The Billionaire Affair

by Parker, Ali

  I laughed and nodded along with her. “Would you believe it was my idea to go? I don’t know what got into me when I suggested it.”

  “That Tiana would chase you and can be really, really dangerous?” an amused voice piped up behind me.

  I turned to face my best friend, finding her standing with her hands planted on her hips and that slave driver smile she sometimes got in the gym on her face. “Please, you’re harmless.”

  “But I can withhold baked treats and awesome meals.” She knew she had me there.

  Even Jenny shuddered and shook her head. “Looks like you’re running, Steph.”

  “Looks like it,” I conceded and pointed at my display. “Something’s off with it, what does it need?”

  Tiana rounded the display table, used to my perfectionist nature when it came to work. She tapped her chin, moving her pursed lips from one side to the other. “Let’s see, you’ve got the movie posters and cutouts, you’ve got the stock set out and the bottom display novels facing the window. Does it strike you as a little boring though?”

  I snapped my fingers. “That’s it. There’s nothing wrong, it’s just really fucking boring.”

  “Need any help glamming it up?” she offered, dropping her messenger bag to the floor at the register and returning to my side.

  “Sure.” Tiana and I worked well together creatively. Building displays was one part of this job I actually enjoyed, creating a new table with books to catch the eye of customers as they walked in. It was an outlet for me. Doing it with Tiana would only make it more fun. “Where do you want to start?”

  She walked around the table slowly and eyed it critically, looking at the titles of the books for inspiration. “How about if we move the cutouts to tell a story of their own? Draw attention that way too?”

  “It could work,” I told her, then I remembered some props I had in the back from another display a few weeks ago. “I think I’ve got just the thing. Give me a minute.”

  I headed to the back, digging around the boxes in the storeroom for the props. After a few false starts, my hands were full of dust from old stock, but I finally hit pay dirt. Balancing the box on my hip, I closed the storeroom door and inhaled deeply.

  This far back in the store, between shelves and shelves of fiction novels and so close to the storeroom, the old book smell was far more noticeable than it was out front where you only caught a whiff of books between the smells that came in off the street and Jenny’s baked goodies. The smell of books was the other part of my job I loved, it was satisfying.

  Too bad I would have to be satisfied with only loving those two things about the job I would be doing for the foreseeable future. But hey, some people loved nothing about their jobs. At least I had two things I didn’t mind coming in for.

  Tiana was posing the movie character cut-outs when I got back, placing a magician and a cowboy in a compromising position. I laughed out loud, feeling the tension of the week melting from my shoulders. “I don’t think Tim’s going to let us keep them that way.”

  “Then Tim needs to have his sense of humor checked.”

  “I heard that,” Tim called from his office. “I don’t know what you guys are doing out there, but it better be family-friendly.”

  “Of course, it is,” I replied over my shoulder, giggling as we moved the characters back into a more respectable position. “Do you think the cowboy’s lasso will be able to restrain the wizard enough he wouldn’t be able to free himself?”

  Tiana shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe you can convince the authors of the novels to do a collaboration to solve the mystery.”

  “Or maybe I should write the book myself, magicians versus cowboys. There has to be a market for that, right?”

  Jenny laughed, and Tiana shook her head. “Speaking of new possible career paths, have you decided whether or not you’re taking the job with Williams yet?”

  I sighed. Neither Tiana nor Jenny were going to like my answer. “I’m going to turn it down. I still have to make it official, but it’s the right thing to do.”

  “The right thing to do?” Tiana repeated, setting the cowboy back on his stand to fix me with a glare that meant business. “How is it possibly the right thing to do?”

  “If you were there, you would’ve understood. The sexual tension in that room when I interviewed with Jeremiah was too much, and that was just an interview. Imagine what it would be like if I had to work late alone with him in the office. I just don’t think it would be a good idea for me right now.”

  “Not a good idea for you right now?” Tiana repeated again, slower, disbelievingly. “Are you freaking kidding me?”

  “Nope. Look, I know you’re just trying to be supportive and all, but I can keep looking for another job. I don’t think this is the one for me.”

  “It’s exactly the one for you,” Tiana exclaimed, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder and folding her arms. “You’re a strong woman, Steph. Please think about what you’re turning down here.”

  “A one-way ticket to getting frisky with my boss and being fired for sexual harassment?”

  She sighed, shaking her head. “No, because you’re strong enough to put him in his place if he pushes. Think of the money, Steph. That kind of salary doesn’t come along every day. It’s a way for you to get out of this place and have something to put on your resume that will open doors for you later.”

  “Provided I open my legs for him now?”

  “What?” she said. “No. Never. You’d be able to handle him, I know it. I understand if he makes it not worth it for you, but I wish you would reconsider. It seems like such a shame to throw an opportunity like this away over one guy.”

  “A guy that will be my boss if I take the job,” I reminded her. It wasn’t like I didn’t want the job. I wanted it, all right. I wanted it and the perks that came with it, but unfortunately, I also wanted the boss. “I can’t risk it.”

  “Yes, you can, because if anyone would be able to keep things above board and professional, then it’s you. But it’s your choice.” She turned her wrist to look down at her watch. “I have to get back to work. Just think about it, okay?”

  “Okay,” I promised, waving as she shouldered her bag and took off. I tapped my finger to my lips as I turned my attention back to the half-arranged display, trying my best to get back into the frame of mind I had just minutes ago.

  My decision was made. I was turning down the job, accepting lifelong display duty at the store and in the meantime, I would look for another job. That was the plan. Wasn’t it?

  It was, I decided firmly. Then why haven’t you phoned and turned them down yet?

  Urg. I was so sure I made the right choice, but what if I hadn’t? What if I was throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime, to change my life, over nothing? And why were all the ‘what ifs’ suddenly screaming so loudly in my mind?

  Chapter 16

  JEREMIAH

  The golf course stretched out ahead of me, a stark green reminder of the hours I was about to spend walking after a little white ball I didn’t give a shit about. I understood golf was an important game for networking and all that, but I had never learned to enjoy it.

  Inwardly, I rolled my eyes at what blasphemy that statement would be considered as by all the men out on this course with me today. They played every Sunday, religiously. If I wanted to see them come after me with pitchforks and fire, I would tell them what I really thought of their boring game and their fancy country club.

  The place was old world, over-the-top grand. Built and operated to keep the plebs and ordinary folk out, the club was surrounded by mile-high triple thick walls with state-of-the-art security and a jungle’s worth of plants around the perimeter so the high-end members wouldn’t feel boxed in.

  Though with the kind of money floating around this place, I had no doubt many of the members probably ought to have been boxed in and locked up in a federal penitentiary years ago. There were the men like my father, institutions in the city who pai
d the thousands in membership fees from the coins in his back pocket, then there were the others. The ones hanging on in this economy by the skin of their teeth. Those were the ones who often resorted to doing underhanded deals just so they were able to keep frequenting places like this.

  Fuck only knew why. When I was a kid, Jack and I enjoyed coming here. The sheer opulence was lost on us, common in our world. The vast grounds, the fountains and the fact children weren’t often allowed and when they were, were kept far away from the adults that was the fun part.

  As I grew older, I came to realize just how long and wide the sticks were the members had shoved up their asses. They didn’t even hold or carry their own umbrellas to shield them from the harsh sun.

  They sat in their luxury golf carts waiting their turn and then relied on their caddies to lug their gear into place, ready their oversized golf bags and return to the cart to usher them to the tee while holding their umbrellas and spritzing them with canisters of water.

  Neil hopped out of the cart we were in with my father, selected his club and positioned his feet, waving away the caddy who was trying to keep him in the shade of an enormous blue umbrella. At least I had an ally out here when he played with us.

  Squaring his shoulders, he took a couple of practice swings before bringing his driver home. We were quiet watching the little ball fly through the sky, always observant of the decorum on the course. Fun, fun, fun.

  “Good shot, Neil,” My father praised, going through the motions with the caddy as he readied himself for his own shot. “Tell me, boys, how’s our latest acquisition coming along? You’ve had a week. What updates have you got for me?”

  Neil looked at me and I nodded, giving him the silent go-ahead. He launched into detail about what we started on and listed what we had planned for the week ahead. The guy was like a walking, talking progress report.

  My father listened carefully, nodding and directing questions at both of us until he was satisfied we were on top of it. With the appropriate pauses for the game to continue, it took about an hour before dear old dad was convinced we were on the right track.

  Neil turned to me then, pulling out clubs and sliding them back into his bag until he was happy with his selection. “How’s the hiring process going, Jer? Any luck yet?”

  “Not yet.” I was readying my own club. I moved my hips with my shoulders, just like I’d been taught about as soon as I could walk and followed through before answering him. “I’m waiting to hear back from Stephanie Donavan. She said she would give us an answer by tomorrow.”

  Neil frowned, pushing his sunglasses to the tip of his nose to look at me over them. “Seriously? Did you tell her about the health insurance benefits and the gym membership?”

  I bit back my eye roll. “I did. I gave her the full offer we discussed and the dummy paperwork from human resources to demonstrate the package. She still didn’t bite.”

  “Maybe she’s the dummy then,” my father mused. “Who is this woman?”

  “A girl Neil and I both interviewed to replace my secretary,” I told him.

  He narrowed his dark eyes, a stormy expression crossing his features. “You haven’t taken care of that yet?”

  “We’re working on it,” I assured him. “But the interview process didn’t turn up as many viable candidates as we were hoping for.”

  My dad sighed, leaning his elbow on his club like he was doing some kind of photoshoot for Golf Weekly as he took a deep sip from a bottle of water handed to him by his caddy. “Public advertisements for positions with us always bring the crazies out of the woodwork. Why didn’t you use … our agency?”

  Clicking his fingers together, he clearly forgot the name of the agency. Neil helped him out. “Executive Placements didn’t have anyone suitable for us right away. Only temps. We thought it prudent to conduct interviews for a permanent secretary now, before Jer has to train someone in the middle of the project.”

  “I understand that, but I hope you two know what you’re doing. You cannot afford to fall behind on this acquisition. We’ll lose the deal like that.” He snapped his fingers. “Why are you waiting on just this one woman? Surely there were others who were capable.”

  “Perhaps,” I said. “We made the offer to this one first because both Neil and I think she’s perfect for the job. Can’t make another offer while we’re waiting for her answer. But we won’t fall behind on the project, we’ve got it covered.”

  “I hope so.” Dad lined up for his next shot.

  Neil leaned onto his own club, looking between my father and me. “I must admit, I hope she takes the job. She’s the perfect fit, and she stood out head and shoulders above the other applicants. Her motivations also weren’t only limited to getting Jer into bed.”

  Unfortunately. I sure as hell wanted to get her into bed.

  Who got hard during an interview? Me. When the interview was with Stephanie Donavan. Just because I wouldn’t be able to fuck her if she took the job didn’t mean I wanted her any less. Or that she wanted me any less, judging by her behavior when the interview was over.

  The sexual tension in my office on that day was so thick, I swore I could smell sex in the air for hours after she left. I didn’t care what she said. I could see in her eyes, in every little move she made how turned on she was.

  That spark of heat in her eyes, the flush on her cheeks, the way her lips parted ever so slightly. All those telltale signs played in my mind over and over again. I even caught her clenching her thighs together once or twice. Those delicious memories made their appearance in my fantasies more than once over the last few days.

  Working with her, if she accepted the offer, was going to be a bitch. But damn was I going to enjoy getting to see those little reactions every day. Neither Neil nor my father needed to know about that part of why I wanted her as my secretary so bad I was willing to give her almost a whole week to think it over.

  “Most women are motivated to get men like us into bed,” my father said flippantly. Neil and I exchanged a look, but we kept our mouths shut. There was absolutely no point in interrupting him when he parted with these archaic pearls of wisdom. We’d learned from experience to let him get it out so we could move on sooner.

  “It doesn’t matter that she stood out head and shoulders above the rest as a secretary. Eventually, she’s going to want to get both her head and her shoulders beneath your desk with her mouth wrapped around your cock. Never let that happen if she’s a good one. If she’s not...” he shrugged.

  “Damn,” I muttered under my breath, low enough that only Neil would be able to hear me. He nodded, turning away from my dad and me to regain his composure. “Thanks for the tip, Dad.”

  He really did have foul things to say about people sometimes. Completely oblivious or simply ignoring the sarcasm in my voice, he tipped his hat at me. “No problem, son. Which one of the applicants was she? I was there that day during lunch, wasn’t I? Perhaps I’ll remember her.”

  “Uh, dark hair. She was wearing a skirt and jacket.” I kept my description purposefully vague, not wanting him to be able to say anything foul about her in particular. Especially not if he was in one of his “women are only after one thing” moods.

  The last thing I felt like was listening to his judgmental ass prattle on about her or women in general for that matter. Neil, however, added one key part of her description I’d avoided. “She was the one running away from Jer before lunch ended. Smart girl.”

  “Oh, right,” my father nodded. “The fat, poor girl.”

  “What?” I sputtered, dropping the open bottle of water I was holding on the grass. “You can’t say that.”

  He looked up me, genuinely puzzled. “Why not? It’s true.”

  “Firstly, because she’s not fat,” I started, feeling rage and some kind of drive to defend her building in my stomach. “She’s fucking gorgeous. And secondly, her financial status has nothing to do with us. Plus, there’s no way you could know.”

  Red hot shame sprea
d through my limbs when I recalled the words I’d said to her myself that day. Neil, having gone pale at my dad’s words, had the good sense to shut up. Finally. He must’ve realized why I kept my description of her so brief.

  “One learns to tell these things from nothing more than a glance, Jeremiah,” my father said dismissively. “That girl was trying to look the part, but you simply can’t fake class or style.”

  “Christ.” I ran my hand through my hair, gripping it at the nape of my neck. My father was a judgmental ass, I was the first to admit it, but this was beyond foul. “You can’t go around saying stuff like that about people. She looked perfectly presentable for her interview and had way more class than most of your friends’ socialite daughters.”

  The problem was that dad’s wealth went to his head a long time ago, and now he didn’t have compassion for people who weren’t family or close family friends. The rest of the world was viewed from the ivory tower he locked himself in, which he thought gave him the right to say whatever the hell he wanted.

  “As for her being fucking gorgeous,” he continued, completely ignoring my objections, “I suppose if one likes the bigger boned girls, she might be attractive. But gorgeous is pushing it. Fucking gorgeous? I taught you better than that, Jer.”

  He taught me better than that? I shook my head incredulously, struggling to comprehend the pure bullshit he was spewing all over me. I felt like I needed a two-hour long shower. I was about to jump in again, but Neil shut me down with a barely perceptible shake of his head.

  I hated to let my father’s comments stand, but Neil was right. Trying to defend her honor was only going to encourage him to keep saying horrible things about her. Swallowing that realization down stung more than the time Tanner and I accidentally crawled through nettles.

  “Let’s agree to disagree, Dad.” I set up to take my turn and turned my back to him, studying the course with more scrutiny than was necessary. We resumed our game, but Neil was quiet, and I was distracted by thoughts of Stephanie.