by Nana Malone
She sobbed as she fumbled to latch her blouse. “You just don’t want me.”
Fuck. He needed to study, not deal with this shit. “Darlene,” he kept his voice low, crooning as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “You are beautiful, sexy, self-confident. And you don’t need anyone to tell you that. Especially not some random bartender. You can have anyone. I’m not what you want. Random and anonymous gets very old. I wouldn’t want that for you.”
She finished the last button and sobbed into her hands. “Oh my God, what am I doing?”
She turned to run back out of the locker area, and he took hold of her hands. “Darlene, take a breath. You’re fine.”
“I am not. I just threw myself at you and you turned me down.”
Nick’s lips turned up at the corners. “If you say it’s me you really want, I’ll have you up on the counter so fast with my mouth on you. I’m a bloke, I don’t turn down free pussy. But I want to be wanted for me. But this isn’t about me is it?”
She sagged. “No. You’re very cute, but—”
“You wanted a standin?”
Darlene nodded. “God, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” No, that shit was not okay. But whatever. “Why don’t you head up and have another drink? I’m right behind you. My break’s just about over.”
She nodded and hurried back out, and he watched her as she went. Holy shit. That was a fuck up of his own doing. And this was why he kept his shit simple now. Ever since sleeping with that woman, Charlotte, he’d been getting propositioned. You let yourself get distracted. And now he was paying the price.
Once his break was over, he trudged back up the stairs. Darlene had left her spot at the table.
His mouth went dry as he was aware of the guy in the corner watching his every move. Nick cleared his throat as the man approached the bar.
“Another scotch?” Nick asked, holding up a glass in anticipation.
“No,” said Simon with a sly grin. “I saw you with that woman. She joined you on break didn’t she?”
Nick frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Fine by me if you want to pretend. Personally, I think you can obviously do better. A guy that looks like you. I mean, you don’t want to work here forever, right?”
Nick frowned. “I suppose not.”
Simon grinned. “I’ve seen you before. Do you have another job?”
“Well, I’m just about to start a new job.”
“Where?”
Nick stiffened. What the hell did it have to do with this guy? “A cosmetics firm,” he said.
Simon patted the bar and said, “Shades of Chic. I knew I’d seen you before. Were you there last week?”
Nick frowned. “Yeah, I went for orientation.”
Simon grinned. “What are they paying you? Buttons, I’ll bet. Well, compared to what I can offer you, anyway. I’m looking for someone like you. Someone to do a little digging for me. I’m looking for someone I can trust, but who can charm the right woman. I see you’re easy on the eye and good with old and ugly.”
Nick frowned. “I have no idea what you are talking about, but it doesn’t sound like anything I’d be interested in.”
But the guy wasn’t taking the hint. “What about this as your incentive?” Simon slid a folded piece of paper across the bar in Nick’s direction. Hesitantly, Nick picked it up and eyed the sum on the paper. Shit. There were more zeros on that than he’d seen pass through his bank account this whole year.
“Wow. That is a lot of money,” Nick said. The temptation was merely fleeting, followed quickly by nausea at the thought of doing something sordid. He could certainly do with the money, but whatever this guy had cooking probably came with setbacks and trouble. One stupid step like this could be the unraveling of his future plans. As soon as he was done, he had an idea for a tech safety app. He’d been working on it for years. With a degree, he’d finally get backers to pay attention. “No. I can’t.”
Simon’s lips pinched tight.
“I’ll up the offer,” he said and scribbled a new total on the piece of paper. “How about that? That’s more than a bit of dosh for passing along bits of information my sister is planning. You don’t have to do much. Product suggestions here, upcoming meeting plans there.”
A knot of tension squeezed Nick’s stomach. Fuck. That would mean he could give up the bar and help his mum. Shit.
Again, his sensible side kicked in. The plan, Nick. Think of the plan. You need to graduate. Some dodgy undercover job is never going to help you. And you’ve been waiting for this chance to work for one of the Day businesses. Don’t mess this up.
“Thanks, mate. I’m flattered. But no. It’s not something I can do right now.”
Simon snatched the piece of paper, pocketed it, and returned to his seat.
Later on, when the gin gang had clip-clopped their way clumsily out the double doors, their stilettos wobbling ever so slightly under their tipsy owners, and the finance nerds had sipped their bubbly and called it a day, Nick made his way for the staff room to grab his bag, desperate for pizza, beer, and bed.
Chelsea called after him. “Nick. Some tosser gave me this card for you. He said you’ll be needing it when you come to your senses.”
He shook his head. “Nah, I won’t be needing that, thanks. Just chuck it out with the soggy beer mats. Where it belongs.”
“Come on girl, launch this day, fight that flab. Get the hell out of that pit.”
It was six AM. Selena Day was in no bloody mood to launch this day. “I hate you,” she grumbled as the slammed her face deep into her springy pillow.
Gus, her personal trainer, was like a wind-up bunny, ready for action whatever the goddamn hour. He turned on the lights in her room, flooding it with light. He’d learned early on he’d have to come wake her for workouts.
“You’re not going to tighten that ass by lying on it, Selena. It’s only going to get bigger.”
He was relentless.
“I’m coming.” she yelled, rubbing her stinging eyes. “Just to spite you I’m having chocolate today,” she whispered. To say Selena was not a morning person would be the understatement of the century. The millennium even.
After five minutes of fumbling about in her room to clumsily step into her workout gear, she emerged into the kitchen frowning.
“Ah, she lives.” Gus shouted with a level of joy painful to Selena’s tired senses. “I was about to send in a search party.”
Selena forced a laugh. “Let’s get this over with.” She followed him into her gym.
“You know you love it when you get started, honey,” said Gus as he pulled his leg loosely upwards towards his spine. “Get stretching. Chop chop.”
Thirty minutes of crunches, sit-ups and running later, Selena was sharp as a pin. She smiled, under a mask of glistening hot-pink skin.
“Good one, girl. You’ve earned yourself a mojito tonight.” Gus enthused. “No pleasures without pain, remember?”
“Believe me, I remember,” she replied, rolling her eyes and taking a huge gulp of mineral water.
An hour later, after showering and downing a green smoothie prepared by her housekeeper Mena, who had cooked for her since childhood, she picked out a fitted grey dress and black heels. It wasn’t a hard choice. Most of the outfits in her work wardrobe were simply variations of this in slightly different shades. Smart, yet unremarkable.
She smoothed her blond hair back into a bun and examined her face in the mirror, then applied her company’s newly developed make-up primer and nodded in approval. It absorbed like a dream. Her fingers halted at the raised scar that ran the length of one side of her jaw. A shiver flickered through her. The words “Eat your dog food, you fat dog” would never leave her. Every touch of her scar brought her right back to when she was eight and her older brother Simon had shoved her crying face into an open can, the jagged edge tearing her perfect skin apart. It took fifty stitches to hold the horrifying gash together.
All Simon got was grounded. Selena was left to deal with the visible memento for the rest of her life. When she’d turned twenty-two, she’d had a plastic surgeon work on it, and he was able to decrease the texture and scar tissue, but the scar remained.
Don’t think about that asshole today. She closed her eyes and forced a deep soothing breath. You’ve got bigger things to deal with today.
Make-up done, she made her way down in the elevator of her condo. The view of the South Bank of the Thames was visible from the glass walls of the elevator. Outside, she stepped into the sleek private Mercedes SUV.
“Morning ma’am,” said Jacek, her driver.
Jacek had been driving her to work every day for the last three years. Was he really the only guy she saw regularly? She was beginning to realize she had spent too long on her own. She was twenty-six. Wasn’t she supposed to be dating disposable guys? Hell, where would she even begin to look for a man who could handle someone with such a mapped-out daily routine and not feel threatened?
24
“Everyone, this is Nick. He’s our new intern,” said Nancy. “He’ll be Selena’s PA.”
Nick smiled and gave the marketing and development team a simple nod.
“So, this is your desk,” she said gesturing behind him. Nancy was stern and foreboding, in a headmistress sort of way. “At first, you’ll be inputting notes and data that the team give you. In essence, you record everything that goes on. At all times.” Her eyes widened, as if warning him to take those words as a life motto from this day forward. “Once you master that, I’ll pass off the other responsibilities of looking after Selena.”
“Gotcha,” he said with a smile. Nancy pursed her lips. Nick tried again, more formally this time, “Certainly.”
“Okay,” she said, eyeing his white shirt and dark jeans. “Get your iPad and papers ready for the meeting at eleven.”
Nick sighed as he sat at his new station. The place might look like a girly magazine blew up in here, but it was all very serious. Not like whipping up a few gin cocktails. But this job would pay a lot more than bar work and give him corporate experience. Besides, he could fit his studies around this. It was a win-win set up.
The first two hours zoomed by as Nick was handed all sorts of files from ideas to notes from meetings and he plowed through the paper with ease. Eleven arrived and the team rose from their seats and chattered excitedly as they made their way towards the conference room.
Everyone took their places at an enormous rectangular table. The bright room had wall-to-ceiling windows showcasing London’s skyscrapers.
He sat stiffly in an end seat. He didn’t want to be at an end, but it was the only space left, other than the most obvious grand leather chair at the opposite end of the table, which was clearly for the boss. Way to draw attention to yourself, as if you didn’t stand out enough as the newbie. Now you’re heading up one end of the table. He tried to relax.
The door opened and Nancy entered first, holding a black leather folio and a glass of water. She placed those at the head of the table for Selena, who followed after. Before sitting in the executive seat, Selena greeted everyone with a smile.
Nick glanced up and then started in surprise. Her blond hair was pulled neatly back into a bun. Wide blue eyes. Little trim body. She wasn’t like most women he dated, who were obvious in their beauty. Her make-up was minimal, but her skin was smooth, clear, vibrant. She didn’t need the war paint. It was her simple understated sexiness that rendered him mute. She wasn’t classically beautiful, but the intelligence in her eyes held him rapt. Fuck. His dick twitched as if to say, “Yeah, tosser. Good luck keeping me in your pants.”
“Thanks for coming everyone. We’ve got some exciting things to discuss today.” She took her seat, opened her file and stopped short as her eyes met Nick’s at the opposite end of the table.
“Oh, hello,” she said abruptly. “New faces today?” She eyed Nancy.
Nancy muttered, almost apologetically, “This is your new intern Miss Day. I didn’t get time to tell you yesterday. This is Nick. He’ll be acting as your PA for the foreseeable.”
“Well then, welcome,” said Selena, her lips tipping into a small smile. “Although, you may have to find another seat,” she added gently, as Nancy marched her way down the length of the room to her seat, where he sat.
“Oh,” he muttered, stiffening. “Is this your seat?”
“Usually, yes,” Nancy said dryly.
Someone darted out the door and returned a moment later, dragging in an extra seat and offering it to Nick with a smile.
“Thanks.”
Selena began the meeting at breakneck speed, and Nick attempted to stay on top of it. The acronyms were going to kill him, but he’d figure it out. This was what he’d worked for. He belonged here. All he had to do was not stare at his new boss. Easy right?
Yep, easy, as long as he didn’t fucking look at her. Mate, sort yourself, or you will cock up your new gig. He watched her pink, glossy lips as they spilled forth important facts at high speed. Her smooth, tanned skin was all Nick could focus on for a moment as she reached her slender arm forward to pass around some papers. Her fitted dress gave more than a hint of her rounded breasts. Focus Nick. You’re not a horny twat. She’s your boss. Yeah, she’s pretty, but not worth losing your shit over.
There was also something aloof about her, except he got the impression she wasn’t. She was focused. In command. Even in that simple dress she was striking. Her honey-coloured hair pulled back only emphasised those huge blue eyes, hiding behind sooty black lashes.
“Nick?” Selena said. The papers had reached him and halted. The person to his left nudged him, waiting for them to be passed over.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
“It’s okay. You’ll get up to speed,” she offered with a warm smile. She turned her attention to the room. “I need a really strong team on this one. No room for errors. Pierre Berest, owner of Mada Department Stores in France, wants us to develop a bespoke range for their flagship store in Paris.”
A flutter of chatter erupted. This was clearly big stuff.
“In two weeks, I will be heading over there to launch discussions. I’ll need ideas to take with me, samples and a projection of what we can roll out. I need a team.”
“I’ve always wanted to go to Paris,” one of the staff said, before clasping her hands over her mouth.
Nick looked between the brunette and Selena. That’s cute, sweetheart, but I’ll be the one going to Paris. Yeah, cocky maybe, but he actually had a few things going for him. For starters, he spoke fluent French. He might not have grown up on a housing estate, but one of his best mate’s mothers had been French and he’d taken it in school. And when he’d gotten the scholarship to boarding school, he’d found he had an aptitude for languages. His German wasn’t half bad and he could manage in Italian. He always remembered what his headmaster had said, “It’s not where you’ve been, but where you’re going.” And he was getting the fuck away from his past.
Selena laughed. “Don’t get too excited yet. This first meeting will just be with a skeleton team, to get things off the ground. If things go well, I may well take you all over for the launch. But there is a lot of work to be done first.”
The meeting came to a close and Nick went to stand, but the perky brunette gave him a warning shake of the head. Everyone stayed seated as Selena rose from her chair, bid a polite goodbye and left the room. Nancy waddled after her.
Heart hammering, Selena swallowed hard. What the hell was wrong with her? As she approached her office, she turned to Nancy. “Get me Nick’s file, please. I like to know who’s on my staff.” Especially when he looks like that.
The whole meeting, she’d struggled to concentrate on what she was saying. She could practically feel him watching her. She wasn’t used to someone paying such close attention to her. Especially not someone like him. She knew the type. Good looking. Cocky as hell. Used to getting by on their looks. Guys like that expected w
omen to fawn all over them. Isn’t that what you’re doing? No. She was merely noticing his attractiveness. Hell, she wasn’t dead. Besides, she knew better. If he was going to distract her, maybe it would be a good idea to transfer him.
His file landed on her desk moments later. She read his college grades with raised eyebrows. Damn. The man had brains to go with that face. And he was her age, twenty-six. With grades like that, why had it taken him so long to get through his master’s? What was the catch? Usually that spelled trouble somewhere.
She leaned forward to buzz Nancy. “Nance, can you get Nick in here, please?”
Moments later, Nick’s lean frame appeared in her doorway. He carried himself with all the quiet confidence of a jaguar in the wild. His jeans hung low on his hips and his button-down was cut slim to frame his chest and abs. He looked like one of the bloody models they used for their campaigns. This guy could easily sell one of their perfume lines. Hell, she’d line right up to buy it.
She saw a flash of tattooed skin under his shirt cuff and wondered how far up his body the ink went. His designer stubble framed his jaw perfectly. His piercing green eyes met hers.
“You wanted to see me?”
Yeah, stop ogling your employee. Problem was, given his hint of a smirk, she was pretty sure he’d noticed her openly staring. She cleared her throat. Get it together. “Yes, take a seat.”
When they were face to face, Selena’s stomach fluttered. What the hell was that? Why was she nervous? She was the one in charge.
“So, I’ve had a look at your CV. All very impressive.” She paused, trying to keep her expression neutral. “You’re clearly bright. What’s happening with the whole mature student thing? Why wait so long to complete your master’s?” She often took flack for being too blunt, but then she didn’t have time to waste. She was in charge of this place. Besides, no one would ever have accused her father of bluntness.
Nick’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly, then he shifted in his seat. “Family issues to take care of, but that’s all behind me,” he responded, meeting her gaze directly. “I’m only months away from completing now and I’m focused on my future. I have to say, I’ve always admired your father and his companies. I’ve looked forward to working for a place he built for a long time.”