SARAH When I walk into the office, there are two major goals on my mind. One. Complete my quarterly report review. Two. Stay the hell away from Julian Cross. I am killing both until he storms into my office thirty minutes before my lunch break. I am beginning to think his blatant disrespect is happening in order to get a reaction from me. I’m not going to give him what he wants. I don’t look up. “Ever heard of knocking, mister Cross? Or is basic courtesy beneath you now?” “We need to talk.” “Make an appointment with Nel.” There’s no need to be friendly or cordial with him anymore. He lost that privilege the second he decided to go against me. “Sarah…” “That’ll be Miss Wellspring to you, mister Cross.” I correct, still not looking at him. “Or Chairwoman Wellspring, if you prefer. But we’re not on a first-name basis anymore.” I hear him close the door behind him. The click of the lock makes me look up. Why the fuck is he locking my door. “I'd prefer you leave that open.” I say flatly. “I’m not going to take your time. I just want you to listen to me.” I set down my pen carefully and rise to my feet. My palms press against my desk, and I hope I’ve hidden how much my hands are trembling. “I am going to give you twenty seconds before I call security.” “You don’t have to do this,” He opens his mouth in a desperate plea. The look in his eyes is needy and desperate. Two things that when put together, can eliminate one’s sense of reasoning. He definitely looks like he is slowly deteriorating. What the hell has gotten into this man? “The board meeting, this whole fight. We can end it right now.” “You’re right. You can withdraw your motion to remove me as CEO, apologize for wasting everyone’s time, and we can all move on.”“I want to do that, I really do. But you know I can’t.” “I know you won’t.” I cross my arms. “And that’s why not backing down, or resigning. We can take this to the ends of the earth if you want us to.” “I don’t want that.” “I don’t care what you want, Cross. I’m playing the cards you’ve dealt me, and I’ll be damned if I don’t play it real well.” His face flushes red. “I’m trying to be reasonable here.” “Reasonable?” I throw my head back in a bitter laugh. “You bought shares from my abusive ex-husband to stage a hostile takeover of my company. In what twisted alternate reality is any of that…” my fingers come up to draw quotation marks over my head, “…reasonable?” “I did what I had to do.” “No, you did what your wounded ego told you to do.” I lean against my desk. “None of this has anything to do with the well-being of this company. This is revenge.” His eyes widen. “Revenge?” My jaw ticks as I swallow hard. “Yes. I hurt you, so now you have to hurt me. Is it not?” He shakes his head. “You don’t understand…” “I understand perfectly. Is this your first time being rejected, Cross? Is it a concept you cannot seem to grasp?” Something shifts in his expression. The desperation morphs into something else. Something that makes my stomach tighten. “Sarah, please.” He moves closer. “We could be powerful together. You have to see that. Your vision, my connections. We could take Wellspring to heights you’ve never imagined. We work so well together, you know it.” “I don’t need you to grow my company.” I hiss at him. “And yet, I’ve been here since the beginning.” He takes another step forward. “We can be partners, in every way that two people can be. I’ve tried waiting on the sidelines for you to see me, but I’m not waiting anymore.” I look over him, calculating how quickly I’ll have to run in my heels to make it to the door. He stops on his tracks, also assessing the space between us. Fuck it. Where is everyone on this floor anyway? “They don’t deserve you.” His voice drops. “I’ve watched you for years, Sarah. Watched you build this company from nothing. I watched you survive all the office scandals that came with Aaron. I was there when they weren’t. I know you in ways they never will.” I send him a glare “You don’t know me at all.” It doesn’t deter him. “I do.” Another step, and now he’s too close. “I know you’re scared. I can make that fear go away. Just give me a chance.” I move to step around him. “Cross,” I’m breathing heavily now, anxiety creeping up my chest. “Get the fuck away from me.” Julian moves with a speed that can only be likened to an animal, and blocks my path. “Sarah…” his lips quiver. My heart jumps to my throat. “Move.” “Just listen…” “I said move!” But he doesn’t listen. Instead, he moves forward. For every step he takes towards me, I take three back, away from him. “Julian, stop.” The pathetic sound of my voice breaking pushes bile to my throat, to my tongue, where the bitter taste lingers as tears reach my eyes. My back crashes against the wall. “You need to leave. Now.” “Not until you hear me.” His hands come up, palms flat against the wall on either side of my head. Caging me in. He stares down at my lips, hungry eyes glisten with anticipation. “One kiss. That’s all I’m asking. Just one kiss, and I’ll never bother you again. We never have to fight. I’ll give it all to you. For everything I’ve done for you, all I’m asking for is a kiss.” I almost puke on the spot. “Are you insane?” There’s no use talking to him. I try to duck under his arm, but he catches me. His hand is wrapped around his back, pressing my body against his chest. He moans softly, sharp nostrils grazing the skin of my neck. “Please, Sarah. I need to know. Need to know if there’s anything between us. Anything at all.” “There’s nothing. Get away from me—” He pulls me up, presses my back against the wall by pinning my shoulders. The room begins to spin around me. I wonder how I missed the signs, what I didn’t see, how I couldn’t see it. “Just one taste, Sarah.” Something between his legs pokes my hips. I don’t look down, I can’t. I’m frozen on the spot, and I hate myself for it. “Julian,” I whimper. “Did you call everyone on my floor away?” “Just one,” he whispers. Jesus. I close my eyes and my tears rush down freely. He’s leaning in, and I can smell the coffee on his breath. His lips are inches from mine. Time seems to slow down. I think about Aaron. About all the times he took what he wanted from me without asking. About how small he made me feel. How powerless. I’m not that woman anymore. My eyelids part open, I grit my teeth in anger. In one swift move, I bring my knee up hard and fast and smash it right into his balls. The sound he makes is somewhere between a scream and a wheeze. His hands leave the wall and gather around his clutch as he stumbles backwards. “Bitch!” He cries. “How dare you? How fucking dare you?”Oh. So now I’m a bitch? I’ll take that over whatever fucked up thing could have happened. With my heart pounding against my chest, run for the door, fumble with the lock, finally get it open… And like an Angel, he appears at my doorstep. Brown eyes, and dark brown curls of hair. His eyes narrow at me, at my sweaty panic stricken face, then slowly over my shoulders, to the man clutching his balls for his dear life. Jaxon doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t say a word to me. All I see is a flash of white, before Julian screams for his life. M