“I’m ok, just a little dizzy. It’s from the chemo.”
“Did it just start?” Owen’s brows furrow together.
“No, I’ve been dizzy all day.”
“Logan...” Parker growls. I hold up a hand to stop him from continuing.
“I just wanted this over with. I promise after the presentation is done, you can be the knight in shining armor and whisk me away to our condo in the sky.”
“You’re such a smartass.” He smirks, shaking his head. “Fine, you can stay, but you’re staying next to me.”
“If that’s my only option.” I roll my eyes, catching another smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“Now that you’ve read all the information the companies and Mr. Anderson provided us... Let’s flip to pages seventeen through twenty-two and take a look at the real financials and information they didn’t provide.”
We turn our attention back to Lucas, just in time to see Mr. Anderson’s world crash down around him.
“What are you talking about! I gave you all the real information!” He’s seething, filled to his breaking point with rage.
“As you can see, the numbers were doctored to make them more appealing. The companies would make a killing and we’d lose millions on each and every one of them. Not only would the failing companies make a huge profit, but so would Mr. Anderson who’s been getting a kickback from each and every company he’s brought to our attention since we took over the business from our fathers.”
“Is this true, Richard?” Doris holds a hand over her chest, her features filled with shock and horror.
“Do you actually believe these immature boys who can barely run a company? They made bad decisions and deals, now they want someone to blame it on so their daddies don’t get mad!” His face reddens to an unhealthy degree.
Doris, as well as every other employee in the room, stares at Owen, Lucas and Parker before bouncing their gaze back to Anderson. None of them know what to think or how to react. On one hand they don’t want to believe their bosses could be that horrible, blaming their mistakes on a single employee to look better for their dads. But on the other hand, they don’t want to accept one of their coworkers could be such an underhanded piece of scum.
“Mr. Anderson, Detective Nelson and his amazing officers would love to have a little discussion with you down at the precinct.” I motion to the door with a smile on my lips.
Owen, Parker, Lucas and I stand as Nelson walks in the door. Anderson swivels around in his chair so fast he almost falls out of it.
“I’m not going anywhere with you! I haven’t done anything wrong!”
“Well, lucky for us, we have evidence and bank statements to prove otherwise.”
I swear if steam could actually come out of someone’s ears, it’d be coming out of Anderson’s right now. His face is so red it looks like it’s going to pop right off.
“Mr. Anderson, you’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent...” The office goes on, reading Anderson his Miranda rights and slapping cuffs on his wrists.
“I’m going to make you regret this! You haven’t seen the last of me!” He hisses.
“Oh! Detective! Did you hear him threaten me? That’s probably not gonna look too good for you.” Owen flashes him a pout before a smirk takes over his features.
“I would’ve gotten away with everything if it wasn’t for that slut!” He growls.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Parker drapes an arm over my shoulders, tugging me closer. “If we hadn’t found this amazing woman, you probably would’ve gotten away with more.”
“But Doris made the smart decision to hire her, Parker made the smart decision to keep her around, and the three of us made the ingenious decision to bring her along to meetings.” Lucas moves to stand next to Parker.
“Logan will get another promotion... probably your job. But we like her, unlike you. We trust her, unlike you. We value her as an employee and a human, unlike you.” Owen appears at my side, taking my hand in his.
The four of us present a united front for the company but also behind closed doors. The three of them really are like brothers, always looking out for each other. Being accepted into this, it’s been like a dream come true. I have a family once again, people who love and care for me. People who will stand by my side through the good and the bad.
I’ve found the man I love, the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I know no matter how long I have left on this earth; Parker will be by my side. Carrie, Owen and Lucas will be cheering us on. Life will be perfect.
53
Parker
Three months later
IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG for a judge to rule in our favor and throw Anderson in jail. The companies who made the deals with him were also brought in on charges. We didn’t get our money back, most of it was already spent anyway, but we don’t care. We’re just happy to have Anderson out of our company for good and to have people we trust on our team.
After the word spread about what Anderson did, people seem to be respecting us more. They realize we’re not screwing up the company and we really do care about what happens with it. Everyone is working harder than ever; it feels like we’re a real team for the first time. I owe it all to Logan. If it weren’t for her, we never would’ve realized what Anderson was doing.
“Baby? You ready yet?” I’ve been sitting on the couch for over thirty minutes waiting for her.
“Almost! Five more minutes!”
“Logan! You’ve said that every five minutes for the past forty-five minutes!”
“I know! I’m sorry! It takes time to look good.”
“You’re such a drama queen. You’d look beautiful in a trash bag.”
Footsteps come from our room, moving closer.
“Are you saying I wasted my time getting all dolled up for you?”
I pull myself off the couch, spinning to respond to her. The second my gaze locks on her, my mouth goes dry and I forget how to form words.
Logan’s absolutely stunning. She’s wearing a skin tight black bandage dress with a deep V-neck. Her hair falls in loose curls, half is pulled up into an intricate design. Her make-up is heavier than normal, making her gray eyes pop. I chuckle when my gaze drifts to her shoes, those red fuck me heels finish off her look.
“Damn... you look gorgeous. You sure you wanna go out? We could stay here... I have a few ideas of how we can stay busy tonight.”
She closes the distance between us, a palm sliding up my chest, resting over my heart.
“Down, boy. We can do that later. Let’s go out and enjoy our first date and maybe you’ll get lucky later on.” She trails a finger down my torso until she reaches my belt, her dark gaze never leaving mine.
“Maybe? It’s not a sure thing?”
“Nah, it’s a first date. I’m not easy.” She winks, swaying her hips as she strolls away to find a coat.
“You’re gonna be the death of me in that dress... Can you even wear panties in that thing?”
She glances over her shoulder, a sly smile spreading across her shiny lips.
“Nope. Can’t wear anything under it.” She throws me a wink, stepping through the door, leaving me behind to pick my jaw off the ground.
I race out the door after her, not even bothering to lock my condo. I come up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. Her hair cascades to one side, exposing the smooth skin on her neck to me. I slowly kiss up and down, moving to right behind her ear.
“You can’t say something like that to me. This is worse than the day I met you, I want you so bad.” I nip at her ear, making her giggle.
“Patience, Mr. Scott. Good things come to those who wait...”
The elevator dings, sliding open for us. I stumble in after her, never releasing her from myself. I never want to let her go.
54
Logan
WHEN WE GET TO THE little Italian restaurant we’re seated almost immediately. The hostess leads us to a little table in th
e back. It’s dimly lit, candles flicker on each table giving off an intimate atmosphere.
“This is beautiful, Parker.”
“Yeah, it is.” His eyes never leave mine; he can’t stop staring at me. “So... tell me... was all this,” I motion to myself, “Worth the long wait?”
“Every fucking second. It’s taking every ounce of strength I have to stay on this side of the table. I want to devour you.”
“Hmm. Maybe after dinner.”
He lets out a low groan, my smile widens even further. I love this man.
“Good evening, Mr. Scott, Ma’am. I’m Veronica. May I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?”
Parker orders us two glasses of wine before Veronica scurries off and he turns his attention back to me.
“Do you bring dates here often?”
“What? No!” His eyes widen in horror.
“She knew your name.”
“Because we had reservations!”
“Ok. I believe you... but I still don’t like it,” I mumble under my breath.
Parker rolls his eyes but he’s chuckling quietly.
“I don’t know what I want, everything sounds so good.” I pout.
“So, get everything.”
“What? No! That’s crazy!”
He shrugs a shoulder, amusement lighting up his eyes. Parker reaches a hand across the table, taking mine in his. He presses a sweet kiss to my fingertips, his thumb caressing my skin.
“Will you order something for me?” I ask softly. His eyes turn mischievous and I know I’ve made a mistake. “One thing, Parker! One!”
“How do you know I’ll pick something you’ll like?”
“We’ve been eating at least one meal a day together for over six months. I’m confident you won’t fuck it up.” I smirk when his deep chuckle fills the air.
When Veronica comes back with our wine, Parker orders our food before making a toast.
“To a life full of love and happiness with you by my side.” We clink glasses before taking a sip.
Our conversation shifts to work, the boys, Carrie and finally our wedding. We enjoy our first night out alone. No Owen and no Lucas. It feels magical and surreal, but I love each and every second of it. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this man.
55
Parker
“HURRY UP,” I GROWL, basically dragging Logan behind me. Her giggles fill the air, warming my heart.
“What’s the hurry?”
“That dress and those fuck me heels! Your body is driving me crazy.”
She pulls me to a stop, I twist around, narrowing my eyes on her.
“C’mon! Why are you stopping?”
“There’s no rush, Parker. We have the rest of our lives.” Her voice is barely a whisper, her small hand cups my cheek. I lean into her touch but it does nothing to calm the desire racing through my blood.
“I need you... now.”
My lips crash into hers. My hands roam her body, skimming over every inch, memorizing her curves. A moan leaves her plump lips, drawing my attention. I thrust my tongue into her mouth, tasting and savoring her.
“Parker...” She moans when I move my lips down her neck, sucking lightly.
“Yes, baby? What do you need?”
“I need you...” She says breathlessly.
I don’t waste another moment. I pick her up, throwing her over my shoulder, racing to the elevators. She screams, reaching to pull her dress down over her ass. I push her hands away, covering her exposed skin with my own. Her laughter grows even louder.
When we step into the elevator, I let her slide down my body until she’s standing in front of me. Our lips meet in a heated kiss. This is the first time we’ve been alone for longer than an hour or so. The first night we’ve had to just be us. No Owen, Lucas or Carrie to ruin it. No thoughts of Anderson or the company. Just us.
My hand skims up her leg, pushing her dress higher until I’m cupping her bare ass.
“You should wear this dress every day,” I growl in her ear.
“We’d never get any work done.”
“The boss won’t care.”
“It’d distract Owen.” I feel her smile against my lips.
“Fuck Owen.”
The elevator door opens, we stumble out, still kissing each other like if we stop we’ll die.
I press Logan against the wall next to my condo, bringing her arms above her head. I hold them in place with one hand, the other trails down the curve of her side, over her hip, dragging this sexy dress up her thigh once again, this time keeping her covered.
I kiss down her neck, nipping as I go. When I run out of new skin to show my love to, I move to her cleavage. Her breaths come out in pants, heart racing below my lips, matching the rhythm of my own.
A door opens and shuts, drawing my attention away from the woman who crashed into my world, turning it on its axis.
“Oh, don’t stop on my account.” Owen smirks from his side of the hallway. He motions to us, “Please, continue. Let me just set my phone up to take a video. I could use this later on during my self-love session.”
“Go the fuck away!” Logan half begs, half demands, shaking in my arms.
Owen chuckles, shaking his head with a shit-eating grin.
“Inside, Mr. Scott. We have unfinished business to attend to.”
Logan wiggles out of my grasp, fixes her dress and opens the door. She grabs my tie, dragging me in behind her.
We spend the rest of the night and well into the morning, savoring each other’s bodies. Showing our love and desire without words.
56
Carrie
DRUMMING MY NAILS ON the smooth table top, I check my watch again.
“Where is she?” I mutter under my breath, glancing around the bar again.
Playing with the straw in my drink, I make a mental list of all the stuff I need to do tomorrow to prepare for the open house on Sunday. I need to get flowers, a cookie scented candle and store-bought cookies. I can’t be trusted to make cookies people might eat. I don’t need possible buyers to end up in the emergency room with food poisoning.
“If it isn’t the sexy blonde bestie who hates my guts.” His deep, gravelly voice makes goosebumps break out across my skin.
I squeeze my eyes shut, preparing for the force that is Owen Powell. I hate how my body responds to him. I hate that he’s the most attractive guy I’ve ever laid eyes on. Logan says he even has tattoos. Tattoos are my kryptonite; I can’t resist them no matter how hard I try.
But it’s not like I'm ever given a chance to resist a guy with tattoos. I’m always the friend, never the girlfriend.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that Logan has found Parker. She deserves every good thing life throws at her after everything she’s been through, but I'm still jealous. Boys in high school always paid attention to her, never me. They were nice to me to get her to notice them. I was a tool to get what they wanted, nothing more.
Now you throw Owen into the mix. A man who flirts with anything with a pulse. Am I supposed to be flattered he’s turned his attention to me? I’m not. He doesn’t want me; he just wants a challenge. I guarantee if I gave in and flirted back, he’d fuck me and leave me... if he’s even interested in sex with me. Who am I kidding? Owen’s interested in screwing anything with boobs.
“You can’t pretend you don’t hear me, Carrie. We both know you can.”
I open my eyes just as he slides onto the stool across from me, unbuttoning his suit jacket.
“What do you want, Owen?”
“I want you to stop hating me. What do I have to do?”
I glance around the bar, my eyes landing on a group of guys talking to each other. One breaks away from the group, striking up a conversation with a pretty brunette. They smile and laugh, quickly exchanging numbers before the guy goes back to his friends.
I want that. I want a guy to flirt with me and ask me out. I want to experience love.
“
Stop flirting with me,” I whisper softly, turning my attention back to Owen.
His brows furrow, his gaze bores into me. I don’t know what he’s looking for but he won’t find it. I know how to keep my emotions locked down tight.
“Ok. I’ll stop flirting on purpose.” I open my mouth to object but he holds up a hand. “It’s second nature to me, Carrie. But I’ll stop purposely making you uncomfortable.”
“Really?” My brows raise in surprise. He shakes his head softly, sadness fills his eyes but it’s gone in the blink of an eye, making me question if it was ever really there.
“I’m not nearly as bad as you think I am.” His voice softens ever so much.
Movement at the bar draws my gaze back over to the guys. A different one is talking to a redhead and another is flirting with a blonde. At least they’re well rounded in what they’re attracted to.
“You like them?”
“What?” I jerk my wide eyes back to Owen. “Who?”
“The guys at the bar. You keep staring at them.”
“I don’t even know them; how would I like them?”
“Why don’t you go talk to them?”
“I can’t do that!” I squeak out.
“Of course you can. You’re gorgeous, much prettier than any of the girls they’re talking to now.”
“Then why aren’t they approaching me?”
“You don’t exactly put off an inviting vibe, they’re not gonna come over here if they think they’ll waste their time.”
“So I'm just a waste?” I scowl at him.
“Hey, that’s not at all what I'm saying.” He reaches across the table, taking my hand in his before I can pull it back. “At the end of the day, no guy wants to be turned down. We tend not to put ourselves out there unless we feel like we have a chance.”
“You don’t seem to mind getting turned down.” I raise a brow, daring him to argue. He leans back slight, chuckling, but doesn’t let go of my hand. His thumb strokes my skin, making goosebumps reappear.
Assisting the Bosshole Page 18