CHAPTER 5: WILLIAM

It had been a long day, and he was drained. He wanted nothing more than to take a good rest and not think about the murder case. But he'd felt compelled to see Rebecca Grey again. 

The desire to see her had built up to the point that he'd cancelled his meeting with the board of directors just to get her here. Impulsiveness wasn't his trait, but there was something about her that made him act irrationally.

William had done a background check on her prior to their initial interview. Rebecca Grey hailed from Kentucky and had been working as a journalist for New York's TNN for the past two years. 

At twenty-six, she'd won her first Pulitzer Prize for an article that had swayed the jury's decision on a conglomerate case involving one of the biggest companies in Manhattan. This was no easy feat for a journalist so young, but she had managed to pull it off. He'd half expected a nerdy reporter with an irritating personality to come stumbling into his office this morning, but she had pleasantly surprised him.

Now, Rebecca sat down next to him, oblivious of how her proximity made him yearn to touch her face. She gingerly removed her tools from the bag and started to run through the interview questions on her phone.

"William, I'll continue where we left off this morning."

William nodded and sat up straight. He inched toward her as she turned on the recording app."Who do you think is behind the murder?"

This was a question that the police, his board, and everyone else had been asking him the whole morning. He half-smiled, the corner of his lips curling up.

"I have no idea. It could be anyone."

He'd given the same answer to everyone who had asked him. Frankly, he wished someone would tell him who it was instead.

Rebecca smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I had to ask. How has the murder affected the company?" she went on.

The smile left William's face. The stocks had dipped slightly, and it wasn't something to be proud of. They had only recently been listed on the stock exchange with a steady climb up — and now this.

"I believe you've checked the NYSE, but once this blows over, I have confidence that the numbers will go up again."

"Are there any plans to implement tighter security at Silverman Tower?"

William had been told that the security cameras weren't working and had already issued a warning letter to the surveillance team. Their negligence was not something he could tolerate.

"Yes, we'll be drafting a new security procedure and replacing the current cameras with higher quality ones."

He reached over and took Rebecca's phone. Suddenly, he didn't feel like continuing the interview anymore. Her face showed her surprise as he switched off her phone and tossed it aside.

"William, what are you doing?"

William stood up, his six-foot-two body towering above Rebecca's small frame. He extended his hand and pulled her up, just as he had this morning when she had stumbled onto the floor in his office.

"I feel like having another drink. Why don't you join me?"

***

Rebecca stood just inches away from William, one hand firmly pressing against his chest. Her heart beat faster. He let her go and walked toward the bar top and popped open a new bottle from the fridge. Rebecca wasn't much of a wine enthusiast, but she could tell that this one was vintage. A part of her screamed to decline a drink and continue with the interview instead.

Finish off the interview and head back home! One more minute with him and you'll be grabbing his ass! These were the thoughts her mind screamed at her, and she suppressed a giggle. The thought of being intimate with a man that she had only met this morning made her cheeks flush.

William didn't seem to notice Rebecca daydreaming as he poured a glass for her, followed by one for himself.

"Try this. Let me know what you think of it," he said and handed her a glass.

Rebecca took a sip and felt a bittersweet taste followed by heat rising in her throat. She coughed and William laughed.

"You don't drink?"

"Not really. I'm more of a beer person," she replied.

But, not wanting to look like a fool, she took another sip. The second sip tasted much better, so she took yet another one and started to enjoy the lingering taste.

"Whoa, not so fast, Becca. We're only wine tasting. I don't want to get you drunk."

Rebecca looked down at her empty glass. Somehow, she had unconsciously gulped down everything. Oof, how could she have made a fool out of herself again?

"It's alright. I don't get drunk that easily." She smiled sheepishly, handing the empty glass to William.

He proceeded to pour her another glass, and just as she was about to take the glass, a violent wave rocked the yacht causing Rebecca and William to sway. The wine spilt onto Rebecca's blouse, drenching her in the process.

Great. Can I possibly embarrass myself anymore? 

She looked down at her blouse. It was completely soaked in red, and for some reason, it reminded her of Jolene's blouse. Both had a dark stain on them. William looked at Rebecca for a moment and then started to laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked in annoyance.

"My apologies," he said between muffles. "You'll just have to make do with whatever clothing we have on the boat while I drive us back."

With that, William proceeded to fully unbutton his shirt. Rebecca's eyes popped. Off came the white office shirt and what stood before Rebecca practically screamed, take me now! She could tell that William's well-toned body was the result of hours in the gym; he was solidly built with strong biceps, toned chest, and sexy abs. For some reason, his eyes were now intensely dark.

"Take my shirt. There's a shower in the bathroom. You can change there."

Well, there goes my fantasy, mused Rebecca as she accepted his shirt and held it up to cover her bosom. But just as she was about to walk past him, he grabbed her free hand.

"Don't go," he whispered hoarsely.

He whirled her around and pressed his lips on hers. Rebecca's eyes went wide as he dug his lips deeper into hers, causing her to drop his shirt.

She sank into the kiss for only a moment, then pushed him away. "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you," he said simply before grabbing her again by the waist.

This time, he hauled her onto the bar top and went for her mouth again. All logic flew out the window and Rebecca found herself kissing back and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.