LOGINShare
6
Last Updated:
2023-04-27 14:52:42A Strange Habitat
“But-” I gasped and took a pleading step toward her.
She lifted a staying hand that stopped me.
“I know. I’ve already tried everything. But with your past due. They won’t do the surgery without it.”
I stared at her, breathing raggedly in misery.
“She needs that surgery, Angel.” She urged.
I know!
“Can they really do that?”
“They can in this state.” She nodded.
No!
“Elizabeth...”
“I’ve already stalled all I can. $5,000 tomorrow or they won’t do it. Before surgery.” Her words stuck me like blades.
“I...”
She was already walking away.
Where the hell am I going to get that?
I couldn’t possibly take it from the Meridian account like I had before. Logan will definitely miss it ontop of the $20,000 he already is.
I chewed my lip until it bled on the Taxi ride home. Feeling utterly hopeless. What am I going to do?
I knew I could ask Logan. But it was highly likely he’d refuse. Or if he said yes, it would be in exchange for something utterly filthy. And even if I did that and he went to pull from the Meridian account, he could find out what I’d already done and still refuse to give it to me.
That thought made me shudder.
“Cold back there?’ The driver asked. Reaching for the knob.
“Only towards men.”
Truthfully, I now found my ex-husband so distasteful that I’d rather bang anyone but him.
Even Porter.
Porter...
I could hear his voice echoing in my head. Saying he had that money in his savings right now. I was pretty sure dollar signs chinged in my eyes as I sat back and began logging into work’s online drive. Skimming files until I found his. Popping it open I read until I found an address.
Hopefully a current one.
I told the driver we were switching destinations.
“City girls...” He grumbled.
“What was that.”
“Nothing.” He tossed over his shoulder. Muttering under his breath after that.
“More money for you.” I called. “Don’t be salty.”
He silenced after that, but I continued glaring at him in the mirror.
I swear all drivers in this city are crabby bastards.
We pulled up-front and I eyed the five-story apartment building askance. It looked a hundred years old with chipped bricks.
I looked around, wondering if someone would try to steal my bag. But the only one around was a couple kids riding bikes down the block.
I hit a buzzer and someone very formal answered. “What floor, Ma’am.”
Ma’am?
“I don’t know. I’m here for Kane Porter.”
“Top floor, Ma’am. But he hasn’t returned yet.”
I beat him.
The door hummed than unlatched.
Nicer building than I thought. I admitted.
Good security any way.
I entered a vaulted foyer. Turning a slow circle. “Whoa.”
“It is rather impressive.” The man behind the desk greeted me formally. “Mr. Porter is typically not in for long at this time. Most of his...” He paused to eye me. “Ladies...Prefer to come in the early hours of the morning. When he’s off.”
“I assure you. I am not one of those...” I gave the same pause he did. “Ladies...I’m his boss.”
“Well then.” He reached under the counter and pushed a button that made an elevator in one wall, open. “He’s a lucky employee.”
I whipped my head to blink at him before laughing aloud. “I guess he is.”
I climbed into the elevator.
“Top floor.” He called.
I pushed the button and the doors closed. Taking me up. And up. Then dinging and opening.
The floor looked like glossed mahogany.
I almost hated stepping on it in my heels. I looked both directions but saw only one door along the eight foot hall. Confused, my brows drew together. I walked tentatively to the door. Knocking a few times, even though the man had said Porter wasn’t here.
I have to beg.
The sooner this is over, the better.
I blew a nervous breath. He’ll say yes.
I couldn’t imagine Porter daring to tell me ’no.’
I wandered a small circle before taking a seat on the plain wood bench across from his door. Two massive plants parallel to it. I probably only sat there for about ten minutes but it felt like the longest eternity in human history.
I heard the elevator ding and saw familiar glossed dress shoes stepping from the elevator. He had a long stride and reached his door, pausing before turning to it to eye me from head to toe. His brows drawing together. He adjusted one arm on his glasses in a strange gesture I couldn’t define.
But I’d seen him do it before.
His face was unreadable.
He never has an expression.
“What are you doing here?”
I rose and walked confidently to him. “I want to continue our conversation from earlier.”
“I’m not going to tell.” He said dismissively.
Of course he’s not.
I felt a weight lift off me knowing I was right.
He’s the safest person in Chase & Walker Investments.
This ought to be easier than I thought.
“If you want to talk, you’re going to have to walk with me. I have things to do.”
My brows raised. “Well, don’t we have the authoritative tone?”
His head whipped to me. “We aren’t in Chase & Walker, Angel. You ain’t my boss.”
Related chapters
Porter Reward 7
Not What I Thought“Ain’t?”He turned the key in the door and pushed it open. Blinking slowly at me as if I were stupid for pointing it out. He ducked his head and took his glasses off. Dropping them into his palm.Oh, my God. He took them off! I was hoping a red cape might unravel from his back. That seemed just as likely to me as him ever taking those stupid things off.“Why are you here?” He asked again.“You mentioned I should just take the money from my savings.”“Seems wise to me.” He crossed the room and ducked into a side room.Bedroom probably.But my eyes were drawn to the room around me. Weights were hung on shelves near the door. The floor was barren except for a small rug outside the door he’d went in and one further down a short hallway.Bathroom. I guessed.Everything was monochrome. Neat and tidy.Like being in the mind of a serial killer. My eyes widened and I stared at his doorway. Wondering if I should run while I could.If he came out of that room squeezing a spurt
Last Updated : 2023-04-27Porter Reward 8
HandcuffsEnjoy what? Watching me beg? That made my brown eyes snap with fury.“Do you know who you’re talking to?” I hissed.“Careful pup, don’t bite.” He closed in on me to tower over me. “Hounds in heat shouldn’t antagonize the big dog.”I glared up at him. Catching that woodsy cologne again. And for some reason it was disorienting me now, combined with the rest of him. My eyes roved down over his frame, knowing now that he was wound with muscle and coated in sexy tattoos.“So, which am I?” I challenged. “A pup or the bitch in heat?”He dropped his face to me. “You tell me.”I reared back. That’d sounded perilously close to a come on. From Porter?Okay, clearly, he’s not at all who I thought he was.“I’m your boss!”“Not here you’re not.” He took another predatory step toward me, forcing me to retreat before he stepped on my foot. He chased my movements. “Here you’re a small woman alone in the apartment of a man you hardly know. Asking him for favors when you never know what you’re
Last Updated : 2023-04-27Porter Reward 9
Negotiating with Danger“Porter?”“Kane.” He corrected.“Yes.”“Say it.” He taunted.“I will.” I evaded. Why did it seem so weird to think of him by his first name?Because all of this is weird.“Are you going to loan me the money?” My head dropped back against the seat, bunching my blonde hair around my face as I peered at him.“You haven’t told me what I’m getting out of it.”“What do you want?” I tossed my hands. “A great appraisal this year?”He laughed outright. A deep, barking, masculine sound that immediately told me that something so menial mattered very little to this version of Porter.“I take it that’s a no.” I said sullenly.“It’s a no to that. Sell me something, Boss Lady. Thought you were good at this.”“Are you saying you want me to fuck you?” I hissed in annoyance.His head whipped to me. “First of all, if we did, it would absolutely be me fucking you. And secondly, no. I don’t exchange favors for sex. I can get that for free.”I was stunned to silence. Giving him a lo
Last Updated : 2023-04-27Porter Reward 10
Touching the IcebergI opened my mouth with questions, but he suddenly leaned over me. Delving his hand under my seat, so deeply that his cheek nearly pressed against my knee cap. Hovering less than an inch above it. I thought he might turn my head and try to see up my skirt, but he didn’t. He continued looking at the dash while he gripped something and pulled it out.I’d shifted my knee away from him and watched stunned as he pulled out a giant bit of elastic attached to a springy, circular, frame.He shifted and climbed out of the car.I followed his lead and got out. Watching him in confusion as he locked it and pocketed the keys before tossing open a broad ring and catching it under the front of his car before unfolding it over the hood and roof, before pulling it down the back. Completely shielding the car.“What is this?”“Car cover.” He said dismissively. Turning away from it. “Less tempting to do something shitty to it when it’s covered.”I guessed that was likely true.He aim
Last Updated : 2023-04-27Porter Reward 1
TEASER“Careful pup, don’t bite.” He closed in on me to tower over me. “Hounds in heat shouldn’t antagonize the big dog.”I glared up at him. Catching that woodsy cologne again. And for some reason it was disorienting me now, combined with the rest of him. My eyes roved down over his frame, knowing now that he was wound with muscle and coated in sexy tattoos.“So, which am I?” I challenged. “A pup or the bitch in heat?”He dropped his face to me. “You tell me.”I reared back. That’d sounded perilously close to a come on. From Porter?Okay, clearly, he’s not at all who I thought he was.“I’m your boss!”“Not here you’re not.” He took another predatory step toward me, forcing me to retreat before he stepped on my foot. He chased my movements. “Here you’re a small woman alone in the apartment of a man you hardly know. Asking him for favors when you never know what you’re going to get.”What am I going to get? I almost wanted to ask the question. Nearly dying with curiosity now.“What are
Last Updated : 2023-04-27Porter Reward 2
A Painfully Average MorningIt’s been flagged. That was all I could think as I quietly stared at the computer screen. My stomach lodged somewhere in my high heels.A blinking cursor clicked on the account I’d quietly been skimming from, over the last year.He noticed.I swallowed hard. My eyes roving over the numbers before sliding to the man sitting behind a desk across from me, then dropping back to the screen in alarm.He seemed oblivious to the fact that I was nearly pissing myself behind my desk.How did he find out?I need to see the hardcopy. I decided frantically. Panic climbing with every loud boom of my heart.What if he tells the CEO?This wasn’t how I had expected my morning to go.It had been so normal when I woke up. I’d had no idea that my entire life might crumble with the click of one email.Nor that Porter, of all people, would be the one to destroy me.40 Minutes Earlier:I woke that morning to see that I had seven missed calls from Mike the night before. Not uncomm
Last Updated : 2023-04-27Porter Reward 3
Maybe a LibrarianI twisted out of my seat and scooted it aside to reach up on the shelf and pull down the hard file for the Meridian account off the shelf of blue folders that indicated our bigger shareholders.Logan Walker is a bigger shareholder.Porter came over. His tall frame towering over me as he reached for another folder on the shelf above. His arm brushing mine as he reached. His chest nearly against my back.I glanced over my other shoulder to see I still had the file up on the screen. Nervous he’d see it was up and suspect I was more alarmed about this account then I should be.Though he paid no more attention to that fact, than he did the birds outside the window.He doesn’t see anything but the folders.He stepped next to me and flipped the one he held open to scan a few pages before setting it back on the shelf and pulling another one off to take back to his desk.Leaving the scent of some woodsy cologne in his wake.Calm down. I told myself. Trying to rationalize.Log
Last Updated : 2023-04-27Porter Reward 4
PursuitsRita came in and lifted the coffee pot.Porter lifted his mug for her to fill.She poured it prettily and he murmured thanks.I’d have sworn she blushed before she walked back to her desk to pour her own.Kelly entered next. Beelining for his desk with a yellow folder in hand. She leaned a hip on his desk in much the same way Logan had done to me. Twisting to tap her pen under some numbers. “How do I consolidate these?”Her short skirt had slid up to mid-thigh and with her other leg on the floor, he was being offered quite a view.She probably figures Porter won’t even notice.He’s barely human.But apparently he did notice.He delicately flattened the back of his hand against her knee and swept it down off his desk like it was a bit of dust.She frowned but turned to lean over near him. Explaining the problem she was having.He pushed those silver glasses up and hardly spared her a glance as he pointed to several places on the spreadsheet before slapping the file closed and
Last Updated : 2023-04-27
Latest chapter
Porter Reward 10
Touching the IcebergI opened my mouth with questions, but he suddenly leaned over me. Delving his hand under my seat, so deeply that his cheek nearly pressed against my knee cap. Hovering less than an inch above it. I thought he might turn my head and try to see up my skirt, but he didn’t. He continued looking at the dash while he gripped something and pulled it out.I’d shifted my knee away from him and watched stunned as he pulled out a giant bit of elastic attached to a springy, circular, frame.He shifted and climbed out of the car.I followed his lead and got out. Watching him in confusion as he locked it and pocketed the keys before tossing open a broad ring and catching it under the front of his car before unfolding it over the hood and roof, before pulling it down the back. Completely shielding the car.“What is this?”“Car cover.” He said dismissively. Turning away from it. “Less tempting to do something shitty to it when it’s covered.”I guessed that was likely true.He aim
Porter Reward 9
Negotiating with Danger“Porter?”“Kane.” He corrected.“Yes.”“Say it.” He taunted.“I will.” I evaded. Why did it seem so weird to think of him by his first name?Because all of this is weird.“Are you going to loan me the money?” My head dropped back against the seat, bunching my blonde hair around my face as I peered at him.“You haven’t told me what I’m getting out of it.”“What do you want?” I tossed my hands. “A great appraisal this year?”He laughed outright. A deep, barking, masculine sound that immediately told me that something so menial mattered very little to this version of Porter.“I take it that’s a no.” I said sullenly.“It’s a no to that. Sell me something, Boss Lady. Thought you were good at this.”“Are you saying you want me to fuck you?” I hissed in annoyance.His head whipped to me. “First of all, if we did, it would absolutely be me fucking you. And secondly, no. I don’t exchange favors for sex. I can get that for free.”I was stunned to silence. Giving him a lo
Porter Reward 8
HandcuffsEnjoy what? Watching me beg? That made my brown eyes snap with fury.“Do you know who you’re talking to?” I hissed.“Careful pup, don’t bite.” He closed in on me to tower over me. “Hounds in heat shouldn’t antagonize the big dog.”I glared up at him. Catching that woodsy cologne again. And for some reason it was disorienting me now, combined with the rest of him. My eyes roved down over his frame, knowing now that he was wound with muscle and coated in sexy tattoos.“So, which am I?” I challenged. “A pup or the bitch in heat?”He dropped his face to me. “You tell me.”I reared back. That’d sounded perilously close to a come on. From Porter?Okay, clearly, he’s not at all who I thought he was.“I’m your boss!”“Not here you’re not.” He took another predatory step toward me, forcing me to retreat before he stepped on my foot. He chased my movements. “Here you’re a small woman alone in the apartment of a man you hardly know. Asking him for favors when you never know what you’re
Porter Reward 7
Not What I Thought“Ain’t?”He turned the key in the door and pushed it open. Blinking slowly at me as if I were stupid for pointing it out. He ducked his head and took his glasses off. Dropping them into his palm.Oh, my God. He took them off! I was hoping a red cape might unravel from his back. That seemed just as likely to me as him ever taking those stupid things off.“Why are you here?” He asked again.“You mentioned I should just take the money from my savings.”“Seems wise to me.” He crossed the room and ducked into a side room.Bedroom probably.But my eyes were drawn to the room around me. Weights were hung on shelves near the door. The floor was barren except for a small rug outside the door he’d went in and one further down a short hallway.Bathroom. I guessed.Everything was monochrome. Neat and tidy.Like being in the mind of a serial killer. My eyes widened and I stared at his doorway. Wondering if I should run while I could.If he came out of that room squeezing a spurt
Porter Reward 6
A Strange Habitat“But-” I gasped and took a pleading step toward her.She lifted a staying hand that stopped me.“I know. I’ve already tried everything. But with your past due. They won’t do the surgery without it.”I stared at her, breathing raggedly in misery.“She needs that surgery, Angel.” She urged.I know!“Can they really do that?”“They can in this state.” She nodded.No!“Elizabeth...”“I’ve already stalled all I can. $5,000 tomorrow or they won’t do it. Before surgery.” Her words stuck me like blades.“I...”She was already walking away.Where the hell am I going to get that?I couldn’t possibly take it from the Meridian account like I had before. Logan will definitely miss it ontop of the $20,000 he already is.I chewed my lip until it bled on the Taxi ride home. Feeling utterly hopeless. What am I going to do?I knew I could ask Logan. But it was highly likely he’d refuse. Or if he said yes, it would be in exchange for something utterly filthy. And even if I did that and
Porter Reward 5
AnxietiesMy head shot up. “How do you know I am?”He didn’t look up from the desk though he pushed his glasses up again. “Everything you’ve snacked on for two weeks has KETO written on it somewhere.”I blinked at him. Rather surprised he’d noticed. “Fair assessment.”He grunted but said nothing more. Putting in a few more numbers.I eyed Porter, vaguely impressed that he’d noticed. I didn’t think he even looked up from that desk.Ever.I sat back in my seat, watching him scribble. Not seeing the potential for a bouncer of the most dangerous club in town. Seeing the broad rimmed glasses wearing nerd that barely made it out of his house without stumbling over his shoelaces.I crossed the distance across the room, my heels clicking and my tight skirt swishing as I got there. Leaning over the corner of the desk to peer down at him.He paused his scribbling to eye me over the top of those thick rimmed glasses.Who made those things?NASA?“The Meridian account.”“Yes.” He said slowly. Sit
Porter Reward 4
PursuitsRita came in and lifted the coffee pot.Porter lifted his mug for her to fill.She poured it prettily and he murmured thanks.I’d have sworn she blushed before she walked back to her desk to pour her own.Kelly entered next. Beelining for his desk with a yellow folder in hand. She leaned a hip on his desk in much the same way Logan had done to me. Twisting to tap her pen under some numbers. “How do I consolidate these?”Her short skirt had slid up to mid-thigh and with her other leg on the floor, he was being offered quite a view.She probably figures Porter won’t even notice.He’s barely human.But apparently he did notice.He delicately flattened the back of his hand against her knee and swept it down off his desk like it was a bit of dust.She frowned but turned to lean over near him. Explaining the problem she was having.He pushed those silver glasses up and hardly spared her a glance as he pointed to several places on the spreadsheet before slapping the file closed and
Porter Reward 3
Maybe a LibrarianI twisted out of my seat and scooted it aside to reach up on the shelf and pull down the hard file for the Meridian account off the shelf of blue folders that indicated our bigger shareholders.Logan Walker is a bigger shareholder.Porter came over. His tall frame towering over me as he reached for another folder on the shelf above. His arm brushing mine as he reached. His chest nearly against my back.I glanced over my other shoulder to see I still had the file up on the screen. Nervous he’d see it was up and suspect I was more alarmed about this account then I should be.Though he paid no more attention to that fact, than he did the birds outside the window.He doesn’t see anything but the folders.He stepped next to me and flipped the one he held open to scan a few pages before setting it back on the shelf and pulling another one off to take back to his desk.Leaving the scent of some woodsy cologne in his wake.Calm down. I told myself. Trying to rationalize.Log
Porter Reward 2
A Painfully Average MorningIt’s been flagged. That was all I could think as I quietly stared at the computer screen. My stomach lodged somewhere in my high heels.A blinking cursor clicked on the account I’d quietly been skimming from, over the last year.He noticed.I swallowed hard. My eyes roving over the numbers before sliding to the man sitting behind a desk across from me, then dropping back to the screen in alarm.He seemed oblivious to the fact that I was nearly pissing myself behind my desk.How did he find out?I need to see the hardcopy. I decided frantically. Panic climbing with every loud boom of my heart.What if he tells the CEO?This wasn’t how I had expected my morning to go.It had been so normal when I woke up. I’d had no idea that my entire life might crumble with the click of one email.Nor that Porter, of all people, would be the one to destroy me.40 Minutes Earlier:I woke that morning to see that I had seven missed calls from Mike the night before. Not uncomm
