Max stood at the head of the table, beaming with that kind of legacy pride that couldn’t be faked. “Thank you, everyone, for being here. I won’t waste your time. I never have,” he said, drawing a few chuckles from the board. “As many of you know, I’ve made the decision to step down as CEO to focus on my health, and more importantly, to spend time on the things I used to put off. Starting with living.”
He looked at me, eyes steady. “I spent a lot of time choosing the right person to lead Hayes into the next era. And I trust him to do it better than I ever could. Please welcome our new CEO, Theodore Jones.”
There was polite applause, some murmurs, as expected, and of course, all eyes turned to me. Istood, straightened my jacket, and stepped forward. I’m focused, I’m controlled, I’m okay.
“Thank you, Max,” I began. My voice sounded confident, too confident for the war going on in my chest. “It’s an honor to step into this role. Hayes International has a legacy of innovation and global leadership, and I plan to honor that while pushing it into new frontiers.”
I let my gaze drift around the room and settle on her. She sat still, her expression unreadable, but her eyes—those damn blue eyes—darted at me. Her lips were pressed together like she was holding back more than a smile. I didn’t let that distract me. I kept going. “This won’t be a one-man job. It’ll take all of us, working together, challenging each other, growing as one unit. I look forward to getting to know all of you.”
I sat back down. Felt the weight of the room shift. The tension between us was a wire stretched too tight. Max picked up again. “And that brings me to the rest of our leadership updates. You’ve met Cameron, our new Head of PR.” Cameron, tall and smug, gave a nod. Typical PR.
“And of course, my eldest daughter, Naomi Hayes, who will be stepping up as Head of Legal.” There was more applause. Naomi smiled in a polished, sharp, confident way. Lawyer through and through.
“And last but not least,” Max continued, “my youngest daughter, Samantha Hayes, who will be joining us as our new International Business Strategist.”I didn’t clap. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I couldn’t. Not without my hands shaking.
Samantha.
She offered a perfect little wave, cheeks flushed, eyes flicking toward mine for half a second. Max cleared his throat. “I’ll still be involved, of course. Just not in the day-to-day. I’ll serve as a consultant, as needed, while Jones and the team take the lead.”
The room erupted into casual chatter, ideas being tossed around about strategy, expansion, and branding. Harper sat beside me, typing furiously, highlighting notes in real time. But all I could think about was her.
The way she crossed her legs. The way she bit her lip once when Naomi spoke about international litigation strategy. The way her blouse dipped just enough to remind me of last week. Of how her bra cupped her breasts perfectly, and how well they fit into my mouth. Theodore, stop before you get hard.
At the break, I stood. “I’ll be back,” I told Harper. Coffee. I needed coffee. Or cold water. Or ice down my pants.
In the hallway, I was halfway to the coffee table when I heard heels. Light, crisp. A rhythm I already knew by heart. She stepped beside me, reaching for a bottle of water.“Congratulations on your new job, Samantha,” I said in a cold, precise tone. “We’ll have a meeting at 1:45. Harper will put it in your calendar. I want to get to know my new International Business Strategist better.”
She cracked open the water, didn’t even look at me as she took a sip. Then she turned, lips curling into that same wicked smile I’d seen in my bed.
“Of course,” she said, smooth as silk. “It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked, been inside me, or know exactly how I sound when I come with your name on my lips. But sure, let’s get to know each other.”
My jaw locked, and I nearly dropped the coffee cup. I couldn’t even speak.
She winked. “See you at 1:45, Mr. Jones.” And then she walked away, hips swaying, leaving me painfully hard, emotionally confused, and in desperate need of something stronger than coffee.
1:45 pm.
Harper’s knock was a polite double-tap. “Samantha Hayes for you.” I didn’t even look up. “Send her in. And close the door behind her.” The click of heels echoed before she appeared in the doorway, her smile already loaded with something, smugness? Nerve? Whatever it was, it crawled under my skin.
“Hi, boss man,” she said, stepping inside like she owned the damn building. And, in a way, she did. I stood, walked over to the panel beside my desk, and pressed the dim button. The glass walls around us went opaque in an instant. I don’t need eyes on me right now.
Besides, this was standard protocol. Every execused it. I've done it three times today already. But this time, it was personal. “Take a seat,” I said.
She did, crossing her legs slowly. My blood pressure was already up. “I’m impressed,” she said, leaning back, surveying the space. “Big corner office, nice view, a fully stocked bar cart. Very alpha male of you.”
“Cut the shit, Samantha,” I said, sharper than I meant to. Her eyebrows lifted, just a bit. “Did you know?” I asked. She tilted her head, playing coy. “Know what, exactly?” I just stared at her. Her smirk dropped. “Yes,” she said.
My jaw clenched. “So, the whole time, you knew who I was? You knew exactly what you were doing when you got into my bed?” She sighed and glanced at the frosted glass wall before turning back to me. “Whenyouinvitemeto your bed.”
“Same shit, Samantha. Explain,” I said, voice low and tight. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks a hell of a lot like a game.” That stung her. Good. That’s what I wanted.
She sat forward, resting her arms on the chair. “I knew your name. I knew who you were. And I knew the role you’d have, but I didn’t know I was going to be here, working under you, after well… being under you.” She smiled, hiding what was really going on in her head.
“At what point did you decide not to tell me?” I asked, cold now. “Before or after you moaned myname loud enough to wake the entire floor?” She didn’t flinch.
“I almost told you before all of that. I wanted to tell you the first time we ran into each other, but I wanted you to get to know me asme, as Sam, not as part ofthis,” she said, signaling around the place.
“Look, I didn’t know you’d be my boss. I didn’t know I’d have to give you this explanation. I thought we’d have our fun in Paris, and that was going to be it. Besides, you wouldn’t fuck me if you knew me as the daughter of Max Hayes,” she said that with a smile on her face now. I stared at her, arms crossed, breathing through my nose.
