Taking Courage Read online

  “Hi, I'm Janna Hall. I'm starting today.”

  “Just a minute, yes, one more tab and there it is.” The woman pulled her gaze from the computer screen and smiled. “Hi, Janna, it's nice to meet you. I'm Anne, Keller's assistant.” She stuck out her hand and gave Janna a firm shake, good people indeed.

  “Thanks, Anne, you, too.”

  “We weren't expecting you until later.” Anne tilted her head. “Didn't you just move into your place this weekend?”

  “Yes, but I was too excited to sit home with the boxes.”

  “I understand, moving can be overwhelming. I like your strategy of getting out of the mess. Let me know if you need any help getting settled and tips on the area. I've lived here all my life.”

  “Thanks, Anne.” She certainly could use a friend in this new town. The offer felt genuine. Going for it was Janna's new motto. “I'd love a woman's perspective on the city. Maybe we could get lunch sometime or go shopping.”

  “Absolutely, I'm free any night but Fridays. Just let me know when.”

  “Janna.”

  She turned at the sound and found Keller had come out of his office.

  “Hi, Keller.” She held her arms out at her sides. “I made it.”

  “I see, well done.” He kept his gaze on Janna. “Anne, please find Simon and get him to my office.”

  “Will do, Sir.”

  “Come on in and take a seat.”

  She followed him into a vast office. No books lined the walls, although the panels all had grooves, like maybe they could be turned. Maybe they opened into secret passages. She made a mental note to ask Anne. Any night, but Friday.

  “Thanks again for taking a chance on me.”

  “Nonsense, you have an impressive record. The chance was yours to take, and I'm glad you did, but you might want to save the thanks until you hear more about your first project.” He looked at something behind her. “Yes, Simon, right on cue.”

  Shit. What was Keller up to? She didn't want to turn around, didn't want to see the loathing in his eyes.

  “What did you want, Keller? I have a mess on my hands today.”

  “Yes, I know the extent of the situation, and I have just the thing here to help. Simon Young, I'd like you to meet your new Project Manager, Janna Hall.”

  Double shit. Janna should have known this whole situation was too good to be true. Good thing she hadn't unpacked much. She'd never been fired on the first day before. Disappointment was a mean trick, and defiance took hold. Where was her mantra for the day? With her chin up, she turned to face him.

  “Hi, Simon. It's good to see you again. I hope you've recovered from our run-in earlier.”

  “You two have met?”

  They'd met, and Keller knew it. What was he playing at? She was in the middle of a game, and neither of these two players was going to get her to back down. She squared her shoulders, crossed her arms, tapped her fingers and waited. She didn't have to wait long.

  Simon turned to face her and took a step forward removing the distance between them. Her fingers stilled. Her heart waited.

  “No one's in the mood to laugh. Got it.” Keller stepped in-between them. “I was hoping you two could start over. Hear me out?” After a bit of silence he added, “Have a seat.”

  Janna sat first, and then Simon joined her in the other guest chair.

  “Simon’s the Director of one of our application development departments, and he’s been begging me for a Project Manager of his own. We have a few, but they’re spread rather thin.”

  “Our next project is scheduled for scope approval by the board Wednesday night. The documents aren’t complete yet, but I don’t want to wait another month for approval,” said Simon.

  “I can help you with that. Scope documents are my specialty.” She sat up straighter in her chair.

  “Fine, you can be my Project Manager. But you better get up to speed fast.” Simon’s eyes shot daggers of disgust.

  “Lovely.” Only her eyes turned to Keller. “I assume my company laptop is already set up and my email is live?”

  “Of course, it's all in your office. Anne will take you there.”

  “Excellent.” She turned her glare to Simon. “Send me everything you have so far. I'll review the documents while you schedule a meeting at the end of the day, for the top level team members only.”

  His anger seemed to seize at her direct order. Having some control over this Dom was going to be fun.

  “Fine. You have until four.” He took another long second to stare, and then he stalked from the room. “Thanks, Keller, you're a real pal.”

  She started breathing again when Simon turned the corner and she lost sight of him. A slap on the back knocked her from her chair.

  “Well done. You two are going to do just fine.”

  “Are you crazy?” She stretched out her hand in the direction Simon had left. “I've never had a key stakeholder have that kind of venom for me. What were you thinking putting us together?”

  “Are you questioning my decision?”

  “Oh gosh, no.” She took a step back and raised her hands. “I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting this, and I'm not used to working with such...”

  “You can say it, dominant men.” He sat at his desk and picked up his phone. “You're doing fine. Just play this like any other project.”

  “I'm not so sure Simon will let me.”

  “Let you? Look, Janna, he isn't your Dom here. You are no longer hiding who you are. You may be a submissive in the club, but that's not who you are at work, right?”

  “Right.” She nodded her head and straightened her shoulders, but it was just a cover. She couldn't share his confidence.

  “You're a Project Manager at work. Concentrate on that for now, and don't worry about Friday night. I have a feeling a few things will be different by then. Go on now. Anne will take you to your office.”

  The building's layout was pretty simple. The administrative offices were all located on the upper floor and the rest of the staff on the main floor. Janna's office was just a couple doors down from Simon's. A fact she couldn't get out of her head as she settled in and got familiar with the documents he'd sent.

  Her office was just big enough to hold an L shaped cherry wood desk, matching bookshelf, and two short backed guest chairs. The window by her door was closed off with a set of blinds, and her other window looked out over a beautiful ravine. The view tricked you into believing you were nowhere near downtown Chicago. The few minutes she stared out at the lush trees helped to calm her nerves and brought her back to the goal of the day.

  She worked for an hour before her mind drifted back to Simon. After re-reading the same sentence ten times with no comprehension, she got up and paced the room. She couldn't stand being disliked, let alone hated. They needed to start over. If her life reboot was going to survive, she couldn't be butting heads with Simon.

  A Project Manager needed to have good working relationships with their team leaders. She couldn't have him derail her new life over what she liked to think was a technicality. He might reject her again, but she had to try.

  She reached for her door handle, gripped the knob, and squeezed. The need to flee flowed strong and challenged her to take a different and non-confrontational path. The easy way out. Her father would be expecting it. She'd only have to put up with the “I told you so” for a little while.

  “No, I can do this.” She swung the door open and moved forward.

  Leaving here and going home was not an option. This new life was what she wanted, and she would fight for it. She swung around the corner and marched to Simon's office. His door was open, and not wanting to slow her determination, she walked right in and shut the door behind her.

  “Can we start over?”

  “I hope you're ready for the meeting. I don't like my time wasted.” He leered at her with what looked like unrestrained disgust.

  “I don't deserve this. I know I shouldn’t have forgotten to tell you it was my fir
st scene, and for that, I am sorry.” She'd done it. She'd admitted her fault in the matter. Would he let her off the hook? His mocking stare told her she was wasting her time. “I was ready for the scene, and you have to admit it went well.”

  “I don't have to admit anything, and I have no time for liars.”

  It was a sucker punch, but she let it land. Her shoulders sagged with the weight of his revulsion. She hadn't been open and honest. She hadn't meant to leave out the truth, or had she done it on purpose?

  She had been frightened of his rejection or being talked out of the scene, a scene that gave her necessary answers. A scene she desperately wanted repeated. But she was wasting her time. She'd have to find a way to push through with her professionalism and pray he didn't give her any trouble.

  “Well, I guess that's it then.” She waited a couple heartbeats in one last hope he'd change his answer. “Thanks for listening.”

  She turned and concentrated on getting to the door.

  “Wait—shit.”

  Tears welled up and threatened to escape, so she quickened her pace. She got her hand on the doorknob, and his hand landed on the door next to her face.

  “I said wait.”

  Chapter Three

  “You want to start over?”

  “Yes, please.” The heat from his body soaked into her back. She wanted to press her hips into him. What would it feel like to be taken, right here?

  “No more lies.”

  “None, Sir.”

  Her hips arched back to rub, seeking his hardness. She needed more. Her hips swirled over him, and he pressed her against the door. A moan escaped her, and then he was gone. She remained plastered against the door, afraid to move, not wanting to admit the moment was over. She peered over her shoulder and found him pacing the back corner of his office.

  He couldn't have gotten any further away.

  “Do I need to apologize again?” She slowly turned around to face him and pressed her body into the door. A part of her wished the door would swallow her whole.

  He stopped walking and looked out the window. She took a moment to look around his office. It was a mirror image of her office, except for the old boxing gloves on his bookcase.

  “No. Maybe I should do the apologizing this time.” He crossed his arms over his sizable chest. She waited for him to continue. “I'm not going to bother you with my history.”

  “History can be important stuff. It would help me to understand what's going on here.”

  “I'm sure you'd like that.” He continued looking out the window, probably looking at the ravine that had given her comfort earlier.

  “I'm not sure you know what I'd like.”

  He turned to look at her, smiling. “Is that so?” The corners of his kissable lips turned up.

  She wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him it would all be okay. Something or someone must have done a number on him. Lying could be his trigger. She needed to find a way to make it up to him.

  “How can we get past this?” They were in the office, but their troubles had started in the club. How would they handle this sort of thing there? “You could punish me.”

  “You're asking for a spanking?” His cock clearly liked the idea. Her line of sight pulled to the obvious bulge in his pants.

  “If that's what you think I deserve, Sir.” She held her breath waiting for his answer. The line of appropriateness had clearly been crossed, but she needed this. She wanted this from him. Her palms turned cold and clammy as her heart pounded, waiting for his judgment.

  He sauntered back to her, his darkening eyes trained on hers. He grazed her hip as he reached past her to lock the door. “Remove the skirt and panties.”

  “Here? Now?”

  “It’s sink or swim time, darlin’.” He sat in one of his guest chairs and patted his lap. “I'm waiting.”

  Even with the heat seeping across her sex, she hesitated. Risk bombarded her from every direction. The thought of refusing him felt wrong, but so did stripping behind a locked door on her first day. One thing she knew for sure. Her new life in Chicago would go to ruin if she couldn’t get Simon to forgive her.

  No more thinking. The Dom has given you an order.

  His dark gaze roamed over her body. She slipped off her skirt and panties, leaving them on the floor as she walked to him and laid herself across his lap. Her hands steadied herself on the floor. Would it hurt? His fingers took hold of her butt, massaging deep. She let go.

  “Why are you being punished today?”

  “Because I wasn't honest. I neglected to tell you it was my first scene.”

  “Well done, omission is lying. Will you lie to a Dom again?”

  His choice of words didn't escape her notice. Just because he was punishing her didn't mean he would ever scene with her again. “No, Sir.”

  “You will count and thank me for each. Hesitate and I will start from the beginning. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Remind me of your safe word.” He squeezed her right butt cheek.

  “Lasagna, Sir.”

  “That's right.”

  Throughout their chat he had rubbed her bum, and she felt warm all over. The first slap forced her from the comfort zone.

  “One, thank you, Sir.” Heat radiated across her right side. “Two, thank you, Sir.” And now her left. “Three, thank you, Sir.”

  “You please me, pet.”

  His approval draped over her like a warm blanket. His fingers traveled over her skin and swiped across her pussy.

  “You're soaking wet ... interesting.”

  His fingers continued to move over her folds. Her muscles strained to remain still. The next several slaps were harder to take than the first set, but soon his fingers were back over her folds. Her orgasm raced to the surface.

  “That's enough.” His hand disappeared from her sex. “Up you go. Get dressed now.”

  “But—”

  “What, do you want more, or do you expect pleasure with your punishment?”

  “Only if I've earned it, Sir.” She reached for her clothes.

  “I think you know the answer.” The anger in his eyes had only cooled. “Out of my office now, and make sure you're ready for the meeting.”

  “Yes, Sir.” She finished putting her clothes on and righted her skirt before walking to her office completely defeated. The sting of rejection dug in deep. Keller had hinted at a history. Maybe a submissive had done a number on Simon. To make it worse, she wanted him now more than ever.

  In time, she hoped to win him over. So far, he only knew her as a new submissive who'd lied to him once. This job would give her the opportunity to show Simon she was an honest, hard-working person. A person he'd want to dominate. Maybe Keller was right. By Friday everything could be different.

  She lowered herself into her chair, enjoying the sting on her backside. She dug into the documents with renewed purpose. Janna shone in product roll-outs. A thread of confidence wove around her, and her shoulders relaxed. Page after page, she added to her notes and made a list of questions and possible time constraints. She might alienate him before she brought him around, but she refused to pull her punches. He deserved a clean project, and she deserved a second chance.

  It was time to give them both what they wanted.

  ****

  Simon made his way to the conference room expecting to hear Janna had left the building. Maybe he was being a little hard on her, but she had brought it on herself. Submissives could not be allowed to lie to their Dom.

  Slapping her ass had been an unexpected thrill. It would have been better with her completely naked, but he wasn't her Dom. He deserved nothing but the honor of watching her bottom turn a bright shade of red.

  It wasn't the first time he'd been with a sub that wasn't his. Of course, during those scenes he'd believed Kelly was his. Surprise had struck deep the night her husband showed up looking for her. It didn't matter that it had been several months since Kelly's deceit changed e
verything. He no longer cared for Kelly, but the deception had left a mark.

  Janna's lie was smaller in comparison, but it was still a lie. If she could lie about the small things, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume she was capable of lying about the bigger stuff. He had to forgive her now that she'd paid the price with her punishment, but he'd be sure to keep his distance from her.

  An ache rolled over his knuckles, and he flexed his fingers. He needed to head to the gym tonight and let off some steam. A round of left, left, left, right on his favorite bag should bring him back to center.

  He stepped into the conference room filled with his team.

  “Thanks for joining us, Simon. Take your seat please. We have a lot to cover.”

  The room quieted, and all eyes turned on him. Janna had control of the room. Interesting. It would take a lot more to impress him though. He was betting if she could pretend her way into a club, she could also pretend her way into getting a job. Keller could usually tell the players from the real deal, but that only meant Simon would need to keep his eyes on her and yell fool at the first sign of trouble.

  The last seat open was on the exact opposite end of the table from Janna. She watched him like a hawk. She clearly didn't need another minute to prepare. A foreign sensation washed over him. He no longer held the reins of his team.

  Over the next hour, Janna took them through a scoping process he'd never seen before. She identified and classified the stakeholders, led a team discussion on the project needs, and guided them through making a communication plan. Everyone at the table knew their role, including Simon. Specific assignments were laid out, and she'd called another meeting for tomorrow morning with the whole team. For the first time, he thought they might have a chance for scope approval.

  He was impressed to say the least. He shook himself to remember the girl and the trouble she’d brought to the club that first night.

  The room cleared out quickly when she called the meeting to an end. There were no lingering questions. No one had a need to stay behind, except Simon. The door closed, and they were alone. Janna plugged away at something on her laptop. He wanted her attention. His legs got impatient, and he shoved his chair back.