by Jan Bowles
Shane figured that he and his brother’s sexual preferences came from their father, because as kids strange noises would often come from their parents’ bedroom in the middle of the night. As a six- or seven-year-old he hadn’t known what to make of such sounds. However, as both he and Reed started to grow up, they soon learned.
He missed his old man and he missed his mother, too. His father had been a professional pilot for American Airlines before retiring, and had flown everything from crop sprayers to 747s. Five years ago, word filtered down to him that the light aircraft piloted by his father, and with his mother as the only passenger, had gone missing in the Rocky Mountains. No wreckage or bodies were initially found, and after seven days Reed and himself took matters into their own hands, paying for a hundred people on foot and five reconnaissance planes to search the vast deserted terrain during every available daylight hour.
Some fourteen days later, the gory truth finally emerged. Most of the wreckage was hidden in a remote canyon, and what remained of their parents’ bodies was not pretty. In the twenty-one days since the Cessna TTx had gone down, bears, coyotes, mountain lions, and wolves had had their fill of human flesh, making identification of the bodies a traumatic experience for both Reed and himself. Part of their father’s left arm still wearing the engraved Rolex watch their mother had bought him for his fifty-fifth birthday finally brought to an end the three weeks of not knowing. The half-eaten remains of their mother’s body were also found, along with fragments of her clothing. His father had been sixty years old, his mother fifty-nine. Just like his brother, Shane figured the Masters family had had their fair share of tragedy. He was proven wrong when Reed called to say that their only sister, Sarah Jane, had been killed in a car crash. They dealt with her death in the same away as they had dealt with their parents’ demise. Both parents had raised them to be self-reliant, and even now Shane could hear his old man’s voice in his head saying, “Sort it out yourself, son. That’s what the Masters men have been doing for generations.”
“What are thinking about, Shane?” His brother’s voice brought him back to the here and now.
“I’m thinking that this family has had more than its share of shit happen.”
“You got that right. But then nobody ever said that life was fair.”
“What time is it, bro? Surely she should be here by now?”
Chapter Three
Jessica Hyde hadn’t expected to find a message on her answerphone inviting her to an interview at MAT. Intrigued and excited, she had immediately googled Masters Advanced Technology for more information about the company and its founders.
Now, some nine days later, she stared into the eyes of just about the two most beautiful men alive as they studied her from the other side of the desk.
Reed Masters spoke first, his assertive baritone rumble making the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention. “The vacancy as personal assistant to myself and my brother is a position that is extremely important to MAT, and the fact that you speak fluent Mandarin is a point in your favor, especially now the company has just signed a lucrative contract with the Chinese.”
Jessica knew she needed to be at her very best if she were to get the job. She let out a little nervous cough before speaking. “Firstly, may I thank you for giving me the opportunity to attend the interview, Mr. Masters.”
When he spoke, she wasn’t surprised to find that Shane Masters sounded deliciously like his twin brother.
“Don’t for one moment think that we haven’t had you exhaustively checked out, honey.”
“Of course, sir. I would expect nothing less.”
She barely knew them, but Jessica recognized a pair of alpha males when she saw them. Reed and Shane Masters were the genuine article. There was no doubt about that. When she had entered the interview room, or should that be the interrogation room, their combined presence was almost overwhelming. Both of these drop-dead gorgeous guys stood well over six feet tall and consisted of two hundred pounds of bone and rippling muscle.
A couple of hours spent digging on the Internet had uncovered surprising information about the successful twin brothers. Apparently Reed was the older by five minutes. He had jet-black, collar-length hair, and piercing blue eyes. Right now she found it hard to breathe or even think straight, because Reed Masters’s laser stare made her feel as vulnerable as a teenage girl on her first date. Without any apparent effort he succeeded in making her feel uneasy, yet sexually aroused at the same time. She felt as though he undressed her with his eyes as he devoured her from the other side of the desk.
The tantalizing aroma of expensive cologne drifted across the small divide that separated them. Jessica couldn’t tell which man the enticing smell came from, but they were twins, and twins often had shared likes and dislikes. Maybe the intoxicating aroma came from them both?
Mmm. Sexy.
Shane Masters seemed to possess a more predatory edge to his personality than his brother. Unlike Reed, Shane had fair hair, which he had allowed to grow slightly longer. Blond strands curled seductively over the collar of his white cotton shirt, and once again she felt uneasy, yet sexually excited by the powerful man who sat just a few feet from her. He had those same dominating blue eyes, and just like his fraternal twin, they seemed to tunnel deep into her very soul.
Fucking hell he turned her on. Both men possessed a stature, a physical presence that made it hard for her to breathe properly. A barely visible smile lifted the corners of Shane Masters’s mouth, and Jessica sensed that he got off on her obvious discomfort. In so many ways, she felt out of her depth, and her vulnerability clearly hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“Relax, honey. There’s nothing to be scared of.” Shane Masters was toying with her now. Cruelly playing with her like a cat with a mouse.
The sexy, arrogant bastard.
Jessica tried to compose herself by self-consciously straightening her skirt and letting out a timid cough.
“I apologize, gentlemen, if I appear a little nervous.”
Shane Masters leaned back in his chair and self-assuredly placed his hands behind his head. “Well, honey, I’d say that being nervous can sometimes be a good thing, especially when it brings a bloom of color to a beautiful woman’s cheeks.”
She was blushing. She knew it, and what was worse, she couldn’t stop it happening. In fact, the more she tried to stop her cheeks burning, the redder they became.
Shit…shit…shit.
This was so embarrassing. They were both smiling at her obvious discomfort now, and Jessica longed for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Instead, she made things worse by pathetically apologizing again for coming across in such an unprofessional manner.
“I’m sorry. So very sorry. Please forgive me.” Her words of contrition had the effect of making the smiles on their faces even broader.
Reed Masters seemed to take pity on her then. “Would you like a glass of water, Jessica? Would you like to take a few minutes to compose yourself?”
“No. I’m fine, really I am.” She wasn’t, she was anything but. “I’m not usually such a basket case.” A series of long, slow, deep breaths finally helped to bring her emotions under control, much to the amusement of the predatory alpha males sitting opposite.
Reed Masters gave her a knowing wink, which helped her relax and see the funny side of things. “Okay, let’s get back to business. Your references are excellent, Jessica, but then so are the references of the other candidates applying for the job.”
Shane Masters took over the conversation. “So now you know what you’re up against, what have you got to offer us that no one else can, honey?”
She wasn’t a stupid woman, and immediately recognized the double meaning in his question. However, she couldn’t avoid the effect of his bright blue laser stare, and her answer spilled from her lips in the form of a pitiful stutter.
“I–er I er…”
Shane Masters winked at her just as his brother had. “I’m waiting, honey. Any
time you feel ready to give me an answer just be sure to let me know.”
“Let me assure you, gentlemen, that I–I… I er–er…”
“Still waiting.”
Shane Masters in particular unsettled her composure and she was grateful when the seemingly more compassionate Reed finally brought an end to her suffering.
“Enough, Shane.”
“We have to know if Jessica here is made of the right stuff, and from what I’ve seen so far I’m not sure that she is.”
“I said enough.”
Utterly embarrassed by the whole tragic episode, Jessica reasoned that any chance she had of the getting the job was now gone forever. However, the acceptance of her monumental fuck-up when put under pressure by Shane Masters finally allowed her to relax, and to let go. She suddenly felt emboldened and it was a liberating experience for her.
“Thank you for your concern, Reed.” By using his Christian name, Jessica suddenly felt empowered. “But I’m quite capable of answering the question your brother put to me. What was it you asked me, Shane? Oh yes, you asked what have I got to offer MAT that no one else, or more specifically no other woman can?”
Now feeling bonelessly relaxed in the same way that some people did when they realized that all hope was lost, and they could only accept their fate, she returned Shane Masters’s piercing laser stare, determined not to be intimidated as she had before. “Gentleman, I will tell you what I can offer your company. I offer professionalism. I offer loyalty. I offer absolute confidentiality. I offer discretion. I offer you a focused and hard-working personal assistant who is able to surmount any challenge that the job throws at her without so much as flinching. I am trustworthy. I am intelligent. I am more than qualified for the position, and despite my initial poor performance in this interview, should you gentlemen hire me, then MAT would be employing just about the best goddamn personal assistant in New Jersey.”
Jessica slumped in her chair, her arms now hanging loosely at her sides. I’ve done all I can, so now do as you damn well please. It pissed her off that both the achingly gorgeous men sitting across from her appeared amused by her outburst.
Shane Masters’s beautiful yet rugged face wore a beaming smile. “Well, well. A roaring lioness has just emerged from the timid mouse that entered the room. From the moment I laid eyes on you, honey, I sensed you had hidden depths. I just needed to prize you out of your shell to be sure.” He turned to his brother. “It looks like I’ve done exactly that, Reed. I think this lady is made of the right stuff after all.”
Reed Masters—fucking gorgeous Reed Masters—relaxed in his chair, and then casually placed his hands behind his head, just as his twin brother had. He winked at her again, giving her hope that maybe, just maybe, she had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
“Yeah, I think we’ve achieved what we set out to do.” He flicked through her résumé again. “Hmmm, MAT do a great deal of business in China these days, so you being fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese would certainly be an asset to the company.”
All the time Reed spoke, his younger brother didn’t take his eyes from her for a single moment. She instinctively knew he was mentally undressing her just as Reed had, and although she felt herself begin to blush again, she relished the idea that these powerful men found her attractive.
“It says here that you also speak fluent Spanish, French, and Italian, too.”
“Yes, sir.” Being outspoken at this point in the proceedings would do her more harm than good, so Jessica felt it wise to act respectfully again. “I speak a little Swedish, too, Mr. Masters.”
“Hmmm. MAT don’t do much business with the Scandinavian countries at present, but with the rate of expansion the company is currently experiencing, this may well change in the near future.” Reed closed her résumé and then focused intently on her, just like his twin.
Without taking his eyes from her he softly asked, “What is your opinion of this lady, Shane.”
“Pretty good.”
“Just pretty good?”
“Maybe better than pretty good.”
“I tend to agree with your findings.”
“Sometimes a timid mouse, and sometimes a lioness that needs taming.”
“Both attractive traits in a woman.”
“The final decision is yours, Reed.”
“I know.”
The blood pumped and coursed its way through her body. Her heart rate spun out of control as the all-powerful bosses of MAT casually discussed her fate.
Please, please, please say yes. These men had an all-conquering demeanor about them that she had never experienced before. She gravitated toward them—wanted them. Wanted them deep inside her. Please, please say yes.
“And you have no problem if we need to fly to Rome, London, or even Peking at moment’s notice?”
“No, sir. None. As you can see from my résumé, I’m not married and I have no children.”
“Boyfriend?”
“No, Mr. Masters. We split up about six months ago and…” She coughed nervously. “No… No boyfriend.”
“You’ll need to move from where you are currently living and live here. This is nonnegotiable, because Shane and I may require your services at any time day or night. You’ll have your own personal accommodation in the house. All expenses will be covered by MAT in the package we’re offering you. Food, heating, and any bills, plus an extremely attractive salary.”
Dare she hope? Dare she believe? She had to know. “Excuse me, sir, but did you just say that…that you are offering me the job?”
Reed smiled. A wonderful engaging smile that made her pussy wet with sexual need. “I wondered how long it would take you to catch on, Jessica.”
Shane Masters leaned across the desk and offered her his hand. His smile was equally engaging and full of sexual promise. “Welcome to MAT, honey. It’ll be one hell of a roller coaster ride, I can promise you that.”
* * * *
Reed clinked his glass of Scotch against his brother’s. “Employee number 256. At this rate MAT will have to relocate to larger premises.”
Shane took a slug of the twelve-year-old single malt. “We made the right decision on so many levels, Reed. Jessica is capable and competent, and having the ability to speak several foreign languages is an added bonus.”
“I believe I counted four.”
“Five if you include Swedish.”
“Impressive by any standards. And what is your opinion on the lady herself, Shane? To say that Jessica is easy on the eye is like saying the Mona Lisa is a reasonably good painting.”
Shane took another slug of Scotch. “Perhaps the lack of a photograph on her résumé was a good thing, because after seeing Jessica in the flesh I now know it wouldn’t have done her justice.”
“That good, huh? The impression she made on you is clear to see.”
“Her sheer natural beauty takes my breath away, Reed. I can’t remember the last time I saw a woman who looked as edible as Jessica.” He shook his head. “Fucking hell, man. It was fortunate we sat behind a desk during the interview, because I had a hard-on that just wouldn’t quit.”
“Rest assured you were not the only one.” Reed laughed, causing his twin to do the same.
“I might have guessed you’d have a boner, too. Everything about Jessica is just perfect. Perfect hair, perfect smile, perfect tits, perfect ass, and I have absolutely no doubt she has a perfectly smooth and fragrant pussy, too. How much do you think she weighs, Reed?”
“One-twenty, within a pound or so.”
“Exactly my thoughts. Those big soft brown eyes of hers really turn me on, and as for her long blonde hair, well, let’s just say I would love to bury my nose in those scented curls and breathe in her femininity.”
“Careful, Shane, or you’ll be getting another hard-on, and believe me when I say that it’s not a good look when it’s just you me in the room.”
“Listen to me, Reed. With a woman like Jessica working closely with us at MAT, it w
ould be a shame not to mix business and pleasure. I mean, she is the complete package. She has that wonderful mix of vulnerability and courage layered through her personality. I know we both like that in a woman.”
“You noticed she had these desirable characteristics, too, huh?”
“How could I miss them? The lady is a natural submissive, Reed—one who may need bringing into line from time to time, but a natural submissive nonetheless.” Shane took another slug of Scotch, this time emptying his glass. “How I would love to discipline that girl. How I would love to hear her squeal for mercy and promise that she would never misbehave or be disrespectful again. How I would love to rip her panties from her trembling silken body, and spank her creamy bare ass until it glows like a crimson beacon.”
“Whoa, calm down, tiger.” Reed poured his brother another Scotch. “I read Jessica the same way you do, but we can’t be absolutely sure of her sexual preferences until we get to know her a little better. She moves into the house three days from now, and her private accommodation is just down the hallway from our bedrooms… So maybe…”
“Oh don’t. For fuck’s sake don’t. When all is said and done, I’m just flesh and blood, the same as any man.”
Reed saw that his brother was deeply attracted to their new personal assistant. He was, too. It was impossible for him not to be. However, his approach to the opposite sex came with a little more subtlety than that of his five-minute-younger twin.
Shane had more to say on the subject of the delightful Jessica. “Did you see the way those awesome tits of hers heaved when I pressured her for an answer?”
“How could I not see, you sadistic bastard?”
“Oh yeah, you have that right, Reed. I frighten Jessica, but I also turn her on. I thought that you and I did a pretty good version of the good cop, bad cop routine during the interview. But deep down, we are both bad cops, right?”
