Page 39 of The CEO Enemy

If I had it my way it would be nothing.

Reaching down, I cup myself and close my eyes, picturing Jess standing in the sunlight without her towel. Automatically, my imagination connects those visuals to our hookup in the bathroom. I work myself up, jerking off as I think about lifting her and tossing her onto my bed. I’d kick the towel down the balcony, run my hands up her smooth skin, and squeeze her curves. In the fantasy, she’s wet. She’s as eager and ready as I am, tugging at me and bringing me down against her.

It’s like she’s taking her frustration out on my mouth, kissing harshly and biting at my bottom lip as her nails dig into my shoulder blades. She distrusts me—for the most part. But she can’t deny the tension that’s there, can’t deny that I make her weak in the knees. And I can do it again.

I want to do it again.

My heart starts to race as my movements grow faster. The way we move together, the way she doesn’t melt, doesn’t let me take control but tries to wrestle it from me, makes it that much sweeter when she eventually does cave in. It’s a punch to the gut when I come, harder than the first time I thought about her. Lying there panting, a calmness washes over me.

I clean up and fall back into bed, exhausted.

14

SEAN

The next morning, as per usual, Jess is already at her desk when I arrive, wearing a lavender outfit. I wonder how early she gets up and if this is a regular occurrence, or if she’s just doing it to avoid seeing me at our apartment building. Either way, somehow, she always manages to arrive before I do.

“Hey,” she says, glancing up at me. “Thank you for my…for the envelope.”

Every time I see her, she’s more beautiful. “You’re welcome.”

“Did you get a chance to check over that contract I sent you yesterday?”

It’s hilarious how she changed topics.

“I did. We need to change it.”

Her face falls. “Why? What’s your problem with it?”

“My concern is that we aren’t charging enough for a group that will be reserving seventy-five percent of the hotel’s capacity. In New York City, I know for certain, there’s no other hotel in our quality range charging less.”

“This isn’t about the numbers. Or at least it shouldn’t be. Schuster and Flint have been having their corporate retreat here for years. They were one of the first groups I booked when I bought the hotels and they’ve been supporting us ever since.”

“Your loyalty is commendable, but not sustainable. Furthermore, the cancellation policy is not up to our standards.”

“Our policy is lenient, given our high occupancy in this area,” she argues.

“We need to be stricter. We should firmly enforce a seven-day cancellation policy and charge for one night if they try to cancel within that time frame. It’s common practice in NYC and will help us manage reservations, ensuring rooms aren’t left unoccupied due to last-minute cancellations.”

“Well…for new reservations,” she says, “it’s not a big deal. But for returning guests, I know there’s going to be pushback. How about we grandfather them into the new price and policy?”

“This is revenue that you’re missing out on by being too nice,” I argue. “We make the rules here, not them. It’s going to ruffle a few feathers, but they’ll get used to it.”

Jess leans back in her chair as she spins from side to side. “We have older clients who have been coming here for years, and I don’t want to lose their business just because we’re changing things.”

“Jess, you can’t please everyone, and you’re going to drive yourself crazy if you keep trying. We’re running a business here, they know that, and we know that. We can’t make exceptions for everyone just because they piss and moan about it.”

“It doesn’t sound right to me. The reason why we’re doing so well is because I’ve cultivated relationships with our guests. I hate the thought of throwing that aside just for corporate sake. How about this? Let’s bend the rules a bit for Schuster and Flint, just this once.” She pauses her spinning, meeting my gaze with a playful twinkle in her eyes. “I’m confident that Mr. Sean Blackwood, our undisputed CEO, can effortlessly accommodate, don’t you think?”

I suppress a smile.

Quite frankly, I anticipated more resistance, and I’m pleased we can navigate constructively. Enduring daily battles with my father is sufficient—I have no desire for them in other aspects of my life.

I don’t have to contemplate.

“All right, we make an exception for them,” I concede with a nod. “However, all reservations in the future will need to follow the new policy. Let’s hope they don’t cancel on us.”

Her face lights up. “They won’t, I’m sure! They’re a group that indulges in the restaurant, and you’ll see they make their stay worth our while.”

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