Immortal Flame (Eternal Mates Book 1)

by JF Holland

  “Kitty. Can you come through, please?” came Blake’s disembodied voice through the intercom.

  She finished her coffee in two swallows; without burning her tongue, and picked up her notepad and diary. Walking to his door, she blew out a breath, knocked and entered. She didn’t know where these nerves had suddenly come from.

  Blake sat behind his desk perusing his assets on his computer as she entered. Motioning Kitty to sit down, without taking his eyes from the screen. He distractedly tapped a pen against his desk, while visualising what he needed to achieve, short-term.

  “Okay, contact Jake Masterson and put the meeting back until 1:30 pm, as I need to speak to Mike about a couple of things before he leaves for Birmingham.” He then lifted his eyes from the screen. “I’d also appreciate you taking an early lunch, I need you to sit in on this.” He looked towards her and she nodded her assent. “Good that’ll be all for now.” His attention once again went back to his screen as Kitty got up and left the room. She left behind her a subtle, but sultry scent, and he drew in an appreciative breath before frowning at his behaviour.

  Since when did he notice how Kitty smelt?

  Letting the disturbing thought go, Blake gave Mike a quick ring to make sure he was on his way up with the revised figures he had available to him. He needed to see them before he made any major moves as he couldn’t afford to make any errors.

  Kitty made the requested calls, got on with the preparation for this afternoon's meeting and pulled the files required. Audrey carried on with her own work, dealing with external correspondence between Blake and the various departments and contractors they used outside of the building.

  Mike had been and gone; Kitty wished him luck as he’d left, and then she put a couple of query calls through to Blake. She looked up and was shocked to realise the morning had fled. Closing down her computer, she arranged the files needed for when she got back and pulled on her coat.

  “I’m off to meet Lance for lunch,” she informed Audrey

  “I didn’t know you had a lunch date today?”

  “Neither does he,” she winked. “I’m going to surprise him,” Kitty grinned as the doors closed on Audrey’s laugh.

  A five-minute stroll had her in front of the building where Lance rented floor space. She acknowledged the receptionist at the main desk with a wave, as she passed on her way to the lift.

  Funny, there was no assistant sat at the desk outside Lance’s office she noticed, stepping out of the lift onto his floor.

  Walking to his door, she rapped lightly, and pushed it open. Then came to a standstill, frozen in the doorway, her mouth open in surprise at the sight that greeted her. Her shock turned to disbelief as she spun angrily on her heel and walked away; leaving the door wide open in her haste to escape.

  She stormed angrily back across the floor to the lift and jabbed the button, tapping her foot impatiently, while the doors opened. Stepping inside, she stabbed the ground floor button. Just as the doors began closing Lance appeared out of his office, blonde hair mussed up, as he hastily fastened his pants. His slate grey eyes turned stormy with displeasure as he took in her mulish stance and defiant middle finger salute, as the lift doors closed.

  Kitty walked out of the lift in a daze, she couldn’t believe what she’d walked in on. She left the building, half-heartedly waved goodbye to the smiling receptionist, and made the short journey back to work on autopilot.

  ***

  Audrey was on her lunch and Blake was just leaving his office to grab a sandwich as Kitty walked silently back out of the lift. She dropped down into the chair behind her desk, her expression totally blank. He stopped at her desk, but she seemed completely oblivious to him and her surroundings.

  “Oh, Kitty, you’re back. Audrey said you were having lunch with Lance.” She looked up at Blake in surprise as she hung her coat back over her chair behind her

  “He was otherwise… engaged with his assistant,” she told him scathingly, her lashes lowering, covering her eyes.

  “Okay,” Blake replied, mystified by her strange mood. “Are you meeting him later?” Not that he was interested, he detested Edmonton, but was just trying to figure out exactly what was wrong with her. Snorting, she tapped a short, manicured nail against her chin, staring off into space. She was seemingly deep in thought, and he waited quietly, his concern growing.

  “Erm let me think... nope,” she popped the p. “I don’t think I’ll be seeing him, ever again,” she murmured leaning sideways. She looked down at her legs, seemingly engrossed with something she’d spotted there. Blake was flummoxed as to Kitty’s behaviour, as it was completely out of character. She was usually polite, not one for gossip or sarcasm and always annoyingly self-contained. He’d often told her she needed to speak up if there was a problem.

  Blake cleared his throat, unsure what to say, but uncomfortable with her whole demeanour. When in a decidedly flat voice, without lifting her head, she threw him for a loop. “Do you know, the term personal assistant took on a whole new connotation this afternoon?” Then went silent again before suddenly continuing. “I never realised giving the boss head was part of the job description. Go figure, huh? Guess I missed that class, hey.” And on that bombshell gracefully stood from the desk, grabbed her bag off the floor and walked away.

  Blake stood open mouthed, staring at her retreating back, speechless for the first time in his life. It wasn't what she'd said, not really, it was that she'd said it so matter of fact.

  Kitty stopped as she neared the toilets and turned, pinning him with spitting green eyes.

  “What is it with guys like you? You seem to think that women are there for your own personal sexual gratification. If we don't deliver, you move on to the next available prospect. You all make me sick,” she spat, turned, and banged her hand against the toilet door to open it. It snapped shut behind her, as Blake stood rooted to the spot, open mouthed again as he stared at the closed door.

  He stood immobile, too stunned to move, she’d just insulted him, and it had royally pissed him off. His temper thawed his shock, and he stormed after her, slamming through the door too. He came to a halt, and the door slid from his lax grip, clicking shut behind him.

  Kitty had her right shoe off and her leg on a chair rolling down a black stocking while staring at him over her shoulder. A black brow rose in silent query, while continuing with her task as she silently waited for him to speak.

  “What the bloody hell was that about?” Blake shouted, eyes sweeping hungrily over the length of naked leg and thigh on display.

  Kitty stooped to grab a new stocking out of her bag to slide up her bare leg, as he watched in rapt fascination. Dropping her now silk covered foot, she slipped it back into her shoe, smoothed down her skirt and tossed the ripped one in the bin before turning to glare at him.

  “Have you seen enough?” she snarled, as warm colour crept up Blake’s face. He hadn’t meant to stare, he’d never looked before, not really looked. He usually avoided it. I mean, Kitty was his PA for god’s sake. She was damned good at her job, and totally out of bounds.

  Blake cleared his throat in discomfort, squirming at the realisation of being caught ogling her, like he was hungry and she was steak.

  “I apologise,” he said, shamefaced. “I didn’t think before I followed you in here.” He gestured around them, feeling wrong-footed, before remembering why he’d followed her in here in the first place. His annoyance re-surfaced as he thundered, “You just insulted me, and I’d like to know why?”

  Kitty snorted, hands on hips, the action opening the jacket she wore and bringing a small waist and ample breasts to his attention.

  “Oh please, you and Lance are one and the same,” she sneered, taking a shuddering breath before continuing. “You know you’re good-looking men, and you both use it shamelessly. You treat women like dispensable playthings,” she spat, raking her eyes over him with disgust. “Dumb blow up dolls whose only purpose is to service your sexual whims, before you move on to y
our next conquest.” she sneered. Throwing her arms up in the air in anger. “You both make me sick. You go through women like bloody shirts,” she said, as he stared on, in rapt fascination.

  “You once told me to speak up, so here goes. I’m sick of dealing with the women that come and go through that revolving door in your bedroom, and I’m handing in my notice. Deal with your own bloody messes from now on, I quit.”

  She pushed passed him, giving him a shoulder check on her way out of the toilets. Leaving him again standing there open mouthed, but this time simmering with rage.

  Kitty stomped back to her desk and plopped back down in the chair, turning on her computer. She began typing up her resignation. Hitting the keys more forcefully than necessary, but she was livid. She needed to hit something desperately, and better her keyboard than her boss. Or soon to be ex-boss, she thought.

  Two years she’d worked for him, and in that time, she’d lost count of how many personal calls she’d fielded for him. She couldn’t stomach the thought of doing it anymore. She pictured his ex-lover storming out of the office this morning. How superior she’d felt, thinking she was immune to such things now, and snorted at her own naïveté. What an idiot she’d been, fooled once again by a player.

  She’d thought they were going somewhere even though she’d known from the start that his reputation was as bad as Blake’s. I mean, how stupid was she? She’d thought he saw her differently after the way he’d persistently pursued her. “I’m obviously delusional,” she hissed under her breath. She couldn’t believe she’d fallen for lines again. She should have gone with her original instincts and steered clear. Unfortunately, she’d let the loneliness of the last couple of years get to her, so had given in. How many times could one person get it so wrong?

  A memory stirred of a conversation she’d had with Blake concerning Lance and her anger fizzled out. She realised what she’d just done, and bit her lip in uncertainty as she wondered what to do. She heard the toilet door open behind her, before slamming forcefully against the wall. Then winced as Blake pulled her bodily out of the chair by an arm. He hauled her un-ceremoniously out of the outer office, and into his own. The door slammed and locked behind them as he swung her around to face him.

  Blake towered over her, his chest heaving as his dark, chocolate brown eyes zeroed in on her face. They lowered to her mouth and she could feel the sexual tension crackling in the air between them. Knowing what was coming next had her panicked.

  She took a hasty step back, her heart slamming in her chest as Blake stared hungrily at her. His top lip flattening and making his bottom one appear fuller as a nerve ticked at the side of his jaw. His eyebrows had become a dark slash of colour in his handsome, angry face and her mouth dried as he took a step closer. Kitty tried to move backwards, but her nervous flight was stopped abruptly, as her bottom hit his desk and she came to an abrupt standstill.

  Blake stalked slowly towards Kitty as she stood trapped against his desk. He was absolutely incensed with the verbal attack he’d just received from her without provocation. He was completely furious that she’d compared him to bloody Edmonton. Him, how dare she. Edmonton’s reputation with women was appalling, he’d warned her about him himself for god’s sake, he was nothing like him. He treated his partners with respect, well usually, not counting this morning’s episode and he inwardly winced at the memory.

  He wasn’t a wham, bam, thank you ma’am kind of man, not that he was an angel. Far from it. However, neither was he anything like Edmonton, and not just where women were concerned either. He tried desperately to reign in his temper before he said or did something he’d later regret. Focusing on his breathing, he watched Kitty and she warily watched him in return.

  The longer he observed her, the more he noticed little things that he’d never picked up on before. Like the loose suit’s, she favoured that hid her curvaceous figure, the skirts ending well below her knees. Perfectly respectable, but designed specifically to hide the long, shapely legs that he’d just feasted his eyes on.

  Her raven black hair was always pulled back unappealingly, in a god-awful twist at the back of her head. As unattractive as it was, it still managed to draw attention to her high cheek bones. The high arched brows, and long black lashes emphasised her green slanted eyes, that had an outer ring of gold and flecks of brown. He became transfixed as they darkened from emerald to jade, and her pupils began dilating, leaving only a very slim ring of gold surrounding them. Blake couldn’t decide if it was because she was attracted to, or scared of him, so took an experimental step towards her. A cruelly satisfied smile broke over his face, as her berry tinted lips parted and warm colour suffused her usually clear, honey-smooth complexion. He heard her breath catch in her throat and watched in rapt fascination as her breasts rose and fell in her agitation. The action thrusting them against one of the white blouses she favoured. She always had them buttoned up to her neck, no hint of cleavage on show, not Kitty. She wasn’t the flirty type, but they did showcase her slender neck spectacularly.

  Blake was astounded that he’d never noticed all these little details about Kitty before. Not that he was blind, he assured himself. He just liked to keep a certain amount of distance and professionalism between himself and his staff. However, the woman before him was a changeling. She had been hiding in plain sight all this time.

  Mentally, Blake replayed the words she’d thrown at him, and nearly laughed out loud. Kitty genuinely believed he was no better than Edmonton. Now that was damn insulting but that he had a revolving bedroom door. Well, maybe in his youth he conceded, he had thrown himself into the dating scene back then, gorging himself on all that was freely offered. However, it had diminished over time, become less of a challenge. He’d lost interest in the whole thing the last year or so, but he wasn’t disinterested now, far from it. Kitty now had his full, undivided attention.

  His smile became wider, friendlier, showing off his straight white teeth as he watched her pink tongue slip out, and followed as it swept over her bottom lip nervously. Her teeth biting into the now moist flesh. He watched as it was released and plumped back up, leaving it damp and fuller. He nearly groaned at the thought of leaning forward and taking a sample, a small sip of that succulent flesh. He took another experimental step towards her, his chest stopping scant inches from hers, so close he could feel the heat rising from her body. He caught that elusive scent that she used, a subtle, pleasant spice that teased his nostrils. Above that he could just make out the scent of the lemon shampoo she used. Together the mix was evocative, sensual, much like the woman now revealed before him. Taking a deep breath, he drew the scent deep into his lungs, his nostrils flaring at the tantalising aroma. Then had to clench his hands at his sides to stop himself from reaching for her.

  Kitty really thought she had him pegged, did she? Well, she was in for one hell of a surprise, he thought with deep satisfaction, as his eyes swept possessively over her. He usually didn’t mix business with pleasure, but he was willing to make an exception in Kitty’s case. As she was threatening to resign from his employment, she’d just removed any barriers on that score, as far as he was concerned. She’d thrown the gauntlet down and he was more than happy to pick it up. He anticipated the challenge, he was a predator at heart, that’s why his business did so well. He knew how to succeed, could smell weakness and knew when to strike. Kitty had just become his latest target.

  He sidestepped her, needing space between them to alleviate some of the tension riding his libido. He was definitely calmer now he had a plan, and moved around his desk, silently taking a seat.

  “Sit down, Kitty, we have things to discuss,” he informed her. Watching, as she swivelled warily to look at him, before carefully lowering herself into the chair opposite him.

  Kitty sucked in a steadying breath as Blake put space between them, and her heart rate began slowing. She’d never been more aware of her own sexuality, than when she’d felt his body’s heat begin to seep into her own, oversensitive skin.
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  His scent had enveloped her, a natural, warm musk with a citrus undertone that had teased her nostrils and made her nipples painfully tighten. She’d always avoided looking directly at him, had known instinctively that he could be dangerous to her. Well now she knew that she’d been dead on the money. Now she’d finally given herself permission to look at him, she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away. Greedily, she catalogued his astounding features from under her lashes. She was used to good-looking men as her dad and brother were both amazingly handsome men. However, there was a dangerous, raw quality to Blake’s looks that neither of them possessed. His appeal for her scared her on a fundamental level.

  His intelligent eyes weren’t just dark chocolate, they had a lighter ring of topaz around the pupil with amber flecks in the iris. His lashes were so thick and dark they’d have looked feminine on any other man. His brows were thick but nicely shaped and only seemed to emphasise his broad forehead and sharp cheekbones. He had a straight, full nose and a chiselled jaw and seemed to wear a permanent five o’clock shadow, and his mouth, oh god his mouth was glorious. His bottom lip was fuller, and it was built for raw pleasure, and shuddered at the thought of what his mouth was capable of.

  His naturally tousled hair was not only dark brown, but had natural streaks of gold and blonde highlights running through it. The strands shone with health and vitality as it lovingly swept over his forehead. It was long enough at the back to touch his collar and her hands had itched to brush it back over his ears, and tangle in it as he’d stared her down. His powerfully built frame had left her feeling feminine and dainty as he’d towered over her, even though she was five-foot-seven. Frankly, she’d been horrified at how spectacularly she’d underestimated his appeal to her. She’d felt confused and betrayed by how wantonly her body’s response had been to his close proximity.