Now sitting here in the den of this cold, arrogant man, she realised the extent of her mistake. This could have only ended in disaster. Whenever anything remotely good came into her life, she screwed it up. It would be better to accept her limitations and move on.
Joshua Tarran and that harpy Sabrina belonged to a completely different world, a world she had no right being in. She felt the hot sting of tears gathering in her eyes and she clamped down hard on the impulse to cry. There was no way she’d give Joshua the satisfaction of seeing her cry, regardless of how rich and powerful he was.
You stupid useless lump! Scott’s hate-twisted face loomed in her mind’s eye. You can’t do anything right! Imagining that jerk’s reaction to this latest disaster suddenly galvanised her out of her passive acceptance. She’d stood up to Scott when it counted, and she wouldn’t let this job go without a fight either.
“I won’t let you down again,” she said harshly, her words coated in steel. “You can’t just throw me away like garbage. It’s not right!” She levelled her gaze straight at Joshua, ignoring the frantic beating of her heart. “I deserve better.”
A silence, deep and terrible, welled between them. Amanda was held in suspended animation not daring to move. Tarran’s face was unreadable.
After what seemed like an eternity, Joshua finally spoke. “That was quite an impassioned appeal, Miss Brooks,” he said dryly, a smile ghosting across his lips. “You also brought me to tears.”
Amanda gritted her teeth. Why did he have to be so damn condescending? She blinked away the drops of water gathering in her eyes. “Please, I really need this job. If you want me to beg, I will. I know I don’t fit in here, but I am a good worker. Let me prove it to you. I’ll work twice as hard and do many hours as you want.” She paused and took a deep breath. “All I want is to prove myself.”
Joshua shifted in his seat, making the leather groan. His terrible, beautiful eyes never left her face and they seemed to glow with some inner power. Amanda lost herself in their brilliance, unable to deny the magnetic attraction she felt for him. Even if he physically threw her out of the building right here and now, she’d still find it hard to truly hate him.
“You want to prove yourself,” he said, his voice softer now and sounding more thoughtful.
“I’ll do anything you want,” Amanda said without hesitation.
Joshua raised his eyebrows. “Anything?”
Amanda nodded, unsure now where this was going. “Anything within reason,” she replied carefully.
Joshua burst out laughing. It was a deep, thunderous sound. “Anything within reason,” he repeated, still chuckling. “Well, that covers a multitude of possibilities.” The cold arrogance and sense of menace had completely evaporated now. It was replaced by a relaxed manner and even a hint of playfulness.
“I’ll do what it takes, Mr Tarran,” Amanda replied, sensing things might actually be turning in her favour. “I want to prove to you that I’ve got what it takes.” Amanda tried not to cringe when she made that assertion. She truly had no idea if she had what it takes or not.
“I’ll let you into a little secret,” Joshua said, giving her a mischievous grin that she found more than endearing. “Sabrina wants you fired. She says you’re not cut out to work for me.”
“That’s no secret,” Amanda said sourly.
Joshua nodded. “I was inclined to agree with her, up until now. This is the first time I’ve seen anything close to real strength in you, and I think I might rather like it. It certainly makes a refreshing change from the hordes of fawning incompetents that populate my vast enterprise.”
“Thank you, I think,” Amanda replied, not sure what to make of the compliment.
Joshua tapped his upper lip and looked at her thoughtfully. “I’ve decided to make you an offer, Miss Brooks. If you’re genuinely serious about making it in my company, I need definitive proof. Take me up on my offer and execute your duties to the standard that I expect and you’ll not only keep your job but also gain a promotion? What do you think?”
Excitement flared inside her. “Whatever it is, Mr. Tarran, I’ll do it to the best of my abilities.”
Tarran dipped his eyes, and a wistful expression crossed his face. “Very well,” he said in a business-like manner, quickly lifting his gaze to her again and clapping his hands together. “This is my offer, Miss Brooks. I want you to be my girlfriend.”
Amanda almost fell off her chair. “Excuse me?” she exclaimed.
“Not my real girlfriend, you understand,” Joshua went on, the smirk on his face clearly signposting his enjoyment at her bafflement. “It is all part of a little deception I’ve got planned. Have I utterly offended you with my proposition? Or would you still like to hear all the grisly details?”
“Go on,” she said.
Tarran nodded. “In five days time, a former girlfriend of mine is getting married.”
“Natasha Grant,” Amanda said without missing a beat. “It’s all over the news.”
“That’s right. Quite astute of you, Miss Brooks. It is going to be a very lavish occasion by all accounts keeping in line with Natasha’s refined tastes. The celebrations are to last a whole two weeks and yours truly has been invited. Isn’t that exciting?”
“I wouldn’t have thought you’d want to go,” Amanda said, “after everything she put you through, I mean.” Joshua and Natasha had been dating for two years, and if half of the celebrity news outlets were to be believed, she’d put him through absolute hell the entire time. Natasha Grant. Amanda’s mouth became a thin line when she thought of her. Natasha was everything Amanda wasn’t, tall, skinny, and a supermodel.
Granted, many of Natasha’s attributes had been cosmetically enhanced, but she was still devastatingly beautiful and filthy rich. When she and Joshua had gotten together they had been feted by the media as the perfect couple. Things had certainly been idyllic at the beginning, but before long Natasha’s drug and drink binges were making the headlines.
Joshua was portrayed as the dutiful boyfriend who tried to support her and get her onto the road of recovery. Unfortunately, her serial cheating only helped to heap humiliation on him. Things were exacerbated when Natasha and her younger brother were involved in a hit and run incident that almost resulted in the death of a twelve-year-old girl. The girl had fortunately recovered from her injuries without any lasting damage, and Joshua had made generous reparations to her family as well as paying for the legal team to save the Grant siblings from doing jail time.
In a press conference, Natasha had gushed that she would mend her ways. She made a solemn vow to keep off the demon drink and drugs and was eternally grateful to her one true love, Joshua. Three days later she was caught on film snorting cocaine and downing vodka shots in Vegas. Allegedly Joshua had gone after her and found her in bed with two male go-go dancers. After that, their split was inevitable.
Now though Natasha was ready to settle down, with the Hollywood film star Ashley McKenzie. It was going to be the celebrity event of the year.
“I don’t bear any ill-will to Natasha,” replied Joshua smoothly, following Amanda’s reasoning. “If I did I wouldn’t be offering them the use of one of my hotels for the festivities. It’s one of the shabbier ones, I grant you, but it’s the thought that counts.”
“But you want me to masquerade as your girlfriend,” Amanda countered. “Why?”
Joshua shrugged his broad shoulders. “Natasha would like to believe she ripped my heart in two. It gives her tremendous satisfaction to make men suffer. I’ve been single since we split, not because I’m still not over her, but because I choose to be. However, the media and Natasha believe otherwise. It will be rather amusing to me for her to see me happy and madly in love with the girl of my dreams. I expect you to play your part well, Miss Brooks. You must convince her and the guests that you are head over heels in love with me. So, what do you say? Will you do it or not?”
It wouldn’t be too hard, Amanda mused. Her eyes lingered on the grac
eful curve of his neck and she imagined trailing kisses along that powerful jaw of his. A warm tingle suffused her, but she stopped herself from drifting too far away into fantasy. It seemed utterly bewildering that someone like him would be interested in her, especially after being with a flawless beauty like Natasha. In fact, it made no sense at all.
In the office he barely acknowledged her existence, while he was more than happy to chat with Sabrina, beaming at her compliments and flirting outrageously with her. Around Amanda though, he became closed off and unapproachable. He’d actually flinched a few times when he’d entered the outer office, coming on her unawares. No, she wasn’t the type of woman that would interest him. Men liked him preferred something far more glamorous. This proposition was some kind of sick joke on his part.
By rights, she should walk out there and then. She stayed where she was though, for once letting her brain make the decisions rather than her heart. So what if he was using her? If she did what he asked and carried it off, it could open up a whole vista of possibilities she couldn’t begin to imagine. Swallowing down her dignity was a small price to pay.
“It looks like I don’t have much of a choice,” she said in a reluctant voice.
“There’s no need to look so miserable about it,” Joshua said sharply. The dark anger she’d seen earlier resurfaced and she went rigid in her chair. “I’m not going to chain you up inside a cave and drop rats into your hair. You’re getting a two week paid vacation at one of the most expensive weddings of the decade,” he sneered. A shadow flitted across his face. “You have more choice than you can ever begin to imagine,” he said more gently. Amanda could taste the bitterness in his tone and frowned.
“I’m very grateful, Mr. Tarran,” she said with feeling. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you down.”
Joshua gave a sharp nod. He retrieved his i-pad from the corner of the desk and switched it on. Amanda sat in awkward silence, unsure what to do. After a few moments Joshua looked up at her and scowled.
“You can go now,” he said with an imperious wave of his hand.
Amanda bridled at the gesture but kept her cool. She’d just saved her job and was about to get the biggest career break of her whole life. She needed to remain professional and focus on playing the loving girlfriend. Her heart sank. If Joshua was going to be like this for the whole two weeks, she was going to have to give an Oscar winning performance.
“Thank you, Mr. Tarran,” she said dutifully and got to her feet.
“Don’t thank me, just don’t mess this up,” Joshua replied, returning his attention to his i-pad. “Make sure you’re ready to leave on Friday. You’ll get an advance on your salary too. Go and buy yourself some suitable outfits. Remember, you’re going to be on show for two weeks so make sure you make a good impression.”
Amanda nodded stiffly and headed for the door. Any notion she had that he might be remotely interested in her died there and then. He was playing a bigger game and she was just a pawn. Well, if that was the case so be it. She didn’t need a man to be happy. She needed no one but herself. As she left the office, her mind raced with the implications of what she’d just agreed to. All she could do now was hope for the best and hope she did enough to please the high and mighty Joshua Tarran. If nothing else, it was going to be a pretty interesting two weeks.
* * *
Joshua pretended to study his i-pad as Amanda left the office, waiting until she’d closed the door before tossing it aside and putting his head in his hands. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a muffled groan.
“Why am I such an arrogant dork?” he hissed to the darkened room. “Moron! Moron! Moron!”
He heaved himself out of his chair and stalked over to the drinks cabinet. Amanda’s perfume still lingered in the air, and he breathed in deeply, savouring her scent. As he poured himself a scotch on the rocks, he replayed the scene that had just unfolded, wincing at his behaviour.
He had been far too arrogant, pretending to be the big man. She must have thought he was a complete and utter jerk. In fact, he’d been surprised that she’d even accepted his strange proposal. He’d been both relieved and terrified when she did say yes, that now he was completely confused.
He took a swig of his drink, enjoying the sharp burn as it slipped down his throat. It calmed his nerves and he started to think a little clearer about what had just happened. He couldn’t help the way he acted around her. The girl was intoxicating, provoking feelings inside him he hoped he’d mastered a long time ago. He let out a bitter laugh. Clearly he wasn’t the big player he liked to present to the world.
He sighed heavily and wandered back to his desk. Sinking back into his chair, he pictured Amanda sitting opposite him. His mind travelled over her curvy, perfect body and her cute little face. He longed to run his fingers through her silky hair, trailing kisses along the side of her face and neck, pressing her against his body and enveloping her in his arms. The touch of her lips and the taste of her soft skin unleashed a deep primal hunger. For one wild moment, he was tempted to call her back in right now and express his true feelings. He ached for her, and the pain was unbearable.
“Idiot,” he said under his breath. “You’re an idiot. She’ll think you’re crazy.”
Worse still, she might reject him out of hand. That was a thought too terrible to contemplate. Even more frightening was the possibility that she would accept him, but only so she would gain access to his wealth and all the freedoms and luxuries it offered.
The old cynicism that coiled like a serpent round his emotions quickly dampened his ardour. His father had taught him long ago to control his feelings. People were easily blinded by money, no matter how nice or honest they might be. “Always remember, people don’t always see the man standing in front of them, just the passport to all their impossible dreams,” was one of dad’s old adages.
That had certainly been the case with Natasha. But Amanda, it seemed different. Ever since she’d started working for him, she’d had a profound effect on him that no woman had done before. His chest got tight whenever she was near by, and he became tongue-tied and awkward. Even saying ‘good morning’ to her had required phenomenal effort.
Before long, this strange power she had over him began to make him angry. The only way he could handle all these feelings was to retreat behind his cold, sardonic exterior. This was his safe place, where he could stay in control. The way he treated her when he behaved this way was like a knife wound to his stomach, he couldn’t deny that, but it was a brutal necessity.
Her soft, hazel bright eyes stalked his imagination, filled with cutting intelligence and sensual promise. His resolve crumbled, and he pictured them together, wrapped in a loving embrace, his hungry tongue exploring every inch of her warm, creamy skin.
“Damn you, Amanda,” he whispered huskily.
His dad had warned him this day would come. The one woman that could tame him would step into his life and everything would change. Amanda was the one, all his instincts screamed. This was it, the moment he had prepared for all his life.
Still, he hesitated. He could be wrong. He was about Natasha after all. She had bewitched him too, albeit on a purely physical level. He could be making the same mistake with Amanda too, hence this charade with the wedding. He needed to get to know her, understand what made her tick and to reach in to her very soul. Only then could he reveal the deep secret that had kept him a slave all his life.
Fear paralysed him. He had held onto his secret nature for so long he wasn’t even sure he could even attempt to share it with another living being. All he could do was wait and see how events played out.
Closing his tired eyes, he finished his drink and growled softly.
Chapter 3: Pleasure Island
If the hotel Joshua had offered to host the wedding celebrations at was his idea of shabby, Amanda couldn’t begin to imagine what he actually considered to be luxurious. Sitting in Joshua’s private plane, Amanda watched their descent on the video screen and tried not to le
t her mouth hang open. Not only was the hotel situated in the vast expanse of Indian Ocean on one of the most beautiful tropical islands she had ever seen in her life, to her mind it was also the one of the largest and palatial edifices ever conceived.
Overlooking a bay of sparkling blue water, and flanked by the dark, vibrant sprawl of rainforest, the Shere Khan Hotel was a sweeping citadel of pristine white stone. Amanda drank in the magnificent jumble of grand towers, huge courtyards and elegant stambhas. Enclosed parks flourished with neatly trimmed lawns and lush vegetation, and exquisite blue domed apartments surrounded crystal bright swimming pools. It was like some kind of fantastical dream world, a passionate love letter to beauty and opulence.
“The Shere Khan is my humble effort to stimulate the jaded palettes of the ultra-wealthy,” Joshua had informed her in his droll way. “Nestled away on the virtually unknown island paradise of Maho, my little hotel caters to every single whim and need of its exclusive clientele, for the right price of course. You see, Miss Brooks, the rich are afflicted with a terrible disease called boredom. The Shere Khan does a damn good job of relieving the symptoms, but the illness can never truly be cured. People are never satisfied.”
There had been the same underlying bitterness in his tone when he’d explained this that she’d detected back in the office, on the day he’d made his extraordinary proposition. It struck her that despite his fabulous wealth and power, Joshua seemed to be carrying a deep unhappiness inside him. It both sparked her sympathy and curiosity. She wanted to know more of this troubled, complex man. He had an irresistible veil of mystery around him that she was eager to peer behind, if only he gave her chance.
Romance: The Tiger's Hired Mate: BBW Tiger Shifter Romance Standalone (Spicy Shifters Book 2) Page 2
