She gritted her teeth to keep from angry crying into the phone.
Rick clearly misinterpreted her silence as capitulation and he continued with his argument of why she had to see this job through. He adopted his best buddy-buddy tone and dropped his voice. “Listen, Lace, you know the company’s policy. You’re still in the six-month probation period. If you had a little seniority, maybe I could pull some strings but as a probie …”
You’ll lose your job. He didn’t say it but he didn’t have to. She’d heard all the strict lectures during training and had heard the horror stories of newbies who lost their shot at a good career thanks to one stupid screw-up. Did she want to be the next newbie screw-up story? More important, did she want the jackass upstairs to be the reason she was out of a job and up to her eyeballs in debt?
No. The answer was most definitely no.
“Fine,” she bit out through gritted teeth. “I’ll do it.”
“That’s my girl. Now go get yourself to the airport. Lawrence said he’d have a pilot waiting to fly you out as soon as the weather clears.”
Her nostrils flared as she swallowed that last bit. He’d known she’d say yes once he put the pressure on her boss. The arrogant son of a bitch.
“Lacey, let me explain,” Alex started the moment she walked into the hotel room.
She waved away his words and scrupulously avoided staring at his bare chest. His tanned, hard, perfectly sculpted chest. “I don’t want to hear it, Lawrence.”
He winced at the use of his given name. “Please call me Alex. My grandfather is the only one who calls me Lawrence.”
She walked past him, ignoring his attempts to stop her as she gathered her belongings which were strewn around the room—clear evidence of their one-night-stand the night before.
He heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his dark, tousled hair. “Lacey, please let me explain. If we’re going to work together—“
“Let’s get one thing straight,” she said as she snatched up a pair of panties from the nightstand. “I am not coming back for you; I’m doing this because it is my job. I need this job, as you well know, and I’m not going to let one drunken mistake with a giant asshole ruin everything.”
She saw him open his mouth to speak and cut him off before he had the chance. “This,” she gestured wildly around the room. “This will never happen again. Is that clear?”
The nod he gave her could only be described as sheepish, but the smile he was holding back was enough to bring on the tears of fury with a vengeance. “I mean it, Alex. This was a one-night thing. If I’d known who you were ...”
He took a step closer, so he was in her personal space. “You what? You wouldn’t have slept with me? You wouldn’t have had fun? Wouldn’t have spilled all your deep, dark secrets?”
He was mocking her. Teasing her. She could feel the tears of anger welling up despite every effort to hold them back.
Alex saw them too and his reaction was almost comical. He was a deer in headlights in the face of a woman crying. His tone lost all of its teasing and he reached out a hand to touch her arm. “Hey ... hey. Don’t do that. Don’t cry.” He looked terrified as he forced a joking tone, clearly trying to make her smile. “Last night wasn’t that bad, was it?”
She opened her mouth to respond but couldn’t get past the lump in her throat. She swallowed thickly, and he leaned in, concern written all over his face. She fought to get words out through gritted teeth. “You. Are. An. Asshole.”
They were silent on the way to the airport and soon Lacey found herself sitting across from Alex in the same waiting room where they’d met less than twelve hours before. She was wearing the same no-nonsense black suit and her battered luggage sat beside her. The only difference was, this time she was intimately acquainted with the hottie who sat across from her and her head was throbbing from a killer hangover.
She was determined to ignore the elephant in the room. Pretend the night before had never happened. That was the only way she would get through the next two weeks with her sanity intact.
She watched Alex fidget in his seat until he clearly couldn’t take the silence any longer. “So, about last night,” he started.
Lacey narrowed her eyes and shot him a withering glare. Clearly he had not gotten the memo that last night had never happened. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I just want you to know, I never meant for it to go that far.”
She inhaled sharply. So this was her fault? Was he implying she’d thrown herself at him? Or that she was easy? “Neither did I,” she bit out.
“Yeah, I know.”
She saw his eyes flicker to her left ring finger before he looked away. She’d completely forgotten about the ring. Just like she’d forgotten all about it last night. She mentally fast forwarded through their conversations and came to the realization with a jolt. She had never gotten around to coming clean about the ring. As far as he knew, she was engaged. And yet he’d still slept with her. She hadn’t known her opinion of Mr. Lawrence Newsom could sink any lower. On top of lying about his identity, he’d also slept with a taken woman. He was a liar and a cheat.
Oh, she sure knew how to pick ‘em. She let out a derisive snort and his gaze shot to her face.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
He rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, are you not going to speak to me for the remainder of your contract? What kind of public speaking lesson is that going to be?”
“I will speak to you when my job requires it, nothing more and nothing less.” She sounded like a bratty child, even to her own ears.
He sat there watching her with those gorgeous green eyes. It was impossible to read what he was thinking, and she could only hope that her poker face was half as good. She could hear the seconds tick by on the clock behind the unmanned desk, keeping time with the hammer that was pounding her temples. They’d been told they would be taking off within the hour, and so far she felt as though they’d been stuck in that little room for days.
“Don’t you want to know why I called your boss and requested that you stay on this job?”
She pursed her lips. She did want to know. Of course she did. But she refused to give him the satisfaction.
“Don’t you want to know why I didn’t tell you that I’m your boss?”
“You’re not my boss,” she snapped. “You’re my client. The company I work for is my employer; you are merely another job.”
I’m such a fraud. I have no idea why they hired me in the first place. She heard her words from the night before reverberating in her skull. Why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut for once in her life?
If Alex was remembering her admissions of ignorance and failure, he didn’t let on. He ran a hand through his annoyingly perfect hair. How was it that he still looked perfect while she felt like she’d been run over by a truck? She didn’t have to look in a mirror to know that she looked just as bad as she felt.
“That’s exactly why I didn’t say anything,” he muttered.
“What?”
He leaned forward in his chair and looked straight into her eyes. “That’s the reason I didn’t tell you right away that I’m Lawrence Newsom. I didn’t want you to treat me like the client. I didn’t want to be ‘Mr. Newsom’ last night. I just wanted to be Alex and hang out with the beautiful, funny woman I was lucky enough to be stranded with. And that started before I knew you were the one calling me.”
Lacey felt her cheeks warming from the compliment and made a point of studying her hands in her lap. She would not cave that easily. He had lied to her and let her sleep with him knowing that she didn’t know the truth.
He let out a heavy sigh. “I know that’s not a good excuse. But you’ve got to admit, you would never have let your guard down if you’d known who I was.”
“Exactly,” she said. “I would never have acted like that if I’d known.”
He had the good grace to look ashamed. “I know. I’m sorry. I did inten
d to tell you. My full name and about the calls. I just—I just—”
Whatever excuse he was about to give was cut off by an airport employee who poked his head into the office and signaled to Alex that he was needed. He left, and Lacey found herself staring after him like a puppy dog as she waited all alone.
She found herself trying to complete Alex’s unfinished sentence. Why didn’t he tell her? Did he forget? Was he too drunk to care? Had he been so caught up by the incredible sexual tension that he couldn’t remember his own name?
Not that his explanations would have made anything better but she was curious to see how he’d try to rationalize his terrible behavior.
Not that he could.
But she really wanted to see him try.
Chapter Three
ALEX WAS RELIEVED to be sitting in the cockpit next to his co-pilot, where he was mercifully out of eyeshot of Lacey’s brutal glare.
He’d made women angry before, but he’d never felt like this. Maybe because he’d never acted like this before. From the moment he woke this morning, he’d felt the cold teeth of guilt gnawing at his insides.
What had he been thinking? He hadn’t been thinking, not with his brain. He’d never meant to let it get that far. But he was having so much fun, and he’d known what would happen if he’d come clean. The longer he’d waited, the harder it was to own up to the truth. He’d told himself he’d tell her in the morning.
He grimaced at the memory of her expression when she’d discovered his true identity. He never wanted to see that look again.
He couldn’t let her leave like that. He’d had to make things right. So he’d done what his father and grandfather would have done—he’d abused his power as the head of a Fortune 500 company and all but demanded she stay on the job. And be by his side for the next two weeks.
Oh, he was most certainly going to hell for this one.
Not that he was the only guilty party here. He had to remind himself for the millionth time that the ring on her finger was no cereal box prize. What had she said when he’d called her on it? It’s complicated. Riiight.
Complicated or not, she was wearing another man’s ring. Another dose of guilt for him but nothing compared to what she must be feeling—unless she was a cold-hearted bitch. He remembered the way her eyes lit up with laughter as she poked fun at herself. No, he couldn’t believe she could ever be cruel. So maybe some of her fury was because she was mad at herself? He flinched again at the memory of that look.
Maybe not.
The flight from Chicago to New York City was smooth and he never heard a peep from his angry passenger. He hoped she was sleeping it off. Maybe she’d wake up in a better mood. Unlikely, but a guy could hope.
By the time he’d finished with his business and disembarked, Lacey had already left the plane and gotten into the limo which was now waiting for him. He opened the passenger door and slid into the seat across from her.
“Hello again.” He flashed her a smile he’d been told was charming. Irresistible even. All he got in return was a withering glare. Her wild blond curls were pulled into a neat bun, and she looked more gorgeous than ever.
He saw her wince when he slammed the door shut and smothered a grin. He cleared his throat to speak, still not entirely certain how he was going to talk his way out of this mess, but he was determined to try. She was beautiful, smart and quite possibly the most enchanting woman he’d ever met. There was no way he could live with himself without at least explaining his behavior. He hated the very idea that she thought of him as a duplicitous, entitled ass. And how could she not after the way he’d acted? At the very least, he had to ask for her forgiveness. But before he could even open his mouth, she had tipped her head to the side and closed her eyes. It looked for all the world as though she were fast asleep.
Several seconds went by as he watched her, his mouth still open, ready to speak. But how could he wake her? She looked so goddamn beautiful and innocent when she was sleeping. Anytime she wasn’t glaring at him, really.
They reached the hotel in record time. Her head snapped up the moment they came to a stop, leaving him to wonder if she’d been sleeping at all or if she’d just been pretending to avoid speaking to him. That thought made his jaw clench. He’d never been able to pass up a challenge.
“So I’ll be seeing you later this afternoon then?” he said as she attempted to slide gracefully out the door. Not an easy feat in a slim cut skirt and heels.
She looked to him, seemingly surprised that he’d spoken to her. Well she’d better get used to it. They were going to be working together side by side for the next two weeks. The thought made him inexplicably happy.
“Shall I send the car for you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Don’t bother, I can walk. I’ll just drop off my things and freshen up, and I’ll meet you there.”
He had to hand it to her. For someone who had just been through all the ups and downs she had been through over the past twelve hours, she was remarkably composed. Almost too composed. Where was the furious spitfire he’d seen this morning? Where was the funny, carefree recent college grad from the night before? Or the passionate, sexy young woman from last night?
Alex leaned in his seat with a grin. So far he’d seen four different sides of his new consultant, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out which one he liked best.
Lacey took her time settling into the hotel and getting ready for the office. She was in no rush to see Alex again, let alone face the daunting first day at a new job. And not just any new job—this would be the biggest client she’d worked with yet and the first that she’d handled on her own. She’d spent the first few jobs shadowing Rick, absorbing every detail of the way he acted around his clients. She’d learned all of the course materials during intensive training sessions, but the shadowing portion of her training was far more valuable. Anyone could memorize the course material—the hard part was learning how to act. How to handle the mark, as Rick like to call them. Through watching her boss, she’d tried to figure out how to act—no to be—confident, yet understanding; tough but pleasant. It was all about building up the client’s ego while calling out their biggest flaws.
It was a tightrope act, and there was no one better than Rick. “Make the mark feel confident and in control,” Rick would tell her.
Confident and controlling, that shouldn’t be a problem with Alex.
The mere thought of his name brought an image of his gorgeous eyes and that sexy smile. Those hard, toned abs. And his hands. Holy cow, those hands. Large, rough and calloused, unlike her ex’s. Ethan was a wannabe artist who’d never done a day of hard work in his life. After years of bartending and waitressing, her hands had felt like Brillo pads next to his.
Alex on the other hand—he had manly man hands, if that was even a thing. And he knew how to use them. A jolt of jealousy shot through her as she wondered how many women he must have slept with to have such skillful hands.
She added a final bobby pin to her hair to keep it in place and studied her reflection. In a well-tailored skirt suit and sensible heels, she looked the part of a successful executive, but she couldn’t help feeling like she was on her way to audition for a role in a courtroom drama. She felt ridiculous.
It had been more than six months since she’d quit her job at O’Reilly’s Pub but it felt like yesterday. She could only imagine the remarks she’d get from the regulars and the guys in the kitchen if she walked into the bar looking like this. They probably wouldn’t recognize her without a well-worn T-shirt and a messy ponytail.
But this was who she was now, she reminded herself. For the time being at least. Until she got fired.
No. She would not go down that path. She refused to psyche herself out right before walking into the lion’s den.
She squared her shoulders and raised her chin and tried out a deadly serious stare in the mirror. That was the look she’d use on Alex when she gave him the speech.
She’d come up what
she was going to say during the flight and rehearsed it on the seemingly endless drive from the airport to the hotel. Now she could rattle it off in her sleep.
She planned on being calm but firm as she explained that while she might not like him personally and that she abhorred his actions, she was there to perform a service, and she would see it through with the utmost professionalism. And that she expected him to do the same. Their interaction over the next two weeks would be business, nothing more and nothing less.
The walk from the hotel to the office was annoyingly short. Lacey had been looking forward to a nice refreshing stroll to clear her head and get her game face ready. But three short blocks later she found herself gazing up in awe at the glass and steel skyscraper that housed Newsom Industries. She swallowed a familiar wave of nausea and strode through the giant glass doors of the airy, plant-filled lobby.
She was absurdly self-conscious of the loud clicking of her heels on the linoleum floor as she approached the security desk. She gave her name and ID to a burly security guard, and he picked up a phone and dialed a number. He muttered a few words, hung up and told her, “Ms. Bernstein will be down in a minute.”
Several minutes later a lanky brunette in her early thirties strode toward her in the lobby with her hand outstretched. “You must be Lacey Ames. I’m Dawn, Mr. Newsom’s assistant.”
Dawn’s smile was genuine, and she seemed completely comfortable in her skin. Lacey liked her. More than that, she sensed she’d found an ally.
“Mr. Newsom is waiting for you, so I’ll take you to him first and then we’ll sort out your security clearance and company ID later.”
She glanced over her shoulder, and Lacey summoned an agreeable smile. Her mind was still stuck on one thing. She followed Dawn into an elevator and asked, “When you say you’re Mr. Newsom’s assistant, are you referring to Lawrence Newsom senior or—“
“Oh, yes. Sorry, I should have clarified. I work for Lawrence Newsom senior, and he wants to meet you first. Then you’ll be meeting with Alex—er, Lawrence Newsom the third. Everyone but his grandfather just calls him Alex.”
The Morning After: Starting from Zero Box Set Page 33
