Owned (Office Intrigue Book 8) Nicole Edwards (classic english novels TXT) 📖

was because he was well-versed in the world of executive management. Being that he was currently the chief marketing officer for a large technology company, he understood what that role would entail.

“Interesting selection. I thought Tiegan was slated for that role.”

I grinned at Memphis. “I’ve got another proposition in the works regarding that.”

“I assume my role will remain the same?” Gideon asked, glancing back and forth between me and Memphis.

“It will. I only ask that you start keeping him up to date on what’s going on and look to him when you have pressing matters. You can still come to me as needed. Ransom’ll be a good addition to the team, but I want it on his terms.”

Both men muttered agreements.

“What about you?” I asked Memphis directly. “Any prospects?”

I could see his disappointment, knew Memphis was no closer to choosing a possession than he’d been when he arrived three months ago.

A dark-skinned, bald black man with eyes so dark the pupil blended with the iris, Memphis Ward was one of those who caused you to do a double take when you caught him at a glance. He had a hard face thanks to the narrow ridge of his brow and the sharp jawline. But the combination made him appealing in a way not many bald men were. He was compact and bulky, no more than five foot seven, and two hundred pounds of solid muscle. Memphis had a penchant for fair-skinned females, and while he assisted with the male possessions, he was strictly heterosexual.

“I’m going to change things up this week,” I informed both men, though I kept my eyes on Memphis. “I’m restructuring your focus.”

He watched me intently, clearly waiting for additional information.

I glanced at Gideon. “You’ll be without Memphis, so I expect you to reassign his possessions so they’re managed by one of the visiting trainers.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

I nodded at Gideon. “Could you give us a minute?”

Gideon glanced at Memphis then back to me before he got to his feet. “I’ll go work out the training schedule for the others.”

When Memphis and I were alone, I motioned Auberon to bring two more beers, gave Memphis a moment because I knew he had something to say.

“Are you sending me on my way?” he finally asked.

“Yes and no. The proposition I mentioned…”

His chin lifted.

“I’d like to offer you the position of CMO of Owned, Incorporated.” I sat up straight. “And before you tell me you’re happy where you are, I want you to consider it. Zion and I have prepared a benefits package that I think is rather generous. Far more than what you’re getting now. However…”

His straight white teeth flashed when he smiled. “I should’ve known.”

“I think you’ve spent enough time here to realize that a possession is not what you’re seeking.”

His eyebrow rose slowly.

“Feel free to tell me I’m wrong, but I’ve watched you. We’ve seen an unusual number of females moving through here recently, yet not one has caught your attention. Including the redhead we took in today.”

Memphis exhaled slowly.

“But I think there is one particular submissive who’s caught your eye.”

And there it was. The guilt I’d expected to see.

“She thinks she’s hiding it from me, but I’m very observant, Memphis.”

He swallowed, still remaining silent.

“And if you’re concerned whether I approve or not … I think Tiegan would be good for you. And vice versa. But if you expect something to come of it, you need to take the reins. She comes across as a very independent and assertive woman, and she is, don’t get me wrong. Tiegan’s very aggressive when it comes to business. But at her core, she’s a submissive, and she needs someone who can override her from time to time.”

I waited to see if he would argue.

When he didn’t, I continued. “In fact, I believe Tiegan’s been vying for the operations position so she can top from the bottom.”

Memphis seemed confused by the statement, so I let it sink in for a minute.

“Holy shit,” he muttered.

“In that role, she’d technically be managing you. At least during your time here.”

He exhaled heavily.

“And that’s very much her MO,” I told him. “Tiegan’s determined to prove she’s the alpha. I think it’s her way of excusing her submissive tendencies.”

When he didn’t add anything, I continued. “I’m going to promote Tiegan to head of Marketing, reporting directly to you, provided you accept the position.”

“She’s going to love that,” he grumbled, proving he knew Tiegan well.

“Although she believes she’s ready for executive level, I don’t believe she is. However, I know she’ll prove herself in the role. And the two of you together … because you’ve both got insight into what goes on here and what it is I expect, you’ll make an unbeatable team. I want Owned to grow, but we both know conventional marketing won’t work for us.”

“But the two of us together…” Memphis’s eyes glittered.

“Exactly.”

“Say I do accept the position, when do you plan to put this in effect?”

“I’m sending you both back to Chicago tomorrow after the Owners arrive.”

“Does Tiegan know yet?”

“She does not.”

“And her current position? Who’ll be taking over?”

“For the time being, I was going to ask Braelyn to pitch in. I know she’s eager for something to do.”

“And if she doesn’t?”

“I’ll figure something out.” I took a swallow of beer. “Right now, I’d just like you to review my offer and let me know your take on it.”

“Is it negotiable?”

“Everything is.” I smiled. “But I doubt there’ll be a need for it.”

“When do you plan to tell Tiegan?”

“She’s my next stop.” I pushed back my chair. “Perhaps she can help you come to a decision.”

He laughed and I saw in his eyes that this was what he’d been waiting for. Not the job, necessarily. But Tiegan. They thought they’d been hiding what was going on, but they weren’t. I even figured Tiegan constantly harassing Zion was one of her ways of trying to throw me off. I knew better. When it came to what went on here on Sapphire Island, nothing