Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
There's a pause. I'm on my way.
Apparently, public shame is still a powerful enough tool to get Tanner to fall in line. My blood is boiling. If he wasn't my son, I'd be giving him the ass-kicking of a lifetime right now.
I wait until he knocks on the door before telling him to come in. He's got a defiant look on his face, and I'm not going to stand for it.
"Have a seat," I command and he obeys. "I'm sure you're aware of why you're here."
He shrugs. "My ex-girlfriend is working for you, and I don't think she's qualified."
"Is that so?" I lean back in my leather office chair, raising an eyebrow. “Is that why or is it because she broke up with you?”
"The first one,” he insists. “She doesn't know what she's doing."
The thing is, Blair has been a great worker so far. She’s smart and quick-witted. Even if I didn’t want her badly enough to burn the world down to get to her, she’d be a good employee. Better than Tanner, anyway. "Oh, really?"
"Yes. Really."
"So, tell me. Why bring her here in the first place, demanding that I hire her, and then immediately changing your mind when there's turmoil between the two of you? You made the decision to have me hire her, Tanner, and now you have to live with your stupidity. She wants nothing to do with you anymore, and with the way you're acting, I can't say that I blame her. She's a sweet, smart, gorgeous young lady who doesn't deserve your bullshit."
Tanner throws his hands up in the air. "Are you serious, Dad? You're taking her side over your own son's?"
“I guess I am,” I confirm. "She's not your fucking enemy. I am."
"What?" His voice becomes small, maybe even scared. Good.
"You're being an idiot. And until you start acting like a fucking adult, I don’t want to hear another word out of you. And, I'll tell you something else. If you keep acting like a brat, you're not going to have your job, either.”
"You can't do that! You can't run the company forever. I'm your only son."
Leaning forward with my elbows on the table, I grit out, "I made this company and will take it to the grave with me if I have to. I suggest you start treating your father with respect. That goes for Blair too. You don't treat her like she's a toy. In fact, I don't want to see you or hear about you speaking to her again. To you, she's a stranger. Got it?"
His eyes are wide, but he's nodding. "Got it."
"Now get out."
Tanner leaves the room, and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I've decided Blair, and the time is now.
I'm going to make her mine.
Shutting the office down, I don’t expect to find anyone still working. But of course, with the way the universe has been fucking with me, I see a light still burning in the copy room and the silhouette of someone inside. A curvy, familiar silhouette.
Taking a deep breath, I walk over to the room and peer inside. Just like I thought, Blair is inside, working and looking frustrated. Seeing her feel any kind of negativity pisses me off, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it.
“Blair,” I rumble, and she jumps, whipping around to face me.
When she sees that it’s me, she looks sheepish. “Oh. Hi, Mr. Beckett. Sorry, I was just trying to catch up on a few things so I’m not so behind tomorrow.”
“Well, it’s time to go,” I tell her. “There’s no way in hell I’m leaving you here alone.” Then, I take a risky chance. “Why don’t you come to the top floor? That’s where my penthouse is.”
Her eyes go wide as saucers. “You live here? In Beckett Tower?”
“It’s a lot nicer than it sounds,” I laugh, pushing my hands into my pockets. “I like to keep an eye on my empire.”
“That makes sense.” Blair shuffles her pile of papers nervously. “But, um. No, I have an Uber on the way, actually, to take me back to my apartment.”
Disappointment is sharp and cutting, but I don’t let it show on my face. I should be relieved she isn’t so trusting as to go up to the apartment of a man she barely knows. Still… I’d like to have sweet Blair alone all to myself. Now and forever.
“In that case, I’m walking you out.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that, Mr–”
“Blair I swear if you call me Mr. Beckett one more time and not Brian, I’m going to have to punish you.”
Again, her eyes go wide, but this time she blushes too, the innuendo as clear as day. “Sorry, Brian…but…um…you don’t have to walk me out.”
Leaning against the door frame, I ask, “But do you want me to?”