Page 7

Chapter Seven

Ridge

For the last week, my head has been in the clouds. I didn’t need a distraction right now, and certainly not the stray Zee brought home. His good-natured heart is one thing I admire about him, but I guess, given his track record, I’m glad it’s a stray woman and not an animal. Growing up, the number of injured birds he nursed back to health was annoying. If there was a lost dog, he would do everything he could to find the owner, making flyers and posting them around our neighborhood—as if people with that kind of wealth would own a stray mutt.

My phone dings with the alert indicating there is movement in the house. Today Zee and the stray are starting to film for her View4U account, which I think is a terrible idea. Zee will get attached to her, and as soon as she finds somewhere else to live, she will be gone and he will be heartbroken. It’s in his best interest that I intervene. It’s why I have been home every day, trying to keep him from falling into her bed. I must say I’m surprised, given his wealth, that she hasn’t pursued him. It wouldn’t be the first time a woman has tried to lock one of us down.

Flicking through the security cameras, I see them running through what they plan to do for the first video. Zee is using this as an opportunity to add another element to the app. They are taking applications from people to be her target, but he told me it’s in the hope that the stoner gamer she has been spending time with online signs up. Which again, I think is a terrible idea. The kid is twenty-three and lives at home with his mother and has no real career prospects.

I found out he applied to Ridgeland on multiple occasions, but his resume let him down. It doesn’t stand out from the hundreds and hundreds of other applicants. Ridgeland has a gaming division and is one of the first aspects of the company that Zee and I worked on together. It was our baby and one we couldn’t let go. While neither of us manage it directly anymore, there is an entire floor in our building dedicated to gaming, from coming up with the ideas for the next game, to creating and testing.

I flick his resume off to Theo in hiring on the eighth floor. Honestly, I created a new job title just for him because I want him close. I don’t trust anyone, and if Zee is insisting he likes this girl, and she keeps sharing details about her life—and by default ours—with Arlo, then I want to keep a close eye on him.

Zee positions the stray to take some photos, and I can’t help but watch their interaction. He is so carefree, drawing out her laughter. I wish I could be like that; I want to be, but then I remember being soft doesn’t run a company and Ridez will make me very, very rich.

“Are you even listening to me?” Genevieve snaps, frustration lacing her tone. “You have not been yourself this last week. Are things not good between you and Zeland?”

I can hear the distaste in her voice when she mentions Zee; it’s no secret they hate each other. “Everything is fine. I’m just stressed with the launch of Ridez. I need everything to go well since it’s still early days.”

She walks over to my desk and perches herself on the edge—if she wasn’t a family friend I would push her off. Her father is a very wealthy man and not one you want to piss off if you hurt his baby girl.

“Everything will run fine—you are always ten steps ahead. Now back to what I was saying. My father has personally extended an invitation to you and Zeland to his fiftieth birthday party. And before you decline, as we all know you don’t do personal events, just remember he is a big investor, and he looks to you as the son he always wished he had.”

Genevieve is an only child, and you can tell by how spoiled she is. “Of course, we wouldn’t miss it. You can tell Carmichael it would be our pleasure to celebrate with him.”

Genevieve claps and smiles as she rises from my desk. “He will be so pleased to hear that. Do you have any plans tonight? We can go out for a few drinks.”

“Actually,” I say as I stand, “I have business to attend to at home.”

She tries to hide her displeasure, and it only shows for a split second. I know she doesn’t understand what is between Zee and me, but she doesn’t have to. The tabloids have speculated because Zee is very handsy, but confusion continues as he is spotted out with women. While I like to keep a low profile, Zee does not. He likes to have a rotation of women, whereas I am happy with him. For me, our relationship serves its purpose, and I trust him with my life. I can’t say that about anyone else, not even my parents. Money is the root of all evil, and my parents are tied up in that, but Zee, he would throw it all away tomorrow if I asked him to, and that is true loyalty. I would like to think I would do the same for him, yet until I face that choice, I don’t really know, and that makes me feel like a horrible person.

“Oh, well, maybe another time.”

“Another time,” I agree, and I gesture for her to walk with me as I leave my office. The floor is silent—no one stays as late as I do unless there is a problem and they have been asked to stay. I might be a firm boss, but I’m not a complete asshole, like some might say. I’m simply not here to make friends or get to know my staff beyond what is on their resume.

Genevieve and I get into the elevator and I press the button for the ground floor. She will need to exit that way, while I could have used my personal elevator that would have taken me straight to the parking garage where my driver Malachi is waiting, but I’m a gentleman and will walk her out. Her father has been good to me and I will repay the favor by looking out for his little princess. I know Carmichael hoped we would fall in love like a fairy tale, but unfortunately for him, I don’t believe in love—it’s all just made-up bullshit you see in movies. I love my parents, because they are my parents, but I don’t get any feelings from that. It just is. Am I broken? Probably, but you won’t convince me otherwise.

When we reach the lobby, Genevieve batts her lashes at me, even though she knows I’m immune to her. All her little tricks don’t work on me.

“I will see you later,” she purrs, pushing up on her toes to press a kiss against my cheek. The smell of her perfume makes my stomach churn, and I realize I haven’t eaten yet today.

I nod and watch as she walks away with a sway to her hips. Genevieve would have no issue finding a wealthy husband, not that she needs the money, but it’s what is expected of her. It just won’t be me. Yet she only hangs around me because I show her no interest and she has never been told no.

Down in the private parking garage, Malachi is waiting. He is a great employee and does his job well. Zeland refuses to use a driver, but I have too much work to finish so I use the extra time answering the emails flagged as important before I arrive home. Normally, it’s why I stay on the top floor, which I had converted into a penthouse. I have the convenience of working late and heading upstairs to crash for a few hours before I get up and work out, then head back down to the office. Zeland hates when I bring work back to our house, and out of respect, I ensure I check out of work mode before I’m home.

Once I reach the car, Malachi opens my door and gives me a nod. He doesn’t talk much, and I like that about him. When I take my seat, I pull up the home security cameras. Zee is walking backward, filming the stray who is wielding a bat with nails in it as she walks forward. While I know this is a terrible idea, a masked woman has its merits. There are none on the app and the men are going to go crazy for the concept. I just hope Zee knows what he is doing.

“You have been a bad boy. Do you want me to find you?” she purrs.

Fuck, why does watching the stray in her tutu and boots send a wave of pleasure to my cock? And that voice. It’s not her actual voice, but close—thankfully Zee is just as cautious with online safety as I am. While the voice is similar, no one could use it as a voiceprint, as it would come through distorted. Technology is amazing when in the right hands.

Malachi drops me home and I let him know I will message him half an hour before he is needed tomorrow. He gets paid from five in the morning in case I need to go somewhere. Malachi, his wife, and their daughter live on my property in a caretaker’s cottage. I’ve waived the rent on the condition he fixes it up a little.

Coming in via the garage, when I step into the house, all the lights are off. As I walk through, I wonder where they went in the time between me watching them and now. It’s unlike Zeland to turn lights off behind himself, and it’s one of the reasons I had this house turned into a smart house, so I could turn them off remotely.

Pulling up the app, my heart lurches when I see it’s offline.

It is never offline—I control it.

Panic claws under my skin, and I loosen my tie. Neither Zee nor I have enemies who would want to hack our system. I don’t bother calling out in case something is wrong, as I don’t want to alert an intruder to my presence.

Sliding my phone into my pocket, I slip off my Stefano Bemer leather shoes and creep quietly toward mine and Zee’s wing. It’s where the safe room is located, and he would have taken the stray with him.

I don’t have a weapon and just have to hope the intruder doesn’t have a gun. I refuse to keep any in the house. Though I should alert my security team, they wouldn’t arrive for another ten minutes. Malachi is ex-military; I will send him an SOS if I need to.

A thump from upstairs has me moving faster, toward the sound, and I am halfway up the flight when Zee appears at the top.

“Fuck, move,” Zee hisses as he runs past me down the stairs, and I quickly follow behind him .

“Who the fuck broke in?” I ask as I race beside him, and he motions over his shoulder. Quickly glancing back, I see nothing but darkness behind me. As I hit the bottom step, I hear a voice.

“Don’t run from me, baby. I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Stopping abruptly, I turn to see the fucking stray coming down the stairs swinging the fucking bat. The aqua glow of her mask covers her face, but I know it’s her, though the brunette hair throws me off.

“Why are you not running?” Zee asks, circling back around to me.

“Because I thought someone actually broke in.”

Zee snorts. “Be a good sport and play along. If she doesn’t catch me, I get to have my way with her.”

“And if she catches you?” I ask with a raised brow, and he smirks.

“I’ll have to get on my knees.”

“Then I suggest you run. I am not playing this game with either of you.”

With a shake of my head, I storm back up the stairs, past the stray who ignores my presence altogether.

Fuck my life. Seriously, fuck it. My cock is hard and the thought of being forced to my knees has me storming into my room and straight to my laptop. The screen comes to life, and I manually override the system, giving myself access to my app. Fucking Zee only locked me out of my phone app—he planned for me to walk into this mess.

Heading into my en suite, I press the button that turns on the shower, already programmed to the temperature I like. After stripping off my suit, I place it in the hamper, where Ronny will have it sent out to be dry-cleaned.

When I step in, the heat relaxes my muscles, and images of the stray flash before my eyes. I don’t know why she is in my head. But I hate how I’m reaching for my cock and wrapping my hand around my length as I imagine her making Zee get to his knees and beg for her pussy. Fuck, now that is something I would watch. Stroking myself, I let my imagination take over—her in her mask, stripped bare as he eats her perfect little cunt with me watching. Her head falls backward as she grabs his hair and thrusts herself against his face, riding him for her own pleasure.

My balls go tight as I picture her forcing him to the ground so she can sit on his cock.

“Fuck,” I growl as I come.

My body shakes from how fast I let myself slide into pleasure. Zee—the prick—better beg for my cock tonight, no matter how much he fucks the stray.

Once I’m showered and in bed, I wonder if they would let me watch them. As quick as I think it, I shut the thought down. That would just complicate my life, and I can’t afford any distractions—no matter how much my cock would love it.