Guarding His Heart

by J. S. Cooper

  “Oh wow, thanks.” I said feeling shocked. “I can stay on and help get everything prepared.”

  “It’s okay, you’ve been great. I’ve got it from here.” He said seriously. “I need to go and talk to my dad about strategy in thirty minutes and so I won’t really need much from you for the rest of the day.”

  “Fine, I guess I’m just the assistant.” I mumbled, feeling deflated. That told me all I needed to know. Why didn’t he invite me to that meeting? Didn’t he think I had ideas? Didn’t he think I was good enough to go to the meeting?

  “Have a great evening.”

  “Yeah, you too.” I sighed and clicked the phone off. I switched my computer off and jumped up. I was going to just leave now. What was the point of staying and doing work? I was just the lowly assistant, my job didn’t matter. I might as well just go home and watch some Maury with Lisa. I was about to walk out of the building when I realized I’d left my handbag in the office. I turned around and went back into the elevator and walked back into my office. Leo’s door was open and I could see him on the phone talking to someone. His back was to me and I could see him running his hands through his hair as he talked.

  “Yeah, tomorrow.” He sighed. “Yeah, totally different from being a bouncer.” He laughed. “Anyways, forget about my stress, how is Lucky? Tell her I bought some presents for David and Ruby Lane.” He stepped back and I quickly moved out of site. Who was he talking to? “Zane, I’m not sure I’m ever going to believe that you’re a married man with kids.” He chuckled. “Who knew you’d be so whipped? Me?” He burst out laughing. “Never. There will never be a woman that can trap me into marriage. Don’t want it. And don’t need it. Whatever, bro. You wish. I better go. Dad wants me to go up to his office so he can remind me how important this account is. And how the board of directors will not look at me fondly if I screw up.” He sighed. “I don’t know why my assistant Hannah was fighting so hard to be in this position. All it carries is stress. Yes, she’s cute and I have no idea if she’s single. Yes, she’s doable.” He laughed and I heard him sitting down in his chair as my face reddened. “She’s a 9. Her personality is a bit off, otherwise she’d be a 10. No, you’re not going to meet her.” He laughed. “I’m going. Tell Lucky, I said yes to the picnic when I get back from New York. I’ll talk to you later, bro.” And with that he hung up. I grabbed my handbag and quickly moved out of the office again. So he thought I was a 9, asides from my personality? I wanted to laugh. I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or not. I had a smile on my face when I left the building this time. I’d show Leo Maxwell just what he was missing. I’d have him salivating over my every step by the time I was done with him.

  Chapter Five

  Leo

  “First time on a plane?” I looked at Hannah as she nervously played with her seatbelt.

  “Nope.” She snapped at me while she tried to lock it.

  “I can help you know. I’ve a knack at getting seatbelts done up.”

  “I’m not a kid. I don’t need your help.” She shook her head and I finally heard the click. “I’ve been on this earth for 24 years and I’ve survived quite well without your help.”

  “I was just offering.” I shrugged and sat back and studied her appearance. Hannah looked different in her casual clothes. For some reason she seemed even more sexy in her jeans than she did in her skirts at work. They seemed to cling to her body and accentuated her long legs well. She wore a loose fitting white blouse with the jeans and I could see the silhouette of her bra underneath. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she was wearing minimal makeup. She looked fresh-faced and beautiful and I couldn’t stop myself from looking at her.

  “Is there a problem?” She frowned at me as I continued to survey her body.

  “No.” I shook my head. “Are you ready for the meeting tomorrow?”

  “I don’t really have anything to get ready.” She shook her head. “You’re the boss. You’re the one that will be running the meeting. I’ll just be taking notes.”

  “You’re a vital part of the team, Hannah.”

  “Uh huh.” She pulled out some earphones from her bag. “Excuse me, I’m going to listen to some music.” I watched as she played around with her small music player and turned on some music.

  I looked in front of me for a few seconds starting to feel frustrated. As much as I enjoyed the tension between us, I was starting to get annoyed at her reactions to me. Yes, I had taken her job, but how long was she going to treat me like a criminal? I wasn’t used to women being so distant towards me. It wasn’t as if I wanted her to fall in love with me, but a little softening towards me wouldn’t go amiss. I sighed and pulled out some folders I’d brought along with me to review before we hit New York. I couldn’t believe my dad had sent me on this trip alone. This was a big account. In fact, purchasing Martin Corp was an investment we really needed to go smoothly. I didn’t really understand why I’d been given the account and so quickly after I’d started working there again, but I didn’t question it. As much as I didn’t want to work in the corporate world, I was still excited by this trip. Partly because it was going to be all about the power play and partly because I wanted to be with Hannah outside of the office.

  ***

  “Okay, so tonight we’ll go over the files one last time in my room. Then we’ll have dinner and then we can both go back to our own rooms. That sound okay?” I looked at Hannah in the back of the cab as we drove through Queens on the way to Manhattan from LaGuardia airport.

  “Sure.” Hannah mumbled, her eyes never leaving the window.

  “Have you never been to New York before?”

  “No.” She shook her head and looked at me for a second before looking back outside the window. “I’ve always wanted to come, but I’ve never been before.”

  “Oh, that’s a shame.” I saw her expression change as the Manhattan skyline came into view from the road we were on.

  “Wow.” She gasped excitedly.

  “I know.” I looked out the window myself and stared at the skyscrapers. There was no place like New York City. “It’s breathtaking.”

  “I mean, I’ve seen it on TV, but I never expected it to look so majestic, so powerful and dominating.” She gasped.

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “It’s one of those cities that makes you think, wow.” I was silent for a while as we drove along. It was interesting to see how affected Hannah was by the city. She’d lost her cold and distant girl persona and taken on a more excited and open side. This was a side of her I hadn’t seen before. A side that made me like her more than I wanted to admit.

  “What about this?” I said without thinking. “What about we stay an extra day to sightsee if the meetings go well.”

  “But we already have our tickets back.” She said slowly, letting me know she wasn’t totally against the idea.

  “I’ll worry about the tickets.” I grinned. “There are some perks to being the boss’s son. Just as there are some detriments.”

  “I bet.” She laughed and I laughed with her.

  “I think we’re nearly at the hotel.” I smiled at her as we made our way through the busy streets slowly. “We’re staying in Midtown West, I hope that’s okay with you.”

  “I don’t even know what Midtown West means.” She laughed, her eyes bright with excitement. “I’m fine where ever we stay.” She paused and looked at me. “As long as I have my own room.”

  “You mean you don’t want to have some fun tonight?” I asked her softly, enjoying the red hue of embarrassment on her face.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” She blushed and shifted in her seat.

  “That’s a pity. I was quite looking forward to our first night together.”

  “There is no first night together.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t even try to come to my room after the meeting.”

  “Don’t worry, Hannah. I only sleep with girls that want me. The sex is much more enjoyable that way. I prefer a woman to give as good as she gets, not to li
e there like a fish.”

  “I don’t lie there like a fish.” She snapped at me, her eyes flashing at me.

  “That’s true.” I nodded. “I didn’t think you would. I think you’d be the sort to take charge, right? I think you’re the sort of girl that likes to be on top. You look like the sort of girl that likes to ride.”

  “I do like horses yes.” She replied quickly and then paused. “You’re disgusting by the way.”

  “What?” I laughed and held my hands up. “If you want to pretend I’m your horse tonight, I’m not going to say no.”

  “Pig.” She shook her head and turned away from me.

  “I’ll trot or gallop, whichever one you like.”

  “Leo.” She said my name sexily as she told me off.

  “And you don’t have to ride bareback. I brought a saddle. Plenty of them in fact.”

  “Leo.” Her voice rose even higher and I laughed even louder. I knew I was being inappropriate, but I just loved teasing with her. Not that I was teasing her completely. I was serious. I had about five condoms in my wallet and I was definitely willing to use them if she wanted to. I knew she was attracted to me, it was in the way her eyes sometimes studied my body and face. It was obvious in the way her fingers trembled when I handed her something and the way her body reacted when I brushed next to her. Hannah’s body was as eager to know mine as I was to know hers. The only problem I had was the fact that she might try and use it against me or she might expect more. I’d known other women that had tried to tie me down after a couple of nights of sex. I thought about the last couple of girls I’d slept with. One had brought a suitcase to my house and had never wanted to leave. One had called me nonstop five times a day for three months. One had showed up at the club I worked at in a trench coat and nothing underneath. So yeah, maybe it was my fault she’d gotten even more crazy after I’d let her give me a blowjob in the alleyway at the side of the club. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the girls, it was just that I didn’t want a relationship. I’d had one girlfriend in college and I’d found out she’d only been dating me because my dad was rich. I’d never been able to trust women after that. Not that I’d been super heartbroken, but it had worked out for both Zane and I to be players. We’d had more fun that way. I smiled as I remembered my last trip to New York. Zane and I had met two German girls at a nightclub and spent the weekend with them teaching us just how free and liberated European women were. That had been a great weekend. Part of me wanted to call Zane and ask him if he remembered how much fun we’d had, but I had a feeling Lucky wouldn’t be too happy if she found out what I was calling about. That was the problem with getting married, you just couldn’t be yourself anymore. You couldn’t talk about and reminisce about the good old days.

  “I think we’re here, Leo.” Hannah touched my arm gently. “Are you okay?” Her voice expressed concern as I came out of my thoughts.

  “Yes, sorry about that.”

  “It’s okay.” She nodded. “You’ve a lot to think about. This is a big weekend for you.”

  “Yes, it is.” I slid out of the backseat and handed the cab driver some twenties. I have to admit I felt slightly guilty that Hannah thought I’d been thinking about the meeting, when I’d really been daydreaming about how Heidi, the German girl I’d met had taught me the true meaning of a red light special.

  “You shouldn’t stress out.” She continued. “You’ve prepared as best as you can. Whatever happens, happens. We’ll go into our meeting and you’ll try your best and the chips will fall where they fall.” She continued and I looked at her earnest face in surprise. I was shocked by her little pep talk. Not because I didn’t appreciate it, but because I hadn’t expected it. I would have thought she’d want me to fail to show that I was a bad fit for the position. I never would have believed that she’d be supporting me.

  “Thank you, Hannah.” I knew my voice expressed my surprise.

  “There’s no need to be shocked you know.” She grinned. “I’m not a cold bitch.”

  “I guess I know that now.” I said touched by her words. “Shall we get our rooms?”

  “Yes please.” She nodded. “I need to change out of these jeans.”

  “Need any help?”

  “You wish.”

  “I do.” I laughed as we walked into the hotel lobby. The hotel was grand and ornate, with gold trimming around the ceilings. The lobby was grand and we walked across the marble floor slowing towards the front desk.

  “Nice.” Hannah looked around with wide eyes. “This lobby is most probably ten times the size of my apartment.” She laughed. “And a hundred times nicer.”

  “I’m sure your place is nice.”

  “It’s okay.” She laughed. “If you like items that came from Ikea and Target.”

  “I love Ikea and Target.” I grinned at her, a part of me hoping for an invite.

  “Uh huh.” She responded and I felt slightly disappointed inside.

  “Hi, I’m here to check in. Two rooms under Leo Maxwell.” I asked the front desk clerk as I pulled out my American express card.

  “Is that black?” Hannah gave me a small smile as I handed my card to the clerk.

  “Yes, why?” I frowned at her.

  “No reason.” She giggled, shook her head and took out her phone. “I just have a friend that would be excited to know that you have a black Amex.”

  “Okay.” I turned away from her slightly confused. What did her friend care if I had a black Amex? Girls were so weird.

  “Here you go sir, we have you here for two nights. I’ve got you in adjoining rooms as requested, is that right?”

  “Yes, that’s great. Thanks.” I nodded and took the keys. “What time is check out?”

  “11am, sir.”

  “And if I wanted to book the rooms for another night, when would I have to let you know?”

  “The morning of, Sir.”

  “Okay, thanks.” I handed a key to Hannah.

  “Any other questions, Mr. Maxwell? The concierge can help you get tickets to any show on Broadway and off-Broadway. If you need any recommendations for food, there are several good places within walking distance.”

  “Thanks. We’re here on business so that won’t be necessary.”

  “Feel free to call down with any questions.”

  “Thanks. Ready Hannah?”

  “Yes, boss.” She barked at me. “Do I gather from your comments that I won’t be eating dinner tonight?”

  “No.” I said slowly. “You gather that you won’t be eating dinner in a restaurant and going to watch Phantom of the Opera afterwards. We’ll order room service and work while we eat.”

  “Yippee.” She rolled her eyes and I grabbed her bag. “What are you doing?” She grabbed my arm and stopped me. “I can take that up myself.”

  “I know you can, but I thought I’d be nice.”

  “You don’t need to be nice to me.” Her warm fingers gripped my arm. “You’re my boss.”

  “So bosses can’t be nice?”

  “I want to carry my own bag.” She stood there stiffly and I sighed.

  “Fine.” I shrugged and let go of it. “Let’s go.” I walked ahead of her and I could hear her doubling up her pace to keep up with my quick strides.

  “There’s no need to walk so fast.” She huffed as we reached the elevator. “This isn’t the Olympics.”

  “Oh, it’s not?” I said sarcastically.

  “No need to take out your stress on me.”

  “My stress?” I raised an eyebrow at her, but realized she was right. I was starting to feel anxious inside. This was the biggest moment in my career so far and I’d only just started the job.

  “What time do you want me to come to your room to start going over the paperwork?” She asked softly. “I need to have a quick shower and change first.”

  “What about in two hours? I guess we can both freshen up and I’ll order some food.”

  “Okay.” She nodded.

  “Anything you’d l
ike in particular?”

  “Surprise me.” She smiled and then paused. “And don’t forget desert.”

  “You eat dessert?” I looked at her in surprise. I didn’t know many women in Los Angeles- asides from Lucky- that ate desert.

  “Of course I eat dessert.” She laughed. “I’m not a wannabe actress or model. I don’t need to watch my figure.”

  “No, you sure don’t.” I surveyed her curves and licked my lips.

  “Leo, that’s so inappropriate.” She shifted and gazed at me.

  “What is?” I replied innocently and licked my lips again. “I’m thinking about dinner and dessert. I got hungry and so I licked my lips. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing.” She shook her head at me as we exited the elevator. “Nothing at all.” We walked down the corridor in silence and reached her room first. I waited for her to walk into the room and then continued onto my room. “I can’t help it if I’m hoping you’re the desert.” I whispered to myself as I opened my door and chuckled.

  ***

  “Hey,” I opened the door to let in a freshly showered Hannah. “You look refreshed.” I stared at her still wet hair and makeup free face. She was wearing a baggy grey t-shirt and a pair of black sweats.

  “Sorry, I had a quick nap and didn’t have time to dry my hair.” She shook her head and sprinkles of water fell onto my skin.

  “No worries.” I stepped back into the room and guided her to the desk and two chairs. “I’m glad you were able to take a nap, it might be a late night.”

  “I figured.” She nodded and sat down. “What do you want to do first?”

  “Let’s go over the financials from this year.” I opened a file and handed her some paperwork. “I want to make sure that we’re able to articulate why this is the best offer for them in the current market.”

  “Yeah.” She nodded. “Hopefully they can see that and don’t try to play hardball.”

  “It looks like Rob Martin has a gambling problem.” I sighed. “I’m not sure he’s going to be levelheaded. If he’s losing millions in Vegas, I’ve a feeling he’s willing to gamble with billions.” I shook my head. “He’s going to hope for a higher offer.”