by Cara Addison
“Do you like it?”
“Actually, I love it,” he responded as he settled back in his chair. “I think I’d get bored working in Energy. There isn’t much variety there. With consumer products I work with companies from food to fashion,” he added with a smile.
Aurora chuckled to herself. “I wonder what the boys in Industrials think when you tell them you’re off to acquire a company that makes five thousand dollar handbags to sell to their girlfriends.”
“Handbags and hemlines,” he said with a laugh. “That’s how they characterize the industry.” He took another sip of the fine single-barrel bourbon in his glass. “When they really get throwing around the verbal barbs, I just remind them that I get to work with Aurora Reagan,” he said flirtatiously. “That shuts them up instantly.” While he had made the comment in jest, the truth was that he had dropped her name on numerous occasions to halt an elitist argument with colleagues.
“I doubt they even know who I am.”
Jason scoffed at her modesty. “Trust me sweetheart, everyone from the mailroom to the executive suites at Morgan Stanley knows exactly who you are.”
Without a doubt, Aurora was the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company in the United States. She had received stacks of press on her climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Over her short career, critics had been turned to supporters as they witnessed her take F-Five global. Originally named for the five fashion brands it owned, Aurora now preferred to think of F-Five as the measure of a particularly intense force of nature.
Andrew Banks, the founder of F-Five, had started the fashion company in the early nineties when a number of designer brands came together to more efficiently and effectively design, manufacture, and market their wares. As the vice president of marketing for one of those brands, Aurora was one of the first employees of F-Five. It was a series of highly successful marketing campaigns in their first year of operation that caught Andrew’s attention. He took Aurora under his wing, acting as a mentor to her as he gradually integrated her into the various departments of the company. After insisting she work for a grueling period of six months in each department, Andrew promoted Aurora to senior vice president.
She had fully expected to remain in that position for another decade before making another attempt to break through the glass ceiling, but fate had other ideas. After two back-to-back years of record-breaking growth, Andrew privately informed Aurora that he had terminal cancer. Though devastated at the possibility of losing her tutor and friend, she obliged his final wish that she work alongside him during his final months at the company. During that time, he quietly meticulously groomed her to take over the company. When he died seven months later, the Board had little choice but to appoint Aurora Reagan as the interim CEO while they launched a global search for Andrew’s replacement. At the age of thirty-four they were skeptical that she had the skills and experience necessary to handle the company.
They were wrong. During her interim reign as chief executive, she worked through her grief to lead the company to a forty-percent increase in sales while acquiring two new brands into the F-Five stable. At the end of six months, the Board abandoned their executive search and announced Aurora as President and CEO of the company. Neither the board nor company investors had regretted one day of the past two years since her appointment to the corner office. Year-over-year increases in sales along with frugal management of expenses meant robust earnings for all.
“You’ve accomplished so much, Aurora,” Jason said quietly. “Do you ever wonder what’s next for you?”
She set down her empty martini glass and shrugged her shoulders. “I try not to think too much about it. I prefer to live in the moment and focus on the task at hand.”
“So no plans for global domination?” he said in jest.
“Absolutely none,” she said with a laugh. She sat back comfortably and thought for a moment before adding, “I’ve been given a lot. I’ve been given opportunities that not many people get. I’d like to give back someday.”
“Well, you’re already an incredible role model. I’m sure you’ll find the best way to make your make on the next generation, Aurora.”
The waiter who appeared, questioning if they sought another round of drinks interrupted the conversation.
Aurora glanced at her watch and sat up straight in her seat. “I should call it a night. I hadn’t realized how late it’s gotten.” Even though it was still evening in America, their presentation was in less than seven hours. She needed to get some rest.
Standing in front of the elevator, Aurora turned to face Jason. “Thank you for the drink. It was nice to unwind after such a long flight.”
“My pleasure,” he said softly as he turned to face the diminutive yet powerful executive. While he desperately wanted to lean down and kiss the extraordinary woman in front of him, he didn’t dare initiate sexual contact with a client. If she were to initiate, he’d be all over the idea of fucking her. He’d heard the rumor that she was involved with a member of the Yankee front office staff, but he didn’t know how true it was. He watched her smile ever so seductively before turning to step into the elevator as the doors opened.
They rode in silence until they reached their floor. He followed her down the hallway, watching her walk so gracefully until she reached the door of her suite.
“Good night Jason,” she said before disengaging the lock and stepping into the suite that looked out over the river.
He could see the famous London Eye through the window. “Good night, Aurora. I’ll see you in the lobby at six a.m.” And with that, his dream woman disappeared.
Chapter 5
They arrived to the board meeting, at precisely fifteen minutes past seven, just as they had been instructed. Even though Aurora knew that the Board would be dealing with a number of complex issues at this meeting, she was a little perturbed that they were made to wait for more than thirty minutes before making their pitch. She watched Douglas and Jason pace the room they had been asked to wait in until their constant motion began to agitate her. She slipped off one of her Sophie Webster designer heels and threw it across the room, narrowly missing both bankers. “Sit the fuck down,” she hissed. “You’re making me nervous.”
Immediately they each sat down in the chair closest to them, watching in amusement as Aurora hobbled across the room to retrieve her footwear. No sooner had she slipped the shoe back on when they were summoned to the boardroom.
Aurora began expressing her sincere regret over the circumstances that brought them all to this meeting. Then, she shifted focus to the opportunity the Mayberry Board had to shape the future of the company.
“Over the next few hours, you will undoubtedly be presented with a number of options for consideration. As you know, you can choose to do nothing in response to this drastic drop in the value of your stock.”
She knew of course that doing nothing wasn’t an option. She trusted that the board understood that ignoring their problem and hoping that the stock would eventually rebound would open them up to a hostile takeover. In fact, at that precise moment, F-Five was already in control of just over eighteen percent of Mayberry shares. While the board spent the day in meetings, Aurora would see that they bought up another ten to fifteen percent. With each passing hour, they would creep closer and closer toward a controlling interest. If the board flat-out denied her offer, she would unabashedly pursue each and every share that F-Five could get their hands on, regardless of the effect it had on the stock price. All of this information, of course, Aurora kept to herself.
As Aurora continued to speak, Jason handed out their proposal to purchase the beleaguered company. “Jason and Douglas will walk you through the particulars in a moment, but as CEO of F-Five, I encourage you to consider our offer. Not only is it fair, considering your current market cap, but you can be sure that within the F-Five family, Mayberry will remain intact and be brought back to a robust, enviable, and trusted designer brand.”
She looked directl
y at John Noble, the company CEO, as she continued. “You have my personal commitment that all executives and management that continue to be loyal to the success of the brand will maintain their position in the company.” She looked next to the Chairman of the Board. “We have every intention of keeping the day to day operations just as they have been.” She turned her attention to the chief financial officer as she spoke her way around the room. “What you will find by joining the F-Five family of designer brands is that you can optimize your production, distribution, and marketing dollars.” She spoke directly to the COO when she said, “At F-Five, we believe in a spirit of co-option. As designer brands, we cooperate on an operations level, pooling our knowledge and resources. Then, we compete in the marketplace, positioning each brand to appeal to the customer’s unique style, buying patterns, and budget.”
She looked around the room as she concluded her speech. As she scanned the entirely male audience it pained her to greet them universally by saying, “Gentlemen, at F-Five, we know how to manage and grow designer brands. We excel at it. We thrive on it. We unequivocally love what we do. We are very selective in which brands we work with. We aren’t here today, simply because of your unfortunate circumstances. Please don’t confuse us with the vultures who you will find circling in the sky.” Her comments weren’t meant to be sensational, but a subtle warning to the CEO who she strongly suspected would be making a pitch of his own on behalf of the management team who intended a discounted MBO. She took a deep breath and continued her passionate discourse. “I believe that your unique line of luxury accessories for men and women will fit seamlessly with our existing product offerings.” She spoke with conviction when she said, “I am confident that we can weather this public relations calamity and make it a catalyst for success.”
She stepped back from her position at the end of the conference room table. “Gentlemen, Douglas Wilson will now go over the details of our offer.”
As Douglas took her place at the end of the mahogany table, she stepped back and took a seat between Jason and Dan, delicately crossing her ankles and folding her hands in her lap, listening intently as Douglas reviewed the technical details of their offer.
Jason couldn’t believe what he had just witnessed. In five short minutes, a group of seasoned executives from all over the globe went from being visibly stressed, to nodding in agreement as Aurora finished her impassioned talk. Body language around the room look dramatically different than when they had walked into the room so thick with tension that it could be cut with a blunt butter knife. Everyone looked more relaxed, with the exception of the CEO, John Nobel. Jason had no doubt that he had a plan of his own, and it appeared that he felt threatened by Aurora and her bid on behalf of F-Five. No matter, he has no vote at the table.
Seven minutes later, Douglas finished his review of the financials. For another five minutes, Jason and Dan fielded three questions about the legal structure of the acquisition. When there were no more questions, they were dismissed.
No promises had been made with the exception of the chairman of the board indicating that regardless of the outcome of their meeting, the F-Five team would be notified by the end of the business day on the status of their offer to purchase.
As the foursome descended the twenty-eight flights to the lobby, Dan broke the silence. “I can’t believe we flew across the ocean for a fucking fifteen minute pitch.”
Aurora didn’t even hesitate to respond. “There’s no point in taking an hour to say what can be said in a quarter of that time. That may, in fact, be to our advantage. They know who we are and they know what we want. Now they weigh their options.”
An hour later, they were soaring high over the Atlantic Ocean.
* * * *
Having landed right at rush hour, the Town Car encountered traffic all the way into Manhattan, finally dropping Aurora off at her Upper West Side home just after 6 o’clock. She had already received a text from Nicholas notifying her that he was on his way home from the stadium. She was eager to put the business of the past two days behind her and focus on her lover.
She hadn’t responded to his text choosing instead to surprise him when she arrived home. As she bound up the steps, she could feel the cool evening air as it meant her damp panties. Having dropped her bag just inside the door she went from room to room looking for Nicholas. The house smelled like him, and she realized how badly she had missed him. She searched from room to room and floor to floor, finally finding him sitting in a spacious lounger in front of the fireplace of their bedroom.
He was clearly surprised to see her walking across the room toward him. “You’re back,” he exclaimed.
“I am,” she said breathlessly before unzipping her ruched Dolce & Gabbana dress and letting it fall to the floor.
“You missed me,” he jested.
He had no idea how much she missed him. She fought the urge to tell him to unzip his pants, hoping he’d get with the program if she kept removing layers of her own clothing.
He was amused and more than a little aroused at the apparently urgency she had to play with him. As she stood completely naked before him, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, impatiently waiting for him to initiate. When he finally put his hands on the zipper of his jeans, she dropped to her knees in front of him and eagerly helped him out of his pants.
As soon as he was free of the denim barrier, she began kissing her way up his thigh, slowly pushing his knees apart to move between them. Her hands rose beneath his shirt, pressing against his skin as her fingers deftly explored his toned torso.
By the time she reached his dick with her mouth, he had unbuttoned his shirt and thrown it across the room.
She had plans to cover every inch of his cock and balls with her tongue before he came, but at this moment, she desperately needed to feel him in her mouth. With her eyes locked in his, she slipped her soft, plump lips over the head of his cock and slid them down his rock hard shaft. Her fingers kneaded his hips as she delivered a long tantalizing suck.
He felt his legs tremble against her breasts. He finally gave in and let out a long low moan.
She sucked and licked and sucked some more, slowly taking his cock deeper and deeper in her mouth. As her tongue darted against his engorged flesh she watched his eyes, which visibly urged her on. She felt a rush when his eyelids fluttered shut and his head fell back against the chair. With his knees wide and his arms outstretched along the back of the sofa, he moaned and grunted as she sucked his hard cock.
When her mouth began to tire, she shifted her attention to his balls.
He watched as she covered each with warm, wet kisses before pressing her tongue against them as she sensually licked him.
She had missed everything about him. The way he smelled, the sound of his voice, and she had definitely missed the way his cock tasted on her tongue. For Aurora, it was intoxicating to bury her face in Nicholas’s package. She loved being able to provide him such intense stimulus and elicit sounds of carnal pleasure.
He was thoroughly enjoying the immense amount of attention she was showing his cock. It was clear that she planned on staying there until he came. He toyed with the idea of coming in her hair, but she had been less than enthusiastic about that outcome in the past. He knew that Aurora loved it when he came in her mouth. A latent oral fixation, he mused. In any case, he hoped she was prepared for the load he was sure to release on her.
He gasped when she suddenly took his cock deep into her mouth. He felt the tip of his dick hit the back of her throat repeatedly as she bobbed her head between his legs.
“Oh Aurora, have I got something special for you tonight.”
She thought he meant the hot cum he was about to unload, until he continued to explain.
“I bought something special for you while you were away.”
It wasn’t uncommon for Nicholas to surprise her with gifts both small and large. He had given her jewelry, clothing, and pieces of art in addition to the flowers and cards sh
e regularly found waiting for her. She briefly wondered what he had picked out for her this time.
When she looked up at him after giving his cock a particularly hearty suck, his heart pounded. Her big brown eyes, framed by those sexy curls of hair, made him melt. The sight of her sucking so enthusiastically on his cock more than twenty minutes after stepping in the door made him weak.
As his breaths grew shallow, her intensity increased. Before he knew it, he was crying out her name as his cock throbbed and cum burst out of him. His fingers tightened their grip on her hair as his hips lifted against her mouth. The kicker came when he saw the gleam in her eyes, so elated that she had pleased him so deeply.
“I missed you,” he admitted as he watched her lick his cock clean.
“I missed you so much,” she purred. She ran her hand up his cock one last time and licked away the drop of cum that emerged before sitting back to rest on her heels. “What did you get me?” she asked mischievously.
He laughed a naughty laugh before slowly standing up and walking across the room to retrieve a small box from his nightstand. “Come sit on my lap,” he invited when he was once again seated in the chair-and-a-half.
With his help, she rose from the floor where she had been kneeling and sat in his lap. With one knee on either side of his legs, he pulled her in close to kiss her. He nuzzled her neck where he had bitten her earlier in the week, reminding her that she was his.
“You have incredible breasts,” he murmured as he kissed his way toward one hard pink nipple that protruded from a fleshy mound of perfectly white skin. “So incredibly hard,” he murmured before burying his face between her breasts.
As he nuzzled each ample, round globe of breast, his fingers found their way to the warm wet flesh between her legs. He slid one finger inside her pussy, probing deep.
Aurora completely forgot about the small black box with a silver ribbon that sat on the armrest at their side as Nicholas slid a second finger inside her. She moaned loudly as his fingers sunk deep, twisting and thrusting and stretching her pussy. When his thumb began to brush against her clit, she leaned back and let out a throaty moan. With a nipple in Nicholas’s mouth, she had caused him to inadvertently tug on her, sending shots of exquisite pleasure through her body.