Page 10 of Dominion

He shrugged. “She’s brilliant. I don’t know why her talent wasn’t being put to better use, but it is now.”

“I see,” Jack said drily.

The hairs on the back of his neck bristled, but he drew a deep breath to regain his temper. “What do you need, Jack?”

“Listen, I’ve been thinking. Everyone knows you don’t really love running this company. I’m willing to buy out your share of the company. I mean, I don’t have the money now, but I think we could come to an arrangement—some kind of payment plan for the controlling interest. You and Leon’s family would be taken care of for life, and I would take over the nitty-gritty of running things.”

Jack had suggested this before. Ben didn’t know why he was trying it again.

“No.”

Jack’s face flushed, his eyes narrowing. “You don’t know anything about running a gaming company. You’re taking us into the ground. Suma Games is about to run us over and everyone on the board of directors knows it.”

He swallowed back a growl, standing up. The alpha in him wanted to threaten Jack’s job, but the truth was, losing Jack would be a huge blow to the company. He steadied his breath. “I’m about to start making changes,” he said, putting a note of warning in his voice. “I have no intention of leaving this company or running it into the ground, so get used to my leadership.”

Jack stood up, the muscle under his right eye twitching. “You have no clue what you’re doing,” he said as he stalked to the door.

Ben didn’t answer, but he gave him the alpha stare all the way out the door.

When Jack had disappeared in the elevator, Ben left his office and walked into Ashley’s.

“Hi,” she said, flashing him that brilliant smile. She had perfect teeth, gleaming white between her glossed lips.

He liked that she didn’t jump to her feet or look ruffled this time. As if they already had a casual relationship, where one of them leaned against the doorway of the other’s office. He did just that, folding his arms over his chest. “What did you decide about the advertising meeting?”

“I invited them,” she said, looking slightly defeated. “My own ego is far less important than getting cohesiveness back in this company, especially where you’re concerned.”

His eyebrows shot up to his forehead. “What do you meanbackin this company?”

She flushed. “I just mean, from what I’ve heard, the company has lost morale and divided into factions in the past few years.”

“Since I took over, you mean.”

“Yes.” She met his eye.

He admired her courage in telling him the truth. “So you think it’s important for me to stroke some egos?”

“Well,” she said thoughtfully, rising from her chair and coming to sit on the opposite side of her desk, facing him.

Her scent enervated him, and the sight of her long legs crossed loosely at the ankles fired a jolt of lust through him.

“I think there’s a delicate balance. It isn’t your role to stroke egos, necessarily, but if people don’t feel like you’re looking for their valuable contribution, they’ll just get in the way. You want them working hard to please you.”

I definitely want you working hard to please me.“I certainly do,” he said.

She must’ve caught his thoughts because her eyes shot to his, widening slightly. Her pupils dilated when their gazes locked and he caught that heady whiff of her arousal.

She tore her gaze away, touching her lips with her fingertips, and looking over her shoulder at her desk, as if something important might be there. “Anyway, I figure if my ideas get stomped on, I can always campaign privately with you.”

He wondered what a private campaign would look like. Strip tease in his office with the door shut? The image of her crawling across his desk on her hands and knees rose in his mind, unbidden. Damn. He needed to get a grip.

She’s not a shifter.

“That’s awfully cocky of you,” he murmured.

She flushed, but must be catching onto his humor, because she smiled. “I’m sure you’ll be putting me in my place on an hourly basis.”

For the first time in ages, he laughed—actually threw his head back and laughed. “Count on it,” he said, still smiling as he walked out.

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