Thirteen

by Scarlett Finn

  Well if he was going to be polite, she should return the favor.

  If Oakley Orion wanted to play her, she was going to do exactly the same thing in return.

  Showing up at his office, Evie had expected to be told the whole thing was a big joke. But there was a guest pass waiting for her. So she held her purse strap high on her shoulder as she hooked the pass onto the lapel of her trench coat.

  Going all the way to the top floor, she was directed to an office at the back of the room. Glass-fronted, and elevated above the bullpen below, Evie grinned, she couldn’t have set this up better if she’d had full run of the place.

  Sitting at the bottom of the stairs to the office, she smiled and winked or blew kisses at every man who looked her way. Yep, the shocking red lipstick always got attention. When she heard footsteps, she turned to see a bunch of people leaving the glass office above and hurrying down the stairs next to her seat.

  One of the men stopped at the bottom and offered her his hand. “Ian Blundell,” he said. “Oak said you can go on up.”

  “Of course he did,” Evie said and picked up her purse before taking her time to ascend the stairs.

  Going into Oak’s office, she closed the door and moved into the center to stand with her feet apart. “Evie,” he said after he looked up from whatever he was writing.

  “Shh,” she mouthed without actually making a sound as she lifted her straight finger to her lips, though she didn’t actually touch them, she didn’t want to smudge her lipstick onto her finger.

  This was going to be fun.

  Bending at the waist, she put her purse on the edge of the desk and then straightened. Narrowing her eyes on his, she slowly pulled the knot from the belt of her trench coat. After she pulled it free, she held the edges of her coat and let her tongue run the width of her upper lip before she winked once and let the coat slide from her shoulders.

  Stiletto thigh-highs, garter-belts, and a push-up bra, yep, she’d relocated his shock zone.

  Good.

  But she wasn’t done. Reaching to the top of her head, Evie pulled the clasp from her hair, letting it cascade down around her breasts. While Oak was still sitting there with his mouth open, she straightened one leg in front of the other and took a step toward the desk to dip her hand into her purse.

  Pulling out her flogger, she let the strands of leather run through her fingers and lowered her chin toward her chest. “Has someone been a naughty boy?”

  “Evie,” he said on a quiet exhale.

  “You can call me Mommy.”

  Leaping up from his chair, Oak ran away from his desk. Bypassing her, he rushed to the window and pulled the blind cord, plunging them into almost darkness. But she didn’t mind that. Turning around, she was pleased to see how frazzled he looked. With one hand on his hip, the other went through his hair.

  Strutting toward him, she tossed the flogger against her shoulder, letting the strands run down toward her cleavage. “Evie,” he said again.

  “Doesn’t look so tiny to me,” she said, eyeing the impressive erection in his slacks. “Let’s find out.”

  Grabbing his belt buckle, she was thrilled when he snatched her upper arms and thrust her back. “No, Evie, honey. This… this isn’t what…”

  Pointing the flogger at him, she made sure he knew the rules. “I do this and that’s it, Oak. Don’t call me. Don’t show up at events I’m at. I’ll avoid you. You avoid me. And don’t cancel my membership—that wouldn’t be sporting.”

  He’d said looking her up wouldn’t be sporting, but he’d done that. Still, what choice did she have? If he was going to chase her all over and make up excuses about bogus jobs just to screw with her then she had to put a period at the end of this and finish it. Especially since…

  She hadn’t been this attracted to a man in a long time. Evie had thought she could keep a check on her hormones and had always managed to, until damn Oakley Orion showed up with that smile.

  Taking the handle of the flogger to her teeth, she bit it gently and scrunched her eyes as she sank to her knees in front of him.

  “Why the hell are your blinds shut? Oh my God!”

  Peeking around Oakley’s leg, Evie saw the blonde from the bar standing just inside his office.

  Grinning, she took the flogger from her teeth. “You want to join us?” Evie asked. “We haven’t started yet.”

  “Oh my God!” The blonde said and glared at Oakley who dashed away from her to close the door behind the unimpressed newcomer. “This is not what I meant when I told you to find love!”

  “Tay,” Oakley said. “This isn’t… it’s not what it…”

  “She’s in her underwear, Oak,” the blonde said, what had Oakley called her in the bar? Taylor? “She’s on her knees! She’s holding a whip!”

  Evie held it up. “It’s a flogger,” she said. “I have a paddle too. Two actually… and a tickler, and a crop… maybe I didn’t bring the crop…”

  Shuffling on her knees toward the desk, she was going for her purse when Oakley swore.

  “Please get off your knees, Evie,” he panted.

  “Evie?” Taylor asked, blinking at him. “This is the personnel consultant you want to hire? This is her?”

  “Yes,” Oakley said. “She’s usually…” He exhaled and squeezed his eyes closed. “Dressed.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Taylor said. “She can’t work here.”

  “I can if he takes his pants off,” Evie said, slapping the flogger on her thigh.

  “Evie,” Oakley said, opening his hands to her as he approached. “I didn’t bring you here to have sex.”

  “Because I said I wouldn’t have sex with you,” she said. When he got within reach, Evie leaned forward to slide her hands up his thighs to cup his groin with both hands. “I never teased you. I was honest.”

  “Please don’t do that,” he groaned, grabbing her hands to pull them from his body. “My sister is in the damn room.”

  Clarity made her gasp and for some reason, Evie was filled with glee. Using Oak’s grip on her hands, she pulled herself to her feet and urged him aside to go to Taylor. “You’re his sister.”

  “Yes,” Taylor said, keeping her eyes averted. “His baby sister. His very traumatized baby sister.”

  Twisting, Evie snapped her fingers at Oakley and pointed at the coat that was on the floor. He swiped it up and came over to help her put it on. When she’d tied the belt again, Taylor relaxed, and Evie smiled as she offered a hand.

  “Evie Dewar.” Taylor just looked at her hand. “You probably don’t want to shake my hand.” Taylor shook her head. “Because I was just touching your brother’s—”

  “Ahh!” Taylor said, thrusting her hands over her ears and looking past Evie at Oakley with panic and disgust all over her face. “I have to…” Dropping one hand, Taylor backed away, fumbling behind her for the handle. “I have to go throw up.”

  Spinning around, the blonde ran from the room, slamming the door behind her. Yes. This couldn’t be going any better. Her satisfaction was probably written on her face as she turned to sigh at Oakley.

  “I’d still do her,” Evie said and shrugged.

  “I think that’s… unlikely to happen.”

  Oakley returned to his desk and Evie felt the world sink back onto its axis, exactly where she wanted it. “Oh well,” she said, heading for her purse to drop the flogger back inside. “I guess my work here is done. Your sister is traumatized, your boner is gone, and your employees think you’re a stud. I’d say I’m doing ok for nine AM.”

  Zipping her purse again, she spun around. “What do you bill out at?” he asked.

  Geez, this guy didn’t get it. She wasn’t a hooker. Not even close. It was a fucking game. He was supposed to freak out. He was supposed to tell her to get lost. Supposed to be disgusted and freaked and want to be as far away as possible.

  “A hundred an hour. A grand for a twelve-hour day. Five grand for the week.” Those were her actual top-tier rates, and she
waited for him to ask for her sexual limits before she’d slap him down hard.

  “How long does it take you to do what you do?”

  Turning back to him, she wasn’t sure what it was he wanted. With one elbow on the arm of his chair, he had a curled finger on his lower lip and seemed to be examining her.

  “Do what I do?” she asked. “You’re asking how long it takes me to get a guy off?”

  “No,” he said. “I’m asking how long it takes you to do what you’re trained to do… You analyze personnel efficiency, right? Look for weak spots, flaws, make recommendations on who to hire, who to fire. You are a personnel consultant… aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  Why the hell would he want to hire her after… this?

  “Good,” he said. “And how long does it take you to come up with your recommendations?”

  “It depends on what you want,” she said, returning to the desk. “I can tell you where you’re going wrong in three or four weeks. I can tell you how to fix those issues in six to eight. Full service would take a minimum of twelve weeks, sometimes as much as twenty-four depending on access and foundation efficiency… You have approximately five hundred employees on site, right?” He nodded. “Two weeks to analyze existing data, another three or four weeks to conduct interviews, I could give you a grassroots plan in eight weeks. But it would be basic.”

  Shaking his head, he ran his finger back and forth on his lip. “I’ll give you fourteen weeks and I want the works. Everything. And I want exclusivity.”

  Blowing out a laugh, she shook her head. “I don’t do exclusive.”

  “Problem with commitment?”

  “Huge problem,” she admitted. It was only when she met his eyes that she remembered who she was talking to and tried to clear her smile. “I have regular customers and hire for several companies in the state on a regular basis… I have a job in Atlanta beginning in four months. I’m already analyzing the data they’re trickling out to me… A sure sign they’re hiding something from me, but hey… what you gonna do?”

  His awareness grew acute. “You look happy about that.”

  She shrugged. “What’s life without a challenge?”

  “I know the appeal,” he muttered. “I’ll pay you a hundred grand on the proviso of exclusivity and you travel with us.”

  So he knew what she was up to at all times? Probably. But a hundred grand wasn’t to be sniffed at, she had to be smart, that was much more than she’d usually be paid.

  Drawing in a breath, she sat in the chair at his desk and crossed her legs. “Twelve weeks, exclusivity, a hundred grand. I’ll need external access to your servers and I get full access to staff, records, meetings, everything.”

  “Member records?” he asked.

  Squinting, she shook her head. “I don’t give a damn about your members, unless they work for you, even then it’s only their personnel records I need to see.”

  “Ok,” he said and sat up.

  “But I should warn you before we make any deals.”

  “What?” he asked. “There’s a sex clause in your contract? I have to sell my sister to you?”

  Yeah, she deserved that. “In ninety percent of cases, my final recommendations will include a salary cut for the top-tier earners, well… CEOs, really… you.”

  “Ninety percent of cases?” he asked.

  “You don’t have to adopt any of my recommendations. As long as you pay me my money, I don’t give a damn if you take my suggestions or not. Though it would affect the chances of us working together in the future. It’s about respect and I don’t like wasting my time.”

  “What kind of cut?”

  Closing her coat over her thighs, she answered, “Depends. I won’t know that until I see your records. It can be anywhere from one percent to eighty percent. Though, the eighty percent tends to be more applicable to year-end bonuses dependent on disparity. I believe the lowest earners should be treated as being of equal value to the company as its highest earners. I do strict ratio analysis. My formulas are proprietary, but my final report and presentation will be balanced and transparent.”

  As she waited for his reaction, she hoped he wasn’t one of the CEOs who kicked her out simply because she suggested they may be subject to scrutiny or compromise. Oak said nothing for a minute, maybe two, and then he smiled.

  “You’re a completely different woman when you’re talking about your work.”

  Dubious, she elevated her chin. “Is that what this was, Oak? Some kind of test?” Cursing herself, she grumbled. “Damn it, I knew you were playing me.”

  Surging to her feet, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. What the fuck was she going to do now? Trust. It was the one thing not to be given out for free. She knew that! Where was her head?

  Oak dashed past her, getting between her and the door before she could reach for it. “No game,” he said. “Completely legit.” Offering her his hand, she eyed it. “A hundred thousand dollars, Miss Dewar.”

  A hundred thousand dollars. What the hell? Sliding her hand into his, they shook. “You screw me over, Oakley Orion, and I’ll make sure the whole world knows it and no number of media patsy’s will save your reputation.”

  “I hear you, Thirteen,” he said. “I promise, no screwing.”

  And as his lips twisted into a smile, she conceded and followed. “I can still go to MatchMate events though, right?”

  “Yes,” he said. “What do you need to get started?”

  “From you? Nothing,” she said. “I’m going to find your IT department and then I’m going to my office.”

  “IT?” he asked. “Oh, you need external access to the servers? Sure, we can get you setup with your own security credentials.” Moving past her toward the desk, he was on a mission. “I’ll need to call them to authorize—”

  “Don’t call anyone,” she said, and he stopped to look at her. “I don’t need your help.”

  “You think you can just stroll into IT and get full, unfettered access to all our systems without any authority?”

  “I have Thelma and Louise,” she said. Sticking out her chest, she put her hands to her hips. “They have fun getting what they want or they’ll die trying.”

  “You named your breasts?” he asked, and his snigger had the weird effect of relaxing her.

  In this low light, there was something familiar about this moment though there shouldn’t be.

  “Want me to name your penis?”

  “Wouldn’t you have to see it first?”

  Oh, he knew nothing. “Hmm,” she said, narrowing one eye as she considered the possibilities. “Pavlov.”

  “Pavlov?” he asked, folding his arms. “Why—”

  “Because as soon as he hears a bell he gets up and moves on to drool over the next pussy,” she said, in reference to their speed-dating. “Every pussy attending those events with your dick would’ve submitted if you’d demanded it.”

  What was she doing? This wasn’t the time to be flirting. She had a hundred grand to earn and working hard was something she prided herself on. So, reaching for the door handle, Evie was ready to get to it.

  “Every pussy?” he asked, making her pause. “Your pussy was at those events too.”

  Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at him through her hair. “Yes, it was… Now excuse me, I have to go home.”

  “Home? I thought you said you were going to your office.”

  “Home. Office. All the same,” she said. “Efficiency is my game, Mr. Orion, it wouldn’t be efficient to pay rent twice, would it?”

  Oak headed over to open the blinds, filling the room with light. “We can set you up in an office.”

  “In two weeks you’ll have to, I’ll work on-site then,” she said. “For the first two weeks I do records analysis at my home office where there are no distractions. Fifteen minutes an employee. I guarantee by the end of it, I’ll know everyone in this building. After two weeks, the interviews begin… I’ll start working from
here then.”

  Something about this room was making her grow anxious. It had just come on suddenly, but it was a sign she only had a few minutes before she had to get out of here.

  “You interview everyone?”

  “Nope,” she said, seeking the door handle. “Only those at the top of the pile and those at the bottom. Records analysis always reveals a few certainties.”

  “Certainties?”

  “I value loyalty and efficiency, I assign high values to each in my analysis equations,” she said and as he went back to his desk, Oak frowned like he didn’t get it. “If you have a janitor who works hard and has been with you for years, why should we question his position? He does the job, a job that needs to be done, and he does it well.”

  “So everything comes down to the math? You plug in your numbers for every person and—”

  “No,” she said. “That’s why I do my interviews. There have been a number of occasions when I’ve tossed the math out the window… especially if he’s cute.” Oak’s head came up quickly and she laughed. “I’m kidding. I promise, sex will not factor into any of my decisions… no matter how often you throw yourself at me.”

  Opening the door, she was ready to go when he spoke. “Thirteen,” he said, drawing her attention. “You’ve got a killer body.”

  Curling one foot behind the other, she curtsied. “Thank you… but I know that.”

  “Of course you do,” he said and grinned at her again. Why wouldn’t he break eye contact? More to the point, why wouldn’t she? “Oh.” Remembering something, he bounced out of his chair, grabbing a pen and a card from the desk. Scribbling on the card as he crossed to her, he clicked the pen and put it in his pocket as he presented her the card. “My personal cell is on there if you need… anything.”

  He’d laced that last word with innuendo on purpose. He was starting to learn it was fun to play her at her own game. Damn, he was a quick study, and a good one. Pulling his jacket aside, she snatched his pen from his inside pocket and grabbed his hand to scrawl her number on the back of it.