Touching The Boss (Billionaires In The City Book 5)

by Mallory Crowe

  “Ahem,” said someone from behind them.

  Michael forced himself to pull away from Lori and glared at the stranger behind them.

  “You mind moving that somewhere else so I can get into my building?” said the guy with an annoyed expression.

  Yes. Michael minded more than this stranger would ever know.

  “I’m so sorry,” blurted Lori as she pushed Michael away from the door to let the man through. Her face was a bright shade of red and he wished like hell he knew how much of the bright shade was due to embarrassment and what was attributable to her desire. Namely her desire for him to carry her up to her apartment and fuck her against the nearest wall, counter, couch or, hell, floor they could find.

  “That did not happen.”

  Immediately, all his fantasies were crushed.

  “That did happen.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up against him. “In fact, it should happen more. Like right now. And then continue for much longer.”

  She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms. For a split second, he even thought she was going to lean in and kiss him again. But she just sighed and leaned away. “Nope. I’m going home. Alone.”

  “You don’t want to,” he insisted as he bent down for another kiss.

  She ducked away and he let her go. Damn it. As long as she thought he was really in business with the Thirteen Stars, he would never stand a chance. And considering he’d only just met her, that shouldn’t bother him as much as it did.

  “I’m going home,” she repeated, and he wasn’t sure whether she was saying it more to him or to herself. As she reached the door, she paused again. “Tell you what. If you break all your, um, questionable ties, you call me, okay?”

  “I’m going to remember you said that,” he called, but she didn’t say anything else as she crossed into the building and the door shut behind her. He fell back against the cool brick and tried to find his normal calm, but he just couldn’t settle the disquiet that swirled within him. He was frustrated. Horny. And most of all, he was confused, and that sure as hell wasn’t a feeling he was used to.

  He forced himself to cross the street and head back to his car. If he stayed out there much longer, he’d be no better than the creepy Hunter. He climbed into the backseat before the driver could get the door for him and told the driver to take him home. As the car pulled away from the curb, he pulled out his phone and dialed Evelyn’s number.

  As always, she answered on the first ring. “Evelyn here.”

  “I think it’s time you tell me exactly what you know about Lori Briggs and spill the real reason you handpicked her.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Lori looked over her shoulder for the sixteen-thousandth time that day. Even though she hadn’t had any indication that Michael would come back down to her floor, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he could pop up at any minute.

  She’d spent all of Sunday peeking out of her windows, half expecting to see Hunter or Michael in front of her building, staring up at her all broodingly. To think, just a few days ago she’d been all alone and wishing there was a guy in her life. Now she had two. Both had asked her out and both wanted things from her. Not that she was into Hunter at all, but it was strange to think of all he had in common with Michael.

  Maybe she should just go to the police anyway. Sure, she didn’t have much in the way of evidence, but it would be better than sitting around and waiting, which was all she did on Sunday. After she sent her resume out to ten different promising companies, she’d done everything possible to distract herself. The apartment was spotless, the pantry was stocked, laundry was done, and she’d even worked out for the first time in forever.

  But somehow everything led back to Michael. What would happen when he got caught? Would anything circle back to her somehow? She’d used her own computer to hack into the FBI one Hunter and Ken had brought to the meeting, but it was doubtful that anything else would lead back to her. She was probably safe from legal scrutiny, but Michael was already in much too deep.

  A knock sounded from behind her. Lori twirled around in her chair to see Cali with her knuckles against the metal of the cube. “Good morning,” she said cheerfully.

  Lori eyed the blonde skeptically. She couldn’t recall even one time that the assistant who sort of ran the company had come down to her level. Michael one day, Cali the next…her cubicle was becoming the place to be.

  “Morning to you too. Computer trouble?” Please let it just be a virus that Lori could fix and nothing to do with whatever the hell happened over the weekend.

  “I actually had a few computer-related questions to ask. It shouldn’t take long. Want to grab a coffee from downstairs and talk it over?”

  No. She really, really didn’t want to get coffee with Cali. “I actually have a lot of work to do.”

  “That’s kind of the purpose of coffee. Come on. It’s on me.”

  Lori was very aware that Cali wasn’t actually asking a question, so she gave up. If she resisted, it would cause a scene, and at this point, that was exactly what she didn’t want. “Sure. Let’s go.”

  Once they were downstairs in the lobby and out of earshot of Lori’s less privacy inclined co-workers, she asked the questions she’d been biting back. “Michael didn’t send you here to talk to me, did he? Because I have nothing to say to him.”

  Cali narrowed her eyes and looked Lori over. “No, he didn’t send me. But I wanted to let you know that whatever happened on Friday, I’m here to talk to if you need someone.”

  Well, that was…suspicious. Cali hadn’t given two shits about Lori before Friday and now she wanted to be supportive and buddy-buddy? “What’s your angle?”

  Cali smiled but didn’t deny that she had ulterior motives. “I was hoping we could help each other. Sometimes it’s such a boys’ club up top, it’s hard to keep my friends and enemies straight.”

  “Are you trying to decide which of those camps I fit in?”

  “I’m trying to figure out why Luke and Michael are having secret meetings and not putting them on my calendar or telling me about them. More specifically, why they’d have a sales meeting that obviously wasn’t about sales and why you would be there.”

  Coffee with a side of interrogation. Great. “They just had a computer issue they needed help with on Friday.”

  “Funny. Normally when they have a computer issue, they ask me to call your department and they send Josh up. Like, don’t get me wrong. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you so far, but you’ve only been here three months. Techs who’ve only been here three months don’t work on Luke and Michael’s computers.”

  Lori held up her hands. “Hey, I didn’t ask questions. Michael showed up at my cube and asked for help and I did. If there’s tension between the three of you, I don’t want to get in the middle of it.”

  Cali scoffed. “Tension? No. There’s no tension. I’m just confused and I’m not used to being in the dark about anything.”

  Actually, if Lori worked this right, she might be able to use Cali to her advantage. “Are you worried they’re doing something bad?”

  Cali tightened her lips and was quiet for a moment. “That family has never once done anything to make me question their judgment. So I don’t think they’d do anything to mess up their reputations now.”

  Nice answer. But even if Cali did suspect something, it wasn’t as if she’d tell Lori to her face. She decided to try a different tactic instead. “You’re a woman I’d consider ambitious.”

  She scoffed. “I’m what I’d call ambitious too. What’s your point?”

  “If you were asked to do something you considered…unethical, what would you do?”

  The blonde narrowed her eyes. Lori tried to keep her expression blank so Cali couldn’t see through her.

  Cali took a sip of coffee before she leaned in. “I’ve been paying attention. You know all those big scandals lately? Tyco, Enron, and thousands of other cases that never made the national
news? I’ve watched countless interviews and gone to the lectures given by these guys once they get out of prison and colleges throw money at them to hear even the tiniest bit about how they did what they did. Why they put their companies and friends on the line. You know how many hundreds or thousands of employees had to know something was wrong and didn’t say or do anything about it? You think all those little folk were crooks and criminals just laughing evilly as the stock price went up and up?

  “No. The reason they were all working to screw the overall economy is because these aren’t people being asked by their boss to do something horrid. These are people being asked by their friends to help save the company. To help their fellow co-workers. And they’re not thinking of one month or one year down the line when the SEC starts asking questions. They’re living in the moment. Like when you’ve got a delicious cake sitting right in front of you. You know every single calorie is going right to your ass, but for some reason you eat that slice anyway. Because all you can think about is the now. When you’re faced with an ethical dilemma, you have to consider the now, the laters, and the what-ifs.”

  “So I’m assuming you wouldn’t do anything you think would get you in trouble?”

  Cali raised a brow. “Have you seen my body? I don’t eat cake.”

  Lori sighed. This wasn’t getting her anywhere. She had a feeling Cali had no clue what was going on, and as much as Lori would love to help her, she couldn’t go spilling all Michael’s secrets to a virtual stranger. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m going to pass on the coffee. I don’t think there’s anything down here that can help you.”

  Right as she turned to go, Cali reached out and grabbed her arm. “Do I need to be worried?”

  Lori pulled her arm away. “I think that you know Luke and Michael much better than I do.” And if Cali had a bad feeling, then everyone should probably be scared. “Thanks for inviting me out.” Lori twisted away and headed back to the elevators.

  Luckily, Cali didn’t follow her, so she was able to get on the elevator alone and not face any more of her prying questions. She just needed a break and a few days where she didn’t have to deal with any of Michael’s drama.

  Yet for some reason, she found herself hitting the button for the executive level. Fantastic. Her subconscious was now taking over her body. But as much as she wanted nothing to do with Michael, he had a right to know his right-hand man…er, woman was suspicious.

  It was only when the doors opened that Lori realized she didn’t actually know where Michael sat. But, logically, he was one step down from the CEO, and the building was square-shaped. So considering she knew he was on this floor, there were only four possible corner offices. So all she had to do was walk the perimeter.

  When she got to the second corner, she saw the nameplate she was looking for. Michael Devereaux. And, just her luck, when she glanced through the open door, no one was there. Well, she’d tried. It wasn’t her fault Michael wasn’t there when she wanted to warn him about his overachieving assistant who wasn’t really an assistant.

  For a moment, she didn’t move, instead taking in Michael’s massive office. Even though she’d never been up there before, it was on par with what she’d expect from a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. The desk looked expensive and ornate, with a latest edition monitor and laptop sitting in the middle. Behind the desk were a few bookshelves littered with awards and various technical manuals and leadership books.

  But that was just the one half. The other half of the office stretched out. There was a table with enough room to sit six people, and a big screen television was set up against the far wall with a few cords hanging down that could hook up to computers if necessary. Lori wondered whether it got cable too. Would be nice to have some quality TV on during the especially late nights she was sure Michael had to pull.

  Though the true star of the office wasn’t the television or desk of gross amounts of space. The focal point was the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked Manhattan. Good grief. Lori wouldn’t be able to get any work done if she had those windows. She’d just stare in awe at the city for hours and hours on end.

  But she didn’t have time to stare out in awe. She had work to do, and Michael obviously wasn’t here. She’d tried, though. That deserved a pat on the back. Satisfied with the effort she’d put in, Lori turned to leave.

  “Not exactly who I expected to see when I came back here,” said Michael from the doorway.

  She gasped in shock and set a hand over her heart. Damn, he looked just as good as she’d remembered. She’d kind of hoped that her memories of his attractiveness had been clouded by how strange the weekend had been. “I was just leaving,” she muttered.

  He stepped in and pushed the door shut behind him. “I actually was hoping to get a chance to talk to you today. I’m assuming since you came up here, you have a few minutes.”

  “I really don’t. I just thought you should know Cali was asking questions that I didn’t have the answer to. It seemed like you should know. That’s it. Have a nice day.” She made a beeline for the exit.

  “Lori, take a seat,” he said.

  Would it be rude if she ignored him and ran back to her cube? Maybe it would be rude, but definitely understandable. And cowardly. She still turned around and took a seat in the blue chair on the other side of his desk. “I really do have a lot of work to do and I’d hate for my boss to get upset.”

  “I am your boss.” He took a seat. But not in his computer chair. Instead, he sat in the chair next to hers.

  “I meant my boss boss. Not my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss…or however high up you go on that chain.”

  “This is important. I think you have a right to know the entire story.”

  A bolt of dread shot through her. “I don’t think that’s necessary. At this point, I think I already know too much of the story. And you know how the saying goes. Less is more.”

  “I’m working with the FBI.”

  Her gaze jerked up and met his. His golden eyes didn’t hold any trace of a joke. Maybe he was lying, but she had a feeling she’d never be able to crack his poker face. “Oh really?”

  “They threatened to kill my cousin. I didn’t know what to do. My handler was the one who recommend Luke and I join the Thirteen Stars in order to find out who their leader is and take them all down.”

  Lori nodded slowly as she digested this new information. “Thirteen Stars? What the hell is that?”

  “It’s an…organization. Thirteen men from some of the most prominent families in the world formed it back in the fifties. It started as a sort of good ol’ boys club. Rich guys working together to get richer. Except after a few decades, the stock market crashed in the eighties. After that, they decided to get creative about keeping their money. They pass along trade secrets at just the right time and set up hard to broker deals for each other.”

  “Insider trading and stuff?” She was so in over her head. None of those financial crime stories made any sense to her.

  “And stuff. One of these guys once set up a fund for all of the employees of his firm to put their 401(k)s in. He sent all the money overseas to illegal investments with massive returns and told everyone it was just in the stock market. He made millions off the extra returns they were getting. When the feds found out about it, all the employees lost all their savings and he was halfway across the world with billions in his savings account. As long as he’s relaxing on that beach, the government is never going to be able to punish him and those people will never get their money back.”

  “And these are the people who tried to kill your cousin?”

  “You’d be amazed what people will do to protect their money.” She really wouldn’t be as surprised as he suspected, but he didn’t stop there. “But there’s more.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Of course there is. How could this possibly get worse?”

  “I didn’t pick your name out of a hat, Lori.”

  “I thought you picked me because I was isolat
ed.”

  “I did. Well, I thought I did. In reality, I didn’t pick you. My FBI handler had been going through the employee files, and when the Thirteen Stars demanded I have someone who knew computers in the meeting, she was the one who said I should pull you in. Except when Hunter was suddenly hanging around outside your apartment, I got suspicious. Wondering if there was more than my handler was letting on.”

  Lori tilted her head. “More about me than she was letting on?”

  He nodded. “You have an uncle. Your mother’s brother.”

  “Uncle Grayson? Yeah, my mom hates him. I haven’t seen him in years.”

  “Well, apparently he’s the main accountant for Thirteen Stars.”

  Her jaw dropped and she pushed herself out of the chair. “What? That’s insane.”

  “You said yourself that you haven’t seen him in years.”

  “Yeah. That doesn’t mean I think he’s working for some financial terrorist organization. He got me dolls at Christmas, for crying out loud!”

  Michael remained seated, but looked as though he was poised to jump up if she ran for the door. “I’m telling you what the FBI told me. The guy is apparently a recluse. No wife. No kids. Like you said, isn’t in contact with his family. I suppose Evelyn thought that bringing you in might give us the opportunity to get him to testify.”

  Lori crossed to the windows and turned back around. When she ran out of room again, she realized she was pacing. Damn it, she didn’t pace. She wasn’t a pacer. She was calm and collected under pressure. “So, what? You expected me to call this guy up out of the blue and say ‘Hey! Want to give up all your money and maybe face a jail sentence in order to do me a solid?’”

  Michael finally stood. “No. I don’t want you involved in this at all. But I do think you have a right to know.”

  “I’m supposed to just go back to work and pretend like this never happened? How could you possibly think I’d be okay with that?”