Page 7 of Blackmailing the Mogul

I wished he'd stop staring at me with such intensity… It's like for some reason, he's intentionally trying to unnerve me. And it's working.

"Are you slow, Miss Henson, or just plain clueless about your duties?" He asks in a sharp tone, his eyes flaring with impatience. "As an office assistant, your main duty in this meeting is to take minutes and you can't do that without your laptop now, can you?"

I feel a surge of defensiveness in his tone, but I force myself to remain calm. What a jerk!

I've read a lot of negative blog articles about him but I'm not one to judge others based on press opinions. Now though, I'm inclined to believe everything written about him. I've never met a more arrogant, condescending man. Of course, I have no problem doing notes for the meeting—maybe I'm at fault for forgetting to bring a laptop—but he doesn’t need to be an ass about it.

"I'm not slow or clueless, Mr. Anders," I reply, keeping my tone even despite the anger boiling in my chest. "I was told to bring the files, and I didn't realize I needed my laptop too."

Ryan raises an eyebrow, his expression skeptical. "You didn't realize? That's not very reassuring, Miss Henson. This is a high-stakes meeting, and I need someone competent to take minutes."

I feel a sting from his words, but I try to focus on my breathing to keep myself from bursting. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll go get a laptop from the IT department. " I say, turning to leave but his voice stops me.

“Great thinking, Miss Henson,” he says with a sarcastic scoff. “But I'm sure you know that no one will be there because most everyone’s already left for the day. Instead, go to my office and grab my laptop. It's already set up and ready to go.”

I nod curtly, trying to hide my frustration. Spinning around, I march away from his suffocating presence. I practically stomp my way to his office, feeling a sense of indignation at his condescending tone. I never thought I'd meet a bigger jerk than Henry, but Ryan takes the crown. His devastating good looks only go so far to compensate for his terrible personality. I used to wonder how Henry managed to convince anyone to build a business with him, but after meeting Ryan Anders, I can see why they were a good fit; the two of them deserve each other.

As I enter his office, I'm struck by the sleek, modern decor and the stunning views of the city skyline. But I quickly return my attention to the task at hand. I spot his laptop on the desk and grab it, pushing aside the feeling of resentment that's building inside me as I quickly work on installing a bug in the hard drive.

For now, I'll play the part of the incompetent assistant, just until I accomplish my mission. After that, Ryan Anders can burn in hell for all I care.

Chapter Three

Ryan

I stare pensively at the bustling streets of Seattle beyond the large windows of my company's boardroom, but my mind isn't on the magnificent view. Instead, it's consumed by the thoughts of Jenna Henson. For some reason, I still can’t get her out of my head. Having her taking notes for me at the meeting last night only reinforced my need for her—she keeps up with everything I throw at her, and I love it. I want her out of my life, but I also can’t bear the idea of never seeing her again.

I wasn't surprised when my private investigator called to confirm that Jenna was indeed Henry’s stepsister, but I couldn’t help the feeling of disappointment that came with the confirmation. It could be a coincidence that she came to work at MedPlus, but I'm not convinced. There's something about her, a shrewdness that I've never seen in a woman before… It's the awareness in those sharp green eyes as she takes in everything around her, every single detail while pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. There's something subtly sexy about that gesture and sometimes I find myself wondering what it'd be like to slide those glasses off her face and feel the full intensity of those intelligent green eyes on me while I trace the contours of her face, slowly…

A soft knock interrupts my thoughts and I turn around in time to see Jenna walks through the door. For a moment, my breath ceases in my throat. She’s wearing one of those damn pencil skirts that accentuates her hips, paired with a crisp white blouse that compliments her pale skin. Her long dark hair, as usual, is tied up in a messy bun, her glasses perched on the tip of her nose, giving her the air of a nerdy temptress.

“You're late,” I say, my voice sounding curter than I intended.

“I'm sorry, sir,” she replies in that calm tone that makes me want to ruffle her feathers. “I had a few tasks to catch up on.”

"Oh, really?" I say, jamming my hands into my pocket as I slowly lock my eyes on hers. "I would assume that a task given to you by the CEO should be your top priority," I say, advancing slowly until I'm standing directly in front of her. "Don't you think so, Miss Henson?"

“I- yes, sir, you’re absolutely right,” she says, holding my gaze, her green eyes brimming with apology and something mischievous I can’t quite place.

My intrigue gives way to something stronger as the dominant part of me wants to grab her and kiss her senseless. I want to see her eyes change from being full of apology to begging me for more. I want to rattle her and watch her restraint slip away; I want to know she craves me as much as I crave her.

Fortunately, the door opens just as I'm about to give in to the crazy urge to pull her into my arms and seal my mouth over hers. Grant Den, my chief technology officer, and three other executives walk in.

"Good afternoon, everyone," I greet them, keeping my tone even. "Thank you for joining us. Shall we commence?”

The executives exchange polite greetings before taking their seats around the table. As the meeting starts, I glance in Jenna’s direction, but she pointedly avoids my gaze, keeping her expression blank as she shares refreshments with everyone. When she gets to Grant, he says something to her, and she smiles. I suddenly feel a tightness in my chest as I watch them exchange words in low tones.

How can she smile at another man like that when she looks at me with nothing but timidness?

I watch her walk away from him, my hands fisting under the desk at Grant’s lingering gaze. That sly bastard.

My hands are still tightly fisted when she reaches my side of the table. Her soft flowery scent crowds my senses and it's taking every bit of control in me not to throw her over my shoulder and take her back to his office, lay her over my lap, pull down that damn provocative skirt and spank her naked ass until she begs me not to stop. I want to punish her for smiling at Grant, then reward her for being so fucking gorgeous.

What the fuck is up with me?

I've never felt this out of control before, my emotions running wild in a whirlwind of conflicting desires. But there's something about Jenna… She gets under my skin, making me want to break free from my usual restraints.

As she hands me a bottle of water, our fingers touch, and I feel a jolt of electricity run through my body. I look up at her, and for a moment, our eyes lock. I see a flicker of something in her gaze, something that looks like a response, but she quickly looks away, hurrying on to the next person.

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