by Rory Dale
“We’re here,” he said, as we stopped in front of a tall office building.
He stepped out of the car and went around to open my door. We headed towards the building side by side.
Inside, he introduced me to the security team and they gave me a key card. We went to the elevators and when we stepped inside, he waved his card in front of the electronic lock and pushed the button marked 42 – the top floor of the building.
“When we arrive, I’ll introduce you to my personal assistant, Angela, and she’ll show you to your office,” he said nonchalantly.
“I have my own office?” I asked, surprised.
“Of course,” he replied, as if it was natural for a PA to have an office.
“Do the other PAs have their own offices as well?”
“No, they don’t, but their responsibilities aren’t as complex as yours.”
He sounded serious.
As the elevator doors opened, a short, middle-aged woman with blond hair was waiting to greet us.
“Good morning, Mister Rockwood,” she said with a smile.
“Good morning, Angela,” Nathan answered politely. “This is Simona Parker and I need you to give her a tour of our company. I have business to attend to.”
He turned to me as he said the last sentence and gave me a friendly squeeze on my arm. Then, he turned around and left.
“So, Miss Parker,” Angela said as we started walking.
“Call me Simona, please,” I replied.
I wasn’t used to being called by my last name, especially by someone a bit older than me.
“Alright, Simona, this whole floor belongs to RW Empire. The RW stands for Rockwood, but I’m sure Mister Rockwood already told you this,” Angela said as we walked.
“Actually, I don’t know that much about this company,” I said honestly “Nat– Ahem, Mister Rockwood only told me the basics about the company and my job.”
I had to try my best not to reveal my personal relationship with Nathan to the other employees. I felt a small blush creeping over my face, but luckily, Angela started rambling away and didn’t notice my fumbling.
“This here is the most important room,” she pointed to the left while we were walking across a wide corridor.
The room was big enough to easily fit twenty people. I spotted some couches, tables and different kitchen appliances along with a coffee table with a stack of magazines on top. I could see why this was the most important room – it was the perfect place to get some rest.
“On your right are four conference rooms,” she said, pointing to them.
The first three were empty and the fourth was occupied by two men. The drapes were open and I could easily see what was going on inside. One of the men was Nathan, who was pacing back and forth, talking to the other man.
He seemed agitated and didn’t even notice us walk by. The other man was sitting behind the desk, his elbows propped up on it and his forehead in his hands. He seemed smaller than Nathan, though it looked like they were the same age.
Then again, Nathan seemed bigger than almost anyone.
“…And on your left are the creative studios, where designers and jewelers spend most of their days. It’s better not to disturb them while working. You know, creative people…” she said with a smile while rolling her eyes.
“This here is the safe,” Angela continued while pointing to a big metal door with a keypad on the side. “Only Mister Rockwood and Mister Huff have access. This is the heart of the ‘Empire’ – the uncut and processed diamonds. We only keep them here while the designers and jewelers work on them.”
“Mister Huff?” I asked with genuine interest.
“Bradley Huff is Mister Rockwood’s business partner, they go way back,” Angela explained while moving on.
So maybe the mystery man in the conference room was Bradley?
“This here is my work station,” she said with pride, “over there is Mister Rockwood’s office and next to it is yours. On the opposite side is Mister Huff’s office. Just so you know.”
A set of double doors opened to Nathan’s office. A bit further was another, smaller door which led to mine.
“Thank you,” I said to Angela and headed towards it, eager to get started.
“Let me know if you need anything,” she said, as helpful as ever.
I nodded to her and stepped inside. The office was nicely decorated, but what attracted me right away was a huge window with a view overlooking Denver. After some time, I realized I needed to familiarize myself with my new job description. I turned and only then noticed a big bouquet of white roses on the desk. The bouquet had a card attached.
Dear Miss Parker,
Congratulations on your new job.
Mr. Rockwood
He somehow managed to organize all that while being next to me – I had been by his side from the moment I had agreed to his offer.
I put the roses on the end table next to the window with my amazing view. On my desk I found a black folder, opened it and, sure enough, found my job description.
It was hard to concentrate on reading the thick file when the sun was shining and I kept finding myself looking out the window. After an hour of reading, I decided to take a break.
“Hey Angela, where can I get a latte?” I asked, stepping out of my office.
“That’s my job, I’ll get it for you,” she said with a sweet smile. “Any sugar?”
“No, thanks,” I said and turned to head back to my office.
“Miss Parker,” Angela added, “Mr Rockwood would like to see you in his office.”
“Right now?”
“His instructions to me were to notify you as soon as you stepped out of yours.”
“Oh… Thank you,” I closed the door to my office and walked towards his.
I knocked quietly and waited.
“Yes,” came a sharp answer.
I opened the door and peeked in. His expression softened as soon as he saw me. He was on the phone, but his gaze never left me. He motioned with his index finger for me to come in. I closed the door quietly and walked to his desk, not wanting to disturb his call.
His office was at least twice the size of mine. It had one black wall with a painting of a forest and a big window opposite it. I took a seat, his eyes still fixed on mine.
“Later,” he said with a serious face and hung up.
He stood up, walked around the desk and leaned in close, his hands on either side of me, resting on the chair handles. He kissed me, his tongue finding mine in a way that was definitely not professional. A knock on the door broke our kiss.
“Not now,” he growled.
“That must be my coffee,” I said shyly, not wanting to agitate him further.
“Doesn’t matter, I want my time with you,” he said, stepping away from me and leaning on his desk.
“Did you… umm… resolve the issue?” I asked.
“Almost,” he answered with a slight frown. “How do you like your office?”
“It’s very lovely, thank you,” I said with a smile, trying to mellow his mood a little. “And thank you for the roses.”
“You’re most welcome,” he said with a hint of a smile.
Someone had wrecked his mood for good, and somehow, I felt it was up to me to make it better.
“It’s a nice sunny day outside.”
“Is it?” he said as if he hadn’t noticed.
Running a business really was stressful. I saw it in his expression and how tense his body was. I needed to do something to make him relax a little. Luckily, he went to his chair to sit.
I stood up and walked towards him, my plan ready. He had a surprised yet amused expression on his face. I eased off his jacket with a little help from him. I started massaging his temples, his ears, his neck, and the lower my hands moved, the more he seemed to relax.
I opened the top two buttons of his shirt and slid my hand inside. His pecks were so tense, but the feeling of his body and his skin made me tingle all ov
er. I kissed his neck, tugged on his earlobe with my teeth and he groaned quietly. I cupped his chin and made him turn his head so I could kiss him.
The kiss was so deep, need and lust all mixed into a heady cocktail of emotions. Suddenly, the phone started ringing and we were interrupted once again. He picked it up only to put it back down.
“Thank you,” he said after a heartbeat.
I slowly pulled my hand back and he buttoned his shirt again but left the jacket hanging on the back of his chair. He took my arm and gently pulled me onto his lap. Sitting on his knee wasn’t exactly part of my job description, but who was I to argue with a hot boss like that.
I really, really liked him. I couldn’t help it.
“Let me tell you a secret,” he said quietly into my ear. “I had my doubts about hiring a woman I had known for only a couple of days. In fact, I was sure I wouldn’t hire you because I knew nothing about you. But as soon as you called me for the first time, something changed. As soon as I heard your voice again, I knew I needed you by my side. And my instincts weren’t wrong.”
Warmth swirled in my stomach. I was glad to hear I affected him just as much as he did me. It all seemed so crazy, but here we were, pulled towards each other by some unnamed force. He kissed me swiftly on my lips and motioned for me to stand up. He stood next to me, putting on his jacket.
“Are you ready to go home or do you need to do something?”
“If it’s all right with you I would like to continue reading through my responsibilities at my new job.”
“Okay, I have to drive to a site. It will take at least a couple of hours. Please don’t hesitate to use the company car to get home safely,” he said, making it sound more like an order than a suggestion.
“Thank you,” I replied with a smile on my face.
He came closer to me and wrapped me in a tight hug before kissing me goodbye. I wanted it to last forever, but he had an empire to run and I had my own duties to attend to. We reluctantly let go of each other.
“See you tomorrow,” I said as I turned to leave.
“I’ll pick you up at eight. Bye, babe,” he replied, making me giggle.
Eight
Nathan
I stepped out of my SUV and onto the mining site, staring at the huge crater before me. Since most of the workers were still sick, there weren’t many people around, which suited me just fine. The conversation I was about to have could turn ugly, fast, and I didn’t need bystanders meddling about.
“Jack! Eric!” I called out, picking up the scent of wolf from the air.
It didn’t take long for the Figo brothers to meander over, eyeing me from under their hardhats with thinly veiled anger.
“Hey, boss,” Jack greeted me, thumbing his belt loops.
“Come to see how your new employees are doing?” Eric asked with a nasty grin.
“Sorry, this isn’t a social call. Bradley made a mistake hiring you. I’m here to let you know your services are no longer needed,” I replied, trying to stay civil.
The wolves had always tried to get in on the bear clan’s land, and I knew working for me was just another ploy to get close enough to start trouble. Eric’s grin turned to a snarl as Jack stepped closer, yellow starting to swirl in his grey eyes.
“You can’t just fire us, we have a contract,” the man argued.
I put my hands in my pockets and leaned back on my heels, cocking my head. Nothing like looking relaxed to show a predator you’re not threatened. The gesture wasn’t lost on Jack as his hands balled into fists at his sides.
“Yeah, you have a contract. That my fleet of overpaid lawyers will contest without even breaking a sweat. Are you ready for a costly legal battle, Jack?” I asked with an arched brow. “You knew you weren’t welcome here.”
Jack might have been the Alpha of the local wolf pack, but I was the head of a billion dollar company. At the end of the day, he knew he was no match for me. Which is why he was resorting to cheap ploys like getting Bradley to hire him as part of the mining crew to get under my skin.
“You son of a bitch! You think you can do whatever you want just because you’re rich?” Eric all but shouted.
I had hoped to resolve this peacefully, but if they wanted to get into a fight, I was more than happy to oblige. My bear roared, ready for anything.
It had been a while since I’d had a decent fight.
“Stop acting like this job means something to you, we all know why you’re really here,” I scoffed.
Jack stepped even closer until he was only a couple of feet away. I kept my stance casual, but my muscles tensed in anticipation. I could see some people in the distance turning their heads our way, curious.
“We have just as strong of a claim on these lands as you do,” he ground out.
I laughed at that, only aggravating him further.
“My ancestors settled here first. And even if they hadn’t, my legal claim on the land is undisputable.”
“You’re so smug, thinking you’re better than us. You were just lucky this land happened to sit on diamond-rich soil,” Eric growled, pointing a finger at me.
Their attempts at rattling me fell flat. I might have gotten lucky with the land, but I was the one that built RW Empire from the ground up and made it the success it is.
“Stop wasting my time. Gather your things and leave while you still can.”
Jack’s response was to let out a piercing whistle, prompting the workers in the distance to stop what they were doing and start walking towards us. I counted four men, all young and well built.
These must be the ‘friends’ Bradley mentioned hiring alongside the brothers. Great.
They formed a half-circle behind Jack and Eric, who were now grinning victoriously.
“I don’t know what you expect to accomplish with this, but it won’t work,” I warned.
“I think you need to be brought down a peg,” Jack jeered, crossing his arms in front of him.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a cell phone, pressing the call button and letting it ring once before putting it away again.
“What was that about?” Eric asked, frowning.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
My smile was more a bearing of teeth and Eric shifted back and forth nervously on his feet. The rumble of several engines filled the air mere seconds later. By the way the men before me stared over my shoulders, I could tell my clan brothers had arrived.
I knew wolves didn’t fight fair, so I had called on some of the members of the Rockwood clan to watch my back. I could hear car doors slam behind me as low rumbles filled the air. Jack looked markedly less confident than before.
“You need to do a better job at picking your battles,” I remarked, feeling something stir in the air and bodies gather around me.
Jack’s face was turning red with rage. He stepped up even as his friends were backing away, eyes wide.
“Don’t think this is the last you’ve seen of me,” he snarled, looking like he was barely able to hold himself back.
I leaned in, meeting his aggression.
“Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough in front of your pack? Why don’t you tuck your tail between your legs and run on home while you still have some dignity left.”
I didn’t need a mirror to know my eyes had turned golden. My bear growled, deep and menacing, itching to be let out, reverbing as a soft growl in the back of my throat.
That pushed Jack over the edge. With a roar, he lunged at me, his fist pulled back and ready to strike. I ducked and evaded the punch easily. Jack stumbled, hitting nothing but air.
Okay, that’s enough.
I had tried to handle this without violence, but Jack had pushed me past my limit. I grabbed the man by the throat, dragging him up until his toes were barely touching the ground.
“You are starting to get on my last nerve,” I said, my voice low, squeezing my fingers around the man’s throat.
“We’ll leave, just let him go,” Eric
called out.
So I guess they weren’t ready for a fight after all. At least not a fair one.
Jack’s eyes were starting to bulge as he desperately tried to gasp for air. I stared at him for another second, letting the fact that his life was in my hands really sink in before releasing my grip. The man went sprawling down to the ground, wheezing and coughing. Eric rushed to his side and helped him up.
“This isn’t over! I won’t rest until I’ve taken everything and everyone you love away from you,” Jack choked out, holding his bruised throat.
I felt fury bubble up inside me as I lunged forward, ready to rip him to shreds. My self-control wasn’t as great as I would have liked it to be with these guys. He could threaten me all he wanted, but going after the people I cared about…
Simona’s face flashed before my eyes. Jack probably didn’t even know about my new relationship, but I was suddenly overcome by the urge to protect her.
I stopped myself at the last moment. Eric was already dragging his brother away and the rest of their guys had long scattered. There was nothing to be gained from kicking Jack while he was already down.
“You come near me or my mine and I’ll wipe out your whole pack!” I thundered at him.
This better be the last time I see his face, for his own sake.
Nine
Simona
My prince in a shiny new SUV was waiting downstairs at 8 a.m. as promised. I grabbed my purse and rushed outside. I was more than ecstatic to see my man again.
When I ran out the front door, he was standing by the car, leaning on it slightly with his arms crossed. He had on a well-tailored dark suit and looked sexy as hell. I would have gladly ripped it off of him with my teeth if it weren’t for the fact that we both had work to do.
He opened his arms and I ran straight into his tight bear hug. I missed him. I mean I really, really missed him and felt like I never wanted to leave his presence again. He made me feel happy, uplifted and satisfied… Oh so satisfied.
“Morning, babe,” he said, the term of endearment rolling off his lips as if our relationship had lasted forever.