“I was supposed to tick this sheet off,” she says, pulling a folded piece of paper out of her handbag. “What should I do with it?”
“Leave it with me.” I take it from her, tossing it behind me onto the desk by the door. “I’ll take care of it.”
We walk out of the room and everyone’s milling around in the corridor. “Back to work,” I snap at them before leading her along the corridor toward the stairs.
“But the ticksheet,” she says out of nowhere. “I’m supposed to leave it on the reception desk or we won’t get paid.”
“We? Who’s we?” I get a vision of a boyfriend and another vision of me snapping his neck for even thinking of putting his hands on her. Already, I’m thinking of her as my property. That’s not good. Not now. Not when I’m supposed to leave no trace behind.
“It’s my roommate’s cleaning contract. She asked me to come because she double booked herself. We won’t get paid unless that sheet’s handed in to reception.”
“I will provide you with a severance check in lieu of notice as the contract is terminating. Do not come back to this building, is that understood? It’s shutting down operations. It will not be safe to return.”
She turns pale, noticing the dark tone of my voice. She looks up at me and swallows. “Understood.”
“Good girl.”
Her eyes light up when I say that. She feeds on praise. She wants to please me. My cock twitches at the thought of what I could do with that information.
We walk down the stairs together. I keep hold of her hand the entire way, stealing glances at her, wishing again I had the time to spare to fuck the hell out of her.
I want to see if her ass looks as peachy as it felt when I was getting her out of the elevator. I want to know if her lips are as soft as they look when they wrap around my cock. Most of all, I want to know what noises she makes when she comes while I’m inside her.
Maybe I’ll seek her out when I come back. If I come back. Things go south, I’ll be in Italy for a long time. Maybe for good.
I reach into my jacket and pull out my cellphone, hitting my driver’s number. “Out front, now,” I tell him before hanging up.
“Who are you?” she asks as we pass the sign for the fifth floor. “Who can overrule an elevator when it’s moving? And those people in that office. You told them to leave and they just did. They all looked so scared of you. Oh my God. Are you … are you him? You are, aren’t you. You’re him.”
“I’m who?” I wonder how much she knows about me, about the organization.
“The big boss. Vincenzo Felici. That’s who you are, aren’t you? You’re the one they’re all afraid of. The ogre.”
I can’t resist letting out a chuckle of relief. She knows nothing about me other than the rumors. “Is that what they call me?”
“You’re him, aren’t you?”
“I’m no one you need to concern yourself with, Ophelia.”
“Oh. Okay.” She sounds crestfallen, like she thought I was about to ask her out or something. The poor little wren. She would never be able to cope on a date with me. I’d snap her in two. “But you are him, aren’t you?”
“If I ever see you after today, I will show you exactly who I am. That’s a promise.”
She’s silent for a moment before saying, “I’m sorry I broke your elevator. And I’m sorry I ruined your suit.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“I am sorry though.”
“Stop saying sorry.”
“Oh … sorry. I mean, sorry I’ll try to stop.”
“Say sorry one more time and I’ll spank you.”
The words are out before I can stop them. I curse myself for it. I have complete control at all times. How the hell did I let slip and say that?
She’d be within her rights to slap me for a line like that. Me and my arrogant mouth.