Nick finished up his call and put some papers into a folder. He was anxious to get back to New York and sort out the mess he’d left behind. He was picking up some of the pieces here and sorting them out. Once he got back on the ground in his office, everything would go back to normal.
As he made his way down to meet Pam, he tried not to let his mind wander to how it had felt to hold her in his arms. The way her lips had tasted sweet under his, a combination of champagne and strawberries from the dessert.
He felt his body stir to life again and he forced himself to remember what had happened to his family when his father had gotten involved with his assistant. He wouldn’t let that happen again. Last night was one of those odd nights. When the romance of the evening had somehow gotten under his skin. He wasn’t romantic. He wasn’t the type to let his emotions get the better of him.
Nick paused at the entry to the hotel’s restaurant, trying to locate Pam. He felt calmer when he spotted her sitting at a table next to the window, which looked out over the hotel’s indoor garden.
He breathed easier and a little portion of the tension taking up residence in his shoulders eased when he saw Pam wearing her no-nonsense clothes. He’d been stunned yesterday by how beautiful she’d looked in comparison to the rehearsal dinner. Today she still looked lovely, but efficient and capable. The traits he was looking for in an assistant. Seeing her sitting at the table waiting, he knew Luc had been right. Pam was going to be the perfect assistant for him, and he wouldn’t have to worry about her falling for him. Nor would he be reminded of the kiss they’d shared. Or how good it felt to hold her in his arms. The way his body responded to the scent of her. His reaction to her yesterday had been an aberration. If she maintained the look she was sporting today, there was no way he’d compromise his beliefs. As his assistant, she would be untouchable.
He weaved through the tables and put a smile on his face as he approached her.
‘Sorry to keep you waiting.’
His smile widened a little bit when he saw he’d made her jump a little. He wondered what she’d been thinking so deeply about.
‘No, it’s fine, I haven’t been here long. Did you sort everything out with your call?’
Straight to business, he liked that. Nick placed the folder on the corner of the table and took the seat opposite her. As he spread the napkin out over his lap, he scrutinised Pam. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail; unlike the other evening when there had not been a strand out of place, some wisps were falling softly around her cheeks. Unlike the other night, her hair fell softly over her forehead. She’d definitely had a style change for the wedding. But a haircut was only a haircut. He knew it wouldn’t change how she worked in the office.
‘Do I pass your inspection, and is this something I’ll have to deal with every day if I do decide to take you up on your offer?’
‘You’ve had a haircut.’
He could see he’d surprised her; he had surprised himself. What the hell was the matter with him? He was always all about business and he needed to get his focus back on why he was sitting at a table opposite Pam.
He needed an assistant, an assistant who wouldn’t cause any problems. Or do something stupid like fall in love with him.
Nick cleared his throat and straightened in his chair. ‘Let’s order. While we’re waiting for the food to arrive, I’ll tell you exactly what I need, want and expect from my assistant.’
‘Sure.’
Once he had her agreement, he picked his menu up and looked over the contents. Whatever had come over him in the last day and half could only be put down to stress. There was no other explanation. When he was back in New York everything would make sense again.
The waiter arrived and they placed their order for food and coffee. As he left, Nick picked up the folder beside him. He handed it over to Pam.
‘Here is a preliminary work contract. It outlines the position, your salary and what my expectations are. There’s the standard three-month probationary period clause in it. In addition, I’ve added another clause that states if, for some reason, either one of us feels this arrangement is not working out, either party can give one week’s notice. I think you’ll find all the benefits to be quite generous.’
‘If I take this position, how long will I be away for?’
‘Well, as I said last night, how long I need to get back to New York for is up in the air; it could be two months, it could be two weeks. The length of time we’re there is determined by how quickly we get the deal sorted out. Then it depends on what else we have in the pipeline. The longest I’m in one place is usually three months. Will this be an issue?’
Her throat moved up and down, like she had something stuck. He had a feeling she was going to decline and he couldn’t help but feel disappointed. The more time he spent with her, the more he thought she would be a perfect assistant.
‘I’m not sure,’ she said finally. That he could work with. He negotiated million dollar deals. He could get rid of any worries she had.
‘Look, check out the contents of the contract and we can discuss any concerns you may have.’
He gave her some time to look over the papers he’d handed her. He tried not to drum his fingers on the table. He wanted her to agree so he could make arrangements to see if he could get the pilot of the company jet to lodge a flight plan so they could start their journey that evening, instead of the next day.
‘When were you thinking of leaving?’ Pam asked, and he wondered if she had been able to read his mind.
The waiter arrived with their food, halting conversation. After they’d both started their meals, Nick answered her question.
‘If you agree with what’s in the contract, and seeing as you don’t have to give any notice, as this will be a straight reassignment, my plan is to leave this evening.’
Her eyes widened at his response. ‘That’s impossible.’
‘What do you mean it’s impossible? I have a deal I need to salvage. I took valuable negotiating time out to come to the wedding and I — ’
‘The wedding of your best friend, from what I understand. I wouldn’t have thought it would’ve been a hardship,’ she interrupted him coolly.
Nick sighed. ‘No, it wasn’t, and I’m really happy for Luc and wish him a long and happy marriage. I hope he has better luck than my parents. But business is business and if this deal falls through then it will cost the corporation a lot of money, and I for one don’t want that to happen.’
‘As much as I would love to take you up on the job, I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline. It’s impossible for me to get everything sorted out with my house to leave by this afternoon.’
‘So you want the job?’
‘Well, yes, it sounds like a wonderful challenge and the opportunity to travel is something I would love to experience,’ she paused and he saw the hesitation again. ‘But if I could have a week to get things sorted then I would accept right this minute.’
‘I don’t have a week to give you.
‘Then I guess this is over. I’m sorry, Nick. It would’ve been great to work with you.’
She went to stand, but Nick wasn’t one to give up easily. He reached across and placed his hand on hers, ignoring the heat shooting up his arm. ‘Do you have a passport?’
Pam nodded. Her eyes clouded in confusion. ‘Yes, I got one last year. But what has that got to do with anything? I still can’t accept the job.’
‘The main issue with you not taking the job has to do with your house, am I correct?’
‘Yes, I have a mortgage to pay, I have things to see to.’
‘Rent it out.’
‘Renting out my house would be great, but I can’t sort it out in a few hours. I have to interview real estate agents. Not to mention pack up my house. I’m sorry, Nick, but I really am going to have to decline.’
It didn’t matter how much she argued. He wanted Pam as his assistant. He knew, without a doubt, that with Pam by his side the deal would be comple
ted and he would have his office running more efficiently than it ever had. He would be the envy of everyone he came in contact with. He would do whatever it took to get her agreement. He had contacts in real estate and he knew every single one of them would bend over backwards to give him what he wanted.
He wanted Pamela Bishop as his assistant, and he was going to have her.
‘I’m not taking no for answer.’
‘I’m sorry?’ Pam questioned. ‘I don’t believe you have any say in how I run my life.’
‘I know you want this job and I know you’ll be good at it. That’s the end of the conversation. I’ll have a car come and pick you up at four this afternoon. I’m pretty sure we can get a departure time around five or six to start our trip to New York.’
‘I don’t think you’ve heard a word of what I’ve been saying. If, and at this moment it’s a huge if, I do take this job, I have a house to pack up, things to move into storage, a real estate agent to contact to make the necessary arrangements to rent my house out. I can’t do all of that in a few hours. I’m not even sure I could accomplish it all in a week.’
‘Let me take care of everything,’ Nick said, as he stood and flicked back the cuff of his jacket so he could look at his watch. ‘I have to make another call, but before I do let’s sign this contract.’
Nick pulled the folder towards him and signed his name at the bottom of the last page. He turned folder around and held the pen out to Pam. She crossed her arms, refusing to take it from him.
‘I don’t have all day. You know you want to sign. I promise you everything will be taken care of. You just need to go home and pack up everything you want to bring. Don’t forget you’re going to the mecca of shopping. You can buy anything you need there.’
Still she refused to take the pen from him. His patience was wearing thin. He was going to bend over backwards to get everything sorted out for her. The least she could do was sign on the dotted line.
‘Am I going to have any say at all in what happens to my house, or are you going to bulldoze me into agreeing with you?’
‘No, I will speak to the necessary people and then you can leave detailed instructions with them.’ He looked at his watch again, hoping Pam would take the hint time was being wasted. “I’m trying to help you. Make things easier as I know this is a big move for you.’
‘Fine, but don’t think you can walk all over me all the time in New York, Nick. Or I will catch the first flight back, without giving you any notice. I will be your assistant and I deserve to be respected as such.’
He almost smiled at her outburst. Satisfaction filled him when she took the pen from him and signed her name.
Once she handed the pen back to him, he capped it and put it in his pocket. He collected the folder and pulled out her chair for her.
‘I’ll see you this afternoon. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got calls to make.’
With a nod, he slipped the folder under his arm and walked out of the restaurant. Like all negotiations he’d handled in the past, this one with Pam was no different. At the end of the day he always got what he wanted. He’d wanted Pam and now he had her.
Pam snapped the lid shut on her second suitcase and glanced around her bedroom. The top of her chest of drawers was bare, as were the shelves where she’d had some photos and other knick-knacks on display. She’d packed them up in the boxes herself, even taking a few wrapped in clothes and putting them in her suitcase so she had a little piece of home with her on the other side of the world.
A knock sounded at her door.
‘Yes?’
The door opened a crack and one of the movers poked his head around the door. ‘Miss Bishop, there’s a car here for you.’
‘Right, thank you. Tell the driver I’ll be right out.’ She was surprised her voice didn’t break with the nerves assailing her. Butterflies sped to life in her belly. The moment had arrived. She’d been hoping Nick would call and tell her he hadn’t been able to get a departure time for the evening and they would be leaving the next day. Her phone rang, but it wasn’t Nick. The only calls she had received were from the people Nick had contacted to pack up her house and the real estate agent who was going to find tenants for her.
‘Sure, Miss Bishop.’ The door closed as the mover went to relay her message.
She glanced around her room once more, making sure she hadn’t missed anything, had packed all she wanted and needed. She’d left instructions with the packers that the clothes left in her wardrobe were to go to Goodwill. She had decided Nick had a point, the shopping would be amazing in New York and she could buy some clothes there.
Her only regret was she hadn’t been able to contact the hair stylist and make-up artist from the wedding. She’d really wanted to take them up on their offer to get some pointers from them, but she was sure there were people in New York who could help her if she wanted to get some advice.
Pam opened her handbag and confirmed her passport was safely tucked inside. It was. There was nothing else left to do but pick up her cases and leave. But her feet seemed to be glued to the ground. Afraid to move because she had no idea what was going to be waiting for her beyond her closed door.
At that moment, her closed door was flung open. She whirled in surprise. Nick stood in the doorway, and he looked far from impressed.
‘Are you coming? I don’t want to miss our scheduled departure slot.’ His words were clipped and she could feel the annoyance radiating out towards her. Second thoughts about working with him filled her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to work with a man who bit her head off at every opportunity. Not to mention the attitude changes he seemed to have every time she saw him.
Pam straightened her spine and met his thunderous glare head on. Yesterday his eyes had looked like melted chocolate; today they looked hard and impenetrable, like slabs of dark granite. ‘I was making sure I had everything. I didn’t want to get to the airport and find that I’d left my passport here.’ She picked up her backpack and slung the strap over her shoulder, and grabbed the handle of the small duffle she was using as her carry-on.
She headed towards the door. Once she got there, she put her luggage at Nick’s feet. ‘Be a darling and carry my bags out to the car.’
She didn’t wait for an answer, just headed down the hallway towards her front door. She passed her living room and glanced in. All her furniture was covered in plastic, ready to be moved out and put in storage. It was really happening. She’d made a huge life-changing decision only hours ago. The day had a dreamlike quality to it.
As she walked through her front door, she didn’t look back; if she looked back she knew she’d probably cry. She kept her eyes forward, trained on the black car purring on the side of the road. A new future awaited her the moment she stepped into the car. A new future full of a million possibilities. A new future, where she had the opportunity to change her destiny.
Chapter 3
Pam checked her seatbelt was fastened and sat back against the soft leather of her seat. When Nick had mentioned a departure time, she’d naïvely assumed that was executive talk for a normal flight on a commercial airliner. She had been so wrong. She looked around the private jet and wondered if she’d stepped into an alternate reality.
Two days ago she’d been running around making last minute arrangements for a rehearsal dinner, all the while thinking about maybe having to find a new job. Never in her wildest imaginings would she have thought two days later she’d be sitting in a private yet waiting to go to New York.
‘We’ll be taking off soon, do you want a drink before we leave?’ Nick asked as he took the seat beside her. She hoped he wasn’t going to sit there the whole flight. She wasn’t sure she would be able to deal with his close proximity.
‘No, I’m good. You don’t have to sit next to me. I’ll be fine. I mean who wouldn’t be? These seats are amazing. More like lounge chairs than the upright, sparsely padded, uncomfortable chairs you find on most standard international flights.’
> Pam shut her mouth quickly. She was rambling like a girl who’d just come off the farm.
‘Luc always likes to feel comfortable when he flies. Although he won’t be doing much now he is about to become a father. He’ll be leaving that up to me.’ He pointed to the door at the end of the cabin. ‘There is a bathroom and bedroom if you want to sleep. We have a long flight and we’ll have to make a couple of stops to refuel.’
‘How safe is it sleeping on a bed? What if the plane hits a patch of turbulence?’ As much as the thought of spreading out and getting some decent sleep on a long flight appealed to Pam, the thought of being tossed around, like a leaf on a strong breeze, getting injured, had her disregarding the idea of using the bed.
Nick laughed. ‘I’ve done it many times and haven’t had any issues.’
‘There’s always a first time, and knowing my luck it will happen to me.’
Pam tried not to imagine Nick sleeping naked between the sheets. If things were different and she had a chance with the guy, she could achieve two milestones. Join the mile-high club and lose her virginity. That fantasy was never going to happen. Not with Nick anyway.
She sighed and reached for the magazine she’d stuffed in her purse. It wasn’t enough to keep her occupied for an over twenty-four-hour flight, but she figured in a slick jet like the one they were in, there’d bound to be movies she could watch and inevitably she’d sleep.
She stopped herself from squirming at the thought of Nick watching her sleep. It was unnerving to think he may watch her. She could always return the favour, she supposed. Would he even sleep? He’d have to. There would be no possible way he could go the whole flight without sleep. Would he go into the bedroom?
The engines whirring up to full speed stole her attention from the thoughts of Nick and bed. She pulled on her seatbelt to make sure it was tight and secure. She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. She wasn’t normally a nervous flyer, then again, she’d only ever been on two planes and they were your normal, domestic-sized carrier, not on a plane one third of the size.
Bound By His Desire Page 3
