“Have you seen Mr. Sterling lately?” Sonja asked. “He’s got the constitution of an Olympic athlete and he’s only twenty-nine. I’d bet everything that he’s in perfect health. That's just something that he’s always done since I’ve been working here. Going on four years now.”
“Then what explanation does he give?” Julia asked, hungry for more information.
“I know that you’ve only worked here for a couple of weeks but you should know better. He’s not the kind of man who spends a lot of time or energy explaining himself. He does what he wants, when he wants. That’s usually the way the alpha male billionaires operate.”
“But—”
Sonja cut Julia off before she could continue. “That’s enough questions. Time for you to get back to work. Don’t you still have a bunch of files to complete for the two new Upper West Side properties?
Julia’s curiosity had not been satisfied. But she figured it would be best to not ask any more questions. She didn’t need it getting back to Mr. Sterling that not only was she late but she had also been asking a lot of questions about him.
She smiled, thanked Sonja and went back to her desk.
At about 530 Julia walked back out onto the city streets. She was happy to be out of the office and done with work. One more day until the weekend she thought. A big smile broke out on her face. And her body filled with excitement.
But suddenly she was seized by panic. She recalled handing a file to Mr. Sterling the day before. It was supposed to be for a property in a newly gentrified neighborhood in Brooklyn. She had the gnawing feeling that she had handed her boss the wrong file. No, this can’t be happening she said to herself. There’s no way that I could have made such a silly mistake.
Sweat broke out all over her body. There was only one thing to do. She rushed back into the office building and waited impatiently for the elevator. It seemed like it was taking forever. When she finally got back up to the sixth floor, she was nearly in tears. How had she done this? But there was still a chance that she was just being paranoid. Maybe she had given Mr. Sterling the right file after all. But when she got to her cubicle and began sorting through the stack on her desk, all of her hopes were destroyed. She had given him the wrong file. She had mixed up two similar street names. It was such an amateur mistake.
She sat down in her chair and let her head slump onto the desk. She had started the day thinking that she would end up being fired for arriving late. Now, she was sure that she was finished. She had messed up something really important. She could have stayed in that position for hours, sobbing and feeling sorry for herself but she knew that would hardly help her find a way out of this situation. So she wiped her eyes and cheeks, sighed, and stood up.
That’s when an idea sprung into her head. Maybe there was a way to make this right. If she could somehow get the file to Mr. Sterling in the next couple of hours, maybe he would forgive her. Maybe not. But it was the only shot she had. There was no way that this could wait until tomorrow. And if she got the file to him by the end of the day, it would be an opportunity for her to show her new boss just how dedicated she was. She was willing to blow off a Thursday night of fun in the city in order to track him down and give him the right file.
But how would she find him?
Chapter 2
Julia hurried out of the building and quickly hailed a cab. She remembered that Mr. Sterling owned several steak houses in the city. She hadn’t been to any of them. And she didn’t know where exactly they were located so she took out of her phone and googled it. The closest one was in Midtown.
This was the worst time of the day to travel in the city, besides the morning rush hour commute. Julia sat in the back of the cab nervously biting her nails. She hadn’t done that in years. It made her sick. But it was the only thing that she could think of to calm her nerves. It wasn’t really working.
Thirty minutes later she arrived at 49th and Lexington. Julia hopped out of the cab and dashed into the restaurant as fast as she could. She was sweating and out of breath but she was there. She desperately hoped that Mr. Sterling was too. She didn’t think that she could handle any more taxi rides throughout the city.
“Yes, how can I help you?” The hostess asked.
It took Julia a moment to catch her breath. “I’m an employee at Sterling Realty Company and I really need to get a file to Mr. Sterling as soon as possible. I was wondering if he was here.”
The look on the hostesses face changed suddenly. Julia could have sworn that she saw fear and apprehension when she mentioned Mr. Sterling’s name. But the girl managed to quickly get her emotions under control and answer Julia’s question.
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Sterling is not here. Is there anything else that I can help you with?”
“Are you sure he’s not here?” Julia asked. “I’m just a new employee but I remember hearing him say something about having an office in the back of all his restaurants. Is it possible that he’s in his office?”
The hostess frowned and crossed her arms against her chest. Now Julia felt like she was getting somewhere. She had a very strong feeling that Mr. Sterling was in fact in the office. Now it was just a matter getting past the hostess.
Before the hostess could answer the question two men dressed in impeccable business suits emerged from a back room. Their eyes locked on Julia. They said something to each other and then went back into the room that they had just come out of.
Their appearance seemed to have further agitated the hostess. Is there anything else I can help you with?” She asked angrily.
“Yes,” Julia said. “You can go check in Mr. Sterling’s back office. I have a feeling that he’s here.”
“I don’t know what kind of feelings you have. Or why you have them. But I’ve already told you that Mr. Sterling is not here. I think it would be best if you left right now.”
There was a moment of silent tension. The two women stared at each other without backing down. They both probably thought that they were doing the best thing for Mr. Sterling’s business. They would have relished receiving praise from him for doing the right thing, for showing their loyalty and dedication to him.
Julia realized that it would be best to adopt a different strategy. She was not going to be able to go through this woman. So there was no point standing there having a staring contest.
“Ok fine,” Julia said. “But if you do happen to see him please let him know that Julia Abbot stopped by with a file for him.”
“I will be sure to let him know,” the hostess said with a smirk on her face.
Julia would have loved to reply with a snarky comment but she knew that it was best to leave things where they were. Her mind was already busy trying to find a way to the back of the restaurant. She knew that Mr. Sterling was there, or at least she had a very strong sense that he was.
She thanked the hostess, flashed her best fake smile, and walked out of the restaurant. As she walked away she could feel the woman’s eyes burning a hole in her back.
Right as she put her hand on the door and prepared to go back on the street, she snuck a peek over her shoulder. The hostess was gone. A rush of excitement shot through Julia’s body. This was her chance. She hurried back into the restaurant lobby and pushed her way through the main doors in the big dining room. It was empty. That was to be expected. One of the unique things about this steak house is that it didn’t open until 7pm. It would be another hour or so before diners started showing up. She quickly moved through the dining room with the file tucked under her arm. As she got close to a pair of double doors, she could hear a series of loud grunts and growls. That stopped her in her tracks. That didn’t seem like the kind of sound that you heard in a restaurant. She could feel her body beginning to tremble. She took a few deep breaths and she regained her composure. She had come here to deliver the file to Mr. Sterling and she wasn’t going to leave until she completed that mission. She pushed her way through the double doors and walked down a long hallway. The loud grunts
and growls seemed to be coming from all around her. None of this made any sense to her. Where was she? And where would this long hallway take her? Her body shivered with fear and excitement. It had been so long since she had anything like an adventure. When she got to the end of the hallway, she pressed her ear against a large wooden door. Suddenly she couldn’t hear anything. The sounds seemed to have disappeared. This was all so weird. She had a strong feeling that the best thing to do was to turn back.
She had tried to deliver the file. She really had. She had gone above and beyond what the job required. Surely, Mr. Sterling would have some appreciation for the extra effort she had put in. But she quickly brushed those thoughts away. Sterling Realty Company was not about effort. It was about excellence. There was no way that she could turn back now. She would go through this door and however many other doors she had to go through until she finally found Mr. Sterling.
Her hand began to shake as she moved it towards the door handle. Just be calm, she told herself. Nothing bad is going to happen. Her whole body quivered as she slowly turned the handle. She couldn’t hear a sound. She pushed the door open and got the shock of her life. She saw a pack of lions sitting in a circle. And in the middle of the pack was the biggest lion of all. All of them turned to look at her. She had the urge to scream. She had the urge to run. But she couldn’t do either of those things. Her mouth wouldn’t work. It had gone completely dry. Her tongue felt like it was stuck to the roof of her mouth. And her legs wobbled beneath her.
Moments later she felt something on her shoulder. She turned slowly to see what it was. It was a lion’s paw. She opened her eyes wide with fear and stared directly at the wild animal. The file folder fell from underneath her arm and spilled onto the floor. Within seconds the lion was gone. And right in front of her appeared the naked human form of he boss Mr. Sterling. This was too much for Julia to take. She felt the blood draining from her head and her legs going weak beneath her. As she fell to the floor, Mr. Sterling caught her in his arms.
Chapter 3
Mr. Sterling had no idea how or why his newest secretary had found her way into the secret back chambers of his restaurant. It was an absolutely inexcusable security breach and someone would have to pay for it. As the anger rose in his chest he let out a series of low growls. He had the strong desire to rip someone to pieces. He was usually a mild-mannered man, or at least that’s what the people around him thought. Deep down he was really a hot-blooded alpha that loved to launch himself head long into conflict. But over the years he had learned to temper those animal desires. One of his father’s dying wishes had been that he learn how to control his temper. It is the only way that you will be able to lead the pack going forward, he had said. Our survival is not guaranteed. We have many enemies. There are many people who wish to see our destruction.
Mr. Sterling had promised his father that he would not let that happen. The future of the pack would be safe in his hands. And for the past five years the clan had become more and more powerful. It was their investments in real estate, primarily in New York but also in European and Asian countries that had made them such a force. But it wasn’t just that. It was also their code, their code of secrecy.
If one of the members became disgruntled and decided to share the pack’s secrets with another group everything would be put in jeopardy. That’s why they worked so hard to guard their secrecy. It was a matter of life or death.
That’s why this breach of security was such a serious matter. He would have to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible. And then would come the really tough decision. What would he do with this young woman?
Mr. Sterling sighed and sat down at his desk. He pulled a bottle of scotch out of his drawer and poured himself a drink. The liquid burned his tongue and slowly relaxed his brain. But it didn’t give him the enjoyment and relaxation that it normally did. There was just too much to deal with right now and not even his favorite drink was going to change that.
Two soft knocks on his door interrupted Mr. Sterling’s thoughts. Whoever it was better have some good answers as to how the new secretary at his realty company had managed to get into the secret back rooms of his restaurant. No one involved would be spared. A low growl rose in Mr. Sterling’s chest. He would have to do his best to control his animal instincts. If he wasn’t careful, he might shift into a lion and end up doing something truly regrettable—like tear someone from limb to limb.
The door opened slowly and the scared face of a young woman appeared. It was the hostess. The one who had turned her back on Julia. She had the terrified eyes of someone who was being led to their execution. Quite possibly she was.
Mr. Sterling leaned back in his chair and eyed the woman up and down. She had a gorgeous body. He had fantasized about taking her sexually plenty of times. But up until now he had been able to resist. He could feel his large dick beginning to squirm in his pants. But he quickly shook those thoughts away. There was serious business to attend to. There would be plenty of time to ravish this woman. And she surely wouldn’t be able to resist his advances. Even if she did he would find a way to make her consent. Life had taught him that anything could be attained. Any defense or resistance would break down under the force of a sustained attack.
“Do you know why you’re here?” Mr. Sterling said.
The young woman lowered her head. Her whole body was shaking. Maybe it was wrong, but Mr. Sterling took immense pleasure in the woman’s discomfort. He had never been able to shake his slight sadistic streak, primarily because women seemed to appreciate it. Most men were nice merely out of fear. Not because they wanted to be. And that fear would often cause women to lose respect for them. Mr. Sterling had never had a problem commanding women’s respect. Or anyone’s respect for that matter.
“I asked you a question,” Mr. Sterling said. “Do you know why you are here?”
The young woman brushed a lock of brown hair behind her ear and slowly raised her eyes. They were filled with fear and she looked as if she had been crying. She meekly shook her head from side to side.
“You are here because you committed an unpardonable sin.”
When she heard those words, the young woman raised her head. Now there was more than fear in her eyes. But it was hard to make out what exactly she was thinking. But clearly those words ‘unpardonable sin’ had a particular meaning for her.
“Come over here and sit on my lap,” Mr. Sterling said licking his lips and reaching down and touching his crotch. He felt a series growls rising in his chest. He had a strong urge to dominate this woman, to put her on all fours and show her who was boss. It would take all of his strength and will power to control himself. This was a typical dilemma for an alpha lion. They had off the charts sex drives that could either bring them great success or bring them to the point of total ruin. These types of superior men were always forced to walk a tight rope.
The young woman wiped a tear away from her eye and slowly walked around Mr. Sterling’s desk. Mr. Sterling extended his arms towards her and helped her onto his lap.
He brushed a tangle of hair out of the girl’s face and wiped the traces of tears from her cheeks.
“Why are you crying?” He asked with a benevolent smile. All this power gave him such a rush. He couldn't understand how weak beta males could stand to live with themselves. How could they look at themselves in the mirror in the morning without breaking down and crying. He could hardly even consider them men.
“I didn’t mean to do it,” the young woman said as she tried to fight back the tears. “I really didn’t. I thought that she had left. I saw her walk out.”
“But she must have come back in,” Mr. Sterling said. “You should have called for security if you didn’t think that you could handle the situation.”
“But I thought I could handle it,” the young woman said. She put her head in her hands and began sobbing.”
Mr. Sterling pulled her tight to his chest. He wasn’t that much older than her but women of all ages seemed to lo
ok at him as a father figure. He just had that sort patriarchal aura about him that inspired confidence in women.
“What did she say to you?” Mr. Sterling asked.
The young woman sniffled and wiped her nose. “She was asking all sorts of questions. She wanted to know if you were here. Then she said something about you having an office in the back of the restaurant.”
“What? Mr. Sterling said in startled voice. He almost pushed the young woman off his lap and onto the floor. He managed to catch her at the last second. “What did you say?”
“She said that you had told her that you had an office in the back of your restaurant.”
“What? Get off my lap,” he said pushing the young woman away from him. The hostess stared at him with startled eyes. He glared at her.
Chapter 4
When Julia woke up, she was in empty room with bare white walls. All of the lights were on. Her head was groggy and she was tied to a chair. The ropes were cutting into her arms and legs. It took her a few moments to remember where she was. And then she remembered having seen all those lions sitting in a circle. Tremors of fear shook her body. She had to get out of here. Her life was in danger. She was sure that it was. She had seen something that she was not supposed to see. She had seen something no one except the members of that group were supposed to see.
“Help me!” She screamed. “Help me!!”
She began wriggling around in the chair desperate to get free. She rocked back and forth and she continued screaming. She screamed with every bit of energy in her soul. She had never found herself in such a terrifying position.
Then she went silent as she heard a series of loud footsteps approaching the room. She waited anxiously for the door to open. This was all a big misunderstanding. She just needed to explain to Mr. Sterling why she had come here and she was sure that everything would turn out all right. Anyway, that was her only hope. Her life would depend on whether or not he believed her.
Interracial Romance: Gay Romance: Bound By His Own Desires (MMM Endowed Black Men Bondage Threesome Romance) (A Billionaire's Freedom Book 3) Page 110