Page 6 of In Charge

Chapter 4

Robbie

At 11:45 a.m. on thedot, I walked into Maya’s office and handed her the updated report. “The graphs are done, as promised. I saved an updated file in the client folder as well.”

She looked surprised to see me. She opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut. Her inability to speak put a smile on my face. “The data has been triple checked, and I added some discussion to the text breaking down the meaning of some of the numbers. I also beefed up the section on the impact of social media influencers on celebrity popularity as it was a bit ... lacking.”

“Thanks.” She took the report, and I sat in the chair opposite her desk.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. With every page she turned, her eyes widened more. I rather enjoyed the dumbfounded expression on her face. She doubted me—didn’t think I could do this—and it pleased me to prove her wrong.

“I don’t know what to say. These look great.”

“A thank you typically works well.” I liked to think I forced the biggest grin I had just now but knowing I’d found a way to prove my worth to her ensured my smile was genuine.

“Thank you.” She dropped her head, but not before I saw the rosy color of her cheeks. God, she’s even hotter when she’s embarrassed. It took all my strength to remain seated. I’d been dying to pull her into my arms and kiss her for weeks, or better yet, bend her over this desk and do dirty things to her. Thank the Lord humans didn’t possess the power of mind reading, or else I’d be fucked. I needed to stay focused and Maya was a distraction I couldn’t afford. I didn’t come here to fuck my dad’s replacement. I was here to sabotage her and tear apart Dad’s company.

Why exactly am I helping her? It defeated my purpose for being here. Shit, my next move was a bad idea. It took my focus off my revenge for how my father treated my sisters. But I did it anyway.

“Your dress will be delivered at five, and the limo is scheduled to pick us up at six. I ordered in lunch from that Chinese restaurant you like so much.” I glanced at my watch for show. “That should be here in about thirty minutes. We have all afternoon to practice the presentation.”

“We?” She raised her brows and laced her fingers together.

“Yes, we.” I knew she wasn’t going to like this, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t backing down. “I’m going with you.”

“Oh, no. You’re not going with me. I can handle my own business meetings.”

“I know you can. But that’s not why I’m going. I screwed up this morning, and I want to make it up to you. Plus, once you see how good I am at this, maybe you’ll start to see me as useful.” I needed her trust. That was the only way I was going to gain access to the files I needed to screw Dad over. Even though Dad told her to give me access to everything, she hadn’t. I could’ve complained to Dad, but I was afraid that would look suspicious. No matter how I spun it, other than curiosity and my own selfish needs, I had no need for those files. Hopefully, if I did this one thing right for her, she’d ease up on the security clearance and finally sign the paperwork IT needed to grant me open access. Plus, if I started being helpful to her, maybe she wouldn’t hate me so much when she found out the truth about why I was here. She had just as much to lose as my bastard of a father.

She exhaled slowly, and her lips turned up when her eyes met mine. “Okay, fine. Let’s do this.”

“Great, I’ll be back with lunch in a few.” I left before she could change her mind. If I’d learned anything about her over the past two months, it was that she was quick to change her mind. Especially where I was concerned. I knew she lusted after me. Every time I was near her, her body trembled and her breathing quickened. It didn’t take me long to learn that being close to me got her all worked up. I loved that I made her tense, so tense I could see her veins pulsing with need. One of these days I hoped she’d give me the chance to do something about that tension.

But not tonight. Tonight was about helping her close this client and earning her trust.

***

THE LIMO PULLED UPin front of the restaurant at exactly six as planned. We had thirty minutes to set up the private room in one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city. Linny’s was one of the finest chophouses in all of New York, if not the country. With only Kobe beef and organically grown vegetables on the menu, it should be the finest. On the rare occasions that snapper, tuna, or grouper were on the menu, it was because the chef flew to Florida and caught it himself. Maya had to have some serious connections to get us a table at such an exclusive restaurant.

Dressed in my favorite Brioni suit, with its timeless design and sleek black lines it exuded luxury. Needless to say, the person I was ready to impress was not the potential client Maya was schmoozing. I wanted her to take notice and see me as a man, not her boss’ son.

I stepped out of the limo and held my hand out for Maya. When she took it with a smile, a lightness I couldn’t explain filled my chest. She looked hot. I mean, she always looked hot in her business suits that accentuated every curve on her body. But there was something about a little black dress that made a woman stand out from the crowd and this damn dress fit her like a glove. With spaghetti straps and its snug-fitting fabric, I could tell there was no way she had on a bra. If her generous breasts were that firm and perky ... My head spun just thinking about it.

Maya always wore her hair up in a tight bun, but not tonight. This was the first time I’d seen her with her hair down. Her dark hair fell in soft curls around her chest. When the light hit her, the ends reflected in golden honey notes. No fantasy of mine had even come close to capturing just how gorgeous her hair was.

Despite my morning fuck-up, everything came together, and any nervousness she may have had earlier was gone. She was the picture of confidence. Dammit, if that didn’t make me want her more. I liked a confident and in-charge woman, especially one who took charge in the bedroom. I’d gladly let her take charge of me.

The more I got to know Maya, the more I liked her. And the more I fantasized about her in inappropriate situations. Like her pushing me down on the sofa in her office, her dress pushed up to her waist, and riding me slow and easy. That’s a meeting I’d love to have with her. My cock twitched just thinking about it. Man, I’ve got to get a grip. The last thing I needed was to meet one of the most famous rock stars in the world, Bo Jensen, with a hard-on for my boss. I adjusted myself, calmed my nerves, and followed her inside.

***

WATCHING MAYA WORKwas impressive. She was so much more than a sharp businesswoman. Her fancy ivy league degree was enough to impress anyone, but seeing her interact with a client was something else. She asked all the right questions to make Bo Jensen comfortable and steered the entire conversation from start to finish. She knew how to work a client.

At first, I didn’t have much to contribute to the conversation; Maya handled most of it. I had to admit, I was a little star struck. I didn’t know what I expected from Bo Jensen, but I was surprised to learn he was such a nice guy. He was polite to the wait staff and gladly signed an autograph for a young couple sitting at a nearby table. It ruined my bad boy image of all rock stars.

Oddly enough, that wasn’t the most surprising part of the evening.

“Wait, you two went to high school together?” I asked.

---