Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

I look up when there’s a knock on my door. “Shardonnay, what can I do for you?”

“Mr Christianson would like to see you in his office, immediately. His words, not mine,” she says.

“Did he say why?” I ask. Why didn’t he just call through or come here himself?

She shakes her head and walks back to her desk.

Standing, I pick up my phone and head into Xavier’s office right as Alistair is doing the same. We share a look. Neither of us appears to know why we’ve been summoned. As soon as the door shuts behind me, all hell breaks loose.

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Xavier yells, his rage directed at me.

Alistair glances between us. “Xav, that is nothing new. What’s going on?”

“She quit.” He holds up a piece of paper and waves it in front of us.

My brows furrow. “Who quit?”

“Only the best first-year associate we’ve ever had. Bentley fucking quit. What the fuck did you do?” he hisses in my direction.

“She’s not quitting,” I tell him.

“Yeah, well, this says otherwise.” He gestures to the document again.

Walking up to him, I snatch the paper out of his hands and read the perfectly typed-out letter of resignation. Then I tear it in half. “She’s not fucking quitting,” I say again before depositing the pieces on his desk. Storming out of Xavier’s office, I head for Bentley’s.

Quitting, she’s fucking out of her pretty damn mind if she thinks she’s quitting our firm.

I open the door and find her standing there, her bag on her shoulder while looking like she just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“Going somewhere?” I ask her.

“Ah, yeah. Home,” she says, a slight quiver to her voice.

I step aside and allow her to pass. I’ll let her think she’s leaving without a fight, only because I don’t want to cause any more of a spectacle in this office today. I can feel eyes on me from every direction as I watch Bentley walk out the doors.

Returning to my office a few minutes later, I slam the door shut and slump into my chair. She can’t quit. Where the fuck does she think she’s going to get a job that’s better than the one she has? Here, at this firm. Nowhere, there is nowhere better than us.

I won’t let her throw her dreams away because she thinks she can’t have it all. She can, and she fucking will. I’ll make sure of it.

Shutting down my laptop, I pack up my shit. Thank fuck it’s the weekend. I plan on going and retrieving my little runaway and tying her to my bed for the next few days, at least until she changes her mind about this whole quitting thing.

As I’m leaving the office, I get a message from Alistair.

Alistair:

Unhinged tonight, VIP booked.

Me:

Can’t make it. I got plans.

Alistair:

Your “plans” already agreed to meet us there.

Me:

What?

Alistair:

Just be there. 10 p.m.

I pocket my phone and head down to the garage. Did Bentley really agree to go to Unhinged tonight?

I should call her. We need to talk. Then again, maybe it’s best if we both have a little space tonight. Cooler heads will prevail and all that bullshit. I’m so tempted to just go and drag her out of her house though. I don’t recall a time I’ve ever been so fucking conflicted before. I decide to go home and cool off. I’m not going to text her. If she’s not at the club, that’s when I’ll go and hunt down my pretty little runaway.

I thought, when I saw her here, everything would just fall back into place. That we’d be fine. We’re not. I’m still pissed as hell. I’m stuck sitting next to her, wanting nothing more than to reach out and grab her.

I don’t though. Instead, I’m trying to give Xavier unspoken messages about his PDA with Shardonnay. The man is currently facing a sexual harassment suit from an ex-employee. You’d think he’d be more careful about showing his current secretary so much affection.

“Bentley, let’s dance.” Shardonnay pushes to her feet. “Lucy just walked in. Let’s go meet her.” Xavier stands, intending to follow them. “Nope, girls only. I won’t be long.” Shardonnay blows him a kiss and walks off with Bentley in tow.

I swear you could cut the tension between me and Bentley with a knife. I fucking hate it. I want to talk to her, I want to sort out our issues. At the same time, I want her to fucking come to me. For her to want to work through it together. She hasn’t approached me, and now we’re in some sort of silent standoff with each other.

I watch Xavier as he stares at Shardonnay and Bentley.

“Relax, have a drink. She’ll be fine,” I tell him as Alistair slides into the seat next to him.

“Where’d Shar and Bentley disappear to?” Alistair asks.

I nod my head down towards the dance floor to answer his question.

“Well, you two fools need to get over yourselves. I didn’t sign up to be mates with grumpy old fuckers,” he’s quick to reply.

“You’re the oldest one here,” Xavier tells him.

“By a month. So lighten up. The world is not fucking ending,” Alistair fires back.

“Maybe not for you. Your associate didn’t just quit on you. And why the fuck is she even here? Who invited her?” I ask.

“I did. Figured she needed a night out. She’s been working for your sour ass for a month. Fuck, I’d need a whole fucking brewery if I had to be either of your associates.” Alistair laughs.

“Fuck off,” I grunt.

“I’ll be back. Try not to kill each other. I don’t want to deal with the paperwork.” Xavier makes his way across the room and down the stairs. To the dance floor.

I watch Bentley dance with Lucy, Xavier’s little sister, and Shardonnay. She has a drink in her hand, holding it high above her head as her hips sway. A few guys approach her and I can’t help but smile as she shakes her head and turns them away.

“I’ll be back.” I stand and throw down some cash on the table. “Actually, I won’t be,” I tell Alistair as I leave the booth. Because I plan on taking my little runaway home. It’s been hours since I’ve touched her and I’m getting fucking antsy.

I push my way through the crowd of clubgoers, and when I reach Bentley, I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her back against my front.

“It’s time to go home,” I growl into her ear.

She spins around in my arms. “I’m not sure if I want to be going home with you right now,” she says.

“Too bad. I’m taking you home. Let’s go.” I grab her hand and pull her towards the door. The fact that she doesn’t put up a fight tells me she does actually want to come home with me.

When we get out to the street, I lead her up the path. I could wait for a cab, but my apartment’s only two blocks from here. Maybe the walk and a little fresh air would be better for us. I let go of her wrist to entwine my fingers with hers. Looking down, I realise this is the first time we’ve actually walked along the street holding hands.

I like it.

I bring her hand up to my mouth, kissing each knuckle before lowering it again. “I tore up your resignation letter,” I tell her.

“I can reprint it.”

“I’ll throw out the printers,” I reply with a shrug.

“I’ll email it,” she retorts.

“I’ll shut down the company servers,” I counter.

“Why? Why are you so against me quitting? I’m doing this for both of us, you know. Not just me.”

“No, you’re doing this because you think you have to. You don’t need to quit. Tell me, Bentley, where are you planning on working? We’re the best firm in this city and you know it.”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to have to choose between you and my job, Nathan. I happen to love my job, but I love you more.” She yells the last part.

“Then I’ll quit,” I offer.

“What? You can’t quit your own firm. Your name is on the wall. Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“You know, as soon as we’re married, it’s going to be your name on that wall too, because you will be a Miller. Bentley Miller. Huh, maybe I should just call in a favour with a judge and have us married now.” I mull over the idea.

“Don’t even think about it. I can’t believe you. I can work anywhere. It doesn’t matter. I’m good at what I do, meaning I’ll be just as good wherever I decide to go.”

“I’m not losing you. Our firm doesn’t want to lose you.”

“Sometimes we can’t always get what we want,” she huffs.

“Try telling that to Xavier.” I laugh.

When we reach my building, I enter the code and guide her through the door. We’re both silent as we wait for the lift. And as soon as we step in and the doors close, I turn to her, pushing her up against the mirrored wall. I slam my lips down on her and pick her up. Bentley wraps her legs around my waist while her hands tug on the front of my shirt. She kisses me back just as fiercely.

“This doesn’t mean this conversation is done,” I tell her, pulling back from her mouth.

“Shut up and kiss me.” She yanks at my shirt again, trying to force my face down to hers.

“Ask nicely.” I smirk at her.

“No.”

“Say please,” I tell her.

She rolls her eyes and smiles. “Please kiss me, Mr Miller. Please make me come like only you can,” she adds

“See? All you had to do was say please.” My lips meet hers again. The doors open and I carry her into the apartment. We land in a heap on the sofa. “Fuck, I’m going to fuck the disobedience out of you, Bentley.”

“You’re welcome to try,” she says.

“Stand up.” I pull her to her feet. My hands reach the bottom of her dress and tug it over her head, leaving her in nothing but a pair of black lace panties. Kneeling down, I kiss along her stomach as I slide the panties down her legs, lifting each foot one at a time before pushing to my feet again. “I’m going to fuck you senseless.”

“What are you waiting for?” She raises a challenging brow.

“Oh, baby girl, I don’t think you want to poke the bear right now,” I growl into her ear.

“Maybe I do.” She smiles.

I spin her around and bend her over the arm of the sofa. She lets out a squeal. “Don’t fucking move,” I tell her. I drop to my haunches behind her and spread her legs open wider. My hand palms each globe of her ass, opening her up to me and grazing my teeth along the soft skin, before my tongue reaches out and circles around her puckered hole.

Bentley’s body stiffens. I don’t stop. I’m not stopping. I stick my tongue into the hole farther, her body relaxes, and she begins to push back into my face.