Chapter 5
Breanne lay in Zandro's arms feeling completely and utterly relaxed her mind free of all worries and concerns. A rare state that she could not ever find even with the help of yoga or meditation, she'd given up on the latter two very quickly. She smiled to herself enjoying the moment. She nuzzled her face closer into his chest; his relaxed muscles cushioning her face. Even without experience she'd sensed that Zandro had enjoyed their love making as much as she had. She felt sexy and desired lying naked in his arms and casually ran her hands over his body as though she had done this a thousand times before.
Zandro was still trying to piece the fragments of his mind together. Never had a woman taken him over the edge as completely and thoroughly as Breanne had. With her warm breath on his chest and her hands setting fire to his skin he felt the stirrings of a new arousal.
"Umm, Zandro, I need to get up and go to the bathroom," not the sexiest line but Breanne needed to pee and she could feel Zandro's body begin to stir. It would be best to do this now rather than at a more inconvenient moment. The tricky question was getting to the bathroom. The glaring and obvious solution was that she would strut her stuff naked across to the en-suite.
"Hurry back," he groaned into her ear. "I am ready again for you Cara," and that was all it took for Breanne to slip out of the sheets and race over to the bathroom.
Zandro watched her dart across the room his gaze drawn to the lush curve of her sexy behind. His mind still filled with images of their passionate love making. He glanced at the empty space beside him waiting impatiently for her to return and clenched his fists.
Breanne quickly did her business and washed her hands. She took a look at herself in the mirror anticipating the look of a sexy woman who'd been thoroughly loved. It wasn't quite the image that greeted her. Her make-up smudged, her cheeks flushed and her hair definitely more matted than sexily tousled. She didn't care though. Right now she felt amazing. Zandro had introduced her into woman hood and she felt like a million dollars. Breanne towelled her hands off and walked out of the en-suite. Zandro was up and pacing the room, dressed.
"How could you not have told me," he practically yelled the accusation at her whilst his hand gestured towards the bed.
Breanne's gaze darted from the bed to Zandro's icy glare. Standing there naked in front of him whilst he was dressed Breanne felt her confidence dip. Maybe she should have been forthcoming with the information, however, it certainly didn't feel like an easy conversation to have and given the explicit conversations they had been having she had felt a bit of a fraud bringing it up. Why should she have to explain herself anyway? He certainly hadn't felt obligated to give her a rundown on every woman he had bedded.
Breanne faced him and did not allow her gaze to waiver. "What is the big deal here? I don't see why I needed to give you a rundown on my sexual history. We are both consenting adults and if I decided that this was something that I wanted to do then that is my concern, not yours," Breanne pointed her finger at him.
"Did you not think that I may have wanted to protect you and take it slow? Or how it would make me feel to have treated you as though you were a woman with experience?"
"Actually the thought did not cross my mind," she blatantly lied. "Once again Zandro if you had spent time actually trying to get to know me instead of just trying to get me into bed then maybe you would have been privy to this information," crossing her arms she stood defiantly in front of him. She refused to allow him to see just how shaken she was from this conversation. What on earth was wrong with the man? If he was worried about hurting her then he was doing an appalling job of showing it. Their love making had been wonderful, a moment in time that Breanne would always cherish. This cruel aftermath was another story altogether. Breanne wasn't sure she would ever be able to think of one without the intrusion and humiliation of the other.
"Ahh, so we are back to this conversation are we?"
Breanne could tell that he was getting angry and frustrated but she didn't care. "Why wouldn't we be back to this conversation? It's a fact that we can't get away from. Your primary objective was getting me into bed. You have achieved that. Obviously you feel disappointed and I would now like to dress and leave," she stalked past him to retrieve her clothes.
"Fine I'll organise a driver to take you back to your car," dismissing her he walked out of the room with a definite slam of the door.
Breanne held her tears in check. She would not be driven to any further humiliation. She quickly dressed and slipped out of the apartment without waiting for him to see her off or for the driver to arrive.
It wasn't all that late and Breanne headed back to Hunter Street and jumped onto a free shuttle bus back to the office. She was in her car and heading back to the Central Coast when she heard her phone ring. Breanne let it ring out. If it was Zandro then she really did not want to answer. Right now she just wanted to concentrate on getting home without turning to hysterics. She did what she always did when she had an emotional issue.
She pressed the button to start up a CD and turned the volume up until the music started to distort. Breanne's mind was spinning and by the time she reached the half-way point of her journey she'd gone through three CD's flicking her way through no more than thirty seconds of each song. She just couldn't seem to distract her mind. In the end she just flicked the darned thing off which meant that she could once again hear her phone ringing. It rang out every few minutes until she got home and beeped between calls with incessant messages being left on the voice mail. Still stewing on the turn of events Breanne decided that however petty she would not answer his calls tonight.
Zandro paced through his apartment. His driver was probably still shaking in his boots having borne the brunt of most of his anger. He would definitely have to apologise and give Henry a big bonus for putting up with him, but right now he needed to know where the hell Breanne was. Most frustratingly it was just dawning on him how little he actually knew about her. He didn't even have her home phone number or address.
He'd gone out onto the back balcony to breathe and calm down and returned to find that she had already taken off. Henry arrived shortly after without a guest to chauffer. Zandro had ordered Henry to find her and head back to the office to check if her car was still there. When he'd come back minus any information on Breanne, Zandro exploded with rage. He couldn't believe what he'd done. He had just had mind blowing sex with an innocent virgin. The best sex he could ever recall and he ended it by hurling accusations at her whilst she stood proud and naked before him. He now felt the size of an ant.
This was a woman who was not afraid to stand up to him. An innocent woman who had completely and utterly given herself to him and selfishly he had taken from her without any consideration. It didn't matter that he didn't know. Breanne had been right. He had operated with her as though she were a business take over. In fact worse he had treated her as though she had only one purpose because with a business deal he would never have progressed so far without attaining all possible facts. Zandro grabbed his keys decisively. He would rectify his mistakes now.
Breanne sat in front of the telly mindlessly watching whatever was on. She'd come home showered and dressed in her daggy trustworthy trackies. Breanne had gone from embarrassed to angry to confused and slightly numb, which was probably just the shock of the spiralling turn of events. A sharp knock at the door quickly brought her out of her reverie. It was quite late and she wasn't sure who on earth would be calling on her at this time of night. Breanne got up and peeked through the front curtain and groaned.
"Breanne I know you are in there and I suggest if you don't want me waking up every single one of your neighbours that you open this door."
"Go away Zandro."
There were three quick sharp raps on the door. "Open the door."
"Breanne attached the chain to the door and opened it up to peer through the crack. "You are not welcome here Zandro."
"Look I'm sorry about earlier. I just needed to know that you were okay and got home safely."
"So you came all of this way?"
"What choice did I have when you weren't picking up your calls?"
"I don't recall giving you my address."
"Can I come in? This is ridiculous talking through the crack of a door."
"No you cannot come in. You've come and checked and as you can see I'm perfectly fine. So you can go now," Breanne knew she was being incredibly rude but there was no way she was letting him into her home. "Zandro go home. I really don't want to spend any more time with you tonight," he really was hard work and she was becoming drained from the emotional roller coaster of their evening.
"I'll go for now but Breanne we will be finishing this conversation very soon."
Breanne closed the door as soon as he turned towards his car. Her heart racing from the confrontation, really would the humiliation of this night never end. What else was there to talk about?
Zandro stepped on the accelerator and flew back towards the office. This time he would be looking up more than just her address. The parts of the puzzle that were Breanne didn't quite fit together. The woman drove a beaten up people mover and lived in a cheap suburban rental. Without careful thought she could easily be mistaken for a working mum. Only he had evidence that unless the children were born via Immaculate Conception then this could not be the case.
In the office Zandro pulled up her personnel file. Fact one which he already knew was that she was travelling a good hour each way to the office, obviously dedicated to her role as she had been doing this for the past eight years with only one address change in that time a couple of years ago but still from within the same suburb. Her file confirmed that she had been with the company going on nine years one of the few facts that Breanne had voluntarily shared with him. She had been an exemplary employee for the first six years of her employment with a full file on awards and recognition that she had earned since commencing employment with LSS
There was only one note in the disciplinary management folder. There was a discussion note a couple of years ago indicating that she was taking a high amount of leave due to personal reasons which frustratingly were not noted. It was agreed on that to support Breanne the business would not expect her to continue to do a shift rotation and instead she would work a regular morning shift. Zandro needed to know more about that conversation that had taken place two years ago. He pondered on what change in personal circumstances would result in a young single woman needing to work to a fixed roster.
Zandro sat alone in his office mulling over the information that he had dragged out of a loyal Ben, a much too loyal Ben for Zandro's liking. It just wasn't good enough in his book that Breanne hadn't supplied this information to him herself or that she had tricked him into believing she was something that she was not. She was innocent and by the sounds of it a damned package deal to boot. He did not do family commitments or women with excess baggage. He did do unemotional casual sex with women who knew the deal.
This situation screamed red stop light. Zandro did not do deep commitments. With a mother and sister needing his continual guidance and more importantly needing the permanent crutch of his financial assistance he did not need any further dependants. His upbringing had definitely left their emotional scars. The pressures and responsibilities that were his to live up to had always felt out of his grasp in his earlier years. He'd felt a sense of defeat for many years that he would not satisfy the dying wishes of his father to look after his mother and sister and ensure their safety and that they should never want for anything. His mother knew of her husband's request and continually pressured him to achieve wealth, putting him down the whole way. "You will never amount to anything," she once screamed at him. "Why in God's name did I conceive you? A son should look after his mother. Instead I have a worthless son that expects his mama to financially support him," and on and on she would go threatening that they would be kicked to the streets and that it would all be his fault.
As he fulfilled his education and started to make a name for himself in the business world his worries subsided. He was able to financially support both his mother and sister. He needed deep pockets with their relentless requests. Even though he had set them both up with houses and generous allowances it was never enough. The only time either of them came to him was when they were in need and the only reprieves he had were when they married, for as long as that lasted he rarely heard from them.
Zandro shook his thoughts clear. He would confront Breanne. The woman had manipulated him and if she thought for one second that she had just found herself an easy way to drag herself up out of her problems than she would be in for a rude shock. He was all too familiar with money grabbers and was not about to be duped by one that wasn't blood related.
Zandro dialled Ben's extension. "Is Breanne Tetley in yet?"
"Yes Sir she arrived ten minutes ago."
"Why the hell isn't she in my office," he barked.
"Her shift doesn't start for another ten minutes. I can send her in then for you."
"Maybe I didn't make myself clear Ben. I said I wanted to see Breanne the minute she walked through the door," he'd wanted her in and on the back foot. He didn't want to give her time to prepare for this meeting or time to start coming up with excuses. He wanted to read the shock on her face when she realised that he now knew everything about her.
"She's probably in the kitchen. I'll go grab her now and send her in."
To Ben's credit he did not sound cowered. He would probably make a half decent manager if he could follow simple instructions.
Zandro lifted his head and put in place his blank negotiating mask that always served him well. He motioned for her to take a seat with the sweep of one hand and took in her composure as though she didn't have a problem in the world. She was one fine actress. Let's see how good her skills were for the climax of this story.
Breanne had summoned every inch of her courage to walk into Zandro's office composed and not shaking in her shoes. The last thing she needed was a scene at work. In fact the last thing she needed was any kind of problem at work. Her job meant everything to her. She relied on the security, the flexibility and the regular fortnightly pay going into her bank account.
Zandro sat there idly twirling a pen in one hand his facial expression unreadable. "Breanne, you can relax there are no more secrets for you to worry about spilling."
Breanne looked into his eyes confused, unsure if he was once again referring to her virginity.
"I know everything that I should have known before getting involved with you."
"Is this really what you dragged me into the office to discuss, my virginity?" Breanne willed herself not to turn beet red. The fish bowl offices meant that every eye in the call centre would be focused on her reactions. It was a past time that kept people from boredom out in the office.
"You have mistaken me. I am talking about the four children that you are responsible for. I am talking about the fact that you have a life that you have not mentioned and had I known about it I would have steered well clear of you."
Breanne was gobsmacked. She had thought that he had a responsibility to also get to know her. She knew that he was probably the sort to shirk commitment. She did not expect him to be this blunt about it though. Maintaining her outward composure Breanne asked how he had found out.
"I made enquiries and got the answers that I needed, the answers that you should have supplied me. What were you trying to accomplish here Breanne? Did you think that I was your meal ticket out of a desperate situation? That you could throw your virginity at me and land yourself a husband? I am afraid that I have evolved from those chivalrous days that you have been fantasising about."
Furious, Breanne was absolutely furious. She didn't know where to start. Her fury tangled the words up inside her mouth. She wanted to scream at him. Launch something from his desk into his arrogant head. Instead she took in a breath and gave herself a couple of seconds to work through this minefield of allegations.
Calmly, "I am not going to sit here and be insulted and neither will I hurl insults back and lower myself to your level. The fact that you believe that I am some game playing gold digger shows just how little you know me. Why am I surprised, you have not at any point taken an interest in anything but sex with me. Did it ever enter your head that I may not actually be interested in entering your high flying world or that I may actually enjoy my life and not consider myself to be in a desperate position as you so plainly put it?" Zandro simply raised an obnoxious brow clearly disbelieving what she had to say.
"Zandro, I admit my life is not easy and yes I have responsibilities and yes they are a drain on my finances but at the end of the day it was my decision to take on these responsibilities. I was not forced into the situation. Alternate arrangements could have been found. However, I value my family and the love we have for one another and for me there was no other real alternative. I could also choose not to work and for slightly less than I am on now I could be a stay at home carer living off the government. Again this is not who I am and here I am turning up to work day in and day out. I do all of this because I have pride in who I am and I do not require handouts to get me through my life."
"Sure, but that was before you saw your opportunity. Before you walked into my house in the city and enjoyed the luxury of flying in a chopper, exclusive dining, yachts and the money I have to spare. You have to admit that a taste of the finer life has flamed those little sparks into cravings?"
He was so smug and so clueless. She didn't know why she bothered to continue to explain her innocence. For that matter she didn't know why his opinion even mattered. "You know the taste of your finer life has simply left bitterness in my mouth. To be so mistrustful of everyone earning less than you leaves you very few people to trust in this world. I don't envy you or your lifestyle. I actually pity you. You think money is the answer to all of life's issues but you couldn't be more wrong," she searched his face which was so closed off. She wondered where he had gone to in that head of his.
"Zandro let's get to the point here. You've called me away from my work to discuss non work related issues and make wild accusations not to mention you have breached my privacy as far as I am concerned. Am I still employed and if so I'd like to just forget all of this and carry on doing my work," easier said than done. Right now she just wanted to get out of his office and forget this entire mess.
"Are you accusing me of breaching your privacy?"
Trust him to only latch onto that one sentence from her entire speech. "You know you have," she stood her ground on this point.
"I own this company Breanne. I therefore have the right to question any of my employees and look into each of their files."
"Sure you do, for the purposes of conducting business. Looking up my address so you could knock on my door and throw personal insults at me hardly constitutes accessing information for legitimate business purposes now does it? Nor is it imperative for you to know how many children I have in my care," she seriously felt like stamping her foot. Count to ten and breathe, breathe, breathe.
"You are not fired. You may go back to your work station and continue your shift."
Just like that Breanne was dismissed. She stood up to leave the office.
"Oh and Breanne, I do not want to hear about our affair through the office grapevine. Is that clear?"
"You think I'd want the details of this sordid mess spread around the office? Not on your life buddy," head high Breanne walked out of the office as calmly as she entered. Smiling at her peers she engaged in idle chit chat on her way to her desk. Not a single person would have thought that Breanne was with the big boss for anything other than a pat on the back.
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