by Celia Kyle
“Ember, there you are. I wanted to introduce you to Paul Ashe, but it seems you’ve already met.” Her boss chuckled and it grated against her nerves.
“Ember?” Paul’s voice had grown quiet.
She swallowed and nodded, unsure of what to say, how to defend herself. The question was, did she even want to defend herself? Did she want Paul to forgive her for lying and being a coward? Or should she just brush him off? Now that she’d seen him again after being apart for so long, the clenching of her heart at the thought of being separated made the decision for her. She needed to work this out, wanted to work this out, if he did.
“Yes, Ember Ellason,” Jake said. “I tell ya, Paul, if you’d given me just one more month, I know that Ember would have blown you away so that you’d look past the whole ‘keeping business and friendship’ separate thing.” Jake smiled at her and she returned it with a half-assed attempt.
“Ellason?” Paul raised his eyebrows. “As in Ellason Advertising? Jesus, Jake, you’ve got the enemy right under your nose. Add to that the fact that Em is a lying, manipulative—”
Ember slapped her hand over his mouth and smiled wide at Jake. “Maybe Paul and I will take this conversation somewhere private, Mr. Fallon.”
Please, let me do this somewhere where the entire office won’t hear.
Jake’s gaze shifted between her and Paul before he finally nodded agreement. “Fine, we can discuss this in my office.” He turned his attention to Paul. “You’ve got a lot of hostility toward Em and I just don’t understand it, Paul. She’s the sweetest and smartest employee I’ve got at Fallon.”
Jake turned from them and walked toward his office. Ember removed her hand from Paul’s mouth slowly, half expecting him to bite her, and was surprised when he didn’t. Instead, he held out an arm, gesturing for her to precede him. To the casual observer, he appeared to be a gentleman, but Ember knew better. Fire burned in his eyes and she knew that he’d probably like nothing better than if she were to burst into flames.
By the time Jake’s door closed, her stomach was in knots and threatening to make an appearance. She swallowed past the rising bile and prayed for her nerves to calm. She’d known this confrontation would happen eventually. And as much as she’d wanted to see Paul again, maybe even spend another night or ten in his arms, she didn’t relish the anger focused on her.
Ever the peacemaker, Jake got the ball rolling. “So, what’s going on with you two? Paul, you look about ready to kill Ember and she looks near ready to faint. Is somebody going to tell me what the hell’s going on?” His voice rose toward the end of his question and she started to doubt the label of “peacemaker” she’d given him.
Both men turned their attention to her and she opened her mouth to speak, but Paul cut her off. “Clementine Eagerton over at Ellason Advertising gave a stunning performance two and a half months ago and I signed with them, as you know. Funny, huh?” Sarcasm dripped from his mouth and he took a step closer. “I couldn’t imagine a fire-haired beauty being saddled with the name Clementine, but Em seemed to fit her better so that’s what I went with. A little dinner, a little slap and tickle and then she disappeared.”
Paul’s eyes shifted to Jake’s. “Imagine my surprise to find her here, working for you, under a different name and trying to pass herself off as Ember Ellason. As if you wouldn’t check her out. So, how long has she been here? You’ve been keeping the little liar busy making coffee, right?” Paul smirked and Ember’s heart sunk. The look in his eyes nearly mirrored that of her stepmother’s and all hope that Paul would want to explore their relationship died a fiery death.
Jake’s brow furrowed and Ember put some distance between her and Paul. “What the fuck are you talking about, man? This is Ember Ellason. She worked at Ellason advertising as an administrative assistant before coming here to work for me. Her father left the company to her stepmother and Em wanted to get out of the ‘family’ business and make a name for herself somewhere else.”
Ember nodded. It was all true. Well, except for the rest of her reason for leaving, but she’d never told Jake that she was afraid of seeing Paul again and dealing with the awkward moment when he discovered her lie.
Paul’s attention shot from her to Jake and back again before he finally focused on the ground, shaking his head. “I need a drink and you two need to sit down.”
He went to Jake’s wet bar without another word and Ember eased closer to Jake. Paul was starting to act a little odd and she didn’t want to be in the line of fire without some sort of protection. Jake’s body would work.
Paul plopped into a chair and took a sip of his whiskey. “So, you’re telling me that you,” he pointed a finger at her, “worked as an administrative assistant in your own company and then you quit that job to be an administrative assistant here at Fallon. That this isn’t a ploy to learn the inner workings of your competitor.”
She nodded. “But it wasn’t my company. Daddy left it to Claudette and since I haven’t finished my degree—”
“We’ll get to that in a minute. If all that’s true, then what was us sleeping together all about? Why did you slip out without telling me the truth? Why have you been avoiding me? I’ve been searching for you for over two months, and I sure as shit know you were still at Ellason the next day, but you hid. What the hell, Ember?”
Fire burned her cheeks as they filled with blood, and she imagined her face nearly glowed with embarrassment. “I…” She flicked a glance at Jake, but her boss looked like he wasn’t leaving if his life depended on it. “I didn’t want you to go back on the deal and harm the business. Afterward, I realized how stupid I acted. Then it was too late and I… I missed you like hell, but I just hid. I’m ashamed of my behavior, but it is what it is.” She shrugged.
Paul sat the glass on Jake’s desk. “Jake?”
“Yup.”
“Get out.”
Jake sputtered. “But… But it’s my office.”
“Not for the next hour, it isn’t. Get. Out.”
Ember’s attention collided with Paul’s and she went weak in the knees at the passion she saw burning in his eyes. Passion for her.
Oh. Shit.
“I am not leaving—”
Paul tossed the rest of his drink onto the front of his friend’s shirt. “There, now you need to go home and change. Just get the fuck out, Jake.”
Her boss grumbled, but stalked toward the door. “He’s an ass, Ember. You sure you want to be alone with him?”
She returned her attention to Paul and she nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
Chapter Six
Jake’s door closed with a soft click and the echo of the deadbolt locking into place filled the large office. Paul stepped to the windows overlooking the rest of the office suite and closed the blinds, shutting out the curious eyes of the other employees. With the door locked and blinds drawn, they truly were alone.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Paul, I shouldn’t have run off like that—”
“Shh…” He pressed two fingers to her lips. “Just a few questions.”
She nodded.
“You’re really Ember Ellason?”
“Yes.”
“And you haven’t been avoiding me because you didn’t want to ever see me again?”
She grabbed his hands and pulled him close, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Oh, no. I was just embarrassed at how I acted and then there was the company to think about and you had been drinking and I didn’t want you waking up and thinking ‘Gah! Coyote ugly!’ and…”
“Em, you’re rambling. Coyote ugly?”
“Yeah. I thought you were going to wake up the next morning with me sleeping on your arm and would rather gnaw it off than face dealing with the fat chick you took to bed when you were drunk. Coyote ugly.” She smiled. She’d gotten a whole thought out without puking on him.
Go me!
He pulled her close. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he rested his chin on the top of her head. “What a
m I going to do with you, huh? I’ve been searching for you for months and I can’t decide between yelling at you, bending you over my knee, or simply fucking you senseless.”
She rubbed her cheek against his chest and inhaled his scent. “Do I get a vote?”
“No, you do not get a vote.” He slipped one arm from around his waist, but she didn’t release him. Soon she had a wad of silk and lace dangling in front of her face. “Do you know I’ve been carrying these around for two and a half months? Two and a half months, Em.”
She focused on what was in front of her and realized… “My panties. You’ve been carrying my panties around with you for over two months?” She propped her chin on his chest and looked into his eyes. The fire of anger had long since disappeared, replaced by a hint of desire. “You know, that’s a bit freaky. Almost stalkerish, even.”
“Stalkerish? Nah, I was thinking more along the lines of Cinderella. You know, silk panties, glass slipper, same difference.”
She laughed out loud at his reasoning. “So, have you been slipping my panties onto women anxious to take on the Ashe name? I see how it is…”
He softly kissed her lips. “Never.” He shrugged. “Just… You’ve been on my mind a lot and having them near meant I had a part of you with me. At least until I could find you.”
“Stalker. You would never have found me if you hadn’t come to visit Jake. Hell, you didn’t even recognize my voice when you scheduled the meeting.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He kissed her again. “And for the record, I was going to ask Jake for the name of a good private eye.” He kissed her nose. “I was going to find you.” He kissed her forehead. “If it cost me every cent I had.” He nuzzled the spot beneath her ear. “And now that I’ve found you, I won’t let you go. Especially since we’ll have a long battle ahead of us.”
Confused, she pushed him back to put space between them. “Battle? Why?”
“Cause, baby, you own Ellason Advertising whether you know it or not.”
Her knees went weak and this time, she really did fall to the floor with his words. Paul went down with her and pulled her into his lap. “Em?”
She couldn’t find her voice. She owned Ellason Advertising? “Are you… are you sure?”
He nodded, concern marring his features. “Yes, I did research on your company before I scheduled the meeting. I like to know the people I’m really doing business with. Em, without a doubt, you own Ellason. Your father left the company to you.”
“But Claudette said—”
“She lied. Didn’t you speak with any lawyers after your father’s death?”
Ember thought of the time surrounding her father’s passing and couldn’t remember whom she’d spoken with. So many different attorneys and bankers and God knew who else had come to their home, and she’d only ever wanted them gone.
“I don’t know. I just went along with what Claudette told me and carried on with my life as best as I could. I didn’t think. Gah! I’m such an idiot.” She buried her head in her hands, tears burning her eyes. “What now?”
“Now, you swear to me that you’ll never run off again.” He squeezed her tight as if in a threat. “And we’ll get your company away from that woman and live happily ever after.”
“Happily ever after?”
“Yup.”
“But that only happens in fairytales.”
“Hey, we’ve already established the Cinderella connection here. I’ve got the panties that prove you belong to me. You’re not going to argue with the panties, are you?”
“Nope.”
The End
About the Author
Celia would have loved to have written her own biography, but she just didn’t know what to say. In a fit of desperation, she turned to me, her most trusted confidant and friend. I realize you’re asking yourself, “Who is this?” I am Cali, her cat. I also go by a few other names, but those may be too strong for your delicate ears. Suffice it to say my mommy is very creative and not just with writing.
My mommy, Celia, began writing in August of 2006. I know this because it was around that time our meals started coming later and later in the day. As months passed, she spent more and more time in front of the boring screen. Though, it was fun to chase the little arrow around every once in a while. You should hear her scream! But I digress.
She’s worked hard to give readers sexy, quirky heroines they can relate to. And you better damn well appreciate it. All I got was late night feedings. And I didn’t even make it into one of her books by name! That damn kitten, Katie O’Meghan, did. Bitch.
Well, enjoy her writings and if you want to praise her for her work… don’t. I’d like to get fed at some point, people.
Fine. If you must contact her, her website is at www.celiakyle.com or you can send an email to [email protected]. But when I go hungry, I’ll blame you all!
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