Chapter 25
“Unfortunately, I have only 20 minutes for you now. Please just let me speak and we will go through your questions later.”
Every cell in my body screams against me being told what to do in that way but I just comply. This feels just like I’m working for him again.
“I know that you have lost part of your funding because of me,” he starts.
Giving him a look of complete disbelief, I automatically gape to rebut this only to be stopped with a move of his hand.
“Whatever the source reason for the offer recall is, the fact is you now lack a significant part of your funding.”
I never mentioned anything about this to him and I wonder how he found out over the weekend. Piper? Drake? It must be Drake, the two of them were waiting for us yesterday.
“I will replace that part. I’m offended by the fact you never approached me in the first place.”
This meeting is turning in to a big breathing exercise for me. I inhale again wanting to say something only to be once again faced with his raised hand stopping me.
“I know we have a lot more to talk about and that 15 minutes is not enough. Last thing, I went through the proposal materials for the start-up. My decision is based on the facts given in the proposal. It looks like a sound investment. Nothing more, nothing less.”
This came as a surprise to me. I remember that previously he declared my work as not good enough. I always got an earful from Adele on how she had to “do everything again”.
“From a business perspective I’m more than thrilled that you deem our project investment worthy…” I say because this is the truth. Our relationship aside, Liam is one of – if not the one – businessperson I look up to. “… but I don’t mix personal with professional. We need to decide which one we can keep.”
“Neither do I Madison, but that is a longer conversation which we will have later.”
I can live with that although I’m skeptical on how this conversation is going to happen. We don’t have the best track on having just a conversation. Even now that I’m sitting in front of him in his office, I’m squeezing my legs shut to try and manage the pulsating beat emanating from my core.
“Shall I schedule the next meeting with your assistant?” I ask him. Drowning in the power of his look. He looks at me in a way a starved person looks at food and I cannot take much more of that.
“No. It will not be necessary,” he responds continuing, “there is one more office on this floor, right across the hall. You will work from there from now on. I know that the commute from your house to here is…”
“Stop it!” I interrupt him, this time not even trying to be polite. “You can’t turn my life upside down at your command. I appreciate the offer and I’m willing to discuss it further, given that we resolve the “other” thing first.”
Still leaning back in his chair, one of his hands is resting on the table doing slow lazy circles with his ring finger across the cold surface of the glass. Mischief tugging on the corner of his lips. Standing I reach for my bag intending to leave because I cannot stand his gaze anymore. Mad as hell on one side and aroused as hell on the other I need out of here right now.
“Sit down for one more minute,” he asks me, pointing at the chair I just vacated. “I said that I will accept and fulfill your investment but I didn’t finish under what conditions.
A voice in my head is screaming at me to get up and leave but my body betrays me and complies with his request.
“I will take a smaller percentage in your company in exchange for the same amount of investment but under following condition. I will have hands on participation in the start-up process. You will work with me here in the office and, you will temporarily move to the city to one of my apartments.”
“What the fuck!” I explode not wanting to listen to him anymore, feeling smothered and run over. This time I grab my bag and storm toward the office door ignoring him yelling my name. As I take hold of the doorknob, I sense a menacing presence surrounding me. His hand lands on the door next to my head and shuts it closed.
“Let me go,” I hiss at him coldly.
“No, not until you realize how foolish and unprofessional you are being!” He growls at me.
All to aware of the intense body heat coming of his body I force myself to calm down. “I can’t separate private and business with you and it looks like you can’t either.” I tell him still holding the handle.
“My offer is purely and completely business,” he whispers in my ear gently grazing it with his lips. My body reacts instantly and spontaneously as I whimper softly and arch my ass into his body. His free hand pulls me even more into him and I can feel the hard ridge of his cock against the small of my back.
“Madison!” he rasps and kisses my neck still on edge from the unfulfilled play we had yesterday making us both moan in dire need for a release.
“You would give an office and an apartment to any of your prospect associates?” I almost whisper as his lips finally decease their attack on my neck.
“I’m not giving you anything. I have a vacant property where you can stay, I don’t see what is wrong with that.”
Making a decision in a moment like this would be a mistake however this man has his own gravity and once you are caught in it – you’re doomed. “It’s not fair you jump out of nowhere with those demands. We need to find a solution to this business - personal stuff.”
He steps back and I’m finally confident enough to turn and face him. “Ok, agreed. If the both of us are not comfortable with the business and the personal relationship in the next week or so we will renegotiate.”
In a true professional manner, I offer my hand for him to shake. Fully aware that I have just been had. He chuckles, takes it, and pulls me into him. Eyeblink later I crash into his body and his lips crush on top of mine devouring me in a quick hot kiss. That man destroys every ounce of resolve I have, in a second. He lets me go as I try to stand on wobbly feet.
“Adam will take you home, help you pack and close the house. He will bring you to the apartment.” Liam tells me again bossing me around. I nod as I don’t have any fight left in me after the intense kiss, he just gave me.
“And Madison! I’ll spank you if you ever disobey me like this.”
Aaaaaand that was just the thing I needed to snap out of the sex haze he put me in. “Excuse me? Disobey!? I just accepted all your ridiculous requests. And why on Earth are you under the assumption that I was the one who is gonna get spanked and not you?”
“What kind of business are you doing up here Carver?” male voice behind me scares the shit out of me.
Hoping the ground will open and I will disappear before I must face the person to whom this voice belongs to, I turn. No black hole opens in front of me, just Liam still smirking. Smug face enjoying the whole situation. My cheeks are burning to the point I’m expecting to self-combust any second now when I see another huge man standing in the doorway. A huge man who is none other than the actor Aaron Black. THE AARON BLACK. Fuck, shit, hell!!
“We were just finishing the negotiation.” I hear behind my back as I turn even more red. It is what it is and what has been said can’t be taken back. I have no choice other than to ignore it just like Liam did. Finding my charming professional smile, I address the man standing in my path to freedom. “Gentlemen, let me leave you to do your business.”
A glance in Liam’s direction tells me he is still smirking like a Cheshire cat, all smug and satisfied. I nod at him and he winks back. WINKS! Mr. Black steps back, out of the doorway and I go past him, just wanting to get out of there and get some air to clear my head. Hearing the elevator ping I rush, thinking it will leave without me and I almost run into yet another huge man.
“Thank you!!!” I blurt entering the elevator as he elegantly slides aside and we barely miss each other and the collision threatening to happen. For a moment he looks at me with mirth and confusion and last thing I hear before the elevator doors close is his, “No problem, Miss.”
I know this face from news as well. Hunter …something … Also, a gazillionaire as Liam, from Europe.