by Aliyah Burke
She bristled but held her tongue. He paused a moment before continuing.
“I will take you shopping for your wardrobe today. I’m fine with you wearing pantsuits if you don’t want to wear a skirt but you need to have the correct look. There will be nights that you are required to be away from home, it’s part of the job. Is your boyfriend going to be okay with that?”
She curved her fingers into the wooden arm of the chair, determined to wait until he was finished before she lambasted him for such asinine thinking.
He didn’t carry on. He stared at her.
“I asked you a question.”
“I heard you. But you also told me I can’t be mouthing off to people, so I figured you would be blathering something else to piss me off and I should wait until you were finished before I had my say.”
He leaned forward, pinning her with that intense gaze. “You do know most people are scared of me, right?”
“Why? Sure, you can be a bit intimidating but let’s face it, I saw you naked before I knew who you truly were. And what’s the worst you can do to me? Fire me. I can get another job.” She shrugged. “I have one.”
His gaze narrowed a fraction. “Answer my question.”
“I just did.”
“Not that one.”
“Oh, about my boyfriend. Why do you think I have a boyfriend if I was up here fucking you earlier?”
“You drove off with another man after work.”
“Oh, so because I climb into a vehicle with a man that makes him my boyfriend.” She leaned closer. “What does that make us when I go somewhere with you?”
He rose up and positioned his face directly close to hers. “It makes you mine.”
She didn’t back down despite the roller coaster ride her stomach was doing at his announcement. In fact, she put her lips against his and murmured, “What does it make you?”
“Mr. Perrot, there is a Mr. Hastings on line two for you.”
Donna’s voice had her snapping from this bubble of focus she had when it came to him. He dropped his gaze to her mouth and back before he sat in his chair and reached for the phone. “Good morning, Mr. Hastings. What can I do for you?”
This wasn’t anything she needed to be in the room for. Although, if she was going to be his personal assistant, maybe she should take a look around to see where things were. Behind her, his low, deep voice thrummed along her skin as she walked around his office.
Can’t argue about how beautiful this view is. He had a panoramic view of the city. While she may not have been a fan of large cities when on the street. She found them dirty and quite honestly depressing. But from up here. Wow. It took her breath away.
What am I doing up here? Why did I think this would be a good idea?
So lost in her thoughts, she jumped when he appeared behind her.
“Quite the view, isn’t it?”
“It is, I don’t know if I’d be getting any work done if I had this view. I was just thinking how it makes the city, beautiful.”
“You should see it over Christmas, at night. The city lights are amazing.” He touched her shoulder ever so briefly. “Let’s go.”
“Right, the clothing.”
She turned and walked beside him to the door. He opened it and gestured for her to go ahead. Neela made her way to the elevator without looking over to where Ms. Donna sat, not sure she was ready for the condemnation in the woman’s expression.
When the elevator hit the first floor, she stepped out then waited, unsure as to where they were going. She knew he had parking to the left but to access the front lobby they would need to go to the right.
“Front door,” he muttered, striding away.
She hurried to keep up with him, cursing her shorter strides but grateful she had on sensible flats. As she watched him, he spoke with security and shared a smile with them. And the doorman as well as the driver who smiled at her when she moved by the door he held for her.
Neela was busy ogling the interior of the town car, running her hand over the butter soft cream leather. She looked up when the car pulled away from the curb and realized that Jack was talking to her.
“I’m sorry, what?”
His sigh was insufferable. “Were you listening to me?”
“What makes you think I was listening. The part where I said what?”
“As my personal assistant you need to anticipate my needs. Expect the unexpected and keep me on task.”
“First, don’t try to reprimand me. I told you I’ve not done this before. You were the one insisting I do this so I’m close enough for you to fuck when you want to.” She cut her gaze to him.
He cocked a brow at her. “Is this truly a conversation you want to have here?”
In her periphery, she noticed the driver doing his best to not be there.
“No. It’s not. My point is, allow me a chance to at least get some clothing you deem acceptable before you start jumping down my throat. I’ll also need—”
He handed her a tablet. One way more expensive than she would ever purchase. “Ms. Donna will make sure my calendar that she has will be uploaded on there. She’ll add some things and you will. This way as they’re sync’d together, you won’t overbook me. Right here, Davidson.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Perrot.”
The driver pulled them up to a clothing store, she wouldn’t even go in to use the restroom it was so out of her league. The moment they entered, and she laid eyes on the women who were supposed to dress her in appropriate attire, her stomach dropped beyond her toes. This wasn’t going to be fun.
Chapter Four
Jack stared out the window and took in the night skyline. He stared down over his city and sighed. At two-thirty in the morning he should be sleeping but he couldn’t. All his thoughts were on Neela and what she was doing tonight. Had she gotten back home yet?
She’d been his personal assistant for eighteen months now and had settled in better than he’d hoped she would. Hell, she’d even taken some of the load off Ms. Donna. Neela had a sharp mind and didn’t have any issue in giving him a piece of it when she felt he was deserving.
Which, according to her was quite often. She kept business, business but when work was over, she rocked his world. Never asking for more than right then.
Problem was, he wanted more. Other problem? She seemed content with how things were between them.
He wanted it all. He’d already tried to figure a way to have her for himself during the holidays but couldn’t find a viable excuse. Last year he’d been on his own but this time he wanted her around.
He and Toby took care of their employees and gave them the holidays off. It didn’t make sense for him to now demand she spends the time with him, just because he wanted to be with her.
Palm against the cool glass, he closed his eyes and tried his best not to think of Paulson having waited up for her. She told him there wasn’t anything between them but he wasn’t a fool, he had seen the way the man looked at her.
His phone was in his hand before he knew it and had dialed her.
“Someone better be dead or dying if you’re calling me right now,” she mumbled into the phone.
Fuck, even just hearing her voice was a balm to his wounded ego and temperament.
“Making sure you made it home okay.”
“I made it home fine, and two hours ago which is why I was sleeping. Why aren’t you? And if this is for me to play your girlfriend to get some woman out of your place, ain’t happening, you bring them home, you are the one to get rid of the fleas.”
His smile grew bigger. He loved how her southern accent peeked through when she was tired or pissed off.
“I don’t have a woman here. I just got home like you did.”
“No, I didn’t just get home. I’ve been home. Sleeping. Big difference.”
“And now you’re awake.”
“Going back to sleep.”
“Wait.” He winced at the desperation he heard in his own tone.
“Mmm?”
“Get a bite with me.”
“You want to get some food? At this hour? Can’t your automated housekeeper fix you something?”
“I’ll be by in twenty minutes.” Jack hung up before she could argue with him on this.
On the dot, twenty minutes later, she walked out of the front door to the apartment complex she lived in and headed toward him. He held his tongue until she slid in the passenger seat of his Bugatti.
She yawned and rubbed her eyes as the belt moved into place around her body. “So tell me, where are we going at this ungodly hour?”
He pulled away from her place and cut his gaze to her. Her oversized Calvin & Hobbes sweatshirt and smiled over the quote of “It’s not denial. I’m just very selective about the reality I accept.”
“My place.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, Jack. Why couldn’t you just eat there then? I was fine sleeping in my nice warm bed.”
“Stop complaining, you don’t eat enough so I know you’re hungry as well.”
As if on cue, her stomach rumbled, and he didn’t even bother hiding his smirk.
She crossed her arms, huffed, and he knew she waited for them to get to his place, with only a little remaining patience. Over their time together, he’d learned a great deal about her. She wasn’t long on patience unless it was with her godchildren.
She’d been to his place more than a few times before, late nights and even later night sex. He wanted her there on a more permanent basis.
“You’re one hell of a personal assistant, Neela.”
“I’m a pushover. I shouldn’t be caving for you when you call for these crazy night things.”
“I for one like it when you cave for my demands.”
“Get your mind out of the gutter,” she snapped.
Jack didn’t hear any anger in her tone and smiled. This woman challenged him on so many levels. Damn good at her job, kept him honest and didn’t allow him to get away with anything. Even Toby had noticed a difference in him, smiling more and being more affable. Or so the man said.
Jack rolled his eyes and shifted, swerving around the two cars in front of him. He didn’t want to give his partner any credence to that statement but even he would have to have been deaf and dumb to not notice how he’d mellowed since Neela had become his personal assistant.
It’s not like she’d set out to change him either. There were just differences in his attitude because he knew she frowned upon some things. And the thing he hated was seeing any disappointment in her eyes.
At his place, they strode in side by side and made their way up to his penthouse suite. He held the door for her and allowed her seductive scent of wild orchids and night jasmine to play along his senses.
And just like that, his desire for food had been replaced by a much more primal hunger. Kicking the door shut behind him, he reached for her with a growl, spinning her back into his arms and claiming her mouth in a punishing kiss. Her body was stiff for the barest of seconds before she folded into him, purring as she curved around him, welcoming him into her body.
αβ
Neela stared at her godchildren as they sat across from her at the table.
They watched her back with the same intensity she did them. The room was silent aside from the soft strands of the Disney medley that played in the background. No one moved, and the tension grew.
The jangle of her spoon falling from her nose to land on the table broke the silence like a rubber band snapping. The girls instantly whooped and hollered as their spoons fell.
“We won, we won!” they chanted together.
“Rigged,” she laughed. “This game is rigged.”
They bounced off their chairs and danced around her and the table, continuing with their chanting. Two adorable little faces popped up beside her.
“Nope. You picked the spoons.”
“Minor detail.” She ruffled Mikayla’s head then MacKenzye’s. Neela called them Mik and Mac. She loved these girls like they were her own flesh and blood.
“Are you staying for a while now, Neela?”
“In what regard, Mac?” She reached over the table and picked up the spoons. This game was over, she’d not won once in the ten times it had been played.
“You went to Africa last month. Are you going on any more trips?”
“Not coming up, because I believe it’s someone’s birthday soon.” Neela rubbed her chin. “I think it may be mine but I don’t remember asking for a princess cake, so perhaps I’m mistaken on this.”
They squealed and jumped on her lap. Giving an overly dramatic grunt, Neela slid her arms around them.
“I’ll be here for your birthday, girls. Promise.”
“Good.”
“Just out of curiosity, are you sure you don’t want a pie?” A teasing grin lifted her lips. “They’re so much faster for me to make. I could like cherry.”
“Neela!” they whined.
“Guess that’s a no then.” With a kiss to each of their cheeks, she refilled their drinks and made more popcorn. This was their game night. They did this when Paulson had a date.
Neela ensured the popcorn and snacks were properly prepared and in their correct spot. Then she grabbed the remaining few games the girls hadn’t yet brought to the table.
Mik and Mac were lining up the musical playlist for the night and she geared herself for a night of Disney music. While not her favorite, for this night she would happily put up with it.
“Are we ready then?” She popped a few pieces of popcorn in her mouth.
Mac bounced in, her glossy black hair in two tight braids, with twin aqua ribbons threaded throughout along with beads at the end.
“I am.” A mischievous grin turned up her lips. “And I’m gonna win.”
“Don’t think so little girl. You two…going down.” She tossed some popcorn at her.
Mik came sliding in the room, her gray camo pj bottoms matching the head wrap she wore.
“Let’s go,” she challenged.
The twins shared a glance before heading to their respective seats. Neela took hers as well and cracked her neck then fingers.
Nine hours later the girls were crashed on the couch, covered by the favorite quilts. A beautiful landscape one for Mac and for Mik, Naval aircraft adorned the one on hers.
Neela had just finished sweeping the popcorn that had been tossed all around into a pile when the soft door knock fell to her ears.
Checking her watch, she frowned. Nearly two in the morning.
“Paulson has keys, why the hell is he knocking?”
She wen to the door and yanked it open. “You’re back just in time to help me clean—”
Neela snapped her mouth shut and stared at not Paulson but Jack. The man who haunted both her waking and sleeping hours.
“You,” she sighed.
He stood out in the falling snow, stamping his feet, an irritated scowl on his face.
“You weren’t answering your phone,” he snapped, pushing by her into the warm apartment.
“Come on in,” she muttered. “Just keep it down.”
He whirled on her the second she closed the door behind her.
“Why weren’t you answering your phone? Busy with some man?”
His deep graveled tone had a way of distracting her. However, with the expression of his second statement all her focus returned to him.
“I had to come all the way over here and you know what? It’s fucking cold out.”
She punched him in the arm. “Mind your tongue. Like I told you before. I am not at your beck and call. This is my day off. Correction, my weekend off. And I do not have a lick of sympathy for you having your house bitch calling up your driver to pick you up in a running warm car. So stop whining.”
“You can’t have the weekend off.”
She snorted. “Yes, I can. Tough shit if you think otherwise. It’s been on your schedule, all of them, for the past month.” Neela returned to her pile and began sweeping it up into
her dustpan. It moved. “Hold it still.”
He crouched down without hesitation and did as she pushed the popcorn into the plastic tray.
“I need you and what the hell happened in here?”
She followed his gaze around the room. Pillows everywhere, light sabers, and a fort sat in one corner. His question made sense, especially given the catastrophe before them.
“Girls night.”
“I need you.”
For a moment her heart pitter patted as if he meant it in a way more than in a professional manner. “My weekend,” she stated beckoning for the dustpan. “I’m not available.”
“You are my personal assistant.”
She inhaled sharply. Right, because I can never be more than that and your current fuck bunny. Marching into the kitchen, she emptied it before turning to the man who’d followed her there.
“I thought we discussed this before I agreed to take that position. My time is mine. Don’t think I’ve missed how you’ve been getting more and more greedy on my free time. I don’t appreciate it. Yes, we fuck. But in no way does that give you the right to own my time. So why don’t you tell me what is so damn important, you pull your driver from his warm bed and make him sit outside in the car which is rude by the way, as you come whine to me.”
Neela gestured to the door.
He frowned. “You want me to leave?”
“I want you to go invite him in so he doesn’t have to sit out in the car as if he’s a fucking leper while you are in here being a baby.” She flicked her fingers. “So go, bring him in and then we will figure out your problem. Not like I had anything else to do tonight.”
Two weeks passed, and she was on her way outside after work on Monday, only to pause when a group of reporters surrounded her. While she wasn’t a fan of this, she was used to them, as Jack typically drew a crowd when he was out.
Billionaire. Entrepreneur.
But she wasn’t with him right now. She was alone. So she stood still and waited for them to pose a question. Neela had watched them enough and had cataloged how they fed like a school of ravenous sharks in a feeding frenzy when those they were after got nervous. She didn’t. So she waited.
They all stared at her as if she were the bearded lady.
