9. Russell

It was a good fucking thing my office stretched over twenty feet long. I paced from one end to the other, hands in my pockets and my gaze pinned on the far wall where a single painting of a wagon train took up the entire space. Sunlight bounced off the canvas, brightening the colors and highlighting the tired faces covered in trail dust. These were my ancestors. Men and women who stopped at nothing to achieve their dreams.

What would they think of this world and all that we’d done in the last few hundred years? I knew one thing, they wouldn’t hesitate to hang the person responsible for stealing. Didn’t matter if it was a horse or digital technology. I despised a thief. Spineless cowards who took what they didn’t deserve and made a profit on others’ labor. I eyed the painting again. “Guess you motherfuckers did the same thing, huh?”

Why couldn’t I find the bastard stealing from us? What was I missing? I’d looked at security footage all day, checking the employee comings and goings against work logs and security passes swiped between floors. Nothing stood out. I rubbed a hand over my face and pressed the button that rang through to Sabrina’s desk then walked away.

Sabrina walked in, the swish of her skirt cutting through my thoughts with the effectiveness of a surgeon’s scalpel. She set a cup of coffee on the edge of my desk and raised a brow when she spotted me. The look was a challenge, and I found that I didn’t mind it one bit. She’d been quiet this week. Something in her demeanor shifted after the day we paid Leon a visit. I’d noticed the silent way she slipped in and out of my office today and the way she took notes in our meeting yesterday, without ever offering a peep.

She was the complete opposite of the last woman. I liked that Sabrina was quiet and kept out of the way. She worked hard and got things done without asking a million questions.

“Is there anything else, Mr. Bennett?” Hands folded together in front of her stomach, she created the perfect picture of a woman ready to please.

The thought tightened my balls. I ignored the sensation. Twice a day, Sabrina asked that question, and twice a day, I told her no. Unlike her predecessor, Sabrina didn’t nag me with the question, which I found delightful but also disappointing.

“What did you think of the meeting yesterday?” I kept her there as I prodded her for information. It was a ridiculous question, but I wasn’t ready for her to leave my office for the last time today. I wouldn’t see her again for three days. What the fuck was wrong with me that those three days felt impossible?

Sabrina’s nose wrinkled a tiny bit. “Do you want me to break down my thoughts on the entire meeting or did you have a specific remark that you need my expert opinion on?”

“Smart ass.” I smirked at her. She might be quiet and stay in the background, but she possessed a quick wit and sassy sarcasm that I found utterly adorable.

She lifted her shoulders at my comment and splayed her hands. The laughter flashing in her eyes and the quirk of her lips told me she enjoyed playing along. “It’s a simple question, really. Should I write up my findings for you and leave them on your desk?”

“I’d rather hear them from you.” I liked watching her talk. When a subject interested her, she lit up from the inside. Her motions became animated, and she switched gears from silent secretary to confident businesswoman. I craved her attention in a way I’d never experienced. “You don’t kiss my ass and tell me what I want to hear.” I challenged her with the change in my tone.

Her shoulders rolled back and she set her hands on her hips. “I didn’t know ass-kissing was part of the protocol. I’m afraid you hired the wrong woman if that’s what you want.”

“It isn’t. It’s why I fire people.” Garrett told me about the situation with the other employees, how they’d been talking smack about Sabrina. It pissed me off, but I kept it together. We’d weed out the problems eventually. Ranting and raving and kicking shit like Garrett never solved this kind of problem. I’d kept an ear to the ground, but things were quiet downstairs. “I want honesty. Loyalty.” Which was why it burned me that someone here at Grady kept stealing from us.

“Well, loyalty can’t be bought. Everyone thinks it can, but truthfully, there’s always someone out there with a deeper pocketbook. If you paid for silence, the next bastard will pay for the exclusive.” She crossed her arms, her gaze narrowed on my face. She appeared hesitant, like she had something to say but didn’t know how I’d take it.

“What?” I closed the distance, enjoying the way her head tipped up to keep meeting my eyes. “What’s going on in there?” I tapped her temple. She didn’t flinch away from the touch or shift uncomfortably even though I had her pinned between the desk and my body.

Her arms uncrossed and she reached behind her to press her palms onto the top of my desk. The move thrust her chest up, and I couldn’t help glancing at her tits. She had slim, beautiful curves, with full, rounded breasts that would fit perfectly in my hands. “Have you ever asked your employees what they want from the company?”

My eyes snapped up. “No. Why?”

“Because what people want is usually a good indication of what they’re willing to do. Some people will kiss your ass and tell you they want the business to succeed. You need to watch out for those, because their loyalty only stays as long as there’s money in it for them. People are selfish and vain. The majority of them are out for themselves. If you get a single mother in here who says she wants to go home each night knowing she’s made enough money to feed her kids and keep a roof over their heads, she’s being honest. But she’ll also leave you if someone else offers her more money and/or less hours for the same money.” She stopped and spots of pink colored her cheeks. “People are fickle, and finding real loyalty is harder than you think.”

“Then we really are up shit creek.” I forced my feet to move me away from Sabrina. Someone was stealing and selling our tech. I had to find out who before we lost everything. The breach last night rubbed on my last nerve.

Sabrina turned as I rounded the desk but kept her distance. “No. You’re not.” She sank onto the edge of a chair. “You can give people what they want, what they need, and still keep a profitable business margin. Not every employee is out to sink you.” She chewed on her bottom lip, a look of discomfort flashing over her face. It was there and gone so fast I almost missed it.

“You’re talking about us becoming one of those companies that works a four-day week and gives two months paid vacation.” I almost scoffed at the idea, but I could see the point she was trying to make. “Foster a comfortable work environment that people don’t want to leave.”

“Bingo.” She stood to leave. “Now, if there’s nothing else. I should get back to my desk.” Her nose did that scrunching thing again.

I’d come to realize she did that when she found a task distasteful. “We need to go over my schedule.” I had an epiphany, and I wanted to work through it before I talked myself out of the idea. “What else do I have this week?”

She picked up the tablet beside my computer and with a few taps had the schedule on my screen. “You’re to meet with Mr. Stan of Corporate Collective tomorrow.” Her lips puckered as she scrolled. “Looks like that’s your last meeting for this week.”

“What about Garrett and Chase?” I tapped my fingertips on the desk.

Sabrina propped her hip on the corner of my desk. Her brows drew together.

The woman had no idea the effect she had on me right then. Or, if she did, she hid it well.

I shouldn’t even be thinking what I was thinking, but since she’d walked into my office this morning, she’d stayed on my mind.

Hell. I was the one who told Chase to fuck her and get it out of his system. Poor bastard looked at her during our meetings like she was the last woman on earth. He still wanted her. I couldn’t say I blamed him. Sabrina had a way about her that excited me. I thought my attraction would wane the longer we worked together. Sabrina had the opposite effect.

“Chase is booked up with meetings all day tomorrow, and Friday after lunch is packed.” She crossed her ankles and tucked the screen against her stomach. “Is there something you’d like me to add?”

“How many of our Friday appointments can you rearrange?” I rocked back and forth in my chair, the idea growing larger with every passing minute.

Sabrina’s frown made me want to smooth the lines from between her eyes and tell her everything would be alright. “Garrett has to attend the morning meeting with Mrs. Layton. He’s rescheduled it twice and she was adamant this morning that she speak with him. I’m afraid another reschedule will push her away permanently.”

“That’s fine.” Leaning forward, I tapped the play button on another series of security footage I’d received from Mike, our head of security. The video played while Sabrina continued.

“There’s another meeting between Chase and that one woman you called the devil’s spawn.” A grin slipped out before she schooled her features. “Mrs. Slatton is requesting the meeting to discuss merging the separate marketing departments for continuity and workflow.”

“She wants to tell Chase how to run the marketing department because she came here from Stander Global.” I zoomed in on one of the screens. “She’s a menace.”

“But is she right?” Sabrina reached toward me, then snapped her hand back when I jerked. “Sorry. You have lint in your hair.” She motioned at her own head. “There.”

I stilled, my heart beating furiously. “Go ahead.” I gave her permission for something I’d never offered anyone else.

Her fingers spasmed around the tablet before she released it. Time stopped as her fingertips grazed my scalp and she plucked the lint away. She showed it to me like she thought I doubted her.

I wanted her to touch me again. Damn me to hell for having the hots for a woman half my age. I understood what Chase saw in her. It was more than her gorgeous body and the sultry look in her eyes. Sabrina didn’t give a damn if we liked her or not. She had a maturity and a head for business that made her seem older.

Chase would argue I was making a mistake, but he’d come around. I never did anything without serious consideration for the consequences. “Clear Friday afternoon. No meetings. No calls. Nothing. And draft up an email stating that the entire office will shut down Friday at noon. We’ll pay everyone for the missed hours.”

Her mouth fell open in obvious shock. “Why?” She recovered with a shake and stood to her full height. “I mean. Yes, sir. I’ll take care of that right away. What reason should I give in the email and when I reschedule the meetings?”

“None. We don’t owe anyone an answer.” I kept my voice cool and controlled, even as a tiny spike of anger rose.

Anger was Garrett’s thing, not mine. I kept my expression controlled and my hands loose as I continued surveying the video footage. Sparks flew between us when she remained rooted on the spot.

If she kept looking at me like that, I might have to apologize to Chase for not understanding the full extent of his infatuation with her. I was surprised he managed to keep his dick in his pants after the way he looked at her during meetings. Apparently, the sparks I’d seen between them extended to me too. Interesting. Things were far from over between those two or between us. This weekend could be quite the challenge.

“I need you to book a weekend work retreat at the Halsted Hotel. The address is in the book. Book four rooms from Friday until Sunday night. You’ll need to call Captain Austin as well, and tell him to prepare the jet.” I loved the way her mouth fell open with a pop.

I didn’t flaunt our money often, and it was refreshing as hell to see her blatant reaction.

“You’re going to blow off half a day’s worth of meetings for a ‘work retreat’?” She air quoted work retreat like it was a curse word.

“Yes.” I spun my chair around and kicked my feet up onto the desk. “We have some things that need to be taken care of. Things that I’d rather not deal with here.” I left it at that, allowing her imagination to go wherever it would. Mine went straight to the image of my cock inside her as I took her from behind with a broad stretch of the California coast in sunset spread out before us.

“Okay. But why four rooms?” Confusion crinkled her lips into a frown. “There are only three of you.” A disbelieving look widened her eyes before I spoke.

I released the full power of my smile. “Because we need you to come with us.”