Chapter Four
For Mal, the world seemed to stop and twist
and turn, and he wasn’t sure where he was when he got to the other side. He
worried for a moment that he’d hit his head but couldn’t remember when he’d done
it. All he knew was that she was standing there. Viv. She was here at his new
office. She had her own office, and not a tiny cubicle.
She looked every bit as gorgeous as she had before. She
looked stunning in a wrap dress that did nothing to hide her outrageous curves.
She stared for a moment and then a cautious smile hit her
face and she held out a hand. “You must be Mr. Mays. Welcome to the company.
I’m Vivian. I work with Dr. Adisa. It’s lovely to meet you.”
“You all right, mate?” Oliver asked.
Oliver. He’d forgotten about Oliver, who had been waiting
for him when he walked out of Damon’s office. He’d shown him around a bit after
apologizing for his father’s test but assured him he was more than welcome.
Then he’d walked him around, introducing him to other team
members until he found himself here. Staring at his dream sub. At the woman who
had walked out on him because of some words he said. Some words he hadn’t truly
meant. He’d wanted to take them back the minute they came out of his mouth.
She was pretending they didn’t know each other.
Or had she forgotten him?
He shook off the shock and tried to school his expression as
he reached for her offered hand. He could swear he felt a spark when he touched
her. “It’s good to meet you, Vivian.”
Oliver had an expectant look on his face as he switched his
attention from her to Mal and back again. He was a smart man, and he felt the
tension in the air. It seemed the others did as well, as they all had eyes on
him. He held her hand a moment too long and finally let go.
“Well, this is interesting,” Oliver said with a smirk. “How
do you two know each other?”
“We don’t.” Vivian stepped back. “But you have to admit,
he’s an attractive man.”
Oliver snorted. “He’s old enough to be your father.”
“If my father had me at ten, which I assure you he didn’t,”
Vivian replied.
“Malcolm’s not old,” Damon Knight said, sounding affronted.
Oh, but he was compared to Vivi and Oliver. Perhaps not so
much in years, but in misery and experience he could probably be their grandfather.
It was a good reminder. Somehow over the course of the year and a half since
he’d seen her, his brain had worked wonders in making her suitable. She wasn’t.
Or rather he wasn’t for her. He wasn’t good for anyone. If he thought he’d been
toxic before, he didn’t know what he was now. Venomous. Filled with poison.
But she was so bloody pretty.
“Well, he’s not as old as you, Dad, but he’s considerably
older than Vivi, who has a thing for older men,” Oliver pointed out.
“Well, young men disappoint me at every turn,” she replied
and waved it all off, moving back to her neatly organized desk. “I only prefer
older tops when I’m in the club. I find they have far more experience and are
better at understanding what I need. I tend to date younger men, and we’ve all
seen how that goes.”
He’d understood her that night. In a single night they’d
formed their own language, one he couldn’t seem to forget no matter how hard he
tried.
And then her words sank in.
I only prefer older tops when I’m in the club.
The revelation kicked him in the gut.
Who was she playing with now? He hadn’t been back to a club
since his night with her. Hell, he hadn’t had sex since the night with her.
He’d been a monk, living on the memory, and then he’d been fighting for his
life with the one goal that could motivate him. If he could walk again, he
would allow himself to find her.
And she’d been playing with other Doms.
When he’d walked in, she was hugging Damon Knight. Perhaps he didn’t understand
the man the way he thought he did. Oliver always talked about how disgusting it
was that his parents were so blatantly in love. But the son might not know
everything about the father.
“Vivian is the one I was telling you about,” Damon was
saying as though absolutely nothing was wrong. “She’s been working with Ariel
for a year and a half. I told her I wouldn’t mind having her around full time
as long as the position wouldn’t hold her back. I know she’s been talking to
Archie about getting her PhD.”
Of course she was smart. He hadn’t had the cash to go to
uni. His mum had asked him to send back money because she thought his brother
deserved a chance to go. Bryce was smarter, after all. Mal was only good at
shielding others. So he had in the early days. He’d paid for his brother to
party for three years before dropping out because it was too hard.
Your brother is the sensitive one, Mal.
His brother would likely fit better with Vivi. Well, until
he knocked her up and walked away.
Oliver’s smile was genuine now, and he was the one moving to
pull Vivian into a hug. “I’m happy to hear that. I can’t stand the thought of
you going back to your barbaric homeland and the awful despot who rules over
you.”
Vivian laughed and hugged him back. “We call him Uncle Ian.”
Oliver frowned. “He’s not a kind man. You compliment his
wife one time…”
“You’re lucky he didn’t make you into jerky,” Knight said
with a long-suffering sigh. “And it wasn’t merely Charlotte Taggart you came
onto. I believe you kidnapped and attempted to seduce Louisa Taggart, too.”
“She doesn’t count. She wasn’t a Taggart at the time, and I
didn’t try especially hard,” Oliver admitted. “Though she is awfully cute.”
It was clear that Vivian was close to these people. Oliver
had never mentioned a Vivian or he might have asked about her. His gut rolled,
but he had to think that maybe the fact that she didn’t remember him was a
blessing.
He thought about walking out, but there were still all the
problems he had before to consider.
It wasn’t like he would be working with her. She wasn’t an
operative. She was likely HR or an accountant. He wouldn’t have to see her.
She leaned over and picked up a file. “Well, it’s good that
you’re here, Mr. Mays. Or do you still go by captain?”
“I’m not in the Army anymore.” His voice sounded far harsher
than he’d intended.
“Then Mr. Mays it is until you’re comfortable with me,” she
replied with irritating calm. “Why don’t you stay behind and we can talk about
your sessions?”
“Sessions?” He didn’t like the fact that she had a file on
him. Not at all. She knew everything about him if she’d read that file since he
knew it wouldn’t merely be his service record. Damon Knight would be far more
thorough than that. He would have investigated every part of Mal’s life to
ensure there weren’t weak spots where someone could get in and blackmail him.
The good news was all his humiliation was on the surface.
All but one. All but her, and Oliver was already suspicious.
“Yes, like I told you I thought you might be more open with
Vivian,” Damon said. “She’s been working with some of the new blokes and it’s
going well.”
“She’s an excellent therapist,” Ariel added. “I’ve had a few
sessions with her and I would continue.”
He was supposed to open up to this woman?
Damon put a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Why don’t you take
your old father to lunch? Your mother and Sami are at the café down the
street.”
“We should definitely crash their girl party,” Oliver said
with a smile. “Besides, that café has excellent sandwiches. I could eat.”
“You can always eat,” Damon joked as they walked out.
Ariel gave Vivian a nod as she followed the men. “I’m going
to sneak in and see what my husband’s up to. Let me know if you need anything.
And Mr. Mays, it’s lovely to meet you. Welcome to the company.”
Vivian followed her and closed the door behind her mentor.
Mal stood there, completely blank on how to handle a
situation like this. How did he remind her that they’d spent a night having
some of the filthiest sex he’d ever had in his life? Of course, perhaps for her
it was nothing more than a random Saturday night. Should he tell her? Or
pretend nothing ever happened? He wasn’t sure which would soothe his emaciated
pride more.
She closed the door and turned, her body against it as
though worried someone might try to get back in. “Holy, shit. I can’t believe
that just happened. Are you okay?” She frowned and then bit her bottom lip.
“Sorry, that sounds like a dumb question. I thought there was a flare of
recognition in your eyes. Okay. This is going to sound weird, but have you ever
been to a club called Dominion?”
What was she about now? “Yes, Viv. I have been.”
She sighed, a relieved sound. “Good. I was worried you
didn’t remember me. It was only one night, but thanks for playing along because
wow, it would be such a mistake to let them know we have a connection.”
He stared at her for a moment, trying to catch up. “I
thought you were the one who didn’t remember.”
She chuckled and moved back to her desk. “You’re hard to
forget, Sir.” She winced. “Sorry. Mr. Mays.”
“I think we can be on a first-name basis, Vivian. After all,
I’ve had my tongue up your cunt.” He used dirty words to throw her off, to show
her he was as unaffected as she seemed to be. To pretend that night hadn’t been
everything to him.
Instead of shrinking back, she gave him a glorious smile. It
was raining lightly outside, but that smile was pure sunshine. “You did and you
were good at it.” She sighed and sank to her seat. “But seriously, we’ll have
trouble if they realize we’ve met before. You know it was all a big mix-up,
right? I was supposed to play with this actor guy that night and you were
supposed to hang with Slutty Sue. Don’t judge me. That’s how she introduces
herself. We went into the wrong rooms. Well, one of us did. We’re still trying
to figure out who. I’m afraid they still don’t have numbers for the doors.
Ollie says it takes away the fantasy, but I say it’s good to know where one’s
going. I think he likes having the excuse to walk in on people.”
She talked a mile a minute. It should be annoying. On anyone
else it would be. “I was unaware there was a mix-up. I wasn’t given a name. You