Bred by the CEO (Breeding Season Book 10) Read online

  People didn’t clap for him when he succeeded.

  The only family he kept in contact with was his sister and nephew. The others could go to hell. He wasn’t sure why he’d been suddenly craving more, thinking about a family and heirs. There wasn’t much he could offer besides material wealth. But maybe the girl with the big brown eyes was more like him than he cared to realize. What happened when two broken souls tried to play house? Would they crash and burn or create a beautiful disaster?

  Chapter Two

  Most days at work sucked. Especially when Mrs. Haywire was on the warpath, which was the same every single day after the “take the kids to work” day ended. Everyone had to catch up on the work they’d missed.

  Rose wasn’t behind. She didn’t have anything to worry about because she was always far ahead of the game. This was why she deserved a raise. She wasn’t asking for the impossible, or for anything she hadn’t earned. At the very least, she’d like some acknowledgment for her hard work.

  Instead, she got nothing.

  She was a nameless, faceless drone on level B2 with the horrible fluorescent lighting.

  Mrs. Haywire kept coming to her cubicle to point her finger and yell at her for not being present the other day. Every time Rose tried to give an explanation that she was unwittingly thrust into the position of the boss’s nanny for the day, she was shut down. She hadn’t been able to tell her what she’d been doing. Instead, she was told not to give the same old excuses and to just do her job.

  She wasn’t incompetent

  Taking a deep breath, she continued her work, plugging numbers, all the while aware of her floor manager’s voice rising to be heard. She was a monster.

  This job was supposed to be the start of something amazing. Rose rubbed her hands together, feeling the chill inside the office. Had someone turned the thermostat down? It was probably from being in the sub-basement. There were often rumors or gossip of cutbacks when it came to heating. She never believed it, and after meeting Mr. Blackwood, she had to doubt the truth in those rumors. He didn’t strike her as the kind of guy who’d put his employees last.

  What do you know?

  Just because you watched his nephew doesn’t mean you know anything about the man.

  She rolled her eyes at herself and got back to staring at her computer. Cricking her neck from side to side, she had a sudden overwhelming need to go to the bathroom.

  Why did I have to order an extra-large latte in the morning?

  If she moved, her manager was going to say some choice words, and that would mean everyone in the office listening in. She squeezed her eyes closed and pressed her face into her hands. This was ridiculous. She had to make a stand.

  This wasn’t a good working environment.

  Rose clenched her hands into fists and slowly lifted out of her seat to see over her cubicle. Dead ahead was Mrs. Haywire, staring around the room just looking for a new target. Did she realize how … hated she was?

  No one complained though.

  Unless someone called going to the main boss a complaint. It wasn’t like Rose had anything bad to say, not really. She could deal with anything but merely felt that her hard work had never been rewarded. Of course, she’d seen all the fancy new equipment her manager suddenly had. It started with the new office. Next came the top-of-the-range computer, printer, and there was plenty more that Mrs. Haywire suddenly acquired. The final straw was the car Rose saw her driving into work with. Mrs. Haywire hadn’t seen her, of course. Rose had stayed hidden, but she’d watched her manager climb out of that car, with a special space in the parking lot just for her. It all made sense when she overheard her talking about the accounts that put her over the top of her quota—Rose’s accounts. Mrs. Haywire wasn’t promoting her because she was taking all the credit herself.

  She had never felt so much anger before in her life, and she’d been bounced from one foster home after another, so that said a lot.

  Sitting back down in her chair, she stared at her computer. All the hard work she’d done was for nothing. She’d never get ahead here. Mrs. Haywire had no intention of helping her succeed, not when she could steal all her credit.

  With her current salary, she couldn’t get out of her shitty apartment, and she really wanted to. This was why she had worked her ass off at college, taking those classes even when she couldn’t afford them. During those years, she’d barely slept, working back-to-back classes and shifts.

  The need to pee was getting way too strong, and her anger at Mrs. Haywire was making her think of stupid things—like quitting.

  Why would she want to quit?

  This company was supposed to have the best promotional opportunities in the country, and yet, she had gotten nothing.

  Hard work. Keeping her head down. Where had it gotten her?

  She was afraid to go to the bathroom because her manager was on the warpath, but not today. This had to stop. She needed to grow a backbone in a hurry.

  Rose shoved her chair back and stood. The moment she stepped out of her cubicle, her little corner of the world, she felt Mrs. Haywire’s gaze on her, but Rose didn’t care one bit. She was going to use the bathroom.

  “And where do you think you’re going?” Mrs. Haywire asked.

  There was a shrill tone to her voice, and Rose gritted her teeth. She wasn’t a nasty person. For a split second, no one moved. No one even seemed to breathe.

  Rose turned toward the awful woman.

  She was a nasty, horrible person who took credit for everyone else’s hard work and didn’t do any herself. Rose had seen other floors of staff advancing within the company. She’d even heard them talking about the possibilities in the future, which she herself had been hopeful for, but not anymore.

  There was no way she could continue like this.

  Back in foster care, she never allowed anyone to treat her this way, and she wasn’t going to allow it to happen anymore.

  “I’m using the bathroom.”

  “There’s a break for that, it’s called lunch. You’re on company time now.”

  She was about to open her mouth to tell her that in the employee code, she was entitled to toilet breaks, but she bit her tongue as she looked over Mrs. Haywire’s shoulder to see Darius Blackwood had stepped into the room.

  This was a first. The man never ventured out of his ivory tower. Maybe he needed free nanny services again.

  “Am I hearing this correctly?” Darius asked.

  He looked and sounded even sexier today than he had the other day. This wasn’t fair. Rose pressed her legs together. Her need for the bathroom was no joke, but this was starting to feel like one.

  “My staff are being forced to sit at their desks and denied bathroom breaks?” he asked.

  One of his hands was in his pocket, and the other was pointed at Mrs. Haywire, who’d gone paler than Rose had ever seen.

  “Sir, this is not what you think. She is always doing this. Wasting company time.”

  “That’s not true.” She wasn’t going to allow anyone to besmirch her name. Not one. She was hardworking to a fault.

  “Enough,” Darius said. “Miss Henshaw, please follow me.”

  Rose’s back stiffened.

  What did that mean? Was he going to fire her? This wasn’t fair. She had done nothing wrong. There was no way she was going to allow this.

  Rather than make a scene, Rose walked toward him. Mrs. Haywire had that smirk on her face as if she’d won, relishing in Rose’s impending punishment thanks to her lies.

  Her heart raced. She felt sick to her stomach.

  What was going to happen to her? One thing she hated was the unknown. She liked routine, schedules, and security in her life.

  Darius held the door open for her, and Rose stepped out into the main hall. Taking a deep breath, she tried not to show her nerves. She’d read somewhere that people responded to strength, not weakness. Showing her fear of losing her job wouldn’t get her anywhere. She needed to keep herself together. There were
other jobs out there.

  She watched him step out of the room and point toward the elevator.

  Rose listened to the sounds of their steps. His flat, clearly leather designer Italian loafers or whatever brand worked for him, and her, ex-charity shop bargain heels.

  In front of the elevator, she kept stealing glances at him in their reflections. What was it about this man that made her stomach twist, and not in a scared way, but in an aroused way? She was probably the oldest virgin in modern history. It was actually laughable. No man had ever made her respond to him like this, and Darius was her boss.

  She still needed to pee really badly. This wasn’t good.

  Biting her lip, she hoped she could excuse herself to use the bathroom. Any bathroom.

  After stepping onto the elevator, he reached out, pressing the button for his office. Was this good?

  Neither of them spoke as the elevator started its journey.

  She glanced down at her wrist, checking the time.

  “Do you need to be anywhere?” he asked.

  “Er, no, sorry. Not at all.” Her brain was losing its ability to function. She refused to bounce or do what little girls did when they needed to go to the bathroom.

  I’m a grown woman.

  All of a sudden, Rose gasped as the elevator came to a sudden, jarring halt.

  No. No. Please, no.

  Darius growled and pressed the button. “We’ve stopped.”

  “No shit!” Rose gasped and slammed her hand against her mouth.

  He turned toward her and chuckled.

  She knew he was looking from the top of her head to her feet. “I’m so sorry. What is going on?”

  “The elevators are being tested today.” He clicked the button.

  “Oh, God, please don’t say that.” This was so embarrassing. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

  She was a grown woman. This wasn’t going to happen.

  “I’m sure they’ll have things moving quickly.”

  “No, you don’t understand. I really, really, really, really need to go to the bathroom.” She whimpered. How many times did she say really? “Mrs. Haywire was lying to you. She hasn’t allowed me to use the bathroom all morning.”

  She managed to open her eyes to see Darius on his cell phone.

  Seriously? Was he making a call at a time like this?

  ****

  Darius waited in his office, staring out across the city. He breathed in deeply and exhaled. Mrs. Haywire was everything he hated in an office manager, and he couldn’t believe her antics had gotten past her boss to be rewarded. That was why he’d gone to Rose’s floor today. To meet the woman himself who’d been granted a great deal of rewards, and it would seem no one on her floor had seen a proper promotion in months. Looking into Mrs. Haywire, he saw that since Rose Henshaw had been put to work on her floor, she’d been getting promotions. All the rewards had been based on the work directly from Rose, and that pissed him off.

  No wonder Rose took the time to come and see him. She’d been putting in all the hard work and had to sit back and watch another woman take credit for it. Now she was forced not to use the bathroom. It was a disgrace and one he intended to put right, once and for all. He prided himself on cultivating vibrant management that inspired and rewarded workers to keep them on top of the competition.

  The sound of footsteps speed-walking toward him alerted him to Rose approaching. He turned in time to watch her.

  Her full body was straight out of a wet dream. Full hips and large tits. Through the expanse of her skirt, he could see she had a nice pair of juicy thighs. His cock thickened in his pants, and he was pleased he wore a jacket long enough to hide the evidence of his arousal. He wasn’t some teenage boy, and Rose was certainly the first woman in a long time to gain any response from him.

  “I’m so sorry about that,” she said. “I’m so embarrassed. I imagine you’ll want me to clear out my desk?”

  He frowned. “I don’t expect you to do anything of the sort.” He pointed at the chair opposite him. Keeping the desk between them was probably in their best interests.

  Rose lowered herself into the chair. In doing so, her skirt lifted a few inches, showing off more of her thighs, and all it did was make him want to feel them wrapped around his waist as he plowed inside her.

  He could imagine her tight pussy, soaking wet as he pumped his cum deep inside her.

  Pushing the thought out of his mind, he looked across his desk. Her full dark hair was pinned back at the sides. She looked like a librarian.

  Lifting the stacks of files on his desk, he held them out to her. “Please tell me what these are?”

  Rose frowned but took the files from his grip.

  He watched her as she rested the files on her lap and started to glance through each one. “They’re accounts I’ve helped to manage. Why? Is something wrong?” she asked.

  “Why did you come to my office yesterday? Was it just for the chance of a promotion?” he asked.

  She licked her lips, and he watched as her teeth sank into the bottom full one. Damn. This woman was so tempting, and he had to wonder if she even realized how much.

  “Er, I…”

  He pressed his fingers together. “I want to be clear about something, Miss Henshaw. My company provides amazing opportunities for hardworking individuals. According to my sources, you are that person. However, Mrs. Haywire only refers to you as a competent entry-level employee who has a long way to go to be up to standard for a promotion.”

  “That is … oh my, she said that?”

  Darius nodded.

  Rose shook her head. She took a deep breath and then focused on him. “Sir, I would like to seek promotion, however, I feel like … Mrs. Haywire will not provide me with such opportunities.”

  “Cut the crap. We both know she’s using you to line her own pockets.” He lifted from his seat and rounded the desk to lean in front of it. He grabbed the files off her lap and threw them down on his desk. “I’ll deal with Mrs. Haywire myself. I’ve looked into your accounts, and your computer logs, and I’ve seen the work for myself. I know you’re hardworking, willing to learn, and more than capable of running an entire floor. I could give you Mrs. Haywire’s job if that’s what you’re after, or I could offer you something else?”

  “Something else?” she asked.

  “The opportunity to work for me. My righthand man, Ross, you met him yesterday, has asked for some paternity leave. He has just recently adopted a child with his partner, and he wants to spend some time getting to know the little guy.” He believed Ross was terrified after being present for “bring your child to work” day. His nephew Elliot could put the fear into anyone from having kids. He was certainly a handful.

  Elliot was like him when he was that age. He imagined it ran in the Blackwood veins, not that his father would ever admit to it.

  He ignored the memories of his father. He hadn’t spoken to that man in a long time and had no plans to do so now at forty-six. Life was too short for toxic relationships.

  “Are you serious?” Rose asked. “I thought to work as your PA, there were classes and … courses to pass?”

  He chuckled. “You passed one of them.”

  “I did?”

  “Anyone who can handle my nephew can handle the details of work.” He saw the surprise on her face. “I’m not going to dress this up for you. It’s a lot of hard work. You’ll need to be here by seven every morning, and I’m usually the last person leaving the building. I have meetings that take me all over the world at a moment’s notice. Your passport will need to be up-to-date, and you’ll always need to be ready for anything. The hours are long. They’re hard, but the rewards will certainly benefit you.”

  “Sir, I—”

  “I don’t mean to cut you off, but I will need any answer very quickly, Miss Henshaw. Ross is hoping to start his paternity leave by the end of the week, and I need you to be prepared to take over.”

  There was no time to dawdle
or to offer her time to think it over. He needed answers today.

  “Yes, I would love the opportunity.”

  “Excellent. Ross is expecting you. Head down to B2 and clear out your desk. You’ll need to be here by lunchtime for orientation.”

  Rose got to her feet, and he saw the huge smile on her lips. “Thank you so much for this opportunity, sir, I won’t let you down.” She rushed toward the door, almost tripping at one point.

  “Miss Henshaw,” he said.

  She turned toward him.

  “Please, call me Darius.”

  “Darius. Please call me, Rose.”

  He nodded at her and watched her leave, the fullness of her ass swaying from side to side as she moved toward Ross.

  Rose was far more capable of taking over from Ross than anyone at the temp agency, or anyone else in-house.

  After learning about Mrs. Haywire, he wanted to reward the person who had suffered. Ross had already looked for a replacement. When it came to firing staff, he took it very seriously. Letting people go was never easy, but Mrs. Haywire had been skating on thin ice for a considerable amount of time. He was done listening to endless excuses, and now that she had taken credit for work she’d never done, he wasn’t going to let that slide.

  Mrs. Haywire was one of the last employees his father had sent over to his company to be hired, and Darius knew there was a connection there. His father didn’t like that he’d gone out on his own and built a company that was ten times bigger than his own. A billionaire in his own right. He commanded respect from all over the globe. His father would do anything to bring him down, and seeing as his suspicions were confirmed, Mrs. Haywire was gone.

  This time, he didn’t use the elevator, but took the stairs, heading toward the office where Rose and Ross were orientating. He was surprised to find the object of his anger ranting and raving at Ross.

  “This is completely unreasonable. There is no way this girl is qualified to do that job. I will speak to the boss about this,” Mrs. Haywire said.

  “Gladly,” Darius said, standing by the door. “A word, Mrs. Haywire.”

  The sneer on her face sickened Darius. This woman was cruel, he saw it, and he had a feeling her staff had been worked to the fucking bone, right under his nose. That would end today.