Page 6

Chapter Six

Aspen

Now that I’m not working, I’m bored out of my mind. My classes are dull as shit and I’m ready to throw in the towel.

“Why do you look like you’re plotting world domination?” Zeland asks as he walks into the kitchen.

“Contemplating ditching classes today to look for a job.”

“No luck on the job hunt then?”

I shake my head. After talking to Arlo and his mention of how most of the creators on the View4U app don’t get naked, I went down a rabbit hole. I watched the free previews on some accounts, and he was right—there are no masked women.

“Though my friend Arlo mentioned an app called View4U. I’ve looked into it—maybe that’s a viable option.”

Zeland splutters and I look over at him. He has spat water down his business shirt. “You want to become a kink creator?”

I shrug. “Maybe. Do you know about the app?”

Nothing good is about to come out of his mouth, judging from the smile on his face. “I sure do. Honestly, I don’t know many people who don’t. What content would you do?”

“Well, I was talking to Arlo when Ridge went all daddy on me about talking to strangers—well, actually, it was about not masturbating in front of strangers.”

Zeland laughs. “I so need to hear this.”

“I made a comment about flicking the bean in the gaming room, and he was watching me on the cameras again or listening. The thought of being watched is kind of hot, and that’s now on the list of things that I might like. Anyway, Arlo and I were talking, which turned into him sharing his kinks, and he mentioned the lack of females in masks on the app. The idea intrigues me, but I have no one to chase. I kind of wish I knew where he lived because he has a kink and I maybe want to make content.”

“He actually lives in Meadow Hills, about twenty minutes from here. ”

I know where Meadow Hills is—I worked at a bar there in the past. “How do you know where he lives?”

“We take cyber safety seriously and Ridge may have done?—”

“Ridge may have done what?” the man himself interrupts, strolling into the kitchen in his impeccable suit. He smells like a million dollars, with not even a strand of hair out of place. I walk over to the counter and hand him a travel mug with the quote: “Despite the look on my face, you’re still talking.”

“You made me a coffee?” he asks, reluctantly taking the travel mug from me.

I roll my eyes. “It’s not poisoned—frankly, because I didn’t think of it before I made it.”

Zeland laughs and pulls his juice from the refrigerator, drinking straight from the bottle. It’s some Australian juice he gets imported.

Ridge reads the quote and smirks. “Thanks,” he gruffs. “Zee, are you driving in with me today?”

“Not today. I hate working late and waiting for you. I was thinking about bringing Aspen into the office.”

“Me? Why? You already told me you wouldn’t give me a job because you don’t shit where you eat and you’re determined to eat me.”

Zeland’s smile takes over his face and Ridge’s brows furrow. “I’m not giving her a job, Zee. It’s bad enough she lives in my house.”

“Our house, and not for a job, Pocket Rocket. You said yourself you wanted to ditch class, so how about a tour of my office? ”

“Do I have to get into one of those god-awful cars?”

“He doesn’t own Ridez, I do. And just stay on your floor—I don’t need any distractions today.” Ridge storms out of the kitchen.

“I think he likes me,” I say jokingly.

“He definitely does. He took a sip out of the travel mug, and he would never do that otherwise. He’s very particular about his life. Go get dressed in something comfortable and meet me back here when you are done.”

“Can’t I go like this?” I joke because I’m in a T-shirt, underwear, and socks that go up to my knees, with my hair pulled into a messy bun.

“You could come naked if you want—I don’t mind at all. Just know the office is busy and you might want to wear pants.”

I laugh and nod before walking away. “You’re right, my future husband might work there, so I should make myself presentable.”

“If he works for me, he’s fired. If I can’t get into your pants, neither can he,” he calls out.

“I’m not wearing any pants,” I yell, not sure if he can hear me.

I race to my room, digging through my backpack for a clean pair of jeans and the nicest shirt I own. It’s nothing fancy like they wear and I’m second-guessing my decision to go. After I’m dressed, I apply some mascara and brush the knots out of my hair before I head back downstairs to find Zeland waiting for me in the kitchen. He gives me a once over and smiles.

“I’m not underdressed, am I? ”

He shakes his head. “Wait until you meet Missy, she wears her pj’s most days. I run my office very differently to Ridge.”

“Thank god because I don’t have many outfits. I should pick up a few more things once I find a job.”

“We could always see Ridge’s cousin Morgan—they design and make clothes. We can put them on Ridge’s account.”

I laugh but shake my head. “As much as I love you annoying him, I couldn’t do that, and before you offer, I won’t let you pay either.”

Zeland just shrugs and asks if I’m ready to leave. We head to the garage, where he plucks the keys to an SUV from the row of hooks and leads me to his car of the day.

When he turns it on, the stereo blasts, and while it’s not a band I’m familiar with, I like the vibe.

“What band is this?” I ask.

“Hilltop Hoods. My mom used to listen to them a lot when I was younger.”

“Are you close to your mom?” I ask, and his jaw goes tight for a second.

“I used to be, but we grew apart after her and Ridge’s father got divorced. She was pissed when I wanted to stay with him, and now she only calls when she wants something.”

“Sounds a bit like my mom, except she dumped me on my grandmother when I was born and the last time she came around was when I was sixteen. It sucks, but I’m better off without her around. What about your father?”

“He died when I was young and lived a very go-with-the-flow lifestyle. He loved to surf, and I guess one day he went out and never came back. They never found his body, but Mom said they are positive he drowned.”

“Damn, that sucks. So are you close to Ridge’s father?”

His smile is back, and he nods. “I am. He is the stable parent I needed. He adopted me and I’m his favorite son.”

“He and Ridge don’t get along?”

Zeland laughs. “They get along well enough. Ridge won’t go out of his way to call or visit him, but I still do. Ridge is very work focused and always has been. I think he wants to prove he can make it in the business world alone. He built his company from the ground up, where I asked Harry for some financial help for a stake in the company. He hates that his father has a piece of Ridgeland Global, but it’s about his pride.”

“I googled you both,” I tell him honestly. “You’re both super rich—like you could retire now, drinking cocktails by the pool every day while someone hand feeds you grapes, rich.”

Zeland laughs. “We are, but it’s not about the money. While it helps to not be poor, we donate a lot to charity. I like to give back—I wasn’t used to having everything like I do now. My mom lived pay to pay after my father died.”

The conversation about our parents dies off and I’m grateful. I shiver as we drive past what looks like a lot full of those self-driving cars. If he takes me in there, I will run, and he will never see me again. The trauma is still fresh.

When he drives right past, I sigh in relief and tap my hand on my leg in time to his music. He seems to be in his head, and I don’t want to pry when I don’t know him that well.

“I need to tell you something,” he finally says as we pull into what looks like a private parking garage.

“You didn’t bring me here to kill me. It’s a little too public, and I bet I could outrun you if you let me out of the car.”

He chuckles. “No, I didn’t bring you here to kill you—that’s a little morbid for me. My company has a meeting today on privacy breaches, and I thought it might be something you should attend.”

“Okay, and why would I need to attend?”

He pulls into a parking spot with his name on the wall. “Because I own the View4U app. I want you to understand the implications of putting out videos and how seriously we take the safety of our creators. Some of the app’s top content creators will be present to be informed about what policies and procedures are being put in place for their safety”

My mouth falls open while I stare at him. “You own a kink app?”

He nods. “I do. I started by making videos myself, masked ones to be more specific.”

He slips from the car, and I follow him. “Ridge put you up to this, didn’t he? All because I almost told Arlo my name! ”

“Maybe, but he can suck dick so well, and I also think it’s a good idea. I’m all for you starting an account with us—I think a masked woman would make bank. Before you start, though, I want you to see the darker side and make an educated decision. Then if it’s still what you want, I’m happy to help you. I can record you, let you chase me, or I can find you people to chase—all legal of course.”

The thought of Arlo fills my head. I wonder how Zeland would feel about joining me on my chase.

“Though if I help you, please promise me we can do one video where you surprise Ridge. We probably wouldn’t be able to post it, but seeing his face would be priceless, and I’m curious about how he would react. He pretends you annoy him, but he hasn’t been home like this in months. I have been laid so much my ass hurts.”

His words make me lose my resolve, and I’m laughing so hard as we step into the elevator, the woman inside stares at us. Zeland practically snarls at her, then wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him as the doors close behind us.

“It’s the devil in Prada—if we ignore her, she might go away,” Zeland whispers against my ear.

“I can hear you, and I wasn’t aware it was ‘bring your charity case to work’ day.”

“Excuse me?” I snap, and she has the nerve to smile.

“No offense, darling, but your kind doesn’t belong here.”

I open my mouth to give her a piece of my mind, but Zeland beats me to it. “Ridge seems to like her a lot. Have you noticed how early he leaves the office every night? Oh, even with all that Botox, I can see the jealousy. You might have Ridge fooled but not me.”

“Screw you, Zeland,” she snaps.

“Not even if you were the last pussy on earth. I would chop my cock off before screwing you.”

The doors slide open and Zeland pulls me from the elevator, and I flip the bitch off as we pass. If I ever see her again, I will give her a piece of my mind.

“Sorry about that—she thinks Ridge belongs to her. It grates on her nerves that he fucks me, and I like to remind her of the fact often. She is a family friend, and while she has Ridge convinced she only wants to be his friend, I know better. She doesn’t hold back when he isn’t around.”

“I don’t normally condone violence, but I will totally smack that bitch to repay you for your generosity.”

“As much as the thought of you breaking her twenty-thousand-dollar nose job fills me with glee, she would just buy a new one and her lawyers would eat you alive.”

I snort. “What would they take, the few thousand I have in savings?”

“Boss,” a young man on a hoverboard says. “Did you bring me fresh meat to train?”

“Eliott, this is my new roommate, Aspen. She is attending the meeting with me this morning. Is everyone here?”

“Sure are. They’re waiting for you.”

I follow behind Zeland as he talks to Eliott. When we get to another elevator, Zeland places his hand on a keypad and then grabs my hand and pulls me on with him.

“Have a good meeting,” Eliott says to me and winks.

“That’s your personal assistant?”

“Yes, he can be a lot, but he is the best assistant I have ever had. Now this meeting might be a lot to take in, and most of it will probably be boring, but it’s good to know just how dark the web can be.”

“Okay,” I reply as the doors open, and we walk straight onto a floor that is laid out like a massive boardroom.

Ridge stands at the front next to a man dressed in black who looks like he could take you down in seconds with only his bare hands. Ridge looks over at us as we walk toward him, glancing down at our joined hands.

Zeland squeezes, probably well aware of what this is doing to his best friend, and I’m happy to help a guy out. We pause beside Ridge, who stops talking at our arrival.

“Aspen, this is our Chief Information Security Officer, our Chief Technology Officer, Head of Security and Information Security Manager, our Privacy Officer, our Legal Counsel, and heads of our IT Security, Incident Response, Public Relations, and Communications and HR,” Ridge says, introducing me, and though I have no idea why he felt the need to inform me, it makes me smile.

“It’s nice to meet you all.”

Zeland leans into my side. “You have no clue what any of these people do.”

I lightly chuckle. “Besides HR, no clue. ”

“I told you Ridge likes you, and it annoys him that he does,” Zeland replies, bumping my hip with his. “Go take a seat somewhere—this is going to be a long meeting.”

“She can sit at our table up the front,” Ridge adds, and Zeland pokes me in the ribs.

I hate to break it to him, but there are only two chairs at their table. You can clearly tell it’s theirs by the two plaques with their names engraved on them:

Ridge Ellington and Zeland Reid-Ellington

I move to their table and take a seat in Ridge’s chair, just because I know it will spark a reaction from him.

“Welcome, everybody. Thank you for coming today. All of you should know me—I’m Zeland Reid-Ellington and that handsome devil is Ridge Ellington.” A few people who are seated laugh. “Over the last few months, we have had some reports of privacy breaches, and at least one stalker. You are my top creators, and your safety is our number one priority. You have all been invited to hear what we have been doing to keep you safe and what you can do to keep yourself safe. We have our entire team here today, so this will be a lengthy process, and we appreciate your attendance. We will take questions after each speaker so you can address any direct inquiries you have regarding what they are talking about. Any questions you have for myself, please write them down and I will address them at the end of this meeting. We are live streaming to our other creators who couldn’t be here. Refreshments are at the back of the room, and we will take a break so you can use the restrooms. First, I would like to introduce you to our Chief Information Officer, Amanda Bright.”

No one claps when I do, but screw them—what a boss bitch among all those men. She looks over at me and smiles.

Ridge and Zeland walk toward me, Ridge making eye contact, which I try to maintain because he is intimidating when his sole attention is on me.

“You’re in my seat,” he whispers.

“Shh, I’m listening to Miss Bright.”

His jaw goes tight as Zeland sits down beside me, taking my hand and pulling me toward him. I stand and try not to laugh at Ridge.

Zeland guides me to his lap and places his right hand on my stomach. “I knew I would get you on top of me one way or another,” he whispers in my ear.

As I wiggle my ass against his crotch, he groans, and I silently chuckle. I sit and listen as the presenters talk, and the creators ask questions. It’s a lot of information and I’m honestly slightly overwhelmed. Zeland rubs my stomach with his thumb. He knows what he is doing—my nipples harden beneath my bra, and I have to adjust how I’m sitting because it’s sending a signal to my lady parts. Now is not the time or place, but his thick, hard erection beneath my ass isn’t helping.

I lean back against his shoulder. “You play dirty, Mr. Reid-Ellington.”

Our battle continues for what feels like hours. Every time I move, he strokes my stomach with his thumb, or he switches it up and runs a finger down my spine. I never imagined it could be possible to have an orgasm without actually having sex, but I’m so close I might actually combust right here in front of an entire floor full of people.

Ridge leans in close, but doesn’t look our way, keeping his attention fixed on the front of the room.

“Will you two stop?! Foreplay is not appropriate right now.”

I feel Zeland silently laugh behind me. “Either join in or be quiet,” he whispers back.

“I’m not fucking your stray,” Ridge retorts.

“As if I would even want you to,” I quip.

I can see why Zeland tries to provoke him. He’s so easily riled, especially for someone who claims not to like me all that much. After listening to everyone speak, I should be terrified, but they were all so informative about how to keep yourself safe online. This whole app idea seems too good to be true. A way to make money without taking my clothes off—it can’t hurt to give it a go. At least until I find a half-decent job where I won’t get fired for standing up for myself and I won’t be groped.