The Billionaire's Challenge

by Elizabeth Lennox

  She laughed, shaking her head. “Not well,” she fibbed. She hadn’t slept at all!

  “Change isn’t easy. But you’ll get through this. I’ll help you.”

  Selena tilted her head slightly. “You say that as if it is a foregone conclusion that I’m taking the job.”

  He smiled confidently and took her hand, leading her towards the SUV. “You are,” he announced. “So tell me what kept you up all night?”

  She didn’t dare reveal her nervousness about being close to him. And there was no way she’d admit that she was anxious about taking on so much responsibility. Instead, as she sat in the passenger seat of the SUV while he drove through the streets of Arlington, she talked about the moving process and driving across country, all the small things that had to happen before she could take on such an enormous challenge.

  He took her to a hotel for breakfast and she discovered what a thirty dollar bowl of yogurt and berries was like. In her mind, the yogurt and berries tasted exactly like what she got in the grocery store for a few bucks, but what did she know? Maybe there was some secret ingredient, like unicorn glitter or something! She wasn’t paying the bill, so she kept her mouth shut and sipped her green tea.

  “How about if you fly out tomorrow with me and I’ll show you around Denver, we’ll go apartment shopping and get the ball rolling?”

  She choked on her tea, peering at him over the rim of the china cup. “Tomorrow?”

  He shrugged, leaning back in the plush chair. “You’re taking the job, Selena. So, why wait?”

  Frantically, she tried to think up reasons to delay. He was right, she was going to take the job. It would be stupid not to take the job. A promotion and a huge salary increase weren’t something to turn down, especially since she didn’t have strong ties to this area. She didn’t have children that would be leaving their friends and schools. In the early hours of the morning, she’d come to the conclusion that there really was no valid reason not to take the job. Other than fear.

  “Because I need to train someone to take my place.”

  “The HR department already has several candidates ready. Interviews are set up for next week with your boss.”

  She frowned, not liking the idea that she could be replaced so easily. But she pushed the thought aside. “Okay, well, I need to pack up my apartment.”

  “We’ll be flying on a Rembrandt Cosmetics jet. Pack as much as you need for a couple of weeks and I’ll hire a moving service to pack up the rest and ship them.”

  She held her breath as she stared across the table at the man. “You really don’t hold back, do you?”

  He smiled ever so slightly in satisfaction and her heart tripped over its feet. “Never. When I want something, I get it.”

  Selena could understand that philosophy. She’d wanted something, a new life, and she’d done everything within her power to make it happen. Now she had it and…why was she hesitating? After that horrible night so long ago, she’d vowed to embrace life and make herself…different. Stronger! This was simply the next step! She could do this job. He was offering her more money, more responsibility, a new life, and a new home.

  With that thought in mind, excitement and determination to move forward obliterated her hesitation. “Okay. This weekend. I’ll take the job.”

  His smile was slow, lighting up his eyes. She could barely breathe as she watched his face transform. “I’m really glad to hear that, Selena.”

  Somehow, those words seemed personal. But surely he didn’t have a hidden agenda. Looking down, she stared at the half eaten bowl of yogurt. She’d eaten all of the berries. Curling her fingers into fists, she had to fight the urge to pick up her spoon and shovel the rest of the food into her mouth.

  Just nerves, she reminded herself. Face the fear and handle it. Don’t let the past repeat itself, she told herself.

  It was a mantra she’d had to incorporate into her life until it became second nature. But every once in a while, old habits reared their ugly head and she had to fight the old, familiar urges.

  Chapter 3

  Wow! Denver heat really was different! Amazing! The mornings were cool, crisp, and lovely. Selena pulled her sweater on, wondering if the air was cleaner here. If there isn’t as much humidity in the air, wouldn’t it be cleaner? Wouldn’t the air particles move around more? She laughed as she lifted her face up to the morning sunshine. It certainly helped her move more easily! The heat and humidity of a Northern Virginia summer morning was oppressive. This air was invigorating!

  She really liked it. Granted, this was her first morning here, but she liked feeling cool and dry instead of the muggy heat she’d left behind. Loved it, actually!

  Even her run this morning had been amazing! Five miles hadn’t ever been so easy and she felt rejuvenated, ready to tackle the world!

  “You look chipper,” a deep voice came from behind her on the sidewalk in front of her hotel.

  Selena swung around, almost tripping on her feet. “Mr. Jones! What are you doing here?” she asked, more than a bit breathless. He was wearing dark jeans and a white shirt, open at the collar and untucked, but it was the kind of tailored shirt that narrowed at his waist, making him look…excellent!

  Stop it! She’d had a stern talking to herself about lusting after one’s boss. Nothing good could come of it.

  “Nice shoes,” he commented and she looked down at her sandals with the pretty beads decorating the straps. With a blush, she looked back up, shrugging dismissively. She absolutely loved shoes, probably had way too many of them but she wasn’t going to change that part of herself. “They suit you.” Was his voice softer? Possibly. Or it could just be her imagination. She’d been doing way too much of that lately. Imagining this man in all sorts of interesting positions. With her.

  “What just went through your mind?” his deep voice asked as he stepped closer to her, his eyes narrowing as he took in her expression.

  Selena groaned inwardly. “Um…just wondering where I should start looking for an apartment. I’m not sure where the best areas of Denver are for apartment shoppers.” Wow, that was a whopper but nice save. She mentally patted herself on the back. Unfortunately, the look he was giving her told her that he might not completely believe her lie.

  Smart man. She almost laughed at his disbelief, but then she’d have to explain her amusement and…well, better to just cut this off at the knees.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I’m here to take you around to look at apartments,” he explained. “I promised the service and I never fail to deliver,” he teased.

  She lifted her phone, feeling more than a bit awkward. “Oh! Um…I’ve got an app,” she explained lamely. She’d downloaded an app that showed all of the apartments to rent as well as reviews and feedback about the surrounding areas and stores. “Thank you though. You probably have more important things to do on a Saturday morning.”

  He took the phone from her numb fingers, and began flipping through apartment listings. At that particular moment, she was intensely grateful that she’d done her internet searches on “getting over crushes” on her laptop instead of her phone. It had been late. She’d been exhausted. Selena had a million excuses as to why this silly fascination with Reid Jones continued to flourish.

  “This one is too far outside of the city,” he told her and swiped left to banish it into Internet oblivion. “And this one isn’t in a good neighborhood.” Another left swipe.

  This was helpful, she told herself, wanting to peer over his shoulder, but she didn’t want to get too close. Even standing a foot away from him, she could smell the clean, fresh scent of him. All male and that pine scent that was…too enticing! Apartments, she admonished silently. She was going apartment shopping today, not Reid Jones shopping.

  She lifted up on her toes, trying to see what he was doing. “Okay, well, what about those three? Are they in neighborhoods that might…?”

  “We’ll see,” he interrupted, handing her the phone bac
k. “Let’s go take a look at them.”

  His hand on her elbow got her moving, but her mind definitely wasn’t. She actually walked beside him for several steps before she realized what she was doing. Or not doing, which was walking gracefully. “Um…Mr. Jones…”

  He swung around, stepping in front of her as he frowned down at her. “You’re supposed to call me Reid.”

  Licking her dry lips, she tried to think. It wasn’t easy. “Yes. Reid. Well, I don’t…” She tried to step back but his hand shot out, stopping her. Her head whipped to the side and she realized that she’d almost stepped back into a family of four trying to hail a cab. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

  The family smiled and moved on, but Selena watched their teenage daughter glance wistfully at Reid. Selena empathized with the girl. It was hard to look away from him.

  Shifting around, she moved so that she wasn’t in the family’s way, but she wasn’t so close to Reid either. “Reid,” she started again, but as she opened her mouth to say the words, he interrupted her again.

  “Selena, if you think I’m going to dump you into a strange city and leave you to fend for yourself, think again. I’m not that kind of man,” he said and took her elbow again, leading her over to a Jeep Wrangler.

  “Of course,” she muttered.

  “What is ‘of course’?” he asked as he pulled open the door for her.

  She glanced up at him, then quickly pulled her eyes away before her mind started doing those silly fantasy-things again. “It seems like more than half the population of Denver drives either a Jeep or a Subaru. Everyone here seems to be super-sporty and outdoorsy.”

  He laughed softly and she tried to pretend that the sensual shiver wasn’t hitting her. Again.

  “Yeah, you’ll get hiking fever before long. Tomorrow, I’ll take you up into the Rockies so you can experience a real mountain.”

  She pulled back, frowning at him. “I’ve been hiking in the Appalachian Mountains, Reid.”

  He laughed, shaking his head. “That’s not a real mountain.” He leaned in slightly. “It’s not a real mountain until you’ve got snow in July. Does the Appalachian Trail have snow?”

  Snow? In July? Huh? “No but…”

  He pulled back, shaking his head. “Not a real mountain,” he announced and shut the door.

  Selena burst out laughing, glad that he couldn’t hear her since he was walking around the front of the Jeep. When he stepped into the driver’s seat, she turned slightly. “I’ve heard of Grill-Envy and Car-Envy. But I never knew that there was really such a thing as Mountain-Envy.”

  He pressed the button to start the Jeep. “There’s no ‘envy’ involved when we’re talking about mountains. What you guys have on the East Coast is a series of hills. We’ve got mountains,” he told her firmly, pointing a thumb at the western skyline. “That’s a mountain!” he admonished.

  Another chuckle as he pulled away from the curb, her eyes caught by the sight of his hands gripping the wheel. And forearms. Goodness, he was hot! There was a light sprinkling of hair on his forearms that enticed, teased. She wondered what his chest looked like. Was it covered with hair? Or was there just a light sprinkling? The hair on his forearms was light brown while the hair on his head was dark. She suspected that this man spent a lot of time in the sun and she sighed.

  “What was that?” he asked as he pulled to a stop at a red light.

  “Hmm?” she asked, trying to keep her eyes forward but it was hard. His jeans were soft and the muscles in his thighs pressed against the material.

  “That was a big sigh. What were you thinking about?”

  She cringed. “Um…just thinking about all of the apartments to see,” she lied.

  “Right,” he replied, obviously not believing her.

  “Turn right ahead,” she directed, tapping her phone to find the directions to the first place.

  “What’s wrong with the hotel we put you up in?” he asked. “Why don’t you just stay there for a while until you’re more comfortable in the city?”

  Besides the expense, she silently questioned? The hotel he’d dropped her off at several days ago was one of the most exclusive in the city. And he hadn’t just put her in a room. Nope, she was living in a suite! It was huge and beautiful, with glorious views of the city in one direction and the mountains in another direction.

  “My furniture arrives next week. The moving company your assistant arranged for me needs an address. I can’t really tell them to just keep it in the truck until I find a place to live. I need to get settled.”

  “Agreed. I have a great idea, but let’s check out these places first.”

  She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear his “great idea”, but she appreciated his help in getting her around town. Since she’d spent so much time at the office discussing the new marketing strategy with the various departments this week, she’d basically lived at the office, only coming back to the hotel to collapse into the ultra-soft bed at the end of each night.

  Selena directed him with her phone’s GPS to the first apartment complex and she smiled as he pulled into a parking spot.

  “I don’t like it,” he announced.

  She did a double take, looking at him, then at the nicely manicured landscaping, the well-maintained buildings with balconies for each apartment and even a community room and an exercise facility. “What’s not to like?” she asked, looking around once again, trying to find flaws.

  “It’s just…not right,” he said and put the Jeep into reverse, about to back up.

  “Wait a minute,” she yelped, putting a hand over his on the gear shift. For a long moment, they froze, both of them looking at her hand covering his. The tension spiraled and she curled her fingers away.

  He spoke first to Selena’s relief. She wasn’t sure she could have spoken anyway. “The apartments are probably tiny and the kitchens not renovated. You need more than that.”

  She put her other hand on the door handle, trying to hide her reaction to that touch. It was hard, but she knew that she was silly to think about things like that. “There’s nothing wrong with this apartment complex. I’m going in and looking around.”

  Selena stepped out of the Jeep, painfully aware of him watching her. She knew that he wasn’t really looking at her. Men like Reid Jones went for tall, leggy blonds or sultry brunette supermodels. Good grief, the man ran a multi-national cosmetics company! Gorgeous women surrounded the man. He was in charge of the marketing aspects of Rembrandt Cosmetics, which meant he supervised the selection of which models to use for their advertising campaigns.

  So there was absolutely no reason he would be interested in a mousy woman like her. Yes, she worked hard to maintain her health by exercising and eating well. And yeah, she knew how to put on makeup. She was a trainer, after all. She knew all the tips and tricks, teaching the Rembrandt Cosmetics makeup artists on how to use a woman’s features, highlight the best and hide the problem areas.

  But to think that he might be interested in someone like her was just fooling herself. Remember George, she said silently as she made her way to the management office.

  Stepping inside, she smiled at the receptionist who greeted her. “Hi, I’m interested in a one bedroom apartment.” The receptionist smiled and opened her mouth to speak. But Reid stepped in behind her, warming her back with the heat radiating off of his chest.

  “She needs a two bedroom at least. And nothing under fifteen hundred square feet.”

  “I’m sorry,” the receptionist stammered. “But none of our apartments are that big.”

  Selena waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t need anything that large. Just some place to…”

  “Fifteen hundred,” Reid stated firmly behind her. “Two bedrooms. Three if you have one.”

  Selena spun around, glaring up at him. “First of all, I can’t afford fifteen hundred square feet,” she told him firmly, poking him in the chest. “And secondly, you’re being rude!”

  He laughed, his hands resting on her hi
ps. “You’re going to need a place to entertain. Why wouldn’t you…”

  What? Entertain? As in dinner parties and things like that? “I don’t entertain!” she huffed, pushing his hands away, but they came right back, even pulling her against him.

  “You will. You’re in management now. You’re going to need the space. Entertaining and networking are part of your job. And besides,” he pointed out with a wink down at her, “Denver is a more social place than Northern Virginia. People actually know their neighbors here. You need room to entertain, Selena.”

  She gritted her teeth, both to keep herself from shouting at him as well as to not moan at her need to press herself against him. Goodness, his hands felt wonderful! She could imagine pressing against him, feeling his taut abs against her stomach, letting his hand slide up her back and…

  Shaking her head, she mentally banished the distracting images. “Reid, you’re interrupting.”

  “There are resident areas in which you can entertain,” the receptionist offered.

  Twisting out of Reid’s arms, Selena moved away and turned back to the woman. “Ignore him. He’s not the one renting the apartment. I am and I only need a one bedroom.”

  The woman smiled, but it was a nervous effort. Obviously, she wasn’t sure who to answer, but Selena smiled confidently as she nodded. “One bedroom, please. If I need to entertain,” she glanced behind her, “then I’ll figure that out when I get there.”

  She could have sworn he was growling. Maybe he was trying to say something and…she had no idea. The man was a mystery. Her gratitude for his assistance was disappearing now that he was doing that alpha male thing. Yeah, she liked it on a date or when she was interested in a guy. It was very rare to find a man who was confident and powerful, but didn’t veer off into the self-centered, arrogant, irritating realm.

  Right now, Reid was losing that battle.

  The woman gathered up several brochures and spread them out.

  “We’ll just look at the apartments,” Reid interrupted. “No need to give us brochures when we’re already here.”