AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 1
THE PRICE OF A MISTAKE
The shrill sound of the landline ringing startled Corinne Champagne, and she cringed at the sound. She knew she’d screwed up royally and it was only a matter of time before she paid the price. Lifting the receiver, she took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat, wondering which one of her bosses would be on the other end. Not that it mattered, really. Each of them were equally bad and scary in their own way. The way she figured it, there was no winning outcome for her.
It was best to pretend nothing out of the ordinary had transpired. She’d just forget their shocked expressions when they’d witnessed her powering up her work laptop for today’s weekly board meeting. Dammit, why had she slipped up and used the company computer for her private needs last night? Generally, she used her iPhone for such sites, but it was awkward juggling it and her vibrator at the same time.
It was possible they hadn’t seen the screen before she closed the website, but they’d definitely heard her gasp of alarm when she realized her mistake. Fishermen miles down the bayou probably heard her. Damn, damn, damn.
Until this morning, she’d always had the upper hand as business manager at her company. The three ruthless men she worked for respected her, and never turned their darker desires toward her personally. Today, that had shifted. They no longer considered her an innocent.
Corinne forced a natural tone when she answered, “Shrimp Guys Shipping, how can I direct your call?”
“Please join us in the meeting room.” The voice on the other end belonged to Eric Duhe. Corinne could almost see the dark smirk on his thin lips. Women found his sharp features, muscular build, and sarcastic wit attractive, but Corinne knew the dangerous currents running below his smooth surface.
“Shall I bring anything with me?” Keep it professional, she told herself. Don’t ruin your position by overreacting.
“We have everything we need for now. You have one minute to appear through the door of the conference room, or the consequences will be far worse than those you already face.” His husky voice and blatant threat had her clenching her thighs. It was hard to tell if it was from fear or some insane notion of desire.
Rain poured down outside. Part of her wanted rush out the front door and escape this nightmare, but she needed the job.
Stiffening her back, Corinne held on to her self-control, and reminded herself thatshe still was in command of what did or did not happen. The men she worked for were ruthless but honorable. She’d known them for years and trusted them… for the most part. Aside from their ridiculous rivalry with one another, they were reasonable men.
If things got too intense, Corinne reminded herself she could always walk away, and promised herself she would if it came to that. They could not force her to do anything. Hanging up the phone, she took a deep, calming breath before joining the three men who owned and operated Shrimping Guys Shipping.
Jeffrey was standing by the door, a look of disappointment on his face when she finally entered. His eyes dropped to his wristwatch. “Darn. Three seconds to spare. I was hoping you would chicken out. I was looking forward to going out there and hauling you in here. I’ve always wanted to toss you over my shoulder, Corinne-girl, and slap your sexy ass a few times.”
Fear affected people in different ways, she rationalized, trying to figure out her body’s reaction to his words. An odd tingling traveled from her toes to her crotch, but she did her best to hide the wanton way his admission made her feel.
“I always suspected you had a caveman mentality, Mr. Landry. You may dress like a professional, but you still maintain your bayou roots, even if you managed to eliminate the Cajun accent.” Her remark made him stiffen, and she feared she might have pushed too far, too soon. Taking such a sarcastic tone with any of her employers was not helping her situation, but years of old habits were hard to break.
Todd Guidry, another one of her bosses, chuckled at the exchange, lightening the mood. Firmly grabbing her arm, he pulled her toward the large table occupying the middle of the room. The cool, smooth oak surface shined beneath the overhead lights.
“You might want to mind your tongue, Ms. Champagne. You are in enough trouble already. Do you really want to make it worse?” Todd’s nose was slightly off-center, one of the many remnants of his time as a star linebacker. From experience, Corinne understood he would fight dirty if it would gain him an advantage. It was a trait which she both respected and feared, never more so than this very moment.
Eric crossed the room and opened the condemning company laptop, pushing it in front of her. He was more compact than the other two men, barely topping six foot, but his lean frame was built for speed.
As the youngest of the three by a few months, outsiders assumed Eric was the laid-back, reasonable owner, but Corinne feared him the most, knowing he never acted without thinking through every minute detail. It thrilled him when people underestimated him. She prayed she never made that foolish error.
All three men crowded around her, as if daring her to ignore the laptop. Swallowing a lump in her throat, Corinne tried to control her expression when she focused on the monitor. It would not be smart to let them see how terrified she currently felt. Silently she assured herself, You are in control. Getting up and leaving is always an option.
She expected to see one of the damning websites she had accessed late last night, alone in the privacy of her own bedroom, but what was in front of her on the screen was far from pornographic.
As her gaze glided over the formal document on the screen, she realized they weren’t even going to let her try and squirm her way out of her predicament. Apparently, she had been found guilty.
In front of her was a contract. She scanned the words, baffled at first. With each clause, the intent became crystal-clear. They intended to make her sign a waiver agreeing to allow them to punish her for her misuse of company equipment. Each of them!
Her blue eyes darted over to Jeffrey, the logical one. He might be ruthless, but he respected the logistics of boundaries. He challenged them often but always stayed within their limits. “You realize this would not stand up in a court of law.”
The image of her sitting on the stand in a courthouse, facing cross-examination popped into her head. She would be humiliated and mocked by the conservative residents of Golden Meadows. Damn, damn, damn.
Pulling up a seat beside her, Jeffrey Landry eliminated what little space existed between them. “It’s not meant to be an official document in that manner. It’s more of a personal agreement between the people in this room, one that sets forth a plan to erase your unprofessional searches and eliminate ever having to discuss your naughty actions again.”
Her palms were sweaty now. Forcing herself to act professionally, she slowly reread the document. “… submit to four nights of retribution.” She quoted the second paragraph. “I have to suffer through four nights to pay for one rash click of a website link?” She posed the question to Todd, hoping he would be merciful.
His dark chuckle made her stomach lurch, but it also made the muscles of her channel tighten. Grabbing the headrest of the seat and swinging it around, he bent down and pulled her closer. “One rash click? Are you sure you want to stick with that defense? Paragraph six details penalties for lying to one of your Masters.” His use of the title made her breath catch.
Eric chuckled and swung her back to the front. Corinne felt dizzy. He reached over her shoulder and took control of the mouse. Soon he had scrolled to the section Todd had mentioned. His husky tone told Corinne he enjoyed reading it aloud, probably because he wanted to watch her squirm.
