by Jamie Knight
“Just think of something else for a while. Or—I don’t know—concentrate on your work.”
With this last piece of advice, she stuck her tongue out at me.
“What are you two talking about?” Eileen, who worked in the cubical next to mine, peaked over the wall. She was tall for a girl and had no problems looking into my office.
“Oh, nothing,” I said.
“Reese is waiting on an email,” Mandy said at the same time.
I glared at her. Eileen was nice but once you got her started, she could talk your ear off. Many times, Linda had admonished us all for chatting when really, we were trying to get Eileen to shut up.
“An email about what?” she asked.
“Just an account I’ve been looking into,” I lied.
I needed to get these girls to go back to focusing on their own business.
“Numbers not adding up?” Eileen asked.
Mandy snorted a laugh and I looked down, so I could roll my eyes.
I shook my head.
“No, it’s fine, Eileen. I’m just…I’m just waiting for orders.”
Still perched on my desk, Mandy looked at her nails. They were painted a deep red.
“I sincerely doubt that you would be sighing over a work email,” she commented.
Eileen’s green eyes went wide with glee.
“It’s a boy!” she smirked. “Reese is waiting for an email from a boy!”
Mandy nodded her head in agreement.
“Now we know from Watercooler that your date with Simon went less than well, did you meet someone new over the weekend?”
I leaned back into my desk chair and looked at my two work friends. “What? No! I just, well, I ran to Mr. McKenzie this morning and he’s supposed to tell me what to do about this account. And well, I thought the big boss would get back to me sooner.”
When I said ‘Mr. McKenzie’ both girls got a far away look in their eyes—like they were both picturing him naked.
“I love a man with broad shoulders,” murmured Eileen.
Mandy nodded in agreement. “I love a man with a big bank account.” ileen and I laughed at her comment. “Seriously, Reese. Just go to Linda or Ray if you have a problem. McKenzie is so busy, he’s probably already forgotten about whatever account you asked him about. Hell, he’s probably forgotten your name. Don’t take it personally. That’s just life of the rich and busy.”
“Yeah,” Eileen chimed in. “No time for us little folk.”
Mandy and I stifled our laughter at her calling herself little.
Swinging her legs one last time, Mandy jumped off my desk. She patted me on the shoulder. “Just ask Linda. McKenzie isn’t ever going to write you back.”
I nodded and turned back to my computer to hide my blush.
The day dragged and dragged and despite my morning orgasm, my horniness levels hadn’t dissipated. If anything, they’d increased tenfold, but thanks to databases and spreadsheets, I hadn’t been able to sneak off to the restroom again.
When five o’clock arrived, I decided there was no point hanging around. If Kane wanted me to do anything for him, he would have summoned me to his office by now. Maybe Mandy was right; he probably had forgotten my name.
Disappointed didn’t even come close to describing my emotions. I’d have to entertain myself and stave off my depression this evening with porn and vibrators. Not the worst way to spend an evening, but I had hoped for something more. Something that involved Kane and fucking.
Once my desk was cleared—the clean desk policy killed me—and my PC was turned off, I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder.
Sloane, who’d stayed away from me all day, made her way over to my desk and I did nothing to hide my obvious eye roll. I didn’t want to talk to her, or anyone else. I wanted to go home to take care of business.
“I’m on my way to Mr. McKenzie’s office to talk about the mentee program.” She gave me a self-satisfied smile and crossed her arms over her perky breasts. “If anyone is going to be mentored by Kane McKenzie, it’s me. You’re a bit too long in the tooth, don’t you think? I’m sure he’d prefer someone fresh from college and not set in their ways.”
Jealousy raised its ugly head, and I fought the impulse to smack the smugness out of her.
“Has Mr. McKenzie spoken to you about what he expects?” she asked seriously. “About the assignments he’ll give you?”
I nodded but didn’t elaborate.
“I’m not sure if you’d be up to the tasks he has in mind, Sloane,” I smirked. “Sometimes experience and being a bit long in the tooth, as you put it, is a good thing.”
Sloane didn’t seem like the kind of girl who would break a sweat during sex, never mind spread her legs in a public restroom while balancing on a vanity as her boss watched her masturbate.
“I would do anything for Mr. McKenzie.” Wrinkles creased her usually smooth forehead. “When he meets with me, he’ll see you’re not the one he’s looking for. And you’ll be out of luck, Reese.”
With a dismissive wave of her fingers, she strutted away.
A fist of fury punched my gut. Sloane meeting with McKenzie would destroy all of this. I should have known I would never get a man like Kane. Someone like Sloane was more his pedigree. She had money and connections, or at least her family had them. They owned half the city, and, she was right, she was fresh out of college.
Why pick someone like me who’d been around the block a few times when he could have someone like Sloane? And just like that, lady luck had kicked me up the butt again. So much for my new pendant and the miracles it was supposed to bring into my life.
I sighed and crossed my arms in front of my chest. Maybe I had Sloane all wrong. Maybe she liked to get freaky between the sheets and would be perfect for Kane. How does the saying go? Never judge a book by its cover, or in Sloane’s case, never judge a princess by the size of her pearls.
I was a fool to think Kane had wanted me or was even remotely interested. Friday night was a fluke. He was just horny and took the opportunity when it presented itself—when I presented myself. And now, on top of it all, he had a video of me masturbating. How fucking awesome was that?! What a fool I had been!
Dejected, disillusioned, and depressed, I made my way to the elevator. On the way, my phone rang. The number wasn’t one I knew, but I accepted the call anyway.
“Hello.”
“Ms. Peterson, this is Melissa Star, Mr. McKenzie’s PA.”
“You’re British,” I said, surprised. “You sound like Mary Poppins.”
Her accent was soft and soothing, and she sounded like she belonged in Downton Abbey or in some other period drama.
She gave a gentle laugh.
“Yes, I am British. Mr. McKenzie would like you to come up here asap. I’ll text you the elevator code to the penthouse offices.”
“But I—”
“Not another word, Reese.”
She hung up before I could ask about Sloane’s meeting with Kane.
Why was he summoning me at the same time he was meeting with Sloane? Anger fired up my veins. Was this all part of some sick game? One that involved me going up to his fancy ass office so all the rich people could laugh at my stupidity and naivety?
A text message with the elevator code vibrated my phone. A debate raged within me. Should I go up? Should I at least hear what he had to say? Give him the benefit of the doubt? Or should I walk away and never look back?
The fear of being humiliated decided for me. I wouldn’t go anywhere near him. It was time for me to leave with what little pride I still had intact.
As soon as I got home, I’d search for another job. I wouldn’t fall for my new boss or have anything but a professional relationship with my colleagues. I especially wouldn’t use restroom breaks for anything other than what they were meant to be used for. And I sure as hell, wouldn’t send my boss dirty videos!
I was spitting mad, but who was I madder at—Sloane, Kane, or myself?
C
hapter Eleven
Kane
The hands on the clock moved slowly; anticipation was making me eager and anxious. Concentrating on work had been almost impossible all day, but now the day was almost done and soon I would see Reese again. Idly, I tapped my fingers on the arm of my chair and wondered if she was still wearing the cum soaked panties I gave her.
“Kane? Kane? Are you even listening to me?” The baritone voice on the phone roused me from my thoughts. Ashton had raised his voice a bit.
I sat forward and put the phone closer to my ear. This deserved my attention.
“I’m sorry, man. It’s been a day,” I explained lamely. “Please go on. You were saying?”
He huffed a little; a small sound I could barely hear over the phone.
“I was asking if you finished the paperwork I sent over. The finalizing contract for the merger? Did you look it over and sign it?”
“It’s next on my list, Ash.” I tapped the black folder with the contract sitting on my desk. “It doesn’t need to be signed for two weeks. Calm down a little.”
Ashton, one of my oldest friends, had a tendency to be a little uptight. We were merging our two companies together next month. I had merged with a lot of companies, but this was a big deal.
Ashton would be coming in as my equal and business partner. Sharing power was something I usually avoided, but he had database and search tech that I desperately wanted access to.
“Look, Kane, I know we have time, but I really wanted to start moving my staff over this next week. You see, I’ve got a buyer who is looking at my building and well, no opportunity like the present, right?” he laughed, a little awkwardly.
“Mmmhmm,” I murmured, agreeing. So, it was a financial deal that was making him press. I could respect that. “I’ll sign it tonight, Ash, after hours, and send it over. You can start moving in as soon as you want. I’ll have the carpet in the second office in the penthouse steam cleaned for you. I know how fastidious you are.”
Ashton laughed a bit. Cleanliness was an ongoing joke between us. It came from a time in our college days when the hazing ceremony in our fraternity made us both wrestle pigs in the mud. Ever since that time, Ash couldn’t stand to be around dirt. Not like I really cared; it would make him a better partner at the office.
“Thanks, man,” he said, and I could tell he was smiling. “We’ll talk soon. I’m looking forward to this.”
I agreed with him and hung up. Spinning my chair so that I could look at the clock, I let out a breath I wasn’t aware I was holding. Five. Finally, it was clocking out time and the building began to empty.
I didn’t like my employees working late, and I always stressed the importance of a work-life balance. Happy employees made for better employees. However, one of my employees would be working very late tonight.
Reese had some assignments I expected her to complete. One of those was signing the NDA so we could take things to the next level.
A brisk knock rattled my office door. I frowned and put away the paperwork I had been working on. I hadn’t been expecting anyone. I knew it wasn’t Reese, because Melissa would talk to her before I saw her. I used my security camera to see who was there.
“Fuck.”
I put my hand to my forehead and rubbed my temples a bit. This was going to give me a headache.
Sloane stood outside. Would she ever get the hint? Every time I changed the passcode for the elevator, she always managed to get it. No matter how often I’d explained there wasn’t a chance for us and that we had no future, she continually tried to get my attention. She just wouldn’t give up.
Her dad was the brother of my closest fraternity brother. We sometimes golfed. He was a good guy, but his daughter was a spoiled little princess. Something he was well aware of and didn’t do anything about.
All of this was really getting to be too much. I’d have to talk to him about her. Tell him that the favor of giving Sloane a job wasn’t working out.
She had to realize my friendship with her father didn’t give her access to me whenever she wanted. Or however she wanted.
I clicked open the office door, turned in my chair to face it and tapped my fingers on my armrests. She catwalked in with her head held high, which was the usual haughty manner in which she carried herself. It was annoying.
She smiled in a way I was sure she considered sexy. I considered it simpering.
“Sloane, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
And displeasure.
I didn’t give her a smile or any indication that she was welcome.
As if completely unaware of my annoyance, she smoothed her hands down the front of her skirt and sat down in the chair in front of my desk, without being invited.
“So good to see you, Kane.” She grinned, her garishly painted lips parting to reveal horse-like teeth. “It’s always a pleasure being in your office.”
I hated her familiarity with me, but I’d known her since she was a brace-wearing, gawky tween and my first name was something she’d always used.
“How can I help you?”
My question held no warmth. I raised my eyebrows and gave her a bored look.
She frowned and leaned forward a bit. She ran a narrow finger over the top of my wooden desk, as if she was checking for dust. I knew she was trying to show me her cleavage—a sight I didn’t care to see.
“Why wasn’t the mentee program made public? And how did someone like Reese get it? She’s not qualified for the position. If you’re looking for someone to mentor, mentor me.” She made a big show of licking her lips. “I’m open to anything and eager to learn.”
I doubted that very much. I steepled my fingers together and tapped them against my chin. Sloane talked a good game, but kink wasn’t her thing. She would lie and say it was just to get with me, but in reality, she would most likely balk at being spanked, whipped, tied up, or ordered to do anything.
“Melissa and I analyzed every staff member and came to the conclusion that Reese was the person we were looking for,” I said, in my most business-like tone. So what if everything I’d just said was a lie?
“Oh, Kane,” she said, twisting her fingers in a way that I supposed was meant to look girly and helpless. “Surely if a position like that is available, it’s only fair to open it up to everyone. That’s not the way to earn loyalty from long-term employees. I think you—”
I held up my hand to stop her and glowered.
“Sloane. Are you telling me how I should run my business? I may be old friends with your uncle and father, but please don’t think you can offer me advice on how to run a multibillion dollar company. Ms. Peterson has the skills I require. You don’t. I needed someone hungry to learn. You’re not. Don’t take it personally. It just means you’re experienced and know how to do things your own way. It’s a compliment.”
Her lower lip wobbled. Something she always used to get her way. I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Crocodile tears didn’t sway me—ever.
“Reese Peterson isn’t the right kind of person to be your mentee. You need someone with class, someone who can socialize correctly. Someone who can talk to investors and world leaders. Plus, everyone knows that she’d been leading Simon on for weeks.” Her eyes turned steely and cold. “He’s the innocent party and shouldn’t have been fired.”
That was it. I was done being nice.
“Simon is a predator who should be in prison.” I stood and pressed my knuckles onto the top of my desk, doing my best to contain my rage. “Let me make this clear, Sloane; you will not come into my office again. You will not question my decisions about my company again, and you will not harass Reese about her new position. We both know you’re working here until you find yourself a husband. Just as we both know you’re working here because daddy said he’d disinherit you if you didn’t start paying some of your own bills.
“If I’d wanted a stuck-up daddy’s girl as a mentee, I would’ve come to you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do. If you come he
re again, you’ll be out of a job.
“I would hate to tell your father what kind of person you really are, but perhaps he’s already aware of that.” I gave her a wide but cold smile. “Do I make myself clear?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned ever so slightly back.
“Very clear, Mr. McKenzie.”
“Good.”
For someone close to tears mere minutes ago, she was now very composed. Without another word, she stood and stormed out of my office.
“Good riddance,” I muttered.
I clicked on my security system, hoping to catch a glimpse of Reese. Strange. She was in the elevator, on her way to the ground floor.
Odd.
Melissa should have called her to my office by now.
Watching the elevator move more slowly on my monitor, I reached over and hit the intercom button.
“Melissa?”
“Yes, Mr. McKenzie?” her proper English voice replied.
“Did you inform Ms. Peterson that I expected her in my office right away?”
“Of course, Kane. I called her just as you requested.”
The intercom went quiet as I frowned. I crossed my arms over my chest and started tapping my foot on the lush carpet of my office floor. Reese was still in the elevator, heading down.
Had she decided to give up on our little endeavor? After the video she sent this morning and her incredible performance, not coming when I called seemed odd for her. Maybe she wasn’t the good little pet that I thought she was.
But then why the hell had she been playing it?
Chapter Twelve
Reese
When I stepped out of the elevator, I got a call from another unknown number. I was sure it was Melissa again. I didn’t want to answer, but as always, curiosity got the better of me, and I did.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Kane asked, irritation lacing his deep voice.
“Home,” I replied tersely. “I don’t like being made a fool of.”
“And I don’t like to be kept waiting,” he snapped.