by Sam Crescent
Evernight Publishing
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2013 Sam Crescent
ISBN: 978-1-77130-475-7
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Karyn White
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
I want to thank Evernight and my editor for their continued support and help in bringing my stories to life.
THE BILLIONAIRE AND THE CLEANER
Sam Crescent
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
Lana Hawkins stared through the glass door to watch the owner of the building as he typed up some document on his computer. Kent Anderson was the sexiest man she’d ever seen and far out of her league. He owned the entire Anderson Corporation and was worth billions. Looking like a sex god meant there were many women begging for his attention, glamorous women with the time and money to make themselves available to him. Kent had been seen with many super models and actresses. When she’d been waiting for the bus she’d read the article in a glossy mag that linked him to several porn stars as well.
Way out of her league in every way.
She worked in his office from seven at night ‘til twelve. The late shift money helped pay her rent, while the diner she worked in during the day gave her the money to eat. The latest recession hit her hard. She wasn’t smart and didn’t have the qualification to get any better paying job. Being a cleaner and waitressing were fun. She loved making places clean, and her small apartment was immaculate.
His blond hair caught the light of the lamp by his desk side. The golden strands looked silken, and she wanted to run her fingers through his hair to see if they were as soft as they looked.
You’re going insane. Working this job has built up a fantasy inside your head.
Ignoring the impulse to speak to him, she picked up her dusting cloth and started working throughout the top floor of the office. On several of the desks lay empty sweet wrappers. Lana picked them up, then threw them into her trashcan. She didn’t know how some people could work in mess or even function.
Humming to herself, Lana worked through each desk making it spotlessly clean for the next day. She loved cleaning. There was no chance of her getting emotionally attached to anyone. The cleaning company she worked for required one person on each floor of the building to clean that one floor at the Anderson Corporation. She worked on the top floor after the staff had gone home. The job description saved her from getting her heart-broken again. Her last boyfriend of two years had left her over a year ago. Frank had taken two years of her life and crushed her heart as well as what little ego she’d kept. There was no way she’d ever let another man get inside her heart or her head. When she’d first been with Frank, he’d been a caring, loving boyfriend. In the last year of their relationship he’d changed. Frank started getting angrier, and he’d lash out. Lana hated being one of the women who made excuses, but she ended up finding reasons for his behaviour. Fortunately, Frank never put her in the hospital as otherwise she’d be in trouble. Since Frank had worked his magic on her while dumping her, she refused to allow another man inside her heart or her body. She liked living alone in her spotless apartment with nothing to look forward to other than her weekend ritual of baking. Her neighbours loved her baking, and that’s how her life was going to remain. Careful, organised, and peaceful, the three words were her motto.
Baking, reading, cooking, cleaning, and work.
She let out a sigh then grabbed the vacuum cleaner to start cleaning the floor. During the summer months she kept the windows open to allow dust and fresh air to permeate the office. It was the middle of fall going into winter. Opening the windows would only freeze her.
Going back to her humming, she started cleaning around each desk.
Every so often Lana looked up to see Kent reading in his office. Sometimes he typed on his computer. He didn’t look her way at all. She didn’t mind. Cleaning ladies were supposed to be invisible to everyone else. The company she worked for held a standard that she prided herself in keeping. Lana may not hold any qualifications, but she could make the places she worked at shine.
None of the customers she served in the diner complained about her service. She took pride in being able to excel at what she did. Lana had graduated from high-school at eighteen and had worked every day since to keep herself alive. Her mother had lived in a trailer park, and she’d moved out the moment school finished. College was a big fat no. Lana got by on what little she knew. She could read, write, and spell, but everything else had been really difficult for her to deal with.
It was hard for her to concentrate during high-school because of her mother’s drinking and late night callers. Even though her mother denied being a whore, there were plenty of men willing to pay her for services rendered.
At school she’d been the fat daughter of the drunken, town whore. Lana had vowed to get away. She hated the men who tried to sneak into her bedroom late at night when her mother was passed out.
To be safe, she’d climbed out of her window and gone down to the lake where an old ratty sofa lay. She’d curled up in a blanket she kept in her backpack. Those nights were only during the summer. When it was too cold to leave the trailer, she’d wedged a chair against the handle stopping anyone from coming in.
Her mother was a light sleeper, so anyone banging on her daughter’s bedroom door would wake her up. None of the men would risk her mother’s wrath to get to fatty Lana.
Shaking her head, Lana put more effort into vacuuming. She hated thinking about the past. The past left a bad taste in her mouth. Her mother wasn’t a bad woman, but she wasn’t a great one either. She preferred to drink and sleep with plenty of men rather than help her daughter graduate with a decent education.
Lana didn’t know who her father was or what he looked like. She figured he was one of the numerous men to go inside her mother’s trailer. Shaking off the negative thoughts, she wheeled out a chair and vacuumed underneath the desks. She occasionally glanced at the family photos on people’s desks, and envy struck her big time.
After the Frank betrayal, she wasn’t going to chance it again. She’d always wanted a family, but family came at a cost she refused to pay.
Glancing up at Kent in his office, lust hit her square in the gut. He was another man who’d never look at her twice.
Stop it, Lana. Get your work done, and go home.
****
Kent Anderson watched the cleaner working outside his office. He’d noticed her from the moment she started working in his building. Phoning the firm, he’d gotten her moved up to his floor. He liked watching her work, and he’d taken it upon himself to care for her. They’d never spoken a word to each other. She’d smiled at him, and he’d smiled back but nothing beyond that. He’d seen her nerves and understood the reason she held herself back. Every employee underwent a background check. When he’d employed the cleaning firm he’d gotten detailed background checks done on the men and women the company sent over to him. Lana Hawkins was a thorough worker and sexy as hell.
She wore the pale blue cleaning uniform that hid her curves from his view. Watching her bend over to clean or pick something up was the highlight of his day. She’d never ventured inside his office because he’d g
iven the cleaning company strict orders to leave his office alone.
Being a successful businessman had created many enemies. He’d encountered a lot of people who were willing to do whatever it took to make money, even if earning money meant stealing files from him. Kent didn’t trust anyone. They were all bad news. The only person he trusted was himself.
Lana Hawkins, however, was a problem to him. Her file gave him everything he needed to know about her. She didn’t have anything but the standard high-school education, and she worked two jobs to make ends meet. Her apartment was small in a good part of the city.
There was nothing fascinating about her. When he’d dug a little deeper, he’d discovered her mother was a drunk with loose morals and Lana had used to live in a trailer. The woman before him looked like she’d had a hard life, and for some reason that bothered Kent.
What was it about her that hit him in the gut?
He loved women. He loved fucking them and making them scream his name, but he also liked leaving them. Kent didn’t do permanent relationships. The women he bedded knew the score. They could stay, have a great fuck, and leave at the end of the night. He didn’t allow his women to stay over, and there was no way he’d butter them up. When he wanted sex, he’d call and take what he wanted.
Jewels, wining, and dining were for couples who wanted forever. He’d taken a few of his women out to dinner in order to keep the press happy. The women knew it wasn’t anything but a show to keep the media happy.
Being a businessman wasn’t about being a nice guy. Kent saw what he wanted, took it, and enjoyed it. He was ruthless and made no jokes about what he wanted.
She’s different.
Lana was different from all of his other women. He expected her to try to make him notice her. Moving her to his floor he’d expected some sort of flirtation. He’d gotten nothing. Her uniform remained the big, bulky pale blue uniform, and her dark brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. She didn’t wear makeup or spend hours trying to gain his attention.
If anything, Kent felt like he didn’t exist in her company. She came to the office floor, worked, packed everything away, and walked home.
He’d followed her home. Lana made him feel like a stalker. She’d become an obsession to him.
Clicking off his computer, he watched as she started packing her cleaning stuff away.
“It’s a cold night out,” he said, gaining her attention.
She jerked, turning to face him. “Excuse me?” she asked.
He noticed she pushed a strand of hair off her face as she stared at him.
“It’s a cold night out. How are you getting home?”
Her hand moved to her side. She fisted her hand as her gaze moved toward the windows. “I’m walking.”
Lana turned her back to him and continued packing away her stuff. He stared at her back for several minutes, admiring the lush curves of her ass.
What would she do if he reached out and touched her?
She’d have your ass down to court for sexual harassment.
“I don’t like the thought of a woman walking home. Put your stuff away and meet me at my car. I’ll be waiting for you,” Kent said. He walked past her going to the elevator. She was staring at him in shock. Winking at her, Kent waited for the doors to close.
The elevator started to move taking him down to the parking lot. His prized possession sat in the top parking space. He nodded at security and then climbed behind the wheel. Sliding his key into the ignition, he felt his baby purr to life.
He loved his car. Turning the radio off, he sat and waited for Lana to arrive.
Checking his watch, he noted ten minutes had passed.
Once another ten minutes passed, Kent drove to the security guard on duty.
“How can I help you, Mr Anderson?” the guard asked.
“I’m waiting for a woman. I was wondering if you could tell me where she is so I know how long to wait?” Kent tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as the guard clicked away at his computer.
“Sir, no one is in the building. It’s shut down for the night.”
“Are you sure?”
“All lights are off, and the security code was punched in five minutes ago by Lana Hawkins. She’s the cleaning lady with the instruction of closing up if you’re not there,” the guard said.
Kent cursed. “Thanks,” he said.
He waited, impatiently, for the gate to open. She’d gone without him. Why didn’t she listen to him? He’d offered to give her a lift home, and she’d left him high and dry.
What would you do if a stranger offered to take you home?
Shit! His obsession for a woman he’d never really talked to was driving him insane.
Chapter Two
Lana walked down the street heading toward the late night bus. She walked all the way home when she missed the bus. Checking her clock, she had two minutes to get to the end of the street. She’d worked faster tonight, and getting the bus seemed to be in her favour. The shops were all closed up, and several teenagers were lurking around. Many of the people on the street were smoking and drinking. She ignored them all as she made her way to the bus stop.
Hitching her purse high on her shoulder, she kept walking, determined to get the bus. Getting the bus took over thirty minutes off her travelling time. She couldn’t believe Kent had offered to drive her home. Thinking his offer was some kind of joke she’d ignored it, packed up the cleaning equipment, and headed out. Until today she’d never had to worry about using the security code she’d been given. Kent leaving before her finally gave her the opportunity to use the code to secure the building. The company had given her the code because she’d been given plenty of recommendations from other companies. She’d worked for several firms before settling for the firm she was now working for.
She saw the brake lights on the bus up ahead. Picking up her pace she tried to catch the bus.
A car pulled alongside her.
“I offered you a lift,” Kent said. The window to the expensive car rolled down. Kent stared at her, waiting. She stopped when she saw it was really him. He’d driven in her direction?
“I’m going to catch the bus. Thank you for your offer,” she said.
The car followed her. Stopping, she turned to him. “Get in the car, Lana.”
“I don’t know you.”
“You’ve been working in my building for the last six months. You know I’m not a murderer or a rapist. Get in the car, and I’ll drive you home.”
Nibbling her lip, she looked at the bus.
“I really appreciate the offer. Yes, I work in your building, but I don’t know you. I’m going to catch the bus.”
She started walking and stopped when she noticed the bus pulling away. Tears filled her eyes at missing her ride.
“Don’t cry. Get in the car. I’ll take care of you.”
Why? No one else takes care of me. Why would you want to?
Her pity party was back.
Turning back to him, she saw his blue eyes up close for the first time ever. She’d watched him at a safe distance, working around him. His eyes were a clear blue like the ocean. They were startling to look at. They were surrounded by long lashes that women would kill for.
“Get in the car.” He repeated his words to her.
“I don’t think I should. I can walk from here.”
“Lana, it’s dark, and the walk will take you an hour to get home. I’m offering you a ride. Get in the car and let me help you,” he said.
When she made no move toward him, Kent climbed out of the car, took her hand inside his, and escorted her around to his side of the car. His touch sent sparks of electricity up her arm.
She did as instructed as he opened the passenger side door and helped her inside. He leaned in the car grabbing the buckle. His arm brushed across her breasts. Her nipples tightened at the contact. She’d never responded to a man so quickly.
You’ve been lusting after this man for over six months.
&nbs
p; He buckled the seat. She watched him walk around to his side and climb in. Her heart raced from his closeness. She was acting like a crazy person.
Kent put the car in gear and pulled away from the kerb. Taking a quick glance at him, Lana chanced a look at his profile. He looked angry.
“Why didn’t you wait for me?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
Lana fidgeted with the edge of her dress wishing the skirt covered more of her fleshy thighs.
“I offered you a lift, and you run away. Have I done something to upset you?” he asked.
When he glanced at her, she looked away, staring out of the front window. “No.”
“Have you read some shit glossy mag story and decided I’m not good enough for you?”
“No.” She shook her head. The only time she read glossy magazines was when she was waiting around at newsstands. Reading glossy magazines were a waste of time and money. She’d rather spend her money in a book store buying books that were worth her time. “I didn’t think you meant it,” she said, admitting the embarrassing truth.
“Did you think I’d offer to drive you home and then leave you high and dry?”
She shrugged. What else was she supposed to think?
“What kind of men have you known?”
Again, she shrugged while also thinking she’d only known the worst kind of men.
“I can’t believe I’m having this conversation,” he said.
Neither could she. His anger seemed to be coming out, and she listened even though she stared out of the window.
Her stomach chose that moment to growl. She’d not had the time to eat anything at lunch. The last time she’d eaten was breakfast where she’d indulged in a buttered bagel.
Grocery shopping was something she did on Friday. It was Wednesday, and she wouldn’t be going grocery shopping for at least two days. Her pay check came through Friday, which she paid her rent out of. Once the rent and other bills were paid, she used the rest on food.