Lose Control (9 page)

Cassie went over
to the shredded material, picked up the pieces, opened the door, and said loud
enough that he could hear as she walked into the hallway, “Maybe I will. It’s
more likely I won’t.”

Chapter
Eleven

Myles chuckled
when he heard her reply. He would bet a month’s salary she had no intention of
going near the bedroom, and when he checked later, and he would, she’d be as
bare under her skirt as when she left the room. Cassie was a stubborn,
outspoken woman with a defiant streak within her about a mile wide. A smile
spread across his lips. All good qualities from where he was standing. If it
wasn’t for that headstrong attitude of hers, he’d be standing there still
wallowing in his own hatred, and she’d be gone.

Cassie saw the
real him. But instead of running in the other direction, even when he gave her
every reason and more than a few opportunities to do so, she had stood her
ground, refusing to give up on him or them. She made him believe that, once
again, he could allow himself to feel, give in to the emotions, and that love
was within his grasp. All he had to do was reach for it. And because of that,
he wasn’t going to give up on them either. Not anymore. Never again.

He should have
told her when he had the chance how grateful he was for her acceptance and for
her. How when she had looked at him, he felt like he could be the man he was,
not the one he’d thought he had to be. How her wanting to be with him, be a
part of his life, was nothing less than a miracle. Suddenly, a future with them
together was more than a mere fantasy, it was an actual possibility, and he was
going to make it his goal, his mission, to make it a reality. Starting now.

Myles walked out
of the room with a purpose to his stride. Cassie belonged in his arms and that’s
where she was going to stay. He might not have said anything before, but before
the day was through, she was going to know exactly how much she meant to him.
No more fear and uncertainty. No holding back. He was more than ready to hand
his heart over to her. All she had to do was accept it.

Myles bounded up
the staircase and turned to the right. The conference room was directly ahead
of him and he sped up to close the distance, itching to wrap things up with the
men waiting. There was a much more pressing and pleasurable matter he wanted to
attend to…Cassie. The sooner he ended the pissing contest with Blake over the
contract, the better. In fact, Myles was going to state the offer once more and
if Blake didn’t want to sign, then quite literally, it was his loss. A
financial genius he wasn’t.

Myles might even
tear up the papers in front of him just to see Blake’s reaction when he finally
realized Myles wasn’t going to give him what he wanted. The spoiled prick
probably never had anyone tell him no, and he walked into the conference room
more than willing to be the first.

As soon as he
entered, their conversation died and all heads turned in his direction. Blake,
who had resumed his position with his hands clasped behind his head, spoke
first. “Couldn’t zip it back up or what?” He laughed at his joke, put his legs
down, and winked at Cassie. “Your assistant persuaded me into signing. All
that’s left is the celebrating.”

Myles lifted his
eyebrow and glanced in her direction. “And how did Ms. Sorrelson manage that?”
He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

Cassie smiled at
him. “Blake was standing to lose a substantial amount of money by choosing the
other company. By taking the competing offer, the upfront cash was a hefty
amount and looked good for now, but within two years, because of their seasonal
business operation and smaller sales volume, Blake’s income would be
significantly less than what he could make with signing with The Mountain’s
Peak. I wanted to make sure he knew the numbers before he left our offer on the
table.”
 

Myles smiled
back at her. Not only was she beautiful and sexy, but Cassie was one hell of a
business woman. Before he could thank her for saving the company from the
painstaking task of trying to find another supplier, the sound of chairs being
pushed back prompted him to focus back on Blake. Both he and his lawyer had
gotten up and were making their way around the table to leave.

“Myles, you
should keep her around. She is definitely good for business. Give her what she
wants. A raise. A bonus. Whatever it takes, man.” Blake stopped at Cassie and
took her hand between his. “I know I would. In fact, if Myles doesn’t come
through for you, here’s my number. You can call me anytime.”

When he released
her hand, Myles noticed the business card Blake had slipped to her. His jaw
clenched, and through gritted teeth, he said in a voice that, more likely than
not, sounded as jealous as he felt, “I assure you, Ms. Sorrelson will be more
than adequately taken care of.”
 

Blake put his
hand up to the side of his face, and made the universal sign for me “call me”
while mouthing the words.

Cassie shook her
head and chuckled. “It was nice to meet you, Blake.”

“You too, sexy,”
Blake replied before he came over to Myles, slapped him on the shoulder, and
said as he walked out, “See ya around, man.”

The lawyer, trailing
behind, shook his hand and with never saying a word, left too. Myles blew out a
relieved breath, sat down, and as soon as he heard the telltale thud of the
front door closing, pulled Cassie onto his lap. Her surprised squeal was instantly
silenced when he covered her mouth with his. He took his time, using slow and
deliberate strokes, celebrating her taste and the soft feel of her lips on his.
It wasn’t a kiss that was meant to claim. It was one full of promise. Too soon,
he pulled back, not wanting to lose himself in her. Not yet. They should talk
first. Then he would take her. Over and over again.

“Wow. What was
that for?” Cassie said as a satisfied smile spread across her face.

“Showing my
appreciation for a job well done.”
Among
other things.
“I was ready to rip the contract up and tell Blake to go to
hell.”

She shrugged.
“He just needed a little coaxing. Didn’t hurt when I showed him the amount of
money he was going to lose either. Cash was the goal and I simply pointed out
how he could have lots of it, for a long time. Not a big deal.”

“It is a big
deal, and since I happen to agree with him that you’re good for business, you
won’t be needing this.” Myles took the card she was still holding, ripped it in
two, and tossed the pieces on the table. “I need an account manager, and you’re
perfect for the position.”

Cassie shifted
to lean back, and Myles instinctively wrapped his arms around her to keep her
close. “You’re offering me a job?”

“Does that
surprise you?”

“Um. Yes. No. I’m
not sure. What about…” Cassie’s words drifted off. She sat for a moment as if
she was trying to find the right words, then took a breath and continued.
“Myles, we never talked about this being anything other than a temporary
arrangement. Both business and pleasure. If I take the position, what does that
mean for us? Is there even an us?”

The uncertainty
in her words and showing in her eyes made his chest ache. He’d caused her to
feel that way, made her question his desire to be with her. Myles reached up,
placed his hand on the side of her face, and ran the pad of his thumb across
her bottom lip. “Baby, I assure you, I want there to be nothing temporary about
you. There is an us. Whether or not we continue depends on you, though. If you
have any doubts, then end this. Right here. Right now. But if you’re positive
I’m the man you want, tell me, Cassie. Say yes to me, and I’m all in. No going
back. Never letting go.”

Myles dropped
his hand and waited for her answer. There had to be a choice. Where they went
from here was a decision she had to make. Myles knew he was ready to devote
himself to making this work between them. All she had to do was say the word. If
she had any misgivings, though, if she was unsure in any way, then he needed to
know now. Before this went too far and her leaving destroyed him. The knot
forming in his stomach the longer she remained silent was a clue he might have
passed that point already, though.
Come
on, baby, tell me yes.

As if she heard
his internal plea, Cassie leaned down until her breath fanned over his lips. She
paused, a beat passing before she kissed him briefly and then moved to whisper
in his ear. “Yes.”

One word had
never meant so much. Myles let out the breath he hadn’t even known he’d been
holding and shook his head. This whole time, he had been so focused and worried
about remaining in control that he hadn’t seen the truth… She was the one in
control, had been since the moment she walked back into his life. The amount of
relief washing over him was all the evidence he needed of the power she held
over him.

“I have two
conditions, though.”

“Anything.”
 
He meant it. Whatever she wanted or needed,
it was hers. Especially since he was itching to dive between her legs and find
out if he was right about her thong situation or lack thereof. Now that he knew
what direction they were going, he was eager to get started on their future and
all the pleasurable positions they were going to use to get there. His cock
twitched in agreement.

“First, I don’t
do offices or cubicles. Being cooped up all day makes me want to run. Fast.”

Myles smiled.
“Done. You’ll have an office, but you’ll be traveling a large majority of the
time, and I’ll be accompanying you on most of your trips. It’s a field position
where you meet our current and potential vendors face to face. The only time
you will be required to be in the office is for monthly staff meetings.”

“Is Blake one of
the vendors I will be managing?” Cassie said with a wicked glint in her eye.

“Not a chance in
hell.”

“Don’t trust me,
huh?”

“It’s Blake I
don’t trust. Besides, I make it a point to frequently visit our vendors. It’s
good business and a win-win situation all around now that we can share a hotel
room and make use of the bed on the corporate jet.”

“Whatever
happened to business is business and pleasure is pleasure?” Cassie laughed and
stood up. Myles reached out, unsuccessfully, in attempt to pull her back down
as she took a quick step back. “Second condition and most important. I care
about you, Myles. All of you. Don’t let go. Because, I don’t want you to, and to
prove it...”

Cassie’s words
trailed off as she reached into the delectable cleavage line her breasts
created and slowly began pulling out a long, sheer stocking. Apparently, she
had stopped by the bedroom because he was positive nothing had been hidden
there earlier. Myles wasn’t sure how a piece of hosiery could prove anything,
though. Other than how much he wanted to take a look for himself to see if she
had anything else stuffed in there.

Captivated, he
watched as the silky material magically appeared and trailed against her creamy
skin. The woman was a damn seductress, and he couldn’t wait until his tongue
was licking the same area. The way her nipples were pebbling and straining
against her shirt, Myles didn’t have to guess her thoughts weren’t far behind
his.

When the
stocking was completely free, she continued. “I was going to use this on you. Tie
you up, and show you letting someone else be in control for once can be just as
pleasurable. We can do that another time. Right now, I want you to do the
tying.” Cassie draped the stocking over her wrists, clasped her hands, and came
to stand before him. “I’m all in, too, Myles. Trust me when I tell you that I
trust you.”

He stared for a
moment in awe and taken aback. Bondage had been a no-fly zone since his ex. The
damage he’d done that night had kept him far away from any thoughts of
repeating the experience. Knowing Cassie was fully aware of what had happened
and could still believe in him so completely, to offer herself to him in such a
way, was both staggering and humbling. His chest swelled at the emotions
suddenly settling there. To him, her trust was the ultimate gift, and he was
going to cherish that, and her, for as long as she would allow him.

Myles stood up
and ran the back of his hand down her cheek, past her neck, and continued down
the length of her arms until he reached her hands. He wrapped and secured her
wrists with a knot before he reached down to scoop her into his arms.

Myles looked
down at the woman who had freed him from the restraints he’d placed upon himself
and taught him in such a short time he didn’t have to hold back or keep himself
in check. That letting go and letting himself feel was okay. Better than okay.
It was the right thing to do.

“I’m not sure
how I got so lucky to have you come back into my life after all these years,
but I’m not going to second guess it again. You’re perfect, in every sense of
the word, and you make me want to be perfect for you.”

“Perfection is
overrated. I’ll take flawed any day. As long as there is some spanking involved.”

She waggled her
eyebrows at him, causing him to chuckle as he started making his way to the
bedroom. “Baby, I might not be able to promise you romance, but
that
is one thing I can guarantee is in
your future.”