Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“So why not do it now?”
Frowning, I tilted my head and stared into his gorgeous brown eyes. They were deep pools I could easily get lost in for hours. “What do you mean?”
“The company won’t fall apart without you at the helm. It’s a huge corporation with layers and layers of management. I’m sure someone is dying for the CEO position.”
I snorted. “And someone who would do a better job with years of experience under their belt.”
Alex shrugged. “Maybe, though I think you’ve been knocking it out of the park. But my point is, there has to be a provision in place to install a CEO if your father or you are unable to fulfill the position.”
“Huh.” I bit my lower lip. That made sense.
“I’m about to get super dark, here, but roll with it. What if you and your father were in an accident together and couldn’t work?”
“Well, I suppose the board would convene and elect a new CEO from the highest-ranking execs in the company.” The process should be straightforward. I imagined they’d have a new CEO designated in a matter of days.
“Your father is going to rage whether you leave now or in the future, even if he retakes his position for a time.”
Alex had a point. A damn good point. If I reject the position in six months, six years, or tonight, my parents’ reactions would be the same—shock, betrayal, and possibly exile from the family.
A surprised laugh bubbled out of me. “Holy shit, you’re right. Even if he makes a full recovery and returns next week, he won’t accept my leaving. Hell, it’ll probably be worse now that I’ve held the job for all these months. He’ll expect me to stay on in some capacity and get my MBA.” The idea of spending years earning a degree I had no interest in had me shuddering in disgust.
His brow furrowed. “With how much I miss you, I’ve worried about influencing you too much. I’m sure my motives will look entirely selfish from the outside, but I promise I only want you to be happy, Ryder. And you’re not happy. Going to that office every day is breaking your spirit.”
He was right. I barely recognized the man looking back at me in the mirror. When was the last time I didn’t wake up, dreading the day? “You won’t think less of me if I walk away? You won’t think I’m a selfish prick?”
His eyes bugged. “What? Why would I ever think that?”
“Family is everything to you. You do so much for yours. You give so much of yourself. God, Alex, you are the most unselfish person I’ve ever met. I have to practically bully you into doing things for yourself. And here I am trying to decide if I’m going to abandon mine.”
He slid his hand to the back of my head, fisting my hair and holding my gaze locked with his. “I want you to listen to every word I say. Listen, hear me, and let them sink in.”
I shivered as my ass clenched. God, he was hot when he got bossy and aggressive. “It’s hard to think of anything but getting fucked when your voice gets all growly like that.”
Alex’s pupils flared wide, nearly eclipsing the chocolate brown of his eyes. His nostrils flared as well, like a predator on the hunt. His other hand disappeared from the side of my face, only to land on my growing dick. He squeezed me through my suit slacks, and my eyes nearly crossed. Why on earth had I gone so long without this?
“Oh shit.” I rocked my hips into his hand to increase the delicious pressure.
“You listen to what I’m saying, and I’ll reward you with that fuck you’re practically begging me for.” The way he stared at me, with that fierce, borderline angry expression, made me as hot as his hands on me.
“Y-yeah. Okay. I’m listening.”
Maybe. My blood was pumping fast, hopefully not rushing too loud in my ears or disappearing into my cock.
“Yes, I help my family a lot, especially my mother, and I will for as long as she needs me. But here is the difference… no matter how much I do for her, no matter how much she needs from me, she who would never let me give up my future goals and dreams. We work together to ensure she is cared for, allowing me to pursue the career I’ve wanted my entire life. There’s no one else to help my mom but me. Your family has access to all the resources in the world, allowing them to have anything they desire. They’re used to getting whatever the fuck they want and don’t know how to respond to the word no.
“You do not have to run the company. What’s selfish is your parents pressuring and guilting you into a job they know you do not want. What’s selfish is that your parents are aware they are destroying your dreams, but they do not care because your dad thinks he has the right to plan your life for you. You get what I’m saying?”