“Are you?” Morgan tilted his head. “We’ll see.” He reached into one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out another file, laying it on the desk in front of him. He pulled out a form and slid it across the desk toward her. “If you wouldn’t mind signing this non-disclosure release, we can discuss what is required for you to join us.” He laid a pen on top of the paper.
Grace leaned forward, picking up the pen and sliding the paper off the desk. She never signed anything without reading it first. Scanning over it quickly, she noted it was a basic release. It stated that she would not disclose anything about the workings of the office, the staff, or the cases. It was a non-issue, so she leaned forward again, placing the paper on the desk, and added her signature. “There you go.”
Morgan picked up the paper, read it, then placed it in the center drawer of his desk. He leaned forward, propping his elbows on the desk. “Here at Cane, Moss, and White, we cherish the bond we have between our partners and our staff. If you want to be a part of that bond, we would like you to attend Bonding Camp this weekend.”
“Bonding Camp?” What is this?
“Yes. We have a compound, owned by Justice, myself, and our third partner, Crystal White, upstate. At the compound, we invite a certain few of our prospective staff to attend a bonding camp where we get to know each other and also create a bond between us that will carry over to our work environment. If you want to be one of the staff who garners some of the most intense cases and work directly with the partners, I suggest you attend.”
She thought about it for a moment. What could it hurt? A weekend at their exclusive compound, schmoozing with the partners. It could help her career immensely. Sometimes, it was all about connections. And it was possible, slightly possible, if she did a good job over the summer, maybe the firm would help with her tuition. She’d heard other firms helping to pay tuition for prospective employees. “This weekend, you say?”
“Yes. From Saturday morning until Sunday evening. Shall I book you?”
She glanced over at Justice. He smiled brightly. Looking back at Morgan, she nodded. “Just tell me where I have to go and what time I need to be there.”
A smile slowly bloomed on his lips as he leaned back in his chair again. “If everything goes well this weekend, we’ll have you start your internship on Monday morning.”
Her stomach was shaking, and she wanted to let out a laugh, but she held it in.
“Pick up an agenda from our secretary at the desk, and I’ll see you at the compound in the morning,” Morgan said, rising from his chair.
Grace stood, extending her hand. “Thank you so much for this opportunity, Mr. Moss.”
He took her hand, holding it gently in his. “Morgan.”
“Morgan.” She gave his hand a small squeeze and leaned down to pick up her briefcase. When she stood, she noticed a look pass between Morgan and Justice. Justice was now standing in front of the desk, rubbing his chin. “Is there something wrong?”
Justice turned to her. “No, nothing’s wrong. I’ll walk you out.” He took her elbow.
“Good-bye, Morgan,” she said, looking over her shoulder.
Morgan was already sitting in his chair, reading another file. He waved a hand at her without looking up. As she followed Justice out of the office, she knew she needed to do more to get Morgan’s attention. She wanted to make an impression on him, one that would last.
When they entered the outer office, Justice crossed to the secretary’s desk. “Sarah, could you get Grace a copy of the Bonding Camp agenda please?”
“I sure can,” she said, rising and moving to a row of filing cabinets behind her.
Justice turned back to Grace. “I’m glad you’ve agreed to attend. I think you’ll fit in here very nicely. Morgan must have really been impressed with you.”
“How so?” Grace wondered just what she had done to impress him. True, her résumé looked good, but this firm was so prestigious it would take a lot to get in.
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. “Morgan doesn’t usually invite potential employees to the compound. It’s usually myself or Crystal who takes care of that. Morgan just attends and gives his opinion after the weekend activities.”
This was good news. If she made that good of an impression, she may just have a chance at a future here. “I wonder what it is about me that impressed him. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I’m happy to attend bonding camp and the chance to get to know all of you.” She pursed her lips. “What should I bring? Is there anything in particular? What exactly goes on at bonding camp?”
“All of that is outlined in the agenda Sarah will give you. As long as you have an open mind and are willing to try new things, I’m sure you’ll get along fine this weekend.”
Open mind? New things? What am I getting myself into? She shook the thoughts from her mind. It didn’t matter. Her determination would carry her through the weekend, and she wasn’t shy, so she’d be fine with almost any situation that came up. It actually was sort of exciting. “Will I have to drive? Is the address in the agenda?” She was thinking about the price of gas and whether her clunker of a car would make it without giving up the ghost on the side of the road.
“Oh no, you won’t have to drive. We’ll have a car pick you up.” Justice turned to Sarah, who walked up beside him, a booklet in her hand. He took it from her. “Thanks, Sarah.” He turned back to Grace. “You’ll find most everything you need to know in here,” he said, placing his hand flat on the cover before handing it to her.
She took it from him, tucking it under her arm. She’d read it later, when she was able to curl up and give it her full attention. “Will you be attending this weekend? Will Ms. White?”
Justice gave her a most engaging smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m afraid Crystal won’t be able to make it. She’s out of town this week on vacation.”
“Won’t she have to approve me, too?” Grace didn’t want to be left hanging while waiting on approval from a partner who wasn’t there. She wanted to get started on Monday.
“If Morgan and I approve you, Crystal will agree. We’re very close. You might say we have a very close bond.” He removed his right hand from his pocket, extending it to her. “Why don’t you go on home and read through everything tonight, and I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Grace shook his hand and nodded. “I’ll be sure to read everything. If there’s one thing about me, I like to be prepared.”
Sliding his hand back into his pants pocket, he met her gaze. “There are some things in life you can’t prepare for, Grace. This may be one of them.”
Chapter Two
Morgan tossed the file containing the Calhoun case across his desk.
He’d had the most frustrating day, dealing with clients who didn’t want to listen to him and files that didn’t seem to be in any kind of order. Then in walked a beautiful young woman, and his day brightened for a few scant moments.
He leaned back in his chair and turned it toward the window. Darkness was falling, and he didn’t feel like going home to an empty apartment. All he could think about for the last hour was Grace Moore and her outgoing attitude. It was very alluring, to say the least. Even though she looked to be eighteen at the most, the woman was just that—a woman.
Watching the sun dip behind the city, he reminisced about Grace. She was small, only a little over five feet tall. She made him feel like a giant standing over her. He liked that, liked the fact he already felt a sort of domination over her just by using his height. She had a compact little body, but her curves begged to be traced with his large hands. He liked her small waist, full breasts, and curvy hips, but he thought her best asset may be the roundness of her ass, which looked as sweet as a bottom could ever be. Morgan loved women with round, taut asses. He liked to smooth his hands over the globes of their asses while he was taking them from behind. Just thinking about this weekend was making his dick hard. He blew out a breath, trying to settle his mind.
“Bad day, huh?” Justice asked, coming into the office and plopping down in a chair on the other side of the desk.
Morgan looked over at him, propping his chin on his hand while resting his elbow on the desk. “Sometimes I wonder what I’m doing here. I get so aggravated by these clients and having to shuffle papers.”
“Well, it might get easier once your intern starts working here. She can take a lot of the pressure off.”
Morgan chuckled. “Where in the world did she come from? I wouldn’t have believed she was twenty-two unless I had her résumé right in front of me.”
“She is something, isn’t she? I like her spunk.” Justice grinned.
“She doesn’t seem to be shy at all.” He frowned. “She didn’t seem to be intimidated by me like most women are, either. I wonder how that will play out this weekend.”
“This weekend. It will be interesting. Not only will the weekend help you to relax, you may have also met your match in that young girl.”
“You are too funny, Justice. We don’t even know if she will agree to participate fully in our bonding.”
Justice rose from the chair, stretching his arms over his head. “I don’t know. She seems pretty determined.”
“She’s inexperienced.”
Justice clapped his hands together and turned toward the door. “I’m sure you’ll take care of her inexperience. You’ll have her eating out of your hand by Sunday night.”
“You’ll be available for the weekend? Lauren, too?”
Justice stopped at the door. “Lauren can’t make it. I’ll be there. We may have to enlist Rodgers to help us out.”
Morgan nodded. “I’ll see you at the compound in the morning then.”
“What time will you be there?”
Morgan looked out at the darkness, the lights of the buildings obscuring the stars in the sky with their brightness. He had never been good at relationships, most women shying away from his domineering personality. All the women he had dated in the past were intrigued by his dark, devilish looks, wanting to be with the “bad boy” of the courtroom. And it didn’t hurt that he was fairly rich. But none had been able to stand up to him in a way he felt would make their lives more interesting. He wanted someone he could share his life with, and he was ready to make a commitment. But they couldn’t live up to what he wanted in a life partner. He couldn’t help who he was, and he wasn’t going to change for anyone. But it made his life a little lonely at times.
“I think I’ll drive up tonight. I need to get out of town, go somewhere I can breathe.”
* * * *
Eight o’clock the next morning, Grace stared out the window of the Lincoln Town Car as it wove its way through the trees. The agenda for bonding camp she had read last night had been right about the compound being secluded. She could swear this driveway was a mile long, and still no buildings in sight. Rounding a curve, finally a large building came into view. It was gorgeous. It looked very much like a very expensive estate. As the driver pulled up in front, Grace saw well-manicured paths leading to other, smaller buildings. She wondered what they were. The agenda had mentioned a spa and gym and also one building containing offices so the staff could work off-site. The firm must be doing better than she thought to have this place to use at their leisure.
The car came to a stop. Grace waited for the driver to open the door for her, using the time to breathe steadily and get her mind clear. She had spent all night tossing in bed, dreaming about Morgan Moss hovering over her. In her dreams, he had been the most intense, sensual man she’d ever been exposed to, and the things it did to her body caused her to wake up three times last night in a sweat. It didn’t matter that he was older. He was impressive, leaving a mark on her without even touching her. She wondered what he was like outside of the office if just meeting him for an interview did this to her. This weekend would give her the chance to find out. Problem was, she needed to keep her attraction to him hidden and under control. She didn’t want to threaten her internship in any way.
Most of the men she dated weren’t really men. They were boys who thought they were men. Grace didn’t feel like they were her equal. No one she had dated even had a chance at controlling her. She was too strong-minded. Her parents had raised her that way. She had opinions that mattered and a strong personality that wasn’t easily overpowered. She would love to find a man who could dominate her. A man who could “be” a man with her, show her that, even though she was a strong-willed woman, with him she could be his equal and still allow him to be the man of the relationship. That was why she was so attracted to Morgan. With his powerful presence, she felt as if he could take control of her, if he so wanted. Shaking her head, she tried to erase her line of thinking from her mind. It wouldn’t do to let Morgan know how much she was intrigued by him. Not when she was applying for an internship and would be working for him.
The driver opened the door for her and lent her a hand. She stepped out of the car and moved directly toward the front door with purpose in her step. The door opened before she got to it, and a man dressed in a pale peach polo shirt and khaki pants came out onto the front porch. He had short blond hair and a nice smile. He reminded her of some movie star, but she couldn’t place the name at the moment. Anyway, he had a face that was nice to look at.
“Welcome to the compound, Ms. Moore,” he said, stepping to the side. “I’m Rodgers, the houseman. Please come inside. I’ll take care of your bags after I present you.”
“Thank you, Rodgers. I appreciate it.” She stepped inside the foyer and waited for him to show her which way to go. The “house” was large. She didn’t want to get lost and look like a fool.
“Follow me,” Rodgers said, walking past her and going straight ahead.
They entered what looked like a large breakfast room with a wall of windows facing the woods behind the house. The table was set with beautiful china and crystal, all glimmering in the light of the dual chandeliers that hung above the table.
What really caught her interest was Morgan. He sat facing her, a coffee cup in one hand, a newspaper he was reading in the other.
“Mr. Moss, your guest has arrived,” Rodgers said. He looked at Grace, his eyes a clear blue. “Please, have a seat and Rachel will bring you something to drink.” He waved a hand at the table.
Morgan looked up, his dark eyes flashing. “Grace, come in.” He folded the paper and laid it on the table. “I’m glad to see you decided to attend. Would you like some coffee?”
“I’d love some,” she said, taking a chair directly across the table from him. “Are you the only one here?” She looked around. Rodgers had silently disappeared, and there was no one else in sight.
“Justice is here. He’s in the gym.” He picked up a knife from beside his plate and tapped it against his water glass. The sound of metal against crystal chimed like a bell.
A young woman entered from a doorway to Grace’s left. “Yes, Mr. Moss?”
“Rachel, Ms. Moore would like a cup of coffee please.” He looked at Grace. “Are you hungry? Rachel can bring you some breakfast if you like.”
Grace shook her head. “No, thank you. I had a small breakfast before the car picked me up. Coffee will be fine.” She smiled at Rachel.
Rachel nodded and disappeared through the door she had just come from.
“Is she your cook?” Grace pulled the linen napkin from beside the clean plate set in front of her and placed it on her lap.
“Yes. She’s a very good cook. You’ll find that out this weekend.” He pushed his plate to the side, the remnants of what looked like eggs and toast remaining on it. “I want to apologize for my demeanor yesterday. I know I have a reputation of being intimidating, but I assure you when I am here, I’m much more relaxed.”
“There’s no need to apologize. I thought you seemed very professional. After all, you were in your office and at work. I just hope I didn’t interrupt anything important at the time.” She knew he was in a bad mood yesterday and hoped her interview hadn�
��t been affected by it. He had said if she made it through this weekend that she could start working for him on Monday, but it was only Saturday and the weekend hadn’t even begun yet, so the jury was still out on whether or not her internship was a “go.”
Rachel returned with a cup of coffee and placed it in front of her. “Will there be anything else?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.” Grace raised the coffee cup to her lips. The scent was delicious, the taste even better. By the time she looked up, Rachel had disappeared again. “Does she always do that?” Grace asked, placing her cup on the table.
“Our staff here at the compound tends to be invisible unless we call upon them. It’s the way it is here.” He picked up his paper and began to read.
Grace stared at him. Had she just been dismissed? She watched him for a moment, allowing herself to study his face. He was very handsome. From what she had read, he was thirty-four and had never been married. Probably because he acted with women just as he was acting now. Private and untouchable. Well, she was not going to let him dismiss her so easily. He may be untouchable right now, but by the end of the day, she was going to be his right-hand girl, whether he liked it or not. Clearing her throat, she caught enough of his attention for him to look at her. “What’s the next step, Morgan? What do I do now?”
He looked past her, toward the doorway where she had entered. “Rodgers, is the paperwork ready?”
She turned to look. Rodgers was standing behind her, hands in pockets, a serene look on his face. When had he entered the room?
“The paperwork is on your desk. Can I be of any other assistance?” Rodgers asked.
Morgan folded the newspaper again, laid it on the table, then stood. “Would you show Grace to her room? And later, I may call on you.” He gave Rodgers a nod.
Rodgers smiled, nodded, then looked down at Grace. “Come with me, please.”
This was strange. She wasn’t exactly sure how to act in this situation, but it looked like Morgan was in control of everything that went on around here. She rose from her chair and turned to Morgan. “I’ll be seeing you later then?”
Mirin, Christelle - Morgan's Protégé [Bonding Camp 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 2
