12. Julian

The strain between me and Claire continues over the next two weeks. She"s not speaking to me outside of work topics and every moment between us is ripe with tension, and not the good kind which lets me fantasize about fucking her over my desk. Fuck, I can be such an asshole sometimes.

With her birthday party quickly approaching, I don"t want this energy to show in front of our guests. I have to make this right.

The clock strikes eight on a Thursday night which sees me at the office later than normal. Claire"s still at the desk waiting for me to send her home, but she has enough work to keep her occupied. I get an idea to make things at least amicable between us.

"Claire," I call out to her, luring her into my office.

She"s wearing a simple pencil skirt. It"s a soft grey, almost lilac color, with pink high heels that make me think of Barbie dolls from when I grew up. I"d pop their heads off whenever girls came to the house to play. That was back when my mother ran the manor and my father was less of a predator. Her friends, their political and corporate colleagues, would stop by with their children.

I can"t remember the exact age when children stopped coming over, but I was about eleven. Of course, murder and my mother leaving after the divorce is the most likely culprit. Except, she left me with my father. His temper had its way of being unleashed onto me whenever his day didn"t go the way he wanted.

It started when he decided to toughen me up. A slap to the side of my head led to full blown punches to my body. Black and blue bruises peppering my pre-teen frame only angered Charleston Blackwell. He saw it as a sign of weakness and a failure of my inability to defend myself. What if someone who hated me wanted to fight?

The lessons, as he called them, came sporadically and without warning. It took three years, five different schools, and a friendship with Edward and Derek before the lessons stopped.

The next time children were allowed back at the manor was after I bought the place from my father. Charleston moved out when I was twenty-five. The asshole was determined to sell it because he didn"t want me to have anything I hadn"t earned. It was a phenomenal moment when I surprised him with Derek at my side to acquire the property. It took some creative business deals to get the funding as Nuvola wasn"t yet successful, but we made it work.

After an intense remodel to get the stench of my parents" destructive marriage out of the walls, the phantoms of death and homicidal love out of the hardwood floors, I let Derek use the place after his wife passed. He didn"t need or want to be alone, raising Claire. Me, Edward, and Derek made it work and until Nuvola became successful, I spent more time on my private jet and in hotels around the world.

"Julian," Claire"s voice breaks into my memories.

"Yes?" I ask her.

She laughs softly, giving me half a smile. "You called me in here, remember?"

"Yeah, I"m sorry. Listen, I need to apologize to you. The way I spoke to you, the way I"ve been avoiding you, I"m not very good at this relationship stuff."

"Oh, so this is a relationship?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. "Just a business one, I presume."

"Claire, I"m trying to make things right. Call Nina"s Boutique and tell her Julian"s coming in for a private shopping appointment tonight at nine o"clock. Make sure to tell her the tab"s unlimited."

Claire swipes the screen on her tablet and makes the call. She speaks to someone briefly before disconnecting the call. "Is there anything else you need from me tonight, Julian?"

"Yes, come with me to Nina"s Boutique. Call it a belated birthday gift."

She puffs her cheeks, blows out a breath, and folding her arms over her chest.

"What?" I ask her.

"The way you spoke to me, Julian? You scared me. I've never been on the opposite side of you when you"re angry." She raises and lowers her hand at me.

Fuck.

I walk over to her, caution rides every step to assure her I"m not trying to scare or intimidate her. My shoulders droop as I share some honesty. "I have an idea of what it looks like, Claire. Charleston"s no prince and his temper is ten times worse than mine. That morning he came here, if I hadn"t been there, I know he would have hit Fiona. I"ve seen him do worse. I grew up with that monster and I hate how much of him is in me. I"m sorry, Claire. I never want you to feel anything the eleven-year-old me ever felt."

"Oh my god, Julian. I"m so sorry you had to go through that," she says, reaching up to stroke the side of my face.

It"s comforting, but I don"t deserve it. I shrug away from her touch and move to change the subject. I need to lighten the heaviness between us, telling her, "It"s no excuse. You mean a lot to me and another trait I"ve picked up from my crazy parents is to use my wealth to get what I want. What I want is for you to forgive me while I work on keeping my temper in check with you."

"You can"t just throw money at me to make me feel better about the way you"re treating me." Her words are tough, but the softness in her eyes lets me see she"s open to my apology.

I nod and tip my head side to side. "Shouldn"t you wait to see how much money I"m throwing at you before you make that choice? Grab your stuff and let"s go."

"What if I have plans?" she asks, the smile gracing her lips eases the seriousness of our earlier exchange.

"Remember you"re still my assistant. You have to assist me in buying you a birthday gift. Are you really going to make me beg?"

"I wouldn"t mind seeing you grovel. On your knees, swine," she says, teasing me, but she has no idea how much that shit turns me the fuck on.

I have to take a beat, issuing a seductive warning to her. "I have a room in the manor for that if you"re truly interested."

That piques her interest. "Is that part of that dark side you don"t want to show me? The pain and pleasure bit?"

"It is, but for now, let me throw an obscene amount of money around at a boutique that is known around the city as the store of apologies."

She laughs and shrugs. "Fine, but just know that if money can"t buy you happiness, it"s going to be even harder to buy you forgiveness."

I shake my head, leading her out of the office and down to the garage where Edward is waiting in the SUV for us. Bonnie"s home for the night, and I"m desperate to get back into Claire"s good graces.

"We"re going to Nina"s, Edward," I tell him as Claire and I settle into the back seat. He eyes me through the rearview mirror, a knowing glare that tells me he knows exactly what"s going on between us. I ignore Edward to address her last statement. "For the record, Claire, studies have shown that money does indeed buy happiness for most people making under a hundred thousand a year. Time and access to basic needs are a luxury many can"t afford."

"Is that why you"re buying up all those properties for low-income housing?" she asks.

A pit churns in my stomach, shooting off a spike of anxiety. "How did you know that? Who told you that?"

"Fiona mentioned it that day she had me delivering documents. Why? Is it supposed to be a secret or something?" She asks.

"It is. How many people did you tell?"

She shrugs. "No one besides the guy who filed the forms at the office. I think he already knew since he knew who Fiona was. I"m sorry. I didn"t know it was something I shouldn"t tell people. That"s really dumb though, Julian. People deserve to know about your philanthropy. Otherwise, they"ll think you"re like the rest of the snobby, wealth-hoarding one percent."

"Everyone will know in due time," I tell her, patting her on the leg and my anxiety subsiding. Fiona swore everything went through the proper channels. The contracts and paperwork would only link back to me as a micro-investor. My name"s only supposed to be a part of a long list of names of regular folks who invest in trusts that contain a huge portfolio of real estate funds. No one would even recognize it unless they search for it.

Everything is going according to plan. I have to keep it that way for a little while longer. Uncle Armande will work Carmine from the street side of things and I"ll obliterate Carmine from the corporate side. He"ll be a pile of scum on the bottom of someone"s coffin by the time we finish with him.

"What if I want to get into that side of things at Nuvola?" she asks.

"What side of things?"

"Philanthropy."

"There"s no philanthropy going on at Nuvola, Claire. This project is a personal thing I"m working on. It"s not meant for public consumption or recognition," I tell her. Nothing about what I"m doing is going on the charity pages of city publications.

She turns to me with excitement in her eyes. "What if there was philanthropy at Nuvola? I can help vet different charities and organizations around the city to start. We"d do everything you already do for those huge corporations. Go in, consult, and leave a hefty donation knowing

they can use the money effectively. The more I think about it, we can use the companies you"ve already consulted for. Get them to donate the money, we donate our time and process?—"

I nod in agreement. "I see where you"re going with this and I like it, Claire. This is a great idea. Get a proposal together. Outline what you"ll need to form the company. Do the research for executives and staff to manage the philanthropic arm of Nuvola Scura. You can stop by our legal and finance departments to get the finer details of operating a non-profit charity under the business. We can always use good publicity."

"It would look great for you, too, in case you ever get into politics or something other than being a CEO." She makes the statement matter-of-factly.

I"m sure she doesn"t know how I feel about politics but hearing it from her has a much more innocent effect on me. My father only wants me in a government mansion to serve his personal needs. I have no doubt I"d be at my mother and uncle"s beck and call, too. However, with Claire by my side, keeping my image pristine makes it worth my consideration.

The smile on her face as she pulls out her phone to make notes warms me from the inside out. Her ambition for corporate operations is growing and we might have more in common than I thought we ever could. It makes this trip to the boutique that much more important to me.

We arrive and it"s the only business with its lights still on. A woman unlocks the door and invites us to come inside. There are two men in suits, but I notice the firearms under their jackets. I nod to them, and to Edward, who steps inside to wait with them.

Nina Bresnik is old enough to be my mother but looks young enough to handle herself in a fight if necessary. The way crime has increased all over the city, I understand why a woman like her has to put on some muscle. The hulking bodyguards at her door serve as a great blockade to stop anyone from trying something stupid. I notice her icy blonde hair pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck as she smiles at us. Thin eyebrows and bright red lips give her a stern look. The fact she rarely smiles doesn"t serve to soften her features either. There are two things she specializes in, lingerie and jewelry, both of the finest quality.

"Nina Bresnik, this is Claire Anderson. A matching set, Nina, for the birthday girl, please." I introduce them, holding my hand out for Claire to take it. The softness of her hands, the compliance in her gait as she allows me to gently lead her to my side has my nerves on fire with desire

"How lovely to meet you," Nina says with exhaustion in her eyes. "Come this way the two of you. Champagne?"

"Yes please," I tell her as she seats us in a private dressing room. There are two armchairs, soft, comfortable and liable to distract any man from counting how much of his money is being spent in a place like this. I sigh because I"m here. It"s my fault, I lost my temper and Claire didn"t deserve any of it.

I should have kept my dick to myself, but it"s too late for that and it"s time I accept it. I won"t let her go. I don"t want her to move on. I want to explore her in dominatrix leather, digging her heel into my thigh as I lick her pussy until she comes down my chin.

Nina has one of the security guards bring us a tray of Champagne in two glasses while she handles a large box. Inside is something silk, blush pink, with hints of lace.

"Come dahling," Nina beckons, with hints of her Eastern European accent shining through. "Let"s try this on and make your man a very happy one, yes?"

Claire blushes, following Nina toward the mirror that opens like a door into a stall where she can change. As Claire tries on whatever was in the box, Nina leaves and returns with two velvet boxes. The larger one contains a stunning diamond choker with a set of matching earrings and bracelet. The much smaller velvet box opens up to reveal a diamond engagement ring with a matching wedding band.

"Too soon," I gesture to the ring set.

"Never too soon," Nina retorts. "I"ll put these with a matching platinum band aside for you. You do not bring girlfriends to Nina"s, Mr. Blackwell. You and I both know, this store is for apologies to wives. Your words, I might add, tab unlimited. You"ll pay the invoice, and I"ll keep the rings in the safe until you"re ready to pick them up."

She doesn"t let me argue the point as she takes the ring box away just before Claire steps out of the changing stall. My god, Claire is a vision of beauty. When she turns around to look at herself in the mirror, I can see the shock in her eyes as well.

Soft pink silk wraps around her breasts and frames the sides of her torso, giving the illusion of a cinched waist. The back drops so low the top of her ass is almost revealed, showing me enough of the lace thong that makes me want to tear it off with my teeth. I grab the jewelry box, take out the necklace and walk up behind her.

A swipe of her blonde hair to one side lets me drape the diamond choker around her neck. I secure the clasp and watch the sparkle light up her eyes.

"Now tell me money doesn"t make you happy," I whisper seductively in her ear.

"This is definitely a start," she says, licking her lips. Her fingers gently touch the designer piece of jewelry that"s about half an inch wide and fits snugly around her neck. It reminds me of a collar, but somehow, I feel like I"m the one Claire has on a leash. I wonder if she knows how much she controls this thing, these feelings that are growing between us.

"Just a start? How would you like to finish?" I ask her, kissing her gently along her neck, sliding my hands down the soft silk of the lingerie before letting it slip under and between her thighs. My cock"s coming alive and I"m sure this room is soundproof.

"On your knees, swine," she replies with the slightest quirk of a grin. But she surprises me and turns around, "Or better yet, on mine?"

Claire reaches behind her, opens the stall and pulls me inside. The shock of her confidence, the aggression, the desire in her eyes has me speechless. I watch her push me against the stall door, lock it, and undo my pants to pull my cock out.

She licks her lips and lowers herself in front of me.

"Wait, Claire, you don"t have?—"

Before I can get the words out, she"s trying to swallow every inch of me. My hands reach for the walls, hoping for something to grab onto as the warmth of her mouth engulfs my head. The slight flick of her tongue across it makes me close my eyes and curse under my breath. She moans, which sends vibrations down to the base. It feels like this is going to end before I truly get to enjoy it.

"Fuck, this wasn"t how this was supposed to go," I huff as she moves her head back and forth, up and down. She works her mouth along my shaft, but it comes to a screeching halt when her teeth graze me. I can"t stop the snarling words. "FUCK, that shit hurts."

Claire stops immediately and pulls my cock out of her mouth. Erection gone, deflation imminent.

"Shit, I"m so sorry. I"ve never done this before," she admits.

I nod. "Good, it"s fine. I promise I"ll be okay. Let"s take this home. All of it. We can thank each other there. At least then no one can hear me scream."

That brings a smile to her face as she rises to her feet. I pull her face up to mine, sealing this evening with a kiss.