I click reply.
I’ll be there and I’m making it my mission to ensure we can be alone. There are things I promised I’d show you once you turned eighteen, and I’m a man of my word.
After Ryan’s outburst the other day I realized this was the perfect opportunity to show him what I was capable of. Tonight he will get a taste of what it feels like to have your world ripped from you.
I close my laptop and stand up, walking over to my window. I can’t concentrate on anything right now. Trying to work is pointless when I’m like this. It takes me all of a second to decide that I’m done for the day.
—
I browse through the items, looking for the perfect gift for Charlotte. Something unexpected but at the same time useful. I have so much jewelry, perfume, and lingerie that I could open a boutique. Call them incentives, or whatever. It keeps the girls happy to receive gifts from me when they’ve pleased me. Of course, that’s not what tonight is about. Tonight I need something playful, something for a purpose.
My eyes fall on the small velvet box on the far shelf of the closet.
Perfect.
—
Three hours later I’m waiting at the door when she walks down the stairs.
I spent most of that time finalizing last-minute details of the merger we’re celebrating tonight. At the last minute, the buyer decided to try to change the deal, which meant I was fielding calls from ten different people wanting answers. Thank fucking Christ it all worked out in the end, because this celebration was going ahead regardless of the outcome. A merger celebration for a merger that had fallen through would’ve been a disaster—and Ryan’s fault for not securing the contracts earlier.
I turn my attention back to Charlotte. My lips turn upward into a smirk as her eyes travel over my expensive black tuxedo, eventually meeting mine, and she blushes. I don’t normally do early, but the opportunity to see her face when she entered the room, knowing those three little balls were deep inside her pussy, was too much to miss.
She walks over to me, holding my gaze.
“I take it you found my gift?” I say, smiling slightly.
“You’ll never know,” she says, tilting her chin indignantly. I chuckle at how wrong she is. She has no idea what’s coming—no pun intended.
“We better get going. We don’t want to keep out guests waiting.”
“Guests?” she repeats, her voice swaying.
She swallows and I see the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes as they scan the room. She’s breaking, and I like that. There are women who can put aside their morals and be what I need them to be, and there are women who can’t. Their conscience follows them at every turn.
Nothing turns me on more than showing a woman all the reasons why she can’t handle me.
“Yes, tonight is a work function.” A smile slowly spreads across my lips. “What’s wrong, Charlotte? You can stay composed in front of a few hundred people, right?”
She narrows her eyes at me and I laugh, taking her arm. I know my toy is working because on more than one occasion I have to steady her, and we haven’t even gotten out to the car. I almost feel bad putting her through this; then I remember how fucking sexy it is. This is probably the kinkiest thing the poor girl has done.
Ben Wa balls. Three delicate little balls joined by a thin silver chain. Inserted deep inside the vagina, or elsewhere if that’s your thing, the balls stimulate extreme pleasure. There is nothing sexier in my mind than watching a woman orgasm in public. It’s like sharing a secret only she and I know. My hand fiddles with the remote in my pocket. Being able to control when and where she’s going to come makes the whole scenario even hotter.
Just wait until they start vibrating.
By the time we arrive at the hotel where the party is being held, Charlotte is looking a little green. I purposely took her over every bump in the road I possibly could, and every time she shot me a death stare.
“Ready?” I ask. Before she can answer I’m out of the car and around her side.
She looks surprised as I hold my hand out to her.
“Always a gentleman in public,” I explain, but oddly enough this also seems like the right thing to do.
“Where are we going?” she asks, straightening the skirt of her dress. She looks breathtaking, the black silk contrasting against her porcelain white skin.
“A work gathering to celebrate two of our larger clients merging.”
“And why exactly am I wearing these…things?” she asks, her face flushed.
I laugh and squeeze her hand. “My amusement. Your pleasure.”
I don’t tell her that the reason I asked her to wear them was to see whether or not she would. Her doing as I ask means a lot to me and will help me understand whether I’ve chosen the right person for what I need. She has no idea what I want from her, but with any luck, she’ll prove herself capable enough to handle my proposition.
If not, then I’m back to square one and no closer to finishing what I started a long time ago.
As we enter the ballroom, I hear Charlotte gasp next to me. I smirk. We go all out for our events because for our industry, appearance is everything. If she’s impressed by this, wait until she experiences one of our charity events. Now, they were extravagant. The irony was we’d probably raise more money if we simply donated the cost of throwing the events.
Taking her hand, I stalk through the crowd of people, expecting them to get out of my way. They do, stepping back in their flashy suits and designer dresses as I pretend not to notice the looks of surprise registering on nearly every single face we pass. Yes, it’s that unusual for me to attend these kinds of events.
I scan the room, looking for Ryan, and immediately spot him over by the bar. His wife is nowhere in sight, but I can see he isn’t really missing her. My eyes narrow as he leans in and whispers something into the ear of the young brunette sitting next to him. She throws her head back and laughs. The bastard will never change. God knows how many times he’s cheated on his poor wife.
Charlotte shifts next to me and I glance at her. I’d forgotten she was there.
“Would you like a drink?” I ask.
“A wine would be nice. Dry white.”
“I’ll be right back.” I leave her standing by the entrance and make my way over to the bar, purposely choosing the end where I know Ryan isn’t. I don’t want to make my presence known just yet.
“A dry white and a whiskey, straight up.”
“Jaxon?”
I turn around and see one of our biggest clients, Andrew Stailes. He takes my hand and shakes it enthusiastically. “I don’t often see you at these types of things.”
“That’s because I usually avoid them like the plague,” I quip. Only I’m not kidding. I hate parties or gatherings of any kind. Any situation where I’m forced to pretend I give a shit about the weather, or what so-and-so’s kids have been up to, I’d rather avoid. I’ve never been big on small talk. Even before my parents were killed, I was a quiet, introverted child.
I chat with Andrew until I can escape without being overly rude. On the way back to Charlotte I encounter at least a half dozen other associates who insist on stopping me to talk.
“You look annoyed,” Charlotte comments, taking her drink.
“I’m not big on crowds,” I respond, my voice dry.
“Then why are we here?” she says with a smirk.
I open my mouth to reply, but then I see Kasey. My eyes narrow as I take her in. She’s weaving through the crowd, heading toward us. Her eyes catch mine and she winks, nodding to the back of the room.
“See the girl in the red off-the-shoulder dress?”
She cranes her neck in the direction of Kasey. “Who is she?”
“Remember the other day in my office I said you would have to do something for me?”
She nods, confusion clouding her eyes.
“She is who you’re going to be doing.”
Charlotte’s mouth drops open. “Are you serious? You promised nothing i
llegal.”
I yank on her arm to quiet her.
“Lower your voice and look at me,” I order calmly. “She’s eighteen and the daughter of a business associate who needs to be taught a lesson. Relax—I’m not planning on hurting the girl. All I need is a couple of photos of her and you in a compromising position.”
“That’s it?” she says, unconvinced.
“I promise,” I lie, my voice smooth. “You want to prove you’re up for this, right, Charlotte? This is your chance.”
Something sparks in her eyes and she nods, determined. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
I smile. That’s my girl. Honestly, I don’t plan to do anything to Kasey other than show Ryan what I’m capable of. To be frank, she’s not my type. She’s too young and way too inexperienced, and regardless of who her father is, she’s a good kid.
I take Charlotte’s hand and lead her in the direction that Kasey disappeared in.
“Come with me.”
Chapter 8
Charlotte
We move around the thick velvet curtains that separate this section from the main room. I’m surprised to see a small bar, complete with plush sofas and small round tables. Lights hang low from the ceiling, emitting a soft glow, just enough to light the room. Background music hums from the speakers in the corners. It’s like a private area just for us. Why does that make me so damn nervous? Because God knows what he’s going to want from me. At least out there I have people around. I feel safe. Or safer, at least, because around Jaxon I feel anything but safe.
Kasey comes into view. Her brown eyes dart to Jaxon. Surprise registers on her face, then hurt. I shift uncomfortably, partially because of the damn balls, which are more than uncomfortable, but also because I’m unable to shake the feeling that I’m getting involved in something I really don’t want to.
“I didn’t realize you came with someone,” she says, eyeing me accusingly as she looks me over.
“Relax, Kase. This is a friend, Charlotte. I thought you two might hit it off.”
Kasey doesn’t look convinced, but she steps forward, her arms crossed over her chest, her lips in a pout. She runs a hand through her wavy auburn hair.
“I just thought you wanted to be alone with me.”
He walks over to her, tilting her face up to his. “And I thought you wanted to play like the adults play. What happened to the woman who was so excited to peek into my life?” he asks, his voice mocking.
I look away as his lips meet hers. Guilt rushes through me. What am I doing here? What the hell is wrong with me that I’m willing to mess with this poor girl just for a fucking story? More to the point, what’s wrong with him that would drive him to this? What kind of a person does that?
It’s okay. He promised he wouldn’t hurt her.
I stifle a laugh. Why should his promise mean anything to me? Oh, God, I’m in over my head, not that this is the first time I thought this, but now I’m feeling like there is no question that I’ve made a mistake.
“Now, come over here so I can introduce you,” he says, taking her by the hand. He leads her over to me, his fingers trailing down her bare back.
I can see the uncertainty in her eyes and my stomach lurches.
“Kasey, this is my friend Charlotte.”
“Hey.” I smile. I reach out and take her other hand as she smiles back at me. Jaxon stands behind her. The hairs on my neck prickle as I hear the sound of her dress zipper lowering. I glance around and see that we’re alone in the room. She allows him to lower her dress until it falls to the ground at her feet. She steps out of it and closer to me. All of a sudden the shy, awkward girl is gone. She’s like a completely different person as she wraps her arm around my neck, bringing her lips to mine. It’s like it’s suddenly clicked for her what he wants, and it’s obvious she’d do anything to please him.
I return the kiss, shocked at how different her mouth feels. Her lips are much softer than any guy’s I’ve kissed. My hands move around her waist as I feel myself falling into the rhythm of the kiss. Her fingers creep through my hair as my hands rush to undo the clasp of her bra.
I’m so caught up in the moment that I’ve almost forgotten Jaxon is there, until I feel his hand graze my ass. Along with the realization comes guilt about what I’m doing. Is this really me? I’m selling my soul to the devil. I’m better than this…aren’t I? Just as I’m about to pull away, I become aware that we are not alone.
“Get the fuck away from her.”
Kasey jumps back, her eyes wide as they fix on the man standing behind us. I study him, trying to figure out who he is. He’s older than Jaxon, with silver gray hair and steely dark eyes.
“Daddy!” Kasey exclaims, scrambling for her dress. “What are you doing?” She gasps as she attempts to cover herself. I note the smirk on Jaxon’s face, and I just know that he is somehow responsible for this man’s walking in on us. And make no mistake, that bothers me.
“Get dressed and get out of here, Kasey,” he growls, turning to Jaxon. “What the fuck are you playing at? I told you, stay the fuck away from my daughter.”
“I would, but she obviously can’t keep away from me.” Jaxon narrows his eyes and takes a menacing step toward him. “Consider this a warning, Ryan. Next time I won’t be so nice.”
“A warning?” Ryan laughs, throwing his hands up. “You’re fucking insane, because I have no idea what the hell you want from me.”
“It’s simple,” Jaxon begins. “I want you to resign from my company. Give up your share. Then I might leave you the fuck alone.”
“The hell I’m going to do that,” he retorts, shaking his head in disbelief. “You can’t get rid of me, so don’t even bother. Why the hell would I give you everything I’ve worked for? Do everyone a favor and leave the past in the fucking past.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Jaxon sneers, narrowing his eyes. I jump at the venom in his voice. “This company was my father’s life. You were too busy fucking his wife to do your job back then. Maybe what I should do is tell the police everything I know about that night.”
“You think you’re the only one who knows things, Murphy? I know plenty that could ruin you.” He pauses and lets out a low chuckle. “You want a war, Murphy? You’ve fucking got one.”
My heart pounds. Is that was this is about? Ryan sleeping with Jaxon’s mother? No, it has to be more than that. What did Ryan do to him that would make Jaxon willing to go to any lengths to ruin Ryan?
Jaxon steps back and takes my hand, briskly strolling past the crowd that has gathered. We walk outside, the cold air hitting my face as he marches me over to the car.
“Have you ever ruined someone’s life, Charlotte? Completely undone everything they’ve worked hard to build? Crushed them so all that remains is a hapless shell of the person they used to be?”
His voice is so cold it sends shivers down my spine. What the hell is wrong with this guy? I shake my head, my eyes wide, and he laughs.
“No? Well, you’re about to help me do just that.”
Chapter 9
Jaxon
She hasn’t said a word the whole drive home, and I wonder if I’ve scared her off. I’ve been living in my hell and been crazy all my life, so I never really know how it looks from the outside. I know my mission and it all seems perfectly clear, but Charlotte doesn’t—and won’t. She knows nothing of why I’m doing this. To her I must seem like a sociopath with no concern for anyone but myself.
When she walks back into the living room carrying her small metallic suitcase, I think I’ve got my answer. It never occurred to me that she might leave, because frankly, women don’t leave me. Just the thought of her doing something against my wishes is enough to make my blood boil.
When we left the function, I could see she was struggling with what had happened, but I assumed she’d get over it. In the scheme of all the things I’ve done to get what I want, tonight was nothing. Hell, I caused more trouble in school for a decent grade.
; Tonight was a small taste of what’s to come, just enough to get Ryan’s guard up. I thought Charlotte could handle it. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe she isn’t the woman I need her to be. If that’s the case, it’s best I find out now, before she’s dragged deeper into my hell.
“Going somewhere?” I ask pointedly, raising my eyebrows. She stares back at me, her expression hard, but not hard enough to hide the fear. All I see is a scared little girl who has yet to understand how harsh the world can be. Sometimes life is cruel. If she’s been fortunate enough to avoid that until now, then good for her¸ but eventually life is going to completely fuck her up. Better I prepare her for that than some other asshole.
“You said I’m off Friday till Sunday. I’d like to spend it at my apartment.” Her tone is defensive. I stand up and walk over to the doorway where she stands. She tenses as I close in on her, her knuckles going white as her fingers tighten around the handle of her suitcase. I smirk, narrowing my eyes as I reach out and touch her neck, my fingers running over the tiny goosebumps that have formed on her soft skin.
She gasps as I bring her closer to me. Her ear is against my mouth as I whisper the words to her. I speak with determination and authority, my eyes locking onto hers.
“You’re not going anywhere, Charlotte.”
Because I know if she leaves this house she won’t be coming back, and although I don’t want to admit it to myself, I don’t want her to go. I frown, struggling to understand what that means.
“But you said…”
“I say many things. The only thing you need to remember is I am in charge.” My voice fills the open space of the room, echoing through the high ceilings. She winces, and for a second I feel bad. “You’ll get your time off when I say you do, okay?”
“Okay,” she whispers back. I feel the soft weight of a tear hitting my shoulder, soaking through the fabric. I pull away, just enough so I can lift her chin. She exhales as my lips press against hers in a soft, sensual kiss. Her fear and my ability to intimidate her excite me. I press my body against hers, my erection growing harder with every moment of contact.
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