“Anna Marie Cook, I just put my reputation on the line to get you the damn job. You’re not backing out now. Did you really even want this or was this just some line you gave me? You said you wanted to go to college, was that a lie too?”
“No Daddy, it wasn’t a lie,” I totally lied to him. “I’m excited about the job opportunity, I’m just scared too.”
That wasn’t a lie. In fact, I was terrified of what I’d managed to get myself into. My flirting and dirty talk was fun because I knew Jason was always pushing me away. The fun of it was that I knew he wasn’t going to agree. I could push the envelope more and more, and he always said no. Even though he clearly wanted me, or at least I thought he did, he always turned me down. It was part of our thing, but now that a door was figuratively opening up, I was pretty scared about what would come next.
“Well, you haven’t worked before, so it’s normal to be a little scared. I think you’ll do great, though. It’s a good opportunity for you.”
“Yeah,” I mumbled.
“It’s only for a few months, and it will give you a great opportunity to see if you really want to pursue your MBA. Plus, I could really use your help with keeping an eye on things while we go through with this merger. Okay, honey?”
I wanted to say no. I wanted to back out and just forget all of this had even happened. I’d obviously pushed things too far, much farther than I’d thought they were going to go. Sometimes I did go a little too far like when I’d insisted I wanted to be a professional ballerina and forced my parents to sign me up for a summer dance program. After only one dance class, I was thrust into an eight—week intensive program that was horrible. It was by far the worst summer of my life. Yet I’d begged my parents to get into the program so they refused to let me quit, and I was stuck there for the summer.
I knew there was no way out for me now. My father had gone out of his way to get me the job, and even Jason had gone out of his way to say yes. I was stuck with it and going to have to make the best out of things. But I did have one last option, one last idea that might save me from taking this job.
“I understand, Dad. I think it will be fine. I’m sure I’ll love it. But since Mr. Hartley lives next door, it might not be appropriate for me to work with him. I hadn’t thought about that before. You know… I’d see him all day, and he’s right next to us at night. He’d probably get sick of me, and we wouldn’t get along.”
“I thought about that too. I think we should go ahead with your plan to move in with your friend Patrick like you had asked about last winter.”
Shit.
“You said he was too wild for me to live with, and you didn’t want me living with a man at my age.”
“Yeah, but now that I know he’s gay, I’m okay with it. Plus, it will give you a chance to be independent, and I know how much you’ve wanted that.”
“Really? You’re okay with me moving in with Patrick?”
“Yep, I’ll even cover rent for you two for a few months. I’m sure that will help him out too. This is going to be great Anna, you’re going to have a job and your own place,” my father said with a level of excitement I did not share at all. “Okay, we can talk more later. Enjoy your movie.”
I stood there totally stunned as the conversation soaked in. In one phone call, I’d been pushed out of my house and forced to take a job. This wasn’t at all what my life was like. Normally, I got to decide when and where things happened. I got to spend the week alone at the house while my parents went on business trips. I did what I wanted, and they paid for it. Now all of a sudden, I was going to have a boss and an apartment and have to be responsible for myself. This was a lot to take in all at once.
“Anna, are you okay?” Patrick said as he and Summer pulled up to the club. “You look like you’re sick?”
“I just got a job, and my father said I can move in with you.”
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry,” Summer said as she gave me a hug.
Summer was my only other friend that could truly understand what I was feeling. Sure, I wanted to be an adult and didn’t want to live at home forever. But it was happening so fast. It was way too fast for me, and I wasn’t ready.
“I thought you wanted to move out?” Patrick asked.
“I did, in the winter, but I changed my mind. It’s nice being at home and having dinner made and the whole house to myself when they are gone. And there’s a housekeeper. I don’t know, it just feels like it’s all happening too fast.”
“What’s the job?” Summer asked.
“I’m going to be working for Jason Hartley, my super-hot neighbor and the guy who is buying into my father’s company.”
“Oh, you are? Girl, this is perfect,” Patrick said as he jumped up and down with excitement. “This is what you wanted. Right?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know. I think I’m in over my head.”
“Not at all. I’ll help you.”
“Me too,” Summer added. “This is going to be one hell of a fun time for you.”
“So, you think I can do it? I mean, working and all? I’ve never even had a job,” I said as we made our way into the club to find Amy and Rebecca.
“Yeah, I mean I wouldn’t want to have to work, but you can do it,” Summer said. “What exactly will you be doing? Like filing papers and answering phones or something? You can do that.”
“I’m going to be his personal assistant.”
“Ooooh girl, this is getting good. You’ll have so much access to the man that he won’t be able to refuse you.”
“I know, but I’m not sure I can keep that kind of confidence up around him. It was an act. I was playing. He actually terrifies me and makes me really nervous.”
“Do you want to be a virgin forever?” Patrick practically screamed as we stood in the club.
The people in our vicinity looked at me, and one guy even winked.
“Patrick, you don’t need to tell the world.”
“Why not? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Actually, you should be proud of it. You’re not easy like so many other girls,” he said as he dramatically looked at our other friends. “At least you’re waiting for a guy you actually care about.”
“Yeah, but…”
“But, nothing!” Patrick exclaimed. “This is you growing up. We are going to get you a kick ass wardrobe, and you are going to be the best damn assistant this guy has ever had.”
“I doubt that since I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“You got a job?” Amy asked as she stumbled up behind me.
“Yep, she’s going to be the personal assistant for that super-hot neighbor of hers,” Patrick said. “And she’s moving in with me.”
“Oh, my father said he would pay the rent for our place for a few months to make things a little easier on us,” I said as we all gathered around.
The club was packed, but the crowd was a mix of older businessmen and late twenty—something women who were after them. It wasn’t the hip place it used to be, and hardly anyone was out dancing on the dance floor.
“Drinks are on me then,” Patrick exclaimed. “That’s awesome.”
Patrick got us a round of drinks, and we all made our way onto the dance floor to celebrate. We had our little corner of the floor all to ourselves, and it actually ended up being a pretty fun night. We laughed, danced, and talked until the late hours of the morning and didn’t have to worry about a crowded dance floor.
“Maybe we should come here more often.” I laughed as we waited for our Uber. “At least we got to hear ourselves when we talked.”
“And the guys pretty much left us alone, so that was fun,” Summer said.
“I thought you guys wanted men to hit on you?” Patrick asked a little confused.
“No, we like to hang out with each other. It’s not always about the guys,” Amy said as she let her head rest on my shoulder.
“Yeah, sometimes it’s just about friends,” I said.
“I’m going to pick you up tomorrow, and we can go s
hopping for business clothes,” Summer suggested. “You need to be sexy but professional. It’s a hard balance.”
“Okay, thanks, because I have no idea what to buy.”
“Neither does Summer,” Rebecca laughed. “I’m coming with you two. There’s no way I’m letting Summer pick your work clothes.”
“Deal,” I said as we pulled away from the club. “I’ll need all the help I can get.”
Chapter 5
Jason
“How you feeling?” Kevin asked as we ran into each other in the parking lot.
“Oh, you mean after my weekend on the water or how am I feeling about the devastatingly hot neighbor girl coming to torture me today?” I asked.
Kevin laughed. “I was thinking about your weekend sailing, but maybe we should talk about Anna starting today.”
“Seriously, I’m not going to talk to her or interact with her at all. I’m going to keep my head down and get a shit ton of work done. That’s my only option.”
“Hell, if the side effect of having this hot girl around is that you’ll do more work… I’m game,” he said with a laugh.
“I know you think this is funny because you’re married, and there’s no temptation for you, but it’s not funny. Young girls like her get obsessive, and then work is going to be terrible, and things with her father will be even worse. This has disaster written all over it.”
“I’m sure you’re just exaggerating. It will be fine.”
“Wait and see. I don’t think you understand what we are dealing with.”
“Come on,” Kevin said as we made our way up to the office. “She is barely an adult. How hard could it be to say no to… shit is that her?”
We had just made it into the building as a red convertible drove past and into the parking lot. Anna had on a black suit, and her blonde hair was expertly pulled up into some sort of elaborate hairstyle.
“That’s her,” I managed to say as we both watched her climb out of her car and adjust her skirt.
“Damn dude, you’re screwed.” Kevin laughed and hit me on the back. “She looks dangerous.”
“Shit is exactly what I was telling you.”
“I thought you were talking about some young teenager, not a full—grown woman. That girl is going to be trouble.”
We stayed in the lobby, and both stared at Anna as she smoothed out her skirt and buttoned up her blazer. She looked professional and perfectly dressed for an office setting, yet every curve of her body was teasing me as she started her walk into the building.
“Let’s get upstairs before she sees us ogling her like a piece of meat,” I suggested and hurried to the elevator.
“Dude, you are so screwed.” Kevin laughed as he slugged me in the arm. “You aren’t going to last a week with that girl around. Maybe I should start doing all the work with Edward, you know, just in case he ends up hating you.”
“No, stop it. I’m going to be just fine. I’m staying away from her, and that’s the end of it.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
I didn’t believe a word that was coming out of my mouth, but I sure was going to do my best to keep things professional in the office. I hurried into my office and shut the door while I waited for the secretary to buzz me and let me know that Anna had arrived.
I grabbed some water out of my small fridge and tried to calm my racing heart. She looked good. Damn good. The Anna I was used to seeing was always wearing club gear, workout gear, or a swimsuit. I’d never really seen her wearing normal clothing and certainly not business clothes. She looked all grown up.
My phone buzzed. “Ms. Anna Cook is here to see you.”
“Okay, I’ll be right out.”
“I already sent her your direction,” Zelda said and then hung up.
I didn’t want to be alone in my office with Anna, especially after our last encounter on the trampoline. Anna had a way of getting what she wanted, and if she wanted me, I doubted I’d be able to resist.
I threw open my door in an effort to catch her in the sitting area outside my office, but instead, I was face to face with Anna. Her aqua blue eyes dazzled as she smiled at me, and I couldn’t help smiling back.
“Well, hello there, stranger,” she said and stuck her hand out to shake mine. “I’m Anna Cook, your new personal assistant.”
“Hi Anna, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I really appreciate it, and I won’t let you down.”
“Okay, great. I’m glad I could help.”
“I’m going to be applying to college soon, and I’d like to get some business experience under my belt.”
“Ah, okay, that makes sense. Do you know what you’ll be majoring in?”
“Right now, I like the idea of getting an MBA, but who knows, maybe I’ll really hate it here and decide against the whole college thing.” She laughed. Her laugh was soft, and yet it radiated through my body. Her head tilted up slightly, and I took a quick glance at how her silk pink blouse fit her body like perfection. I only looked for a moment before her eyes caught me, and I quickly looked away.
“That sounds like a good plan,” I mumbled. “Okay, well you can sit at this desk here, and I’ll have Zelda show you around the office. She’s the secretary for the floor and does most of the office work, but I’ll have some specific projects I’ll need you to do. Are you familiar with Microsoft Office?”
“Yes.”
“This is how you reach me, and then this button calls Zelda,” I pressed the button to ring Zelda even though she was only on the other side of the hallway. “Zelda, can you take Anna around the office and give her a quick tour?”
“No, sorry, I’m helping Kevin with a project right now.”
“Oh, okay. I can do it,” I said reluctantly. “I’ll just give you a quick run through for now.”
“Sounds good,” Anna said. “Can I leave my bag here?”
She had a small pink bag in her hand, much smaller than the bags of other women who came into the office. All the other women carried huge satchels that seemed to have everything in them from tennis shoes to curling irons.
“Yes, it should be safe under your desk.”
I stepped toward the middle of the hallway to give Anna some room to put her bag down. I wasn’t at all prepared for the jolt of excitement that shot through my body as she leaned over and her ass pressed toward me. Even fully clothed, I could still see the perfection of her body and instantly longed to have my hands wrapped around her and grabbing that incredible ass of hers.
As she stood back up, I quickly looked away and then started walking down the hallway for her to catch up with me. I was going to have to stay a step ahead just to ensure I could focus and wouldn’t be distracted watching the sway of her hips as she walked.
“So, tell me a little more about what you’ll be needing from me? Am I your secretary or assistant or what will you call me?” Anna asked as we approached the small meeting room at the west end of the floor.
“I consider you my assistant, but if you prefer to be called something else, I’m open.”
“Hmm, I’m fine with assistant,” she said as she smiled, and her eyes moved down my body and quickly away.
“This is our small conference room. I meet with Kevin and some of our other staff in here. Sometimes we meet in the big conference room even when there aren’t many of us, though.”
“Okay, this is a nice table,” she said and pressed her full body weight on it.
I couldn’t help it, my body got hard as she leaned slightly over the table. She could have innocently been commenting on the table, but all I could think about was how delightful her body would look bent over that wood table as I took her from behind.
We quickly moved out of that room and toured the rest of the offices and break room on that side of the floor. I introduced her to the other employees that worked with us and made sure I stayed at least one step ahead of her to prevent my bodily reactions to her ass.
&nb
sp; “Kevin, this is Anna, my new assistant,” I said as I opened the door to his office and found him sitting at his desk with glasses on.
Kevin didn’t even wear glasses, but he had them on, and his hair was all messed up. He barely looked up at us and waved while mumbling something and then putting his head back down to work.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Anna said as she strolled right into his office and put her hand out to shake his.”
Anna had done something similar with each of the people I’d introduced her to, but as she approached Kevin, I saw panic wash over his face. His eyes latched onto her breasts, and he stared at her blankly as she held her hand out. Finally, he shook her hand and then went back to work without saying another word.
“Sorry, he’s not all that friendly,” I said as Anna came out of the room, and I shrugged my shoulder at Kevin. He clearly had been trying to avoid having to talk with Anna, and it was really funny to watch.
As we approached the final room on the far end of the floor, I almost didn’t take her in there. I knew she was going to love the conference room just as much as I did. The long wooden table was amazing, and something to admire. “That’s the large conference room, nothing too exciting in there,” I said as I opened the door and then tried to quickly close it.
“Oh, my gosh that table is amazing,” Anna said as she pushed past me and touched the table. “Hmmm, this wood, it’s so smooth. Have you ever felt this wood?”
“Yeah, it’s really nice. I love it,” I said. I stood in the doorway and did my best not to look at Anna as she admired the wood, but it was utterly impossible. She leaned over the table and let her hands glide outward and then back toward her as they caressed the shiny, hard table. She was letting out soft moans of delight as her fingers moved down the table, and I could hardly stand it another second.
My primal instincts took over, and I took a few steps toward Anna, leaned next to her and let my hands glide up and back on the table. “Yeah, it’s amazing wood.”
“It’s so smooth. I love that feeling under my fingers, don’t you?” she said as she turned around and we were face to face.
Bedroom Rodeo: A Billionaire Romance Page 32
