Office Pet

My skull hitting his face pushed me off balance. Dizziness at the force of the blow washed over me, but I steadied myself. Falling to the floor would give him the upper hand.

Blood streamed from his nose.

He grabbed my hair and yanked my head back. “Cunt. You’ll pay for that.”

“I don’t know what kind of cunts you usually deal with, but this cunt isn’t someone you can push around. I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. Ever.”

Just as I raised my leg to bring the heel of my shoe down on his foot, an ominously low voice said, “Let go of her before I break every bone in your puny body.”

Chapter Two

Reese

Shock flooded Simon’s eyes, and he turned his head toward the voice. “M-Mr. McKenzie.”

Body-shaking relief sluiced over me, and I clutched my pendant. Finally, my luck was changing. I could have fought off Simon eventually, but God knows how he would have spun it, plus he would have made my life at work hell.

All six- foot-four of Kane McKenzie—the CEO of McKenzie Technologies—strode towards us. Even though he owned the investment firm I now worked for, I’d never met him in the flesh. Few employees had. My cubicle was located on the fifth floor while his office was in the penthouse. Two vastly different ecosystems.

The flinty hardness in his chocolate brown eyes showed how enraged he was. Fuck. I knew it—I knew agreeing to go anywhere with Simon was a colossal mistake. A mistake that would most likely cost me my job.

Using the sleeve of his shirt, Simon attempted to stem the blood trickling from his nose as he glanced from me to Kane. “I didn’t realize you’d be here, Mr. McKenzie. You’re an art lover, too?”

“If you’d done your homework, you’d have found out I’m a patron of this gallery.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s so.”

I didn’t think Simon realized he was still holding onto my biceps because his grip got stronger and tighter. If he didn’t let go soon, he’d leave deep finger-shaped bruises on my skin.

A few strands of charcoal hair fell over Kane’s forehead. Irritated, he shoved them back, and his scowl deepened.

Dressed in a bright white button-down shirt and a pair of tailored black pants, he was every woman’s wet dream and, right now, Simon’s worst nightmare.

Considering the situation I was in, thinking about Kane McKenzie’s hotness was wrong on every level, but my hormones were in free fall. He was like my knight in shining armor—almost.

His full, lips narrowed to a white slash of fury, and I wanted to cry and beg him not to fire me. That none of this was my fault.

Kane stepped forward and lowered his mouth to Simon’s ear. “If you don’t let her go within the next second, I’ll fucking kill you with my bare hands and make sure your body is never found.”

Visibly shocked, Simon released his grip.

I reached up and rubbed my hand against the smarting sting of his fingers.

“I-it was a misunderstanding,” Simon stammered. His eyes found mine and the warning they held was clear. “Tell him it was a misunderstanding. A mix-up. You wanted to fulfill a fantasy.”

“Fantasy? Are you for fucking real?” I huffed out a disbelieving laugh and crossed my arms. “And the only mix up I’m aware of was you confusing no with yes.”

The man who’d bragged non-stop about his awesomeness for the past thirty minutes was now a sniveling, cowering schoolboy. Good.

Kane’s lips stretched into a sneered smile. “There are no three strikes and you’re out policy with me, Simon. Sexual harassment won’t be tolerated. Your career is finished. Get the fuck out of my sight.”

“B-but—” Simon’s eyes went wide and his face paled.

“Now,” Kane growled. “And if I hear one whisper about any of this from anyone in the office or elsewhere, I’ll find you and have your sorry ass thrown in jail for the rest of your miserable life. You’re lucky I haven’t called the police.”

Simon whimpered like a wounded dog, and with no more hesitation, he scurried away. I couldn’t help but feel vindicated and just a little bit smug. That’d teach him to fuck with me. But now I had to deal with Mr. McKenzie and saving my job. I swallowed nervously and reached up to grab my star pendant. “Thank you, Sir.”

Kane’s eyes bore into mine. It was as if he was trying to read me, decipher me. There was a silent, almost intimidating, power surrounding him. A power I liked a lot.

“Don’t call me Sir unless I instruct you to do so. Understand?” he ordered.

The rumble in his voice sent shivers to the ends of my now curled toes. “Yes, Sir. I mean Mr. McKenzie.”

“If you want to press charges against that bastard, I’ll corroborate your side of events.” He crossed his muscular arms in front of his chest, as he looked at me.