My chest is tight, no thanks to the dress I’ve chosen to wear today. It stretches across my breasts, putting them on display, making me feel like I have some degree of control left as Jake eye-rapes me from across the room.
Why does he make me feel this way? I have the evidence I need to save my ass and my dad’s firm. But he still holds some crazy power over me. I fantasized about him fucking me all weekend, counting the hours until I could see him again. Every time I sucked Sean’s comparatively minuscule dick, I imagined it was Jake’s. I saw the passion on his face, his deep-set eyes searing my soul.
I’d wanted him for a long time, but nobody touches the forbidden.
Except Jake did. He had a taste. And I’m afraid he’s ruined me for anyone else. He can see things in me I didn’t even know lurked.
His piercing blue eyes flash in my direction as I sink into the chair across from him, and my heart all but stops. It doesn’t matter that there are ten other people sitting in the conference room or that it’s my report they’re discussing. In my mind, it’s just Jake and me. And we aren’t talking about my research analysis. No, in my fantasy, I’m sprawled across the mahogany table, naked, wet with pent-up desire, waiting for him to--
“Jenna, what do you think about Axiom? It’s a buy even after they went through those management changes?”
“You undervalued some stocks that we previously had on as strong buys. What’s your rationale?”
“And what about the stock buyback for Caltrex? Wouldn’t that send up red flags to our investors?”
I field questions from the senior management team over the next thirty minutes, feeling Jake’s heated gaze warming my insides. Sean is sitting next to me, and I can feel his fingertips creep up my leg. But I don’t want that anymore. I want a real man, with a real cock; one who knows exactly how to use it.
And use me.
I gather my papers together as soon as we wrap up. Somehow, I was able to address all of their concerns, and by the grace of God, inspire confidence in my work. This will pave the way for my first job after the internship is completed. All because of Jake. He was the one who gave me this chance. I need to repay him. At least three times to show my gratitude.
And, of course, since I’ll have to stay late tonight and continue my work on this new fund, he’ll be the perfect diversion. I bite on my lower lip and shift as a tingling sensation tickles my pussy. It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to leap onto Jake’s lap and grind my wet slit against him.
“Hey, how about lunch?”
I turn toward Sean, hating myself for every lewd fantasy flashing across my mind…none of which have him as the star. “I think I need to pass. I have so much work to do now, especially with the new fund.”
“Yeah.” The disappointment in his voice makes me cringe. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jake rise from his seat, his lips curled into a smirk. He must have overheard our hushed exchange. “It’s okay. I’ll catch you later?”
I nod. “Of course.” I feel horrible. I’ve never made him any promises, but I’m sure he hoped as the summer went on, my feelings might’ve changed. But they didn’t, and it isn’t fair of me to keep him in the dark. He knows now, although I’m certain he’s got no clue as to why.
I drop the folders onto my desk and collapse into my chair, grabbing my diet Coke. I should be on top of the world right now. My name is cleared, and I’m in line for a fat promotion if my stock picks come through for the fund. Everything is perfect.
Except it’s not.
I trudge through the next eight hours of analysis, putting together a complete action plan and strategy for how we’re going to launch this new fund. I know it’s not up to me how everything comes together, but my name is on the report, so I make it as close to perfect as I can get it.
Ring!
I grab the phone. “Hey, Daddy.”
“Pumpkin, can you please come in here? I need to talk to you about something.”
My throat closes. His voice sounds strained. Oh, fuck. Please don’t tell me—“Of course, I’ll be right there.”
I hang up the phone and rush toward the elevator. My dad’s office is five floors up, the epitome of luxury. The collection of priceless art hanging on the walls alone could rival that of a museum. My heels sink into the thick, plush carpet as I jog toward his office, past his bleached-blonde assistant, Mindy.
By the time I reach his doorway, I’m out of breath, panicked about what I’m about to face. Jake said he wouldn’t tell, he gave me all of the documents…
“Jenna!” My father’s booming voice greets me, and I manage a weak smile as I cross the room and kiss him on the cheek.
“How was Marco Island?” I sink into a chair facing his desk.
“It was great. Mom and I had a fantastic weekend.” He comes around the desk and sits on the corner, a look of concern settling into his rugged features. “Listen, sweetie, I’m afraid there’s something going on here at the firm I need to fill you in about. Someone has been messing with our confidential files. I can’t give you many details right now because it’s still under investigation, but a lot of our classified client data has been breached. The IT team identified a series of attempts to access our secure database on Friday evening. I know you were here late that night, so I’m hoping you might have noticed someone in the building. If there was a maintenance man hanging around, that would be helpful. Right now, we don’t have any leads, so please think back. Did you notice anything at all?”
My brow furrows. I know I was the only one around on Friday night…other than Jake. A chill slithers through my insides. Would he do something like that?
Oh, for chrissakes. I think past experience confirms he doesn’t really have much in the way of morals and values. And he was definitely the only one at the office besides me. There’s only one teeny problem.
If I out him, they may dig further to find out what he was doing here. Or rather, who he was doing. And a quick glance up to the security camera tells me that if I open my mouth, they may go digging into places where my naked ass was exposed for all to see. I can’t say anything to my dad, but I sure as hell have plenty to say to Jake.
“I didn’t notice anything, Daddy.” I lean closer. “How did you find out about this, anyway? Who tipped you off?”
“I got word that there were a number of attempts to access our database, and we need to find out who was behind it since it could be part of a bigger security breach.” He rubs his hand over the back of his neck. “Nothing for you to worry about, Pumpkin. I just wanted to find out if you’d seen anything out of the ordinary.”
No, Daddy. I didn’t see anything while Jake was pounding me in the ass on Friday night. “I’m sorry I can’t help, Daddy.”
“It’s fine.” He grins at me. “How about dinner tonight? Mom is still in Florida. Want to keep your old man company? We can go anywhere you want.”
“Definitely.” I give him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
I can’t get off this floor fast enough. I tear out of the elevator once the doors open, and I charge toward Jake’s office. The door is closed, but I throw it open without even knocking.
He looks up from his computer with a cool stare. “Do you think that what happened here on Friday night entitles you to just barge into my office without a proper invitation?”
I close the door and walk toward him, my heart pounding faster and harder with each step. “What were you doing here after I left on Friday night? Anything illegal?”
His gaze never wavers and his lips curl into a smirk. “You mean, other than blackmailing you? I usually try to limit my criminal activities, so no.”
“Jackass!” I clench my fists, aching to launch one of them at his chiseled jaw. I drop my voice to a whisper. “Were you hacking the client database?”
He lets out a snort. “Why would I do that? I have full access, Jenna.” His eyes narrow. “And how would you know if it was hacked, anyway?”
Fuck. Did
I just say too much? And why does it sound like he knows what I’m talking about?
“I, um…” My hand flies to my mouth, and I chew at a stray cuticle.
“Tell me what you know, Jenna.”
I shake my head. “I can’t.”
He sits on the corner of his desk. “Look, someone knows what we were doing on Friday night. It could be the same person who was hacking the system. If it’s the person I’m thinking, he can finish us both with one very incriminating thumb drive.”
I sink into the chair, my whole body quivering. “Holy shit, someone knows…did they see…oh my, God. The security cameras, right?”
“Yeah. It’s a big fucking mess. For both of us.” He kneels in front of me. “Tell me what you know so I can fix this, Jenna.”
I relay the story my dad just told me. At this point, I don’t know who’s a good guy and who’s a bad guy, but I sure as hell know I’m screwed if word gets out that I fucked Jake. And right now, I need to protect myself… and my dad.
Jake listens without interrupting and then he lets out a string of expletives. “Mother fucker,” he mutters, wandering toward the large picture window. He rakes a hand through his hair, quiet for an agonizing minute. “I know what to do. Go back to your desk and sit tight.”
Is he serious? I can barely breathe right now. “What are you going to do?”
His eyes soften the slightest bit. “I’m going to handle this and make sure you’re safe, okay?”
“Okay,” I whisper.
He opens the door for me, the vibration of his voice thrumming against my ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
Christ, my livelihood is in the hands of this borderline sociopath, and that’s supposed to be comforting? I swallow hard. How is it possible that only a few hours earlier, I was praying for any chance to be on Jake’s couch again, and here I am now, eager to put as much space between me and that office as possible?
And, oh yeah, now I’m supposed to work?
Chapter Thirteen
JAKE
I step off the elevator and into the grand foyer of Master Bobby Minton. The guy knows how to blow money, that’s for shit sure. There are more Monets in here than in the fucking Louvre.
I shake my head and walk into reception. “Hey, Mindy. I think he’s expecting me.”
She flashes a wide smile. “He sure is. Go ahead inside.”
I wink at her and walk into his large glass enclosed office. He’s shouting into his phone in Mandarin, which may or may not indicate there’s an issue with one of our offshore holdings. I wait, pacing in front of some abstract sculpture he had flown in from Venice last month. It cost him about five hundred grand. For glass.
He finally hangs up the phone and tosses it onto his desk. “Jake. You’re here.”
I nod. “In the flesh. I have some information for you.”
“I’m listening.”
“I found your hacker.”
“Who is it?”
“Gary Chambers in IT.”
I didn’t just find his hacker by chance. I orchestrated the whole damn thing, not that Gary had any clue he was being set up. But I needed Bobby to realize his weaknesses and how far I’ll go to expose them. I want him shaking in his fucking Gucci loafers when he sees how quickly his empire can crash and crumble at my hand.
Bobby’s eyebrows lift and I let it sink in for a second, until I see the realization on his face. I allow myself a slow smile when the light bulb goes on. It’s the exact second I know he knows why I’m here with said information. When Bobby finally speaks, the words come out sounding guttural, like he’s fighting the urge to kill me while still remaining civil. I am supposed to be his protégé, after all. I think before now, he’s always thrown that word around pretty carelessly. Only now does he really understand just how alike we really are. “Interesting that the person with the highest level clearance for that database, other than me, just happens to finger some poor jackass in IT of all departments.”
“You can’t trust anybody these days. Everyone has an angle, Bobby, including Gary in IT.” I shrug, waiting for his next response.
He grits his teeth. I’ve got him by the balls, and he knows it. Fuck, I can see the wheels turning, and it makes me want to scream with glee like a little bitch. He knows I have the entire client database, including every single account number and routing number for the overinflated accounts. He also knows that if I walk out of here, I’ll decimate him. All I need to do is make one phone call to the press, letting the world know how vulnerable Minton Capital is to hackers and how all of the client data has been stolen, and his business will shrivel. This has been a long time coming, and I’m going to get exactly what I want, and what I deserve. I won’t stop until I have everything, and the look on Bobby’s face confirms he’s scared shitless of his little predicament.
Your move, Bobby.
“You went to pretty extreme measures to get my attention, Jake. What do you want?”
“A couple of months ago, I’d have said only what you promised me. But now the stakes are higher, and with the information I have…” I lean against one of his bookshelves and smirk at him. “I think you’re going to need to reconsider and up the ante a bit.”
“You’re a ruthless sonofabitch, do you know that?”
“I learned from the best.”
“How much more do you want?”
I fold my arms. “I’m going to give you some time to consider a new offer to keep me here, along with all of your client data. If I don’t like it, you know what I’ll do.” I step closer to his desk. “But I don’t think you’re going to be stupid about this, Bobby. You have too much on the line – pussy to pay for, three or four houses scattered around the world, cars, your wife’s plastic surgeries. No, I think you’re going to be very generous with this offer.”
“And what about the IT guy? How are you planning to handle him?”
“I’ll make sure Security confiscates every one of his devices – phones, laptops, thumb drives. We’ll take it all, but we won’t press charges. We’ll just scare the living shit out of him and escort him out of here with a few choice threats.” The corners of my lips curl into a nasty smirk. “It’ll destroy him, but he won’t go to prison. I’m not a complete prick. But he’s not the only one you should be concerned about, Bobby.”
Bobby leaps to his feet, practically sending his chair flying against the window behind him. “Don’t you even think about laying a finger on Jenna. You keep her out of this, Jake. Don’t screw up her life just because you’re pissed off at me. If you do—”
“You’re not in any position to threaten me, Bobby. In the meantime, you should consider my importance to your company, and how much that’s worth to you.”
I turn and walk out of his office, not looking back, even though I would give my right nut to see the expression on his pompous face. People don’t get away with screwing me over. But by the time they realize that, it’s always too late.
Chapter Fourteen
JENNA
I’ve been chewing my fingernails to the nub for the past hour waiting to hear back from Jake. It’s now well after five, and the office has pretty much cleared out. I’ve been pretending to work on this research report, but I have zero focus on anything other than what other incriminating evidence may exist on our network. Jesus, people are hacking left and right. It’s only a matter of time before someone stumbles upon a clip of me sucking Jake’s dick.
Security just yanked some guy out of IT for breaching that database. What an idiot. Everyone always gets busted for that crap, which is why I’m still panicked about my own ass here. And Jake has been radio silent.
Usually, I like when that happens, but right now, I need answers.
Ring!
I jump, grabbing the phone. “This is Jenna,” I gasp.
“Come in here. Now.”
“Okay.” If my heart pounds any harder, it’ll bust right through my ribcage. I grab a folder, just to make it look like a legitima
te meeting. A quick glance around confirms I’m putting on a show for exactly nobody.
I round the corner to his office, where he waits sitting on the couch.
He looks up when I walk in. “Close the door.”
“Sure,” I whisper.
“Jenna.” Jake stands up and takes a few steps toward me.
I swallow hard. There’s a strange look in his eye, but it’s not like anything I’ve seen. More often than not, I see sparks of rage shoot from his eyes, but they’re surprisingly calm. The anger and malice that I’ve witnessed almost every day since this internship started are gone. If he were a normal guy, I may go out on a limb and say he’s happy, but since it’s Jake, I don’t know that I’d go so far. My pulse races to catch up to the thoughts flitting through my mind. Could that mean—?
I can barely finish my own thought with the sound of blood rushing between my ears. He’s so close, so threatening, but yet so fucking delicious. My panties dampen with every slow step he takes.
“I told you I’d take care of everything.”
I try to squeeze out a breath. “So, all the evidence against me? It’s all gone?”
“With the day’s trash.” His lips are inches from mine and he twists a lock of my hair around his finger.
“Do I want to know how you managed to do that?”
“No, but I think I want to replay some of the more private moments.” He inches closer still, his eyes narrowing. “Tell me, Jenna. Why do you dress like such a dirty slut when you come to work?”
I gasp and he smiles…a smug little smile that infuriates me, but makes me so hot at the same time. And any shred of control I thought I had dissipates into the air.
“Don’t look so shocked.” He folds his arms. “You know what a hot piece of ass you are. You know all the guys here want to fuck the shit out of you. You love it. Admit it. You dress for us; it’s why you wear those hot fucking bad girl shoes. You secretly want us to want you, to fuck you in our fantasies. You’re a naughty girl, Jenna.” He circles me and my mouth refuses to form words. Mainly because he is right…I have absolutely no defense.
Dirty, Dark, & Dangerous: A Contemporary Romance Boxset Page 30