by Molly McLain
My scowl couldn’t be detained. “What about me?” I asked defensively.
Her eyebrow quirked. “Are you still hopelessly in love with your boss?”
“I’m not in love. I’m annoyed.”
“Because he doesn’t notice you?”
“Because he’s arrogant,” I corrected.
“The man is an idiot not to have noticed you by now,” she absently muttered. It was as if I hadn’t even spoken.
“Even if I did want him to notice me, he couldn’t. I’m pretty sure his face was shoved between some beautiful leggy, big breasted freak during work hours yesterday.”
“Did you get a front row showing?”
“No, thank God. We’d both be jobless.” Her smile was slow and secretive. “What?” She only shrugged her shoulder. “What?” I repeated, this time with more aggression.
“I just think that’s quite a reaction. You hate him, don’t you?” This time she hid her smile behind her batman coffee cup.
I didn’t bother trying to break into her steel vault and kept silent. Chris knew me better than anyone, but she was wrong about Mr. James. I didn’t want him. I dreamt about him sure, but it could have been anyone. I had no control over my dreams, and it definitely didn’t mean anything.
Right?
“Good morning, Ms. Hunt.” I smiled at the pretty brunette who manned the reception desk as I walked in still wearing my sunglasses and holding my third cup of coffee of the morning. It was that kind of morning. One of the rare mornings when I was looking forward to spending my entire day in the office with Chase James all to escape Chris’s inquisition and knowing eyes.
I didn’t have a thing for my boss.
I barely respected him.
“Morning, Rebecca.” Mr. James had the entire floor for his personal office, and the company rented out two additional floors beneath us for the rest of the staff.
I stared at the closed double doors ahead and the light streaming from underneath with confusion. It was routine for me to be in the office before Chase—err… Mr. James—and have his coffee and itinerary ready for him. “Why is the boss’s light on?”
“Oh, he’s inside. He made it in early.”
“Really?” I snorted and ignored Rebecca’s surprised look. It’s just that I’d assumed he’d be hungover from all the sex he had last night.
But that wasn’t really fair.
Despite the countless trysts, Chase never missed a day of work.
“He arrived about twenty minutes ago.” I ignored the tumbles my stomach did whenever he was near and made my way to his office. When the door was shut, he didn’t want to be bothered under any circumstances that never seemed to include me. When I interrupted, as I stubbornly did on many occasion, he never seemed to mind. Sometimes, I’d spend hours sitting on his leather couch going over his schedule, typing up memos, and managing his emails while he had a countless number of phone and video conferences with our other offices. Chase was the CEO and President of J&S Global Investments while his younger brother, Rudy, was the CEO and President of James Acquisitions. J&S was inherited by both sons, but under a rather ugly agreement between Chase Sr. and his youngest son, Chase ran the company and kept all of the profits while Rudy started his own. No one really knows what happened between them but everyone just assumed buying and selling companies for profit was in keeping with the youngest heir’s dominant and cold personality. Chase, on the other hand, was no angel, but he preferred nurturing companies rather than scrapping them for parts. The two brothers were both arrogant and handsome yet like night and day.
Chase was blond with bright blue eyes that twinkled with mischief when he gazed at you. I’d only met Rudy once in the two years I’ve been here, but I remember him well. He had dark hair unlike his brother, but the same bright blue eyes as his brother and father. His, however, were cold and assessing.
“Come in.” Chase’s tone was impatient and rough, which meant he likely had a bad night and was still pissed about it. I considered turning around and leaving. Dealing with him in a good mood was hard enough. “Mila, I know it’s you. Get in here already.”
I took a deep breath and walked in resigned to have a bad morning. The first thing I noticed was his hair. It was tousled more than usual. His jacket was off and thrown across the leather couch I spent more time on than he did. His muscles bunched under his crisp white dress shirt, and his royal blue tie did wonders for his eyes. My stomach was performing full on cartwheels now.
“Stop gawking,” he coldly ordered. “I need you to accompany me to the New Year’s Eve gala at the MGM this weekend.”
“New Year’s Eve? But I was going home to visit my parent’s. They got a new puppy and—” I stopped at the cold look Chase—er… Mr. James—shot me.
“I need you, Mila.”
If only it were true.
This was the reason I hated him. He was arrogant, he could be an asshole, and he had me completely wrapped around his finger.
“Yes, I’ll go.” My whisper was quiet. He must have had to read my lips because his gaze dropped and lingered. I was sending up thanks that I took the time to gloss my lips that morning. I usually had a bad case of chapped lips. “Mr. James?”
“How many times have I told you to call me Chase, Mila?” His voice was husky, and his gaze remained on my lips as he reprimanded me. It’s true he’d given me permission to call him by his first name, but doing so seemed too intimate. It was like dangling a shiny red apple in front a hungry man… err… woman.
It’s been so long since I’ve had sex that Chris often teased that my vagina would run away from neglect. Was celibacy the reason I wanted Chase or was Chase the reason I was celibate? The last time I got any was three months before I took this job. It was demanding at times, but the job didn’t run my life. I didn’t know what to believe anymore, but a part of me hoped just one taste of Chase James would free me from his spell forever.
The sudden knock on the door jarred us both, and I realized we had both been staring quietly at one another.
“Come in,” he ordered tersely without taking his eyes from me. When Rebecca stumbled in looking nervous, he finally freed me from his gaze.
“Mr. James, your brother is on the line. Should I put him through?”
“Put him through and use the intercom,” he scolded. I noticed he didn’t correct her to use his first name. She sputtered her apology and fled as quickly as she could while I stared at a small scuff on my favorite cream pumps.
“She’s gone.” I flinched and looked up to find him watching me.
“I didn’t mind her—”
“You were staring at that scuff mark that’s been on your shoes for two months now.” He’s noticed my scuff mark? More importantly, he knew when I even got the scuff mark? I got it the day I almost tripped on the sidewalk trying to hail a cab for us. Thanks to him, I didn’t face plant into the concrete, but my shoes hadn’t escaped unscathed. I knew he believed in attention to detail, but I had no idea he paid this much attention to me. Did it bother him? He wasn’t a perfectionist. Apparently, that trait went to his brother. In fact, Mr. James was pretty carefree except when it came to business.
“Um—I… what—” I took a deep breath and decided to turn the discussion back to business. “I need the details for the trip.”
“Such as?” He seemed distracted, but I powered through.
“When are we leaving?”
“Ah. Tonight.”
“Tonight?” It was the day before New Year’s Eve, so I assumed it had to be soon, but this was too soon. I’d only just learned about it five minutes ago. I tried not to let my ire show but failed miserably. “That’s a bit soon, don’t you think? I have to tell my family and pack—”
“Use my phone. Take an early day.” I sucked in the air rather than scream or, better yet, throw something at his head. It was typical of Chase—err… Mr. James—Chase! He just went with the flow and had an easy answer for everything. What if I had a dog or a cat?
/> “Do you?”
“Huh?”
“You asked what if you had a pet. Do you, Mila?” His tone was calm, but I could sense amusement in it as well.
“No, I don’t. It was hypothetical and was supposed to stay inside my head.”
“It wouldn’t matter if it did.”
“Why is that?”
He relaxed his shoulders against the back of his chair, and I found his piercing stare disturbing. “Because I can read you like an open book.”
“Oooh, a romantic getaway for you and the handsome, rich boss. How scandalous,” Christina purred. She was perched on top of my bed while I packed. I took Mr. James up on his offer and left work early to get ready for the trip tonight.
“It’s not like that. There’s some big fight and an exclusive charity gala in Vegas. Chase—Mr. James—has been wooing some oil tycoon for weeks who’s attending ,and he wants to try to close the deal at the gala.”
“And he needs you to go because?”
“I’m his assistant. It’s not completely unusual for him to take me on a business trip.”
“Except he hasn’t in two years, remember? It’s been a constant fuel to the fire since you learned he prefers taking his bed bunnies instead of his perfectly competent assistant.”
“Obviously, he’s changed his mind.”
“Or his dick is pointing in a new direction. Make sure you pack condoms.”
“Why would I pack condoms, Christina?”
“Because business just became very pleasurable. There’s a certain rich and powerful man who wants you, and he knows just how to get close to you.”
“That’s absurd.”
“Oh, no. Not at all, my darling.” Her smile was wide and bright. “It’s brilliant.”
Chapter 2
CHASE
I drummed my fingers on the leather arm of my seat and told myself for the third time not to look at her. I knew she hated me. She thought she hid it, but I was too obsessed with the color of her eyes not to notice the contempt in them.
I’d been a dick to her since the day she walked in my office. She had almost the same reaction as me except I was sure an erection wasn’t a problem for her. My last executive assistant took care of hiring, so neither of us laid eyes on each other until it was too late. I was pretty sure Mila didn’t appreciate being attracted to her boss although she’d deny it. I couldn’t fire her without risk of a lawsuit so every day for almost two years she had tortured me. The swell of her breasts and the handful of ass she carried around didn’t make it any easier.
More so than anyone else.
With women, the charm came easily. Like the flip of a switch. But I made a point not to fuck women I employed, which made her off limits… and all the more irresistible. Mila Jana Hunt was the most exquisite piece of ass I’d ever had the pleasure to watch swish in and out of my office every day. But it hasn’t been all pleasure. I’ve traced every curve of her body hundreds of times over, thanks to those tight skirts and sheer blouses she wears, and it’s never failed to give me a boner. My sex drive hasn’t been this high since I hit puberty. Would she think I’m a pig if she knew she was the reason I slept with a different woman every single day? I’d lost count, but I still hadn’t lost my hunger for her.
“Can I get you something to drink, Mr. James?” Jessa, my personal flight attendant, leaned over me to ensure my view of her breasts wasn’t hindered. Her hand on my shoulder also spoke of intimacy we didn’t possess beyond the usual fuck forty thousand feet in the air.
“I’m all set, Jessa. Thanks, but please see to my assistant’s needs and that will be all.”
Her frown was riddled with confusion. I dismissed her and scrolled through numerous unread emails on my phone. I tried to pick one I could concentrate on, but my mind couldn’t focus on anything other than Mila’s timid voice requesting a bottle of water. Jessa didn’t linger for small talk like she always did with me.
My restraint left with her, and I found myself turning to face my lovely assistant. “We have alcohol if you need it.”
She seemed just as reluctant to face me as I did her. “Why would I need alcohol?”
“Because you’re afraid of flying.”
She scoffed and shook her head with a grin tilting the side of her lips, but I had the feeling it wasn’t done with actual humor. “I’m not afraid of flying.”
“Then why so nervous?”
“What makes you think I’m nervous?”
“Because you’re out of breath, there’s sweat on your upper lip, and you’ve got a death grip on the poor chair. You’re either nervous or you just had an orgasm.”
“That’s inappropriate.”
“Not as inappropriate as coming in front of your boss.” My head tilted as I studied the graceful lines of her face. “So which is it?”
“I didn’t have an orgasm,” she snapped. Jessa chose that moment to return with Mila’s water. She all but dropped the bottle in her lap, but thanks to my assistant’s quick reflexes, she caught it before it could.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Jessa muttered insincerely before walking off. I made a mental note to fire her, and then I asked the question that was burning in my mind.
“When was the last time you did?” Pull back. Pull back.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re tense. Agitated. Angry… do you need relief?”
“Did you completely skip over the possibility that present company is the reason I’m tense, agitated, and angry?”
“You ignored my question.”
“Your question is inappropriate and none of your business.”
“If it will help you focus—”
“What? You’ll get me off?” Sarcasm and venom dripped from her tone, but it didn’t alter the image of her lying naked and open, waiting for me to take what will never be mine.
I grinned to hide my need and went for humor. “Wouldn’t that be a thought.”
Her eyes narrowed as she leaned closer. I had a clear view of the creamy skin of her breasts, but unlike Jessa, she didn’t do it on purpose. “Why are you messing with me?”
I decided to answer her question with a question. “Why do you hate me?” There were only two opinions I knew Mila had of me—she hated me and she was attracted to me.
“I don’t—”
“Don’t lie to me, Mila.” She bit her lip, probably to keep another lie from spilling. She then tucked her brown hair behind her ear before moving it back. She was stalling. “Mila,” I warned.
“Why are you doing this, Mr. James?”
“Chase.”
“Chase…” She frowned as if calling me by my first name was really that big a deal. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because the constant tiptoeing is bad for my ankles.”
“No.” The soft lines of her face hardened as her obvious frustration grew. All she was failed to do was stomp her kid-sized foot. “I mean… why are you taking me on this trip?”
“You’re my assistant. I didn’t think it needed to be explained.”
“So why didn’t you take me on all the others?”
“I didn’t know it bothered you.”
“It should. You aren’t letting me do my job.”
“I let you–”
“Mr. James, with all due respect, I graduated seventh in my class with a masters in business from Wharton, and I spend eight hours a day fetching your coffee and answering your emails.”
“How long have you been working for me?”
“Two years,” she gritted.
“Why is it that you graduated seventh in one of the top business schools in this country, and the only job offer you landed was an executive assistant position?”
“I don’t understand the question.”
“Then let me supply the answer.” It was my turn to let my frustration free. “You weren’t aggressive. It’s why you’ve still let me get away having you fetch my coffee for two years.”
“So, it’s my fault?”
“Anyone else I would have fired by now.”
I heard the hitch in her breath and then silence descended while I searched for a way to rise after my slip.
“So why didn’t you fire me?”
“Because I’m an idiot.” Her humorless laugh was a punch to the gut.
“You’re an idiot for not firing me? Great.”
I ran my fingers through my hair, held my breath, and counted to six.
“Am I frustrating you, Chase?”
Her lighthearted tone didn’t fool me.
“What makes you think that?”
“You aren’t the only one who’s an open book.”
“So you know when I’m frustrated, but you aren’t as smart as you think. What else do you know?”
“I know you’re arrogant and determined to prove you’re a better business man than your father without being a cold bastard like your brother.”
I should have been angry that she cut me openly and so deeply. Instead, I smiled. Suspicion really brought out the red in her brown eyes.
“Do you know when I’m feeling attraction?” Her blush told me everything I needed to know. “Do you know when someone is attracted to you?”
“Chris was right,” she whispered. She looked away for the first time, and I found I missed her eyes on me.
“Sorry?” Her skin paled.
“You only invited me on this trip to sleep with me.” It was true I wanted to sleep with her, but her appearing as if her world had been pulled from under her feet, and not in a dashing way, was a blow to my ego.
“Beg your pardon?” I’d heard her perfectly but call it denial. I wanted to see if her reaction to me being attracted to her was real. I should be happy. It meant we could work together, and I could use her mind without thinking about her body.
“You never answered the question, and now I know why. You want to sleep with me.”
“Yes,” I answered honestly. There it was again—the look as if her world was crumbling. “But that’s not why I brought you on this trip.”