by L. E. French
I tugged her into the bedroom and shut the door behind us before wrapping my arms around her. With my implant’s connection to the suite’s private node, I commanded the screens I had instead of walls to shift from our usual neutral decor to a soft pink color scheme. “I know. It’s not exactly fun for me either.”
“You could quit. We could start a consulting firm. Hire some other women to do that part. Ones that would like it.”
“I work for my dad, not some random asshole. Besides, you want to have a baby. Can’t do that and start a new company at the same time. Come on, help me change.”
Marie sighed. “I don’t want you to change.”
I chuckled and kissed her cheek. “I love you too.”
With another sigh, Marie let go of me to flump on the bed. I went into my closet wondering what excuse Senator Gates gave his wife to explain his late meetings with me. She probably had no idea how much naughtiness her husband participated in. Or maybe she knew and accepted it.
Silver dominated the suits and evening gowns hanging on the rack. Passing them, I headed for my lingerie collection. None of that section involved gray or silver. Gates’s favorite slip and robe hung on the end.
“Do you want me to order dinner?” Marie called from the bed.
“Hors d’oeuvres and desserts.”
A message from Ross pinged in my vision. I grimaced and took the lingerie from its hangar.
[RossLynch: Reconsider dinner with me tonight.]
[VictoriaGodhand: I told you, I’m busy. I have a late meeting.]
[RossLynch: Tomorrow. Or Friday. You can’t have a late meeting then. No one works on Friday nights.]
I laughed out loud. Ross didn’t know shit about my job. If I had my way, that would never change. At some point, I really needed to get some dirt on him. That would, of course, never happen if I never led him on. Maybe I needed to get over my revulsion and meet with him. Dad would think I’d listened to reason and stop lecturing me, at least.
Tossing my suit jacket aside, I sucked it up to do the thing. “Do I have anything scheduled for tomorrow evening?”
Marie appeared at the closet door. “No.”
“Block out my night, starting at five.”
[VictoriaGodhand: Tomorrow is fine. I’ll be ready at five.]
[RossLynch: Excellent.] The smugness permeated his text, though that might’ve been my imagination.
“What’re you doing tomorrow?” Marie asked.
“Having dinner with Ross.”
She grimaced while I unzipped my skirt and shimmied out of it. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.”
“But you hate him. I hate him. Everybody hates him.”
I sighed and pulled off my blouse. “I’ve done worse.”
“I don’t think hiring out wetwork is worse than having sex with Ross.”
Chuckling, I faced the only person in the world I trusted with my life. My father didn’t rate as high as Marie. “I’m not going to have sex with him.” I pressed a quick kiss on her lips. “That would just encourage him. I’m taking a one-on-one, after-hours meeting with him to see if I can discover any weaknesses to exploit.”
“That’s not how things work with men,” she said. “If it has even the tiniest whiff of being a date, he’ll get worse.”
“It’s not a date. It’s just dinner.”
“That’s how slasher vids begin.” She picked up my jacket and skirt, and deposited them in the dry cleaning bag near the door.
I snorted and stripped off my underwear. Marie leaned against the wall and watched, her gaze drifting across my body. For her benefit, I took my time with the pink lace slip and satin robe.
“You look terrible in pink.” Marie said that every time she saw me in this getup.
“I’ll wear whatever you want tomorrow, because when I’m done with him, I’m coming home to you.”
“Ew. No. Not if there’s a chance Ross might see it. Wear a sports bra and granny underpants for him. Save the nice undies for that dinner party on Saturday.”
Laughing, I stepped into matching low-heel slippers. I reviewed my internal memo notes about what Gates liked and hated. Mixing these men’s preferences never turned out well. One wrong move and a contract got stuck in committee.
Because I loved her, I shuffled to Marie and held her. I wanted to let my hands wander, but had work to do tonight. Besides, the lace grated against her sensitive skin. Marie preferred silk and satin.
“The food you wanted is here already.” Marie produced a custom, form-fitted mask and pressed it to my face. The device removed my work makeup and applied delicate pink shades across my face. Senator Gates wanted a sweet girl, not a whore. “Gates just landed. He’s on his way up.”
I took her chin. “Go do something fun. I’ll message you when he leaves.”
Marie nodded and touched my hand. “See you soon.” She left me, returning to her station outside my office. She’d wait there until Gates arrived, let him in, and leave. Another message from Ross flashed in my notifications.
[RossLynch: You’re having dinner with Senator Gates? Shouldn’t I be in on that meeting?]
[VictoriaGodhand: No.]
[RossLynch: As the COO, I think I should be included in a meeting with someone as important as a senator.]
I wanted to punch him in the face. Why was he even in the building at this hour?
[VictoriaGodhand: I don’t tell you how to do your job or interfere with your meetings, and I expect the same courtesy in return. Leave him alone and stay away from my meeting.]
[RossLynch: Vickie. You’re not at the same level as me. You don’t get to tell me what to do.]
The gall of him to pull rank. He knew my job title had nothing to do with my seniority. I’d been part of the company a decade longer than him. Still, I needed to keep things civil. Yelling at him or insulting him might cause him to storm into my office, and I didn’t need him to see me in this stupid pink getup.
[VictoriaGodhand: Do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow night or not? Let me do my job or that evening is cancelled because I’ll be spending it trying to fix the damage you cause by refusing to let me handle this my way. If you’re looking to gladhand powerful people, I can set you up with a dinner party, but you do not appropriate my meetings for your purposes.]
His next message took almost a minute to arrive.
[RossLynch: I see your point. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.]
He’d never apologize, of course. At least he’d go away. I let out a breath in relief and tied my robe shut.
[MarieSclavo: Gates is here. Sending him in.]
The door opened. I smiled and leaned against the doorway to my office. Senator Gates thanked Marie as he slipped inside. His gaze snapped to me and he ignored everything else. Marie shut the door.
“Thank you for coming, Senator.” I sashayed across the office to him. At the same time, I issued a command to the security AI to lock my office door.
“I’m always happy to hear how I can help Godhand International.” He tossed his raincoat to the side and set his hands on my hips.
Gates wore a dark suit rumpled from a long day of dealing with lobbyists and other politicians. Once upon a time, he’d been an athlete, serving on a crew team. Now in his fifties, his muscle had faded with disuse and his gut had grown a small paunch. His graying dark hair had remained thick and wavy, at least.
This man chaired the committee overseeing West America’s business entanglements, including the government’s interest in the Borders and Enclaves Board. Without his committee’s approval, it didn’t matter how well I wooed Mr. Figueroa. The government could rule against us, and that would be the end of our bid for extraterritoriality. Gates in particular wouldn’t rule against me, but he needed convincing to cajole the rest of the committee to line up behind him. I hadn’t bothered to broach the subject before now because I hadn’t had an in with Mr. Figueroa.
I slipped my hands under his suit jacket and eased it off his shoul
ders. He sighed with contentment. Brushing my nose against his, I loosened his tie.
“You must’ve had a hard day, Senator.”
“The budget is due in two weeks. Everyone is scrambling to make the numbers work.” His breath smelled of his usual coffee and mint.
“That must be exhausting, and you must be famished.” With both ends of his tie in my hands, I urged him to an armchair. A covered platter sat on the coffee table and an open bottle of champagne chilled in a cooler sleeve.
“Yes, on both counts. Every year, we all swear we’ll get the budget done sooner, and every year, we all delay for one thing or another.” He slumped in the chair and poured himself champagne.
I knelt between his legs. Not because he wanted a blow job. He didn’t. Because he wanted someone to make him feel powerful and in control. “No one really understands how hard you work for your country.”
“No, they don’t.”
Picking up the platter, I removed the lid to show him the contents. He nodded. I set the platter on his lap so he could take what he wanted. Me choosing and feeding him defeated the point. Instead, he picked up a cracker covered in salmon pâté and pushed it into my mouth. He enjoyed feeding me more than himself—deciding what, when, how, and how much I ate fulfilled his desire for control.
“And what do you want from me today?” he asked while I licked caviar off his finger.
Once upon a time, I played coy with him, trying to make it seem less like a transaction and more like a relationship. I knew better now. He wanted a supplicant, and he wanted to set the price. “We’re applying to the B&E Board.”
“Ah. Yes.” He scooped another fingerful of caviar and slipped it into my mouth. “I had a feeling that would come soon. Godhand is becoming a big league player. I’m not sure if you’re really ready yet, though.”
“We have offices in eight countries and manufacturing in four.”
He chuckled and kept feeding me. “West America, Canada, and the United States only count as three separate countries in the most technical sense. We’re entangled with both.”
“But not subservient.”
“True. Still.” He picked up the last bite of brie on a cracker and ate it. “You’re not exactly on par with the other companies on the board.”He brushed the tip of a strawberry across my lips.
Playing my part, I whimpered at the temptation without trying to eat it. “The West American Army rated our internal security force Triple-A. Our market cap is now five billion. And we employ over thirty-thousand of your constituents. We might not be BezOhben yet, but we’ll get there within a few years, and extraterritoriality will help us. Besides, we’ll still pay taxes without getting police protection at our six West America facilities. We’ll save those regions a lot of money. And that will help your budgets.”
He pushed the strawberry into my mouth. I offered a flicker of resistance, enough for him to feel it. As I bit down on the red flesh close enough to brush my lips over his thumb and finger, he shivered. “Take off the robe.”
Like an obedient dog, I untied the sash and let my robe slide off my shoulders. “What else do you want, Senator?”
“Stand up.” He popped a bite of cheesecake into his mouth while I followed orders. “Let your hair loose.”
I tugged out the clips holding my hair in place. Thick waves of silvery blonde hair slipped to my shoulders.
For several long moments, he stared at me, drinking in the sight. I shook out my hair, putting on a show for him.
“Go—” His voice cracked. He set the tray aside and I saw the bulge in his pants. I had a feeling tonight would be light on foreplay. “Go stand at the foot of the bed with your back to the door.”
“Yes, Senator.” I did as I was told.
Cloth rustled, telling me that he removed some clothing, probably his shirt. He followed me into the bedroom and pressed his body against my back. His hands touched my hips and his breath warmed my chest. My skin crawled, but I ignored it.
“How much do you want extraterritoriality?”
I moaned for him. He had a script he followed, and I knew what to say. “I want it, Senator.”
“Beg,” he whispered.
“Please. I’ll do anything for it, Senator.”
“Anything?”
“Anything at all. Please, Senator. Make me pay.”
Some days, my job made me a whore. I’d learned to live with that.
CHAPTER 4
[MarieSclavo: Ross wants a meeting. Are you dressed yet?]
I stood at my desk, checking weekly reports from my department heads, something I did every Thursday morning at nine. Before he left around midnight, Gates had promised to secure the votes for me. One more man down, one still to go. With luck, I’d have the whole thing wrapped by next weekend, and could move on to my next plan.
[VictoriaGodhand: Yes, you can let him in.]
Ross strolled in, crisp and fresh in a dark gray suit. His possessive smile spoke volumes. Especially when his eyes lingered on my ass.
“How did your meeting with Gates go?”
“Good morning to you too.”
One corner of his mouth twitched like he found me amusing. He stopped a few feet away and tucked his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Good morning, Vickie.”
“It went fine, thank you.” And now, we danced. He wanted something, and I wanted him not to have it. Whatever “it” was.
“The AI didn’t record what time he left.”
“It probably didn’t record what time he arrived, either.”
“So when did he leave?”
“As soon as our meeting concluded. Which shouldn’t surprise you.”
Ross frowned at me. “Why are you being cagey about it?”
“Why do you care?”
“I just worry about you.”
Glancing at him, I couldn’t tell how he meant that. “I can take care of myself.”
“You shouldn’t have to.”
“I don’t have to. This is my job, not my sainted calling. If I decide I don’t like it, I can walk away anytime.” I wished he’d walk away—from me, from the company, from the country.
He huffed and stepped closer to take my hand. “That’s not what I meant. You could lean on me. Let me do some of the heavy lifting.”
“I’m fine.” I tugged my hand free.
“Vickie, you hardly ever leave the building. You’re overworked. Let me take you away for a few days. We’ll sit on a beach and relax.”
I kept myself from laughing in his face by the skin of my teeth. As if a vacation with him would be relaxing. A trip with Marie sounded nice, though. “This is a very bad time for me to take a break from work. I have several projects in progress, and all of them have sensitive timetables.”
“What projects? Maybe I can shift some staff to get you extra help.”
Raising an eyebrow, I tried to imagine his angle. Did he want to undermine my authority in the company? He wouldn’t get far trying to do that in private. “Ross, knock it off. I have enough staff and I’m fine. If you have some complaint about my job performance, take it up with my father.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “I only want to help.”
Of course he did. Help himself, though, not me. I raised an eyebrow. “In what way is distracting me so I can’t do my job helpful?”
Stepping back, he shook his head. “Message received. Vickie is working. Save it for dinner. Wear something nice? I’ll make sure you’re waited on by people who know how to pamper.”
I waved him off and stopped paying attention to him. If he behaved himself tonight, I’d call it a victory. While handling department issues, I considered what to wear tonight. Ross didn’t deserve a new dress, so I’d have Marie pick something from my closet.
The rest of my day passed in the usual blur of getting things done. Prepping for incoming hostile employees always took time and effort. The nerds of BowerTech would resist at first, then they’d see the wisdom of joining GIInc. A shiny new lab w
ith better tools would speed the process. I had to identify what they’d want, clear space for it, order it, and have it set up. Short-term housing also needed arranging.
A few minutes after four in the afternoon, Marie passed through my office without a word. I joined her in my closet. She picked a silver dress that hit me at the knees and covered both my chest and shoulders. Ross didn’t need the encouragement of bare skin to touch me.
We added silver wires hanging over my ears to dangle crushed diamonds from my lobes, a black choker with more crushed diamonds, two silver bangle bracelets, and black sticks to hold my hair in a bun. Silver heels and the makeup printer completed the look.
Marie stepped back to survey our handiwork. “You look too nice for Ross.”
“But not nice enough for you.”
She sighed. “You could still call this off.”
“I could. He’d ask a lot of questions, and then still keep hitting on me. It’s better if I just find out what he really wants and tell him why he can’t have it.” I checked the clock in my visual overlay—4:37. Ross had a penchant for showing up inconveniently early, so he’d arrive soon. “Have something decadent for dinner. Use my account to pay.”
Marie kissed my cheek. “Don’t let him get away with too much.”
With a walk across my bedroom in heels higher than I usually wore, I found my balance. Even if I couldn’t walk fast, I could stab Ross with a heel at need.
[RossLynch: Are you ready to go?]
[VictoriaGodhand: Almost.] I could’ve said yes, but didn’t out of nothing more than pique.
[RossLynch: I’m on my way there.]
Great. He wouldn’t stop outside my office, so he’d see Marie. Rather than waiting for him to message me again or walk into my office, I opened the door and stepped out. Halfway down the hall, he saw me and smiled. Darkness and greed flickered in his expression before he tamped them down. My guard raised. Verbal sparring might not cover all my bases tonight.
“You’re beautiful, as always.”
Thanks, Ross, for saying the effort I put in made no difference. The statement might also have meant more if he hadn’t stared at my breasts while delivering it. “Thank you.”
