Choice Matters (Southern Heat Book 1) (6 page)

Lust got the better of me afterward. I had no business
taking her to Anthony’s restaurant. I knew in the back of my mind that he would
catch wind we were there and come make some sort of scene. Which he did. I
merely wanted a quiet, out-of-the-way place to have dinner privately with
Caitlyn. A place free from prying eyes. I knew where the evening was headed,
and I wanted to show the respect she deserves. Instead of taking her to the
nearest hotel.

I was hesitant to take her to my houseboat, and thank God. I
made the right decision not to take her there. To delay our desires until
another time. Afraid that Anthony would indeed alert the media. By the time we
were in the Ferrari, Caitlyn could have asked me to pull over, and I would’ve
fucked her right there on the side of the road. That’s how badly I had wanted
her at that moment. The smell of sex had lingered in the car.

First and foremost, I must deal with Anthony and his
childish behavior. He thinks he is invincible, but he’s not. I hated to end my
time with Caitlyn, but Anthony must be dealt with. I will not have him ruining
things before they even get good and heated.

I left a voice message, as he was not answering his cell
phone. No big surprise. He knew he was crossing the line last night with his
rude remarks and innuendos.

“Anthony, pick up. I expect to see you at my house in no
less than two hours. Don’t try my patience.” That ought to suffice. He’ll be
there, trying to make up, trying to smooth things over between us. He should be
able to tell, even on a voicemail, that I meant business.

When I arrived, like clockwork, Anthony was there, sitting
in my favorite drawing room as though he owned the place. He had that smug look
on his face, but it quickly disappeared once he saw I was in no mood for his
behavior.

“So, how was the beautiful Ms. White, big brother?”

“None of your damn business! Caitlyn White is my Executive Vice
President. That’s all you need to concern yourself with. My private life is off
limits. Even to you.”

“Jeez,
Apolo
, she’s gotten to you
already. She must be something.”

“Anthony! Listen to me and listen to me very carefully. Stay
out of my affairs. If I hear so much as a peep, an innuendo, or a rumor about
something going on personally between Caitlyn and me, well brother, let’s just
say, watch your back.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No. Just some brotherly advice. Heed it well.”

“
Hoo
hoo
,
she has gotten under your skin. So, did you take her to the houseboat? You must
have taken her somewhere, because you’re wearing the same clothes you were last
night.”

I shook my head. That was Anthony, self-centered and never
listens. “Did you not hear a word I just said to you?”

“Okay, okay. You win. Tell me one thing, though. Did you
share your little secret with her?”

“Enough!”

“Must not have. Unless she ran like hell, like all the
others?”

“Out! Just get the hell out of my house. I try, I really try,
Anthony, but you think you can just go through life as though someone owes you
something. Well, if anyone owes anything, it’s you! Now, get out of my sight,
and heed my words well, brother.”

The man is infuriating! I’m going to have to have Jacob get
someone on him. I will not allow him to ruin my life once again. Not this time.
Not with Caitlyn.

Chapter Three

Caitlyn

Waiting at the top of the escalator early Monday morning, I
was met by a pair of Choice security detail. I assumed it had something to do
with parking under the building, as I had noticed a brand new reserved spot
just for me as I cruised by. I parked instead close to where I usually did.
Apolo’s
black BMW sat next to the vacant, unused space.

“Ms. White,” the taller and older of the two men said flatly.
“Not to alarm you, but Mr. Choice wanted me to make sure you were given your
key to the executive elevator.” He held in his hand something few had the
privilege of owning, and now I was one of those handful of folks.

“Thank you, um, Mr.…” I extended my hand, shaking his before
accepting the key.

“Eric, Eric Jones, Ms. White. It’s no trouble, and Mr.
Choice insisted you be escorted upstairs the first time.”

“Very well,” I sighed, as I relented my independence to the
trusted employee of
Apolo’s
.

Upstairs, Renee had already arrived and was hovering,
waiting for my arrival. As soon as she saw me, she corralled me, as though she
had done it a thousand times before, to
Apolo’s
office door. No time to go to my own and leave my things. Nope, I was to make
my entrance as punctual as everything else in his life.

“Mr. Choice is waiting. I’ll have breakfast sent in as soon
as it arrives. There’s coffee on the credenza on the far side.”

“Thank you, Renee,” I replied, as she hustled me through the
door and into the inner domain of one of the most powerful men in the world.

There he sat, looking as though he’d stepped out of the
pages of a men’s fashion magazine. Our eyes met briefly as Renee shut the door
behind me. Fire was already igniting from the sparks of electricity in the
room. Laying down a stack of papers he had been reading as I entered, he raised
a hand and beckoned me to sit in one of the leather chairs placed strategically
before his desk.

“Good morning, Caitlyn. Please, sit. I trust you had a good
weekend?” The corners of his mouth curved up as his gray eyes bore into my
soul.

“Yes, it was. Despite the fact my mother got wind of our
appearance at the fundraiser Saturday night, it was quiet.”

“Ah, yes, your mother runs with the social elite, doesn’t
she? I’d forgotten. We’ll have to talk about that. Share war stories.”

I put my hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle and a yawn at
the same time. Just then I remembered what Renee had said about coffee and
turned toward the direction of where it was supposed to be. “Can I get you a
cup of coffee,
Apolo
? Renee said she’d brought some
in.”

“Please, if you don’t mind. Add the half-and-half to mine,
please. I like my coffee the way I like my women—dripping in cream. I certainly
would have loved the taste of yours the other night.”

I was speechless, thank goodness I was facing away from him
and hadn’t started pouring coffee or else it may have ended up all over me. I
finished preparing our cups and walked back to his desk. I dared not make eye
contact. It was bad enough that my body was giving me away—my panties were
soaking wet in just the two minutes I’d been in his presence—I didn’t need my
face doing the same.

I passed his mug across to him. “This enough for you?”

“Yes, thank you. If you’re ready, let’s get started.” He
never allowed me the chance to reply, just dug his heels in and began going
over my compensation and other executive perks. I was thankful to be sitting
down when he slid me a paper detailing my financial compensation and benefits.

I sat back in my chair, dazed at what he was telling me.
Never in my life had I heard such figures. It had to be a dream, a damn sex-filled
dream, starring
Apolo
Choice. “I hate to interrupt
you, but you aren’t really suggesting paying me that much money?”

“Of course I am, Caitlyn, you’re second in command of Choice
Enterprises now, and you should be compensated as such. In fact, I’ll let you
in on a little secret.”

“What?”

“You’re receiving exactly what Nick Jacobs was making when
he transferred to London. I decided if I was hiring a woman, I was going to pay
her equally to what I’d pay a man. Get used to it.”

A knock at the door and Renee had our breakfast brought in
on a cart. Eggs, bacon, sausage, and fruit. I was sure this wasn’t the norm.
Suck it up,
Caitie
,
and live the dream. This is what you spent all those years in college for.

Alone again,
Apolo
changed the
subject by entering my space, kissing me passionately, and kneading my breast
as his tongue traced the seam of my mouth.

I pushed him away to his designated spot across from me. “I
thought we agreed the other night—business stays business. No groping. None of
this. That’s strictly for after-hours. If you can’t respect my rules, then we’re
going to have a problem.”

“That’s one of the things that intrigued me about you,
Caitlyn. You stand up for yourself and what you believe, and you won’t let a
man dictate to you otherwise.”

“Then, we’re okay.”

“Hmmm, yes, for now. I agree we need to keep our focus on
transitioning you into this position. I have a lot of plans for you. We’re
going to make one hell of a team. I apologize. I merely couldn’t keep my hands
off you. Not after the other night.”

“Thank you, and apology accepted.”

“I’m going to let HR go over everything else in your
package. They’ll set up an appointment for a company physical, unless of course
you’d feel more comfortable with your own doctor. Either way, I have no problem
with that.”

“I’d rather use my own doctor. I’ve gone to him for years.”

“You are on birth control of some sort, aren’t you? Because
if not, you need to be. I so hate using condoms. Don’t you?”

“Jeez,
Apolo
, you certainly don’t
mince words, do you? But, yes, I am on the pill. It is good for other things
besides birth control.”

“I find no reason to beat around the bush. Honesty is the
best policy. Come on, eat up. I have a few other things to go over with you
before turning you over to HR.”

The day was a blur. I would be surprised if I remembered
half of what had been thrown in front of me. Papers to sign, appointments to be
made. Finally, in the sanctity of my own private executive bathroom, I shut the
door, determined to take a ten-minute break. Just for me.

I made a note that my mother had left no fewer than four
text messages today. She wanted to get together for dinner, lunch tomorrow,
anything. Just so she could get me alone and question me. Geez, the woman
needed to get a life. Not that she would. Not now. If I knew her as well as I thought
I did, she was probably already picking out wedding locations.

Shaking my head, I made my way back to my office.
Apolo
had scheduled a meeting for me and another one of the
executive staff at four. It was quarter to. I started to clear the papers off
my desk, intending to put them in my briefcase and take them home to finish
reading.

There was a commotion outside, and the next thing I saw was
my mother charging through the door, Renee right behind her.

“I tried to stop her, Ms. White, but she forced her way in.”

“I’m her mother, and I have a right to speak to her or see
her. Especially when she isn’t returning my messages.”

I blew out a deep breath and shook my head, “It’s okay this
time, Renee. It’s not your fault. She’s pushy like that. I’ll have a talk with
her about how to get an appointment or get a call through.”

Renee nodded and left, closing the door behind her. If there
was one thing I had figured out in this short time, it was that Renee was
loyal, to
Apolo
and now to me as well.

“Okay mother, what is it you want. This is my first day, and
I’m swamped.”

“What do I want? I’ve texted you for the past two days, and
you’ve had the courtesy to respond to only one of them. I was just worried.”

“If you’d read my reply, you’d have known how busy I knew I
was going to be and that I would be calling you this evening. You weren’t
worried. You merely want to know all the details of my evening with
Apolo
Choice.”

“Well, it’s not every day a daughter of mine goes out with
one of the most influential men in the country, not to mention world. And one
of the richest, too.”

“And as I told you, it was to a fundraiser, a way for him to
announce my promotion. There was nothing more to it, Mother. Understood?”

“Oh no, you’re not going to do me like that, Caitlyn White!
I saw the pictures and the fodder about the two of you and what went on
afterward.”

“Mother, if you believe everything you read, you’re going to
be sorely disappointed,” I replied.

Just as I did,
Apolo
stormed
through the door. I didn’t think he was angry, but then, I couldn’t tell. He
was a hard man to read.

“It’s okay,
Apolo
. I was just
giving my mother a lesson in office etiquette. Mother, this is my boss,
Apolo
Choice.
Apolo
, my mother,
Susan Pickett White.”

“I know all about you, Mr. Choice, and your ways with women.
Just because I’m older, don’t think I don’t keep an ear to the ground.
Especially when it comes to my daughter.”

“Mrs. White—”

“
Apolo
,” I interrupted, grabbing
hold of her shoulder. “My mother was just on her way out, weren’t you?”

“No, I wasn’t!” she retorted. “Caitlyn—”

“Mother, give it a rest. I promise to call you this evening.
Don’t nail me down on a time. We’ll plan to go out for dinner. That’s the best
I can do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, this is my first day, and I have people to
meet and things to learn.”

Renee popped her head in as though on cue to escort my
mother from the building. I nodded in her direction and turned back toward my
desk.

“The reason I actually came in here, Caitlyn, was to
introduce you to another member of the executive staff,”
Apolo
said.

“Yes, of course. Who is it?”

“Don Turner. I believe you’ve met him before when you were
downstairs. Don works a lot with the acquisitions department.”