by Bianca Cole
I want her again even more now. The problem is, she quit and stormed out of my office. Not to mention, it’s against every rule in the book.
“Do you need anything else?” Charlotte asks.
“Can you order my lunch?”
“Of course.” She nods and leaves.
I’m not sure what Tessa has found in the accounts. From a glance at the numbers, even I could see it didn’t add up. Whatever it is, it doesn’t sound good. I can’t go running to my father on the first day of the job about it.
Perhaps I can theoretically run the possibility of this situation past Theo and pick his brain. From the way Tessa is acting, this is some serious shit.
8
Tessa
I rush out of Bryson’s office. My entire body is shaking with rage and lust that makes me feel so ashamed.
I fucked my boss without even realizing it. What we shared last night was hot and passionate. How could I have let that asshole inside of me? I’m an idiot.
He wound me up so much I quit on the spot. I need to get out of here. This place is like all the other financial firms—full of dirty, filthy liars.
Not to mention, the CEO is very filthy, considering the way he spoke to me last night and the things he did to me.
I can’t stop thinking about how good that man made me feel. I stand in the center of the empty elevator and wait for the doors to open. It descends from the top floor and feels like it takes forever to get to the first floor.
I step out of the small box and head for my office, rushing and lamming the door behind me. I grab a stationary box and pack the entire contents of my desk and all my belongings inside the box within a few minutes.
Last night was more of a mistake than I ever realized. Bryson Stafford fucked me against a tree, and I haven’t been able to think of anything else since. My body still craves his touch.
I’m not thinking about the consequence right now. I’m not thinking about how I’ll afford rent or what I’ll do once I’ve left. Bryson makes me so crazy that I don’t give a shit. He wants to turn a blind eye to the fact embezzlement is taking place in his company. I can’t do that.
He can deal with it himself when the feds arrive and chuck him in jail. I can’t be a part of it, though.
I scoop the box up into my arms and take a moment to catch my breath. The uncharacteristic rage flooding me makes me shake and tremble. I feel a little light-headed as I take one last look around.
I’m already fed up with saying goodbye to places and people. The pressure in my head builds as I walk out of my office, slamming the door behind me.
A panic attack is looming over me, as I head into the cramped elevator. Even though it is empty, it makes me panic. I clutch onto the box and try to focus on steadying my erratic breathing.
The box in my arms feels heavier as the elevator descends. Finally, it comes to a halt on the ground floor. I step out into the open marble entrance and let out a long, shaky breath.
The pounding in my ears is all I can hear as I walk to the front desk. I weave my way past a few people milling about in the lobby. Marlon and Anna are chatting together. Both of them look up a little surprised at me, clutching a box. “Tessa, is everything okay?” Anna asks.
I can barely reply but manage to speak. “I just quit. Here is my badge.” I pass it to her.
She frowns at it. “I didn’t receive any forewarning of this from upstairs.”
“I told Mr. Stafford to his face. Then I went to get my things from my office and came straight here.”
Anna gives me a weak smile. “Okay, do you mind if I check everything over with Mr. Stafford?”
I shake my head and tap my foot on the ground. The pounding in my head gets worse the moment Anna talks on the phone.
I grit my teeth together and try to catch my breath. Stars dance in my vision as it blurs, and before I know it, blackness ensues. The sensation of tumbling backward follows, and that’s the last thing I remember.
* * *
A loud siren-like noise fills my head as I regain consciousness. A paramedic is kneeling on the floor over me, gazing down. When I process what happened, a surge of embarrassment floods me. I passed out in the lobby of The Stafford Financial Group after quitting. I groan, trying not to let the shame overcome me.
“Miss, how are you feeling?” he asks.
I try to push myself up, but he stops me. “Careful, now, we don’t know what caused you to pass out. I don’t want it happening again. Could you look this way for me?” He points to the right as he shines a light into my eyes. Once he withdraws the blinding light, I watch him nod with satisfaction.
“All right, let’s get you up,” he says.
I rest a hand on his arm as he helps me to my feet. He directs me to a bench in the middle of the lobby and asks me some questions about my medical history, which I run through.
A familiar and irritating voice echoes through the lobby, “Go about your business. There is nothing to see here.”
Bryson Stafford.
He approaches me and stands towering over us. I want to punch him right now and kiss him. My feelings toward this man I fucked last night are so mixed up. He’s the reason I fainted. He’s the reason I no longer have a job.
“What’s the verdict?” he asks.
The paramedic stands and faces him. “She will be fine. I think it was a panic attack that overwhelmed her and led to a momentary lapse of consciousness. The security guard caught her, so she didn’t hit her head.”
Bryson smiles at the paramedic. “Thank you for taking care of my employee. I’ll take it from here.”
The paramedic nods and then grabs his equipment. I don’t want to be anywhere near Bryson right now. Yet, here he is, smiling at me.
The son of a bitch learned I had a panic attack and passed out, and he’s looking like the cat who got the damn cream. Once the paramedic is gone, he takes a seat next to me–closer than I’d like.
“Are you okay?” Bryson asks.
I shake my head. “I’m fine. If you would leave me alone, I’d greatly appreciate it, sir.” I say the last word mockingly as it’s not like he is my boss any more.
“Why were you handing in your name badge?” he asks.
My brow furrows. “I told you. I quit. There is no way I’m working for this company a moment longer.”
He laughs in a way that makes me grit my teeth together. “I thought you were just angry. Surely, we can discuss this like adults.” His blue eyes flash with playfulness. He knows he’s suggesting I’m acting like a child, and it only angers me more.
“I’m not working for you or this company for a moment longer. There is nothing to discuss.”
Bryson sighs and runs a hand through his dark brown hair. “I may have said some things back there that I didn’t mean.” He shuffles on the bench, moving closer to me. “I’m under a lot of pressure at the moment.” There is genuine turmoil in his tone, and I’m surprised to see him looking so vulnerable for a moment, considering he is the acting CEO of this company.
“I can’t turn a blind eye to what is going on here. It’s wrong.”
“Good, you’re the kind of woman I need on my side. I will get my driver to take you home so you can rest for a little while and then get dressed. He will take you to a restaurant where we will have an early dinner and discuss everything you learned. Okay?”
The way he stares into my eyes makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. All I can remember as I look at him is the way it felt when he took me against that tree. My thighs quiver. I know going to a restaurant with him is a bad idea, as my body doesn’t seem to hate him as much as my mind does.
I want to say no to him. He’s so cocky and demanding. “Fine.” I stand up. “I’ll see you later.”
He stands and grabs my hand in his. I glance around wondering if anyone is going to see the CEO acting so unprofessional with me, but no one seems to bat an eyelid. “Let me walk you out.”
I sigh and tear my hand from his
. “Fine.” I move to grab my box, but before I can, he scoops it up into his strong arms.
“I’ll take the box. You don’t want to pass out again from overexerting yourself.”
I think he knows how much he is annoying me right now. I huff and then march toward the door. I still can’t believe I fucked this asshole last night. Last night he was a different man, kind and attentive.
Bryson follows me out into the busy street, but I don’t wait for him. I’m not even sure where I’m going until a young man steps up toward me. “Tessa Clayton?” he asks.
I nod in response.
“I’m Tom, and the car is over here.” I glance back to see Bryson looking irritated, trying to fight his way through the bustling bodies, chasing behind me.
“Bryson, I’ll take that for you.” Tom grabs the box and bundles it into the black limo in front of us.
My heart skips a beat as Bryson’s hands settle on my hips, sending heat flooding through my veins. His warm breath tickles my exposed neck as he leans down to whisper in my ear. “I’ll see you later, Tessa.” His voice is deep and husky. He pulls me even closer to him, and I feel his thick, long cock pressing into my backside, making me moan. “Don’t stand me up.”
I want this man again. It’s ridiculous. I don’t like Bryson, but I want him.
Despite myself, my panties are dripping wet already. The way he acted earlier over the embezzlement scheme was infuriating.
But, I can’t shake the way his body feels pressed against mine. How good it felt when he made me come all over his face or with his cock buried deep inside of me. My body responds in a way I wish it wouldn’t. I can’t deny the truth. My body wants him as badly as my mind dislikes him.
He presses a kiss against my shoulder, trailing up my neck before disappearing into the crowd.
I glance back to get a glimpse of him, but he is gone. This is a bad idea. It seems my body is not listening to reason, especially after last night.
Bryson Stafford is the worst kind of man imaginable. So why the hell are my panties so wet?
9
Bryson
I try to stop thinking about Tessa for the next hour, throwing myself into work to keep my mind busy. If her findings are correct, then my company is embroiled in an embezzlement crisis.
I may not be the brightest financial mind, but even I could see that. It’s a damn miracle no one has picked up on it before and taken it straight to the authorities. Somehow, I need to get to the bottom of it without bringing scandal on the company.
The pressure of an oncoming headache between my eyes is starting, as I rub my forehead. The stress is getting to me already. I walk down the hallway toward my brother’s office, the squeak of my leather brogues across the polished marble break the silence. This afternoon, I’ve been pacing so much my feet are numb and tired. I walk around the corner to the back office, where my brother should be working.
I draw in a deep breath as I come to a stop outside his door. Is this the right thing to do? I know how dangerous it is to risk admitting to my brother that this is happening while I’m in charge. I don’t intend to tell him outright. If I make it hypothetical, I may get away with it. I knock on his door.
“Come in,” Theo says.
I open the door, letting myself in. Theo glances up at me. His eyes widen when he sees me standing in his doorway.
“Brother, how can I help you?” Theo drums his fingers on the desk.
I stand there a moment in silence as Theo stares up at me. My mind is still a scrambled mess, and as I glance at my watch, I haven’t got long until my reservation for dinner with Tessa.
Even her name excites me more than it should. My cock hardens at the image of her beautiful flushed cheeks earlier. I shake my head and try to stop thinking about her, returning my attention to Theo, who is scowling at me now. “What is it, brother? Spit it out.”
“I want to ask you what you would do in a hypothetical situation.”
Theo’s brow raises, but he nods and gestures for me to take a seat. “Okay, take a seat.”
I move to take a seat in front of my brother’s desk. He cocks his head to the side as he stares at me. “It’s unlike you to ask my opinion.”
I shrug. “I heard someone discussing something that happened at another firm. The guy stumbled upon an embezzlement scheme. It got me thinking about if that were to happen within our company. I mean, as CEO, you need to be ready for any and every situation, right?” I ask.
Theo nods. “Yes, what did you hear?”
“As far as I could gather, their company set up some health and wellness accounts instead of making everyone have to buy insurance. The money they were taking out of the employee’s paychecks were siphoned into other areas of the company, rather than being used to pay for the employee’s benefits. Even though the employees have been told that they can access the money, they haven’t seen a cent.”
Theo’s eyes widen. “Is there a company doing this now?”
“No, I heard some guys talking today while we were waiting on Mr. Gates. And, they were talking about how a company did it a few years back. They’re not doing it now.”
I can’t risk Theo learning this was going on right now. It could blow my entire quarter in charge out of the water.
Theo wipes the phantom sweat from his brow. “Well, if you were to hear our competition doing it, then you would need to go to the authorities because if they suspect you know something, they will be on your back. The IRS will come down hard on anyone involved.”
“I know, I guess that’s why it rattled me. If something like that were to be brought to our attention, here, how would a CEO go about dealing with it?”
Theo raises a brow as a moment of silence passes between them. “Well, the proper thing to do in this situation is to investigate in house, this way you don’t alert those who are involved, making them bolt. There’s no need for unwanted and unflattering publicity, which not only makes you look bad but destroys all future trust in the company. Ultimately, losing the company billions of dollars, as customers will go to the competition instead.”
I nod. “That makes sense. I feel like I have so much to learn about being a CEO.” I rest my head in my hands.
I intend to get a certain woman to help me with a quiet investigation.
Tessa.
She seems bright. She was the first person to catch onto the scheme. She’s the only person I can trust, considering she attempted to quit because of her morals.
Theo, to my surprise, stands and rests a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, brother. You’ll get there. Both of us will.” He smiles. “I’m not sure why our father doesn’t make us joint CEOs. It would make it easier for both of us.”
I can’t deny I’m surprised by his sentiment. “Why don’t you suggest it to him?”
“I have. Dad insisted that The Stafford Financial Group has always had one CEO and always will.”
I sigh. “I wish he would consider it. We’d do better running this place together.” My heart sinks as it would make everything so much easier.
Theo knows finance better than me, and he would do a good job, but he lacks the management skills that I possess. I want to prove I can step up to the mark.
“We’re brothers, not enemies. I don’t enjoy fighting against you.” Theo walks toward the wall and grabs something from the side. “No matter what happens. If you win or I win, it won’t make a difference. We will both still work here together.” He smiles at me.
I can’t help but smile back. “May the best man win.”
“Which is me,” Theo says, smirking.
“Bullshit.”
Theo laughs and then glances at the clock. “Right, I’ve got a meeting with the Johnson firm, so if that’s all…”
“Of course,” I stand from the chair. “Thank you for listening.”
He winks. “Anytime, big brother.”
I let myself out of his office, relieved at how easy that was. I’d expected him to probe me more. Tom
should be on the way to the restaurant with Tessa already. It’s almost six o’clock. I’d ordered another car to wait for me outside. After speaking with my brother, my proposal to Tessa is the right move. I’m going to ask her to come back to The Stafford Financial Group as my financial advisor. She can help me tackle the embezzlement issue, and I can address my obsession with the woman.
It’s wrong to want to sleep with my employee again. Well, former employee, who I intend to win back onto my side tonight at dinner.
I march out into the street. The black town car I ordered is waiting for me. Tom will already be on his way to the restaurant with Tessa. It’s ridiculous that I have butterflies beating around in my stomach at the mere thought of her name.
The woman who could help me figure out what was happening in my company. Hopefully, she can help me with something else too. I glance down at my tenting pants. Fuck. I know how unprofessional it is to want to be balls deep in my employee again.
It’s a sure-fire way to piss my father off. A CEO can’t get involved with an employee. It’s against everything he has ever taught me. Not to mention, it breaks every sexual conduct rule in the damn rule book.
10
Tessa
“Holy shit.” The door slams shut. “There’s some fancy limo parked right outside the apartment block,” Elena shouts.
I’ve kept Tom waiting for longer than I should have. Bryson told me I could rest up and then get dressed, but I’ve been in here an hour and a half. I’ve changed my outfit about ten times, and I don’t even know why.
That’s a lie. I know why—because I want to fuck Bryson again, even though I shouldn’t.
Bryson Stafford is taking me to dinner to discuss business, and I’m panicking over what to wear. I shouldn’t care how I look. “Yeah, I know. It’s waiting for me,” I shout back.
“No freaking way.” Her footsteps echo toward my bedroom. “What’s going on?”
