What They Don't Know (Won't Hurt Them Trilogy #1) by O. Y. Flemming Page A

raised brow and back down at my briefcase, trying to
disregard his stare. I pull my portfolio from it, and he still
watches me. I have to break this awkwardness.
    “Good afternoon, Mr.
King.”
    “Good afternoon, Ms.
Watts.”
    Thank
God, I was feeling a bit intimidated.
    “What do you have for
me today?”
    “Well, I've put
together a short business portfolio of what I know so far about your
company.”
    “Not my company,”
he states. I eye him for a second in confusion.
    I fumble with the
folder, turning it in my hand because my confusion has me
contemplating whether to give it to him or not.
    “It's my family's
company,” he follows up from the last statement. “It was a family company I should say,” he clarifies. “I was bought out
by my brother some years ago. I wanted to broaden my investments. As
you know, Bryant will purchase half of the company’s investments.
That will make him a whole, but half owner of the company.”
    “I see. Bryant
purchased a full half, as your family breaks up the other half, of
course.”
    “Smart woman.” He
smirks at me. I hand him the portfolio with the plan to divide and
sell. I prepared two to present, in the event this conversation of
the company's background wasn't clarified.
    “Besides broadening
your investments, was there any other reason you sold your part of
the company?”
    He looks out his
big-ass window. Men and their need for big things. Compensation, I laugh to myself.
    “Compensation,” he
says. I choke a little as his answer catches me by surprise.
    “Excuse me?”
    “Would you like some
water?”
    “Yes, please.” He
walks over to what I clearly missed, a full bar. It looks like it
should come with a bartender and a tip glass. He hands me bottled
water. I take a sip from it to clear my throat.
    “I need compensation
for other things I dabble in.”
    “Right, like the
gym,” I confirm.
    “Yes, and other
things.”
    “Okay, anything that
would interfere with the business you have with Bryant?” I say
curiously.
    He stares at me, his
hands on his desk. He lifts one hand, as he looks at his nails. You
know, the way men look at their nails when they are uninterested in
what an individual is saying.
    “No.”
    “Good.”
    “Why is that good?”
Cruz asks.
    “Business colleagues,
as you and Bryant are, should communicate on other dealings that
could interfere with the business you have together. You said it
wouldn’t interfere. I replied, ‘good.’ No need to speak of it
any further.”
    He drops his hands and
looks at me. I mean really looks at me.
    “You look out for
Bryant quite a bit I see.”
    “Was that a question
or a statement?”
    “That was a
statement, Bria. But here’s a question for you, Ms. Watts. Have you
fucked Bryant since I told you not to?”
    I’m not sure why, but
I break out in a sweat, and the air conditioner is on in this place.
It’s a cold sweat.
    “What does that have
to do with this meeting?”
    “Nothing, and your
lack of an answer tells me that you have.”
    “Again, Mr. King, I’m
not sure how my personal life—”
    “Answer the damn
question, Bria!” he raises his voice and causes me to jump.
    I politely gather my
things and shove them into my briefcase. All the while, I can’t
help but laugh. I quickly reach across the desk to recover the folder
I’d given him. He grabs my hand, and I snatch it away.
    “You can keep it.
I’ll send Tony the plan. You two can set up a schedule to meet.”
I rise from the desk and turn to walk away from him. I can feel his
movement. He’s behind me, making his way toward the same door I
power walk through. I quickly make it out of his physical office; now
if I can just make it out of his office’s office, I’ll be home
free to break into a sprint to the lobby where the green-eyed monster
can save me. Well, not save me, but I’ll be in the presence of
another.
    “Bria, I won’t work
with Tony. Just so you know, Bryant with you is what sold me. That’s
what I