Relinquish(50)

I blow out an irritated breath and lift from my seat, the smell of her and sex prominent in the air. I grab a tumbler and pour some scotch. Lifting the glass to my lips, my fingers brush against my nose, giving away the sweet smell of her *. I grit my teeth and throw the glass against the wall in a sea of rage. She hasn’t been here five minutes and I’ve already managed to f*ck this up. I need to stick to the plan, to the mission at hand and gain some damn control. I’ve never been so affected by a woman in my life; it bewilders me and pisses me off all at the same time. I need to get a hold of myself and remember what Charlie’s place is here at the estate. I close my eyes, knowing that’s going to be a hurdle. One I’m not sure I can leap.

“Sir?” I turn quickly, finding Jean red-faced and eyes wide.

“Is everything okay? Do you want me to clean that up?” She points to the wall with pieces of glass and scotch dripping down it.

“No, Jean. I’ll get it, dear,” I reply softly, my ball of rage slowly lifting from the nervous state she’s in. She’s been here since I was a boy. I respect her, especially because if I ever disrespected her growing up, my mother would slap me upside the head. She nods and ducks out of the office.

I stride over to my seat and sit, rubbing my temples to cure the ache that resides in my head. I could compare the pain to dehydration, and the only thing to quench my thirst is Charlie.

“Charlie, you are going to destroy me,” I mumble, staring at my desk which showcases two perfectly round butt cheek prints from where Charlie was sitting.





CHARLIE


“Time to wake up!” Jean hollers, dragging me from my deep sleep.

I pull the sea of blankets from my face, finding Jean yanking open the curtains to let in the blinding sun.

I groan and roll over.

“Wake up. Wake up!” she yells, grabbing the blanket and pulling it off my warm body. A cold breeze rushes up my legs, causing goose bumps. I curl into myself for warmth and scowl at Jean.

“Breakfast.” She points to the end table next to the bed. I follow her finger to a stack of pancakes and OJ. The smell of hot, buttery pancakes lights the wick to my appetite and my stomach growls.

“When you’re finished, you’re to meet Landon in his office. Here are some more of the clothes Gabe bought you, as well.” She points to a bunch of bags next to the bathroom door. My eyes widen at the shopping bags with designer names printed on the sides. I didn’t know they bought me a whole new wardrobe.

“Thank you, Jean,” I mutter, rolling over for the plate of food.

After I eat and shower, I start pulling clothes from bags. I find some black slacks and a white blouse and put them on along with some gray heels before leaving my room.

I look down the hall at Landon’s door and sigh heavily. I have to be strong today, build my wall of defense or Landon will cause me to self-destruct from the inside out. I close my eyes. Why? Why does he affect me so much? I barely know him, yet my heart and body throb for him like a lifeline. Like I’m a sinking ship, and he’s the only one to save me from anchoring myself into the depths of no return.

I head toward the stairs, finding an older man and Veronica standing at the bottom talking. The man has pepper-colored hair and is wearing black dress pants and a white button-up shirt.

I take a step on the stairs, and it catches their attention.

“This is the new girl,” Veronica informs sweetly, her tone surprising me. But then again, I’m guessing the man is her stepdad, so she’s probably kissing his ass for something she wants. I cock my head to the side, not really sure what it is she does here to begin with.

The man squints, and his mouth slightly opens as he takes me in. “Is it now?” he questions, his voice cracking with age. A shiver races up my spine from his tone of voice, and my heart picks up its pace, causing my head to spin. I freeze at my body’s reaction. Taking a large breath, trying to calm myself, I head down the stairs, mustering a smile at both of them.

“I’m Charlie.” I hold my hand out to shake his.

“Charlie, I’m Miller.” He accepts my hand and shakes it, his eyes still taking me in. My palm goes ice cold when he touches it, but I’m not sure if my reaction is from his touch or his voice.

My temples throb, making my vision sway. I feel like a little kid meeting the monster beneath her bed for the first time. I can’t breathe, can’t focus. I take a deep breath, not sure why I’m reacting the way I am. I blink, trying to clear my thoughts before finding Miller looking right at me. His face is lined with wrinkles, and he has bags under his eyes. I tilt my head to the side, lost in the light-green orbs. His voice… it sounds familiar.

“There you are.” I slowly take my eyes from Miller to find Landon scowling at me, his hands in his suit pockets. He looks good, as usual. His dark hair is combed back, his toned body trying to rip through the material of his suit. Just by walking into the room, his body demands a powerful presence.

“This is the new girl, huh?” Miller asks, finally breaking his gaze with me for Landon.

“It is.” Landon nods.

“Miller, baby!” I look up the stairs and find a woman with dirty-blonde hair rushing down the steps. She’s wearing a white nightie and an untied champagne-colored robe.

She flies past me and wraps herself around Miller, the smell of her perfume causing me to gasp for air. She looks to be in her mid-thirties, and Miller looks to be in his sixties. The age gap is large and has me thinking she’s a gold digger. Not that I’m one to talk about being with men for money.