Page 29 of Fifth Avenue Devil

"What, having a private chef cook haute cuisine for you wasn't enough? A private sommelier to pick out your wine wasn't impressive? Sleeping in a huge bed with thousand-count sheets didn't feel special?"

She furrows her brow. "To be honest, not really."

I chuckle. " I only do hostile takeovers in the boardroom; I don’t need them in the bedroom. I told you that I would have you begging me, and I’m going to wait until you do."

Her eyebrows fly up in surprise.

"You don't want to have sex until the paperwork is complete?" She laughs. "Wow. Of all the things I thought you would say, that is not one of them."

I give her a frank look and a slight shrug of my shoulders.

"I'm worth billions, sweetheart. It's lesson one from me on being a CEO. Document everything. Look at every document. Read it, understand it before you sign it. If you don't understand it, pay somebody impartial to translate it for you." I pause, thinking of a way to sum up the point. "Basically, you have the golden signature. Be sure to use it wisely and often."

Annalise frowns. "I don't think I've signed a single paper since becoming CEO. I guess other people do it for me."

"Not anymore. As part of the merger, I'm going to let most of your non-essential staff go. The rest will get with the program, I guarantee it."

She blinks, looking as though I have struck her in the face. "You're going to fire people?"

Just then, the chopper touches down on the top floor of the ViaLife building in downtown Manhattan. I give her knee a reassuring pat. "We'll talk about it later."

I climb out of the helicopter, helping Annalise out behind me, and hopefully I leave the dull conversation about firing behind. We rush downstairs, past the corporate offices of nosy C-level staff. There is no point in hiding Annalise anymore. Word is bound to get out about the merger and spread across the offices of Manhattan like wildfire.

I try not to grin as I escort her into my office. I'm about to get just what I want. A company that makes a unique service that is useful to my empire. And soon, the sweet Annalise in my bed.

I'll have the last say over my rival Archer Gellar. And teach sweet Annalise all the dirty things I can think of in the bargain. What could be better?

Ushering her into my corner office, I try to keep my delight hidden. "Would you like something to drink?"

I wander over to my desk, ready to call my personal secretary in. But Annalise tugs at the neckline of her frothy white button up shirt, which is tucked into a form-fitting bronze pencil skirt. Paired with simple black stilettos, she looks like a billion bucks. But the neckline is lower than she wanted; I know because she has already complained about it.

"No thank you," she sighs, looking around my office. "I will say that you have an excellent view out your office window, though."

I grin. "There is a reason they call me the Fifth Avenue Devil."

"They call you a lot more colorful things when you're not around. I'm just guessing." Her quip is off the cuff and not really meant to wound. But it's sharp as a honed blade.

I’m impressed with how intelligent and quick-witted Annalise is proving herself to be. "If this is you when you're back in the office, I like it."

Her cheeks color but she turns to the window, saying nothing. She's got some serious walls up. And that's more than okay in this setting.

But I'm going to break down every barrier she puts between us on a personal level. Raze her and rebuild her, model her after a woman I've only imagined.

Searching my desk for the legal papers I had my team draft for the purpose, I call her over.

"It's time to use your golden signature. Here are the merger documents. And you'll find a non-disclosure agreement, and a consent to rough sex as well."

She whips her head around. "A what now?"

I spread my hands, trying not to grin. "Just a precaution. We don't have to get into it now."

She marches over and picks up the papers, then turns and walks back to the window, studying them intently. I check my email and answer a few requests. My VP of finance has sent me a pretty intriguing email.

N, I have an idea about the merger that I think could make us a lot of money. Come talk to me when you get a chance. —D

Hmm. I wonder what that could be about. Drew is generally a genius when it comes to making money in inventive ways, so I have no doubt that it will make for an interesting conversation at the very least.

Annalise walks back to my desk, laying the contracts down. I sit down in my desk chair, leaning back. She leans on the desk as she reads, her silky hair slipping into her face. She brushes it away, biting her lip.

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