The phone begins to ring again. I grab my coffee, flavor it with pumpkin spice syrup, then add some cream and a spoonful of sugar. I take my time mixing it all in, then walk back to Knight’s office.
The double doors to his room stand open and I enter, holding the coffee in one hand, and my phone in the other. "What’s the hurry? Where’s the fire? Why are you—" I spot Abby seated in one of the chairs in the seating area with Knight standing opposite her.
"There you are." Abby’s face lights up. I walk toward her, and she embraces me. "Hope we didn’t pull you out of anything important?’
"Whatever it was, this is more important," Sir Knighthole growls.
Abby scowls at him. "That’s not very nice."
"No, it’s not," I say sweetly in his direction.
Knight ignores me and directs his words at his sister. "Anyway, this entire scheme is not going to work. This is not something she can deliver on. She’s barely managed to juggle my appointments for the day, and you think she’s capable of drawing up a list of likely candidates for the role?"
"Oh, shush. Penny has the patience and the temperament, and she’ll be able to interview the candidates without pissing them off. Unlike—" She narrows her gaze on him.
Knight snorts, then he folds his arms across his chest and widens his stance, impatience written into every angle of his body.
I look between them. "What are you talking about? Draw up a list of candidates for what role?"
"Uh, it might sound a little unorthodox, but this is going to be the only way out." She wrings her hands. "My father isn’t the easiest person to get along with, as I've told you before. And he was never happy that Knight joined the military. Of course, he’s thrilled that he’s back now, but there’s a problem."
"Clearly, he’s not that happy, since he’s trying his best to kick me out of the company, but I’m not having any of it." Knight leans forward on the balls of his feet. "Nothing is going to stop me from taking over from him and making more money than he ever did in his lifetime. And I’ll do it in less than half the time it took him, too." He shoves a hand inside the pocket of his slacks—his new slacks.
It didn’t skip my attention that he’s changed his clothes since I last saw him. My cheeks heat at the reason for that. Images of him fisting his gigantic cock as he groaned my name crowd my mind. He must sense the direction of my thoughts, for his lips curl. His green eyes, though, are chips of glacial nothingness. Whatever I glimpsed in them as he orgasmed is gone. It’s as if the only time he feels something is during sex—whether he’s pushing me to the edge or masturbating.
"So, what do you think, Penny?" Abby’s voice cuts through my thoughts.
"Think about what?" I turn to her.
"About what I told you?"
"Oh, sorry, my mind drifted for a second. What was your question?"
"Will you help Knight find a wife?"
16
Knight
Her eyes widen. "Did you say a wife?"
Abby nods, and Penny starts laughing.
Abby chuckles, then says, "It sounds ridiculous, but it’s the only way Knight can take over the company from my father."
"Did I miss something?" She blinks rapidly. "He needs a wife in order to take over the company?"
"A condition my father only saw fitting to tell me just a little while ago." I manage to school my features into a bored expression. My father caught me by surprise. I’d anticipated he’d make me pay for the years I spent away in the military and for turning my back on the company he built, but this stipulation of his was not something I could have seen coming.
"Wait, I’m confused." Penny shifts her weight from foot to foot. "Aren’t you the CEO of this company?"
"The CEO looks after the day-to-day running of the company. The Chairman of the Board has the final say on all decisions of the company," I say in a voice that’s meant to sound condescending.
And it does, for she scowls in my direction.
"The position of Chairman is currently held by my father, and for me to take over from him, I need to be married."
"And within the month," Abby chimes in. "Also, he has to produce an heir within the year."
"Wha—？" Penny shakes her head. "I’m afraid this is all waaay over my pay grade. You’ll have to explain to me what your being married has to do with your becoming the head of the company."
"My father believes whoever is at the head of the company needs to be someone settled in life, someone who's a family man, in order to prevent any scandals from rocking the future of the corporation." Abby places her fingers together. "Our father refuses to concede on this point."
She glances in Abby’s direction. "So, why don’t you take over?"
Abby laughs. "And inherit the ton of problems that go with it? No, thank you. I’m happy focusing on PR—and for the time being, helping Knight with the PR of this company, and then I have Cade. Call me old-fashioned, but I want time to focus on my marriage and Cade and our future together." Her features soften, her eyes shine, and for a few seconds, I’m envious of the happiness my sister has found.
Sure, Cade was an asshole, in terms of how he got her to fall in love with him. But apparently, they’re happy now. And my sister is content. I’ve seen how Cade looks at her, how they look at each other. They are soulmates, despite needing to get past their checkered history to get there. And now, they have each other’s support; they are each other’s best friends and life partners. Something I will never have, for not another soul will understand what I’ve been through.
"Of course, it’s not like someone getting married means there are no scandals that follow, but that’s my father’s archaic thinking for you." Abby rolls her eyes.
"Okay, fine, so he"—Penny jerks her chin in my direction—"has to get married to hold onto the company. That’s his problem."
"You’re my employee, so it’s your problem," I insert smoothly.
She blinks rapidly. I glare at her, and she pales, then ducks her head, and takes a sip of whatever she has in her mug. "I think, uh, I need to sit down." Then, before I can give her permission, she walks over to the sofa and plonks down on the corner nearest to Abby. Of course, her cup sways, and some of the liquid sloshes over onto her skirt. "Oh, no, and this is my favorite, too." She places the mug on the coffee-table, then glances around.
"Here—" Abby reaches into her bag, pulls out a packet of tissues and hands it over. Penny pulls one out and dabs at the blot on her dress. "No, no, no, why do I always spoil my clothes like this."
Because you are adorably clumsy?
Did I use the word adorable?
I shake my head. "Leave it, woman, you’re only making it worse."
"But the spot stands out against the pink." She balls up the tissue in her hand, and her lips droop down.
Of course, you could take it off and work the rest of the day with your panties and your gorgeous thighs on display—in my office, of course. Wouldn’t let you show that to anyone else.