“I’m sorry, Mr. Townsend, and I’ll let everyone on the board at Brock Enterprises know.”

“You do that. They don’t want me coming for them.” Charles lets go of the man, who runs from the room as quickly as possible, coughing the whole way as he tries to catch his breath.

I move quickly, sitting down in Charles’s chair. I wonder if I look as imposing in the chair as he does. I used to think it was the chair. Now as I sit in the thing, I know it’s all him.

Charles doesn't bat an eyelash as he makes his way over to me, making me gasp by picking me up and sitting me on his desk while he takes his chair back. He slides in between my legs, resting my heels on the arms of his chair, with my legs spread wide apart.

He slowly strokes my ankles, and then my calf, making me close my eyes to enjoy the sensation. “You have the most perfect legs I’ve ever seen.” His words draw my eyes back open. After a moment he speaks again. “You’re not running from the room.”

“Should I be?” I say lazily as he continues to rub me.

“No, I would never hurt you.”

“I didn't think you would.” I didn't. Not even for a second did the thought cross my mind. I was just more startled to catch Charles in action. I heard he runs his business with a firmer hand than others. I’d lived on the street for a few years before I came to work with the Cortez brothers. Seeing two men fight is nothing new to me. While we might be in a fancy hotel, men don't like when you fuck with their shit, and I'm guessing that's what happened here.

I’d never seen him act like that until today, but I'm not a terrible judge of people. I feel like if Charles needed to make a threat, it was due. I also know Aaron and Justin wouldn't let me near him if they thought he’d harm a hair on my head, but I’m starting to wonder if they thought about my heart.

“Do you want to ask me?”

I do, but I just shrug, going with my ‘less is more’ rule.

“Kitten, I’ll tell you anything if you ask.” I like that there are no games with him.

“Why do you want to,” I raise my eyebrows, “put him into a hole?”

“Doesn't seem so intimidating the way you say it,” he laughs, but his tone soon turns serious. “They’re after my father’s casinos.”

“I thought your casino wasn't tied with your father’s.” I looked Charles up online before I came to work for him. I knew he owned his own casino and that his father had a string of his own as well, but they aren’t affiliated.

“It’s not. Doesn't mean I wouldn’t step to my father’s defense if I saw someone trying to poach his casinos.”

Leaning up, I palm his cheek, feeling his rough stubble barely breaking the skin. I rub my thumb across it. “Goo in the center,” I say, looking into his dark eyes, and he leans into my hand. Most people probably wouldn't think he cares about his father’s casinos considering how he wouldn't take any of his money. I'd read that too.

“Goo?”

“So hard on the outside, but all gooey and soft on the inside.”

“I’ll always protect what’s mine.”

I understand what he means. I’d do anything for Aaron and Justin. That is part of the reason I’m sitting here right now.

I have to ask. I don’t want it sitting at the back of my mind where I keep pushing it, lying to myself that it doesn't matter.

“Is this about the Cortez brothers?” I drop my hand from his face and motion between us.

Standing up from his chair, he grips my face with both hands, making me look up at him. “Everything is about you.” He takes my mouth in a deep kiss, his tongue pushing past my lips. His hands leave my face and dig into my hair, pulling it down from the knot I have it tied in. The still-damp tresses trail down my back.

I wrap my legs around him, trying to pull him closer, digging my heels into his ass. I want his body against mine. I want to rub myself against his cock.

When I can't get close enough with my body because of the position preventing me, I use my hand on him instead. I grip his hard thick cock, and I have no idea how I’m going to get this thing inside me, but I’ll die trying. He jerks away from my touch like I burned him, pulling his mouth from me, dropping his forehead to mine.

“I have no control around you.” His words are pained.

“I thought the point of this submissive thing was that you have all the control.”

“Never doubt that you’re the one with the control, kitten. You hold all the power.”

“I don’t understand. I don’t know a ton about whatever this is but—” He cuts me off with a soft kiss.

“It’s simple. I like to be in control. It gets me off when I tell you to do something and you do it. But this,” he rubs his thumb across my lips, “what we have here doesn't follow any guidelines. We’ll make it up as we go and do whatever fits us best. Just know that everything I do is for you. Every. Single. Thing. I do. Is because I know what you need, even when sometimes you won’t give yourself that.”

I feel tears sting my eyes. The distance I was trying to keep between us falls away, and I launch myself at him. I try to crawl up his giant body to wrap myself around him. I find his mouth and I kiss him. It’s untrained and sloppy, but I just can’t help myself.

The next thing I know, my back is on his desk and he is over me, taking control of the kiss. It’s hard and desperate. Maybe he’ll finally take me and slide inside me for the first time. I’ll beg. I don’t care anymore.