Page 50 of Possessing Paisley
Grabbing my phone, I call Kieran, grinning when he picks up on the first ring.
“How’d the meeting go, baby?”
“Daddy, it went so great! You won’t believe what happened.”
When I finish telling him about my morning, I suck in a breath.
“I’m so fucking proud of you, Little one. So impressed. My strong, smart girl.”
Will I ever stop getting choked up when he praises me like that? He’s so supportive and has never once made me feel like I couldn’t do something.
“Thank you,” I whisper past the tightness in my throat.
“I’m taking you to dinner tonight to celebrate.”
I smile as I lower myself into my chair. “You didn’t say please.”
He lets out a low growl that warms me from the inside out. “You’ll be saying please when you’re begging for mercy later tonight, brat.”
“Promises, promises, Daddy.”
“Be a good girl. I’m heading into a meeting. I can’t wait to see you later, baby.”
“Me too.”
“Bye,” he says before he ends the call.
I love youplays in my head over and over. I want to tell him, but there’s still a tiny bit of fear holding me back. I do love him, though. More than I ever thought possible. Kieran Roche is everything and nothing like I expected. He’s everything I could ever want and hope for in a man. I just hope I’m enough for him.
I’ve been floating on cloud nine all day, and then, like the wet blanket he is, Chuck ruined it. Right at five o’clock, he dropped a file on my desk and asked me to review it for any errors before I left. I wanted to tell him to fuck off because I don’t work for him anymore. As of Monday, I’ll be reporting to the top floor directly under John. But, when I went to give John my promotion contract and see my new, enormous corner office, he asked me to keep everything quiet until he makes a company-wide announcement on Friday after Chuck and Adam have been let go.
So here I am, at a quarter past six, doing an audit on this file while everyone else has already left the office. When I finally flipover the last page, my phone rings, startling me. Kieran’s name scrolls across the screen, and I instantly go gooey.
“Hi,” I whisper.
“Hey, baby girl. Just checking on you. I figured you’d be home by now.”
It’s the tiny hint of vulnerability in his voice that kills me a little inside. Kieran is an unstoppable beast to the entire world, but with me, he shows a side of him I want to nurture. I hate the woman who hurt him and ever made him have doubts, but I’ll be the one to heal those fears.
“I’m sorry I didn’t text. I’m leaving right now. My asshole boss, well actually, technically, after this morning, he’s my ex-boss but doesn’t know it yet, assigned me some last-minute work,” I explain as I grab my purse from the hook by the door and walk out.
As soon as I turn the corner, I scream and drop my phone when I run right into Chuck.
“Oh my God! I didn’t know you were still here!” I yelp.
What the hell is he still doing in the office? He told me he was leaving when he dropped the file on my desk. I scan the floor of cubicles, but there isn’t anyone here but me and him.
“Not your boss anymore, huh?” he asks. “You stupid bitch. You think you’re better than me? You think you’re smarter than me?” he shouts as he slithers closer. I take several steps back toward my office, but he’s faster. Lurching forward, he shoves me so hard that I stumble and fall on my ass, hitting the sharp corner of my desk on my way down.
“Ouch! Fuck,” I hiss, my spine and tailbone burning.
I reach back to rub it but touch something wet and warm. I’m bleeding. Okay, it’s okay. It’s only a scrape. I’m fine. Everything is fine. I need to get out of here, though. He has me cornered.
Before I can get to my hands and knees to make a run for it, Chuck tosses one of the guest chairs toward the wall so there’snothing between us. I try to scramble back, but he looms over me, screaming about how I’ve ruined his life. Then, like a strike of lightning, he reaches out and slaps me hard across the cheek.
My entire body trembles with fear. What is he going to do to me? I’m pissed. He willnotget away with this. Even if I don’t kill him, which I very possibly might, he’s signed his death warrant with Kieran.
“You’re a dead man,” I whisper as I reach up to my desk and grab the stapler.