“Your lack of ability to spell isn’t my problem,” Cliff said, and Brandii took a step backwards, spluttering in confusion.
“I told you I needed to talk to you.” Cliff’s gaze snapped back to Taylor, who found herself blushing again.
“Yes, sir. Sorry, you caught me off guard – you’re a bit early.”
“It’s no problem at all that you’re early, of course!” Brandii piped up eagerly. “You can come here any time you want! Night or day.” She simpered fetchingly and tried again with the back-arching thing. It hadn’t worked the first time; it didn’t work the second time. Shelley looked at Brandii in anger, and her lip actually curled back like a dog about to snarl, but Brandii was focused on Cliff.
Cliff ignored the drama playing out between the two sales reps, placed his hand on Taylor’s shoulder, and gently steered her away, down the hallway, towards the big office at the end of the hall.
Taylor could feel warmth flowing from his fingertips, into her shoulder and throughout her entire body. Every square inch of her was aroused right now. Hertoeswere turned on. For the first time in her life, she believed in the possibility of spontaneous orgasm. She bit her lip hard to keep from moaning out loud.
James followed at a discreet distance. Cliff pushed open the door and led Taylor into the office.
The room was all chrome and leather and floor-to-ceiling windows. It looked as if someone had given the designer a blank check and told him, “Make it scream money so loudly my eardrums will bleed.” The wide, glossy mahogany desktop held a leather blotter the color of money and a phone so sleek and abstract it might have been a high-tech executive toy. The office belonged to Cliff, but it had sat empty and unused the entire time Taylor had worked there.
It was the first time Taylor had ever been in the office since she’d started working there a year ago. Grant also had an office that sat empty. Austin had no office; he apparently didn’t get too involved in the family business.
There was an oil painting on the wall of Cliff, his late parents Lloyd and Jessica, and Grant and Austin. They were standing against a garden backdrop and wearing exquisitely tailored suits, except for Jessica, who wore a sparkling black cocktail gown. They all had the same expression – fierce, feral, dominant. It was the only decoration on the otherwise empty, pristine walls.
“You wanted to talk to me?” she asked nervously as Cliff shut the door.
He walked over and stood between her and the door, and looked down at her, thick brows drawing together in a scowl. His gaze met hers. “You should have told me,” he said severely.
She sucked in her breath.
He knew.
Would she go to prison?
The stolen product sample…she felt as if it were burning a hole right through the bottom of her purse.I had reasons, she thought desperately.It wasn’t for me. I didn’t make a cent off it.The Bronson family’s most expensive product, their top-of-the-line, ultra-exclusive Platinum Level Enhancers, which conveyed several days’ worth of super-rapid muscle growth, prized by top athletes around the world. Twenty-five thousand dollars a pop. It was also a secret, off-brand treatment for a certain group of fatal blood disorders – like the one Chantelle had.
“I should have told you what, exactly?” she bluffed.
“What you are.” He looked annoyed.
Excuse him?Whatshe was?
She stared at him in bafflement. Was he toying with her?
She glanced at James, who was standing in the corner of the room, watching them. James sighed and looked away.
Cliff looked at her as if he couldn’t believe how dim she was. “Every female in the territory is required to make themselves known to my family. For selection.”
Now things were getting weird. And a little scary.
She backed up a few steps.
He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Anyway, I select you.”
Selected her for what, exactly?
This scene had played outverydifferently in her head when she’d fantasized about Cliff late at night. Murmured words of desire. His body brushing close against hers. His strong hand splayed at the base of her spine, sliding lower…
Cliff’s tone was impatient, businesslike. “I’ll expect you to be at my house by tomorrow noon. We’ll have the ceremony Monday. Normally I’d allow you more time to prepare, but there are reasons why we’ll need to rush this. I’ll explain when you get there. Will you need help packing? I can send over some of the pack to help out.”
This was officially the weirdest conversation Taylor had ever been part of.
James cleared his throat loudly and inclined his head at Taylor, and for the first time Cliff seemed to notice that Taylor wasn’t going along with the program. Whatever the program was.
