Lawfully His (A Dirty Business Novel Book 1)

by Michelle Betham

  Jess’s voice drags me back from my thoughts and I give her one of my best super-confident smiles. At least, that’s how I hope it comes across, anyway. “Yes. You’re right. But I was actually born here, in New York. Brooklyn. We moved over to the U.K. when I was three. Been back almost ten years now, though.”

  “No place like home, huh?”

  I laugh quietly. “Yeah. You could say that.”

  She returns my smile with a wide, friendly one of her own and I’ve already decided I like her. I like Jess. I hope they’re all like her here, but I know that’s only wishful thinking. There are bound to be people I’ll avoid at all costs as well as those I’ll share regular post-work drinks with, that’s just the way life rolls.

  “All right. Here we are. Your new home here at Cavendish King.”

  Jess indicates a modest-sized, three-sided desk housed within a low-sided cubicle which is positioned just outside the sprawling, glass-fronted corner office of Evan King. It houses a laptop, a small filing cabinet, a set of drawers and not much else.

  “You can make it your own now,” Jess says. “Put some pictures up, get a couple of plants…” She leans in to me and smiles again, jerking her head toward the office behind me. “And him in there, don’t let him intimidate you. He believes his own hype, but he’s a pussycat, really.” She throws me a wink and starts to walk away. “I’ll come find you later. We’ll grab a coffee,” she shouts over her shoulder and I can’t help but laugh again. Yeah. I’m okay now. That was good, that was a nice introduction. Jess has eased those nerves, I’m ready now. To face my new boss. To get started.

  I glance quickly into Mr. King’s office. He’s on the phone, and he has his back to me, his arm gesticulating wildly as he talks and I’m glad he’s busy. I need just a couple more minutes to get my head properly together.

  I haven’t met him yet – Evan King. He’s a bit of an enigma in the legal world. And even though I know of him – the man has a reputation that precedes him – I don’t actually know what he looks like. He didn’t hold the interviews himself, he had his outgoing secretary do that job. A woman who’d worked for him for over a decade, she was taking early retirement to look after her sick husband which meant he needed someone to take her place, and no one knew what Evan King needed more than her, apparently. And she chose me, over all those other legal secretaries who wanted this job more than life itself.

  I lay my purse down on the desk and look around. I’ve got a pretty good view of everything from here, which is nice. I like being amongst people, I’m not a fan of being locked away in my own office cut off from everyone. I like to know what’s going on. And I suspect that’s going to be part of my job here – to keep up with everything that’s going on.

  “You must be Lola.”

  I take a small but deep breath and I really am ready now, to face my new boss. But as I turn around; as I finally meet the man I’m going to be working for in this, my brand new start, my heart stops dead in my chest, and I feel the color slowly drain from my face. This can’t be happening, this is crazy, some kind of twisted fate because, the man here in front of me – my new boss – he’s the man who, just a few hours ago, was pouring expensive bourbon over my breasts before fucking me hard, and I really don’t have a clue what to do now. I don’t. It’s like everything around us has suddenly stopped and it’s just me and him and this awkward situation. But his expression – it doesn’t seem to be registering that awkwardness. I don’t know what the hell mine’s doing, but his hasn’t wavered. Not a flicker. I’d be impressed if I wasn’t so – I don’t know what I am. Embarrassed? Mortified? Did I actually fall asleep and this is nothing more than one of those horrifying nightmares that would just be so damn cruel if it was really happening? But I don’t think this is a dream. No. This is definitely real.

  “Step into my office, Ms. Burrows.”

  His voice is steady, his tone business-like. I’m not sure how I’m going to sound when I finally do say something, but I am going to have to say something. I’m just trying to deal with the fact that I’ve seen him naked, Jesus! He’s seen me naked! He’s gone down on me, been inside me; I can’t believe this is actually happening.

  He stands aside to let me through, and for a second I forget about the awkward situation and my shock at finding out that my one-night stand was Evan King because the view from his office here on the 43rd floor is just as incredible as the one from his apartment. The expanse of glass means the light just streams in, filling the room, and when I finally tear my eyes away from the view I glance quickly around the rest of his office. Just like his apartment it’s stylish and modern with two dark-gray couches at one end of the room, a meeting table at the other; floor-to-ceiling shelves lined with masses of books fill one entire wall and his glass-topped desk sits in the middle of that huge window, positioned perfectly so he can keep an eye on what’s going on outside.

  “So, Lola…”

  I swing around, and he closes the door and slips his hands into the pockets of his quite-obviously-expensive suit pants, and his eyes stay fixed on mine. They’re going nowhere. And I get the message. Last night was last night. Today is a new day. And I need this job, I want this job, despite what’s happening here. So I get that message, and I’m running with it. I’m going to show him I can be the best damn legal secretary he’s ever going to get.

  “You come with some incredible references, I have to say. Nyman, Ross and Franklin speak very highly of you. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that they’re not happy with Cavendish King at all, for poaching you. But the highest recommendation came from Caroline, your predecessor. She was very impressed with you, and if she likes you, then who I am to argue?”

  I look at him, and I really am trying to forget what went on last night but he’s obviously finding it easier to deal with than I am. I need to forget the great sex and the fact we’ve shared something so intimate I still feel my skin tingle when I think about it. But I have to stop thinking about it, or this isn’t going to work.

  “I love what I do. And I like to think I’m good at it.”

  He smiles, and I allow my stomach one tiny somersault before I pull it back, kick it aside and move on. He obviously has, and I need to. “I think you’re going to fit in very nicely here, Lola.”

  “Thank you, Mr. King.”

  “Evan, please. Call me Evan.”

  He smiles again, and I just want to get started now. I want to throw myself into this job, make some new friends, immerse myself in the life here at Cavendish King so I can forget the mess of a one I have to live when I go home. That’s why I took this position. I need to be stretched, I need to be pushed. I need to be busy.

  “I’m gonna get one of the paralegals to show you around, so you take the morning to get used to the place, get the lay of the land, so to speak; chat to a few people, but just ignore anything they tell you about me, okay?” He throws me another smile as he walks back behind his desk, picks up the phone and instructs someone called Anna to come to my cubicle. And I’m quite grateful for the chance to stay out of his way for a little while. I’m going to take those couple of hours he’s kindly giving me to get my head around this and come back this afternoon the woman I need to be. The woman I can be. He needs to see who I really am, in the professional sense. Like I said before, personally I’m a mess, but at work I kick ass. And I can kick hard!

  “Okay.” He puts down the phone and looks at me. “Anna’s gonna show you around, introduce you to a few people; show you where the kitchen is…” He smiles again and slips his hands back into his pockets, his eyes staring right into mine. “And then I’m gonna take you to lunch.”

  Oh, shit! That’s thrown me. I wasn’t expecting that. And he doesn’t miss my surprised expression.

  “It’s okay,” he laughs, coming out from behind his desk. “I like to take all my new employees – be they associates, secretaries, or possible partners – to lunch.” He perches himself on the edge of his desk, his hands still firmly in his pocket
s. “I like to get to know who I’m going to be working alongside. I like to see what kind of vibe they send out. A little bit of forewarning, if you like.”

  “And what happens, if you don’t get that vibe?” I could bite my tongue off; I hadn’t meant to ask that out loud. I’d just been thinking it, but my brain obviously isn’t communicating with my mouth right now. “Do you just get rid of them? If you don’t ‘feel’ it?” And I obviously can’t shut myself up.

  He laughs again and briefly drops his gaze, but only briefly. His eyes are back on mine within seconds. “I intend to keep you for a very long time, Lola.”

  I feel a rush of something – I don’t know. Something dangerous? Whatever it is, it shoots through me, makes me shiver slightly, and I really need to leave now, just get away from him, for a little while. This has all been a bit too surreal, and I think I need a shot of reality now.

  “I’ll see you back at your cubicle at twelve-thirty.”

  I nod, and he walks back behind his desk and picks up his phone and I take that as my cue to go.

  When I see him again I’ll be smarter, stronger, and more in control.

  This was a curve ball.

  I caught it.

  Now I just need to deal with it.

  Evan

  I’ve never believed in fate. Horoscopes, fairytales, happy ever afters, they’re all a pile of crap. I don’t have time for that shit, I’m a practical man. Being the best goddamn lawyer in New York is all I care about. I don’t have time for anything else. Relationships, commitment, none of that fits into my life. Women want me, yeah, of course they do. And I play on that, I give them the full-on charm, tell them everything they want to hear, but they also know what they’re getting. One night. Two if they’re extremely lucky. Not one of them ever gets to stay over, no woman has ever slept in my bed. I fuck them, they leave. Nine out of ten times I never see them again, and I like it that way. And yet, now, the woman I fucked last night, a beautiful, incredible woman I had to have the second I saw her walk into the bar; that woman is here, in my place of work. She’s my new secretary. Do I still think fate is a pile of crap? Of course I do. This is just a coincidence, and one we can both handle. Oh, I didn’t miss the shock on her face when she turned around and saw who I was, even though it was evident she was trying to hide her horror. But I think she’s stronger than that. She isn’t gonna throw away this job, she isn’t that kind of woman, I already get that from her. She understands the situation. Don’t get me wrong, I could quite easily get rid of her, if I wanted to. Just like that, she could be gone. But I don’t want her gone. Not now I’ve had time to think about this.

  I smile and walk over to the window, staring out at the city below me. It’s about time I started a new game. Things have become a little stale in my life lately. I have my work, and that keeps me busy, but there’s always room for something else. And I thrive on danger. I like to play close to the edge. I like to break rules. If I want something, I usually get it, without too much of a fight.

  And I want her.

  Four

  Lola

  The restaurant we’re having lunch in is full of men in expensive suits and women in various forms of power dress, which makes me quite glad that I splashed out money I’ve yet to earn back on some decent clothes for this new job. The lawyers at Cavendish King obviously frequent far classier and way more expensive restaurants than any of the other law firms I’ve worked for. I really have managed to bag myself a job with the best. And once I’ve got past this hurdle – past the fact Evan King and me shared a one-night stand I still don’t think I regret – I’m going to be just fine. I’m going to work hard, fit in, make him see that he made the right decision choosing me from all those other candidates I know applied for this position.

  “This is one of Cavendish King’s restaurants of choice.” He smiles as he catches me glancing around, and I look at him, and I smile back. I can do that now, without remembering him naked, his incredible cock deep inside me. I can deal with all of that now, just as well as he obviously is. “The food here is amazing. You should try the Cappellini with crab and clams. I think you’d like it.”

  I have no idea how he thinks I’d like it, but he’s almost got me wanting to try it on that recommendation alone.

  He picks up the wine list and scans it quickly, and I watch as he raises a hand and beckons over a server, gives him our drinks order, and turns his attention back to me.

  “I brought you out of the office for a reason, Lola.” He leans forward and steeples his fingers together. “I lied. Before. I don’t usually take any of my new employees out for lunch, or dinner. I don’t even buy them a hot dog from a cart on the street. To be honest, I don’t particularly care about any of them, personally. As long as they do their job, stay loyal, and keep out of my way until I need them I don’t really give a shit about any of them.” His eyes bore deep into mine but I’m staying calm here. It took me two hours and half a dozen mugs of coffee to get my head straight this morning, but I managed to do it. I managed to get my head straight. He isn’t ruining that.

  “I just want to do my job…”

  “But you, Lola…”

  He doesn’t finish that sentence, and he sits back in his chair and breaks the gaze as the wine waiter arrives with our bottle, and I’m slightly confused. I’m also silently berating myself for not doing more research on Evan King. If I had, I would have been aware of exactly who he was, what he looked like; I could’ve avoided last night but, oh God, last night was good!

  “What happened last night, Lola…”

  My head shoots up. I assumed he wouldn’t even want to acknowledge last night. “I should have been more thorough. In my research.”

  He arches an eyebrow and smirks slightly. “You mean to tell me you didn’t research me thoroughly?”

  “Evidently not,” I reply drily, taking a small sip of wine.

  “Are you sorry it happened? Last night?”

  “It hasn’t made my first day at Cavendish King a particularly easy one.”

  He smiles, and then he briefly drops his gaze before his eyes once more meet mine. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  “I’m not sure what you want me to say. You’re my boss. I have to work with you every day. And I thought you wouldn’t want to talk about last night. It happened, now we need to move on.”

  He says nothing for a beat or two, leans forward again and cocks his head just a touch as he looks at me. “Under normal circumstances, Lola, I’d agree with you. But these aren’t normal circumstances. I knew that the second I saw you this morning.”

  “Your expression didn’t register any emotion.”

  “I’m a lawyer. I’m one of the best lawyers this city has, the best lawyer this city has. I don’t do emotion. I’m not known for it, I’m cold. That’s who I am.”

  I’m still confused. More than I was a minute ago, and I have no idea where this is going, but all of a sudden those nerves I thought I’d dealt with – they’re back.

  “I don’t do relationships, I haven’t got time for the all-consuming crap they bring with them.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “You want this job.” That isn’t a question. And I feel my stomach twist up into a tight knot. “And I want you.”

  I frown, because I don’t know what he means, what he’s trying to say, not straightaway. But then, it suddenly starts to make sense, what he’s doing here. I think I know what’s happening now.

  “Long hours, late nights, and loyalty, Lola. That’s all I ask of you.”

  “And anything else you need me to do. Right?”

  We both know what I mean by that, and he laughs quietly, but his eyes, they never leave mine. “Maybe last night was fate.”

  “You believe in all that?”

  “Not really, no. But I don’t believe in coincidence either, yet, here we are.”

  “How do you know I’m not married?”

  He drops his gaze to my left hand. “No
ring.”

  “Boyfriend, then.”

  “You don’t look like the type of woman who would do what she did last night without a damn good reason. I asked if someone had hurt you, and although I didn’t want to know the answer then... I think I already know the answer. Yes, someone’s hurt you, and me – you slept with me as some form of revenge, a rebound fuck, whatever you want to call it. I was someone you used to try and get him out of your system. Whoever he is.”

  “You’re my boss, Evan, and I don’t think I should be having this conversation with you.”

  He leans a little further forward and lowers his voice just a touch. “Last night I was sucking eighty dollars a bottle bourbon from your pussy so I think we’ve already crossed that boss/employee line, don’t you?”

  His words make me shiver, and all of a sudden this whole situation has taken a turn I could never have expected. And I’m feeling just a little out of my depth here.

  “I need you as my secretary, Lola. I want you as my secretary. You’re a hard worker, you’re popular; you’re loyal, and as far as your professional life is concerned you take no shit. That’s what people tell me. That’s what I’ve heard. So I need you, with me, sorting out my life and keeping me straight. But I’m changing your job description slightly. Call it…” He smirks and laughs quietly, “perks of my position.”

  I frown, and I’m aware of my breathing becoming a touch heavier and I try to control it, but what’s happening here – it’s wrong and crazy and I’m still confused.

  “I’m adding extra duties that may, from time to time, involve a few more hours working together. Just you and me. And if you want to keep this job I really would advise against fighting those duties.”

  I swallow hard and hold his gaze. “Are you telling me that if I don’t do as I’m told you’ll fire me?”

  “When you walked into my office this morning, Lola, you changed everything. Just like that. In a fucking heartbeat. I knew it, I felt it. I need you, I do, but the ways in which I need you…” He slowly shakes his head and the corner of his mouth twists up into a smirk that both terrifies and excites me. Jesus! I can actually feel my thighs tingling! “If I can’t have you that way, then I’m not sure I can have you sitting outside my office, day in, day out, making me crazy. I can’t, do that. Do you understand?”