Hate Love

by Katie Ford

  Hot tears gathered in my eyes. Usually, my father didn’t accuse me of being like my mother until he was good and drunk, but even sober, I could tell there’d be no convincing him that I wasn’t like that. “This is my home, Daddy. Where will I go?”

  “That’s your problem. You’re eighteen. Just make sure you pay rent before you go. It’s the least you can do after all that I’ve done for you.” He grabbed his wallet and hat and stomped out of the apartment. As the door slammed shut, I let the tears fall.

  One week? How was I going to find a place to live in one week? My entire paycheck was going to go to his rent. There wouldn’t even be enough left over to pay for one night as a sleazy hotel, let alone find a new apartment.

  What was I going to do? Wrapping my arms around my body, I slid down the wall as hot tears burned my eyes and trailed down my cheeks.

  Chapter Two

  Brick

  From my window, the people below looked like ants. Little working ants, running down and across the streets, struggling to get from one place to another. Little angry ants, since it was New York City. Cars honked and brakes squealed as the traffic slowly crept across the four lanes. I watched them grimly. These days, the scenes below were my only form of entertainment.

  My bed had been empty for far too long.

  With the recent buyout of JVW Bank, I’d been busier than ever. Meeting after meeting, plane rides and board rooms. State hopping and press releases. The opportunities were certainly there to relieve some stress. I was one of the most eligible bachelors in New York, which always seemed a little laughable to me. I was definitely a bachelor, but an eligible one? That implied a wish to marry, which I didn’t have, but women always seemed to think that they could change that. There was more than just lust in the eyes of the women around me. I was a catch. As the CEO of The Bank of Manhattan, I had money and prestige, the sort of face that made most women steal second, third, and fourth looks, and a reputation for making women melt in bed.

  The problem wasn’t lack of women. It was the type of woman that I attracted. The women in my industry left me cold. Scheming and deceitful, they were hungry for power, and most weren’t above fucking or marrying their way to the top.

  They wanted control, and that wasn’t something that I planned on giving up. I liked my women nice and submissive. They did what they were told, and when I was done with them, they didn’t dare argue.

  Sighing, I returned my attention back to my office. It took up almost the entire top floor of the building. Glass encased two sides, and it was decorated in white and mahogany. I liked things clean and uncluttered. There were two couches that I sometimes used for napping, and a coffee table facing a television. Four matching white leather chairs faced my large desk. There was a fake potted plant in the corner because I didn’t want to hire anyone to keep a real one alive. No personal photos. I never did understand the point of those. My awards and proof of my accomplishments lined my walls instead. They were the real motivation that I needed. Not some picture of a family that I didn’t give a shit about.

  “Sir? Mr. Langston? Did you hear me?”

  I returned my focus back to the scrawny guy sweating profusely in the chair across from my desk. Next to him, my good friend and business associate, Jim Rollins, smirked. “Brick? Care to share what’s on your mind?”

  Narrowing my eyes, I glared at him. “What did you say?” What was this kid’s name again? Mark something or other. He was the nephew of a friend of mine, and while he was great with numbers, he was horrible with people.

  Leaning over, he pushed a piece of paper closer to me. “These are the changes that we wanted to roll out for the former JVW Bank members as we ease them into our normal fees.”

  “Fine. I’ll look it over. Anything else?”

  Mark shook his head emphatically. “No, sir. Mr. Langston. I won’t take up any more of your time. Thank you.”

  Jim’s smile only widened as Mark hastily stood and practically raced out of the office before I even had a chance to dismiss him. “Are they getting younger, weaker, or both?” he laughed. “Or perhaps you’re cracking the whip, literally?”

  I ignored the remark. Although Jim and I had been friends for a long time, he always got a kick out of baiting me. “Have you seen this?” I growled, picking up the report and scanning it. My mind was occupied—and not with business.

  “I did, and it’s fair, but I know you’ll want to scrutinize it. You’re a control freak, Brick. If you’d just delegate some of the responsibilities, you wouldn’t work nearly as much and you could have more time for pleasure.”

  “I’m protective of my company,” I snapped. “And I delegate plenty. I’m about to delegate your ass down to the mailroom.”

  Unfazed, he chuckled before studying me closely. “You blanked out there for a bit. That’s not like you. Regretting taking my advice last week?”

  “The Sugar Daddy cruise?” I curled my lip in disgust. “That’s the start to all of my nightmares. A woman who thinks I’m going to take care of her for the rest of her life. Please tell me that you haven’t actually experienced one of those.”

  Jim snorted.

  “Please motherfucker. Of course I’ve been on dozens of Sugar Daddy cruises. How do you think my daughter was born?”

  Oh shit, little Gemma? My goddaughter and the apple of my eye? Then again, Jim wasn’t sure who the mother was. He came home to his condo one night three years ago and found the girl wrapped in blankets and waiting for him. The note simply read I can’t. After a DNA test proved that the child was his, he took the bright girl in, and the rest was history. For all of Jim’s female bashing, Gemma was the love of his life. She had her father wrapped around her little finger, and it wasn’t hard to see why. The first time that I held her, I fell in love as well.

  Not that I ever wanted one of my own. I considered Gemma mine, and that was good enough for me.

  “All I want is something simple and uncomplicated. Someone to do what I want and then go away before finding another woman to do the same.”

  Jim shrugged. “I don’t know, Brick. I think that takes too much work. What you need is one woman to do everything that you want. Be anything that you want in bed and then not bother you when you don’t need her. Unfortunately, it’s all about women’s rights these days.”

  “Money goes a long way,” I said with a shrug. “Right woman, right conditions, I can make her do whatever I want and then pay her to keep quiet. Someone simple, sweet, and innocent. No manipulations or devious schemes. No lies or games.”

  “Good luck finding one of those,” Jim snorted.

  “What about that red head that you dated last year? The one with the impossibly long legs and the mouth made for sucking—”

  “No,” Jim cut me off. “Believe me, she had the temper to go with that red hair. Why are you asking for sloppy seconds?”

  “Not sloppy seconds.” I grinned. “I consider it looking for someone who comes with a recommendation. Besides, it’s not like I plan on keeping them around long enough for them to get emotional.”

  Just then, the door opened, and my assistant walked in. The pretty brunette took one look at Jim and rolled her eyes. It had been obvious for some time that something had happened between the two of them, but neither of them would acknowledge it. Their frosty attitude towards one another was beginning to piss me off.

  “That’s my cue to leave,” Jim said. “I apologize for taking up any of your precious time.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of interrupting you,” Julia said as she batted her eyelashes. Buttoning his jacket, Jim just shook his head and exited the office.

  “When I hired you, I assumed that you were a smart woman. Fucking Jim Rollins isn’t exactly smart,” I sighed.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “You’ve been the best assistant that I’ve ever had, so I have no plans to fire you,” I said mildly. “Jim has been working with me for years, and he’s one of my closest friends
. I suggest you two get over your differences and find a way to work together.”

  “We work perfectly fine,” she said breezily. “By making sure that we’re not in the same room for too long.” Tossing a pile of folders on my desk, she sat down in a white leather chair and crossed her legs.

  Watching her expectantly, I cocked my head. “Why is there a mountain of paperwork on my desk?”

  “Because you’ve ignored the last two emails that I sent you with the same information. I figured that you couldn’t ignore them if they were right in front of you.”

  “What are they?”

  “Personnel files for the interns who will be working for you this summer. They start Monday morning, and it would be nice if you knew their names.”

  Summer interns? My spirits immediately lifted. Young, nubile, lovely young women eager to please. What were the chances that there was one in there who would fit my needs perfectly? Nice and docile, and willing to let me fuck her anyway that I wanted.

  “Down boy,” Julia snapped with a frown. “Keep your cock in check, or have you forgotten the intern fiasco three years ago?”

  I waved my hands impatiently. “The girl was eighteen, so her father’s threats to sue were ridiculous. Besides, we paid her, and we haven’t heard a peep since, have we?”

  “The girl’s name was Michelle,” Julia said in disgust. “And that’s not the fucking point. This company buy-out has gotten us a lot of press, and you are front and center. This is not the time for you to do something scandalous. The interns are off limits. Find another way to feed your appetites.”

  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a prude?” I asked, pulling the first folder to me and opening it. The girl was a pretty blonde, but those bold red lips and that smoky eye already put me off. Too much contouring. That hard-edged gleam was already evident in her eyes.

  “Trust me, there isn’t a man who’s left my bed who would call me that,” she said with a smile as she stood up. “Review your interns and let me know where you want them to be placed. If you don’t, I’ll place them, and you won’t be happy.”

  “I’m rarely happy with the choices you make that directly affect me,” I grunted. “Sometimes I think you have it out for me. Sometimes I think you forget I can fire you with the snap of my fingers.”

  “Nobody else would put up with you,” she sighed. “Sometimes I’m not sure why I put up with you. I’ll be back after lunch. Don’t forget your conference call with the San Francisco branch at two, and don’t call them jackasses this time. I’ll be in tomorrow morning a little early because I’m leaving right after lunch, and I won’t be back until Monday.”

  “I’m paying them. I can call them whatever I want.” But I was speaking to an empty room. Julia sailed out, and the door closed behind her. “What the hell do you mean that you won’t be back until Monday? Who the fuck is going to input all that paperwork?”

  Annoyed, I leaned back in the chair. Julia reminded me of why someone submissive was needed in my life. There were far too many people trying to take control away from me. I’ve had to fight for every single success in my life. Unlike a lot of these young assholes that worked for me and got their jobs through family connections, I fought tooth and nail to get here. There was no daddy or uncle bailing me out when I got into trouble. There was no mother fighting my battles and letting me drift through life with a silver spoon in my mouth.

  My life had been nothing before, and now I have everything. There was no way in hell that I was going to give an ounce of my control to anyone. Ever.

  So where was I going to find a bed-warmer who would bend to my will and not get mouthy in the process? Obedient, but not some lapdog. Beautiful, but without artifice. The girl next door, and yet so much more?

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  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Cassandra Dee is a bestselling author of dozens of hot and steamy contemporary romances. She started out writing erotica but transitioned to romance after falling for one too many book boyfriends.

  Cassandra started reading romance back in third grade, when she did a book report on a tween love story called Cassie. Of course, she had no idea what she was reading back then, but it was fun. And in tribute, she selected this pen name with many affectionate memories.

  When she’s not tapping away furiously at her laptop, Cassandra can be found drinking gallons of coffee and watching lots of reality TV. She also enjoys taking the neighbor’s dog for walks, aimlessly wandering the local grocery store, and of course, reading too much about the lives of her favorite celebrities.

  Cassandra is living her own HEA with her husband and a beautiful baby boy.

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  Katie Ford is a new author who’s been reading romance for a lifetime. Stay tuned for steamy stories about alpha billionaires and the women who love them!

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  Sarah May is a high school teacher by day and novelist at night. Her students would scream if they knew of the steamy, illicit fare she puts out! Keep in touch by subscribing to her newsletter and following her on Facebook.

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  Kendall Blake is an avid romance reader and writer. She’s been devouring love stories since her teenage years and is looking forward to sharing more of the naughty stories in her head.

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  Penny Close is a romantic at heart with a craving for cookies, chocolate, and peppermint. She loves possessive alpha males and lives with one in beautiful Iowa.

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  Jade Evans loves all things delicious, including men, candy, and romance novels. She lives in Texas with her pet beta fish and a Pekingese.

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