Slipperless #2: Billionaire Romance Read online

  Slipperless Series

  (Book #2)

  By Sloan Storm

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

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  GABE

  Monday morning I gathered the lab team in the conference room to announce Fiona’s promotion. I hadn’t spoken to her since our encounter Friday night in my office. Of course, after we got through the formalities of the announcement, I would have to lay out my expectations for our ongoing interludes. In the meantime, I savored the memory of my conquest and looked forward to taking her again as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

  For now though, there was an awful lot of work to do, so I wasted no time announcing the results of the competition once everyone took their seats.

  “First of all, I’d like to congratulate all of you on your efforts. I realize not everyone works well under deadlines. However, that’s okay. The simple truth is there can only be one winner in any competition. I would encourage you not to let the fact you didn’t come out on top discourage you from doing your best work. Trust me when I say that it does not reflect on how Colin or I evaluate your worth to the team. Each of your individual contributions are every bit as important as my own, or any of the other senior staff members.”

  I paused for a moment and rubbed my hands back and forth in a deliberate manner. Once I was certain I’d gotten my point across, I continued.

  “Fiona,” I began as I gestured towards her. “Please come join me.”

  Obviously, it was the first moment anyone was aware of my decision. A palpable silence fell over the assembled group as each turned to look at her. Even from a distance of ten feet or so, Fiona’s discomfort was plain to the eye. Red-faced and avoiding the curious glances, she kept her eyes trained downward as she began to stand. When she did, the bottom of the chair dug into the carpet, causing her to have to pull hard on it. It banged against the arm of Colin’s chair and she lost her balance but steadied herself against his shoulder with her palm.

  “Oh,” she stammered. “Oh, I’m sorry, Colin.”

  Stifling a smile, I raised my hand to my face and covered my mouth. I expected her to be uncomfortable, even awkward, but I hadn’t anticipated getting a chuckle out of it. On one hand, I found her uneasiness charming and perhaps a bit innocent. Yet, on the other, it was something we’d have to get past if she was ever to grow in her position as a leader in the company.

  After extricating herself from the tangle of chair arms and human legs, Fiona made her way towards me. Holding onto her sleeves with a knuckle-whitening grip, she offered me a close-lipped grin. I nodded and winked at her.

  Once she’d closed to within about a foot, I leaned in towards her and instructed her with a hushed tone. “Let go of your sleeves.”

  Her eyes darted up towards me for a moment before she swallowed in acknowledgment and released them from her grasp. Once her fingers appeared in full view, I continued in the same low voice, “Would you like to say a few words to the group?”

  Fiona’s eyes widened as she looked at me. With a small shake of her head, she made her desires clear. I hadn’t told her about my plan to have her address everyone. It would be her first test and I was eager to see how she handled it. This wasn’t a promising start. I glared at her in silence for a moment or two. If she didn’t confront the awkwardness, it would only get worse. I angled my upper body in her direction and offered a bit of encouragement.

  “Go on, you can do it.”

  Fiona’s skin turned off-white, the shade of partially melted snow, as she stood in front of me with her back to the group.

  “What do I say?” she whispered.

  I smiled a bit and hooked my hand inside her arm, turning her back to face everyone.

  “I think most of us here can relate to a fear of speaking in public.” I began as I nodded towards them. “Isn’t that true?”

  Tenting my eyebrows in an expectant manner, I glanced around the table and waited for acknowledgment. Most nodded their heads in sympathetic understanding with the exception of Amanda and Melissa. As my gaze came upon them, I noticed definite looks of disappointment, bordering on disdain, as they stared in Fiona’s direction.

  I can’t say I was surprised, as I was well aware of the underlying tension. But getting them in line would be a major challenge for Fiona, not to mention a potential problem for the integrity of the team and the Link Protocol itself.

  Yet this was Fiona’s team now, and one way or another, she’d have to learn to assert her authority over them. That would come with time. For now, I sensed it was important to leave no doubt she was in charge and had my full support. I had no interest in having her command questioned. Any insubordination could be disastrous.

  “Thank you for coming up, Fiona. You can go back to your seat now. Congratulations again.” I gestured for her to return to the table as I began to clap. “Let’s all give Fiona a round of applause for doing such a great job.”

  Following my lead, the team clapped in appreciation for several seconds until she returned to her seat. Once she did, I assumed control of the room once more and wasted no time in making my desires plain to all of them.

  “We’ve experienced some setbacks in the lab recently.” I said, before pausing for a moment or two. Gliding my palms back and forth together in front of me at chest height, I continued, “Now is the time we need to pull together as a team. I expect that if there are any issues with Fiona’s leadership, you’ll take your concerns directly to her. In any case, Fiona, congratulations again. All right then, back to work folks.”

  As the group started to disburse, Fiona approached me.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Fiona… What did I tell you about saying that?”

  She nodded and thinned her lips in a show of resolve. “You’re right. Um, it’s just that, well, I’m not comfortable… you know, speaking in public.”

  “No really?” I replied with a wink. “I hadn’t noticed.”

  Just then the hint of a smile traced her lips.

  “This is a good thing, Fiona,” I began, as I studied her worried expression. “It’s just going to take some getting used to is all.”

  “I know.”

  FIONA

  My grandmother hadn’t been feeling well. She’d slept most of the weekend so I hadn’t told her about the promotion just yet. In the wake of Gabe’s announcement, Amanda and Melissa continued their icy behavior towards me. I couldn’t say I was surprised, but to say the least, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the days and weeks ahead.

  This was one of those times when I could have used someone to talk to about what I was going through. I suppose I could have called Ellie and told her about it, but she would have been so excited I’d slept with Gabe, I’d never get her to spend a single second listening to my work concerns. As the reality of my new role sunk in, it looked as if there was every chance I’d get the exact opposite of what I’d hoped for.

  In other words, I’d been so blinded by my desire to win tha
t I hadn’t considered what might happen if I actually did. Yes, I got the promotion and no, at least I don’t think it had anything to do with sleeping with Gabe. Even so, I couldn’t help but wonder. Had the fact I’d given in to his advances changed his mind? Would he have fired me on Friday if I hadn’t?

  The notion gnawed at me over the weekend and sent a cascade of worries across my consciousness.

  What if he got tired of me? After all, there was no end to the number of options available to a man like him. What would make me different from any other notch on his bedpost? Or what if the stress of it all wore me down to the point where I stopped sleeping with him on my own? Would he allow me to keep the position without giving in to his appetite?

  If any of those scenarios came to pass I would lose my promotion, at best. I did foresee one additional situation that could force me to quit on my own. If I wasn’t so desperate for work, that is. If Gabe’s displeasure grew enough, he might demote me, which would leave me reporting to either Amanda or Melissa. And given the way they’d treated me leading up to Gabe’s announcement, I didn’t see any way I could make that situation work.

  I’d almost rather be fired.

  Needless to say, the positive emotions I should have experienced, I didn’t. In any case, I got ready for work that morning. And prior to leaving, I woke my grandmother to feed her and make sure she took her medication.

  Carrying a plate with two pieces of toast and butter, I entered her bedroom just as the first flickers of sunlight streaked through the mostly drawn curtains. A few random specks of dust floated in the air and flickered in the yellowish-white glow. I made my way over to her, and after I roused her with a gentle touch and a kiss, her eyes fluttered open.

  “Good morning, Grandmother.”

  She exhaled a jagged breath as she stirred to awareness but didn’t speak. As she awoke, I gathered up her medication and placed the plate of toast in her lap.

  “It’s time to eat and take your meds. How are you feeling?”

  “Oh, a bit better,” she grumbled as she struggled to sit upright. I reached down to help her, fluffing her pillows behind her back. “I know I haven’t been good company the past few days my dear. I’m sorry about that.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said, as I smoothed a strand of hair away from her eyes. “You need your rest.”

  As I spoke, she leaned back into her pillows and looked up at me, still only half-awake. “Let’s not talk about me, Fiona. It’s a rather dull subject. Tell me what’s happening at your job. What have I missed the past few days?”

  I stifled an awkward swallow. Luckily, she’d focused on her breakfast in that moment. For obvious reasons, I had to be selective with the details about Gabe. And so, while she munched away I explained to her that I had, in fact, won the competition. She was overjoyed for me, of course. But with all of the difficulties ahead, I didn’t share her enthusiasm. My lack of excitement didn’t go unnoticed. After finishing a crunch-filled bite, she set the remainder down on her plate.

  Crossing her hands in her lap, she looked at me with concern in her eyes. “I would have expected you to be much happier.”

  “I am,” I said, with what I hoped was a convincing nod. “It’s just… a lot of responsibility. That’s all.”

  Her lips scrunched into a dismissive pout. She wasn’t buying it. “Well, when has that ever been a problem for you, Fiona? No. There’s more to this. What’s the matter?”

  Well, of course there’s more to it…

  Let’s see, Gabe had already affected me to such an extent that I masturbated at my desk not an hour before actually having sex with him. As if that wasn’t outrageous enough, I’m now in charge of two women who are insanely jealous and would rather see me fired, or worse, than do a single thing I tell them. I’ve not been there for even a month and now I’m in charge of an entire lab team for a multi-billion dollar biotech company. So yes, there’s much more to it, but what good would come of telling her any of that right now? I’d already worried her far too much. And in her current state, I didn’t see the point in making it any worse.

  “It’s nothing I can’t handle, Grandmother.”

  Her face brightened a bit. “Well that’s quite a change in attitude. What prompted it all of a sudden?”

  “Hmm? Oh nothing. I’m just taking your advice to heart and not letting people push me around.”

  A soft smile spread to her wrinkled features. “That’s wonderful to hear. When do you start your new position?”

  “Today actually.”

  “Oh Fiona, I’m so proud of you,” she began as her smile widened even further. “You’ve worked so hard for so long. You deserve it.”

  “Thank you.”

  She picked up a slice of toast from her plate. “And what about your boss? Gabe?”

  “What about him?”

  “Oh come now, Fiona. Don’t play coy. Is he still flirting and acting interested in you?”

  Horrified at the lie I was about to sputter, I had to think quickly. “Here Grandmother, it’s time to take your medication.”

  I reached down towards her nightstand where she always had a glass of water at the ready.

  “In a second, Fiona. Now what’s going on with him?”

  Desperate to avoid her question, I did a terrible thing and pretended to lose my grip on the glass, spilling water all over her in the process.

  “Oh!” I shrieked. “I’m so sorry!”

  My grandmother bolted into a full upright position, shaking a few random droplets from her arms as she did.

  “I’ll be right back!” I yelped as I turned to leave. “Let me get a towel and dry you off.”

  Thankful I’d avoided her cross examination but feeling guilty about what I’d done, I raced down the hall to the kitchen. As I hurried, I wondered what the hell was coming over me. I would never lie to her about a situation like this. Especially not with everything we stood to lose if it all fell apart. This just wasn’t like me. Even so, the idea of confessing what happened with him to her filled me with dread. At best, she’d scold me, or at worst demand I put a stop to it.

  And while she might be right in both situations, I began to wonder if I could.

  Reaching the kitchen, I snatched a towel from the counter and turned around to head back to her bedroom when I froze in place. Out of nowhere, my mind flashed back to my time with Gabe and I felt an awful need stir between my thighs. Even with my limited experience, it was plain to see that my body wanted him more than my mind cared to admit.

  I’d have to tell her at some point. What would I say? I slept with my boss to get the promotion?

  And then, an even more sinister idea occurred to me…

  Could I live without the sex?

  I didn’t have the answer to that either.

  FIONA

  Later that day, the first day of my new promotion in fact, I went to use the ladies’ room, and just as I was about to exit the stall, I heard the hydraulic swing arm hiss as the door opened. Around the same time, the distinctive sound of Amanda and Melissa laughing echoed off the tile walls as they entered.

  “I’ll check…” Melissa said.

  As gingerly as possible, and doing something I would never do under ordinary circumstances, I took a seat on top of the toilet and subtly hugged my legs to my chest. For several seconds afterward, and with teeth clenched, I held my breath tight in my chest as Melissa looked beneath the stalls for signs of anyone inside.

  I remained motionless, still not completely certain what the hell I was doing. Without turning my head to look, I traced Melissa’s shadow with my eyes as she moved from one stall to the next until at last she reached mine. She seemed to linger there much longer than the others, or perhaps it was just my paranoia getting the better of me. Either way, I continued to remain stone still and dead quiet.

  “Okay,” she began, after another second or so. “No one’s here.”

  Her shadow grew thin and lengthy as she walked away from the stall. I repos
itioned myself a bit, tugging my hair behind my ears as I did. The sickening sweet smell of pine-scented cleaning products filled my nostrils as I waited for them to speak.

  “Mmm, ‘kay.” Amanda said with a hint of trepidation in her voice. “I’m still not comfortable talking about this in the office.”

  “Bah,” Melissa grunted. “There’s nothing to worry about. She’s probably upstairs in Gabe’s office sucking his cock right now.”

  My suspicions confirmed, I thinned my lips as I fought to restrain myself from lashing out at them.

  Stay calm Fiona. Stay calm.

  Amanda chuckled at Melissa’s crudeness. “Yeah. Lucky slut.”

  Around that time, I heard the distinctive thud of a heavy purse being placed on the sink. As I did, Amanda picked up an apparent conversation thread they’d had going before they entered the bathroom a minute or so ago.

  “Well…” she said over the course of lengthy exhale. “What else can we do? She’s in charge now. No matter what, she’s Gabe’s pick.”

  “Mmm, hmm,” Melissa muttered in apparent agreement.

  Amanda continued. “Did you see the way he touched her when she went up to the front of the conference room? Not to mention when he leaned into her as well. What the hell is that all about?”

  “I know.”

  “It’s so annoying. We’ve been here so much longer than she has.”

  “Well, we underestimated her, Amanda. But that’s okay. There’s still time to remedy it.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “It’s too risky to talk about right now, but we’ll discuss it later. Fiona already doesn’t trust us. The last thing we need to do right now is make that any worse.”

  “True.” Amanda said, after a moment or two.

  “And besides, we may not even need to put our plans into motion. Chances are Gabe will lose interest in her in no time. You know how he is.”

  “Also, true. There’s always that, isn’t there.”

  As she finished her thought, they both cackled with laughter. I chewed my lip. In that moment, I couldn’t figure out who I was angrier with—them, for conspiring to harm me yet again even though I’d never done anything to either of them, or myself, for getting into this situation in the first place. The warning signs were there with them. What the hell was I thinking, sleeping with him? How could I have been such a fool? Reaching up, I thrust my hands into my hair, squeezing it in two tight fistfuls right at my scalp as their laughter subsided.