by Tia Siren
I simply had to know where this was going.
“I cannot honestly say I’ve ever wondered, Dylan,” I said. “What is the difference?”
“A man will actually search for a golf ball,” he said, grinning.
I giggled at his joke and saw Grant stand from his desk. It was easy to see the old man was jealous, which meant my tricks were working. He was just as riled up for me as I was for him, so I decided to put on a show I knew he would never forget.
“I suppose that’s the difference between younger men and older men, huh?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” Dylan asked.
“Boys simply get what’s coming to them. Men, however, give with the hopes of receiving a return. It’s the difference between high-risk investments and allowing something to roll low and slow. High-risk investments always give to the investor what they’re asking for, which is nothing but a quick fix before a disappointing fall. Low and slow, however…attending to one’s assets over a period of time and allowing it to simmer while you research, attend, and find…always garners a return much bigger than anticipated.”
I flicked my gaze over to Grant, whose eyes were boring into Dylan. His chest rose and lowered quickly as he placed his palms on his desk, no doubt trying to hide that thick cock I knew had jumped back to life. Dylan’s eyes were wide, and I patted his shoulder and walked away. That was when I knew what I had to do.
It was time for me to turn up the heat on Mr. Jacobs.
“Dylan, what did I tell you about fraternizing in the workplace?” Grant asked.
“It was just a joke, sir,” he said.
“Keep them to yourself,” Grant said. “I’m paying you good money, and that money isn’t so you can stand around flirting with my P.A. Get back to your desk, and get to work.”
Oh, yes. I would turn up the heat indeed.
Chapter 7
Grant
“Actually, Dylan, come here.”
Dylan was getting out of hand. It didn’t matter to me that they brought up a shit proposal, but something told me he dragged that Mark guy up here just to get closer to Crissy. Of all my junior executives, Dylan was the brightest. He fully researched everything he did, which meant his little venture up here had nothing to do with work. He probably thought he had concocted some sort of ingenious plan just to get closer to Crissy, and it wasn’t happening. I’d told them both that the workplace was not for fraternizing, and even though I had thoroughly enjoyed Miss Marks’s rebuttal, I’d have to have a talk with her as well.
I watched Dylan walk into my office as Crissy sat down at her desk. She turned her attention toward her computer, but I knew she was listening. I wasn’t sure why that was something I enjoyed, but I didn’t bother shutting the door nonetheless. If I gave this lecture sternly enough, surely it would sink in for Crissy, too.
“You’re smarter than this,” I said.
“It was just an honest mistake, sir. The television downstairs—”
“I know you concocted that little stunt to get back up here to see Crissy.”
The computer keys outside my office stopped making sound, which meant I fully had Crissy’s attention. I had every intention of making it perfectly clear what I expected from both of them, as well as the consequences that would befall them if they didn’t listen.
“Do you enjoy your position here, Mr. Anderson?”
“Of course, Mr. Jacobs,” he said. “It’s an incredible opportunity.”
“Then why did you blatantly disregard the talk we had earlier on flirtation in the office?” I asked.
“It was just a joke, sir. It came to my mind when I saw her.”
“A joke about not searching for her G-spot just came to you when you saw her?” I asked. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that entire phrase was grounds for sexual harassment.”
“No, no, Mr. Jacobs. It wasn’t meant to harass her at all. Merely to make her smile.”
“So, you concocted this little plan with another one of my junior executives just to come up here and make my P.A. smile,” I said.
“We didn’t come up here for her at all,” he said.
“And somehow I don’t believe you. I’m only going to tell you this one last time, Mr. Anderson, so listen up. Appropriate behavior in the workplace does not include flirtation, unresearched propositions, or dirty jokes. It does not include asking people out on dates, staring at their asses, or any other inappropriate thing you’ve probably already done underneath my nose. If I see you breaking this rule again, you’re gone. Being one of my junior executives is a wonderful opportunity, and there are other people beating down the front door of this building, just begging for your position.”
“I fully understand, Mr. Jacobs,” he said.
“Don’t throw away the opportunity of a lifetime on some ridiculous flirtation with a little girl,” I said. “Understood?”
“Mr. Jacobs, I believe Crissy is much more than—”
“Are you ready to lose your job now?” I asked. “Because if you complete that sentence, you will. Did I make a mistake in hiring you?”
“No, sir.”
“Are you naturally this much of a fool?” I asked.
“No, sir.”
“Then start acting like the executive I hired you to be,” I said. “I’ve had nothing but good things to say about you up until this point. But don’t think for a second that you have a safety net, because you don’t. Not around here, and most certainly not with what you’ve pulled today.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” he said.
“Don’t apologize to me. Stop by Miss Marks’s desk and apologize to her. You’ve treated her with nothing but disrespect with your flirtatious advances.”
“No offense, sir, but I think she—”
“Go home,” I said.
“What?”
“Go home, Mr. Anderson. I’ll figure out what to do with you later.”
“No, no, no. Please, Mr. Jacobs. I’m sorry. Really, I am. I shouldn’t have told her that joke. Nor should I have wasted her lunch break by flirting with her around the corner like I was. Please give me a second chance. I promise you, you did not make a mistake in hiring me.”
“Then why do I get backtalk when I ask you to go apologize to Miss Marks?” I asked.
“I just figured she needed a little defense, too,” he said. “She seemed to enjoy the attention, and I was more than willing to give it to her. She’s a beautiful young woman with a great deal of spunk, and I like that in a woman.”
“Then explore it outside the office. For now, you will go by her desk and apologize, and if I catch the two of you flirting with one another, I won’t only have your job, I’ll have hers, too. You want to come to her defense in her ‘time of need?’ Then stop concocting idiotic plans to come see her. Her job, as well as yours, is on the line. Act like it.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, Mr. Jacobs.”
“You’re dismissed,” I said. “Get back to your desk, and do something worthwhile with your time here.”
Dylan scrambled out of my office, all legs and flailing arms. When it came down to it, he was just another hotshot kid who thought he had what it took to make it in the world he was treading in, and it was my job to show him just how deep the water underneath his feet actually went.
But it wasn’t long before a sound hit my ears that took my frustration from irritated to irate.
A slow clap reverberated throughout my office, and I looked up to see Crissy leaning against the doorframe. She was grinning at me with her twinkling blue eyes and her rosy red cheeks, and her hands were slowly applauding me for what I’d just done. I’d had enough of her dismissive and sarcastic demeanor, and it was do or die for her today.
Today, she either sucked it the fuck up or she was going home.
“And what the hell is wrong with you?” I asked.
“What?”
“Does your future consist of nothing more than living off your father’s money?” I asked.
&nb
sp; Her hands fell to her sides. “Excuse me?”
“I’ve caught glimpses of your intelligence,” I said, “of your passion for business and your desire to learn, but does a career mean nothing to you? Why do you cover it up with these idiotic tactics that make you look like nothing but an incompetent, petulant child?”
My eyes hooked hard on her body, and it infuriated me when she shrugged. For a split second, I thought about sending her home. I regretted the promise I’d made to Alex, and everything within me wanted to send her ass packing. That way, I wouldn’t have to put up with the likes of her and Dylan. Nor would I have to endure any more of the hell she was putting me through.
But when she crossed her arms over her chest and diverted her gaze, I could tell I was finally cracking through that sarcastic facade she’d thrown up.
“Isn’t my fault you’re jealous,” she said.
At first, I didn’t think I’d heard her right. Jealous? What the hell would I be jealous about?
“Jealous of what, might I ask?”
“Of Dylan. Of him having my attention. It’s not my fault men gravitate toward me, and it’s not my fault you’re unwilling to admit that you do, too.”
“Are you even listening to yourself?” I asked.
“Not only am I listening, but I’ve got eyes, too,” she said. “I’ve seen the proof: the way your pelvis has lurched to life around me, the way your eyes have cascaded down my body ever since I accidentally sent that email to you instead of my sister. You think you cover it up well, and maybe to the oblivious little boys around you, you do. But you don’t with me. So take your anger out on someone else. It’s not my fault you can’t keep control of your own damn company.”
“Miss Marks, I’m not quite sure what proof you speak of or what you might have been dreaming up, but I can assure you nothing of what you are addressing is happening,” I said. “You are my right-hand man’s youngest daughter, and the last thing I’m doing is sitting in my office daydreaming and drooling over you like my junior executives seem to be doing.”
She pushed herself off the edge of the doorframe and slowly started to come closer. I clenched my jaw, keeping my eyes hooked on hers as she approached me. She rounded around my desk and stopped right in front of me, her neck craned back to keep my eyes in view. I took a deep breath, willing the fire in my gut to keep still, but the moment her finger touched the buckle of my pants, I froze.
What the hell was this girl doing?
She slowly trailed her finger up my shirt. The warmth from just that little touch ravaged across my entire body. She slowly moved it up my stomach, fluttered it over my chest, and drew nearer to my lips. By the time she was done, her finger was hovering over my lips, and she was puckering hers in an effort to keep me quiet.
To shut me up.
To gain the upper hand.
“I know you were watching me when I was organizing your books,” she said lightly. “I saw you staring at my chest my first day at work, and I saw that thick imprint of your cock underneath your pants. Did you like the little picture I sent you? The one that wasn’t meant for you? Did that heighten the sensation, knowing it was for someone else?”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Miss Marks?” I asked.
Her finger slowly dragged down my lips, popping out my lower lip just before she trailed it back down my shirt. Even with the deep breaths I was taking, my cock lurched to life. I could feel it pressing against my pants, threatening to burst forth at her simple touch.
What I didn’t expect, however, was her hand to travel past my belt buckle and curve around my bulging dick.
“Told you so,” she said, giggling.
She was deliberately trying to rile me up. She was deliberately trying to drive me crazy, and it was working. When Alex said she was a hellion, I didn’t realize he meant Satan was a woman. Her sinfully plump lips and her sultry stare heated up my insides, and as her hand slowly pressed into my cock, it jumped underneath her touch. Her smirk grew to a full-on grin as I clenched my hands into fists at my sides, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my composure for long.
I couldn’t take the pressure of her existence in my office any longer.
Quicker than lightning, I grabbed her hands and pressed her against the glass. She looked shocked when I pinned her arms above her head. She tried wiggling from my grasp, tried to free herself as I pinned her down with my hips, but she wasn’t going anywhere. My cock pressed against her body, and warmth jumped to my balls as her body stilled underneath mine.
The moment her eyes flicked to my lips, I crashed mine down on hers.
They throbbed underneath the pressure. I could feel her lips swelling before I thrust my tongue deep into the confines of her mouth. I threaded my fingers with hers, keeping her pinned to the ice-cold glass as her body shivered against mine. My head fell to the side, threatening to swallow her whole while my tongue devoured her cheeks. I raked the tip of my tongue across the roof of her mouth, feeling her legs shake against mine.
Then I felt it.
I felt her lips move against mine.
She pressed her face closer to me, and I was honestly shocked. A girl like her should be stunned in her place. She should accept her punishment for tormenting her boss the way she was. I wanted to give her what she wanted so she knew to back off, so she understood the dangerous game she was playing.
So she knew who was in control.
But soon I felt my body falling into hers. Her tits pressed into my chest as my cock lurched forward. Her lips pressed against mine, her teeth raking across my lower lip as her mouth swallowed my groans. She tried to wiggle her hands free, and her leg slowly slipped in between mine. She was doing anything and everything to get free, but all it made me do was press her harder into the glass window. Her heat radiated across my body as she called my bluff, meeting my dominance with her own as she pulled my lies right from my body.
She knew what she was doing to me, and the moment I pulled my lips away from hers, I could feel that telltale smirk growing against her reddened cheeks.
“Surprise,” she said, whispering.
I slid my hands down her arms before I took a step back. Her sparkling eyes flickered down to my cock, admiring it, before she slowly trailed her gaze back up to mine. Her pupils were blown wide with lust, and condensation on the window outlined where her body had been. What started out as me calling her bluff had turned into her calling mine.
My hands began to tremble. If I couldn’t gain control of her, then I at least had to gain control of myself. So, I drew in a deep breath, settled my gaze hard on her, and took a step back.
“If you continue to flaunt yourself around this office, I’ll have you written up for sexual harassment. You’re here to work, and nothing else. If you don’t want to work, you’ll be written up.”
“And if I don’t behave after that?” she asked.
“Then you’ll be fired, and no matter where you go, the sexual harassment file will follow you. No one within the state of Louisiana will hire a woman with a sexual harassment complaint in her file.”
“I don’t hear you complaining,” she said, grinning.
“Conduct yourself professionally, Miss Marks, or you’ll be headed back to school to obtain another degree.”
“And why would that be?” she asked.
“Because I will render yours useless.”
Chapter 8
Crissy
Even with his stern face and the harsh words pouring from his lips, I couldn’t take my eyes off his lips. Holy fuck, that man could kiss! Every part of me wanted to do it again. I wanted to throw my arms around his neck and claim his body again. The way he pinned me to the window was nothing short of erotic, and part of me wondered if he’d show me off like that elsewhere. Plaster me to the window naked and kiss me for the entire world to bear witness to.
I knew I was here to work, and that was what I was doing: working and apparently giving him tips on how to run his shit better. Every ho
ur I stayed in this place, I found another way his company was running itself into the ground. The idea of him acquiring another company was almost laughable to me, even though he was doing a much better job than my father had. I turned my gaze to his, digesting the words he’d just spoken to me, and I figured I might as well agree.
He seemed to be in a firing mood, and I was nowhere near done with him.
“You are here to do your work, to behave, and to do as I ask,” Grant said. “Anything less will result in you losing your job.”
I smiled sweetly before I nodded my head. I walked past him, swaying my hips wider than I usually would. I could feel his eyes on my ass. I could feel him devouring me with his gaze. So, when I got to the door, I put my hand on the doorknob before I turned my head to see him.
“I’ll behave if you will,” I said, winking.
I shut the door behind me before glancing at the clock. It was four minutes until five, which was close enough for me to be clocking out. I went over to my computer and shut it down, then jotted down a few things I needed to remember for tomorrow. Ideas always ran through my head for business ventures and things I spotted around here that got my gears turning, and with my vault being taken up with the useless stuff Grant needed, I didn't want to compromise my ability to remember the stuff that was truly important.
After making a few notes, I put the pen and pad in my desk and grabbed my purse. My mind was still reeling from that kiss. My nipples throbbed from the piercings as they puckered underneath my bra. I hissed a bit, digging through my purse to see if I had any pain medication. I walked over to the elevator as I popped the bottle open, throwing two pain tablets back before I stuck the bottle back in my purse.
My body was humming for him. The way his lips had dominated me and the way I hadn’t been able to get out from underneath his clutch had been nothing I’d ever experienced before. It was as if he’d been trying to punish me. His demeanor had told me he was angry, but his tongue had told me he was on fire. My mind wafted to images of him spanking me, of leaning me over his lap and having his way with me. I wondered if he was always that forceful. All that pent-up sexual energy had to go somewhere, and I found myself daydreaming about him pouring it over me as I stepped into the elevator.