Office Pet

“I’m not running scared or hiding away. Besides, I’m meeting with Linda tomorrow to talk about my future at McKenzie Technologies. And she needs a report about some accounting inconsistencies I found. I think I’ve been able to pinpoint them. We’re paying a couple of hundred thousand a month to a company called Investpex, but I haven’t found any documentation to back them up.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware reviews were due, and I also wasn’t aware you were investigating any accounting inconsistencies. Ray and his team are already aware. Pass over everything you’ve found to him.”

“Finding and plugging holes is one of my specialties. No one asked me to do it, I found it when I was checking some databases and cross-referencing them. I’ve already forwarded them to Linda. As for the reviews, she likes to give us monthly updates on how we’re doing. It’s an informal thing.”

“I see.” He rubbed his hands together and then ran them through his hair. I could tell the staling thing was making Kane nervous. “I’ll talk to Linda and explain I need you to work off-site for a few days, and if she has an issue, she can take it up with me.”

I frowned and shifted in my seat. “I’d rather you didn’t do that. There are so many rumors about me right now. What with Simon losing his job, and me being your mentee—”

“Do you think I care who knows about us.” He stood and came around his desk. “I want to shout it from the rooftops. I want everyone to know how much I care about you. You’ve gotten under my skin.”

His declaration surprised me.

“Aren’t you afraid of what people will say? They might accuse you of manipulating me and abusing your power.”

“I don’t give a shit what people say.”

“I do.”

“People are going to say what they want no matter what. You can’t control anyone else, you can only control yourself. You’re going to stay at my house for a few days, and when I’m confident you’re not in any danger, you can come back to the city. When you’re gone, I’ll arrange for your apartment to get packed up. Move in with me.”

“What? Move in with you? I don’t know… This is all moving so fast.” I leaned back into my chair and looked up at him. His chocolate eyes were wild.

He grasped my hands and squeezed. “Do you care about me?

“You know I do.”

“Then say yes.”

The smart and sensible thing to say would be no, that I needed time to process, but where Kane was involved, all my common sense flew out of the window.

“I would love nothing more than to wake up with you every day and go to sleep with you every night.”

“I’m glad we’ve got that sorted.” He turned around and tapped his desk. “It’s about time we christened my office, don’t you agree?”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Kane

Reese tapped the tip of her tongue against her upper lip. “What do you have in mind?”

I stepped back and took her in from head to toe. Right now, she looked every bit the professional, corporate employee, but she wouldn’t look like that for much longer.

“You’re too overdressed for what I have in mind. Stand by the window while facing me and slowly undress.”

Her eyes widened. “What? But everyone will see me.”

I quirked an eyebrow at her shock. “Don’t pretend to be coy or shy. The night in my basement, you were thrilled at the thought of people seeing you, weren’t you? Don’t think about lying to me.”

She nibbled her lips and hugged her arms around her body. “That was different. It wasn’t in front of windows with the entire city as an audience.”

“We’re fifty-plus floors up. The windows are tinted on the outside. From the amount of time you spend staring up here from the pavement, you should already know that.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You know I do that?”

“I know everything. I watch you every morning when you come to work. I watch how you sip your coffee in contemplation before you come into the building. How you give the pendant hanging around your neck a quick squeeze while muttering something. Don’t forget, there are cameras everywhere.”

“Promise me no one will be able to see anything we get up to in here.” Her blue eyes flashed worriedly.

“It doesn’t matter if anyone can or not,” I said with a shrug. “You should know by now to do as I ask or face the consequences. Remember what happened last time.” I drummed my fingertips against the top of my desk. “Your chastity belt is right here. Only this time it won’t be for twelve days, this time it’ll be for a month. Is that what you want, pet? A month of no orgasms?”

She shook her head, and her eyes widened. “God, no. I don’t think I could live through that hell again.”