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Irritation washes over me, and the urge to pummel this man is overwhelming. I’ve never been in a fight, let alone one with a man who is clearly bigger than me, but in this moment, I’m willing to risk it. That truck has brought me nothing but bad luck since I drove it off the lot. The second I get it back, I’m driving back to the dealership and returning the damn thing.
Taking a calming breath, I reassess the situation. I have to be at this meeting, and Mustang will be the one to take me. If I have to swallow my pride and beg, I will, because if I’m not there. . . well, I can’t think about what will happen.
“Please,” I say with as much sincerity as I can.
“Why don’t you just call in sick? I’m sure being the CEO’s kid has some privileges.”
“How do you know I work for my dad’s company?”
“It was a guess. I’m right, though, aren’t I?”
“Yes.”
If we were friends, I might expand and tell him how it’s not what I wanted to do but being Stratton’s son comes with obligations. I might even tell him how my dad has been running the business into the ground and how I finally got him to agree to retire. Then I’d tell him that today is the day he’s announcing said retirement, but if I’m not there, he might change his mind. Then I’d be forced to sit back and watch everything my family worked so hard to build crumble right in my lap.
“So? Call in sick.”
I let out a grunt of frustration. “I can’t expect you to understand, but this meeting is very important. I can’t miss it.”
“Fine. I hope you got some towels because you’ll need something to sit on, or you’ll just get dirty again.” He white knuckles the steering wheel, making the veins in his hands and forearms pop. My mouth goes dry, and my dick twitches as I imagine that same hand around my throat as he plunged his tongue into my mouth.
“I’m sure I can come up with something,” I say breathlessly and quickly turn my attention out the window. What the hell is wrong with me? I’m no longer a seventeen-year-old idiot without any impulse control. Back then, I allowed myself to follow all those filthy trains of thought involving Mike. I’d fist my cock and jerk off as I conjured up shameful scenes of everything I’d let him do to me.
But not anymore. I banished him from my mind the day we parted ways and haven’t thought of him since.
Not often, anyway.
When we reach my condo, he throws an arm across the back of the seat and parallel parks this beast of a truck like a pro. I can’t help but be impressed, though I keep it to myself. Compliments won’t help the situation.
He turns the ignition off and opens his door to step out.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Coming inside,” he says in a tone that suggests I’m slow.
“No. You can wait out here.”
“Again, I’m not a damn taxi service.”
A knot forms in my stomach as I imagine Mike in my condo. Nope, I can’t picture it. But I also can’t think of a way to get him to stay put, so I climb out of the truck and, with a lowered head, guide him through the lobby and to my private elevator.
He scoffs about every thirty seconds as we ascend to the top floor and step into my condo, as if my wealth is offending him somehow. Maybe a lesser man would be ashamed but not me. I may have been born into it, but I also worked my ass off to accumulate my own fortune outside of what my family gave me. I didn’t choose this life any more than he chose his; what you do with it determines the kind of man you are, and I’ve done a lot.
“Stay here. I just need a quick shower and a new suit,” I say, tossing my wallet into a bowl near the entryway that leads to the living room, where I find Mike perusing. Having him in my space, handling my things, makes me uncomfortable.
“You sure you want to leave me here unattended? A low life like me might steal your”—he picks up a trinket Mom gifted me for Christmas—“whatever the hell this is.”
“I’m fairly certain Bergdorf wouldn’t match your white trash aesthetic.”
“I’m doing you a favor, asshole. The least you could do is drop your pompous bullshit attitude.” He turns to the floor-to-ceiling wall of windows. “You’ll be lucky if I’m still here when you get out.”
He’s right. He could just leave, and then what would I do? No phone, no car, no way of getting to that meeting. Anxiety prickles along my skin. I’ve put years into convincing Dad it’s time to retire, and it could all be for naught if I don’t get to that meeting on time.
“You’re right.” I walk over and grip him by the elbow. He stiffens and glares daggers at me. “You’re coming with me.”
He chuckles. “If you wanted a fuck, all you had to do was ask.”
Despite his crassness and my urgency to get out of here, his words go straight to my cock. Thankfully, the head on my shoulders is still in the right place, and I ignore him and tug him to my bedroom.
