Page 18 of In Charge

Chapter 9

Maya

I was beginning toworry. No matter how many times I shifted my eyes down the hall toward Robbie’s office, it remained dark. He disappeared yesterday after our lunch, and he hadn’t come in this morning.

I thought we had made a connection, but maybe I was wrong. I sure as hell wasn’t an expert with men, but I felt every bit of his hard cock pressed against my thigh. I didn’t imagine that. I wasn’t great at relationships or the feelings that go along with them, but when a man fingers a woman in a public restroom and makes her come, that’s a connection.

But what man shares such an intimate connection and then disappears?What did that mean? In over two months, he hadn’t been late once, and today he was a no-show. Please tell me it’s just a coincidence. I’d wanted nothing more than to take him home with me last night and pay him back with interest for his amazing gift in the restroom. That was by far the sexiest thing I’d ever done with a man in a public place. And it was the best orgasm I’d had in, well, maybe ever.

The anticipation building up to that moment added to the intensity, but he did something to me that no other man had ever done. I couldn’t explain it. All I knew with certainty was I wanted more of him, and it was killing me that he wasn’t here.

I tried to distract myself by focusing on work, but that didn’t work either. My mind wandered to the new client Mr. Pennington passed off to Robbie. Mr. Pennington rarely trusted anyone with new clients. It took years before I earned his trust. Out of twenty-three agents, four senior managers, three VPs and me, I was the only one that ever contacted his clients or finalized deals on his behalf. Yet he gave the file to Robbie. Why would he do that? Unless ...

Was it possible Mr. Pennington expected more from Robbie than to fill a VP role? Appointing me the next CEO was not a done deal, and Mr. Pennington could change his mind. The thought of Mr. Pennington wanting Robbie to step up and take over the company had entered my mind on more than one occasion since he started.

I tried to shake the idea out of my mind. Logic said it didn’t make sense. Robbie was smart, had the right degree, and—given time—he could do the job in a few years, but he wasn’t ready yet. He had limited work experience, and while he was doing a great job, he still had a lot to learn.

But what did Robbie want? His relationship with his father was strained, to say the least. It was obvious to anyone who paid attention that Robbie hated his father, and I was definitely paying attention.

I couldn’t say I blamed Robbie. Hell, I didn’t like his father, either. Mr. Pennington was a special kind of asshole. He hadn’t always treated me with respect—I had to work harder than anyone else to earn that—but he never made a pass at me. It was the only nice thing I could say about him.

In less than a year, Mr. Pennington would step down, and I’d be rid of him. Then I could turn this company into something special. The music industry was just a start. The entertainment industry was huge and there were a lot of niche markets to develop. Then I could finally stop representing all these sleezy politicians Mr. Pennington has managed for decades.

That is, unless he hands the company over to Robbie.

I’d quit, and take all my clients with me. He had to know that, and he had to know they would follow me. If I did that, this company wouldn’t survive. The other agents wouldn’t be able to keep it afloat, and Mr. Pennington was too old to stick around and fix the damage my departure would cause. Surely, he was smarter than that.

I’d considered on more than one occasion starting my own agency, but I didn’t want the hassle. Not to mention the risk of losing more money than I made with a start-up. My parents counted on the money I sent home to them every month. I needed the security of this job. But if Mr. Pennington forced my hand, I’d do it.

A knock on my door pulled me out of my head. I forced a smile to hide my disappointment when a blond head poked out. I’d hoped the knock was Robbie. “Yes, Julia?”

“Have you seen or spoken to Mr. Pennington today?” Julia asked with a hint of hesitation.

“No, I was about to ask you if you knew where Robbie was?”

“Not Robbie, ma’am. His father.” Julia had a worried look on her face.

“Oh.” I dropped my head to hide the blushing cheeks I knew were forming. The last thing I needed was for the entire office to know I had a thing for Robbie. Julia was the biggest gossip I’d ever met. If she had even the slightest idea of what I’d already done with Robbie, everyone and their mother would know. “No, I haven’t spoken to him today. I assume he’s in his office.”

“I’ve called several times.” Julia fiddled with her fingers. “I tried his cell and his private home line. He’s not answering, and he always answers.”

“Have you checked his office?” I asked. Julia tilted her head and gave me a confused look. “I mean, have you physically walked over to the elevator and gone up to his office to check?”

“Oh.” Julia shook her head. “No. Should I send someone up?”

“No, I’ll go.” Why do the simple solutions always allude people? His office would have been the first place I looked had I known he wasn’t answering calls. He hardly ever left.

“Ms. Stone, that’s not the only problem. There’s something you should see before you go.” Julia walked up to my desk, the confused look on her face turned to worry and then fear.

I didn’t like the way she was acting. “What is it?”

“You should check the news notifications for our clients,” Julia whispered.

Oh, shit. I woke up my computer and clicked on the notifications tab I’d bookmarked. I typically checked this page first thing every day, but today I’d been distracted. As soon as the headlines popped up, my jaw dropped.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

Pictures of Senator Thomas, Mr. Pennington’s oldest and most valued client, with a hooker in very compromising positions were plastered all over the tabloids. And it wasn’t just one hooker—it was several and some of them completely nude. Even Senator Thomas was nude in a few.

---