The CEO (19 page)

“Wow. I am so sorry. I remember how much your family meant to you,” he said, gazing into my eyes.

I looked at him and it started happening again. I don’t know what it was about those gray eyes of his, but they had the power to draw me in and make me feel.

“Let’s get out of here, Sheila,” he said slamming a hundred dollar bill down on the counter. “Keep the change, bar keep.” He led me outside the bar and into his brand new Nissan. He opened the passenger side door and helped me with my seatbelt. My head was swimming and I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience.

The whole trip went by in one quick blur and before I knew it, he was opening my door again, escorting me out and up the stairs. I firmly gripped the banister so I wouldn’t fall back down the stairs. Liam let out a low chuckle and put his arm around me to help keep me balanced.

He unlocked the door and walked me over to the couch. “Would you like some water?” he asked.

“No, bring me the strongest liquor you have in here.”

“Sheila, are you okay?”

I ran my hand across my cheek, not realizing I’d been crying. “I just want to forget, Liam. Help me forget.”

He walked into the kitchen and opened the cabinet above the stove. I heard glasses clinking, and then he placed two shot glasses down onto the counter. He grabbed a huge glass bottle with fancy engraving on the side and poured the amber liquid into both glasses.

He brought them both over to me and as I went to grab one he told me to wait. “I’ll help you forget but I can’t do that unless I forget too.”

After a few drinks, Liam and I were standing in front of each other completely naked. I shoved him down onto the carpet, ready to have my way with him. His dick was hard as a rock as I climbed on top of it.

I rocked my hips back and forth, and then bounced up and down on it. The room started to spin and I felt myself losing control of my body. He clasped his hand around my neck and I looked down at him. “Ride this dick, Sheila. Don’t you quit on me yet!”

I rode him so hard that I got rug burn on my knees, but it was well worth it to orgasm harder than I had in a long time.

I hadn’t realized how bad I’d scuffed my knees until I saw them in the mirror as I got ready for work the next morning. I rubbed healing lotion on them and decided it was a pant suit kind of day.

Ryan would be the first to notice and I didn’t need him
or
John breathing down my neck.

I brushed my hair into a smooth high ponytail and added a few curls to the end. I applied a fun vibrant shade of pink lipstick before heading out the door.

“So Frank, how did the meetings go?”

“Well Ms. Quinn, they went okay. I’ve managed to bring a few more investors on board, but the electric company wants to hear from you directly before they give a final answer.”

“Did they say why?”

“Well, they said before they invest or merge with a huge production such as this, they needed to talk to the head of the company first.”

“Fine, schedule a meeting with them next Monday,” I huffed.

“Will do, is there anything else?”

“Yes, send in Mr. Keegan.”

I sat down at the head of the conference table and waited for his arrival. Ryan snuck in and brought me a fresh cup of coffee while I waited. “You look great today, Ms. Quinn.” He smiled before running back out of the room.

“Sheila, how goes it?”

“It’s Ms. Quinn, asshole. Close the door behind you.”

“Sorry, ‘Ms. Quinn’, my apologies. You summoned me?”

“Yes, John. Now have a seat.” He sat down at the opposite end of the table with a look of confusion on his face.

“So John, I did do my homework before hiring you and I must say, I know you can usually produce a bug free app within a few weeks, am I correct?”

“Yes.”

“So why are you taking your sweet ass time with this one? Do you think just because we slept together that I’d let you slack around at work?”

“Well, yes and no.”

“Well unless your only purpose was to screw me and fuck over my company, you can walk out that door right now. Otherwise, you can get your ass in gear and get this app fixed and completed by the weekend. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes…crystal in fact.”

That strange feeling in my gut returned and warned me to keep my eyes on him. I really thought Ryan may have been on to something when he told me he had an off feeling about him, because now I saw what he meant.

After hours of long-winded company meetings, it was finally time to pack up for the evening. I wasn’t making any plans tonight at all. I just wanted to curl up on my couch with my feet up.

“Have a good night Ms. Quinn,” Karen said on the way out the door.

“So, Sheila—”

“Don’t,” I interrupted. “I’m going home tonight.”

“Okay, well I’ll see you tomorrow then,” John responded.

“Harsh, much?” Ryan interrupted.

“Listen, I have something really import to do tonight and I don’t need
any
distractions.”

“Okay, okay. Chill, Sheila. Have a good night.”

I grabbed some Indian take out from Rabib’s restaurant and drove home. I sat my food down on the coffee table and went into my room to change into a pair of sweats and a tank top.

I pulled a folder out of my safe and brought it into the living room with me. It was Kieran’s living will. My Dad had made us all make one once we turned the age of twenty-one. I’d never looked at them, I’d just placed all the files into my safe.

I scanned the notarized document and as I read down to the bottom of the page, there I was, labeled as his power of attorney. So, if he was ever incapacitated, I could make the logical decision to keep him alive or end his suffering. It was scary seeing it in print.

As I took a bite out of my roti, I knew what had to be done. No more denying the inevitable. As I went to close the folder, a small piece of paper slipped out.

He was right.
I took my moment to grieve; now it’s time to set you free little bro.

I watched as the doctor unhooked the tubes from the ventilator, the machine that gave my family false hope, that made us believe there was a slim chance he could come back even though he never truly could. He was officially gone.

Dad said his goodbyes, then Shannon, and then me. “Rest in peace little bro. I’ll never let this break us, but you’re in a better place now.”