Savage Empire: An Enemies to Lovers Dark Billionaire Romance (Broken Cross Book 1)

by Bri Blackwood

  “Mr. Cross?”

  The meeting had just wrapped up. Everyone swung around to face the voice since they didn’t know which Cross Melissa was talking to.

  “I, uh, meant Damien.” She looked somewhat surprised that she had said my first name. “There is someone here to see you.”

  I stood up and walked over to her. “Who is here to see me?”

  “She said her name was Anais Monroe. Said you would know who she is.”

  I checked my phone to see if she had left a message, but I didn’t see one. She pulled this off as a surprise. Interesting.

  “Did I do the wrong thing? She’s sitting in the lobby.”

  I glanced at Melissa after I put away my phone. “No, what you did was fine. I’ll take care of it.”

  I excused myself from the conference room without causing a fuss and headed toward the lobby. It didn’t take me long to spot Anais sitting in the first row of chairs closest to the door. By the look on her face, she was pissed. I took my time to appreciate her coming to my office in a red pencil skirt. She was also wearing those “fuck me” beige pumps that she had worn the first time we met.

  “Ms. Monroe.” She looked up at me and the look in her eye told me this was going to be a fun meeting. “Please follow me to my office.”

  I placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her through the cubicles on my floor. I could see everyone’s eyes avoiding mine, but I knew they were watching as we marched to my office. I was glad that my brothers were either still in the conference room or had gone to their own floors to manage their operations because I would never hear the end of this, and it was the last thing I needed. I could feel my subordinates’ ache to gossip about the scene that was occurring in front of them and I knew they would once we were out of sight. Not that I never had business associates come to my office to hold meetings, but she was different. The energy around us was different and I understood why it would send tongues around us wagging.

  The walk to my office ended with me closing my office door. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

  She seemed stunned as she took in the room. I will admit that my office was pretty remarkable. It was located in one of the corners of the floor and had large windows that allowed me to look at the tall skyscrapers featured in New York City’s skyline whenever I wanted. I had a big-screen TV on one wall in case I wanted to watch the news or the stock exchange. The other walls featured charitable and business accolades. While she was caught trying to take in as much of my office as she could, my mind drifted to visions of her bent over my desk. That was when she snapped out of it and turned her attention back to me with fire burning in her eyes.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Did you tell my father that we were doing whatever this is?”

  What the hell was this about? “No. I had a phone call with your father about the loan and we may have a meeting later this week. You were not brought up at all.”

  “Did you have someone send him a photo of us from Elevate?”

  “I wouldn’t lower myself to leak a photo. Elevate has strict security protocols and you’re saying someone disobeyed my rules?” Someone had the audacity to not only leak a photo from Elevate, they leaked a photo of Anais and me? The anger that her accusation and a leak in my club caused in me went unchecked. How dare she think that I would do such a thing? Before she responded, I continued. “An investigation into who took the picture will occur. Never accuse me of going back on my word. We had an agreement and I’ve kept my word.”

  I checked my wrist again. I had less than ten minutes until my next meeting. There wasn’t enough time to bend her over my desk now but there was always next time.

  She snorted. “I can’t trust you. You lie to people all the time.”

  I got close to her and tilted her chin up to force her to look me in the eye. “I have never lied to you and I never will.”

  She said nothing, and I wasn’t sure that she accepted what I said or not.

  “Here I thought you were just here to get fucked across my desk.”

  Her eyes darted from the desk and back to me. “This isn’t about sex. This is about my father suspecting that there is something up between us and it’s something I didn’t want him to know.”

  “It had to have been someone you know that told him.”

  “How dare you attempt to accuse Ellie!”

  I locked the door behind me, a decisive click letting both of us know what had been done. “I didn’t accuse anyone. I know that my people keep their mouths shut and have sworn their loyalty. It sounds like there might be a problem on your end that needs to be solved. We’ll get to the bottom of who is attempting to leak this.” I took a step toward her forcing her to back up. I did it again and again and again until she was up against my desk. “This isn’t really an issue, that you’re linked to me. You’re already mine.”

  And that was when my lips slammed down on hers. The kiss turned serious fast and it was intoxicating. I broke it to whisper to her, “Place your hands on the edge of my desk and don’t move.”

  She did as I said without argument and I growled in satisfaction. Thank fuck because I don’t have time to waste anyway.

  My mouth usually went to her neck first, to the spot that I found that drove her wild, but I mixed it up. My eyes zeroed in on her tits that were currently hiding from me behind a bra and white shirt. How had I still not gotten enough of them? “Unbutton the shirt now or I’ll rip it off you myself.”

  Once again, she followed directions and soon she was standing in front of me in her lacy beige bra, her shirt falling off her shoulders, and her mouth slightly open, her breath coming out in light pants. Her green eyes told me that she was waiting to see what I was going to do next.

  My mouth made its way to her breast licking a small trail along the top of it, while my hand massaged the other because it deserved some attention as well. When I heard a moan escape her lips, my dick stiffened in my pants and I was already regretting not being able to put it in her tight pussy due to this meeting that could have taken place over an email.

  After my tongue made its way to the start of her cleavage, I used my other hand to yank that bra cup down and put her light brown nipple into my mouth. I glanced up and watched as she threw her head back and let out a groan, not caring who could walk by and hear her. A minute later, I moved onto her other breast, paying as much attention to it as I did the previous one. I loved to hear the sounds that were coming out of her mouth as she lost her mind because of what I was doing to her. When I was done, I let her nipple out of my mouth with a loud pop and knelt to get ready to go toward the main course of this meal.

  “Remember what I said. Don’t move your hands away from the desk or I’ll stop.”

  She nodded her head, but words were past her at this point as she didn’t say anything, but her breathing became more erratic the lower I went.

  “I can’t wait to get my mouth on this pretty pussy.” I glanced up at her and found her eyeing me as I pushed her skirt up and shifted her panties to the side and touched her folds with my fingers as she shuddered. “You’re already wet for me and I’ve only just begun.”

  I pulled two of the chairs that that were sitting in front of my desk a little bit closer and she intuitively knew to put her heels up on the chairs and that’s when I submerged myself into her and she told me that I had done the right thing when she bucked forward, but I held steady and reached around to grab her ass, making sure there was no way she was getting away from my mouth.

  Part of me wanted her to thread her fingers through my hair just so I could punish her when we got home, but so far, she was doing her damnedest to keep her fingers clutched tight on the desk, honoring what I’d told her earlier. My tongue made its way to her clit and even if I didn’t know I’d made the right decision, her body would have told me I did based on the cuss words she was spewing. Her taste was sweet, something that
I could see myself wanting to have for the rest of my days although I knew that couldn’t be.

  I switched between sucking and licking, not sticking to a particular rhythm so she didn't know what was coming next and I could feel her losing control of her body. The harder her breaths became, the harder my motions, and when I felt her fingers in my hair, I hid my grin. I got another thing I wanted.

  “Damien.” My name came out as a groan and I almost moaned too. I knew I would never tire of that sound and I continued consuming her as if I needed her to live.

  A few more seconds and she fell apart and I licked every drop of her, enjoying the taste of her in my mouth. When I pulled back, she looked as if she had been properly fucked with her tits on display and her pussy still glistening from the havoc I had just wreaked on it.

  I sat back on my heels and then I stood up, pulling my suit jacket down to cover my dick, which was now at full mast. I checked my watch and bit back a cuss. This had taken eight minutes instead of seven.

  “I have a two o’clock and need to head out. Stay in here as long as you need. I’ll see you at home later.” I paused for a moment. “Take your time too because you look as if you’ve been properly fucked.”

  I gave her a small smirk before I exited my office, closing the door behind me.

  17

  Anais

  “We can talk about this later.”

  “Sounds good, Jake,” I said as I walked into my office and closed the door. I eased down into my chair, finally able to show that I sore show all over my face after Damien had taken me this morning. I was just about to make a phone call when my phone buzzed alerting me that I had a text message.

  Damien: Be ready to go by 7. Rob will pick you up from home.

  I closed my eyes, first trying to calm myself to tame the urge to send a snarky text message. It would have been nice if he’d asked me if I had any plans. I also would have appreciated more than a few hours’ heads-up that I had to go somewhere. There was also the fact that he called his townhouse home to me, when previously he’d always referred to it as “my home.” Could be a slip of the fingers, but when has Damien ever slipped up? Before I could analyze it any further, a second text message from Damien popped up on my phone.

  Damien: Don’t worry about picking out something. I had my stylist send a few options.

  I furiously typed a message back to him.

  Me: No. I’m not going.

  Damien: Yes, you are.

  Me: I don’t get a say in this? Shocking. Could you have given me more than a few hours’ heads-up? I don’t want it to leak that we were seen together and have it get back to my father.

  I pressed send and placed my phone face down on my desk. A frustrated growl escaped my mouth after I checked the time. It was almost four, which meant I should start wrapping up things here soon in order to get back to the townhouse to be ready in just a few short hours. My phone buzzed again.

  Damien: My father was supposed to go to this event but can’t and asked me to take his place instead. We could entertain each other.

  Well, at least he too had found out last minute. That lessened some of the anger that I felt. I noticed he hadn’t said anything about news about us being revealed to the press. I was worried about more photos leaking and my father finding out that I lied by omission, but I didn’t push it further.

  Me: Could you at least tell me what this event is about? That might help me decide on an outfit that’s appropriate.

  Damien: It’s a cocktail and dinner event. I have to make an appearance and act friendly.

  Me: Act is right. You mean until you take over their companies and portfolios?

  Damien: You got it. Rob will get you from work at 4:45. You will be ready to go by 7.

  The ride to Damien’s took longer than usual with traffic factored in, but I made it there with plenty of time to spare. I jumped into the shower but avoided wetting my hair in order to save time. When I got out, I noticed a black off-the-shoulder cocktail dress, a dark red sheath dress that dipped a bit in the front, and a long-sleeved forest-green boatneck sheath dress hanging on a small rack in the bedroom. On the floor near the foot of the bed were black pumps and I was thankful that at least they were basic, and I didn’t have to make a choice between shoes as well. They hadn’t been there before I entered the shower, making me wonder who had left them. If it had been Damien, I was shocked he didn’t stop by the bathroom to see me, assuming he didn’t let the stylist come into my bedroom. Knowing that it was December, I walked into the closet that was filled to brim with expensive clothes, wondering what the reason was for asking his stylist to bring clothes when I could have found something suitable. I found a beautiful long white peacoat and placed it on the bed next to the forest-green dress I decided to wear tonight.

  It didn’t take me long to put my dress on and apply my makeup. I thought about spending some time putting my hair up but kept it down for the sake of convenience. As I finished putting on my heels, there was a knock on the door.

  “Come in,” I said and was shocked to find Damien on the other side of the door. He had knocked instead of barging into the room? Was I living in an alternate universe? He was focused on how tight the dress was in the bodice area before his eyes made their way down the rest of my body to stare at my legs.

  He liked what he saw although he said nothing about my appearance.

  “Wear these,” he said as he handed me a small box.

  My heart temporarily jumped into my mouth because of its shape, but my brain finally caught up to my eyes and noticed that it was too big to hold a ring. When I opened the box, I found a pair of rectangular-cut diamond and emerald earrings. On top was a diamond and dangling from it was an emerald.

  I almost slammed the box shut and dropped it.

  “You want to ask a question.”

  “Whatever could have given you that idea?”

  “Because you never shut up.”

  I couldn’t tell if he meant that as a compliment or an insult, but I took it as the former.

  “How much did this cost?”

  “That’s not important. It’s a gift.”

  “Will this be added to my debt?”

  His eyes flared. “What part of ‘it’s a gift’ don’t you understand?”

  Was giving earrings that were probably worth more than what I had in my savings account just an everyday occurrence for him?

  “Why did you buy them?”

  “Because they reminded me of your eyes. If you hadn’t picked the green dress to wear, I hoped these might have convinced you otherwise.”

  I had nothing else to say and although I felt uncomfortable wearing something so expensive, in the back of my mind, I knew part of my job tonight was to be a representation of him and all of the companies that were a part of the “Cross Empire,” so I put the earrings on. I could talk to him about not being able to accept these later.

  I put on the white coat and grabbed the black purse that I was going to be using for the night. When I looked at him, he nodded, turned around to walk out of my room, and waited in the hallway. I checked my makeup one more time and I followed behind him, closing the door on my way out. We waited for the elevator to take us down to the main level and when we reached the front door, he held out his arm for me to grab as we descended the front porch stairs where Rob was waiting with our ride. Damien waited for me to enter the sedan before walking around the car to enter on the other side.

  “Is everything okay?” His actions raised my bullshit meter and I wanted to know what this was all about.

  He didn’t say anything, but he looked at me.

  “You’re acting like a gentleman and I want to know what’s up.”

  “Are you questioning me?”

  “No.” I thought about arguing further but figured if I wanted to have a nice evening tonight, it wouldn’t be worth what this was about to turn into.

  As he said, the ride to the event was short and I clutched Damien’s arm as we made our way th
rough the crowd of people that were in attendance. We were gathering in the enormous living room of someone who had more money than I could ever imagine. I could see what looked to be part of a large, stunning staircase down into the hall.

  Almost as soon as we arrived, everyone wanted to talk to Damien and therefore me since I was on his arm. While people were talking to him, I watched as Damien’s eyes scanned the room. What he was looking for, I didn’t know. I prayed that this wouldn’t get back to my father, but if it did, what good was it worrying about it now? What was done was done.

  I felt my body tense up, and Damien must have sensed it too because he rubbed his hand up and down the small of my back, providing a small sense of comfort in the very crowded room in an unfamiliar place.

  “Damien, hello!”

  Although we were in the middle of a conversation, this man, whose name I didn’t catch, had to let his presence be known. Damien’s eyes narrowed. He was supposedly talking to Damien, but his eyes were zeroed in on me. “Take your eyes off of her if you ever want to breathe, let alone work in this city again.”

  Damien’s words sent a tremble down my spine. The people in our immediate vicinity heard Damien’s words and either took a small step back or looked at him with wide eyes. I did neither of those things because I suspected something like that might come out of his mouth based on the irritation he had with this guy and his hand, which had been on my lower back, had now moved to my waist, holding me to him like a vise. All this man did was look at me and that was enough to make Damien go off. I refused to admit to Damien or anyone else how much it aroused me.

  The man in question got the message quickly and his attention was on Damien before finding an excuse to leave us alone. I was relieved because I truly thought Damien might kill him.

  I leaned over to whisper in Damien’s ear. “Was that really necessary?”

  “What did I say about questioning me? I didn’t like how he was looking at what was mine and I let it be known. End of discussion.”