She smiles. But she doesn’t return my declaration.
“At least we’ll still work together, right?” I ask.
She looks away and takes a deep breath. “Not when this is over. I need to find another job. I can’t work for you any longer. You knew this when you moved me here, and that hasn’t changed.”
“Why not?” I demand louder than I mean to.
“Have you looked at your call sheets over the last few weeks?”
“I look at them every day.” I’m confused about what that has to do with anything.
“They’re filled with the women you’ve slept with, who want to sleep with you, and those that would do anything to sleep with you. I can’t answer those calls anymore.”
“I’ve already told you, I’ll hire you an assistant who answers the calls.”
“I still can’t work for you. I need some separation, something that’s my own. You can keep the stock options if you want them.”
My head hurts. “I want to make this work.”
“If we’re going to make us work, we’ll have to do it while I’m working for someone else.”
“You don’t think men look at you and want to bed you?”
She snorts as if she has horns and warts all over her face. She truly has no idea how stunning she is. “No, I don’t.”
My voice drops. “Let me assure you, a lot of married and unmarried men would give their left testicle to have one small taste of what I’ve had.”
“That’s gross.”
I can tell she also dismisses it as not accurate, but it’s a cold fact, and the idea that she doesn’t know it is the four-hundred-thousandth reason I love her.
“But true.”
“If you have any feelings for me at all, you’ll listen to what I’m saying.”
“I’m listening. I just don’t like what I’m hearing.” I try to control my frustration. I’m mad that I’m not getting my way. I always get my way. Why is she so difficult?
“I’m sorry. It’s not going to change.”
This is exactly the opposite of what I want to hear. I have to take a moment to breathe. “Can we go for a walk when we get back tonight?”
“Of course. I’m here at your disposal.”
“I don’t want you to do it because I’m your boss, or that we have Earth-shattering sex. I want you to spend time with me because you like me, and you have feelings for me.”
I see tears pool in her eyes. “I do have feelings for you.”
“Then please tell me what’s going on.”
“You know how broken Nate is over Cecelia’s death?”
“Of course. He’s incomplete without her.”
“He’s lost and heartbroken. That’s how I’ll be when you decide you’re going to move on.”
“Why would I move on? I don’t understand.”
She smiles. “I’d love to go for a walk with you when we get back.”
This conversation isn’t over, but I’m obviously missing something. It’s times like this that I wish I had a sister or someone who could translate women to me. I just don’t understand.
Corrine and I sit quietly for a while. How can I make her comfortable coming back to work with me? I’m lost without her. I need her almost as much as I need oxygen.
I pay the bill, and we walk back to Brian and our waiting car.
“Could we run through all the things I need to do before everyone arrives in two weeks?” Corrine asks.
I nod, and we spend the drive back to the estate talking about what needs to get done and how I can help her. The cloud of her leaving weighs heavy on me—and now we’re not even talking about it.
Brian pulls into the driveway, and we get out before he parks the car for the night in the garage. Walking hand in hand, we wander out toward the cliffs. As we enter the back patio, Corrine stops short, and her hands go to her mouth.
The mesh fence around the pool has been cut and shredded. Brian rounds the corner from the garage and immediately makes a phone call. Security comes running in.
I’m pissed. “What the hell am I paying you all for if this person keeps coming on the property and doing damage?”
There’s so much commotion that Leilani comes out of her apartment. She sees what’s going on and pulls Corrine into the house. I can hear the sirens wail as Brian takes pictures and directs one of his team members to pull the video of the last three hours.
This night can’t get any worse.
Chapter 36
Corrine
Seeing the fence shredded scared the crap out of me.
It wasn’t the fence itself that alarmed me, although if the twins were to come tearing out of the pool house, it could be dangerous. What scares me is that it happened just feet from the pool house and Leilani’s apartment with the security cameras and invisible fences. I feel violated and vulnerable, not only for myself but for everyone living on the property.
Why does this keep happening with me around? It’s been quiet in San Francisco, and I know there are no updates on the harassment situation.
We’re sitting inside when Brian comes in to report that the camera feed indicates the intruder is a petite female, all in black. I meet with the detective assigned to the case. We have over sixty cameras throughout the property, but I guess it makes sense that they’d miss actually seeing someone enter the property if they didn’t trip the alarms.
Jackson rubs my back as they finish interviewing us. “Let’s go upstairs.”
I’m grateful for the break from all the activity. When we walk into the master bedroom, it’s lit with candles, and I can see a beautiful display of roses and my favorite chocolates.
I turn to Jackson and wrap my arms around him. “There couldn’t be a better ending to this night.”
“I was hoping it would be an open salvo to a weekend in bed, doing all sorts of naughty things to one another.”
I lean in and kiss him, our tongues doing an aggressive dance. He dropped the L-word at dinner, and I was shocked. We’ve known each other a year, but we’ve not really been dating for very long—if that’s even what you call going out when we’re in the same town and having incredible sex and delightfully naughty phone calls.
I stand before him naked, and I try to get down on my knees. I may not be able to tell him I love him, but I can show him.
He reaches for me. “This is about you, tonight and always.”
***
Jackson hadn’t planned to stay the week, but after the vandalism, he was determined to oversee things personally until security gets it sorted out. Secretly, I’m grateful. I felt safe with Brian on property, but I’ve felt safer these past few days with Jackson in my bed.
When Jackson left for a meeting in Honolulu with the governor early this morning, he made it clear he wanted the security team to figure out where the break in the sensors is—and do it yesterday. They’ve been working on it for a week with little progress, and his patience is incredibly thin. Fortunately, the week since the pool incident the night he arrived has been quiet—no alarms going off or any strange things like the drone. I think it’s good news, but Brian is urging us to all remain vigilant because we still don’t know who is behind this, and we don’t want to let our guard down. They could come back when we least expect it.
This line of thinking is sadly familiar to me. My stress is at an all-time high, and I’m not managing it well. I’ve snapped at Jackson and even Leilani. She doubled down, brushed off my behavior, and made kalua pork, which made me feel worse. We just have a week or so until the poker tournament, and I’m trying to keep it together.
It’s been a day, but my second-to-last meeting before dinner is with her.
“We have fifty-two people coming in a little over a week,” I tell Leilani, looking over my list of action items. “I think we’ve got as much as we can under control.”
“Just know that the Menehunes are destined to cause problems,” she replies.
“What is a Menehune?” I ask.
&
nbsp; “They’re mythological people who live in the forest. Hawaiians think of them as the ones who designed the beautiful waterfalls and rock formations, but they’re also troublemakers. They like to cause problems. We just expect it.” Leilani shrugs.
“Do you think they’re the ones behind the cut pool fence?”
“You never know.”
My cell phone pings.
Jackson: I’m on the ground. Meet me in the library, and I expect you naked.
Me: That will make my meeting difficult, and honestly embarrassing to the caterers.
Jackson: Get Leilani to cover for you and meet me there.
I take a deep breath. “Leilani, can you cover the meeting with the caterer? Mr. Graham has landed and apparently wants to meet with me.”
She smiles. “No problem. In fact, I know you’re stressed. We’ve gone through the menus, and we’re there. Let me take care of the food and entertainment for the party. I want you to enjoy your guests. You’ve done a lot.”
“Thank you, Leilani. You’ve done such a great job preparing for the party. I’m going to miss you. I wanted to let you know, I’m leaving Soleil Energy. I’m no longer going to work for Mr. Graham.” I have to start saying it out loud if I have any hope of making it real.
I see her eyes cloud with worry.
“All the bills are set up to be automatically paid. When you need extra funds for something, go to Mr. Graham the same way you’ve come to me. He’ll have another assistant shortly, and I know you’ll work great with her—or maybe this time it’ll be him.” I wink at her. “You’re a strong majordomo, and you don’t need my help.”
She dabs her eyes. “I hope you find your happiness.”
“Thank you. But you’re not rid of me yet.”
As I leave the kitchen, I hear Jackson arrive, and I follow the scent he’s left in his wake. I find him waiting for me in the library.
“I asked you to meet me in the library,” he says.
He’s upset about something. I haven’t seen this Jackson Graham in several months. I look him in the eyes. “I apologize. I was transitioning my meeting with the caterer to Leilani. We’ve agreed that she’ll be taking care of all the food and entertainment for the party.”
He shuts the door behind me and locks it. In two steps, he fogs the windows with a flip of a switch.
He’s been upset about things going sideways with the production of the solar film in the factory in Ohio, and I know he’s nervous that the sales are so high we aren’t producing fast enough. And, I think he’s also beginning to realize I’m serious about not coming back to work in the office or moving in with him.
I open my mouth to speak.
“No talking.”
I nod and wait for him.
“I asked you to be naked in this room when I arrived.”
He’s staring at my breasts. I reach to the back of my dress and unzip it. The fabric falls from my chest, exposing my aroused nipples. Under his watchful eyes, I wiggle my hips a little and the dress lands at my feet. I’m standing only in my thong, and his eyes are hooded with desire.
“Put your hands on the couch arm and spread your legs.”
I do as I’m told, and I feel him reach up and fondle my breast. Lust rushes through me. He plays with the nipple, pinching and pulling it. “I’m unhappy that you won’t move into my apartment.”
He pinches the nipple hard. I gasp, and shiver with excitement.
“You like that, don’t you?”
I nod.
He pulls my panties aside and slides his fingers into my slit. “You’re wet for me.” His thumb brushes over my clit, and I go from zero to sixty in a microsecond. “I’m going to fuck you. You can tell me to stop when you’ve had enough.”
He continues to rub at my clit, and I hear his belt buckle clink and the sound of the zipper just before his pants hit the ground. Then he grabs my hips with both hands, and I know I’ll be bruised tomorrow. In one movement, he’s buried deep inside me, and it takes a minute to adjust to his size. He ruts into me like a wild animal, spanking me and pulling my hair to bite at my neck.
The rocking has my nipples rubbing against the rough fabric of the couch, and every sensation is matched by Jackson’s fury. I climax quickly. And he keeps going harder and faster.
“You…can’t…leave…me…” He pumps into me. “I…can’t…live…with…out…you.”
My second orgasm is close. I reach down and strum my clit. Jackson groans his own pinnacle but keeps rutting. The head of his cock rubs me just right, and my orgasm hits me like a wave and keeps crashing, harder and harder, again and again.
When I can’t stand it any longer, he slips out and lies with me on the couch as we catch our breath.
“Was that an angry fuck?” I ask.
“Yes. I got myself all worked up on the flight back because you’re leaving me.”
I think about what he’s saying. “I’m not leaving you. I’m just not moving in with you. It doesn’t mean we won’t spend every night together.”
“But you won’t work for me anymore.”
“Tell your lawyers you’re fucking your assistant and see what they say.”
My head rests on his chest, and his heartbeat is steady and strong.
“That’s not enough,” he says. “And you promised you’d find someone to replace your before you left.”
“You’re right. I did promise that, but then you sent me here for six weeks.”
“You act like it’s my fault you have a crazy stalker. That blame belongs to your ex, Bobby Sanders.”
I sit up. I know Jackson’s angry because he’s not getting his way, but he’s also not respecting my choices. “I’m sorry this upsets you so much.”
“It does upset me.” He sits up and runs his hands through his hair. “I’m not a cheater. I have women fall all over me, and I’ve never even looked at them twice since we became involved. I’m happy to announce that you’ve stolen my heart, and I’m only yours, but I can’t make these women stop calling me. I don’t even see why that matters. Ignore them. They’re nothing to me.”
He’s right, and I know that, but I’m not very good at explaining why I need to protect my heart. “I know. Please understand, my mother depended on my father for everything. What do I do if I’m working for you and living with you and you decide to move on? I’ll be left with nothing. I’d be broken and homeless, like my mother was.”
“You won’t be left with nothing; you have stock options. And anyway, that’s not what’s going to happen with us. I need you.”
It’s the broken part he doesn’t understand. I need to change the subject, because right now we’re never going to agree. “Leilani is making a nice dinner. Are you hungry?”
“You’re done talking about this?”
I choose my words carefully. “I think we’re at an impasse and continuing to talk about it will only make matters worse.”
“Damn it, Corrine. You can’t change the subject or ignore it. We need to figure this out.”
This is it. Unless I bend to Jackson’s will, he’s going to break this off. I knew this was coming, so I might as well rip off the Band-Aid. “There’s nothing to figure out.” I stand up and put my dress back on. “You want me working for you, listening to the women who want to fuck you, and then living in your home so you can fuck me at night when it’s convenient for you. I hear you.”
“I’ve told you we’ll hire someone else to answer the phones.”
“Have you heard anything I said? Do you think you’ll make demands to fuck me in your office in San Francisco like you’ve done this afternoon?”
“Maybe.”
“And what will you do when a former lover calls and asks you to meet her? Go running, leaving me home alone in your apartment with no place to call my own?”
“I won’t do that again. I’ve learned my lesson. Plus, you’ll always have this house. You’ll never be homeless again.”
What. The. Fuck? “You’re not listening to me.
Yours is not the only perspective that matters in this relationship—if it’s actually going to be a relationship. I’m going to sleep downstairs tonight. I need to think about this.” I whip around. “Alone.”
“You walk out on this conversation and we’re done.”
I look at him, and I see the pain in his face. But I shrug. “Better now than after I am living under your roof.”
Chapter 37
Corrine
The sun has fallen below the horizon. I’ve missed dinner, but I’m not hungry. I keep replaying our conversation earlier. I hear the bathroom door slide open, but I ignore him. Our relationship can’t be his way or the highway. Jackson can’t always be in control.
“I knew he’d dump you eventually,” says a female voice I don’t recognize.
I roll over in bed, and although it takes me a minute to place her, I realize I’m looking into the eyes of Valerie, or Jennifer—or whatever she calls herself. She’s dressed in all black, her hair slicked back into a high ponytail, and she stares at me, but her eyes don’t seem focused.
“What are you doing here?” I look around the room in a panic. There is nothing I can see beyond a pillow to defend myself. I don’t even have my cell phone. I left it in the library. Crap.
“You fucked up my life. I warned you.” Venom drips from her voice.
I’m confused. But then it hits me. She’s the one who’s been harassing me. It never had anything to do with Bobby Sanders.
“What do you want?” I ask her.
“If you were out of the picture, he’d be with me.”
This woman is delusional. I sit up and look to the door, hoping and praying he’s going to come in.
“He’s not coming for you,” she growls.
“He’ll have caught you on video trespassing.” I try to reason with her, hoping she’ll say what she needs to and go away.
Royally Flushed: Tech Billionaires Page 29
