by Lexy Timms
Chapter 7
Dale held Allyson tightly to him, never wanting to let her go. Her soft skin glistened with sweat. The flowery scent of her hair was more intoxicating than the wine at the reception. Minutes slipped by, and he held onto her until his heart rate slowed. She looked up at him, and he stared into her dazzling green eyes. Something sad flashed in them and she pulled away to sit up. The warmth of her touch was gone, and it filled him with a sudden emptiness. He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said softly.
“Do you regret what we just did?”
“No. Never,” she said earnestly. “It was wonderful. You’re wonderful.”
He sat up. “But?”
“When your mother called about me, you said she was trying to set you up with Katherine Handel,” she breathed.
“I don’t give a damn about Katherine Handel.” She wanted to bring this up now?
“You said Katherine was jealous of me.”
He thought they had put that whole business behind them, but he’d clearly thought wrong. First her family, and now this? “Why are you doing this?”
“I knew Monica figured we were just pretending from the moment she saw us. You heard her, she knew you’d never want someone like me.” She tucked a stray lock of her silky black hair behind her ear.
He scoffed and sat up. Women were nuts. “What the hell does Monica know? She doesn’t know me. And clearly you don’t if you think that about me.”
“So, if I was to walk into your mother’s office right now and tell her what we did, you’d be fine with it?” she demanded.
He hesitated. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Yet somehow the tabloids always find out about the latest heiress on your arm,” she countered.
“That’s my mother’s doing,” he said through gritted teeth. “Allyson, what’s going on? I thought you wanted…this.”
“And what is this?”
He didn’t know. Not yet anyway. When he’d decided to be her date for the wedding, he thought he had everything under control. He’d help Allyson, keep his meddling mother at arm’s length, and that would be it for an eventful weekend. Never in a million years did he think he’d get into bed with her. Sure, he had fantasized about it, but he wasn’t the type to have affairs with subordinates.
But being with her this weekend had changed so much so quickly. He saw how much pressure she was under with her family. The stakes weren’t as high for her as they were for him and Prescott Global, but he understood what she was going through. Saw her get through it all with kindness, and grace, and warmth. Allyson was better than her family deserved. They didn’t understand her. He did.
“You’re scared,” he said instead.
She didn’t respond. His accusation hung in the air as the silence grew louder. He knew that she believed the lies her sister had hurled at her. That she wasn’t good enough. Didn’t deserve the best. Earned whatever mistreatment she got from her family of ingrates. Allyson believed it, and now that she’d proven them wrong she was terrified. She was throwing Katherine in his face to drive a wedge between them.
She bit her lip. “Your mother would make you fire me if she found out what we did.”
“My mother can’t make me do anything,” he said flatly.
“No, but she can tell Katherine, and Katherine would have her father call off the merger. Prescott would be ruined.”
“So, what are you saying? First we pretend to be together, now we pretend we’re not?” He shook his head. He couldn’t keep up. “Allyson, this is crazy.”
She sighed. “You’re just fighting this because you can’t stand being told what to do. But deep down you know I’m right. You’ve put your heart and soul into Prescott. You wouldn’t be reckless enough to ruin that for some fling with an…an assistant.”
Some fling? Is that what she thought this was? He didn’t know exactly where things were headed with them, but he’d be damned if this was over. The only thing worse than getting into a relationship with an employee was using that employee for incredible sex. He wanted her. Damn. He wanted her again now. And he also wanted to see where this was going. “This is just a friendly fuck.”
She didn’t even blink at his words. “I don’t need a sympathy fuck.”
“Excuse me? You think that’s what this was?”
She shrugged, unable to meet his gaze now. “Maybe.”
He reached over and lifted her chin “You’re wrong.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve got a different woman every month. I’m not your type.”
Frustrated, he raked his hand through his hair. “That isn’t true.”
“What isn’t true? The new woman a month thing or not being your type?” she asked.
“Both.”
“So, the women you date have nothing to do with business?” She crossed her arms.
He tried not to stare at her beautiful breasts pressed against her arms and trying to escape. Heat throbbed through him, and he ignored his dick asking for more. Instead, he focused on what she’d said. All those heiresses were his mother’s doing. His love life consisted of his mother throwing blue bloods his way. A lot of those blue bloods were more than likely a business strategy to his mother. They were beautiful, and he was often too busy to have a normal dating life, so how could he refuse? But he’d spent the last three years comparing those women to Allyson. “I wouldn’t say nothing,” he muttered.
“Right,” she said, “which makes me the worst business decision you’ve ever made.”
Before he could say anything more their bedroom door flung open, and Monica came barging into the room.
Allyson gasped and reached for the sheet, trying to pull it around her and Dane’s hips. “Monica! What the hell are you doing?”
Allyson’s mother and father hurried in right after. They all stopped short, shocked expressions on their faces.
“Get out!” Allyson cried. “Can we have some privacy please?” She glared at her family.
“I’m so sorry,” her mother said, but continued to stare.
Her father’s face went bright red and he put his hand over his eyes, obviously horrified. “I thought you said this was fake!”
“I…that’s what the paper said,” Monica stammered. “You two can’t be together. You just can’t!”
“Why are you even here?” Allyson snapped.
Dane sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn’t getting up, or going to say anything. Allyson needed to handle this herself. Plus, he was naked with half a hard-on.
“We came to talk to you,” her mother said. “We wanted to tell you it didn’t matter if you lied about Dane. I’m sure there are plenty more rich men at your job.”
Allyson groaned. “You guys really haven’t learned anything. And I’m sure Monica just came here to gloat.”
“Well, you can see now that we’re real,” Dane said, grinning
“No, we are not real,” Allyson muttered. “Can you guys please leave?”
“How can you not be real?” Mrs. Smith demanded. “You’re both naked in bed.”
Allyson narrowed her eyes. “It won’t happen again. I don’t want Prescott to go under. Now can you please give us a minute here?”
Dane suspected her words were more for him than her family. He shot her a look, but she ignored him to motion for her family to leave. Grumbling, they all trooped out of the room.
Allyson buried her head in her hands and groaned. “This is just great. Now I’ve been humiliated for the second time today.”
“It could have been worse,” he said. “They could have walked in on us while we were doing it.”
Her eyes widened. “We’ve been really careless.”
“Maybe.”
She turned to look at him. “Your mother can’t find out.”
He didn’t argue. Couldn’t argue. Because his mother finding out meant a world of trouble for not just Prescott, but for Allyson. He had put her in that
position. If he had turned her down this wouldn’t have happened. But he hadn’t wanted to turn her down. When she ripped that contract in half he’d been on cloud nine. Now, with her family finding them together so quickly, he realized how reckless he had been. If anyone at Prescott discovered what they’d done this weekend, Allyson was in trouble. “You’re right. She can’t.” A sharp pain shot through his heart. “Nobody else can. You have to remind your family about being discreet.”
She nodded. “I knew you’d eventually listen to reason.”
His phone rang on the nightstand. Reaching for it, he saw that one of the managers from work was calling. He sighed. It wasn’t even Sunday and the weekend was over. Work was calling. Somehow, he and Allyson had to go back to Prescott Global on Monday and act like none of this had ever happened.
This was over. Whatever had happened between him and Allyson would never happen again.
Chapter 8
After James and Holly left for their honeymoon on Saturday evening, Allyson found the courage to say goodbye to her family. They wanted to talk more about Dane, but she waved the off. There was nothing to talk about.
She and Dane decided to leave Greenville a day early; she knew it was for the best. One more night sharing a room with him was going to lead to nothing but trouble. Delicious, sexy trouble neither of them could afford.
They drove back to New York in silence, and he dropped her off at her apartment. After saying their goodbyes he drove off, stone-faced. She told herself again that it was for the best.
Sunday came, and she dreaded Monday like never before. Dreaded having to face Dane after sleeping with him. She’d been a nervous wreck around him when she had a crush. How on earth was she going to stand it now that her crush had developed into something much deeper?
On Monday morning, she put on the most conservative outfit she owned. No tight blouse. No pencil skirt. A basic black pantsuit. Something sensible to remind her that the boss was off-limits.
She stepped into Prescott Global headquarters and headed for the elevator. The doors opened.
Dane was standing alone inside.
Her heart rose and fell. Giddiness at seeing him again made her dizzy. The dread of having to face him now made her legs shake. So many confusing emotions swirled in her mind.
The doors started to close, and he stuck out his arm to hold the door open for her. “Going up?”
All she could do was nod as she stepped in beside him. The door closed. His presence overwhelmed her senses. The delicious masculine scent of his cologne sent a tingle through her. He looked gorgeous and perfect in that expensive Italian suit. Standing next to him in her boring pantsuit, she felt like a frump.
“How was your weekend, Ms. Smith?” he asked like he always did.
Tears pricked the back of her eyes. He really was going through with this. Wasn’t even going to acknowledge the time they had spent together. It was what she needed him to do. What they both needed to do to keep the company afloat. To keep her job secure.
Still, his question felt like a shard of glass in her heart. “It was wonderful, Mr. Prescott. My brother got married.”
“That’s terrific,” he said with a warm smile.
She bit her lip to keep the tears from falling in front of him. Just a few more moments and she could flee to the bathroom to have a quick cry.
The elevator stopped at their floor and the doors opened. They stepped out together.
Some of the staff had crowded around Dane’s office. The crowd rushed them. Allyson blinked, bewildered. What on earth was going on?
“Congratulations!” Olivia from the accounts department exclaimed. “You two are so cute together.”
“You’re not going on a honeymoon?” Frank from the water sports division demanded.
“What?” Allyson stared.
“You’re already in the papers,” Olivia squealed, and held up one of the local gossip rags.
Allyson grabbed the newspaper from Olivia and stared at one of the photos. There she was. With Dane. Leaning over a balcony at the Greenville Lodge. He was dressed in a dark suit. She was in a body-hugging wedding gown. Holly’s wedding gown.
Oh, shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit!
The headline screamed: Prescott Global Scion Weds Personal Assistant at Lavish Wedding Ceremony.
She felt faint. Where was Dane? Allyson tried to push her way through the crowd and her legs buckled. She stumbled and fell forward but a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her from hitting the floor. Heart pounding she looked up, immediately lost in sexy, bright blue eyes. Dane.
Somehow, he’d appeared out of nowhere and caught her.
Chapter 9
Dane Prescott almost tripped over a reporter as he helped Allyson to her feet. He had to get away from the paparazzi. Shoving his way past the reporter he raced towards the fiftieth floor’s conference room, Allyson’s hand in his. He glanced over his shoulder; Allyson looked as scared as he felt, and there was a pack of tabloid reporters chasing them down the hall.
He cursed under his breath. The conference room door was just up ahead. Ducking inside, he pulled Allyson along with him and locked the door behind him. That didn’t seem to deter the reporters who banged loudly on the door, shouting questions.
“Mr. Prescott, care to comment?”
“How long have you two been dating?”
“What was the price tag on the ceremony?”
“Can you afford to spend so lavishly with all this uncertainty for Prescott Global?”
Damn it. How the hell had this happened? Maybe one of Allyson’s family members had spilled the beans to the press but still. He and Allyson had pretended to be dating, not married. Even if someone had blabbed about their phony relationship, it didn’t explain how the press seemed to believe they had gotten married over the weekend.
“Mr. Prescott?” Allyson asked in a small voice. “What do we do?”
So, it was still Mr. Prescott. She really was hell bent on keeping things professional. Even though they’d tossed all propriety out the window over the weekend. His hands ached to touch her silky black hair. Despite all the madness going on outside the conference room, he wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and kiss her senseless.
He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. “We need to get these reporters out of the building immediately.”
Reaching for the phone on the conference table, he dialed building security. A breach like this was unheard of. Prescott was secure, locked up as tight as a drum. Someone had screwed up big time, and put Allyson in danger. He didn’t care if his face was splashed all over the tabloids. That was a part of life he’d accepted. But Allyson hadn’t asked for this. She didn’t deserve to be hounded.
Usually if something unusual like this happened, his assistant would be on it. Putting the fire out as quickly as possible. But now Allyson had gotten dragged into his crazy world. He’d given up pursuing a relationship with her for this very reason. She deserved job security and a drama-free life.
When the receptionist on the other line answered, he had to force himself to stay civil and calm. It wasn’t the poor woman’s fault that Allyson was in danger now. “How the hell did these reporters get inside the building?” he barked when the head of his security team got on the line.
“Sir, we don’t know how this breach happened but we’re on it. Right now, there’s a crowd of reporters in the lobby and we’re trying to—”
“The lobby?” Dane interrupted. “There are about eight of them right outside the top floor conference room. Are you telling me there are more of them downstairs?”
“Uh…yes, Mr. Prescott. There are about a dozen of them on the ground floor. We’ll send security to the fiftieth floor right away, sir.”
“Good,” Dane said tersely. “I want to see you in my office later today to discuss this.”
“Of course, sir,” the security head said. “Oh, and sir? I just want to say congratulations!”
/> Damn it! As Dane hung up he got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. If his head of security had heard the news, then the whole world knew. Which meant there was no containing this mess. Everyone believed he and Allyson had gotten married over the weekend.
“There are more reporters downstairs?” Allyson swayed slightly on her feet.
That alarmed him. She’d almost lost her footing minutes earlier just outside his office. He was at her side instantly, pulling her to him so that her cheek pressed against his chest. The feeling of her warm little body pinned so tightly against his awakened his senses.
She wasn’t dressed in her usual tight skirt that showed off her long, shapely legs. But that didn’t make her any less mouthwatering. The conservative pantsuit showed off her curvy figure, the undone top button of her blouse revealing her cleavage, the pants fitting her they were painted on.
Holding this ravishing woman in his arms was more than he could stand. His cock throbbed, painfully hard. How he’d managed to agree to end whatever they might have been he didn’t know. The sexual tension that had flared between them for three years had finally boiled over during the weekend. And now it was back. Usually, when he had sex with a woman, his interest waned. He suspected it was the same for the heiresses he bedded, because they always seemed to want to skip ahead to the high-society wedding rather than get to know him.
But Allyson was different. Every touch from her heated his blood. He’d never desired another woman more than he desired her. And now that the whole world thought they had skipped ahead to the high-society wedding he couldn’t have her.
“I can still hear them outside.” She trembled against him. The fact that she was reacting like this let him know just how distressing this must all be for her. Allyson was a hard-working go-getter. Few things fazed her. Yet this fiasco made her seem so vulnerable. So fragile. He vowed to protect her.
“The security team’s going to get them out of here,” he whispered soothingly. He smoothed his hand over her sleek hair, hoping it would comfort her.
Minutes earlier they had waltzed in to work, determined to go back to being their old professional selves. He’d done his duty. Treated her like his employee rather than the woman he’d had the best sex of his life with. It pained him to act like nothing had happened, but he needed to save her job. And make sure Prescott’s upcoming merger was a success.