by Bianca Cole
Once we’re away from prying eyes, I turn toward him. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I writhe, trying to break free from his strong grasp.
He doesn’t stop moving, dragging me along a hallway and into an empty room. My stomach dips and the blood drains from my face. I’m alone with this creep and he’s insane. My body tenses as I switch into survival mode. I yank my arm free, spinning to face him and bringing my hand up to slap him again. At least, that was the plan.
He catches my hand mid-air, working out my intention before my hand gets anywhere near his face. He holds me where I am, glaring at me.
My breath catches in my throat as I take in his appearance. He is one of the most attractive men I’ve ever seen. His eyes are a dark and deep brown, blazing with fire as they fix on me. A stark contrast to the normal men that grope me at these parties—but, he’s clearly as big of an asshole as the rest of them—maybe the worst of the lot.
“I suggest you apologize right away,” he growls.
I yank my arm from him and step back, resting my hands on my hips. “Are you fucking joking?” I shake my head slowly. “I’m not the one who should be apologizing.”
He steps closer to me. “Do you know who I am?”
My eyes narrow. “Do you know who the fuck I am?”
He smirks at me with a cocky grin. “Yeah, you’re the piece of ass paid up for my entertainment.” He steps even closer. “Your job is to please the men and I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but you’re not doing a great job.
Hot fiery rage rises inside of me, bubbling under the surface. I can’t believe he mistook me for a prostitute. I glance down at my dress, wondering if I put on something racy by accident. My dress is conservative and classy. This guy is such an asshole. “I’m Ivy Heisman.” I step closer to him. “Jack Heisman’s daughter and a junior lawyer at the firm.”
His grin widens, and he takes a step back. His eyes rake down my body, making rage bubble even more fiercely inside of me. The nerve on this guy is unbelievable. “Are you going to apologize for mistaking me for a hooker?”
His eyes darken with a fierce hunger as he steps closer, again. “Perhaps you should reconsider what you wear to these parties in the future.” Again, I glance down at my dress. It’s a fucking navy blue maxi dress with modestly plunging neckline. I can’t wrap my head around how this guy mistook me for a hooker.
I open my mouth but shut it again, unable to find the words.
He takes another step so there’s only a few inches between us, towering over me. “I’m Wes, by the way. The new partner at your daddy’s law firm.”
Holy shit. Of course. Wesley Peterson has moved to Wynton from New York. He has an infamous reputation for being a playboy and a womanizer. My father told me he was hiring him and when I looked him up online the scandalous news reports mentioning him were endless.
He sets his hands either side of my waist, making me tense. “Don’t pretend you weren’t turned on by the way I touched you.”
Is this guy for real?
I step backward away from him. “It made me feel physically sick.”
He shakes his head. “You’re a terrible liar. I bet your panties are soaked right through, darling.” He winks at me.
Well, I thought I’d met the worst of the lot, but damn was I wrong. This man is so conceited and a complete and utter jerk. It seems like all the rumors in the press are true. Cocky isn’t even a strong enough word to describe him. He’s ridiculously attractive, but he knows it.
I cross my arms over my chest, drawing his eyes to my cleavage unintentionally. “What if I tell my father what you did?” I threaten, despite knowing my dad wouldn’t believe me, anyway.
That fierce hungry look ignites in his eyes, sending a shiver down my spine. “I know you won’t do that, sweetheart.”
My jaw clenches. “Don’t call me sweetheart.”
His smile widens. “Because, if you told your daddy, then you wouldn’t be able to see this face every day at work.”
Unbelievable.
My whole body shakes with rage. A volcano beneath my skin is bubbling and ready to blow. Not to mention, the hungry look he gives me heats my body for a different reason. I open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but I can’t. The rage consuming me is too hot and furious, I can’t speak. I spin on my heels, storming away from him without a word.
I don’t care that my dad hasn’t seen me at the party. I don’t care that he’ll give me shit for it. There’s no way in hell I’m spending another minute at a party with that asshole. Netflix and a huge pot of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is calling to me. I’m going home. This party was worse than I ever expected.
3
Wes
I’m screwed. Ever since last night, all I can think about is the managing partner’s daughter, and it’s my first day at the firm.
It’s been about twelve hours since Ivy Heisman slapped me. Twelve hours since she took my brain hostage. I’m not used to being so consumed by thoughts of one woman.
Normally, I don’t have a habit of thinking about women. I fuck them and forget about them. Sure, it might make me an asshole, but it’s easier that way. No connections and no emotions means no chance of getting hurt.
One slap later, and I’m sat here in my new office thinking about her. And, I can’t stop. She’s the sexiest, fiercest little thing I’ve ever met. There’s one problem. She’s the managing partner’s daughter—my boss’s daughter. I can’t fuck her. I’m pretty sure that is the best path to getting fired.
It doesn’t help that this city is small. After living here all of two weeks, I’m certain the gossip wagon is harder to evade than New York. Everyone knows everything that happens here and it spreads like wildfire.
I mean, look what happened to my friend, Logan. It all worked out, but it’s still in the papers a couple of weeks later and it’s all anyone can talk about. The professor who dated his student. I groan, realizing how totally fucked I am right now.
Not to mention, I’m sure she hates me now. I pretended to mistake her for a prostitute. I had to stop her from talking to the guy across the room. The way he was looking at her made me angry.
The moment she stepped into that ballroom, I knew I had to have her. A fierce possessiveness clouded my mind, making me crazy.
All I can do is hope her father doesn’t find out about what I did.
She’s too beautiful and classy to be a prostitute. I knew that the moment I set eyes on her. Her fiery red hair is as hot as her attitude, those bright blue eyes make me want to lose control, and luscious pink lips that would fit perfectly around my huge, throbbing cock.
My secretary pokes her head through the door. “Sir, Jack Heisman wishes to see you in his office.”
Shit.
I clear my throat. “Thank you, Ellen. Did he say when?”
She nods. “Right away, sir.”
Perfect.
I adjust myself in my pants, ensuring my stiffy isn’t too obvious. I don’t want to attend a meeting with the managing partner sporting a raging hard-on. I try to focus on anything but the daughter of the man who has summoned me to his office and it softens a little. I stand from my desk and adjust my jacket, before heading for the elevator.
Jack Heisman’s office is on the top floor. I step into the elevator, tapping my foot on the floor, waiting for it to arrive. I walk past the secretary’s desk but no one is there. I clear my throat outside his door and then knock twice.
“Come in,” he calls.
I turn the doorknob, opening my mouth to speak. I freeze the moment I notice the woman sitting opposite him. My dick thickens in my pants at the sight of that fiery, wavy red-hair. It’s unmistakable. She’s unmistakable. Ivy.
I thrust my hands in my pocket, hoping that the pleats in my trousers hide the fact that my cock is very hard again and throbbing against the zipper of my pants.
“Wes, thank you for coming.” Jack stands. “Please come and meet my daughter.” He gestures for Ivy
to stand too.
She gets to her feet and glares right at me. Her bright blue eyes furious.
It looks like she hasn’t forgotten our meeting the evening before. I plaster on my normal smirk. “Miss Heisman, it’s a pleasure to meet a powerful woman such as yourself.”
Her nostrils flare. She looks so beautiful when she’s angry. “I can’t say the same. Men in power always seem to think they can take whatever the hell they want.”
I smirk at her no-shit attitude. She’s as fiery as last night and it’s something I admire about her.
“Ivy, that’s no way to speak to our newest partner at the firm,” Jack says.
She grits her teeth. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” There is no honesty in her words.
“I see you’ve dressed far more conservatively today.” My eyes roam her tight blouse and navy skirt. It’s standard office wear and I shouldn’t be finding it sexy, but I have a feeling anything Ivy Heisman wears looks sexy.
“Oh, have you two already met?” Jack asks.
Ivy is glaring right at me. Little does she know it’s only making me harder. “Yes, briefly at your party yesterday evening,” she says, averting my gaze.
Jack clears his throat as the tension in the room hits a new high. “Anyway, I wanted to introduce the two of you officially. You are going to be working together on the Delaney case.”
Ivy’s eyes widen and she spins toward her father. “Is that necessary? I’ve been handling the case fine by myself.”
Jack turns to her. “Of course, Ivy. You are a junior lawyer at the firm and Wes is our newest partner. I want the best person to introduce him to the law firm and work with him on this case. I think you will learn a lot from each other.”
Shit.
I want to learn from her but in such a bad way. I’m screwed. Working with Ivy on a case is not going to be possible. All I can think about is pushing her up against a wall and fucking her until she screams my name. My cock throbs at the image, leaking precum into the fabric of my boxer briefs. I try to adjust the pleats, hoping to high hell Jack can’t tell I’m sporting a hard-on. Especially considering his daughter is the reason.
Although my move is subtle, Ivy’s eyes flick right to my crotch.
Damn.
Her face turns the prettiest shade of pink and her eyes snap back to my face.
I grin at her and raise an eyebrow.
It only ignites more fury in her eyes. “Is there anything else you need from me, father?”
Jack’s attention moves to his daughter. “No, that’s all, thank you, Ivy.” He turns back to me. “Wes, I’d like to have a chat with you though, if you don’t mind?”
I nod. “Of course, sir.”
Ivy storms passed me, focusing on anything but me. I shift so that her arm brushes against mine as she passes. I want to reach out and grab her, and if it weren’t for her father watching me, I would have. The way she looked at me told me she wants to slap me again and I’d welcome it. I think that’s what has got me so hooked on her. The way she didn’t take my shit.
“Wes, have a seat.” He glances at the seat Ivy had been sitting in.
I take it and shuffle under his gaze. In this position, I’m no longer hard, thank God.
“I’ve got a few company documents for you to read and sign. We have the sexual harassment dossier, your employment contract, and the rules we abide by here at the Heisman firm.” He passes me three large files.
I may have already violated the sexual harassment rules before even starting here. He doesn’t need to know that though, especially as his daughter was the woman I was an absolute douchebag to. I take the files and nod.
“If you can go through them this morning for me and hand them over signed to your secretary that would be perfect.” Jack says.
“Of course, sir.” I adjust my tie. “Is there anything else?”
Jack’s eyes narrow. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Wes. You’re a fantastic lawyer but make sure that when you’re here at work, you keep it in your pants.”
My stomach twists at the warning. He has no idea how ironic it is.
“We have a strict no dating policy between employees because it can cause tensions and issues within the workplace we don’t want.”
My tie feels too tight as I loosen it. This is very bad.
I’m not even sure I can abide by his rules when it comes to Ivy, his daughter. I thought perhaps I could get over my infatuation when I saw her again, but after out brief encounter a moment ago, I want her more. How the fuck am I supposed to stay away from her now?
“Of course, sir.” I reply, despite the warring conflict going on in my head.
He doesn’t need to know that the likelihood of me keeping it in my pants is about zero. It’s already straining against my zipper, desperate to become acquainted with Ivy, his daughter. He doesn’t need to know that I want his daughter more than this damn job.
4
Ivy
Wesley Peterson is an asshole—a very hot and handsome asshole. He has weaseled his way under my skin and I can barely think of anything else. I haven’t spoken to him since Monday at my father’s introduction, but all he has to do is look at me and he pisses me off.
This morning we were waiting for the elevator and he objectified me, raking his eyes right over my body with that irritating smirk on his face. I wanted to slap him all over again. Luckily, Sam was waiting there too, otherwise I’m sure he would have spoken to me.
He’s the most arrogant man I’ve ever met. Not to mention, unearthly handsome. It’s not really a surprise he’s so cocky, men who look like that always are.
He’s tall and works out. I felt how hard and muscular his body was when he pulled me against him and his tight fitting tailored shirts hug them perfectly. I bite my lip, thinking about the way his dark brown eyes burned with a fierce and hungry possessiveness this morning. The way he looks at me is as if he wants to devour me.
My thighs clench at the thought and my panties soak through.
Damn it.
There’s something very wrong with me. Not only does he piss me off, but he turns me on all at the same time.
Why can’t I stop thinking about him?
He gets me hot under the collar with rage and irritating lust. It’s totally out of my control. I sigh heavily, glancing at the pile of work on my desk which only pisses me off more. All I want to do right now is curl up into a ball and go to sleep.
I shake my head, trying to knock myself out of the funk I’ve fallen into. A man shouldn’t be able to derail me like this. He’s not even worth thinking about. My work is more important and I’m not going to let him get in the way of it.
The Delaney case file is on top of the pile and I reach out for it. This is the case I have to work on with Wes. I need to make sure I know it inside and out. I don’t want him to make me look bad. If anything, I’ll try my damned hardest to make him look bad.
As I plow into the file, my irritation over Wes eases. The image of his smug face fades from my mind and I get lost in my work. My attention consumed by the case and nothing else. The rage that had been burning inside me turns to a simmer in the background.
I’m not sure how long I’ve been working when a knock at the door breaks my attention. “Come in.”
A young woman enters clutching a file in her arms. “I’ve been told to bring you a case file that needs a draft document written up.”
My brow furrows. It sounds like something that should be taken to the paralegal team. I gesture for her to bring it to me. She sets the papers down on my desk. I take one glance at the file and know instantly this isn’t meant for me. As a junior lawyer, it isn’t something I deal with. “I think you’ve got the wrong office. I’m a junior lawyer and this is below my pay grade. Are you sure you weren’t supposed to take it to the paralegals?”
The girl’s eyes widen and the blood drains from her face. “I-I was following orders to bring them straight to you, Miss Heisman.”
My eyes na
rrow. “Whose orders?”
“Mr. Peterson’s.” She shuffles on the spot. “I’m Ellen, his assistant, and he told me he needs these doing urgently.”
I shake my head and just like that the burning rage comes back fiercer inside of me. He is literally asking me to go and slap him again. “Thank you, Ellen. I will discuss the matter with Mr. Peterson.”
She bites her lip, before nodding and walking out of my office. My entire face flushes hot. If he wants a fight, then a fight he is going to get. I stand up from my desk, trembling.
My fists clench around the file, as I step out of my office and down the hallway toward his. Normally, I’ve got patience. Anger isn’t an emotion I’m used to feeling, but this man knows how to push my buttons. Wes gets under my skin like no one ever has.
I step around the corner to his office and Ellen locks eyes with me, swallowing hard. Without even knocking, I storm into his office. There’s no way in hell I’m knocking for this asshole—he doesn’t deserve the courtesy.
He glances up and smiles at me. “Ivy, to what do I owe this pleasure?” He leans back in his chair.
My lip trembles and my entire body shakes. I glare at him, taking a few steps forward toward his desk. Once I reach it, I throw the file down in front of him. “Why are you sending me work that is way below my pay grade? This is stuff the paralegal department deal with.”
He laces his fingers behind his head. “I’m the partner on this case and you’re the junior lawyer. I can send you whatever work I want.” That fierce hunger in his eyes burns brightly as he sweeps his gaze down my body. It’s as if this asshole is undressing me with his eyes. I can’t understand why every time I’m near him my panties soak through.
I grind my teeth together to stop from jumping across his desk and slapping him right here. “No,” I spit out. “You can’t assign me work.” I cross my arms over my chest. “We’re working together on this case. You’re not my boss.”
