She had woken up, and looked like she was going to vomit.
Jay would have her as a friend rather than not have her in his life.
“I love you, Temperance.”
She turned to face him, and stared back. “I love you, too, Jay.”
Chapter Five
Saturday morning, Richard was going through his morning emails, making sure he had everything ready for the O’Brian account. His lawyer was coming by that morning to take care of the finer details of the contract. Every now and then he glanced over toward Temperance’s desk wondering when she would finally arrive.
He had arrived at work early to be ready for Temperance’s arrival. It was only eight, so she had another hour to arrive to work.
Only select parts of his company worked on a Saturday as he believed a good work force meant you treated them well, and most appreciated the weekend off.
The sound of the elevator door opening filled him with anticipation. He’d thought long and hard about what Anna had said last night.
Sharing a woman was one of the few pleasures he enjoyed. There was even times he’d hoped to enter into a ménage relationship. Most women hadn’t wanted that kind of commitment, to be shared between two men. It was always fun for some spice, but never something they wanted long term. With Jay, the concept of sharing Temperance actually made him anticipate the next meeting with both of them. He was good at getting what he wanted, and he was sure he’d find a way of getting them both to agree that they didn’t find the arrangement repugnant. Richard wasn’t gay, nor did he have any fantasies about being with a man. He wasn’t attracted to Jay. He loved his women, and Temperance was filling every single fantasy right now. Just the thought of seeing Temperance come apart in Jay’s arms had him hard.
When Jay’s figure appeared in his doorway, disappointment filled him but also intrigue. It would have been much better if Temperance was here. He doubted Jay would turn down an opportunity to be with her.
“Well, I have to say, I’m shocked to see you there.”
“Yeah, I get it, you didn’t want to see me.”
“I’d rather see Temperance. I take it she is coming in to work.” Richard didn’t like the sudden thought that she would try to resign from her position. He wouldn’t allow that. Richard wasn’t going to allow his one chance of living out his desires to be taken from him.
“She is. I left early. She doesn’t know that I’m here.”
Richard put his pen on the desk and sat back. “Why are you here?”
“I’m in love with her, Richard. She’s my entire life.”
“You’ve done nothing about these feelings.”
“She’s never showed an interest in anyone else, and I figured in time she’d come to see that we were good together.”
“Yet you continued to screw other women.”
“Fuck! Look, I did what I thought was right. Tempe, she’s not like other women. She doesn’t complicate shit, and she’s fun. Other women, they’re just, they’re not her. She didn’t want me, and she made it clear that she was seeing other guys. I tried to move on. I can’t do it.”
Richard frowned, recalling last night’s conversation. “You’ve been breaking it off with these other women?”
Jay nodded. “I want her.”
“Why are you coming to me?”
Jay finally took a seat opposite him. “You’re different from the other men she’s been with. Tempe … you have to know her to see something that sparks inside her. Ever since she has been working for you, you’ve struck this kind of chord inside her, and she hasn’t been able to switch it off. It’s been about you, Richard, Mr. Bruce, the beast, that’s what they call you.”
“It’s a nickname.”
“And now you’re part of a biker club, and that’s her ultimate fantasy.”
“Is it?” Richard asked, happy that he had a hold on her that Jay couldn’t take away.
“Obviously not billionaire bikers, but the rough, rugged type.”
“The ones that break the law. Don’t fucking stereotype that shit,” Richard said.
Jay laughed. “Do you get off on confusing people?”
“Pretty much. Why are you here?” He was bored, and Jay was now ruining his day, and his plans. There was always an ideal way to set a plan in motion, and right now, this wasn’t it. The last thing he needed was for Jay to be here when Temperance entered his office. Not many people were on his floor, and he intended to convince her exactly why she should belong to him and then later, why it would be good for her to be shared by him and Jay.
“I want you to back off from her.”
Richard laughed. “You’ve got no chance. You’ve got more chance of me sharing her with you than you actually have of me leaving her alone.” He’d experienced a taste, and now he wanted more. There was not a chance in hell of him giving her up, not even to her best friend, but sharing he’d do. He watched Jay’s reaction. Sitting back in his chair, Richard contained his smile. Jay wasn’t averse to the idea of sharing. There was a way this could work, and now Jay’s arrival held a lot more appeal to him. Jay was not someone he could control, but seeing as they were alone, Richard was going to use this opportunity that had been opened up to him.
“You’d consider sharing her?”
“I’m a greedy man, but I’m not going to fight her best friend. You’re already ahead of me. Is it something you’d consider?” he asked, already knowing the answer. He was an expert businessman, and he knew how to work any man, including this one. Richard had already used his connections to get all the information he needed on Jay. He now knew that deep down, Jay was a good guy.
“I’d share her. I won’t fuck you or anything, but I want her.”
“I want Thursday to Sunday,” Richard said. “You cannot call, or try to interrupt my time with her.” He decided to set down some ground rules.
“Man, I may be an accountant but I’m not a fucking pushover. No, you’re not having four days with her while I get three, and I bet you drop her off on Monday, at your own convenience.”
Richard was impressed. He expected the man to fold quite easily, yet he hadn’t. He had to respect that.
“I have her Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday we both have her, then you have her Thursday and Friday. The weekend we both share her again. She’s also working for you, so keep your hands to yourself.”
Sitting back in his chair, Richard thought about it. It was the most logical way of dealing with the week. The break on Wednesday where they both had her meant neither of them actually got too close at risk of losing the other. Also, it was the start of getting him what he really wanted, the chance of seeing Temperance lost in pleasure while he got to watch. He liked it, and what pissed him off was the fact he was starting to like Jay. This man wasn’t a fool, and Richard didn’t like fools.
“Today is Saturday.”
“Yes. She works until two, and I expect to meet you for lunch, and to also join you at the end of your work to be together.”
Richard sighed. “You won’t back down.”
“No.”
“Is there anything I can give you to make you back down?”
“Like money?”
“Yeah, what do you want, consider it yours,” Richard said, testing the man’s morals. If he was going to be sharing with another man, then it was going to be someone with values.
“I want Tempe.”
“I’m not going to give her up.” One taste was all it took to get addicted. “You’ve already had your shot with her, why don’t you back off?”
“Because I’ve got another chance with her,” Jay said.
“Fine, I’ll agree to your deal. What are your terms?”
“Don’t go splashing your money around on expensive gifts. If we do this, then you’ve got to keep the luxury down.”
“I’ll buy her whatever the fuck I want. I’ve worked damned hard to be where I am right now.”
“Yeah, right, I bet you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, and you didn’t have to work your way to being leader of the company.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong. I was in foster care. I didn’t have the luxury of having a family. This is what I earned with my bare two hands, and I can tell you, I love every fucking second of it. Don’t even think to insult me.”
“And yet you both can insult me,” Temperance said, speaking up, and drawing their attention to her.
Her arms were folded, and she looked totally pissed.
“Tempe,” Jay said.
“So that’s why you were gone when I woke up. You didn’t even wake me.”
“Did you spend the night in her bed? That shit will stop as well.”
“Not on my day.”
“Are you two even listening to yourselves?” Temperance walked in and closed the door. He’d already drawn all the blinds around the room accept on the door.
“We’re coming to an agreement,” Jay said.
“Without me? Have you ever thought that I don’t want to share either of you?” She turned to him. “Last night was a mistake. We shouldn’t have slept together.”