I don’t hear anything new from Aaron for two weeks, and I start to think I’m safe.

But I know I shouldn’t feel that way. The bastard is going to get his hooks in me, I can already feel it. I mean, he knocked me up, and now he wants even more. He wants the baby and he wants me, and he’s not being shy about any of it.

He should be shy. He’s ruining my life, screwing with all my plans, turning me into a glorified salesman. He wants me to explain my designs to a bunch of old white heads instead of doing the actual work to make my designs a reality.

I get two weeks without him, and every single day that passes within hearing anything just makes my anxiety grow more and more. Grow like the baby inside of me.

I can almost forget that I’m pregnant, at least until I get home and want to drink a glass of wine, or when I’m nauseous or overly tired or any of the million little nagging annoyances that come with being pregnant. I wish men could go through this, there’d be free birth control on every freaking street corner if they could. Not that free birth control would do anything for my situation.

It’s almost two weeks to the day when my boss calls me into his office. I feel like I’m walking to the hangman as I pass through the cube farm, my fellow engineers looking up at me like I’m marching to my death. Harold, my boss and the head engineer, has a tiny little closet of an office next to the break room. I knock once and enter, stopping dead in my tracks when both Harold and Aaron look up at me, Aaron grinning huge and Harold looking vaguely annoyed.

“Riley, take a seat,” Harold says.

I slip into the room and sit in the only open chair. I glare at Aaron and he just smiles back impassively, as if he doesn’t know he’s ruining my fucking life. “What can I do for you, boss?” I say to Harold.

“Been talking with Aaron here,” Harold says, gesturing at him. “He has some… interesting ideas.”

“Ideas Mitchell Trainor would very much like see implemented,” he adds, still smiling that serene little grin.

It makes me want to scream.

“Absolutely not,” I say before anyone can explain.

Harold sighs. “Just listen, okay?”

“No, Harold, you listen. I am absolutely not working with this guy. I mean, come on.”

Harold grimaces and looks at Aaron, but he doesn’t seem to mind. “Don’t worry, it won’t be forever,” Aaron says. “I know the engineering department needs you.”

Harold sighs. “Aaron here believes you’ll be of use to him in teaching prospective clients on how our technology is better than our competitors.” I go to interrupt, but Harold speaks louder. “Now, I know, these are mostly your designs, but we don’t need you sitting around here doing grunt work anymore, Riley. The team can implement what you’ve created while you’re on the road.”

I stare at the two men, Aaron grinning like an angel and Harold looking gloomy and annoyed. “Is this really happening?” I ask.

“Yes,” Aaron answers. “It’s happening. I’m sorry, Riley. I know it isn’t what you want, but trust me, this is for the good of the company.”

Harold practically rolls his eyes at that. “It’s only temporary,” he says. “A few months at most.”

“Months?” I feel like my world is crumbling down. This is my biggest nightmare coming to life. I thought Aaron would let me go after what he already did to me, but clearly I was wrong. He doesn’t care about anything but his own projects. He doesn’t give a crap about my own ambitions.

Although he wants to raise my baby…

I banish that thought as soon as it appears. No weakness, no pity. I don’t care how handsome he is and how willing he is to raise this baby. I don’t care how much he wants me. I have to think about my future.

“I won’t do it,” I declare. “I’ll quit.”

Harold groans. “You can’t quit,” he says.

“You can,” Aaron interrupts him. “Actually, whenever you want.”

I blink. “I can?”

“Of course,” he says. “Legally, we can’t stop you.”

“Oh, well, good,” I answer, gathering myself up. “If you force me to do this—”

“But if you do quit,” Aaron speaks up, interrupting me. “We retain all rights to your design. All your hard work will be for nothing, because we keep the panel technology, and you’re just another random engineer on the job market.”

I sit there, mouth hanging open. Now Harold looks outright hostile, but he’s not saying a word in my defense, probably because everything Aaron’s saying is true.

I look back and forth between these two men and my anger flares hot and dark. I’m sick of this bullshit, sick of being bullied by Aaron and backstabbed by other men in my life. I designed these panels, I did all the work, and now they want to tear me away and force me to do something I don’t want to do? I thought I was important to this company, but clearly not. I’m just someone Aaron wants to fuck, a breeder he wants to use, and when this is all through I bet he’ll just discard me or some crap like that.

I stand up suddenly. “I won’t do it,” I say, turning away from Harold’s desk. “Sorry, but I won’t.”

I pull open his office door and storm out. I hear Harold say something behind me, but I don’t stop. I don’t care. I can’t bring myself to turn back and face what I’ve just done. Maybe I’m torching my career and making a horrible choice but it doesn’t matter. This is the choice I’m making. I’m standing up for my principles, even if I really don’t want to.

I get back to my desk, and I hear a pair of footsteps hurrying to catch up. “I don’t want to hear it,” I say to Aaron as he approaches.

The cocky grin is gone. He holds up his hands. “I come in peace.”

“The hell you do. I told you I didn’t want to get involved in that stuff, and now you’re forcing my hand. You’re an asshole, Aaron.” I realize that I’m speaking loudly, practically yelling, but I can’t stop it. “You’re a salesman, a slimeball, and you’re a dick. I won’t help you. Do it yourself, asshole.”

Everyone’s staring at us now, but I’m too angry to feel ashamed. Aaron’s face is a little embarrassed, but mostly he just sighs and shakes his head. “Riley, listen. There’s more in it for you than you realize.”

That makes me pause. “What the fuck is in this for me?” I snap at him.

“I did some negotiating. I’m not going to just yank you away from what you want to do without offering something first.”

I pause. “And if I turn it down?”

“Then fine, you turn it down. I won’t force you. I’m not going to make you quit.”

I blink and slowly all my rage dissipates. “Really? You’re not forcing me?”

“No,” he says, laughing a little bit. “I’m not a fucking monster. Although I am a little slimy.”

I look away, down at the floor.

“Come on, let’s talk. Just for a second, okay?”

I sigh. I feel bad about lashing out at him now, although he did deserve it. “Fine,” I say. “Let’s talk.”

I follow him into the break room, everyone’s eyes still on us. Harold’s standing in the doorway to his office, and he gives me a pained look. I try not to meet anyone’s gaze as I hustle in behind Aaron.

He sits down at a table and I join him. “Okay, what are you offering me?”

“First of all, holy shit, Riley.” He laughs, shaking his head. “You really lost your shit.”

“Asshole.”

“The office is going to talk about that one for years.”

“Okay, I get it.”

“I mean, seriously—”

“I bet it,” I snap at him, anger coming back. “Do you exist just to piss me off?”

“Yeah,” he says softly, smiling less now. “I think I do.”

I groan and lean back. “Okay, just tell me what you’re offering.”

“Two percent share in all proceeds for ten years,” he says, his smile coming back in spades.

I stare at him, eyes wide. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” he says, nodding. “Apparently the board thinks you’ll have ground to sue them in the future over ownership.”

“How? I thought I signed it all away?”

He shrugs, grinning. “I don’t know. I think someone convinced them otherwise.”

I sigh but can’t stop the smile. “You asshole.”

“Yeah, but you like it when it’s used in your favor.”

“So if I do this, you’ll make sure I get that two percent?”

“Yes,” he says. “And that’ll be a lot of money.”

“A lot of money,” I echo. “And all I have to do is spend a lot of time with you.”

“Pretty much,” he says. “Could be worse.”

“Maybe,” I say, smiling, but I have a strange feeling in my chest. I don’t know what it is and can’t really explain it, but I think it’s dread.

All I have to do is work with Aaron. It won’t be forever, and it won’t destroy my career. On the contrary, I’ll be getting credit for my innovations plus a whole lot of money. This could set me up for life.

All because of Aaron. I don’t really know what he gets out of this deal, other than time with me. I don’t know how he managed this, but I suspect a lot of lying and charm was involved. I’m not going to question him about that, since he’s right, I like that he’s an asshole when it works out in my favor.

“Okay,” I say finally. “I’ll do it.”

His grin is huge. “Great, we can start—”

“But you have to promise something,” I say before he can finish.

He stops and nods. “Anything.”

“We keep it professional.”

His grin could blind the dead. “Of course. When have I acted anything but professional?”

I groan and look away. I can’t help but feel like I’m making a deal with the devil, except this devil I want to fuck just as much as I want to hit him right in the jaw. It’s confusing, it’s messed up, and I’m going to be in the thick of it for some time to come.