Page 35 of Need

It was as if something snapped inside of him. I saw the look in his eyes change only a moment before he launched himself at me. I managed to get out of the way for the most part, but he still knocked me off balance and sent me tumbling into the desk.

He was back up in record time, but I was ready for him. When he came at me, I stepped to the side and landed a punch to his gut. The punch slowed him down a little, but he was not giving up. When he came after me again, he took a swing at my face.

He missed.

I didn’t.

My fist landed solidly on his jaw, and his head jerked back from the impact. This time, I didn’t wait for him to get his feet back under him. I took him by his shirt collar and hit him once more for good measure before bringing his face to mine.

“I suggest you move to another city, Karl. You will never find a job in Minneapolis again unless it’s flipping hamburgers. And if I ever hear of you ‘imposing yourself’ on a woman again, I will see that you spend a very long time behind bars.”

With that, I shoved him toward the door where the two security guards were waiting. They’d been instructed to watch but not interfere unless I said otherwise. I wanted witnesses. There’d been a good chance Karl would become violent once confronted, and I was smart enough to cover my back. I had too many people this could affect not to.

Ben and Max escorted Karl down the elevator and to his car. Jamie followed with his box of belongings. I didn’t trust Karl, so Ben and Max were also in charge of following him for the day. They would be calling me with follow-ups every hour.

I was ready for the end of the day by the time it finally arrived. Karl had attempted to come back once. We knew he was on his way, of course, and he was greeted with two additional security guards and a police officer, who very kindly let him know that if he was seen here again, he would be arrested. Officer Ballis was a friend of my assistant. It hadn’t taken much convincing for him to stop in and put our former CFO in his place.

Last night, I’d told Brianna not to fix anything for dinner because we would be going out. It was the last thing I wanted to do; however, she needed to be among people as much as possible. The interaction, simple as it may be, would be good for her.

She was waiting for me when I got home. Her hair was pinned back on the sides just enough so I could see her ears. She wore a cute black and red dress that came to a stop precisely above her knees. It showed off her tiny waist and gave the slightest hint of her cleavage. I felt both my mind and body wondering on the possibilities.

As I walked toward her, her lips pressed together so tightly that her lower lip completely disappeared. She always did that when she was unsure of herself or nervous.

I stopped in front of her without touching. “Good evening, Brianna. Is there something you wanted to tell me?”

Her eyes opened wide, knowing she’d been pegged. “I was just... wondering?”

I gave her a sly smile. “And what were you wondering?” She started to look down. “No,” I said in a firm, but soft voice. “I want you to look at me when you tell me.”

She obeyed, but I could tell she didn’t want to. “Should I be kneeling? I mean, now that I know you like it?”

I couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped as I embraced her. “Oh, Brianna, how I love you,” I whispered into her hair. Pulling back, I looked down into her face. “I do love when you kneel for me, but maybe not every time I come home, hmm? Maybe soon we can discuss some specific times I’d like to have you kneeling for me,” I said suggestively.

My eyes watched her closely, waiting for her reaction. It was subtle, but it was there. The pulse in her neck picked up its pace, as did her breathing. She even tensed for a few seconds before visibly forcing herself to relax again. It was as if her body and mind were arguing. I wanted tonight to be casual and relaxing for her, so I took her to Tony’s again.

He greeted us at the door with his same excitement. “Stephan! Brianna!” He showed us to a table toward the back and asked us both how we were as he handed us menus.

After ordering two waters, I focused on Brianna. “Tony has a lot of great Italian dishes. I thought we’d try some tonight.”

“Okay,” she nodded and began reading the menu.

Tony’s daughter, Maria, brought us our waters and said she’d be back shortly to take our orders. Brianna glanced up at Maria, but didn’t say anything.

A minute later, I saw her put her menu down. “Have you decided?”

“Yes. I think I’ll try the lasagna.”

“That’s a good choice. Tony makes all his own noodles. I think you’ll like it.”

“I used to like my mom’s,” she whispered.

I reached out and took her hand over the table. “Don’t hesitate to talk to me about your mother. I know she was important to you, and I want to hear about her.” She visibly relaxed.

I noticed Maria making her way to our table. “I want you to order for yourself, Brianna.” I saw her tense once again. “You’ve done it before, and I’m right here with you.”

She made it through ordering much better than she had at her first attempt. Brianna was still fighting her nerves, but she was winning. That was very good.

Dinner was pleasant. I even got her to laugh a little when I told her a story about Lily.

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