She smiles, I’m sure in her head she’s telling me to eat shit and die, but instead she responds cheerfully, “Message received, Mr. Windsor. I promise to get them to you before close of business.”
I leave the office the same way I came in, then walk through the garage to my car. The cloudy day has now turned to one of rain, so I quickly put the top up before leaving. Pulling up to my favorite restaurant, I greet Paolo, the owner. I’m in here often enough I have my own table, always ready for me. One of the perks of being a rich prick I suppose. “Ahh, Mr. Windsor! Greg, please,” he says toward the bartender snapping his fingers. It’s hardly a minute before an old fashioned is set down in front of me.
I pick up the glass and cheers to the Paolo and Greg. I tip it back and let the cool liquid spill into my mouth. It doesn’t take long before a salmon steak is placed in front of me with an undressed salad. I like to keep it clean and lean while I’m training…apart from my occasional cocktail. I eat alone while reading over work documents on my phone. I finish off my drink and drop two hundred bucks on the table. I didn’t ask for the wealth I have, but if I’m going to be a sellout, I might as well share it. I give a nod the staff and make my way back to the office, praying those damn reports are finished.
Walking back past Sarah, she opens the door and steps inside.
“I will call in Madeline, sir.”
“Thank you.” I shrug out of my jacket and sit behind my desk. The moment I turn for my computer, the doors are opening.
I look up and find the girl from the gym walking toward me with a file in hand.
3
Maddie
I’m in my hole, sorting mail, when my manager walks up to me. “Today’s your lucky day, Maddie.”
I laugh. “Oh yeah? Did I drop my winning lottery ticket in the hallway again?” I laugh.
“Mr. Windsor is requesting the final financial reports for last quarter, and Brian, the guy that usually does them, has been out with the flu.”
My head pops up, and my eyes grow wide. “Seriously? He’s asking for me?”
She nods. “Well, he’s asking to find someone that is qualified to do them. You’re next in line. Let’s go. You do know how to use Insight Analytics, correct? I saw it on your resume, but you never know if people are proficient.”
“Yes, I’m fully proficient. I even have an advanced certification in analytics and analytic programs. It was kind of a big hobby of mine in school.” I smile, but she doesn’t seem amused at all.
She leads me to the office I’ve never been lucky enough to set foot in until now. She steps aside. “Here you are.” She hands me a piece of paper with sign-on credentials, along with the outlined details of what is needed on the reports.
I take it from her with shaking hands. “Thank you.”
“This is a very time-sensitive request. When you finish, take these directly to Mr. Windsor’s office. His admin, Sarah, will take care of you when you get up there.”
I nod. “I completely understand.” This is the job I originally applied for when I got out of college, but at the time, there wasn’t a spot open. However, they did offer me a spot in the mailroom, and I figured something is better than nothing. I was happy to have my foot in the door.
She walks out of the office and closes the door behind her. I take a seat at the computer and turn it on. Excitement bubbles in my stomach. I can’t wait to show the CEO of Windsor Wealth Management what I can do. And hopefully, I can use it to leverage my worth to land my dream job and get out of that mailroom.
I finish up with my work a lot quicker than I anticipated. So instead of wasting time, I do a little extra. I generate a chart that shows how much the company spent last week on marketing our app, and how much it brought in. The company’s newest effort was an app that, for a small monthly membership fee, helps manage smaller investments. It’s a great opportunity for individuals to get their feet wet in investing and still feel they have complete control over how much they’re vesting and diversifying.
The phone on the desk rings and I’m unsure whether or not I should answer it, then figure, why not?
“Madeline Strickland, data analysis,” I answer just for fun, expecting the call to be for the usual person that’s here.
“Madeline, would you mind bringing up the data reports, please?”
I smile at getting my first request. “Absolutely.” I hang up the phone and make the journey to the top floor. The whole way, my palms are sweating, and my heart is racing. I give myself a pep talk. “This is it, Maddie. This is when the big boss gets to see all your hard work. You can do this. Keep calm and be confident. I totally nailed this request and went above and beyond. I am a valuable asset to this firm, and they are lucky to have me!” I punch my fist up in the air just as the chime sounds signaling my arrival.
The doors open, and I step off the elevator. As I approach the desk, a gray-haired woman stands and comes around the desk to greet me.
“Maddie? I’m Sarah. I assume you have the reports?”
I give her hand a quick squeeze and she ushers me toward the large doors of the office. I quickly thank her as I step into the biggest, fanciest office I’ve ever seen. The floor is made of black stone, with a rug the size of my apartment in the center. There’s a seating area with black leather couches and a glass-top table between them.
I’m completely distracted by my surroundings, the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Chicago, the perfectly designed wall art that screams money.
I think my mouth is hanging open when I hear a throat-clearing cough behind me. I spin around to face the desk. The man behind it smiles at me, and I freeze.
Oh my god! It’s the hot guy from the gym!
If I thought my heart was pounding before, it’s nothing like now. I feel like it’s about to rip straight through my chest. His eyes narrow with confusion. Maybe he doesn’t remember me from the gym and he’s just confused because I’m not the person that normally brings these up. I mean, I do look quite different in work clothes. Last night, I was in nothing but leggings and a sports bra.
Oh my God. My boss has seen me in a sports bra! My face reddens as I push myself forward.
“Hello, Mr. Windsor. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Madeline Strickland. I’m the person they pulled to get you your reports.” I hold out my hand, trying to pretend like I don’t recognize him, trying to be professional.
He offers a small smile and shakes my hand. “Nice to meet you, Madeline.”
“Please, call me Maddie.” I hand him the file. “I know you do this every week, but I added in a few things that I thought might be helpful. I can explain them if you need.”
“Okay, please do.” He takes his seat and places the file on the desk
I lean over and open it. “These top pages are what you receive every quarter, so I don’t need to explain those. But I had some extra time and thought this could come in handy. This first page is what the company paid out last week with the new advertising campaign for the paid subscription app. This is what the company brought in with sales on the app.”
He quirks an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by the numbers.
I flip to the next page. “This is how well your ads are doing. It seems to me that you are paying out a lot of money for this one and it’s not bringing in half of what you spend.” I point at a certain ad. “But this one, it seems to bring in steady income, and I think if you take the money from the first one and put it to the second, you’d more than double the income.”
His lips part as he looks over the page.
“Finally,” I flip to the last page. “This is a total count of how many hits your website got last week, and this is the final tally of how many of those hits turned into customers. I think with a new website design, you could put the information most people seem to be looking for regarding the app upfront, and you’d bring in more clients as well as app subscriptions.”
“This is rather unusual, but also very interesting,” he says, looking
up at me.
I nod. “It is. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten on a website looking for something specific, got distracted by something else, and left the site without making a purchase. Most people seem to be more interested in info regarding turnout and profit rather than how the company was founded.”
“This is amazing work, Maddie. Where is your normal department?” he asks, standing and towering over me.
I look up. “Ugh, I’m usually in the mailroom. I’m on hold for this position… for a year now, actually.”
“We can’t allow such talents to be wasted sorting mail. Let me contact your supervisor and see what I can do.”
“Really? Well, what about the guy that’s normally here?” I ask, pointing to the floor where I’m standing.
“He’s not fired, if that’s what you’re thinking. Surely there’s enough room in that office for two.” His eyes stare at my feet and work their way up my body, just like last night.
Watching him look me up and down makes every muscle tighten. “Thank you, Mr. Windsor.”
He smiles and holds out his hand. “Call me Bennet.”
I nod and shake his hand. “Okay, Bennet. I better get back to work,” I say, maintaining eye contact. I start walking backward and end up bumping my ass into the corner of a large chair. I let out a squeal and jump. “I’m sorry,” I mutter, spinning around to watch where I’m going.
I open the door, and he stops me. “Oh, Madeline?”
“Yes?” I breathe out, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.
“I’ll see you at the gym tonight.”
With his words, my eyes jump up to his, and my mouth drops open. “I… I,” I try again. Finally, I just shut my mouth, nod, and walk out.
Closing the door behind me, I stop and take a deep breath. It takes me several long seconds to calm down and notice his secretary is looking at me. I straighten up. “He’s quite intimidating, isn’t he?”
She offers a small smile and a nod.
I nod back then push forward, rushing to the elevator as quickly as I can.
I rush down to Jazz’s office. I don’t even knock. I just barge in, causing her to jump from her seat.
“Jeez, Maddie. You scared me to death!”
“I’m sorry. I just, I just left Mr. Windsor’s office. You know him?”
She shakes her head. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him yet.”
My eyes double in size. “He’s the hot boxer from last night!”
Her brows skyrocket. “What?”
I nod as I fall into the empty seat across from her.
“Are you sure?” she asks, not knowing if she should take me seriously or not.
“Oh, I’m sure. I was trying to pretend like I didn’t recognize him, but as I was walking out, he said, see you at the gym tonight,” I say in a deeper voice.
She laughs. “He did not!”
“He did!” We both start laughing.
“It doesn’t sound like much work is getting done in here,” Damon says, walking in.
Jazz stands from her seat. “Maddie here was just telling me about the boxer from last night…” she glances at me, and I shake my head no.
“What about him?” Damon asks.
“Oh, I was just talking about going back tonight and taking him up on his offer of a private lesson.” I grin as I stand up to leave.
“Gross, Maddie. I don’t want to hear about your hook-ups.” He turns his attention back to Jazz.
“Hey, one of your random hook-ups is now marrying you. And private boxing lesson isn’t code for anything, Damon. So I don’t want to hear it.” I pull her door open and leave them behind me.
Walking back into the gym, I feel self-conscious. I go into the locker room and lock up my bag and jacket. I look myself over in the mirror and suddenly worry that my gray leggings were a mistake, I’m going to sweat right through them and look like I peed myself. But there’s nothing I can do about it now. I shake my insecurities from my head and push open the door, walking out into the main gym.
I jump on the treadmill and run a mile, needing a warm-up. Finally, I open the door to where the ring is. It squeaks and all four men to look up at me from what they were doing. I almost want to stop and turn around right then, but I tell myself to keep going.
I walk across the floor, pulling my gloves on as I pick my bag for the evening. I tune everyone out and focus on the tips Bennet gave me last night about keeping my wrist straight and putting all my body weight into my punches. I hit the bag over and over, and just when I’m wrapping up, I spin around to find Bennet standing off to the side, watching me.
He has his arms crossed over his chest, his green eyes locked on me. His lips are turned up into a small smile. “Very good, Madeline,” he says, walking over.
The room we’re in is an add-on to the regular gym. It’s just bare wood framing with sheet metal keeping the room enclosed. Fluorescent lights are secured to each rafter, meaning it’s not completely lit up. There’s a spot of light, a gap of darkness, and then another spot of light. As he walks closer to me, he moves in and out of the light. When he steps into the darker areas, he appears dangerous yet sexy. His muscles are rippling, and his jaw is tensed. His eyes darken as he walks closer and takes me in.
“Thank you, Mr. Windsor, and it’s Maddie. You can call me Maddie,” I nearly spit out, a little annoyed that this hot guy I’ve been fantasizing about having a fling with is now my boss.
He shakes his head. “I’m not the guy you saw in the office when I’m here. When I’m here, I’m just Bennet. I’m not your boss.”
I nod once, looking at my feet. “You are my boss, though.”
“Are you the same person out of work that you are at work?” he asks, finally coming to a stop a foot away from me.
I nod. “Pretty much. What you see is what you get.”
He chuckles under his breath. “I know that isn’t true. If I’d just run into you at the office, I never would’ve guessed that you’d be into boxing. And I’m sure you have a few more passions hidden away.” His voice is deep and raspy. Just listening to him talk turns me on. A light sweat prickles my skin, and I find myself reaching for something to say. Right now, all I want to do is agree with everything he’s saying and hope he takes me into the ring where we can claim it as our own.
I force a smile. “I guess you’ll never know.” I start removing my gloves.
“You showed up tonight for your private lesson. That has to mean something.”
I nod. “I have to admit, I was hoping there was a bit of an innuendo with your offer, but then I found out that you’re my boss. That no longer seems like a good idea.”
“I told you, I’m not your boss here.”
I bite my lower lip. “So, what? At night you’re going to be Bennet, the boxer that trains me and gives me “private lessons,” and during the day, you’re going to be Mr. Windsor, the guy that assigns me jobs and writes me up when I can’t meet those impossibly high standards? Sounds like a trashy made-for-tv movie.”
He turns his head to the side and lets out a deep laugh.
I laugh. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” I feel my face heat up and know that it’s bright red.
“Let’s just take it one day at a time. See where it goes, huh?” He’s wearing his panty-dropping smile, and his green eyes are lit up from laughing. As much as I want to say no, we can’t do this, I can’t deny my desires.
I smile and nod. “Alright, Bennet. Train me.”
His eyes flash to the ring. “Get those gloves back on and let’s go.” He starts toward the ring.
I walk over, pulling my gloves on. He hops up into the ring and pulls apart the ropes, allowing me to slide in. He picks up some padded gloves and puts them on.
“I know you can hit a bag that stays still; let’s see how you do with something that moves.” He stands, bouncing up and down on his toes, moving his hands for me to punch. I crack my neck and put up my fists.
“C
ome on, Maddie. Let’s see what you can do.”
4
Bennet
I have to admit, the harder I work her, the more she gets under my skin. She’s toned and tough, and she doesn’t quit easily. I’ve watched her since she walked in. She’s been working for two hours now and shows no signs of quitting. She doesn’t stop to catch her breath; she doesn’t complain that she’s too hot or tired. She just keeps pushing, and that, to me, is a total turn-on.
Finally, I call it quits, and she collapses on the ring floor. I stand back, watching as the sweat beads up on her skin. Her chest is rising and falling quickly, and her toned stomach teases me with every breath.
“Tired?” I ask, holding out my hand.
She takes it, and I pull her up. She stumbles, falling against my chest. I look down, and she looks up. Our eyes lock as her lips part. There’s a pull between us, something that is begging me to lean in and feel her lips with mine. My tongue comes out and wets my lips, preparing for the kiss.
She blinks, and the moment is gone. Her hands squeeze my biceps as she steadies herself. “I’m sorry. I just got a little light-headed,” she says as she pulls away.
I release her and step back, needing to put some distance between us since she doesn’t seem ready to step forward with me. “You need to get something to eat and rest. You took a lot out of your body today. I’d suggest an Epsom salt bath, add ice if you can stand it.”
She nods and wipes the sweat from her brow. “Thanks for the private lesson, Bennet.” She starts ripping off her gloves.
“No problem,” I reply, walking to the side of the ring and pulling open the ropes for her.
“Same time tomorrow?” she asks.
I nod, locking my eyes with hers.
She offers up a grin, steps out of the ring, and walks away without another word. I can’t do anything but stand there and watch her go. There’s something about her that I can’t shake. She’s gorgeous; there’s no denying that. Maybe it’s the fact that I can’t just reach out and take her like I can with almost any other woman. Most women that I sleep with only have one thing on their mind: a wedding ring. They don’t care if we have a connection. They just want a chance at living out the rest of their lives in ease—something money like mine provides. But Maddie, she’s different. She doesn’t look at me and see dollar signs; at least, I don’t think she does. The first night, she looked at me with pure, unadulterated lust. A stranger she wanted that could give her body pleasure without apology. But now, she looks at me and sees him, the guy I am during the day. And I hate that. I have to get her to see there’s more to me than a suit and a big office. I have to get her to let her guard down to see me the way she saw me last night.
Billionaire With Benefits: Make Her Mine-Book 2 Page 3