Stanton Series Box Set: Stanton Series (Box Set)

by T L Swan

  “How do you not know this?” I tease.

  He frowns. “I’ve never had a girlfriend, Tash. How would I know these things?” He does wide eyes at me. I smile, I know we could but I’m going to make him wait the week out. Let him suffer for a change. And boy is he going to suffer.

  It’s Wednesday lunchtime and I am in the lift on my way up to Josh’s office. We have had the most wonderful week together. Josh has been attentive, loving, funny and hot as hell. Ridiculously hard the whole time. It’s a wonder he has any blood left in his body. I have been at a conference this morning and have the afternoon off. I purposely dressed in a tight, black, high – waisted pencil skirt and silk white blouse with the top button undone and high closed–in heels, my hair up and my glasses on. I know Josh loves me in naughty secretary get–up. I had a business suit on when he picked me up from work on Monday and he stopped the car twice on the way home to try and molest me. I had to smile when he asked me if I was deliberately prick – teasing him. He’s going to kill me when he finds out I have been. It’s just too delicious watching him beg. The lift opens and I am confronted with wall–to–wall marble and amazing views. There is a large reception area on the left with two pretty blondes sitting behind the desk. I tentatively walk to the desk.

  “Natasha Marx to see Joshua Stanton,” I smile nervously. The girls glance at each other and buzz the intercom.

  “Yes,” Adrian’s bored voice comes through the speaker.

  “Natasha Marx is here to see Mr Stanton.”

  “I’ll be right there.” The girls frown at each other. Is that not normal? I stand awkwardly on display as the girls look me up and down. Adrian bursts through the security door.

  “Hi, baby,” he gushes and wraps me in an embrace and kisses me on the temple. Way to embarrass me in front of the staff. He smiles and pulls me toward the doors. “Show’s over, ladies. Back to work,” he snaps. The two girls immediately put their heads back down and start to look busy. Shit, Adrian’s a mean boss—who knew. I thought he was a butterball. He pulls me by the hand through a large room that is surprisingly empty with only about fifteen desks with computers and men sitting behind them. They are typing so fast it looks like they are pretending. “What are they doing?”

  Adrian shrugs. “Some are designing and some are hacking.”

  I frown. “Hacking? Do you hack? I thought this was a reputable business,” I ask.

  He smiles. “We are just checking facts, medical stuff. Nothing important.” Some are dressed in suits and some are in jeans and hoodies. Hmm, what is the dress code for this place? I am then led through another set of double doors to a huge office. The whole back wall is glass with an amazing view over Sydney. There is a huge desk in the middle of the back wall facing the door.

  “This is my office.” Adrian smiles.

  “Nice.” I nod, impressed.

  “Josh is just training. He will be about ten minutes. Do you want to go into his office and watch?” I smile and nod. I walk through another set of doors and into the most impressive office I have ever seen, holy shit. Another huge glass wall looking over the city adorns the space. There is a conference table with at least twenty seats on one side of the room, a desk at the back and then to the left is a glass wall looking into another room. And there he stands, my prince. Looking unbelievably hot in a grey pin–striped suit and, I have to say, unbelievably smart. He is standing in front of about twenty students, writing on a whiteboard. A huge computer screen hangs behind him, erected on the wall. They are all in front of computers and are following his instructions. Every now and then he grabs his mouse and shows them on the large screen what he is doing as he talks into a microphone thing attached to his ear. Intelligence is just so…sexy.

  “Who is he training?” I ask.

  “He runs these competitions where computer kids from around the world have to hack into traps he has set and uncover the hidden formula.”

  “Why does he do that?” I frown.

  Adrian smiles. “Because he likes to set the traps more than they like to do them and it exposes him to the most talented computer geeks on the planet.” Ah, the penny drops.

  “He’s recruiting?” I ask.

  Adrian smiles. “Yes, they think they are here to learn and they are, but what he hasn’t told them is that the top five will get internships with us.”

  “And an internship is valuable, is it?” I frown.

  “Learning from Josh is like winning the frigging lottery. The man is a genius.” My mind goes into overdrive and I ask the question I have been dying to.

  “Adrian, why is Josh so heavily guarded?” He gives me a sympathetic smile.

  “Josh has a lot of jealous people around him, Tash. It’s not so much him that they are after, as his mind.” I frown as I try to comprehend what it must be like to be that smart. I shrug my shoulders and smile. Guess I’ll never find out. I sit on his desk. A smile plays on my lips as I imagine him in this office when we first started hooking up. Now that I know him better and am fully aware that he had feelings for me all along I know he would have been unbearable to be around during those first few weeks. Poor Adrian… and Cam. What did Cam say the other night? Hmm, that’s right, Josh follows him around stressing him out. I smile at the thought…why do I find that funny? I look back to my Adonis in front of his class and I feel a familiar pull towards him; never have I been so attracted to another human being. No other male even exists when he’s in the room. As I sit in his office hanging off his every word, his eyes drift over to where he spots me sitting on his desk. Our eyes lock across the room. I can hear what his body is saying to mine, my body instantly softening under his gaze. Preparing itself for his onslaught. He looks me up and down and immediately cracks his neck. Bingo. I smile and he calls for lunch and wraps up his class. He walks into his office, grabs me by the hand and pulls me around the corner away from the sight of his class and pushes me up against the wall. Then he is on me. His powerful kiss leaves me breathless as he grabs both sides of my face.

  “Jesus, what the fuck are you wearing, Miss Marx. Are you offering me yourself on a platter? Just looking at you is driving me crazy with lust. But you already know that, don’t you?” He smiles into my neck as his lips fall down to where my shirt meets my shoulders, his mouth hungrily running over my goose bump–covered flesh. I smile and pull his mouth back to mine. It has been five days since we made love and I have to say in all honesty I am gagging for it, his words not mine. His hard erection digs into my thigh and he grabs my behind to pull me onto it. I won’t even make it to lunch at this rate.

  “Josh, we are going out for lunch remember.”

  “I’ll have you for lunch,” he whispers, smiling into my neck. Hmm, that does sound more appealing I have to admit.

  “We can’t. I invited Adrian.”

  He immediately pulls back and frowns at me. “Why? I wanted you to myself.”

  I smile. “Because I need to get to know him seeing he is probably going to be my only friend in LA.”

  “You have me and I can be a friend with very, very…” he pumps his hips into me, “good benefits.” He runs his lips down my neck again and my eyes close at the contact. I can’t even play hard to get, who am I kidding?

  “And Cam, you will have Cam.” He raises his eyebrows as if talking to a child.

  “Cam’s going to be a doctor doing shiftwork at a hospital and when he’s not there…Let’s face it, he will be playing Dr Dreamy in bed. Besides I have a lot in common with Adrian.” He smiles and nods as if understanding my point.

  “Come on then,” he releases the tight hold he has on my body and I feel the loss of the contact. “Let me give you a tip, Miss Marx,” he growls as his eyes drop to my skirt and then back up to my breasts. “If you want to make it through lunch without being fucked on the table, you had better change clothes. This whole secretary thing you have going on,” he waves his hand up the length of my body, “is making me so hard I might break you.”

  I smile and
bite my lip. “I didn’t bring any spare clothes, Mr Stanton. I hope I don’t get into trouble, sir,” I whisper darkly. Two can play this game. If he wants to play bosses and secretaries, he had better well be good at it. He smirks a smile and does up my top button. His eyes linger on my lips.

  “You’re a beautiful slut.” He turns me so my back is to his front and pulls me against his erection. “I can’t wait to fuck you with those glasses on.” He bites my neck hard from behind and smacks me hard on the behind as he pushes me forward.

  We walk out through the lobby to wait for Adrian with our hands linked and I am immediately made aware, by the amount of attention we are getting, that the staff have never seen Joshua with anyone. All of his workers are doing a double take at the affection between us. The two female secretaries literally swoon at the sight of him, so much so I don’t think they even notice I am actually on the other end of his arm, silly bitches. Hmm, mental note, watch out for secretaries; he seems a little too interested in secretary get–up for my liking. Adrian joins us and the three of us head to lunch together with our three bodyguards trailing behind us. Is this necessary? It all seems a bit dramatic. We go to a place a few blocks from the building and head into the reception. We are greeted by a waitress whose eyes linger a little too long on my two lunch dates. She doesn’t even look at me—how annoying. Honey, wipe the drool from your chin, it’s kind of embarrassing. While we are waiting to be seated a bustle comes through the restaurant. A group of reporters have just spotted someone and are rushing towards him as he leaves the restaurant. I turn to see who they are looking at and I see my boss Henry walking towards me.

  “Hi, Natasha, you guys having lunch?” I nod and smile and turn to introduce Adrian and Joshua when I am literally stunned to silence. My absolute guru, Nicholas Anastas, is walking up behind Henry. My eyes literally pop from their sockets and luckily Henry knows what’s going on in that messed–up head of mine and takes over the introductions.

  “Hi, I’m Henry, Natasha’s boss, and this is Nicholas Anastas.” Joshua shakes Henry’s hand first. “Joshua Stanton.” He smiles and then shakes Nicholas’s hand. “Joshua Stanton.” He smiles again. I am standing, stunned to my core. This man is the most brilliant psychologist on the planet and has written the very bible of psychology. He is a world famous author. I am totally dumbstruck—I have no words.

  “This is Natasha Marx who works with me.”

  Nicholas shakes my hand and smiles. “Hello Natasha.”

  Oh my god he touched my hand…freaking out right now. “Hello,” I nervously smile. He then turns his attention to Adrian and they shake hands.

  “Nicholas Anastas.” He nods and smiles.

  “Adrian Murphy.” Adrian smiles. They stay shaking hands a little too long and I have to say the chemistry between them is off the charts. Nicholas is an older—maybe fortyish— European, six foot two, gorgeous man and in perfect physical condition. He is wearing a charcoal suit and I am a little in awe of his beauty. He is so much better looking in person than I ever imagined. He has a presence—like Joshua and Adrian. I think all powerful and dominant men have it. His and Adrian’s eyes are locked on each other. What the hell? Adrian’s eyes widen at the contact and Nicholas frowns as he looks down at their hands. Shit, what is going on here? Adrian pulls his hand out of Nicholas’s grip a little too quickly and looks nervously at me as he swallows.

  Henry smiles. “Nice to meet you.” Then he walks toward the door.

  Nicholas, however, stands still on the spot, his eyes drilling into Adrian.

  “It’s been very nice, Adrian,” his husky voice whispers, he nods and is out the door.

  Joshua frowns. “What the hell was that about?” he asks Adrian.

  “I have no idea.” He wipes his forehead in frustration.

  I do wide eyes at Adrian and link my arm through his. “Oh my god, the hottest man on the planet just totally made a play at you.” I giggle. Joshua turns and looks at me deadpan.

  “I mean second–hottest man on the planet after you, of course, baby.” I smile.

  He fake–smiles back and nods his head. “Sure you did,” he mouths at me. We take our seat.

  “Who was that god?” Adrian asks me wide–eyed.

  “Only one of the most intelligent men on the planet. He’s a psychologist. You’re right. He is a god and a bloody good author, not to mention smoking frigging hot.”

  Josh puts his menu down and rolls his eyes at me. “Down low on the frigging hot,” he snaps. I smile and grab his hand. I have to say I am loving jealous Mr Stanton a little too much—he’s just simply too delicious. I am interrupted by a man who comes through the crowd to our table.

  “Excuse me, Mr Murphy.” Adrian frowns. It is then I notice Adrian’s bodyguard coming up behind the man.

  “Can I help you?” he asks the man. The man looks at the bodyguard and then at Adrian, unsure of who he is. Adrian looks a little embarrassed.

  “I’m a friend of Nicholas Anastas,” he says. My eyes must light up because Joshua squeezes my hand so tight he nearly breaks a bloody finger.

  Adrian turns to his bodyguard. “It’s ok, Sam.” The bodyguard backs off and the man narrows his eyes as if summing up the situation and turns back to Adrian.

  “Mr Anastas asked me to give you this. He said to tell you he would have come back himself but the photographers were following him and he didn’t want to embarrass you.” He passes Adrian a business card, dips his head and walks away. Adrian looks at the business card and frowns and then turns it over to read the back, he then bites his lip and smiles at Joshua. Joshua is sitting watching Adrian with his elbow on the table, running the side of his pointer back and forth over his lip, his thinking position.

  I, however, am just about to wet myself. “Oh my god Adrian what does it say?”

  He passes me the card.

  Let me take you out for dinner

  Call me 041.695.8720

  Nicholas

  “Holy crap Adrian. He is asking you out for dinner. Oh, and I love the wording so…dominant and sexy.” Anyone would think he was asking me. I’m like a little kid.

  Josh smiles and gets out his phone. “That was very Hollywood, don’t you think?” He smiles at Adrian as he raises a brow. Who, I think, has been rendered speechless.

  “It was, wasn’t it?” he whispers, wide–eyed.

  “He looks like that dude off True Blood,” Josh says as he tries to think of his name.

  “Who?” I frown.

  “You know, the hot ripped guy…European.”

  “Yes, Jo Manginello. He does, Adrian,” I snap. “Oooohh my goooddd, I looove Jo Manginello.” I wipe my forehead to accentuate my point as I grab Adrian’s hand over the table.

  Adrian frowns. “He was a bit of a Greek god, wasn’t he?”

  “Are you kidding—no contest.” I smile.

  Joshua starts to read to us from his phone; he has obviously just googled Mr Anastas.

  “Ok, here are the facts.” He raises his eyebrows at Adrian. “Greek, forty–two, gay, successful author, estimated wealth at two hundred million.” He frowns as he reads the next bit of the information and pauses, “Tragically his husband died in a snow–skiing accident eight years ago.” We all go silent.

  Adrian eyes widen. “He was married?”

  Josh nods.

  “Apparently to a French lawyer.” Hmm, that’s interesting. I had no idea he was even gay. What in the hell did we do before google?

  Josh smiles at Adrian and raises an eyebrow. “The marrying type hey.” Adrian rolls his eyes at Josh. “You’re calling him,” Josh announces.

  Adrian frowns. “No I’m not…I’m in a relationship, remember.” Joshua goes to say something but glances at me and holds his tongue. I know he wants to say the words but doesn’t want to appear like he’d condone infidelity. I smile as I watch him internally struggle with what he wants to say and what he wants to reveal around me. I must say if Adrian’s boyfriend is as big a dick as everyone keeps
telling me I also think he should call him, but I won’t say that either just quietly. An hour later the three of us exit the restaurant.

  “I’m not coming back to the office Adrian.” Adrian frowns. “I’ve already organised for Tom to watch the students this afternoon,” Joshua remarks. Adrian frowns again and pulls out his phone to check an email.

  “Why, what are you up to this afternoon?” Adrian is concentrating on his phone, sending a message to someone. I look at Joshua. Yes, what is he doing this afternoon actually? I have to wonder.

  He grabs my hand. “Miss Marx has been pulling misdemeanours all day and she needs to be punished.” Oh my god he did not just say that in front of Adrian. I do wide eyes at him and I want the ground to swallow me up. My eyes shoot to Joshua as he cracks his neck, his dark eyes bore into mine and I know he wouldn’t care if the pope was standing with us. He’s too aroused to have his mouth–to–brain filter on. Adrian doesn’t even look up from his messaging as he smirks and raises his eyebrows.

  “Too much information, Stanton.” He then winks at me and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Catch you later baby.” And with that he is gone into the crowd.

  Nicholas Anastas sits in the back of his chauffer–driven car as he watches the three friends leave the restaurant. He is ruffled. He hasn’t felt such an attraction to anyone like that for a very long time, and to an American no less. And why do they have security with them? Who are they? How odd. It was very unexpected and disarming meeting him.

  “Peter, I want as much information as you can gather on Adrian Murphy. I’m not sure of where he…actually he was with a Joshua Stanton so check…maybe they work together. I want a criminal record check and past partners, or actually is he in a relationship at the present moment?”

  “Yes sir,” Peter responds as he pulls into the traffic.

  Its Sunday morning, 5 am, and I am sitting on the end of our bed putting my running shoes on as I prepare for my run. My eyes roam up the beautiful body that is asleep like an angel next to me, her dark long hair spread over my pillow. She’s naked, her beautiful curves calling me back to bed. Thank god she kept her shape—I hate thin women. It may be fashionable to be thin but for me as a man I need a soft lush shape for the testosterone to kick in. Not muscular either… I like the female form in as natural state as it comes. And boy has she got the whole package. Dark long hair, olive skin and those fucking dimples. I can see them even as she sleeps. I smile as her large brown eyes that can see right through me flutter as she tries to refrain from waking. She calls to me deeply on a subconscious level and any thought that I could have a future without her in it is gone. A distant memory. She is so ingrained in my psyche that she is as necessary as air. This is how contentment feels…calm. I have never had such an overwhelming sense that I am where I am supposed to be. This is right. I smile as the realisation hits me: I have never had it and now that I have I am not letting it go, no fucking way. Wild horses couldn’t drag me from her side.