The elevator dinged. All six of us piled inside.
Godric and I were in the back.
The floor numbers on the screen above the doors continued to flash red as they went higher and higher.
His friend with the black hair glanced back and blatantly analyzed my body. “What’s her name?”
“Fuck off, Rune,” Godric growled.
Rune tipped his eyes up to his friend, a cunning grin gracing his handsome features. “So you are possessive of this little waif of a girl. Interesting.” He smirked when Godric yanked me a step closer. “She’s not your typical lover. You look like you’d break her.”
I stiffened at the jibe.
The man with brown hair choked on a laugh, not even peering back. “Fuck, Rune. That’s harsh.” He paused. “But I’m betting he took soft care with her.”
“Alaric, you can fuck off too.” Godric cracked his neck.
“Actually, I did think he looked a little different this morning.” The last of his friends decided to join in this discussion—if you could call it that. It was more like best friends teasing one another. The man with gray hair shrugged, staring up at the numbers still rising. “His cheeks were rosy and shit.”
Godric sighed. “And fuck you too, Wolfe.”
I tapped my right foot in irritation.
“Okay,” I growled. “I have feelings, and I’m right here. Your comments were extremely rude and hurtful.”
The men fairly vibrated in front of me with barely contained laughter. Alaric even snorted, his brown hair shaking with it. The other three weren’t faring much better.
My temperature rose, and my hands shook. “Do you know who I am?”
Godric rubbed at his temples with his free hand.
Rune muttered, “Yes, you’re his fuck buddy. Even if his cock could splinter your sweet little pussy in two.” He shook his head in mock sympathy. “Really, sweetheart, you might have fangirled with my man here. But he’s too much of a brute for you.”
My nostrils flared. “I’m Poppy Carvene, asshole.”
The elevator halted, just as it went completely silent inside. I grinned in malicious delight. “That’s right. Carvene, you pricks. And believe me, there was no fangirling for your man here when I found out who he was. I’m pretty sure the feeling is mutual for him too. So shut your damn mouths.”
The elevator doors opened on the top floor.
They stood frozen in place, not moving.
Blocking our way with their blank expressions.
Godric growled with hostility, “Get out!”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Godric didn’t release my arm when we stepped out of the elevator. His fury continued to rise with each step he took to a waiting area on our left behind a glass wall. The flare of his nostrils was impressive, along with the pink flush to his dark complexion. He yanked the glass door open and hauled me inside.
His friends, now carefully mute, followed us in and began taking seats in the room. They watched me with distrust in their eyes, not looking away. It was slightly intimidating with all that masculinity watching me like they were going to attack at any minute.
An assistant sat behind a desk identical to the one in the main lobby. He peered up from his work, a small look of surprise flashing in his eyes when he saw Godric pulling me along behind him.
“Sir, is there anything I can get you?”
“Just hold my calls, Reed. And cancel my seven o’clock meeting,” Godric griped. He opened the lone door and shoved me inside the room. He followed me in and peered out the door, ordering, “No one disturbs me.”
He slammed the door shut, and barked, “Lock.”
Wonderful.
I was locked in a room with my father’s enemy.
Godric turned to face me and unbuttoned his suit jacket. He leaned back against his door and crossed his arms over his impressive chest. His golden regard scanned my features, and then he stared hard into my eyes.
“I know we said we would contact each other again, but after what happened, I didn’t expect you to come to me.” His voice was restrained calm. “So what are you doing here, Poppy? Are you spying on me?”
I rubbed at my bicep. I’d have a definite bruise there. “Are you joking? I don’t want to be here any more than you want me here.”
The brows on his forehead rose. His beautiful voice enticed me to tell the truth. “So you’re saying you were brought to my place of business against your will?”
I clicked my teeth together and grimaced. “No.”
“Then what are you saying?”
He was excellent at interrogating, his patient hunting maddening. All that hostility he had tucked away to get the answers he wanted. No emotions now showed on his features, his eyes even clearer, only intelligence lurking in their golden depths.
I shook my arm out to make the blood flow in it again. “Did you really have to hold me that tight?”
“You were going to cause a massive scene downstairs. That wouldn’t have been good for either of us. I did what I needed to get you here. My office is soundproof.” He tipped his head. “Now quit deflecting. Why are you here?”
I sighed and turned to walk to his desk. His office was just as ridiculous as the crown on the roof. Expensive items were everywhere—on his bookshelves, his desk—the couches were leather and even his lighting fixtures were over the top lavish. I picked up a baseball on his desk and tossed it up and down as I peered back to him. “Why do you let them call you God?”
Godric didn’t comment on my change of topic. He rolled effortlessly with it. “Rune stuck me with the nickname many years ago. There is no stopping it with those four. But I blame my parents for naming me Godric in the first place.”
I put the baseball back down in its proper place. “It’s a nice name. Don’t be too mad at your parents.”
He hummed, watching me evaluate his stuff.
Waiting for me to answer his question.
I picked up another item on his bookshelf and showed it to him. “What’s this? It doesn’t look like an ordinary knife.”
“It’s a letter opener. People once used them when they received paper mail to their homes. It would slice an envelope, what a letter was carried in, opening it much cleaner than tearing it with your fingers.”
“Hmm.” I put it back down and touched more of the items, all of them shined with care. “So you collect old things?”
“Of a sort.”
I sighed and turned to him. Enough stalling. “I’m here because I’m a recruit for the Corporate Army. We’re doing a tour here today. And I’m now going to be in trouble for ‘wandering away’ from the group.”
He didn’t blink. “The Corporate Army?”
“Yes.”
Wrinkles on his forehead showed his confusion, no longer hiding his emotions with the answer given that he’d wanted. “General Carvene would never agree to that.”
I nibbled on my bottom lip and glanced away.
In the resulting quiet, he started to chuckle. It was wicked and soft. “That’s a bad girl, pet.”
The endearment was back.
“Running from Mr. Moore, are you?”
I cleared my throat and pretended to examine another one of his collectibles, not looking at him.
He didn’t quit. “But you did seem to like your fiancé’s appearance. I believe you even blushed at one point.”
“Don’t call him that,” I griped.
I turned with my mouth open, ready to argue the injustice of arranged marriages. But I stopped in my tracks.
Godric peered down at me with his golden eyes, only an inch away from me. I hadn’t heard him move. His heat pulled at me, and I stepped closer, removing the gap between us. Our bodies aligned just right. The lushest lips curved up at the edges in the sexiest smirk.
He asked, “What else were you going to say?”
I stared at his chest straining the buttons on his white dress shirt with each heavy inhale he took. “That corporations are t
he reason I had to run away. It’s your law that makes women marry by the age of twenty-five.”
“If it wasn’t there, this world would vanish.”
“Women should be able to marry whenever they want. And definitely not to someone their father picks for them.”
“The planet needs more children. Adults are dying faster than babies are born, thanks to lawless activity outside of our cities. Do you want the world to end?”
“No.” I closed my eyes. My shoulders slumped.
He purred softly, “Look at me, pet.”
I shook my head and kept my eyes closed. “I know what you want. And we can’t do that. It’s a horrible idea.”
He hummed in thought. “Are you afraid of your father?”
I snorted. “Never.”
“Are you afraid of what he would think?”
“Of course.”
He whispered on the deepest rumble, “Then we won’t tell him.”
The man was pure temptation.
“That’s not all of it.” I opened my eyes and lifted my head to peer into his wondrous golden gaze. “I don’t trust you. And if word ever leaked… It wouldn’t be good, big man.”
He held my eyes with a steady and patient gaze, even though heat simmered in those golden orbs. “Do you want to know something?”
“I’m not sure.” I eyed him carefully.
He smirked. “I’m going to tell you anyway.”
“I thought you would.”
Godric dipped his head down close to my face, his warm breath fanning over my lips. “You’re still going to fuck me again and again despite all your reservations.”
My snort was soft. “Why is that?”
“Because you want to. You want the right to choose your fate and who you are with. And you will choose me because you can’t seem to help yourself when you’re around me.” He leaned lower, pressing his mouth against mine, moving his lips against my lips while he spoke. "And I can’t seem to help myself either, even though you’re right. This is an extremely bad decision. And I still don’t give a fuck.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I moaned in need, my lower stomach heating deliciously. I pressed myself hard against him and ran my hands up his chest to grab hold of the lapels of his suit jacket. I wanted him to kiss me as much as I needed to breathe. His natural scent surrounded me, full of wild spice and cherries. I wanted to lick him all over.
I groaned, “Kiss me.”
Godric pounced at my acceptance. His arms wrapped around me and lifted me off the floor. I wrapped my legs around his waist and held tight to his suit jacket as he pressed my back against his bookshelf.
He tilted his head and kissed my lips just how I wanted. Like I was his favorite dessert. His tongue touched mine and glided with sensual hunger, battling for dominance. He needn’t have worried. I submitted to him in a heartbeat, my body quivering against his.
I rubbed myself on his hard muscles. “Yes.”
“Mmm.” He moaned and slid his hands down to my ass, holding me close against his erection. “I want you, pet.”
I groaned in frustration and leaned away. My head tipped back, and I stared at his ceiling. “I don’t have time. Major Wilcox will kick me out if I don’t get back to her group.”
He sucked on the side of my neck with gentleness. “I can order her not to.”
I grabbed ahold of his hair and pulled his face back to stare into his eyes. “Don’t you dare. I want to make it in the CA on my own. I don’t want another man interfering in my future.”
His eyes narrowed. “You are rather stubborn.”
“At times.” I leaned forward and kissed his lips once more. “I really need to get going now. I’ll have to find her in this huge ass place.”
“That, I can help you with.” He leaned heavily against me, smashing my body against the bookcase, as he placed his forehead on my shoulder. Then he mumbled in his own frustrated tone, “Order: Call Reed.”
His bracelet buzzed.
“Yes, sir?” His assistant’s voice was clear.
“Do a search to find where Major Wilcox is in the building right now.”
His bracelet went quiet, then Reed stated, “Sixteenth floor. East wing. The CA section.”
“What is she doing there?”
Another quiet moment. “Running a search for a Ms. Poppy Carvene in your building.”
I stiffened in his arms.
Godric ordered, “Cut the electricity in there now.”
“Done.”
“Create a malfunction with their recording devices for today, all recordings deleted in their database. Send the originals to only me before deleting them out of your system.”
“I will make a note to do that tonight, sir.” He paused. “Is there anything else you need?”
“Nothing right now. Order: End call.”
His bracelet buzzed once more.
I nibbled on my bottom lip. “You do realize he was talking to my ass?”
Godric squeezed said ass. “Then he’s a very lucky man.” He lifted his head and kissed my neck before easing me to my feet. He ran a hand through his tawny curls, his brows furrowed. “If you decide you want me to straighten out the situation with Major Wilcox, I will. Just let me know.”
I patted his chest. “I can take care of it.”
He bent and grabbed my ball cap that had fallen out of my back pocket at some point. He held it out to me, eyeing the old thing. “You should really get a new hat. That one is falling apart.”
I quickly snatched it from his hand and put it into my back pocket. My eyes held his with a new simmering anger. “It was my mom’s.”
His nostrils flared as he stared down at me.
Everyone knew that my mother was dead, just like everyone knew General Carvene would never back down against Mr. Godric King. The corporations had stalled giving Port proper medical equipment when one single invoice had slipped through their hospital’s accounting program and wasn’t paid.
My mother had died because of that.
The invoice had only been twenty-two units.
Godric opened his mouth and then shut it.
I ground my teeth together. “There’s nothing you can say to make her death okay.”
“I know.” He actually sounded regretful.
My voice turned sarcastic. “Though, it was awfully nice of you to fix that little glitch in your purchasing program after she died. I’m sure you save many lives now that your technology doesn’t withhold medical equipment from those in need.”
His eyes flashed on mine. “Don’t.”
We glowered at one another. Ice and fire.
Together we sizzled with our past.
I stepped around him and walked to the door on stiff legs. With my back to him and my hand on the doorknob, I stated, “Unlock the door, Godric.”
“Unlock.” He didn’t hesitate.
I jerked the door open and walked out.
Each one of his friends sniffed the air heavily and watched me as I walked by them before turning their attention back to Godric’s office.
“Poppy, I do expect you to answer when I call.” Godric’s delicious voice was hard in demand, stopping me in my tracks.
I glanced at him over my shoulder, not commenting.
He raised one brow, and he leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. “Everything we talked about in there? We already knew.”
I stared with perfect calmness. “I know.”
“You’ll answer then.”
I nodded.
One side of his lips curved up.
“I do have one question before I have to grovel.”
“Go ahead.”
“How did you know I was in the bathroom?”
Humor lit his gaze. “I smelled you.”
I blinked. “That’s not funny. I don’t stink.”
He grinned. “No, you don’t.”
“Then how?”
“I already answered you.”
“You’re going to
stick with that?” My voice was dry.
“I guess I am.”
I sighed and walked out the glass door.
That man was in a league of his own.
It was time to pray Major Wilcox didn’t boot me.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“I know,” I stated in a soft tone. “I am so sorry. But when Mr. King came in the building, I lost you guys in the crowd. One minute you were there, the next you weren’t.”
Major Wilcox glared down at me, her hands on her hips next to her swords. “And it took you this long to find us?”
“It’s a big building,” I explained.
She hadn’t been on the sixteenth floor when I arrived there. The halls had been dark; only tiny emergency lighting lit the hallways. I had to search the place based on where I believed the instructors would take candidates on a tour. I was lucky to find them on my first shot—the history section where they were learning all about how Godric had first formed the corporations after the final war.
The major still glared.
I shoved my shoulders back. “I found you fast.”
And I had. I was proud of myself.
Her tone turned dry. “You shouldn’t have lost us in the first place, Ms. Carvene.” Her dark eyes peered heavenward, and she sighed with resignation. “Mr. King can have that effect on people. You aren’t the first person to have been star struck when seeing him for the first time. There was this one time two trains ran into one another when a guy crossed the street right between them, all to get Mr. King’s autograph.”
My lips trembled. “Seriously?”
She snorted. “There are more ridiculous stories.”
I held up a quick finger. “For the record, I wasn’t star struck. I just got shoved back really far in the crowd.” I shrugged my right shoulder. “I didn’t think it would be appropriate to start fighting King Corporation employees at that moment. Mr. King was nearby, after all.”
Little lies. Little lies.
Back to the dry tone. “Wise choice.” She tilted her head to where the other nine female candidates were waiting—far enough away not to overhear our conversation. “Get in line with the others, but don’t even think about losing us again, Ms. Carvene. If you do, you’re out.”
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