Chapter 2 #2
Several nights a week, she stopped at a diner a few blocks from work.
This was where I allowed myself to be close to her.
I would sit at a table that was at the back of the one she usually sat at.
Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.
The first time, I hadn’t seen her come in.
Yet I felt an electric charge crackle in the space.
Glancing up, I saw her close up. She was even more beautiful in person.
As she neared the table, I ducked my head, not wanting her to see my face.
An older couple came over, and she hugged them both.
It was then that I heard her voice. It wasn’t a high-pitched, whiny voice, but a sultry, raspy one.
Images of her whispering my name with urgency in the intimate moments we shared flooded my mind.
I imagined her calling me “Daddy,” her mischievous grin daring me to react.
I pictured her draped over my lap, her skin like porcelain, marked by the faint red outline of my hand from playful discipline.
The thought alone made my pulse quicken, and I felt a tightness growing within me.
My arousal was undeniable, straining against the confines of my jeans, the pressure so intense that I was sure the cock would bear the mark of my zipper.
She was going to be my employee, and I wasn’t sure if she would want a man twenty years her senior. Hell, I am old enough to be her father. But I would show her that we were meant to be together.
Peter opened the door, breaking me from the thoughts of Ms. Lincoln. I step out and button my Bespoke jacket. “I’ll call when I am ready to leave.”
“Yes, sir.”
Taking the few steps to the front doors, I pull them open and step inside. I look around, taking in the surroundings. The interior was in fair condition, but it would still take considerable time and money to restore it to its former glory. I walk over to the security desk.
“Good Morning. I need to see Richard Bower.”
“Do you have an appointment?” the guy asks.
“No.”
“Then I am sorry, sir, but you can’t just go see the owner of the company without an appointment,” he says, before turning to dismiss me.
I pull out my business card and slide it toward the guy. “Today is not the day to cross me,” I say, then lean closer so he is the only one to hear me. “Or it could be your last one.”
The guy picks up my card and reads my name. I could tell the instant he recognized my name, and I fought back a grin.
“Mr. Carson, sir, I didn’t know,” he stumbles over his words.
Yeah, I love doing this. I look at his name tag and recognize his name from the research.
His name is Demetri Vincent, and he has been with Bower Holdings for five years.
He is married with two small children. His work performance is acceptable, but it’s not enough to warrant keeping him on the team. “Which elevator do I take?” I ask.
“The one on the far right, sir,” he says, pointing to the bank of the elevators behind him.
Without another word, I move around the desk and make my way to the elevators.
I push the button and wait. Suddenly, I hear Cassy’s sexy voice call out a greeting to Demetri.
If there had been any doubt about my keeping Demetri, it was smashed when he called her sexy.
That fucker is a married man, and she is mine.
No, she isn’t yet, but she will be very soon.
The elevator door opens, and I step inside.
Taking the opportunity to be close to her, I hold the open button until I see her draw near and then release it.
As the door is about to close, she dashes in.
She doesn’t pay any attention to who is in the car, which causes my Dominant side to roar.
How dare she not be aware of her surroundings?
Someone could have attacked her in the elevator, and she wouldn’t have been able to identify the attacker.
From the corner of my eye, I know the second she realizes I am in the car with her. Her breath catches, and her sexy tongue slips out, licking her full lips. Shit, I need to calm down before my tailored pants show my desire for her.
I turn towards her and stare into her eyes for the first time.
She is so fucking gorgeous, and the air between us crackles.
Before, she was just an attraction, but looking into those vibrant blue eyes, up close, I knew she was the one I had been looking for all these years.
I’m sure I’m going to hell for wanting her.
The depraved things I want to do to her would make a priest blush.
She dips her head, and when she looks back up, a bright pink hue breaks out on her cheeks, and her mouth falls open. Fuck me, is she as aroused as I am?
As much as I wanted to wrap my arms around her and kiss those full lips, I needed to take care of the Bowers.
With the last bit of my strength and resolve, I turn from her enchanting face.
The elevator door opens, and I step off the elevator, not looking back.
Just a little more time, and she will know she is mine.
I walk across the reception area and pass the skinny blonde behind an ugly, modern silver-and-glass desk.
“Sir, you can’t go back there,” she calls out in a high, ear-piercing voice. I would rather hear nails scratching on a chalkboard. Ignoring her, I continue walking down the hall, and without hesitation, I open the door leading into Richard Bower’s office.
He is sitting behind his desk, looking at the papers in front of him. I couldn’t help but allow one side of my lips to curl up. Richard looks up, and defeat is painted on his features.
“Why?” he asks.
“Because I can,” I answer, walking in and sitting in the chair across from him.
“My family has owned this company for generations,” he says, glancing up at the walls. It is lined up with pictures of his family.
“Yes, but you have allowed it to become ripe for my picking under your watch.”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“Break it up and sell it for parts.”
“My employees, what about them?”
“I will keep the cream, which is very little, and let the others go.”
“My son?”
“Your son? He is the reason your last five years have been in the red. What do you think?”
Richard sits back in his chair and looks up at the ceiling. After a minute, he stands and looks at me. His face appears to have aged ten years in that minute. “Can I tell my son and managers alone?”
“I will allow you to tell your son, but I will be with you when you tell your managers. My security team is arriving now and will distribute boxes to all staff members to pack their personal items. They will watch to ensure no documents leave the building. Your computers have already been locked down.”
“You are a real son of a bitch,” he growls.
“I will let you call me that once, but not again. Now tell your son, and I will wait for you. I’ll give you thirty minutes before I tell everyone myself.”
Richard storms out of the office. I take my phone out and check the status. My security team was already in the building, ready for me to give them the go-ahead to take their positions. Before all hell breaks loose, I have to make sure Cassy is okay.
Do you have eyes on her? - E
Yes. - Liam
When the announcement is made, bring her to my office. - E
Your office? - Liam
Yeah, mine. - E
Liam knew the moment I took over meant Richard’s office would be mine.
After returning my phone to my pocket, I look at the office.
Like the rest of the building, it requires renovation to restore it to its original character.
My architect will be here in a few hours to assess the situation.
I didn’t care how long it took or how much it cost. This was going to be Carson Enterprises’ forever home.
Twenty minutes later, I am standing at the head of the conference table.
This was Richard’s position, but the men and women coming in needed to see me not as a bystander but as the person who was changing their lives.
Voices carried down the hall. People were curious about what the meeting was all about.
As they walked in, most gave me an apprehensive look.
A few recognize me, and these few realize that something terrible is about to happen.
Richard comes in, followed by his son. The punk-ass kid sneers at me. The little fucker thinks he can scare me. I stand straighter and look straight into his eyes. It only takes a few seconds before the asshole looks away. Yeah, boy, I have a bigger dick.
Richard walks over and stands beside me. “Thank you for coming. Today, I was informed that Carson Enterprises has acquired the company. He is the major shareholder and will take over immediately.”
“How could that happen?” a man in the back asks.
“Well, you see,” Richard stutters, but can’t seem to have the nerve to tell his employees the reason I had so easily taken over.
“I was able to take control because Mr. Bower has been selling his stocks to keep the company afloat,” I state. “The company has been operating in the red for several years.”
Every eye in the room turned to Richard. I am glad I wasn’t keeping any of these managers because someone in this group should have been able to see what was happening and questioned it.
“What does this mean for our jobs?” another asks.
“As we speak, packing boxes are being distributed. You have fifteen minutes to pack your stuff before you are escorted from the building.”
“YOU ARE FIRING US!” a short, heavyset man yells.
Shrugging my shoulders at the man, I answer. “Yes.”
Chip Bower rushes towards me, his fists bared.
He takes his first swing but misses me, giving me the opening to smash my fist onto his face, knocking him to the ground.
The door to the conference bursts open, and two guards run in.
One comes to stand in front of me while the other reaches down and picks up Chip by the nape of his neck.
I look back at the crowd. “Time is ticking. Get your shit and get out of my building.”
They rush out a few, making comments that they will sue me. I have to chuckle at these comments. They have no basis for any suit.
“Mr. Carson, please don’t do this,” Richard begs.
“Too late, it is done.”
“But what about the other employees?” he asks.
“Those whom I have deemed worthy will be called into my office, and their new positions within Carson Enterprises will be explained. I need you to get all your stuff out of my office,” I say, and look down at my watch. “You have twenty minutes.”