Free Web NovelChapter 19: Choose Your Life
Richard’s dark eyes widened by a fraction of a millimeter, a sudden, heavy stillness settling over his broad frame. "You want his job?" he asked, his gravelly baritone laced with a rare thread of disbelief.
"Yes." Roxanne nodded firmly, meeting his piercing gaze. "And I have a proposal for the board."
Richard studied her for a long moment, his gaze scanning the sharp determination etched into her features. Recognizing that she wasn’t bluffing in the slightest, a slow nod pulled at his chin. "And what exactly is this proposal of yours?"
"I want to be brought on as your lead corporate consultant," Roxanne replied smoothly, her fingers tightening around the manila folder. "But I will not work under Christian. Not on paper, and not in practice."
"As of right this second, Christian no longer has a job at Vance Enterprises," Richard countered, his voice smooth and clinical. "So you won’t be working under him, with him, or anywhere near him."
Roxanne looked back down at the folder in her lap, the small muscles in her jaw ticking under the dashboard light. "I am going to fix his mess. One last time," she whispered, the words cutting through the quiet cabin of the Mercedes. "But not because he deserves it, and certainly not to bail him out. I want him to sit in the front row and witness my rise. I want him to see that I am no longer the woman he gets to undermine."
Richard watched her, a dark, wickedly amused glint dancing in the depths of his eyes. A slow smirk curved his lips. "As I said before, the file is yours to do as you please. If that is the path you’ve chosen, then consider it a done deal." He paused, his gaze dropping to her throat as his tone deepened. "Which brings me to the second reason I drove out here tonight."
Roxanne’s brows furrowed slightly, the heavy air in the car thickening with an immediate wave of tension. "What do you mean?"
Richard extended his massive arm into the backseat once more, his crisp cufflinks catching the amber glow of the console as he retrieved a crisp envelope. He held it out to her. Roxanne hesitated, her eyes tracking the movement with deep suspicion.
"What’s in there?" she asked, refusing to reach for it just yet.
Richard’s smirk widened as he tossed the envelope onto the leather armrest between them. "Open it and find out."
Roxanne locked eyes with him for a beat before cautiously sliding her fingers beneath the thick paper flap, tearing it open. Richard leaned his elbow against the steering wheel, watching the subtle shifts in her expression as she pulled out the papers inside.
"You are not qualified for Christian’s current job, Roxanne," Richard murmured, his voice a low, possessive purr. "You are qualified for something much higher."
Roxanne unfolded the heavy parchment, her eyes rapidly skimming the elegant letterhead. Her breath caught in her throat as she read the lines. An executive director offer, complete with a salary and equity package that dwarfed anything Christian had ever dreamed of touching.
A small, breathless smile tugged at her lips, a sudden rush of triumphant heat flooding her veins. She looked up at him through her lashes. "Is this real?"
Richard simply nodded, his unblinking gaze holding hers.
Roxanne looked back at the paper, the manicured tip of her finger tracing the official seal before her smile slowly dimmed. A new, calculating strategy clicked into place. "On one condition," she said, her voice dropping into a ruthless whisper. "Christian stays at the company."
Richard didn’t even hesitate. He extended his warm hand across the console. "It’s a done deal."
Roxanne looked down at his open palm, her eyes tracing the lines of his hand before lifting to scan the hard, devastating planes of his face.
Slowly, she slipped her smaller hand into his broad palm, a sharp spark of electricity instantly crackling up her arm at the contact. She offered a single, decisive nod before pulling her hand back to stare at the offer letter, her chest rising and falling quickly.
Her gaze automatically drifted, looking out the tinted window toward the groundfloor glass of the penthouse. Christian’s frantic silhouette was still perfectly framed against the sheer curtains, pacing back and forth like a trapped rat.
A sudden impulse flared in her blood. Roxanne turned back to Richard, her eyes dropping to his lips as she leaned over the center console, her voice dropping into a soft, breathy demand. "Kiss me," she whispered, biting her lower lip. "I want you to take me right now. Right here in this seat."
A dangerous, knowing smile curved the corner of Richard’s lips. His eyes darkened with immediate hunger, tracking the frantic rise and fall of her chest as he leaned forward into her space. "Are you sure about that?"
Roxanne nodded eagerly, her breath mingling with his in the tight space. "Christian is standing right at that window, watching us. I want him to see exactly what his open marriage idea looks like."
The words hadn’t even fully left her mouth before Richard’s jaw hardened into stone. The heat in his eyes instantly turned to ice as he abruptly pulled his torso back, completely breaking the spell.
"If I kiss you, Roxanne, it will be because you want me," he growled, his gravelly baritone laced with a cold, unyielding pride. "Not because you are trying to use me to hurt him." frёewebnoѵēl.com
Roxanne shrugged, though a sudden panic flitted through her chest at his withdrawal. "What’s the difference?" she asked, trying to mask her vulnerability with a careless tone. "Alright, fine. Kiss me because I want you, too." freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Richard stared at her, his hooded gaze shifting slowly from her eyes down to her mouth, and then down to the erratic heave of her chest. Beneath his tailored trousers, his rigid length hardened painfully against the fabric, but his discipline didn’t waver.
He slowly straightened his spine, pulling himself entirely out of her reach before starting the heavy purr of the Mercedes engine. "Go home, Roxanne," he commanded quietly. "You clearly need some time to think carefully about what it is you actually want."
Roxanne’s features twisted into utter confusion, a sudden wave of rejection burning the back of her throat. "I know exactly what I— "
"Go home, Roxanne." Richard cut her off, his voice perfectly calm but carrying absolute finality. He reached over and hit the master unlock button, the mechanism clicking open with a loud thud. "Because the next time you come back to me, I want there to be absolutely zero confusion about who you are choosing."
Roxanne’s defensive mask cracked completely as she stared at him, her mouth opening to argue.
But Richard simply shifted his gaze straight ahead to the rain-slicked road, his large hands gripping the steering wheel. "You need to make a choice, Roxanne," he murmured, the words heavy with a chilling promise. "Not between me and Christian. Between who you’ve been, and who you want to become. Goodnight."
