Control Me (5 page)

“He told me you’d say that, and he wanted me to inform you that your reservation was cancelled. He said, and these were his exact words, ‘I’ll be taking care of her’.” The driver gave a faint smile.

The nerve.
I didn’t want to put up a fight with the guy. He seemed perfectly harmless, and I knew he was just doing his job. With a sigh, I backed away and nodded. The driver pressed his lips and then made his way to the driver’s side, hopped into the seat, and pulled off.

Turning to face the building, I lifted a flat hand above my eyebrows and blinked as the reflection from the silver windows flashed down on me. It was a tall building, built in the heart of San Francisco. It was kind of intimidating in its stature, surrounded by small clothing boutiques, bakeries, coffee shops, and shorter buildings, but it’s what brought the whole “Montero” thing to life. The company’s name was plastered boldly on the front of the building in a fierce, edgy, and modern metallic branding.

Lowering my hand, I straightened my back and faced the double glass doors. This was it. I was about to enter the dungeon, his lair. As soon as I walked into that building, I would be under Carlos’s power.

As much as I wanted to fight the thought, deep down it made me liquefy. Under his power. Under his control. I couldn’t keep wondering how the next four days would go; I had to figure it out for myself. So with my big girl panties on, I marched towards the door and pulled it open. A refreshing breeze of air hit my face as I entered and took a quick look around. The first floor wasn’t too busy. There were people in the sitting areas, most likely here to attend meetings or just taking a break from work.

I pulled the scrap sheet of paper out of my purse and read the printed email that was sent to me from Montero himself.

Top floor. 2 PM sharp. No later. Make sure you have Green’s files with you.

I crushed the note in my hand and tossed it into the nearest trashcan. Little did he know the files had already been scanned and sent to my email, and the 2 PM thing? Well, look who was twenty minutes early.

I reached the top floor in less than two minutes and started down the hallway. At the end was a desk, and behind it was a brunette with thin glasses over her cat-like eyes. Tilting her chin, she looked me over then lowered her head again as I neared the desk.

“Excuse me,” I said.

She lifted her head. “Look, if you’re another girl that claims she’s here to please Mr. Montero, I can’t help you. He said he was busy today, and I refuse to distract him with this silliness. If he doesn’t want to see you, he doesn’t want to see you. Simple.”

My eyebrows stitched. “N-no,” I said, rather confused. “I’m here because I’m working with him and his team for the next few days…?”

She jerked her head up quickly, her blue eyes expanding. “Oh, I am so sorry!” She jumped to her feet. “You must be Mya Sterling. I was expecting you to arrive a little later.”

“It’s okay,” I said, hoping to ease her worry.

“No… it’s not okay. That was rude of me to assume that you—” She stopped speaking abruptly, pressing her lips. “Allow me to start over. I’m Jane, Mr. Montero’s secretary.” She extended her arm, and I took her hand, giving it a quick shake.

“Nice to meet you, Jane.”

“Oh… Christ. What a terrible morning it’s been.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and rounded the desk. “I apologize. I’ll see if Mr. Montero is ready to see you. Have a seat while you wait.”

I conceded with a nod, backing away and sitting in one of the leather accent chairs in the corner. As I waited, I couldn’t help but think about how this trip was going to go down… again. I was obsessing over the thought of being around Carlos. He was a strong man, extremely dominant. He knew what he wanted and when he wanted it; he proved that in Key West. I, on the other hand, could be very weak. I was already in a vulnerable state, and so far, with everything he’d done to make my trip as stress-free as possible, I knew it wasn’t going to be too hard for him to seduce me into a bedroom.

I knew to play it cool, though. I couldn’t look weak or appear vulnerable. I’d learned a few techniques on how to control myself and my issues, and nothing was going to sway me, but I damn sure couldn’t drink around him. With liquor in my veins, I may as well just throw myself down on the bed.

“Miss Sterling, he’s ready for you.” Jane’s voice sliced through my thoughts, and I lifted my chin, standing quickly. “Right down that hallway and to the right. No need to knock.” A smile stretched across her ruby lips.

“Thank you.” I returned the smile then straightened my spine, starting down the hallway. A dense lump of nerves formed in my throat, and I swallowed, inhaling through my nostrils. When I reached his office, the door was already open. And even though Jane told me not to knock, I did so anyway. I wanted my presence to be known without my voice.

Montero stopped scribbling with his ink pen and lifted his head, his hair hanging in his eyes. When he caught sight of me, his brown eyes showered down the length of my body. A small smile crept to his lips, one I could hardly make out, and I fidgeted on my heels, taking a small step forward. My word, he looked amazing—his perfect hair and perfectly tailored grey suit.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Montero,” I said as professionally as I could. Of course my voice came out faint and wavered. It was him…
him
!

Dropping his pen, he brought his hand up and raked his hair back smoothly. “Good afternoon, Mya. Come in… shut the door behind you.” I stepped in quickly, turning only slightly to shut the heavy black door behind me. With vigilant steps, I neared his desk and pulled back one of the two chairs opposite of him. He watched me carefully as I lowered in my seat and folded my legs. “Do me a favor,” he said, leaning back in his chair.

I blinked twice. “What’s that?”

“Call me Carlos. It’s not like we don’t know each other already.”

“Okay…” I breathed. “Carlos.”

A satisfied smile swept across his face. But in just the amount of time it took for that smile to appear, his face hardened, and he sat forward, folding his fingers on his desk. “You have the files for this project with Green, I assume.”

“I do.” I started to reach for my purse, but he held up a hand.

“Just need to know you have them. When you leave here, send them to Jane. She’ll forward them to me.”

“Okay,” I murmured. God, he was so intimidating. Why? Why was he so daunting now? Perhaps it was because, in Key West, he was just a man I wanted to have a kinky night with, but here he was… he was someone much bigger. Someone that, in a way, controlled my future.

“Is there anything you need me to do today, Carlos?” I asked. “Maybe get to know the place… meet your team?”

He sat back in his plush leather chair, tilting his head only slightly and placing a folded finger over his lips. The room hushed, and the awkwardness really bothered me, so much so that I adjusted myself and shifted in my seat beneath his penetrating glare. “You
really
think I flew you out here to work?” he asked simply yet so sarcastically it was like a slap in the face.

I narrowed my brows, finally meeting his eyes. “I hope so. I’m taking unpaid time from my real job for this.” My tone was strong. Good. Strong with him was good.

“If it’s money you’re worried about, that will be no problem. Whatever Green doesn’t give you for this trip I’ll be happy to supply for you… plus more.”

“You’re kidding.” I scoffed. No way in hell did I come all the way to San Francisco to be toyed with. This wasn’t a vacation. I needed to work. I needed to be learning with Claire. Yes, we were just assistants, but we were involved with every single plan that Green was involved in, and not only that, we were able to attend seminars and workshops for free. All we cared about was the business aspect of architecture. Where there was architecture, there was money. We wanted to become executives—the ones people came to for meetings and plans. I didn’t get a degree in this field for nothing.

“I can assure you there are no jokes being made.” His voice was firm. “I told you what I wanted from you in Chicago, Mya. And I plan on getting it one way or another. Of course, things would go a lot smoother if you’d just give it to me willingly. Don’t put up such a fight.”

“I won’t,” I said, shaking my head swiftly. “I won’t. This is outrageous and a complete waste of time.”

“A waste?” He cocked a brow. “Why is it a waste?”

I leaned forward, matching his gaze. “What do you think will come out of this anyway? In four days, I’ll be back in Chicago, and you’ll be here.”

“Oh, I’m sure we’ll run into each other again. And I can always extend your stay. Remember, Mya,” he said with a small gleam in his eyes, “You’re mine until I’m ready to send you back to Green. If I want to keep you for a week, I can do so. Green and I already worked that out.”

Oh, fuck that! “So you think I’m just some toy then? You think you can trade business with Green, for me? I’m not a prostitute.”

“Green is all about business. And I’m sure his company is worth more than one assistant. He was more than willing to trade you for a sweet recommendation from me. You witnessed that yourself.” He revealed a devious smile. “And of course you aren’t a prostitute. I wouldn’t be interested in you if you were.”

“You… ass,” I whispered, voice mildly heated.

He pushed out of his chair and stood tall, chuckling. Was he seriously finding this humorous? I couldn’t believe he even had the nerve. What made him think I couldn’t sue him for this, or worse, call in a harassment? “Mya, Mya, Mya,” Carlos said, rounding his desk and taking the few steps it took to get behind me. Grabbing hold of the arms of my chair, he leaned over my shoulder, and his lips brushed my ear. I closed my eyes, willing myself to fight against the impending sensation … because it was coming. Although he was a pompous ass, he was undeniably sexy, and I was undeniably attracted to him—had been ever since I laid eyes on him. But this was work, so I thought.

“Let’s not play this game,” he murmured into my ear. His breath was warm and caused the center of my legs to clench. He was so close. His manly scent tickled my nose, and his lips on my ear made my skin buzz with pure delight, but I remained still and kept my eyes sealed, maintaining control.

“This won’t work, Carlos,” I breathed. My voice was heavy and thick. My lips felt like they’d been filled with lead, most likely the result of lying to myself. I wanted it to happen again, but on the other hand, I didn’t. I didn’t because I knew it would lead to other things. And because I was really looking forward to working with his team. I felt important.

“Allow me to make things easier on you—a proposition, more like.” He pulled away, only to grab my hand and effortlessly pick me up out of my seat. Reeling my body into his, he turned me so my back was facing his desk. Then, he gently sat me down on the edge as he took the seat I was in only seconds ago. My heart raced in my chest as I looked down at him, watching as he lifted my legs to place my feet on his thighs. I had no choice but to plant my palms on his desk and lean back to keep my balance when both feet were in the position he desired.

His eyes zoned in on the lacy light-pink panties beneath my skirt, and I cursed myself.
Damn, today was the wrong day to wear a skirt.
Hell, any day around him was the wrong day to wear one.

With my chest rising and sinking, Carlos bent forward, pushed my skirt up until it bundled around my hips, and then tucked his thumbs beneath the straps of my panties. He did all this with swift movements. He was a pro, no doubt—but of course that’d already been established on the night we first met.

I knew it was necessary for me to object to this, but as he licked his lips, the words that were formulating in my mind were trapped in the heart of my throat. I remembered how hungrily he devoured me, how unexpected yet amazing it felt to have his face buried between my legs. It was a feeling I couldn’t describe, but it was perfectly erotic in every way.

With his eyes trained on mine, he brought my panties towards his nose and inhaled my scent. “So sweet,” he murmured, lowering the lacy garment to my ankles.  My core tightened as he ran a hand up my thigh. “Now that I have your attention, I’ll tell you what will happen. And you will comply. Understand?”

In the heat of the moment, I responded without hesitation. “Yes.”

“Good girl,” he grumbled before kissing the insides of my thighs. His lips were soft yet demanding. Each kiss seared my skin, leaving a trail of fire as he backed away. “During these four days, you will stay at the hotel I’ve reserved for you. I will come by for lunch, and I will
fuck
you. I’ll leave for work again, but I will be back for dinner. We’ll most likely eat together, and then I will fuck you again.” He clutched my hips in his hands, bringing his mouth closer to my throbbing nub. A whimper sounded in my throat as he ran his tongue from my upper thigh and down, stopping just before he reached my pulsing heat. “I will have my way with you, like I did in Key West. I will own every single inch of you until I’m tired of you, no matter how long it takes. Do I make myself clear?”

So many thoughts ran through my head, becoming lost in the labyrinth of Carlos Montero. For one, he had no right to try and own me. To know that, even if I did submit, he would eventually tire of me was terrifying. Things like this never turned out the way they should. Two, even though those thoughts were running across my mind, what I wanted most was his mouth sealed on me. Sucking. Lapping. Licking. I wanted this man to make me come for days. His proposition was meant in the most asshole-ish of ways—for his needs—but it made sense. He didn’t get enough of me before, and he was treating this encounter as a chance to get me out of his system.