Chapter 1-The Formal Complaint
(MARA)
Four years of Human Resources management had taught me one thing above all else: men in formal suits are universally incapable of handling bad news.
"He growled at you?" I asked, balancing my clipboard against the edge of my leather steering wheel and shifting my phone to my other ear.
"Yes, he did," Kevin whimpered. The guy was a mid-level analyst at Brooks Security Solutions, but right now he sounded like a kicked terrier. "I’m telling you, Mara, it wasn't a fake growl. His chest vibrated. His eyes turned this weird shade, and he told me if I misfiled another quarterly audit, he’d 'tear the flesh from my bones and feed it to the birds.' I want to file a formal workplace harassment suit. I want worker's comp for emotional distress. I want a security guard to escort me to my car!"
I pinched the bridge of my nose, letting out a long sigh. "I’m sure Mr. Brooks was using extreme hyperbole, Kevin. High-stakes defense contractors love their dramatic military metaphors."
"Trust me, he wasn't!" Kevin’s voice cracked into a desperate squeak. "He leaned over my cubicle and sniffed my hair, Mara! He said I smelled like fear and cheap body spray, and then he made the noise. The wolf noise!"
"Be that as it may," I scowled, staring up at the gleaming tower looming through my rain-slicked windshield, "workplace intimidation and animal roleplay are zero-tolerance issues. I’m pulling into the garage now. I'll handle it."
"If I die, tell my mother I hated her brisket," Kevin breathed before the line went dead.
I killed the engine, snatched my briefcase, and stepped out into the muggy downtown air.
Brooks Security was the highest-rated private defense firm in the state, but according to recent corporate complaints, the executive suite was being run like a gladiatorial arena.
Five minutes later, I was striding past a terrified receptionist on the top floor, heading straight for the corner office. The brass plaque on the double doors read:
'LEVI BROOKS — CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.'
I didn't even bother knocking. Knocking gives dominant men time to arrange their power poses and tweak their ties.
I shoved the door open, snapping, "Mr. Brooks, I’m Mara Kent from Corporate HR Compliance, and we have a severe—"
The words died in my throat. My jaw hit the floor.
The man behind the desk wasn't just tall; he was a mountain of a human being, encased in seamless black Italian wool. Wide shoulders stretched the fabric of his suit jacket to its limits, and thick dark hair lay atop his head, looking as though he’d repeatedly run his hands through it in sheer frustration.
'What in the actual hell?' I thought, my brain momentarily short-circuiting. 'That's Levi Brooks? He looks less like a CEO and more like a Greek god who got lost on his way to a GQ photoshoot.'
He was currently looming over a trembling intern, leaning both hands on the desk.
"—and if you bring me cold espresso again, Timothy," Levi was saying, his voice a deep, gravelly baritone that vibrated right through the floorboards, "I will personally kick you out of this window. Do you understand me? You will fly."
"Mr. Brooks!" I snapped, slamming the heavy door behind me with a loud, resounding thud.
Levi froze. He turned his head with a slow, dangerous grace, his broad chest rising as his nostrils flared, taking a sharp breath of the office air. The moment his grey eyes locked onto mine, his pupils dilated so fast they nearly swallowed his irises whole. A strange, visible jolt passed through his massive frame, his spine stiffening as if he’d just been struck by lightning.
"Out, Timothy," I ordered, waving a hand toward the exit.
The poor intern didn't need to be told twice. He scrambled out like a rabbit escaping a trap, leaving me alone with the giant.
"You," Levi growled softly. His was lower now, laced with something heavy and thick. He rounded the desk, closing the distance between us before I could even blink. "Who are you?"
"Mara Kent," I replied firmly, standing my ground as his overwhelming shadow fell over me. As much as I tried to fight it, my brain stubbornly registered that he smelled ridiculously good. "I’m the senior compliance mediator sent to address a pattern of aggressive, hostile, and frankly ridiculous behavior in your office."
Levi stopped inches away. He stared down at me blankly, his gaze sweeping over my face, my neck, my mouth, as if I were speaking ancient Arabic. Then, he tilted his head and leaned down, his face dipping dangerously close to the crook of my neck. He took a slow, deep, deliberate inhale.
My pulse spiked wildly, a sudden wave of heat washing straight down my spine.
"Mr. Brooks!" I squeaked, catching myself and hardening my tone. "If you're attempting an intimidation tactic by invading my personal space, I assure you it won't work. Step back to a legal three-foot radius immediately."
"You smell like mint," he muttered, completely ignoring my words. His face remained inches from my collarbone, his warm breath fanning across my skin, raising every fine hair on my arms. "And wild honey. And... heat. How are you doing that?"
"There's this magical invention called shampoo," I retorted, rolling my eyes to mask the sudden flutter in my stomach. "Now, take two steps back before I add personal boundary violations to your dossier."
I raised my hand and jabbed the sharp metal tip of my ballpoint pen against his chest.
He lowered his gaze to the pen resting against his sternum, then looked back up at me. A low, rumbling sound began deep in his chest—a literal, reverberating, animalistic growl.
"Did you... did you just growl at me?" I stared at him, genuinely incredulous. "Unbelievable. That's a direct breach of Section 4, Paragraph 2 of the Corporate Conduct Code: Verbal and Auditory Intimidation."
I clicked my pen with an authoritative snap and began writing furiously on my clipboard:
'Subject exhibits unprovoked guttural vocalizations when confronted with basic administrative authority.'
Levi stared at the clipboard, then back at my face, bewilderment marring his features. "Are you writing me up?"
"I'm opening a formal, high-priority investigation," I corrected, looking him dead in the eye, determined not to let him see how much his proximity was making my heart hammer against my ribs. "You may be the CEO, Mr. Brooks, but you are not above state labor regulations. I will be conducting a full two-week office audit. Starting right now."
For a long moment, the massive CEO just stared at me in stunned silence. The dangerous edge in his eyes softened, replaced by an amused smirk that transformed his harsh features into something devastatingly handsome. As much as I hated to admit it.
"Two weeks?" Levi stepped even closer, disregarding the pen still pressed into his chest. He closed the remaining gap until the heat radiating off his body was nearly scorching my blazer. His eyes burned into mine with an intensity that made my throat go completely dry.
"Make it a month, Miss Kent. You’re not leaving this building."
