Expand Your Love

Chapter Two ~ Reputation

I sat down in my office chair and took a look at all the beautiful skyscraper which covered New York. I would have never thought that one day I would sit in this chair and deal with all these problems. I never wanted that. Never! Luke was always the one who wanted to lead this company. He was the one studying Estate Management. Not me. I have no idea what I am doing, and if it is right. My father taught me a bit about this business and I must say there is a reason why rarely a female makes it to the top. It is a though and ruthless business. Before I was forced into this family empire, I was planning on starting my own business with Sharon, who was a beast in her creative field and gained herself huge respect. I simply don't feel anything I do. I'm numb. While doing my B.A in Business Administration I learned a lot about self-control, persuading people and also how to keep a cool mind towards professional turbulences, but no one taught me how to keep 5 madmen under control and to deal with them on a daily basis. While I was in college I met Alexander. His appearance was intimidating and dominant. All the girls were into him. I remember when he gallantly walked at the campus all eyes were on him. He had total self-control over every inch of his body. His head was high and his eyes always carried a small desire, when he walked towards me. I was never really concerned about my look. I knew I had stunning genes, but I never dared to show them off, thanks to my brother's temper. He was the same age as Alex and they had some courses together. I don't know more details, because both of them did a pretty good job of hiding every possible information from me. They had a strong friendship. I remember when I once held a speech in front of all students regarding the internal organization of our University. My brother nearly lost his mind, when he realized how many boys glared at me. He even punched a few, who couldn't control themselves. Only one's eyes weren't filled with lust, but with softness & undefinable feelings. From that day on I always look into those eyes when I face fear or insecurities, to see those eyes filled with so much hate and fire, makes my throat tighten. What happened to this man?

What did I miss? Suddenly, a hot feeling started to grow inside of me, when I remembered what happened that evening. Gosh! I can't help. My body started to melt thinking about how wet my clothes were from the heavy raining. Raindrops were falling slowly down my skin. Until a rough voice said: "They look like pearls on your skin." I turned and saw him. Never did I feel that way like that evening.

A heavy knock on my door tore me out of my flashback. A sweet voice said:" Miss Smith they are waiting for you." Holy somewhat. The meeting! I completely forgot it. I answered her, that I'll be there in 5 minutes. I stood up out of my chair. Grabbed some documents and walked towards the door, but I felt sweaty and a bit stinky. So I turned back and put my favorite perfume on. My dad bought me that when he went to Paris. He made it himself. That's the reason why I love it so much. It gave me confidence when I was clearly about to pass out. I took the elevator and went to the 57th floor. My legs kind shaky from the stress I endured the whole day, I managed to walk straight towards the meeting room just to see the moody face expressions. What happened here for God's sake? I walked in and all eyes were on me. Everyone was perfectly seated and I pardoned myself for being late and sat down in my chair. Alex was seated next to me and I felt the tension. I asked Jared to continue the briefing of the issues with the HR, to get the other's distracted. "Did you read it?" I whispered. He looked at me sharply. "He won't get through with that. He has no idea what he's doing. This will be a terrible move." I checked if the other's heard our chatting, but everyone was very much focused. "Well, then say what you have to say. It's your last chance Alexander" I gave him a reminding look. Today we would decide in which direction we want to go and how our strategy will be. If he doesn't have the ability to arrive punctual and well prepared. His chances are gone. Other's will rule, may his arguments be as good as they are. No one cares when it's done. Something I learned in my studies. We must always pursue our goals no matter how tough and desperate our situation is. Time is extremely limited and we must use it wisely.

I heard when Jared started talking about the staff issue and its respect for our time, company and values. Jason looked at Alex with such a rude attitude. OH GOD NO! Alex arose and interrupted Jared as politely as he could. He started defending himself. Jason hissed and ignited a rage against him:" f*****g bitches should now be pardoned or what? When have you written a proper contract last time? It's been years. Your work quality is gone and so should you be. Having affairs in and outside the company is against our standards and you know that. We work here. We really do. Where have you been in the morning with your "well-prepared" arguments" his voice became sarcastic. "I wouldn't be so sure about your arguments. You probably haven't done any research to underline your assumptions with real facts. All you did is doing research on some of our female employees. I wonder what the results are. Please inform us about that. You surely have better insights into that." Everyone was quiet. I was gasping for air. He has an affair? With one or more employees? He slept with our employees! I looked quickly at Kiki and saw that she bowed down her head and she looked like a ghost. Jason took another round:" Miss Letcher please tell us how was Mr. Darren last night? Did you have fun? You probably did, that's the main reason why he didn't make it to the meeting I assume. Would love to also receive some unpaid extra service from you." Alex arose and went straight to him ready to knock the s**t out of him when I shouted" Stop!! Everyone get back in their seats. I don't want to hear a single thing from anyone in here. I'm sick and tired of you Alex. I gave you a million chances to fix your mistakes. A million!! Maybe even a billion." My voice started cracking, but I kept on going. "You Jason, where the f**k did you got the balls to discuss that in our board meeting. You should have had come to me with that issue. NOT DISCUSSING IT PUBICLY!!" I yelled. "Ms. Letcher" She stood up and I saw Alex's eyes filled with fear. "I want to see you in my office in 15 minutes." I hissed through my teeth. She nodded.

Alex tried to say a thing, but I blocked him. "I think the best for you now is to take a break. I don't want to see you here for a few days or even weeks." He looked at me with shame. Jason was very proud of what he did until I saw his victorious expression. " Mr. Jones the same for you." His face expression froze. "What? Angela, you can't. You need me f-" I interrupted:" No, I don't. As you know I can handle my stuff alone very well." "The meeting is over. To the other departments, if you have an urgent question please come to my office next week. I'll be there. Now would you excuse me? I have to handle some issues." I gave Alex a death stare.

I walked without a break out of this meeting, slamming the door, and breathing widely. I swear those men. What do they think who they are? They all work for me. I'm the boss here. Me alone!! God how this sounds. Good Lord help me! While walking straight to my office, I gave Lisa a sign to prepare everything. From this day one everything will run a bit differently. I stepped inside my office. Kiki was already sitting in the chair. The woman who tore me down a million times. She manipulated her way to the top. She even slept herself up. The thought made my chest burn as if hell moved inside my soul. She sobbed and looked at me begging for mercy. "Miss Letcher you have five minutes to explain yourself" I sat back in my chair and watched her. She started talking and trying to persuade me THAT NOTHING HAD HAPPENED and she just went to Alex's place to bring him some documents. How pathetic I thought. What a coward! "Listen don't lie to me. Tell me everything, because I have many things against you in my hands. I know e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!

She was shocked. I could see how her walls shattered down. She started to talk. "The truth!" I assured. "Well, Ms. Smith. It's true we did have an affair. It started a long time ago and it kinda developed into more. I can firmly assure you that nothing happened while we were at work."Enough!!" I yelled and I could hear the echo of my own voice. That bastard slept with her. He touched her. He did her. I felt unwell by the thought. "Ms. Smith you know what the consequences are for having an affair with a working colleague. He's not even a colleague, but your damn boss. Woman have some respect for yourself!" I shouted. "The money you have stolen from my cooperation will be the money you will pay back, I affirm you," I said. She opened her eyes in shock. "I said I know everything! Oh and Kiki did you know that he slept with Lucy too. I thought she was your best friend. Well, as I always said, One snake will eat another. Make sure you pack your things really quickly. I don't want to see you here. You don't deserve to work for my company. You are fired!" I stopped "You are free to leave." I have no idea how Jason managed to get all this information and proof, but I'm glad he did. As the CFO of our company he surely had some great tools, to know some extras about our employees. He knew more than me, but he kept his respect.

I saw that this was going to be a long night of firing people and cleaning up the mess, which I never did. What a f*****g job.

**ALEX POV**

I looked at her walking out. Leaving the scent of her perfume behind. What did I do? Kiki was long gone. I know she will face the consequences, but I didn't care. All I was thinking about was Angela's expression when she heard that I touched other women and did them right. I wonder does she feel something for me? That lady was on fire. That dominant side suits her well. She's stunning with that glowing skin, her beautifully made soft brown hair. The blue suit and those heels. Boy, I wouldn't mind if she hit my diamonds with that as long as she touched me. I saw Jason clenching his jaw. I mocked him:" Don't do that. I heard people who often do that are awful kisser. You know it's hard to show passion when your stiffen." He turned to me with a pissed expression. He stood up and walked towards me: " What is your damn problem? Why can you not just leave us alone? She doesn't want you. Don't you get that? She wants me." He showed himself off. One, two, three. I tried to calm down, but I grabbed him and punched him to the floor. "You son of a b***h what do you know what she wants or needs!" When I was about to grab him again and to punch the s**t out of him a soft hand grabbed me and pulled me back with force. "What the f**k is going on here? Did you both lose your f*****g damned minds? f**k!" Jared looked at us breathlessly. "He just punched me, because he has no balls" Jason barked. My fist tensed, I have no balls. Wait you little b***h! "I show you wh-" I screamed when Jared grabbed me. Meanwhile, security came to help Jared to separate us. They dragged Jason out of the conference room, while Jared calmly pushed me on the chair. "What the hell did you think with that action? Don't you know that he wanted to provoke this sort of reaction? What is your problem Alex? Why did you sleep with your secretary? She's with Angela and probably telling her all the details about how you did her." His voice echoed in my mind. "f**k!" I shouted and ran towards the elevator.

When it opened, everything was already done. Kiki saw me from the corner of her eyes. Attention mad woman coming your way!!, my senses told me. She was furious. "You slept with her, with my best friend? You coward!" She shouted and went on slapping me. Lucy walked out of the other elevator and gave me a devilish look. While Kiki, tried to scratch my eyes out with her fake nails, I tried to get a look of Angela, but she was in her huge office and two security men stood outside. The situation was tense. Another slap cut me out of my thoughts I grabbed Kiki and punched her so hard she collapsed and the floor and held her cheek. " It's enough you little w***e! Your games are over." I screamed when the office door abruptly was opened. She stood there and looked at me like an angel.

Only her eyes revealed the pain I put her through when she looked at me. I felt dead. Lucy walked out and Angela confirmed her dismissal. She's firing people. Her new gained courage made her even more attractive to me. How hot she looked with that fire in her eyes. Totally unaware, Kiki kicked my crotch and I fell down. Never did I feel such a pain. Angela yelled at the security and ordered to kick them out. Even police arrived meanwhile and Kiki was handcuffed. When the floor was cleared she came close to me and asked if I'm fine. When I looked into her eyes I gave up. All I wanted is to be the man on the side of this incredible woman, but I knew how dangerous that might become and what my duties were. My heart skipped a beat when she touched my cheek. I wondered how she felt while gliding her fingers on my skin so slowly. I saw her other hand tremble. No one of the security guards dared to come closer to us. The tension was real. I felt terrible. What the hell did I do? She commanded:" Gentleman could you please bring Mr. Darren to his office and help him with his... little issue down here." She blushed. Madame this is a big issue, not little, I thought. I smirked at her when I caught her blushing. She called Jared and he arrived immediately. She handed him some documents and he went on firing those women who were inflicted into this story. I looked at her again, while I was carried out by her bodyguards. She smiled kinky on me while mimicking my expressions. I felt like a winner. She's mimicking me. She's reacting to my idiotism. Isn't she mad? I started smiling like an i***t. A bodyguard looked at me with concern and said to the other:" Man I think he lost his balls, look how happy he is. Dude, you should be worried, if you still could pee." The other said:" It's the look of love. I think he likes someone special you know." I gave him a dead stare.

The other carried me to my office and place me softly onto my luxurious couch. I was in pain. f*****g woman how did she dare? The other two men saw my painful expression and the one went to grab a cold-pack to help me cool down my crotch. "Sir, you should see a doctor. Maybe it's bluish or something is broken. You could face infertility." The other one went white, even though he was a black man. He was in shock and asked how he survived so many punches in his holy place, and still managed to have three baby mamas. We all laughed. "Boys I'll be fine. I need to get to the restroom." They helped me immediately. I went cooling down my best man and I felt relief. The pain left. My smile still was on my face. She touched me and she was concerned. Suddenly, I smelled her on my shirt. I cheered in the restroom. "Man I think he has found his balls again"

I walked out of the restroom and thanked the two gentlemen. I grabbed the keys of my Porsche and I was determined to get her. I went to her office, but they told me she went to the garage. So I jumped back into the elevator and headed down to the garage. Just at the moment, I entered out of the elevator I saw the back of her car. She was about to leave. "You gotta be f*****g kidding me? Is this McCartney? That b***h!" I jumped into my car turning my vehicle on and speeding after them. I followed them closely but from a secure distance. They were heading to the Lavo Nightclub. One of the few clubs where you could have dinner and go straight clubbing afterward. My fist clenched, my body hurt from the tension. She will be the death of me. How can I protect her, when she's freely exposing herself to the danger. I got stuck in front of red light. I saw them speed away in the garage close by. I googled. Today they have a special evening where you must cover your face under a mask, I read. Jackpot. But where the hell do I get a mask? Jared that b***h probably knew about that and he was well prepared.

Suddenly the idea struck me. I gotta call Paul, the owner of Lavo. He probably has masks and suits as I know him. I stop in front of the club and walked out. A few ladies stopped and stared at me when I stepped out of my Porsche. I greeted them when passing them by and I could have sworn some of them fainted. "Mr. Darren good to see you. Paul is waiting in the lounge for you. Please, follow me." I greeted Mark and followed him. The nightlife had him consumed a bit more each time I saw him, but he always kept his energy high.

While walking the stairs up I saw them in a corner. They were eating shrimps and having a chat. He was sitting on the parallel side of her. This is how I like it. All of a sudden he placed his hand on hers. I stumbled. I stopped walking. What is he doing? Mark saw it and followed his eyes. " She must be really someone special, Sir." I looked at him and nodded. "Please, follow me, Mr. Darren." While I continued to walk the stairs up, I saw how they finished their meals, paid and walked towards the club. I walked through a closed room and saw Paul sitting in a corner and playing his games. This man will never change. As soon as he realized who I am he stood up and greeted me. "Alexander my man. Long time no see. How's life?" He clapped on my shoulders and looked at me. "Oh Oh Love Trouble? Man, how did that happen to you?" I said:" Business." He looked at me questionably. "What!?" I answered:" Well I banged my secretary, got exposed and Angela fired her and busted me." He laughed and continued:" This woman has some balls. Does she know who you are and what you can do? I mean Luke was not better than you. I remember his affair with that secretary of his father. Wait what was her name..... Ah, I think Gabrielle or Gabriella. That blonde girl. She got kicked out of the company when his father found out and I heard she even left the country. She worked for me here and she was the one who was involved in those unlawful actions." I lifted my head. My God this was even worse then I thought. She was the one who involved this club in a miserable position. "Thanks to you we still exist and you kinda saved us. Your law skills are impressive. So please tell me what brings you here?" He looked at me friendly and I remembered. "Costume," I said. "Costume? What?" He laughed. " I want to join the party, but I forgot my costume." "Oh, you need a mask. Why did you not tell that straightforward? Wait a minute, I'll be right back." Gabriella. Who was she?, I thought. Is she the reason why Luke disappeared and why. This whole story is simply a mess. Luke was well-educated, smart, good-looking, he had charm. He came from a wealthy family. Why would he be interested in a girl, who obviously hadn't her life under control? I really wondered and why did he do what he did.

Paul came back with an incredible Tuxedo. He also carried a satin bag and hand it over to me. "It's a beast mask. Made out of real diamonds. I want you to wear it." He showed me to his little luxurious room. "You can change your clothes here and if you want you can come back after the party and take a nap. I'll head home to my wife anyway. The room is all yours." He gave me the keys and a wicked grin. I changed and took a look. I looked like a true heartbreaker. Let the fun begin. Everyone was perfectly masked and very well dressed when I stepped in the club. It was crowded and the music burst from all sides. I inhaled the smell of alcohol. I looked through the whole club and my eyes fell on a beautiful woman who walked like a goddess under the arm of a man. The walk was as elegant as fatal. It's her. All men turned their heads to see her walk. My anger started to rise. Bastards! They stopped at the bar and the male next to her took 3 strong shots and looked like an inexperienced drinker. Oh, Jared! Don't overforce you. When I realized that the lady took 4 shots too, my senses started sending alarms to my body. I walked down the stairs in an elegant manner. It took me minutes to get through the crowds. When I looked at the bar the woman started talking to a man in a white suit. I clenched my fist. Jared was long gone and I' 've seen him walking after a red-haired woman. She was alone. I walked slowly behind the man and growled "Another man's property shouldn't be invaded without his permission. Don't you know?" My eyes were ice-cold. I felt his fear and he left quickly. Here I was looking at her. Her angelic eyes looked at me. The deep brown of her eyes made me cringe. She even had a little spark of drunkness inside them. She was drunk. She offered me her pinky drink. I took a sip. Good Lord. Does she even know strong it is? I gulped it down, so she would not finish it. My throat was burning and there it was. Her scent. It was her. I held my eyes close to feel the sensation more intensively. She leaned towards me and placed her hand on my chest, "Are you okay?". I nodded and ordered a Mango-Vodka shot. She took it without hesitation. I looked at her how she sipped down those two shots as if they were water. What got into that woman? She was never such a ruthless drinker. A little light ignited her face and I saw a little drop on her red lips. It made me shiver and I leaned down to lick it from her lip. All of the sudden Touch Of Your Hand started playing and I felt our body tense. It took me over. I had to have her. The longing was unbearable. She responded automatically and kissed me deeply. Her kiss was intoxicating and I kissed her back with more passion and pressure. She gasped and a little moan escaped her raw lips. The kiss became more intense and it felt the same after all these years. It still felt the same. She tasted the same. The tension was the same. I felt the sensation arise. She was totally drunk and could barely stand. I grabbed her and held her close to my hot body. She whispered:" I know you! Don't I?"

I placed my index finger on her hot lips. They pulsed under it and she pulled my finger softly away. She looked intensively in my eyes and kissed me without any pressure. It felt incredible. I broke the kiss and started kissing her neck. The perfume and sweat of the day mixed on my lips and it drove me wild. I grabbed her hand and she followed me to the stairs. We made it to the stairs and she walked slowly up. On the halfway, I grabbed her and gave her an untamed kiss, while Breathe On Me was playing in the background. She gasped when I broke the kiss and looked at me with an intense glare. After some time we made it to the room and I closed the door behind me. She got closer to me and I kissed her without breaking it. I kissed every inch of her neck and I guided her to the King Size Bed behind her. She laid there and held the kiss. I stroke her leg gently and she shivered under my body. I felt every muscle react. I was wild for her. She wrapped her legs around me when all of a sudden she broke it and tried to get me off of her. The aching bulge in my pants was evidence of the lust I felt for her, and the fire in my chest confirmed the feelings I have hidden all the years. She shook her head and held a hand on her forehead. "I can't do it. This is not something I should be doing." I analyzed her slowly and asked softly: "Why?"

She tried to look at me, but she was way too drunk. "It's not how you should do it anytime and especially not for the first time, you know. I'll go." My chin fell down, I think. Wait what did she say? I caressed her back and hugged her to calm her down, while I tried to figure out her words. Is this even true? Did she spare herself or did Luke force her? After all, she was 25 years old and every man's dream. I held her in my arms, as she started to cry I hugged her tighter and pressed her to my chest. After some time she calmed down and fell asleep. I placed a tender kiss on her forehead.