Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 42707 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42707 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 171(@250wpm)___ 142(@300wpm)
They rode up in the glass elevator. He constantly kept a possessive hand at the small of her back. She had to admit it felt good to have such a powerful man choose her. Her mind and body were in constant conflict. When they entered his main office lobby, the first thing she noted was Glenda’s absence.
“When does your PA start? I’m sure she won’t be happy I’m here.”
“Who? Glenda? She doesn’t work here anymore.” Drake grabbed the stack of mail from a tray on his secretary’s desk as he made his way to the double doors of his private office. She followed behind him.
After closing the doors after them, he tossed the mail onto his desk.
“Did she quit?”
He narrowed his eyes as if confused about what she was talking about. Or maybe he just didn’t care. “I fired her.”
“What? Why?”
“You didn’t like her. Since you’ll be here with me every day, that wouldn’t do, would it?”
She was speechless. How did he know how she felt about Glenda? And the fact he fired her just so she wouldn’t be upset was almost … gallant. This couldn’t be the Drake Eastwood she knew.
“So, you just fire people on the whim? I’m sure she has bills to pay like everyone else.”
“Mira, she was a bitch. I won’t have anyone second-guessing my woman.”
She swallowed hard this time, her pussy tingling. It was so hard to pretend to be insulted when he was only turning her on.
The views from the large windows were breathtaking. She wandered around the huge office, taking in the sights and sating her curiosity about Drake. There were no pictures, a few awards, but nothing too personal.
“You were an accountant. You like working with numbers?”
She turned to face him. He was setting up his desk and opening his laptop.
“Well, you know I have issues with reading and writing. Numbers come naturally to me.”
“You compensated,” he said.
“Excuse me?”
“When someone is weak in one area, it’s natural to excel in another. You know, like how blind people have better senses. Maybe that’s God’s way to make amends.”
“I don’t know about that,” she said. “But I’ve been doing accounting for a long time now.”
“After all these years, I was surprised to find you unmarried. Not that I was disappointed.”
“I’m not like you, Drake. I’m not good at meeting new people, but I was quite content living alone.”
“Not me,” he said.
This piqued her curiosity. She came to sit in the chair facing his desk. “How so?”
He punched at the keyboard for a bit, then closed the lid to the laptop. Drake stared at her. “I’ve focused my life on being successful. Making something of myself. It took a long time, but I finally realized there are a lot of things money can’t buy,” he said. “It can’t buy happiness. It can’t buy love. After a decade of working nonstop, by the time I stepped back, I realized how fucking lonely I was.”
She scoffed. “You could have any woman you want, Drake.”
He shook his head. “Not the kind of woman I want. Do you think it’s flattering when someone wants you solely based on your bank account? No, I’m sick of gold diggers.”
“Is that where I come in? You just said money can’t buy love. Do you think it’s different with blackmail?”
He laughed, leaning back in his chair. Drake unbuttoned each shirt cuff, rolling his sleeves up over his thick forearms. “You’re real, Mira. And feisty. You’re the kind of woman I could settle down with.”
“I thought you only wanted children. Now you want the whole white-picket fence?”
“No, just children.”
He narrowed his eyes, visibly clamming up. He claimed to be lonely. Mira thought that was where she was supposed to fill the void. She must be reading him all wrong.
****
This was going too far.
He needed to keep up his armor. Appearing weak in front of Mira wasn’t an option. He valued her, respected her, and planned to keep her. The contract locked in his cabinet was his assurance.
He couldn’t trust anyone to love him from their own free will. That would never happen. He had to entrap Mira, force her to care—even if it was all an illusion.
“Maybe we can get you some clothes on our lunch hour,” he said.
“When’s that?” she asked.
“Whenever I feel like having lunch. I’m the boss, remember?”
She fiddled with her fingers. Mira was so damn cute. And sexy as fuck.
“Do you not eat breakfast?”
He got up and walked around his desk, leaning on the front edge, facing her. “If you’re hungry, why didn’t you tell me? I want you comfortable. I’m not the monster you make me out to be.”
She fidgeted in her seat. “I can wait until lunch. It’s no big deal.”
“That’s not what I’m saying,” he said. “I want you to voice your needs. I can’t play guessing games forever.” He grabbed his phone and dialed his secretary. “What do you want to eat?”