CEO single

say? - What... - I exhaled through my mouth, feeling a ton lighter. - That I don't want anything else. CHAPTER 1 - "The beginning of the damn cataclysm" MICHAEL SWARTZ - To the new banker! Smiling, Theo lifted the empty champagne bottle to the side of his head, pointing the neck at me. His blue eyes mirrored the golden glow of the candles, making them even clearer. Yes, the CFO of Swartz Bank looked like a damn movie heartthrob. The three of us grew up together. Theo, Gabriel and me.

Our parents, Jacob and Abraham, belonging to two traditional Jewish families, were best friends, which made our closeness almost inevitable. We attend the same schools, the same colleges and, as adults, the same professional environments, not to mention social events. Like the anniversary of that night. White candles, silver candlesticks, fresh flowers and crystal vases decorated the center of the large round table, its glass top covered with a fine linen tablecloth. Carolina has always had good taste in decoration. Everything was extremely neat, with the dim lighting making the environment even more refined. The red roses in the arrangements were the icing on the cake, matching the fiery tone of her hair, tied in an elegant braid. - To the new banker! - Carolina repeated, the delicate glass raised in the air. The bubbly drink also reflected the candle flames, boasting an almost mesmerizing flicker. - And the birthday girl. Congratulations, Carol - I said with a half smile on my lips, raising my glass towards her. Everyone around our table repeated their congratulations, celebrating the birthday. There were six of us: Carolina, Theo, her companion, Lia, Gabriel, me and Cleo, my companion. In the background, a voice and guitar duo played soft songs. Among them, Adele's songs, as the birthday girl loved so much. Baby, let me in Go easy on me, baby (Baby, let me in Go easy on me, baby) For her birthday, Carolina had booked the best party room in Mistral, a five-star hotel with a magnificent view of the Park Ibirapuera. Maybe it wouldn't be appropriate to attend a party twenty days after my father's burial. Maybe I should "live the mourning" by retreating to my home. But there I was. And how was it? Quiet. Very peaceful. I dare say, almost excited. If animation were one of my qualities. The naked truth? He didn't "care" about the mourning in respect of Abraão Swartz. - Thank you, Michael... - Carolina smiled, raising the glass to her red-painted mouth. - "Thirty"! Let's drink! Health! The redhead took another sip of the drink and we all followed suit, tasting the very expensive Veuve Clicquot Brut. I blinked my eyes slowly, savoring the coolness of the liquid that bubbled on my tongue. Carolina was from the traditional Castro de Andrade family, in the construction industry. It followed the "old money" line, with fortunes passed down through inheritance from generation to generation. We met at school, and soon she became the only girl in our select group of boys. My father's icy eyes even sparkled at the idea of ​​uniting the Swartz and Castro de Andrade families. How much he tried to push Carolina on me years ago... That's why I never wanted her. Anyway, starting a family wasn't in the plans. "Excellent champagne," I commented, placing a hand on Cleo's soft thigh. Through the slit of her green dress I caressed her, moving up and down slowly, enjoying the contact of her fingers with her smooth skin. That woman was worth every damn penny. - Not just the champagne. The party is excellent - Gabriel praised, looking around the room. - Thank you, dear ones. I swear I thought about postponing it... - said Carolina. - Celebrating my birthday a few weeks after your father passed away. You know, Michael, he was like an uncle to me... Maybe it wasn't a good idea. Even more painful death, after that horrible cancer. Poor man, he suffered so much... - she completed in a lament, unnerving me. I looked to my left side and saw that Gabriel also seemed uncomfortable with the subject, pressing his lips into a thin line. On the opposite side of the table, Theo and Lia remained silent, their faces calm, just waiting for my answer. To my right, Cleo was distracted by her nails, studying her red nail polish like it was a fucking Van Gogh painting. Yes, Gab was the uncomfortable one. Not as much as me, obviously. With my jaw tense, I swallowed the words: "he suffered little." - Do you know what's not good form, Carolina? Continue talking about death when celebrating a birthday. Shall we turn the record over? - I twirled a finger in the air, fed up with that topic. - Excuse me sir. I need to go to the bathroom," Cleo whispered as she got up, leaving the table. I nodded in response and turned my head back, following the sway of her hips back and forth with my gaze. The green silk fabric delicately hugged the curves, marking every inch of them. I couldn't wait to take her to the suite on the twentieth floor that I had reserved earlier. With her dark hair cascading down her back, she looked like that hot actress who... What was her name again? - Megan Fox. The Transformers actress. She is identical. - Gabriel does that annoying thing of completing my thoughts again. The "joys" of being twins. -Uhm - I murmured, taking another sip of my drink. - I remember her with Yuri, last month... You know I'm good at keeping faces - she commented with a false innocent air. - At the cocktail party at that startup that... What was it called? About the disposal of business documents. - "SafeD." I didn't go," I replied through gritted teeth. Damn, I had only one demand. A single damn demand made to Valentina years before: "Never send girls who have already been hired by other Bank employees." Yuri was the Bank's Accounting Director, whose name I only knew because he appeared in my office once a month, taking my signature on that pile of useless papers. Or useful, from a tax point of view. - I was, I remember. She wore a black dress that was very low-cut in the back," continued Gab, amused by my irritation. - You could even see a tattoo on the lower part of the spine, at the level of the lower back. A blue moon, if I'm not mistaken. That pimp wanted to demoralize me or what? He probably underestimated me, thinking that I wouldn't find out about Cleo and Yuri because I didn't go to the startup cocktail party. Whether intentional or not, that was unacceptable. - Valentina dropped the ball, huh... - Gabriel completed my thoughts once again. - What are you going to do? Return the toy without playing? - No. I need a good fuck. But if Valentina doesn't want to lose me as a client, she'll have to reward me. It wasn't a blue moon. It was a damn green dolphin. Standing next to the bed, I covered the crude tattoo with my left hand, pushing the woman's back lower, spreading the dark locks across the white sheet. - There! - Cleo screamed with each thrust of my hips against her soft ass. Pounding hard, I shook her slim body on the bed, without holding back during the anal sex session. - Quiet. I tangled the fingers of my other hand in her soft hair, pulling her head up, arching her spine more. She obeyed me, falling silent in the same second. Fortunately. Her screams were discouraging me. Adjusting the fit, I thrust three, four more times until I exploded, ejaculating heavily into the condom. - Fuck... - I slid out of her, discarding the condom in the trash next to the minibar. Breathing heavily, I grabbed a bottle

satisfied. Chilled out. Full. Yes, Cleo was worth every penny. But I wouldn't stay with her for the contracted 48 hours. Tomorrow's event would be with the Bank's directors and I didn't want to parade with the girl in front of Yuri. I would never give him the pleasure of knowing that we share the same whore. I turned off the lights in the room and threw myself on the mattress, face up, covering my eyes with my forearm. Feeling movement next to me, I realized that Cleo was leaving the bed. - I need to get myself together, sir - she warned, heading to the bathroom.

A storm was raging on the other side of the balcony windows, with flashes of lightning lighting up the dark room. The sound of rain pleased me, relaxing me even more. As soon as Cleo returned to bed, I got up, walking towards the balcony. I preferred to avoid empty conversations, which led us nowhere. When I was opening the glass doors, I caught movement in the corner of my eyes. - Don't touch him - I ordered and Cleo took her hand off my Rolex, positioned next to the silver cufflinks on the bedside table. - I was just going to check the time because... - she murmured and I dismissed the rest of the explanation, gesturing with one hand in the air. I hated people messing with my things. I stepped onto the rain-soaked porch, enjoying the feel of the cool puddles against the soles of my bare feet. Wearing only my black boxers, I kept my hands steady on the cold railing, feeling the wind hit my bare torso, getting me wet, giving me goosebumps. I've always liked storms. Lightning, thunder, heavy drops, and strong gusts could cause discomfort-even fear-in other people. They fascinated me. It was nature manifesting itself in its most raw, visceral and beautiful form. No falsehoods, subterfuges or subtleties. I was fed up with subtleties. - Mr. Swartz... - Cleo called from inside the room, attracting my attention. - Yes? - I focused my gaze on her. The woman was sitting on the edge of the bed, the sheet wrapped around her body. Beautiful, but... Unimportant. Disposable. Cleo would never be a storm. It was, at most, a quick summer rain. It might seem good, refreshing, but it only served to make the air even more stuffy. And the next day another one came, then another... All the same. Monotonously the same. -Aren't you going to come in, sir? You've been on the balcony for over twenty minutes in this rain... I'm ready for the next round. - She smiled, letting go of the sheet. The fabric slid down her naked body, revealing her perky white breasts with pink nipples. I knew she wanted to please me. I was Valentina's best customer, the one who gave the most generous tips to the girls who satisfied me. But Cleo's plasticized smile didn't reach her eyes. It was fake like her name. And damn, smiling in that empty, broken, almost desperate way, she reminded me of my mother. - Let's go. - Although? - She repeated, confused. - I thought the contract was until Sunday. "I changed my mind," I said, closing the glass doors behind me. - And what about tomorrow's event, sir? I provided an even finer dress for... - Don't worry. You will receive full payment - I informed her and her shoulders relaxed. Still, her eyes held a slight hurt. A feeling of rejection, perhaps? - Nothing personal - I added, smiling sideways. - It's just a simple and harmless change of plans. When I said those words, I still had no idea how wrong I was. That change of plans could be anything but simple and harmless. It was the beginning of the damn cataclysm. CHAPTER 2 - "I'm a very generous man" MICHAEL SWARTZ - I hope you never make mistakes with me again - I said, without looking away. - You're not the only high-end pimp in town, in case you didn't know. Valentina seemed embarrassed, still surprised by my visit. I almost never set foot in her "modeling" agency. But I had to come in person to express my dissatisfaction with the last girl. Weeks before, Cleo had gone out with Yuri, one of the Directors of my Bank. One of my employees. It is unacceptable that you now parade with me. Was it that difficult to send me new faces? Exclusives? As if I weren't the agency's best client. With her platinum hair and narrowed eyes, the woman looked even more like actress Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada". Without all that glamour, of course. - I'm sorry, Mr. Swartz, it was a mistake. At least, she... - She looked down at the contract on the table, adjusting her reading glasses on her nose. - Did Cleo please you? - She asked after checking the girl's details on the paper. They all used fake names for the programs. - Yes, very well - I confirmed and flashes of the previous night came to mind. - So much so that I paid her in full, even though I only served half the contracted time. - It was very generous of her. - She crossed her thin fingers on the table, sporting scandalous rings. - I know. I am a very generous man. I stood up and looked around the room as I smoothed out my suit, fastening the middle button. Anyone who went to the establishment without knowing it would not suspect that it was a prostitute agency, not a modeling agency. Discretion was in every detail. From the decoration in light tones to the frames with photos of fashion shows on international catwalks. Everything very refined. Just the way I liked it. - For sure. Rest assured, the new girl will not disappoint you. I will handpick the candidate - she assured. - I hope so. - I nodded, walking to the door. Raul, my private security guard, was on the other side. - Let her be at my house at 6 pm. Have a good time. I grabbed the rubberized supports of the treadmill, turning off the electronic panel after running 10km. Sweat ran down my back, wetting the elastic of my black shorts. I needed to take a shower, get ready for later. I'm glad I didn't have to leave the Swartz Mansion to exercise, running the risk of getting bored with São Paulo's chaotic traffic. The advantages of setting up a home gym. I was still catching my breath when Gabriel walked through the door, distracted, whistling some song. Wearing just a pair of beach shorts, he walked calmly around the room, showing off his ridiculous tattoo on his chest. I still haven't identified what that ugly drawing was. A tribal, a mandala or some crap like that. In a parallel reality, Gab would be a surfer. Non-advertising, Marketing Director at Banco Swartz. - I thought I would spend Saturday working - he commented when he saw me, bending over to pick up two gray dumbbells from the vertical rack. - I reviewed two contracts this morning. No more work for today. - I brought the bottle of water to my lips, enjoying the freshness of the cold liquid filling my mouth. - Cool. I just got out of the pool, the water was very good. Don't want to go for a swim? Theo and Carol are there - he said and I shook my head, walking towards the door. I passed him, who was standing, working his biceps, alternately raising and lowering the dumbbells. - Until later. Don't be late for the cocktail," I muttered, wiping my sweaty face with the towel. When I remembered that there were only two hours left until the cocktail party, a slight anxiety ran through my body. What would the girl "handpicked" by Valentina be like? Blonde? Red-haired? Brunette? I never looked at the options in the catalogs or asked about them in advance. The element of surprise always made things more interesting

disappointed me-except for that slip-up in Cleo's selection. Upon leaving the gym, I walked down the outside hallway that flanked the tennis court. The sun was really strong and I squinted my eyes. As soon as I reached the small metal portal that surrounded the pool area, a warm breeze blew in, carrying the smell of chlorine. Yeah, maybe a swim would be a good idea. I dropped the towel and water bottle on the railing, crouching down to remove my sneakers and sports socks. - Damn, it's going to rain...

- Theo's pubic sighed as he looked at me. He was wearing swim trunks, sitting on the edge of the pool with his feet in the water. - My God, Michael... - Carolina ran her eyes over my naked torso. - It just needs to shine so white... Is Edward Cullen your other lost twin? The woman laughed, adjusting her sunglasses on top of her head. She was lying on a lounge chair with her ass in the air, on the other side of the pool. With a tiny yellow bikini highlighting her tanned skin tone, I held myself back from devouring her body with my gaze. I didn't want her to think I was interested. Carolina was my friend, and friendships in my life were scarce. Extremely scarce. "Very funny," I muttered, walking slowly across the deck. The wooden planks were hot from the sun, making the soles of my feet tingle. When I looked away from the garden, I saw my mother's white rose bushes. She personally took care of them when she was alive. It sucked that the memories were becoming more and more sparse. When she smiled, she talked, she danced with me and Gab, she sang Maysa's songs to make us sleep. Out of my father's ear, of course. He hated Samba, Bossa Nova, MPB... Anything that wasn't classical music "to build the spirit." I didn't want to forget the good memories of my mother, but I was just a boy when she passed away. - Come take a swim, man! Theo called me, waving from inside the pool. With my chest tightening and my head hurting, I nodded. The cold water would do me good. - Mr. Michael. There's a lady waiting for you in the library - Hugo informed soberly, standing under the doorframe. The bald, middle-aged man had been the butler of the house for over thirty years and had been instructed not to call me "Mr. Swartz." Because that was the way he addressed my father. I was in front of the hall mirror, straightening my black tie. Behind me, the decorators were running back and forth, finalizing the last details of organizing the cocktail party. The event with the Directors and their families was scheduled for 7pm. Including a small band on an improvised stage at the back of the room, a dance floor in the center and furniture decorated with candles and fresh flowers, as well as lamps with indirect lights and candles in golden candlesticks. - Thank you, Hugo - I thanked him and the man nodded, disappearing towards the corridor. I finished fixing my tie, restless, anticipation racing my pulse. I blinked slowly as I turned the library handle, composing myself. When I pushed the door, I saw her. In profile to me, the girl was sitting in one of the leather armchairs, with her back straight and her hands on her knees. I couldn't see her face. Her long blond hair, tied in a sleek ponytail, fell over one shoulder, obscuring a swath of her face. - Good afternoon - I said as I approached and she shivered, standing up in the same second, startled. Even with the high heels, the girl was small. 1.55m? 1.60m? Too small for my 1.90m. Not that it was a problem... In bed, height didn't matter. I got even closer, invading her personal space. She didn't back down. Very good. - Good afternoon sir. - Her voice was soft, exhaling sweet, clean breath, with a touch of toothpaste. - What can I call you? - I asked, lifting her chin to me, analyzing her delicate features. It was a doll. Big eyes, upturned nose, full mouth. - You didn't answer me - I insisted after her silence, still holding her chin. - What should I call her? - Beautiful - she murmured in a low voice, perhaps intimidated by the intensity of my gaze. "Nothing new under the sun". I used to have that effect on people. - Bela - I repeated, testing the sound of the word on my tongue. - Did Valentina tell you the terms? I ran my fingers down the side of her slender neck, resting my palm on her shoulder. Her black dress was spaghetti straps, leaving many inches of skin exposed. Goose bumps on my skin, with the fine hairs standing on end under my touches. - Yes sir. - She moved her body discreetly, freeing herself from my hand. Interesting. - Turn your back so I can analyze you better - I ordered, wrapping my index finger in the air. The woman hesitated for three seconds, frowning, but finally obeyed me, spinning on her high heels. Without saying anything, I took in the details of the back of her body. From her blonde hair tied in a high tail to her lower back exposed by a generous neckline, with her wide hips crying out for my hands. Bela was perfect. Natural, with curves, textures and volumes. With calculated steps, I positioned myself in front of her. So close that I felt the heat of her breath hitting the base of my neck. - It's an important business event - I explained, connecting our eyes. Her irises were blue, a grayish tone, but I couldn't tell if the color was natural or due to contact lenses. - Stay by my side in silence. Just open your mouth if it's a matter of life and death. Don't embarrass me with futile and unnecessary speeches. - What if they ask me a question? - She questioned slowly, looking away. Waiting for my response, she took a step back, subtly shrugging her shoulders in a suspicious stance, appearing defensive. -No one will ask you anything. First, her presence is merely decorative. The conversations will be exclusively with me. Second, all my business partners know that I only have relationships with whores - I added and her eyes widened. Unbelievable. Would the woman opt for a job like this and would she be offended if I spoke about the subject directly? I have always been direct in all my dealings. She was just one of them. - I... I think there might be a misunderstanding here, sir. I'm not a prostitute. - Her voice was shaky, but determined, making me smile. Petulant girl. Adorable. I knew some girls didn't like the word "slut" or "whore", preferring more subtle terms. Which, to me, was nonsense. Subtleties were a waste of time. - Escort, whatever. Let's go to the lounge right away. - I offered my arm and she accepted it, although she seemed reluctant. - The guests will arrive soon. Remember, stay by my side in silence and we won't have any problems. CHAPTER 3 - "Your lack of filter fascinated me" MICHAEL SWARTZ The cocktail was a success. Dozens of people circulating around the room, sipping champagne served on silver trays by waiters. Sincerely? I preferred when the parties were held in other places, but Gabriel insisted on having them at home two or three times a year, saying that events at the Swartz mansion would be good for strengthening ties between us and the Bank Directors. The band played calm, pleasant music, as a backdrop to the lively conversations that flowed through the environment, with smiles, colors and perfumes stirring my senses. Bela remained silent, walking beside me, like a perfect decorative accessory worth ten thousand reais while I interacted with the guests, casually circulating around the party. -Do you still have that Cuban cigar of yours, Michael? - Theo appeared in front of me, smiling sideways. With his blond hair slicked back, he looked like a serious man. Who sees thinks. - Or are you going to say it's over so you don't give me one? - I still have it, you beggar. Look for Hugo, he can get