“How much?” I ask Anderson, one of the most loyal lawyers in my retinue. We’ve been working hard on trying to track down the embezzler—and the extent of the damages—but the whole thing is proving to be trickier than I thought.

“From what I’ve gathered so far… I’d say $30 million at least, and that just over last year. Of course, that’s just an estimate; I’m not really sure on how deep the rabbit hole goes at this point.”

“Jesus…” I whisper, leaning back against the chair. I tap my fingers against the flat surface of the desk, trying to consider the implications of what Anderson just told me. $30 million doesn’t even make a dent on my net worth, but the fact that someone has managed to steal that much money under my nose… Well, that’s worrying, to say the least.

“The worst part is that whoever is doing this really knows what they’re doing,” Anderson continues, folding his finger as a scowl takes over his face. I can’t help but worry; he’s always been one of my most levelheaded and rational advisors, and to see him this preoccupied … “So far, the only thing we’ve managed to ascertain for sure is that the problem lies inside Carter Jeffries.”

“We need to keep this under wraps, Anderson. We proceed on a strictly need-to-know basis from now on.” It’s a pain in the ass to launch a secret investigation like this ... especially when I handed over $4.4 billion of my own money to Carter Jeffries, confident that having them manage it would take some work off of my plate ... But this can’t be helped; I need to know what’s happening, and I can’t risk raising any red flags before we get to the bottom of this. But you know what pisses me off the most about this whole thing? The fact that I can’t tell Alicia.

My knee-jerk reaction would be to run this whole situation by her; she’s part of the team running my funds after all, but I can’t risk it. I already told her that someone was embezzling money from me, and I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Nothing good will come out of this, and I don’t think that putting her right in the middle of a clusterfuck of a situation like this will help matters.

I don’t even know why in the world I’m so worried about her, but I am. And to think that nothing would've happened between us if my limo hadn’t broken down in the first place. Bad things happen for a reason, sometimes.

“We’ll figure it out, sir,” Anderson tells me, getting up from his chair and extending me his hand. I shake it, and then lean back against the chair as he leaves from my office. I sigh loudly, trying to push away all concerns from my mind. If it weren’t for the fact that I met Alicia, hiring Carter Jeffries would prove to be one costly mistake.

Before I even know what I’m doing, I have my cellphone in my hands and I’m scrolling down the contacts list. I stop when I find ALICIA flashing on the screen, and my thumb hovers over the screen. I’m not sure if being with her is the wisest decision, taking into account everything that’s happening, but I can’t help it. Besides, I need to unwind.

I press her name and take the cellphone to my ear, tapping my foot on the carpeted floor as I hear the first ring tone. The phone rings endlessly, and I’m about to give up when I finally hear her voice from the other side of the line.

“Derek?”

“That’s me. I want to see you, Alicia,” I tell her, not bothering to beat around the bush. Although, to be honest, it’s not a question of want; I need to see her. I’m just not sure about the why. I have dated actresses, top models, and always had my pick of the litter, but I've never felt so drawn to a woman as I do to her.

There’s silence from the other side of the line, as if she’s thinking of the right thing to say. “I’m at the gym now… I’m not sure if it’s a good time,” she stammers, but I cut her short.

“I’ll pick you up,” I tell her curtly, my mind already trying to imagine how she must look in tight yoga pants and a skimpy tank top. Just thinking of that is enough for my cock to twitch inside my pants.

“Are you sure, Derek?”

“I’m sure. In fact, I’m on my way. Just text me the directions.”

“See you soon, then,” she tells me, and I can almost taste the anticipation in her voice.

*

When the limo grinds to a halt in front of Alicia’s gym, she’s already waiting for me, her bag hanging from her shoulder. She has already changed into tight jeans and a casual sweater, and I can’t help but regret that I won’t get to see her in either yoga pants or tight gym shorts.

“Something happened?” she asks me as she steps inside the limo, the scent of her perfume making me dizzy. It reminds me of the taste of her lips on mine, strawberry and lust… I just want to lean in and kiss her neck.

“No,” I tell her with a smile. “I just wanted to see you.”

“You’re not growing needy on me, are you?” she asks me with a teasing smile, and I can’t help but smile back at her.

“I need what I need, Alicia,” I tell her, reaching for her hand and placing mine on top of it. “How was your day?”

“It went great…! I got promoted, so there’s that.”

“Promoted? That's great news; maybe we should celebrate,” I tell her with a grin, squeezing her hand gently. “What’s your position now? You’ll remain on my team, won’t you?”

“Yes, uh… I’m still assigned to you, but… You know, it’s just an upgrade in my job title, nothing more than that,” she stammers, averting her gaze from mine. She’s not telling me the whole story, and I don’t like that one bit. Not at all.

There’s something about the way Carter Jeffries operates that’s making me more and more uncomfortable with each passing day. Somehow, I have the feeling that this whole embezzling situation is just getting started … Maybe I should press her for answers, but there’s no use in that.

She might be hiding something, but so am I.

“Let’s grab something to eat. I’m so hungry you wouldn’t believe it,” she continues, trying to change the conversation. I put on my best smile, trying to push my suspicions to the back of my mind, and nod.

“Sounds good.”

In my chest, my heart is growing heavier. Can there be any connection between Alicia and the embezzler?