Page 9 of Dark Holiday

A decadent smile stretches across his face. “That would be highly inappropriate. Now, button yourself up and get out of my office. Hair, nails, clothes, shoes, and undergarments. Spend whatever it costs. I will be consulted on nail color, shoes, and clothes. If I don’t like it, you don’t buy it. I will match the receipt with the clothes you buy, so don’t think you can pull a fast one on me and get some frumpy clothes.”

Tears burn the back of my eyes as I stand there, humiliation flooding my body. I should be grateful. How else would I ever be able to afford any of this? His back is ramrod in front of me as he scribbles some things down. “I’ll pay you back -.”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort. Unlike you, I’ve managed my accounts to where I have extra money. I don’t spend it on frivolous, meaningless things. These are the stores you are to go to. I will call ahead and tell them my specifications. All you have to do is try on the clothes they give you and send me a picture.”

He opens his hand and holds it out, an expectant look on his face. Staring down at his palm, I study it for a moment, then look back up. His foot taps as I stand there. Reaching out, I go to grab his hand, but he yanks it back as if I’ve burned him with the mere thought of my touch. “Your phone.”

“Oh. Yes. My phone.” I fumble about, patting my bra a few times since I normally keep it there, before remembering where it is. “I have to go get it. It’s at my desk -.”

The loud sigh covers the end of my words as he once more goes back to scribbling. “There. That’s my number. I suggest you program it into your phone sooner rather than later. I don’t want the excuse of you losing it. If you do manage to lose the business card, Jack, my driver, will know how to reach me.”

The tears finally fall, smudging the words on the back. They’re angry slashes on the paper but also rigid. Just like the man in front of me. Will I actually do this? Will I let him treat me like this just for a job? His dark eyes bore into my soul as we stand there, locked together in this macabre dance. He knows I’m not going to leave. To do so would be financial suicide, but can I survive his brand of retribution?

This can’t all be about the resume, can it? Because if he thinks for one moment that me kowtowing to him is anything but needing this job, he has another think coming. Sliding the paper into the top of my bra, I button the shirt and turn to leave. “You will be back here by four. I have a lot of work to do, and if you’re my assistant, you’ll be here with me. Understood?”

“Yes, Daniel.”

His firm grip on my arm stops me in my tracks. “Oh no, my little conniver. You haven’t earned the privilege of calling me by my given name. I am Sir to you. Understand?”

A sobbing hiccup threatens to erupt, giving away just how broken I feel at the moment, but I swallow it back. “Yes, Sir.”

“That’s my good girl. Now get out of here before I find some other flaw of yours to correct.”

My brain spins as I leave the room, bombarded by the office lights and sounds of the other people working. How could his office be such a silent, secluded place? It’s as if we were in a bubble, cocooned away from the rest of the world. Perhaps he has the area soundproofed? Stop it, Cindy. That’s not a path your brain needs to go down.

Shuddering, my mind refuses to ignore me. Instead of blanking, it latches onto the idea of Daniel and I becoming us, of late nights talking leading into something more. Walking over to my desk, I slide my finger along the envelope with my name on it, forcing myself to really think and not just act on girlish fantasies.

As much as I want it to be, this isn’t an erotic novel. Daniel isn’t going to just magically stop being an asshole and give me what I need. Biting down on my lower lip, I clench my thighs together. Damn him. Even after all these years, he still hasn’t changed; he just morphed into an even hotter bully, but a bully nonetheless.

His credit card is heavy in my hand, black and metal, the card of the elites. He wants me. I can see it in his eyes, hear it in his labored breaths, see it in the giant tent in his pants. Why did he leave me then? He could have had me. All these years, he could have defiled me, owned me, shaped me into his perfect little whore. Why did he wait until now to show me he wants me? After all these long, damn years, does he think he can come back into my life and order me around like nothing ever happened?

I struggle to bite back the tears as I turn to leave, nearly bumping into John. His blue eyes widen as they take in my disheveled appearance, the concern almost nauseating. I don’t need concern. I need someone to slam me against the wall and fuck me like they hate me. I need someone driving out all these dark thoughts of Daniel and I that will never be. Sir...the honorific trips about my brain, bringing another shudder of arousal through me.

Does he even know what he’s doing? Or is this truly him? He carries himself like the Dom of my dreams, but it doesn’t mean he’s actually into that sort of thing. A lot of people are controlling without being kinky. However, the expert way he handled my body makes me think differently.

“Hey. Did he yell at you or something? I saw the blinds go down, and I got worried.”

Glancing back, I watch as Daniel raises the blinds back up, looking at both John and me with barely leashed fury in his gaze. Clearing my throat, I take a step back, putting more distance between us. For some reason, Daniel doesn’t seem to like John, and I need to stay in Daniel’s good graces as much as I can. So much rides on me being successful at this.

“No. He didn’t yell at me. Just first day jitters. You know.” The lie drips smoothly from my lips. Maybe Daniel’s right. Maybe I’m just too good at lying. Was the resume even an accident? I turn to my desk and grab my bag before turning back around. John is so close I can feel his breath against my skin.

“The briefs?”

Daniel’s deep voice booms out from behind me, and my heart flutters at the sound.

“I’m almost done,” John retorts, leaning against my desk with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Almost done is not done. You have a desk. I suggest you go to it and stop harassing my assistant.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Grinwich, I’m not harassing her. I’m just -.”

“Wasting company time. Got it.”

The heat exuding from Daniel surrounds me as he gets closer. Just another step back, and we’d be touching. John wasn’t really doing anything wrong. We were just talking, but even that is just too much for Daniel, I guess. Closing my eyes, I’m transported back to school, lavishing under the attention of a few of the guys I liked.

True, they started out just like him, assholes one and all, but then they changed. No longer was I the girl to pick on; I was the girl they seemed to want, but nothing ever happened with them. Daniel always lurked around, making his presence known until they finally got the hint and walked away.

Even then, he put off a wave of hostility if someone got too close. It’s fascinating that it’s still the same even after all these years. In fact, it seems to have grown, morphed into something darker, more sinister. Adult Daniel is nothing like the fantasy I held on to. In many ways, he’s much better, but in others, he’s far worse.