by Kaylee Ryan
I stop the movement of my hands and slowly exhale before taking a deep breath and look into her eyes. “I’m okay, but I have a feeling I’m getting fired today.”
Her eyes widen, but that’s the only tell that I’ve surprised her. “Tell me what’s going on.”
So, I do. I tell her about how Hadley and I were having a girls’ night and ran into Conrad and Marshall. I tell her about the drinking and the dancing—all of it. I don’t leave anything out. I’ve never been one to shy away from my truth or my responsibilities. This is on me. I made a choice, and I need to take the consequences.
“And?” Gail asks.
“And, I know I was wrong.”
“Why was it wrong? You weren’t on company time or even company property.” She’s looking at me like she truly doesn’t understand.
“Isn’t there some kind of rule or something? Employees shall not drink and dance with bosses?” I ask.
“Not currently, but we’re going to fix that,” a deep voice says from behind me. Slowly, I turn to see Royce standing there, and his hard stare is laser-focused on me. “Gail, can I see you in my office?” he asks. He moves his gaze to her.
“Sure. Sawyer, grab your tablet,” she instructs as she stands.
“Just you,” Royce says, stalking off to his office.
“I’ll just be a minute.” Gail pats my shoulder.
I watch her as she disappears into Royce’s office. Panic starts to rise, and I hate that my poor decisions are going to cause me to lose my job. “You made it a week, Sawyer,” I say under my breath.
“Talking to yourself now?” Conrad asks with a friendly smile. My expression must say it all. The smile drops from his face, and he’s suddenly serious. “Sawyer, what’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing.” I try for a reassuring smile, and I fail miserably.
“What’s going on?” Marshall asks, stepping up to my desk.
“She’s upset.”
“What’s up, Sawyer?” Marshall asks.
Great. This is what I don’t need. I don’t need Conrad and Marshall defending me and making things worse. I don’t know what’s going on in his office, or what he’s saying, and even though I deserve whatever it is, I still hate it. “Royce is pissed,” I whisper, like cussing at work is going to get me fired. It’s not my mouth that’s going to do it but my poor decisions. I immediately clamp my hand over my mouth. Not just because I cussed at the office, but because I didn’t want to tell them.
“Fuck that.” Conrad storms off toward Royce’s office. He doesn’t knock. He just turns the handle and walks on in.
“Come on.” Marshall holds his hand out for me.
“W-What? Where are we going?”
“In there.” He motions toward Royce’s office with his head.
“No. Nope.” I shake my head vigorously. “I’m not going in there.”
“Yes, you are.” Walking around my desk, he grabs my hand and gives a gentle tug to get me to climb to my feet.
“Marshall, this isn’t a good idea. He’s pissed. He heard me telling Gail and said he was going to make a rule about employees and bosses socializing.” That’s not exactly what he said, but I read between the lines. He’s going to make sure that it never happens again.
“He’s being a grumpy dick,” he says, pulling me from behind my desk. My heels click against the tile floor, and the closer we get to Royce’s office, the more nervous I become. My knees are literally shaking. I hate confrontation. That’s why I put up with Phil’s harassment for so long.
“Come on, man, you’re being a dick,” Conrad says as we enter the room.
“Told you,” Marshall says, not bothering to keep his voice down.
Everyone stops talking and turns to look at us. I can feel the stare of everyone in the room, but my eyes are locked on Royce. “Mr. Riggins,” I start, and Marshall snorts from his place beside me. I elbow him and try again. “Mr. Riggins—” I start, and this time it’s Royce who stops me. Not his words, but his glare as he takes in my hand that’s still clasped in Marshall’s. I try to pull away, but his hold is firm. When I look up, Marshall is grinning from ear to ear.
“Out. Everyone but Sawyer leaves the room. Now!”
“Not gonna happen,” Conrad says, crossing his arms over his chest. “We’re not going to let you badger her when she did nothing wrong.”
“I thought we already talked about this?” Marshall asks.
Again, I try to pull my hand free, but he’s not budging. “It’s okay,” I assure them.
“Come on, let’s give them a moment to talk.” Gail links her arm through Conrad’s. “Sawyer, I’ll be right outside when you’re done.” She’s training me, so where else would she be? That’s my first thought, but then I register that she just winked at me. She’s telling me that she’s on my side and that there’s nothing to worry about. At least I hope that’s what it means.
“You good?” Marshall asks me.
“Yes.” I try to give him a reassuring smile. He nods, gives my hand a gentle squeeze before finally releasing me and following the others out the door. The audible click of the door closing has me reaching for the back of the chair for support. I thought my knees were weak before, and it’s nothing compared to this—standing before him on my own. His gaze is intense as he watches me.
“Sit.”
I want to object, but my knocking knees tell me I should do as he says. Slowly, I step around the chair and take a seat. Carefully, I cross my legs, tilted to the side, mindful not to give him a show, and fold my hands together, placing them in my lap. Finally, I look up, meeting his gaze.
“Sawyer.” Royce’s deep voice washes over me. His brown eyes are intense as they watch me. The same eyes that brought me through the storm of my panic attack now regard me much differently.
“Mr. Riggins.”
He sighs. “Mr. Riggins is my father. Just Royce.”
I nod. “Royce.”
“Is there something going on with you and my brother?”
“No, sir.” I’m quick to shut that line of thinking down.
“Any of them?” He raises his eyebrows.
“No, sir.” I look him in the eye and will him to believe me. I don’t want to lose this job.
“You and Marshall looked awful cozy.” There is a steel harshness to his voice.
What on earth is he talking about? “I’m sorry? I don’t know what you mean by that?”
“He didn’t want to let you go.”
“What? When?”
I watch as he closes his eyes and mumbles under his breath. Slowly, they open. “He was holding your hand. Just now. Here. In my office.”
Oh, that. “He’s just looking out for me. Look.” I sit up straighter in my chair. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t planned. I was out with my best friend, and Conrad and Marshall were there. They bought us drinks, and we ended up hanging out. It was nothing more than that. I promise you it will never happen again.” He stays silent, so I keep rambling. “I didn’t mean to break any rules. I would never.”
“You didn’t break any rules, Sawyer.”
My shoulders relax. “Then… why am I here? Am I in trouble for something else?”
“No. However, you are aware that I lost one assistant that I worked well with to my best friend. I’d like very much not to lose another.”
Is it just me, or did his voice soften? “I enjoy my job. I have no plans to leave.”
“Sam didn’t either until she did.”
“I promise you, sir. There will never be an intimate relationship with me and any of your brothers.” It’s a bold statement, one I know that I have to stand behind if I want to keep my job at Riggins Enterprises.
“You’re mine, Sawyer.” My eyes widen, and he clears his throat. “My assistant. You support them, but ultimately, you’re mine.” His eyes flare when he says it, and I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be his. I adjust my seating, my thighs rubbing together. Now is not the time to get turned on by my new boss.<
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“Yes, sir.”
“Royce.”
“Yes, Royce.”
“That’ll be all, Sawyer.” He dismisses me. I stand on shaking legs and exit his office, shutting the door softly behind me.
“Well?” Marshall asks.
“He didn’t yell at me.” His eyes widen in disbelief.
“What did he say?” Conrad asks. “We can go talk to him.”
“No.” I raise my hand to stop his movements. “He said I didn’t break any rules.” He said I was his. I decide to keep that to myself.
“Good. Now, you boys get back to work. Sawyer and I have some training to do.” Gail shoos them to their office and pats my chair for me to sit. Just like that, my job is still secure, and my panties are ruined. It’s wrong to think about Royce in any other way but professionally. I know that, but all I can think about is him telling me that I’m his, and the heat that flared in his eyes when he said it.
Sure, it was probably anger, but this is my fantasy, and I want to believe his words had a double meaning. A girl can dream. This is another side of him I’ve never seen before. Another layer of Royce Riggins.
Chapter 6
Royce
Dropping my pen to my desk, I lean back in my chair, covering my face with my hands. My dick is hard and pressing painfully against the zipper of my dress pants, but I refuse to adjust it. It’s my punishment for lusting after my new assistant. It doesn’t help that her eyes widened, and she licked those full luscious lips when I told her she was mine. I don’t even think she realized that she did it. When she squirmed in her chair, rubbing what I imagine are smooth, creamy thighs together, I went from half-mast to full-on steel. I’ve never been more thankful for the barrier my desk provided, or the coverage.
It’s been over a week since the smoke show that is my new assistant appeared in my life. Coincidently, that’s the same amount of time that my concentration has been complete shit. Of course, I didn’t know that she was my assistant the day I met her. No, that day on the plane, she was a beautiful woman battling her fears. I was just the lucky bastard who got seated next to her and got to help her through it. When she walked away from me that day, I hoped that I would see her again. I had no idea it would be in this capacity. I didn’t know that those green eyes and her soft skin would taunt me day in and day out.
I have contracts to read through and a mountain of other paperwork that keeps piling up. Instead of being the beast that I am, or that I usually am, all I can think about is her. Sawyer. She’s here when I arrive and checks in with me before she leaves for the day. Anytime I start to forget her sexy ass is sitting just outside my door, her sweet voice filters into the room, and poof. Concentration is gone.
When Marshall and Conrad told me they were out with her, I can’t explain the anger that made me feel. I don’t understand it. All last night and this morning, on the way here, I told myself it was because I didn’t want to lose another assistant. Not that it would be a huge inconvenience since she’s only been here for a week. She’s barely trained, but something deep inside me wants her to stay. My plan was to make her fearful of losing her job. I wanted her to think long and hard before agreeing to a night out with my brothers again. Then she walked in here, holding Marshall’s hand, and the only thing I could think about was to get him away from her and to get her closer to me.
I’m losing my fucking mind.
I need to get over whatever this is. I have a billion-dollar company to run. I don’t have time to fantasize about bending the beautiful Sawyer over my desk. I groan out loud at the mental image that gives me. My dick twitches in my pants.
This. Has. Got. To. Stop.
The intercom on my desk buzzes, and her voice fills the void in my office. “Royce,” she says softly.
“Yes.”
“I have Grant on line one for you.”
“Thank you, Sawyer.” Grabbing the receiver, I place it next to my ear. “How’s it going?”
“It’s not as bad as we thought. Tony, he’s a mess, but Scott, he’s got his shit together. He’s the one that’s keeping this branch running.”
“What do you suggest?”
“We demote Tony. My guess is that he’ll quit, but that’s his choice. We have enough evidence to fire him altogether, but this is cleaner. He’s just not cut out to run the day-to-day. Scott, on the other hand, he’s got what it takes. I’ve spent the morning with him, and he was able to rattle off numbers, ship schedules, you name it, Scott is in the know.”
“I agree. What do you need from me?”
“Nothing. I’ll take care of it. Gail is having her team in HR work up the documents and emailing them to me. It will be done before the end of the day.”
“Good. When are you heading back?”
“I think I’ll take another day. See what Tony decides to do and then help Scott if he needs it. I don’t think he will, but I want him to know that the support is there if something comes up.”
“Thank you.” I relax back in my chair. “Something I can mark off the list.”
“From the sound of things, you’ve got your hands full on the home front.” I can hear the smile in my voice.
“I swear you all are like a bunch of gossiping women.”
“I’ll tell Owen you said so.” He laughs.
“Owen?”
“Yep. I just talked to him about a salary increase for Scott, and he filled me in on everything I’ve missed. A lot can happen in just a few days.”
“It was nothing.”
“Oh, it was nothing, huh? Then why did you get all fired up? Over nothing?”
“Is that all? I’ve got work to do.” His reply is to laugh, so I hang up on him. Not my finest or most mature moment, but my brothers know how to press my buttons.
Pushing all thoughts of my sexy assistant out of my mind, I pick up the contract for the new operation in Tulsa and start reading through the suggested changes. Each location is unique to its specific demographic. For the most part, the contracts are the same, but I still read through not wanting to miss an addition that could come back and bite me or Riggins Enterprises in the ass.
“Knock, knock,” Sawyer says, appearing in my doorway a couple of hours later. “Sorry to interrupt. Your lunch meeting was canceled, so I went ahead and ordered you something.” She sets a bag from a small deli across the street on my desk. “I didn’t know what you liked. I had to guess.”
“Where’s Gail?”
“She had to run down to the HR department. Something about making sure Conrad had what he needed.”
“You could have asked me.”
“I peeked in, and you were so engrossed in what you were doing I didn’t want to interrupt.” With that, she smiles. It’s a soft smile that barely tilts her lips, but it’s genuine. She turns on her black heels, the same heels that do wonders for her legs and ass, and walks out of my office.
I stare at the bag from the deli, and my stomach growls. My eyes scan my computer, looking for the time, and I see it’s half-past one. Thirty minutes after my meeting was supposed to start. I never lose track of time like that. Reaching into the bag, I pull out a turkey on wheat, if the sharpie written description on the wrapper is any indication, plus a bag of plain potato chips, and a bottle of Lipton Sweet Tea.
I dig in, devouring every bite as if it’s been months since I’ve eaten. That gives me pause as I think back to this morning, and I didn’t eat. All I could focus on was getting to the office to talk to Gail, to initiate a policy. One that I was deftly talked out of. Gail was right. I can’t keep her from living her life outside of these walls. I can’t keep her from hanging out with my brothers or anyone else. It’s not my choice. What I can do is discourage it, which I did strongly. My only hope is that it’s enough.
I’m just shoving the last bite of my sandwich into my mouth when Sawyer appears at my door. “I forgot to grab you something for dessert.” She holds up a Snickers bar. “Vending machine for the win.” She grins and steps into my offic
e. I watch her every move. The way the skirt she’s wearing forms to her hips, the way her blouse stretches over her ample breasts. The way her green eyes seem to always sparkle, lighting up the room.
She reaches my desk and hands the candy bar out to me.
“Thank you.”
She nods. “I don’t know if you eat sugar. I mean, you look really fit, so if you don’t want it, I won’t be offended.” Her cheeks are a light shade of pink, telling of her embarrassment.
“I don’t usually indulge, but I do make exceptions.”
“Good to know.” She takes a step back, ready to go back to her desk, but my words stop her.
“Have a seat,” I find myself saying. Suddenly, I need more time with her. She does as I ask. Crossing those legs, causing her skirt to pull tight over her thighs. “You didn’t break the rules.” She nods. I watch as her throat bobs when she swallows. I can’t help but wonder what her skin tastes like. Is it as soft as it looks?
Focus, Riggins. “With that being said, your actions, as well as those of my brothers and every employee of this organization, is a representation of this company.”
“I agree with you. To some extent,” she adds. “When I’m here, I am a representative of this company. My having drinks and dancing with friends, that doesn’t look bad on the company or me. We didn’t break the law, and nothing we did was inappropriate.” She wrings her hands together in her lap. I can tell she’s nervous, but her back is straight, and her shoulders are pushed back. Her green eyes are looking at me, straight on. She’s standing behind what she feels is right. The boss in me is irritated. The man in me thinks it’s sexy as fuck. Not that she needed to be any sexier in my eyes.
She’s right. We both know it. Hell, everyone knows it. I still don’t like it. “It’s strongly discouraged that you not duplicate what you did on Saturday night.” I’m trying to be a hardass, but I just can’t seem to be when it comes to her. Not to mention that I’m spewing bullshit.
“I’ll take your suggestion into consideration. Is that all, Mr. Riggins?”
I’m not one of those men who are into kink. I like sex, but I’m not really into the controlling aspect. I like for both parties to be involved. However, her calling me sir gives me all kinds of fantasies, and again, I’m relieved my desk is hiding my dick that seems to be in a constant state of arousal when it comes to my new assistant.
