Ruthless boss boyxboy

Chapter 12

Li lay there, tense, angry and afraid. Sleep felt very far away. Yet he must have drifted off, for what seemed to be like minutes later he was blinking sleep out of his eyes as Cormac exited the bathroom. His hair was wet and slicked back from his forehead, his eyes bright in his work-tanned face.

"Did you know you snored?"he asked with a wicked smile as he pulled on a crisp white shirt.

"I didn't realise I had fallen asleep..." Li mumbled, brushing a tangle of hair from his eyes.

"For nearly three hours. Its about time for dinner."

What with the jet lag and flying time, Li felt completely disorientated. He didn't like the way Cormac gazed down at him, mocking, laughter in his eyes. Cormac jerkedhis head towards a chair, where Li saw he'd laid out some clothes. His clothes.

"I want you to wear that."

Li saw that it was a simple teal button-down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. It was paired with the designer blue jeans and simple shoes.

"I am capable of dressing myself, you know," he snapped, but Cormac simply ignored. Cormac simply continued dressing, buttoning his shirt as he spoke, "I talked to Eric while you were asleep and there is a slight change of plans. "

"Oh?" Alarm prickled, nerves roiled. Change was not good.

"Father has invited an old flame of mine to attend this little get together with the hope of her and I getting together. Shock the gay out of me, perhaps?"

"But doesn't that change things? Surely she'd..."

"Getting scared, Hawk?"he mocked. "I knew you'd be easy to intimidate when I chose you, but I have to admit your frightened little viegin act is getting rather boring. Unless you actually are a virgin?" He raised his eyebrows, question in his eyes turning to a feral gleam before he continued. "Its too late to back out now, so stop having second thoughts. There is nothing you can do. I have made sure of that."

"How?"

"Or should I have said you've made sure of that. You've played the game long enough for no one to believe you." His face in a smirk. "Your credibility is ruined."

"I could still take you down with me" Li countered and Cormac chuckled.

"Sweetheart, im a billionaire. Dragging us both through the mud will look worse on you than me, considering your history."

Li bit back his bottom lip at that. "So you're blackmailing me," Li said flatly, more a statement than a question.

He shrugged. "Call it what you will. I did what I had to to ensure your agreement. And you wanted it, Hawk. You liked the idea.

Li bit back another retort. What could he do now?

"Back out now,"Cormac continued, "and you'll still suffer the indignity, shame or worse. Think about what it means for your family.

Li swallowed. The results, Li knew, could be disastrous. And Cormac must have known.

"Don't threaten me," he warned, knowing Cormac didn't have to.He was already so completely under his control.

And Cormac knew it.

"Like I said,"Cormac murmured, "enjoy it. Not many secretaries get a chance to live the high life in the Caribbean. " Cormac's eyes lingered on his, flaring with possibility, with suggestion.

Suddenly Li could not stand his arrogance, his unerring belief that he could be so easily controlled.

"Maybe your father will believe me,"he said recklessly,"I could still tell him how you've blackmailed me. How you waited until I was on the plane before you revealed your plans.I'm your Secretary and you intimidated me." Li widened his eyes, fluttered his eyelashes. "I didn't know what to do, I was so afraid..."his voice a breathy whisper and Cormac's face hardened, blanked dangerously.

"Somehow I think your father would believe me...empathise with me. Who knows, he might insist my name be kept out of the press! You'd be he only one hurt."

"Is that so?"

In one easy movement Cormac grabbed his hands, pulled him to his chest, Li's thighs melded with his. Li could feel every part of Cormac pressed against his body, hard against soft, experience against innocence. Even in his surprise and alarm, Li felt treacherous stirring of desire. He forced himself to meet Cormac's eyes.

"Somehow, sweetheart,"Cormac whispered, his lips scant inches from Li's, "I think you'd be the one getting hurt.Don't think you can play my game. Don't think you can ever use me."

Li was conscious of a hollow, empty sensation, as if all his determination and defiance had leaked out. Cormac, he realised, had power. The power to make his life hell, and he would have no compunction in doing just that.

Cormac might even enjoy it.

Li turned to get dressed, stripping off his pyjamas, heedless of Cormac watching. Suddenly it didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

Cormac watched Li for a moment, the pyjamas slithering to Li's feet, before he cursed under his breath and thrust the clothes into Li's arms, "go ahead, use the bathroom."

Cormac turned away, racked a hand through his hair, his back to Li.

Bemused, Li took the clothes and underwear into the bathroom. He needed the space, the privacy, if only for a moment.