Sloane: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance Novel (6 page)

I was embarrassed and furious.  How could I have thought a powerful CEO would have been interested in me, a nervous, bookish programmer?  I could feel my ego crashing to the floor, bringing all of my confidence with it.

Then I came back to the task at hand.  I was going to be reviewed one on one with him Friday morning.  I could potentially lose my job over this if he ended up being as crazy and eccentric as the rumors I heard about him.  I had to prepare.  I had to learn more.

Immediately I found Sasha’s office to gather more information.  I reluctantly confessed that he wasn’t the man who hit on me after my presentation, and that he was displeased with a performance he didn’t even see me give.

“Maybe he was recording it or something,” she suggested.  The idea of him watching me without knowing it really freaked me out.

“God I hope not,” I said.  “So what do you think I could expect from him?  Has anyone else survived this kind of meeting before?”

“Hmm, I can’t say I know anyone who has been reviewed by him before like this,” she said.  “Definitely not after just giving some board presentation.  You must have really affected him.”

“Great,” I said.

“I wouldn’t worry about it.  Apparently he switches off like a light.  That’s what he did with his wife anyway.  He’ll probably love you by the time Friday rolls around.”

“What do you mean, with his wife?”  I was more than curious about his personal life.

“Oh you haven’t heard?” she gasped at my ignorance.  “His wife was murdered a few years ago and he was the main suspect.” 

My jaw dropped to the floor.  “How did he get off?” I asked, puzzled.

“Well you know the rich types; they get away with anything it seems.”  Sasha nodded approvingly at her own conclusion.  All of this information was making my head spin.  Was I really about to have a one on one meeting with a mysterious CEO that secretly watched my presentation and possibly killed his own wife?  The adrenaline pulsing through my veins reminded me of my nightmares about the bull, and I suddenly wished that nightmares were my only problem.

6

That night at dinner I was so nervous I dropped a dish on the kitchen floor.  My hands just wouldn’t stop shaking. 

“Ness, why don’t you take a seat, I’ll do the dishes,” said Jared.  I hesitated but eventually let him take over.  I had told Jared all about the presentation and the email over dinner, but I left out the part about his wife.  As far as Jared knew, I was far more nervous than I should be, and maybe he was right.  I mean obviously Mr. Sloane isn’t going to murder me in his company’s office.  But I suppose not having a face to match these rumors made it all the worse for my imagination.  I just kept picturing the bull.

Jared tried making love to me several times over the past week but I couldn’t get myself in the mood.  Between the stress of the presentation and obsessing over Ethan Sloane, I could hardly feel my own body.  I felt incredibly guilty for not being there for Jared and even considered leaving my position at the company.  I couldn’t let my personal life be affected so much by my work, even if it did give me a euphoric sense of purpose.

The fear and the drive were what pushed me to do my best, though, and I knew it deep down.  I was a great worker because I took direction well and I aimed to please.  Succeeding was an addiction for me and failure was just a temporary obstacle to overcome, and so was this review with Ethan.  I was terrified but preparing for a brutal beating and possibly losing my job.  If I was fired, I’d at least have my life back, even if it meant sacrificing what really made me happy.

---

It was Thursday and I had yet to make any revisions to my analysis.  I was too focused on Ethan’s wife.  Why had I never heard about it before?  I decided to take some time to research what I was getting myself into.

During my lunch hour I headed to an empty break room with my laptop.  I didn’t bother bringing any food since I planned to be glued to the screen and my keyboard the whole time.  I brought up a search engine and started looking through old news articles on Ethan Sloane.

The results were filled with articles on his company and his role as CEO.  Some praised his adventurous business tactics, others scorned his manipulative ways, but both agreed that he was an exceptional decision maker and brilliant at turning a profit.

I saw photos of him shaking the hands of important men.  He was husky and firm.  His body looked ripped but still large.  His face was incredibly handsome and his hair perfectly disheveled.  At least now I had an idea of what he looked like, and it wasn’t the appearance of a killer.

The hour was coming to a close and I still didn’t see any news on the murder. 
Maybe he was good at covering it all up
, I considered and decided to give up.  Just when I was about to close the browser, a blog caught my attention:

The Murder of Elizabeth Sloane

You may agree with the courts and excuse Ethan Sloane of his murder charge, but let me remind you of a few facts:

1.)
                   
 He was caught by his maid standing over his wife’s body with a gun in his hand.

2.)
                 
The gun had his fingerprints all over it.

3.)
                 
He tried cleaning up the blood with a kitchen rag

4.)
                 
He was hysterical when caught, yet showed no remorse during the court proceedings.

5.)
                  
There are still no other suspects.

I didn’t immediately trust the source, but I stored these details about the case in the back of my mind.  So far all I’ve heard about Ethan Sloane is he’s erratic, mysterious, and damn good at business.  I let the case against his wife rest while I figured out how to rework my presentation.  I had less than 24 hours to go.

I worked the rest of the afternoon and early evening on figuring out a way to impress Ethan Sloane.  I wasn’t at a total loss, but I had doubts about whether I could give him much more than he’s already seen. 
If
he’s actually seen anything. 

I headed home that night completely drained.  I didn’t leave the office until dark and I had about 10 missed calls from Jared.  I didn’t move my car right away.  Instead, I sat behind the wheel peering past street lamps into the dark.  It resembled the night Jared and I headed to the swinger’s party.  It mirrored the night we met the bull.

I considered how the events of that night prepared me for this moment.  The fear I carried all week slipped from me like sand.  The bull showed me danger and how to face it.  My thoughts drifted to the gleam in his eyes, the reflecting silver pools behind his mask, and I felt a smile spread across my face.

I reflected on my life up until this moment.  At home waited a warm, safe husband who loved me and I loved equally in return.  Behind me, in the office building, awaited a foreboding CEO who could ruin my life in more ways than one.  I contemplated the inescapable changes that would befall me in the morning, and reveled in the fading sense of doom that lingered throughout that afternoon.  I was surrendering myself to the danger, like I had surrendered to the bull.

I looked out into the night, dropped my arms to my side, and let out a long exhale.  I was going to face Mr. Sloane head on in the morning and let him eat me alive.  Not that I really had any other choice.

I arrived home calmer than I’d been in weeks.  I hid my thoughts well from Jared.  I felt a strange euphoria and wanted it all to myself.  Not like he’d understand anyway.  He was easy to fool because I had stopped wringing my hands for the first time since Ethan Sloane contacted me.  I was no longer nervous and my blood slowed almost to a stop from the coolness I felt.  I was only focused on Jared’s beautiful love amidst the danger that awaited me, and I lamented for how much I’ve taken it for granted.

It was also the first night since the swinger’s party that we made love.  He was no bull in bed, but he was tender in all the right ways.  Tonight more than most, I was grateful for each kiss and soft whisper.  Occasionally I’d get a bit rough with him, trying to create a fire between us, fueling his aggression.  But as usual he let me bite and pull without any repercussions until I finally gave up. 

His cock managed to be just as tender as his fingers and I laid under him gazing at the ceiling, imagining the stars that I’d find beyond it.  I surrendered to the calm and predictable way he always fucked me, and I moaned as if it were the very first time.

After Jared had cum, he collapsed above me, breathing on my neck and I thought how much nicer that felt than everything leading up to it. 

“I love you,” he whispered in my ear.  I loved him too but I couldn’t choke it out.  It seemed false and like it would ruin a good moment.  Instead I kissed his forehead, ran my fingers through his hair, and thought about the bull.

I’m not sure how it happened exactly, but in that moment I felt complete with Jared’s cock still inside me and the bull’s eyes in my mind.  It all seemed to fit perfectly together, and I suddenly felt like the luckiest girl ever.  I had my safety and some danger too.

It was another night of little sleep and I spent most of the hours watching Jared breathe and dream.  I caught him wrinkling his brows like someone had angered him, followed by a strange smile.  I wondered what was happening and if it was more exciting than his entire life.  I wished I could jump in the middle of whatever scene he created.

Instead, I slipped into thoughts of my own.  I was now confusing Ethan Sloane and the bull and fantasizing about fucking our company’s dangerous CEO.  Without a clear picture of his face, I borrowed the mask and eyes from the only other dangerous man I’ve known.  I imagined Mr. Sloane fucking me on his desk the way I had been fucked at the party. 

I recalled the tease and torture of that night and applied it to my fantasy.  I looked over to make sure Jared was still in a deep sleep before sliding my fingers beneath my panties.  To no surprise of mine, it was already dripping wet.

I shut my eyes tight and pictured the bull between my legs.  Only this time, I saw his tongue on my slit, circling around, dipping in an out.  I matched the movement with my fingers until I came silently beside my husband.

I opened my eyes again to make sure I didn’t wake him, but I hadn’t.  I exhaled and observed the eerie stillness in our bedroom.  It was the kind of stillness that forewarned of something tremendous in the works.

Beep, beep, beep
.

And there was my alarm.

7

My back stiffened as I got out of the car and placed my feet on the parking lot’s asphalt.  Everything at home seemed small, like I could control it all with the will of my mind.  I felt all powerful and triumphant and brave enough to tackle any obstacle, but now that I stood under a faint sun, facing our company’s building, I felt incredibly miniscule.

I had shrunken in size and with each step forward I grew smaller.  I reached as far as I could inside myself to find a shred of the courage I had throughout the night, but it all scattered through my fingers and I left it behind like bread crumbs to find my way home.  I might’ve needed the trail when this was over.

I pushed open the front doors and fell into the gaze of every worker there.  They heard I was meeting Ethan and rumored what might happen.  I heard buzzing in my head and couldn’t decipher its origin between the whispers or my lack of sleep.  I attributed it to the latter when I noticed the walls begin to shake.

I’m losing it
, I thought.  The hallway grew and shrunk and it felt like the building was alive and breathing.  I tried to breathe along with it, its rhythm calming me.  I must have faded into the back of my mind because before I knew it I was already past the receptionist and staring down the handle of his office door.

“You can go on in, Mrs. Banks,” she said.  Her voice was sharp and cold like a knife and I envisioned walking the plank off a pirate’s ship.  “Mrs. Banks?” she asked and pushed me into the depths of the sea to be devoured by the shark below.

The door opened.  There was no turning back now.  He sat in his high back chair, turned away from me like a villain in a movie, but silent.  The quiet was deafening and I had the urge to speak, to shout, but my throat locked up and lost the key.  I stood like a statue before his desk, waiting for him to lay eyes on me.

A few minutes passed and he turned around, looking at papers on his desk, not once raising his eyes to mine.  I was taken aback by his handsome figure, and his thick black hair.  He felt familiar and I was compelled to reach out and touch him.  I shook the idea out of my head and watched it fall on the office floor.

“Mrs. Banks…”  His voice was deep and rugged but soothing.  I wanted to crawl inside of it and let the vibrations bounce against my skin.  Chills inched through my body just thinking about it.