Mine

by Stacey Kennedy

  That’s what I liked right there.

  The fight.

  I stayed beside Anderson, watching Henry approach Allie. He dropped a hand on her shoulder, saying to her, “I can always count on you to piss someone off, kid.”

  She gave him a sweet smile. “Don’t go far. We need to talk.”

  “I wouldn’t have expected otherwise” was Henry’s dry reply.

  I noted the pride in Henry’s eyes and the love in Allie’s smile. An odd sort of hot jealousy blazed through me. That type of affection was pure and honest. And I’d never experienced such love in my life.

  As Henry left the office, Anderson gestured at Allie, and I motioned for him to leave, too. He smiled, thoroughly amused by her, I assumed, before shutting the door behind him.

  I stayed intent on the woman spiking my curiosity and awakening my cock. “Please sit,” I said, pulling the chair out for her.

  She approached, never lowering her glare. Only when she took her seat did she look away, and her scent, a mixture of baby powder and flowers, spiraled around me. I stood behind her, noticing my affect on her as her knuckles went white on top of the table. Good, because she affected me, too.

  Determined to learn more about this woman, I opened my suit jacket and moved to sit next to her. “Tell me about who you are at Richardson.”

  “I’m the top-selling agent,” she said without a trace of arrogance.

  I respected her honesty. Modesty wasn’t my way either. My father, Samuel Holt, had raised me to be proud of my accomplishments. I didn’t love the man. I didn’t even like him when I buried him two years ago. But I respected his cutthroat style of business. “What were your sales last year?”

  “Close to a million,” she stated.

  Not bad, I thought. The majority of the sales must have come from her. I could see why she was a good real estate agent—she had a light within her, something that inspired trust and radiated warmth. “Now then, call me curious—how have I insulted you?”

  “Because you walked into our company and belittled what Henry built.” The fire in her eyes captivated me, calling for me to see her burn deeper from my touch, my lips, my cock, every damn part of me. With the same clipped voice, she added, “Richardson is a great company. It doesn’t need to change. Loyalty can’t be bought.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “Yes, sweetheart, it can.”

  “So you say.” She folded her arms, and I noted how the move gave her more cleavage. I enjoyed the thought of kissing the soft flesh, as she harshly added, “I suggest you work on your people skills. Insulting employees who have worked hard for a company won’t make you a winning star.”

  “I don’t need to try to be a winning star.” I let I am the winning star sit unsaid between us.

  She clearly caught my intention and snorted. “Good for you. Congratulations.”

  I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or be insulted that she was the one woman in a very long time that had shown me anything but adoration. I liked that she put me in my place and called me out for insulting Henry’s company, even if what I had said was nothing but the truth. Her strength made her a worthy challenger.

  The smile I let slip apparently annoyed her, since her brows furrowed. “Since we’re doing a Q&A, call me curious.” I liked how she used my own words back at me. “Did you force Henry out?”

  Beautiful, smart, and quick—she was certainly holding my attention. But the sudden hatred in her eyes surprised me. Before the meeting, Henry had warned me that Allie would not take this news lightly. I hadn’t anticipated that her rage would be directed at me. Nor did I like it. “Henry’s retirement was in the best interests of both companies. I didn’t force him out. He agreed to leave.” As her lips parted to no doubt unleash hell on me, I continued before she could. “I have no intention of closing Richardson or seeing its failure. We are looking to expand the residential department in Holt, and I plan to keep Richardson as is, staying as a separate company, so we can learn from what you’ve accomplished here.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear it.” She rose from her seat. “Are we done?”

  I leaned back in my chair, completely taken by her. Men wanted to be me. Women wanted to have me. This little five-foot-five woman stood there glaring at me, determined to knock me down with a single punch. In my fucked-up mind, her refusal and outright hatred of me brought hunger.

  She offered me a game; one I’d played many times over. A battle of wills, where two strong personalities fought for control. That game not only fed my ego, but it gave me a story to feed to the tabloids, giving the appearance I had a girlfriend. A necessary front to keep the truth locked away that under strict confidentially agreements, I partook in kink and enjoyed well-trained submissives who catered to my unusual sexual demands.

  It’d been a couple months since my last public girlfriend. I needed to give the tabloids a new story. If I didn’t, they’d start digging deeper into my personal life. That could never happen. The secrets I held could ruin my high-profile public image.

  “Do you plan on answering me?” She repeated her question: “Are we done?”

  I grinned, sensing the burn rise up within me to win this fight. Soon she’d be in bed and screaming my name, instead of glaring at me. “For now, yes.”

  “Forever, believe me.” She placed her hands flat on the table, and I saw her revulsion in the narrowing of her eyes, making my fingers twitch to grab her and show her that I couldn’t be controlled. “If Henry leaves, then so do I. Consider this my resignation. Do you want two weeks’ notice, or can I leave now?”

  My dick jerked in my pants. I knew why. It came from the desire to dominate. I yearned to prove to this woman that my power could render her mine, if I so chose it. “You can leave whenever you want. No one is keeping you here.”

  “Great,” she growled, her eyes dark with rage. “Now works for me.”

  I watched her ass sway in her skirt as she exited the room, leaving me with an achy cock and a smile on my face. She might be pissed because Henry was retiring and thought I was responsible, but our exchange brought me more amusement than I had in months.

  Only a moment passed before Anderson filled the doorway, muttering, “Someone quit already? I think that’s a record.” In his early forties, Anderson ran marathons in his free time. He had a lovely wife and two teenage children. We were as different as two men could get, but I respected and trusted Anderson.

  I rose from my chair. “Get Allie into Holt.”

  “Of course, you pick the one that’s going to be the most difficult.” Anderson entered the office and stopped by the side of the table, a deep frown creasing his mouth. “What if I can’t change her mind?”

  I moved to the window and stared out at the back of another building, only making me appreciate the spectacular view I had at Holt. One of the first things I’d recommend to happen here at Richardson was that the company move to a nicer location. Clients deserved better.

  I stuffed my hands into my pockets and pondered. On the one hand, I found myself oddly drawn to her and curious about all the warmth I saw radiating out of her smile. On the other hand, I enjoyed the power struggle, because I needed the high when she finally stopped fighting the attraction that we both knew was there and surrendered her body to me.

  I would come out on top, as I did in all aspects of my life.

  To do that with Allie, I needed some time.

  I turned to Anderson. “Make her an offer she can’t refuse.”

  Allie

  Annoyance sizzled in my bones. What an overconfident, arrogant, self-absorbed prick! I traveled down the hallways, hearing conversation about the merger coming from the offices. I sure as hell wanted to talk about Henry’s retirement, but only one person could answer my questions.

  I found Henry behind his old—quite possibly considered antique—desk in his tiny corner office. My heart hurt. A box rested on top of the desk holding the pictures of his family that once covered every square inch. He’d clearly begun packing u
p his personal belongings. I fought back tears. Micah stole a piece of me away and I was scrambling along trying to rescue it—or better yet, rescue Henry.

  When I entered the office, Henry lifted his head, smiling at me in his gentle way. “Did the meeting go well?” he asked.

  “Oh, the meeting went very well.” I dropped down into the old leather chair and crossed my legs. “I quit.”

  “Allie.” He frowned, his hand frozen around another picture frame. “You’ve worked too hard to leave now.”

  I waved off his concern. “Did Micah make you retire?”

  Henry picked up the frame and put it in the box. “I hadn’t considered retiring before the merger,” he eventually answered. “That said, the decision is the right one.”

  “The right decision for whom?” I argued. “For Micah?”

  Henry deposited his old-style Rolodex into the box before looking at me. “Do you have history with him?”

  “Not personally, no.” I half-shrugged, sinking down into the chair. “But I know his type.”

  His eyebrows—streaked with silver—rose. “Which is?”

  “The type of man who cares more about money than about treating people right.” Pushing Henry out meant hiring new—probably younger—management, which would bring fresh ideas to Richardson. The logic made sense. That didn’t mean I had to like it.

  Henry sat back in his seat, his hands rested on the armrests. “Regardless of whether that might be true, Micah is good at what he does. Merging with Holt will see Richardson succeed in the future.” He looked at the boxes on his desk, and sighed. “I’m sixty-five. It’s time for me to retire. Maybe this was the push I needed to do it.”

  “But you didn’t want to retire before this,” I countered. “So why now? Because some suit told you to? You don’t have to do this, Henry.”

  He rose from his place, moving to sit next to me. “You’re loyal, Allie, and I appreciate that about you. But Richardson hasn’t been improving in the last year. Sales have become stagnant. I’m afraid I’ve taken our company as far as I can take it. There is nothing I want more than to see the company I built stay around for a while.” He smiled, patting my knee. “Preferably with you in it.”

  “Not much we can do about that now, since I already quit.”

  He took my hand, gave a knowing look. “I suspect your quitting fell on deaf ears. I told Micah before the meeting that you would likely give notice when you heard the news, and that you were impulsive. He expected such a reaction from you. I’m guessing he already knows you’re not leaving.”

  I eyed him with suspicion. “You told Micah that I was going to quit?”

  “Of course I did.” Henry’s warm laugh spread over me, easing some of the chill inside. This man knew me, maybe knew me like no one else did. Tears sprung to my eyes, seeing the love in his. “But I agreed to leave only if you remained in some capacity.”

  “What do you mean by ‘in some capacity’?”

  Henry leaned back, the slight twinge of pain on his face reminding me that his knee replacement hadn’t been all that long ago. “I anticipate that Micah is going to want to bring you into Holt.”

  “And just why would you anticipate that?”

  Henry’s smile was as proud as I’ve ever seen it. “Because you’re the best we have. He’ll want all your expertise in the parent company, for sure. Or at least I would, if I were him.”

  I shook my head in refusal, pulling my hand from his. “I can’t work for a man who pushed you out of your company.”

  “He didn’t exactly push me out,” Henry said gently, clasping his hands on his lap. “He offered the choice, and I took it. You’re being exceptionally hard on him. The deal we made gave me a large chunk of money to walk away with, which made the choice all very appealing to me. He didn’t shortchange me. Believe me, he’s a good man, and he’ll do great things for Richardson.”

  We differed on that opinion. Men like Micah were looking to make money. A good man would have let Henry retire on his own time. The only difference between Micah and other assholes was that Micah came in a sexy package that apparently my body appreciated.

  I stared at Henry, hating my reality. This decision wasn’t mine, and I could tell that Henry had made his choice to leave. The documents were signed and the deal was done. “Will retiring make you happy?”

  “Of course it will.” Henry gave a big honest smile. “I can travel now and do all the things the missus has wanted to do. I’ll still come see you, and we will always keep in touch. This relationship doesn’t end here, if that’s what all this fuss is about.”

  It wasn’t fuss. This broke me, because it would change our relationship. I wouldn’t see Henry as much. He’d be busy with his two children and five grandchildren, and, apparently, traveling the world with his wife.

  I hadn’t realized how much I needed him, how much I depended on his advice, on seeing his fabulous warm smile every day, and on how much I needed that one person who was a solid in my daily life. I knew my thoughts were selfish, but I couldn’t help but think, Will he forget about me? “It won’t be the same without you.” I managed, my voice cracking.

  Henry made a soft sound, wrapped me in his arms, taking me in a comforting and familiar hug. “Don’t ever change, Allie. Your loyalty is one of your greatest qualities. I’ll miss seeing you every day, too.”

  His hug lasted a while, and it drained my heart during every damn second. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Henry. Maybe I wasn’t ready to find out what would happen to me when he was gone.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt,” a low voice cut in, “Allie, may I have a moment?”

  I glanced at the doorway, finding Anderson standing there. That’s when I realized tears were trailing down my cheeks. I made quick work to clear them away, as Henry rose and said, “You can use my office.”

  I watched Henry leave and then watched Anderson take his place in the seat beside me. Once settled comfortably into the chair, Anderson said, “I’d like you to rethink quitting. In fact, we’d like to offer you a position at Holt.”

  So Henry hadn’t been wrong. Bemused, I asked, “Micah wants to hire me after our meeting?”

  “Yes, in fact, he does.” Anderson’s lips curved, a telling sign he knew of my feelings toward Micah. “To keep this simple, tell me what you want for me to make that happen. I’m under direct orders here. Please don’t make this difficult for me.”

  “What I want?” I repeated. Shouldn’t I be groveling?

  Anderson nodded, crossing one ankle over his knee. “What do I need to offer you to come to Holt?”

  I considered him for a moment, finding him dead serious. I didn’t want to work for Micah. I loved Richardson’s and my family here. “There is nothing you can give me that will make me move to Holt.”

  A sly smile crossed his face. “So, you’re not quitting any longer?”

  “Well, since Henry also doesn’t want me to, then I guess I won’t.” When I saw Anderson’s frown, I concluded, “Let me guess, I’m not allowed to work here still, am I?”

  “No, I’m afraid that’s not possible.” He lowered his foot to the floor, resting his arms on his legs, and looked at me through thick lashes most girls would kill for. “You need to come over to Holt. It’s non-negotiable.”

  So, it was either work for Micah or nothing? I didn’t appreciate being cornered by Micah, and my back stiffened in my defense. “If that’s the way he wants to play this, I want an upgraded office and a salary of…” I calculated quickly. At Richardson I got no salary, only a commission of 2.5 percent of my sales, and I had to pay 30 percent of that to Richardson Real Estate. “One hundred thousand a year, plus I’ll need health benefits. And only fifteen percent of my commission on each sale goes to Holt.” I paused, making sure I didn’t miss anything, then added, “Oh, and my assistant, Liv, needs to come with me.” I nearly burst into laughter at what I’d asked for. No one in their right mind would give me any of that.

  Anderson’s brows rose,
yet I got the feeling I impressed him with my demands. “You drive a hard bargain.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and started texting. Once there was a beep, indicating a reply, he smiled at his phone and then at me. “Welcome to Holt, Allie.”

  He rose.

  “You cannot be serious.” I sputtered out. “Did you not hear what I asked for?”

  Anderson turned to look at me, his hand on the doorknob. “My instructions were to get you into Holt, and now we’ve made that happen.” I saw in his knowing smile that he knew the offer was too good to pass up, and dammit, I knew it, too. “See you tomorrow at nine o’clock.”

  He exited Henry’s office, and a giant waft of his spicy cologne followed him. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is crossed over my subconscious. I’d been rude to Micah. I had asked for ridiculous demands, and they’d given in on all of it. Something seemed off about all this, and I didn’t doubt for a second that that something had everything to do with Micah.

  Chapter 2

  Micah

  “Micah, are you with us?”

  I blinked into consciousness, snapping back from thinking about Allie, reminded that I sat in a cold meeting room, devoid of any decoration on the painted dark gray walls. Two-way mirrors surrounded all four long walls, giving the privacy needed for today’s meeting.

  Surprised by how one little woman captivated my thoughts so intently, I shifted my attention to the three sets of eyes on me. The men sitting around the cherrywood meeting-room table made up the Dominants Council (DC) in San Francisco. We owned the only four BDSM clubs in the city—Impulse, Lace, Afterglow, and Masquerade—for a good reason. Our control kept a tight hand on the BDSM community as a whole. “Yes, I’m with you.” I placed my arms on top of the table, lacing my fingers together. “Run the conversation by me again.”