Page 20 of Ruin Me
While he openly flirted with her, I silently fumed. For the millionth time, I reminded myself I had no right to her. I was still harboring a great resentment toward her, although the justification seemed to dwindle with every hour I spent with her. She sparkled brighter than the crystals dangling from the chandeliers. As I stared and studied, I realized, her beauty was only partly responsible for holding everyone’s attention.
Her intelligence and charm kept people returning to her orbit. No conversational topic left her stumped. Like in the office, whenever her team consulted her on a different project, her mind filtered everything with lightning speed. She gave clear, efficient, out-of-the-box solutions that made me want to create a more permanent position at Luxe Locations for her. She would be an asset to any company, and no matter whatmy personal feelings toward her were, as complicated as they continue to grow, she’s a hell of a professional.
During the rest of the evening, Madison introduced me to eight more useful contacts. They would not only help rehabilitate Luxe Locations’ reputation but made us available to new business opportunities. We were in the middle of securing funds and the proper permits for another Douglas project my new contacts could be instrumental in advancing.
At the end of the evening, when I dropped Madison at her parents’ home, I had to accept that I was feeding my anger with what happened in the past. If I had any chance of resolving the conflict inside me, I’d have to confront what happened with Madison and Oyinlola.
CHAPTER 9
Madison
Confusion swirled around me as I entered the office the next morning. He wasn’t at his desk, which gave me time to think. My plan to ruin Kent felt off as if I’d experienced a setback, but I couldn’t pinpoint where I’d gone wrong. Last night, one minute Kent showed signs I was getting to him, but the next he was distant.
Watching him mingle with everyone showed me a side of Kent that I couldn’t help but admire. His passion for his company and employees wasn’t an act and ran counter to the impression some users on the BBD website tried to portray. Once again, the man I admired as a teen appeared.
Coupled with the casual touches and almost possessive hold, he’d left me in a state that no amount of self-pleasuring eased. Why did he have to plague me so? Even now, surrounded by his belongings and his domineering scent, I was too weak to deny myself the chance that maybe this time, I’d get what I needed. While he was away, I had to take advantage of hisabsence to clear my head and prepare myself for this battle I was determined to wage against him.
I headed to his bathroom and released the discreet vibrator from my necklace. It was a godsend and a devil’s bargain wrapped in an inconspicuous package. I tried to tend to myself quickly, knowing that Kent would soon arrive. My body had different ideas. Like every other instance where I tried to relieve my tension, thoughts of Kent worked my desire to feverish heights, but nothing pushed me over as hard as I needed to be pushed.
Today was no different. After a minor orgasm, I collapsed against the sink while a mini-breakdown took over. Why did he have so much power over me, and how was I ever supposed to wrest it from him? As frustration built inside me, I sobbed my hatred for the man who held me in invisible shackles.
I didn’t know how long I sat there pouring my emotional burdens out through my tears, but I had to get a grip. When I caught my breath, I stared at the wrecked woman in the mirror, a grown up version of the teenaged girl who ran away from Douglas and her memories. I hated that girl and thought I had erased her from my current life, but reminders of her never disappeared. In the reflection of my glossy brown eyes, she stared back at me, wondering when she would be enough.
“No,” I whispered while straightening my stance and glaring the girl into oblivion. “I’m nothing like you, anymore.”
I washed away the signs of distress and reapplied my makeup with shaky hands until they no longer trembled and the girl in the mirror faded. One good thing came from this recent session in the bathroom. I’d firmed my resolve. Kent would not see me weak.
As I stepped out of the bathroom, the first thing I noticed was the frosted glass enclosing the office in privacy. Earlier when I walked into the bathroom, the walls were clear and everyonefiling in to start their day could see me. A frisson of awareness skated along my back.
“How often do you use that fancy piece of jewelry at the office?” Kent’s voice startled me. He sat behind his desk, a mask of mild curiosity hiding his thoughts from me. “Well?” His prodding made one thing clear.
I covered my necklace as shame washed over me. “How do you know about this?”
“I’m not used to sharing my bathroom.” He stood and advanced on me. “Imagine my surprise when I opened the door to you moaning my name. Pleading for me, not that ineffective toy, to give you what you needed.”
“That’s not… Don’t get the wrong idea.” I squared my shoulders, recalling the anger I’d exited the bathroom with and allowing it to override my embarrassment.
“How could I? After all, you made it clear to me you don’t desire me.” He rubbed the cheek I’d slapped after he’d kissed me. “So what I witnessed must have been a fever dream.”
Slowly, I backed away from his approach. He’d caught me, but I could salvage things. I had to. “Mr. Lux?—”
“My name is Kent. I know you know it. Heard you moaning…no, begging me by name to give you what you so desperately needed. Now, say! My! Name!” he demanded, towering over me.
It was hard to resist submitting to his domineering presence, but I was no longer the type to bow under pressure, I reminded myself. I didn’t run and hide to lick my wounds. Not after he rejected me. And if I stood any chance to make him hurt, if only for a fraction of the pain he’d inflicted on me, I had to stand strong. I had to erase the power he held over me. I had to hold firm against the raging desire buffeting me at both ends. His and mine. What a potent combination. Passion this strong toppled empires, but I wouldn’t let it best me. Self-preservation demanded I fight with what little I had in my arsenal.
“Mr. Luxe?—”
He wrapped his fingers around my neck and brought my face close enough to his that the golden flecks in his blue eyes distracted me from my precarious position. “Defiant little girls get punished, and you’ve more than earned what’s coming to you.”
I glared at him, trying to pull away, but he held firm. “I’m no little girl.”
His lips twitched as he took me in from the top of my twist out to the bottom of my stilettos. “I suppose not, and your punishment will reflect that.”
“I already told you I have a daddy, and I don’t need another.”
“Good thing I’m not looking to be your daddy, isn’t it?” He hauled me over to his desk and bent me over the icy surface.
With a few hard yanks, he pulled my skirt above my hips and dragged my panties below my knees. I pushed up against the desk, but his heavy palm against my spine held me in place.