Chapter Eighteen
Dristan
I patted myself on the back as I looked in the mirror in the bathroom, contentment filling me as I surveyed the—only slightly haphazard—knot of my tie. The idea of pretending that I couldn’t do it myself was genius. I’d been able to get my hands on her and now I knew exactly where her tiny, perfect body would sit if I planned on fucking her in the kitchen.
Which I definitely plan to do. Maybe in the near future.
I sauntered out of the bathroom and back to where she was seated at my desk, only to find it empty. Halting my steps, I looked around, wondering if she was grabbing a file or folder from one of the shelves.
I narrowed my eyes when I spotted her standing at Fionel’s desk, the insufferable elf beaming up at her as they spoke. I couldn’t see her expression, only her luscious ass as she leaned forward—probably giving him a spectacular view of her breasts. The same one I’d enjoyed that morning when she’d been knotting my tie.
Violent urges brewed in my brain and I could feel my arms flexing with the need to rip the male’s head off, but I pushed them back. That wasn’t who I was. Orcs had rules that they needed to follow now. We didn’t kill mindlessly anymore. I watched Fionel and Penelope laugh together and I wondered how quickly I could put together a defense team and where I could hide a body.
She moved away from his desk heading toward the elevator and I released a low growl. Memories of the way she’d smiled at that minotaur who’d come in for his presentation flitted through my mind.
I ran my palm over my face, wondering how much push-back she’d give me if I added a proximity clause into our employment agreement. Three feet seemed like enough freedom for her.
Scowling, I exited my office, glaring at Fionel who beamed back at me.
“I love her,” he told me, completely ignoring me when I growled at him. “She’s fun and she’s taking a lot off my plate.”
I grunted and told him, “I need to hire someone to clean the penthouse.”
His eyebrows went all the way up. “Isn’t that why you hired Pen?” he asked.
I narrowed my eyes, leaning in so he received the full power of the threat I was making with my eyes. “Her name’s Penelope to you.”
His smile was mischievous as he leaned back in his leather chair. “Well, she said I could call her Pen. It seems like we’ve grown close.”
I grunted, counting backward so I didn’t decapitate him with my claws. As blunted as they were, I’d have to hack in too deep and it would probably get on the tie Penelope had knotted that morning.
“She has enough on her plate. I want her to take over cooking duties. She shouldn’t be bothered with cleaning, too,” I told him.
“You’re firing the chef?” Fionel asked with wide eyes. “But we finally found one you like.”
“I said Penelope would be cooking,” I growled. “Hire him for my brother instead. He shouldn’t eat as much junk as he does.” I turned to look for Penelope, noticing she was already gone. “And get Estrella to hire someone to clean the penthouse.” I thought about it for a moment before adding, “An older, mated female.”
“Oh,” Fionel said in a low voice, his tone surprised. I glared over at him again and he shrugged. “It’s just that you didn’t want strangers in your home last time. That’s why I started cleaning—”
“It’ll make it easier for Penelope if they’re there,” I snapped, pointing a finger at him. “And I don’t want you around her more than you need to be. Spend as little time with her as you can.”
“Yes, sir,” he drawled, his stupidly handsome face grinning up at me.
I rolled my eyes and made my way toward the stairwell, where I figured Penelope was since I hadn’t heard the elevator doors open. I opened the door and heard her rushed words. Brow furrowed, I paused to listen.
“No, you don’t understand. We’re going to be able to make the payments. I know that we’re behind, but if you give me some time—”
Her words were cut off, and I could only see her beautiful profile, but the tension in her delicate shoulders and the frown on her face were obvious. Ire gathered inside me, directed at whoever was on the other end of that call.
“It’s our home,” Penelope’s voice caught on a sob and my fist clenched.
What the fuck’s going on?
My female cleared her throat and she whispered, “Please, if you can just give us some more time—”
The asshole on the phone cut her off again and I cursed myself for not having better hearing. If I did, I’d be able to tell what was going on. What payments was she talking about? Penelope should never have to worry about money with me around.
I lifted my phone from my pocket, texting my brother quickly.
Dristan: Find out if Penelope has any debt and pay it off.
I didn’t have to wait long for the response.
Rud: On it.
The tension slowly left my body. I wouldn’t have her worrying over anything as simple as money. Not when she had bigger problems to focus on—like making an orc-sized space in her life.
“I understand that they want to buy it, but as the original owners, don’t we get the priority?” she asked, twisting her hair with her fingers. “And I understand that you’re busy, but is there a time I can call back to discuss this?”
My jaw clenched as I watched her fret. She sputtered into the phone before pulling away to stare down at it in disbelief. The fucker had hung up. I typed out another message.
Dristan: I also need you to track down someone she called. I’ll give you the details when we talk next.
He didn’t need to know why. I’d deal with that one personally. I watched my female raise her hands to her eyes.
“Don’t cry. You can’t cry,” she whispered the words to herself and I slowly stepped out of the stairwell. I closed the door quietly behind me, walking back to my office. I’d give my female the time she needed to gather her thoughts, but I would only let her get away with keeping things to herself for so long.
I needed to start staking my claim on her. The faster I did, the more she’d understand that I was a resource that she had available to her to solve any issue she had. I tended to be annoyed when anyone bothered me with their problems, but she was my exception.
Walking past a smug Fionel, I glared in his direction while he grinned back at me. One day I’d fire him. When he stopped being so damn efficient.
Sitting at my desk, I pretended I’d been there the entire time when Penelope made her way back into the office. She hurried to her chair next to me. Well, it was technically my chair. The one that I was currently sitting in was digging annoyingly into my sides. Peering over at her, I saw her struggling to focus on the papers I’d given her to review.
It was almost five in the evening. Close to the time when everyone else in the building would be making their exit for the day. It was Friday. It wasn’t typical for me to care about the weekend, but the strain on Penelope’s face made me realize that I hadn’t had time off in… years.
“I think we’re about done for the day,” I huffed out, turning to face her. “Let’s get ready to leave.”
She turned to me with a frown. “You never leave this early.”
“It’s Friday,” I told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
She tilted her head, almost too cute for words. “You leave early on Fridays?”
“Yes,” I snapped, neatening my desk before standing. “And we’re taking Sunday off.”
“Really?” Her eyes were huge in her face. “But—”
“I don’t believe I was asking you. I was telling you.”
She was gaping at me as I strode out of the office, walking over to Fionel.
“Cancel everything for the rest of today and Sunday. We’ll be in tomorrow. But clear every weekend from now on, starting next week. That’ll give you time to reschedule the priority meetings,” I said, coolly, still not trusting him around my female.
“You’re taking… weekends off?” Fionel’s incredulous tone made me smug.
I enjoyed throwing him off. “That’s what I said,” I drawled as I watched Penelope gathering her things hurriedly through the open door of my office. “And if you flirt with my assistant again, you’re fired.”
The male had the audacity to huff out a laugh. “Anything you say, boss,” he chuckled and I scowled.
Damn right, anything I say.
I waited until Penelope was next to me before stalking off, glaring at the elf over my shoulder. She waved goodbye and he reciprocated, looking right at me the entire time.
I’m going to have to kill him.
My murder list seemed to be getting longer by the second. Settling against the elevator wall, I surveyed Penelope as she nibbled at her lower lip. She kept peeking at me from the corner of her eyes and I knew she wanted to ask me something.
I let her stew in her indecision for a few more minutes, exiting the elevator and ensuring she was settled into the SUV before I leaned in. Her eyes widened as I said,
“Just ask me.”
“I… It’s inappropriate,” she whispered and I felt a jolt in my cock at the word.
Gods, now I need to know .
“You can ask me anything,” I told her seriously, praying to the Gods that she wanted me to fuck her on the hood of the car, but I doubted that was it.
She chewed on that lower lip again and it was everything I could do to stop myself from kissing her to stop it. “Dristan,” she murmured, swallowing hard, her delicate throat working under my gaze. “Can I get an advance on my salary?”
My brain skidded to a halt, all my fantasies about those moist lips wrapped around my cock disappearing. “What?” I squawked, annoyed with my tone.
“It’s just that I have this payment to make and I need the money right away. I know that you barely know me, so you have zero reason to trust me, but I still want to ask in case—” she blurted the explanation, but I held a hand up to cut her off.
“Of course you can have a fucking advance, Penelope. What kind of a bastard do you think I am?” I growled the words, annoyed at myself and her.
Why would she think that I wouldn’t help her?
I’d been trying so hard to show this female that I was an option for her—a male she could depend on and turn to—and here she was agonizing over asking me for an advance on her salary.
She did a double-take before leaning forward to grab the lapels of my jacket in her tiny hands. “Really?” she gasped, and a sheen of tears popped into her eyes.
I sighed, reaching up to cup her cheek with my palm, swiping a thumb under her eyes gently. “Really,” I sighed the word, the hope in her eyes more than I could take. “Always ask me, Penelope. I may not be the easiest male, but…” I shook my head, removing my hand from her soft skin. “You can talk to me.”
I looked down at my phone, transferring her salary from my personal account to hers.
I didn’t look at her as I made my way to the driver’s side, grinding my teeth instead. All the progress that I’d thought I made felt like a lie.