Tempt (Dark Odyssey Club Fantasies 2)

Chapter One

Rachel

“Rachel,” Dad says my name in that peeved off tone that I hate, rapping his knuckles on his desk to catch my attention.

“Sorry,” I apologize quickly, and swallow hard. I guess I should probably feel more guilty for zoning out when he’s talking to me, but I’m tired of being treated like an idiot.

It’s bad enough he calls me into his office on the regular for his chats to check up on my work, but today he’s sitting across from me laying down the law on how he wants his company to run. He’s also, surprise, surprise taking the opportunity to once again remind me that being his daughter doesn’t make me immune to the treatment he’d issue to any other member of his staff that displeases him.

Meaning he’ll fire me if he has to.

“I was just thinking about what you said,” I add and he knows it for a lie. He knows too I’m as pissed off with him as he is with me.

The main difference between us, however, is he’s the one with the power and I’m the one who has to do what I’m told if I want to continue to work for him.

“Rachel, It’s time to be serious and stop playing around. I need you to take the work we do here seriously.”

That’s how he talks to me all the time. I’m twenty-six years old and he insists on talking to me like I’m a child, or like I’m just here for work experience.

“I do,” I insist.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think you do.” It’s like my words fall on deaf ears. “This project will bring in over five million. I don’t want you messing things up like last time.” He gives me a stern expression and I try to keep my calm by slowing down my breathing.

This shit meeting we’re having is because of that fucking incident. Two weeks ago he raised hell when I lost a client who would have brought in millions.

Tim Barker, owner of Soft tech; a Fortune 500 software development company, hired us to create a big marketing campaign for him. It was a great opportunity and one of those clients who would have brought us more recognition. All good, except for his daily sexual advances toward me. The man was a Neanderthal.

“I didn’t mess anything up last time. Tim cancelled the contract because I wouldn’t sleep with him,” I counter.

“Rachel that was a separate issue. Unrelated. He complained you were unprofessional and he showed me the mistakes you made.”

Those were all things he made up. That fucking asshole just twisted shit to make it look like I was in the wrong when nothing was further from the truth.

“He told you those things when I refused him. Maybe if I had slept with him it would have made you happier.”

Dad seethes and balls his fists, glowering at me. I don’t usually talk to him like that but I’m still pissed that he didn’t seem to care when I told him the truth. He chose to believe Tim over me.

“Rachel, I won’t provide an answer to that. It’s clear that’s a separate matter. If a person can provide me with proof that you messed up making rookie mistakes, then that’s what I’m going with.”

“That’s not fair, Dad.” I shake my head.

He sighs. “Rachel, what’s not fair is me losing millions. That’s what’s not fair. I don’t want shit happening on this project. It’s another multimillion dollar opportunity. I’m giving you a chance because you and Allen are the best social media marketers here.”

I narrow my eyes at him. That reason he’s dishing me is only half true. I am the best social media marketer here, Allen comes in a close second. He’s putting us to work together because Dad likes Allen and he wants us to be a couple.

“I want the two of you on this project with Dante,” Dad adds.

I bite down hard o

n my back teeth at the mention of Dante’s name.

Dad told me about this project yesterday and I spent the whole night wondering how I was going to flair out.

I can’t choose which is worse. Working with Allen, a guy who’s the same kind of Neanderthal as Tim. Or, working with Dante, the guy who’s suddenly started ignoring me for no reason at all. I’ve been in love with him from as long as I can remember, and right now he doesn’t seem to know I exist.

Most people would call it unhealthy to obsess over a man I can’t be with.

Dante Lombroso is supposed to be off-limits and forbidden to me because not only is he twenty years older than me, but he’s also Dad’s best friend. Neither of those factors bothered me until he recently started avoiding me like the plague. So how am I supposed to work with him and pretend things are fine when I know something’s wrong.

“Rachel,” Dad says leaning forward. “I need your word on this, that you won’t mess this project up. The CEO of Activate is trusting us to come up with a campaign that will take his business to the next level. In my world, a sportswear company as big as them putting their business online is like a bank falling into your lap.”

I straighten up, deciding to drop any further arguments by the wayside. It’s best to. I don’t want my job threatened again.

“You have my word,” I answer.

“Good, now there’s a few things I need to discus with you before you go.”

He starts talking and I zone out again thinking of why I stay here and put up with his shit. I ask myself the same thing every time we clash.

I stay because my career goals are aligned with being here.

Dad took Bradleys Inc. to the next level and made it the number one marketing and advertising company in Chicago. Apart from my run-ins with him, I love working here. It would be my end goal even if it wasn’t owned by him.

I worked my ass off at Northwestern University to get my degree just like my brothers; Matt and Jeff. And I continue to work my ass off here because I hope that like them, Dad will give me more ownership of what I love doing and more responsibility.

I’m just a marketing assistant now, but I’d love to head the Digital Marketing team someday. That’s my goal. I just have a knack and a deep interest for anything internet marketing related. Dad has a wonderful team at Bradleys but he runs it with project managers who he allocates to different projects as they come in. He did the same sort of thing with the relationship marketing division but now Matt and Jeff are managers of it. They travel between our branches in LA, New York, and abroad. They have very good jobs. I want that too, badly.

If I’m honest though, the other reason I stay is Dante.

He’s worked with Dad since the company began and I always imagined working with him. This project should feel like the heavens opened up and God threw me a rope to get what I want.

It felt like that too eight months ago when Dante and Marie; his dragon bitch fiancée broke up, but… that was the start of the awkward shit with him.

My gaze shifts from Dad to the floor to ceiling glass windows when I catch sight of Dante walking up the path leading in to the building.

Unlike Dad who always wears a suit, Dante is wearing his black biker jacket and black slacks. He takes his strides with that badass attitude and the suave sophistication of a man who’s confident in everything. Today is just another day to display his gorgeous perfection.

Dante is Italian, which to me equals sexy overload. As he strides by it’s no surprise that he has the attention of every female with eyes, including me.

Those I can see are looking at his tall, muscular body with wide powerful shoulders, and they’re drooling over the way the sun beams down on his perfectly styled faux hawk highlighting his graying edges and chiseled face.

I don’t have to be near him to get a good picture of his face. It’s always in my mind. It’s one that’s all angles and planes and his onyx eyes are so dark they have a magnetic feel to them. Add in his panty melting smile and you have the perfect man.

Dad shuffles and follows my gaze. He sees Dante and doesn’t comment.