by Nina Croft
She’d looked forward to this day so much, counted down to it, crossed each day off on a calendar. A new start. Freedom. And yet here she was. Not free at all. She wanted to rail that it wasn’t fair. But of course it was fair. Just why did it have to be this man handing out her judgment?
Though if it had been anyone else, she would probably be back in custody by now. She should count herself lucky. But somehow, she just couldn’t do it.
When she opened her eyes, he was across from her, lounging in that big chair, watching her, and she straightened her spine and brushed her hair out of her face, determined to not show any weakness.
It was time to stop being a whiner and get through this. No doubt he’d get bored of torturing her eventually and let her go. He was clearly just amusing himself.
A tap sounded on the door and it opened. Lisa appeared, a tray of coffee in her hands, which she placed on the table in front of Summer. She’d clearly taken the time to compose herself. “The contract has arrived. I’ll print it off and bring it through,” she said.
“Thanks.”
The door closed behind her. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled Summer’s nostrils, and she almost swooned. She hadn’t smelled anything so good in…years. Ignoring the man still watching her, she leaned forward and poured herself a cup, then added cream. Bringing it to her nostrils, she inhaled the rich, roasted fumes.
She closed her eyes as she drank. Heaven. It tasted so good. Maybe she could work here if she got unlimited coffee. When she opened her eyes, a pair of legs was right in front of her. She peered up. Nik was staring down at her. “You look like you haven’t tasted coffee in years.”
“Not coffee like this.”
He looked pointedly at the tray, and it occurred to her that maybe this was part of her new job. Maybe he was incapable of pouring his own coffee and needed someone to do it for him. “Am I expected to pour your coffee?” she asked. “Bring it to you…maybe hold it to your lips while you swallow? Wipe your mouth afterward?”
His lips twitched. “Perhaps we’ll leave that for another day.” He leaned down and poured himself a cup, then sat down beside her, his thigh almost touching hers. She stared at it for a second and then inched away.
Something about this man put her on edge. Who was she kidding? Something about this man turned her on in a way she’d never experienced before. And she didn’t know how to deal with it.
She shifted a little farther, but then forced herself to stop. She didn’t want him to realize how…uncomfortable he made her feel.
He had enough power over her already. No way would she let him see that as well.
The door opened again, and Lisa entered, papers in her hand. She handed a copy to Summer and one to Nik, then turned and walked away.
At the door, she hesitated and turned around. “Donald is on holiday next week. His PA could—”
“Summer will be taking over your job. Don’t worry about a thing. Just go look after your sister.”
The door closed behind her.
“You know,” Summer said, “it seems very convenient. You want to keep me close and your PA suddenly needs some time off.”
“Her pregnant sister fell down and broke her leg. Do you think I had her pushed?”
She shrugged. “Just wondering. What do I really know about you?”
“Less than I know about you.”
She’d like to defend herself, but really, how could she?
“Read your contract,” he said.
She scowled but glanced down at the paper in her hand. Position: personal assistant to the company CEO. Whoop-de-do. “I’m not a goddamn secretary,” she muttered.
“According to your file, you’re not an accountant, either, but you did a pretty good imitation of one.”
“I’m self-taught.” Actually, she’d taken some exams and gained some qualifications while in prison. Still, she wasn’t allowed to work in a position of financial trust until her parole was over, and even then, she’d have to register the fact that she was an offender with potential employers. It would seriously limit her prospects. She didn’t mind; she didn’t want to work for anyone else. She wanted to work for herself. But like everything else, it looked as though that was going to have to wait.
She sighed. What was the point in even reading this? It wasn’t as though she had a choice in the matter. At least the salary was good. “Do I actually get paid?”
“I thought about that one. I did consider offsetting it against what you owe me—I reckon it would take you around twenty years to pay off your debt. And that’s without interest.” She winced but didn’t interrupt. “But then I considered the fact that if you have no money, you’d be more likely to revert to your old ways. So, yes, you’ll be paid.”
She sighed again. No point putting this off. “Pass me the goddamn pen.”
He watched as she placed the contract on the table and scribbled her name, then dated it.
She sat back as he picked up the papers and studied them for a moment, a satisfied smile on his face. He believed he’d won. But won what? She still wasn’t sure what his endgame was. A philanthropic gesture to save her from herself? Or more likely to save rich people like him from her. A long-term plan—get her to feel safe and then hand her over to the police? Maybe the buildup would make the revenge all the sweeter. Or was he just amusing himself?
She hated that she didn’t know. “Does it occur to you I might have plans?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s why you’re here. As I’m sure any plans you have are unlikely to be legal. Did you know nearly fifty percent of all ex-cons go on to re-offend?”
“Did you look that up?”
“Yes.”
Someone rapped on the door. A second later it opened, and a man strode in. He was tall and wearing a gray business suit and tie. She recognized him straightaway. Harry Brent. From her research on the company, she knew he was Nik’s right-hand man. She’d even met him before, briefly, nearly three years ago, though they’d never been introduced. He was the man who had inadvertently let the cat out of the bag as to Nik’s true identity. The night of “the kiss.” He’d interrupted them and probably stopped her from making a mistake of colossal proportions. Because she’d passed the point where she would have called a halt herself. They would no doubt have had sex across the big mahogany desk in the CFO’s office…where Nik had come upon her while she’d been completing the final transfer. And she’d kissed him because she’d been flustered and hadn’t known what else to do. Besides, she’d wanted to kiss him. Wanted to know what he tasted like. What his big body would feel like pressed up against hers. And it had been so good, just the memory had the power to heat up her blood.
Stop thinking about it.
“Summer?”
She jumped as Nik said her name, then hooked her hair behind her ear and stared up at Harry Brent, who’d come to a halt in front of her and was looking at her as if she might make off with the company silver. But there was also something else in his expression, something she couldn’t quite put a finger on. Speculation?
“I just wanted to come see what all the fuss is about,” he said, turning to Nik. “She’s a little scrawny to be causing so much havoc. And I have to tell you one last time, you’re making a huge mistake here.”
But he sounded more amused than anything else. Yeah. She was so funny.
“Thanks for your input,” Nik replied. “Glad we’ve got that behind us now. So, Summer, this is Harry Brent. You’ll no doubt be seeing a lot of him, as he’s convinced you’ll be up to no good the moment my back is turned.”
She sniffed. “You do plan on turning your back, then. That’s a relief.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure there will be moments. And Harry, this is Summer Delaney, whom you’ve read up on and no doubt studied in detail.”
Harry didn’t offer to shake hands. What a surprise. It was going to be so much fun working here.
“Ms. Delaney.” He gave her a short nod. “Just so you know, my
advice was to hand the file, and you, over to the police. One step out of place and that can still happen.”
She nodded and wondered if the day could get any more shitty. And it had started out so well. She didn’t say anything, because she suspected she might sound pathetic, and she needed to be strong. Suddenly, she had to get out of there, before she made a complete fool of herself.
She got to her feet, wiping her hands down the sides of her jeans. They were both so big and they hated her and she couldn’t blame them, and…
She ignored Harry Brent. Turning to Nik, she took a deep breath. “If we’re done here, I’ll go learn about my new job.”
He searched her face, and for a moment, she thought he was going to make her stay, torture her some more. But in the end, he nodded. “I’ll see you later.”
Was that a warning not to leave without seeing him? Probably. But she had to get away from him. It was all catching up with her. She put her head down and headed for the door.
Once it was closed, she sagged against it, the strength oozing out of her. When she looked up, her gaze caught Lisa’s. She swallowed and forced a smile. “Is there a bathroom?”
Lisa waved a hand at a door off to the side.
Summer hurried through it and went into the ladies’ room. She locked the door behind her, sank down onto the toilet, and burst into tears.
She didn’t care what people thought about her. Really, she didn’t.
So why was she crying?
She hadn’t cried when she got caught. Or when she’d been sentenced. Or even her first night inside, when she’d been so scared she’d nearly peed herself.
No, it had taken Nik horrible Masterton to reduce her to tears. Though it wasn’t him. Not really. Rather, she’d built herself up with the idea of a new life. She’d changed in the last two years, taken the time to step back and look at herself and what she’d become. And she’d wanted to be a better person. She’d thought all she had to do was make the decision and then go out and be…good. But her past was catching up with her, and she couldn’t run fast enough to leave it behind. She couldn’t run at all with Nik holding his evidence over her.
She scrubbed a hand over her face, then sniffed and stood up. She crossed to the sink and splashed cold water on her skin. She couldn’t bear it if Nik realized he’d managed to reduce her to tears. Hopefully, he would stay out of her way for a while. Then she caught sight of her face in the mirror and nearly cried some more.
She was too thin, her skin pale with shadows under her eyes—she hadn’t slept well in years—and her hair lank. She was totally colorless. Except for her eyes, which were red. Bugger.
Someone tapped tentatively on the door. “Summer.”
She took some slow breaths—Darcy had taught her how to deal with stress—and turned to open the door, giving a bright smile to the super-smart, confident, beautiful woman—who hadn’t been crying—on the other side. Lisa did have a worried frown on her face. And shock flashed in her eyes as she took in Summer’s tiny, no doubt pathetic, figure.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Summer gave a small nod.
“Really?” When Summer didn’t answer, she continued, “I know Nik can come across as kind of intense—he wouldn’t have survived if he couldn’t. But whatever he said to you, he probably didn’t mean it. Honestly, he’s a good boss. Long days, but he’s not unfair and…”
Summer raised her hands. “Okay. I get it. He’s a great guy.” She eyed up the other woman. “Are you in love with him?”
“Of course not.” Then she grinned. “Maybe just a little bit, but don’t tell my husband.” She flashed her wedding band. “We’ve only been married three months. But Nik would never have anything to do with anyone at work. He has this really strong ethical code.”
Not with her he hadn’t. She might have kissed him first that night, but he’d hardly fought her off. That, for some reason, made her feel a little better. It was time to put her big-girl pants on. “I’m sure he has. So, you want to teach me everything you know?”
Lisa cast her a worried glance. “I’ll try.”
She clearly thought Nik had lost his mind. But an hour later, she was sitting back, watching in awe as Summer’s fingers flashed across the keyboard, accessing the different systems. Summer only came to a halt when she couldn’t get into one.
A little color washed over Lisa’s face. “That’s the interface with the finance department. Nik said to close it off.”
Summer shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. And just in case you’re wondering…yes, I have just come out of prison. This is a sort of…halfway job, Nik’s good deed for society. I’m not allowed access to the financial systems under the rules of my parole, so it’s no biggie.”
Lisa cleared her throat. “Do you mind if I ask…?”
“What I was in for?” She thought about making up something more interesting, like an ax murderer or serial killer. But then she might never see Lisa again, and she needed her help. The job was quite complex. “Embezzling.”
“Oh. Right.”
Summer gave her a solemn look. “I promise not to do it again.”
Lisa giggled, and some of the tension drained out of Summer. She liked Lisa and didn’t want the other woman to think badly of her. In the past, she’d always kept herself aloof from her colleagues, mainly because of a mixture of guilt and not wanting to give herself away—she’d never been a natural liar. Nik was the one exception, and look where that had gotten her. If she hadn’t talked to him, made a connection…kissed him, she wouldn’t be in this predicament now. He would have handed the details over to the police, and they would probably have never caught her. Not only that, but she would probably never have been caught for the next job, either. She’d messed up because she was off balance. It was all Nik’s fault.
“Okay,” Lisa said, “a lot of my job is summarizing material so Nik doesn’t have to read long reports. I’m going to send a few files over to you. Just go through them and pick out what you think are the salient points. Get them down in bullet form, and I’ll have a look.” She made to press the button, then paused. “You realize this information is confidential?”
“I read my contract,” she said drily.
“Good. Let’s get to work.”
Chapter Four
“So you’re going through with this?” Harry asked.
Nik was still staring at the door where Summer had disappeared, trying to stall the irrational urge to go after her. Now he turned to Harry. “Yes.”
Harry shook his head. “What I want to know is—what do you see in her? She’s scrawny. She’s dishonest. She stole your money.”
“Maybe that’s why she intrigues me. With most women, it takes a while for them to reveal what they’re really after. At least with Summer, I know what she wants of me from the start. Anyway, I’m not interested in her like that.” That was a lie, but it was none of Harry’s business.
Harry smirked. “Of course you’re not.”
“She’s not my type.” No, his usual type was a tall, leggy model or an aspiring actress. Women who wanted to be seen in the places he could take them. Women he understood and never got attached to.
“That’s why she’s dangerous.”
“Don’t be so fucking melodramatic.” Of course she wasn’t dangerous. And he was prewarned anyway.
“And if she isn’t your type, how come you were kissing her that night?”
“She was kissing me.” But hell, he’d kissed her back, and she’d tasted so fucking sweet. He’d been hot and hard and all over her in seconds. The desire had been simmering between them for weeks, only needing a spark to send it out of control. If Harry hadn’t interrupted them, would everything have turned out differently?
If they’d made love that night, would she still have vanished with his money?
Experience told him…probably.
Harry was still loitering by his desk. Clearly, he had more to say on the matter. “You want her.”
&nbs
p; “No, I don’t.” He learned from his mistakes. Didn’t he?
Harry ignored the comment. “That’s what this is all about. She’ll wrap you around her skinny little finger, and then she’ll revert to type and probably vanish with another pile of your money.”
“Doubtful.”
A sly look came over his friend’s face. “Want to bet on it?”
“No way.”
“Come on. You know you want to.”
“Go away and do some work. I’m busy.”
“Yes, boss.” Was that sarcasm? Harry headed for the door but paused with his hand on the handle. “So it’s a bet then. I get a week in the ski lodge if…or rather, when I win.”
He shook his head. Harry knew quite well if he wanted a week in the ski lodge, he was welcome to it. “Go.”
But once Harry left, he couldn’t settle.
Summer wasn’t anything like he’d expected or remembered.
What the hell was he doing?
But he couldn’t cut her loose. She appeared so…vulnerable. If he let her go now, who knew what would happen to her? Now that he’d started this, he had a moral duty to continue.
He managed to stay away until five thirty. It was time to find out how his little protégée was doing. And show her where she would be staying. The company had several apartments around the city where they put up visiting executives. He’d selected the closest one.
When he went into the outer office, she was sitting at Lisa’s desk working at the keyboard, her lower lip gripped between her teeth. Lisa was standing across the room, talking into her cell phone, but she closed it off and slipped it into her pocket when she saw him. She beckoned him over, then turned so her back was to Summer.
“You made her cry,” she whispered, eyes filled with reproach. “What did you do to her?”
He glanced over his shoulder to look at Summer. Were her eyes red? He hadn’t done anything to her. Hadn’t touched her. “Nothing.”
Lisa pursed her lips; clearly, she didn’t believe him.
“Maybe she’s just emotional,” he said. “Big day and all that. I didn’t do anything.” Why was he defending himself? Maybe he should change the subject. “How’s she doing?”