Chapter 5
Roxy
Asmile tugs at my lips before I realize something is wrong. I’ve seen this face many times, but… it’s not really the familiar face of the former Merged partner Xander Stone.
The man across the room beside Corm looks like Xander, and even kind of stands like Xander, oozing masculine energy like it’s the solution to the world’s hunger.
But his face misses Xander’s playful smirk. There is a moment of what looks like surprise as he rakes his gaze over me. But his features are more of a scowl than a smirk.
“Whenever you’re done staring,” Corm says as he leans against his desk. “But yeah, who knew they’re identical twins?” He shrugs.
“You’re Xander’s twin brother?”
Of course I knew he had one, but among the zillion facts I store in my head, this one was just inconsequential.
My brain isn’t firing at its usual speed. More like someone replaced my synapses with wet cotton.
The consequences of last night are in full presence, pounding at my temples with relentless determination. I took several painkillers, but the hangover is still laughing at me.
This morning was the first time since I started working here that I considered calling in sick. But that’s a weakness I can’t afford. Not at this time. Not when the partners’ eyes are on me, deciding my future.
“Liam Stone,” the not-Xander says, extending his hand to shake mine.
“Roxy Moretti, the office manager.” I squeeze extra hard.
A firm handshake is a must in a male-dominated environment, but he seems unperturbed.
“Have we met before?” he asks.
I’m startled, because I’m clearly still drunk. The man sounds like Romeo.
That’s bullshit.
And what the fuck? Has he just used the least original pickup line on me? At work, no less? Asshole.
“I would remember such an unfortunate encounter.” I put my hands on my hips.
He’s annoyingly tall, towering above me. But if he thinks he can intimidate me, he hasn’t met me yet.
I might be short—often the shortest in the room—but I make up for it with my dedication, ferocity, and resilience.
And right now, stubbornness is the only thing keeping me upright.
“Okay, okay, as much as I would like to see where this unexpected tension leads, I don’t have time for it,” Corm grumbles. “Roxy, Liam will be working with us for the next three months. Please show him Xander’s former office and help him settle in.”
Xander’s office?
That office should be mine. It should go to a partner. And that should be me. Three months? What is he going to do here for three months?
“After you,” Liam says, his voice making me stand taller. And also sending an uninvited swirl of warmth down my spine.
What the hell? I have never been attracted to Xander, so why would I have a reaction to this knock-off? My body needs to get its diagnostics checked.
The reaction shocks me, and that’s not an easy feat.
“Are you okay?” Corm asks.
I look at him, blinking. Shit. A surprised, speechless Roxy is not something he’s ever seen.
I don’t even know what unsettled me. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep. Maybe it’s the hangover. Maybe it’s the universe punishing me for having a sex life once a decade.
The faster I snap out of it, the better. “I need to talk to you.”
“I have a meeting in five.” Corm checks his watch.
“I can wait,” Liam says.
“Whatever it is, can it wait until tomorrow?” Corm sits behind his desk, done with the conversation.
“I got you Pascal’s number,” I blurt out.
Damn it. I wanted to keep this ace in my pocket for a better, more leveraging moment, but today is not my best day.
I’m paying for last night more than I care to admit. At least it was worth it, and I got to speak to Norbert Pascal before I left the club.
Okay, as much as I don’t want to delve into it, the surprising liaison with Romeo is not helping my mental clarity either.
His hands, his confidence, the way he took control—all of it still lingers way too close beneath my skin.
He seduced me without trying. Without pushing. Without coaxing. But when we got to the bedroom… fuck, he took charge.
Now, Foxy, you let me admire that ass of yours while you walk toward that bed.
I, Roxy fucking Moretti, who doesn’t fold for anyone, found satisfaction in following an order. The memory of it still tingles in my core.
Not ideal timing when my professional life is on fire.
I was tempted to take off the mask and stay there with him. But it was just a one-night stand with a stranger, and it will stay a fond memory. I didn’t want to spoil it with any morning-after awkwardness.
As I tiptoed down the hallway, though, I kind of regretted sneaking out on him. I was going to return when I caught a glimpse of Pascal and switched gears.
It’s not like we would have exchanged numbers and galloped off into the sunset.
“How?” Corm looks up, his attention fully on me.
How? Shit. Yes, Pascal.
Liam chuckles. Again, what the fuck?
“Do you want to let us in on the joke?” I glare at him.
He raises his arms in surrender. “I’ll wait for you outside.” He moves toward the door.
“He’s just like Xander, but without charm or personality,” I murmur, and Corm gives me a warning glare.
Liam passes beside me, and his elbow grazes my arm—a barely there, softest accidental touch—and heat shoots up my spine like someone plugged me into a socket.
A stupid, embarrassing tremor ripples through my body.
Seriously? One brush and I’m short-circuiting?
“Can I get that number anytime this century?” Corm snaps me out of… whatever this is. When I look at him, he frowns.
Great. Since when does someone’s proximity feel like an electrical malfunction?
The door closes behind Liam.
“I have a hangover,” I admit, and Corm snorts. I cross my arms over my chest. “I thought Xander’s office was mine.”
Corm pinches the bridge of his nose. “Not yet, Roxy.”
“I thought—”
“I have a meeting, Roxy.”
A lesser person would wither under his glare, but we both know I’m immune to it. I don’t quite know why he still tries it with me.
Corm sighs. “We can talk about this tomorrow when Cal is back.”
Frustration unfurls inside me so quickly, I barely manage to control it. And controlling my emotional reactions is an absolute must if I want to maintain my hard-earned respect.
“By then, Liam Stone will be settled in my office.” I keep my voice level, or so I hope.
“You have an office.” Corm looks at me, unimpressed.
Bastard. He knows that’s not the point. “An office manager’s office, not one of the corner offices.”
“There are only four corners on this floor.”
Is he trying to rile me up? Or is he just being his usual self? In my current state, I can’t assess the situation.
And that’s dangerous. Being on top of my emotions goes hand-in-hand with the ability to read a room.
But today, my internal radar is basically a drunk pigeon.
I will never drink again. Or lose sleep because of a dick. Even if the owner of said dick rocked my world.
“Corm, I told you two months ago that I want to buy in. You’ve been stalling for weeks, and now you’ve invited Liam Stone to work with us for three months? In a partner’s office, no less. You’re selling him the twenty percent, aren’t you?”
He groans, his scowl deepening. “Roxy, I have an important call. Just give me Pascal’s number, and we’ll talk tomorrow. I don’t want to rush this conversation.”
Assuming Liam Stone was eyeing the partnership was a guess. An educated one, but a guess nevertheless, but Corm isn’t denying it, and that’s as good as a confirmation.
In a pent-up beat, I see the partnership slipping away. I see myself returning to this office day-to-day like a glorified note-taker. And eventually, that path leads back home.
Because while I negotiated freedom from my family, I know that freedom is very temporary. If I can’t stand firmly on my feet, my leash will be shortened significantly.
The bleak picture propels me into action, using the only weapon I have at my disposal. Information.
“On second thought, I think I lost the number. I might find it when you find time to treat me the way I deserve.”
I turn to leave, with outward confidence and an inward battle. Fuck, I pushed this man’s buttons countless times, but that was before, when I didn’t care about this company as much as I do now.
When I didn’t see my future firmly entwined with Merged. Challenging Corm with dirty tactics similar to those he uses regularly might be a step too far, but fuck, I’m not giving up.
I’m almost at the door, trying to accept I might have lost this round, when he stops me.
“Come back. Fuck.” He picks up his phone. “Larissa, cancel my meeting… Yes, I know it started a minute ago. Get someone to take over if needs be.” He drops the receiver, and the phone jumps on the wooden surface.
Then he snaps his eyes to me, shaking his head with a smirk. He might be annoyed, but he respects that I stood up to him.
“Cal and Declan wanted to be here when we tell you,” he starts. “But obviously, a hangover makes you impossible, Ro.”
He uses a nickname I asked them not to use countless times, but I don’t let it provoke me.
I might have blackmailed him into this meeting, but I’m painfully aware my future is in his hands.
“Sorry, it’s Liam Stone’s unexpected presence that makes this issue pressing.”
He sighs and checks his watch again. “Take a seat.”
I would rather stand, the restrained energy cruising through me on the wave of my hangover. But as much as I defy Corm, I also respect him, and I’ve pushed enough today. I take a seat.
“Roxy, you’ve been an asset to Merged from the start. You’re smart and unflappable. You work well with all of us, but you also understand the employees, and you’re often more sensitive to the internal issues than any of us partners.”
I try to regulate my breathing, tears threatening their appearance. I can handle razzing, teasing, and arrogance just fine.
But praise? His words mean so much to me, I’m embarrassed to admit that even to myself.
It’s something I used to crave at home and never got. The little girl in me is starved for validation.
Spread those beautiful legs for me. My mind conjures Romeo’s words from last night. Jesus.