Page 11 of It Will Always Be You
“I trust you brought the hard copies of your qualifications with you?” she asks, quirking a brow at me.
“Here they are,” I offer, handing them over before wiping my sweaty palms on my skirt.
“Perfect. I’ll get these scanned onto the system and returned to you today.” Setting them to one side, she settles into her chair before launching into the typical new hire speech. Wrapping up her information overload, she lets out a laugh at the lost look on my face.
“Don’t worry. If you have any questions, you can send me anemail. Now, let’s show you to your desk and introduce you to everyone.” As I follow her through the busy office space, it’s clear that in the time we’ve been doing my induction, morning chatter has settled into something distinctly more work focused. Hardly anyone looks up as Donna strides past with me in her wake, and I can already tell I’m going to fit right in. There’s nothing worse than an office full of slackers who rush to look busy when management appears.
“If you’ll recall from the ad, you’ll be reporting directly to our CEO. He can be a bit of a hard ass, but he’ll warm up to you as long as you keep on top of your duties. Pay attention to how he likes things done, and you’ll be fine. And the best perk about reporting to him is, this is your office,” she explains, leading me into a glass office before I can even clarify that,no,I did not know that. Any word of protest is stolen from me as I take in my new space. It screams pure luxury, and having my own separate office, albeit with a connecting door to my boss’, feels like a massive leap up the corporate ladder. It sure as hell doesn’t hurt that, as the door closes behind me, the noise from outside gets muffled. Pure and utter bliss.
Setting my bag on the desk, I take in the open space with visions of leaving my stamp on this place. With three glass walls, the lighting is fantastic and offsets the dark grey of the fourth wall perfectly. Before I can get lost in my head, Donna makes her way over to the solid oak door connecting my office to my new boss’. She raps her knuckles against it before entering a code and pushing it open, indicating that I should follow her.
As my eyes lock on that head of dark hair, five o’clock shadow, and dark expression, I know I am utterly screwed. His presence fills the room just as efficiently as his cologne, blanketing it in a dark cloud of barely-contained emotions as he lounges in his chair like a king on his throne. Of course, the asshole from my interview is the damn CEO. Cold dread creeps in as the implications of who I’m staring at sink in. JonathanO’Neill. Heir to the Four Points.
The need to keep my identity a secret has never been more urgent.The storm brewing in his eyes has me shuffling my weight from foot to foot, trying not to wince at the dull throbbing already starting to kick in. I knew I should have stuck to flats.
“Jonathan, you remember Helen, your new EA. Helen, this is our fearless leader. I’ll leave you two to get settled. Someone from IT will be down shortly to get Helen all set up. Jonathan, play nice.” With that warning, she leaves me to the wolves with little more than a pat on the shoulder as she strides away like a woman on a mission. Her ability to walk so effortlessly in heels that high truly is an accomplishment. I wonder if she could give me pointers.
“I don’t have time to baby you, so keep up. Any questions, don’t ask me unless you’ve exhausted all options. Once IT gets you set up, check your emails. Your to do list is there.” Disdain drips from each word, and the dismissal is clear even before he drops his eyes back to his computer, waving me away.
So, this is how it’s going to be? Fine.
If he thinks he can intimidate me, he’s got another thing coming.
I didn’t survive eighteen years in the Clan under Angus’ rule and two years on the run by being weak or spineless. Time to show Mr CEO just who he hired.
Game, set, match.
Chapter 9
“Fuck me.” I exhale slowly. Running on three hours of sleep after another night in the Pit, means that dealing with my new EA is the last thing I have the time or patience for. I’d much rather poach someone from another department and leave them to deal with training someone new. According to Donna, that’s a hard pass, something about ethics. The irony is not lost on me.
At the sight of Helen standing in my doorway, in that too tight skirt hugging every one of her sinful curves, and those God damn heels making her legs a mile long, my belief that she’s the perfect distraction was hammered home. She’s the kind of woman you lose hours thinking about and then lose sleep fantasising over, the kind you wind up just to see her creamy skin flush with anger while you dream about bending her over your desk and putting her in her place.
The kind I absolutely cannot afford right now.
Maybe in another life, I could have scratched that itch and got her out of my system. But not in this one. I don’t have time for a hookup, and I certainly don’t have the time for anythingmore. Dragging my palm down my face – fuck I still need to shave-, I push thoughts of her to the back burner.
After delivering Billy to his new temporary home on Friday, I’ve been trying to come up with a plan. I need to nip this rebellion in the bud before it spirals into something more, but at the same time, it’s a careful dance of how to go about it. The men can’t know Da’s sick, and issuing a formal challenge for Billy’s seat, while not impossible, will raise questions. Da’s absence from something like that is unheard of, but it’s shaping up to be the only option. It’s time I remind everyone just who they answer to. This is my crown to inherit, and it’s about damn time I stake my claim.
It’s times like this, I wonder if Da doesn’t have a point. Having someone to come home to, to relax with and forget about all the stresses of the day would be nice. But the thought of painting a target on their back soon cures me of that notion.
My phone ringing draws me out of my thoughts, and with a bitten off curse, I answer. “Yes?”
“Ryan from IT is here. He needs your signature on something before he can leave.” Helen’s slightly husky voice coming through the line causes me to simultaneously narrow my eyes in frustration and adjust the sudden hardness in my slacks.
“And what? You’re too good to walk him in here and instead expect me to come to you?” Honestly, the nerve of this girl. She’s practically begging to be put in her place—on her knees. With my cock down her throat, teaching her some manners.Fuck. What I wouldn’t give to make that fantasy a reality.
“No, but you failed to give me the code to get into your office,” she snips, hanging up on me with a huff. Her defiant nature has me fighting to hide my rock hard cock before shoving my chair back. Walking through our connecting door, I freeze at the sight that greets me.
Fucking hell is she trying to kill me?!
“What the hell is going on?” I demand, watching her jump from her bent over position looking like a deer in headlights. As she should.At the same time, Ryan quickly averts his gaze and shuffles his feet. Fucker shouldn’t have been looking in the first place. I make a note to haveRyan’smanager made aware of his wandering eye. I also make a note to have him taken off this floor’s rotation.
“I was trying to reach this stupid switch,” she snarls, blowing a wayward curl out of her eyes and glaring at me. Her pale skin is flushed a delicious shade of pink. I bet she turns the same colour when she comes, and, fuck, do I want to see that. I want to find out how far down it travels and trace it with my tongue, only to turn her ass the same colour before claiming it as mine.
“How about next time, you walk around the desk rather than bending over it in that ridiculous excuse of a skirt and causing a scene?” I growl, snatching the pen out of Ryan’s hand and sending him on his way with a glower. He scampers off with stuttered apologies.
“Men,” she huffs, rolling her eyes and walking around her desk. Not a moment later, she finally gets the switch turned on with a little squeal of victory.
