Forces of Nature

by Cheris Hodges

  I have to stop this, Douglas thought as he sat behind his desk and began typing a memo to the board on his computer about halting the purchase of Hughes Farm and moving the business park to Waverly. As he hit “Print” on the keyboard, he heard footsteps outside his office. Slowly rising to his feet, Douglas quietly crossed over to the door and locked eyes with Amy, his secretary.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “Mr. Oldsman asked me to come in and—”

  “You don’t work for Clive, you work for me. If you want to keep your job, you’d better start talking about what you and Clive have been doing behind my back.”

  Amy shivered and began to cry. Douglas wasn’t sure if it was an act or if he’d scared the girl and he really didn’t care.

  “After the hearing tomorrow, the board is planning a secret vote to remove you as CEO. Mr. Oldsman had me come in to print the information that he needed for the meeting.”

  “So, you’ve gone behind my back to work with the board against me?” he snapped.

  “What choice did I have? If I didn’t do what he wanted, then I wouldn’t have a job. I don’t have anything but this job.”

  Douglas clenched his fists and grunted. “Haven’t I always looked out for you? You don’t have to worry about Clive firing you—you’re done right now.”

  “But—”

  “Save your sputtering for Clive and get the hell out of my office!” Douglas bellowed.

  Amy ran from the office, dropping the tote bag she’d been carrying. Douglas saw the diary he’d been looking for a few nights ago and Clive’s letter to the board spill across the floor. The letter had been an indictment on Douglas’s handling of the business park and why the board needed to relieve him of his duties as CEO. That wasn’t a surprise to him. Clive wanted his job and he’d known that for a while. What he didn’t know was what the old man’s plans had been for his father’s diary.

  “That son of a bitch,” he groaned as he scanned the letter, which said the board could no longer have confidence in Douglas’s leadership, nor his ability to keep Welco profitable in the new economy. The letter went on to question Douglas’s ideas for the future of the company and his loyalty to the standards set by his father. Clive suggested that the board appoint him as CEO until a better candidate was hired.

  Part of Douglas wanted to fight, but he knew there was a different route he needed to take. Someone else could run this company, but it damned sure wasn’t going to be Clive Oldsman. The board was scheduled to meet at nine, the same time he was supposed to be in court.

  Douglas dialed his attorney, despite the hour, and ordered him to show up in court with a motion to make the case against Hughes Farm go away. His last act as CEO would be to right the wrongs that his father had created all of those years ago. More than anything else, he was going to finally follow his heart.

  Crystal lay in her bed, frustrated, confused, and missing the heat of Douglas’s arms around her. She missed his lips, his hands touching her intimately, and even his soft snoring. She couldn’t help but wonder if her father would accept him and their relationship.... Wait, were they in a relationship?

  Her mother was right; she had fallen for Douglas. But would she lose her father because she found love with him?

  Crystal flipped over on her stomach and buried her face in her pillow to stifle a scream. Things had gone from complicated to damned near impossible. Sitting up, she sighed and reached for her robe. Since she couldn’t sleep, she decided that she would have some honey tea and sit on the porch until she either fell asleep or saw the sun rise. Slipping into her fluffy slippers, she made her way to the kitchen and fixed her late night snack of tea and oatmeal cookies. She remembered her last late night in the kitchen and how a little too much whiskey turned into one of the most passionate nights of her life. She couldn’t help herself as she thought about sharing that drink with Douglas, so she poured a shot of whiskey into her teacup. Heading for the porch, Crystal took a seat on the wide steps and slowly sipped her drink. Though she was an adult, drinking under her parent’s nose still seemed wrong. She broke off a piece of her cookie and nibbled at it as she heard a vehicle creeping up the driveway. Looking up, she smiled when she saw Douglas’s truck without the headlights on come to a stop. Setting her cookie and teacup aside, she met him on the sidewalk.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked quietly as he drew her into his arms.

  “When I didn’t hear from you, I got impatient and decided to come over and risk the wrath of your dad for this,” he said, then captured her lips in a hot kiss that made the tea she’d been drinking seem absolutely frigid. Crystal melted in his arms, allowing herself to be completely enveloped in the strong embrace she’d been missing. Douglas smiled as they broke the kiss. “Whiskey?”

  “Not as much as the last time,” she replied.

  “Good, because when I carry you into that dollhouse and make love to you, I don’t want to hear you blaming it on the alcohol this time,” he said, then scooped her into his arms.

  “Wait,” she said, pressing her hand against his chest. “I have to know something.”

  “What’s that?”

  Crystal sighed, closed her eyes, and then asked, “This is just about us, right?”

  Douglas tilted his head and peered deeply into her eyes. “Babe, I know what that file showed you about my father and I understand your family may not trust me, but after tomorrow you and everybody else will know this is just about us.”

  She stroked his cheek and smiled. Crystal felt that she could believe him and that she could even open herself up to him even more, allowing herself to easily love him. She could stop telling herself that it was lust, because the way her heart swelled when he touched her, she knew it was love.

  “Crystal,” he intoned, “I hope you know that I would never do anything to hurt you.”

  “I know,” she replied quietly, then kissed his cheek.

  Douglas headed for the cottage where he had yet to sleep. Once he and Crystal entered, Douglas placed her against the wall and untied the sash on her robe. Even though she stood there in a pair of Happy Bunny boxer shorts and a white tank top, she was still the sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on. And the way her erect nipples pressed against the cotton tank did nothing but make his mouth water like a fountain. In a quick motion, he lifted the shirt up and covered her rock-hard nub with his hot mouth, making her scream out in pleasure. With his free hand, Douglas slipped inside her boxers, happy to find that the only barrier between them was that sarcastic bunny’s face. Slowly, he pressed his finger inside her, circling her sensitive clitoris with the tip of his finger.

  Crystal’s knees shivered, shook, and nearly turned to liquid as Douglas used his finger to bring her to the brink, while he still sucked and licked her nipple. Before her head could catch up with what was happening, she was naked with her legs on his shoulders as he kneeled in front of her, his mouth covering the most sensitive part of her body. Crystal couldn’t hold back the orgasmic wave washing over her as Douglas’s tongue flicked across her throbbing bud.

  “Ooh, that’s it,” she cried as he began to suck her essence as if it were fresh honey. Looking down at him, their eyes locked in an expression that needed no words. Her pleasure turned him on. Quenching her desire seemed to be his only need, the only thing he wanted. Pulling back from her, Douglas quickly stripped out of his clothes, revealing his dangling erection and how much he needed Crystal.

  “Come here,” he commanded. “I want you right now.” Douglas lifted Crystal in his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her chest pressed against his as they kissed deeply and fell back on the sofa. He gripped her hips, positioning her on his erection. And she took him inside her, slowly riding him as if he was a prized steed in a main street parade.

  “Damn,” Douglas moaned. “Damn, you feel so good.”

  She groaned, drawing him deeper and deeper into her hot valley. Crystal had never felt so hot and passion filled.
Douglas matched her pace, her heat, and her desire, thrusting in and out—forgetting that they hadn’t been protected as he felt a hot stream of release explode from him. Crystal reached her own climax, collapsing against his chest with a satisfied sigh.

  Douglas held her tightly and kissed her cheek. “What do you think would happen if your father walked in right now?” he whispered in her ear.

  “You’d better be able to run really fast,” she quipped.

  “Or, maybe I should tell him how much I love his daughter.”

  “Is that so?” she asked, propping up on his chest with her elbow.

  Douglas drummed his fingers lightly on the back of her arm. “That’s so,” he replied. “Who would’ve thought after you locked yourself up in my office that we’d be here right now?” He ran his finger down the valley of her breasts.

  Douglas smiled and inched up in a seated position, holding Crystal around her waist, and said, “I have something that I need to tell you about tomorrow.”

  This was it, the other shoe was about to drop. Crystal steeled herself and waited to hear what he was about to say. Douglas felt her body tense in his arms and stroked her shoulders in an attempt to calm her.

  “It’s not that bad,” he said. “But things are going to change with me and the company.”

  “Change how?” she asked, hoping her voice didn’t convey how tangled in knots her nerves were.

  “I found out what happened to the file that I’d used to start this project and my father’s diary. The chairman of the board, Clive Oldsman, took it.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  Douglas shrugged. “I have my suspicions. If my father’s diary is as dark as what was in the file at my grandparents’ house, I’m sure Clive planned to use it to damage Welco’s image. If the stock prices dropped, he’d be able to convince the board to fire me.”

  Crystal tilted her head to the side, confused as to why Clive would do something like that. Just as she was about to ask Douglas that very question, he continued. “Oldsman never wanted me to be the CEO of Welco. He’s been trying to undermine me my whole career. He thought since I’d moved away and he had become my father’s right-hand man that when he died, the job was his. I guess Waylon knew my father wanted to have a Wellington in that job and he made sure I came back to learn how to continue his legacy.”

  “So, Clive would risk the company just to get his way?” she questioned.

  Douglas nodded. “Not only that, but he was willing to risk people’s retirement plans, jobs, and future projects to get what he wanted. That sorry bastard.”

  Crystal rolled her eyes. “Seems as if he’s the one I should’ve gone after.”

  “And deprive me of the pleasure of your company? I think not. The funny thing about this is, until you marched into my office with your granola and handcuffs, I didn’t really care. Truth of the matter was, after this deal was done, I was going to get out of town. Be a CEO who lived someplace else, spend my money and chase women who weren’t from Reeseville.”

  Hearing his plans sent a ripple of jealously down her spine. Had those plans changed now? Where in the hell was he going with this story and why did he want to talk about other women while she was lying there naked in his arms? She cleared her throat and Douglas smiled again. “It’s a good thing plans don’t always get followed,” he said. “But I did obviously fall into a trap.”

  “A trap?”

  “Clive’s trap with this business park,” he said. “This was built for failure. And he wants to present that to the board tomorrow at an emergency meeting.”

  “What?”

  Douglas explained what happened when he found Amy in his office earlier and the letter that he’d read about his shortcomings as CEO. “How can he do that?” Crystal asked.

  “It’s a cut-throat world in business and when you make it to the top you can only go down,” he said.

  Crystal shuddered. “I’m glad that I’m not in the business world.”

  Douglas wondered if he could have a quiet, sleepy life on the farm with Crystal. He didn’t mind giving up the top spot at Welco—provided that Clive didn’t get it—but would he be able to trade in business suits for overalls and boots? Of course, he thought as he looked into Crystal’s eyes, this woman may not want me around at all if Welco still comes after this farm. I have to make sure that doesn’t happen.

  “What?” she asked, catching the look in his eyes.

  “I’m going to need a job tomorrow evening,” he said. “Know anyone who’s hiring?”

  Crystal laughed heartily and rolled out of his embrace, standing and stretching her arms above her head. “Are you seriously asking me for a job? You want to muck stalls and shuck corn?”

  “A brother has to eat,” he replied as he stood behind her and cupped her naked bottom in his hands. “And being here and seeing everything that you all do here, I seriously want to lend a hand, starting with doing some renovations on the Starlight House.”

  She turned around and searched his face as if she expected him to be joking. Crystal wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “I’m floored, I can’t . . .”

  “It’s the least I can do for those girls and you,” he said.

  “Me?”

  “At least you have a family legacy worth believing in, and I see how important this place is to you. So, when I ask you for a job, I’m asking you if I can make you happy for the rest of your life,” he breathed into her ear.

  Crystal felt weak, felt as if she were melting in his arms. “Yes,” she said. “You can.”

  Douglas leaned in and kissed her slowly and passionately. “I never thought I could love a woman this much,” he said after breaking the kiss.

  “Douglas,” she intoned.

  He held her face in his hands, peering deeply into her eyes. “First things first,” he said. “We have to make sure this place is protected from companies in the future.”

  “What, other than your father’s file, made Hughes Farm so attractive?”

  Douglas sighed. “Honestly, this is prime real estate. It’s far enough from downtown to build factories without hearing the environmentalists complain about the fumes and smoke. As we were looking into purchasing this land, things have changed. Ordinances and rules for zoning have changed, and you can expect more land grab attempts in the future. I’m not proud to say that my company and I had a lot to do with that.”

  Crystal sighed and closed her eyes tightly. “Then, how in the world are we going to keep the farm out of the hands of developers? I refuse to be the Hughes who loses this farm after everything that it means to our family and this community.”

  Douglas brushed a tear from Crystal’s cheek. “I know, babe. But I have a plan.”

  She shook her head and began to gather her clothes. “This is really your fault,” she snapped.

  “What?”

  “Douglas, you’re here now because of some underhanded tactics at your company, but it doesn’t seem as if you’re above that yourself! It’s because of you that this farm is going to be in jeopardy in the future.”

  “Do you think I thought this was going to happen?”

  Pulling her clothes on, Crystal headed for the door of the cottage. “I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. I tell you what—keep your plans and everything else to your damned self. I was taking care of this place long before I met you and I will continue to do it without you!”

  She stormed out and Douglas quickly dressed and then followed her outside. When he caught up with Crystal, he grabbed her arm and forced her to face him. “You know what?” he said. “I’m not going to apologize for decisions I made as a businessman. I’m not going to say that I didn’t cross the line to try to get what I wanted, but you can’t allow what I did in the past to cloud our present and future.”

  Crystal folded her arms across her chest and blinked. “Future? According to you, my future is going to be fighting off Welco and other companies because you got laws and ordinances cha
nged to suit your needs!”

  “Not if this place is turned into a historic landmark,” he said. “I’ve been looking into doing just that.”

  Crystal’s pulsing heart rate calmed slightly. “Why would you . . . ?”

  “I told you, you have a family legacy that you should be proud of and I want to help you keep it. But damn, woman, you have to give me a chance to do it.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s just . . . I’m afraid.”

  “You don’t have to be. Let me just say, if I couldn’t have this farm, then I’d be damned if someone else tries to pressure you into selling.”

  Crystal chewed on her bottom lip and focused her intense stare on him. “But what if you don’t lose your job tomorrow and your board still wants you to move on with the construction of the business park out here?”

  “I know that Waverly is a better location for the park and if we get Clive out of the top seat, then the rest of the board will see what’s best for the company and will go along with the new plan,” he said.

  “You can’t know that for sure,” she said.

  “That’s why I always have a plan B, C, and D,” Douglas said with a smile. “No matter what happens in the morning, Hughes Farm is going to be fine. And I know that for sure.”

  “How can you be so sure?” she questioned.

  “Trust me,” Douglas replied, “no one will get a piece of this property.”

  “What should I tell my parents?” she asked.

  Douglas folded his arms across his chest and smiled confidently. “Let me take care of that,” he said with a smile.

  Chapter 16

  It was a little after dawn when Douglas left the farm. As Crystal crept inside the main house, she was greeted by her father holding a steaming cup of coffee.

  “Do I want to know where you’re coming from?” he asked, then handed her the cup.

  “Daddy, are we going to argue every time I see Douglas?”