She stands up, planting her hands on the table and leaning forward. “Do whatever it takes to change the stories in the media, or you’ll be losing our business.”
She saunters out of the room like she’s on a runway, showing off for people who don’t matter.
I get up a second later, when she’s already rounded the corner.
“Oliver!” I call, turning the corner. “See Miss Russo out, please.”
He scurries out of the room around the corner, moving after her. He says something to her that I can’t hear, but I bet whatever it is, is pathetic—something to get her to calm down.
She’s a pain in the ass, and if we didn’t need her as an investor, I’d cut ties. But doing that isn’t worth what we’d lose. Her special pink line of watches was a great idea, so it’s hard to toss her aside. She knows what sells.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I turn into the room that Oliver took Cassius to. I jerk my head, gesturing him out of the room, and he follows me to my office. I close the door behind us.
“This is nice,” he comments as he looks around the space.
“It’s just an office,” I say as I drop into my chair. “Come here.”
He raises a brow but walks over with a smirk on his face. I point to the floor. “Kneel here.”
“Is that what you really want?”
“What did I say about that mouth of yours?”
“I was thinking you might like a massage instead.”
“If I wanted a massage, I’d tell you to give me one. Now kneel.”
He watches me, not in a defiant way, but in a way that he’s trying to understand me. I allow it and don’t scold him for it. He is still learning. He gets to his knees beside me, and I run my fingers through his hair as I lean back in my chair and close my eyes.
“This is what we should do more often,” I say. “Right here in the office. I could use this during the day when people stress me out.”
“I can do it if you want me to.”
More time with Cassius does sound like a good idea… but also like a bad one. I say nothing and enjoy the silence and my fingers running through his silky hair. Once I’m calm, I open my eyes and find him watching me. I drop my hand and spin the chair, scooting closer so he’s between my spread legs. I pat my thighs and he brings his arms up to rest them on me.
“Why did you agree to this? Was it just for the money?”
“Would it be bad if I said yes?”
I search his eyes. “You asked how long this typically lasts for. If it goes longer than the six months, will it still only be for the money?”
“It’s a big part of it, but I don’t hate this. Though, I would deal with just about anything to care for my family.”
I shouldn’t be trying to get more from him. I shouldn’t want him to tell me that this is more than just a job, just a contract. I shouldn’t want that. But there’s something about him that makes me wonder what it would be like if it was. If it was natural. Just us. I’ve never had that before, and why I care about it now, I don’t know. Something about the way he looks at me, I think. The way he trusts me. It’s different from what I’m used to. It means more.
“That’s admirable,” I say.
“I’m just trying to survive.”
“Many would only care for themselves. Let the others fend for themselves.”
“I would never do that to my sisters. I couldn’t. I love them, and they need me.”
I run my fingers along his cheek. “They’re lucky to have you.”
“Thank you,” he whispers back.
I smile, my mood going downward and I don’t know why. Tired, perhaps.