His to Command

Chapter One EDWIN COLDWELL SAT in his truck, staring at the front of the Savannah office of Rutherford Construction, feeling as if he had been sent to the Russian Front of World War One. This was his punishment, he knew. His purgatory. He was sent here because he couldn’t keep his pants up, and Neal Rutherford didn’t need a scandal back in Brevard. Edwin blamed everyone at first—Cherish for bringing everything out into the open, exposing the fact that he had been sleeping with her and her sister, Faith for not standing by his side after everything came out, Morgan Brewer for being Neal’s voice that sentenced him into this exile, and even Neal for not just firing him outright, so he could stay home where he knew everyone and everything. In the end, however, Edwin knew that the fiasco that ushered in his downfall was his fault and his alone. It had been his decision to accept the transfer, instead of just quitting, accepting the punishment he was given with aplomb. The truth was, he needed to get out of Melbourne. He needed to run away, and Neal Rutherford provided him that opportunity. He wanted Faith Greer to run away with him, even asked her, but she had made it abundantly clear that wasn’t going to happen. Her rejection still twisted in his gut. Faith stood in front of him, arms across her chest. The wind tugged her hair, stray strands blowing across her face. She made no attempt to move them. His gaze had returned to the river, so she allowed hers to go there, as well. He wanted to talk to her about everything, but she had called asking to meet him, so he would allow her to lead the conversation. He really didn’t want her to say what he knew she would have no choice but to tell him. He wanted to live in his fantasy for just a little while longer. “Did you ever call Morgan?” Not the beginning he expected, but at least it showed she was concerned for him. “Yeah, I’m going to transfer to some offices in Georgia. They’re going to promote Jed to my spot. I’m not sure who will take his place.” Edwin shrugged. “Not really my concern, I guess.” He was going to miss the crew he had surrounded himself with, dreading the idea of working with people who didn’t know how he liked things, a crew he didn’t hire. Savannah was a new place for Neal to open shop, but according to Barbi, Neal’s personal assistant, the crew had been hired with the thought of Brian Holmstead heading up the new office. Now they were getting Edwin. Lucky them. He sighed, shaking the self-pity thoughts from his mind. “When do you leave?” “I start there Monday. Neal and I will be drumming up business, starting from scratch.” “Have you told Cherish?” He gave a snort of laughter. “I doubt I’ll ever talk to your sister again, not after she tried to drop kick my family jewels into a new dimension.” Cherish wanted a white knight, while all Edwin wanted was a good time. The same thing he wanted when he started sleeping with Faith, but then he allowed the game to enter his heart, and he lost his focus. Losing that cost him everything. “You deserved it, you know. Don’t get me wrong. Cherish slept with you, too. It’s not your fault alone. Still, you played us against each other. Dumped her so you could get into my pants and didn’t even give me fair warning that you had your own game underway with someone else. Now, her marriage is over, and my nephew has a broken home. You deserved what she did and a whole lot more.” Faith stopped and took a deep breath, an attempt he knew of getting her anger under control. “You’re lucky that’s all she did.” “I know.” It came out as a sigh. “I screwed up. I hurt people I never meant to hurt. To be honest, if I had ever thought I had a chance to be with you, I never would have allowed anything to happen with Cherish.” He turned and stared into her eyes. “Faith, I have always been attracted to you. We’ve been great together, and you know it.” He pushed himself off the tailgate and stood in front of her, his hand raising her chin, making her look into his eyes. He had always loved her eyes. “We still can be. Come with me to Georgia.” Not giving her time to think, he leaned down and kissed her, his lips soft and warm, yet with an urgency to them, a hunger that filled every part of him. When he broke the kiss, he gazed into her eyes and saw her answer already there, the answer he didn’t want to hear. She pushed up on her tiptoes, a sadness on her face, and kissed his cheek. “Good luck in Georgia.” She patted his chest and turned back to her truck. “Faith…” She faced him as she opened the truck door. “Goodbye, Edwin.” She slid into the driver’s seat and drove away. He had just stood there and watched her drive away, knowing he had screwed up the one decent thing he had going in his life. Faith Greer. He hadn’t reached back out to her after that, knowing she had made her decision. He couldn’t blame her. She had a great relationship with her husband and a new one brewing with a fiery redhead she had yet to figure out. He hadn’t reached out to Cherish, either, and he probably should have since she was the one he had hurt the most. Instead, he focused on packing and getting himself ready for the next chapter in his life, avoiding the one that had been slammed shut with Cherish’s knee embedded in his groin. Opening the door to his Ford F150, he stepped out into the cool April Savannah day, dreading the notion of starting over, but knowing he didn’t have a choice. All he could do was make the best of it. He made his way up the cobblestone walkway to the glass front door, the Rutherford Construction logo emblazoned on it. He had spent the past fifteen years of his life working for Neal, growing the Brevard office into the successful company that it had become. Neal was giving him the chance to do that here in Savannah, and while it was a great opportunity for him, it still felt like punishment, only increasing how sorry he felt for himself. He pulled the door open, stepping into the rest of his life. It still felt like a prison cell. He wasn’t the first one there. A tiny brunette sat behind a small desk, typing away at her keyboard. She glanced up as he entered the lobby, a bubbly smile decorating her lips. She wore a light blue sweater-blouse, jeans, and white sneakers. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, keeping her from having to fight with it when she answered the phones, and her green eyes sparkled with invitation as she looked up at him. “Good morning,” she said, her voice perky and upbeat. She didn’t have Ashlynn’s store-bought t**s, but she was still a delight to behold when someone first walked inside. “Welcome to Rutherford Construction. How may I help you?” He returned her smile as he stepped up to her small desk. “Well, I suppose you could show me to my office. I’m Edwin Coldwell, the new boss.” “Oh, yes, we were told to expect you today,” she said, her eyes widening a little as she pushed back in her chair, standing to her feet. She reached out to shake his hand. “I’m Samantha Herring, your receptionist. Most people just call me Sammy.” “Well, Sammy, if you’d be so kind as to show me where I need to go, I’d appreciate it.” He shook her hand, keeping the smile on his face. She was a slender five-and-a-half-feet to his firm six-three, so she had to look up at him even when standing. Her grip, however, told him she wasn’t someone to mess around with. “My pleasure. Just follow me.” If he hadn’t been in such a self-pity mindset, he would have appreciated the curve of her ass as she stepped in front of him and the way her sweater cupped her breasts, the V-neckline giving a small glimpse into the treasures that waited underneath. The old Edwin would have already hit on her, suggesting a different kind of tour. Today, however, it was the farthest thing from his mind. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Andrea Newman looked up from the contract she was looking over and saw Sammy walking him through the secretary’s den, a large room in the middle of the back office area with offices along each side. It had four desks facing each other, two of which were still empty. The other two belonged to Kendra Hunsaker, in charge of human resources, and Jana Mitchell, who was in charge of inventory and equipment. Andrea’s office rested on the west side of the room, the glass wall giving her a perfect view of everything that took place on the other side. She watched as Sammy escorted Mr. Edwin Coldwell to what used to be the office of Brian Holmstead, who up until last week was her new boss and the reason she transferred to Savannah in the first place when Neal Rutherford announced he intended to open an office here. Edwin smiled at Sammy, thanking her as he opened his door and stepped into his glass fishbowl. Andrea blew out a sigh. Now she was trapped in Savannah with the infamous womanizer Edwin Coldwell. Well, have fun f*****g someone in your office with those glass walls. Sammy left Edwin’s office and weaved her way through the secretary’s den, the are they referred to as the bullpen, to Andrea’s office. Andrea stayed as she was, pen in hand, staring out the glass walls. Sammy just waved and then opened the door, letting herself inside. “I see you saw who has arrived.” She shrugged. “He seems nice enough, though not what I really expected. He was quiet. Polite. From everything I’ve heard, I really expected more banter and hints of innuendo. Yet, he was the perfect gentleman.” Andrea glanced out the door to where Edwin stood in his office, taking in his new surroundings. She tapped the pen along her lips. “Well, perhaps he’s moving slow until he settles in. I talked to Jed Jorrel down at the Brevard office, and it was a mess when Edwin left.” She leaned back in her chair, glancing back over at Sammy. “Somehow, I suddenly feel like a babysitter and not a manager of this office. Oh, well. Neal will be here tomorrow. We’ll just wait and see what the rest of the plans are for the naughty boy over there.” Sammy gave her a confused look. “What plans could there be outside of him running this office? Isn’t that why he’s here?” Andrea took a deep breath. She really wasn’t sure why Edwin was there outside of ruining her perfect plans for a peaceful career. “I wish I knew.” Sammy just nodded and then left, returning to her receptionist’s desk. Andrea took a deep breath. She guessed she should go and say hello to the new boss and get it over with. However, as she stood to do just that, Edwin stepped out of his office and asked for everyone’s attention. She dropped her pen on her desk as she shoved her chair back and stood. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stepped out of her office and sat on the edge of Karen’s desk, waiting for whatever the man had to say, not really wanting to hear any of it. This is not what she had planned. Edwin stood, hands on his hips as he swung his gaze around at each of them. “As you may have guessed, I’m Edwin Coldwell. I’ve glanced over the files of everyone in our office over the weekend, and it looks like we have a great crew. I’m looking forward to working with each of you, and I hope you’ll be patient as I play catch up over the next day or two. I’d like to meet with each one of you, get to know you a little bit, and then share some thoughts for the future. For now, just keep doing what you’ve been doing. Thanks.” He smiled at them, and then everyone turned back around to their desks and whatever they had been working on before he called their attention away. Andrea expected him to turn back into his office and hide for the rest of the day. Instead, he weaved his way through the desks and over to where Andrea stood, a smile on his face and a quick lift in his eyebrows, stretching his hand out once he drew near. “You must be Andrea.” “Why must I be Andrea?” she asked, one brow c****d. Edwin shrugged. “I watched you come out of that office.” He pointed behind her to her office. “Just seemed to make sense, since you weren’t sitting out here. Thanks for running things until I arrived. I hope it hasn’t been too much of a headache.” She shook his hand and then turned and walked back into her office, hearing him follow her. She didn’t want to have any type of conversation where the others could overhear. “It was no big deal. We’ve only been up and running for a couple of weeks. Brian had us pretty well set up before he was transferred,” she said, unable to keep the rancor from her voice. She couldn’t help it. This man had just swept in and disrupted her future plans. She knew he was being punished, but it made her feel as if she was being punished, as well, and that didn’t set well with her at all. If he heard the aggravation in her voice, he chose to ignore it. “I’ve always heard great things about Brian. He was moved to Fort Lauderdale, right? I’m sure he’s going to love the beaches there. You transferred here from Charleston, if I read the paperwork correctly?” She nodded as she walked around her desk and stood in front of her chair. “I did,” she confirmed. “I was ready for a change. When I heard Neal was opening an office here, I asked to be a part of it.” Edwin leaned back against her doorframe, his hands clasped behind his back. “And you and Brian hadn’t worked together before? How did that come about that you were eager to transfer and not be in the lead position?” “I worked for Brian a couple of times before I settled in Charleston,” she said with a slight shrug. “He was down in St. Augustine, and when my office opened, he was the one who helped set it up. We stayed in touch.” It was a simple answer and all she planned on giving him. He didn’t need to know how much they had stayed in touch. Edwin nodded. “Makes sense. At least you knew how the man worked, so it made it easier. How many projects do we have on the table right now?” She shuffled through some file folders on her desk until she found the one she wanted. She lifted it to him, making him reach for it. “We only have a few so far, but I have a stack of proposals I’m working on.” He took the folder from her hands, opening it up, and glancing at the contents. His eyebrows arched, and she knew the one he had just noticed. “The Rabbit Hole?” He glanced up at her, a curious expression on his face. “We’re building a s*x club?” She didn’t smile, just nodded. “According to Neal, we’ll build anything.” He returned his gaze back to the file, his head bobbing up and down. “True, true. I’m not sure he ever thought we’d go from building children’s hospitals to b**m clubs, however. I can’t wait to see the look on his face tomorrow when he arrives.” “Do we know what time he’ll be getting in?” He closed the folder, tucking it under his arm. “Not really. Morgan will give me a call when Neal leaves just so we have a heads up.” She nodded. She knew Morgan Brewer was another one who was being punished without actually being punished. However, along with Edwin, both received new offices instead of termination. She assumed they must be really good at what they do or else they had something to hang over Neal’s head. She highly doubted the latter, though. Neal was as squeaky clean as they came from everything she heard of the man. The silence grew between them, hanging heavy in the air. She couldn’t exactly ask him to leave, and she knew he wanted to say something else. He glanced up at the ceiling a moment and then turned his gaze on her, his eyes soft as he stared at her. “I know this isn’t what you wanted. You expected to be working for Brian when you transferred here. I’m sorry I screwed that up for you. It wasn’t my idea, trust me.” Andrea nodded. “I’ve heard all about it. The reason you’re here and Brian isn’t.” He nodded. “The gossip in this company has always been faster than any other communication.” She leaned back in her chair. “Can I be frank?” He gestured for her to speak her mind, which surprised her. “I respected Brian, which is why I wanted to continue to work for him. He was a good boss and knew how to keep his work separate from his…other activities. I don’t want to work for someone who’s going to be causing me more headaches than he is teaching me how to be the best at what I do. This is work, not high school.” She leaned on her desk, her fingers intertwined in front of her. “I’m here to work, not cover for your extracurricular activities.” He nodded. “Well, no one has ever covered for me, but you’re right; this is work. I’ll expect you to have my back when it comes to that, and if we’re going to have any problems working together just let me know, and I’ll see to it that you get to work for Brian. You are not my guardian or my boss. However, I am your boss, and I hope that we’ll be able to work well together. We’re both here for a fresh start.” He bounced himself off the wall and stood straight. “So you’ve heard the gossip about me. That train works both ways. Always remember that. I have just as many connections within this company as Neal, and files don’t always tell a person everything, especially the parts we don’t want in them.” His smile was more of a smirk as he turned and left her alone. She watched him walk away, his words ringing in her mind as she wondered what exactly he had heard about her. No one knew. There was no way they could know. They had been too careful. Hadn’t they?