‘Nick, I didn’t bring anything formal to wear when I packed for this trip. If I’d known there was a possibility of this type of event happening, I would’ve packed the dress I wore to Jasmine’s wedding. I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to go by yourself.’
Her comment had him looking up quickly. ‘No, you are coming tonight, Pamela. Leave everything with me. When we return to the apartment later on, everything you need will be there.’
He turned back to the papers and made a couple of quick notes before picking it up and holding it out to her.
‘If you can make these final changes, we can send this contract off and hopefully close the deal.’
Pam couldn’t believe the man. He thought he could wave away her concerns with an off-hand comment about getting everything sorted for her. How could he possibly do that? Was he going to go shopping for her?
She almost snorted out loud at the thought of Nick flicking through racks of clothes. No, he probably had some sexy looking stylist on hand who jumped when he called.
‘Today, Pamela.’
She walked over and took the pages out of Nick’s hands. ‘One question before I leave.’
‘Yes?’
‘Just how do you propose getting everything I need when I can’t try things on?’
He waved his hand in the air as if he was shooing an annoying fly. ‘It will be fine. The contract?’
‘But, Nick, I’m no — ’
‘Enough, Pamela. You have a job to do and arguing with me is not part of it, even though you seem to enjoy that pastime. Trust me, everything will work out.’
She knew there was no point in trying to get the man to see reason. He was determined to cast aside her concerns.
‘Fine,’ she huffed. ‘But if the dress is hideous I’m not going.’
She turned and walked out of the office, the sound of Nick’s laughter ringing in her ears.
Nick flicked the cuff of his tux back to check his watch again. The car was due to arrive any minute and Pam still hadn’t come out of her room. She’d been locked in there since they’d arrived home two hours ago.
The stylist he’d spoken to had assured him she would find the perfect outfit for Pam from top to bottom. He’d emailed the stylist a photo he’d taken of Pamela at Luc’s wedding. He wasn’t a sentimental person, but he’d caught a glimpse of her looking dreamy-eyed as she watched Luc and Jasmine pose for photos. She looked so vulnerable watching them, it had called out to him. So he’d taken a photo. After he’d taken it he’d immediately gone to delete it but stopped himself from following through on the action. Now, hopefully it was enough for the stylist to work out what size Pam needed for her clothes. These people were professionals and knew what they were doing.
The in-building phone buzzed three times, the signal the car had arrived.
He was about to walk down the hallway and knock on Pam’s door when he heard the faint sound of the door opening. He turned in the direction of the sound and waited, anxious to see what the stylist had chosen for Pam.
She had looked amazing today in her simple wraparound dress. He didn’t think she understood how attractive she had looked. How tempting she had been. When he’d whispered close to her ear, after she’d stood up to him in his office, it had taken everything in him not to lift her face and kiss her. She was tempting him to forget his hands-off-assistant rule. Whenever his previous assistants had tried to put the moves on him, he had been repulsed and had turfed them out pretty quickly.
Pam was different, she stood up to him and challenged him, firing up his blood, and that made her extremely dangerous to his equilibrium.
As in in the church, Nick watched as Pam made her way down the hallway towards him. In the dim lighting he couldn’t quite see the colour of her dress, but it didn’t matter to his body. Whenever she got within five metres of him, his senses stirred to life; walking into the living room, a certain part of him sprang to full attention. He cursed his body for its carnal reaction to Pam. Never in his whole life had he had this strong a reaction to one woman. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like to be unable to control his body’s basic desires around Pam.
‘What do you think?’
Her voice shook with nerves as she spoke.
‘You look,’ he paused, trying to find the right word. ‘Stunning, beautiful, amazing.’
And she did. The stylist had knocked it out of the park with her choice for Pam. The dress was the colour of sapphires and it complemented the caramel honey of her hair beautifully. The design so simple yet unforgettable, the fabric hugging her neck like a silken caress. The material skimmed her breasts and waist before falling in soft folds to swirl around her legs.
‘Turn around,’ he muttered. He swallowed a groan when he saw the back, a perfect cut-out showing the smooth flesh of her back. She’d put her hair into a soft knot at the base of her neck, with loose tendrils escaping to fall gently around her cheeks.
‘The dress is all wrong for me, isn’t it? I never know what suits me,’ she said as she looked over her shoulder at him. He could see the disappointment in her eyes, the telltale glisten of tears. Why did she not believe she looked beautiful? Is that why she dressed to blend in with the background? She certainly hadn’t done that today at the office and she wasn’t going to fade into the background tonight.
A possessiveness he’d never known before swept over him. He would make sure Pam knew how attractive she looked, and make her feel comfortable in the new environment she’d find herself in at the charity event.
He wouldn’t leave her side.
Nick took two swift steps and turned her so she faced him. Reaching out, he ran a finger down her cheek. ‘The dress is perfect. You look perfect. I don’t want you to change a thing about yourself.’
He smiled when a blush stole over her cheeks. Her lips shone and he wanted to lean down and taste them. Would the gloss have a flavour? How would she react if he kissed her again?
Nick moved his finger under her chin and tilted it up. He closed the distance until his lips were almost touching hers, and whispered against her glossy red mouth. ‘You look beautiful.’
He closed the tiny gap and fused his lips with hers. She tasted like strawberries. Sweet and tart and he couldn’t get enough of her. He flicked his tongue out to persuade her to open beneath him, like she had at the wedding. She acquiesced and opened up and allowed his tongue entrance. He swept it across her teeth, revelling in the feeling of having her in his arms again.
He hand slid down the smooth flesh of her back until he cupped her firm arse. He pulled her closer and swallowed her moan. The desire to scoop her up in his arms and peel away the dress overwhelmed him. Kiss every inch of flesh he exposed, and once he had familiarised himself with her body, he would sink into her and lose himself like he never had before.
She’s your assistant, are you your father’s son? The words whispered through his mind. It could’ve been his mother standing beside him.
He pulled his lips from Pam’s and pushed her away until there was a good metre between them.
‘Nick?’ Desire filled that single word. His name had never sounded so wonderful coming from someone’s lips. He wanted to disregard all sensible thought and follow through on his thoughts of losing himself in her. He feared she would make him lose all control and he couldn’t afford to let that happen to him. He couldn’t succumb to the desire coursing through his blood like the finest of wines.
He wasn’t going to turn out like his father.
With a quick look at his watch, he dragged his focus from the beautiful woman in front of him and back to what was supposed to be happening this evening.
‘We’ll be late,’ his words terse and in complete contrast to what had happened between them only seconds before. Hearing her swift intake of breath, he knew his actions confused her. He couldn’t blame her. He was confusing himself. He had to get himself under control. He had to protect Pam. He had a feeling she wasn’t used to the situations they were headi
ng into. Or dealing with men like him.
‘Fine, let’s go then.’
She turned abruptly, and his body flared back to life at the sight of the back of her dress again.
It was going to be a long night.
Pam couldn’t keep her eyes off the amazing sight of New York all lit up. The urge to keep pinching herself to see if it was real and not a dream was strong. Never in her wildest imaginings had she thought she would be standing on the observation deck of the Empire State Building sipping champagne, attending a party where the net wealth of the people in attendance was probably more than she could ever envision spending in her lifetime.
Looking at the view ensured she kept her mind off the kiss she’d shared with Nick back at the apartment. She hadn’t wanted the kiss to end and when Nick had pulled her up against his body, she could tell he had been enjoying the moment with her. She’d hoped he would take it further. She’d hoped to feel his hands move over her, touching her in the most intimate way a man can touch a woman. She’d hoped he would make her feel special.
Then he’d pushed her away and had spoken to her so coldly. As if the moment they’d shared had never happened.
She should really catch the next plane back home. She didn’t belong here and she especially didn’t belong in Nick’s arms. No matter how much she hoped it would happen.
‘This is a nice surprise.’
Pam whirled around at the sound of the voice right behind her, surprised someone was speaking to her. She smiled when she saw who had addressed her. ‘Ethan, I didn’t know you were going to be here.’ She laughed quietly. ‘Actually, that was a silly thing to say when I don’t know anyone here but Nick, and well, now, you. Was this what you meant about showing me New York?’
She clamped her mouth shut. She was babbling like a naïve teenager.
‘Not at all, and this isn’t seeing New York. If you’d have been free I wouldn’t have come, I would’ve sent them a generous cheque.’ Ethan paused and looked her up and down. Her pulse quickened slightly, but not to the same pace it had when Nick had roved his eyes over her earlier. When he’d looked at her she’d almost melted at his feet. Then he’d kissed her and all rational thought had left and all she was left with was a multitude of feelings she was sure no one would ever make her feel again.
But he pushed you away, didn’t he? He didn’t take the extra step and make you his. Ethan may not make your blood sizzle, but he isn’t going to push you away.
‘Plus,’ he continued on, ‘it would’ve been a grave disappointment not to see you dressed as beautifully as you are in that dress. It looks stunning on you.’
Ethan’s words were almost exactly the same as the ones spoken by Nick, but they didn’t give her the same thrill as they had coming from Nick.
‘Thank you.’ She didn’t know what else to say. She’d never been in this sort of situation before and wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. She wasn’t stupid enough to think Ethan didn’t know what he was doing. Even with her limited experience, she could tell he was a man who knew his way around a woman, and he could probably teach her and guide her through her first experience of making love.
Did she have the guts to take that walk down the path with him? Why the sudden desperation to lose her virginity? It had never been an issue before. Why now? Was it because of her mother dying she wanted to feel something life affirming? Was she rebelling against the constrictions her mother’s dislike of men had put on her life? Was her reasoning all wrong and should she wait?
A light touch on her cheek had her returning to the present and pushing her thoughts away.
‘You were so far away. What were you thinking?’
Ethan’s voiced washed over her and heated her blood. No way was she going to share what she’d been thinking about with him.
‘Just how amazing the view is. I feel like I’m on top of the world.’ As a quick excuse for her silence, it fitted well.
‘I never tire of looking at the view.’ Ethan responded, and when she turned saw he was looking at her and not the view.
‘I think you’re being rather fresh with me, Mr Webster.’ He laughed at her attempt at flirting.
‘Can I get you another drink? Or maybe we can skip the rest of the party and I can make good on my offer to show you the city.’
Maybe it was her earlier thoughts about taking a chance, but the thought of blowing off the party and seeing the sights with Ethan was very tempting.
‘I’d like that.’
Ethan stepped closer and took her hand.
‘Let’s begin.’
Nick’s blood boiled when he saw Ethan take hold of Pam’s hand. He had been watching the whole interaction between them. Enough was enough.
He put his glass down on the tray of a passing waiter and walked across the room to where Ethan and Pam stood.
He thought Pam had taken note of what he’d said to her earlier about Ethan, and his instructions not to fraternise with the opposition.
He stopped a metre or so away from them, blocking their path. They walked towards him, unaware of his presence. Ethan pulled up abruptly seconds before he ran into Nick. Nick wanted the other man to run into him, then he’d have a reason to push him away. Show Ethan Webster no one touched Pamela.
With a smooth move, Nick had pulled Pam to his side and tucked a possessive arm around her waist. ‘I was just looking for you, Pam.’ He lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. When she gasped in surprise, he tempered the urge to take her lips with his, to taste her again, as he’d been wanting to since he’d kissed her at his apartment. Try as he might to remind himself she was his assistant, the desire to take her and have her couldn’t be denied. He hoped his kiss was enough to put Ethan off and to tell him Pam was off limits.
He tightened his hold when Pam tried to pull away. His eyes were on Ethan’s; Nick registered Ethan had seen Pam’s attempt to move away.
‘It doesn’t look like Pam was looking for you, Rhodes. In fact, we were about to leave. You understand, don’t you?’
When Ethan went to take Pam back, Nick all but growled at him.
‘That is it!’ Pam declared and pulled herself away from his side. ‘I have no idea what’s going on between the two of you, but it stops now. I’m not a toy for you two to fight over in the playground like a couple of bratty kids. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to try and find someone to talk to who won’t treat me like I’m a prize in a pissing contest.’
Nick tried hard to prevent the small smile wanting to break out over his mouth as he watched Pam walk away. Her hips swayed with each step, and his hands itched to reach out and pull her back. He liked it when Pam got all fired up. It only made him want her more, and he wondered if she was this fiery in bed. His body immediately responded to the thought of Pam using that unleashed passion on him. A vision of her riding him in his bed came to mind. A vision he wouldn’t mind coming true, even if it did mean going against everything he vowed he wouldn’t do. Perhaps he was his father’s son after all.
‘What are you playing at, Rhodes?’
Ethan’s question pulled Nick from the thoughts of Pam, having her way with him and him with her. He focused on the man in front of him. He wasn’t going to waste words with him. In no uncertain terms, he planned to let Ethan know Pam was off limits to him.
‘I’m not playing at anything.’ Nick stated mildly. ‘You’re the one always playing the games. Isn’t that how you make sure you earn your big fat retainer? Delay contracts until the other party gives into your requests. Pity I’m not like them. I always get what I want.’
‘I wasn’t talking about business, but you should know I’m the same. I, too, always get what I want.’
‘Not this time.’ Nick stepped closer. ‘I’m going to say this once and once only. Stay away from Pamela.’
Nick didn’t wait for a response. He turned and left Ethan standing there. Pam had headed towards the elevators — he only hoped the elevators were slow and she was sti
ll waiting. He walked out into the lobby but the area was deserted.
‘Damn.’ He punched the button and willed the elevator to arrive. He was getting anxious. He never should’ve let Pam walk out. She wasn’t familiar with the city. She didn’t even know where he lived.
Finally the elevator arrived and he punched the button for the ground floor. He hoped he wasn’t too late. He hoped Pam was still downstairs. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her.
He reached the ground floor and strode out of the building. He looked up and down the street. Why had he let her walk out? Why hadn’t he stopped her? Was putting Ethan in his place more important than ensuring the Pam’s safety?
Finally he saw her, on the opposite side of the street, looking lost and alone. Whether she sensed his perusal or not, she looked up and they locked eyes.
His heart beat triple time at the look of relief that came over her when she spied him. She went to move towards him and he shook his head. He would go to her.
As he made his way to the edge of the sidewalk so he could cross the street, Nick knew he was taking a step towards changing his life. Whether it was going to be for the better or for the worse, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he was willing to take the step. Could he convince Pam to take the step with him?
Chapter 7
Pam had been standing on the sidewalk, wondering where to go and what to do next, when she’d looked up and seen Nick standing across the street. Her relief had been instant. It had been so stupid of her to walk out, but she had been so annoyed at the way Ethan and Nick had been acting. If she was truthful, part of her was flattered that both men seemed to be fighting over her. She’d never experienced that before.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice Nick had made his way across the busy street until he spoke.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked softly, as he reached out and gently cupped her cheek.
Relief stole through her and she wanted to take the necessary steps so she was up against him and could wrap her arms around him.
Bound By His Desire Page 7
