CHAPTER SEVEN
Thorn
Another boring day at the office.
I could barely focus, voices droning in the conference room.
Because shit, it was all about Holly now. That curvaceous figure lounging on the bed. Her, spread eagle and screaming for more. That luscious body creaming so hard, jerking and clamping with a cock buried deep in that pussy.
Her virgin pussy.
And now I’d had her ass too.
Oh yeah, the little slut had crammed her fingers into that dark hole, pumping with enthusiasm.
How’d I get so lucky?
What girl does this so easily?
Because Holly was my female, all the way.
But it was more than that. It was her sweetness, the way she was determined to do her best in the world despite being born into a tough situation. Because not many girls would have made it so far. They would have given up on their disabled mothers, ranging far and wide to rid themselves of the unpleasant memories.
But Holly hadn’t. Instead, my girl was loyal. For years now, she’d labored at a series of menial jobs intent on surviving and thriving. Although it’d been tough, Holly had graduated high school, signing up for a flight training seminar with the intent of paying off her mom’s medical debts asap, whether through restructuring or hard work.
And I could tell that bankruptcy scared her. Her voice had been determined, but it had been the slight tremor that gave her away. Because my girl is just eighteen and not so far from childhood herself. And yet she was taking control of her family’s financial affairs, although it was clear that the prospect of bankruptcy devastated her.
I admired the woman for that. Fifty year old men quaver at the thought of braving the courts, but not my girl. She stood firm, listening to my explanation with a level, intelligent expression. Because bankruptcy is bad, of course. It means you’re going to trash your credit score for ten years, while enduring the rigmarole of the legal system.
But it’s not the worst thing in the world. For some people, bankruptcy can be the right choice, depending on the nature and amount of your debts. And maybe for Holly and her mom, it was right.
But I’m only saying maybe. Because a thought seized my mind earlier today, worming into my consciousness. Listening to the brunette talk, looking at those overflowing eyes and the shame that made those pink cheeks flare, gave me an idea.
Why not save the brunette from bankruptcy? Eliminate the need for her to file? After all, how much could her mom’s medical debt be? A couple hundred thousand? A million even? Shit, that was nothing to a billionaire. I made that amount in an hour, the money pouring into my bank account like a flood.
So that was an idea. Saving Holly from bankruptcy. It sounded good, warming my soul, and I bat the idea around in my head a little more. Charity isn’t exactly my thing, but this wasn’t charity. This was something more, an act that spoke to the depths of my heart. Holly hasn’t had much advantage in her life, but I could change that easily.
So why not? It felt like the right thing to do, and one thing I’ve learned as a seasoned businessman is to trust your gut. It’s saved my ass more than once, and made me billions of dollars through dozens of deals. But right now, I was stuck in a dull meeting with a bunch of pasty-faced gray suits. Damn. So different from where I’d been just two hours ago, ensconced in luxury with a giving, luscious girl at my side.
Because I’d left the plane for a meeting in Chicago. Yeah, we were talking about developing some property here, New York style. Bringing some of the glitz of the big city to the Second City, if you get what I mean.
But shit, it was so hard to pay attention. These guys knew nothing, they were so mealy-mouthed and weak.
I pulled out my phone to check my emails. Hmm, there was another meeting with some investors tomorrow. About the Chinese steel industry moving in and potentially pushing us to the wayside, left to shrivel and die.
Fuck that.
I was ready.
Whatever came, they were no match for me.
After all, this business has been in my blood for a long time now. When you start from nothing, you see every part of how things work, down to the nuts and bolts of the nuts and bolts. That’s right. Details that you never imagined are ingrained on my mind, familiar as the back of my hand.
And unfortunately, these idiots right now had no idea what they were talking about.
One of the junior execs was clicking through Powerpoint slides at a glacial pace. There were stats about A. Stats about B. Stats about A and B combined, plus C and D for good measure.
Shit. This was so stupid.
Because the statistics were wrong. Anyone with a brain on their head could tell that the figures had been inflated, jimmied and jiggled so that they looked good but were actually false.
So my mind drifted to its favorite subject, ignoring the noise.
Holly.
After all, the girl was so fresh and nubile. She’d been so concerned about being safe, about pulling out and whatnot. Please, pretty baby. Guys don’t pull out. Not real alphas, at least. It’s just something we say to get you panting and compliant. What a silly little girl.
And yet, it was more than that. The brunette had hopes and dreams, her keen intelligence obvious. She’d listened to my explanation of the bankruptcy process carefully, asking questions that demonstrated her intellect and ability to learn.
Plus, Holly was open-minded for sure. The cuffs hadn’t scared her the first time. Well, maybe a little bit, but she’d taken to them like a champ. Some girls would act all huffy and refuse to do things they felt were dirty or stupid, and yet Holly had done them all. Hesitantly at first, but when my girl got on a roll, things happened fast. Oh yeah, the little slut was creaming hard soon enough, four fingers crammed into her butt.
After all, we were only on trip two, and yet there’d already been so many firsts. Her pussy. Her ass. Maybe I’d use her mouth next. The prospect was exciting, for sure. Especially now, when I was stuck in the middle of this boring board meeting.
Suddenly, one of the execs cleared his throat, wrenching me away from my visuals.
“Mr. Evans, we could use your guidance on how to finesse the Chicago market. The Midwest is new to us, and it’s important to remain relevant yet aggressive in the face of the competition.”
I drummed my fingers on the conference table, staring at the multi-colored slide.
“It’s the Mackeys. If anyone understands the cutthroat competition of business, it’s them. We need to be strong in the fight. If we take a step back in order to play fair, they’ll see us as weak and pull out of the other deals.”
The execs murmured and nodded to one another. I leaned back in my chair, a king on his throne.
That’s right; I always have the answers.
More slides swept over the screen. Prospective clients who could be easily won, and those who would take further negotiation. I chuckled, wondering what my wide-eyed little Holly would think of an exotic place like China.
It’d be nice to take her on a trip.
Somewhere foreign and new.
I wanted to show her the world.
What the fuck? What was I thinking? This girl was a paid companion, not my girlfriend.
I’d gotten carried away.
But still, showing her the world from one of our new highrises would be the ultimate. The Chinese do know how to lay the luxury on thick, and Holly hadn’t had any niceties in her life until now.
Plus, the brunette was so responsive to every touch. Squealing. Squirming. Crying. Her cunt creaming like mad, eager for more. And that ass. Oh yeah, I’d crammed it full in one fell stroke, and yet she’d taken dick in her back hole like a champ.
My champ.
This girl belonged to me, every inch of that beautiful body. Her mind too, that flexible, intelligent brain that turned me on.
Suddenly, my reverie was interrupted again.
“Mr. Evans?” I looked up. A secretary held a phone in my direction, her look apologetic.
“Yes?” was my growl. “What’s the problem? We’re in a meeting here.”
She ducked her head, embarrassed.
“Yes, but Ryver Holdings is on the line. The caller said it was urgent.”
What the fuck?
What could be so urgent?
But I knew what it was. Nick Ryver has been a rival of mine for decades now. The guy is old and wizened but don’t let his troll-like appearance fool you. Because that dude is sharp as a tack, even in his advanced age.
I took the phone from Annie. The execs pretended to be interested in the floor and conference table. “Hello?”
The wheezing voice of Nick Ryver filled my ear.
“Evans, eh?” he began. Who used “eh” these days? But evidently, Ryver thought of himself as an English gentleman.
“Get on with it,” I barked.
“Well, tweedle-dee to you too!” he breezed, not at all intimidated. I could just see the ancient guy, lounging back with a biscuit in hand, tea at his elbow. “So what’s going on with your project?” he wheedled. “You know, the one that’s been having all that trouble.”
What the fuck?
That was none of his business. What the hell was wrong with him, even asking? We’re competitors for crying out loud. You don’t discuss this kind of shit with someone who’d just as soon cut you off at the knees.
And we were done. I didn’t care if this guy was eighty with one foot in the grave. Because this was just fucking weird, not to mention annoying. So I hung up without a word and handed the phone back to the secretary.
“Next time that ankle-biter calls, don’t answer,” was my mild refrain. “I don’t care who he says he is, or how important the matter is. Do not disturb me.”
“Of course,” she bowed her head, practically in tears. And then the middle-aged woman scurried out, back hunched.
I felt bad. I hadn’t meant to intimidate her. But seriously. Why had I been interrupted during a meeting to speak to Nick Ryver of all people? Fuck my life.
The execs coughed, shifting in their seats. Clearly, they were uncomfortable witnessing that exchange, but what did I care? That was their problem.
So I took control, guiding the meeting with a sure hand.
“So where were we again? Is construction under way already? Or are we still waiting for permits?”
Thoroughly ruffled, the junior exec continued with his presentation, hands shaking.
“Our team has put together a proposal for negotiations with the Mackeys. We need your authorization,” he murmured as another man passed me a thick packet of paper.
I sighed and flipped through it; standard legal mumbo jumbo. I scribbled my signature and handed it back, already onto the next thing. Normally, you can’t go easy with shit like this. It has to be read and re-read to make sure that everything’s kosher.
But today wasn’t the day. I just wanted things done.
And the minute the presentation was over, I stood, towering above the others.
“Thank you gentlemen,” came my growl. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s get moving.”
And immediately, a hubbub of relief sounded. Because they’d thought the decision would take weeks, or even months.
But for me, this shit is easy. The pros and cons are obvious, nuances that escape others completely clear as day to an old hand.
So I could make a decision fast.
And just like that, it was done.
I headed towards the door then, no goodbye necessary.
These fools had met the king. And I had better things to do now which included meeting up with one very beautiful, sensuous female … who’d taken hold of my mind and heart unexpectedly.