22. Will
22
WILL
T he shock of hearing Beth say she was changing departments made me snap. I was so angry that Allen had overstepped his boundaries that I felt like I might explode. I wasn't happy about it, but the stress I'd been under between fighting off the board, keeping Abby in check, and now trying to figure out what Beth wanted had me so on edge I knew it was coming.
I backed her toward the sofa as I greedily grabbed her hips and kissed her deeper. It had been too long since she and I spoke and the distance between us had consumed me. Now I didn't even know where we stood. I felt possessive and hungry, like a caged animal who'd just been set free and my prey was in sight.
"God, I miss you so bad," I growled against her mouth as she kissed me harder. Her hands were locked behind my head, and I knew she didn't want me to let go. Neither did I. I had missed her touch, her taste, her everything.
My hands roamed up her shirt and under her bra, cupping her breasts and kneading them through the lace. She moaned into my mouth as I continued to devour her lips. I broke contact momentarily and moved down to suck on her neck and collarbone as I pushed her back onto the couch, never once taking my lips off of hers.
"God, Beth…I need you," I growled against her skin as I fumbled with the buttons on her blouse. "I need to feel you again."
She was panting when I looked up from her neck. Her eyes were filled with lust and desire, but there was also something else there. Fear? Uncertainty? I didn't have time to dwell on it because she kissed me again, this time with more urgency than before. Her hands were in my hair, pulling me closer as if she couldn't get enough either.
I broke the kiss again and stared into her eyes, memorizing every detail of her face. The way her breathing was erratic, her eyes half lidded with lust, the flush on her cheeks. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that she was what I wanted, and I felt a strong need to make sure she felt the same way about me.
Her hands worked my tie, loosening it as I pushed her skirt up her thighs. She toppled backward, planting herself on the couch, and I dropped to my knees in front of her. Her legs parted for me, and her skirt rode up around her waist as she reached for my fly and undid it.
"Will," she whispered, and I kissed the word right off her lips. I pulled her forward on the couch until my hips were nestled between her thighs and she only perched on the edge. Her hand stroked me eagerly, revealing how much she wanted me.
I hooked my fingers around her panties and pulled them down, and she wriggled to free herself. When they were off, I tossed them to the floor and she slid farther forward, guiding my dick to her entrance, but I wasn't ready for it to be over so soon. I slid two fingers into her and curled them, finding the rough patch of skin and nerves. She shuddered and arched back against my chest, moaning my name.
Her nails dug into my shoulders as I fingered her, and she rocked against me, her juices coating my fingers and the inside of her thighs. I could smell her arousal in the air, and it was intoxicating. I wanted to taste her, to lick every inch of her, to drink every drop of moisture her body produced and indulge in it.
Beth's hands guided me, pushing my face lower until I was buried between her thighs lapping at her clit. She tasted even better than I remembered, and I found myself lost in the moment, consumed by her flavor and scent and the way she moaned my name when I started sucking her soft folds. My fingers continued to work, rubbing and gliding over her G-spot as she clenched around me and bucked her hips against my face.
Her orgasm was like a tidal wave, crashing into me without warning, and I lapped up every drop she offered me. She tasted even better than I remembered. She jolted and twitched. Her fingernails probably drew blood on my scalp, and then she began to calm.
As her tremors subsided, I straightened up on my knees and she tugged me back between her legs, now wrapped around my waist as she pulled me closer, our chests colliding. I thrust into her fully, in one deep stroke, and the feeling of her tight heat around me after so long was almost too much to bear.
"God, Beth," I groaned as she dug her nails into my back. I gripped her hips tighter and pulled her against me as I thrust in, her pussy clenched down, milking me.
"Will…" she moaned, her eyes screwed shut as her fingernails dug into my skin.
I continued to pound into her, picking up speed with every thrust. Her walls squeezed me, and I knew I wouldn't last much longer.
"Will…I…" she trailed off and then her body tensed around me, clenching me so tightly I thought I might explode right then and there.
I couldn't hold back any longer. With a grunt of pure pleasure, I came inside her. I felt my load dump into her and the moisture spread as I glided in and out. She convulsed and clung to me, and I swallowed a few of her moans as I kissed her again and again.
Eventually my movements stilled and she heaved, catching her breath. Her forehead rested on my shoulder, and I held her against my body wishing the moment could last, but any second Allen or Sarah, or any one of my other employees could walk in.
"Hey," she said, and she lifted her head to look up at me. "It's going to be good. Okay? I'm not leaving you. I'm just keeping Allen happy." Beth's soft smile hurt me.
I knew she was doing the right thing by following Allen's lead. I knew Allen was probably looking out for both of us. I just hated that it meant less time with her. The past few weeks, the only time I'd had with her was at work.
"We need to talk, Beth…" I felt the storm brewing again and she shook her head as she placed her palm on my cheek.
"You're right, we do. But right now isn't the time. I have to get my things ready and we can't stay like this." As much as it infuriated me to admit it, I had to respect her wishes. This thing with the board and Nevil Banks was outside of our control. If she was right and someone had been sending her mysterious taunting emails since she started here, there could be bigger things at play.
I nodded and backed away pulling out. My dick was semihard, but I tucked it back into my pants, still coated in her juices. She picked up her panties and used them to wipe my cum from her body, then grimaced at them before chuckling.
"Guess I have to do without these for the rest of the day," she said, smirking.
"What are you doing for lunch?" I asked teasingly, and she stood up and walked toward the trash can.
I rose and fixed my pants, then tucked my shirt in correctly and fixed my tie. She smoothed her skirt back down and buttoned her blouse, then sighed. "I have to go…"
I caught her hand and brought it to my lips. "Beth, I'm so sorry. You know how much I want this to work. I never meant for things to get out of hand."
Beth looked at me with a sad expression and her shoulders slumped. "I want this to work too, but I'm not sure how it will. The board is against us. You saw what Abby did…the whole world saw. And you could lose everything."
My chest squeezed and I hated the idea that she would pull away from me. "I love you, Beth. That is enough for me. Nothing else should matter."
Tears welled up in her eyes and she nodded. "I have to go," she whispered and then she walked out my office door. The last I saw of her was when she picked up her things from her desk and walked out her office door. I knew she needed a bit of space to think, but I didn't want space.
What I wanted was answers and peace. I had to speak to Allen, and I was on a warpath.
I stormed through the corridors, ignoring the surprised glances of passing staff. The buzz of the office blurred into white noise, my focus narrowing on one thing: Allen. He stood by the corner window, deep in conversation with the chairman of the board, both of them wearing the self-satisfied expressions that came with making decisions they wouldn't have to personally endure.
"Allen!" I barked, my voice cutting through the hum of polite dialogue and polished pleasantries. Heads turned. The chairman raised an eyebrow but didn't look particularly surprised. Allen, on the other hand, flinched like I'd caught him with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Will," he said, his tone cautious, "this isn't the place?—"
"Save it," I snapped, stepping closer. "What do you think you're doing?"
The chairman adjusted his tie but remained silent, letting Allen take the brunt of my anger. Coward.
"Will, it's not what you think?—"
"It's exactly what I think. You're transferring Beth." I pointed a finger at him. "After everything she's done for this company, you're throwing her under the bus because she talked to Nevil? Nevil, for God's sake! You know well and good she didn't do anything wrong."
Allen sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if I were the unreasonable one. "Beth confessed, Will. She admitted to speaking with Nevil. What were we supposed to do? Pretend it didn't happen? Look the other way? We have to protect the company."
"Protect the company," I repeated bitterly, the words tasting like bile. "That's what this is about? Protecting yourselves, you mean. It's always about your precious optics, isn't it? Screw loyalty. Screw fairness."
The chairman finally spoke, his voice measured. "Will, we understand your frustration, but this isn't personal. It's a matter of policy. She knew the risks when she stepped into that conversation. We can't afford for the appearance of impropriety, especially not with someone as high-profile as Nevil involved."
"And what exactly do you think you're achieving here?" I challenged. "Transferring her isn't going to stop the rumors. If anything, it'll stoke them."
Allen shook his head. "It's either a transfer or termination. You know how this works. If we don't take action, it reflects on all of us. And Will…" He hesitated, glancing at the chairman. "You need to think about your position too. If people find out you're still seeing her, the board will have no choice but to take action. That includes voting you out if it comes to it."
I stared at him, feeling like the ground beneath me had shifted. I'd known the risks, of course, but hearing it laid out so bluntly was a different kind of gut punch. They weren't just going after Beth—they were holding a knife to my throat, forcing me to choose.
"You'd really do that," I said quietly, my voice shaking with controlled fury. "You'd push me out?"
Allen's expression softened, but not enough to make him look less like a snake. "It's not what anyone wants, Will. But we all have a responsibility here. You included."
My jaw clenched so tightly I thought my teeth might crack. I wanted to tell him to go to hell, to tell the chairman to shove his policies where the sun didn't shine. But I couldn't. They had me boxed in, and they knew it.
"Fine," I said finally, the word like poison on my tongue. "But don't pretend this is about the company. This is about cowardice. Both of you should remember that."
I turned and walked away before they could reply, my fists balled and my chest heaving. For all my anger, for all my indignation, there was nothing I could do. They'd won. And Beth…
Beth would pay the price for it.
I stormed back to my office, past the desk where Beth should've been seated. Sarah was already making herself happily at home again and earned a glare from me. I locked my office door and paced for a few moments.
My thoughts zeroed in on Nevil. That snake. His quiet maneuvering, the subtle plots, all designed to undermine me. He'd been circling like a vulture for months, trying to gain enough shares to strong-arm his way onto the board. He thought he could weasel his way to control, that he could own my company.
He couldn't. I owned 51 percent of the shares. That was my lifeline, the one thing standing between Nevil and his delusions of grandeur. But even so, he was dangerous. He didn't need to own the company outright to cause chaos. If he gained enough leverage, he could shape the board, twist their loyalty, and chip away at the foundation I'd built. I couldn't let that happen.
The sharp trill of my phone pierced through the haze of my frustration. I glanced at the screen: Abby. My heart did a strange flip, part relief and part apprehension. I swiped to answer, softening my tone as best as I could manage.
"Abby," I said, trying to sound steady. "Everything okay?"
"Hey Dad," she said, her voice light but slightly hesitant. "Just wanted to let you know I'm coming home early. Aunt Carol's been great, but…I just feel like it's time. My flight lands tomorrow morning. Can you pick me up?"
"Of course," I said immediately, my anger taking a back seat. "I'll be there."
We exchanged the flight details, and when I hung up, I stared at the phone in my hand. Abby coming home early was unexpected but not unwelcome. Still, it added a new layer of urgency to everything spiraling around me.
Losing the company was one thing—I could rebuild, fight back, adapt. But losing Abby? That wasn't an option. Not after losing her mother. The thought of going through that kind of loss again tightened my chest, a pang of grief mixing with the day's turmoil.
It was time. Tomorrow, I'd have to sit her down, be honest about Beth, about everything. She needed to understand what Beth meant to me, and what we were facing. No more dancing around it. If I was going to keep us together, I needed to fight for more than just the company. I had to fight for my family.