Chapter One
AUDRA
By the timeI reach the CEO wing, I already regret my shoes.
Not because they hurt—these heels could survive a war—but because they click too loudly on the polished marble. Click. Click. Click.
There’s no such thing as anonymity on this floor. Every sound carries. Every movement announces itself. The entire place is designed to remind you where you are and who matters most.
The CEO’s assistant looks up the moment she hears me coming, and her entire expression tightens like she’s bracing for impact.
Yep. That’s my cue.
Jamie knows this isn’t going to be pretty. It never is when I’m headed to see Derek Pierce, CEO of DP Enterprises. Yes. DP Enter-Prizes. I internally wince at the juvenile innuendo, even after months of working here.
Good thing for me, so does Mr. Pierce.
He came up with the name years ago—young, newly rich, and determined to prove something to the world. According to him, it was about power. Control. Watching people say it with a straight face while his father scowled indisapproval.
Personally, I think the only thing he proved is that money doesn’t cure stupidity.
“Mr. Pierce,” Jamie says into the phone, already sounding apologetic, “Ms. Sullivan from HR is here to see you.”
I stop just short of her desk, arms loosely crossed, waiting. This part is familiar. The pause. The tension. The calculation.
“H—hell,” Derek mutters, loud enough that I hear it through the receiver. “I just saw her.” Pause. “Two hours ago. What could I have possibly done in those two hours?”
Jamie flicks her eyes to me. I lean in toward the speaker: "This is something that was just brought to my attention and can't wait."
I give Jamie a slow, knowing smile.
She winks back.
“Send her in,” he finally says.
Jamie hangs up and leans toward me. “What’d he do?”
“What didn’t he do is the better question.”
Her lips twitch. "Ain't that the truth. This week alone I’ve had four women calling nonstop. Each one of them… intense.”
“Maybe their encounters with Mr. CEO were less than satisfying,” I offer sweetly.
Jamie snorts. “Funny scenario. Doubtful reality.”
I shrug just as a deep, gravelly voice cuts in behind me.
“If you’re done filling my assistant full of lies and disparaging comments about her boss—and your boss, I might add—you might want to step into my office and tell me what this little visit is about.”
Jamie’s cheeks go pink.
Mine don’t.
They used to. Six months ago, they did. Back when his presence made my pulse stutter and my footing less sure. Now? I’ve learned how to stand my ground. Learned that intimidation only works if you let it.
“Sir,” I reply dryly as I turn.
Derek Pierce looks like trouble wrapped in a tailored suit. Piercing blue eyes. Dark lashes. A face that belongs on magazine covers and warning labels. Even with faint frown lines creasing his forehead, he’s unfairly attractive.
