EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2020 Doris O’Connor
ISBN: 978-0-3695-0232-2
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
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.
THE TAKEOVER
Romance on the Go ®
Doris O’Connor
Copyright © 2020
Chapter One
"Wait up a sec. I'm—" The door slammed in her face, shutting off her shout for help, and the trays of Starbucks’ finest wobbled precariously in Emma's hands. She swallowed the curse hovering on her tongue, and winced as scalding hot coffee slopped over her fingers.
Liz Goven, her immediate boss and assistant to the CEO, threw a cold look over her shoulder at Em and stalked off. Even through the glass door the loud click clack of her six-inch Gucci slingbacks grated on Emma's nerves. Of course, the high and mighty Ms. Goven would not stoop so low as holding the door open for a mere assistant, now, would she?
Emma resisted the childish urge to stick her tongue out at Liz's retreating back, and sighed instead. With her case containing the papers the CEO needed for the takeover slung precariously over one shoulder, her handbag hanging off one elbow, and two far from stable cardboard trays holding the scalding supply of coffees, her options for opening that door proved rather limited.
Especially as she'd chosen to wear a suit in honor of the new CEO's arrival today. Em hadn't worn the damn thing in years, and clearly she'd gained some pounds since the last time she'd squeezed into it. The jacket didn't do up over her boobs, and the pencil skirt clung to what her mum would have called childbearing hips. Em just called it fat, and normally she hid under flowing dresses and long, comfortable skirts, but the memo sent around had been very precise. The new CEO would expect proper office attire, so Em had even dusted off her kitten heels.
So not conducive to walking, let alone opening the damn door with her knee, which was the only option left open right now.
"Here, let me. How do you get yourself into these pickles, titch?"
Shane Nevin's deep tenor stopped her fumbling, and a shiver of anticipation went down her spine, dampening her knickers like it always did. Em suppressed another sigh, and smiled up at Shane as she did her best not to swoon.
Shane, too, had dressed up for the occasion, and the three-piece suit just emphasized every inch of his six-foot-three, ruggedly masculine frame. If she didn't know better Em would have thought that suit was tailor-made. However, Shane was just a lowly office worker like herself, so unless he'd suddenly won the lottery, then he must have just struck lucky when he got that suit off the rack.
"Nice suit," Emma said, and inwardly rolled her eyes at herself. Nice suit? That's right up there with I carried a watermelon, for frick's sake. Could I think of anything more stupid to say to him?
Shane simply smiled at her comment, reached around her to open the door for her, and grasped one of the trays out of her hand.
"Here, let me help you. Queen bitch made you get the coffees again, I see, as well as made you finish that report, I bet."
Emma almost missed a step at the steely annoyance behind those clipped words, tempered as they were with a smile directed at her. And not just any smile. This was a pure drop-your-knickers-in-an-instant smile of male appreciation that made Emma feel rather lightheaded. She'd seen him use that dimpled grin with devastating effect in meetings with suppliers that meant they dropped everything to accommodate him, but she'd never been at the receiving end of it. Neither had he ever run his gaze over her body with such heated intensity that the fine hair on her arms rose to attention, and her nipples beaded into shameless beacons of lust. Em knew she would have to lose her now-sodden panties as her body responded to this man's charisma with a gush of wetness between her thighs. Jesus, that smile was lethal, and set off an almost painful wave of arousal and feminine need in her core that left Emma breathlessly staring up at him.
"I could say the same to you, by the way." Shane winked at her, and Emma blinked as the spell was broken.
"What?" she asked.
Shane laughed and swept one large hand through the air in front of her.
"Your attire, Em. Nice suit. Who knew you were hiding such a great pair of pins, not to mention…" His gaze dropped briefly to her boobs, where her nipples were still practically waving red flags to draw attention to themselves, and he grinned again, and ran a hand through his hair. The action made a strand of his light brown hair fall across his forehead and her fingers itched to brush it back for him. It had a natural wave to it that could have made him look boyish. Coupled with the angular jaw, covered in designer stubble, the strong slash of a nose, and his intense crystal blue gaze, it just enhanced his raw masculinity and sex appeal, however.
Emma laughed nervously and somehow managed to keep on walking. Shane hit the button for the elevator to carry them up to the executive offices, and she risked another glance up at him from under her lashes. He wasn't looking at her. Just stood waiting for the elevator to finally get back to them, and he stepped a bit closer to her when the space behind them filled with more office workers. His spicy scent wrapped itself around her senses, and she inhaled sharply as the doors slid open. Heat raced up her arm when Shane grasped her elbow and steered her into the far corner of the elevator. The high-rise building was home to many firms, and the elevator soon filled to capacity. Shane braced his hand behind her on the wall, to stop from being pushed further into her. With the two trays the only barrier between them, Emma's mouth went dry when she looked up to find him watching her.
"Yes, well, orders from above and all that. Must please the new CEO. I heard he's a tough old coot."
A curious smile flitted across Shane's features at her husky reply and Emma shut her eyes and bashed her head back against the mirrored wall. What was with that porn star voice she'd seemed to have adopted? Shane would think her a right simpleton.
Her stomach tightened in need and she bit her lip to stop herself from moaning out loud, when she sensed rather than saw him dip his head. Gooseflesh broke out across the sensitive skin under her ear as his hot breath skittered across it.
"Anything for the CEO, is it, titch?"
The silly name sounded like a lover's caress. He'd adopted the moniker for her within hours of their first meeting, because she'd struggled to hang the Christmas decorations on the high ceiling of their part of the open plan office. Instead of grating on her nerves, like it usually did when he brought attention to their height difference, it simply turned her on. Thanks to her heels she came up to his shoulder, rather than his chest, and it wouldn't take much for him to kiss her.
Her eyes flew open and heat crept into her face at the decidedly unprofessional turn her thoughts were taking. They were in a lift for fuck's sake, in full view of everyone else, and this was Shane. They were friends, and besides, even if they weren't, he was completely and utterly out of her league. A man like him could have any woman he wanted, and he frequently did. Lord knew Emma had fielded enough annoyed women's phone calls on a Monday morning, when she'd answered his phone. He never played the field in the office, but Shane clearly enjoyed a healthy sex life outside of it, and why shouldn't he? It was only natural after
all. Emma might have taken a seeming vow of abstinence worthy of any nun, but that didn't mean other people did. She knew that, and she fervently squashed that annoying little voice in her ear that proclaimed she'd only sworn off men since Shane's arrival. Ever since he'd held that ladder for her—a mere four months ago—and Em had irrevocably fallen in lust at first sight; no other man had passed muster. Not that she had been particularly active in that department, but Emma used to have fun. She frowned at the direction her thoughts were taking, and slammed the door shut on them. No good would come of it. She was so not going to dwell on how easy it would be to allow herself to fall in love with the man towering over her. Lust was one thing, love… therein lay nothing but heartache. She wrenched her gaze up to Shane's face, and all conscious thought fled her befuddled brain.
Emma had no idea what had changed between them, but there was no mistaking the blatant lust in Shane's eyes as he smiled down at her, and she held her breath when he dipped his head again and whispered his next words.
"What if the old coot is neither old nor a coot, and wants to do all sorts of dirty things to you, that he should have no business thinking, let alone acting on? Then what will you do?"
He pulled back just enough to be able to see her, and Emma couldn't think of one sensible thing to say in reply, so she simply stared up at him and shook her head.
"No?" he asked. "No, as in he wouldn't do that, or no as in you'd have his balls on a plate for suggesting such a thing to you?"
"I-I… what on earth has gotten into you today, Shane?" She finally managed to get the words out in a hoarse whisper, and her eyes grew huge when he smiled and kissed her nose.
As chaste as the contact was, it sent a rush of need through her system and her nose tingled where his warm, firm lips had touched her. Good God, if that simple touch had her insides turn into a mush of feminine goo, then how would she react if he ever kissed her properly?
"Nothing, Em. Things are going to change around here, that's all, and I guess I'm just wondering what your take on it all is. And whether you'd ever consider getting involved at the office…"
There was something almost pensive about him as he asked that question, and Emma gave in to instinct and ran her hand along the nape of his neck. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt him tense under her tentative exploration, and she became all too aware of him. His hair was just as silky smooth as she imagined it to be, and her fingertips burned where they touched his exposed skin. Shane swallowed hard and her gaze settled on the movement of his Adam's apple, as she traced the line of his collar, and then allowed her fingers to curl into his tie. It matched the color of his eyes, and the wisps of hair she spotted made her wonder if his chest was also covered in fuzz. She'd caught the odd glimpse of his hair-roughened six pack before now when his shirt had ridden out of the usual black jeans he wore to the office. The fine trail had acted like a beacon to the bulge in his groin, and Emma let her hand drop. Those were dangerous thought processes she had no business indulging in. They had a busy day ahead, and Lord only knew what the new CEO was going to be like.
"I guess that answers my question." Shane grumbled the words and the lift ground to a halt on their floor. He flashed her a brief smile and stepped away from her. A heady rush of feminine power surged through Emma when she saw him discreetly adjust his cock through his tailored trousers.
She had done that to him, and right now she didn't care one iota. Men’s appendages had a mind of their own, and it most likely didn't mean a thing. Mind you, if she in a tight skirt had that reaction on him, then she would gladly endure the torture of having to keep her belly sucked in more often. She stepped out of the lift with a rather uncharacteristic sway to her hips, and she grinned when Shane swore under his breath behind her.
It was an entirely too air fairy notion but she swore she could feel his heated gaze on her butt cheeks as she walked, and he swore again when she sat down and allowed the hem of her dress to ride up her thighs until they exposed the tops of her thigh-high stockings.
He plonked the coffee tray on her desk with much more force than necessary and she jumped when Shane twirled her chair around and pushed it back against her desk. With his hands braced on the back rest and him standing right between her legs, she had nowhere to go. Her breathing hitched and her clit tingled as though he was actually touching it. It was insane to be this turned on in the middle of the office, which was fast filling up with her colleagues. Yet, Emma couldn’t look away either and somehow it didn't matter, as the world narrowed to just the two of them locked in their bubble of sexual awareness.
"Really, neither one of you get paid to stare at each other. Distribute those coffees, and you better have that report ready for the CEO, Emma."
Liz's shrill tones broke the moment, and Emma almost felt sorry for the woman when Shane growled—an honest-to-goodness growl that would have done any large cat proud and was the sexiest sound ever, as far as Emma was concerned.
Maybe it was the suit, but right now Shane looked every inch the successful businessman about to pounce on his opponent and crush them under his polished Italian loafers. That fact registered with some bemusement as he stepped away from her.
"You mean the plans that you ought to have prepared and shoved onto Emma's work plate at the last minute? Those plans, right? Together with the coffees that a personal assistant of her caliber should never be reduced to having to collect? That's what you mean, Ms. Goven?"
The formal address wasn't lost on Emma either, and she could see the other woman positively bristle under his harsh tone. Power and authority radiated off him in waves right now. Gone was the easygoing Shane she'd joked with every day at work and in his place was a ruthless businessman. Rather than be appalled at the change as she surely ought to have been, every feminine cell in her body sighed in submission instead.
"Who do you think you are talking to, Shane?"
The ice in Liz's voice could have frozen the hottest chili, yet Shane simply smiled. It didn't reach his eyes, and dread squeezed Emma's insides until she could barely breathe. He would lose his job if he carried on like this. Everyone knew that Liz slept with the boss, and as far as he was concerned the sun shone out the other woman's ass. He might not be CEO anymore as of today, but no doubt he'd have ensured his mistress was taken care of under the new management.
Pissing Liz off like this was not the best career move, especially not when done in Emma's defense. There was no love lost between the two women, and Liz had had it in for Emma from the moment she'd started working under the woman.
"Shane it's okay, really." Emma said. "You don't have to—"
"This is far from okay, Em, and you know that." Shane interrupted her whispered protest and pushed his hands into his trouser pockets. "I told you things will change around here, and they will start with Ms. Goven here, and her misuse of company time and work force."
"Don't make me laugh, Shane." Liz said with a sneer. "You haven't got the authority to change anything around here. In fact, you're fired, as of now. Pack your stuff and I'll have security escort you off the premises."
Emma gasped, but Shane didn't react at all.
"No need, I'm out of here," he said.
Shane gave Liz a look of utter contempt, winked at Emma, and added, "We'll see who will be escorted off the premises, won't we?"
With those ominous words Shane stalked out of the office.
Chapter Two
After that tumultuous start to her day, the remainder dragged by agonizingly slowly, even though Emma was busier than ever, thanks to Liz delegating work to her. As much as she wanted to throw the files at the bleached blonde's face, she needed this job, dammit, so Emma kept her head down and ignored the gossipmongers. She also steadfastly refused to look across to Shane's desk, which remained empty. At least no nameless security guard had come to pack his belongings into a box, but where was he? And where was the new CEO?
Liz spent the day on the phone and flitting about the office in the self-absorbed ma
nner the woman had perfected and that seemed to always fool management. The one that made Emma want to stick her foot out and trip her up.
By the time 4.30 PM rolled around Emma was tired, miserable, and horny. She'd managed to rid herself of her chafing underwear in the Ladies at lunchtime, and while that had been better than sitting in damp panties, she'd underestimated the effect the fresh air would have on her newly discovered libido. All she had to do was look across at Shane's leather jacket, left on the back of his office chair, and her hormones woke up again kicking and screaming. She'd lost count how many times she had to go and freshen up. Emma switched her PC off with a wry grin at her predicament. Maybe it was just as well Shane wasn't here. She might have just jumped him in the stationery cupboard otherwise.
The shrill ring of her desk phone made her jump, and with a wistful look at the clock and the departing backs of half the office staff, Emma answered it.
"You're wanted in the conference room, like five minutes ago. Bring that report I wanted for tomorrow."
Liz Goven's voice sounded worried and Emma rolled her eyes.
"It's not finished yet. I can't work bloody miracles, Liz." She grumbled the words into the receiver, and mentally kissed her evening goodbye. Sure enough, Liz's reply was as predictable as it was annoying and downright unfair.
"You can explain that to the CEO. He wants that report, and I shall just have to point out your incompetency, won't I? If you hadn't made moon eyes at that Shane, then no doubt you'd have it ready."
"That is an outrageous thing to say, Liz. I won't—"
The dial tone in her ear cut her off, and Emma slammed the phone down, earning herself a worried look from Simone. The French intern smiled at her, and Emma pinched the bridge of her nose in an effort to calm herself down.
The Takeover (Romance on the Go Book 0) Page 1