by Lexy Timms
“Thank you for telling me all this, Agnes,” Heather said carefully. “You didn’t have to warn me about what Gary was up to, and I appreciate it.”
“Of course. Despite all that’s happened, I will always remain loyal to Dover and its staff,” Agnes said. “I could never speak out against you in court or anywhere else. Now, it’s up to you show your loyalty in return.”
“THIS IS RIDICULOUS!” Simon paced up and down Heather’s kitchen, holding a glass of vodka. After the meeting with Agnes they had returned to Heather’s place, and he had been so irritated that he’d demanded alcohol. So far he hadn’t drank the stuff, because the beginning of one of his famous headaches was starting to made his temples throb.
“No, it isn’t,” Heather insisted from her place at the kitchen island. She was eating leftover pizza, that familiar look of determination on her face. Usually Simon loved that look. That look made a fire blaze in her stunning golden eyes. Set her lush lips into a firm line. And that slight blush in her cheeks always made the desire rush in his veins. Right now, though, that look was making him dread what she was about to say next.
“You need to reach out to the media, and I have some ideas on how you can do that,” she continued.
“I’ll bet you do,” he muttered.
She narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t up for debate. You will be working more closely with the media.”
“Look, I know you think this will get the staff to be more loyal to you, but I could get them to do that,” he said. “I’ll meet with the senior managers. Make it clear to them that Dover staff cannot make disparaging remarks about you on Gary’s behalf. Surely that will solve the problem.”
“Even if you did that I’d still want to earn their trust, loyalty, and respect,” she said. “I really appreciate all your help recently, but I’ve got to have my own accomplishments. Otherwise, anything I achieve will be because of my boyfriend’s help and not my own hard work.”
He sighed and held the cold glass of vodka to his forehead. “This is important to you, isn’t it? Beyond how this might affect your case with Gary.”
“Yes. I’ve got this amazing new position and you’re not letting me do my job, Simon,” she said. “I know that you hate the press, but you have the opportunity to redefine that relationship. Right now, you have the opportunity to change the media’s narrative about you. Call the shots.”
The media’s narrative had always aggravated him. At first they had treated him like some kind of eccentric recluse, coming up with all kinds of wild, outlandish stories after he had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in being in the media spotlight. After the scandal with Heather, the press had started to act like he was some billionaire playboy. Neither of those narratives was true. All he wanted to do was get his ideas out into the world to help people, but that had never gotten through.
“Taking back control sounds tempting, but the media always has a way of twisting things around,” he said.
“They’re already twisting things around with Everett’s arrest,” she pointed out. “We can change that narrative. Show them that Dover’s leadership is honest and genuine, and cares about the company. Right now the media is trying to act like everyone at Dover is a lying, scheming spy like Everett. We can change that.”
He paused for a moment to mull over her words. Simon set his glass down on the island. “Okay. Let me hear your ideas.”
“Does that mean you’ll actually hear me out?” she asked. “Or are you going to hear my ideas and then shoot them down the minute you hear them?”
“I can’t promise to agree to everything,” he said. “But I can see how important this is. Not just to Dover, but to you. Gary is trying to hurt you, and if this stops him from doing that—”
“Don’t do this because of Gary,” she said. “I know Agnes encouraged us to take a more active role with the media in order to win over the staff at Dover, but if we let my personal stuff affect work we’ll be making decisions based on fear. That’s the last thing Dover needs right now. I have to separate my professional life from my personal life as much as possible, even though Gary seems determined to destroy both.”
“Even while you’re working with your boyfriend?” he asked, unable to hide the skepticism in his voice.
“Especially while I’m working with my boyfriend.” She stood up, walked over to him, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
Without needing any prompting, he slipped his arms around her waist and held her. “Okay. I’m going to take some painkillers, and then you can hit me with all your ideas.”
Chapter 15
On Monday morning Heather walked into Simon’s office, armed with a tape recorder and her laptop. The weekend meeting with Agnes had jolted her out of her complacency when it came to working with Simon. He had given the opportunity to share her ideas with him on Saturday and now she was meeting with him bright and early like they had planned.
She closed his office door and found him talking on the phone at his desk.
When she caught his eye, she waved.
While she waited for him to finish his phone call, Heather set her laptop on his desk and pulled up a chair to sit in while she checked her email. If Simon agreed to some of her ideas today, this week was probably going to be hectic. Which was a welcome change from worrying about her ex-husband and the next court hearing.
She had updated her lawyer on what Agnes had revealed to her over the weekend; that Gary was trying to find a witness against her from Dover. In turn, her lawyer had updated her on what the investigator had found. So far not much, but her lawyer was still convinced Gary was hiding something. And with the way her ex-husband kept trying to ruin her, she was inclined to agree. If he was so willing to take millions of dollars from Simon as a payoff, there was no way he was as squeaky clean as he had pretended to be in court.
“Good morning,” Simon said as he hung up his phone and set it aside. He turned his attention to her, his eyes sweeping over her in a way that no boss should ever look at a subordinate. “You look beautiful, Heather.”
Her cheeks warmed and she lowered her eyes. “Flattery isn’t going to get you out of this.”
He laughed. “Can’t I tell you how beautiful you are?”
She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, giving the best no-nonsense pose she could. Now was not the time to fall for his charm, no matter how much her stomach fluttered when he gazed at her like that. “Have you come to a decision about my ideas yet?”
“I think the TV interview is a bit much for now,” he started. “But I could see myself doing some print interviews for some magazines. And maybe even one of those tech podcasts.”
Heather did her best to keep her face neutral. If she gave away how happy she was that he was finally coming around to her ideas he’d probably take that as a sign that he was losing something, and she needed him on the same page. “Terrific. I think we can get started.”
He paused for a moment. “Get started on what? It’s not like you’ll be the one conducting the interviews.”
“Oh, but I will be conducting the interviews,” she said. “At least, I’ll be conducting the interviews for the press release and the press kit we’re going to be releasing before the interview with the men’s magazine, the tech magazine, and the interview with the podcast. By the way, I think doing a podcast is a great idea.”
“It was your idea,” he grumbled.
“Right,” she said, suppressing a pleased grin. “Anyway, I think a podcast will show the public the down-to-earth side of you. Show them that you’re a different kind of CEO.”
“I don’t know how you’ve done it, but I have a feeling that you’ve played me,” Simon said with a groan.
Ignoring him she went on. “First, I’ll conduct an interview today so that I can start writing up the press release and setting up the new press kit.”
“I’m terrible at interviews,” he said.
She got to her feet. “That’s why I want to conduct
the interview for the press release myself. It’ll be good practice for the other interviews. By the way, you’ll be doing the photo shoot this week.”
“Seriously?”
“The men’s magazine editor was so excited about getting this interview that they’re ready to go,” she said breezily. “I emailed him on Saturday, and by Sunday he had replied. I think these magazines are just chomping at the bit to get an interview with you, so they’re fine with short-notice interviews.”
“This week?” He glared daggers at her. “Heather, I never agreed to do a photo shoot this week or any other week.”
“What’s the big deal?” she asked. It was probably dangerous to try to bait him like this, but scheduling a photo shoot so soon was always going to be a risk.
“Photo shoots are for vain, narcissistic idiots.” His eyes narrowed. “What kind of photo shoot is this anyway? It’s not going to be one of those things where I have to take my clothes off, is it?”
“Tell you what... if I take my clothes off, will you do the photo shoot and whatever else I have planned this week?” she asked.
He stared at her, taken aback. “Say what now?”
An idea was forming in her head, and it was so crazy that she had to fight to not talk herself out of it. It was completely and totally inappropriate. She had never thought of anything so unprofessional in her life, but right now she was ready to try anything.
“I was thinking of making this interview process worth your while,” her voice a low, seductive purr. “If you agree to answer my questions, I’ll take off an item of clothing.”
“That is the most unprofessional thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
She decided not to remind him that he had pleasured her several days ago right in this office. “Try to think of it like this—every time you reveal your soul by answering a question, I’ll be revealing my body.”
His blue eyes lit up for a moment, before he quickly narrowed them. “This is insane.”
“We don’t have to do it this way if you don’t want to,” she said.
He held up his hands. “Well... if you’re offering, and you feel completely comfortable with it. I’m not trying to pressure you into anything—”
Her laughter cut him off. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this flustered.”
“You haven’t seen yourself naked lately, have you?” he asked. “Because if you have, you’d understand. How am I supposed to answer questions with a beautiful half-naked woman in my office?”
“This is a one-time offer,” she said bluntly. “So, you can take it or leave it.”
“Lock the door,” he commanded.
She turned around, allowed herself a satisfied smile, and walked over to the door to make sure it was locked. Her heart pounded as she turned back to face him. This was so dangerous. Which was why she couldn’t resist doing it. Couldn’t resist him.
Simon had been right. The danger really was part of the thrill. And for two risk-taking people like them, inviting trouble was far too exciting to give up.
“BE GENTLE,” HE SAID as she walked back over to him.
She laughed, the sound sending his mind into a million different directions. Each thought making his stomach knot up with excitement and apprehension.
They could get into serious trouble for this. The board had warned them to keep their relationship discreet, and though his office door was now locked Heather taking her clothes off in his office was definitely a violation of some unwritten rules.
“What did you want to ask me first?” He kept his gaze locked on hers, needing her eyes to ground him into staying as professional as he could under the circumstances.
She leaned forward and turned on the tape recorder that he suddenly noticed was on his desk.
“I’m going to be recording everything,” she warned.
“Guess that means no swearing,” he said with a smile.
Heather cleared her throat, determination flashing in her eyes. “My first question is, when did you first realize you wanted to work in the tech industry? Was there an event in your childhood that inspired you?”
“You were the event, Heather,” he reminded her. “We had a computer lab at school and I became obsessed. But it wasn’t until you told me that I could do this for a living that I started to realize that my dreams had merit. They weren’t just childhood fantasies. You made me see that.”
The expression on her face softened. Gone was the rigid determination that had been etched in her features. What replaced it was a look of total adoration. Her eyes were huge, her demeanor luminous. She was the one person in his life who genuinely wanted him to succeed, not because she could get something of it but because she cared about him.
Without a word she lifted her hand, pulled her reading glasses off, and placed them on his desk. “Now for the next question—”
“What a minute, that’s it?” he demanded, suddenly feeling cheated. “The first item of clothing you’re taking off is your glasses?”
Her eyebrows furrowed, irritation flickering in her eyes. “You’re not getting to the good stuff with one question, Simon.”
“You do have lovely eyes,” he conceded.
She rewarded him with a smile. “My next question is, how did your family take to your tech dreams?”
“I’m not talking about my family,” he said flatly.
“You’re going to have to give me more than that.”
“Let’s just say that neither of my parents saw the usefulness of technology.” It was the kind of stock, sugar-coated answer that he hated, but his parents were a sore subject. And nobody, not even Heather, was going to change that.
Satisfied, she reached for the pins in her hair and, one by one, slowly started taking them out. There was nothing explicit or inherently erotic about the way her fingers tugged at the hair pins but he was suddenly, painfully, aroused.
As she put the pins on his desk, the bun she usually wore at work started to unravel. Her luxurious auburn hair fanned out, cascading down her shoulders. He ached to run his fingers though the shiny tresses that reminded him of copper-colored silk.
Heather seemed oblivious to his reaction as she ran her hands through her hair to straighten it out. Once she tousled her hair, she gazed at him expectantly. “Ready for the next question?”
If watching her unpin her hair was already getting his heart rate going, then watching her strip was going to short-circuit his brain completely. He prided himself on being in control of his faculties. On his laser-focused intellect. But Heather had the power to turn his brain to mush. Right now, he was marveling at the fact that they had both managed to get any work done at all.
“Ready,” he finally choked out.
“What was it about Stanford that made you want to go there?”
He forced himself to answer the question, though he barely knew what the hell he was saying. If there was anything coherent in his response, he would be amazed. Once he got through praising Stanford, she inched closer to his desk and began to undo the buttons of her blouse.
Each button that came undone revealed the creamy skin beneath until she tossed the fabric aside and stood before him, shirtless. Her lacy black bra had pushed up her breasts, her ample cleavage so tempting and distracting that he had to reach for the brandy he stashed in his drawer and take a long swig.
She laughingly waved him off when he held out the bottle to her. After he answered her questions about how he first learned about Dover she said, “What would you like me to take off next?”
His eyebrow shot up. “You’re letting me choose this time?”
Heather nodded, her silky locks skimming across her shoulders with the movement. “Yes.”
He paused for a moment, trying not to let his erection do all the thinking for him. “Take off your shoes.”
Surprise made her brow furrow. “Really? My shoes? Are you sure?”
“I want you to be comfortable,” he said. “I figure getting out of your shoes would make things ea
sier.”
“Aren’t you sweet.” She slipped her heels off and stared right at him. A familiar heat blazed in her eyes. A look like that from her was always good for his ego.
Swallowing hard Simon adjusted in his seat, still painfully aware of how much trouble they could get into for doing this. “I’m ready for the next question if you are.”
“How did you make the money to pay for your initial investment into Dover?” she asked.
“That’s a long story.” He sighed heavily. A long and complicated story that brought back memories of the last night he ever spent at his parents’ house. “Let’s just say that my father gave me some of his insurance money. Instead of spending it the way he wanted me to spend it, I spent it my way. I also made pretty good money doing coding jobs for small business, and since I was already in college on a scholarship I figured I’d invest in Dover before someone else did.”
“Was it a lot of money?” she asked.
“By today’s standards? Not really. But it was money well spent, considering how things turned out.” He paused before giving her a wolfish smile. “You just asked me two questions, so I’m guessing you’d like to take off two items of clothing.”
She returned his smile, the glint in her eyes telling him that she was enjoying this maybe even more than he was. She slowly started to unzip her skirt, letting the gray fabric pool around her feet.
Now she was stripped down to her stockings and underwear, her creamy skin flushed with desire. He had seen her naked so many times now, and each time his heart raced like crazy. There was no way he would ever get tired of seeing her undress for him. Seeing her bare herself to him until she kept nothing hidden.
He eyed the tempting curves of her body, enjoying the way her body tapered down from her breasts to her hips. Hips he was dying to grip in his hands while her body trembled at his touch. Hips that his eyes followed down until he stopped at the place between her legs. The place that her black lace panties kept hidden from him.
