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  “Until I’m sure this lady is okay then the meeting will wait. However, if you feel I’m not important enough, the door is there, and you may leave.”

  Did he have the power to do that? Simone rubbed her temple. Had the takeover already happened? What planet was she on?

  Crap. She’d really fucked up.

  “I want to take her to rest.”

  Suddenly, she was being carried outside of the conference room. She stared at all the faces she passed. Callum was carrying her across the room into the small staffroom on their floor. Simone watched as he slammed then locked the door. Her whole body went into overdrive. His powerful frame seemed to fill every single corner of the tiny room. He’d placed her on the counter. Her legs were splayed open as she stared at him.

  This was not a dream. This was real life, and Callum was after something. She knew men like him. Rich, powerful, and they always played dirty.

  “You’re the Callum Gallagher. The shared owner of Gallagher and Turner Enterprise. The same company that buys marketing firms and remodels them into corporate businesses?” She’d finally found her voice.

  “I guess you had no idea who I was on Friday night?” he asked.

  Unable to stop herself, Simone burst out laughing. “Are you for real? If I knew who you were I’d never have done....” She paused as everything they’d done together flashed through her mind.

  “We fucked like rabbits, Simone.”

  “I’d never fuck a client to get what I want, Mr. Gallagher. Friday night was about dealing with an itch. You were merely there to scratch it.”

  “But when I woke up the next day with an itch, you were not there to scratch mine.” With each word he spoke, he took a step closer to her. He looked threatening with the intense dark brown gaze focussed entirely on her.

  Her nipples tightened to unbearable points, and her pussy was dripping with cream. What was it about him that made her body react so quickly?

  His hands landed on her knees. She didn’t stop him when he eased the pads of his fingers underneath the full length skirt she wore. Her heart rate sped up. His touch sent an electric current all the way around her body. She couldn’t stop the moan from escaping. Her need for him rose.

  The farther up her thighs he went, the more desperate she became for his touch. She moaned, biting her lip to try to contain the sound.

  “I haven’t touched your cunt yet, and you’re already begging for it. I want to hear you scream my name.” He kissed the side of her neck making her body erupt in goose-bumps. This man was sin on legs. There was no other word to describe the power he had behind his body. Two of his fingers on each hand grazed the lips of her pussy. He hadn’t touched her yet. She knew he’d feel how turned on she was.

  She sank her fingers into the length of his hair when he pressed a small finger tip to her clit.

  “I wanted you, Simone. I needed your lips wrapped around my dick, sucking me until I came down your throat. I love watching you swallow my cum. You look so damn sexy.” He covered her nipple and sucked through her shirt as he teased the bud between her thighs. Her legs opened wide to accommodate him. She couldn’t stop this need inside her.

  What was he doing? She didn’t understand the kind of control he had. Callum took what he wanted without asking for permission, and she fucking loved it.

  “You shouldn’t have left my apartment, Simone. Next time I’m going to tie you to my bed so you can’t move.”

  She shouldn’t have loved that, but the thought of being tied down waiting to be played with filled her with so much yearning need.

  Biting her lip, she ground her teeth together. The last thing she needed was for her work colleagues to hear her cries of pleasure.

  He moved to the other nipple sucking her bud into his mouth. She wanted the clothes off and his naked skin against her own.

  A knock sounded at the door, breaking off all erotic thought.

  “What?” Callum growled to the person on the other side. There was a male chuckle before the guy answered.

  “Sorry to distract you, buddy, but we’re still waiting for you.”

  Callum looked at her. “You can’t go back out there with that shirt.”

  Think, Simone, think.

  “There is a spare shirt in my desk. If your friend could get it then I can change.”

  She watched Callum give the instruction to the mystery man. He opened the door partially. Simone saw the hard look of the blond man followed by his dazzling smile. He stared at her with that smile, and it made her yearn for so much more.

  Jesus, get a grip.

  “Cole will have your shirt for you.” Callum bent down picking up her ankle. “How do these feel?”

  They’d feel better wrapped around your neck as you lick my pussy.

  “Fine. They sting a little.”

  ****

  Callum stared up at her dazzling blue eyes. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? If it hadn’t been for Cole distracting them he’d have taken her against the counter and then spent the rest of the day fucking her in the staff room. He couldn’t get enough of her. For the past two nights without her, he’d been fucking his fist and finding little to no pleasure from the experience.

  Her nipples were tight buds pressed against the shirt. With her drooping eyes and full wet lips she looked like every horny guy’s fantasy dream. Her sex drive matched his own. His need for her was growing with every second. From the shock on her face when she first entered the conference room, Callum knew she’d not known who he was on Friday. He’d argue the point with Cole if he had to.

  The knock sounded on the door. He answered it and let Cole come inside.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Cole is much better with these burns than I am. They don’t look bad to me.”

  Simone continued to glare at the man in front of her. Callum saw the way Cole looked at the wet marks on her nipples. He knew the other man was as affected by her as he was.

  “You look stunning as always, Simone,” Cole said, handing her the spare shirt.

  She took the shirt then waited. Neither turned round. “Fine, seeing as there are no gentlemen in this room.” She unbuttoned her shirt as Cole went down on his knees to her ankles. Callum watched her remove her shirt. The bra she wore was a plain white lace that showed the dark red nipples he wanted to suck on. Black hair with red lips and nipples, she was everything he craved. He wondered how she’d look with her hands bound behind her back with her breasts thrust up in offering.

  He pushed the image to the back of his mind. Focussing on work was the more important element at the moment.

  “They will hurt for a few hours, but there is nothing wrong with her. Most of the coffee went on the floor. The cleaner has been dealing with the mess.” Cole stood as she finished buttoning up her shirt.

  Callum watched as Cole took her hand, helping her down onto the floor. Cole stood close making her brush down his body as she got to her feet.

  “Thank you,” she said. He heard the breathy sigh to her tone. Simone was affected by Cole as well. Interesting.

  “I better go and get ready. Excuse me.”

  Callum grabbed her hand when she made to pass. “This isn’t over,” he said.

  “This is so over. We’re strangers, remember? We were a passing fancy.”

  “Your pussy is dripping wet, Simone. This isn’t over. In case you’re not up to speed. I own this company. I’ll be deciding who stays and who goes.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” she asked.

  “You’ll be spending a lot more time with me.”

  “Screw that. Consider this my resignation.” She pulled out of his arms and stormed off in the opposite direction. Cole chuckled behind him.

  “I don’t think she’s going to be waiting around for you, mate. This one is going to make you do all the chasing.”

  Callum had no problems with doing the chasing. He made his way back to the conference room. Simone’s boss walked in lookin
g confused. “I’m afraid Miss Allusifa will not be joining up today. She’d handed in her resignation and refuses to work under a new management team.”

  “What about the resignation period?” Cole asked.

  “Simone was an amazing intern, and when we hired her full-time we didn’t add in a resignation period. Once she goes, she goes.”

  “That’s new. I’ve never heard of a company doing that,” Callum said.

  “Simone’s family ties sealed the deal,” the boss said.

  Callum stared at Simone’s boss. “Please explain what Malcolm Allusifa has to do with this company?”

  “He’s the one been sponsoring us.”

  Cole took over the conversation. Wherever he went, that blasted man wasn’t far behind. Why couldn’t Malcolm Allusifa get lost?

  ****

  Cole listened to the meeting with half and ear. His own mind was filled with the dark beauty of Miss Allusifa. Who could have thought an ugly soulless bastard like Malcolm could produce a beautiful woman like Simone? He knew Callum was lost on her. How far lost was still out there. What he didn’t like was how Malcolm was everywhere that Callum wanted to be. Cole and Callum were business partners and had been so for many years. Their friendship had begun in childhood. Neither of them liked being apart. His stint in the forces had brought about that time away from each other. Cole regretted his decision to go out into the war zone. The more he thought about it, the harder it was to deal with. He’d learned to shut off all those thoughts. It was better to focus on the present and future. Looking back at what he used to do would only set off his warning signs.

  The meeting came to an end, and he stayed waiting for Callum to talk. They were attuned to each other’s thoughts.

  “You disapprove?” Callum asked.

  They were both forty years old. In their youth they’d done everything. Drinking and shagging anything that wore a skirt. Their sharing became something they did together in their later years. Is that what Callum wanted from him? To share Simone?

  “Of what exactly?”

  “Buying this company?” Cole rubbed his fingers against his temple. Business was bloody boring at times. He handled the security and the background stuff while Callum was the main face of their enterprise.

  “Why did you buy this company?” Cole asked.

  “Because there was a time when this place was thriving with business. They were making a profit and turning over the goods with a sound reputation.” Callum stood and began pacing the room.

  “So, your purchase of this company had nothing to do with little Simone?” Cole didn’t want to say her last name. Her father was a total bastard. The name Allusifa left a bitter taste in his mouth.

  “She may have encouraged my decision.”

  Cole sighed. “She’s gone now. You can’t force her to work for you.”

  “Then I better start chasing her.”

  “What is so special about this one, Callum?”

  His friend turned toward him with a smile on his lips. “I’ve always loved a challenge.”

  “After going through the books I don’t think she’s going to be worth the amount of money it is going to take to run this company,” Cole said.

  “What did Simone do for this company again?” Callum asked.

  He shot his friend a look. Callum had read her file over a dozen times. The man knew what she’d done for this business. “She’s part of the finance group.”

  “She may not have to work here, but she has to properly train up her replacement.”

  Callum pulled out her contract then handed it to him.

  In a blue marker at the bottom clause of her contract was highlighted. “She has to come back to work to train someone else.”

  Cole looked over her contract. He threw it on the table. “I’ve got a better idea,” he said.

  “I’m listening.”

  “What about a story that was leaked to the press? A story about a young millionaire’s daughter, leaving the hotel room of the notorious Callum Gallagher. Not only is there video evidence but also a couple of intimate shots of you two in the bar?” Cole had been waiting for plan B. He’d gotten in touch with one of his sources working in the press that morning. He was waiting for the opportunity to use the footage he’d gained. “This will also drive Malcolm crazy. His only daughter shacking up with his worst enemy.”

  Callum smiled. “She’ll have to stick around for the problem that is going to create.”

  “Bingo.”

  Chapter Five

  Simone was so angry she could spit. How dare he barge into her life like that? They were supposed to be two strangers in the night. Not business partners or any of that crap. She walked back into her apartment foyer. The receptionist was on the phone as Simone placed her box on the counter.

  Several minutes later, the woman put the phone down then turned to her. “Okay, I guess it has not been a good day for you?”

  “You’ve got that right. Do you have any mail for me?”

  The postal service always left packages and mail at the front door.

  “Nothing.”

  “Great. Thank you.” Simone grabbed her box and made her way up the stairs. She needed to start looking for work. There was no way she’d be under control with Callum as the boss. She wasn’t doing what some of the other women had done at work. Sleeping with the boss was not a requirement to get up in the world. She was an intelligent woman and would use her brains before using her pussy.

  Simone let herself into her apartment then dropped her box onto the floor. She went to the fridge, grabbed a beer then sat on the couch. The phone began ringing the moment she sat down.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “So are you going to work for me now?” her father said over the line. She rolled her eyes.

  “Nope, there are plenty more places to work, dad.” She hung up on him then grabbed the remote for the television.

  There were a couple of cartoons playing. She skipped the cartoons as the phone rang once again.

  “Hello,” she said, changing the channels. She stopped turning to grab a swig of her beer.

  “I thought you had more sense, young lady. I can’t believe you’d do this. Your father is going to be cursing all kinds of things at you.”

  “Mom, sheesh, slow down. What are you talking about?”

  “It is all over the news. You silly girl,” Helen said. Her voice was practically shouting at her.

  “What have I done wrong?”

  “Turn on the blasted news?”

  Sighing in annoyance, Simone turned on the news and froze.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  “Language, Simone.”

  There on the screen was her walk of shame. “News is just in, long time Millionaire Callum Gallagher is seen pursuing the estranged daughter of wealthy businessman, Malcolm Allusifa...”

  The report continued on as she watched the pictures of them together at the bar followed by a small bit of footage of them in the elevator. She looked completely taken away. Her whole face was burning with humiliation. She didn’t think Callum was capable of this.

  “Mom, erm, what do I do?” she asked. She’d spent most of her life outside of the public eye. The moment her father divorced her mother, she and Helen became old news fast. She’d never needed any protection or help. No one wanted to know about the daughter no one cared about.

  Her mother loved her. Her brother cared about her, but her father couldn’t stand her.

  “Honey, you’d be wise to start with covering up the damage.” Simone gasped when she saw her apartment entrance on the front door.

  “This is not possible. This is a nightmare, Mom. I don’t want this. We were only supposed to be strangers.”

  “Baby, I think you need to talk to this man. I can’t come to you. The cameras will be flashing away, and you know how I hate that,” Helen said.

  “I know, Mom.” When the break-up had first occurred the press wouldn’t leave her mother alone. They wanted to kn
ow everything about the divorce.

  “I love you, sweetheart.”

  “Love you, too.”

  She ended the call staring at the news. The small amount of food she’d eaten was enough to make her run to the toilet and vomit everything back up. Simone brushed her teeth then wiped her face on the towel. The longer she stared at the images the more she felt sick. How could they be interested in a one night stand?

  Simone went to the phone and dialled her work’s number. She was immediately put through to Callum.

  “Callum Gallagher,” he said.

  “You manipulating bastard. You’ve ruined my life, and for what, a fuck? You were not even that good. How could you do this to me?”

  “I have to say your walk of shame looks dazzling. Not many women could look so tempting leaving an apartment. You make your exit classy.”

  She cursed some more. “I can’t leave my apartment because of you.”

  In the next moment, her anger got the better of her, and she slammed the phone back in its cradle. Running her fingers through her hair, she looked at the television. The phone began ringing, which she ignored. This was a huge disaster. She couldn’t handle this. Sitting on the couch she watched the news reporters talking.

  “None of us are allowed in. Miss Allusifa has not made a statement and refuses to take any calls.”

  “Because there is nothing to say,” Simone yelled at the television.

  “Oh my God, Callum Gallagher has turned up, followed by his business partner and head of security, Cole Turner.”

  She tensed watching the two men make their way through the chaos of the press. “Mr. Gallagher, could you please tell us about your relationship with Miss Allusifa?”

  “Please, a gentleman never tells,” Callum said, smiling at each and every one of them.

  “Smarmy bastard,” Simone muttered. Didn’t they have any clue that they were lying?

  “Simone is a little shy. Please, give her some privacy.” He walked inside the apartment building’s doors. Any moment he’d be tapping on her door wanting to come inside. The knock sounded a few minutes later. She debated ignoring the sound. No matter what happened she needed to sort through the mess he’d created. She didn’t like it.