Page 24 of Undeniably Corrupt

“I see you found the conference room with no trouble,” Champagne says to me, pulling me away from my boss.

“Easy as pie in the summertime.”

At the sound of my voice, Vander peers up and glances around until his intense green eyes lock with mine. They glide over my face, noting my red lips and tight, pushed-up hair, and a smile unfurls from the deadliest of places in him. One that makes a girl’s belly flutter and her toes curl, even if he hasn’t touched her. Even if she can’t stand him.

It’s pure sex and seduction, but it’s gone just as fast as it was there, and he looks away from me.

“Good morning, everyone,” he greets the room, rubbing his jaw, and that’s when I see it. The knuckles on his right hand are split and taped with a butterfly dressing. They weren’t like that the other night. Holy shit. He asked me about Ricky. And now that I think about it, Ricky said my “pimp” told him to stay away from me.

Did Vander punch Ricky for me?

“I trust you all had a good weekend,” he continues. “We’ve got three new clients anxious to be part of our portfolio, a marketing thing we need to figure out, and finally, my new assistant to replace Champagne’s enormous shoes. Let’s all welcome Liora James.”

Everyone claps and smiles. Everyone except Alesha, wholooks like she wants to murder me in my sleep. Interesting. Something tells me she wasn’t coming after Champagne with this same vitriol.

The meeting goes on, and I pay attention to everything, though I have no clue what half the things they’re saying mean. They use a million acronyms and talk about various threats clients face from threat actors and the security measures they plan to implement for them. It’s way over my head, and this is why I plan to stick to nursing.

Which, I guess, is ironic since Vander’s mother, who is a nurse midwife, is the person who got me into it. And grown-up Vander looks startlingly like his dad with the exception of his green eyes that are all his mother’s.

My phone buzzes on the table, and I slip it off and put it in my lap so I can read my text.

Vander: I thought we said we were going to be professional and nothing more.

Me: We are.

Vander: Then what’s with your hair and fuck-me red lips?

I glance up, but Vander’s not looking at me. He’s listening to something Alesha is telling him. I tuck my smile down and reply.

Me: I had no idea ponytails and red lips were distracting to you.

Vander: Now you do, but something tells me this was an intentional move since I know you didn’t walk into the building with them.

How could he possibly know that? Was he watching me? Did he see me come in even though I didn’t notice him?

Me: Maybe you should let Alesha know those are your kinks. I’m sure she’d be happy to oblige you.

He reads the text, and his gaze snaps over to me, his eyebrows pinched, before he starts typing.

Vander: Those aren’t my kinks, Angel, just things that make you look far too fuckable. And that sounds a bit like jealousy with Alesha.

I ignore the part about kinks and the natural question that follows that and the fact that he said I look fuckable.

Me: Not jealous. Simply noting some tension there. She doesn’t like me because I let it slip that I was your high school girlfriend.

A smile subtly curls up the corner of his lips.

Vander: Did you now?

Me: She didn’t like it. You should tell her she has nothing to worry about there.

Vander: I don’t fuck my employees. Which is why the red lips and high ponytail have to go.

A shudder ripples through me, and my nipples tighten at his subtle threat. And my stupid curiosity about what his kinks are. It’s not a good reaction to have. Not at all.

Me: I’ll think about it, but I don’t like following men’s orders, so I doubt I’ll comply.

Vander: I’m positive I could get you to follow my orders with the right incentives.