by Ami Snow
Getting dressed, Lucas strode out of the suite pissed at the world.
He went down to the lobby and as soon as he sat down with a cup of coffee the receptionist came running towards him flapping something at him. “Mr. Conner, this is for you.”
“What is it?” he barked.
The receptionist reeled back but then smiled as if she knew some secret. “The lady you came with. Here is a note.”
He nodded and took the note. So she hadn’t left him without a word, but waking up and not knowing was torture. She was supposed to be next to him cuddling up close to him. Squeezing his fist he crunched her note in his hand. It didn’t matter what she said.
Shaking his head he flattened the piece of paper and opened the note. The first thing he noticed was the ink was smeared, as if she had cried.
“Lucas, I’m sorry, but I had to leave. Something came up back home and I couldn’t stay. Everything is ready for you and you’ll do fine with your presentations.”
And that was it. She didn’t sign it or anything. Something came up. She was running from him, but he wouldn’t take that. She was his and he’d find her and make love to her until she believed it.
* * * *
I sat in the middle of my apartment on the floor surrounded by tissues. My tears had finally slowed, but they hadn’t stopped. The funeral was the saddest and most terrible thing I’d ever gone through. It was worse than that I hadn’t heard from Lucas. I missed him and it had only been three days. He never called and neither had I. It was better that way.
The knock on the door scared me out of my thoughts. I sniffled and wiped away my tears. God only knew how terrible I looked. My makeup was no doubt smeared and my eyes felt and puffy. I’d cried nonstop for three days, and I thought I’d be all cried out by now, but it seemed losing your mother gave the soul no reprieve.
I pulled open the door without caring who was on the other side. I’d lost count of all the well-wishers who had dropped by. My mother was more popular than she let on and everyone and their mother came to say how sorry they were.
“Neva,” he said and the look of anger diminished from his face as soon as he saw my tears.
Without a word I wrapped around him. “I’m so sorry for leaving, but I couldn’t face you.”
“What happened baby?”
“My mom—she’s gone.”
She felt his intake of breath and he squeezed her to him.
“That’s why you left?”
I nodded against his chest and he pulled me back. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have come with you.” The hurt in his tone was palpable.
I shrugged and stepped back wiping more tears away. “I didn’t want to burden you.”
He shook his head and backed me into the apartment and shut the door. “You’re not a burden Neva. I thought you had run away from me.”
I shook my head because there was no getting away from Lucas, even while I grieved I thought of him. “I tried, but you’re all I think about.”
He nodded and stepped closer to me and lifted my hand lacing our fingers together. Tugging me close he kissed my lips, but there was something different about it. It wasn’t filled with lust or arousal, it was filled with love. I looked at him trying to figure it out and he smiled down at me.
“You’re mine Neva; I don’t want anyone but you.”
I gasped in shock and then he kissed me again, and this time I felt everything he didn’t say in that one kiss. Turned out he was my forever man after all.
THE END
Tamed by the Secretary
Secretary Romance
By: Amanda Bolton
Tamed by the Secretary
Sophie hurried down the street and pushed her way through throngs of pedestrians. She was running a few minutes late and she was desperate to get to the office before Mr. Worthington arrived. She couldn’t stand to disappoint him.
She entered her building on West 43rd completely out of breath. After flashing her building ID to the security guard, she hopped on the elevator and rode it to the seventeenth floor.
She entered a set of see-through glass doors.
It would only be her in the office today—and Mr. Worthington of course.
She dropped her purse on the floor and sat down at her desk.
Mr. Worthington was in his office and there appeared to be someone in there with him. Sophie opened a document on her computer and searched through her boss’s schedule. There weren’t any meetings scheduled for this time. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for him to have meetings that he wouldn’t tell her about, but these sorts of meetings almost always involved a woman. And these women were very rarely business partners.
Well, not the sort of business that had made Mr. Worthington a billionaire before the age of forty—real estate.
No, most of his dealings with women were either romantic or sexual in nature.
Sophie had been married for almost two year—happily married—so Mr. Worthington’s dealings with women should not have bothered her. But she couldn’t help feeling a tinge of jealously when she saw him walking with his arms around a woman, smiling at her and whispering promises in her ear.
She couldn’t help feeling that she was missing out on life, or at least on the kind of life that a man with Mr. Worthington’s wealth could provide for a young woman like herself.
Worthington stood well over six feet. His tailored Italian suits perfectly complemented his lean, muscular physique. His dark green eyes were intense and piercing. Sophie could still remember the first time she came to interview for the position as his secretary. She’d been intimidated and flustered by his insistent stares. It seemed like he could look right through her. She’d never experienced anything like that in her life.
She snapped back to the present as she heard the door to Mr. Worthington’s office opening.
She straightened up in her seat and began banging away on the keyboard. She didn’t want him to think that she was paying attention to what he was doing in his office.
A tall, slender woman wearing day sunglasses sauntered out of the office. The woman strolled past Sophie’s desk without saying a word. She didn’t say anything, but Sophie could have sworn that she saw the woman smirk as she walked past her.
I guess he’s got another woman in his life. Let’s see how long this one lasts, she said to herself. Another young girl who thinks that she’ll be his only one. She shook her head in disgust.
In only seven months of working in this office, Sophie had seen more than a handful of woman come and go from Mr. Worthington’s life. Somehow he managed to convince each one that she was the woman who would finally be able to make him settle down. But it was really just a game to him. Once he realized that they believed the lie he was selling them, he would lose all interest in pursuing them.
If only they realized that what he wants is a challenge, they might actually have chance with him, she said to herself. But why would she care? She’d never said anything to her boss about his woman-chasing ways and she wanted to keep it that way. And of course she’d never said anything to his numerous women.
“Sophie!” The young woman jumped up from her chair startled. It was her boss calling her from the other side of the office. There was anger in his voice that was unfamiliar to her. She smoothed down her skirt, pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and prepared to walk to his office.
What could he be upset about? She wondered. It can’t be anything I did. Could it?
When Sophie walked into her boss’s office, he was typing furiously at his computer. He barely acknowledged her when she came into the room.
For a few minutes, she stood in the middle of the spacious office with her arms hanging limply at her sides. She knew that in these moments it was best to keep her mouth shut and be patient.
Finally Worthington looked up from his computer. “Please sit down. I apologize for making you wait.”
Sophie smiled and did as her boss commanded.
The top two buttons o
n his shirt were undone and his tie was loose. For so early in the day, he seemed pretty stressed out. She wondered what could be wrong.
“Things are a little hectic in the city right now,” Worthington said. He sat back in his chair and stared out the window. “I think I need to get away for the next few days.”
He had a fairway look in his eyes.
“I just can’t stand the city in the summer,” he said with a frown. “It’s too hot. They’re too many people and everything stinks. I've never been able to tolerate that summer stench. It’s just everywhere.”
It wasn’t unusual for Mr. Worthington to sometimes take mini-vacations and leave Sophie in charge. He trusted her to handle things around the office and she always delivered.
“What do you think about that?” Worthington asked. “Do you think I need to get away for a few days?”
“Yes, of course. It’s always good to get away for a few days. You always come back so refreshed from your trips. And I don’t mind handling things around the office while you’re gone.”
Worthington fixed his green eyes on her and smiled seductively. “But I’m not going to leave you alone this time.”
Sophie was confused. She remained quiet and waited for him to continue.
“I’m going out to my summer house in the Hampton's for the next few days. And I want to take you with me. What do you think about that?”
Mr. Worthington’s piercing green eyes were fixed on her.
Sophie felt excitement and nervousness coursing through her body.
She lowered her eyes and giggled nervously. She could feel her face turning red. She didn’t know how to answer his question. But maybe it wasn’t a question at all. Maybe it was his way of telling her what she had to do or else. What if she didn’t take this trip? Would he find a replacement for her? It wasn’t like the work she performed couldn’t be done by thousands of other people.
She took a few deep breaths and tried to regain her composure. Then she slowly lifted her eyes.
“Mr. Worthington, are you serious? You’re really asking me to come with you?”
He smiled slyly. He enjoyed watching her squirm. He enjoyed her discomfort. Her unease just reinforced his feeling of power and domination.
“Well, I could always hire someone else who would be willing to take a trip out to the Hampton's for the weekend.”
“But…I don’t know…I don’t think I have the right clothes to wear to all the different parties. And I—”
He cut her off with a wave of the hand. Then he covered his mouth to hide his laughter.
Sophie was embarrassed. She felt that she’d said something stupid but she didn’t know what. She hoped that she hadn’t just cost herself a job. If she screwed this up and got fired, Jeffrey would be furious with her. If she didn’t bring in the extra income from the job, they would have a lot of trouble paying the rent in their Lower East Side apartment. It was hardly a luxurious apartment but everything in the city—every nook, cranny, and corner—was extremely expensive.
“Sophie, I’m going out there to get away from the parties and social events. If I was interested in any of that stuff I would stay in the city.”
Sophie was still confused. If he didn’t want to take her to social events, why would he want her to go with him? What would be the point? She could tell that he had something planned.
“I’m going out there to relax. To get away from the city and the people I have to see every week. But I’ll also be getting some work done and that’s why I want you to come with me.”
There was no question that Sophie wanted to go. Her mind started to drift and daydream about the beautiful house that Worthington must have out on the island. She thought about how wonderful it would be to be pampered for a few days.
The fear and anxiety she felt minutes before slowly went away. Excitement and anticipation surged through her body.
“Yes, Mr. Worthington. I think it would be a lot of fun. I would love to go out to the Hampton’s with you.”
He leaned back in his chair and smiled broadly. He was full of confidence and self-satisfaction. “So what are you going to tell your husband?”
He stared directly at her, like he was trying to bore a hole through her skull to discover her thoughts.
Sophie lowered her head and blushed again. How had she forgotten about Jeffrey? There was no way that he would accept her going to spend time alone with her hunky, billionaire boss. He already seemed a bit jealous about her working here. He would ask her questions that indicated that he wasn’t very comfortable with her spending all day around such a powerful, attractive man.
“He’s going to the Midwest for the weekend to visit his parents,” Sophie lied. “He won’t mind me being away for business.”
Worthington most likely knew that she was lying. But that didn’t bother him at all. He flashed a triumphant grin and stared at her lustily. Sophie’s whole body trembled and shook with excitement.
When Sophie got back to her apartment a few hours later, Jeffrey still wasn’t home. She began packing her bag for the weekend. She grabbed a few summer skirts, a couple swimsuits, and several pairs of thong sandals. Without thinking about it, she packed her sexiest pairs of lace underwear. It wasn’t that she planned on having to wear the panties but just having them with her made her feel sexy and desirable.
As she finished packing, she heard the front door open. A few minutes later, Jeffrey came into their bedroom.
“Hey, honey,” he said taking off his sport coat. He noticed that she was packing a traveling bag. He stared at it for a few moments. When he finally looked at her, there was worry and apprehension etched on his face. He swallowed hard before saying anything. His amber brown eyes were full of questions.
“What’s all this, babe? Is your mother sick again?”
Sophie stopped packing. She kept her head lowered. She wasn’t sure how to answer that question. On the way home from work, she had tried to come up with different reasons to justify her weekend trip. But none of the reasons she though of seemed any good.
She sighed and continued packing. It’s best to make it seem like I really don’t want to have to do this, she thought. Besides I don’t really want to do it. I have to. Or else Mr. Worthington will find someone to replace me.
“My boss has a bunch of events planned out in the Hampton's this week. He told me that I had to go with him.”
“But I thought we were going to your favorite Italian place down in the village this weekend? I made the reservation three weeks ago.”
Sophie had completely forgotten about that dinner reservation. She could see the hurt in her husband’s eyes. She’d already lied to him and couldn’t stand to do it again. She had no idea how to respond to him. So instead of saying anything, she walked over to him and hugged him.
She took his face in her hands and kissed him. “I’m sorry honey. But if I don’t go there’s a good chance that I’ll get fired. We both know how much I need to keep this job.”
For the next few minutes they held each other without saying anything. Finally Jeffrey ran his hands through Sophie’s hair and looked her in her eyes.
“I understand, babe. It’ll just be lonely here with out you, that’s all.”
Sophie smiled and kissed him on the lips. “I’ll only be gone a few days, honey. I’m sure you’ll be alright without me.”
That night Sophie struggled to get to sleep. She would be meeting Worthington in Midtown the next day. From there they would take his private car out to the Hampton's. She wanted to be fresh and ready to go once the morning came. The last thing she needed was to show up drained and exhausted. But sleep wouldn’t come easy. She kept tossing and turning. It might have been the guilt that wouldn’t let her fall asleep. Or maybe it was her fear about what would happen over the next few days she spent alone with Worthington.
And she couldn’t get over feeling a bit disappointed that Jeffrey hadn’t pushed back harder against her going away for the weekend. He gave in to
o easily, she thought. This really turned her off. She wouldn’t have minded at all, if he had reacted jealously. She would have enjoyed it, if he had gotten upset and started yelling at her. But that was not her Jeffrey.
He was very different man than Worthington. His job in academia had taught him how to be subservient to people in power. He knew how to kiss ass and go along to get along. But he was a very sweet man who was always thinking about her needs. If she were sick, but still had to go into work he would make sure to call her throughout the day and would sometimes show up at her office with a hot bowl of chicken soup. He was always making plans well ahead of time for them—like he had done this weekend with the Italian restaurant.
She loved his thoughtfulness and his sensitivity, but at times she hungered for a man who was more primal. At times she hundred for a masculine man who wouldn’t ask about her feelings, who wouldn’t seek to comfort her. At times she desired a man who would be able to completely dominate her—a man who would be glad to take control of her and tell her what to do.
She might have held out hope that Jeffrey would one day be that type of man. But it was becoming clear to her that he never would. That’s just not who he was.
She sighed and rolled over on her side.
The next morning Sophie woke up to the sound of Jeffrey preparing breakfast. The smell of coffee, bacon, and eggs wafted through the apartment. She propped herself up in bed and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the clock. It read 6:37.
She had plenty of time before she was due to meet Worthington. She still felt tired and considered going back to sleep, but right as she closed her eyes Jeffrey came into room carrying a tray of food.
“Wake up, sleeping beauty,” he said. “I’ve got breakfast for you.”
