FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The small flustered fox panted as she passed her paw through the door of the elevator and squeezed in next to a harassed looking raccoon. She had never been late to a meeting in her life and she'd be damned if she was late to one now. She pulled out a small rarely used pocket mirror and whimpered as she looked at the mess she'd made of her hair. The thick curling strands of golden red flew in every which direction as she attempted to tame the gypsy like mass. She beat it into a tight conservative bun as the raccoon stepped off onto his level. With two floors to go she attempted to straighten her too small blouse as she cursed herself. It was foolish to have kept it she now realized. When her father had hired her into the family law company, he'd presented her with her first skirt suit as well, and she'd never quite gotten rid of it. Now in her mid-twenties, the blouse strained a bit too tight across her ample chest and the dress hugged her hips like a jealous lover. She thanked whatever God might be listening that she hadn't grown taller and the silly thing still hung modestly below her knees. A pair of low black pumps completed the ensemble and she regretted them immediately. They lengthened her legs more than she wanted to and didn't add more than an inch or so of height. She walked out of the elevator with enough poise that her underlings didn't bother commenting of her slight change of dress. Only her secretary and old college roommate had the gall to giggle. The vixen walked by and smacked the beach blonde bunny soundly with her messages before retreating to her office for half an instant of relaxation.

"You look awful." A voice called. It was deep and smooth and distinctly unfamiliar. She tipped her head to the side and turned from hanging her blazer on her coat rack. She -as the next in line and work-a-holic extrodinarire- claimed fame to an actual office, rather than the cubicles the men and women she oversaw were graced with. She stood up straight, accentuating her diminutive frame as she crossed her arms. "I'm so very glad I asked you about my appearance. With the sarcasm aside, who the hell are you and why are you in my office? My father and I are the only ones with keys." She said. She knew that she was commonly called a hard ass or a frigid bitch around the office, but she was a damn good lawyer so she couldn't bring herself to care over much. Her work was her life. She wouldn't let a bunch of hoity toity lawyers assume that she'd only gotten her job and rank simply because her father had bought out a smaller corporation and needed cheap startup. And what else was cheaper than hiring your daughter and splitting the costs with your best friend? Her high backed chair spun around and a black jackal smiled at her unpleasantly. His face was strong and fierce, like he belonged somewhere more exotic than behind her mahogany desk wearing a custom tailored suit. "On the contrary Celeste. Your dear daddy is the one to give me your key. Since you deemed it necessary to show up late to your own meeting." He said. She blanched and looked at her watch. She was hardly late; the meeting should have only just started. "It's only eight just now. Which means you left early." She said, giving him a glare as he propped his feet up on her desk and rocked himself with them. She grit her teeth and took a deep breath. "Who are you? My father wasn't exactly forthcoming with any information." She said. She evened her voice out and tried to appear professional. Today hadn't started out as well as she might have wished and she sighed internally. The jackal did a slow once over of the vixen as she fumed. She turned a bit red on her chest when she repressed her anger and he smirked at the small tell. She was a small curvy little thing. Her father had already warned him that she was a bit of a spitfire, but in a completely different sense than he might immediately imagine. He could see it now as her mind took over and the exhaustion seeped from her eyes and limbs. Sharp intelligent eyes looked at him in pure calculation. She hadn't bothered to conceal her perusal of him. Interesting. He leaned forward and steepled his narrow fingers together. "Caldor Franco of Rainfyre and Franco Co. Dennis Franco's eldest son and benefactor to the late great canine himself." He said. She took the news well and merely shrieked in her mind. Caldor Franco was known as a ruthless lawyer matched by only her and her father. He was also a shameless media monger and ladies man. She knew her facts and tried to remain unbiased as he spoke. "You said late. Has your father...passed?" she asked. She could remember the grey jackal well from growing up near him her whole life. He was a jolly man, and acted as her uncle on many levels. It was a shame Celeste could never take him seriously. He was a mediocre lawyer with little passion for anything but drink, women and money. A good man, but business wise, all he had going for him was a lot of money.

And here sat his son, a more successful mirror of him. "He has. At three o clock yesterday to be precise. Keeled over in a heart attack." He said. His eyes never wavered and if it had not been for the sharp rage that consumed her, she might have been overwhelmed by the pain of losing her surrogate uncle. She hadn't seen him much, but when she did he was always firmly there for her. He'd take her side in an argument even if she was dead wrong and play her lawyer. She didn't know much about him except that her father had been friends with him since they had gone to college together; his wife had passed giving birth to their third and last son. She had never even met his offspring until a few minutes ago. And his kit sat and spoke so calmly of his passing. She drew herself up and steeled herself. She decided that he was an unpleasant canine to be around and resisted the urge to curl her lips over her canines. "I see." She intoned. He nodded. "Terrible tragedy I'm sure. But that leaves me as your boss along with your dad." He said. He could see the brief flash of grief in her eyes as she spoke to him, but overall he saw the cold rage. He looked into her bright blue eyes and saw what would have made a lesser man cringe. "I thought I might stop in and see how the top sexual assault lawyer conducted herself." He said with a predatory grin. He stood slowly and stalked around the oversized desk and trailed a clawed fingertip over her paperwork. "Shoddily dressed. Hair is in a questionable style. Impersonal and late. Not looking very good for you..." he intoned as he looked her over. His gaze lingered on her curves and she bit back a snarl that bean in her belly and attempted to claw its way from her throat. "I concede to my dress for today. My hair is fine and I have never been called impersonal in my entire life." She replied stiffly. She moved to sit at her desk finally and relaxed into the pre-warmed leather. "You reek of disgusting amounts of professionalism." He mocked gently. She raised one eyebrow and opened her mouth to respond. "Ah. And there is always the graffiti in the mens room as well. It seems you have turned down quite a few dates since you started here." He added offhand. He clasped his paws behind his back and pretended to browse the scant art pieces littered throughout her office. "I don't know how long an employee like you can last here at Rainfyre and Franco." He said in a mockingly sincere voice. Her hackles rose and she smoothed them down before she hoped he noticed. Was this why he had come? To idly threaten her job? To insult her on every level before she reverted to a feral fox and tore him to shreds? "Don't forget my last name is Rainfyre as well. My name is on that contract the same as yours." She said. A chill ran don his spine at her tone, quickly followed by a shiver that was completely unrelated. He didn't fear her physically, but he knew women could do damage in all the places that counted when they put their minds to it. He turned back to her and chuckled a bit. The sound rolled down her sides and settled in the pit of her stomach. It was a nice laugh, and she hated it. It was a laugh that meant nothing good was going to happen for her unless she came at it with her claws out. "Only once your father announces his retirement. Until then, it's a formality only." He said. Those blue eyes narrowed into tiny slits and he saw her force her anger down. He widened his honey brown eyes in surprise. She was intriguing him more than many women had and he found himself disliking it. Women weren't supposed to interest him. Only work was. Women were for play and he didn't like mixing work and play. No matter how delectable she might look staring at him and thinking of her comeback. "Even so. You can't fire someone this high up without his approval." She said and tipped her head to the side. Even through her bun he could see that her hair was curly as a corkscrew and one long strand fell from behind her big pointed ear and she tucked it back into place and he smiled at her. "Go to dinner with me." He demanded. His eyes dared her to say no, to deny him who no woman had before. She let out an unladylike snort and scoffed out a sharp "No." He looked to her in slight confusion and she noted his small droop in his pointed ears. Feminine pride filled her for a moment before she stashed it away. "I'm sure you have better things to do as well." She added lightly, rubbing salt into his wounds. "Well I know you don't. I can get any woman I want to go out with me." He said with a smirk. She began looking over her paperwork and gave him a coy smirk over the top of a page. "Except me." She corrected. "It wouldn't matter for you. I'm your only prospective date. Everyone else would be too terrified that you'd just talk about working the whole time." He retorted. "Then..it's probably a grand thing that I'm not looking for a date. To anything, for anything ever." She said slowly. She scanned and signed another sheet before giving him a pointed look. "I have a lot to do Mr.Franco. Do you mind?" she asked and went back to reading, a clear dismissal. He gave her a long look before he left and fought the urge to conquer. She was a challenge. She defied him and everything within him wanted nothing more than her begging submission. He almost stumbled to a stop as lust sucker punched him in the stomach at the vision of him atop her naked, writhing body, damp with sweat, begged him for release as his jaws clamped over her neck. He shook lightly as he entered his office and blew out a deep breath. It had been a long long time since he had lusted after a woman. And it was of course after a woman who cared nothing except for her work. Fuck.