As the doors opened he stepped aside to let her out first. As she did, she could have sworn he uttered, “My turn,” under his breath.
After introducing Belle to one of the members of his legal team, and giving directions for her training, Aleks shut himself in his office.
He replayed the morning with Belle in his mind, how she looked up at him getting out of the car, how her face was at the same level of his belt, and how he had imagined her, sitting on his bed, with his cock jutting out in front of her.
The elevator ride was something else completely.
From the moment they entered, he was fixated on the shape of her body. He took note of her hair, wrapped tightly on top of her head, giving him a full view of her delicate neck. His gaze had progressed lower, over her plump breasts, to her slim waist. Her hips completed a perfect hourglass figure. The shapely legs slimmed to her delicate ankles, which he imagined kissing to see if she found this spot as sensual as other women he bedded.
He pictured her legs wrapped around his waist, skirt bunched as he took her against the wall of the elevator. Those demure ankles locked behind him as her heels dug into the top of his ass. As he looked back up her body, he had caught her looking. Her lips, full and glossed, begged to be kissed. Her eyes hit him with such depth, his breath caught in his throat. Even the smell of her turned him on — light and airy, like a breeze on a summer day in the mountains. He was on dangerous ground.
Aleks turned away from the stack of papers on his desk and stared out the window. There was little doubt that he wanted her. But there was something about her, something that made him uneasy, though he would never admit it to anyone. When he’d caught her checking out his ass, it was all he could do to keep from turning around and pulling her close to him. Even though she had huffed at him, huffed, like a baby dragon, he knew he turned her on. And yet, despite her obvious attraction, she wasn’t throwing herself at him as most women did. In fact, she acted as if she couldn’t stand him, something that both confused and intrigued him.
He checked his watch. He’d been in the office for over an hour and had done nothing more than sit and think about Belle. Who was this girl? She was a distraction, nothing more. He’d built a reputation on being a hard-ass, and he was not about to let a petite, amber-eyed beauty challenge everything he stood for on day one.
Chapter Six
Belle’s first day continued uneventfully. The secretary, Sirena, showed her around the office, introduced her to the few other employees, the phone and various computer systems, the emergency protocols — including the elevator locking and only being opened by a button at the security desk or Aleks’ office — and described the type of work she would be completing. They had rearranged the office and brought another desk up-front so that Belle could assist Sirena when not working with the lawyers.
For lunch, Sirena took her to a small coffee and sandwich shop with outdoor seating two blocks away from the office.
“So, are you enjoying your first day so far?” Sirena asked, licking the foam on her lips from her cappuccino.
Belle estimated Sirena to be in her early 20s. Her beautiful deep-red hair, a color Belle could only describe as red-velvet, made the crystal-clear blue of her eyes all the more striking. Her cheek bones were high and pronounced, and Belle was envious of her incredibly tiny waist.
“I am, thank you,” she replied. “It was a bit overwhelming at first, but I can tell I’m going to learn a lot.”
“You will. Beast Industries is a top real estate firm.” Sirena paused for a moment, as if contemplating something. Finally, she broke the silence, “Okay. Forgive me, but I’ve been dying to ask you. You knew the man in the office yesterday, with the black hair and blue eyes?”
Ugh. “Ah, yeah. Gabriel.”
“What was that about? It’s not every day someone begs to meet Mr. Wolfe for an appointment, then only thirty minutes later almost causes a fight over the same property.”
“Gabe has some … misguided intentions.”
“I figured something had to have happened between you two. Did you two break up?”
“God, no!” she sputtered. When Sirena looked taken aback, she explained, “No, Gabe and I have known each other since high school. He has a temper when he cannot have something he wants, and right now I’m the thing he wants.” Belle didn’t know why she was opening up to the secretary. She normally kept very much to herself, yet had an immediate feeling of comfort around her.
“What’s wrong with him that you don’t want him?” Sirena asked, taking a bite out of her chocolate muffin.
“What?”
“Well, if a man that hot is after you, and you don’t want him back, something is seriously off.”
Belle’s lips parted in shock. Other than Cynthia, everyone thought she was crazy to not want to date Gabriel. He had the trifecta — he was handsome, rich, and popular. She’d known Sirena for less than a few hours and she already seemed to understand Belle had a reason for her actions. She almost wanted to cry for meeting someone who didn’t think she was odd.
“He’s incredibly narcissistic. He’s used to getting what he wants and feels the world owes him. There is nothing I despise more than a man with an ego.”
Sirena made a face. “You’re going to hate Mr. Wolfe then. He always gets what he wants. He either buys, manipulates, or scares people into whatever he desires. And trust me, he can be a scary man when angry.”
Sirena continued, “Although, his reaction yesterday was out of character.” She raised an eyebrow at Belle. “He seemed ready to … protect you almost.”
“I think he was just upset at the way Gabe was acting towards me. He must have recognized I was uncomfortable. I’m just glad Gabe left. I thought he was going to hit Mr. Wolfe — he’s not used to not getting his way.”
Sirena laughed. “Good thing he didn’t. He would have regretted it immediately.”
Belle paused, thinking back to the day before. Aleks was larger, but Gabriel was a brute. No one dared to stand up to him, not just because of his money and connections, but because he put more than one person in the hospital thanks to the occasional drunken brawl. She relayed that information to Sirena, who only laughed.
When Belle just looked at her quizzically, Sirena answered the unasked question. “You mean you didn’t know about Aleksandr prior to working here? You didn’t ‘google’ him? Girl, you’re better than I am!” Sirena joked. “Aleks was an MMA fighter, he started in his early 20s. That’s why he was originally nicknamed ‘The Beast’, because no one could beat him — he was ruthless. He kept the name when he took over the company.”
A fighter?! Well, that explains the nickname, and his physique. “You’re kidding? Really? Why did he stop fighting?”
“He stopped when his dad died. Viktor created ‘Wolfe Real Estate’ from a small realty company to what it is now. He was very hands on, always in the building, ‘right in the action’, as he called it. It was one of the only business practices Aleks continued.”
She took a sip of her coffee and continued. “He renamed the business ‘Beast Industries’, probably to make sure people understood that he was going to do things his way. He came into the company with a ‘no bullshit’ attitude and from the moment he walked in, he changed a lot. He completed his Master’s the first year he took over, and spent all of his time either working or studying. If you ask me, I think Aleks was nervous to change career paths, but refused to let it show. He acts like a hard-ass, but I know underneath he just wants to make his father proud.”
Completing a Master’s in a year? That’s impressive. Sirena seemed unfazed. Perhaps she had been desensitized from working for him for so long, but she recounted the events as one would read an instruction manual. Belle then realized Sirena had referred to him as Aleks. She swallowed before asking her next question, unsure if she wanted the answer.
“You seem to know him so well — are you two dating?” After all, she knows such intimate details about him.
“Would you be upset if I said yes?” Sirena asked, looking at Belle over her glass of water.
“No, sorry for asking. I shouldn’t have.” Belle blushed, chiding herself for being so nosy.
Sirena laughed. “Relax. I was just kidding. We aren’t. Never have, never will. Besides, he’s not a relationship guy. At all. He doesn’t even sleep with the same woman for more than a night — two at most.”
One more reason not to sleep with him.
She looked at Belle with what seemed to be pity, no doubt sensing Belle might already be smitten. “I learned long ago not to ‘dip my pen in the company ink’. Aleks is like a brother to me.”
Sirena leaned in closer to Belle, smirking. “However, considering you’re an intern, you don’t have to follow my rule. And if it does happen, I want to be the first to hear the horny details … got it?”
“Don’t count on it. I have a habit of not ‘dipping my pen into arrogant douche bags,’” Belle responded with a smile.
She’d said the words out loud in an attempt to steel her resolve. She would never be with a man who was full of pride and treated women like dirt. It was the reason she’d kept Gabe at bay. From all appearances, Aleks wasn’t much different. She just needed to remember that, no matter how good he looked in a suit.
After lunch, Belle and Sirena returned to the office and resumed work. She had made up her mind that Aleks was off limits, but she couldn’t deny the anticipation she felt every time the intercom buzzed or a door opened. As the hours ticked away, she hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of him. She was almost annoyed at how rarely Aleks left his office. Whatever, it’s not like I want to see him.
A little after three o’clock, the elevators opened and a tall, slim brunette wearing what could only be described as “almost a skirt” underneath a tight-fitting blazer exited. Her hair was in a bun similar to Belle’s, yet much more polished. She managed a “Mr. Wolfe is waiting for me” as she passed Sirena’s desk and headed towards Aleks’ office.
She gave Belle a condescending glance on her walk past and Belle immediately disliked the woman. Belle had seen Aleks’ calendar. He had no 3 p.m. meeting scheduled; this was an unexpected visit. A pang of jealousy had her mind racing, trying to figure out who the woman was and what she was there for.
The woman gave a knock on Aleks’ door. “It’s me.”
Seconds later the door opened and she disappeared inside.
Just shy of an hour later, Aleks emerged from his office, with the woman draped unceremoniously on his arm. The once pristine bun had been obviously redone, and in haste, as there were now wisps of hair escaping. Her lipstick was also reapplied, and Belle swore she saw a slight smudge to her bottom lip. She walked past Belle and shot her an I-just-nailed-the-quarterback kind of smile.
Belle looked up with a mixture of disgust and angst. Some women have no respect for themselves.
Aleks looked no different than he had that morning, not a hair or piece of clothing out of place. Belle tried to keep any evidence of jealousy off of her face as the woman whispered something in Aleks’ ear before getting on the elevator.
He seemed unaffected by whatever had just happened between the two of them. He offered no wave or even a smile. As soon as the doors closed he turned back to his office. He paused in the doorway.
“Belle, a minute please.”
As Belle entered, she swore the air was stale with the hint of sex. He totally just screwed her.
“Sit, Belle,” he ordered her, pointing to one of the chairs in front of the desk. She wanted to be devoid of emotions around him, yet his commanding voice made it almost impossible.
“What can I assist you with, Mr. Wolfe?” she asked, hands in her lap as she looked up at him.
He walked to his chair, unbuttoning his jacket and removing it before sitting down. The grey shirt he wore underneath strained across his chest and she could see the outline of well-defined pectoral muscles. As he sat he ran a hand through his hair before leaning back into his seat.
“I’d prefer you call me Aleks when we’re alone.”
“I’d prefer not to, thank you. I don’t foresee spending much alone time with you anyway, considering how busy your schedule is, what with the combination of business and pleasure meetings.” The minute the words left her mouth she regretted it. Shit.
“So, I see Sirena has gotten her gossip-claws into you.” A cocky smile formed on his face.
“No gossip necessary. I have eyes of my own.” She refused to look anywhere but his eyes; as if to show him she wasn’t affected knowing about his sexcapades. Well, that, and she feared if she looked at any part of his body she would begin to think naughty thoughts. It didn’t help that his eyes were aflame with mischief.
“Belle, let me remind you of something. In my office, I do as I please, when I please, with whom I please. My staff will also do what I please at all times. This means, I expect you to call me what I tell you to, whether that be Mr. Wolfe, Aleks, or anything else I desire.”
His voice had dropped on the last word as he continued to look at her, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.
The gruffness of his voice made Belle’s heart flutter. She wasn’t sure if he was trying to allude to both business and pleasure, but it sure seemed like it. She could picture him reciting this speech in a bedroom, unfastening his belt as he commanded her to do as he desired.
He looked at her for a moment before continuing, voice low. “Let’s be honest for a moment, shall we? I’ve been fantasizing about you since the first night we met, and I can feel your eyes on me whenever I’m near you.” He paused a moment, tongue darting out briefly to lick his bottom lip. “We should just fuck and get it out of the way. It will be easier to work together if we aren’t constantly thinking about it.”
Belle stopped breathing. To hear him admit he thought about sex with her was shocking, but to actually proposition her made her dizzy. She wanted to take him up on his offer — she had never wanted to sleep with a man as badly as she wanted him. She promptly reminded herself that his request was less than five minutes after his last screw.
“Mr. Wolfe, let me make one thing perfectly clear. During the time I’m coerced to be here, I shall not consent to do ‘as you please, whenever you please’ either inside or outside of the office. I own a club. I deal in attraction. You wouldn’t get a call back.” Belle narrowed her eyes back in a challenge. Okay, so she lied a little, yet he needed to know there wouldn’t be anything between them, no matter how often she thought about it.
“It that so, kotik?”
That word again. She had wanted to look it up after he called her it at the bar, but with Gabriel’s attack she completely forgot. As he spoke the word, his accent deepened.
“Yes,” she huffed out a breath, proud of herself for staying strong against his attempts at her.
He stared at her for another moment, his penetrating gaze holding her in place. He stood, walking around the desk towards her, fingers on his left hand grazing the edge of the dark wood.
His face remained impassive, but his eyes, his eyes looked — calculating.
Oh, no. I know that look. I created that look. Belle thought back to how many times she had used it while “playing” with Gabriel, right before she threw him for a loop.
Belle moved to stand but Aleks was too quick. He leaned forward, a hand on each side of her chair, entrapping her in the small space. The earthy scent she was beginning to grow fond of flooded her nostrils. The muscles in his forearms flexed as he gripped the chair, and the heat from his body warmed her as he leaned forward, dangerously close into her personal space, forcing her head back against the leather.
“Women have pretended to say no to me before. Seems I always change their mind.”
His arrogance was the cold water she needed to focus. She wasn’t about to let him intimidate her. “Pretended? You’re such a prick. I’m not other women. Perhaps if you want someone who won’t say no, you should call your three o’clock meeting back. I’m sur
e she said ‘yes’ an awful lot in the past half hour.”
Belle held his gaze as his look darkened, blue turning cerulean, a slow smile forming on his face.
“Why, Belle, is someone jealous?” he asked as he sat on his desk, pulling her chair to him. His legs were now positioned in between hers, keeping them apart. Belle tried to close the gap in between and knew he felt her flex.
“Jealous?” Belle attempted a bitter laugh. “Of what, being a ‘booty call’? Definitely not.”
“Mm hm,” he uttered, not convinced. His voice dropped as he continued, “Tell me, did you think about it in the elevator? Me fucking you against the wall? Or perhaps you’re thinking about it now — being bent over my desk as I take you from behind?” He wouldn’t release her gaze, pupils dilating as he spoke. His facial expression, his voice, his sheer intensity, all mixed with his words; he was devastating.
“The only reason those thoughts cross my mind is because I have to listen to you talk about them.” She hated feeling the blush creep across her cheeks. He reached with one hand to stroke her cheek with his thumb, his fingers wrapping towards the back of her head.
“Your cheeks turn such a pretty shade of pink when you lie to me, Belle.” The touch sent a jolt through her body as a breath caught in her throat. She knew he heard, being so close to her. He leaned down into her, close enough she could almost feel his chest on hers. He placed his lips next to the ear opposite his hand and she felt his warm breath on her. His masculine scent engulfed her.
“Consider your challenge accepted. You will say ‘yes’ to me, Belle. In fact, you will beg for it. You’ll call me whatever I tell you to, and you’ll do it willingly.”
“I — I don’t recall offering you a challenge, Mr. Wolfe.” Her voice had sounded raspier than she had intended. She resisted the temptation to lean her face into his.
“You saying no is the challenge. You can tell yourself you won’t give in. You can try to resist me all you want, but it won’t work. I always win.”
Stealing Beauty (Fairy Tales After Dark Book 1) Page 6
