by Ally Summers
I pulled two rolling carts behind me as I walked onto the elevator. If he expected me to work out of the Hawthorne building, I needed to bring as many samples and swatches with me as possible. It would take me a few days to set up. I wondered if he had a designated office space for me, or expected me to work in a conference room. I had no idea what I was walking into.
Jennifer had been completely on board with the entire idea. I thought she would want me to split my time between the firm and this project, but she was so excited I had landed the account she didn’t seem to realize it meant I wouldn’t be working with our regular clients. She wanted to be able to add Hawthorne to our client list. That was all that mattered to her.
I stepped onto the brown carpet that lined the corridor and walked toward Grayson’s office.
I was met with a questioning look from his assistant.
“Can I help you?” Her words were clipped.
I smiled. “I have a meeting with Grayson Hawthorne. He is expecting me.”
She eyed my chest. “He didn’t mention it to me and it’s not on his calendar. I set his schedule.”
“Maybe he didn’t have a chance to tell you about it. He and I discussed it last night. It was late. I think you must have been gone for the evening.” None of that made it sound any better.
“Last night?” There was a flare of jealousy in her eyes. I would recognize that look anywhere. She didn’t bother to hide it.
“I’m the new designer,” I explained. “I need to take measurements for the remodel.” I wasn’t sure she was going to let me through the double doors. She was an unexpected hurdle this morning.
Suddenly the doors burst open and a man of Grayson’s stature and exceedingly good looks walked out. But his hair was lighter and his eyes were green.
He stopped. “Good morning.” He grinned. “You must be the decorator girl.”
I suppressed my irritation. It was a common misconception that I only picked out paint and fabric. I had a degree in design. “Yes, Sienna McKenzie with Bubble Designs.”
“My brother’s waiting for you.”
“Oh, you must be Oliver or Jackson, or ...” I had read there was a fourth brother who wasn’t involved with the family business, but I couldn’t remember his name.
He laughed. “I’m Oliver. Nice to meet you, Sienna.”
The receptionist cleared her throat. “I think I need to check in with Grayson before I just let you in.”
“Not necessary, Celia.” Oliver stopped her. “He’s been looking forward to this meeting for a while.” He winked at me and I felt the blush rush to my cheeks. It was as if he wanted to share an inside secret with me. Only, I didn’t know what it was.
“But I need to clear it with him.” She tried again.
Instead Oliver turned behind him and opened the door for me. “Go on in,” he urged. “Hope you two have a productive meeting. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”
“Thank you.”
I looked over my shoulder, but the door was already coming toward me. I turned around to find Grayson standing only a few feet away.
It was like last night, only more intense. My body instantly felt warm and nervous. I was overacting. He was hot and sexy, but this was insane. I was falling apart inside and I hadn’t started work yet this morning.
“Good morning, Sienna.”
Even the sound of his voice made me shiver. What was this man doing to me?
“Good morning, Mr. Haw—I mean Grayson.” I continued to pull the carts behind me.
“Coffee?” he offered.
I had a cup before I left my apartment, but I had this undeniable interest to share in whatever he was doing. “Yes, that sounds good.” I smiled.
He poured the coffee from a china pot and handed me a cup.
“Thank you.” I brought it to my lips. “Ready to get started?”
“Me? I don’t do curtains. I’ll leave that to you.”
“Curtains? Who said anything about curtains?”
He waved his hand toward the windows. “You can take care of it.”
I stared. “It doesn’t seem as if you take what I do very seriously.” I thought maybe after he invited me back and demanded I work with him, his mood would have changed. He had a way of being rough and demanding, while seemingly polished.
“I have a company to run. I don’t think our profit and loss statement hinges on whether my walls match my flooring. That’s all.”
“I have a degree in design,” I stated. “I graduated top of my class.” It seemed urgent that he understand I wasn’t trying to sell him on an assortment of throw pillows. I was talented beyond that, and really I hated throw pillows.
“I didn’t mean to offend you.” His voice was still gruff, but something had softened in his tone. “We have different lines of work.”
“We do. But it doesn’t mean what I do isn’t important.”
“Of course not.”
This morning wasn’t going as planned. I couldn’t tell if we were arguing or just dancing around the sexual tension that dominated the space between us. It was palpable. I couldn’t stop sparring with him.
Without warning Grayson’s assistant barged into the room.
“Do you need any more coffee, Grayson?” I could have sworn she batted her eyelashes at him, before shooting me a death stare.
He barely glanced at her. “No.”
Now that I saw her away from her desk I realized how short and tight her skirt was. I looked down at my own dress. Good grief. Is this what Grayson did to all the women who worked for him? I had the urge to pull my neckline up away from my breasts. I didn’t want to look as if I were competing for his attention.
I reminded myself I was here to work. I couldn’t forget that, no matter how smoldering his eyes were.
Celia tidied the drink cart and walked out of the room. She left the door open.
“I have a board meeting in ten minutes,” he announced. “Do whatever you need to do. Make yourself at home.”
“Oh, where did you want me to work?” I looked around his office.
“In here.”
“Here?” I gulped air. I didn’t know if I could manage sitting near him all day. Sharing the same space. I could barely handle morning coffee without stumbling through all my words and turning into a love struck teenager.
“My office is your top priority, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “It is. I’m sure I can work in here just fine.”
“Good. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be in the meeting most of the morning.”
“Thank you. I think I’ll work over there if that’s all right.” I pointed to the opposite end of his office. It was the farthest spot from his desk.
“Whatever you need.”
I wondered how crazy it would sound if I said I needed him to stay just a little bit longer. Yet, at the same time there was something about Grayson that got under my skin. The need to banter with him. The instinct to poke him. Prod him. Spar just a little to fan the tiny flame I noticed between us. Could I actually put that into words?
“And tell Celia if you’re hungry or want more coffee.”
I took my time unloading paint books and setting up my laptop. I continued arranging my work space on one of the tables. I looked at him. He had no idea that Celia was ready to whack me with a stapler the first chance she got. The last thing she wanted to do was fetch refreshments.
“I think I can handle it. I have a lot of work to do.” I turned my back to him.
I heard the sigh from his lips travel across the room.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
He shook his head before he grabbed a folder from his desk and walked out of the office. The room was suddenly bigger and felt empty without him in it. There was a trace of his cologne. It was wild and minty smelling. I closed my eyes to make it last just a little longer. My eyes floated open and I stared at his vacant desk.
I didn’t know how I had become so distracted so quickly. It wasn’t eve
n ten and I was already off schedule for the day. The only thing I could think about was Grayson Hawthorne.
Seven
Grayson
My bear was fighting inside me. He was pulling and pushing, daring to break free in front of Sienna. I had made it out of the office before he was too out of control. She didn’t notice. She had no idea the kinds of things she was doing to me. Neither did I.
I didn’t want this. I didn’t want her. The timing couldn’t be worse. Hawthorne Global and the clan needed a leader, not a man focused on a woman. When did that ever propel someone to success? When did a woman tip the balance of power for the good?
I had seen it since I was a cub. Men who sacrificed everything for a woman. My father was no different. He gave my mother everything she ever wanted. He built an empire. He gave her sons. And what was it all for?
They died apart.
She died and he died a year later. I saw the torment my father suffered when he was alone. What was it all for?
I didn’t want that. I didn’t want love in my life if it meant I was shattered into a shell of a man.
I didn’t want the distraction Sienna introduced. I didn’t want to share my time or divide it. Jackson might have thought he was sending me a gift. A girl to take to my bed. He had no fucking clue what he had done. I growled from a combination of wanting her so badly I could taste it and wanting her to run out of my life as fast as she had run into it. I had to refuse my bear his deepest desire.
I inhaled inside the elevator. The board meeting needed my full attention. Bear business would have to wait. I had to tell the board about the Silverstone loss. We had to find property in the next six months or else the million we had invested would be lost. That wasn’t the kind of failure I was used to.
As the elevator sank lower, the tightening in my chest eased. I could breathe. The more space I put between myself and Sienna the more I seemed to regain control. It mattered less and less that she was in my office.
I straightened my tie before walking inside.
The board had assembled. I didn’t waste time waiting on other people. I never arrived early. I was never late either. But time was precious and I didn’t spend it at other people’s mercy.
I took my appointed seat at the head of the oblong table to start the meeting. I nodded toward, Benjamin, the administrative assistant who ran the presentation for the weekly meetings. He turned on the LED display and flashed the first shot of last quarter’s production numbers.
I felt my mind ease into a natural rhythm. Figures. Numbers. Charts. Graphs. I began talking through the direction I wanted to take the company for the next quarter. I handed out the good news, before explaining what happened with Jackson’s land deal.
As the meeting progressed I had almost forgotten about Sienna. Forgot that my she was upstairs. Forgotten there was a woman I was meant to take to my bed. Meant to claim. Meant to make mine. I had forgotten about her luscious lips and curvy hips. Her sapphire eyes. Her long blond hair. How her legs sliced in graceful cadence as she walked. Yeah, I had forgotten her. Damn it.
“Mr. Hawthorne, is there anything else? Those are all the graphics and reports Celia sent to me.” Benjamin stared at me blankly.
“I think that covers it all,” I replied. I reached to loosen the tie around my neck, but remembered I was surrounded by board members. I never let my guard down in front of them.
I was hot. My collar was digging into my neck. Every time I thought about my office and who was inside, there was a noticeable lurch under my skin. My bear wasn’t nearly as under control as I thought he was.
I reached for a glass of water.
“You ok, Mr. Hawthorne? Do you want something else? Should I call Celia?”
I glared at him. “No. Just thirsty.” I faced my audience. “As you can see, Hawthorne Global is having a successful start to the first quarter. I predict even greater things for the rest of the year. I will update you next week on the Silverstone plan. We’ll redirect our focus.”
My closing remarks were meant to disperse the group. I walked past everyone and headed straight for the elevator. I couldn’t hold back even if I wanted to. Two hours away from Sienna and he was going crazy. Mad with want and need.
The doors were almost closed when Oliver stuck his head inside.
“Hey, brother. Can I ride with you upstairs?”
I groaned. “Of course.”
“I need to stop by accounting,” he explained. “I have expense reports to drop off.”
“Can’t you email that stuff?” This was exactly the kind of waste of time I hated. Oliver had more important business to attend rather than paperwork minutia.
“Bonnie’s out sick and I thought it would be easier.”
I nodded. Bonnie was Oliver’s assistant. He was as dependent on her as I was on Celia. I relied on her to run the day-to-day operations of my office. She kept my schedule. Reminded me of my meetings, and always made sure I had a change of clothes for whatever my appointments were. She had worked at Hawthorne Global for two years. It was hard to remember what I did before she arrived. She had made her position invaluable, but I was starting to believe it was for the wrong reasons.
“Hey, I had an idea.” Oliver looked down at his phone.
“If it’s a solution for Silverstone I’m all ears.”
He shook his head. “I just thought about it when I met Sienna. She’s fucking gorgeous by the way.”
There was an instant response. The hair on my neck stood up. My fingers curled into a fist.
“Oliver.” My tone was meant to intimidate him.
“Whoa. It’s about you two.” He tucked his phone away. “Why don’t you take her out to Promise Lake? Ask her to decorate the house.”
“Promise Lake?” It was almost painful to say the words.
He nodded. “Yeah, you know the enormous manor we own. No one ever goes out there. Take her. She’d love it.”
“No.”
“Why not?” Oliver stood in front of the door even though it was open and we had arrived at accounting.
“Because. The house is closed up.”
“It doesn’t have to be. Get out of town this weekend. Take a beautiful woman and have a good time. Doesn’t matter if she’s your mate or not. Just go and have fun. I shouldn’t have brought up the dynastess shit. The clan can wait a little longer.”
“Uh-huh. You’re the one who is full of shit. I see through your reverse psychology. I’m not taking her to Promise Lake.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’m headed to accounting. There’s a new girl.”
“Oliver,” I barked as the doors closed. He knew better than to sleep with employees. I groaned.
Eight
Sienna
I had measured every corner of the room. I began to plug the numbers into a schematic I had on my laptop. There was no way to work around the walls of windows, but there were plenty other things I could do with the remaining two walls.
I took a sip of coffee and stared at the screen. I manipulated the image so I could view it from different angles.
I began all my projects the same way—with a blank slate. I pretended I was starting from scratch and there was nothing else I had to contend with. But this project was anything but normal. No matter how many times I looked at the room or spun the layout, I couldn’t stop picturing Grayson in the center of it.
I could see him standing behind his desk, staring out at the city. I envisioned him hunched over the table, going through contracts. And then the most provocative image popped in my head. He had me pinned to the leather couch with my skirt around my waist while his scruff scratched the softness of my thighs and his tongue tortured my clit with steady strokes.
“Shit,” I whispered. I was getting hot and my core quivered.
“Something wrong?”
I jumped when Grayson walked into the room.
I was red and flushed from daydreaming about him going down on me. I wasn’t quite sure I could stand.
“N-no. I was just working on the dimensions.”
He had a scowl on his face. But it was the sexiest scowl I’d ever seen. I kept my knees pressed together. I didn’t want him to read my thoughts—know how badly I wanted him between my legs. I was losing my mind.
“And?” He leaned against his desk, crossing his arms.
“And I think it’s going to take some time, but I know I can make you happy.”
His eyes darkened. They were almost the color of coal.
Maybe the innuendo had been too much. I looked at my design as a distraction.
He crossed the room, planting himself behind me. He looked over my shoulder. “What is that?”
He pointed to the wall I wanted to convert into a multi-media center with hidden flat screens. There was a retractable console that would control everything.
“That’s where you can conduct presentations. Have video conferences. And the screen is large enough to be split up to eight times. There are endless possibilities for how you can use the multi-media functions.”
His cologne wafted over my shoulder. I inhaled the spicy mint smell.
“Where is my father’s portrait?” He sounded angry.
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I didn’t realize that was your father. I thought perhaps it could go in the foyer to your reception area.”
I turned in time to see his brows knit together. “He founded Hawthorne Global. He was the first CEO.”
I nodded slowly. “All right. If that item is non-negotiable, I’ll try to find a way to keep the oil painting, however my professional opinion is that this should be your space, Grayson. It’s hard to make it yours when every person who walks through that door sees your father staring down.”
He took a step backward. “That’s what people think?”
“I’m looking at it from a design standpoint. Everything in your office represents HG. The founder does have a rightful place here, but I believe it’s outside your office. This is your office now.”