by Lexy Timms
“Like what?” he asked.
“Blanketing me with your strength. It’s a comforting feeling like you ground me or something.”
I felt him smiling into my skin as he placed a kiss on my breast. He helped me up as he moved, my body limp against his. The room was tilting, and my head was dizzy from the orgasm that shot through my body. I could feel our wetness pooling underneath my legs, but I was soon being lifted into the air away from the mattress and suspended against the rock-hard body of a man I was growing to adore.
Growing to love, if I was honest with myself.
“I told you there was a bath in store at some point in time,” Jimmy said. “Guess we could make it a bubble bath.”
He carried me into his decadent bathroom as the carved marble jet tub stared back at me.
“Are you going to join me?” I asked.
He set me in the tub before he turned on the water.
“Is that really a question?” he asked.
He toggled the spouts until the water was the right temperature. It was warm and soothing to my skin, relieving my muscles of the tension they still held from our encounter. Jimmy poured bubbles into it, the smell of lemon and roses rising from the water. I sighed and closed my eyes, feeling Jimmy lift me up so he could get behind my body.
Then, he cradled me in his arms, guarding me against any worry trying to get to me from the outside.
“Do you need anything?” Jimmy asked.
“I should be asking you that question,” I said. “This entire night’s been for me.”
“Not just for you. Your presence has been for me. Enjoying your body was for me. Being in this bath with you was for me.”
“And here I thought you were busting out the big guns.”
“Trust me, if you have to question it, then it’s not ‘the big guns.’ ”
“I hear that ego talking again,” I said.
“Only because you make me want to flex it.”
“I have no idea if that’s a compliment or something I should be afraid of.”
“You make me want to be better in all the things I do. I’d say that’s a hell of a compliment.”
“Well, you make me want to fall asleep on you, so don’t mind me if I start snoring.”
“Trusting me with your body in its most vulnerable state? There’s no greater compliment you could pay me,” he said.
I smiled as I curled into him, feeling his strong arms wrap around me. I curled my knees up and sat between his legs as the water continued to fill up the tub. The jets kicked in, creating more bubbles and more relaxation as Jimmy stretched out his leg. His foot turned off the spouts as the jets pummeled our bodies, massaging us as the two of us sat together, wet and spent in each other’s arms.
It was official.
I could really get used to a life like this.
Chapter 13
Jimmy
Riding to work with Ashley was a thrill in and of itself. Holding her hand as we pulled into the place I had built with my own two hands felt natural. Freeing. Like the way my life should’ve always been. She leaned over and gave me a kiss before we got out of my car, and the two of us stepped into the elevator to head up to our offices.
I walked her to her office, my hand trying not to lead her by the small of her back. I knew how important it was for her to not have any shows of affection in the office, and I understood. She didn’t want to be seen as the woman who slept her way to the top.
I didn’t want that for her, either.
“Thanks for last night,” Ashley said. “I really enjoyed it.”
“Thank you for staying with me,” I said. “I like waking up to you.”
The blush that tinted her cheeks tugged at my cock.
“But, it’s time to get to work,” I said.
“Unfortunately,” she said with a sigh.
“Have you finished those balance sheets yet?”
A look of panic washed over her face as I grinned.
“I know everything that goes on in my company. I know Mr. Brent gave them to you to look over. I wasn’t happy with him, but he gave a sound reason for it. He said you were looking them over before you got promoted, and he didn’t trust anyone else with them. You should take it as a compliment.”
“After he grabbed me in the elevator, I’ll hold off on the celebration. I’m sorry if you felt like I was keeping it from you or something.”
“Nope. Very little gets under my nose at this company. How much longer do you need on them?” I asked.
Her hesitation made me uncomfortable before she answered.
“I’m not sure. You know me. I want to triple-check my own work before I hand it over,” she said.
She seemed nervous, but we hadn’t had time to stop for coffee. Maybe she was simply tired? If it were any other employee, I would’ve gotten the impression they were lying to me, but I knew Ashley wouldn’t do something like that. We had an honest relationship in and out of the office. Maybe she thought I was still upset for her taking on those balance sheets. And for the most part, I wasn’t. There was a part of me that felt as if Mr. Brent was taking advantage of her kindness, but he did provide a sound argument for why he wanted her looking at them and no one else.
“I promise I’m not upset. I had a stern talk with Mr. Brent about utilizing you further, but don’t think I’m upset with you taking on that work,” I said.
“I know,” Ashley said. “I know. And thank you. I guess I better start learning how to say no.”
“Uh-huh,” I said. “Well, not to me I hope.”
“You’re bad.”
“Only for you, Miss Ternbeau.”
“Mr. Sheldon?”
Ashley’s office door flew open without a knock, and the head of my security was standing in the doorway.
“Yes?” I asked.
“I need to see you in your office. Now.”
“I’ll be there in a second,” I said.
“Is everything okay?” Ashley asked.
“Don’t worry about anything. You get those balance sheets finished up and get them to me.”
“Yes, sir,” she said with a grin.
I followed the head of security into my office, and he shut the door promptly behind him. There was a worry etched on his face that made me sick to my stomach. I leaned against my desk and unbuttoned my coat, trying to give myself room to breathe.
Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good.
“What’s going on, Masser?”
“We caught someone early this morning breaking in and going through files downstairs.”
“What?” I asked.
“Yeah. The guy had a bunch of matches and gasoline on him, too, in a bag he had thrown over his shoulder.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Not in the least. One of my men caught him rifling through things, and they were able to subdue him, but we’re having to reroute people into the side entrance because he dumped some gasoline on things.”
“Shit. Is he still here?” I asked. “Was anything damaged?”
“Some carpeting in the file room and some of the files will need to be burned and reprinted, but it wasn’t bad. No fires were started, but it was clear that was his intent.”
“Is he still here?”
“We have him in custody, yes.”
“I wanna see him. Now.”
I followed Masser down to the main level of my headquarters, and the smell of gasoline was pungent. People were murmuring and whispering, trying to figure out what was going in. I felt my blood boiling as Masser led me into his office.
And there sat a weaselly little bum with stringy hair and beady eyes and terribly bad breath.
“Who are you?” I asked.
But the man stayed silent.
“You can answer my questions, or I can turn you over to federal authorities.”
“You’re not that important,” the man said.
“Wanna test that theory?” I asked. “Who are you?”
“No, thanks,” he said.
“What were you doing breaking into my building?”
“You need better security. Your men here are weak.”
“And yet here you sit. Why did you douse my file room in gasoline? Enjoy watching things go up in flames?” I asked.
“Go to hell.”
“I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars to answer my questions, and I won’t even turn you over to the authorities.”
“Sir, I don’t think that’s—”
I held up my hand to Masser in order to shut him up.
“She paid me double that,” the man said.
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I knew exactly who he was talking about. I looked over at Masser, and he reached over, pressing the red button next to his bookcase. His entire office was wired for two reasons. He could either make it soundproof or he could make it one big ass microphone.
And this asshole was about to be recorded.
“Forty thousand dollars,” I said.
“And no police?”
“I’ll involve the police if I see fit,” I said. “I don’t know you, and you clearly don’t look like the type of customer I would take on. So who sent you? Who hired you?”
“No, thanks. I’ll take my chances with the cops,” he said.
“Will the cops give you forty thousand dollars?” I asked.
“You can’t buy love, Jimmy. Love is stronger than that.”
I threw my head back and laughed. Holy fuck. This man had no idea Nina was using him. I could hear sirens outside as footsteps came rumbling down the hallway. The man started to panic, his beady eyes widening and his lip quivering in fear.
She was fucking good, but I was even better.
“Open up. Police.”
“Let them in, Masser,” I said.
“Okay, okay, okay. I’ll tell you. It was Nina. Nina Black. She hired me for twenty thousand dollars to come in and burn up your files. She even told me where they were. She bribed the guard at the back door to let me in this morning. Please. Please let me go. I won’t even take the money.”
“Love, huh? Must not be a very strong bond,” I said.
The police ripped him up from the chair as Masser turned off the recording.
“Get us a copy of that, would you?” the officer asked.
“I’ll make sure Masser gets it to you,” I said.
The man was struggling against the police, and they had to subdue him. He kept yelling about how he had kept his deal and how he expected to see the money he was owed, but I had no intention of paying him. It wasn’t until the police were in that room that he fessed up. He didn’t sell Nina out to me.
He confessed in front of the cops in a fit of fear.
“I’ll have my secretary contact someone to come clean up the mess in the file room. Throw open windows and pull some fans up from the basement. We need to get the smell of gasoline out of this building.”
“Already on it, sir,” Masser said.
I headed back up to my office, and Ashley was fidgeting at my door. She turned to me, her eyes wide as the sun, and I could tell she knew something was wrong. She was fighting every urge to run to me, throw her arms around me, and bury herself against my body. I quickly opened my office door and let her in, and the moment it closed, her arms were around me.
“It’s okay. It’s fine. It’s all taken care of,” I said.
“It was Nina, wasn’t it?” she asked. “I was right.”
“Nina is going to jail for a very long time for all of this,” I said.
“What happened?”
“She hired a guy to come in and burn up my file room downstairs. Bribed my security guard at the back door to get in. I need to have a talk with him, but I’m pretty sure today will be his last day at work.”
“I told you she was dangerous, Jimmy. I told you we needed to watch out for her.”
“And now, it’s finished. The confession’s on tape, the police have hauled the guy off, and soon, they’ll be looking to arrest Nina for a host of things that will keep her in jail for a long time to come. You don’t have to worry about her anymore.”
I could feel Ashley’s shoulders moving with her sobs. It hurt my heart that she had been so frightened during all of this. I should’ve kept her closer and made her feel safer in her environment. I had underestimated the anger Nina possessed, and I’d put Ashley in the line of fire because of it. That wasn’t going to happen again. I was no longer underestimating the people around me, not when I had so much to lose.
“This is all too much,” Ashley said breathlessly.
I held her out from my chest and wiped her tears away with my thumbs.
“Everything is done. It’s all gone. Nina’s never coming back once they arrest her,” I said.
“You don’t know that. You’ve told me twice now that she’s no longer an issue, and look what’s happened.”
“The police weren’t involved before, but they are now. Nina can’t hide. She’s not capable of it. She needs to be tended to. She needs to stand out and be noticed.”
The tears falling from Ashley’s eyes were sad, but her face was angry. The light behind her eyes was fiery. She pulled away from me and turned her back, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe the situation.
“Ashley.”
“I’m taking the day off,” she said.
“If that’s what you need, that’s fine. You can take one of my—”
“I need to be alone,” she said.
“If you’re still this scared, then you shouldn’t be.”
“If you had listened to me the first time, then it wouldn't have escalated. Why didn’t you listen to me, Jimmy?”
She was pleading with me, asking me for answers when I had none. I felt helpless to stop her emotional tirade. I felt helpless to reassure her that this was over and that Nina was gone.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“I’m taking the day off. I’ll take the balance sheets with me, and I’ll get it done,” she said.
“Whatever you need, you know I’ll support it.”
“You always do.”
She walked out of my office and stormed into hers. I watched as she shoved papers into her bag, and it seemed like a lot for a few balance sheets. She threw her bag over her shoulder and raced back by me, not bothering to look as she headed for the elevator.
Everything inside of me wanted to go after her, keep her company, and show her I wasn’t going to leave her alone like this. But I understood that she needed space, time to breathe after the fast pace of the past couple of months.
I watched the elevator door close on her, her eyes cast to her feet as tears dripped from her cheeks.
Fuck. How the hell was I going to fix this?
Chapter 14
Ashley
I was riding the wave of still being upset with Jimmy. I called work and told Jimmy I was taking an emotional day to myself. He didn’t seem happy about it, but he also didn’t question it. Of course, the real reason was that I wanted to get to the bottom of this L.R. thing.
I wanted to be able to finish my research before I moved into my new apartment.
“Did someone order pizza?”
I smiled as I got off the couch when Chipper wagged his tail at the door.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” I said.
“Tomorrow’s the big move-in day. You ready?” Cass asked.
“Yep. Everything’s packed. Just getting some last-minute work done.”
“Lots of numbers stuff I don’t care about?” she asked.
“I think you’ll care about this.”
“Oh, something juicy. Let Chipper and me curl up so we can listen.”
“Okay, so. I’ve been taking a look at some balance sheets, and I’ve been finding a lot of issues.”
“What kinds of issues?”
“A lot of money is being toggled, deposited where it shouldn’t be and withdrawn when it needs to be somewhere else. It’s all
very small amounts, and the numbers get fudged to be right on the balance sheets. The end figure is right, but the numbers added and subtracted to get there don’t add up.”
“Oh, shit. Someone’s taking money from the company?” she asked.
“Not exactly. It’s really hard to follow at times, but it looks like some money’s taken right out, and some money is invested in stock options. Or at least dumped into that account. Some money’s even added, and it’s all in small chunks that aren’t tallied in the final figure on the sheet.”
“Someone’s giving the company money?”
“All I know is about twenty million dollars’ worth of money has been played around with for at least the past nine years, but I think it’s been happening since the beginning of the company.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Every transaction is paired with a username linking an accountant to the transaction. Certain accountants, among their other jobs, handle the budgets and accounts for certain departments in the company. Having a username there makes it easy to see who toggled the money and if it was placed in the right spot.”
“Because of what accounts they control. Got it.”
“Right. But usernames are usually a mixture of a first name, middle initial, and last name. Or some form that makes it easy to identify the person,” I said.
“Okay?”
“The weird transactions only have initials. L.R.”
“Not the format of usernames you guys use, I take it.”
“No. Not at all. I went through all the company logs to see who had the initials L.R. or R.L., and none of them make sense,” I said.
“Have you told Jimmy?”
“This is technically my responsibility, so I want all the answers before I go to him. Do you have some free time today?”
“I’m off today,” Cass said. “I closed down to give myself a day to breathe.”
“Wanna come to the library with me and do some research?”
“I’m not sure what you think you’ll find, and I think you’re crazy for not telling Jimmy, but sure. Sounds like fun.”
Our trip to the library was fruitless. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to find, but there was nothing. There were articles about Jimmy when he first started the company, and I looked to see if anyone was mentioned with those initials. I found public records of all the paperwork that went into starting Big Steps, and no one signed anything with the initials L.R. I was frustrated and left with dead ends and had all of these loose ends I had no idea how to tie together.
