Page 9

Chapter Nine

Zeland

I never intended to make Ridge jealous. Before now, he never blinked an eye when I fucked my way through his female office staff or had casual hook ups. He can try to hide how Aspen affects him, but I have known him long enough to know better. It’s in the way he came to watch us fuck, stormed in, and sucked her taste from my mouth, or even the way he sucked my cock once she ran away all flustered. Normally, I never go back for round two with any women, mainly because I don’t want them to get the wrong idea when I have zero intentions of keeping them around. Is it wrong to want to fuck Aspen again just to see how far I can push Ridge? Maybe, but I have an inkling she might feel the same way.

Harry called us into the office early this morning. He knows the only way to have a conversation with his son is before he starts work or he will simply divert his calls and have his assistant tell his father he is in meetings all day. I left Aspen a note on her pillow because when I went into her room to wake her, she told me to fuck off. Clearly, the woman isn’t a morning person.

“—inconvenience.”

I tune back into whatever Ridge is complaining about. He hates when his father pops up with little warning. I have reminded him that a father shouldn’t have to schedule a time to talk to their son, especially if said son came to our monthly dinners.

“He will be in and out in five minutes. You know the old man has a date at the golf club.”

“I will golf club him,” he mumbles, and I laugh.

“Oh, the golf course could be a good place for Aspen to make content. Do you think they would let me book it out?”

Ridge turns to face me. “You can’t be serious! You want the stray to run around a place that cost us over half-a-million dollars in initiation fees and two hundred grand a year for membership?!”

I nod. “The money will be worth it if I can fuck her by the tenth hole. That little water fountain on the lake with the lights... at night, it would be magical.”

Ridge scoffs as his driver, Malachi, pulls into the parking garage at our office. As soon as we are parked, Ridge gets out and fixes his suit jacket. He hates my tie always being loose unless we are in a meeting and complains that my shirts are always wrinkled.

“Admit how hot it would be,” I taunt, and he stops abruptly, almost making me run into his back.

“I thought you were a one and done. What makes the stray any different?”

I laugh, and he stalks toward the elevator again. “What makes her different? I think you can answer that one yourself.”

“Me?” He scoffs as the elevator doors immediately open. No one besides us uses this entrance, so each morning there is no wait.

“Yes, you. And we had a minor mishap. I was promised to be forced to my knees, and we may have gotten sidetracked with the fucking part.”

Ridge just shakes his head, and when we get to his floor, we both step off to find his father laughing with his secretary. It’s not unusual for Harrison to hit on women our age. It’s like as soon as he divorced my mother, he got struck by some early midlife crisis and began dating younger women. But they seem to get younger and younger. Good for him, if he’s into the gold-digging type, but Ridge doesn’t feel the same way.

“Son, nice of you to join us. It’s unlike you to be late to a meeting.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call you hijacking my day a ‘meeting.’ You have five minutes.”

Harrison laughs. “How are you doing, Zeland? How is that girl you were telling me about?”

“I sealed the deal, but Ridge has ruffled feathers over it.”

“I do not,” Ridge snaps. “If you want to stick your cock into stray pussy, that’s on you.”

Stray pussy my ass. He had no issues sucking her juices off me. I don’t say it out loud, as he won’t want his father to know his business. He never does.

“Sometimes the feral ones are the best kind,” Harry murmurs, and I snicker.

“She isn’t a feral,” Ridge snaps. “Now, is there a reason you’re here?”

Ridge’s secretary has made herself scarce, and I don’t blame her—occasionally things between Ridge and Harrison get a little heated.

“Yes, two things. I hope you plan to be in attendance at Carmichael’s birthday. You know how important it is to make appearances.”

“We wouldn’t miss it,” I say, mainly because the vein on the side of Ridge’s head already looks like it’s about to explode.

“You should ask Genevieve to be your date, son. You know how fond of you she is.”

“No!”

I chuckle. I love how Ridge doesn’t beat around the bush.

“What about you, Zeland?”

“No way in hell would I take that snake anywhere. Sorry, old man, but I already have a date. ”

Harrison laughs. “Fair enough.”

“You said you had something else to tell us, so let’s move along.”

“Oh, right. I’m getting married. I’ve met the woman of my dreams, and I want you both to come to dinner and meet her and her son. I know it’s quick, but this woman is different.”

Ridge scoffs, but before he can say anything more, I interject. “Of course we will be there. We’re both glad you are happy, even if Ridge can’t show it on the outside.”

“Thank you, Zeland. Without you I fear I wouldn’t have a relationship with my own blood.”

“You know I love you, old man. How about you let Ridge have some time to compartmentalize this and shove it away in a box in his brain? Call me when you pick a night for dinner, and I will make sure he comes.”

“You’re right. I have to meet my future bride for breakfast—she has work in a few hours, so I need to be quick.”

I walk Harrison out of Ridge’s office and wave him off. It really wouldn’t kill Ridge to have a civil conversation with his father.

“At least this one might have some morals if she has a job,” Ridge says as I close his office door. “Hopefully she hasn’t just celebrated her twenty-first birthday like the last one.”

“Why does what he does with his life bother you so much? As far as fathers go, he is half decent. Sure, he could have spent more quality time with you, but he kept me around, which I think was to keep you company—and look how well that turned out.”

He smirks at me. “I don’t hate having you around, though I could do without you bringing strays home.”

I move across his office, stopping in front of him; he reaches out and undoes my tie, then twists the material into a neat knot. “Don’t lie. You don’t hate having Aspen around. I think she’s growing on you.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “Maybe I miss having you all to myself.”

I chuckle. “That is a lie and you know it. You’ve been home more since she turned up than you were for the last six months. Just admit you enjoy the verbal sparring you do with her.”

“I’m man enough to admit it is fun. I haven’t met anyone willing to speak to me the way she does, especially not once they find out who I am.”

“See? Not so bad. What’s on your agenda today?”

“I have a meeting with Wells International. Ford has been on my ass to have a meeting with him and hear him out, though I’m really not interested. He believes one of his men has found a flaw in our security system. I had to remind him of the prison sentence if I find out someone was hacking us. I also have to interview someone this morning.”

“Hold up,” I say as he tightens my tie enough it feels like it’s choking me. If he was fucking me, I would ask him to do it harder. “You are personally conducting the interview? Why? ”

He stares me dead in the eyes, and I know he is hiding something.

“You are better off just telling me because I will stay here and annoy you until you do. Worse, Aspen will be here shortly. We have to go over the footage and get everything ready for the launch of her page.”

Ridge sighs. “Fine, but if you read too much into this, I will kick you in the balls. I have that Arlo guy coming in for an interview. And before you even get any ideas, it’s because I want to make sure he isn’t a threat. He seems to ask her a lot of questions.”

“You know as well as I do he’s harmless. He is a stoner who lives at home with his mom. Asking questions is how you get to know someone. When did you become so paranoid? And more so than usual. You know your security is the best money can buy, so this has zero to do with us and everything to do with her.”

“Fine,” he huffs. “Maybe it has a little to do with her, but don’t get too excited. She is like a poor little broken puppy that’s been kicked one-too-many times, and I feel bad for her. What if he is a pervert and becomes obsessed with her? At least if he works here we can watch him. I heard them talking about his likes and kinks, and now you have put this masked woman shit in her head. How long will it be until she wants to chase him?”

“You are a genius! Good chat, I have to go. Let me know how the interview goes.”

I rush out of his office and even use the stairs to race down to my office. When I come barreling out of the stairwell, I also knock Eliott off his hoverboard .

“Hey, boss. You’re in early,” he says with surprise as he rights himself.

“Can’t talk right now. Hold all my calls until I tell you otherwise. Unless it’s Aspen—let her straight into my office.”

Eliott gives me a thumbs-up and I close my office door behind me. Pulling out my phone, I dial Aspen’s number.

She groans. “Zeland, you better be dying. I swear to god, if I knew you would become a stage five clinger after I fucked you, I would have beaten you instead.”

I laugh. “Promises, promises, and I am not a clinger, thank you very much. Ridge just gave me an awesome idea, and he spilled his guts about your gamer friend having an interview here.”

“Oh, I knew he had an interview, but I didn’t know it was with Ridge. He’s just doing it to be a controlling asshole, isn’t he? Does he even care that working for Ridgeland is Arlo’s dream job, one he has been working toward for years? And what, because I’m talking to him?—”

“Calm down. Ridge isn’t a complete dick.”

“Are you sure about that? I’m getting dressed and coming down there to give him a piece of my mind. He doesn’t even like me, so why does he give a fuck who I game with?”

“That’s the thing—he cares, Aspen. He simply cares in his own way. That is just Ridge. He may have even referred to you as a puppy who has been kicked too much. Ridge wants to make sure this guy is legit, so just let him do this, and then I will make sure this guy keeps his job. But that’s not what I was calling for. Come in and we can talk. Oh, and can you bring food? Ridge dragged me out way too early. I left a card on the counter in the kitchen for you to use.”

“You seriously think I can’t afford to buy us breakfast? I’m not a total helpless case. I’ll be there soon.”

Soon... I’m learning fast that Aspen’s version of soon and mine are totally different. I’m not used to people not jumping when I need something and it’s refreshing. An hour and a half later, she strolls in with coffee and a bag from my favorite deli place down the street.

“I’m here, and I am never going to that sandwich joint again. The man is rude, and I had to wait twenty-five fucking minutes for a sandwich. Next time I will just make one at home. This better be the nicest fucking sandwich I have ever eaten in my damn life.”

I laugh—she’s right, the wait there is always long. It’s why we send our assistants to pick up the orders we have placed earlier in the day. I enjoy seeing her flustered; it makes my cock come to life.

“Come sit down and see what I have spent the last hour and a half doing while I waited for you to get your ass down here.”

She comes around behind my desk and places my coffee and food in front of me. Resting her arm on my shoulder, Aspen leans into me as she looks at the computer screen.

“Holy fuck, is that actually me?! Damn, I look hot. ”

I chuckle at her surprise. “Yes, it’s your landing page. It’s where people are sent when they click on your profile. I think we stick with the mask vibe. I have edited some clips, and I blurred my face, but we can use them for promo. Though, watching it back, I remember I was promised to be forced to my knees.”

Aspen scoffs. “Sue me, I was horny. Besides, I’ve never done something like that before. I might have to practice on a few others.”

“Others?”

That makes her laugh. “Kidding.”

“It’s actually not a terrible idea. Ridge told me about your friend Arlo’s fantasies, so what if we run a promo on your page where you offer to chase one lucky subscriber?”

She raises a brow. “And what if it’s some weirdo?”

I explain how everything works and how we vet everyone first. Plus, I explain how I’ll make sure her link ends up in Arlo’s email.

“I don’t know if I can do it alone. I’m not strong enough to overpower anyone, just look at my size compared to yours. What if, when I do it, you join me? We’ll make it a joint channel. It could be fun—imagine being able to fuck me again.”

“Okay, but I refuse to take a cut. I wonder if we can convince Ridge to watch us? You know, for safety reasons.”

“There is no way he would. He’s way too uptight.”

“Leave it to me. It’s been so long since I have made content for the app, I forgot how fun it is, but we all need to remain anonymous. I can’t stress enough that no one can know it’s me. You would also need to sign an NDA. Ridge would have a hissy fit if I didn’t ask you, and it’s only so you can’t tell anyone it is me on your channel.”

I grit my teeth and wait for the blowup, but she simply shrugs before agreeing.

Where has this woman been all my life?