the hallway. She stood behind Mr. White, appropriately detached from his side yet always nearby.
In a seething whisper, he had told her what would happen if she misbehaved. He showed her the coiled, white leather leash he kept in his jacket pocket.
“I won’t hesitate to clip this leash on you and drag you out of the party if you embarrass me,” he had said, his eyes blazing, daring her to contradict him.
She didn’t think he would actually do it, but who would stop him? He was now the CEO of the two largest, most profitable malls in the world. He was Matthew White, a genius entrepreneur, an eccentric vampire…the list went on and on. And he was mad enough to chain and fuck her inside the office. No, there were no rules for the rich and powerful.
A spark of desire shivered up her thighs as she contemplated deliberately provoking him so that he would lose control and flay her backside with a hundred of his employees watching. She shook her head. It would be too much, even for her.
Thoughts of invoking debauchery from Mr. White evaporated once the doors were opened to the party. Mary had a view of a wide ballroom decorated in blue and silver. Tables draped in steel blue carrying an assortment of hors d’oeuvres dotted the room, and a live band playing the top 40 songs sang in the back in front of a dance square, where smartly dressed men and women clutching wine glasses milled about.
Mr. White glanced back at her and smiled, beckoning her forward as they joined the party. A waiter hovered near Mary with a tray of cocktails and she seized one. A single raspberry floated in the sparkling champagne and Mary ate it as it flowed into her mouth. The alcohol saturated berry burst over her tongue and warmth flooded her cheeks immediately. Everything became easier to deal with.
A throng of men who noticed Mr. White’s arrival came forward to shake his hand and congratulate him.
“Thank you.”
“Will you be taking anyone from IT?”
“Perhaps, yes. There will be a director position opening soon.”
Mary let the business talk and schmoozing wash over her ears; none of it concerned her. She stood in the background, awkwardly sipping her glass as everyone ignored her.
Mr. White broke from the crowd of people, shaking a few hands, and beckoned her. They were all anxious to please him, hoping that they wouldn’t be fired. She could tell that he was soaking up the attention like a sponge, enjoying the power he held over their heads. Mr. White was nothing but a control freak.
He took her arm and steered her towards a man who stood in the back of the room, apparently alone. He was gazing into his wine glass, ignoring the people around him who attempted to engage him in conversation. His black suit seemed to mirror his despondency, which Mary could feel even fifty feet away. It was then that she recognized him.
Mary rooted herself to the spot, ignoring Mr. White’s grip on her arm. “No, Mr. White,” she hissed. “We’re not going to embarrass him, please.”
But he wheeled around, looking angry at her disobedience but determined to keep a good-natured grin on his face. He let go of his hold on her when he recognized several of his partners staring at him. He plastered on a grin that Mary thought was excessive and waved at them.
Mary stifled her laughter when Mr. White’s blue eyes flashed at her dangerously.
“Let’s go,” he growled under his breath.
“I won’t do it,” she muttered. “Please, Mr. White, be a decent human being and leave him be.”
Her words seemed to wound him. “I wasn’t going to mock him. I invited him here.”
“I think its best just to leave him alone,” she said, glancing at the man again.
“As you wish. I’ll come collect you later.” He swept off before she could say another word.
The disappointment in his voice made Mary’s heart sink. She watched him get swallowed up by a crowd of eager man and women, who all were determined to talk to the new CEO. She felt a
In a seething whisper, he had told her what would happen if she misbehaved. He showed her the coiled, white leather leash he kept in his jacket pocket.
“I won’t hesitate to clip this leash on you and drag you out of the party if you embarrass me,” he had said, his eyes blazing, daring her to contradict him.
She didn’t think he would actually do it, but who would stop him? He was now the CEO of the two largest, most profitable malls in the world. He was Matthew White, a genius entrepreneur, an eccentric vampire…the list went on and on. And he was mad enough to chain and fuck her inside the office. No, there were no rules for the rich and powerful.
A spark of desire shivered up her thighs as she contemplated deliberately provoking him so that he would lose control and flay her backside with a hundred of his employees watching. She shook her head. It would be too much, even for her.
Thoughts of invoking debauchery from Mr. White evaporated once the doors were opened to the party. Mary had a view of a wide ballroom decorated in blue and silver. Tables draped in steel blue carrying an assortment of hors d’oeuvres dotted the room, and a live band playing the top 40 songs sang in the back in front of a dance square, where smartly dressed men and women clutching wine glasses milled about.
Mr. White glanced back at her and smiled, beckoning her forward as they joined the party. A waiter hovered near Mary with a tray of cocktails and she seized one. A single raspberry floated in the sparkling champagne and Mary ate it as it flowed into her mouth. The alcohol saturated berry burst over her tongue and warmth flooded her cheeks immediately. Everything became easier to deal with.
A throng of men who noticed Mr. White’s arrival came forward to shake his hand and congratulate him.
“Thank you.”
“Will you be taking anyone from IT?”
“Perhaps, yes. There will be a director position opening soon.”
Mary let the business talk and schmoozing wash over her ears; none of it concerned her. She stood in the background, awkwardly sipping her glass as everyone ignored her.
Mr. White broke from the crowd of people, shaking a few hands, and beckoned her. They were all anxious to please him, hoping that they wouldn’t be fired. She could tell that he was soaking up the attention like a sponge, enjoying the power he held over their heads. Mr. White was nothing but a control freak.
He took her arm and steered her towards a man who stood in the back of the room, apparently alone. He was gazing into his wine glass, ignoring the people around him who attempted to engage him in conversation. His black suit seemed to mirror his despondency, which Mary could feel even fifty feet away. It was then that she recognized him.
Mary rooted herself to the spot, ignoring Mr. White’s grip on her arm. “No, Mr. White,” she hissed. “We’re not going to embarrass him, please.”
But he wheeled around, looking angry at her disobedience but determined to keep a good-natured grin on his face. He let go of his hold on her when he recognized several of his partners staring at him. He plastered on a grin that Mary thought was excessive and waved at them.
Mary stifled her laughter when Mr. White’s blue eyes flashed at her dangerously.
“Let’s go,” he growled under his breath.
“I won’t do it,” she muttered. “Please, Mr. White, be a decent human being and leave him be.”
Her words seemed to wound him. “I wasn’t going to mock him. I invited him here.”
“I think its best just to leave him alone,” she said, glancing at the man again.
“As you wish. I’ll come collect you later.” He swept off before she could say another word.
The disappointment in his voice made Mary’s heart sink. She watched him get swallowed up by a crowd of eager man and women, who all were determined to talk to the new CEO. She felt a