AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You really are kind of a badass,” Ethan said.
“Kind of?” she asked. “I’m a total badass,” Ella insisted, causing them both to laugh.
“What happened after you got out of the academy?” Linc asked.
“Well, I finally moved out of my father’s house and got my own place. It was a shithole, but it was all mine. I was happy—well until I wasn’t. My partner of two years was killed on the job and honestly, I never really got over it. I had to attend mandatory therapy, but nothing seemed to help. I saw it happen and it wasn’t something that I could shake. I quit my job and was contemplating moving back in with my father when I met my business partner, James. He had advertised about wanting a partner for his security business and well, he let me buy-in over time as long as I worked my ass off to help build the company. I did, and well, when James wanted out, he sold me his half of the business. Now, I am the sole owner and I have to admit, it took me a long time to get to this point, but I love what I do. I never saw my life going this way, but I’m so happy that it has.” Ella thought it best to leave out the part about James wanting to be her partner both in and out of the business world. When she declined his advances, he demanded that they dissolve their partnership, but she couldn’t let all of her hard work go for nothing. That’s when she came up with the idea to buy James out and become the full owner of the security business that she had worked so hard to help build. She wrote him a check and handed it to him and that was the very last time she saw her ex-partner.
“That’s quite the resume that you’ve built for yourself, Ella,” Linc said.
She shrugged, “I guess. I’m happy, and that’s worth all of the shit I had to crawl through to get to where I am.” Ethan pulled into the underground parking garage at his building and pulled into his parking space.
“That’s enough talking,” he breathed. “Let’s go up and I’ll show you around, Ella. Then, we can get to know each other even better.” She giggled and nodded as Ethan bobbed his eyebrows at her.
“Well, I certainly can see which one of you is the sweet talker and which one is just plain bossy—Ethan.”
“She’s got you pegged there,” Linc teased.
* * *
Ella wokeup surrounded by sexy, alpha men, and for just a second, she forgot where she was. It had been some time since she had spent the night in any man’s bed. She was still trying to figure out how she ended up between them, but Ella learned long ago to never question fate. Honestly, she’d had a crush on Ethan for so long now, that’s what this all felt like—fate stepping in to finally give her what she longed for. And Linc—well, he was a bonus that she wasn’t expecting. Watching the two of them together was hot as sin and being with them both was a dream come true. She was sure that they had both ruined her for all other men and there was no way that being with just one man would ever satisfy her again.
“You’re up early,” Ethan said, pulling her into his side. She gladly cuddled into him and sighed.
“I usually am,” she admitted. “Owning a company does that—makes you an early riser but look who I’m talking to. You must never sleep with the way your business seems to have grown overnight. You must be very proud,” she said.
Ella had met Ethan a few years back at a cocktail party that one of their mutual friends had. She told him that she was getting into the security business, and he hired her to outfit his penthouse with the best security his money could buy. She was hoping that he’d eventually give her his company’s security, but that still hadn’t happened—yet. If all went well with Linc’s security she might be able to land their corporate accounts and that would be quite a coup for her firm.
“I am proud of what Linc, and I built together but now, he’s had a crazy person break into his penthouse and that worries me. What we built is great, but it only brings up more threats to our safety and that’s why we need you.”
She smiled and rubbed herself against him. “Is that all you needed from me?” she whispered.
“Well, no,” he said. “I like to think that what the three of us did last night has nothing to do with you handling our security. Do you think that we can keep the two separate?” he asked. Ella was sure that would be possible for her. Separating her personal and professional lives was something she had gotten pretty good at.
“I can,” she assured. “And I think that I can handle both of your security needs, but I want to you hire me for your corporate security needs too.” Yeah, she was being pushy, but that was who she was. It’s how she had gotten to where she was in the business world.
“You want to handle our personal and professional security?” he asked.
“Yep,” she admitted. “My firm can handle it all, just give me a chance to prove it to you, Ethan.”
He didn’t even hesitate. Ethan nodded and smiled, “Okay,” he agreed.
“Shouldn’t you ask Linc first, before making a business decision?” she asked.
“Nope,” Ethan breathed. “We both have very specific roles in the company. I handle the security detail and I like the idea of your firm housing all of our security needs.”
“Wow,” Ella breathed. He was giving her exactly what she wanted and that was all she had to say—wow. “I appreciate the opportunity, Ethan.”
“Well, you’ve handled my security detail here for my place. I’m sure you’ll be great at the company,” he said. “I’ll hire you full time; when can you start?”
“Full time?” she squeaked. “No, I think you misunderstood me. I’m not looking to work for you, I just want to handle your security. I have a firm and other clients.”
“Hire someone to handle your other accounts,” Ethan casually said as if it would be that easy.
“I have two other employees, but neither of them is ready to handle the other accounts that I have, on their own. It would take me some time to hire and train someone to run my firm so that I can come work for you two.”
“Fine,” Ethan breathed. “You have a month to get your firm sorted, and then, you’ll come work for us full time.” He wasn’t asking her if that was something that she even wanted. Ethan was giving her a direct order and she didn’t like that at all.
“You can’t just tell me what I will and will not do, Ethan,” she said. “I won’t be dictated to about how I live my life. I’d love to handle your security, but I love my firm.”
