He shouted for me to come back, but I went in the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Leaning back against it, I tried to calm myself down and half expected him to come knocking. When he didn’t, I stripped off my bra and panties.
I caught sight of myself in the mirror and it brought to mind his jibes about me not being model material.
“Bastard,” I muttered.
The comment burned in me as I got in the shower and switched on the water. I fumed at Greg’s attitude and the idea of getting out of the relationship again came in my mind. That was only strengthened by the frosty atmosphere in the apartment for the rest of the evening and we still weren’t talking when we went to bed.
Chapter 3
Greg got up and left with barely a word the following morning, but I shrugged it off. It gave me a chance to put the situation with him out of my head as I got ready for the first day of a new job. I was excited about it starting and just concentrated on working with Jeannie as I was put through my paces and asked to write an article for the first Sunday supplement.
“This is good,” Jeannie said at the end of the day. “But there are a few things to note.”
She took me through the ways the article could be improved and I stayed late to rewrite it, so it would be on her desk first thing the following morning. The next few days followed the same routine as Jeannie decided on what we would include in the supplement and we went about preparing it.
I worked late each day to show that I was willing to put the hours in, but it was also a consequence of the ongoing moody atmosphere at home. Greg could see that I wasn’t going to change my mind about the job although he still moaned and complained about it. He wouldn’t give up, but I was spending as little time at the apartment as I could. That didn’t exactly go down well with him either, but as far as I was concerned he would just have to put up with it. It didn’t make for a happy home environment and I suspected that him coming around to my way of thinking was probably a forlorn hope.
My first two weeks of work were spent in the office writing articles that were researched on the internet. It was Jeannie who went out and about to do the interviews with local designers and fashion retailers and the change to that setup came about because of the newspaper’s editor.
“I’ve been called to a team leader’s meeting,” Jeannie told me when I arrived at work one morning.
“OK,” I replied. “What do you want me to get on with?”
“You’re going on a visit,” she said and handed me a sheet of paper.
“Umm…, a visit,” I went on nervously.
“Relax,” Jeannie said. “This is something you need to get used to and it’s about time you got involved in it.”
I nodded my head and looked down to see the list of questions written on the paper in my hand.
“I arranged to go and see Sam Lawrence today,” Jeannie said.
“That would be the Sam Lawrence of Lawrence Lingerie.”
“That’s the man,” she went on. “He has a new range of plus size underwear coming out and is looking to promote it. That got me in the door to see him…, or rather it’s got you in the door to see him. The questions on the paper are those to ask and you can add any more you think of.”
“OK,” I said.
“You’ve to be at the head office of his company at two o’clock,” Jeannie told me. “I would have gone myself, but I can’t get out of this team meeting.” She picked up a folder from her desk. “That’s a file of details on the man, so familiarize yourself with him before this afternoon.”
“Sure,” I agreed.
“I have to go,” Jeannie said. “I’ll be back later on this afternoon to see how you got on.”
I nodded my head when she got to her feet and just like that I was left on my own to deal with my first visit and interview. After Jeannie departed, I sat down at my desk and opened the file. I already knew some of Sam Lawrence’s story. Most people did. He’d finished his schooling at sixteen and got himself a stall selling clothing in a local market. Hard work and smart decisions moved him on to opening a store and when he concentrated his attention on the underwear market, his business took off.
A string of retail outlets led him into the designer underwear market and earned him a fortune. He was only thirty years old, but was reputedly now worth billions and one of the most eligible bachelors around. That got him dates with a string of models, actresses and other beautiful women although he remained single.
Jeannie’s file of information expanded on the details I already knew about Sam Lawrence and I found myself staring at the pictures of him. He was definitely a handsome man, with his cropped, dark hair, brown eyes and muscular physique being something that plenty of women would fall for. That included me and a smile flashed across my face as a fantasy started playing out in my head.
“Yeah…, like a billionaire lingerie mogul is going to fall for my obvious charms,” I said and cleared the thoughts away.
I was meeting him for business, not pleasure, and considering the women he usually dated, I couldn’t imagine that he would be remotely interested in me. Putting the idea out of my head, I focused my attention on the list of questions that Jeannie gave me. They seemed to cover everything that I would have thought of asking myself and in the end I didn’t add any more. For the rest of the morning I concentrated my energies on finishing an article I’d started the day before, but when it got to one in the afternoon I made a move.
That started with me collecting what I needed from my desk then going to the restroom on the way out of the building. It might be business, but I still wanted to look my best and spent a few minutes putting on some makeup then brushing my hair. When I was satisfied with my appearance, I made my way to the elevators and caught one down to the ground floor.
The head office of Lawrence Lingerie was a bus trip away from the newspaper building, so I went to catch a ride and got to my destination with fifteen minutes to spare. There seemed no point in hanging around waiting, so I made my way inside the building and up to the floor I wanted. My hands were clammy and I tried to control my growing nervousness as I stepped inside the entrance. A quick glance around showed a large wooden reception desk and the woman behind it smiled at me as I approached.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m here to see Mr. Lawrence,” I replied.
“And your name is?”
“Katie Carter,” I replied.
The woman glanced down at the papers in front of her and I saw the frown cross her face.
“I’m here about the new plus size lingerie range,” I said helpfully.
“Oh, of course,” she said and I saw her gaze slide up and down my fuller figure.
The slight blush of red flared on my cheeks and I was too flustered to say any more. I watched as she picked up the phone in front of her and dialed a number.
“I have Katie Carter here to see you, Mr. Lawrence.” She was quiet before speaking again. “Yes that’s right.” She listened for a further few seconds before putting the phone down and looking in my direction. “Follow me.”
She came out from behind the desk and started walking, but the sound of the phone ringing made her turn.
“I better get that,” she said. “Walk all the way along this corridor and turn right. Mr. Lawrence’s office is at the far end of the hallway you come in to. His name is on the door, so you can’t miss it. He asked that you go along to see him straight away, so just knock and enter.”
“Aren’t you…,” I started to say, but the receptionist was already making her way towards the desk.
All I could do was follow the directions I was given and less than a minute later I was standing outside the office door of the man I was about to interview. I took a few deep breaths, tucked my hair behind my ear then knocked and walked inside.
Sam Lawrence was sitting on the edge of the desk and he looked even better in the flesh than he did in the pictures I looked through earlier. I was about to introduce myself, but
didn’t get the chance.
“You’re absolutely perfect,” he said as he got to his feet and moved towards me.
It wasn’t the start to the meeting I was expecting and I was slightly taken aback at the approach of a handsome older man calling me perfect.
“Umm…, excuse me?” I replied hesitantly.
“Your figure,” Sam went on. “It’s the perfect shape for our new range of lingerie. Come and have a look.”
I couldn’t even remember the last time I was complimented on my figure. Greg certainly hadn’t made any effort to make me feel good about myself in recent times and it was nice to hear some appreciative words for a change. I was even more amazed when Sam held out a hand to me and the way he smiled made me just unquestioningly take it. He led me over to a long table at the side of the room, where the new line of Lawrence Lingerie plus size underwear was laid out.
“These are gorgeous,” I commented as I stared at the pretty designs. “I’ve always found it difficult to get really pretty styles in a larger size.”
“That’s what the market research showed,” Sam said. “The niche was there to exploit, so we’ve gone all out to produce lingerie that is comfortable for women with larger figures, but also classy and sexy.”
“You’ve certainly managed it,” I told him.
“I want this set to be the one that’s showcased,” he said and picked up a pair of dark red panties with a white trim and bow. “They should fit you.”
“Umm…, yeah I guess they would,” I replied when I looked at the size label and wondered what the hell was going on. Sam picked up the matching bra and handed it to me.
“You can change in to them behind that screen,” he told me and pointed it out.
A frown creased my brow as I looked across to a black screen in the corner of the room.
“You want me to try them on,” I said hesitantly. “But…”
“They will look fantastic on you,” he cut in to stop my words. “Lingerie always looks so much better when it’s modeled by a beautiful woman like you.”
Another compliment tripped off his tongue and I actually found myself in two minds about going through with what he was asking me to do. It seemed ridiculous since I was supposed to be there to interview him, but I was actually considering trying on the sexy underwear and modeling it for him. It wasn’t that far from the fantasy that ran through my head earlier in the day when I was looking at his pictures in Jeannie’s file of information.
“Hurry now,” he said and looked at his watch. “The reporter will be here any minute now.”
His words caught me off guard and I narrowed my eyes as I looked at him.
“Umm…, who do you think I am?” I asked.
“You’re from the agency,” he said.
“The agency?” I queried.
“The modeling agency,” Sam went on. “We booked a model to showcase our new line.”
I let out a snort of laughter, but cut it off quickly by putting a hand over my mouth. A confused look crossed Sam’s face, so I set things straight.
“I’m not a model,” I told him. “I’m the reporter.”
Sam’s confused expression grew deeper.
“I was led to believe I was meeting a Jeannie Allen.”
“You were supposed to be,” I went on. “She’s my boss, but she got called to a team meeting today by the editor of the paper. It never occurred to me that she hadn’t told you about the change.”
“Shit,” Sam let out. “So you’re actually here to interview me and I’m trying to get you undressed and kitted out in nothing more than a pair of panties and a bra.”
I couldn’t help myself and let out another laugh as I looked at what I was holding.
“They are nice,” I said.
“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I genuinely thought you were here from the agency.”
“No need to apologize,” I said. “I should have informed you of the change in plans…, and I’m flattered you thought I was a model with a perfect figure.”
The phone rang before he could say anything more and he excused himself to answer it. He listened for a couple of seconds to whoever was on the other end of the line.
“Yeah, I know already,” he said. “Call them back and say not to bother now.”
He looked at me and shook his head when he put the phone down.
“What?” I asked.
“That was Stella on reception,” he said and laughed. “The agency called to say the car bringing the model broke down and they apologized for her not turning up.”
“No catwalk show for me then,” I said and smiled.
“Unfortunately not,” Sam went on. “You’ll just have to imagine how good the lingerie looks on a real live model. Unless you…”
I saw the cheeky smile on his face and the blush of red flared on my cheeks. It wasn’t the only heat that erupted to life, however, and the fantasy of actually going through with modeling the pretty lingerie for him brought a tingling sensation between my thighs.
“Maybe we should get on with the interview,” I commented to cover my embarrassment at the unexpected rush of arousal and he nodded his head.
Moving across to the seat on the opposite side of the desk from him, I dropped down on it and was all too aware of his gaze on me. It brought out my nervousness and made me a klutz as I tried to get myself ready. I dropped my pen on the floor and leaned down to retrieve it. When I straightened up, I saw Sam avert his gaze and realized that he must have got a look down my blouse. It made me wonder if he really did think my fuller figure was perfect.
I wouldn’t have complained if he did, but tried to bring my thoughts to work as I got the list of questions and started to go through them. Sam turned out to be an enthusiastic and effusive interviewee and it made my job easy. It meant I relaxed to enjoy his company as I sat writing notes on his background, his rise to prominence in the business world and his passion for ladies underwear. We spent almost one and a half hours together in his office and it seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. I felt the slight disappointment when his last answer ended and I wrapped up the interview.
“Well, that’s me,” I said.
He nodded his head and I got the slight sense that he was disappointed our time together was coming to an end too. I picked up the pretty red lingerie that was still sitting on my lap as I got to my feet.
“Thanks for everything,” I said as I held it out.
“No problem,” he said when he got up.
Our fingers brushed together and as he took the panties and bra and the spark of something that built during the interview lit to more. The jolt of electricity was unmistakable and there was no doubt he was aware of it too.
“I…, I guess I should go,” I said hesitantly and tucked my hair behind my ear.
He was quick to follow me across the room and moved past to get to the door first. He reached out for the handle, but didn’t turn it as he looked at me. The breath almost stuck in my throat as our eyes met.
“It was really nice to meet you,” he said and smiled.
“You too,” I replied in a quiet voice.
His gorgeous smile held me in its grip and my palm was clammy as we reached out to shake hands. The surge of electricity was there again as we touched and we stood for an instant just caught up in a moment that doesn’t happen too often. Not to me anyway. The spark between us lit up again and for a brief second I really believed that he was going to lean forward and kiss me. It made me shudder and my breathing became slightly ragged.
“I hope you write some nice things about the new range,” he said.
I suddenly felt slightly foolish and wondered if he was putting on an act purely to charm me for the sake of his business. It didn’t seem like it, but the doubts crept in my mind. I glanced down at the panties in his hand and the sudden image of him pulling them down my thighs flashed through my head.
“I think your designs are great,” I said and tried to clear the thoughts from my head. “So, I
’ll definitely give them a good write up.”
“That’s good to know,” he commented and released the grip on my hand.
He opened the door and it was my signal to leave, so I walked out of the office.
“I hope I see you again soon,” he said.
His words stopped me in my tracks and I turned to look at him.
“Me too,” I replied and our eyes met for a brief second before I walked away.
Chapter 4
I was trembling as I retraced my steps to get to the reception area. The woman that Sam called Stella on the phone smiled at me.
“Is that you done?” she asked.
I nodded my head.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry about the confusion earlier,” she apologized.
My thoughts were completely on Sam and I frowned as I looked at her before it clicked in my head that she was talking about mistaking me for a plus size model.
“It’s OK,” I replied. “Forget about it.”
It was the last words between us as I walked out of the exit and made my way towards the elevators. There was no one inside the one that arrived and I leaned against the wall and rocked my head back after the doors closed. The fantasy of being with Sam in the red lingerie began playing in my head again and I made no effort to clear it away this time. It made me squirm as the flush of arousal came on and I needed to try and compose myself when the loud ping showed the doors were about to open at the ground floor.
I kept my gaze straight ahead as I walked out of the building and along to the nearest bus stop. Lifting my arm to look at my watch, I checked the time and saw it wasn’t even four o’clock. It meant I should return to the newspaper office, but I didn’t want to. There was an itch between my thighs that needed scratched and I decided to go home.
“Greg,” I called when I walked through the door, but wasn’t expecting a response and didn’t get one.
I walked through to the bedroom straight away and could barely believe what I was doing. The last time I masturbated was…, I couldn’t even remember, but the encounter with Sam Lawrence was making me want to. A glance at the clock showed it was twenty five minutes after four and that gave me plenty of time before my boyfriend came home. It wasn’t him on my mind though as I stripped off my clothes and underwear.
Assigned To Him, Book One (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) Page 2
