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I hear bustling from Jack’s office. He comes out, looking faintly harried as he always does. I look at him, take in his appearance, graying at the temples, lines around the eyes. We have been working together for some years, but it will not be long before he begins to notice that I am not aging as he does. A pity. I like Jack. He is a talented financier. Perhaps I should shift my appearance slightly. I may get another decade or so out of the illusion.

“Ornix, sorry, the call went longer than I expected.” His eyes drift from me to the pool. “Oh, the girls are still here, good. I need to talk to Tempest.”

“Hi, Daddy!” Tempest is unconcerned by his summons.

Jack takes his daughter to another room, leaving Melissa alone by the side of the pool.

I find myself walking toward her without so much as thinking about it, enthralled by the sight of her. As my shadow falls over her, she looks up at me.

“Is there something you wanted, Mr. Ornix?”

There is much I want. To be inside her. To hear her moan. To learn what she feels like when she is wrapped around my cock. To know what she desires, and to make each and every one of those desires come true.

I realize I am staring. Again.

I need to say something to break the tension, or at least cover for my presence. My desire for this young woman cannot yet be indulged. I need to ensure she is made of the right material.

Ridiculous thought. Of course she is. She practically glows with mate energy.

Her eyes widen, and I realize that I am standing over her, glowering down at her, behaving in an intimidating and probably frightening manner.

“Tomorrow,” I say. “Work starts at nine a.m. Sharp. I do not tolerate lateness for any reason besides personal injury or serious illness.”

“Oh,” she says. “Yes, thank you, sir. I won’t be late, I promise. I really appreciate you offering me the position. It was very generous of you, and I promise I won’t let you down.”

Having her call mesirmakes my cock throb. The urge to rip off that skimpy string bikini and have my way with her, mark her as mine, show her whose cock she was made for, is almost too much to resist.

“The internship will be intense,” I tell her. “Where are you staying?”

“Well, I’ve been trying to get an apartment. Tempest said I could stay with her, but I want to pull my own weight, so…”

“You’ll stay with me,” I tell her. “My home is large, has many spare rooms, and I will be assured of your presence when I need you.”

She looks excited for a moment, then a second later, her face falls.

“I can’t. Thank you, but I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because I need to take care of myself.”

“Nobody takes care of themselves,” I tell her. “Everybody depends on others, and in your case, your need for help is evident. I understand you don’t have anywhere to live.”

“I’ll live pretty much anywhere,” she says, avoiding the point.

I narrow my eyes slightly, and I watch her breath hitch.

“You are going to stay with me because I say so, because I want my assistant to be at hand when necessary.” There is a slight emphasis on the wordhand. I want to take her in hand, that much is certain.

She wavers in front of me uncertainly, looking obviously worried about the prospect of being at my mercy.

“It’s not negotiable. You will be staying here, and that is final.”

“I wouldn’t be in the way?”

I want to embrace her and tell her that not only would she not be in the way, she would be the whole world.

“I would be very pleased to have you here,” I say.