***
They had been sitting in the board meeting for over an hour by the time Sasha was called upon to give her presentation. The tension in the room was already incredibly high as each consultant and head of department delivered their work to the six board members sitting at the far end of the room.
Sasha had listened to each person laying out their thoughts and had studiously taken notes whenever there was a point she wished to pick up on, but couldn’t help feeling distracted throughout. Daniel Warrington had been staring at her all through the meeting, most likely trying to psyche her out. His piercing blue eyes seemed to be embedding themselves into her skull, perhaps in an attempt to make her do his bidding. She huffed a small sigh to herself as she shook her head and tried to concentrate. After writing a short note, she looked up to see Daniel still staring at her, but this time a small smile was playing across his face. What is he doing? Sasha thought, as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
It didn’t help matters at all that he was insanely attractive, all cheekbones and square jaw like a model, but with a short stubbly beard peppered with grey hair. His dark hair was beginning to go grey early, but it suited him quite well, especially with those icy blue eyes.
Get a grip of yourself! Sasha chided herself inwardly. She risked another glance at Daniel, who was now smirking to himself. Damn it! He knows I like him. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and she had to look down at her papers to try and compose herself.
As soon as she was asked to present her findings, Sasha stood and expertly went through the documents that had been placed in front of everyone in the room. It was clear she had a mountain to climb in terms of making the board listen to her, especially as everyone before Sasha had agreed with Daniel that the merger should go ahead. However, Sasha was confident that her detailed findings were enough to stop the disastrous merger from happening.
She explained that the merger was likely to fail because of two insurmountable issues. The first problem was the integration of the systems within the banks, which would cause major upheaval to clients and staff, as well as cause problems with financial reporting. The second issue was the cultural differences in the two companies.
“Having researched the cultural differences within the two banks, it is clear that the top down hierarchy within Warrington Private Bank will be difficult for Bulmer Bank to assimilate. Bulmers are used to operating in a horizontal hierarchy, with global responsibility on each staff member. They will not integrate well with Warrington Enterprises and this struggle to adjust to a top down hierarchy will be costly in terms of staff retention as well as service offered to all stakeholders. Without at least exploring the opportunity of allowing Bulmers to operate as is, and keeping their bespoke systems, I believe this merger will be disastrous for both organizations.”
After her presentation, she opened the floor for questions. Immediately, Daniel held his hand up and dismissed her.
“Thank you Ms Bond. Your scaremongering tactics are sure to put the frighteners on everyone, but can we get back to business now?”
The room erupted in an uncomfortable laughter. Sasha held her ground.
“Mr. Warrington, I was hired to consult on this merger as my expertise lies in the acquisition of companies such as the one you are looking to acquire. My findings show that at the very least the merger should be put on hold. If you rush into completing the merger on the basis of using Warrington Private Finance’s legacy systems, the fallout will be disastrous.”
“I’m well aware of the financials, Ms Bond. You seem to have very little faith in Warrington Private Finance’s systems to handle the merger,” Daniel said, not liking her insubordination.
“That’s because they are incapable of handling the customer base that Bulmer Bank will bring in. Their systems are far more advanced and capable of expansion. They are also more in line with the Financial Authority’s requirements going forward. It seems crazy to me that you would choose the older systems over the new.”
“Oh, it’s crazy now, is it? Warrington Private Finance’s systems are more than capable of amalgamating Bulmer Bank!” Daniel’s tone shot a warning at Sasha, his icy blue eyes sparkling. It was frustrating him that she didn’t want to back down. It also frustrated him that he was really intrigued by this feisty young woman with the long dark hair and defiant eyes.
Sasha swallowed hard, looked at Daniel with disbelief and then turned to the board.
“Well, put it this way. If you had to choose between two cars, what would you drive? A brand new, state of the art model which was guaranteed to be compatible with the future, or the sad, old, worn out banger, ready for the scrap heap?”
“That’s quite enough, Ms Bond!” Daniel rose out of his chair and everyone turned to stare at him. “I’ve heard enough. This is ridiculous!”
“My research and statistics don’t lie, Daniel!”
There was a chorus of gasps in the room at the use of Daniel’s first name. No one in the company had ever called him by his first name, it was expressly forbidden. Daniel narrowed his eyes at Sasha, who was still standing staring at him, an insolent look in her eyes. He couldn’t believe that she was just standing there, looking at him with those intense brown eyes, those luscious lips set apart, teasing him.
“This meeting is over,” Daniel said quietly in a deadly tone, before heading towards the door. “Ms Bond, in my office. Now.”
As Daniel left the room, one of the younger managers looked at Sasha sympathetically. “Good luck,” he said before joining the rest of his colleagues.
Sasha sighed and gathered her papers together, then walked down the wooden paneled corridor to Daniel’s office. Instead of waiting on his PA escorting her in, she stalked straight in to find him looking out of the floor to ceiling windows.
“Why the hell did you hire me if you didn’t want to hear the truth?” Sasha demanded.
Daniel didn’t turn to face her. Sasha continued to stand there for a moment, staring at Daniel’s broad shoulders tensing in his well-tailored navy, pinstriped suit. He continued to look out the window, weighing up his options. He wanted to shout at her, to make her submit to his power. He wasn’t used to anyone questioning his authority and he couldn’t make up his mind if he wanted to squash her like a bug or kiss her. One thing was certain: he needed to get her on his side, and fast, if he wanted to save this merger deal.
“Sit down, Ms Bond.”
Sasha shifted her feet. “I’d rather stand.”
Daniel turned to face her now, his eyes narrowed in annoyance.
“Don’t you do anything you are told?”
“I’m sorry, what? Do you think I’m a dog?”
Daniel frowned at her, uncomprehending. Sasha walked closer to him.
“Mr. Warrington,” she enunciated through gritted teeth, “my job in this company is to consult you on matters to do with the merger. I gave you my findings and you treated me like I was a child you could dismiss.”
Daniel stared at her, ready to give her a dressing down for being so insubordinate. But he couldn’t help admire the young woman who was standing her ground in front of him. Most of his employees would have caved by then and agreed to do his bidding.
“I ought to fire you for your insubordination.”
“Why? For calling you Daniel? Come on! This is the twenty first century and you still have people running around after you as though you are the King, instead of an employer willing to listen to his employees. This is precisely why your merger with Bulmer Bank will fail. They have a horizontal hierarchy. Their working culture clashes too much with your working culture. They are not used to working with such outdated views. I’d have thought that with you being a young man, you’d be able to see that your style of management would not suit Bulmers. But clearly not. Everything in this corporation depends on the man at the top. You.”
Sasha jutted out her chin defiantly, her unruffled demeanor giving Daniel pause. I wonder what it would be like to bite that bottom lip, he thought. Blinking slowly as he collected his thoughts, he moved closer to Sasha so that they were close enough to kiss.
Sasha drew in her breath but maintained her stance. He smelled good enough to eat. Daniel suddenly smiled, which threw her off balance.
“Okay, I’ll bite,” he said, “come out to dinner with me tonight, and you can explain to me what you think I should do differently.”
Sasha frowned, not entirely sure she had heard correctly. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You say that a lot, don’t you?” he teased.
Suddenly feeling a little sheepish for being so intense, Sasha smiled. “Yes, I do. Usually when I’m completely confused.”
“What’s so confusing? I invited you out for dinner. All you need to do is say yes and I’ll arrange to pick you up tonight at eight.”
“Yes.” The word was out of her mouth before she had time to engage her brain. Well, shit, she thought. After giving him her address to pick her up, Sasha left Daniel’s office in a daze.
Daniel sat down at his desk and contemplated how he would use their dinner date to his advantage. It was clear she was attracted to him and if there was one thing he knew, it was how to seduce a woman into doing exactly what he wanted. He smiled to himself as he prepared for his next meeting, knowing that by the end of the night, he would have Ms Sasha Bond melting like butter in his hands.
***
Daniel’s breath was taken away as Sasha slid into his car that evening. She was wearing a mauve dress that hit her curves in all the right places, hugging her hips and her breasts and skimming over her hard won flat stomach. Her dark hair tumbled in soft waves around her face, framing her porcelain skin beautifully. She looked like a vintage movie star and Daniel smiled at the fact that the seduction he was planning would be easy on him, given that she was so attractive.
Sasha smiled in approval at Daniel’s taste in cars. The silver Mercedes AMG GTS was sporty and fast.
“Nice car,” she smiled as he drove away from her apartment and into town.
“I like German engineering.”
Figures, Sasha thought as they moved into traffic and headed to Midtown.
When they arrived at Masa, Sasha’s eyes widened at the beautifully simple décor, as they were escorted to a private table away from other guests.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Daniel smiled as they looked at the set menu. Sasha had never eaten in Masa before but had heard so much about the amazing food that she could barely wait to get started.
They ordered sake for the table and waited as the starters were brought out. Small dishes of seaweed, cucumber and clam salad, Toro tartar topped with caviar and a pike eel hot pot in a rich sauce served with bread arrived, and they both moaned and gasped as they worked their way through the taste sensations being presented to them.
“This is absolutely delicious, Mr. Warrington,” Sasha said pointedly.
Daniel’s mouth quirked up in a crooked smile. “Please. You’ve already broken the cardinal sin of using my first name in front of the board and my employees. Just call me Daniel. At least while we’re not at work.”
Sasha sipped her sake and crossed her legs under the table. “Okay then, Daniel. So, where do you want to start with the merger?”
“No. Let’s not. Why don’t we enjoy our meal and each other’s company? There’s plenty of time to talk business later.”
Relaxing visibly, Sasha nodded her head. “I can agree to that.”
“Wow, so there are some things you agree with?” Daniel teased and they both laughed.
After the exquisite starters, the sushi arrived and they began tasting the tiny, perfectly prepared morsels.
“Oh my gosh, you have got to try the sea bream,” Sasha exclaimed, before picking some up in her chopsticks and holding it out for Daniel to try. Bemused, Daniel leaned forward and took the sushi into his mouth.
“Wow,” he agreed, chewing the delicately fragranced fish. “That’s the first time someone’s tried to feed me since I was a child.”
Sasha’s hand flew up to her mouth in embarrassment. “Oh, I’m sorry. For a moment I completely forgot that you’re Daniel Warrington and I fed you like you were one of my friends. I’m so embarrassed. I really don’t know what I did with my manners. Can you see them for me? Are they down by your chair?”
Daniel laughed and pretended to look on the floor beside his chair. “No, they’re definitely not there. I think you might have left them in the cloakroom.”
“Well, damn,” Sasha grinned, lifting another piece of sushi up for Daniel to try. He smiled at her as he ate the succulent roll then wiped his face with his napkin. Sasha regarded him with her eyes narrowed.
“You’re really not so bad, are you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when you invited me out for dinner I thought you would be stiff as a board, just like you are at work. But you’re actually quite a lot of fun. I never figured you for having a sense of humor.”
Daniel’s face looked thunderous and he slammed his chopsticks down, which made Sasha realize that perhaps she had gone a little bit too far. Again, her hand flew up to her mouth.
“Shit. I’m so sorry. That was really rude.”
Suddenly Daniel burst out laughing, a loud raucous laugh, and he shook his head as he struggled to speak. “If you could see your face!”
Realizing she had been played, Sasha’s cheeks reddened and she pouted her lips at him. He stopped laughing as he began to think about kissing those juicy lips again.
“Ahem, yes, well. You are really quite forward with your views, aren’t you?”
“I guess so. I’ve always been like this. I say it like it is.”
“I’m not used to that.”
Sasha leaned back in her chair. “I can see that. I’m sorry if I upset your applecart.”
Daniel groaned at the cliché and they both laughed again.
“So what do you do to relax? When you’re not running Warrington Enterprises singlehandedly?”
“I work out. I watch movies. I eat. I sleep. Normal things.”
“Daniel Warrington watches movies?” Sasha gasped theatrically.
“Well I do have a cinema room and can watch movies that are in the theaters in the privacy of my own home.”
“That’s so cool,” Sasha nodded enviously. “Although I guess it must suck sometimes, not being able to go to the cinema like any normal person.”
“Why would it suck? I’ve never known any different.” Daniel leaned forward on his elbow and drank his sake. “I’m lucky to have been brought up in the world I live in. All I’ve known is privilege. I can’t miss what I’ve not had.”
“Don’t you get lonely?”
“Why would you think that?” Daniel frowned, confused.
“I don’t know. You never seem to be in the newspapers with your arm round some supermodel.”
“Just because I don’t get caught by the paparazzi doesn’t mean I’m not having fun. Look where I am tonight. In the best restaurant in New York, with the most beautiful woman I’ve seen in years.”
Sasha drew her breath in sharply. She hadn’t expected this. Suddenly feeling shy, she looked down at the table. Daniel’s hand reached out and he touched her chin.
“Look at me, Sasha.”
He tilted her chin and she looked him in the eyes. He was staring at her as though he wanted her. Her pulse jumped in her neck and she could feel her heartbeat in her ears. If the pressure didn’t release soon, she felt like she was going to explode.
“Your eyes…” she whispered, and trailed off. Daniel simply smiled at her.
“Shall we go somewhere more private?”
Sasha could only nod as he held her gaze. Sitting back in his chair, he signaled for the waiter to bring the bill. Sasha continued to watch him as he paid the bill and then rose from her chair and allowed him to rest his arm on her back as he escorted her from the restaurant.
When they reached the car, Daniel turned and took hold of her face in both hands.
“I’ve been meaning to do this since this morning,” he said softly, as he leaned in and gently parted her lips with his own, nipping her bottom lip between his teeth before kissing her softly.
A soft moan escaped Sasha’s mouth as she leaned into his kiss, her lips parting to allow him to access her further. His tongue darted inside her mouth and his hand trailed down her back to her ass, as he pulled her body closer to his. She could feel that he was already aroused and this realization made her kiss him back hungrily, as she felt her inner muscles clenching at the thought of him being inside her.
Pulling apart, they got into the car and Daniel drove uptown to his apartment. He parked the car in the garage under the building and they rode up in his private elevator to the top floor. They were greeted at the door by his butler, who took a drinks order from them and retired to his bedroom.
Sasha sat on a dark gray sofa, sipping her drink. As soon as the butler disappeared, Daniel pulled her up and led her to his own bedroom. She stood in the doorway and admired the view over New York. The room itself was large with pale stone colored walls on two sides. The other two walls were glass from floor to ceiling, framed with blinds that had been left open.
Sasha walked over to the window and looked out at the lights below.
“You’re lucky.”
“In more ways than one,” Daniel agreed, as he slid his arms around her waist from behind and planted soft kisses along her shoulder.
She turned round to face him and he looked at her in wonder. “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered, as her mouth devoured his in a deep, passionate kiss.
He continued to kiss her as he led her towards the bed, pushing her gently on top of the soft white Egyptian cotton comforter. He climbed on top of her as she laid back and he held her hands down as he leaned in to kiss her over and over. Sasha’s back arched as she moaned into his lips and her legs curled around his back.
“Someone is eager,” Daniel breathed into Sasha’s ear as he snaked his hand down to feel her pubic mound over her soft silk panties. “I trust you have as exquisite a taste in lingerie as I imagine you to have,” he smirked as he sat up then nodded appreciatively at the silk panties and garter belt holding up her seamed stockings. He kissed along the bare piece of skin between the garter belt and stockings, a move that made her shiver and gasp loudly.
“Seamed stockings, eh? I noticed you wear those every day at work. It’s not often a woman goes to the trouble of wearing such alluring hosiery these days.”
“I like to feel good under my clothes. Vintage lingerie is far more elegant than the modern styles most women wear,” Sasha breathed as Daniel’s fingers circled ever closer to her opening.
“It’s such as shame that you have soiled your panties this evening. I wonder what caused that.” Daniel whispered teasingly as he bent closer to sniff her juices.
“Ah, I wonder, indeed!” Sasha said and then trailed off into a loud, shuddering sigh as Daniel’s teeth brushed her panties aside and his tongue lapped up her labia.
Sasha’s hips rose to meet Daniel’s face as he buried it inside her lips, gently kissing and licking the soft, hairless flesh. He paused to admire the silky skin.
“I would never have imagined you to have no hair down here.”
“Like I said, I like to feel nice.”
Then Sasha laughed as she thought of the ludicrous situation she was in, discussing her genital grooming preferences with her billionaire boss. He soon showed her it was no laughing matter however, as he began to lap at the skin around her clitoris and she began to lose herself in the sensations of his hot wet tongue teasing the nub out of its hiding hole. When he had skillfully brought her to the edge several times and eased off each time leaving her uttering profanities at him, he finally teased around her clitoris until she grasped at the bed covers, threw her head back and bucked wildly as the orgasm ripped through her body.
Daniel didn’t let up and continued to lap at her soft, wet juices as she writhed from the aftershocks, closed her eyes and relaxed into the sensations.
Finally, after climbing down from the release, she opened her eyes to note that Daniel had stripped naked. He was standing beside her in all his glory. Sasha sat up and rested on her elbows and looked at him stroking his cock.
She was shocked that the uptight Mr. Billionaire had some tattoos on his chest and arms. He was toned but not overly muscled, and had a tan which was fading from a prior vacation. She couldn’t imagine him ever taking vacations.
Daniel looked down at the woman lying on his bed. It was unusual for the women in his room to still be fully clothed and for him to be naked. Usually it was the other way round. There seemed to be something different about this particular woman. She looked so alluring with that vintage look that she favored. So prim and proper, a Little Miss Know It All, but underneath it all he knew she was just dying for someone to take her in hand. Tonight, that would be him.
“Take off your clothes,” Daniel commanded.
Sasha’s left eyebrow rose at the command, but she stood and languorously peeled off her dress. As it fell to the floor, Daniel traced her skin with his eyes.
“The underwear too.”
Sasha unclipped her stockings and rolled them down, careful to show off her long, lean limbs as she did so. She knew that she was teasing Daniel but it excited her that he was obviously so attracted. Finally, she slipped off her bra and panties and they stood in front of one another, waiting.
Daniel moved first and stepped so close to Sasha that she stumbled backwards. He caught her with one hand around her waist and the other hand snaked around her hair, grasped it tight and moved her head upwards so that he could devour her mouth. Holding her in place, he invaded her mouth with his tongue and she groaned as her body collapsed against him.
Still grasping her hair, he manipulated her so that she was backed against the wall. Then he turned her around and pushed her hands on to the wall, then pulled her ass outwards so she was bent slightly at the waist. Grabbing her hips, he slid his long, thick cock slowly to the tip of her vulva, teasing her until she was begging him to go inside.
When he finally slid inside they both groaned as her tight walls gave way to allow him to slide his shaft deep inside her. As Daniel slowly began to rotate his hips to pull himself all the way back out, he danced his fingers gently across her back, making her emit tiny yips before he finally settled his hands on her shoulders.
Sasha pleaded with him as his cock grazed her vulva again before plunging it slowly and deeply inside her. She had never had anyone tease her in this way, having only been used to men using the ‘wham bam thank you ma’am’ method on her before. She couldn’t understand how Daniel could resist the urge to just fuck her frenetically but she didn’t want the long slow tease to stop as every time he pulled out, the nerve endings at the entrance to her vagina were teased and sent her closer to the edge.
Once again a deep orgasm ripped through Sasha’s body and her inner muscles milked Daniel’s cock. Finally, he began to increase the pace and as Sasha continued to orgasm, her tight walls pulsed around him and brought him to the edge of release. When he came it was with a deep, guttural growl and Sasha was still writhing against him as he collapsed against her back.
Wrapping his arms around her body, he pulled her close to him. Maneuvering them to the bed, he collapsed and pulled her towards him so that he could kiss her. Sasha’s cheeks were red with exertion, her lips plump and full. Her eyes were fluttering open and shut and she couldn’t manage more than a few grunts when Daniel asked her if she was okay.
“You like being teased like that, don’t you?”
Sasha nodded and murmured her agreement.
“Good girl,” Daniel smiled, while stroking her hair.
“I like being a good girl,” Sasha mumbled, feeling more than a little squirmy inside. She could definitely go another round with this man. All night long if he made her feel like he had just done.
“Oh you do, do you?”
“Mhmmm,” Sasha replied lazily.
“Do you like being told what to do?” Daniel propped himself up to look at Sasha.
“Sometimes. It depends on what I get in return.”
“Oh, I see, so it’s not just the idea of being a good girl for being a good girl’s sake? You want something in return?”
Sasha popped one eye open. “Well, if I’m going to be a good girl, then I expect to be rewarded for being a good girl.”
Daniel traced his fingers down Sasha’s body towards her mound. He caressed the soft skin and then dipped his fingers inside to find her clitoris. She moaned as he grazed the still-sensitive skin.
“What kind of reward do you like?”
“This is good,” Sasha giggled.
“Would you like to be my good girl?”
“What do you mean?” She moaned as her back arched.
“Well, if you were to be a good girl for me, I could reward you very nicely.”
Sasha bucked her hips towards Daniel’s fingers. “I’m listening,” she shuddered as he teased her clit.
Daniel moved his body over hers so that they were face to face. His fingers pressed a little harder on her clit, causing her to gasp.
“Well, let’s see. There’s a little issue you and I have been grappling with,” he whispered as he teased her closer to the edge. “The merger.”
“What about it?” Sasha gasped, distracted by his fingers dancing quickly across the sensitized skin.
“Well, in order for you to be my good girl, which I know you really want…well, I would need you to back off on your ideas about the merger. Do you understand what I’m getting at?”
Sasha squirmed as his finger pressed firmly into her clit, sending her nearly over the edge. She froze mid-squirm and her hand flew down, clamping on top of his.
“Stop!”
Sasha wrenched Daniel’s hand away from her and pushed him away. Scrambling, she jumped off the bed and looked down at Daniel’s confused face in disgust.
“So that’s what this whole thing has been about?”
“What?” Daniel asked smoothly.
“This! Inviting me to dinner, bringing me here, seducing me. All in the hope I would recant my findings on the bank merger. Un-fucking-believable!”
Daniel cleared his throat and looked up at her innocently. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Oh you little– How dare you! Did you really think that you could seduce me into doing what you want? I am employed by your company to research and give honest results based on years of experience working in this sector. I gave my findings to you at the board meeting. If this merger goes ahead, you stand to lose millions, and you could ruin a wonderful company which is getting on just nicely without your draconian dictatorial ways.”
Sasha began to pace the room, gathering up her clothes. She pulled on her bra and panties and slipped into her dress.
“You are unbelievable. How dare you!”
“How dare I?” Daniel repeated, mockingly.
“My God! I thought you were being sincere, that you actually liked me. And all this, was just a ruse to get me to do your bidding. You are sick, Daniel Warrington! Sick!”
Daniel stood up and grabbed her wrists.
“Let go of me!” She screamed, wrenching her wrists free. “Get away from me.”
“Oh, grow up!” Daniel spat. “It was worth a shot. I’ve worked this whole year trying to get this merger to go through. The last thing I needed was you coming in and messing the whole thing up, Miss Goody Two Shoes.”
“You really don’t care about anything other than money, do you?” Sasha shouted.
“Well, that’s how I got where I am today. This is me. As I said, it was worth a shot.”
Sasha stared at him in disgust. “Worth a shot? Jesus, you seduced me just because of your merger? I feel sick!”
She grabbed her purse and stalked out of Daniel’s apartment, leaving him sitting on his bed. He sighed in frustration as he leaned on his elbows and ran his hands through his hair. This hadn’t gone exactly to plan and he was furious that Sasha hadn’t given in to his plan.
Sasha arrived home and kicked off her heels. She peeled off her clothes and marched straight into the bathroom, turning on the shower and letting the scalding water bounce off her skin. She quickly lathered shower gel over her body in an attempt to rid herself of the smell and memory of the night.
After drying herself off, she climbed into bed and stared at the ceiling. She couldn’t believe that Daniel had used her in that way. She couldn’t believe that she had allowed him to seduce her. What made it worse was that she was genuinely attracted to him and the sex they had had was the best ever. She thought she had felt a connection to him but he just turned out to be like all the rest of the users and manipulators she had ever met.
Both Daniel and Sasha tossed and turned that night and neither of them got much sleep. The night had ended so badly that both of them just wanted to forget what had happened.
The next morning, Sasha rolled out of bed and headed into the shower again. She had hardly slept so she needed a hot blast of water to wake her up. After drying her body and hair, she opened her wardrobe and slipped into a cream silk blouse and a black pencil skirt. She was early, so once her makeup was complete, she wandered into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. She was just sitting down to drink it when her cell phone rang.
It was Daniel’s PA. She was instructed to go to Daniel’s office as soon as she arrived that morning. Setting her jaw in a determined grimace, Sasha drank her coffee and grabbed her bag. She intended to give Daniel another dressing down as soon as she arrived.
Sasha made it through the traffic without killing anyone, which was surprising given the mood she was in. She rode up the elevator at Warrington Enterprises and strutted out to Daniel Warrington’s top floor office reception area. She stood and tapped her foot as she thought about all the things she was going to say to Daniel.
The receptionist told her she could go in to the office and Sasha strutted through, ready to verbally crucify Daniel. But he wasn’t there. Standing waiting for her was Daniel’s PA.
“Good morning, Sasha.”
“Where is he?” Sasha demanded, looking around.
“Mr. Warrington isn’t here today. He’s on his way to a meeting in Seattle.”
Sasha stopped in her tracks. The PA cleared her throat nervously and handed a piece of paper to Sasha.
“I’m to inform you that your services are no longer required at Warrington Enterprises. This is your termination notice. As per your contract, there is a clause which states that Warrington Enterprises can terminate your employment without any forward notice.”
“What?” Sasha looked down at the piece of paper, the writing blurred as her anger built up inside her. “The bastard!”
“I’m sorry, Ms Bond, but I’ll have to ask you to sign the document to confirm you were notified and if you could leave your company keycard and any company property with me right now, that would be great.”
Sasha sat down on one of the plush black leather seats in the office. She read over the piece of paper. A few curt sentences, no mention of the work she had completed just because she hadn’t allowed Daniel Warrington to fuck her into submission. She was furious. She felt as though the wind had been completely knocked out of her. She had expected to walk in and lay things on the line for him but he had stayed one step ahead of her the entire time. The whole thing had been pointless. The whole reason for her being employed at Warrington Enterprises had been a sham. She had been expected to just toe the line and do what she was told, regardless of the pitfalls.
The PA was standing watching Sasha, holding a pen out for her to sign the document. Sasha grabbed it from her hand and signed and dated it, then handed the pen and piece of paper back to her. Then she pulled her keycard and company cell phone from her purse and laid them on the glass table.
“The only thing I have is the laptop within my office.”
“That’s fine. We’ve already sequestered that,” the PA said.
“Sequestered? Jesus, you make me feel like a criminal.”
“I’m very sorry you feel that way, Ms Bond.”
“You work for a monster, you know that, don’t you?”
The PA simply smiled at Sasha, clearly embarrassed at being put in this situation by her employer.
“Security will escort you back to your car, Ms Bond. And Mr. Warrington has asked you to remember the non-disclosure aspect of your contract.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m in no hurry to tell anyone about what we did,” Sasha hissed. She held her head up high as a security guard walked her to her car. Once she was inside, she let out a deep breath and struggled to get her breath under control. She was so angry with him. But not only that, she was hurt. She couldn’t believe he had treated her this way. To lure her with an invite to dinner and a romantic evening followed by the most amazing sex, just to find out it had all been a ruse to seduce her. No one had ever done that to her before and she couldn’t get a grasp on how she hadn’t picked up on the signs.
She closed her eyes as she remembered the touch of his warm skin on hers. He had felt so right as he held her close to him and when he had entered her and teased her with his cock, it had been enough to send her over the edge. The sex had been exquisite, and she had enjoyed seeing another, more playful side to the autocratic billionaire. But it had just been a ruse; none of it true. She had been played like a fool and lost her job as a result.
Brushing away a tear and willing herself to keep control, Sasha put her car into gear and drove away from Warrington Enterprises, determined to forget all about Daniel Warrington and his stupid company.
***
It had been eight months since the debacle with Warrington Enterprises and Sasha was happily working in a smaller firm, running a financial systems project for their retail-banking sector. She had been given a good team to work with and the free rein to make her own decisions. She rarely thought about Daniel anymore beyond an occasional ache for his touch and to cuss him out for using her sexually to get his own way.
She had been careful not to read any of the press about him and his company and tried to focus on her current job. She had been lucky to land the position after being dismissed from Warrington Enterprises. They had looked at her CV and working record and were happy to accept references from her previous employers. She cited personal reasons behind her swift departure from Warrington Enterprises.
However much she tried to forget about him though, working in the financial sector meant that she was always exposed to the gossip. For quite a few months her colleagues were ruminating on the merger between Warrington Private Finance and Bulmer Bank. Some had taken bets on when the parent company would admit to the failure of the merger. Sasha was always quick to remove herself from conversations about the company and didn’t want to listen to the speculation in the cafeteria.
She had had enough of Daniel Warrington and didn’t care what happened to the merger. However, she was taken aback when she walked into the cafeteria one day to find a number of her colleagues crowded around the large flat screen TV on the wall. Daniel Warrington was giving a press conference and her colleagues were watching eagerly to find out what was going on.
Sasha sighed and went to leave the cafeteria but something stopped her when she heard Daniel’s voice on the screen. He sounded deflated. Not like his usual arrogant self.
She turned and walked closer to the group surrounding the television. On screen, Daniel Warrington looked tired and defeated. Sasha listened as he began to talk about the fallout from the merger and the losses the companies had made. Throughout his speech cameras continued to flash at him but he gave no sign of being distracted as he spoke his words in a dull tone.
After he had finished, the reporters began to ask him questions about the failure of the merger. One asked if there were any regrets about making the decision to go ahead. Daniel’s eyes narrowed and he cleared his throat. When he spoke, he sounded as though he was chewing on glass.
“There were people, I mean, there was one person. I should have listened…” he trailed off. Sasha stared at the screen, feeling a little numb. Daniel looked down from the cameras and then back up. “I was wrong. I should have listened.”
The reporters clamored to ask him more questions but he was led away by his advisers. Soon, the reporter for the news channel came back on camera and rounded off the item.
Sasha’s colleagues were buzzing at the fact that the famed billionaire had seemed so defeated. They were again speculating about what had happened and were joking about how the mighty had fallen from grace. Sasha slowly left the room and went outside the building to get some fresh air.
As she walked down the main street she couldn’t decide what she felt. She knew that if Daniel had listened to her all those months ago he wouldn’t be in the mess he was currently in. It was his own foolish pride that had caused him to make those mistakes. And yet, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. It had taken a lot for a man used to being in control to admit that he had been wrong. Sasha felt a renewed sense of respect for him, something that she didn’t expect to feel at all.
Daniel was back in his office, having given the worst press conference of his career. He felt completely humiliated. Not only was he single handedly blamed for the losses the company had sustained, the board was constantly on his back to fix the mess as soon as possible. It was a drop in the ocean in real terms to Daniel but he still had shareholders and board members to answer to.
He looked down at his hands as he thought about having to stand there in front of the cameras and admit he was wrong. His father, who had built the company from scratch, would have been furious with him, had he still been alive.
Daniel thought back to his interview on camera and the words he had uttered. He hadn’t even intended to say those words, but they had just tumbled out of his mouth. “I was wrong. I should have listened.” He knew he should have been saying those words to her, but she would probably not care anymore.
The disgust he felt with himself had been building for months now. The cracks had started to appear shortly after that night with Sasha. She had been right, of course - he was sick. Sick to have treated her that way. Sick to try and use her, to coerce her into submitting to his will. And all along she had been right. He was an idiot.
He called his PA into his office and asked her to find out where Sasha Bond was working. He already knew the answer, but still wanted to give the illusion that he was merely enquiring about an ex-employee. His PA didn’t need to know that he had kept tabs on Sasha’s whereabouts since she had left, hoping for the chance to put things right.
When his PA sent the information to his cell phone, Daniel told her to cancel his afternoon appointments and arrange for his car to be prepared.
Soon he found himself waiting in a small meeting room within Boardman Finance. He waited patiently until the door opened and Sasha entered.
As soon as she saw Daniel she stopped walking and frowned. He smiled weakly at her.
“What are you doing here?”
“I assume you saw my interview?”
“You assume too much, Mr. Warrington. I’ll ask again. Why are you here?”
Sasha stood in the door frame, waiting for his response. Her heart felt like it was slamming into her rib cage but she gave no indication that she was affected by Daniel’s presence.
Daniel continued to look at her, his eyes closing briefly as he saw she was just as beautiful as he remembered her to be. But her eyes were cold and her lips were pressed into a thin, hard line. He wanted to kiss those lips again but he knew there was no chance of that happening. He stood up, realizing that he had been stupid to come.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come. I’ll let you get back to your work.”
He moved to walk past Sasha but she stopped him by placing her hand on his chest.
“You said you were wrong. You should have listened.”
“So you did see my interview?” He gave a half nod and a weak smile.
“I caught it on my way to lunch.”
“It must have been entertaining for you.”
“No. Why would it be?”
“Well, you were right, weren’t you? And I fired you…after what we did. You must have felt a sense of revenge for my bad karma.”
Sasha gave him a withering glance. “Karma didn’t cause your merger to fail, Mr. Warrington. Your behavior did.”
Daniel looked down at his shoes. “I know that.”
They stood in silence for a moment.
“So, how are you doing? Are you enjoying your job here?”
Sasha laughed and took her hand away from Daniel’s chest.
“Seriously? You came all the way over here to ask me if I’m enjoying my new job?”
“No. Actually, I came over here to offer you a new job.”
“What?” Sasha stepped back in shock.
“I know. It seems unlikely. And I’ll understand if you don’t want to come. It’s just that I’ve gotten myself into a bit of a pickle with a merger I’ve been manhandling. I kind of need you to come and show me how to fix it. You seem to know all about these things and I was thinking that I should listen to what you have to say.”
Sasha blinked as though she couldn’t understand what was being said.
“Are you eating humble pie, Mr. Warrington?”
“Daniel. And yes, I’m eating humble pie.”
“Wow. I’m stunned.”
Daniel lifted his hand and hesitantly stroked Sasha’s cheek.
“I’m so sorry for what I did to you. Look, forget the job offer. I totally understand. I was an asshole. I don’t deserve your help or anything like that.”
“You’re right. You don’t.” Sasha placed her hand on top of his and stroked it. “But something tells me that you don’t make apologies very often.”
Daniel smiled and shook his head.
“I missed you, Sasha.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I mean, you’re annoyingly headstrong and you don’t do as you’re told, but I kind of need someone like that in my life.”
“I know you do.”
“So if you would like to take up that position, I would be eternally grateful.”
“What position? Employee or chief headstrong person to put you in your place?”
“The latter, or both. Whatever works for you.”
Sasha nodded and thought for a moment. Then she leaned in and brushed her lips against his.
“You have a lot of making up to do Mr. Warrington,” she whispered as she pulled him into a deep, long, hard kiss. Just as Daniel began to enjoy her soft lips, she surprised him with a strong punch in the ribs.
“Ouch, what was that for?”
“For being an asshole and breaking my heart.”
“Sorry, but can we go back to kissing again?”
“Yes, we can.”
“Whatever you say, Ma’am,” said Daniel, as he gripped her tight in his strong arms, like he would never let her go again.
*****
THE END