by Opal Carew
“Maybe a little, but I know you’ll do fine.”
Jessica couldn’t believe her luck at having fallen in with Melanie. Melanie had arranged for her to talk to Stephanie Reynolds at the career fair, which had led to a second interview. The company had even paid her expenses to come back to Philadelphia. They’d put her up in a hotel, and Melanie had shown her around the city after the interview. Since they’d hit it off so well, Melanie had invited her to stay for the weekend so she could get a better feel for the city. They’d had such a great time together that when Jessica had received the job offer, Melanie had suggested she take over her ex-roommate’s old bedroom.
The past four weeks had been a whirlwind of activity and excitement. She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that part of that excitement was knowing she and Dane were living in the same city now, and while the odds of them bumping into each other on the street weren’t very high, stranger things had happened. Still, she had other things on her mind, like her glamorous new job.
Now, here she was, on day one, her heart beating quickly in nervous excitement.
The elevator door opened on the eighth floor.
“Good luck. I’ll see you later,” Melanie said.
The door closed and Jessica glanced around, then headed to the reception desk. “Hi. It’s my first day here. I’m supposed to see Ms. Reynolds.”
The receptionist was a lovely young blonde in a white satin blouse, with soft pink lipstick and a bright smile. “Welcome. I’m Gina. Stephanie’s office is the second on the left down that hall. Go ahead in.”
“Thanks.” A moment later, she tapped on Stephanie’s open door.
Stephanie chatted to her a bit about benefits and company policies, then sent her to the reception area to fill out a pile of forms—for payroll, insurance benefits, taxes, et cetera. An hour later, she finished the last one and walked back to Reception and handed Gina the folder of paperwork.
“Great. Stephanie asked me to take you up to your new office once you’re done.” Gina stood up and led Jessica to the elevator. Butterflies danced through her stomach as she realized that in a few moments she would be at her new desk and would be meeting her new boss.
The ride up the elevator seemed too fast and suddenly the doors opened to a new floor. The décor was a notch up from the Human Resources offices. Actually, several notches up. The chairs in the waiting area were of rich, warm brown leather and the carpets were plush. The view from the floor-to-ceiling windows along one wall gave a spectacular view of the city below.
Gina led her across the large reception area. There were several closed doors, all rich red, cherry wood.
Melanie sat at an elegant desk in the corner. She smiled as soon as she saw Jessica.
“Hi, Melanie. Is he in?” Gina asked.
“Yes, go ahead in.”
The butterflies in Jessica’s stomach became more agitated. She was working for a high-level executive?
Gina tapped on the door and a deep muffled voice inside said, “Come in.”
Gina pushed open the door and stepped inside, Jessica on her heels. “Mr. Ranier, this is Jessica Long your new assistant.”
Jessica was in awe, gazing around at the lush office with its rich mahogany wood bookshelves, leather chairs, and expensive-looking artwork on the walls.
“Good morning, Miss Long.”
At the familiar voice, Jessica’s gaze jolted to the man sitting behind the impressive desk by the huge window overlooking the city. Her stomach tightened.
There sat the man she’d had a torrid one-night stand with. Her cheeks burned at the memory. Oh, God, he couldn’t be her new boss.
The Morning After
“Have a seat, Miss Long. That’ll be all, Gina.”
“Yes, sir.” Gina left the office, closing the door behind her.
Jessica sat down in one of the leather chairs facing his desk, her pulse racing. Dane continued to view his computer screen.
Her hand slipped into her pocket and stroked the tranquility stone she always kept with her. Ever since he’d given it to her, she’d found she’d used it for comfort in times of stress.
The leather was soft and supple and the chair extremely comfortable. The brisk scent of his cologne filled her nostrils and memories of that night wafted through her mind. A quiver raced down her spine to think she’d been in bed with such a rich and powerful man.
He came from an entirely different world than she. He not only controlled a huge corporation, he controlled people’s jobs. Their lives.
And all she could think about was the need in his eyes as she’d wrapped her hand around his massive cock. Her gaze slid to his lips and she couldn’t help remembering his tongue nuzzling her most intimate parts.
Her heart thundered in her chest. From both embarrassment and … God, because she wanted to do it all again.
But now he was her boss. He was so intimidating in his expensive suit, sitting behind his big desk in this high-class, executive office.
She ran her hand along the armrest, thinking of kid leather which reminded her of … Oh, God, she had to stop thinking about … that.
He flicked the computer mouse, then his gaze fell on her and her stomach clenched.
She saw no reaction in his eyes. Was it possible he didn’t recognize her?
The night they’d spent together was over a month ago and maybe he did that kind of thing all the time. Maybe she just wasn’t that memorable.
But wouldn’t he have remembered her name when the company decided to hire her? That process had started only a couple of weeks later. Or maybe Human Resources handled all that.
He raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”
She realized she was clutching the armrests of the chair tightly.
“Um, no. Just first-day jitters, sir.”
The “sir” had just slipped out. He was her new boss, after all.
His lips turned up in a smile. “I like it when you call me sir.”
At the twinkle in his eye, she knew he definitely remembered her.
“So this is awkward, and strangely coincidental,” she said.
“Oh, it’s not a coincidence. When you told me you were at the career fair, I told my staff to watch for your résumé. When they hadn’t received it by the end of Saturday, I had my secretary, Melanie, go help out at the booth. I told her to watch out for you and persuade you to submit your résumé.”
Melanie knew about this?
“Why didn’t you just tell me who you were?” She asked.
“It was clear you were already intimidated by me. I would never have had a shot with you if you knew I was a potential employer. You would have been too nervous around me.”
Her head was spinning. “So you didn’t tell me you might hire me, because you wanted to sleep with me?” Her stomach churned as the implications of the situation slowly sank in. “So was that night a job interview?”
His eyes darkened like storm clouds. “Of course not.”
But she barely heard him. She’d been looking forward to this job. She needed this job. Now she found out it was just some rich playboy’s way of getting her back into his bed.
“I’m not sure I can accept your job offer,” she said.
Her heart sank at the thought of packing up all her stuff and moving back to Bakersfield. And the cost. If she walked out on this job, she’d have to pay back the company for her moving expenses.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you’ll keep the job.”
She really didn’t want to turn it down, but how could she stay?
She sucked in a deep breath. “I’m not going to have sex with you in the office.”
“Good. That would be highly inappropriate.” There was a glitter of amusement in his piercing blue eyes. “And contrary to what you might believe, I do not base my business decisions on a great lay. I hired you because I thought you would be an asset to my company.” He leaned forward. “Is that clear?”
She nodded, willing hersel
f to keep breathing under the force of his scrutiny.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now go and get us both a coffee—I like one sugar—and we’ll discuss the job.”
* * *
Jessica escaped Dane’s office and glanced around. Melanie was away from her desk and there was no one else to ask where to get coffee, so she scouted around the floor until she found a small kitchen with a coffeemaker. She grabbed one of the burgundy mugs from a tray on the counter and filled it with coffee, then poured in one packet of sugar. She didn’t get herself a cup because her heart was already beating frantically. Caffeine would only make it worse.
She walked back into his office with the mug in her hand, but he was on the phone. He nodded at her as she put the coffee down in front of him.
“Hold on a second,” he said into the phone, then covered the mouthpiece and glanced at her. “This might take a while. It’s after eleven, so take an early lunch and we’ll talk this afternoon.”
She nodded and picked up her purse and briefcase and hurried out the door.
“Hey, how’s it going?” Melanie was at her desk again, glancing at Jessica over her computer screen.
“Um … Mr. Ranier said to go to lunch now. He got busy with a phone call so wants to talk again this afternoon.”
“Oh, I assumed he’d take you to lunch today, but now we can go together.” Melanie opened her desk drawer and pulled out her purse, then glanced at Jessica and hesitated. “Did you want to go to lunch together?”
“Yes, of course. I’d love to.”
“Okay. You just look uncertain.”
Jessica shook her head and strode to the elevator, wanting to avoid further discussion about her state of mind.
“How are things going so far?” Melanie asked as the doors closed behind them.
“Fine.”
Jessica’s lips compressed, but the doors opened and another person joined them in the elevator. They rode the rest of the way in silence. When they stepped onto the street, the warm spring breeze blew several loose strands of Jessica’s hair into her face and she brushed them aside.
Melanie’s shoulder-length dark blonde hair fluttered along the collar of her dove gray suit. She wore a light turquoise and white print blouse today and her tailored jacket accentuated her slim figure. She was a little shorter than Jessica, but the heels she wore today put them at the same height.
“I know you’re on a budget, so we could go to this great little diner around the corner,” Melanie suggested.
“Sounds good.”
She walked with Melanie down the block and they turned right at the light. A few minutes later, they sat at a window booth in the modest diner, while the waitress filled their glasses with ice water.
“So is there something wrong?” Melanie asked, concern in her emerald green eyes.
Jessica shook her head, her stomach still churning. “I don’t know. I have some doubts about this job.”
What could she possibly say to Melanie? That she thought she only got the job because she’d slept with the boss?
“Are you concerned you can’t manage it?” Melanie asked. “Because I’m positive you can.”
“I’m not really sure what he expects of me yet. We were supposed to talk about it before he got that call.”
“If you’re worried about working for Dane Ranier, don’t be. He likes things done his way, but he’ll take the time to ensure you know what that is. He’s patient and fair. As far as bosses go, he’s a gem.”
“I … uh … met him before today.”
Melanie sipped her water. “Yeah, I know.”
Jessica’s gaze darted to her new friend’s face. “You do?”
“Yeah, he told me. He gave you a ride to the job fair when it started to rain in the morning. I thought that was so nice of him. In fact, he asked me to check for your résumé, assuming you’d drop it off at our booth and when you didn’t, he asked me to go to the job fair to find you the next day.”
“So that wasn’t really a chance meeting between us,” said Jessica, even though she already knew that.
“No. I felt a bit guilty about not mentioning it, but I really liked the fact he wanted to help you out and I liked being a part of it. He told me if I just explained the situation to you, that you would probably be uncomfortable. That made sense.” She gazed at Jessica with wide eyes. “You aren’t mad at me, are you? I just wanted to help.”
“No, I’m not mad. I’m just wondering … why did he go to so much trouble to help me?”
Melanie frowned. “You don’t think he was trying to hit on you, do you? Because if he wanted to do that, he wouldn’t actually hire you. He’d just offer the possibility of a job, then talk you into sleeping with him. And by ‘he’ I mean most men, not Dane Ranier. A Ranier man wouldn’t have to trick a woman into his bed.”
Something about Melanie’s tone and her faraway expression drew Jessica’s attention.
“Are you attracted to Mr. Ranier?”
Melanie’s cheeks tinged pink. “Well, not that Mr. Ranier.”
Her eyebrows arched. “What do you mean not that Mr. Ranier?”
“Your boss, Dane Ranier, has a brother. Rafe. He’s the other big office on the floor. I work for both of them.”
“And…?”
Melanie shrugged and her cheeks tinged a deep rose. “I’ve always had a bit of a crush on Rafe Ranier.” She toyed with the napkin on the table in front of her. “But I would never act on it. I love this job, and I wouldn’t want to jeopardize it. An office romance is a tricky business, especially with someone who runs the company.” She raised her gaze to Jessica again. “And that’s why I know you don’t need to worry about Dane Ranier as your boss. Neither brother has ever made a move on one of their employees.”
Was it true? Had Dane Ranier had his fun with her and now she’d be strictly off limits? The thought was encouraging and at the same time … disappointing.
* * *
Jessica picked up the ringing phone from her desk.
“He’s back,” Melanie said from the other end. “He wants you to come to his office.”
“Thanks.”
She saved the document she’d been working on and grabbed a pen and spiral pad from her desk so she could take notes. Melanie had shown her where the office supplies were and given her some materials to read until Dane—Mr. Ranier—could talk to her.
She left her office, which was situated beside her boss’ office, and glanced at Melanie who was sitting at her desk a few yards away.
“When he’s expecting you, just go right in,” Melanie said.
Jessica opened his office door and went inside. He glanced up from his computer and stood, then gestured toward a sitting area by one of the large windows. There were two easy chairs facing a low, round table. In another part of the office, there was a high table surrounded by chairs where he might hold more formal meetings, but this spot was clearly meant for more relaxed conversations.
She sat down and set the pad and pen on the table, within easy reach.
“The job you’ve been hired for is to be my personal assistant,” he said.
Had he put ever so slight an emphasis on personal? But after the conversation with Melanie, she realized she was being a little crazy. Why would a wealthy businessman like Dane Ranier hire her just to get sex? With his looks and confident demeanor, he could have any woman he set his mind on, without need of offering her employment, or anything else for that matter. He oozed masculinity. All he’d have to do is smile and women would drop to their knees.
She should know. She had.
“How is that different from what Melanie does for you?” she asked.
“Melanie is my secretary. You are my personal assistant, so you’ll be doing more personal things for me.”
A tingle danced along her spine as she remembered some of the very personal things she’d done for him that night. Damn it, she thought she’d avoided the whole morning-after awkwardness by slipping out of the ho
tel early, but it had returned with a vengeance. Her gaze flicked to his but she ensured her expression remained neutral.
* * *
This morning, Dane had been shocked to discover that Jessica actually thought he’d hired her just so he could have sex with her. When she’d said she wouldn’t take the job because of her anxiety about it, he knew they had a problem they needed to deal with. But that hadn’t been the time. He’d decided she’d needed a little time to calm down and think about it, so he’d sent her away.
Sure, he’d love to continue a physical relationship with her, but she clearly wasn’t comfortable with that.
He sighed. “Jessica, it seems we have an issue.”
“We do?” Her eyes widened slightly.
“When I say you need to do personal things for me, I’m not talking about you dropping to your knees and unzipping my pants.” Though at the thought of her kneeling in front of him, her fingers brushing against the fabric covering his shaft, it began to swell. “I’m talking about you picking up my dry cleaning, sometimes getting me coffee, ensuring I have everything I need when I head to a meeting.”
Her cheeks tinged pink, but the rest of her expression was unreadable.
“And occasionally you may have to work after hours. I have projects outside the office that I need help with and that’s also part of your job as my assistant. I don’t want to have you quivering in fear of being seduced every time I ask you to work late.” He raised an eyebrow. “Is that understood?”
She nodded, but he wasn’t sure she was convinced. They both knew she really needed this job, so despite her earlier claim that maybe she couldn’t accept the position, he was sure she would cling to it even if she had doubts about his intentions.
“Jessica, we had sex. It was intense and amazing. And I would love to do it again. But that won’t happen unless you want it to happen. In that, you are totally in control.”
Her gaze flicked to his, then down to her notebook.
“But in everything else, I’m the boss. Got it?”
Again, she nodded.
He stood up and walked to the front of his desk, then turned around. “Good, now come over here.”
