Page 14 of Promised to the Demon King (The Demon Brides #1)

“Hey, how’s your work coming along over there?”

Timothy asked, looking up from his laptop at his desk to Nova, who was working on a new graphic design on the sofa in his private CEO's office.

“It’s coming along. I am designing a new banner for a café my dad and I would visit regularly. This is for an older couple. They will hand the business over to their daughter and son-in-law soon. They mentioned they were considering a rebranding before they did but didn’t know how to proceed. I said I would draft something for them, and they agreed.”

Nova smiled proudly. She loved design and imaging. Anything that challenged her artistically. She also loved this older couple. She’s known them since she was a toddler, and they served her her first hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. Then, her first coffee. They taught her to bake the flakiest and softest croissants and many other pastries. They were unofficially her grandparents, and she cherished them deeply.

“That’s thoughtful of you. Are they paying for this service?”

Timothy pushed back from his chair and walked around his desk.

“No. It’s kind of like a retirement gift and a welcoming surprise for their daughter. I won’t charge for that.”

Nova didn’t need the money. She wouldn’t take it. She wanted to gain experience for her portfolio, but she also wanted to do it for them.

Timothy shook his head and bent down in front of her. “Let me see.”

He reached out to turn around her laptop, which was covering her entire lap. Nova struggled to control her flinching from his nearness.

“Nova, this is excellent. You should charge for work this good.”

Timothy was genuine in his appreciation of her work, which was flattering, but she was still uncomfortable with his proxy to her and her body.

“Thanks.”

She said quickly and tried to inch away, but Timothy placed his hands on either side of her legs.

“Hey. It’s okay. Don’t be nervous. I’m not going to hurt you, Nova.”

His open palms slowly rubbed up and down the length of the sides of her outer thighs. “You know, you’re such a remarkable young lady. Nothing like your mother or any other woman I’ve ever met.”

He confessed in a low whisper.

“Ummm, I think I need to go pee.”

She struggled to think of an excuse to leave their current position.

Timothy smirked; he slid the laptop off her lap, but it was on the table behind him. She was tense and ready to sprint away when he turned back to her. He was a step ahead of her, however.

“Shh, it’s okay. I am not going to hurt you. Just relax, okay, sweetheart. It’s just me. There is no one else here, baby.”

Her skin crawled. She could feel it. It wanted to abandon the parts of her that he was touching. His large hands returned to her legs, but this time, it was the tops of her thighs. His thumbs ran up and down the length of her inner thighs as she kept them tightly together.

“Timothy, I think we need to stop whatever this is and--”

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s just you and me in here. Let me in, baby. I want to make you feel better, okay.”

She was sure that he thought that his words were soothing to her. She wondered how many other women he put these false empathic tricks on, and it worked for him. It was disgusting. He was disgusting.

His hands continued to rub closer and closer to her core, his thumbs pressing deeper in to try and separate her thighs, granting him access to her center. This was his only pursuit: to spread her silky smooth legs.

‘Roz! Help me!’ Nova cried out in her head. She didn’t know what to do. Her mother made it clear that she thought she was chasing Timothy, not the other way around. Who would believe her if she told them the truth?

“Timothy, I need you to stop. I am not comfortable with this.”

Nova whimpered, scared of how he would react to her refusal.

“Nova, this doesn’t have to leave the office. I promise no one will ever know. It will help you heal, I swear it. I am a Deacon at the church. I help many women release their pain in many ways.”

That admittance makes her even more uncomfortable. Was he admitted to taking advantage of women at his church? Was that meant to soothe her in the idea of having sex with her stepfather?

A shudder ran down her spine, and Timothy misunderstood it as desire.

Timothy smirked as he leaned into her; he licked his lips as he stared at hers. “No one needs to know. I see how you seek me out at home; enough with the teasing. This is going to happen, baby.”

This was it; his lips were inches from hers, and the weight of his body was balanced on his palms, holding her legs stationary. She couldn’t escape him. She was no match for pushing him off at five foot four and just over a hundred pounds.

‘Roz! Please--’ She pleaded in her head as she pulled her face back as far as her pinned body would allow her.

An inch from her lips, Timothy was jerked back by the sound of the office door opening. A man's voice is heard.

“What do we have here, dear brother?”

Timothy’s eyes widened as he turned around and found two men staring at the display. It was apparent to anyone with logical sense and eyes that Nova was scared and not a willing party of this display. As soon as Timothy stood up and adjusted his obvious erection at her sitting level, Nova turned and sprinted to the private washroom and locked herself in.

“Allister?”

Timothy spoke. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

“Surprised to see me, brother?”

Allister smirked.

“W-what are you doing here?”

In frustration, Timothy ran his long fingers through his tousled hair and adjusted himself again. His eyes drifted back to the locked washroom. He was so close to claiming the young woman who'd haunted his fantasies since she'd moved it. Carol was right; Nova was a sinful temptress, and he had to have her.

“Is that any way to greet your dear brother?”

Allister lifted a brow.

“I just-- I thought you were in Europe. That’s all. You never mentioned you were returning anytime soon.”

“Well, when a hundred thousand dollars is transferred from company funds into my elder brother's personal bank account, it raises flags, and I need to return to address these matters in person.”

Timothy’s jaw dropped to the floor. He couldn’t have heard Allister correctly. He didn’t transfer out company funds. He had his own. What would he need a hundred thousand dollars for?

“This must be a mistake, brother. I haven’t taken any money from the company.”

Timothy stood confidently.

Allister looked to his right and nodded to his assistant to show him the report. Thomas stepped forward and handed Timothy the file containing the financial information. Timothy read through the documents with a paled expression and a trembling hand. He looked at his brother, confused and maybe a little lost.

“I didn’t authorize any of this, I swear it.”

“Is that not your authorization code at the bottom, brother?”

Allister sighed in annoyance. The proof was there in black and white.

“This has to be a mistake. I didn’t--”

“A full investigation is being conducted, Brother. Father has asked that I step in until all this can be sorted.”

“What? You’re firing me? I am the CEO of this--”

“Wrong. The Carter family is the CEO, which means any of us brothers can step up should the company need to make changes. You stole from us, Timothy.”

Timothy was in full panic. This was his livelihood, and if it got out, he would be ruined. He ran to his desk and dialed his father's private number.

“Carter speaking.”

His father's big booming voice rang through.

“Father, I didn’t do this. Allister is standing here telling me I am to--”

Before he could finish, his father silenced him.

“Enough! Whether you did it or not is not my problem. The image of the company is. An investigation is being conducted. During this time, you can not sit in that chair. If it is discovered that there was a breach, you will be reinstated. Simple. We must get ahead of this, Timothy. Allister is taking over until all of this is resolved.”

The call was disconnected after Edward Carter spoke his words.

Timothy was stunned and silent.

“Personally, I don’t believe you did this, however, perhaps if you spent less time trying to take advantage of minors in your office, you would have noticed someone stealing our company's money from under your nose, brother.”

Allister stated unsympathetically to Timothy, whose life was suddenly turned upside down.

Allister turned to Thomas and nodded again.

Thomas stepped forward to Timothy, and behind him came two security guards. “Mr. Timothy Carter, please come with us. You will be escorted out, and the company will be informed regarding the temporary changes taking place.”

“Temporary. You promise, right, Allister?”

Timothy was desperate to hold onto his status and wealth.

“If it is a breach, yes. You should figure out who is framing you, brother. They wish to destroy your name. I would look into that wife of yours. Perhaps she did that.”

"Carol is many things, but--" Timothy started but stopped himself, as he wasn't sure. He needed to check his cameras at home. If she went into his office, was she on his private laptop? Could she have done this? She had been desperate to get Jonathon's money but suddenly never spoke of it again.

After Timothy was escorted out by his assistant and security, Allister lightly knocked on the washroom door.

“You may come out now, Nova. He has been escorted out. No one will hurt you again.”

Allister spoke softly, but there was still a dangerous edge to his words.

Nova held her breath. She was scared. ‘Roz? Do you trust him?’

‘I do.’ That was all Roz said. She didn’t trust herself to speak anymore; her emotions were flaring after what she saw Timothy about to do to her future Queen. She will take great pleasure in his torments within Hell once he arrived. She’d make sure of it. No one touches her Queen, only her King!

Roz was vibrating with rage fighting to escape.

The door clicked unlocked, and slowly, Nova opened it to see a smiling Allister standing there. He took a cautious step back to grant her personal space.

“I am Asmo-- Allister,”

he cleared his throat with a cough. “Sorry about that. I am Allister, and I swear to you here and now, no one will ever try that crap on you again. I will destroy them all and burn this planet to the ground.”

Something in the way he spoke made Nova believe his words. Something stirred within her as she stood in his comforting presence.

She didn’t know why, but she rushed into him suddenly. She wrapped her arms around his toned lean waist, burying her face into his chest. The sadness poured out of her, and although they didn’t know one another, he didn’t push her away or make her uncomfortable. He held her and ran his gentle fingers through her hair as she cried her pain.

She felt safe for the first time in the week that had passed.

She didn’t want to let go. He felt-- warming to her very soul.