Marcus crossed his ankle over a knee and gazed at the board from the head of the table, trying to steel his temper.

“Marcus, you have to know that we are all on your side here,” Tatiana Dupris said, leaning forward, her eyes narrowing and therefore discounting her words. “We only want what’s best for the corporation, just like you do.”

“What I want is for you to stay out of my affairs,” he intoned, sitting back to fold his arms over his broad chest, shaking his head. “I have no idea why, after twenty years, you suddenly have such a keen interest in where my money is being spent. Did we not bring in enough of a profit last year?”

“That is hardly the point, Marcus, and you know it,” Tatiana replied evenly, and Marcus wanted to reach across the table and slap her smug face. She was a second-generation executive at his company, the daughter of the original thorn in his side.

When Marcus had relocated to Canada from England thirty-five years earlier, he had hoped the country’s reputation for being friendly was a euphemism for borderline stupidity. The last thing he needed was people poking into his background and history. Unfortunately, Marcus had mistaken kindness for weakness, a problem he was learning to deal with almost daily, particularly in the form of Tatiana Dupris.

Cassius has the right idea, secluded on his island where no one can bother him, he told himself grimly, but he forced the thought of his brother out of his mind. There was no time to dwell on what ifs.

“What is your point, Tatiana,” he retorted, “if not that you are concerned about profit? You are the CFO, aren’t you?”

“I know you are opposed to hearing what you don’t want to hear,” she said. “But this is a matter for Revenue Canada now, Marcus. You are taking company money and spending it on your… friends.”

Marcus bristled furiously.

“I have only business expenses on the company accounts!” he snarled, pounding his fist against the table. He could feel his back stiffening as his tail threatened to break through the seam of his pants, and for a terrifying moment, he wasn’t sure he would be able to contain himself. It was the last thing he needed, his temper getting the best of him.

“All I am saying, Marcus,” Tatiana continued, “is that you make more than enough money. If you insist on… entertaining outside of business hours, you can’t expect the company to pay for it.”

Marcus was sure his cheeks were crimson with fury, but he managed to hold his tongue as his blue eyes peered about the table, seeking an ally to his plight. To add to his annoyance, everyone looked away from him.

They agree with her, he thought angrily. This is my company, built from scratch by me, and they are telling me how to spend my own damn money!

Marcus was like his father in many ways. He had not adjusted well to the ebb and flow of changing society, no matter how long he had lived. There were some things he wished would never change, but his wishes were irrelevant. The rest of the world did not care about them.

Once, he had been at the helm of his own ship, controlling the direction of his crew. Now he was overrun with board members second-guessing his moves, watching his private life, and dictating how and where he could spend his money.

“Have we covered everything, then?” Marcus spat, his hands closing into defiant fists underneath the table.

“No,” Tatiana replied flatly. “We haven’t even really started.” She pushed a stack of papers toward him from her side of the table with perfectly manicured fingers, but Marcus made no move to reach for it. He knew what it was: the budget proposals for the new quarter.

“I have seen this,” he said in a monotonous tone. “What do you want me to do with it?”

Tatiana chuckled mirthlessly.

“I want you to eliminate the unnecessary expenses, of course,” she answered, shaking her head as if she somehow knew more about the company than he did.

Her presumptuous attitude was making Marcus nearly homicidal, and he had no idea how he had managed to contain himself as his jaw locked tightly. He was unsure how he was still able to speak through his clenched teeth. His incisors had poked through, and he could almost feel the color in his eyes changing. He hoped he wasn’t drawing attention to himself.

Steeling himself, he managed to spit out the phrase Tatiana wanted to hear. “I will look it over.”

“You’ll have to do better than look it over, Marcus,” she insisted. “You have to cut out half the personal staff you’ve employed for your own benefit. You have three personal secretaries and six receptionists on the books! I mean, I know you’re busy, but let’s be honest—”

“I said I would look it over!” His voice had fallen into a strangled whisper, and for the first time, Tatiana seemed to realize that she was pushing too hard.

Marcus rose abruptly from the chair, purposely leaving the budget behind as he stalked from the room.

“Marcus!” called Rodney Henderson, the vice president of operations. He started following him from the boardroom, and although Marcus ignored him, he knew the conversation was not over yet. “Marcus!”

He spun and glared at Rodney, his blue eyes sparkling.

“I said I would make the changes,” he snarled. “Leave me be.”

Rodney chuckled and put his hand on Marcus’ arm.

“No need to snap at me,” he told Marcus. “I think Tatiana is overreacting.”

Marcus eyed him suspiciously. “Yeah?”

The vice president shrugged.

“But that’s also the reason we have her,” he reminded the CEO. “To keep everyone in line. Since her dad retired, our profits have been astronomical, you have to admit.”

“I admit nothing,” Marcus growled, and Rodney laughed.

“Okay,” he agreed. “But come on, what’s the big deal? If you want your lady friends to work for you, just pay them out of your own pocket. It’s not like you can’t afford it.”

Marcus knew Rodney was right, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that Williams Industries was his—all of it. It was his hard work that enabled the buildings, the international importing, and the international jobs created. The money was his to do with it as he pleased. How dare he be told how to spend his money and on whom?

While Marcus fully understood the concept of incorporating his company, he also felt that he shouldn’t have to justify his expenses to anyone. And yet, there they were.

“You can’t fight the government, Marcus,” Rodney went on. “You can fight all of us until the cows come home, but the minute Revenue Canada comes pounding on our door, we’ll be up shit’s creek without a paddle.”

Marcus studied his face, his pulse slowing at the rational words, even though he was suddenly irate with the tax man.

What the hell happened to the world? Things were so much simpler before the government started poking their noses into everyone’s affairs, he thought sullenly. Sometimes he wondered if his father’s harebrained schemes to overthrow the world’s powers were not unfounded.

“I will make the necessary changes,” he said again, spinning to leave Rodney. “Tell Tatiana to keep her panties on.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Rodney leered, leaning in to wink at Marcus. “I wouldn’t mind seeing them off.”

Marcus shuddered at the thought. It wasn’t that Tatiana was hard on the eyes. On the contrary, she was very attractive in a no-nonsense way. She commanded authority with each step she took, and her blue eyes seemed capable of reaching into the depth of one’s soul. In fact, Marcus always thought that if he had been born a woman, he might look a lot like his CFO.

And therein lay the problem.

There was nothing sweet or kind about her. She was hardened and ruthless, the very opposite of everything he looked for in a woman. Even Melissa seemed a delicate flower next to the CFO. He respected Tatiana.

“I have a meeting,” Marcus told Rodney, accepting the budget from his outstretched hands. Rodney seemed relieved, and he nodded.

“Thanks, Marcus. Trust me; it’s better for everyone if we keep Revenue Canada in Ottawa with the other bureaucrats where they belong, yes?”

Marcus didn’t respond, turning back toward the elevators. He inhaled deeply as the doors slid open. Stepping inside, he peered at the budget before him, shaking his head. There were going to be some very unhappy women in his life.

On the fifty-ninth floor, he stepped onto the shiny floor, his eyes still on the pile of papers in his hands.

“Good morning, Mr. Williams,” Erica chirped from her spot at the reception desk.

“Good morning, Mr. Williams!” Lisanne called, batting her eyes at him.

“Where is Melissa?” he asked, and Lisanne’s smile faltered slightly.

“She’s in your office speaking with the new girl,” she replied sullenly. Marcus paused and stared at her.

“The new… oh, Addison.” He had almost forgotten that she was starting that day. Other things had occupied his mind.

Maybe I have too many women in my life, he thought wryly, but he pushed the idea out of his mind.

“Is that her name?” Lisanne muttered, shooting Erica a caustic look. “I can’t keep track.”

Her tone bothered him instantly. It was one he had heard before, after all: jealousy.

“You don’t need to keep track,” Marcus told her bluntly. “You’re fired.”

Lisanne gaped at him, her jaw dropping almost to the counter as she gaped at him. “You can’t fire me!” she squealed. “I quit my job to be here!”

“No,” Marcus corrected. “I quit your job for you to be here. I’m sure you will have no issue finding your old position at the strip club, Lisanne. Also, please vacate your apartment by the end of the day tomorrow. I have put money into your account so you can get back on your feet.”

“Marcus!” she cried, but he had already moved past her into the long corridor leading to the stairwell, which in turn led to the second floor of his private offices.

Tatiana will be happy to see me taking her seriously, he thought grimly. I’m already downsizing.

There was no room for jealousy in his life. His existence was complicated enough without having women acting like fools for no reason whatsoever. It was why he insisted on being completely upfront with them when they started their adventure together. He wanted no misunderstandings and certainly no drama unfolding behind the scenes. He spent far too much time abroad to play babysitter. The women were supposed to be his escape, not his wives. The rules were crystal clear from the very beginning, and if one of them didn’t agree to them, they were shown the door without notice. It was the only way to ensure his life remained unhindered.

Marcus pushed his way through the glass doors of his workspace, where Melissa and Addison were pouring over a laptop at Melissa’s desk. He watched them for a moment, neither of them seeing him as he entered.

This isn’t going to fly with Tatiana, either, he realized. I can’t hire another assistant for the company. She’s going to lose her mind.

He justified Addison’s appointment by reminding himself he had just fired Lisanne. In the worst-case scenario, he would just hire Addison out of his pocket. She was staying, no matter what. As much as he didn’t want to admit it to himself, he couldn’t bear the thought of her leaving.

“Most of this is laid out here,” Melissa explained. “It’s idiot-proof, really.”

Marcus’ eyes narrowed, sensing the acidity in Melissa’s tone.

“Melissa, leave us,” he commanded, and both women jumped at the sound of his voice.

“I didn’t hear you come in,” Melissa gasped, stepping back from the table, and Marcus smiled frostily.

“I need to speak with Addison.”

Melissa nodded curtly and disappeared out the glass doors. Why couldn’t they all be as complacent as her?

Addison and Marcus watched as Melissa walked up the hallway, their eyes trained on the glass wall before turning to one another.

“How is your first day?” he asked Addison, casually strolling toward his desk. Addison nodded, smiling. But he could sense insincerity in the gesture. “Is everything all right?” he questioned, and she bobbed her head again as he drew closer to her.

“Yes, it’s amazing!” she replied. “I guess I’m just a little… overwhelmed.”

Marcus grinned, pulling her into his arms.

“You will get used to it,” he told her, kissing the top of her head. “How is the apartment?”

Addison stared up at him, her emerald eyes luminous with wonder.

“It—it’s a lot,” she confessed, and Marcus felt a strange pang as he looked at her. She was so pure, so filled with awe. He didn’t know what it was about her—ever since he had first met her, he’d felt drawn to her in a way he hadn’t with the other women.

He had an insurmountable desire to take her right there.

Marcus’ hand reached up to draw her head upward to kiss him. Addison was tender when she first kissed him back, but then she pushed harder against him. Instantly, Marcus felt ignited, and he pressed his solid frame against her, backing her against his huge desk.

He felt her fall against him, her heart rate escalating. He slowly massaged her as his hand cupped her firm buttocks, both cheeks firmly in his palm. Addison sighed, her hot breath against his, and she allowed him to lift her onto the hard wood, her legs falling apart as Marcus’ kisses grew more urgent. He rubbed his cheek against her to inhale the scent of her hair. She even smelled of innocence.

Marcus pulled her pencil skirt up against her slender hips, positioning himself at her core. Addison moaned softly when she was pushed back against the cool wood, his fingers working to undo the buttons of her blouse, exposing her lace bra.

“Mm,” he muttered, eyeing the lingerie. “I love you in black.”

“I know,” Addison replied, her voice a breathless whisper. “That’s why I wore it.”

Marcus’ lips trailed from her chin down to her perky breasts, his hands sliding the matching panties over her buttocks as his mouth locked onto a taut, heated nipple. Tongue flicking, he latched onto her, nibbling at the prickled flesh of her breasts, his palm exploring the heat between her thighs. Addison’s back arched up to meet him, the material of her skirt riding higher, and he heard her pumps fall to the floor at his side.

His head fell lower, his mouth darting over the soft skin of her abdomen. His hands pushed her thighs apart further, and Addison propped herself up on her elbows, watching as Marcus seamlessly fell into the velvet center of her lips, his fingers still traversing.

“Oh, my god!” she wailed when his tongue sank into the deepness of her core. With long, deliberate strokes, Marcus teased her, his fingertips dancing along the tender openings. Finally, he placed his thumb and forefinger inside her simultaneously, filling both crevices as his licks became more feverish.

One of Addison’s hands reached for Marcus’ head, her hips rising to meet the rhythm of his movements, short breaths of air escaping her lungs as she whimpered. Her fingers locked in his curls, and his eyes shifted to her naked toes, curling as her body seized.

Good, he thought, increasing the speed of his fingers inside her.

Addison bucked up abruptly, crying out as she reached her climax. Her body locked, she fell back onto the desk, her waist still pressed to him. Shaking beneath him, she stared at him, her head dropping to the side, her cheeks flushed with pleasure.

“Are you all right, darling?” he asked.

She nodded, her eyes dilated with dazed passion.

“Good,” Marcus told her. “Because now it’s my turn.”