Corporate Cowboy (14 page)

Chapter Fourteen

My alarm goes off at six. By seven, I am showered and dressed, with one cup of coffee in me. By eight I have already clocked in and started a quick cleanup of the supervisor’s office—
my
office—which sits behind the front desk. I know my position has not been officially announced, but I assume my boss won’t care.

Besides, my boss is the reason for my incredible energy this morning.

I’ve also done some research online and started making my lists. If I get in trouble with IT because of some of the sites visited, I’m hoping Gage has my back.

I smile thinking about that and close my planner, where I’ve made my lists, and shove some papers on the desk into a folder and lay them aside to file later. As I turn to pick up another stack, Christina Long moves through the office door and wastes no time verbally attacking me.

“Ms. Lavender,” she begins, “I’d like to have a few words with you.”

I wave my hand toward a chair in front of the desk. Smiling, I say, “Of course, Ms. Long. Have a seat.” Then I settle in
my
chair behind
my
desk. “What can I do for you?”

The frown on her face is a little scary, to be honest. She sighs. “Ms. Lavender, it has come to our attention in HR that you have already been shirking your responsibilities, and we haven’t even announced your promotion yet.”

“Oh?” I play the southern belle part. “Whatever do you mean?”

Her eyes roll. “You were AWOL all afternoon yesterday.”

I lean forward. “I beg to differ, Ms. Long. I was definitely not AWOL yesterday.”

“You left the front desk and never returned, leaving your co-workers in a lurch.”

I grin and tilt my head. “And who told you that? The inefficient coworkers who were having difficulty getting guests checked in? I came back from my meeting with Mr. Parker to find the front desk backed up with customers,
Ms. Long
, and I saw them through the worst of it. Then I told one of the clerks—Connie, I think her name is—I had to run upstairs to corporate. That’s when I met with you, and we finalized and signed the offer letter.”

I sat back.

“And then you disappeared.”

“No. And then I had a meeting with my supervisor that lasted the remainder of the day.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Your supervisor has not been determined yet.”

“Oh, I beg to differ.” God, I hate to pull the Mr. Parker card, but if I must…

She rises. “I will speak with Mr. Parker about this.”

I stand as well. “See that you do, Ms. Long. I’m sure he’ll be happy to speak with you.”

“You can speak with him right now.”

Startled, I look toward the door where Gage stands. He glances my way briefly and my heart jumps. Then he turns his full attention to Christina. “What do you need to see me about?” His voice is edgy and gruff.

Christina looks at me, then him. “Ms. Lavender is irresponsible, sir.”

Gage steps through the door. “How so?”

“She was AWOL for a while yesterday.”

“No, she and I had a meeting.” He crosses his arms and stares at her.

It takes a moment for Christina to respond. “I was not aware of that. Nor was the front desk. Ms. Lavender needs to let someone know when she will be gone.”

I roll
my
eyes then.

Gage steps closer to Christina, peering over her. “Ms. Lavender is under my direction. She does what I instruct of her. As do you.”

“But the org chart…”

“Is finished. Ms. Lavender reports to me.”

“Mr. Parker, HR was not permitted to give input—”

Gage interrupts. “Ms. Long, you’re fired. Gather your things. We’ll do the exit meeting in ten minutes, Chad’s office.”

“But—”

“Leave. Now.”

Christina glares at him, long and hard, then finally gives up and exits the office, but not before turning and leaving me with a long, icy stare. Gage closes the door behind her.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“No problem. I’m not sure what just happened here, though.”

“She’s been on probation. This was the last straw. She was out of line.”

I figure if she is on probation, there are other issues. “I see.”

Gage doesn’t take his eyes off me. His expression is hardened and he looks like hell. I wonder if he slept last night—and if not, what kept him awake? He is definitely not the same Gage this morning that he was last evening.

“Is everything okay, Gage?”

He shakes himself and says, “Yes. Just busy. Emma, what do you know about human resources work?”

I’m taken aback at that. “A little, but absolutely no experience.”

“I’m sure you had some classes while earning your MBA that might inform you.”

I nodded. “I suppose.”

“Good. Come with me.” He reaches for my arm. I take a step and then stop short.

“What’s going on, Gage?”

He shrugs. “It’s simple, Emma. I just fired Christina, and now I’m promoting you to her position.”

“But why?”

“Because I think that you can do the job, and I want you close.”

“But I know nothing about HR!”

“You’ll learn. It will be fine.”

I step back. “I’m not so sure, Gage. I will screw things up. I will—”

He squeezes my arm a little tighter and glares into my eyes. “It’s only for two weeks, Emma. You will do as I say. Come with me now.”

****

It’s only for two weeks, Emma. You will do as I say.

Those are the words that put me right back to where I was before Gage and I had sex last night. His words are a stark reminder of what this
thing
is—and isn’t—between us.

It
isn’t
a relationship.

It
is
a prelude to a kinky sex weekend.

That’s all. And that’s all it will ever be.

I stare at the elevator door in front of me as we rise to the top of the building. Gage stands beside me, silent.

Something is different about him, and then I am reminded of what he’d said to me yesterday.
I don’t caress, cuddle, or whisper sweet nothings in your ear. I fuck.

And then I realize—the man standing beside of me is the real Gage. Hard. Cold. Indifferent. What I briefly saw last night was obviously a figment of my imagination. Yet, I still want to carry on.

And why?

Because I want to. I’m curious and drawn to him. I want to experience wild and abandoned sex again. Like last night. With Gage. And I want to know that I am
sexually satisfying
.

I need to do this. For
me
.

The door opens. Gage signals for me to go ahead of him. I nod and say, “Thank you.”

I wait for him to exit. His glance skids past me. “This way, Ms. Lavender,” he says.

I follow like a dutiful schoolgirl.

Chapter Fifteen

After safely depositing Emma in his office behind closed and locked doors, Gage finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at Chad and told him to expect Christina Long in a few minutes.

“I’m terminating her. I want you to conduct the exit interview, and I’m going to be here to witness the damn thing. I don’t feel like talking, just follow the script. Get someone else from HR over here, too. Then, we’re promoting Emma to her position.”

Chad nodded his agreement. “I understand. How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay.” He washed his hands over his face and paced a few steps back and forth.

“Did you get any sleep?” Chad asked.

“A little.”

That was a lie. Once Gage left the ranch, he’d met up with Chad outside of Emma’s apartment building. Security guards were in place by the time he had arrived, and he spoke to both of them. Chad had already briefed and shown them Emma’s picture. Same thing with the man outside Emma’s apartment door, who was instructed to follow Emma to work this morning and keep her in sight until Gage arrived.

Gage also showed them pictures of Amanda and gave instructions to never let her near Emma. Any spotting of Amanda and they were to contact Gage immediately.

He’d had no sleep. Parked out of the way, but in sight of the front of the building, he’d waited to see if Amanda would arrive. He’d not responded to her text and figured she was madder than a riled snake, but she’d not texted again.

That was also a bit worrisome. Amanda was vocal and loud-mouthed. When she got quiet, that’s when he worried. He’d be waiting for the next shoe to drop.

When Emma left the building with the hired guard tailing her, Gage left too. He stopped long enough at his condo for a shower and change of clothes, and a hot cup of coffee. Now, all he needed to do was get rid of Christina, and keep Emma on the corporate level with him, where she was safe and secure, and he could breathe.

“I think we need more security on this level, Chad. Contact the elevator people and see what it takes to install a swipe key for twenty-two. No one gets up here without that key.”

Chad nodded. “We’ll need to provide some protocol for staff, how to use their keys and when, and how to receive guests who do not have a key, and so on.”

Gage waved his arms. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll work all of that out. Maybe Emma could start working on that this afternoon.”

“I’ll get right on it, Mr. Parker.” He scrolled through his address book on his computer. “Oh, by the way, does Emma know why you are taking these precautions?”

Gage shook his head. “No, and I want to keep it that way.”

“Don’t you think she needs to know?”

Chad generally did not cross him. He gave his assistant a warning look. “No. She’s temporary.” Chad knew more of his personal business than Cole did. He knew the gig.

“Oh.”

“Two weeks. Then it’s over.”

“Never mind.” Chad nodded, and then added, “But it seems Ms. Lavender is a little different, and I thought perhaps because you were going to all of this trouble for her security that she would be here…”

Gage raised his brows and stared.

“Like I said. Never mind, sir.”

His cell phone sounded in his pocket. Gage reached for it and swiped in his password. A text from Amanda came up on top.

I’m in the lobby.

“Shit.” Gage looked to Chad. “Handle the meeting with Christina and HR and keep Emma in my office. I’ve got something to deal with downstairs.”

Chad nodded and Gage took in the worried look on his face. “I will take care of Ms. Emma, sir.”

****

Gage wasn’t looking forward to this meeting. His brain blank as he rode down the elevator, he stepped into the lobby loaded for bear. Amanda stood leaning against a column about ten feet away from the restaurant. He walked briskly toward her, grabbed her elbow and led her down the hallway and into an empty conference room.

“What in the hell are you doing showing up here like this.”

She slanted her head. “You didn’t give me a choice, Gage. You are not responding to my texts.”

“It’s not my style to respond to threats.”

“Oh, I’m doing a whole lot more than threatening you, Gage. Just watch me.”

He grasped her upper arms, then pushed back and released her. “Don’t get me riled up, Amanda. Just spill it. What do you want?”

“You.”

“We’ve already discussed this. That is not happening.”

Her shoulders dropped. “Ah, shit, Gage. You don’t really mean that.”

“I do and you know it.”

She crossed her arms and eyed him. “Now, if that new little blonde was out of the way, I bet you might think differently.”

Rage poked at his chest. He crowded up against her. “Listen to me, Amanda. You stay away from Emma. She has nothing to do with this.”

“Oh, she has everything to do with this. If you’re fucking her, you’re not fucking me. That is a huge problem for me, Gage.”

“I’m not fucking
you
, Amanda,” he hissed. “We’ve already discussed this. No more.”

She didn’t break his stare. “Get rid of her Gage, or I go to the media with your pictures.”

“Pictures?”

“Yeah. You didn’t think I took just one, did you?”

“You fucking bitch.”

She shrugged. “I want what I want. And I want you.”

Gage laughed. “You think if you go to the media with those pictures that I’ll give in and be your Dom. Think again, Amanda.”

“No, I think if you don’t get rid of Miss Prissy, I’ll go to the media and your career will be ruined. Scandals are lovely things, aren’t they? Then look where you will be. Down here with the low-life again, just where you started.”

Gage didn’t honor that with a response. He stepped back and moved for the door. Once there, he turned back. “I’m warning you, Amanda. Stay away from the hotel, away from Emma, and the hell away from me. If you leak those photos, so be it, but nothing is going to make me get rid of Emma. Now, get on back to your daddy’s ranch where you belong.”

He let the door to the room slam closed behind him. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he called hotel security. “There is a woman in Conference Room B. Get her out and make sure she never steps a foot back in this hotel again. Go now.”

Breathing hard, he clicked off the phone and headed back to corporate. He couldn’t wait to get upstairs and hold Emma in his arms.