Turned out that the vague prize of almost anything within reason lit a real fire under everyone’s smoldering, burned out, bored ass.
Moment of truth day dawned bright and clear. And hot as well. Which wasn’t exactly a surprise for Orlando, Florida. It was pretty much always sunny, bright, and hot. Or at least, hot only.
Colette made sure she wasn’t the first one into the board room because she didn’t want to be labeled a keener, if people still used that term. She also didn’t want to be last because that wasn’t the kind of thing she wanted to put out into the world. She didn’t want anyone to think that she was lazy or that she dragged her ass. As the youngest employee at HBAD, she’d worked hard to prove herself over the past two years and she didn’t want it all to go to shit by rolling in nearly late to every meeting.
She made sure she was always the third or fourth one into the boardroom, out of fifteen. Nick and Lance were already there, as were Sue and Amy. Pretty soon, the rest of the staff from marketing and development crept in.
As usual, Blaze entered last. He presided over most of the meetings himself, always at the head of the table, looking like the classy, silver spoon, asshole douchebag that he was.
Honestly. Who wore thousand-dollar suits and still managed not to be able to get a good haircut? He’d worn his hair the same way for two years. Shaved short at the sides, long on top, gelled back stylishly, like a magazine model.
Colette was just sure that the upcut or whatever it was called, was getting old. It reminded her of bowl cuts that were popular when her mom was a kid. In short. Horrible.
She stacked her hands on top of each other in her lap and tried not to look at Blaze as he took his seat. Mr. King Hot Shit looked as good as usual, and for some reason, it always rubbed her the wrong way. Like it should be illegal to look that good. She was pretty sure that just by existing with his perfect bronze complexion, square angular jaw, high slashed cheekbones, pretty blue eyes, full lips made just for sin, and a body that women would happily bow down and worship as the next new religion, that it was doing women all around the world an injustice.
Because men like Blaze just weren’t fair.
They had natural power, in that they were men and born rich. Rich enough to start their own company and head it and make millions, which was then in turn invested into other organizations to make billions. It wasn’t fair that just by walking by, panties either started soaking or smoking.
It wasn’t fair that Colette had to rub her thighs together against the ache gnawing up her thighs or that she was thankful that she’d worn panties. The ugly, thick, unimpressive, granny-style cotton panties that were probably boner proof because every guy would instantly lose their arousal when they stripped off her pants and found a set of those waiting. At least they were thick. Thick enough to soak up the pooling wetness between her legs.
Effing Blaze Handsome Hanson. Mr. Sex. Whatever.
A buzz of electricity filled the air in the room, and everyone shut up with the whispers when Blaze’s far too perfect, toned, gorgeous male ass hit the chair.
He surveyed everyone in attendance with his cool blue-eyed gaze.
It never failed to make Colette shiver. Those eyes were like the ocean. Calm. Cool. Inviting. Tranquil on a hot day. At least the ocean at a nice beach. She knew from experience that anything related to Blaze could be mercurial and dangerous. Without warning, those eyes could change, could sweep a person out and drown them in storm-tossed, angry gray waves.
She’d seen Blaze rage a time or two, and no, it wasn’t pretty.
Hot as sin. Yes. Pretty. Well- maybe it was a little pretty as long as you weren’t on the receiving end of his wrath, which always, always, led to being fired.
Beside Colette, Ashley, a blue-eyed, stacked blonde in her flirty, sexual prime, let out a little sigh as her eyes flicked to Blaze. Oh yeah. Ashley’s panties were definitely smoking and soaking, in that order. The smoking first, the soaking to put out the flames so no garments combusted in the office setting off enough sprinklers and crap to douse and ruin hundreds and thousands of dollars of equipment.
“So…” Blaze slowly surveyed the room with his placid blue eyes. His gorgeous lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk. The kind of thing that said he was exceptionally proud of himself for pitting fifteen of his employees against each other for the past month and reaping all the benefits in the form of mega profit.