Chapter 9 #3
There was also something dark and demonic about the man’s eyes that had frightened me. While there was no reason why, I had a feeling certain secrets Montgomery had kept close to the chest involved Prescott. I’d made plans to attend a wine tasting at Westfield later in the week.
I took the stairs instead of the elevator, approaching his door.
The moment I was within a few inches of his office, I froze, memories of the harsh spanking sliding into my mind.
I tugged the envelope from my pocket, fingering it several times before bending down, prepared to leave it by the threshold.
Then I laughed softly, reaching for the handle instead.
When I found the door unlocked, I bristled before daring to go inside.
Montgomery was the kind of man who would accuse his employees of stealing from him, even if a careless employee had left the door unlocked.
There was no light on in the room, but the shimmer of moonlight allowed me to get used to the shadows as I walked inside.
I’d never felt like a trespasser before, but on this night, I was more apprehensive than I’d been on the first day.
However proud I was of the presentation, I had suspicions he’d hate everything I’d done.
I pulled the drive from my pocket, laying it on his desk, pressing my hand over it for a few seconds. Then I sighed, second guessing what some experts would call a provocative concept of ideas. As I started to back away, a cold series of shivers skated down my spine.
I wasn’t alone.
I swallowed, the electric sensations coursing through me something I’d only felt around Montgomery. After a few seconds of dead quiet, I heard the clinking of ice in a glass. “You’re here.”
The sound of his deep sigh was followed by a slight chuckle, the husky baritone sending another wave of shivers dancing down to my toes.
“How very astute of you, Ms. Porter.”
Now the man had started using a more formal title.
What the hell did he have against me? The darkness became overwhelming quickly.
When I finally reached down to the desk lamp I’d remembered seeing, he’d already placed his hand around the switch.
The instant our fingers touched, I was thrown by the number of vibrations pulsing through me.
I jerked back, fisting my hand, a gasp erupting from my mouth.
“Do I scare you?” he asked as he slowly turned on the light.
While the lamp only allowed a slight wash over the desk surface itself, it was enough to force me to blink several times.
Then I was clearly able to see the damn grin on his face, the same twinkling eyes from before.
He was amused at my sudden surprise. I glanced down at the envelope, wishing I’d never come here in the first place.
“Very little scares me, Mr. Wolfe. I would have thought you’d have figured that out by now.
I’ve left some ideas for you. I do hope you’ll actually take the time to look at them.
If not, then it’s your loss. Good night. ”
I turned around abruptly, now fisting both hands as I hurried for the door.
“I didn’t dismiss you, Ms. Porter. Come here.”
I couldn’t believe this man. The audacity and arrogance were unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. “And I didn’t come here to see you.”
“I think you did.”
“Then you thought wrong.” My words were scattered from the anger swelling to a frenzied point. I couldn’t understand him at all. What was he trying to do, test me? Terrify me? Push me away? I would take a bet a little of all three.
“I’ve been investigating you.”
I realized I hadn’t moved any closer to the door, although my body was swaying, butterflies storming into my stomach. “And I’ve been investigating you.”
He chuckled once again, the sound echoing in my ears. “And what exactly did you learn?”
“Why did you lose the contracts with Costco and Sam’s Club?” I turned abruptly to face him, my words more like a confrontation.
I doubted much surprised the man, but by the way he clenched his jaw, I’d bet I had.
“The contracts ended,” he snarled.
“Yeah, so why the hell didn’t you make another deal?” My anger even surprised me.
Exhaling, he studied me from head to toe, undressing me with his eyes. “You’ve been busy.”
“Someone needed to be. What am I missing?”
The bastard was actually going to ignore my questions. He took a swig of his drink, keeping the glass in the light, swirling it back and forth.
“What else did you learn, Ms. Porter?”
“Enough to know why you’re so angry all the time.” We were back to him calling me by my surname. He’d all but shut the door between us.
His eyes opened wide, as he sat up from his reclined position. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means I researched the fires you had, two of which were unexpected and unexplained. I also know that…” I couldn’t finish the statement.
“You know what, Ms. Porter? What are you trying to say?”
“I know about your wife and I’m very sorry.” With a man like Montgomery, there was almost no way of knowing what his reaction would be.
There was none at first, other than his eyes remaining unblinking as he stared at me. When he rose to his feet, planting his hands on his desk, I could see a change in his demeanor. “Come. Here. Now.”
His commanding words resonated in my ears, forcing a shiver down to my toes. Even though I did everything I could to walk out the door, I couldn’t, instead, moving closer to his desk.
The predatory look on his face sent another wave of tremors into every cell and muscle. He moved slowly toward me, never blinking. Even from where I stood, I was able to gather a strong scent of testosterone. The look was the same as before, as if he was going to ravage me.
My pulse skipped, my heart hammering against my chest. My mind told me to push him away, to end the dark intimacy before it became too late, but I couldn’t move. The closer he came, the more I was filled with excitement.
When he was only inches from me, he took a full minute to gaze down the length of me before lifting his arm.
The second he brushed just the tips of his fingers across my skin, I couldn’t hold back the ragged moan.
I was instantly lightheaded, trying to maintain some sense of myself, but the larger than life man had such power over me.
He took his time exploring my face, the touch so light that I thought he was holding a feather.
As he drew a circle around my lips, the light seemed to dim in the room.
He made no sound, but I knew his heart was beating rapidly.
When he trailed a single finger along the edge of my jaw, I realized my body was swaying.
The electricity between us was sparking like fireworks, draining my resolve. There was no way to deny this man. He’d taken control and refused to let it go.
When he cupped both sides of my face, inching even closer, I knew I would have fallen if he hadn’t been holding me. When he spoke, his words were even darker than before, so haunted that they took my breath away.
And no words had ever terrified me more.
“I can’t have you, but I can’t do without you, Aspen. I’ve tried. You are mine. I will ravage you every night, taking every inch of you. You are mine now and you will be forever. Until death do us part.”