The Submission of Anna (closed for cum_inside)

, CEO, of Anderson & Clemens International sat in his office on the 48th floor overlooking the park gazing out the window. He wore a bright smile thinking about the new contract his company landed yesterday. The marketing department worked for months trying to convince the new client to buy their products and offer them to the public. All the long hours had paid off and he was proud of the marketing effort. At the final contract signing, the company tried to squirm out of the deal but it was too late. Carter had done his homework and threatened to go public with nasty rumors of sexual misconduct by the company’s president. The look on their faces was priceless and he loved it when he put someone in a corner and got what he wanted. Hell, he always got what he wanted.

Turning back to his large oak desk, he picked up his phone, pressing a button for his private secretary, Joanna. “Joanna, please send a bottle of champagne to John Bouton’s office as a token of my appreciation.” John Bouton, Senior Vice President of marketing, was instrumental in pulling this deal together and Carter was pleased. He had been with the company for five years and through his efforts, his department grew to ten employees.

He and Patrick Clemens had started the company ten years ago with an idea to be the middle man for companies who wanted to get their products out to market. The first few years were tough but then Carter, through some ruthless negotiations, was able to land a large contract. When the client tried to get out of the deal, Carter used some obscure language in the contract to force the client to adhere to its terms. Afterwards Carter learned that to get what he wanted and he became a ruthless negotiator. Now, many years later, he was accustomed to getting what he wanted when he wanted it and he seldom if ever took no for an answer.

And that went for his women too. When he saw a good-looking woman who captivated his thoughts, he never took no for an answer. Enjoying the cat and mouse games they played, he was not above using anything against the women to get what he wanted. Most of the time, he was able to delicately weave his desires to get what he wanted. But if he had to blackmail them that was ok too. Because he learned that winning was the only important thing and nothing else mattered. Some of the women were easily convinced to give into his kinky games of sexual pleasures but others were more resistant. But it didn’t matter, easy or not, he knew he would eventually get what he wanted. After he used them for his kinky and dominating satisfaction, he would grow bored and look for a new fresh conquest. He hoped one day he would find someone who captivated him so much he wouldn’t desire to look for another woman. But so far no one did.

Carter finished some work and then told Joanna he was going down to the marketing department to personally congratulate John and his team. Entering the department on the 40th floor, he went directly to John’s office but on the way, he noticed a young woman in an office near his. She had long brown hair and she looked at him, she gave him a soft smile. He didn’t remember seeing her in the past but with so many employees, there was no way he could know everyone. Knocking on John’s door, he thought about the woman and there was something intriguing about her captured his attention.

John was surprised to see Carter make a visit and offered him a chair. Sitting down in soft leather guest chair, Carter and John talked about the new client. Carter praised him for the great work and told him if it wasn’t for his efforts they wouldn’t have landed this lucrative contract. John smiled at the adulation his boss poured on to him but he knew he was not the only one responsible for bringing in the new client.

“Carter, I do appreciate your praise but we have a team and if it wasn’t for Annaleigh we wouldn’t have made it to first base with them. She really did a great job selling the product line.”

“Who is this wonder woman and why haven’t I heard about her?”

“She started about six months ago and this was the first big assignment we gave her. I must say our team was impressed with her.”

Carter smiled. “I want to meet this marketing whiz John.”

“Sure thing boss.” John picked up his phone and pressed some numbers. “Annaleigh I want you to come into my office right now.” There was a pause and then he added, “I know you have a client meeting in a few minutes but that can wait.”

John turned to Carter. She has a meeting in the conference with one of our clients but that can wait. John knew Carter did not like to be kept waiting and when he wanted something people jumped. After a minute, the door to John’s office opened and there stood the woman who had caught Carter’s attention. “Annaleigh. Come in please. I want you to meet the CEO of the company. I told him it was you who got the newest client to come on board. Anna this is Carter Anderson our wonderful CEO.”

Carter looked at the young woman standing a few feet from him, taking in her brown hair with streaks of blonde hanging over her shoulders. But when he looked into her piercing green eyes, he was captivated. God they were so …. So sensual.

Glancing down her figure he liked what he was seeing. Her generous breasts seemed so restricted in her tight blouse and he wondered what they would feel like in his hands. A surge coursed through him and he knew he had to get to know her. No he needed to have her. Smitten with erotic thoughts, he had to get to know her more intimately. But now was not the time to blurt out what he knew some day he would tell her. “You are mine to do with as I wish.”

Standing, he looked down at the brown-haired beauty. She was almost a foot shorter than his 6’2” height. He offered a sincere smile and his hand, smiling when her small hand disappeared into his large paw. After the initial handshake, she tried to remove her hand but he held it longer than necessary as he spoke. “Annaleigh or is it Anna? It is a pleasure to meet you. John has been telling me of the wonderful job you did?” He released her hand and stood in front of her, giving John no thought as he waited for her to answer him.

smoothed her emerald green blouse just before the elevator doors opened and out strode Carter Anderson. She had never seen the man before but had heard all the whispers and tales of his infamy spread far and wide over the break room. He was known to be a strict man, not necessarily outright cruel but ruthless in his pursuit to achieve success and take what he wanted. There was also talks about his good looks, but his attitude overshadowed those. Although several women wanted to spend a night with him or have a quick go in his office over lunch, his cold demeanour and no-nonsense attitude at work kept them away. He'd never expressed any interest in any woman in the office that she was aware of, but then again Anna had only been with his company for six months. She also found herself unconcerned with the gossip, considering she was here to bring in a decent paycheque and not get involved in anything outside her scope of duties here. She was utterly not interested in the most active half and face of the company, Carter Anderson.

She had received her MBA just two years ago at the age of 22 but had been working hard to climb the ladder and make herself a decent name in the business world. Marketing was a niche that she fit well into, being able to exercise her creativity and sharp mind to determine how best products would sell. A family friend who worked for Anderson & Clemens in the accounting department had instantly guessed that Anna would be a good fit for the company and had recommended her. She had passed the initial interviews with flying colours and left her old job at a little start-up that had served as a good stepping stone. Initially, she was hesitant to speak up but after getting to know her team she began to feel more comfortable and found that everyone seemed to like the ideas she came up with. Thanks to her out of the box suggestions, products were selling quickly. She had earned her place on the team that had pulled the biggest deal yet this year but always stepped back into the shadows and let John (her department head) take the credit. Annaleigh hated having the spotlight put on her and usually did what she could to wiggle out of it.

Mr. Anderson breezed by her with a quick glance. For some reason, his eyes felt like they were seeing right through her, focused and intense. They made Anna want to lower her own green eyes and bow her head in respect, but she resisted, straightening her spine until she was standing as tall as she possibly could. He truly was an attractive man and she was unable to deny it. His five o'clock shadow would usually scream "unkempt" to her, but now it only said, "ruggedly handsome." His thick hair was flipped back off his forehead and the fit of his suit couldn't be any more perfect - revealing the broad width of his shoulders and strongly muscled chest beneath the stretch of the dark fabric. She fought the urge to shiver.

The moment passed and he continued into John's office. Annaleigh finished gathering the files she needed for the client meeting, putting the encounter out of her head. She was just stepping away from the desk to head from the conference room when the phone rang. Picking up, she listened to John request her presence in his office despite knowing about her important meeting. She hung up and delegated it to Lena, a more senior employee that could always be counted on to get things done correctly.

Anna fluffed her hair and quickly checked her makeup in the small compact she kept in her drawer, reapplying a dab of gloss over her ruby-red lips. She did have to admit that it perturbed her that Carter Anderson's presence in the department became a priority over any clients. Annaleigh had been working on building a rapport with these people for the last several weeks with visits to their own office and several phone conversations, but she realized she couldn't exactly say "no" when asked outright to meet the CEO.

Slowly, she crossed the floor to John's office and pressed the door open. Her eyes scanned over Carter sitting comfortably in the leather-backed chair in front of John's desk and she noted he was doing the same to her, instead with much more of a thorough glance than the one she leveled him with. He made no secret that he was looking her over from head to toe before standing and taking her hand firmly in his, refusing to let go when she attempted to release the hand shake.

She had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes since this man towered over her tiny 5'2 height. Replying softly, she said, "Pleasure is all mine Mr. Anderson. It's Annaleigh Brayden, if you please. John gives me too much credit - I only made a couple suggestions and managed client relations over the phone. Nothing that he couldn't do." She made another attempt to free her hand and this time he did let go, but his long fingers dragged against the soft skin of her palm as her hand dropped back to her side.

Her fingers twitched nervously as he continued to scrutinize her, so she continued, "John has been a great mentor. I'm learning a lot from him and hope that I can continue to provide such good results to your company, sir. It's very well known and I am so pleased to be a member of your team."

John's office .... Invitation to dinner

Such formality, he thought when she told him her name was Annaleigh. It was apparent to him that those who she knew and worked with called her Anna had John did. That was ok. Only time would tell what he would call her. Brushing that thought away, he smiled as she told him it was a pleasure to meet him.

Everyone in the office told him that but was it really the truth. He over heard some of the rumors amongst the employees about his behavior and strict policies. But that was ok that they didn't like him. He was the head of the multinational company and he didn't have time to play their silly little games. There was money to be made and it was all about control. Control employees and clients and you get what you want, every time.

Listening to her every word, he chuckled and responded. "I know John well enough to know that he will tell it like it is. Isn't that right John?"

Carter never took his eyes off Annaleigh when John said, "That's right Mr. Anderson." Carter knew he was sucking ass but then again he loved it when his employees did as he wanted.

Putting his arm around Annaleigh's shoulders, he turned to face John. He felt her body stiffen a little as he pulled her against his side. God she felt so right with his arm draped over her shoulder. "John I think you have a real catch here. I'm looking forward to hearing great things about her and seeing her results." While they may have thought he was talking about new or existing clients, he had other results in mind for this lovely employee.

"She is a valuable part of the team boss." John's eyes scanned from Carter to Anna and he could tell she was a bit uncomfortable. "Boss, Anna has an important meeting with a client and I think she should get to that meeting, don't you think Anna?"

Carter saw her nod and before she could speak, he blurted out. "Listen I won't take any more of your time. I have some important things to do this afternoon." He was going to have her file pulled and review it with a fine tooth comb to gather ammunition.

But he wasn't about to tell her and added, "As a token of my appreciation and celebration for a great job well done, I want you both to join me for dinner tonight at the Blue Haven. I'll have Joanna make reservation for three."

The Blue Haven was an exclusive restaurant nearby that catered to the rich and famous of the city. Carter loved to take his new clients to the restaurant to show off his taste in fine dining. Rarely would he take his employees but he wanted to show off for Annaleigh and hopefully make her feel special.

He felt Annaleigh shift against him. Letting his arm fall off her shoulders he was tempted to touch her ass but instead he watched her tilt her head up and look at him with those amazing emerald eyes. He could tell she was searching his face and maybe trying to find a way out of having dinner with him. He put his hand on her arm and rubbed it slightly. "You don't have a problem with that Ms. Brayden, do you? I'm sure if you have other plans they will understand."

Ana bit her lip as she tried to politely talk her way out of the situation. She did have plans; tonight she was going to celebrate her boyfriend Simon's recent graduation from medical school. They'd been putting it off since they'd both been so busy with work and other priorities, but tonight they both had a night to spare and it happened to be a Friday night, coincidentally. Anna and Simon had made plans to enjoy a little wine over dinner and maybe a little fun as they relaxed their exhausted bodies in the bubbles of a nice steamy tub before retiring to bed for some much-needed intimacy.

She knew that refusing outright would be a terrible slight to his generosity, but Annaleigh didn't feel like spending the evening making pleasantries with a man she could care less about. The only thing she wanted from Carter Anderson was to keep her job and maybe eventually a promotion, but that was way down the road yet. He was looking at her as though she was a prize to be won; she knew that his offer was just one way to demonstrate his immense wealth and power and steer her under his control in the future, but she'd always had excellent insight into how other people's minds worked and did not feel like being fooled by a man such as this.

Her body was tense under his stare and goosebumps pebbled her skin as his large hand easily enveloped the width of her forearm. This man had a way of making her feel small and she wasn't sure that she liked it. Standing this close, his cologne wafted into her nostrils - a sweet but spicy scent she couldn't quite identify. There was a hint of something citrusy but the undercurrent carried something almost like sandalwood behind it. Despite the uncomfortable feelings he inspired in her, she did have to admit that the man both smelled and looked good. But Anna's current boyfriend was no slouch, so she was used to overlooking handsome men, very happy in her relationship.

"I do apologize but there's a family function that I absolutely cannot get out of," she fibbed, schooling her features into cool indifference. She had once been told that she had a strong poker face and she wasn't above using it to manipulate her way out of this situation. "Again, thank you for the high praise of my work, both of you, but I've duties to return to."

Turning to Carter, she bowed her head slightly as she said, "I do appreciate the offer, sir. It sounds lovely - I wish I could attend. I'm sure Mr. Bouton will make a fine conversationalist for the evening as he enjoys a well-earned dinner of celebration."

"My clients are waiting - if there's nothing else I can do for you, please excuse me."

Without waiting for a further response, she ducked her head once more in respect as she turned and stepped out of the office, firmly closing the door behind her. With a deep breath, she let her shoulders and back rest against the sturdy frame of the wooden door. Gods, that was intense, she thought. No wonder that man gets what he wants - that pair of eyes burned through her until they saw the barest truths of her, and his mind was sharp enough to manipulate her own with just a demanding whisper of power mixed into his words. He made you want to obey. But Anna had never fancied herself as someone who did anything to please someone else; Annaleigh was strong-minded and stubborn at the best of times, and although this man unnerved her, she wouldn't let him get the best of her.

Quietly, she slipped into the back door of the conference room. The meeting was well underway at this point and Lena was handling it magnificently just as Anna knew she would. She fielded questions left and right as Annaleigh mostly observed, only offering a comment when the timing seemed appropriate. Although she was basically useless here, it was an excellent excuse to extricate herself from the previous situation and kill time until it was that time of day that called for an evening commute home. For once, she was looking forward to the busy press of bodies on the subway: it was one step closer to home and a wonderful evening with her loving boyfriend.

Friday ... Research time

Carter listened to Anna's excuse as to why she couldn't have dinner with him and John, not giving away his disappointment. She said it was a family thing that she couldn't get out of but he detected a slight twitch in her right eye. Yea she had something to do tonight but he was pretty sure it was not her immediate family.

Evidently John hadn't schooled his newest employee on proper manners when she had the audacity to turn and walk out of the room without so much as giving him or John a chance to say something. This definitely didn't set well with Carter but he didn't get angry. There was no need to get upset. Eventually he would get what he wanted and that was Annaleigh or Anna or whatever he decided to call her.

"John I'll meet you at 7:00 pm sharp."

"Yes boss," he said in a somewhat subdued tone.

It would have been easier to just postpone the celebratory dinner but then that would mean Annaleigh bested him and no employee would get the best of him. Some employers would have sympathy for employees who have a family event but not Carter. He figured with John being a family man, he too probably had some plans with his wife and kids but that would have to wait. Besides he had the whole weekend to have fun at home.

Retiring to his office, he requested Joanna retrieve Anna's employee packet and then he called an old friend. Investigator Patrick McPherson had helped him out of a few scraps in the past and now he had another assignment for the retired Irish cop, who now free-lanced, digging up information on people for a price.

When his soft gruff gravelly came on the line, he chuckled. "Patrick, Carter here. I have a new assignment for you." They exchanged playful jabs and then Carter got right to the point. I have an employee who I want information on. I just sent you her picture and she will be on the commuter train at about 5 pm. I want you to tail her and get some pictures this weekend. There was a long pause on the phone and when Carter told him he would triple his usual hourly fee, the crusty Irishman immediately agreed to have it on his desk first thing Monday morning.

Turning his attention to her file, he read with interest, her background and made a mental note about a family friend, Paula Richardson, who worked in accounting. She was the one responsible for getting Anna the interview. “More ammunition for the game,” he mused and then let out a soft chuckle. Putting his hands behind his head and his feet on the desk, he smiled thinking Anna was going to be one of his more enjoyable challenges.

**************************************************************

Dinner with John was pleasant and uneventful. They discussed clients and in particular different employees in John’s department. When the subject came to Anna, Carter asked about her assignments. John mentioned Lina working with Anna on an existing client they were targeting for one of their more challenging lines. He mentioned how Anna was doing an exceptional job and he thought she would soon be in line for a promotion. A devious thought crossed Carter’s mind but he didn’t mention it to John. The idea, if he would act on it, would surely upset the young upstart.

After dinner, they exchanged pleasantries and Carter wished John a great weekend. He could see relief on John’s face as he turned to leave but he got what he wanted from John, more information on Anna. As Carter waited for the valet to bring him his sporty BMW, he heard his phone ping. He smiled, seeing there was a text from Patrick. There was a simple note, ENJOY, on the screen and when he opened the attachment, he saw the image of Anna and some guy, hugging and kissing in front of a door. "So this is family," he mused studying the photo.

Putting the car into gear, he whispered with a sneer, "Next week will be interesting.” Punching in a number into his cell phone he thought of Anna. When a female voice answered, he simply demanded, “Marie I will be there in 30 minutes. Be naked and kneeling in your living room when I arrive.” He ended the call without waiting for an answer because he knew there would be none. It was going to be a good weekend and he was already looking forward to seeing Anna on Monday.

The wine was a deep full-bodied red. It was waiting for her on ice in a bucket on the island as she stepped out of her heels, rubbing softly at her aching feet. Grabbing two glasses, she called out softly for Simon who had disappeared down the hallway to finish getting comfortable before dinner was ready. They danced around each other as they worked to set the table and pull the casserole dish from the oven. Finally, they settled down to eat, trading small talk about the daily events. Anna told him about her strange encounter with the CEO but they both chalked it up to someone appreciating a job well done from his subordinates.

As the evening progressed, Annaleigh's clothes ended up being shed in a trail down the hallway. Simon was currently running the bath but he looked up as she stepped into the washroom completely bare to his eyes. After that, it didn't take long for him to strip off his own clothes and climb into the tub. She slid into the space between his legs with her back pressed against his chest. They kissed slowly, his fingers disappearing into the spread of her thighs and into her wet pussy, bringing her to one orgasm before migrating to the bed where they made love sweetly.

The next morning was quiet and relaxing - they both had the morning free so they spent time getting caught up on shows they'd recorded before he dressed to go into work. She saw him out, kissing him goodbye on the front stoop. Simon smiled, saying "be ready for dinner tonight. Dress casual - let's go to the boardwalk," before climbing in the car and driving away.

The boardwalk was where they first started dating almost four years previous. There were lots of specialty shops and bistros, full of knick-knacks and exciting trinkets. It was a more relaxed area of the city and she generally enjoyed the calmer perspective that the ocean offered as the salty sea breeze kissed her cheeks. She had been waitressing at a seafood restaurant on the pier back in university when her klutzy self got the better of her and she dumped a tray of drinks into his lap. He was very good about the whole thing and apparently the drink she offered to buy in repayment must have helped to butter him up because several years later he kept coming home to her. They'd moved in together in the summer of last year when her lease on her apartment ended; it had been a natural progression for their relationship.

Dinnertime came quickly and before she knew it she was dressed in a light blue transparent blouse with a white camisole underneath and some dark washed jeans. She'd only applied her makeup lightly, highlighting her eyes and the swell of her full lips but Simon's eyes turned up at the corners and he smiled when he saw her, standing to pull out her chair. Something about him was off tonight; he seemed nervous but she brushed it off as they ate.

That is, until he slid out of his chair and onto one knee, anxiously rubbing a sweaty palm down his thigh as he tried to get the words he'd been practicing for months. "... you've always been there for me and I count on you to make every day brighter. I can't imagine this life without you. I'm asking if you'll continue to turn your smile on me and call me your confidant; will you let me kiss away your tears and let me spend the rest of my life making you smile? Anna, I love you. Please do me the honour of becoming my wife?" He finally murmured, eyes locked on her own.

She grinned and nodded through her happy tears, practically launching herself at him where he still kneeled on the floor. They shared a sweet kiss as the restaurant patrons around them cheered and clapped. The diamond he slipped on her finger was understated and small, just the way she liked it. Neither of them were much for being in the spotlight and with modest income shared between two people, she would have been upset at him spending beyond their means.

They spent most of Sunday in bed, rolling around between the sheets and basking in the happiness of their recent engagement. When that evening rolled around and she had to get ready for work in the morning, there was an unexplainably odd feeling settling in her gut. She didn't know why, but it felt like the morning would bring around significant change.

She sipped her travel cup full of coffee on the way to the office and settled in without much fuss. Anna hid a yawn behind her hand as she thought about what little sleep they'd gotten as they celebrated the excitement of the weekend's events. She waved and offered a sleepy "good morning" to John as he passed her desk. Her co-workers knew how much she hated mornings and usually made sure to give her a wide berth until she had at least refilled and gulped down her second cup of coffee but this morning there were lots of people fluttering around as they laid eyes on her new accessory, coming over to examine it further and congratulate her. She'd like to say her smiles that morning were forced, but she genuinely enjoyed sharing her good news and couldn't begrudge how well the morning passed as she kept her head down and worked away at any projects that came across her desk that day.

Monday morning - confronting Anna

Driving through traffic, Carter thought of Marie Garnett who enjoyed the attention of Carter Anderson. She was married to a wealthy executive who traveled three weeks out of the month, allowing her a lot of free time. Carter met her at a charitable function and soon learned that her husband couldn’t or wouldn’t satisfy her insatiable appetite for sex. One thing led to another and they soon were playing sex games. It was a perfect setup for both of them as they didn’t want a personal commitment, only sex and lots of it.

On this Friday night Carter found her as he had instructed, kneeling on her living room floor, a blindfold over her eyes and hands cuffed behind her back. Carter wondered what she would do if it wasn’t him but someone else as he approached the blonde-haired woman. Gazing at her naked form, he took in her smallish firm tits and thought of Anna, wondering what she was doing tonight. While he removed his clothes, he watched her head turning, cocking to the side, trying to take in the sound of someone in her house. She called out, but he didn’t answer verbally. Instead he stood in front of Marie and then rubbed his cock over her lips. When she smiled and gasped, she opened her mouth knowing what was coming next. But Carter teased her lips, sliding the head of his cock over their softness before finally letting her receive his offering. Letting out a gasp of approval, he pushed his hips forward burying his cock as deep into her mouth, not thinking of her but of Anna.

They spent the night playing games, caressing and teasing each other. He made sure to take her to the orgasmic edge, back off and then tease her again until she had multiple climaxes. But the whole time he was playing, his thoughts were on the young marketing woman who lit a spark within him. In the early morning hours of Saturday, Marie mentioned that he somehow seemed different, more intense. Carter simply made a vague excuse about how he thought of her all day.

Saturday morning found them playing again until Marie received a text from her husband that he was at the airport and on his way home. As they dressed, Carter smiled at the toys strewn about the bed. He wondered how Anna would take being teased and brought to multiple orgasms with the variety of toys. Kissing Marie good-bye, he promised they would meet again for more fun and games.

The rest of the weekend was filled with work and thoughts of Anna. Patrick had sent a few more photos of her and some man, spending time together at a restaurant on the boardwalk. So much for family time.

Monday morning, Carter arrived at the office early like he did every day before any other employees. He always made it a habit to be in early, getting ready for the day without the interruption of the phone or employees. But this morning, instead of pouring his energy into work items, he looked over Patrick’s photos of Anna he had downloaded on his computer. Copying certain pictures, he put them into a separate folder along with Patrick’s timeline description of events. This was going to cost him a pretty penny but it would be worth it.

At mid-morning Joanna interrupted him, reminding him of a luncheon with the new client, Jackson Enterprise, LLC, Anna and John landed. He thought of asking her to lunch with the client but then he had a better idea. Calling John, he told him what he wanted and then told him to have Anna in the conference room in 30 minutes.

Picking up the folders, he took the elevator down to the 30th floor and headed straight to the conference room without stopping at John’s office. He saw Anna sitting in a cushy soft leather chair, the thumb on her left hand, twirling a small ring. But Carter ignored saying anything since he already knew she was engaged from Patrick’s photos.

When she started to rise, he motioned for her to remain seated. Putting the folders on the table he smiled at as if nothing was wrong. He had a few choices on how to handle the situation. He could come right out and blackmail her with the pictures telling her he wanted sex or he could string her along until she was ready to give in to his advances. He decided on the latter since it would be fun to play cat and mouse games with her, a game she could not win.

One thing he was good at was acting like a totally innocent person as he spoke. Lightly tapping the outside of the file jacket, he blatantly eyed her figure not caring that she seemed a bit uncomfortable. He took his time, knowing that people get squirmy when they are put in a situation where they are called into a meeting but there if very little conversation. After a few moments of silence, he smiled warmly and said, “Good morning Annaleigh. I take it you had a wonderful weekend. How was your family function on Friday night? Did you meet up with your parents or siblings?” He saw her eyes narrow just a tad, knowing her brain was moving at a hundred miles per hour. And then he added, “John and I missed you at dinner.”

Her perfume scent hit his nose and he waited for her reply. It didn’t matter what she said, Carter was ready with a rebuttal and his plan for his sexy looking employee was well thought out in his head.

She knew it couldn't be anything good when her phone rang so early in the morning telling her to meet Mr. Anderson in the conference room. She prayed that maybe he'd have a specific assignment for her, but John hadn't told her to take any files or anything else, just to be ready and waiting before eleven. Of course she was - perched on the edge of her seat with her knees pressed tightly together and fiddling with her ring as she waited. When he arrived, she stood in a show of respect but a quick gesture of his hand stopped her.

With his words, Annaleigh realized that she was treading on thin ice, but she had never been a girl to back away when she was under pressure so she replied casually, "of course. Simon and I had a lovely supper with my parents. Unfortunately, we broke out the wine and that put a quick end to my Friday night escapades," she responded.

His posture as he sat was open but the look in his eyes screamed anything but; leaning a hip back onto the edge of the of the table as he moved in close to address her with a smile on his face. It was always his eyes that gave him away: they were intense, thick with emotion and Annaleigh wondered how handsome he would be when the expression in there softened and relaxed, accepting and reflecting the smile his mouth was portraying.

"I'm glad to hear you enjoyed. I truly am disappointed I missed out on the opportunity. Hopefully there will be more chances for me to show off my work ethic and land a strong partnership for this company. It might have been more of a rain-check than anything," she attempted, able to see the fire burning in his eyes. It was apparent she was in trouble, but she had no understanding why. The subtle narrowing as she responded demonstrated that he was unhappy with her words - she might have missed it had she not been hyper-aware of all of this man's actions.

Her hands clenched in her lap before she returned to twisting her ring on her finger as she waited for him to speak. She had always hated silence, instead preferring to fill it with music or the low hum of conversation, but as she sat there by herself under the CEO's stare, her stomach churned. She had never been this uncomfortable in her life and that intuition told her that her earlier hope of this being a work meeting was becoming more and more unlikely. She felt like something bad was about to happen, but she had no way of stopping the oncoming storm; she didn't even know what that storm was, or what had brought his attentions on in the first place.

"I have to admit I was surprised that you had called for me this morning," she said when she couldn't take the silence any longer. "It's an honour to have my work recognized, but the Harmon deal (last week's huge success) was thanks in part to the whole team and not to any specific efforts made by me and certainly not worth the CEO's attention--," her teeth bit down hard into her lip as she attempted to staunch the nervous babble of words - it was a bad habit she had when her anxiety bubbled to the surface and she absolutely hated it. She'd been working to change it for years but so far it seemed as though it was a flaw she was stuck with.

As per his way, he let those words hang in the air between them. He was still taking his time to respond and peruse her body, a little less obviously now, but still clearly focused on it. With bated breath, she squirmed in the chair as she waited for his response.

Monday Morning - Dropping the Bomb

Silence is such a worthy weapon when used properly and Carter was an expert. He listened to Anna talk about her and Simon having dinner with her parents. It was a half lie but Carter didn’t show any emotion and his response was a simple nod of the head. One can always tell when a person is nervous when they start to ramble on, changing the subject. A simple answer would have been sufficient.

When Anna spoke of missing the dinner with him and her immediate boss, Carter half-heartedly listened. He let her ramble on about wanting to take a rain-check and hope there would be other opportunities to show off her work. While outwardly he showed little emotion, inside his mind conjured up erotic images of them together. If things worked out the way he imagined, she would have ample opportunity to show him her allegiance to the company and more importantly to him.

Carter continued to remain silent, seeing her hands clenching and her fingers twiddling with her new ring. There was a moment of uncharacteristic silence in the conference room. It was obvious she was now more nervous as the silence seemed to overtake the room. But being a good negotiator, Carter learned well the art of silence. He knew she would start to talk again and when she did, a small curt smile formed on his lips.

He took in her bright emerald eyes, staring directly into his as she now talked about the Harmon deal. When she finished, he saw her teeth biting into her lower lip and knew he had her where he wanted her. She had no clue what was about to happen. He let her stew a little longer and then gave her a warm smile.

“I first want you to know Annaleigh how appreciative we are of your work on the Harmon deal. You give too much credit to the other team members when you and I know you were the one instrumental getting the new client.” He was softening her up a little and saw her facial features relax.

“You are a bright rising star according to John.” The fingertips of his left hand tapped on the folder in front of him. He was building up her self-esteem before dropping the bomb. “If you keep up the good work I don’t see why you can’t continue to move up in the ranks and ……” he hesitated for a moment. “And who knows, you might even replace John as head of the marketing department.”

He saw her body relax and a smile spread across her face. Now that she was off-guard, it was time. Carter opened the folder and spread out photos of her and her boyfriend kissing, holding hands on the Boardwalk, having dinner, and the last one of her boyfriend on a knee, proposing.

He leaned forward and put his hands on the top of her knees, just under the hem of the skirt. A scowl replaced his smile and he looked directly into her eyes as his fingers squeezed her thighs. “I don’t like liars and especially employees who can’t tell me the truth. I knew you were lying about the dinner and I had you followed.” His voice had a tinge of arrogance. “I need to trust my employees explicitly and I am deeply disappointed in you Annaleigh.” He stopped for a moment to let his words sink in.

“Since I can’t trust you, I am taking you off the Harmon account and giving it to Lena. You are to work on the Hartman account until you can show me you want to be a team member. I expect strict obedience from my employees ……..” Everyone knew the Hartman account was a dead end. Edward Hartman was a personal friend of Carter’s and any dealing went through him. As a long time client, there was no real marketing to done. If you were assigned to that account it was like having one foot out the door.

His voice trailed off while his fingers squeezed her thighs lightly. He pulled his hands off her thighs and sat back waiting for her to say something as she stared intently at the photographs. This was only the beginning of getting her attention. He had other resources like her family friend, Paula Richardson in accounting, who he knew would be useful in the future along what Patrick was able to dig up about her family’s finances.

His words of praise were fantastic and sent a shock pleasure racing down through her. Finally, her hard work was being recognized! Her? The head of marketing? It was an impossible dream he was dangling in front of her!

That shock of pleasure turned into nausea and fright almost immediately when she clued into exactly what she was looking at spread over the table. His words buzzed in her ears and she half heard them, feeling like she was sinking under water. Her and Simon sharing soft romantic moments - their love was on display for this man who had no right. She'd had no idea someone was witnessing those private displays of affection.

She knew her boss was a ruthless man. She'd heard all the stories - of course, there was no doubt he was capable of something like this. She just didn't understand why. Although he was a master negotiator, his words didn't add up. Her personal life was none of his business and it didn't affect her work. Actually, the happier she was at home, the more effort she tended to put into her job. On the days that she fought with Simon productivity definitely seemed to slow and her focus slid away from what she was supposed to be doing but those moments were rare and had not affected any projects since she had started here just over six months ago.

His hands were burning on her thighs, especially as his fingers dipped under the hemline of her skirt. She attempted to squirm away in revulsion of his touch but his hands followed until he decided to sit back and let her free, his powerful fingers squeezing once around the definition of muscle under his palms. His chastisement and punishment almost felt like a slap in the face, and finally, after staring blankly at the photographs of her very personal private life, she raised her face to look at him.

Anna's cheeks were blazing red from the unfair treatment she was receiving. In the past, she had never cried when she got hurt, through machinations of her own or otherwise. No, the tears came when she was angry, unable to hold her feelings back and deluging out in the form of tears and shouting.

Annaleigh knew that she couldn't shout her true feelings at Carter Anderson lest she wanted to lose her job, but she feared her job wouldn't be all she lost if she slighted him. He knew her address, he knew her boyfriend, and he even most likely had pulled her company file so it probably wasn't even only her job on the line - would Paula face repercussions too? What else did he know? Probably everything - he'd probably dug up every little bit of information he could get his hands on to blackmail her. The thought burned inside her belly and made her feel quite sick. Her obvious spite was evident as she grit her teeth and clenched her fists in her skirt once more until they were white from the strain. She could feel the tears gathering in her eyelashes but she tried her damnedest to hold them back.

Being given the Hartman account felt like she was being fired already. Only Carter could talk that stubborn old man into doing anything at all, with most employees returning from meetings and phone calls with a virtual slap on the wrist and complaint about "poor customer service", which Mr. Hartman just did when he was in an aggravated mood. Of course, only the most powerful man in the company had any ability to manage that account and keep the relationship fruitful. She also knew that only one other individual was working the account right now and often that man left work miserable and headed to the bars to drink the strain of the day away. He'd been talking about quitting for a long time now. They both would work directly under Carter, reporting any details or concerns to him and having to drop any projects for their own department immediately to make time for their work on the Hartman project as required. It always became the priority and their own status in their regular department usually suffered for it.

Annaleigh couldn't allow herself to quit - her pride would never allow it. She would never just roll over and take the punishment he thought he could dole out for living her personal life (again, none of his business). But she couldn't let him fire her either; that stain on her record and a negative word from Carter Anderson would ensure that she never worked another day in her life and she needed this job to help Simon pay off student loans and now save up for a wedding. They had also been planning on buying a house shortly, but all those dreams were slowly sliding down the drain now.

The only thing she could do was suck it up and try and grovel as much as it made her want to throw up or scream. She would never submit to him, but she was smart enough to know when she had to keep her mouth shut. Finally, she opened her mouth to retort. "I-I... don't even know what to say right now, sir. I'm quite shocked that you would do this. Please don't do this - I promise I'll work hard. I won't disappoint you again. I really do need this job, sir. Please give me one more chance just to show you that I can be an asset to you, Mr. Anderson."

Lowering her head to stop him from seeing the tears she could now feel flowing, she became silent once more. She sat there like that for a few moments before wiping her eyes and raising them to meet his. "I just have one question - forgive me if it's out of line - but - why are you doing this to me?"

Monday morning - Giving Anna an answer

The stunned look on Anna’s face was priceless. She had no clue what hit her, especially after he so adeptly told her how good she was doing in the marketing department. Her face radiated glee when he mentioned the possibility of taking over John’s position. But then abruptly changed when he opened the folder and spread the photos out in front of her. He studied her face as she stared speechless at the photographs for a long time, looking for any sign of tears. When she finally did look up, he saw her cheeks were bright red with embarrassment and an angry look in her eyes. This is just the response he wanted from Anna, fists clenched in her skirt, her lips trembling as if to scream at him. But she didn’t utter a sound, only stared hard at him. An old saying came to his mind. If looks could kill, he would already be dead.

He treated her unfairly but that was his way of getting what he wanted. The way she was handling this adversity was admirable and he was impressed. He sat motionless, listening to her beg not to be put on the Hartman account. Everyone knew it was a shitty account but they didn’t really know the reason why. It was no secret that Edward Hartman and Carter were old friends but what they didn’t know was it was a test. They made life rough on every marketing representative to see who had the wherewithal to survive within the company. In fact, Carter only assigned the up and comers to the account and to date everyone of them failed. Now Anna was begging him in a round about way not to put her on the account. What she didn’t know is that she was destined to succeed with the help of Carter, thus making her more beholden to him. There would be a lot of meetings they would have to attend together and it would make it easier for him to gain control over her.

When she finished speaking, Carter thought they were done. As he gazed on her, seeing some tears finally appear, he also saw something in her demeanor. He couldn’t put his finger on it just yet, but there was something he wanted to exploit. He had a feeling that given the right circumstances, he could open a whole new world of sexual excitement in her life. Carter was pretty sure from the photos of her boyfriend, he was into more vanilla sex and not into anything kinky. Wiping away a small tear she was unable to understand why he was doing what he was doing. If he told her, she would probably run away but with the proper circumstances and a small amount of encouragement, Carter was sure she would welcome the world of submitting to him and his sexual desires.

“Why am I doing this to you?” He looked at her with a questioning gaze. “You did it to yourself Annaleigh. You lied to me …. your superior, your boss, your benefactor, the man who signs your checks.” He watched her carefully, seeing her rapt attention. “Did you think you fool me? How do you think I feel knowing you deliberately lied? Am I supposed to just forget this and let you go on your merry way. What about the next lie you tell me? Or am I too give you a good spanking like a little child?”

The questions were not meant to be answered and his voice was rising a little higher with each one. He stopped and took a moment for his words to sink in. He saw her eyes widen a little at the mention of spanking. The thought of her laying over his lap, his hand on her bare ass caused a tiny ripple of lust to course through him. Someday he would but not today. Then in a softer tone he said, “You have a good opportunity with me but you need to learn who’s the boss and who’s the employee. I will have John transfer the Hartman files to you and I expect you to be ready by tonight to discuss them. Do you have any plans for right after work? "

He stopped once more. "Or do you have dinner plans with your parents? It was a snide remark. One meant to invoke anger. He wanted to see her reaction as he gathered the pictures and put them in the folder. Then turning his attention to her. "Is there anything else you want to discuss Annaleigh?”

As he justified his reasons and blew off her promises, her heart sunk even further. There was nothing she could do. He'd worked her into a corner and he knew it. Yes, she'd lied, but it still was no business of his. After work hours were over she had no commitment to him but she wished now that she'd just been honest and said "I don't want to," just as she wanted to scream in his face right at this current moment.

She swallowed down her snide comment, blowing out a large breath through her painted lips. "I won't do that again, sir. It was a horrible error in judgment and I apologize. I'll work on the Hartman case to the best of my ability. I'll make myself free this evening to go through the files with you. Any plans will be immediately put on hold if it should please you. My fiance will just have to wait," she couldn't help but mutter spitefully. It was a dangerous thing to do when his eyes were like ice stabbing through her but she couldn't resist. If he was under the impression that he would be able to manipulate her and treat her this way without any struggle from her, she was planning to quickly disabuse him of that notion.

The hungry expression on his face as he spoke about punishment and spankings was too much. She could almost read his mind - no way would he ever lay a hand on her in that manner. Although Simon did prefer fairly traditional methods of sex, Annaleigh had once had an ex-boyfriend who was a little rougher with her. She hadn't minded it, but it had never gotten her worked up quite the way it did for him. She could read that exact same look in Carter's eyes right now - picturing himself painting her ass red with his handprint and causing her pain - just as if she were looking back at Brady that night in her parent's basement.

Angrily, with her back ram-rod straight, she stood abruptly. She strode to the door quickly and looked over her shoulder at him. Although she was worried about losing her job, she had a feeling this man was playing with her. She figured that he was most likely bluffing about firing her, attempting to work her up and give him his desired reaction. It was all a ploy to spend more time actively causing her emotional trauma. If that's what he wanted... two could play that game. Despite him chastising her like a small child, she was fully capable of defending herself. Go big or go home, right? Assholes like Carter Anderson had to be made to see that they couldn't always get what they wanted.

"Thank you for this pep-talk, Carter. It was very enlightening," she stated, putting on a fake smile. She hoped that her familiar use of his name pissed him off - if he was highlighting the difference in their social responsibilities, him as her boss and her as the one forced to do his bidding, she would play the cards she did have to narrow that gap. He was just a man; although he might have been one of the city's most eligible bachelors, he was nothing but a scheming liar who used people for his pleasure. Anna had plenty of experience dealing with those types.

"I hope you know that I never do anything half-assed. Be prepared to be surprised at what you may find. Please call when you are ready to go over the files and I'll be there."

The door slammed behind her a little harder than she meant it to, but as she stood in the hallway with her teeth clenched in pure fury, she could hardly bring herself to care. Yes, walking out on him for the second time might have been a bad idea, but she was already in the doghouse. It's not like that would be the last straw - she could tell this little flight of his fancy was just beginning and she was in for a long, painful ride.

Monday evening - summoning Anna

There was a lot of anger building up beneath her skin and Carter wondered if she would be able to keep it from boiling out. He didn’t know if she had plans or not with her beau when she told him she would make herself available tonight but then he really didn’t care. He wanted to smile when she said her fiancé would have to wait, but he kept a straight face. She was not happy but one of his strategies was to push her to the limit and if keeping them apart, then so be it.

Angry was not the right word when she abruptly rose and walked defiantly to the door. Carter could feel her fuming over his comments and that pleased him. The angrier she became the more fun he was going to have playing cat and mouse games with her. One thing was to keep her off balance, not knowing what was going to happen next.

He smiled at her when she mentioned the pep-talk. Yes, she was playing the game now and he wondered if she would be ready for his next move. He took in the mocking tone of her voice when she mentioned about being prepared to be surprised as what he may find.

Just as she walked through the open doorway, he responded in a cheerful voice. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to go over the files. You can be sure of that.” And then she was gone and Carter sat for a few minutes rehashing their conversation. He had gotten under her skin and he saw the flame flickering that intrigued him. He was in no hurry to bring her under his control. “One step at a time Carter ….. One step at a time,” he muttered picking up the folders and heading to his office.

Carter went to lunch with Edward Hartman, informing him that Annaleigh was going to be his new point of contact. They enjoyed a leisurely lunch and then Carter spent the remainder of the day in his office reviewing finances and other mundane chores. At five, Joanna came into his office to inform she was leaving for the night. Carter wished her a good evening and then went back to his paperwork.

At six o’clock he smiled wondering what Anna was doing down in her office. When she slammed the conference room door, leaving in a fury, he was in no hurry to have the meeting with Anna. He knew she probably called her boyfriend and told him all about the chastising she got from the company CEO, telling him she had to stay late. But how late?

At seven o’clock, he picked up the phone and dialed her extension. When she answered, he said, “Annaleigh I’m ready for you now.” He didn’t wait for an answer but hung up and waited for his sexy employee to arrive.

He made her wait until seven. Her co-workers had left hours ago, asking her to get drinks with them on the way home but she was forced to decline. She had no idea when she would be called to his office, so she sat mostly reviewing details for other projects and going through her emails.

When it became clear he was just making her sit and wait, she pulled her phone out and spent the next hour and a half watching videos on YouTube and scrolling through her Facebook. If he was purposely making her sit and wait for him to beckon her, she was going to enjoy some leisure time at the company's expense. Simon was working tonight, so she really did have no reason to hurry home but she was still irritated.

When her phone finally did ring, she waited until the fourth or fifth tone to pick it up so it appeared as though she had been busy and not waiting for his call; as if she had better things to be doing. Gathering her stuff as slowly as she could and finishing up some conversations she was having over text, it was almost twenty minutes later that she even bothered to stand and make her way to the elevator.

The rest of the building's lights were dim, and it was weird to be here so late into the evening. All she could hear was silence and not the click of keyboards and murmured words in the air like she was used to. Hitting the button for the top floor, Anna wondered what his gameplan was precisely. She wasn't that confident to be heading into unknown territory with a man such as this. She had never even been to the "penthouse" floor, let alone to his office.

There was only one solitary desk waiting outside the elevator where his secretary would sit. Joanna herself was also legendary, dealing with and appeasing this man on a daily basis certainly made her a hero in Anna's books. Her heels clacked against the tiled floor loudly as she continued forward to what she imagined was a slow and painful death.

Carter's office was walled in entirely with glass. Usually the blinds would be down to afford him some privacy, especially when he was meeting with high-end clients, but this evening they were open giving her a view of him pouring over some documents. His suit jacket had been thrown off and was lying haphazardly across a plush sofa across the room and his tie was undone, giving Annaleigh a teasing view of his throat and peek at his collarbones that she steadfastly ignored, knocking on the door with three sharp raps.

He also ignored her for a few moments before eventually raising his hand in a "come" gesture that you might give to a dog. He never once raised his eyes to look at her until she had dropped into the chair in front of his desk and splayed her files across the top of his. The look she received almost appeared venomous at her impertinence and she swallowed down a victorious smirk at his frustration with her.

"Hello, Carter. Did you call? These are the notes I've made on the Hartman case since John handed me the information this afternoon. I'd like to go through them and see if I'm missing anything."

Monday night - The meeting

Carter looked at the clock on the wall, seeing it was 7:30 pm before she arrived at his office. She should have been here no later than five after or ten after seven. She was playing the game well, wanting to make him wait for her.

He purposely ignored her knock, waving his hand to enter without raising his head. Two could play this game and he was better at it. Besides he didn't have to cater to her, he was the CEO and that was something she needed to learn.

Throwing the files on top of his files was an act of defiance. His eyes squinted and he said nothing but it was a look of "how dare you toss them carelessly on top of my desk." And then she had the audacity to flippantly asked him if he called and using his name as if they were friends. She needed a simple lesson in humility.

Carter picked up the notes, quickly reading through them. They were good but he was not about to tell her. He was not going to give her the satisfaction, at least not tonight. "Mmmm yes ..... Hmmm interesting," he muttered as he leafed through the pages of notes.

Carter got up and walked around the large oak desk, standing near her and looking down at her tight blouse. He turned to face away from her, placing the papers on the desk. "Could you answer a few questions I have Annaleigh?"

He waited for her stand beside her and he could smell her sweet perfume as she looked down at the papers with him. Suddenly Carter grabbed her arm and flung her facedown on the desk, papers scattering everywhere. "So you think this is a funny game do you?"

He didn't wait for her to answer as he pressed her down with one hand and lifted her skirt with the other hand. She was squirming but she was no match for his strength. "It seems you don't respect authority." His large paw, patted her ass and then he landed a hard blow and felt her body jerk as she yelled.

Carter spanked her a bit harder and then caressed her ass before he let her up. He saw her face red with anger as she smoothed her skirt down. "Now you can pick up the files and leave. We will take this up tomorrow morning first thing and don't be late." He stood looking at her knowing she was about yell at him.

Although she needed this job she was not about to let him harass her like that. Her ass and her face burned in embarrassment at his strike even as she let out a shocked yell. When he let her up, she was frozen stupidly for a moment, her hands shaking.

She didn’t even know what she could say, opening and closing her mouth with no sound coming out. Finally, she seemed to come back to herself. The red on her cheeks melted into pure fury as she stood. Turning to face him, her green eyes hardened into steel.

“You sanctimonious prick - don’t you dare lay your dirty hands on me again. You will talk to me like a human being and not the scum you’re showing yourself to be. You’ll find that if you want me to cooperate with you you’ll get much better results if you don’t treat me like a child you can punish when I don’t do what you please. You might be my boss but I won’t allow you to ever touch me in such a manner. Fire me if you want - I’ve had enough of you today,” she sneered, leaving her notes where they sat on his desk and grabbing her purse.

He reached out to grab her but she slipped nimbly around him and all but ran to the door. Pausing with her hand on the knob, she noted he did not follow. “I’ll be at work at 8 and I won’t be meeting you in this office. We’ll meet in the conference room next to my department,” she said, not wanting to be alone with him at all. His capacity for violence had come out of nowhere and she would not risk it, especially now that he had proven his interest leaned more towards a darker, more sexually charged relationship.

Monday Night - Anna's Anger

The response was exactly as he expected when Annaleigh charged out of the office filled with anger. He had bated her with the investigation, wanting to see her fighting spirit and he was not disappointed. It would have been a huge disappoint if she would have given in to his advances so easily because of the power he wielded. Many people he met, wanted his approval, and would do most anything to say they had a few minutes with the man, even sexual favors. But Carter was looking for something more and he thought he may have found it in Annaleigh Brayden.

She could have easily quit and gone looking for another job but he put the fear in her that she would have a very difficult time finding new employment. The anger and venom coming from her lips was the response he wanted. But the important element of her screaming was she was coming back to work in the morning. Though she made some harsh demands, he knew she would soften once she had a meeting with him in the morning.

Picking up his cell phone, he punched in Anna's number from her file. He thought of calling her but instead decided to send her a text. Text messaging is all the rage and he smiled thinking how one person would sit in the same room with another person and have a conversation without speaking to one another.

As he began to type, it was now time to get her on a path to trust him. They didn't have a relationship other than boss/employee. Now it was time to pave the way for a deeper more meaningful relationship.

Annaleigh .... please forgive my arrogance and impetuous behavior tonight. I know I was wrong to treat you like a child and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Please be in my office at 9 am sharp to meet Mr. Hartman and go over your excellent ideas. I'm sure he will be pleased as much as I am. Sincerely Carter.

Carter smiled as he re-read the note and then hit send. He didn't expect to hear back from her tonight. He was sure her anger was still spilling over as she made her way home to her boyfriend. Tomorrow would be a brighter day, for sure.

She fumed the whole way home. Of course it didn’t help that her bum smarted from where he’d spanked her as one would do to a child, only with a lot more force behind his strikes. She was so glad Simon wouldn’t be home tonight - she feared his reaction if he happened to see her still reddened rear. She wiggled in the seat to try and find a comfortable position.

She was just about to step off the subway when she got his text message. At first, she hesitated to read it because of the unfamiliar number but was utterly unsurprised when she figured out who it was. The scariest part of the whole thing was that this man who had texted her sounded like a completely separate entity than the one who had drawn her skirt up and spanked her not even an hour ago. That he could change his attitude on a dime like that... and even an apology! Her eyes narrowed as she stood on the platform pondering. This had to be a joke. Maybe it was another of his sick games - one she refused to participate in. He was just sucking up to get her to see it his way.

She ignored it, but she took pride in the fact that he would be able to see that she had read his message and hadn’t bothered to respond. She would deal with it all tomorrow. Speaking of that, even with Mr. Hartman in the room, Anna was not sure she wanted to return to his office at any point in her life, with or without accompaniment.

The walk was short from the subway station to their condo. When she arrived home, she immediately stripped and padded into the bathroom. Before she climbed into the steaming water of the tub, she bent to examine her reddened bum in the mirror. There was a clear imprint of a giant hand staring back her. Her temper flared once more as she slid into the bathtub, simmering just under the surface.

Anna didn’t remember when or how long she’d been sleeping in the hot water of the tub - she came awake with a splash, water flowing over the edges. The clock she could see in the bedroom read ten pm by the time she climbed out, wrinkly as an old prune.

Anna pulled on a pair of shorts and slid into bed. She would have to worry about tomorrow’s events as they came and not overthink it too much tonight. Her eyes closed and she was snoring softly as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Tuesday morning - Anna meets Edward Hartman

There was no doubt to Carter that Anna would not respond to his text as he prepared to leave the office, getting his BMW from the parking garage. Stopping at the Blue Haven, he had a small meal and drinks with the owner, Bradley Smith. They discussed the upcoming gallery opening near the restaurant and made a promise to attend the gala event. Carter laughed when Bradley asked him if he wanted him to get him a date. "No that's alright. I'm still getting over the last date that you set up for me. If I can't get a date, I'd rather go alone." They discussed other issues and then Carter bid him a good evening.

Preparing for bed, he looked at his phone, seeing it was 10 pm. There was not response from Anna but then again he didn't think she would answer his message. She was in a very foul mood when she left the office and he wondered if she would show up for work tomorrow morning.

Tuesday morning dawned with a dazzling sunrise and Carter whistled while he got ready for the office. He thought the grey suit, powder blue shirt, and red tie made him look more political this morning. Some of his friends had suggested he run for political office but that was not his cup of tea. He was happy making money and doing deals and politics had no place in his life except for the strict government regulations that ate into his profits.

The office was empty as he rode the elevator to the top floor. He stopped at the 30th floor knowing no one would be there this early. He smiled when he walked to Anna's desk and wrote her a quick note. "Anna ..... looking forward to introducing you to Edward Hartman at 9 am ..... Carter."


Proceeding to his office, Carter busied himself with paperwork until Joanna brought him a steaming hot cup of coffee. Even though he already had two cups, she knew him well. After a few pleasantries, he dove back into the business of running a multi-million dollar business.

At 8:30 am Edward Hartman walked in and they chatted about his business interests. Carter informed of Anna's notes and let him read over them before she arrived.

Edward read the notes and smiled warmly when he finished. "Tell me about his diamond in the rough you are so high on. I hope she is better than the young David Pierson. He doesn't like it when someone tells him no."

Carter smiled. "I think you'll like Annaleigh. She is feisty and she was instrumental in bringing a new client to the business. But be careful, she can be a handful."

Carter thought of the whole scenario they just went through on Friday. If she had not lied and gone to dinner he would not have had Patrick investigate her. He wanted her to be a dedicated company person and not just a nine to five, go home employee. He really felt she had a lot of potential and he would be lying to himself if he didn't admit, he had other more erotic thoughts for the two of them.

Looking at his watch, seeing it was five till nine, he called Joanna. "Would please call Annaleigh and tell her Mr. Hartman is here."

That morning, Anna laid in bed and debated whether or not the nauseated feeling was enough to make her call in sick. She grabbed her phone from the night table and checked the time - 0545. It took about an hour to get to work and Anna usually enjoyed a leisurely shower and full breakfast, but her nerves prevented any of that this morning and she slept in.

Simon wouldn’t be home until she left. When he worked nights, domestic life was hard because they didn’t see each other - they would often go three or four days just writing notes back and forth and talking on the phone with no physical intimacy at all. It was something Anna struggled with on a good day, but especially today she just wanted her fiancé to cuddle her into his chest and kiss away her stressors. She would have just barely caught him last night if she had returned home from work on time, but that dream had gone up in smoke in the wake of Carter Anderson's demands on her time.

Heaving a great sigh, she stood and wandered into the bathroom and completed her morning routine. The dress shirt she had on was a deep navy blue and she tucked it into some slacks, thinking it probably would be a safer bet than giving Carter any easy access like he’d had last night. Doing her makeup quickly and twisting her hair up and away from her face, Anna made herself some coffee and a quick piece of toast which she ate on her way to the subway. It was now just before 0730 and Anna did not feel guilty in the least of being later than she had said she would be, but she did call John and explain herself. When he heard that Carter had made her stay late last evening he told her not to worry about it and to take her time.

She would have just stayed home, but that would mean letting that asshole win and she was against that. She crumpled his note in her hand and tossed it into the shredder bin, swearing under her breath. His liberties with her first name irritated her. They were not close enough for him to be calling her Anna and he knew it. Gods this man was insufferable - but Anna was committed now to making his life hell as long as she was forced to work with him.

Barely fifteen minutes after her arrival at work she received the call to join him in his office with Mr. Hartman; Anna had already been stepping into the elevator when one of her coworkers stated that Mr. Anderson was looking to speak with her. Although she had clearly specified that she would not meet him there, his words in the text message and on the note left on her desk this morning were not confrontational in the least and she felt that she might be able to make use of his better mood with the buffer of another individual being in the room as well. It seemed beating woman made him happy if his rough handling and subsequent punishment in his office were anything to go by. This time, Anna was precisely on the dot as her fist daintily knocked. He also didn’t make her wait this morning, his loud timbre granting her permission to enter.

The two men both rose to greet her as she entered. Mr. Hartman offered her his hand and introductions were made as she settled into the chair opposite Carter’s desk once more in a severe episode of deja vu. Although he was a prick and she’d rather skinny dip in a volcano than spend any time with him, she did have to admire the immaculate cut of his suit on his body. It looked like it was poured on, designed to fit just perfectly, like a glove. He smelled fantastic, and she kicked herself internally for the betrayal of her nose to her heart. She also spotted his blue shirt - although hers was much darker, they had both ended wearing the same colour today.

The world is out to get me, she mused.

“Good morning Mr. Hartman. I’ve heard so many great things about you. I’m excited to work on this project with you - I see that you’ve read my notes and I hope we can discuss where to go from here. I feel as though we can have a fruitful partnership,” Annaleigh stated. “Please tell me your impression of my suggestions and we’ll see if there is anything I may improve upon.”

Tuesday Morning - Anna Impresses Edward Hartman

There was no doubt to Carter that Edward had a twinkle in his eyes when he first laid eyes on her. Carter pulled up an extra leather guest chair for himself and they sat in a triangle with Anna on his left and Edward on his right. He noticed that her eyes roamed over him and he thought he detected a soft smile of approval. It was not lost on him that she had chosen a darker color of blue to where along with fashionable black slacks. To say she looked delicious was an understatement.

Carter didn't know if Anna was just putting on a bull-shit show of excitement for Edward or if she really meant it. From what he gathered from yesterdays disastrous encounter, she was not at all happy about being put on the Hartman account. And she was probably still smarting from the spanking he gave her.

Edward gave her a warm smile. "Young lady I read your notes and I find them fascinating and refreshing. These are so much more out of the box than the standard run of the mill marketing ideas from that other young man, David."

Carter saw the smile spreading across Annaleigh's face and he knew Edward was taking a liking to her. Edward turned to Carter. "Carter where have you been hiding this gem?"

"Under wraps until now Edward. Annaleigh started with the company six months ago and recently landed us a very sizable marketing contract." Carter looked at Annaleigh, seeing what appeared to be a smile on her face. Could it be she liked what he said.

Edward laughed. "Well I suggest you unwrap her and make sure she is on my team. I especially like the idea of marketing the younger generation and your ideas of radio and television spots is right on."

"I have personally assigned her to your account Edward and both of us will be at your beckon call whenever you need us. By the way, Annaleigh recently got engaged and as a way of congratulating her, I have made reservations at the Blue Haven for the two of them whenever they can make it."

Carter saw the stunned look on Anna's face as Edward added. "Well congratulations young lady. I hope your fiancé doesn't mind you traveling. I have some plans bubbling up in my brain from your notes and I want you and Carter to visit my main office in the Midwest. But in the meantime, can you have a more in-depth proposal by the end of the week?"

Carter was going to answer but kept his mouth shut. He wanted Annaleigh to answer.

Despite the rumours of how unapproachable and difficult he was, Annaleigh found Edward Hartman to be a breath of fresh air compared to Carter. At first, her words and smiles had been forced; a careful ploy she put on to help her be successful in this venture. As he praised her work and sharp mind, that cool defensiveness melted into something more genuine and soft.

She nodded, stating, "yes, of course, Mr. Hartman. I mainly have smaller projects on my desk right now and will have more than enough time to dedicate to providing a full-scale analysis and breakdown of where we need to direct our attention to. The Millennials really do require time and effort to attract as their focus tends to be so narrow and fleeting. I have several ideas regarding how best to achieve that. Shall we say that you'll have this proposal on your desk early morning on Friday? That should be very feasible. Simon is also very busy at this moment and I'm sure that traveling would not be an issue if you require me to do so," she declared with open language and a broad smile.

Turning to Carter, she replied, "that is a very generous offer, Mr. Anderson. We'll make sure to take you up on that very soon," in a much more sedate tone.

"Now, moving along, Mr. Hartman, have you seen the research that suggests radio..." As the meeting went on, it was apparent that her ingenuity for marketing backed up the in-depth research she had done and that despite how irritated she still was to be forced into a project because the CEO got his panties in a twist over her personal life, Anna never slacked off and made it a priority to always be on top of things and get the job done to the best of her abilities.

They talked for just over an hour and a half before Mr. Hartman announced he had another meeting and must be on his way. He provided her with his contact information, handing her his business card with his personal phone number scribbled on the back in case she needed anything - "call anytime, please don't hesitate," he encouraged. Anna swallowed down the victorious laugh as Carter appeared to bite his tongue in consternation of this, desiring to be the point of contact between them. It seemed that Mr. Hartman was very adept at throwing Carter's plans off even when he didn't intend to do so. It was the mark of a long-term friendship for sure. Annaleigh would make sure to stay on his good side.

He shook her hand again and gathered up his things before leaving, the silence oppressive in the room as the door shut behind him. Anna began to do the same as she talked, tucking a wayward curl behind her left ear. "I think this went very well. Thank you for the opportunity to meet with Mr. Hartman today, sir. Is there anything you need before I go back to my office?" She stood to her full (but measly) height and regarded him carefully with her deep green eyes.

Tuesday morning - Finishing the meeting

The meeting went as expected. Annaleigh was thoroughly impressing him and Edward Hartman. The meeting covered a wide array of marketing topics and Carter was impressed with her quick responses to Edward's questions.

When Edward gave Anna his card with his personal phone number on the back, he could see a smug smile form on her face. If she thought she'd cut Carter out of the project she was highly mistaken. While she had his phone number, she didn't realize Edward always wanted two pair of eyes on everything and Carter was the final set of eyes on everything dealing with his company. He had tried to instill that in past marketing reps but they thought they knew better and decided to make decisions on their own and those decisions were for the most part wrong.

Edward got up and shook Annaleigh's hand and looked at Carter. "Lunch tomorrow?"

"I'll be there." Carter looked at Anna and thought he saw a look of disappointment at not being invited but then her facial expression changed to a more sedate look as if she didn't care. Carter had a feeling she did care.

When Edward was gone, he felt the weight of silence enveloping the room until Anna mentioned that she thought the meeting went well and thanked Carter for the opportunity to meet Mr. Hartman.

"Yes there are a few things we need to discuss Annaleigh. Please have a seat." He waited until she sat down, seeing a look of contempt in her shining emerald eyes. As he sat in front of her, he smelled her perfume again. Just the smell of her made him think erotic thoughts but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his head for now.

He took a moment to compose his thoughts and glanced at the dark blue blouse with those heavy mounds pressing against the fabric. It made him want to reach out and gently caress them but then he cleared his throat and looked into those penetrating emerald eyes.

"You did a wonderful job today Annaleigh. Most of the past marketing reps didn't like Edward because, as you will find out, he is a tough task master. But I think you went a long way today to help him understand who he will be working with."

Carter paused noting she was paying rapt attention to him. "Edward and I go way back and he expects perfection. You and I will have to work closely on the proposal you are going to prepare. I will review everything before it is finalized and there will be travel together and long hours to make sure we keep him happy."

He stopped and looked out the window remembering her vicious words from last night. "Do you think you can work with me or should I assign someone else to the Hartman account?"

She chewed her lip. Although this was supposed to be a punishment, Anna felt as though she could make this work out very well for her. To accomplish what no other had on this account before would give her a leg-up in the company, but thinking of spending all that time with Carter, both in and out of the office was nerve-wracking. Sitting in his office alone with him was bad enough, but halfway across the country in hotel rooms? She wasn't quite sure she could handle that.

"And what if I say I don't want anything to do with the account?" She asked hesitantly. "Do I get to go back to my usual post or will you fire me for insubordination? I said some things that maybe I shouldn't have last night but I meant every word, Mr. Anderson. I need this job but I won't hesitate to quit if anything like that happens again," Anna murmured, dropping her eyes to look down into her lap.

"But please, I'd like to try," she said honestly. "I think it will be a great learning experience, my personal feelings towards you notwithstanding. I'm sure we could manage to work civilly together. I can get started on the proposal this afternoon. The rough draft should be finished by tomorrow at lunch if that suits you." She attempted to rise out of her chair but he crossed the room in just a few strides and held her perched on the edge with a firm hand, regarding her as she faltered under his sharp gaze.

Tuesday morning - Reaching an agreement?

He sat in his chair closely watching Anna chew on her lip contemplating his demand they work together. He really wanted her to say yes and if it was someone else sitting in the chair, he would have required the same. He was responsible for a lot of employees who depended on him to give them a paycheck each week. He had made a few missteps in the past that had cost him clients and he learned that until someone showed, through hard work and dedication, that they could handle the work without his supervision, he would be closely involved. Especially with a valuable client like Edward Hartman.

When she looked at him and asked him what would happen if she said no, he felt a bit deflated. She was weighing her options as to what would happen. Would she go back to her old post or be fired. When she mentioned that she would quit if anything like what happened last night, Carter silently thought, 'If you hadn't lied it would never had gotten to that point' But he remained silent letting her think about what he would do.

He saw her eyes drop to her lap and for a moment, he thought he would have to answer her question but she saved him by saying she'd like to try. He was pleased when she told him she would have the rough draft completed by lunch tomorrow.

As she began to rise from her chair he quickly moved out of his chair and stood in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He saw a moment of fear in her eyes when she looked up at him with those gorgeous green eyes. "Look I know you mistrust me and you have a lot of anger inside but I have a feeling we are going to work well together." He removed his hand and stepped back. "Who knows you may even come to like me," he laughed as he watched Anna rise out of the chair seeing that she wanted to say something.