Wonderlust (Steel Roses #1)

by B. L. Wilde

  Gina clapped her hands, sniggering. “Oh, Natasha, please consider working with us. You are just what we need.”

  “Fuck this shit!” Alex yelled as he turned and stormed out of the room, mumbling to himself. He was pathetic. I didn’t want to work for this guy.

  “You could have warned me,” I sighed, looking at a still grinning Gina.

  “It was wrong of me, but I wanted to see how you handled him.”

  “That was a test?”

  “His bark is worse than his bite. You’ll get used to him.”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “Alex doesn’t know it, but you’re just what he needs. Please think about it. Sleep on the idea tonight and give me a call in the morning.” I wanted to protest, but I was still reeling as I thought about Alex. What right did he have to act that way?

  “Okay, I’ll think about it.” I took her business card as she handed it to me.

  “Claire will see you out.”

  “I can manage, thank you.” It wasn’t difficult to find the lift. It was just outside the room.

  “I hope to see you soon, Natasha.” Gina shook my hand and finally let me leave.

  Breathing out in frustration, I waited for the lift. Too much had happened in the last few hours for me to even begin to wrap my head around it. Who did Alex Harbour think he was? I pitied the poor woman that ended up working for him. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be me!

  “I’m glad to see that you’re leaving.” His arrogant voice came from behind me. “You really aren’t the right person for this job. You’re too straight laced for me.”

  “Well, there are plenty of women willing to lie on their backs and spread their legs for you downstairs, Mr. Harbour,” I seethed, catching my breath as I turned to stare into those piercing, cool blue eyes again. Why did he have to have such amazing eyes?

  “I’m more than aware of that, Natasha,” he gloated. “I’d say it’s been a pleasure to meet you, but that would be lying so I won’t.” God, he was so rude!

  Words began to fall out my mouth before I could stop them. I was boiling with rage at this point. “I’ve worked for men like you before, Mr. Harbour. You act as if you have the world at your fingertips, when really you’re just wasting away, knowing you have no true wealth. Money is nothing without respect. I can see now why your band mates from Steel Roses want nothing to do with you! You are just an empty shell!”

  “I suggest you leave before I get security to throw you out.” His voice was barely a whisper.

  “Oh, I was leaving. Don’t worry about that. Have a wonderful day.” Stepping into the elevator, I gave him my sweetest smile as the doors closed. Me,straight laced?I showed him. What a fucking asshole!

  Walking outside the hotel, I began to regret what I’d just said to him. What right did I have to judge him? I didn’t even know the guy. It wasn’t like me to explode like that, but he’d been goading me since the moment we’d met. I shook off those thoughts. It didn’t matter what happened; I wasn’t taking the job anyway. Alex had made it clear that he didn’t want me as his PA, and I sure as hell didn’t want to work for him. I needed to pretend it was all a bad dream and move on. It was lucky that I'd stopped listening to his music years ago.

  “What’s bugging you?” Liv asked, taking her wooly hat off and straightening her light blonde hair with her hands. We always met up on Friday nights at the pub near my apartment on the outskirts of London. Liv was my oldest and dearest friend. We’d known each other since primary school. Alex Harbour’s old band had been a big part of our friendship in the early years.

  “It’s been a stressful day.”

  “Weren’t you off today?” she frowned.

  “I had a job interview and met a complete asshole.” I really wanted to tell her about Alex, but bursting her bubble about him not being the perfect man would only hurt her in the long run.

  “You didn’t tell me that you had an interview today.” Her blue eyes widened in confusion.

  “It was last minute and a total waste of time. It doesn’t matter now, anyway.”

  “Let me get us a bottle of wine and you can tell me all about it,” she soothed.

  Two bottles later, I was feeling much better about the whole situation.

  “It’s not like you to lose your cool with someone, Nat. Was this guy hot?” How did I answer that? It was Alex freaking Harbour. Hot didn’t even cover it.

  “Yeah, I guess you could say so…” Liv’s mouth fell open as she gawked at me. “What?”

  “It was sexual tension. Oh. My. God! You liked him! That’s what all of this is about.” This situation was impossible! I couldn’t tell her the whole story, and now she was getting the wrong idea.

  “He was a player, and those aren’t my type. You know this.”

  “Oh, please. David is the biggest player I’ve ever seen and you’ve been lusting after him for six years!”

  “You should be grateful the interview was awful. The job was in LA.” Liv choked on her on wine while I tried to steer the conversation away from David.

  “Why the bloody hell would you want a job in LA?”

  “It was an amazing opportunity. I’ve been at Flavour Records for six years now. I thought it might be time for a change.”

  “You’re struggling with your feelings for David now that he’s engaged, aren’t you?” Damn her! She knew me too well. “You can’t run from it, Nat. I mean, you had a few flings with him over the last three years. It’s not like the two of you ever actually got together. It was just sex.”

  “It was great sex,” I mumbled into my wine glass.

  “Take a look around. You have plenty of other men to choose from. Do you want me to get his number for you?” She motioned toward a sexy blonde guy in the far corner of the room. “He’s been eye fucking you since he walked in.”

  “No!” I snorted, rolling my eyes. “Let’s get another bottle of wine so I can forget about the dickhead I met today.”

  “Does Mr. Dickhead have a name?”

  Crap. A name. I needed a last name! I looked around and noticed a heater in the far corner of the room. “A…Alex Heater.”

  “Alex Heater? What a weird name. Does he make heaters?” she laughed at her own joke.

  “No, he’s a music producer.”

  “Something else will come up, Hun. If you think it’s time to leave Flavour Records, go for it. As long as you stay in the music sector. I’m still hoping one day your contacts will get me a meet and greet with Alex Harbour.” Ground swallow me up now.

  “I’ve heard he’s a complete moron, Liv.”

  “I don’t give a shit. He is sexy as hell. What I’d give to be in a room alone with him.” I couldn’t help but wonder if Alex would have jumped Liv if she’d been in my place. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course he would have. Liv was stunning. She was petite and slender, with shoulder length blonde hair that had a natural wave, cool blue eyes, and a cute button nose. She was the perfect blonde. I was a slim brunette, complete with chocolate brown eyes and olive skin. The Italian gene was strong with me because of my mother. Liv and I made quite the duo on nights out.

  My phone began to ring just as I was about to give her a snarky comment about being too easy. It was an unknown number, but I answered anyway. It could have been David calling from a different phone. He’d done that a few times before.

  “Hello,” I answered, covering my other ear so I could hear. The pub was getting quite rowdy.

  “Straight Lace, is that you?” Straight Lace? Who was this? “This is Alex Harbour.” I froze, trying to clear my head. This had to be a joke. How did he get my number?

  “How can I help you, Alex?” I fumed, standing up to go outside. I gave Liv a nod to say I’d been back after the call.

  “You are so formal on the phone. Or are you still pissed at me?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I’m sorry about earlier. You caught me off guard. I hadn’t really been up long. Jetlag is a bitch.”

 
“Oh, you make a habit of sexually harassing women you don’t know when you wake up, then?” The bastard was laughing at me on the other end of the phone. “None of this is funny, Alex. Why are you calling me?”

  “Gina is right, I need structure. Milly was like that to a certain extent, and since she left it’s all gone to shit. Will you consider working for me?” Holy crap! He was offering me the job! “Are you still there, or are you steaming at the ears with rage at me even asking you?”

  “You don’t want me working for you, Alex. You should hire that blonde model, Maddison.”

  “I need someone to organize my meetings and events, not someone to suck my cock on demand. You’re the woman for the job. Don’t let the events from earlier taint your decision. That’s why I’ve called—to apologize for before. Gina is emailing the contract over to you as we speak. Take a look tonight and give her an answer in the morning. We’ve added a three month trial so you’re not tied in for the entire year.” Who was this man? This wasn’t the Alex I’d met earlier.

  “I…I…um…” He’d left me speechless.

  “Read the contract, then sleep on it, Natasha.” The way he said my full name was making me weak at the knees. Damn him! Alex hung up before I could argue.

  “Who was that on the phone?” Liv asked when I walked back to the table.

  “That was Mr. Dickhead. He’s offered me the job,” I gasped, slumping down into my chair. “Get a few shots of vodka in. I need them!”

  “If this is the job of a lifetime, you have to take it, Nat. Most people hate their boss anyway. You’ll be fine.” She watched me down my third shot of vodka. It would have been easier if she knew the whole truth, but until I’d signed my contract, I couldn’t say anything.

  “B…but it’s LA!” Why was I trying to talk myself out of this?

  “That’s just a plane ride away. Your parents are on a world cruise, right now. I’m sure if they can do that, you can go to LA for a while. It doesn’t have to be forever.”

  “I need to go home a read the contract. He wants a decision by the morning.”

  “He’s an impatient bastard too, huh?”

  “He’s very well known in the music industry.”

  “I’ve never heard of an Alex Heater. Does he have a stage name? With a name like that, I’m surprised no one has suggested one. You might want to.”

  “I’ll have to mention that to him. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Grabbing my bag and coat, I rushed out of the pub and back to my apartment.

  I couldn’t find fault in the contract, and the pay was unbelievable. Did people really get salaries that high? It didn’t stop me from having a restless night, though. Could I work for Alex Harbour? I’d been lusting after that man since I was twelve. He was arrogant, selfish, opinionated, and clearly damaged by fame, but there was still an aura about him that fascinated me. That was what I was afraid of though. I was running to LA to get away from my feelings for David, but Alex might be the worst kind of distraction. I had no idea what to do.

  Then I remembered the three month trial he was giving me. If anything got to be too much or I hated working for him, I could leave. What was the harm in trying the job out for three months?

  This was Alex Harbour, after all. I was getting a chance to be inside his world. To live with him in his famous LA hilltop mansion. Did I really need to think about this?

  Quickly, I typed my acceptance letter to Gina. I could do this. Alex surely wasn’t that bad.

  “Nat, I don’t understand. What is this?” David frowned at me from behind his desk. His dark blonde hair was catching the morning sun as it gleamed through his windows. I tried not to think about all the times I’d spent across that desk, when he’d taken me to heights I’d never felt before. He was a strong and powerful man both in body and mind. He played rugby in his spare time, and that only made him more desirable. Why did I always fall for men that I couldn’t have?

  “It’s my resignation, effective immediately. I’ve been offered a job with a rival company.” I stood tall with my head held high. This man wasn’t going to break me. He’d made his choice. He was engaged to the daughter of the owner of Flavour Records. I couldn’t compete with that.

  “What are you talking about? What job? You can’t leave. I need you.” I fought back the tears. Yes, he needed me, but not in the way I wanted.

  “You’ll find a replacement easily, David.”

  “That’s not true. Nat, you’re the best PA I’ve had. We’re a team. You can’t leave.”

  “Rock Records wants me. I’ll be based in LA. This is my dream job, David. Don’t hold me back, please!” I begged, watching his stunned face.

  “Rock Records?” he gasped. “Who will you be working under?”

  “I can’t disclose that until I’ve signed my contract. You know the rules.”

  “You’re really going to leave me after all this time?”

  “It’s for the best,” I muttered, playing with my hands. After everything that happened, I was unable to look him in the eyes. “I need a change of direction. There’s nothing here for me anymore.”

  “Is this about Sarah and me?” I looked up, noticing he was out of his chair and making his way toward me. “You and me, Nat, it was a bit of fun. We spent so much time together because of work that it meant being with you was easy, but you can’t base a relationship on sex. We have nothing in common. I thought you always understood our arrangement.”

  “I did. This has nothing to do with that,” I lied, trying to catch my breath. I was talking too fast. “This is me moving on. I’ve worked for this company for six years. I came here right from university. It’s time for me to spread my wings. Rock Records is the company I’ve always dreamt of working for.”

  “Then who am I to hold you back? I’ll miss you, Nat, so much.” He pulled me into a tight embrace. I closed my eyes, basking in the closeness. This would be the last time he’d hold me this way. In a matter of months, David would have a new wife and his whole life ahead of him.

  “Take care of yourself and Sarah,” I whispered, pulling away. “I need to go clean out my desk. My flight to LA leaves tonight.”

  “That soon?”

  “It’s a PA job for one of their top artists.” Well, it was Rock Records top artist, but David would know who I was working for if I said that.

  “If the job doesn’t work out, you know where to find me. Working for an artist is different from the job you have with me.” Stroking my face, he whispered, “I’ll always be here for you.”

  “Thanks. I’m sure the job will be fine, though.” I moved away from his touch, wandering over to my desk to clear it. He began to follow me, but luckily his phone rang. Hurriedly, I began packing my belongings into the small box I brought with me. I didn’t want a dramatic goodbye. I wanted to slip away quietly. David was still on the phone as I reached the door to leave. With a longing look toward me, he nodded as I waved a small farewell. It was easier for both of us this way. I’d fallen in love with him, and it was never going to work out. It wasn’t easy leaving a piece of my heart behind. We’d had our fun, but he had never been mine to keep. A new start was what we both needed.

  Chapter Three

  Liv was an emotional wreck at the airport. I’d Skyped my parents earlier, and they were over the moon about my new job. They were hoping to see me when their cruise stopped near a local port in three months. It would be great to see them, but I’d told them we’d have to sort it out when the time got closer.

  To my surprise, Gina had upgraded my plane ticket to first class. Talk about comfort. I slept most of the trip.

  When the plane finally landed, the butterflies in my stomach returned. What was I doing? In just three days, my life had done a complete one-eighty. Was I crazy? I kept asking myself that until I reached the arrivals lounge and found a well-groomed, dark haired man waiting for me.

  “Miss White?” he asked, reaching to take my luggage from me.

  “Yes,” I replied.
/>   “I’m Shane Brown, Alex Harbour’s bodyguard and driver. Gina asked me to pick you up.” Alex’s bodyguard was a good-looking guy and wore a suit very well. He had a shaved head, dark brooding eyes, and was extremely well built. He was security, though. I suspected he also had abs of steel. Why was I such a pervert?

  “I can carry a few bags, I don’t mind.”

  “It’s fine. I have them all. Please follow me. The car is just outside.” He led me outside toward a large black SUV. “How was your flight?”

  “I slept most of it. I’m not a great flyer.”

  “That will soon fade. You’ll be flying a lot with Alex.” Crap, I hadn’t considered all the travelling. “So you’re from London?”

  “Yes.”

  “I haven’t seen much of London. The trips I take with Alex are always short, but I do love the chocolate Alex imports from there.” Cadbury’s chocolate was the best.

  “Do you like working for him?” I asked as Shane pulled onto the highway. It still felt surreal. I couldn’t believe that I was in LA! The sky was pure blue, and I’d never seen the sun this bright before. It could have just been the excitement making me see things differently, though.

  “Yes, he’s fine once you’ve become accustomed to his ways, Miss White.”

  “Shane, please call me Natasha or Nat. We’re going to be working together after all. What do you mean by ‘his ways’?”

  “You’ll see. Alex is a complex individual. He has many layers, but I’m positive you’ll get used to him quickly.”

  “You’re not doing a very good job selling this position to me. I was apprehensive about taking it in the first place.”

  “I’m sorry. Please ignore me. Diego knows him better than I do, anyway. I’m sure he’ll fill you in.”

  “Diego?”

  “His stylist. He’s also Alex’s oldest friend. He was the only person to follow him from Steel Roses.”

  “Oh, okay. Does he live with Alex, too?”