Chapter 22 #2
I grinned, loving it, and Bomir, who’d stood up to join the conversation, laughed giddily.
“Do you think she’s regretting her fit about the locked door?” he asked.
“Doubt it,” I said.
“Same,” Edi agreed.
“Ms. Elmantas,” Konni called from his office.
Bomir winked and sat down as I stood.
While I was amused and still grinning, Konni wasn’t. With a moody scowl, he skimmed an email as I approached.
“You beckoned, Mr. Steele?” I asked cheekily.
Some of the surliness melted away from his expression.
“A client of ours is hosting a business networking reception tomorrow. I need you as my plus one. It’s formal. Do you have a dress?”
“I have several options. What’s the venue?”
“The museum.”
I considered my options and knew I’d need to ask Miranda if she had anything.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” I said.
“If it is, let me know. We can leave early and—”
I shot him a warning look. He glanced at the open door and sighed.
“What time will the reception end so I can let my mom know? She still depends on me for meal prep.”
“You’ll be home with dinner.”
“You mean by dinner?”
His slow smile had me shaking my head and leaving. My phone pinged as soon as I sat at my desk.
K: Miranda said you should call her if you want help shopping tonight. Your mother has my card.
Me: Telling me to shop with Miranda and your card is a big mistake.
K: Make sure the dress is distracting enough that I don’t regret it.
I snorted.
“So…do you want to block your calendar for tomorrow, or should I?” Edi asked.
“You block tomorrow, and I’ll add something for today.”
The next morning, I walked into work with a garment bag draped over one arm and the shoe bag on the other. Bomir was coming from the cafe with takeout and saw me. He hurried forward to switch what we were carrying.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Anytime. I can’t wait to see what you're going to wear.” We stepped into the elevator. “I’ve been dying to get something by this designer.”
He indicated the garment bag and its logo.
“You’re not the only one,” I said. I still couldn’t believe that I’d booked a custom piece yesterday just to buy a premade dress that fit like it’d been made for me. What was I going to do with two formal dresses? Probably fall asleep with them in my arms every night for a month straight.
Over half the staff on our floor were already at their desks, proving I was running a little later than usual. Konni was a great boss, though, and never said anything about late arrivals. Edi said it was part of what made their after-hours work tolerable—morning flexibility when we needed it.
Unfortunately, not all of upper management felt that way.
When we rounded the corner to Konni’s office suite, Lianna was leaving.
“Running a little late, Ms. Elmantas?”
“My time is Mr. Steele’s,” I said, holding up the breakfast bag. “He can use me however he wants.”
Instead of looking annoyed, she smiled. “Don’t undervalue yourself, Ms. Elmantas. The right man will give you more than a breakfast sandwich for your time.”
She walked away before I could drop everyone’s breakfast and throat punch her.
She’s a dragon. She’ll kick your ass, Soph. Don’t even think about it.
“You all right?” Bomir asked, watching me with concern.
“Perfectly fine.” I flashed him a “reassuring” smile that probably still held an edge of murder since he didn’t look convinced.
Marching over to our workstation, I set breakfast down, took my things from Bomir, and walked into Konni’s office.
He looked up from his computer as I entered, and his welcoming smile fell as he watched me.
“Why are you angry?”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I went to open the panel that hid his private bedroom, intent on hanging up the dress I’d brought in for the reception.
Konni entered and closed the door behind us.
“Now will you tell me?”
I huffed out an annoyed breath. Not at him. At me.
“I lost a verbal showdown. Who I lost to is worse than losing, and it just annoyed me.”
“Would you like me to coax you into a better mood?”
I paused, unzipping the garment bag as the methods he might use ran through my head.
“Actually, I think I would,” I said, facing him.
His already hungry gaze toppled over into dangerous dragon mode. They glittered with a golden light of their own as his pupils elongated.
When he reached for me, I side-stepped.
“But I get to tell you what I want.” I touched my neck. “You can kiss me here.”
He moved too fast to track and had me on his bed a second later, his mouth on my skin, suckling and warming it. Sighing in pleasure, I toyed with the hair on the back of his neck.
“A little lower, please,” I said.
He growled and did as I asked. I was about to demand a kiss on my mouth when I felt his hand on the waistband of my slacks. I caught his wrist.
“You don’t have a door, Konni.”
“I do. It’s closed.”
“Not good enough,” I said.
“I’ll make it quick.”
“Well, that sounds disappointing.”
He groaned and rested his forehead on my chest.
“If I can’t taste you, at least tell me who upset you?”
“The only person in Steele Corp who took an instant dislike to me because someone was pulling strings he shouldn’t have pulled.”
He lifted his head and gave me a pleading look. “Tell me what to do to make up for it? You want me to fire her? Done.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t fire people just because I don’t like them.” But inside, I was elated and in a much better mood.
“Now get up so I can eat my breakfast while it’s still warm and do something useful before I steal your bathroom to get ready.”
He rolled off of me and lay there like he was dead. He wasn’t. I took his pulse by palming the bulge in his pants.
His pained groan echoed behind me as I dodged his grab and sprang off the bed.
“Behave while we’re at work,” I called over my shoulder as I left.
Marius caught my gaze as I returned to my seat and winked at me. Then he sent me a private message.
M: Might want to cover that hickie if you’re still keeping things low-key.
Flushing scarlet, I used my compact to subdue the red mark.
The subtle camouflage wasn’t needed, though. No one interrupted me for the next three hours as I coordinated the finishing touches with the design team on the 3D renderings I’d promised Mr. Pennly. Once they were complete, I sent them to Konni for approval.
He was watching the doorway when I walked in.
“I like how you manipulated the lighting to highlight the better quality fixtures.”
I grinned. “It was only my idea. The design team executed it. Any changes before I send them?”
“No. When you send the email, let him know that we can do another market analysis on the updated designs for forty thousand.”
“Why so much more? Wasn’t the original analysis ten thousand?”
“It was. The increase is to stop this from happening a third time and to remind them that they came to us for our expertise, which isn’t cheap.”
“All right. As soon as I send it out, do you mind if I…” I pointed to his bathroom.
He nodded, his eyes glittering slightly.
It took me five minutes to send the email and thirty to touch up my makeup and hair before putting on the dress.
Konni was pacing his office by the time I stepped out. His gaze swept over me, lingering on my neck.
“Nice try,” I said with a smirk.
I’d expertly covered the hickie because the dress left everything exposed from my cleavage up. Well, for the most part. A long, white feather swept up from my back and curved over my shoulder, covering Konni’s mark.
In front, the neckline was beautifully embellished with the tips of feathers that fanned upward from my waist. A line of crystals followed the same curvy path. The skirt shimmered as I moved, its initially light blue color darkening to an almost navy with each step.
The dress was a work of art, and I couldn’t believe I was wearing it.
“Well?” I asked, spreading my arms and doing a slow turn. “Worth the money?”
“Every penny,” Konni said.
“Exquisite,” Marius said from the doorway.
“I’m so jealous,” Bomir said.
I glanced over and saw the pair standing with Edi, who gave me a thumbs-up.
“Keep that clutch close and your ringer on just in case we need him,” Edi said. “He never answers his phone when he’s at these things.”
I moved to salute Edi, but Konni caught my hand.
“Defer everything until tomorrow, or escalate internally as needed. This place can run without me for four hours.”
The three grinned at me, likely thinking what I was—Konni just wanted to keep my attention for himself. Too bad he was taking me somewhere that required socialization.
“Shall we?” he asked, offering his arm.
I shook my head. “After you, Mr. Steele.”
We walked out together, but professionally separate. I heard whispers of appreciation, caught a few envious looks, and knew there would be questions tomorrow, especially about how I could afford such a dress.
I waited until we were in Konni’s car to ask what I should say.
“Tell them your mom paid for it,” he said.
It was technically true since she’d swiped the card. But it wasn’t her money.
“Why?”
“Would you rather they know I bought it?”
“No. I just thought you would have a better explanation.”
“Your mom is the perfect explanation,” he said. “We want everyone to know she has money.”
“I’m not sure how that’s going to help. Everyone willing to talk to her already has.
We know the eliminated positions were a lie.
And she and I both agree that Hestian targeting her for almost a decade without making a move doesn’t make sense.
He had no motive in the beginning because his youngest son was too young for him to know whether he was smart or not.
So, how is spending more money than she could possibly have going to help us figure out who was targeting her? ”
“They’re going to have that same question.”
Understanding hit me, and I couldn’t hide my anger.
“You’re using my mom as bait!”
He immediately pulled over.
“She told me to.”
“And you listened to her?” I asked in disbelief.
“She’s the mother of my mate. Of course I—I’m sorry.”
I reached into my clutch for my phone, but he stopped me.
“Wait. Before you call her, you should know why. She didn’t just find out about those positions being eliminated.
She also learned that the driver who hit her wasn’t insured and has disappeared.
After my people investigated a little, we learned he’d told his friends he'd scored a big job and left the country.”
“What does that mean?”
“Based on the one hundred thousand deposited in his bank account before he closed it, I think he was paid to hit your mom’s car.”
Stunned, I stared at Konni for half a second before anger kicked in.
“When did you find all this out?”
“This weekend.”
“And you were going to what? Not tell me that someone tried to have my mom killed? She’s home alone right now, Konni!”
He brought my hands to his mouth, kissing my knuckles.
“I’d never leave her alone, Sophia. She’s safe, and she asked me to let her tell you herself—she doesn’t want her problems to keep you from living the life you deserve.”
“And you agreed with her?”
“I respectfully disagreed, and she—”
His hesitation was enough to know the rest.
“She bullied you, didn’t she? She said she’d tell me I shouldn’t see you, am I right?”
“Something like that,” he said. “Please don’t be mad at her. She’s just trying to protect you.”
“I’m mad at both of you!” I let out a forceful breath and focused on taking another, calmer one. “But you’re right. That’s not a phone call; that’s a conversation for in person. Tell me how you’re keeping her safe. Does she have someone watching her now, too?”
“Yes. Twenty-four-seven.”
“Fine. Drive so we’re not late, and explain to me why the police aren’t involved yet.”
“No solid evidence that it was foul play.”
“I’d think someone disappearing after receiving one hundred grand is pretty solid.”
“I wish it were.”
“Okay, what happens when someone starts looking into Mom’s finances?”
“I have people watching, ready to trace it back.”
"That’s still not evidence, though, is it?”
“No, but once we have a name, we have somewhere to start looking for a transfer to the driver’s account.”
I sighed and looked out the window, hating that Mom was using herself as bait.