Carnal Risk

by Kym Grosso

  “Outsourcing information systems at Emerson Industries to DLar-Tech? I can do that in my sleep. But in the files you gave me, they referenced something called a PFx Prototype. Now I don’t know what that is, but if it’s in his files, they may ask…”

  “They won’t ask you.”

  “But…”

  “Rule number two. I make the rules. If it comes up, I’ll stop the discussion. Tomorrow’s about introducing you to the board, establishing credibility. Your résumé speaks for itself, but Lars is responsible for bringing you in.”

  “So I’m interviewing?” She smiled.

  “Something like that. Decision’s already been made. I know it. They know it. But it’s essential they feel comfortable with you.”

  “I’ll do my best to sell them on the outsource plan. I can do this.”

  “Rule number three.” As Garrett considered his next words, he lifted his eyes to hers, attempting not to stare as she toyed with the hem of her skirt. She shifted on the couch, and he swore he saw the faintest hint of a small tattoo on her inner thigh. Interesting. Miss Reynolds was a dichotomy of personalities. Her business woman persona was rigid in many ways, yet she bent rules when needed. Perhaps part of her yearned to rebel?

  “Here’s the thing, Selby. My company isn’t just about technologies. I’ve built this by taking risks.”

  “Don’t you mean danger?”

  “To some but not us. Nor our customers either. We do this to experience life in a way that most people never see. The exhilaration of dropping from the sky.”

  “Exhilaration?”

  “Yes. The kind that takes your breath away. Like the best fucking sex you’ve ever had in your life. Do you know what that feels like?” he asked, never moving to touch her. He watched as she struggled to keep an impassive expression.

  “Um, I don’t think that’s something you really need to know.”

  “Oh but I do, Selby. And do you want to know why?”

  She nodded, her fingers moving to her bloodstained blouse, where she fidgeted with a button.

  “Because these are things that remind us we’re alive. Sex. Fear. Anticipation.” Garrett had had enough of pretending. Fuck it. I’ll apologize to Lars later. He stood and walked behind the sofa. Placing his palms on her shoulders, he steadied her before she had a chance to move. He knelt, bringing his lips to her ear. “Here at Emerson Industries we strive to bring customers face-to-face with the mind-blowing rush they want. Sometimes it’s a high-tech operation that requires calculated strategy. Sometimes it’s as easy as ramping up technology in a way to let Mother Nature provide the high. Stratospheric skydiving suits and helmets, to experimental polymer surfboards. We understand needs, enabling that rush. We push boundaries.”

  “I’ve read about your company, how you built it,” she challenged.

  “But you haven’t felt it, have you, Selby?” he pressed, his lips brushing against her ear. The subtle scent of her perfume teased his nostrils. Her fingers glided up over his and he knew he had her. He would make her understand, teach her. She’d breathe in the rush of the high, and never be the same.

  “Mr. Emer…Garrett,” she began. “I can’t…I don’t do the things you do. I just can’t.”

  “But you want to feel it. That rush from base jumping or from riding a wave. We all have our own threshold of how much is enough, how far we’d go. Tell me, Miss Reynolds, do you really want to learn about our culture?”

  “But of course I do,” she quickly responded.

  “What’s enough for you? Where’re your limits? How do you get your rush? Hacking into places you shouldn’t be? No, no, no, that’s much too easy,” he breathed. “Singing in front of a live audience? Is that where you come alive? Grinding your ass into my cock the other night? Did that do it?”

  “I didn’t mean to…we need to talk about that.”

  “Yes, I think we do, because I know you’re capable of pushing the envelope, too, sweetheart. I want to feel you tremble, Selby.” Garrett placed his lips on her neck and heard her sigh. He dragged the tip of his tongue behind her ear, tasting her skin. His dick was hard as rock, but he’d take her only after she trusted him, after she learned why this company was so damn important to him. “That rush you feel right now. That’s what I’m going to teach you. In the bedroom and out.”

  “Who said we’re going to…?”

  “Limits. Boundaries. They’re all meant to be bent, sometimes even broken. And I suspect we’re going to break a few together.” Garrett slipped his fingers over her lapel, gliding his hands across her collarbone. Her head lolled back against him, her eyes closed. He smiled at her acquiescence. Jesus, it shouldn’t matter what she did, but there was something about her. “Tomorrow, we’re going to rock the shit out of this board meeting. You’ll do this for me and then we’re going on a personalized tour. Participation isn’t optional.”

  “Participation?” Her head snapped up and he laughed. Refusing to let her go, he brought his lips to her neck once again and spoke softly against her skin.

  “Ah, ah, ah, Miss Reynolds. Rule number two. I make the rules. Just consider this employee training. I promise,” he paused, “to keep you safe. You can trust me.”

  “I don’t know if I can…”

  “You can and you will. After the meeting, you’re all mine.” Garrett stood, removing his hands from her shoulders. As he made his way to his desk, he observed her blink in disbelief. He picked up his cell and texted security to come to his office.

  “I think I should get going so I can come in early tomorrow,” Selby said. Standing, her eyes fell to her bare feet. She glanced to the bathroom and then to Garrett. “Um, can you bring me my shoes?”

  “Leave them. You shouldn’t risk getting glass in your feet. Here.” Garrett went to his cabinet, and took out a clean pair of socks and slip-on sandals. “They’re a little big but safer than getting a chunk of glass in your foot. Not sure I’m up for surgery this late at night.”

  “Really, I think I’ll be fine.”

  “Rule number two,” Garrett said with a smile. “I promise to get you your shoes back after I have housekeeping clean up the mess.”

  Selby sat down on the couch and slipped on the socks. He reached for her feet, gently placing them into his sandals.

  “You’re right. They are a little big.” She laughed. “That and I don’t want you doing surgery. No offense, but I don’t think my heart will take another episode with the scissors.”

  “How’s your hand feel?” He reached for her hand and carefully lifted it, inspecting the bandage.

  “I’m fine. Thank you again. I’m sorry.”

  “Just remember the rules and we’ll get along fine.” Garrett brought her palm to his lips and kissed it. “Until tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow,” Selby repeated, unable to take her eyes off him.

  “Hey, Chloe.” Garrett’s gaze moved toward the door. Selby tugged her hand out of his as the security guard approached. “Selby, this is Chloe. She’s going to help see you to your car. She may even have a pair of sandals downstairs that will fit you.”

  Garrett gave a sly smile as Selby jumped to her feet, the flush on her cheeks caused by the sudden intrusion. Aware that she was capable of taking over some of Evan’s responsibilities, Garrett had to admit that he needed her. With Evan gone and an investigation to come, he couldn’t afford to lose sight of his company’s interests.

  Chapter Eight

  Selby had barely slept, replaying the scene over and over again in her mind. The sound of his commanding, sensual voice soothing her as he took care to clean up the shattered glass. His masculine scent entrenched in her senses. The memory of Garrett’s body heating her skin was both erotic and terrifying all at once.

  A night of restless sleep hadn’t hampered Selby’s professional routine. She’d woken early, gone to the office and had Garrett’s secretary prepare dossiers. Impeccably dressed, she checked her face in her compact mirror and dabbed at the circles under her eyes. As
ide from the light gloss on her lips, she wore little make-up. Closing her eyes, she breathed out the nerves that threatened her control.

  The board meeting was an audition, a test of sorts. She anticipated they’d scrutinize her, but aimed to gain their trust. She was well-prepared, had studied all the players that were expected to attend. The proposal was solid. Numbers and facts had been memorized and reviewed with Lars during her drive to Emerson Industries. Lars would stoically sit as she presented her case, watching his protégée cinch the deal. She’d done it many times, yet she knew this was different. Garrett would expect nothing less than perfection and she planned on giving it to him.

  The ultra-sleek conference room hummed with the power of the twelve executives who waited on the presentation. They ignored Selby as she handed the portfolios to Garrett’s admin, and loaded her presentation on her laptop. As it flared onto the big screen, Selby lifted her gaze and met Garrett’s eyes. His lips were drawn in a tight line, the heat of his gaze reminding her of the night before. Retraining her vision on the projection, she cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention.

  Within fifteen minutes, she’d presented her case to outsource to DLar-Tech. She’d caught the condescending look directed her way by Ryder Tremblay, Head Legal Counsel. Nate Killian, Chief Financial Officer, scribbled on his notepad and darted his eyes over toward Garrett. Chase Abbott, who headed up the scientific division, appeared uninterested, flipping through a journal. Lars gave her a small nod as she prepared to open it up for questions.

  “So as you can see, the move to DLar-Tech will conservatively save Emerson Industries approximately ten million dollars a year,” she concluded. “I’d be happy to review any of the processes with you in more detail if needed. The breakdowns on the financials are in the spreadsheet.”

  “Garrett, I think we need to reconsider this move. With Evan gone, you can’t expect us to seriously vote on this based on the presentation of his temp.” Nate gave a small condescending laugh. “She’s only been here a day.”

  “True, Mr. Killian. However, at least ninety percent of the data for the proposal was collected by Evan. It’s clear that everyone in this room knew managed services were being considered.” She tapped the end of her stylus against the table in a deliberate attempt to keep herself calm. “I won’t make the assumption you reviewed the financials but you can confirm the feasibility study that was done.”

  “What happens to staff? You know this is one of my main concerns. We’ve built up talent to specifically serve our needs,” Ryder asked Garrett.

  Selby swore they could hear her heart pounding as the void of silence widened. Garrett never took his eyes off her as he waited on her to speak. She’d never been one to expect rescue, confident in her merit. If she sank or she swam, it would be her charge.

  “Consideration has been given to human resources,” she began, reminding them she was still leading the discussion. “If you wish to retrain staff to stay on in other positions, repurpose if you will, that’s your choice. However, as we proceed, we’ll be taking on those positions, and remaining employees will become part of DLar-Tech. I can assure you that we’ll be utilizing excess staff in other key positions within our company.”

  “How’s that possible?” Nate pressed Lars.

  Selby flashed back to the slide, discussing resources. “We do full disclosure before taking on accounts…”

  “I was asking Lars, not you,” he challenged, a hard expression crossing his face.

  “I see, but I’m the one giving the presentation and currently the chief technology officer, not Lars. So if you want answers, I’ll be happy to provide them.” She glanced down to her friend, whose face told her he was about five seconds away from bursting out laughing. He knew better than anyone that she wasn’t the type to take shit. Still, she couldn’t figure out Garrett’s game. He continued to allow his team to go hard, never intervening, despite the fact that they were edging on unprofessionalism.

  “Garrett, I don’t think…” Ryder interrupted.

  “Mr. Emerson isn’t giving this presentation either. Up here.” She clicked on her laser and pointed to the screen. If these good ole boys wanted to play rough, she’d be happy to go a round. “This,” she pointed to the graphic displaying the process for transitioning employees, and resisting the urge to use her kindergarten teacher voice, continued, “is the slide I reviewed previously that came directly from Evan’s notes. Of course, I’m quite familiar with this process because, I, in conjunction with Lars, developed it. It’s my understanding that this process, as well as the initial contracts, were reviewed with both Garrett and Evan.”

  She waited on Garrett to confirm her findings but he merely gave her a small smile. Before she had a chance to ask him to elaborate, Nate once again went on the offensive.

  “I have concerns about our systems being taken out of house. What security do you have in place to make sure we aren’t hacked?”

  “I agree that you have many firewall and security measures in place today. However, we have more expertise in this area. In addition to top level security, we have disaster recovery plans and procedures for every one of our clients.” Selby looked to an attractive woman, who tapped at her iPad. Raine Presley, the company’s chief security officer, had kept unusually quiet during the entire meeting and she wondered at her motives for doing so. “Miss Presley has also reviewed the plans.”

  “Raine,” Ryder called, annoyed at his colleague.

  “Hey, what?” Raine smiled up at Selby and then focused her attention on Ryder. “We’re good. She’s right. I’m not sure why this is such a big deal. We worked on this before…well, you know…the accident.”

  “And you approved this?” Ryder asked.

  “You know as well as I do that Garrett has final say, but yeah, Evan and I were on board.”

  “Believe me, sir, I understand your reservations.” Selby kept her voice soft and even, as if she were speaking to a scared animal. Both Nate’s and Ryder’s faces had reddened and she knew that having been confronted and potentially embarrassed, they needed to save face. “Lars and I know how important your data is to you. Your information systems are the delicate network, the fabric, if you will, that support your entire corporation. At DLar-Tech, we care for your systems as if they were our own. Agreeing to this solution will save you money. We’re able to do this by leveraging skills across multiple customers. Your data is confidential and safe with us. IT is our specialty. We take over your day-to-day operations so that you can direct time and resources toward your core businesses.”

  Selby paused, and caught Garrett’s sexy smile. She forced herself to meet the gaze of every last person sitting around the table, praying to God she’d get her hormones under control. Ryder opened his mouth to speak and she proceeded to finish her conclusions.

  “When you contract with DLar-Tech, we offer top of the line service level agreements to ensure your needs are being met. It’s a win-win. Basic financial and contract information is in the dossiers provided to you. E-copies of more detailed terms and conditions have been sent to you. If you have any more questions or concerns, you can contact either Lars or me and we’ll get back to you right away.”

  “Thank you,” Garrett said, stifling any further argument on the subject.

  “You’re welcome, sir.”

  “Please give us a few minutes. Selby?”

  “Yes, sir?” Selby closed her laptop and collected stray papers. Lars had warned her ahead of time that she wouldn’t be privy to a vote due to the conflict of interest.

  “I’ll be in to see you in a few minutes. Thanks for your presentation,” Garrett stated.

  “Thank you.” Her voice wavered slightly and she pushed a stray hair from her face. His approval wrapped around her like a warm blanket and the butterflies in her stomach did a happy dance. The flicker in his eyes told her that he’d remembered everything from last night and that whatever they’d started was far from over.

  “And Selby…”r />
  “Yes?” She gathered her things in her arms, carrying them protectively against her chest as if to block him from seeing the emotion brewing inside her.

  “Hope you remembered what I told you to bring yesterday.”

  “Um, what?” A bathing suit. What the hell could he possibly be thinking?

  “This won’t take too long.”

  “Yeah, okay,” she managed.

  “Nice job.” Lars patted her shoulder as the boardroom door shut.

  “Lars, I don’t know if I should stay on…”

  “You’re staying. Garrett needs you whether he knows it or not. And I need you to get things transitioned after the contract is approved.”

  “You think they’ll sign?” she asked as they walked to her office.

  “Yeah, I do. Nate’s just being difficult as usual. And Ryder…well, they’re all taking things hard, with Evan out of the picture.”

  “About that.” Selby rounded her desk and placed her things on top. She kicked off her high heels and fell back into her leather chair. “Evan. How well did you know him?”

  “He’s been…he was with Garrett for a long time. Even though he was the CTO, he was a jack of all trades. Ex-military. Helped Garrett when he first started going after the government contracts. He also worked with Chase on the science stuff. Had his hands in all sorts of things.”

  “Did you sky dive with him?”

  “Of course.” Lars paused and closed the door.

  Selby opened her desk drawer, pulled out a piece of candy and waved it in front of him. “Lollypop?”

  “It’s ten in the morning, Selb.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been up since five and I’m runnin’ on a few hours of sleep. Give me sugar or give me death.” She laughed, unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth.

  “You know that shit’s not good for you,” Lars pressed. “Red dye. Yellow dye. Corn syrup.”

  “Don’t care, Lars. I just got baptized by fire, so bring it on.”