollars. How the hell did we not catch this before it got out of control?”
The accountant shook his head. “It would appear he was doing it in tiny amounts at first, with only the occasional sizeable amount. When the bigger discrepancies raised questions, he would find someone to fire and your finance team considered it handled. With a portfolio as large as yours, a few thousand in discrepancies here and there doesn’t raise red flags. Delays in quarterly report filings or clerical errors could explain it. Those just don’t get investigated as thoroughly.”
“And you’re sure the people he fired had nothing to do with it?”
“It’s impossible to say for sure without investigating further, but my guess would be they were clueless.”
Garrett’s fist clenched, crumpling the paper in his hand. “How do we find out who Darren was working with so I can get them out of my company?”
The forensic accountant stood. “That’s not my department. I can keep crunching the numbers, but a private investigator might do a better job in this case. There’s always the FBI. I’m sure they would love to investigate Mr. Gunn.”
Garrett grimaced. Involving the FBI before he knew everything he could, was not something he relished. His ties to the president would make them hesitant to get involved anyway.
“I’ve got some investigators I can tap,” Garrett said.
He heard the door to his outer office open and glanced up. Through the window, he could see Isabelle settling in at her desk, prompt as usual.
He pressed the intercom button.
“Can you come in here please, Isabelle?”
She stopped what she was doing and stood again. When she opened the door, she froze as if she hadn’t been expecting others in his office.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Oliver?”
“Tell us about Darren Gunn. What was he like?”
She lifted her head and looked at the ceiling. “He was rude, lazy, and a slob most of the time.”
“Over the last couple of years, do you remember him firing anyone for stealing?”
“I do remember one woman about nine months ago. I never heard the official reason for her being fired, but the rumor on the floor was that she’d stolen a quarter of a million dollars. It never made sense to me though because she was a really nice older woman. She hadn’t been here long before it happened. Less than six months.”
The forensic accountant wagged his finger. “Bingo. That lines up with what we’ve been finding. In some cases, I don’t have a name for who he fired but the names we do have they had been here less than a year.”
Isabelle frowned. “You’re saying she didn’t take all that money?”
Garrett nodded. “It’s starting to look that way. The police never got involved. He just fired them and moved on.”
“That poor woman,” Isabelle murmured.
The accountant walked to the door. “I should be going, Mr. Oliver. I’ll let you know what else I find.”
Garrett thanked him and waited for the door to close.
“You look tired. Did you sleep last night?” he asked sternly.
Isabelle shook her head. “Please don’t spank me. It was strange not being in my own bed.”
“You slept in my bed at Solitaire just fine,” he murmured.
Her face warmed. “That’s different, and you know it.”
He chuckled. “Fine. You’re safe from punishment this time. How was the visit with your sister?”
She shrugged. “Stressful as always but I do my best to make sure they get to see their mom at least once a month.”
Garrett smiled. “You’re a good sister.”
“I don’t always feel like it. She thinks I didn’t do enough to keep her out of jail. I fought pretty hard for her the first time, but…” she trailed off with a shrug.
Garrett gave a half-hearted smile. “I have a bit of experience with wayward siblings.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you had siblings.”
He held up a finger. “Just one. I don’t talk about him much.”
“I would love to hear about him sometime, but I won’t pry,” she said.
He wanted to go to her, hold her to his chest, but he knew he couldn’t. The warehouse floor below them was bustling with activity and he needed to remain professional around her at work.
“I want you to go home early and get some rest,” he said, changing the subject.
She shook her head. “I’m good. I’ll just take off at three like normal.”
Garrett frowned, wanting to argue, put his foot down, but he didn’t. “OK. Three is fine. For now. If you’re going to insist on working, I need you to dig through employment records for the last couple of years.” He picked up a pen and wrote something on a sticky note. “I want to identify the people fired during these time frames so we can figure out if they were the ones fired for stealing. I want to talk to as many of them as possible.”
She took it and stood. “I’ll get right on that, Mr. Oliver, Sir.”
Was she trying to bring his inner Dom out at the office?
“I haven’t dismissed you yet,” he said sternly. When she dropped back into her chair, he very nearly smirked at how quickly she reacted to his commanding tone.
He pushed back from his desk and walked to the blinds to close them. After locking the door, he turned and prowled toward the pretty girl sitting at his desk.
Her hair was down, cascading over her shoulders, so he let his hand sink into the wavy tendrils at the nape of her neck and gripped hard, pulling her head back so she was staring up at him.
She gasped as his grip tightened. “Garrett, we’re at work.”
He didn’t respond, just bent, and pressed his lips to hers.
“I missed you in my bed last night,” he said when he pulled away. “And if you’re going to be my submissive outside of the club, you might as well get used to seeing at least a little dominance from me at work.”
Her blush made him want to dominate her even more, but he knew it was unwise to take it too far. At least while there were so many other employees in the building.
“I’ll have mercy on you for now, though. You can go back to work.”
She blushed as her hair fell from his fingers. Standing, she surprised him and leaned up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.
“Thank you, Doll,” he murmured as he watched her walk out the door. He kept his blinds closed so he wouldn’t stare at her all day. He had a lot of work to get done so he could return to his normal routine in Pennsylvania. He did his best to tamp down the voice that said maybe he wanted to work out of Colorado long term.
His train of thought irritated him. He liked Colorado for Solitaire and the cheap warehouse property, but he had no desire to live there. A woman like Isabelle wasn’t going to leave her family to come live with him in Pennsylvania either. Not that he wanted her to. He enjoyed living on his own and wasn’t ready for a family or long-term commitment.
“Sir, I have your shipping team manager here, he’s ready for your tour.” Isabelle’s voice crackled over the intercom, making him smile.
He pressed the button. “Thank you. Tell him I’ll be down in five minutes, please.”
On his way out the door, he stopped and said, “This will likely take me until midafternoon. Take your lunch break whenever you’re ready.”
He spent the rest of the morning going through the entire shipping department with the manager. He had tours set up with all four of the major departments inside the center and every team manager knew their jobs were on the line.
Back in his office that afternoon, he got on a video call with Regina to sort out his schedule. The President was adamant that they meet soon, so he was trying to make it work.
“You could fly into Pennsylvania tonight. He’ll be in the state most of tomorrow,” Regina said after reviewing his calendar.
“Could I be bac
k in Colorado by tomorrow night? I have things I need to take care of here on Thursday.”
“Yes, Sir. Easy. You could also take a meeting with that Ohio shipping company while you’re here. They’re pestering me again.”
He rolled his eyes. The company had been trying to get his attention for months, but everything in their public record said investing in them or partnering with them would be a risk he wasn’t willing to take right now. He’d thought they would get the hint when he didn’t answer any of their petitions for a meeting, but they were getting persistent.
“Fine. Set it up. I’ll humor them and then maybe they’ll go away.”
“Very good, Sir. Should I arrange to have your plane ready when you get done for the day?”
He held up a finger to the camera. “Give me one minute.”
He leaned to the other side of his desk and pressed the intercom on the phone. “Isabelle, come in here, please.”
The door opened seconds later, and she leaned against his doorframe. Her expression was sultry, and for a moment he forgot Regina was waiting on him.
“You should ditch the jacket and roll your sleeves up like that more often, it’s really hot,” she said as she pushed off the doorway.
He blinked as Regina coughed. Isabelle’s face went red and she mouthed, “sorry.”
He kept his expression neutral. “I need to go to Pennsylvania tonight. Can you come with me?”
She shook her head. “I need to be here for the girls. Sarah has a play at seven tonight.”
He nodded and turned his attention to his assistant on the screen. “Tell the pilot I’ll want to take off at seven-thirty. Also, book a reservation somewhere nice for Miss Alvarado and me for dinner, please.”
Isabelle narrowed her eyes and shook her head.
He muted his microphone.
“Close the door,” he said when she opened her mouth to protest.
She did as he ordered and he stood and leaned over the desk, his palms flat against the dark wooden surface. “What did you have for breakfast?”
She dropped her gaze. “A donut and some coffee.”
“And lunch?”
She shook her head. “Haven’t gotten that far.”
He unmuted Regina but maintained eye contact with Isabelle. “Change my dinner to a late lunch, please, Regina. Something available as soon as possible.”
Isabelle opened her mouth. “But…”
He stopped her with a hand gesture as he pressed mute again.
“You either let me buy you lunch, or you bend over my desk for a spanking. Your choice.”
Her mouth opened, then closed, and finally opened again. “Lunch would be lovely, Sir.”
He smirked as he unmuted Regina just as she was rattling off a restaurant name and address. “Thank you, Regina.”
“That is so not fair,” Isabelle said with a pout as he disconnected.
“What’s not fair? That I demand you take care of yourself?”
“No. That you turn me on with threats of things I hate.”
He tossed his head back and let laughter roll out of him. “Oh, Isabelle. You always delight me, even when you frustrate me. One of these days, I’m going to show you just how much a spanking can turn you on. Get your things. We’re going to lunch and then you’re going home for a nap.”
She didn’t argue anymore, and they were soon in the back of a car on the way to a restaurant.
He watched her eat a bowl of soup and half a sandwich before he was satisfied. She dozed off leaning against his shoulder as he took her back to the safe house.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night, Doll,” he whispered when he kissed her goodbye. “We’ll have a proper conversation about us when I’m back.”
• • •
Isabelle tossed her empty coffee cup in the trashcan under the desk as she sat reading about the various tourist attractions her boss expected her to be able to discuss with guests. It was nearly nine on Wednesday evening and she’d been at work for an hour. Garrett was delayed getting back into town, so they were going to have breakfast in the morning instead of getting together tonight.
“Isabelle,” her supervisor said, leaning on the desk. “I just wanted to say you’re doing really great and your suggestions for hospitality are excellent. You’ll do well in this industry.”
She smiled shyly. “Thanks, Lori. I’m just glad to be helpful. You leaving for the night?”
“Yeah, I’ve been here since six. Just call if you need anything. You’ll have help in about an hour.”
Isabelle nodded and waved as the woman left.
An hour later, she was engrossed in her reading when she heard the lobby doors open.
She raised her head just in time to see Garrett walk through the double doors, wheeling his suitcase behind him.
For a moment, she considered ducking so he didn’t see her, but it was too late.
He paused and did a double take to make sure he was actually seeing her. The look on his face as he strode toward her with purpose told her she was about to get in serious trouble with her Dom.
“Good evening, Isabelle,” he said, making a show of reading her name tag.
She smiled in return as a coworker approached the desk. “Good evening, Mr. Oliver.”
“Do I have any messages?”
He knew damn well he didn’t, but Isabelle checked anyway.
“No, Sir. None that I can see.”
“Now that’s interesting. I was really expecting someone to inform me about some important decisions concerning my business.”
She gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m terribly sorry, Sir. I’ll be sure to let you know if anything comes for you.”
The coworker left to do something else and Garrett leaned over the counter.
“I don’t know what this is about, Isabelle, but we’re going to have a long conversation when you get off.”
She winced. “I’m here all night.”
He looked as if he wanted to swear but didn’t. Instead, he pulled out his cellphone.
“Hunter, sorry to bother you. I need to borrow one of your employees for a couple of hours.”
She strained to hear what Hunter was saying but Garrett stepped away when he saw her trying to listen.
A moment later, the desk phone rang.
“Isabelle,” Hunter’s deep bass voice came over the phone. “Did you really not tell Garrett you were working for me?”
She closed her eyes. “No, Sir. I was planning to, I swear. Things just got crazy.”
“Do you have a coworker tonight or are you on your own?”
“Someone is here with me,” she breathed.
“Very well. You have the rest of the night off. You’ll still be paid, but you’re going to make this right before you work again, understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“Hey, I’m not trying to upset you, little one. You’re not in trouble with me. I can’t speak for Garrett though.”
She sighed as she gathered her composure. “I’m pretty sure I’m in deep shit with him,” she said dryly. “I’m sorry if I put you in a tough spot. I didn’t expect him to call you.”
Deep laughter rumbled through the phone. “We’re all one big family at Solitaire. If we can help each other, we do. Of course he called me.”
Isabelle giggled. “OK. Well, I’m sorry anyway. I guess I should go fix this.”
“Goodnight, little one.”
When her coworker arrived at the desk a few minutes later, she clocked out and made her way across the lobby to the hotel bar where Garrett was waiting for her.
He was twisting a glass of scotch in his hand when she approached.
“I’m really sorry,” she said tearfully when she slid into the booth across from him.
He didn’t lift his head to meet her gaze. “How long have you been working two jobs?”
She shrugged. “It’s something I’ve done off and on since I started working.”
He
sighed. “You know that’s not the answer I was looking for, Isabelle.”
She blew out a breath. “Master Hunter offered me the job the night he punished me at Solitaire. I started the next Monday and then you rehired me. It seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up because the schedules lined up perfectly for me to do both. I can finally pay off some of my sister’s credit card debt and get ahead on my student loans. Maybe save some to help Cat with college tuition.”
He lifted his head and gave her a quizzical look. “And why are you paying your sister’s credit card debt?”
When she didn’t answer, he picked up both of her hands and squeezed. “Communication, Isabelle. How am I supposed to take care of you and be a good Dom If you’re keeping things from me?”
“It’s just family drama. It shouldn’t be your concern.”
“If it’s causing you to work two jobs and not eat and not sleep, it’s absolutely my concern. You’re running on fumes and I want to know why.”
“You already know my sister is in prison for the second time. A variety of offenses. She fell in with the wrong crowd, but one thing she did was take out credit cards in a number of family member’s names, including mine and her daughters. We’re all in debt as a result. The District Attorney only charged her with the counts he could prove, and those charges got wiped clean. Our debt was not debt included in the criminal case against her so we’re on the hook for the money.”
Garrett swore and Isabelle cringed. She hated that she’d made him angry. “So why didn’t you tell me you were working for Hunter when I gave you the new job?”
She winced, unsure how to answer.
“Spit it out, Isabelle. You’re already on thin ice.”
“Honestly? I wasn’t sure it was going to work out with us, and I wanted to have a fallback plan.”
He drained his scotch. “I guess that’s fair.”
“Am I in trouble?” she whispered when he fell silent again.
“Are you mine?” he asked, his eyes steely and intense as they bored holes into her.
She nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
“Then yes, you’re in trouble.”
“Are you going to spank me?” She hated the way her voice quivered.
“I feel like that’s what you’ve earned,” Garrett said. “But if you tell me I can’t, I won’t.”