Chapter 3

He led her to the underground parking lot through the set of elevator doors that only the top level of management could use. Even the garage with the rows of what seemed to be brand new cars. She had never seen cars that were that shiny without being at a dealership before. "So, tell me about yourself." He broke the silence as he finally reached what seemed to be his car. He unlocked the doors and opened hers for her to get in. She got in and had less than thirty seconds to think as he walked around the car slowly.

"What do you want to know?" she asked when he got into the car with the movements much like a large predatory way about him. Knowing that he knew her personal file already. That was his job to know things about people to give the brass leverage when it was needed.

"Anything." He replied as he backed out of the parking spot. "I know anything that is in the file, but I don't care about that. I want to know you. I can't get into that with the file. It is rather hard as paper doesn't often talk back."

"I get that." She said with a laugh as she thought about what she could tell him. "I was raised like everyone else. I had to hurry up and grow up because my mom was sick. Though it was something that did kill her, in the end, it was a long time coming. Dad is still around and missing all of his kids."

"How many are there in your family?" He asked.

"Five." She said with a smile, thinking of her sisters and brothers.

"Are you all close?" he asked.

"Not like we used to be. They all have families and everything now. I mean, they have the normal life in the suburbs type lives, whereas I live in a crappy apartment on the lower east side because the rent is cheap, but I have to deal with perverts and thieves." She said with her nose wrinkled.

"Not the first time?" he asked as he motioned to her outfit. "I assume that is what led you to have to wear this."

"It was never this bad before. I knew a piece here, or there was missing, but I didn't realize someone has nearly my entire wardrobe until this morning as I was trying to get ready. It is frustrating." She said with a huff.

"Why don't you think about moving?" he asked.

"Well, some of us have to wait and save for that to happen." She said as she looked at him.

"I understand that. I don't think I made much about myself clear. I may be his son, but I have had none of the benefits of being such. He did get me a tutor to help me get into college, and he did pay for that, but that was only because my mother begged him to help out. I think he would do anything for her if she complained too much. The others got the best of everything and handed their jobs on a platter because they have his name." Mikael said as he pulled into the mall.

"Umm." She said as she looked around, she hadn't been paying attention to where he was taking her until they were about ready to stop.

"What?" he asked.

"This is where the nicer stores are. I was planning on getting a few things at a store that doesn't cost an arm and leg for a tee shirt." She said softly. It wasn't that she didn't like the idea of some nice things. She just liked being able to pay her rent better.

"Petra, I know that. I wasn't planning on teasing you. I know how life works and the simple fact things come before clothes like food, apartments, and transportation. But you see, I have a vested interest in how you look now as well. I am on the higher-ups, meaning my half brothers radar now. That little visit from that guy right before we left was proof of that. I need you to completely look the part of the professional. One of us has too. This is my treat." Mikael said as he looked at her sitting in the seat. "No, this is not a bribe of any sort either. What we do from now on is really up to you. Though I can hope that you will see things my way and let us have some fun that is beside your job, which is completely safe either way."

"So, you plan on buying my clothes, so one of us looks the part?" She asked. "Of a professional. I mean you are in a suit as well. You don't think you are one?"

"Petra, my brothers will figure it out. The part of who I am. They know he has another son by his mistress. I don't think they know I am already at the company, though. We will have to watch them as well. However, I do need you to look like the professional that you are. I certainly won't cave on certain things. As for me, I like being the least seen in most things." Mikael said as he got out of the car and then walked around and opened the door before she could.

"A man with manners. I thought they were all dead or cowboys." She said with a smile.

"My mother would kill me if a door was not opened or chair held out. I can still feel the ruler on my hands if I forgot or was too preoccupied with something else." Mikael said as he reached for the door to the mall entrance.

"Strict upbringing?" Petra asked though she knew that sometimes those types of upbringings often were borderline abuse.

"An interesting upbringing," Mikael stated with a chuckle. "My mother was tough as nails about everything. Church. Manners. Whatever you can think of, but at the same time, she carried a nearly thirty-year relationship with a married man. She had a child out of wedlock. Everything that she beat into me not to do, she had done herself, and it was blaring in my face."

"It happens. I mean, my mother was sort of the same way. It was easy to figure out that everything that she preached was something that she was guilty of herself." Petra said with a smile.

"So why aren't you off the market?" he asked as they neared a store she would have never gone into before. He moved her into it and started looking around.

"I have been busy." She said, which was always her go-to answer for that question.

"Sure, you have." He laughed. "I use that one too."

"I have." She said. "I at least want to move out of my place before I start to think of starting to date again."

"Again?" he asked.

"Long story and one I don't want to get into," Petra said as he was already loading things upon his arm. He looked up and smiled at the clerk, who was now rushing to help him.

"I want her to try these on." He spoke to the clerk, who nodded and looked at the pile wide-eyed.

"Come with me, please." The clerk said to her.

"I want to see every one of them." He stated with a sly grin as he kept grabbing things off the racks as she moved to the dressing rooms. The clerk was looking him over and almost licked her lips at the thought of him buying some or most of what he had picked out. As they neared the dressing room, he was still piling things up.

Petra was in the dressing room and took off his jacket and started to put things on. She knew things would fit a little different when she had underwear and a bra on again. She was shaking her head on how the entire morning had gone already. When the first outfit was done, she opened the door and stepped out. She did this with every one of them. He nodded and watched as he sat back and watched her try on everything he had picked up. When she was done, she found a large pile of undergarments at the counter awaiting the ones he had picked out as she wore them. It was nearly everything he had sent her back with. There was enough here to last weeks. One by one, they had been wrapped and packaged. "Check the size. I am nearly sure I am correct, but you never know." He whispered in her ear, and she looked down at the bras and saw he was correct. She wanted to laugh or cry at the same time.

"How did you know?" she whispered back.

"I used my hand as a measurement. Though these are slightly larger than my hand, so are you." He said with a grin.

"Of course, you did," she said as she rolled her eyes. When the total was given, he nodded and hummed as if he expected it to be more. Her eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"What?" he asked as he looked at her, who was clearly in shock. Though the clothes were at least two weeks' worth of different outfits and then some as she could interchange them to make different ones, it was more than five months of her salary. There was no way she could have afforded even one-fifth of these things on her own.

"Too much." She said softly.

"It is an investment. I am hoping your professionalism will distract everyone else." He chuckled. "Now, one more store."

"Which one?" She asked as they were loaded with bags.

"First, let's go to the car and unload these." He said with a smile, and she knew she was in trouble. After placing everything in the trunk of his car, he took her hand in his and led her back into the building. As he moved through the building, he was grinning. He took her down a flight of stairs, and then in the back of one hallway, she saw their destination. She looked up to him as his grin became lopsided. "The choice is really yours, of course. However, as your boss, these would be a slightly more personal investment for the two of us."

"Oh, really?" she asked as she looked up into his golden eyes that were slightly glowing. They were breathtaking on their own, but with the rest of his features, she knew she had no resistance when she looked at him. She knew she had to make her mind on how this was going to be between them. She could be the professional and tell him this would never fly as a relationship, or she could choose to try something she didn't know she could possibly want. It was up to her now.

"Yes." The answer came out slightly hoarse and strained as if he didn't want to let her have the choice.

"And where exactly would I be wearing this at?" she asked with a smile. It was because of his restraint with that one word she would give in. She was already beyond attracted to him. She was finding herself at ease with him as well.

"Anywhere you pleased, really." He said.

"Fine." She said as he took a few more steps in the direction of the store.

"I really do think we will get on rather well." He said. He walked into the store and took in an eye full of the walls, which had many different styles of items. He moved around, and she followed watching him as he seemed to know more about this than she did. He looked at the clerk. "I want her to try these on."

"Do you want to go in with her?" the clerk asked.

"Yes." He said, and she snapped her head up to look at him. That she was not expecting. She had never been in a shop quite like this one; however, the items in question she could see why they would allow multiple people in the dressing rooms.

"If you get anything on it, you bought it." The clerk said.

"That is fine." He said with a chuckle. They were shown into a room, and he had a large stack of things on his arm. He placed them up on the hangers provided, and he looked down at her. "Well, my dear, are you ready for my help?"

"Help?" she asked as she looked at him.

"Let's see how quickly I can undress you?' he whispered into her ear as he nipped it and tugged the lobe between his teeth.

"Is this really happening right here?" she asked softly.

"Yes. It is." He said with a grin. "I plan on having you right now. Do try and keep quiet, though."

"I will have to see," Petra said with a glint in her eyes. As one by one, her clothing and his fell to the ground.