Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
dom
Ikeep looking down at my cell phone, at the last message Cory sent, to be exact.
I’d woken up to a surprise I didn’t see coming.
She’s a minx, and if she was trying make my cock throb, she did a damn good job.
Last night, I’d taken a cold shower. This morning, I can’t say the same.
My hand wrapped around my length, my palm held me up against the marble wall in the shower, and I came in a matter of minutes thinking about Cory.
One time wasn’t enough. My dick stayed hard and had me taking matters into my own hand a second time.
Now, I’m in my corner office of the forty-fifth floor of Sterling Capital, and it’s entirely too fucking quiet for my liking.
Currently because I responded to Cory, and I’ve yet to get a response.
She’s probably asleep, needing more sleep than I’m accustomed to.
I usually go to bed around two, wake up at six o’clock in the morning to get up to work out, grab a quick bite to eat, studying the market while doing so, before dressing for work and getting home by nine o’clock.
Dom: You walked away with a win last night. I let you have that one. Next time, you won’t get off so easily.
The message sits delivered. I’m half-tempted to call her, and the only reason I’m stopping myself is seeing the timestamp from when her last message was sent. I’d been asleep. Clearly, she hadn’t, and I’m sure it’s because she was taking care of herself.
The phone on my desk comes alive with a low aggressive hum. I let it ring a couple of times before I pick it up. I bring the receiver to my ear. My voice is controlled, authoritative, and unrelenting. “Mercer.”
“I have the final report, Dom,” a disgruntled voice says on the other end of the line. It’s Miller, the most discreet, high-priced private investigator in the Pacific Northwest.
“Why do I have the distinct feeling I’m not going to like what you have to say?” I tunnel my hand through my hair, ready for something a hell of a lot stronger than the tar-like coffee I grabbed from the cafeteria downstairs. I won’t be doing that in the foreseeable future.
“Honestly, it’s a miracle she’s still breathing, let alone working twelve-hour shifts six days a week.” A tight knot forms in the center of my chest as an uncontrollable wave of protecting her comes to life.
“Give me the rundown, Miller. What am I looking at?” I’m to hear what I need to hear and see what I need to see in the way of him emailing me his findings.
“She’s drowning,” he says flatly, rustling through papers on the other end of the line.
“She’s up to her eyeballs in debt. We’re talking six figures, and she’s running out of time and money.
She’s got old student loans from her nursing degree.
And get this: she just re-enrolled for graduate classes she doesn’t have time for.
The woman is taking out new loans to use the cash payout to cover her living expenses.
To put it bluntly, she’s robbing Peter to pay Paul.
” I lean back in my chair, eyes narrowing as I stare out the bank of floor-to-ceiling windows.
The gray Seattle skyline does nothing to calm the anger spiking inside me.
Corinne Pierson, beautiful, brilliant, and proud.
It makes me wonder if her friends know anything about this information Miller is delivering.
“Why is she desperate for cash?” I demand, my knuckles whitening around the phone. “A nurse in the department she works in makes decent money. Where the fuck is it all going?”
“To her mother, Evelyn Pierson,” Miller replies.
“Diagnosed with a form of advanced, aggressive Parkinson’s disease.
Six months ago, Corinne moved her into a specialized, long-term care facility about an hour outside of Seattle.
It’s premium, the only one in the region with a dedicated neurological wing that treats patients with dignity.
The only problem is, it costs a fortune and the insurance company capped her benefits last quarter.
Corinne’s been footing the entire bill out of pocket. ”
“And I’d guarantee everything in my bank account that nobody knows she’s going this alone,” I respond.
“From what I can surmise, you’d be right.
The billing department is pounding at her door.
If she doesn’t clear the arrears soon, they’ll transfer her mother out of there, and who knows where she’ll end up.
” Neither of us says it, but we know what they’ll do.
Evelyn will end up in a state-funded facility, getting the absolute least, or Cory will insist on taking care of her mother at home.
“Like hell they will.” The words slip out of my mouth before I could stop them, low and lethal.
“I figured you’d say something along those lines. I uploaded the full digital file to your server,” Miller says. “I’ll email you the remainder of my invoice as well.”
“Thank you. Is there anything else you’re not telling me over the phone?” I ask before concluding our call.
“Everything else is in the file. I don’t think you want me to talk about her last doctor’s appointment or her past partner.” I grunt my response.
“You’d be right. Thanks again.” I end the call before putting the phone back in the cradle with more force than necessary.
And for a long time, I sit here. Corinne isn’t a reckless spender, she’s a woman fighting a war for her mother’s life, pulling brutal shift after brutal shift witnessing life and death while drowning in a mountain of medical bills, student loans, and keeping a roof over her head, all to keep her mother safe.
Fuck, guilt eats me up inside. If it weren’t for the board and their antiquated way of thinking when it comes to Sterling Capital, I’d forgo this plan of mine. As it stands, I can’t, which means my next order of business is calling my attorney to draft a contract along with a prenuptial agreement.
The sexual chemistry between us is mutual, a fuse waiting to spark to life.
I’ll give her the financial security to ensure her mother receives the best care in Washington for the rest of her days.
I’ll also wipe out her student loans and medical debt with a single click of a button.
And in return, she’ll wear my diamond, share my last name, and stand by my side as my wife.
Our marriage of convenience won’t only save my reputation with the board and her mother, it’s also my golden meal ticket to make Cory mine.
I wake my computer up with a wiggle of my mouse, waiting for the notification that signals Miller’s file and bill’s arrival.
Now all that’s left to do is convince the minx that this is the only way.
And I’ll do that with more than a signature.
I’ll do it with my mouth, my fingers, and my cock if need be.