“Is it important? And who is it?”
“He says it is and his name is Paulson Torres.”
“Send him in.”
The man entered and closed the door behind him. Paulson was a good-sized man.
“Can I help you, Mr. Torres?”
The silent man approached his desk, hands in his pockets.
“Is everything okay with Neela?” Christ, was that his voice sounding desperate?
Bam! The punch came out of nowhere and laid him out flat. Paulson stood over him murder in his eyes.
“You’re going to make this right or I’m going to kill you.”
What the fuck is he going on about? Rubbing his jaw, he began sitting up, with wary concern. “Care to fill me in on what the assault was about?”
Neela yawned and stretched her arms over her head, enjoying the beautiful sunset playing out over the balcony as well as the lake beyond. Tonight was hers and hers alone. Paulson had a date, and the girls did as well with some friends they’d met at school. They were involved in a sleepover and quite honestly, she was oh-so happy to allow that woman to have a handful of pre-teen girls running and screaming all over.
She relaxed on the lounge and wriggled her toes as the soft strands of John Dreamer’s Rise replaced Broken Sorrow from Nuttin’ But Stringz.
A warm breeze poured over her, and she sighed, sinking deeper into the soft cushions. Beside her sat a tall drink of sweet tea but she wasn’t thirsty.
Okay, perhaps I am but I’m just too damn comfortable to move anywhere.
The music continued to shift, from genre to genre, however it was still slow and relaxing. When only a few streaks of light from the setting sun pierced the sky, she swung her feet over the edge of the lounge and pushed to her feet.
“Time to find some dinner.”
She swiped her drink on the way and walked inside. Neela frowned as the smell of Italian food reached her.
“Paulson? Are you back early from your date? Did something happen that she was an absolute twat and I have to go kick her ass?” Silence. She shook her head. “You know if you would just agree to date Mara, this wouldn’t be an issue. She’s not technically a stalker and the girls love her.”
“Tell me, Neela, is Mara the dark-haired one or the redheaded one who gives you places to live wherever you want them? I mean they were both sexy but the third in that group snared my attention.” Jack walked into view, wiping his hands on a towel. “And from that very first day she’s sunk her claws into me and I can’t get them out.” He held her gaze. “Nor do I want to.”
Her body flashed with a whirlwind of emotions. Shock. Desire. Fear. Anger. Lust. And even more lust.
It didn’t seem that her body had gotten the message she and the man before her were no longer an item. Like a starving animal before a feast, she ate up the vision before her, craving more. Her fingertips burned with a preposterous need to touch him, skim over the ridges in his hard body.
Silence lingered between them for a moment until he cocked his head to the side. “Hello Neela.”
She couldn’t find the words. He wasn’t in a suit but jeans and a shirt as he’d been that first time she’d met him. Neela stared and blinked.
“Are you going to talk to me?”
“How the hell did you get in here?”
His eyes narrowed a fraction. “That’s what you have to say to me after all this time and the way you left?”
Her bristling was instinctive. Instead of reacting as normal, she shrugged and took a deep breath. Kind of a mixed bag of smart and stupid on her part. She needed the air, however, that allowed his scent to flow in and imbued into her once more.
“Go away, Mr. Perrot.”
His gaze singed her, but she refused to drop her own. This was her place, not work.
“I’m not going anywhere until we have a talk.”
“Why now? I’ve been gone for months. Why do you feel the need for one now?” She gestured to her body. “I’m not pregnant and if I had been I wouldn’t have come to you, anyway. Wouldn’t want my child to think it was only in this world because I was after your money.”
“I deserved that. Come on and eat, Neela. Give me a chance to do what I should have done that day.”
Her laughter was harsh and completely unfriendly.
“That’s the thing, you didn’t have to do anything that day. You did what was natural to you. I didn’t expect you to defend me. I went into our situation with my eyes wide open, and against my own better judgement, but it was my decision. I was your assistant that’s it. While in my head, my fantasies could have gotten out of control, it is what it is. You could have however, corrected them when they began dragging my name through the mud. I gave you two extra weeks to see if you would step up and do anything of the sort. When it didn’t come, I left. I didn’t need a knight in shining armor, I just needed my boss, one of the wealthiest men in the world to step up and state they were wrong. There was nothing between us and I had been moved up from the mailroom because I earned it, not because you wanted to fuck me, even though that’s what the true reason was.”
“Neela.”
“No. they didn’t go after you because they were afraid of what you and your team of lawyers could do to them, so they picked on me. Paulson. The girls. All because you live in your own glass bubble and don’t see the rest of the world has feelings and can actually be hurt by your decisions and lack of giving a damn. So there, we’ve talked. Now go.”
He didn’t, in fact he moved closer to her. Refusing to back away, Neela locked her knees as they’d begun to shake.
“You’re right. I’m an asshole. Always have been. Probably always will be. But I’m damn good at my job and overall my employees are happy to be working with me. Granted Toby does more with the employees than I do, but across the world they are happy to be with us.”
“Congratulations,” she drew out. “They why bother one employee who walked away if you have so many who are happy there. Surely you can find another to be your assistant.”
Even saying the words cut her again. She’d made it her mission to not think of all the women he could be sleeping with. Not wanting to think of another on her hands and knees before him sucking his thickness. Or accepting his dick doggy style as he pounded home with an endless control.
“Because I didn’t hurt them. I hurt an employee I actually care about.” He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the kitchen where she found the table set for two. The lasagna looked delicious and smelled better. Her stomach rumbled as he held her chair for her.
She kept her hands in her lap as he took the chair across from her. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a lighter to put flame to the tapers between them.
“I’m to tired to play games, what do you want?”
He ate a bite of food. “I want to apologize to you. It’s not something I do often or well.”
She tore the bread into tiny pieces. “So what? I should be in awe of your magnanimous gesture of apologizing to me as you don’t do it often?”
“No. You were never in awe of me, Neela. You didn’t allow my money to change how you viewed me. If I needed a correction, you gave it. Without hesitation. You were brutally honest with me when I asked a question and would intervene if you thought I wasn’t doing right.”
“So I’m opinionated.”
He nodded. “You are. And I respect the hell out of that. And what you did. I pushed you to the limit. Testing what you would allow me to do and not. But I always would listen to your suggestions, your view on something. Others pander to me because of the money, and that they thought it was what I wanted to hear. Not you. You always put others first and as Todd puts it, gave me back the humanity that I had lost a long time ago.”
She ate the bread while he spoke, the garlic flavor seeping into her taste buds. Some days it was bread that was needed. The rest of the food looked delicious, but she wanted bread.
“Still doesn’t say what your reasoning is for b
eing here now.”
“Because I’m in love with you.”
Neela began choking. Eyes watering as she coughed, she barely saw him shove back from the table and rush to her side. There was no mistaking the touch of his hand on her back as he gave a few sharp pounds.
“I’m sorry,” she wheezed when she could finally find some air. “What did you say?”
“I said I was in love with you.”
“Why would you say that? Do you truly need me back as your personal assistant so bad that you lie like this?”
He turned the chair and positioned himself between her legs. “Neela, look at me.”
She wiped her eyes, took a drink of wine, and did as he’d commanded. “What?”
“Through everything. Have you known me to lie? I’m not going to say I wasn’t hard to work for, but did I ever lie to you?”
She couldn’t say he had. He did what he said he would and had been brutally honest at all times. “Not that I know of, no.”
“So why do you think I would do so now?”
Neela didn’t have an answer for that. “Because I’m not sure you’re capable of loving.” Damn my heart that wants to believe him, so bad.
“And I don’t think I was until you. But I was wrong. Because I most definitely am in love with you. I want you back in my life. I want to be in yours.”
More tears came and this time she shook her head. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I think it’s a perfect idea. We were good together, Neela. Hell, we were awesome together.”
“So you want me for the sex?”
“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer. I want you. And everything that comes with you, including that overprotective ass of a basic brother in Paulson and that viper redhead.”
“I’d ask what that means but I’m scared to find out.”
“I’ll tell you later. Right now I really want to kiss you. Then we can move into the living room and continue this discussion. Tell me you’ll give me a chance to prove myself to you, Neela. Please.”
It was that final word that hammered home her decision. She still loved him and if he was willing to come find her, okay so with his money that may not have proved to be so hard, and come to her as he was. She could give him a chance. Let’s face it, she missed him like hell.
“Who knew I would be having a tryst with a CEO that would change my life.” She cupped his face and pressed her lips to his. “Yes. Yes, Jack. You have a chance.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her from the chair to straddle his lap on the floor, deepening the kiss as he did so.
Neela didn’t care about the dinner growing cold, all that mattered right now was the man with her. Her very own CEO.
Book One in the Cottonwood Falls series
Relentless
Not everything new is best
Tobias Latner has come home to buy up property and build a new mall. With the misguided belief it will be best for the town, he’s shocked by the amount of resistance he receives. More than that, he’s shaken by the intense attraction he feels to one of the residents.
Dr. Melinda Glazer comes home when her father is diagnosed with cancer, to work the clinic so it doesn’t have to close. Her lust for Toby Latner is a distraction she feels she can move beyond if she gets it out of her blood. She doesn’t realize how wrong she is, nor how relentless the businessman can be when he sets his sights on something he wants.
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http://aliyah-burke.com/books/series/cottonwoodfalls.htm
About the Author
Aliyah Burke is an avid reader and is never far from pen and paper (or the computer). She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached here. She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. She is married to a career military man. They are owned by four Borzoi. She spends her days sharing time between work, writing, and dog training.
I hope you enjoyed reading, Tryst With the CEO. If you could help others to find and enjoy this book as well, I would appreciate that act of kindness. You can do this by recommending it to your friends and/or reader’s groups. Also by reviewing it to let others know you liked it, even only a line or two—and why—even if it’s nothing more than a line or two. Every bit helps, makes all the difference and is absolutely appreciated.
Thank you so much for your support!!
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Phantom of the Office
N.R. Larry
Phantom of the Office @N.R. Larry
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All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Phantom of the Office
Aria thinks her boss is a bumbling, unorganized fool who can’t find a suit that fits him.
Erik knows Aria doesn’t respect him, but he can’t help casting her in his fantasies.
And Erik loves his fantasies, as Aria will soon find out.
And she can’t help but play along.
1
Aria
I couldn’t see him, but I knew he had to be watching me as I clicked through that day’s issue of The Feed. Narrowing my eyes, I leaned closer to my screen and gripped my wireless mouse hard enough to almost crack it. A bulky figure shuffled at the back of my monitor, and I slowly lifted my gaze to stare at Garret. He nodded, walked around to my desk, held up a tiny coffee cup, one of those ones meant to hold shots of expresso, and smiled.
“You look like you can use it this morning,” he said.
I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms, already suspicious. “Where is my article?” When the words left my mouth, I was proud that I’d managed not to snort at the word ‘article.’ It was a post, after all. And I was a grown woman who worked for a blog that happened to be one of the nation’s number one source for news.
Garret sighed and leaned against the filing cabinet I used to block the view my boss had to my cubicle. A girl needed privacy to laugh at grumpy cat memes throughout the day, after all.
“You know I’m not in charge of that,” he said, holding the cup out to me.
With a frown, I reached out and took the cup. It felt like a bribe. He didn’t want me to throw a fit. I held the cup to my lips and tested the temperature. It was still hot enough to warm me up, but cool enough to knock back, which I did. I wiped my mouth on the sleeve of my shirt, and handed him back the cup.
He laughed, and then shook his head. “You’re savage.”
I winked. “Go ahead and get to what you’re not telling me.”
He grimaced and then nodded over to the boss’s office. “He wants to see you.”
I sighed and slid down in my chair. “In that case, you could have added a little Bailey’s to that.”
“Just go in and get it over with. I’ll be able to squeeze you into tonight’s issue once he approves it.”
There was a loud sigh from my right. I glanced over at Amy—or Molly?—the new fact checker in the office. Her fingers hovered over her keyboard, and she shot me a sideways glance from hell. I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. When I turned back to Garret, he
gave me a look that said he knew exactly what I was thinking.
He glanced over at whatever her name was and said, “Sorry!” much louder than necessary.
I couldn’t see her reaction because I was still looking at him, but he grinned, and she went back to her loud typing.
He jutted a thumb over his shoulder. “Get it over with,” he said again.
I stood and smoothed down my lime green T-shirt. “Lunch today?” I asked as he headed back to his desk.
While in the middle of a row of cubicles, he raised a thumbs-up into the air.
Grinning, I stepped around my filing cabinet, dodged out of the way of the coffee cart, and made my way to the side office with a glass view out into the main office.
Stopping outside of his office, I sighed. There was some kind of show tune blasting through the glass, making it vibrate. I rolled my eyes and rapped my knuckles against the door. I didn’t know why I always engaged in this ritual. He never heard when I knocked. After a few seconds, I opened the door and stuck my head in.
Stepping into his office was always like stepping into the bedroom of a sixteen-year-old gay boy. There were papers falling off his desk and fluttering from the bookshelves. Each wall was plastered with some Broadway musical or opera. On the couch underneath the window was a modern record player that he was currently using to play “Façade” from Jekyll and Hyde.
I rolled my eyes as I stepped in, and the door swung shut behind me. It didn’t matter that it was one of my favorite numbers from one of my favorite musicals. I absolutely loathed speaking to my boss. I cleared my throat and narrowed my eyes as he, with a drumstick in each hand, twirled around the room as if he were directing an orchestra.
Seduction in a Suit: An Office Romance Collection Page 127
