Our foreheads meet and his eyes are locked on mine and longing is there for both of us. “I’m going to be late.”
He nods and sets me back on my feet. “Have a good day and if Taylor says anything, let him know he can talk to me.”
Nodding, knowing Taylor won’t say I word I kiss his cheek goodbye.
Pulling into the garage, my normal space is gone and I see I’m a few minutes late and normally I would be running for the door but today I’m in no rush. I open the door to my office and Taylor comes out of his office practically yelling my name.
“Zoe! Damn it, why didn’t you tell me you felt uncomfortable dressing differently for the interviews? Fucking hell, speak up for yourself! I feel like an asshole for doing that to you. Jennifer always dressed like that and she’s where I noticed the differences, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that with you. Fuck, I really thought Sam was going to kick my ass. Is he on his way here now?”
It’s hard not to laugh, it’s rare to see Taylor so upset, “No, he’s not on his way here but you’re right, I should have spoken up for myself. It was as much my fault as yours so don’t look so distraught about it. You asked only six weeks in and I was so happy here I would have done pretty much anything to keep my job. I guess it was because you didn’t make a big deal of it, I thought it shouldn’t be such a big deal to me but it did make me uncomfortable and Sam saw that. Don’t worry about it. I won’t let Sam kick your ass.”
His relief is obvious and he nods, “Good, you’ve always been so clear on whether you were okay with something it never crossed my mind. Let’s keep that going okay? Anything else you want to share?”
I can only shake my head with a small smile.
“Okay, good, Nielson will be here at nine. We’ll do the interview, I’ll take him down to the training facility and then he’ll end the day with Dr. Keno. While I’m doing that, make the reservations for Quincy Tucker, have him arrive Sunday night out of Charleston and he’ll stay at the house. Bring him in with you on Monday and then we’ll interview as soon as he gets here, he’ll meet with Dr. Keno before we go out to the training facility. I don’t want to waste two hours running him out there if he won’t work out.
Before Nielson gets here can you go over the proposal for the videoconference with the general on the special op he wants to run? Get with Robert and pin down what will be needed.” I take the file he hands me and pick up the phone to call Robert.
Tim Nielson arrives on time and he seems nice enough. He has the clean cut look of a recent former soldier so many of the men who came through had. It isn’t his fault I’m putting him up against Sam and find him severely lacking. At Taylor’s signal I follow him into his office and sit behind him. I settle in and make my usual notes. Nielson’s eyes flick toward me with annoyance, he doesn’t seem to like me observing. The interview in Taylor’s office lasts about a half hour. Half the time I walk the building with Taylor and the prospect, the other times Taylor signals me to stay. This time he signals me to go. I go pad in hand and follow Taylor and Nielson. A few times Taylor turns to me to speak and I do my part, at those times Nielson all but ignores me. The tour ends at the front security desk and normally here is where I would go back upstairs but Taylor is hesitating. His phone begins to ring and he takes the call, indicating for me to follow.
I go, giving him a few feet of personal space for his call. He goes past the elevators and around the corridor, leading to the restrooms and out of sight of Tim Nielson. It isn’t hard to tell Taylor is talking to Christine. After a few minutes he promises not to forget and ends the call. Sliding the phone into his pocket, he looks up at me, his expression hard and closed.
“Well?”
“You know it, or you wouldn’t be asking me. If you’re desperate the answer is I guess so but if you aren’t desperate the answer is no.”
“He fucking looked good on paper, he has two recommendations to his credit.”
“You said it yourself, Taylor, we can’t hire just anyone off the street.”
“Fuck.” It’s all he says, before straightening his already perfect tie. I follow him back to the security desk. His smile is charm and pleasant as he thanks Nielson for coming in and he’ll be in touch.
The elevator ride up is tense and Taylor all but slams into his office. His door stays closed for the rest of the day. I know he’s burning up the phone though, looking for a prospect, as the light on his extension is lit up almost all day.
I send the standard, thank you for your time but no email to Tim Nielson. Then I send the flight details to Quincy Tucker through email and as I hit send, I hope he’ll work out.
It’s edging just past four when Taylor walks out of his office and tells me to go home, he’s out for the day and to have a good weekend. I don’t even hesitate and shut down my computer and practically fly home.
Chapter Twelve
Opening the door I find Sam sprawled on the couch the television is on but low and he looks like he’s asleep. Then he opens his eyes, finding me without looking and smiles.
“Hey, did I wake you up?”
“No, I tried but not much sleep today. How did it go with Taylor?”
“He was almost on his knees in apology but he said something and he was right, I should have told him myself. I shouldn’t have let it go on so long. That was my fault too. For most other things, I’m pretty plain spoken.”
“Zoe, that was your job that you loved and it shouldn’t have even been put on the table. You do what makes you feel good.”
Coming down on the coffee table in front of the couch I lean down and kiss him on the mouth, hard and lingering. “Sam, you make me feel good. What I wore today, I wore it because I wanted you to see me in it and I wanted to make you want me.”
In a split second I’m pulled onto him, my body flush on his. Finally, is all I can think.
“Zoe, you have to be sure about this. You’ll belong to me, completely mine, do you understand that? I am very possessive and I sure as hell won’t allow you to dress like you did this morning and I do mean allow baby. You put something on as sexy as you did this morning and I’ll rip it off of you and fuck you until you can’t move. The idea of anyone seeing and wanting what’s mine makes me very fucking cranky. Most women, that isn’t something they are willing to agree to but you have to be willing or this won’t work. Your body, it will always feel pleasure, in bed you ask and I’ll give it to you. In bed I’ll make demands on you but only for your pleasure. If ever something doesn’t feel good or you don’t want to do it you tell me and it will never happen again.”
Nothing he says is a surprise to me, I also know that since that first day I’ve belonged to him. It’s the saying it out loud that he wants to hear, the warning that I’ll belong to him to do with as he pleases, his to do with what he wants to and to make sure I not only understand and agree is what he wants from me. Charles had said something very similar and the words had frightened me, in the end rightly so. Charles had only taken, never given and I had been given no choices. Sam is giving me a choice, I choose to be with him and give all to him or I can walk away and I know he’ll let me go. Only the idea of Sam letting me go scares me, hearing him claim me as his only makes me feel safe, happy and very wet for him. “Yes, Sam, I belong to you.”