Chapter Eight

David

"Can you come up with something that doesn't sound cliché?" I fume at Tonia, the head of my publicity team. "We need the public to grasp the genuine benefits and safety of our innovations. We're not here to dazzle them with catchy phrases; we're here to show them how our work improves their lives."

Tonia nods, scribbling down notes furiously. "I understand, David. I'll work with the team to refine our messaging and ensure it resonates with the public's concerns and interests."

I exhaled deeply, letting go of some of the tension that'd built up during the meeting with the publicity team. As much as I want to let out the pent-up tension inside of me, I know I can't take it out on Tonia. She's just doing her job, after all. "Thank you, Tonia," I say, trying to soften my tone. "I appreciate your efforts in this. You may leave now."

Tonia offers a small smile, then gathers her papers, and with a small nod, she heads out of my office. As she leaves, I close my eyes and lean back in my chair, raking a hand down my face as frustration starts to build up in my chest again.

The past few days have been a nightmare for my employees and me. The public outrage on Selina Adams' article is more serious than I anticipated and since it's generating so much traffic. DailySpark is fighting back instead of taking it down. I have also had to work closely with my team of scientists, monitoring the progress of our research and development. At least that's something that I love doing.

Ever since becoming CEO, I haven't been able to spend as much time in the lab as I'd like. Working alongside my team of scientists, and delving into the intricacies of our groundbreaking technology, brings me a sense of purpose and fulfillment that I've missed. Despite everything that's going on, I'm glad to have that chance to do what I love; it reminds me of the early days when Harry and I started MicroBot Tech.

But sometimes, like today, I wonder if my hard work and dedication are worth anything. The weight of responsibility as CEO is heavier than I ever imagined, and the constant scrutiny from the public and the media is exhausting. It doesn't matter that I'm doing my best to help better the world, people still blame me and call me names, even those who don't know shit about me.

I'm filthy rich and I could get richer doing the things they accuse me of. But that's not why I do what I do. I believe in the potential of our technology to make a positive impact on the world, solve pressing environmental challenges, and improve lives. Despite the criticism and doubt, I remain committed to that vision. That's what Harry would have wanted too.

I let out a soft sigh, flexing my shoulder muscles as the fatigue of the past few days weighs down on me. My heart skips at the thought of going home later tonight. I haven't been home since the morning of Tara's exam, so busy I've been electing to catch a few hours of sleep on the couch in my office, rather than waste the time commuting. I'm exhausted and I miss Tara like crazy.

My heart starts to beat faster at the thought of her, at the idea of holding her in my arms and kissing her sweet, supple lips… I can almost taste them. Desire, raw and deep, surges through my veins sending blood rushing to my dick.

God knows I want her more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. I want to make love to her, fuck her hard and slow. I want to put her in so many forbidden positions and have her panting. I want to drown in her moans while thrusting into her soft warm sheath.

"Fuck!" I mutter, glancing down at my rock-hard cock. Suddenly an image flashes in my head, of Tara, kneeling between my legs, her mouth wrapped tightly around my dick, my hands buried in her golden locks as I guide her bobbing head. The image has my cock twitching violently in my pants, causing me to let out a painful hiss.

I know I need to be patient with Tara. She's unexperienced and needs me to be gentle and caring with her, but it hasn't been easy keeping my resolve. Every touch, every glance, ignites a fire within me, urging me to throw caution to the wind and take her right then and there.

But I know that rushing things might push her away, and I refuse to risk losing her. So, I'll bide my time, savoring every moment we share, until the day comes when she's ready to surrender herself to me. Completely. And when that time comes, I'll make sure to cherish every moment, every touch, every kiss, as if it were the last. I'll show her how much she means to me, how deeply I care for her, and how I'll always be there for her.

Lord knows I've never wanted to protect anyone as much as Tara. For her, I'm willing to sacrifice anything, my position, wealth, and even my life. Everything.

I don't know how or when it happened, but I am irrevocably, irredeemably, completely in love with Tara Shultz.

A soft knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. I glance up to see Fiona standing by the door. I motion for her to come inside, surprised that she hadn't left yet. It's almost 7 p.m., way past closing time.

"Why haven't you gone home, Fiona?" I ask as she approaches my desk.

"I was sorting out the emails from media houses requesting for access for our upcoming press conference," she replies then smiles wanly. "There were quite a lot of them."

I nod, impressed by her dedication and initiative. In just a few days, she has changed from being fidgety and unsure of herself, to an incredible worker, willing to take initiative. It can't have been easy to start this role in the midst of the fallout from the article, but she has handled it with grace.

"Thanks for your hard work, Fiona," I say, offering her a grateful smile. "Anyway, is there anything else you need from me?"

"Yes, sir," she says, extending the file in her hands to me. "I have compiled a list of reliable reporters and their agencies. I would like you to go through them and confirm which ones you'd like to invite to the press conference. Also, there are a few reporters who have requested exclusive interviews with you. I've marked those ones separately for your review."

I take the file from her, flipping through the pages and scanning the list of reporters and media agencies. "Great job, Fiona. I'll go through these and let you know my selections by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, sir. Have a good evening," she says with a small smile.

"You too, Fiona," I reply, returning her smile. "And please go home now. I'd feel terrible if you came to work tomorrow with dark circles from lack of sleep."

She chuckles as she turns to head out. As soon as she leaves, I get to work reviewing the list. It's late when I finally leave the office and as I drive home, I wonder what Tara will make of me being late again.

She'll understand, right? She must know how demanding my work is…

As I walk through my front door and see Tara curled up on the long couch, my heart starts to beat faster and it hits me all over again just how much I've missed her. I pause to take her in; her lush golden mane spread around her like a halo, the soft curve of her cheek pressed against the cushion, and the sexy curve of her body in that position. A wave of tenderness mixed with lust washes over me, and I can't help but smile at the sight of her. I move closer and lower myself onto the couch beside her.

I thought she was asleep at first, but she sits up and locks her eyes to mine. I immediately know that something is off. She gives me a glare and physically flinches when I attempt to give her a hug.

"Hey," I greet her softly, my smile faltering slightly as I notice the tension in her posture. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes," she responds coldly as she rises to her feet. "It will be. I'm going to bed, goodnight, David."

I clasp my hand around her wrist before she can walk away and stand up so that I can look at her face. "Hey, little bird, what's wrong?" I ask, hoping the new nickname will put her at ease.

"I'm fine," she replies, not meeting my gaze.

"No, you're not," I counter, tugging gently at her hand. "You're definitely upset, so please talk to me."

"I said I'm fine!" She snaps, jerking her hand away from my grasp. "Can you just take me at my word, please?"

"No, I can't, baby," I reply, feeling my chest close up in frustration. "There's no word to take because you're not saying anything. Something is definitely wrong and I'm not going to let you convince me you're fine when it's obvious you aren't."

She scoffs loudly and turns away from me, folding her arms over her chest. I gape at her with a mixture of shock and confusion. Her sudden dismissive attitude catches me off guard, and I find myself momentarily at a loss for words. Tara's never snapped at me like this before. It feels like a punch to the gut, and I struggle to comprehend what could have caused such a sharp change in her demeanor.

"Tara, what's going on?" I ask in a much softer tone, genuinely worried. "Please, talk to me. Does this have anything to do with me being stuck at the office for the past two days?"

She swirls around, pinning me with an accusing glare. "No, David. The problem isn't that you were away for two days. The problem is that you didn't communicate with me at all in those two days. What am I? A piece of furniture?"

"Tara, I…"

"You don't talk to me, David," she interrupts in a soft, broken voice. "You never talk to me about anything. I read the DailySpark article. I know what you've been dealing with for the last few days, how much it must hurt to have your image thrown around like it's nothing. But you don't include me in anything! You keep everything locked away from me. I feel totally useless to you."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I'm at a loss for what to say. I never realized how much my lack of communication was affecting her, and how much it made her feel neglected and unimportant. Guilt floods over me as I see the pain in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, baby," I whisper, reaching out to touch her arm. "I never meant to make you feel that way. The truth is I'm not used to this… to caring about someone and having them care about me. It's all new to me and I'm still learning but I promise to do better. I'll communicate more and include you in everything. Please, forgive me?"

She sighs softly, her expression softening. I reach out to pull her into my arms and the time, she melts into my embrace. I hug her tightly, closing my eyes and reveling in the warmth of her body. The thought of losing her got so real for a second and it terrified the hell out of me.

When we pull apart, she raises her hand to my face, gently cupping her palm over my chin. "I want to know every part of you, David," she says, her thumb caressing my skin. "I don't want to doubt you. It hurts."

"I'll never do anything to hurt you intentionally, Tara," I whisper fiercely, and she nods.

"I think… I think I do know that, but you have to talk to me. I missed you so much," she says, snuggling back into my chest.

"I will, I'll be better about all of it, little bird. I missed you more than I can say. So much that I wanted to leave everything behind and come running home to you."

She chuckles and loops her arms around my waist, her beautiful green eyes taking on a hint of mischief. "So…" she drawls, blushing lightly. "Seeing as we just had our first big fight, what do you say we make up with a kiss?"

I splay my hands on her ass and squeeze roughly, pressing her closer to me so she can feel my hard-on.

"I don't think I can stop at just a kiss this time," I say, smirking when her eyes grow huge with awareness. "You test my control beyond limits."

Her face grows bright red in that adorable way it always does when she's embarrassed, but she doesn't look away. Instead, she cocks her head and gives me a suggestive smile.

"What if I don't want you to stop, Mr. CEO?"

"You're playing with fire again, Tara."

"I told you I'm not scared of fire," she says, slowly wrapping her arms around my neck. She leans upwards, standing on her tiptoes until our lips are just inches apart. "Kiss me, David."

I lower my lips to hers, needing no further urging. Her mouth opened beneath mine, hot and ready. She presses her body further into mine, letting out a long moan as I push my tongue into her mouth.