Penthouse Perfect: BBW Erotic Romance Read Free

company, his grandfather and father had. He felt that it was an honor to even be given the reins and allowed to be a part of this thing that they had worked so hard to build. He was working hard to live up to their trust in him.
    He had already made his mark in the company. Cortran employed twenty-six thousand people, more than ever, and had become the frontrunner in safety standards for the entire manufacturing industry. Joel worked hard to keep it that way, and managed to avoid the hostile takeovers that seemed so common in this business. He wouldn’t trust anyone with his baby.
    He knew that he was a workaholic, and knew that it had cost him more than one relationship. Women needed more than money – they needed attention and they would go where they found it. His own father had told him that, and told him that it would take a special woman to put up with a man who worked these kinds of hours. Joel believed him, and along the way, he had discovered that it was easiest to keep things simple when it came to female companionship.
    That was why, as intriguing and gorgeous as Lia was, he wouldn’t try to pursue her. She would only get hurt.
    ***
    Lia made it to work almost an hour late, and she didn’t care. She practically shivered every time she thought of Joel touching her arm, and a smile curved on her lips each time she reached into her purse for something and felt the smooth gloss of his business card. Cortran Industries, CEO, it said, and she was awestruck that even his stupid business card looked expensive. Black on black with gold lettering that was sharp and perfect, just like the man himself.
    Jared Blake called her into his office, which was paneled in real oak and featured an elaborate cherry desk and shelving system. It must have cost a fortune, but she had never dared ask where he got the money – their small firm certainly didn’t turn these kinds of profits. She sat on the edge of the visitor chair and looked at the hawk-like man, taking in the pale skin and deep black hair that never quite fell the way he wanted. As a result, he was constantly raking his hands through his hair and making it stand on end.
    Part of her job was to make him look presentable on court days. She got the creeps every time she touched him.
    “Good morning, Mr. Blake.” He had tried to get her to call him Jared but that, along with the primping, was just too weird for Lia.
    “Did you finally make it to work, Lia? You know we depend on you here.”
    You only depend on me because you hired Classy out there for her boobs. She can’t do anything else. The woman’s real name was Chelsea, but Lia seldom called her that. In fact, she seldom spoke to the woman at all.
    Unfortunately, Lia was pretty sure that she had been hired for her boobs, too. She was nicely endowed, and they were real. She just got bonus points for being able to actually do the job. Hence, she did the work of two people – two people who constantly stared at her breasts the whole time she was trying to talk to them.
    She slumped in her chair a little. “Sorry, Mr. Blake. It couldn’t be helped.” What was he going to do? Fire her? The thought of losing this income scared her, but it sort of excited her to think about a fresh start, too.
    Maybe it was time to move on, after all.
    He slid a sheet of paper across the surface of the desk. “I need you to dig up some case histories for me, Lia. You can find them a lot faster than I can.” He put his elbows on the desk and leaned forward, closer to her chest. “I’ll need them this afternoon around five.”
    She bit her lip to keep back the sarcastic remark that burned in the back of her throat. She wasn’t technically even his employee – he had hired Classy out there, who was currently doing her darndest to sneak out early for a date with the tanning bed. Lia worked for Marcus Bailey, who wasn’t much better, but still…
    She hurried out of the office before she ended up in worse trouble and headed for the