by C. C. Snow
He looked like he was about to argue when Jake put his hand up and said, “Enough. I told you it couldn’t be Cora. Show her what we have. Maybe she could help. She’s probably got more figured out than we have.”
“I agree with Jake. Cora would never do this,” Troy chimed in.
I smiled at him in appreciation of his stalwart support.
I squeezed Jake’s hand. Yesterday, while staring at my neat handwriting, I knew I had to have faith in him. In us. Because his faith in me had been unwavering from the very beginning.
“Fine.” Jason didn’t look happy about it, but he couldn’t flout Jake’s order.
Troy moved over and let me have his seat.
“First, you have an email going out to Lakeshore Industries last month.” He placed the printout in front of me.
“It was a cover letter for a job application.” Feeling Jake’s fingers tense, I turned to him and explained. “You were making me crazy and I thought it was easier if I found another job.” His darkening face clued me in that he was not pleased. “If it makes you feel better, I probably wouldn’t have left. But it’s a moot point because they never contacted me.” Looking back at Jason, I said, “Next.”
“There was an email to Bauen which went out from your account a few weeks after you started to work on this floor. While there was nothing overtly incriminating in the email, it’s highly suspect. Why would you have emailed a rival firm?” Jason demanded.
I held out my hand, palm facing upward. “Let me see the email. I don’t remember emailing them, but I send out hundreds of emails a day.”
Jason laid another printout in front of me.
I scanned it and said decisively, “I didn’t write that.” A wave of anger washed over me. “Somebody is setting me up.”
Jason scoffed. “It came from your computer. Unless someone has your login, it’s yours.”
“Tell us why it couldn’t be your email,” Troy requested.
My finger pointed to the signature. “Because I never end my emails with ‘Yours Truly.’ I only use ‘Best Regards.’ And I’d never craft an email like this. It’s full of spelling errors.”
Jake leaned forward, his eyes bright. “She’s right. Her emails are always impeccable.”
“That could be a pre-arranged code,” Jason insisted stubbornly.
Frowning, I picked up the paper to study it. Something about it kept nagging me. Then my eyes landed on the date and time.
Jake must have been watching me closely because he asked urgently, “What did you find, baby?”
Nobody seemed to have noticed the endearment except me.
“I couldn’t have written it because I wasn’t in the office at this time.” I turned to Jake excitedly. “It was sent on March thirtieth in the afternoon. That was the day Marcus had a fight and you and I had to leave the office early.”
Realization dawned in his eyes. “Fuck, then someone must have come into your office and sent it from your computer.”
“But I am very conscientious about logging off my computer when I leave my desk. I don’t know how they could have gotten my password.”
Jake’s face hardened. “There are ways to bypass everything. Jason, pull up the video footage for anyone entering this office after two-thirty on the thirtieth. I think you’ll find your perpetrator.”
Troy grinned. “That asshole is going down!”
Jason looked contrite as he stood up and gathered the papers. “Sorry, Cora. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”
Feeling magnanimous now that I had cleared my name, I inclined my head. “The evidence all pointed to me. Only someone who truly knew me would have stood by me.” I turned to smile at Jake.
He tightened his grip on my hand. I could tell he was impatient to get me alone.
Troy muttered under his breath, “Ugh… you two make me sick. Sick with jealousy.”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I find the footage from building security,” Jason said as he opened the door and almost ran over Alana.
“Alana!” I stood up. “Is there something you need?”
She looked ghastly. Her hair was disheveled and her face was as white as a sheet. “I think I know who is selling the information to our competitors. And I inadvertently helped him.”
My legs lost their strength and I plopped back in my chair.
Chapter 23
“I can’t believe it was Tom,” Jake said. “He started with the company when my dad was the CEO.”
I looked up at his face. It was etched in sorrow and disappointment. I kissed his jaw. “He made his own decisions, Jake. He had the choice of asking for help, but he didn’t.”
Alana’s confession still seemed fantastical. She and Tom Wexler had started dating after his divorce. What she didn’t realize was he was using her to get information on the comings and goings of the executive floor. He had gotten into a lot of debt from his recent drug habit and needed money. He was very good about hiding his addiction because nobody knew, including Alana.
On the day she saw Jake escort me out of the building, she had complained to Tom about my unprofessionalism. He had commiserated with her and then pretended that I had forgotten to send him urgent information for a bid. Against her better judgment, Alana agreed to let him go into my office to check if the information was lying around. She never knew he had logged into my computer and stolen the information.
Triumphant from his success, Tom became more careless with his habit. She suspected he doing something illegal when he started spending money indiscriminately. After observing him closely, she realized he was an addict and begged him to seek help. He refused. When I caught her crying in the bathroom, she had just ended their relationship.
Her suspicions about Tom solidified when she found out we lost the bid to Lakeshore. She put two and two together and realized she had to say something.
Jason downloaded all of Tom’s files while the manager was out at lunch. It didn’t take much digging to uncover the truth because Tom didn’t even try to cover his tracks. There were multiple email exchanges with the executives at both Bauen and Lakeshore. Jason suspected he was confident nobody would look into his files when he set me up as the fall guy.
We called the police and they were waiting to arrest Tom when he came back into his office. He refused to talk, except to ask for his lawyer, but there was plenty of evidence to convict him.
Jason pulled up the video footage and Tom was caught on tape rifling through my desk. I felt so violated when I saw the clip. To our shock, Tom had my login, which indicated there was an accomplice in Jason’s office. The head of cyber security was livid when he realized the implication. I had no doubt there would be a thorough investigation into all of his staff.
Jake was torn about what to do with Alana since she did violate company policy, but I was able to convince him to let her off with a warning. She did do the right thing in the end.
“I’m sorry, Jake. I know it must hurt to know one of your senior staff would betray you.” I hugged him in sympathy.
He looked down at me and the sadness left his face. Flipping us until I was sprawled on top of him, he gave me a sweet kiss. His body was hard and hot beneath me.
We were in his apartment. After our harrowing day, we didn’t want to be apart. Marcus was in one of the guest bedrooms. My brother seemed to take it in stride when I told him we were staying over at Jake’s for a few days. He matter-of-factly packed up a bag and was ready to go when Jake picked us up.
“As long as I have you, none of that matters.”
“Jake, I don’t like it when you shut me out. It broke my heart when you wouldn’t talk to me and tried to hide it from me.”
He rubbed our noses together. “I’m sorry, baby. I wanted to protect you. Jason was demanding we interrogate you. The board was fucking nuts. I didn’t want any of the ugliness to touch you.” He smiled slowly. “Have I told you how fucking amazing you were walking into my office demanding you have a part in our investigation
? I’m so glad you didn’t think I suspected you.”
I hesitated a beat too long and he reared back. “Only for a little while,” I tried to defend myself. “Then I remembered what you said about having faith in us.”
“I’m glad you reached the right conclusion, but I think I need to show you again who you belong to.” His tone was hard and stern. His hands stroked along my sides and grabbed onto my soft bottom. His fingers kneaded into my flesh.
“Jake,” I moaned. My sex clenched at the promise in his voice. I was still wet from our last bout.
“I want to fuck your ass, baby. I want to own every part of you.”
I shuddered, my body heating at his words. I kissed him and spread my thighs, silently giving him my consent. Nothing felt wrong with Jake. My body and heart belonged to him completely.
He flipped me onto my front. I placed my forehead onto my folded hands and knelt with my ass on my heels.
“Stay, like this baby.” He moved behind me. His fingers caressed my crevice and I gasped.
“Your behind is a work of art, baby.” He continued to burrow deeper until his two thumbs grazed my puckered hole.
I never realized how sensitive it was until Jake started to rub my rosebud. I started to wiggle my hips when he smacked my bottom. “Hold still!”
“Ahhh!” I screeched as the blood rushed to my cheek.
He pulled my flesh apart and pumped two fingers into my pussy. I lost all my breath as he finger fucked me. He whispered sexy things into my ears, but I couldn’t register a single word. My cries crew louder and louder and I was thankful Marcus was on the other side of the huge penthouse.
Jakes fingers curled and the exquisite sensation shoved me over. I bit into my hand when I climaxed, my sheath clenching on his fingers.
When my cries stopped, Jake pressed a wet fingertip to my back entrance and pushed.
“Jake,” I groaned. The invasion felt strange and foreign. But also intimate and sexy because it was Jake.
“Sh…just relax for me baby. I’m a lot bigger than my finger.”
Following his instructions, I consciously relaxed my muscles and he pressed all the way in to his knuckles. He was infinitely patient as he glided in and out of me. In and out. When I had loosened around his digit, two fingers probed at me.
I moaned as I stretched to accommodate him.
“You’re doing so well, baby. Your ass looks perfect. I can’t wait until my dick is in this tight hole.” He accompanied his words with slow thrusts of his fingers. It was driving me out of my mind.
“Jake, please!”
“Tell me what you need, baby.”
“You! I need you!”
“I need you, too, Cora. I need you so damn much,” he said fiercely into my ear.
I felt something cool squirt onto me and then the incredible heat of his cock touched me. I whimpered at the unrelenting pressure as he started to tunnel into my ass. “Jake, you’re too big.” A twinge of pain shot through me.
He stopped. “No, I’m not. Remember you’re made for me. You feel perfect baby. Just breathe with me.” He inhaled and exhaled. I did the same. Slowly, our breathing synced. Then on an exhale, he pressed deeper and I clenched.
One of his hands snaked to my front. His fingers dipped into my pussy and I shook as both of my holes were penetrated. “Oh God!” My back arched, sending his cock deeper.
“Oh my GOD!” I screamed as his hands and cock started to move in concert. Deeper and deeper, he pushed until I felt his pelvis press against my butt cheeks. His fingers were embedded in my vagina. I felt utterly possessed as he filled every empty place in my body and soul.
“So full. So full,” I muttered.
“I’m going to mark every part of you, baby.” With those words, he bit into my shoulder and started to move his hips. It hurt at first, but I was soon overwhelmed by the forbidden pleasure growing in my anal passage. My own hips were gyrating against him, drawing out hoarse groans.
One hand held my hips steady, but the other was constantly moving. Twisting my nipples. Plucking my engorged clit. Pushing into my pussy, making Jake’s cock seem impossibly huge in my anus. I didn’t even notice the sting of his teeth as he bit harder.
“Jake! Please, faster.”
His thrusts increased in intensity, his groin slapping against my backside. He let go of my shoulder and laved the sting. His fingers circled my swollen clit. “Come. Come now, baby.”
At his harsh command, my body shattered. I shook uncontrollably. My cries rang in my head as every muscle seized in pleasure.
I heard his shout behind me and then a black veil came across my eyes. I let the eye of the storm consume me, dragging me into its rapturous darkness.
“Baby, wake up.” Kisses peppered my face.
My eyes fluttered open to see Jake’s concerned face. He sighed in relief.
“What happened?” My voice sounded weak.
“You blacked out from your orgasm.” There was an unmistakable note of cockiness in his voice.
I closed my eyes, too tired to deal with his smugness. I whined in protest when I felt him pick me up.
“Shower, then sleep, baby.” He kissed me.
I was too tired to argue. He cleaned both of us without any help from me. If he didn’t prop me up, I would have melted into a puddle and slipped down the drain. He hastily dried us and then took me back to his bed, tucking me into his side.
“I love you, baby.”
I looked into his beautiful aquamarine eyes. “I love you, too. More than you could imagine.”
He kissed my lips and smiled. “I doubt it, baby.”
I wanted to disagree, but my eyes were already drooping closed.
The next morning, I woke up and rubbed my eyes. I frowned when I noticed something foreign on my finger.
I gaped at the monster cushion cut diamond on my left hand. It must have been at least eight carats and was so shiny, it blinded me.
“Eeep.”
“I hope that’s a yes.”
I was speechless as I met Jake’s eyes. Was that nervousness I saw?
My heart overflowed with love.
“Will you marry me, Cora Branton, and make me the happiest man in the world?”
There could only be one answer.
“YES! YES!” I screamed and threw myself at him. “I love you!”
“I love you more.” He tumbled me onto my back and kissed me tenderly.
Epilogue: Jake
“Tyrone Welles.”
Applause.
“Cynthia Wellington.”
Applause.
“There she is!” whispered Marcus. “Get ready.”
He didn’t need to point her out. I was aware of where she was at all times. When she wasn’t by my side, I felt her absence like a lost limb.
“Cora Weston. Summa cum laude.”
I stood up and roared and clapped and whistled. My parents, Troy, and Marcus made just as much obnoxious noise.
Cora looked to our section and beamed. We had prime seats, thanks to our connections with the president of the university. I could see her beautiful caramel eyes glowing with love as she stared at us.
I was so fucking proud, my heart was about to burst out of my chest.
After the case with Tom Wexler wrapped up, Cora resigned as my assistant to attend school. All her fears about us not lasting had vanished.
As her replacement, she asked me to hire her friend, Jamie Parker. I was concerned about her reputation for gossip, but to my surprise, Jamie became as tight-lipped as a CIA operative. She was an excellent assistant.
I liked to tease Cora that Jamie was her spy, but I knew she trusted me completely. There was nobody else in the world for me but her. And I knew it was the same for her. I still got insanely jealous, especially when she was in a study group with a man, but I knew she would never betray me. Of course, putting my ring on her finger helped to keep the wolves at bay.
Instead of moving to another apartment, Marcus and Cora mo
ved into my penthouse. Before the semester started, I closed on a house midway between her school and work. It was only a twenty-minute commute on the El for Marcus. It was a sprawling five-bedroom, two-story home with a huge yard. We could always upgrade when we outgrew it.
My mom had been like a giddy schoolgirl when we broke the news of our engagement. She was already planning a big society wedding that could take over a year to organize. I put my foot down and told her I wanted to be married within three months. Cora and I had already talked about it and neither of us wanted to make a big splash.
In the end, my mom pulled off an amazing feat in the short period of time. She somehow managed to book the most beautiful church and reception hall. All of the who’s who in Illinois society was there, including the governor of the state. It wasn’t the small affair Cora and I wanted, but both of us had a hard time telling my mom no.
Neither Cora nor I remembered much about the wedding except that we were both incredibly happy. We finally belonged to each other, in every sense of the word. The guests assured me that everything was beautiful, but I only had eyes for my gorgeous bride, who was incandescent with joy.
We had a honeymoon in Paris in the summer while Marcus stayed with my parents.
Married life was amazing. When I decided to win her body, heart and soul, I never realized she would end up owning me utterly and completely. She made me want to be a better man every day. Of course, I still managed to infuriate her every now and then, but I was learning to like the making up part.
Cora finished her math degree in two years, a year ahead of schedule. She was going to take some time to think about whether she wanted to pursue a graduate degree. In the meantime, she was going to work as an analyst at the company.
She didn’t know it yet, but I was going to keep her busy with babies for a little while. I’d been more than patient, waiting for her to finish her degree, but I wanted a brown-eyed little girl. And two little boys. My cock twitched, thinking about making babies with her.
A sharp elbow dug into my side.
“Pay attention, doofus” said Troy, clapping loudly.
