Chapter 60

Ira

"Reports forecast a projected revenue of $15,000,000 in the first quarter," my company's accountant says halfway through our meeting. "This is of course assuming that all reservations are followed through and the pattern of interest continues. If I could direct your attention to Section 3 and the chart at the bottom of the first page…"

Papers flip over in unison. I have to lick my thumb twice to get mine to turn. Usually, Vivian prepares my papers for me, but today she was so busy that it's a miracle I got this delivery at all. And now I can't turn a damn page.

Seeing my struggle, Kathleen leans over and turns it for me. Nobody pays any attention.

It's the first day of the final phase of her training. After waking up with my whole body screaming at me for denying myself yesterday, I decided to push some boundaries and see how Kathleen would react to me fondling her in her sleep when her collar was on – I would never if it were off. Unless, of course, she told me I could.

She not only got into it – she flourished.

I thought it wise to start the workday off right. I let her have free reign of her work clothes this week, and I'm pleased to see her in a stylish white turtleneck and black pencil skirt, hair up high on her head in a twist and jewelry so minimal that she's only wearing her collar. I'm pleased to see this because the collar blends flawlessly with her look. Nobody would ever expect what that necklace symbolized.

I want to lean over and kiss her cheek, rub her shoulder, and take her hand in mine. I don't. Not in a situation like this.

She's my full-time sub these next few days, but our situation is still a secret. I can't risk too much affection out in the open. There are other ways she can serve me, however. Flipping my paper over when I had such a hard time was a nice touch.

"Finally," the accountant continues, "there's the matter of funds we're still waiting on from Xan Ravenwood."

I perk up. Kathleen looks somewhat interested. My father, on the other hand, shrinks in his seat with one hand over his face. Great.

"Grab some coffee," I whisper to Vivian. "Get yourself some too. We'll be here a while."

Vivian is five folders deep into taking notes, and she gives me a look of, "You better be shooing me away because you don't want me to hear this, and not because you're a lazy ass." A bit of both, really.

"I'll get it." Kathleen stands up, smoothes out her skirt, and smiles at me. "I know how everyone here likes their coffee."

Annie, her assistant, glances at her as if she's lost her mind. I'm halfway to giving her that look too, but before I can say anything, Kathleen has left the room.

"Don't get me started on Ravenwood," my father says, interrupting my thoughts. "We were supposed to have the money in our account last week, but nobody can get a hold of the guy. I have no idea what's going on. It's giving me a headache."

"If you don't find the money soon…"

"I know what that means!'" My father slams his hand on the table, startling Annie and making Vivian roll her eyes. "We've got a ball to throw for the opening of the hotel. We've got supplies to stock. We've got brand new employees to hand out uniforms to and pay. At this rate, we'll be making them pay for their own uniforms. That will go over well…"

Protestors echo in the back of my mind. Yeah, they would love that bit of news.

The accountant flips his folder shut and regards my father with near-disdain. "These discrepancies need to be covered soon. Either find a replacement investor or light a spark beneath Mr. Ravenwood's ass."

"As soon as I grow an arm long enough to reach the West Coast, I'll let you know."

Kathleen returns with a tray of coffee cups. She gives one to Annie first, then my father, then Vivian, then the accountant who declines because he's heading out, and then…

Coffee lands in front of me. Delicately. Placed there with such care that we get more than a few looks. The accountant sighs again.

I'm not even sure Kathleen got herself coffee.

I thank her and say my goodbyes to the corporate accountant. He brushes me off. Yeah, the guy's an ass, but there's a reason we pay him tens of thousands a year to keep our finances in check. I think we've given him a couple of strokes over the years, and this latest debacle with missing investor funds is only the latest case.

"I don't want to hear it." Apparently my father is a mind reader. "Now I have to go crawling to your mother and ask her for some of the funds for a bigger investment."

"Good luck with that. She hates your guts."

"Fuck it! I'm going out to get a drink with the boys at the club." My father leaps up from the table and ambles toward the conference room door. "Maybe one of them will have a few million to spare… thanks for the coffee, Kathleen."

The four of us are left with an uncomfortable silence. "That's a lot of missing money," Kathleen mutters.

"Vivian," I say, turning to my assistant. "Go make copies of these folders, would you please? You might want to take Annie with you."

Silently, both assistants leave, giving Kathleen and me some privacy in the closed-off conference room.

"It is a lot of money," I respond. "When my father told me a while ago about this new investor, I admit that I was wary. My father can be an idiot in his personal life, but not so much the business side of things. He wouldn't have agreed to this investor if he thought it could possibly fall through. I wonder what's happening. Xan Ravenwood is one of the biggest names in the Pacific Northwest." Twenty years ago, that wouldn't be saying much. Now, however, quite a few businesses are popping up over there. There's even a conference for bigwigs like us every year. Not that I've ever gone…

Maybe I should. I'll take Katie with me, and we'll have a great time.

"I've vaguely heard of him," she says, her voice soft. She looks at my hand on her knee but does not otherwise react. "He's not really in my line of business if you know what I mean."

"He's more corporate and investment, less helping out the little guy." Xan Ravenwood pharmaceutical company focuses on treatments and cures for terminal diseases. Last I heard they were close to a promising cancer cure, but their lead researcher keeled over dead. Probably put a dent in Ravenwood's profits for a while. "Enough about that. How are you feeling?"

Kathleen raises her eyebrow. "I'm fine. Even better after waking up like that."

I chuckle. Can't be helped. When a woman tells you she likes you in bed, you're going to react. "I took a chance that you would like that. What better chance than when I've got this collar on you?" I tap it with my finger. Light reflects off the diamonds, illuminating Katie's smile.

"It's not something I would want to do every day… Mistress."

"Of course not."

"I enjoyed it, yes. I enjoy almost anything we do."

Her smile is infectious. Not just infectious. Heartwarming. It's not her usual smile of wily thoughts or about to lunge and eviscerate me. It's a kind smile. Adoring.

I can't help but lean in and kiss her cheek, my hand sneaking toward her inner thigh. "I'm glad to hear that," I say, squeezing her flesh. "I've got some more ideas, you know."

"I'm sure you do, Mistress."

"Let's stay in tonight and do more of what we did last night."

"You mean a whole lot of nothing?"

"Now, now…" My tongue plays with her ear, sending shivers, shudders, and trembles through her muscles. "Let's start with dinner. Know how to cook anything good?"

"Oh, so now I'm cooking for you?"

"Nothing complicated. Unless you want to, of course." I don't peg her as a chef, but I could be wrong.

Katie brushes her lips against mine, and now it's my turn to shudder from this feeling called love. "I find myself wanting to do a lot of strange shit with you, Ira. I mean… Mistress."

I tuck an errant golden hair behind her ear, my lips playing with the tip there. "And I find myself unable to keep my hands off you, my love."

Her hand finds my leg. "Same here."

We have work to do, but I don't want to. I want to pull my lovely into my lap and have my way with her, nibbling her collar and feeling every intimate part of her body. I think I'll forego the games tonight. All I want to do is make love to Kathleen. Slow, sensual love that ends with me whispering how much I love her.

Why fucking wait?

"I love you, Katie." My words are so quiet, yet I don't doubt that she heard me.

Her head rests against my shoulder. I can't think much about missing money. All I can think about is this wonderful woman and how much I want to make this work.

I'm delusional, aren't I?