My 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. Sitting back in his chair and swaying as the back bobbed forward and back a moment. He twisted his pen between his fingers.
"What happened to the money."
"The money you've been sliding over to an account linked to your mother's name before moving it to yours?"
My jaw gaped. Brown eyes widening in shock as I stared at him.
How'd he know?
"Look." He said flatly. "It's simple. Just put it back."
"How the hell would I do that!" I blurted before realizing that I'd admitted to it.
Shit.
What the hell was I thinking?
I was so startled by the fact that he knew that I'd lost track of all my defenses.
He shrugged and leaned back over the ledger. "Pull it from some investments. I have well over that in just savings. Any good financer does."
I don't.
I wish I could do that so easily.
I eyed his profile. Realizing how rudely he'd dismissed me.
But worse on that was the glaring revelation I was suffering.
He does know...
I walked the few blocks to the bus stop. Heels clicking. Ignoring the few catcalls that chased me. Tossing my blonde hair to my right side to block my face from their view.
It tended to help detour some of the bullshit.
I couldn't even think about them right now. I was busy thinking about the Meridian account. And that the most efficient accountant in my building had caught me.
Redhanded.
He's safe. I told myself. Who's he going to tell?
I'm his boss. I swallowed. Letting that wash over me.
If I got fired for fraud, wouldn't someone hold him accountable for not catching it for so long? I told myself so.
It did make me feel better, actually. Some confidence returning.
I rode the bus back home and hailed a taxi to take me over to the hospital. I stared at the towering tan brick structure.
It looked so cold and unfeeling. A bland color with bland people. It made my chest tight that this was where my mother was.
What if she can't ever go back?
Every time she started to recover, another vessel would rupture and they had problems controlling the bleeds since she no longer clotted.
I chewed my lip as I walked up to the double doors. I passed the front desk and through the cold hallways until I reached a giant living area with worn couches and walkers. Several elderly people sat there, their eyes glued to the blasting television. I walked under it to the third room on the left. Knocking softly before I turned the hand.
Her head rolled toward me. Her blonde hair now streaked with white at the root. Her vibrant green eyes waning to bleary gray.
I could feel dampness jump to my eyes.
"Hey, Sweetie." She greeted with a tender smile.
"Hi, mom."
"How was work."
"It was fine." I lied.
He's safe. Don't worry about it.
Kane Porter was the least likely of anyone to cause a stir at work.
He won't even drink the last cup of coffee.
No matter how hard Rita urges him to.
"That doesn't sound very convincing." She said dryly.
"You know me too well." I sighed as I stepped around to the front of the chair next to her. Holding her frail hand in mine.
"That ass of an ex-husband still hassling you."
"No."
"Yes." She corrected. Shaking her head sympathetically. "Why don't you just tell H.R."
"He owns the company, mom."
"I'd own his tail if he did that to me at work."
"He probably would." I snorted.
I don't think there's anyone Logan won't touch.
I sat down to a nice visit with my only parent.
We talked awhile and she tried really hard to hide that she was in pain. Which broke my heart.
"Are you ready for surgery tomorrow?" I finally asked.
She gave me a long look. "I can't take much more of these, Honey."
"You have to." I said, voice tight.
I can't lose you.
I'd have no one when she was gone. And she'd always been my rock.
"I'm worried about all these bills they're imposing. Eventually they're going to catch up to us." She gave me a long look that told me she meant they'd catch up to me.
When she's gone.
I hated that thought.
Her words had been just as upsetting as Porters' today.
I can't have anything more go wrong today.
I passed the nurse's station. Walking a little faster as I saw the head of billing, Elizabeth peek over her computer at me.
I tried to make it to the doors but she caught my arm. "Angelina!"
"What?" I blinked at her.
"I was calling you."
"I didn't hear you."
Her expression softened and she crossed her hands over her pelvis. Giving me a soft look. Her salt and pepper hair pulled into a bun atop her hair.
"I'm sorry. I know you're going through so much so I hate saying this. But we've got to have $5,000 down before surgery tomorrow."
"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 f
"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 spurting needle, I was o
Enjoy 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 going to
“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 long look as I realized th
I 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 aimed toward the front d
“Then why?” I probed. Still wanting to find the real reason he was trying to get me under his roof. “I find it hard to believe it’s just my company you’re yearning for.”He seems like he can barely tolerate me most days.“Told you. Like the presence of a woman.” He went back to scanning the room with those alert eyes. “The smell of woman shampoo conditioners, candles, the general vibrant softness that she brings to a room. Things are better when one is around.”That was a horribly intimate thing to say.“I’ve never heard a man talk like that.”“How many do you know that were raised, with all brothers, by their father?” He tugged at the cuff of one sleeve pulling his jacket off and setting free some wide shoulders as he meticulously plucked the collar to find a center line and folded it. Setting it on the benched seat next to him.“No mom?”He returned his attention to me. “That’s a tale for another day, Punkin’.”Punkin’ means he’s being disdainful. I noticed.I eyed him skeptically.
I was staring at ‘Kane’ Porter in disbelief when he turned around and met my gaze.“What?”“Who are you?” I said with far more emphasis then all the times, before.He frowned. Opening his mouth to answer the brunette with the short bob stepped in-front of him again. Blocking my view of him save his nose and eyes towering over her.He’s tall. I never really noticed before.I, apparently, didn’t notice an awful lot.“We need to talk.” The skinny brunette said. Putting a hand on her hip.“I don’t think so.” He shook his head. “I think we’ve done quite enough of that.”“Kane…” She said coaxingly.“No.” He told her. Stepping around her and aiming straight for me.I gave him a stunned look since he didn’t appear to be walking toward me but at me.He was.As soon as he got to me he put his hands on my hips and tugged me forcefully against him. Making my eyes bulge. He leaned down near my ear and whispered. “Put your arms around my neck.”I stared at him.He swept up one of my arms and tossed
“Fine, Porter.” I said bitterly.“As in, yes?”“Yes.”“Good.”“I’ll move $20,000 to the account to the Meridian tonight.”“What about another $5,000?” I said meekly. Hating asking but knowing I needed it for mom’s surgery.He set the glass down on the table. “Soon as you’re done moving in tomorrow.”“Tomorrow?” I squawked.He nodded. Confirming. “Tomorrow.”“That’s not even possible.”“It is. I’ll help you.”“How are you going to do that? Load boxes in your Spider?”“I’ll borrow my brother’s truck. And my brothers.”“Porter…”“Kane.”“Porter…” I said warily.“Stop stalling, Love. Give up the game. I got you.”He’s right.I’ve no choice. I was going to move in with him. What did I think I was going to do? Get the money and stall him?Looking at Porter’s hard features and the way he was commanding this club. Running it like a force of nature, I was quite sure that ‘accidentally’ forgetting to move in would never work.He’d probably toss me over his shoulder screaming.“This is partly be
“Well,” Nita slapped my desk. “My work is done.” She stood and rounded on Kane. “This one is going to cost you.” She pointed at him. He smiled fondly at her. “Slow barbecued ribs, I remember. Long as you make some of that potato salad.” She slapped his shoulder when she was next to him. “Of course.” She stretched sideways to give his cheek a light peck as though he were a brother before smoothly exiting the office. “She’s a pitbull.” I shook my head in wonder. “You should’ve seen her in the courtroom.” Kane shook his head in disbelief. Settling his suit jacket over his chest. “It was so brutal, I was uncomfortable for Logan.” “Well, I’m glad someone was. Because he certainly wasn’t.” He nodded grudgingly at that. “Well, he’ll have plenty of time to think about it, with his wages cut and sitting at home, trying to find other ways to access beautiful, capable, women.” He walked over to stand befor
I was standing next to my desk, not wanting to be sitting when Logan came in. I didn’t want him to catch me off-guard. I was as prepared as I could be for the awful confrontation. But Logan never came. Instead, I saw the legal team carrying boxes, escorting him down the hall like a flock of busy blackbirds. Chirping different things while he talked to them in a clipped, annoyed tone. With boxes? I watched them. Turning my head to follow their progress past the glass walls of my office. It was only a few minutes after that, while I was still standing there bemusedly, that Kane entered the office in his fine suit. But his mouth was tight and he looked a bit saddened. Nita’s face was unreadable. At least for me. I don’t know her well enough yet. “What happened?” I asked quickly. Afraid to move. Afraid something bad was going to happen. Kane stopped just inside the office. B
His warm weight was along my back. His legs molding my legs as he slid his erection along the crack of my ass. Stroking himself in the warm crease. Getting harder by the second. He swept one arm beneath my ribs to lift me slightly. The other was along the front of my chest, just below my neck. Holding me where I was while he kissed my ears and cheek. When he lowered enough to straighten his cock and slide it into my entrance it was that warm, stretching relief. The feeling of satiation that only he could offer. My body superheated. And he stroked into me. Holding me to him as though he intended to never let me go. Eventually his hands molded along my biceps so he could lean up. Holding me there while he angled in more deeply. “Ahh.” I cried in surprise, feeling the sudden depth of him touching me more deeply. He rolled his hips forward, testing his length in my channel. Finding the objecting barr
“You don’t have to go, you know?” “I do.” Kane said flatly. I said nothing. Unsure what to say. “It is absolutely about protecting you.” He read my thoughts. “But it’s more than that.” I waited. Intrigued. “The way he treats people in this office is deplorable. Threatening, groping, demeaning. Now woman deserves that.” For the first time, it dawned on me that he was right. I’m not the only one he sexually harassed. It was how Logan had often coaxed women to his bed. But not every woman in the Chase and Walker departments was a whore. So, how many could he have tried to bully into his bed. My eyes widened and my stomach got a little sick. Perhaps, I was to blame for that. My silence, for fear of Logan kicking me out of the company, might’ve exposed other woman to Logan’s shit treatment. Kane was reading my features. Something he was getting rather good at. “Don’t you dare
“To think, I once thought you…Safe.” I said ruefully. Safe…I was shaking my head at myself. How many times had I thought how silly that word was, in application to him? He lifted his head in surprise. “I am safe.” I searched his face. Sensing the severity in his meaning. “For you.” He vowed. “I will never hurt you, Angel. If you stay by my side, I’ll give you everything.” I nodded. Sensing the deep sincerity. As if he was now offering me everything he’d yearned to give me back then. “You were enough then too, Kane. You know that?” It was something that really needed saying. His brow furrowed. As if in doubt. I felt the immediate need to reassure him. As he would me. “When you were, K.P.” I explained. “You were enough. I was just too young and dumb to see it.” He laughed and dropped sideways over me. “Isn’t that the story of everyone’s life?”
I licked my lips but found this even harder to admit. He leaned over me, pushing that finger in further as he began to move it with his hips, simulating what he’d soon be doing to me. Now he could whisper into the shell of my ear. “All tied up and whimpering. Unable to stop me while I take you…” My back jerked upward and I nearly came, but he pulled that finger away. Making me growl in frustration and writhe furiously. But before the sound had even reached completion, he’d replaced that finger with his long pulsing member. Which was starving to intrude into my tight channel. Pulling my walls apart as it delved into my very center. Reminding me how powerful he was in this moment. How easy it would be for him to hurt me if he stretched just a little too far. He’s long enough to do it. He could destroy me. Hurt me irreparably. He could scratch me, bite me. Things I’d always feared Logan might try to do, every tim
I almost couldn’t believe I’d admitted out loud. That I want to belong to him. I could imagine life with Kane being just what he’d shown me so far. Pleasant evenings in his blue jeans making dinner together, drinking sweet wines, going for drives in his fancy blue spider that smelled of leather and his woodsy cologne, even him going off to do what was needed at the Red Tar while I waited eagerly for him to return. Keeping his bed warm. Then waking to blearily watch him pull on his shorts to go for his run. Then falling back asleep until my alarm blared. Then rising and going to the kitchen to get my thermos, already full and warm and steaming with the fresh brew, he made me every morning. Walking into that office and seeing his handsome features across from me. Knowing he’s mine. And I’m his. That was getting me wet. All of it. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Watching his f
My wrists strained at the bit of Velcro and buckles, wanting so badly to touch him. I was finding it incredibly hard to track all he was saying. “Wh-what do y-you want, Kane?” “You. No resistance, no distance. You. Bare, vulnerable.” He caught my breast and squeezed its shape in a sensual motion as he finished. “Mine.” He was watching my face intently. Parting his lips as I parted mine. Watching each nuance of my expression. His lips nearly against mine as I writhed and tipped my head back. Trying to escape the intensity of the situation in tiny increments. Both aroused and resistant to being so exposed. “Stop.” I laughed. He growled hungrily and dipped his head to kiss me. A deep, probing kiss. While he moved his finger in slow circles inside me. I moaned uninhibitedly and he swallowed the sound. Twirling my tongue, with his. A reflection of the motion his finger was doing. Stretching me and warming me. Making me moister by the minute as I ye
I caught the stool and turned it. Pointing his knees at me. I swept my hair back into a ponytail and began lowering before him. He set the fork down and turned slightly to offer me more. His eyes riveted on me. His lips parted and I looked up, observing his face as I wrapped my lips around the knobbed tip of him. Letting my soft lips glide over the tip and take him fully into my cheek. Tucking my teeth and rubbing along the side of him with my tongue. He gave a long groan of pleasure. “Holy shit.” “You like that?” I lifted my head to whisper. “I fucking love it. More.” He caught my head and guided me back down to him. I obediently put my mouth back on him. Drawing him in further, until I felt him just brushing the back of my throat. The chair creaked as his ass flexed. Straining to push him deeper into me. “It’s so hot.” He panted in objection to the raging temperature combining with what I was doing to him. I c