My bed had been empty for far too long.
With the recent buyout of JVW Bank, I’d been busier than ever. Meeting after meeting, plane rides and board rooms. State hopping and press releases. The opportunities were certainly there to relieve some stress. I was one of the most eligible bachelors in New York, which always seemed a little laughable to me. I was definitely a bachelor, but an eligible one? That implied a wish to marry, which I didn’t have, but women always seemed to think that they could change that. There was more than just lust in the eyes of the women around me. I was a catch. As the CEO of The Bank of Manhattan, I had money and prestige, the sort of face that made most women steal second, third, and fourth looks, and a reputation to make women melt in bed.
The problem wasn’t the lack of women. It was the type of women that I attracted. The women in my industry left me cold. Scheming and deceitful, they were hungry for power, and most weren’t above fucking or marrying their way to the top.
They wanted control, and that wasn’t something that I planned on giving up. I liked my women nice and submissive. They did what they were told, and when I was done with them, they didn’t dare argue.
Sighing, I returned my attentions back to my office. It took up almost the entire top floor of the building. Glass incased two sides, and it was decorated in white and mahogany. I liked things clean and uncluttered. There were two couches, that I sometimes used for napping, and a coffee table facing a television. Four matching white leather chairs faced my large desk. There was a fake potted plant in the corner because I didn’t want to hire anyone to keep a real one alive. No personal photos. I never did understand the point of those. My awards and proof of my accomplishments lined my walls instead. They were the real motivation that I needed. Not some picture of a family that I didn’t give a shit about.
“Sir? Mr. Langston? Did you hear me?”
I returned my focus back to the scrawny guy sweating profusely in the chair across from my desk. Next to him, my good friend and business associate, Jim Rollins, smirked. “Brick? Care to share what’s on your mind?”
Narrowing my eyes, I glared at him. “What did you say?” What was this kid’s name again? Mark something or other. He was the nephew of a friend of mine, and while he was great with numbers, he was horrible with people.
Leaning over, he pushed a piece of paper closer to me. “These are the changes that we wanted to roll out for the former JVW Bank members as we ease them into our normal fees.”
“Fine. I’ll look it over. Anything else?”
Mark shook his head emphatically. “No, sir. Mr. Langston. I won’t take up any more of your time. Thank you.”
Jim’s smile only widened as Mark hastily stood and practically raced out of the office before I even had a chance to dismiss him. “Are they getting younger, weaker, or both?” he laughed. “Or perhaps you’re cracking the whip, literally?”
I ignored the remark. Although Jim and I had been friends for a long time, he always got a kick out of baiting me. “Have you seen this?” I growled, picking up the report and scanning it. My mind was occupied—and not with business.
“I did, and it’s fair, but I know you’ll want to scrutinize it. You’re a control freak, Brick. If you’d just delegate some of the responsibilities, you wouldn’t work nearly as much and you could have more time for pleasure.”
“I’m protective of my company,” I snapped. “And I delegate plenty. I’m about to delegate your ass down to the mailroom.”
Unfazed, he chuckled before studying me closely. “You dazed off there for a bit. That’s not like you. Regretting taking my advice last week?”
“The Sugar Daddy cruise?” I curled my lip in disgust. “That’s the start to all of my nightmares. A woman who thinks I’m going to take care of her for the rest of her life. Please tell me that you haven’t actually experience one of these.”
“How do you think my daughter was born?
Little Gemma. My goddaughter and the apple of my eye. Jim wasn’t sure who the mother was. He came home to his condo one night three years ago and found the girl wrapped in blankets and waiting for him. The note simply read I can’t. After a DNA test proved that the child was his, he took the bright girl in, and the rest was history. For all of Jim’s female bashing, Gemma was the love of his life. She had her father wrapped around her little finger, and it wasn’t hard to see why. The first time that I held her, I fell in love as well.
Not that I ever wanted one of my own. I considered Gemma mine, and that was good enough for me.
“All I want is something simple and uncomplicated. Someone to do what I want and then go away before finding another woman to do the same.”
Jim shrugged. “I don’t know, Brick. I think that takes too much work. What you need is one woman to do everything that you want. Be anything that you want in bed and then not bother you when you don’t need her. Unfortunately, it’s all about women’s rights these days.”
“Money goes a long way,” I said with a shrug. “Right woman, right conditions, I can make her do whatever I want and then pay her to keep quiet. Someone simple, sweet, and innocent. No manipulations or devious schemes. No lies or games.”
“Good luck finding one of those,” Jim snorted.
“What about that red head that you dated last year? The one with the impossibly long legs and the mouth made for sucking—”
“No,” Jim cut me off. “Believe me, she had the temper to go with that red hair. Why are you asking for sloppy seconds?”
“Not sloppy seconds.” I grinned. “I consider it looking for someone who comes with a recommendation. Besides, it’s not like I plan on keeping them around long enough for them to get emotional.”
Just then, the door opened, and my assistant walked in. The pretty brunette took one look at Jim and rolled her eyes. It had been obvious for some time that something had happened between the two of them, but neither of them would acknowledge it. Their frosty attitude towards one another was getting on my last nerve.
“That’s my cue to leave,” Jim said. “I apologize for taking up any of your precious time.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of interrupting you,” Julia said as she batted her eyelashes. Buttoning his jacket, Jim just shook his head and exited the office.
“When I hired you, I assumed that you were a smart woman. Fucking Jim Rollins isn’t exactly smart,” I sighed.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’ve been the best assistant that I’ve ever had, so I have no plans to fire you,” I said mildly. “Jim has been working with me for years, and he’s one of my closest friends. I suggest you two get over your differences and find a way to work together.”
“We work perfectly fine,” she said breezily. “By making sure that we’re not in the same room for too long.” Tossing a pile of folders on my desk, she sat down in a white leather chair and crossed her legs.
Watching her expectantly, I cocked my head. “Why is there a mountain of paperwork on my desk?”
“Because you’ve ignored the last two emails that I sent you with the same information. I figured that you couldn’t ignore them if they were right in front of you.”
“What are they?”
“Personnel files for the interns who will be working for you this summer. They start Monday morning, and it would be nice if you knew their names.”
Summer interns? My spirits immediately lifted. Young, nubile, lovely young women eager to please. What were the chances that there was one in there who would fit my needs perfectly. Nice and submissive, willing to let me fuck her anyway that I wanted.
“Down boy,” Julia snapped with a frown. “Keep your cock in check, or have you forgotten the intern fiasco three years ago?”
I waved my hands impatiently. “The girl was eighteen, so her father’s threats to sue were ridiculous. Besides, we paid her, and we haven’t heard a peep since, have we?”
“The girl’s name was Michelle,” Julia said in disgust. “
And that’s not the fucking point. This company buy-out has gotten us a lot of press, and you are front and center. This is not the time for you to do something scandalous. The interns are off limits. Find another way to feed your appetites.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a prude?” I asked, pulling the first folder to me and opening it. The girl was a pretty blonde, but those bold red lips and that smoky eye already put me off. Too much contouring. That hard-edged gleam was already evident in her eyes.
“Trust me, there isn’t a man who’s left my bed who would call me that,” she said with a smile as she stood up. “Review your interns and let me know where you want them to be placed. If you don’t, I’ll place them, and you won’t be happy.”
“I’m rarely happy with the choices you make that directly affect me.” I grunted. “Sometimes I think that you have it out for me. Sometimes I think that you forget I can fire you with the snap of my fingers.”
“Nobody else would put up with you.” She sighed. “Sometimes I’m not sure why I put up with you. I’ll be back after lunch. Don’t forget your conference call with the San Francisco branch at two, and don’t call them jackasses this time. I’ll be in tomorrow morning a little early because I’m leaving right after lunch, and I won’t be back until Monday.”
“I’m paying them. I can call them whatever I want.” I was speaking to an empty room. Julia sailed out, and the door closed behind her. “What the hell do you mean that you won’t be back until Monday? Who the fuck is going to input all that paperwork?”
Annoyed, I leaned back in the chair. Julia reminded me of why someone submissive was needed in my life. There were far too many people trying to take control away from me. I’ve had to fight for every single success in my life. Unlike a lot of these young assholes that worked for me and got their jobs through family connections, I fought tooth and nail to get here. There was no daddy or uncle bailing me out when I got into trouble. There was no mother fighting my battles and letting me drift through life with a silver spoon in my mouth.
My life had been nothing before, and now I have everything. There was no way in hell that I was going to give an ounce of my control to anyone. Ever.
So where was I going to find a bed-warmer who would bend to my will and not get mouthy in the process? Obedient, but not some lapdog. Beautiful, but without artifice. The girl next door, and yet so much more?
Chapter Three
Daisy
After work, I thought about going home, but it was too depressing. It wasn’t really my home anymore, was it? It was just a transition shelter until I found myself homeless.
Instead, I headed to my boyfriend’s apartment. Ralph was a few years older than me. We’d been dating for a few months, but a part of me wondered why we were even dating. We might have grown up in the same neighborhood, but we were nothing alike. Ralph had started working at The Bank of Manhattan, and I was a fast food cashier. He was going places and everyone told me how lucky I was to be with someone like Ralph, but the truth was that there was something fundamental lacking in our relationship.
Passion.
There was no chemistry between us. Maybe I was holding back a little, but was it wrong to dream and want a romance filled with heat and an all-consuming desire? Love at first sight. I was too old to believe in fairy tales, but just couldn’t let go of the idea.
It was far better than the alternative. The only love I’d ever witnessed was the brutal hatred between my parents. When it manifested itself physically, there was no amount of pillows that I could use to cover my ears, and the memories still haunted me. I wanted desperately to believe that there was more. That I wasn’t destined to end up in that kind of relationship.
There was no romance between us, but I was already losing even the little bit of home I’d known, and wasn’t ready to give him up just yet on top of that. When I did have his attention, there was always a flicker of appreciation when he looked me over, and maybe one day that might turn into something more. We had a sort of friendship, and that was the base of a good relationship, right?
“Hey, pretty thang,” an old man stuttered as he hobbled towards me. “You got any charity for a down-on-his-luck guy like me?”
Growing up in the Bronx meant that I was an expert at avoiding situations like this, but I was feeling a little raw tonight. He was dirty, smelly, and missing most of his teeth. His long beard was tangled around dirt and grit, and I swallowed hard. Was this my future? Life on the streets with no one to count on but people like this?
“I don’t have much,” I whispered hoarsely and dug into my pockets. “But I’ve got a few quarters. Maybe you can get a hot dog from the vender?”
His eyes lit up with delight as I dropped them into his hand. “Thank you, child.”
Nodding woodenly at him, I continued my walk. The sun was low over the horizon, casting long shadows from the building, but the hazy heat still rose up from the sidewalks. It was that strange time of day where most people were off work, but the night entertainment hadn’t started yet. A few people were moving in and out of restaurants, but most of the pedestrians were like me.
People who just didn’t want to go home.
Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I hurried up the steps and knocked on the door to Ralph’s apartment.
“Hey, baby,” Ralph said, opening the door and leaning in for a hug before abruptly pulling back. “God, you still smell like that place. You couldn’t have at least changed before you came over?”
Plucking nervously at my uniform, I looked down and frowned. “You told me that you thought I looked cute in this.”
Grunting, he plopped back down at his desk and moved the mouse around on the surface. I sat on the couch and crossed my legs. Ralph had a cheap apartment on the upper side of the Bronx. With his new job, he said he’d be able to afford something nicer soon. “I think what I told you is that it would look cute on my bedroom floor,” he said with a side look.
Shifting uncomfortably, I let the subject drop. Sex wasn’t really something I wanted to discuss with him right now. Tucking my hair behind my ears, I tried to smile at him, but his attention was already back on the computer. “What are you doing?”
“Work, Daisy. Some of us have more responsibility than asking people if they want fries with that.”
He was being rude, and I wasn’t sure why, but it gave me an opening. Glancing around the apartment, I noted the pile of dishes in the sink and the clothes on the floor. “Baby, it looks like you could use some help around here.”
“Yeah? Feel free.”
“Actually, about that. Daddy and I have decided that it’s time for me move out,” I said tentatively.
Ralph snorted. “Your alcoholic of an old man is finally kicking you out, huh?”
“Ralph! You shouldn’t talk about him like that.”
“You’re in denial, baby girl. The only reason that he kept you for this long was because you were his meal ticket. Now that he’s got someone else, someone who can take care of all of his needs, he doesn’t want you around. When are you going to see your father for what he really is?”
My stomach rolled, and I swallowed hard. Parts of Ralph’s words rang true, but my father was the only family that I had. Even with everything happening, I couldn’t just talk about him like that. It wasn’t right. Glancing over his shoulder, I saw that he wasn’t doing any work at all. He was looking at sports scores. “He does want his girlfriend to move in with him. I get it. He wants some alone time with her.” And my last paycheck. “I’ve got a week, and then I need to find a new place.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” he said absently. I’d already lost his attention. Desperation welled up inside me, and I decided to just come out and ask. It felt a little like begging, but what other choice was there?
“Maybe I could stay here? I can help pay rent. Help keep the place clean. You’ll be able to focus more on your job.”
Ralph snorted. “I see. So now that I have a decent jo
b, you expect me to support you? Is that it?”
“What? No,” I cried out, leaning forward. “Not support me. Seriously, Ralph, I can help pay. I know that you’re between roommates…”
“You can’t afford enough to be a roommate,” he cut me off. “And I’m not about to have two people crowding me here.”
“I could stay until you get a roommate,” I tried again in a small voice, but he cut me down with a cold stare. Leaning back in the cushions, I wrapped my arms around my body. I had this idea that Ralph was going to be my hero, and now he was abandoning me. Didn’t he realize the kind of trouble that I was in?
His phone rang, and I looked away as he answered it. Once again, I felt weak and powerless as a lump formed in my throat. Furiously, I tried to gain control of my emotions. I wasn’t going to fall apart right here in front of him.
“Of course. I’ll be right in.” Hanging up, Ralph stretched. “I’ve got to go, babe. My CEO’s assistant is calling me in. I think big things are about to happen.”
“Good for you,” I whispered, trying to look back at him without crying. Plaster a smile on my face. Pretend that my life wasn’t unraveling right out from under me.
“Babe, don’t be upset.” He leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the lips. “We’re just not at that part of our relationship where we should live together. You want us to work, don’t you?”
“Yes. Of course,” I nodded. He had a point. Maybe moving in would jeopardize our relationship, and he was just protecting us as a couple.
“You’re a smart girl. You’re going to figure something out. I’ve got to get ready, but I’ll call you later, okay?”
“I’ll just wait for you to get back.” The fact that things still weren’t working out for me made me want to go home even less, plus Rosaria had already moved in and was making life there hell for me.
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