At Her Boss's Pleasure

by Cathy Williams

  She had no idea what to expect of Toronto, having never travelled further afield than Ibiza, but whatever lay in store, it would flash past in style—because they’d cleared customs and outside there was a stretch limo waiting for them.

  ‘Is this another wow moment?’ Alessandro cupped her elbow with his hand and ushered her into the long, luxurious, totally over-the-top car.

  There was lazy amusement in his voice.

  When she had been feverishly writing him off as an intruder, who could be locked out with just a little bit of will power, she had been dealing with a cardboard cut-out in her head. Which was what she wanted him to be. An arrogant, obnoxious, ruthless cardboard cut-out.

  Unfortunately the second he opened his mouth, her brain rebelled against categorizing him because he had far too many layers.

  ‘It’s just a car,’ she returned politely.

  It wasn’t. Just a car was something small that took you from A to B, and fingers crossed it didn’t decide to break down en route. At least, that would be the kind of car she would probably buy in a year or two.

  ‘I’m not impressed because I don’t see the point of something this big. I mean, you can’t nip down to the supermarket in it, can you?’

  ‘Good point. However you can help yourself to a glass of whisky from the handy little bar... Care for a drink?’

  Kate shook her head. The last thing she needed was to start relaxing into yet another dangerous conversation with him.

  She looked through the window, her whole body aware of him next to her, lazily lounging against the door, his long legs spread slightly apart.

  ‘Have you been here before?’ she asked eventually, turning to him, her body pressed against the door.

  ‘If you’d paid attention to those reports on the company we’re going to try and fit in while we’re here, you’d have seen that I was here less than six months ago. Don’t tell me you haven’t scoured the file? I’ll be bitterly disappointed.’

  Kate cleared her throat. ‘You enjoy doing that, don’t you?’

  ‘Enjoy doing what?’

  ‘Winding me up.’

  ‘Is that what I was doing? I thought I was paying you a backhanded compliment, as a matter of fact. You’re such a professional that I expected you to have scoured that file from front to back and memorized everything in it.’

  ‘I glanced through it. I wasn’t aware that I was going to be actively involved in the acquisition.’

  ‘Why wouldn’t you be?’

  ‘Because it’s quite a sizeable...er...I just thought that perhaps someone a bit higher up the pecking order would be put in charge...’

  ‘I don’t see how that’s going to be possible,’ Alessandro mused speculatively, ‘when George will be busy packing up his belongings for the big goodbye. You waxed lyrical about your ambitions...’

  ‘Of course I’m ambitious.’ She automatically fell into familiar terrain. As long as they were talking about work then she was comfortable, and repeating her hopes for her career was a damn sight safer than getting lost in a personal conversation with him.

  ‘Yes—you need to build financial security to protect you because you lacked it when you were growing up...’

  ‘I want to get on,’ she amended through gritted teeth.

  ‘The work you did for me last week on those files I dropped off for you...good job...’

  Kate flushed with pleasure. ‘You mean it?’

  ‘I can see why Cape decided that you had what it took to fast-track you. Mind you, I’m thinking he was busy directing his attention elsewhere, so it helped that you were so quick. You could pick up any slack.’ He grinned. ‘And before you launch into a defence of the hapless George, I have a proposition for you...’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Instead of recruiting from outside for a replacement for Cape, I am considering promoting you. Of course you won’t qualify for Cape’s vacated post, but you’ll effectively be hoisted a couple of steps up the career ladder. You will be responsible for bigger accounts, and to alleviate any bad feeling with the people you work with I will reorganize the team. There will be a greater distribution of more responsible tasks and I’ll bring in a few lower down the scale to be trained up. Effectively, you and your team will all benefit...’

  ‘I...I couldn’t...’ Guilt swept over her. ‘Poor George finds himself without a job, thrown on the scrap heap, and to top it all off I step into his shoes. I would feel like I was dancing on someone’s grave.’

  Alessandro frowned. ‘You’re being melodramatic. No one’s dancing on anyone’s grave. A vacancy will arise with his departure...it makes complete sense...’

  ‘It might make sense, but it doesn’t make it right...’

  ‘He leaves and I either recruit from outside, with all the attendant hassle of training someone up, or I promote from within the company—and you’re the obvious choice. You want financial security? This will lever you a couple of rungs up the security ladder.’

  ‘It’s not black and white like that!’

  ‘Fine. You can get lost in the grey blurry bits, but it’s pretty black and white from where I’m standing. Furthermore, would you deny your colleagues a golden opportunity to advance their careers because you’re so concerned about a guy who didn’t seem to care very much when it came to defrauding the company that’s treated him very well for countless years?’

  ‘You could still do something for them...I don’t have to be part of the equation...’

  ‘No deal. You accept the whole package or you don’t. Simple as that. Think about it...’

  ‘I...’ Could she deny the people who worked alongside her their chance of getting pay rises? Of going further with their careers?

  ‘Of course this would not be with immediate effect,’ Alessandro said, watching her carefully. ‘There would be a slow transfer of duties and when I’m reassured that you’re up to the increased workload, you will be given a new title...and a suitable pay rise to reflect that. See this as my having faith in your abilities and not as twisting the knife in someone else’s back. If any knife-twisting has gone on, it’s been done by Cape to himself. He dug his grave the minute he decided to start embezzling.’

  ‘I—I’m pleased that you have faith in my abilities,’ Kate stammered. ‘But...’ She sighed. ‘We don’t know what will happen about George. We haven’t...you know...heard what he has to say yet...’

  ‘Don’t really have to,’ Alessandro told her gently. ‘I could humour you by pretending that I give a damn about his explanation, but in my book theft is theft. My only concern is how he will be rewarded for his misdoings...’

  ‘So this trip is...pointless...?’

  ‘This trip is about you being on an essential learning curve when it comes to handling awkward situations. There’s no room for grey areas or indecision. And whether you accept the promotion I’m offering you or allow your guilt to get the better of your good sense, you should know one thing: the higher up the ladder you climb, the more important it is for you to know how to do that.’

  ‘In other words I have to become as ruthless as...as...?’

  ‘As me?’

  ‘I guess I believe there are other ways of...of...’

  ‘There aren’t.’

  ‘You’re so cut-throat...’

  ‘Life has a curious way of shaping our responses.’

  Kate looked at him and wondered what he meant by that. Was it just a general remark, or were there factors in his life that had made him the way he was? He was beyond rich, beyond powerful and beyond good-looking—and yet he moved from woman to woman with no intention of settling down. Why was that?

  What it was, she told herself sternly, was none of her business.

  ‘Of course...’ Alessandro moved on smoothly. ‘Before you accept your brand-new shiny job promotion—and I know you will because it would be stupid not to, and you’re not stupid—there’s something I should ask you...’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘How reli
able do you think you will be in this new role? You don’t seem to object to putting in overtime in the steady climb upwards, but will that become difficult for you when and if you’re given extra responsibilities and overtime ceases to be a choice and becomes a necessity? No, don’t answer that. But think about it and we will discuss it over dinner. The back of a cab—even a very long cab—is no place to have this conversation.’

  ‘Dinner?’

  What dinner? What was wrong with room service in their separate rooms and a career discussion over a cup of coffee in the morning?

  ‘It’s all we’ll be able to do with what remains of the day.’ Alessandro was irked at the look of horror that had flashed across her face. ‘We both do have to eat,’ he said coolly.

  ‘Yes, but I thought that I might just grab something in my room and hit the sack early. It’s been a long day.’

  ‘Well, you’ll have to rethink your plans.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘And I trust your entire wardrobe isn’t comprised of a selection of starchy suits...?’

  ‘What difference does it make?’ Kate asked tightly.

  ‘It’s not a working meal.’

  Control. Yes, he understood. You didn’t have to be a genius to join the dots. Her background had made her the sort of woman who felt a driving need to impose control in every aspect of her life. She controlled her appearance, she controlled her hair, she controlled her reactions, controlled her emotions. She was so serious that it was sometimes hard to believe that she was actually in her twenties. All over the world there were grannies out and about having more fun than her. And he wasn’t used to women looking appalled at the thought of spending five minutes in his company.

  ‘You can relax in my company for five seconds, Kate.’

  Frankly, she thought she already had—and it hadn’t been a good idea. ‘Right...’

  ‘You could sound more convinced.’ Irritation had crept into his voice. ‘We’re here.’

  She hadn’t even noticed the stretch limo slowing. She had missed most of the trip because her attention had been exclusively focused on the man sitting next to her. So much for dispelling the intruder by getting a grip.

  She looked around her and saw a city that was like any other—although there was something more peaceful and less frantic about it than London. The hotel they were approaching was, as she might have expected, the last word in expensive, from its imposing facade to the doormen waiting to relieve the wealthy visitors of their baggage, eager to make sure that they did absolutely nothing for themselves if it could be helped.

  The foyer was bustling with visitors, coming and going. Next to them Kate felt the inadequacy of her carefully chosen but now creased outfit. She didn’t blend in. Even some of the younger people in jeans and tee shirts managed to look staggeringly designer-casual, as though they had randomly plucked something out of the wardrobe and yet succeeded in looking effortlessly cool.

  For a few rebellious seconds she wished that she hadn’t tied her hair back—wished that she hadn’t worn a knee-length drab skirt and a sensible blouse. She wished, for the first time in her life, that she had taken a page out of her mother’s book and made the most of her assets.

  She frowned. Alessandro had accused her of being a hypocrite and she had predictably reacted by hitting the roof—because who was he to pass judgement on her? Yet, wasn’t she?

  If she’d seen life in exactly the same black-and-white way that he did wouldn’t she have worn more comfortable clothes for the flight over? Brought more to wear than stuff that could only be labelled as excruciatingly businesslike...? Had a wardrobe that actually contained clothes a girl her age would wear? She was so scared of emulating her mother that she had veered off in completely the opposite direction, ignoring the fact that there was always a middle ground.

  No wonder he was so entertained by her! No wonder he got a kick out of winding her up! She played straight into his hands by trying to control everything she said and did—way more than the occasion demanded.

  Yet he had seen her in relaxed mode, she thought with a twinge of discomfort. And whilst that would have been nothing for him, because he was used to seeing far more beautiful women wearing a lot less, it had been something for her. She had felt exposed and vulnerable. Stupid.

  She surfaced to find that she was being led out of the foyer and towards a bank of lifts up to her hotel room—which would give her welcome relief from her thoughts.

  She was a lot less relieved when they were shown to the same door, which was flung open to reveal an absolutely enormous suite. She stared at it in horror.

  ‘What’s this?’ She remained firmly planted in the doorway, only shifting to allow the porter inside, watching with her arms folded until he was dispatched and the only occupants of the vast room were Alessandro and herself.

  Alessandro looked around, as though noticing his surroundings for the first time.

  She was so predictable in her reactions. Dismay at the prospect of being in his company, horror at imagining dinner with him, and now downright shrieking tension, barely kept in check, at the idea that this vast suite might be a shared situation.

  Was it any wonder that he couldn’t seem to stop himself from goading her?

  Especially when, as it was now, the colour staining her cheeks looked just so unbelievably appealing?

  As was her half-opened mouth, her flashing eyes, and the way her pink tongue had sneaked out to moisten her lips...

  ‘It’s a room, Kate,’ he said, in the patient voice of someone explaining the obvious. ‘Hotels tend to have them. It’s a must when it comes to attracting potential guests.’

  ‘Ha-ha.’ She wasn’t budging. She could feel her pulse racing as she craned her neck from her position by the door to try and ascertain just what the situation was regarding sleeping arrangements.

  He couldn’t possibly expect them to share a bedroom, could he? No. No way.

  As if reading her thoughts, and reluctantly deciding to put her out of her misery, he said without looking at her, strolling towards the huge bay window to gaze idly outside, ‘No need to panic. This is where I’ll be staying.’

  He turned to face her and saw her visibly relax.

  ‘I asked my secretary to book two adjoining rooms. It wasn’t a necessity, but I thought it might be more convenient if this deal kicks off and we find ourselves having to work late. I only realized when I read through the confirmation that my instructions were taken a little too literally...’

  He took his time walking towards a door which she hadn’t noticed and flung it open.

  ‘You’re in there... Actually, if you’d looked at the bedroom you would have noticed that your case is nowhere in evidence. You could have spared yourself your giddy meltdown.’

  ‘I was not having a giddy meltdown... I was just curious as to... Well...’

  ‘You may have your opinions on my relationships with women...’ Alessandro’s voice was cool and hard ‘...but I draw the line at sharing a bedroom with one of my employees when we’re on business...’

  And when we’re not?

  Kate shoved aside the immediate thought that sprang into her head on the back of his remark. She walked towards the door and peered into a suite that was almost as big as the one in which she was standing.

  ‘And, before you ask, yes, there’s a lock on the interconnecting door—so you’ll be quite safe should I find myself accidentally trying to sleepwalk into your bedroom.’

  His voice left her in no doubt that that was the last thing he would consider doing. There was laughter just below the surface and she flushed. She might be having a hard time disassociating the sex-on-legs guy from the guy who actually paid her salary, but that was because of her own overactive imagination.

  ‘In that case,’ she said stiffly, ‘I think I’ll freshen up...have a bath.’ She looked at him. ‘I wonder whether it might not be a better idea for us to continue our discussion about my job in the morning. When we’re more alert.�
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  ‘It’s not even seven-thirty in the evening,’ Alessandro said drily. ‘I think I’m alert enough to focus. And in the morning we can both look forward to a fun-packed full day tracking down our adventurous crook. So...’ He looked at his Rolex and then back at her as she waited, ready to sprint to safety. ‘I can either come and get you in an hour, or so you can meet me in the bar downstairs...which would you rather?’

  ‘I’ll meet you,’ Kate muttered.

  ‘Fine. In an hour sharp.’ He grinned. ‘You can scuttle off and have your bath now...’

  Scuttle.

  Horrible word. Scuttle was the sort of thing timid little creatures did to get away from danger. Admittedly Alessandro might easily be classed as a dangerous species—at least to her peace of mind—but she had never particularly considered herself a timid little creature.

  She had had to develop a tough streak just to get though most of her childhood. In addition to her mother’s guilelessly flamboyant jobs, her shocking naivety when it came to the opposite sex and her casual disregard for most aspects of parenting, Kate had also had to be on standby for her mother when her heart had inevitably got broken.

  In the framework of things, being timid was a luxury she had never been able to afford.

  But was that how Alessandro saw her? If so, wouldn’t that come into play when it came to sealing the deal on any job promotion for her? Who wanted someone timid handling important accounts and clients?

  The clothes she had packed all fell into the category of timid. When she had chosen what to take she had made sure to pack stuff that conveyed the right message—she was a working woman on business. A few less formal things had been brought for those evenings that she had intended spending on her own, discovering the city at her own pace and without her challenging boss for company.

  Prospects on that particular front now looked anything but sunny. Overcast with the threat of downpours might be more like it.

  She took her time enjoying her bath, absently marvelling at the size of the bathroom, and then, with a sigh, opted for a variation on the eternal suit. The navy skirt was, like all her work skirts, knee-length, but instead of a white blouse she chose a red one. And after a lot of hesitation decided against the bun—because she could already visualize those mocking dark eyes taking in the ensemble and having a laugh at her expense.