Hanna nodded. To my relief, she smiled. “That actually sounds amazing,” she said. She yawned again.
“We can eat, then you’ll finish up and go home,” I said. As soon as Hanna nodded, I went into my office and called my favorite local Indian place, ordering practically everything on the menu. Pakora, samosas, naan, butter chicken, saag paneer, goat biryani, anything that I thought Hanna would like. By the time I was done, the total was over one hundred dollars. I snickered as I pulled out my personal card as I imagined the confused look on the delivery driver’s face when he realized all of this food was only to be for two people.
When the food came, I had the delivery guy spread it out in the conference room. I dimmed the lights for effect until the room was almost dark, then I walked over to Hanna’s desk and cleared my throat.
“Please,” I said with an exaggerated bow. “Join me in the conference room.”
Hanna giggled. She got to her feet and stretched, raising her hands high above her head. Her sweater rose up, exposing a strip of pale, taut flesh. My heart began to pound as I imagined dropping to my knees, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her stomach.
“Wow,” Hanna said as I led her into the conference room. “Um, did you order all of this for us?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t know what you’d like,” I said. “But I can assure you – it’s all good. This place is fantastic.”
Hanna smiled. She took a paper plate and began loading it with food. I followed suit and soon we were sitting in silence as we tore through the food. Sharing a meal with her was nice – I didn’t feel pressure to talk, and it was strangely intimate despite the fact that we were alone in a giant conference room.
“So,” Hanna said. She covered her mouth swallowed, then took a sip of water. “Did you always know that you would grow up to be CEO?”
I shrugged. “Yes and no.”
Hanna raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What does that mean?”
I frowned. “My family was…complicated, when I was growing up,” I said. “I was at odds with my father for many years. And well, I wasn’t sure whether or not that would be resolved by the time it was my turn to take over.” Not to mention my brothers, I thought darkly, narrowing my eyes.
“Ah,” Hanna said. She set her plate down and put her hands on her stomach. “I can understand that.”
“Oh yeah?” I smirked at her. “What, there’s some company out there waiting for you to inherit?”
Hanna flushed at my stupid joke. “No,” she said. “I mean, well, not really. I grew up in a big family. I always felt like my brothers and sisters and I were competing for our parents’ affection.”
“I can’t imagine that,” I said honestly. “Every single thing I did was placed under a microscope and analyzed until it was practically ripped apart.”
Hanna bit her lip. “To be honest, that doesn’t sound like much fun, either,” she said softly. She picked up a piece of naan and began tearing it apart with her fingers. “I mean, I can’t imagine what that would be like. My parents didn’t really pay attention to me. I think it was because I always behaved,” she added in a rueful voice.
I laughed. “What, you weren’t the rebellious troublemaker?” I smirked at her. “Miss, ‘I Lie About My Name At Parties,’ or should I say Beth?”
To my relief, Hanna flushed. “You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you that was the one time I ever did something wrong,” she said. “And no – it was always about my older sister, and how much she could manage to piss off our parents in one day.”
Hanna felt silent and bit her lip. “You probably don’t want to be hearing all of this,” she said. “I should shut up – I’m just tired, really. Thank you for dinner.” She put the naan down and glanced over all of the uneaten food. “I should box this up and put it in the fridge, then leave it out tomorrow. The other assistants might like a free lunch.”
“I want to hear anything you want to tell me,” I said honestly. In the dim light of the room, Hanna had never looked more beautiful. Her glossy hair was brushed back in a low bun and the collar of her shirt was open, exposing her creamy throat.
Hanna looked at me. Her green eyes were as big as saucers. Suddenly, in that moment, I knew that she felt the same way about me. That she’d longed for me, that she’d never given up hope of seeing me again. As I got to my feet, my heart was in my throat.
I moved toward Hanna and took her hand, pulling her close. I wrapped my arms around her waist and leaned in for a kiss. Hanna closed her eyes and tilted her head back, pressing her body against mine and wrapping her arms around my neck. She moaned softly into my mouth as our tongues began a slow, delicate dance of passion. I could feel her heart was thumping in her chest as she pressed her body tightly against mine. Beneath her thin shirt, I could feel her amazing tits and I slipped my hands between our bodies and fumbled with the buttons of her blouse. Hanna moaned softly, but she didn’t stop me. She cocked her head to the side and buried it in my neck. The sensation of her warm breath against my neck and earlobe was enough to make me explode and I shuddered as I slipped Hanna’s shirt off her shoulders. Her skin was amazingly warm in my hands and when I slipped my hand into the cup of her bra and brushed my thumb against her stiff nipple, Hanna arched her back and bit her lip. I could see that she was squirming and twisting with lust, and I scooped her into my arms, covering her mouth with mine in a passionate kiss.
Just then, bright light flooded the room. Hanna shrieked and leapt away from me, clutching her shirt to her chest.
I groaned as I saw one of the janitors standing in the hall, his jaw hanging out.
Anger and frustration welled up inside of me and I turned to him, clenching my jaw.
“Leave, now,” I growled. “Go home for the night!”
The janitor turned and began to flee. When I turned back to Hanna, she was hastily buttoning her shirt with shaking hands.
“Hanna, wait,” I said. “Come on – you don’t have to go.”
Hanna looked up at me with passion and anguish on her face. “Yes, I do,” she said, her voice barely audible. “I can’t do this with you, James, you’re my boss! I can’t be with you! And I can’t risk my job, either!”
“It doesn’t matter—”
“Yes, it does,” Hanna said. And before I could stop her, she raced past me.
And then I was left alone, with a throbbing cock and balls, wondering what the hell was happening to my formerly perfect life.
Chapter Seven
Hanna
When I got home, Danielle was sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of wine and a magazine. When she saw me, she frowned.
“Late night at the office? Or more time with Hunky Billionaire?”
I groaned. “Please, don’t call him that,” I said, burying my face in my hands and groaning. “And yes, it was a long night.” I remembered just then that I hadn’t even finished up the work I’d wanted to finish – and tomorrow, I had to go back in and face James!
“Oh, god,” Danielle said. She narrowed her eyes and set her magazine down. “Something happened, didn’t it?”
“No,” I lied. I took off my coat and kicked off my snow boots onto the mat by the corner of the door. They were wet and dripping with slush and ice, but I didn’t care. I felt too exhausted and confused to do anything but flop down on the couch and close my eyes.
“You’re lying,” Danielle said with a smug expression. She poured another glass of wine and walked over to the couch where she held it out to me. I accepted gratefully and took a long drink.
“No, I’m not,” I said, looking down so she wouldn’t see my red cheeks. “I just had a long day, that’s all.”
“Well, when he took your shirt off, you buttoned it up wrong,” Danielle said, smirking.
Looking down, I saw that she was right. In my hasty attempt to run away from James – and the janitor – I’d missed a button, and my shirt was crumpled and gaping open, exposing the middle of my lacy bra.
�
�That was an accident,” I said defensively.
Danielle sighed. She took a long sip of her wine and gave me a sympathetic look. “Hanna, you know I’m not trying to bust your balls,” she said. “But I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”
I pulled a pillow from the couch and held it in front of my face, groaning into the material. Danielle yanked it away and tossed it to the side. “I’m being serious,” she said. “Hanna, I’m your best friend, girl. What the hell is the matter? Is he a real jerk of a boss? Did someone attack you?”
“No,” I said, heaving a sigh before launching into the story of my day. “It was so weird, Danielle. I felt…I felt so close to him, just sitting there and talking like that. It was almost like, you know…”
“A year ago? Right before you had sex?” Danielle gave me a knowing grin.
“No,” I lied again. “But you know just…normal. Just like, we had met in a bar or something, or at a party.”
“On equal footing,” Danielle suggested.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “On equal footing.”
“Well, I think he obviously likes you – a lot,” Danielle said. “I mean, he’s been drooling over you since you got there. You think he does that with all his secretaries?”
I flashed back to my interview with Linda, the head of Human Resources at Magnate. A shiver ran down my back.
“What?” Danielle frowned. “Tell me.”
“Nothing,” I said. I bit my lip. “It’s just, when I was interviewing for the position, the lady interviewing me said something about lack of professional conduct. I assumed she’d meant me – you know, like don’t hit on the boss, even if he is super-hot and also mega-rich. But what if she meant him? What if he has a history of trying to sleep with everyone who works for him?”
“I don’t think that’s it,” Danielle countered. “It sounds like he really likes you. I mean, he took you to the hospital, for god’s sake! Don’t you think that means anything?”
“Danielle, he only took me to the hospital because he felt guilty. I mean, he’s the reason I spilled that stupid coffee in the first place!”
“Well, he ordered a truckload of Indian food,” Danielle said. She raised an eyebrow. “And anyone who’s talked to you for five seconds knows that the clear way to your heart is through your stomach.”
“He’s rich, he could’ve ordered four times that for just himself and thrown away the leftovers,” I said morosely. “I don’t think it means anything. I think he’s just horny. And I think he’s being so persistent because I haven’t caved and slept with him again.”
“You know it’s going to happen,” Danielle said with a sly grin. “I mean, it has to.”
“No, it doesn’t,” I argued. “I’m not losing my job over this!”
“Whoa, calm down,” Danielle said. “I never said you would. But it’s clear that you both like each other. What happens when you find a new job?”
I eyed her. “I’m not even looking,” I said truthfully. “I don’t have time. They keep me too busy.”
Danielle shrugged. “Well, still,” she said. “I know you want him, Hanna. And he wants you. What’s keeping you from it?”
I bit my lip. “Everything,” I said slowly. “For one thing, he’d never want to date a person like me for too long – we have nothing in common! And for another, he’s my boss…and one of the most powerful people in Boston!”
“So, take advantage of that,” Danielle said. She smirked at me. “Why not?”
I sighed. As we sat there on the couch, I made a vow that I wasn’t going to cave. I was going to go into work the next day and ignore James West…no matter how difficult it became.
***
In the morning, I got up feeling refreshed. Today was a new day, and I was determined to avoid temptation, also known as James West. I took a quick shower and dressed in a designer suit I’d bought from a secondhand shop back when I’d first been interviewing for jobs.
Danielle was in the kitchen, frying up a pan full of bacon. When she saw me, she cocked her head to the side and grinned.
“Look at you, Miss Boss Lady,” Danielle said. “You look like you’re about to go in there kicking ass and taking names.”
I grinned. “That’s the idea, at least,” I replied.
Danielle took a piece of bacon from the plate next to the stove and handed it over to me with great gusto.
“Go forth and conquer,” she said as I took the bacon from her hands and chewed rapidly. It was so good that I reached for another piece and scarfed it down before washing my hands and pulling my coat, hat, and gloves on.
Outside, the snow had finally stopped but it was still blustery and frigid. I shivered as I made my way downtown, to the looming building of Magnate Group. As soon as I was inside, I tried to act like nothing had happened between James and me the night before, like everything was totally normal. It was fine until I got to his office. When I saw him through the glass paneling, a rush of feelings came over me and I gripped the edge of my desk to steady himself. He was sitting at his desk, typing away at his computer with his forehead creased and his pouty lips pressed together. His dark hair was as unruly as ever, and a ripple of lust went through me as I watched his bulging, muscular arms through the thin material of his shirt.
James’s head snapped up. When he saw me staring at him, he grinned and got to his feet. I blushed and kept my head down as I scurried over to my desk and sat down, hastily pulling a folder out of my bag.
“Here’s what I was working on yesterday,” I said, handing it over to James. “I’m sorry I didn’t finish up last night.”
“Not a problem,” James said. His face seemed to be twisted in a perpetual blend of a grin and a smirk. It made me feel close to him and distant at the same time – was he like this with everyone? Did he always wear that mask of perfection?
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” I asked, shifting my weight in my chair and looking up. From a seated position, James looked even more intimidating, and the way he was standing so close to my desk sent shivers running down my spine.
“No,” James said in a low voice. “Thank you, Hanna.”
It wasn’t until James had gone back inside his office and shut the door that I realized I felt a little regretful. Part of me had wanted him to say something about the previous night – our steamy kiss, his hands on my body. No, Hanna, I thought, chastising myself as I logged into my computer and checked my email. You can’t keep thinking like this – you know it’s never going to happen. It can’t!
The hours seemed to crawl by as I worked. James kept to his office, and there were hardly any calls. By the time I saw the other employees leaving for lunch, it felt like I’d been sitting at my desk for a year. I sat on the edge of my seat, half-waiting to see if James would emerge from his office and come over to flirt with me…and when he never did, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
“Hanna!”
The sound of my name pushed me back into reality and I looked up from my computer, blinking. Linda, the head of Human Resources, was standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. She looked harried and rumpled, and her normally-calm face was pressed into a tense expression.
“Yes?”
“I need your help,” Linda said quickly. She leaned in close. “We’ve had a…situation with one of our employees,” she said in a hushed tone. “And I need someone on her desk, immediately. Can James spare you for the afternoon?”
“You’d have to ask him,” I said. I frowned. “Why me, exactly?”
Linda sighed. “Look, Hanna, I hate to do this – I know you’ve only been here a few weeks – but you’re the only person who can help. I went back and looked at your resume – you should’ve told me that you had such experience with digital media!”
“Oh,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Okay. Sure.” I stood up and brushed my hands off on my pants. “I’d be glad to help out.”
“Oh, thank you, you’re the best,” Linda said.
She looked significantly less worried than she had a moment ago. “I’ll just go ask James if he can spare you, and why don’t you take your things? I’ll have someone bring you a sandwich or a salad – sorry, but I don’t think there’s time for you to leave today.”
“It’s fine,” I said.
Ten minutes later, I was settling into a small office on the floor below. There were five computers, all set to different social media sites and accounts, and the notifications were flying. I couldn’t help but grin as I sat down and began working.
Being away from James had a positive effect on my productivity. By the end of the day, I’d written four blog posts, scheduled Tweets for a month, and begun responding to all claims on Facebook.
Just as I was about to wrap up, Linda came in with a smile on her face.
“Hanna, this is amazing,” she said. “You’ve done a really great job.”
“Thanks,” I said. “This was fun. Honestly.”
“Well, how would you like to do it full time? We had to let Stephanie go, and filling an administrative position will be much easier than finding another good social media guru.”
I flushed. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” Linda said. “I’ll have the official promotion paperwork drawn up tomorrow, is that all right?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding. “Thank you so much!”
The Xmas Conquest Page 6
