by Ace Gray
“Amazing,” Nick murmured as he leaned down to kiss me.
He pushed an arm underneath my back and pulled my body up to meet his salty lips. I wiggled where I was trapped in the t-shirt, desperate to wrap my arms around him, wishing I was free to return some of the affection he’d just showered on me.
“Join me in the shower?” Nick’s lips were still tinged with my taste as he spoke against mine.
I nodded, still Jell-O in his arms. He pulled off the shirt I’d been wrestling with and lifted me. My arms were grateful to wrap around his neck and squeeze tightly. I couldn’t help but start trailing kisses all over his face, jaw, and neck.
Nick laughed and grabbed first one leg and then the other to wrap them around his waist. He dropped his silky pants just outside of the shower, and his hard cock sprang fee. I reached for it as soon as he set me down in the steamy cascade. He stopped me by grabbing both hands and bringing my palms together to his lips.
“Nick, I owe you.” I smiled and mischievously arched my eyebrow.
“No. I owed you for coming back to me.”
I wanted to protest but the set of his jaw made me think better of it. It would be a fight if I insisted on apologizing again. I decided wrapping my arms around his waist was a compromise.
He let me hold him while he washed me and after, he helped me track down a decent outfit in the boxes scattered about. He left me as I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail, curling the long strands so that waves would fall down my back.
I still looked a little worn; three weeks of poor sleep and little to eat hadn’t been erased in three days. The scandalous V of my jumpsuit was more risqué than the last time I’d worn it. I added extra make up and my glasses, deciding they helped to hide the bags under my eyes. They doubled as a preventative measure against the inevitable headache going back to work would give me.
“You trying to kill somebody?” Nick almost choked on his coffee as I walked down the stairs.
“You picked this.” He’d been right next to me digging around in boxes less than an hour ago.
“I’m not complaining.” Nick adjusted his belt slightly. “I’m just anticipating being hard all day and the complications it might present.”
I smiled and reached for my coffee and the paper as he fidgeted.
“You know I love the glasses,” he murmured as he circled the bar and came up behind me, pressing his body to mine. He wasn’t joking about the erection. He kissed the back of my head and then started skimming the paper over my shoulder.
“Next page, please.” His arms wrapped firmly around me.
“I’m not done, Nick.”
“Read faster.”
“Read slower.” I raised my eyebrows even though he couldn’t see.
“Are you going to meet with your senior staff today?”
“Yes.” I let out an exaggerated sigh. “I don’t think I can avoid it.”
“Nor should you. I’m assuming that’s the sort of meeting I’m invited to.”
“Of course. I should officially announce the acquisition.” I finally flipped the page. “I’m not looking forward to going in there. What do I say?” I wasn’t overly excited about explaining myself. Specially since there was no pretty way to do it. I was whipped. And while I was okay with it—sort of—not everyone needed to know.
“You don’t need to say anything. They’re your staff and their purpose is to do their jobs. Well. They don’t need to know details unless they pertain to performance.”
“That’s rather cold.”
“It’s the truth. You’re not one of their peers, you don’t have to give excuses, you only have to give orders.”
“Nick,” I admonished him. “That’s not how I do business.”
“I manage thousands of people, Kate. They know nothing about my whereabouts or my personal life and they all come to work and perform. We have a contract. I give them a job description, they do said job exceptionally, and in return, I pay them handsomely. Simple as that.”
“I’m not saying my staff needs to be in my business. That’s not what I meant and you know it.” I spun away from the paper to face him. “I simply think they deserve an explanation. The last thing they saw was me blubbering about selling out completely. Honesty seems to have worked out okay for me so far.” My head cocked to the side.
“You run an incredibly successful company and I appreciate that. I never said you weren’t very good at what you do. I was merely pointing out that you don’t have to feel guilty if you decide not to explain.”
I narrowed my gaze. I understood what he was saying, I just didn’t like the way he’d said it. Most of my management team had been with me since the company was tiny.
“Don’t get mad at me.” He was still being a little harsh so I pursed my lips.
The ping of the elevator interrupted my slowly simmering temper. Jaime rounded the corner and froze mid-step when he saw me. Guilt swept over me for what I’d put him through, both by slinking off, and leaving a rampage behind. I gently pushed away from Nick and walked over to him.
“I’m sorry, Jaime. Really sorry.” I threw my arms around him before he even answered.
It took him a moment or two to return the hug and, even then, it was tentative. Nick picked back up the paper and cleared his throat a few times behind me but I didn’t pay attention.
“It’s good to have you back, Kate. Are you two ready for work?” He pulled away, red flush on his cheeks. “It’s a bit chilly out.” He nodded at my short sleeves.
I opened a few boxes in rapid succession and couldn’t find a jacket. Nick pretended he wasn’t watching as I burrowed like a rabid creature but I caught him smirking over top of the paper. He wore a perfectly arched eyebrow when I stopped to sip coffee. I grumbled in frustration. Without looking up from the paper he picked up the phone.
“Romana could you please spend a majority of the day unpacking Kate’s boxes? Please hang as many of the items in the master closet as possible. The rest can go in the spare bedroom down the hall. Please see to steaming anything that needs it.”
He hung up the phone, now looking directly at me, eyes piercing and clear. “I know you’re going to be chilly but I’ll keep you close.” I couldn’t help but smile. Yes, it was stupid and yes, I’d be cold, but it was devilishly romantic.
True to his word, Nick threw his arm around my shoulders in the elevator and kept it there through the lobby and the overzealous press monstrosity waiting for us. His face slipped back into his CEO mask, but his blue eyes remained, seeming totally out of place. I did my best to match his demeanor, my faint smile made it hard.
The backseat of the car was warm compared to the sidewalk but I still nuzzled into him. He was flipping through his BlackBerry, starting the never-ending task of answering emails. I couldn’t make myself do it just yet. I would meet with everyone, get my bearings, and then figure out what to deal with first.
Nick’s fingers traced up and down my arm as he started to make calls. I only half listened, focused more on the city and my coffee. And what his touch did for me. He gave me everything, including the strength to pull this off. Our relationship had been difficult but he made me stronger than I was before, in every possible way.
It was a few minutes after eight when the alerts on my phone went berserk. I sighed and finally reached it. When I bent, I caught Nick blatantly staring at my chest, which made me burst out laughing. He quickly cleared his throat.
“You’ll want to keep that V in mind while in public.”
“Good thing I don’t make it a habit to cuddle in public.” He smiled, kissed my head, and returned to his BlackBerry.
“Fuck,” Nick shouted out of nowhere. “Jaime, I need a rundown on locations immediately.” He’d lurched forward to shout at Jaime in the front of the car, almost dislodging me from my seat along the way.
“What�
��s wrong Nick?” I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from swearing at him.
The car stopped suddenly, Vesper standing tall beside us.
“Nothing,” he said sharply.
“That’s not going to fly.” I glared at him.
“Now is not the time.” His eyes had shifted so swiftly, now ominous and steely. “If you insist on badgering me, you can do it later. We have business to attend to.”
I sat up in the car and straightened my top as Jaime jogged around from the front. Nick shoved the door open and I slid out after him.
I’ll kill him. Literally, kill him.
This was good for me, being livid took my mind off the last time I walked into in this marbled lobby.
Even pissed, the cold air assaulted me, stinging my skin, and squeezing on my throat. Nick noticed my shiver and automatically moved closer. I shoved against his chest, twice, but he only gave me distance once the lobby door closed behind us. I lifted my chin and purposely click-clacked away from him and toward the elevator.
While we waited, he deftly buttoned his suit jacket and it drew my attention to his torso. He must have notice I was looking, because his hand slipped lower and stroked his still well defined cock. My hand itched with the urge to slap him. Hard.
He cleared his throat and my eyes snapped to his. He wore a positively wicked smirk and I actually snarled. My already short temper had flared, and I visualized skin swatting against skin.
Only it wasn’t my hand against his cheek, it was his hand landing firm across my ass. I bit my cheek at my own wayward thoughts. Every inch of me tingled in response to his proximity in the elevator, despite the many other passengers. Many eyes flitted in my direction, including Nick’s but I closed mine relishing the fantasy.
At each floor people filtered out. As soon as the last person exited, Nick pounced on me. He grabbed my arms and pressed me up against the wall.
“You are trying to kill me. I know damn well what is running through your mind when you get that look.” He kissed me behind my ear and then pulled back just as the elevator dinged. “I thought you were angry with me?”
“I was. Shit, am. You can’t cut me out like that.”
“I meant it when I said there is a time and a place. Trust me, it’s not now. Besides, that look says you are far, far from angry. It says I’m in a very, very different type of trouble.” He brushed his hips up against me, his erection was a firm column underneath that soft, silky fabric.
I flushed but ignored him completely and stepped toward a waiting Gemma.
“Gemma, please collect all members of the senior staff.” I leaned toward Nick as I opened my office door and whispered in his ear, “After leaving me hanging, I assure you, you’re quite safe with me this morning.”
“Hanging?” he questioned as I shut the door firmly behind him. “I seem to recall you getting off quite spectacularly.”
I sighed, exasperated. “That’s not the hanging I’m talking about.”
“Kate, please leave it.” He shot me a pointed look. “Unless you’d like to get back to our discussion about your morning performance.”
I couldn’t help but flashback to the orgasm. I shook my head, trying desperately to shake the lust from my system. He unbuttoned his suit jacket as he casually crossed his long muscular legs and sat on the sofa.
Those buttons.
I imagined popping them off as he pulled out his phone to text.
Those fingers.
As much as I wanted to slap him, his damned perfection was screaming at me over top of everything else. I scratched out a few notes, never finishing a full thought.
“Kate, they’re all waiting in the large conference room,” Gemma crackled across the intercom startling me.
Bryant stood and made a show of adjusting his belt again. I pretended not to see but everything in my belly clenched anyway. He held the door open for me and I strode out purposefully, collecting Gemma at the waiting elevator.
Once we were in the hall outside the conference room, I gestured for both of them to enter before me. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Nick as he passed me. He couldn’t charm his way out of keeping me in the dark; I wouldn’t let him.
Even though he’s being particularly playful this morning.
Playful was my favorite version of Nick, and I softened the tiniest bit in the hall. But any chance of Prince Charming winning out evaporated when Nick took the only available chair: mine.
My lips pursed even though Bryant automatically slid the chair to the left allowing me to stand at the head of the table. Every set of eyes were focused on me but Nick’s smug ones were the only ones that affected me.
“Thank you all for letting me interrupt your day. Again.” I smiled as I nodded around the room, “And thank you for working hard while I’ve been out of the office.” Bryant was right, I didn’t owe them an explanation, not like this anyhow.
“When I spoke on Monday, it was presumptuous. Nothing had been finalized. Particularly with regards to how Vesper, as a company, would be moving forward.” I took a deep breath. “While we have been rewarded with a fair bit of success, it’s natural to become stagnant in the market. We know it’s coming and have been working to launch a tech branch to prevent it. Everyone knows we’ve hit a few roadblocks in that respect. Despite many best efforts, finalizing details has been problematic. Because of that, Vesper developed a relationship with Bryant Venture Group. As of today, Bryant has purchased a 35% ownership interest stake in Vesper.“
Low murmurs circled the room.
“Guys,” I raised my voice and then waited for silence. “As provisions of this partnership, Nicholas Bryant will be providing input on operations and be a direct point of contact for Brennan and the tech department. For all intents and purposes, he runs that department, not me, though I still have final approvals. With a lot of behind the scenes work on both Brennan and Bryant’s part, a device is expected to go to production in less than three weeks.”
The group looked to both men and a small, polite clap rolled around the table. I waited for it to die down before continuing.
“As part of this partnership we’ve also acquired Nectar Fitness Clothing. As we originally planned in August, it will be coming into the fold as a high-end, function driven line, the overtly athletic complement to our existing fashion forward line.”
This would be a surprise to Nick. I hadn’t even mentioned this as a possibility for the brand. Purposely. Everyone started murmuring again. I smiled when I noticed excitement.
“I don’t think that’s the best use of the Vesper image or branding,” Bryant’s interruption immediately silenced the room and made my face squinch. I did my best to smooth it out but I couldn’t let the piece of cheek clenched between my teeth go. I looked at Nick’s face; he was gauging my reaction. He had to see I was stewing, my brows ached the tiniest bit but he pressed on.
“You’re competing head to head with every other brand when you take your fashion edge off the table.” I was about to interrupt when he continued, “I know your quality is significantly better than Nike or Adidas, but where you really get the consumer to pay a premium is in the fashion details. I think Nectar would be best positioned as a discounted, fashion-forward line. Same flare, different price point.”
He leaned back in the chair—my chair—his arms crossed firmly across his chest. He kept his CEO face in place, not letting any of our personal relationship creep through. It was far harder for me to stay in control. The faces of everyone around the room were a reflection of my internal feelings. Everything from how dare he to shit’s about to go down to that actually makes sense was looking back at me. My face contorted like I was sucking on lemons when I swallowed the lump of temper rising in my throat.
“This is why Bryant is involved, he’s a new, business savvy pair of eyes that can help us think out of the box and move forward.�
� I forced a smile and the way Nick’s face faltered infinitesimally said he knew damn well how hollow those words had been. I was confident no one else could tell.
“I’d like to meet with each of you, one on one, throughout the day, the earlier, the better if your schedules allow, to discuss department status and changes this will bring. Bryant, anything else to add?” I’d thrown it out as a platitude, I really didn’t give a damn what he had to say.
He stood and edged toward the head of the table. “I look forward to working with you all. Vesper is an exceptional company that I know we can do great things with. I have exceptionally high standards and expect a lot out of my employees. But based on what I’ve seen, I anticipate smooth sailing.” I pictured my hands around his neck as he continued, “Brennan, I’d like to meet with you as soon as possible as well.”
I turned to look at him, because it was customary, but focused on a spot on the wall behind him rather than meet his gaze. “Thank you for that Bryant. We anticipate smooth sailing as well.” My voice wasn’t exactly professional but it hadn’t gone completely acidic, either. I turned back to the room and flashed a winning smile. “Thank you again, guys.”
I didn’t even look to see if Bryant was following as I strode out. At the elevator, I let out a deep breath when it was just Gemma in tow.
“I’m glad you’re back boss.”
“Thanks Gemma. And thank you for everything.” I smiled as we walked into my lobby. “Could you please arrange for my things to be collected at The Nines Hotel in Portland, Oregon and shipped to One Madison?”
“One Madison?”
“Yes. We’ve moved in together.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
“Even after that?” She’d noticed how poorly a partnership sat with me.
“Even after that. Business is business and personal is private.”
“Well if it’s not mixing the two, too terribly, Laura, Ari, and I are having drinks after work. The original plan was to scheme how to get you back to the city. We’ve kind of bonded over this whole thing. Even though you’ve come back, we were still going to get together.”
