by Lexy Timms
“Really? The board took that much notice of my work?” she asked, skeptical.
“Truth be told, it was Linda Schaffer who talked you up,” Agnes said. “But Simon did say Linda could represent him in his absence.”
Simon groaned. “I should have known the board would get its way somehow.”
“What are you complaining about?” Agnes asked. “This is good for Heather’s career, which is what you wanted.”
“Is this even ethical?” Simon cleared his throat uncomfortably. “After all, Heather and I are in a relationship now.”
“Well, the board knows about your relationship,” Agnes explained. “And if the relationship were to be dissolved, we would do the ethical thing and transfer Ms. Hall to a different department if it came to that. But the truth is, this is really up to Ms. Hall. She can turn this down and work with another team.”
“Didn’t you want Simon and me to keep a low profile?” Heather asked. “If we work together again, won’t that get the media talking again?”
“If you work together, you’ll both work extra hard to keep your relationship out of the papers,” Agnes said smoothly. “Try to think of it as mutually shared destruction. Neither of you will go to the press if your jobs are dependent on each other’s success.”
Heather’s eyes widened. Agnes might work quietly in the shadows, but she definitely had a ruthless streak.
“You know, I could learn a lot from you, Agnes,” Heather said, not even bothering to hide how impressed she was.
“And Simon could learn a lot from you,” Agnes said. Heather swore she saw a hint of a smile on the woman’s face.
She bit her lip. “I don’t want to take this job if Simon isn’t comfortable with it.”
“Heather, stop right there,” he said firmly. “Look, the media has been a thorn in my side, but you can’t make professional decisions based on our relationship or my feelings.”
“So, there won’t be any hard feelings if I agree to take this job with you?” Heather asked.
He shook his head. “None. I’m a professional. And I know that you are as well. Don’t let things get personal in deciding what’s best for your career.”
She took a deep, calming breath. This promotion was a chance to show the skills she had learned at her former job and during her time working with Linda at Dover. Corporate politics wasn’t something she understood, but she knew how to get the media on Simon’s side. He might resist dealing with the press, but if anyone could get him to try to cultivate a better relationship with reporters it was her. “Okay. I’ll take the job.”
Agnes gave a faint smile. “Excellent. I’ll send over an updated employee handbook for you, and I’m always here if you need to discuss anything. Linda also said that you’ll be working with her quite a bit in your new position and that you can always talk things over with her.”
“Thank you so much.” Heather stood up and looked expectantly at Simon. “I think we have a lot of work ahead of us, don’t we, Simon?”
With a sigh he stood up. They both said their goodbyes to Agnes and made their way to Simon’s office.
She glanced around the familiar space. Simon’s office looked exactly the way it did when she had last seen it. As expansive as the place was, it had a calming air to it. It felt good to be back. “I guess I’ll be moving back into my old office now. Gosh, this is exciting.”
Simon shook his head and sank into the chair at his desk. “Whatever ideas you have, Heather, I expect you to run them by me before you go to Linda.”
“Of course.” Her eyes locked on his and she lifted her chin. Simon wasn’t going to like her methods, but if he expected her to be professional then she was going to follow through on that. Even if her ideas were going to drive him insane. “The first thing we need to discuss is re-establishing you with the public. And I think publishing your biography is a wonderful way to do that.”
Chapter 10
He was in a nightmare. They had only been back to work at Dover for two days and Heather had already turned his life upside down.
Right now, she was reading aloud from one of those high-end men’s magazines, going over an article about the new CEO of VLA, Thomas Wright, one of Dover’s main competitors. Her gorgeous auburn hair was piled high in a bun as usual but one lock had escaped, a tendril brushing against her delicate face.
Going back to work with Heather had sent a mix of emotions through him. Part of him was irritated that the board had found a way to get him to be friendlier to the media. The other part of him was elated at getting to work with her again. Especially if she insisted on looking so mouthwatering in a blouse that buttoned up all the way to her neck and a tight skirt that stopped right below her knees. Her usual sensible, conservative look had a way of being totally provocative in a way she probably didn’t intend. Or maybe he was letting his fantasies get away with him.
He’d never worked with a girlfriend before, so the experience was entirely new to him.
“Are you listening?” she demanded sharply, dragging him from his lustful thoughts.
“Uh...” He gave her a blank stare. “Do you want to read that sentence over?”
She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. “You haven’t been listening to a word I’ve read, have you?”
“Heather, that article makes for some very dull reading,” he muttered.
“It does not,” she insisted with a huff as she leaned against his desk. Her skirt started to ride up her thigh and he had to tear his gaze away.
What the hell was wrong with him? He had always been able to keep his lust in check. Hell, before Heather had been hired he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt anything remotely like lust in the office. Heather finally being his girlfriend after years apart was entirely new territory for him.
“I think it’s exciting,” she continued. “For example, it says here that Thomas Wright takes a self-driving car to work.”
He rolled his eyes. “That’s probably because nobody trusts that maniac to get behind the wheel.”
“You know him?”
“I know of him,” Simon said. “According to some of my old college classmates, he’s a blowhard and a loudmouth. Everyone knows he only gave his paycheck back because VLA had laid off so many people that their profits went through the roof. And he only gave away half his paycheck from one month. Not an entire year. This is just good PR for him.”
“There’s nothing wrong with good PR,” she chided.
“The guy is a phony,” he muttered under his breath.
“I don’t care. The former CEO of VLA was an unscrupulous jerk, so I’m glad there’s some new leadership,” she said. “Anyway, what’s wrong with you? You seem grumpier than usual.”
“I’m not grumpy,” he grumbled.
“Whenever I try to show you my ideas for dealing with the media, you refuse to show any interest.” She paused. “You don’t think my ideas are any good, do you?”
“Of course I don’t think that.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Most of the time I shoot down your ideas because I know how well they’ll work. Anyway, that’s not why I was so distracted.”
He placed his hand on her thigh and stared up at her.
She blinked in surprise when she looked down at his hand. Her teeth grazed her bottom lip and her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. “Simon, we have to be professional at work.”
“Do we?” His gaze met hers and he held it. Gave her a moment to see the desire in his eyes. “Maybe you’re right...” Simon pulled his hand away.
“I am right,” she said so breathlessly that he noticed her heaving chest. “We can’t have sex at work.”
“We don’t have to have sex,” he said. “There are other ways to let off steam. And you look like you could stand to let off a little steam. De-stress.”
“What makes you think I’m stressed?” she asked.
He shrugged. “You work for me. That’s pretty stressful.”
She s
et the magazine down in front of him, scooted back onto the desk, and swung her legs so that she was sitting right in front of him. “What do you have in mind?” Suddenly, her voice was a seductive purr and all he wanted to do was reduce her to the breathless moans that only he could elicit out of her.
Before he could fire back a response, she reached down to lift up her skirt and slowly spread her legs for him.
He almost groaned at the sight of her pink lace panties. “Heather.”
“Did you want to look or did you want to touch?” she asked.
Damn. How had she managed to turn the tables on him so fast? One minute she had been chiding him, and the next she was making him so hard he could barely think.
His hand drifted up her thigh and he reveled in the sensation of her smooth, silky skin underneath his fingertips. “Turn around.”
She licked her lips, dragging his attention to the sight of her pink tongue. Without a word she slid off his desk and turned her back to him.
Suppressing another groan, he stood up and lowered his hands to reach up her skirt. “Can I take your panties off?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she breathed.
When his hands found her underwear, he pulled the thin fabric down around her ankles.
He stood behind her, her ass pressed up against his crotch.
Her entire body trembled against his and she placed her hands on his desk, steadying herself against him as she leaned forward.
“Do you want me to touch you?” he asked, pressing his mouth against her ear.
“Yes. Please.” She was practically whimpering.
He nipped at her neck, her soft flesh driving him insane. “Spread your legs for me, Heather.”
She did as he commanded and then reached behind her back, took his hand in hers, and guided it up the front of her skirt.
Full-on sex might be off the table, but he could still pleasure her. Right here in his office. This was the craziest, most explicit thing he’d ever done at work, and he had barely even started.
When he brushed against the wetness between her thighs, he gently swirled his fingers around her slick entrance. Slowly, he eased a finger between her folds and she let out a moan.
“Oh, fuck.” Her body quivered.
She was hot and tight, her wetness making it easier to caress her silky depths. As she trembled against him he slid his free hand around her waist, pinning her to him as he pleasured her.
Heather threw her head back against him, the sound of her moans filling the room. “More,” she pleaded.
He eased another finger into her, tormenting her as he quickened the pace of his strokes.
The sound of his name on her lips let him know that he had her on the brink of ecstasy. She clenched around him, pulling his fingers deeper into her until she moaned low and loud, signaling her release.
Panting for breath, she leaned against him. As she struggled to speak, he pulled his hands away.
A knock on his office door made them both freeze.
“Simon?” The muffled voice of one of the executive assistants who handled his workload came through from the other side of the door.
The unlocked door.
His chest tightened with apprehension. “What is it, Sandy?”
“Do you want me to come in?” Sandy asked. “It’s the lawyer; you told me to announce him when he showed up.”
Damn it. He’d forgotten that Heather’s potential new lawyer, Aaron Colbert, was dropping by this afternoon. Somehow he’d let his lust get the better of him and had totally forgotten about his responsibilities for the day. This was the problem with working with a woman as tempting as his girlfriend.
“No need to come in,” he called loudly. “Just let him know Heather and I will be out in ten minutes. Just finishing an, uh, interview.”
“Okay. Will do.”
He waited a moment to make sure that she was gone and then he swore under his breath. “I totally forgot about the damn lawyer.”
Heather reached for her panties and started pulling them back on. “We almost got caught.”
He didn’t bother telling her that the almost getting caught part was part of the thrill. Instead he said, “I’ll go to the bathroom to get cleaned up.”
“Okay; I’ll get freshened up after you,” she said, desperately trying to smooth her slightly rumpled skirt.
Fifteen minutes later they both raced across the lobby towards Aaron, who was seated on one of the leather sofas on the far end of the lobby.
“I’m so sorry we’re late,” Heather said after they made quick introductions.
Aaron waved his hand dismissively. “Not a problem. I only just got here.”
“How about we eat in the cafeteria?” she suggested.
Aaron nodded. “Sounds good. I’ve been dying to get the chance to hear your story.”
Once they grabbed some chicken and rice for lunch, they sat an empty table in the corner of the cafeteria.
As Heather filled Aaron in on details about her divorce and Gary’s attempts at getting full custody of Finn, Simon listened intently. He knew the story, but he was interested in getting Aaron’s reaction. Aaron was middle-aged, a hot shot lawyer who had come highly recommended by the law firm that Simon retained for his personal legal affairs. Not only that, but Aaron had handled some very high-profile family disputes recently and had a good track record.
When Heather was finished telling her story, Aaron scratched his full beard thoughtfully. “First of all, Ms. Hall, I’d like to personally apologize on behalf of the firm. We had a rogue employee who leaked information to the news media about dealings with your ex-husband some time ago, and we have been eager to make amends for your ordeal. I’d like you to know that the rogue employee has been dealt with, and because of this we are going to be offering legal services at a discounted rate.”
She smiled. “Thank you so much. I received a letter of apology from your firm several weeks back, but I’m so grateful that you’re trying to make amends. Since you’re offering a discount, it looks like Simon won’t have to worry about paying. I can handle it.”
Simon exchanged glances with the lawyer. Even with a discount, Aaron’s services were out of her budget. But that was far too awkward a matter to deal with now.
“Everything has already been paid for,” Simon explained smoothly. He had already made the payments and had been more than glad to do it. The truth was, he could deny her nothing.
“Anyway, I think the best strategy for keeping custody of your son is for you to really go after your ex-husband,” Aaron said. “Now is the time to play hardball.”
“I agree,” Simon said.
Heather folded her arms, narrowing her eyes first at the lawyer then directly at Simon. “Well, I don’t.”
“Don’t you at least want to hear what that strategy entails?” Simon asked. As admirable as her stubbornness could sometimes be, he knew how talented Aaron was.
“Fine, I’ll hear it, but I’m not promising anything,” she said.
“Well, I believe that we need to put your ex-husband on the defensive. He lied about the nature of your relationship with Simon. Your ex-husband came at you in the press, and I don’t think you should let him get away with that,” Aaron said.
“But even though Gary was lying at the time, Simon and I are together now,” she pointed out. “We’re keeping a low profile at the moment, but I’m not going to flat out lie about our relationship.”
“I’m not asking you to lie,” Aaron said. “Just show how destructive his revelation to the media was. Show that while you were trying to put out the fire and get rid of the unwanted media attention, Gary insisted on fueling the fire. That hurt your son, didn’t it?”
“I managed to protect my son from most of the news, but it was really hard to pull that off,” she murmured. “I couldn’t have done it without my parents’ help.”
“We can use that,” Aaron said. “Talk about the effort you’ve put into protecting him from Gary’s missteps.
On top of all that, I think we need to really dig into Gary’s life. Look for every skeleton in his closet.”
“No,” Heather said firmly. “I don’t mind you using his actual actions against him, but I’m not going to actively try to find dirt on him to ruin his reputation.”
“But finding dirt could help you win this case,” Simon said. “You could have full custody.”
“I don’t want full custody,” she said. “Finn deserves to have both his parents. I’m not trying to punish Gary. This isn’t about payback or anything like that. I just want what’s fair and what’s best for our son. Shared custody is the right call.”
Simon sighed loudly. “I think you need to go after Gary with everything you’ve got. Which includes the services of a lawyer who can look through his private life.”
She didn’t respond. Instead her frown deepened.
“I’m not forcing you into anything,” Aaron said. “You’re the one in charge, Heather. This is all up to you.”
“Is it? Because Simon is paying and—”
“Heather, it is up to you,” Simon interrupted gently. He suddenly realized how much pressure he must have been putting on her by jumping in and telling her what to do. Spending money on her had been a way to help her, not strong-arm her into his way of thinking no matter how right he was. No matter what happened, he refused to let his money get between them. “I’m sorry if you feel pressured. Everything I’ve said is just advice. I’m not trying to force you into anything.”
She gave him a faltering smile, her eyes lighting up. “Thanks. I appreciate that, Simon. I don’t want to go through Gary’s personal life. Bringing up the fact that he tried to pay off Simon or talking about the fact that he rarely sees Finn is fine. I don’t want to do something that would jeopardize his relationship with his son. Maybe that’s naive, but a part of me still believes that Gary could be a good father if he just tried.”
“What do we do about Gary, anyway?” Simon asked. “He still thinks there’s a chance I might pay him money to hand over his parental rights and skip town.”
