She gives a wry smile, one side of her glossy pink lips turning upward. “That sounds like my father. Need to know basis, and all that.”
Hale lets out a chuckle so fake and cheesy that I want to smack him.
I clear my throat and Kira turns toward me, her dark eyes slightly narrowed. “We understand you’re a recent graduate, Ms. Walker?”
She leans forward and recrosses her legs, and the room suddenly feels hotter. “I finished my MBA program last month, Mr. Daniels.”
She puts some emphasis on my name, and yes, the room is definitely getting hotter.
“MBA?” Hale echoes. He doesn’t sound like Mr. Suave anymore; he sounds like his brain may have finally woken up and remembered his concerns about what Kira’s presence could mean for his career.
“Yes, I was a Baker Scholar at Harvard Business School,” Kira confirms.
Hale sits up straight then, his face sober. Baker Scholars are those in the top five percent of their class. I think her education may have killed his hard-on.
He finally meets my eyes and I give him a subtle but meaningful look. Remember the plan.
He clears his throat and when he speaks again, he sounds more like the hard-ass I know than the ladykiller he was trying to be. “Oh, very good. I imagine your father had a helping hand in that, too.”
If looks could kill. Kira uncrosses her long legs and leans toward Hale. “My father has helped me out many times in my life, but he is not at all responsible for my hard work and good grades. That was insulting, Mr. Harris.”
“Right. Well. As I said, we weren't expecting you so we'll need time to find a suitable project for someone with your hard work ethic and good grades.”
Wow. I’ve seen Hale be a complete asshole, but this is over the top, even for him. Getting into a fight with Walker’s daughter in the first five minutes was not part of our plan.
“Ms. Walker, I’m sure you need some time to get settled in here,” I say, aiming for a soothing tone, but probably falling short. “We’ll get back to—” My words are cut short by a knock on the open door of my office.
“Sorry about that,” Lucy says as she enters. Her tone is bright, but when she sees the expressions on Hale and Kira’s faces, she stops short. “Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, Lucy,” Hale says, standing. “I’m sure you have paperwork for Ms. Walker to fill out. When she’s finished that, maybe she could help you with filing.” He walks out without a backward glance.
I walk to the door, signaling the end of our meeting. “We need some time to get organized with regard to Ms. Walker’s work assignments,” I say. “We’ll set up a meeting later.” I nod at each of them. “Thank you, Lucy. Nice to meet you, Ms. Walker.”
I can feel the heat of anger rising from Kira Walker’s skin as she exits my office.
4
Kira: Take the Bulls by Their Horns
“What did I miss in there?” Lucy asks when we’re out of range of Pierce Daniels’ office. She leads me to the empty break room. “Want some coffee?” she adds.
I nod. “Sure. Tell me, are those two men always such assholes?”
Lucy’s reaching into a cupboard for mugs but she freezes mid-motion to give me a concerned look. “No, they’re not. What happened?”
I shrug. I don’t want to relay the conversation. It was petty, really. “They were just rude,” I say. Lucy shoots me another glance as she presses the brew button. “But I guess I can put up with them for a few months.”
“A few months?”
“Yeah. I’ll be here for three months.”
“And then what happens?” she asks.
“Then I’ll be launching my hair and skin care company,” I say.
Lucy hands me the first cup she brews. “Cream and sugar?”
“Yes, please.”
She pulls a container of sugar packets forward on the counter and retrieves cream from the refrigerator. “That sounds interesting.”
“I’ve been making my own natural skincare for years, but my father thinks it’s just a hobby.”
“So why are you here for three months?” Lucy asks as she brews her own cup.
“He’s hoping I’ll change my mind, but it’ll never happen. No offense, but I’m already counting the days.”
She gives a small laugh. “You have no intention of staying?”
“Definitely not,” I say. “And I made no secret of that with my father.”
Lucy has a thoughtful and curious look on her face that I can’t ignore. “What?” I ask.
She looks toward the doorway and then lowers her voice. “I probably shouldn’t be repeating what I heard, but Hale and Pierce may have been rude to you because they think you’re here to take over the company.”
I laugh out loud, nearly choking on my sip of coffee. “That’s hilarious! I plan to put in a good effort while I’m here, but I honestly don’t even have a grasp yet on what Walker Industries does.”
Lucy giggles companionably and I get the feeling she’ll become a good friend while I’m here.
Leaning against the counter side-by-side, we enjoy our coffee in silence for a few moments before she says, “You’ll have to tell Hale and Pierce what your intentions are. Put them at ease.”
I flash back to Hale’s nasty insinuations — hell, he did more than insinuate. I don’t care what he thinks I’m here for; he had no right to be so rude. And Pierce wasn’t much better. Such a cold fish. What a shame for men who are so good looking to have such unfortunate personalities. “You know what?” I say. “Let’s keep it a secret for a while.”
Lucy stares for a beat and then shrugs a shoulder. “Sure. It’s your story to share.”
After our coffee break, Lucy introduces me around the office, where everyone else is much friendlier than the jerks running the place. I fill out the paperwork that Hale alluded to, settle into my office, and do research on the company. It was irresponsible of me to start working here without preparing myself. Even though my time commitment is limited, I wasn’t lying when I told Lucy I plan to do a good job while I’m here.
And now that I have some inside information on Hale and Pierce’s concern for their jobs, I’m suddenly feeling more excited about the next few months.
By late afternoon I still haven't heard from Mr. Ice or Mr. Ass regarding an assignment. Armed with my new knowledge about Walker Industries, I decide to take the bulls by their horns, so to speak.
Passing Pierce’s office, I see both men inside, heads together, voices low. I knock once and proceed inside without waiting for an invitation. “Excuse me, gentlemen.”
They glance up in unison, and I'm struck again by their good looks, and the contrast between Hale with his dark features, and Pierce, his hair glinting with golden highlights in the sunshine streaming into his corner office.
Their attractive appearances almost distract me from my mission — almost, but not quite.
“I'm glad you're both here,” I say, striding over to Pierce’s desk. “I wanted to let you know I've decided to work on the Washburn account.” They were mid-conversation when I entered, but they're silent now.
After staring for several moments, Hale says, “You've decided?”
“Yes. Seeing as it's our most important new account, that's where my time will be best spent … until I'm ready to make some bigger decisions.” I fill my tone with intrigue, and am almost tempted to laugh at how ominous I make my words sound.
Hale opens his mouth, closes it, then says, “What you work on isn’t up to you. You report to us.” He flashes a look to Pierce, whose expression is neutral.
“Do I?” I say, running a finger along the corner of the desk, and then using it to straighten a small stack of papers sitting near the edge. “For now, maybe.”
This is fun! Maybe I should’ve had a secondary major in drama. I have absolutely zero interest in running this company, but I must be doing a convincing job of acting like I do, because Hale is fuming. If he were some other sort of anim
al, he’d be baring his teeth and growling at me right now.
Jaw clenched, he says, “For now, you work under us.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I say, letting my eyes stray down his body and linger. Hmmm … I’d like that, too, but I’m not letting him know that.
While hot fury builds in Hale’s eyes, Pierce’s stare is icy. “Do you even know anything about the Washburn account, Ms. Walker?” he asks, his tone colder still.
“I know that you’re leaving money on the table by not offering service upgrades.”
Pierce’s expression goes colder still.
I wander away from the desk and take in the spectacular view of the city. “This is a very nice office you have, Pierce. I’m curious … is it the biggest one here?” I swear I can feel their gazes — one hot and one cold — burning into my back. “My office is a bit small,” I say, thoughtfully.
I turn to face them, a confident smile on my face. “Let’s meet tomorrow morning at eight. Hale, will you bring coffee for us all?”
I don’t wait for an answer. I’ll let him do his swearing after I’ve left the room. “Have a good evening, gentlemen,” I say before I turn and leave.
5
Hale: Kinky Desires
“Bring fucking coffee?! Who the fuck does she think she is?!”
While I'm storming around Pierce’s office, he lets out a low, rumbling sound.
“What the fuck? Are you laughing?!” I stop and stare in disbelief. “You are actually fucking laughing. You think losing your job is funny?”
He sobers, but one corner of his mouth is still curved upward. “We're not losing our jobs,” he says.
“Not yet. But you heard her. She's taking over. Bossing us around on day one.” I resume pacing around Pierce’s office, while he watches, brow furrowed. “I fucking hate Walker,” I say. “‘Take good care of her,’ he said. ‘Keep her happy.’ What a fucking bunch of bullshit.”
Pierce chuckles again, but it's a bitter laugh this time. “Yeah, I guess we're not exactly keeping her happy. You’ve already pissed her off good.”
“Serves her right.”
“No, we need a different approach,” Pierce says. “More bees with honey, and all that. She didn't turn into a bitch until you insulted her this morning.”
I grunt. Did I insult her? I don't remember saying anything to turn her into Hostile Takeover Barbie.
“We should make her comfortable and then undermine her. Right now, she's on the offensive, and that's not good,” he says.
“What do you have in mind?” I argue with Pierce a lot, but when it comes down to it, I’ve learned to trust his instincts on most things.
“We act agreeable. Make her happy, like Walker said. Get her to relax. Then we'll be in a position to get what we want.”
I grunt again. “I’ll try it your way, but I’m not getting anybody any fucking coffee.”
Pierce smirks again and I slam his door on my way out.
Returning to my office, I catch sight of a hot body walking in the opposite direction. My gaze follows long, dark hair down to a perfect ass in a tight little skirt. I’m wondering who the hot new piece in the office is, when I realize I already know — it’s Kira. Damn.
I watch her walk, almost hypnotized by the sway of her backside, and it occurs to me that I have the perfect way to make her happy. Really happy. Clutching-the-sheets-and-screaming-my-name happy.
She’s heading for the lobby, so I trail behind and catch up just as she enters an empty elevator. I slide in before the door closes.
There's a pleasant expression on her face until she sees who I am, then she goes stony. “Mr. Harris,” she says with a curt nod.
“Ms. Walker.” I give her my best smile, but she just stares straight ahead. “How was your first day?”
“Peachy.”
Her sarcastic response makes me imagine her bare ass. I’ll bet it’s soft, juicy, and sweet like a peach.
“Look,” I say, hoping some humility will melt her veneer. “I think we got off on the wrong foot.”
“You think?”
“Let me buy you a drink. Make it up to you.”
“Why would I want to have a drink with you when you’ve been so rude to me?” Her eyes flicker to mine before she returns her focus to the readout of the elevator’s downward progression.
I need to buy time. I reach in front of her and press the “STOP” button, and the elevator lurches to a halt.
“What are you doing?!”
“Have a drink with me,” I repeat.
Her eyes are blazing as she looks up at me. “Are you going to hold me hostage until I agree? Would you like to tie me up, too? Make me your prisoner?” She holds her fists together in front of her, offering them to me.
I step closer, so close that I can feel the heat coming off of her. “If you’re into that sort of thing, I certainly wouldn’t say no.”
Our faces are just inches apart. When she lets out a frustrated huff, I can feel it on my skin and smell her minty breath.
“Tell me all about your kinky desires, Ms. Walker. I’d be happy to oblige,” I say, my voice low.
“You wouldn’t be able to keep up, Mr. Harris.” The sassy smile she gives me makes my cock kick up.
“I like a challenge.” I move my foot between hers, press my leg against her inner thigh, and attempt to move her toward the wall.
“Really, Mr. Harris? Because I very distinctly got the exact opposite impression from you earlier today.” Kira swiftly moves back, swerves around me, and before I can stop her, presses a button to start the elevator’s progression. She remains with her back against the control panel for the rest of the brief ride, blocking my access, smiling up at me in triumph.
“Like I said, we got off on the wrong foot. I was having a hard day,” I say.
“Hmmm … I can see that your day isn’t the only thing that’s hard.” Just as the elevator dings for the ground floor, I follow her gaze downward to see my burgeoning erection pressing against my pants. “Take care of yourself, Mr. Harris,” she says with another pointed look at the bulge in my trousers. “See you tomorrow.” And she’s gone.
6
Kira: Am I Teasing You?
I arrive for my second day of work with a little more spring in my step. I’m eager to put my education to good use, helping with the Washburn account and others, but if I’m being honest, I have to confess that I’m most looking forward to messing with Hale and Pierce’s heads.
It’s fun winding Hale up. He’s clearly a hothead as well as a hot body, and it’s so easy to get a rise out of him, figuratively and literally.
Mmmm. I was as turned on as he was in the elevator yesterday, but I’m hopeful my desire wasn’t as obvious as his. I need to keep the upper hand, and that will be hard to do if the men know how appealing I find them.
Lucy is already bustling around when I come in and gives me a friendly smile and greeting. I take a roundabout path to my office so that I can pass by the executive offices. Hale’s door is closed and his space is dark. Pierce is at his desk, golden head down over his laptop.
“See you in ten? In the conference room,” I say, popping my head into his office.
“Good morning, Ms. Walker,” he says when he looks up.
“Mr. Daniels.” I roll my eyes at his formality. He’s going to be a harder nut to crack than Hale. Then I giggle inwardly. Cracking nuts … busting balls … time to get back into my hard-driving character. “Ten minutes. Bring all your notes on Washburn,” I say before I walk away.
When I reach the conference room at the appointed time, Pierce is already there, seated near one end of the table with both an iPad and a notepad in front of him. Add a shiny apple, and he’d look like teacher’s pet.
I check my watch. “We’ll wait two minutes for Hale.”
“He sends his regrets,” Pierce says.
“He’s not coming?” I close the door; the blinds are already drawn on the room’s window to the hall.
I search Pierce’s face. He appears sincere yet he also doesn’t look overly concerned.
Briefly, I wonder if Hale is skipping out because he’s mad or embarrassed about our encounter in the elevator. Mad, most likely; I can’t imagine that he embarrasses easily. And from what I saw through his trousers, he has nothing to be embarrassed about. There’s a little flutter inside me at the memory, but I pull myself back to the present.
“Okay, do you have the latest numbers on Washburn deliverables?”
Pierce pulls up a spreadsheet on his tablet and we get started. I’m pleased to find that he’s open with information and seemingly receptive to my ideas. While we discuss the project, I forget my goal of trying to make him squirm, and instead turn my focus to what’s best for Walker Industries.
After Washburn, we branch into a few other accounts and I formulate a list of action items for myself to support the projects. Pierce is the picture of professionalism during our meeting, but as the conversation winds down, I notice several fleeting glances in the direction of my chest, and, when I move back from the table, his gaze lingers on my legs.
“Are there any other items you’d like to discuss?” I ask as I gather my notes.
Pierce doesn’t respond immediately, and when I look up, he seems uncomfortable. I lean back in my chair and wait.
“Umm … has Lucy spoken with you … eh, about the company’s dress code policy?”
I cross my legs and watch his eyes dart down in their direction. His cheeks redden ever so slightly, and I recognize an opportunity to torment him. “Why, no, she hasn’t, Mr. Daniels. Would you care to enlighten me?”
“Well, um …”
I shift in my seat and manage to make my skirt ride up a bit further. When he doesn’t speak, I slide my chair a few inches closer to him and recross my legs, touching his leg with my foot as I do. “Is there a problem, Mr. Daniels?”
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