Winning the Institute of Architecture's Most-Promising Designer Award could propel her, head and shoulders, above the year's other graduates. Her name would be known in the right places and she could expect job offers from several companies. She would stay with O'Brien's-they had after all given her the break she'd desperately needed-and complete at least one project successfully, but afterwards she would move on and forge a successful career for herself.
By then, she and Dominic would have long been history.
Chapter Nine
"Lastly, I've decided that Chantelle will project manage the Thamesview Project with me until my father's return next month," Dominic informed the assembled management team.
Chantelle, sitting towards the end of the long table and feasting on her first sight of Dominic in five days, thought she'd misheard him.
He wanted her to work on the biggest project the company had ever handled!
For a moment there was stunned silence in the room. Then Preston jumped up and said, "What did the hell did you say?"
"You heard me correctly, so sit down, Preston!" Dominic commanded curtly. "My father's keen to have a different approach on this project. Chantelle's ideal with her fresh ideas and younger perspective."
"I'm sure her youth is the reason you chose her for the job!" the older man retorted scornfully. "Just don't pretend that you're doing it for your father's benefit!"
"This is still my father's company, so naturally I include him in all major decisions. I have his approval on this." Dominic's voice was so cold, it sent a shiver down Chantelle's spine. "Since Chantelle has been with the company she's taken a keen interest in the project without being prompted. She sent me a list of suggestions for the project which I forwarded to my father yesterday. He's excited by her ideas. I had a tough time convincing him to have another month's recuperation."
"I'm sure your father's not aware that you hired your bit of fluff. But if you think-"
"Preston, I will not have any member of my management team referred to in such a derogatory way!" Dominic forcibly cut the man's tirade short. "You have exactly one minute to apologize to Ms Payne, or leave this room, clear your desk and leave the company."
"I don't have to apol … " Something in Dominic's stony, determined face made the older man falter. "Chantelle … Ms Payne, I apologize for my comment."
"Apology accepted." Chantelle inclined her head graciously but felt like she was bleeding inside.
"My father retires in four years and I would like to see him finally win the ‘Building of the Year' which has twice eluded him. With the Thamesview Project we have the chance to start from the ground up. The local council hasn't imposed any restrictions, so we can give our imaginations free reign. As usual I expect all of you to contribute your ideas, but the final decisions will be mine and my father's. Thank you for your time, ladies and gentlemen. I'm off to sleep off my jetlag. See you all tomorrow."
Chantelle avoided Dominic's gaze as she gathered her notepad and the printed slides she'd used as a guide to turn the page appropriately while Lauren for given an earlier PowerPoint presentation.
For the first time she wished that the walls of her offices were solid wood and not the clear tempered glass that gave perfect privacy in terms of sound, but allowed a panoramic view of the entire floor. She wanted to bury her head in her arms in mortification. Instead she sat in her large executive chair, stiffened her spine and woke up her computer from sleep mode, knowing that details of Preston's unprofessional outburst would gradually filter through the office.
Her brand new iPhone beeped, indicating an incoming message.
Sorry about Preston. He's an old shit! 12:05? X
There was no way she was going to sneak out to meet him for lunch today!
17:35. I'm going to grab a bagel for lunch and eat it at my desk. xx
His reply came seconds later: Okay, but you'll pay for making me wait. X
Her high-heeled, dark grey pumps prevented her toes from curling at his diabolical promise. The lace in her bra stretched to allow her nipples to harden and then seemed to deliberately retract and chafe against them. She squirmed against her chair to soothe the sudden ache she'd developed below, already wishing that she could throw caution to the wind and meet him for lunch and be filled with his hot meat for most of those fifty minutes, instead of the hot Salt Beef bagel she planned to order.
Dominic had returned from Jamaica only hours ago. He was probably as horny as hell. He would have been looking forward to sating his lust at lunch. Now she was making him wait another five hours.
He would make her pay.
He exacted the most delicious punishments.
***
Chantelle turned the key, pushed the door open and stepped into the flat. She immediately found herself flattened against the wall by a naked male body, a rod of steel pressing insistently into her lower abdomen.
"Take your clothes off and lie facedown on the bed, now!"
"What no kiss, no ‘I missed you'?" she teased, sliding her arms around his broad shoulders and pulling his head down until their lips met.
"You know damned well I missed you!" he ground out before crushing her lips beneath his in a scorching kiss that immediately drenched her silk panties, again. His hands slid under her skirt, cupped her bottom and pressed her hard against his erection. "We both missed you."
"I missed you, too."
"But not enough to meet me at lunch time." He stepped back and started to quickly and efficiently undress her.
"I've had lunch at my desk all week," she protested. "It would have looked suspicious if I had gone for my lunch-time walk the day you returned."
"So why didn't you come to the flat while I was away as you'd planned?" he demanded, propelling her towards the master bedroom and onto the bed.
"It's been raining cats and dogs all week!" She shivered as he snapped the pair of handcuffs over her left wrist and attached it to the cast-iron bed frame-not because the fur-lined metal was cold, but in anticipation of the torture he'd planned for her. "I hate getting my feet wet."
"You should have come out, even if you had to wear Wellington Boots." He attached her handcuffed right foot to the footboard and sat back on his hunches. "Each day I looked forward to the footage you promised me."
"I didn't promise you anything!" Spread eagle on her front across the large custom-made bed, Chantelle could just about turn her head from side to side.
"Didn't you beg me not to sleep with anyone else while I was in Jamaica?" He bit her heel playfully. "And didn't I say I would if you came here every day at lunch time and sent me a video clip of you playing with yourself as a reminder of what I had waiting for me in the UK?"
"Yes." She squirmed as he ran his tongue over the arch of her foot. Oh dear God, not her ticklish feet! "Dominic, don't!"
"And why didn't you?"
"I thought you were joking!"
She had known that he wasn't joking, but she'd baulked at the thought of someone else accidentally seeing an image of her private parts. She cringed as she remembered how emotional she'd become when they had made love just before he left for Jamaica. Remembering his impromptu trip to Bahamas to break off things with his woman there, she suddenly felt panicked that he had one in Jamaica, too. She'd clung to him on the eve of his trip to Jamaica, supported by the wall behind her and his strong arms under her knees, as he had thrust rhythmically into her and begged him not to give anyone in Jamaica her ‘sugar' while he was over there. He hadn't responded until they were lying in bed together several minutes later. And then rather than allay her fears that he would sleep with someone else while out there, he'd made a conditional promise which she had agreed to, in desperation.
"You know I never joke about anything."
"Does that mean you slept with … ?" she couldn't finish the question past the lump that had formed in her throat. She raised her head and held her breath as she waited for his answer.
"No I didn't." He held her foot steady and sucked several of her toes into his mouth.
"Dominic, please … please!"
"I'm going to find every erogenous zone on your body and tease you until you die of pleasure," he threatened.
Minutes later she screamed out as if he were indeed murdering her as he tilted her behind upwards and feasted on her nub of her clitoris like he hadn't eaten in weeks. When she came, he continued on regardless, not stopping until she flooded his tongue with another flow of her nectar.
She felt boneless as he unsnapped the handcuffs and turned her over.
"And now, my precious, I'm going to fuck you until you're too sore to walk." He placed her legs on his shoulders and positioned himself against her. "I was bursting when I got here today. I don't appreciate having to masturbate when I have a woman who can satisfy my needs. The next time I tell you to come to me, you will do so without question."