by Lara Hunter
I felt him stir beside me and went still, hoping he’d think I was still asleep. I had no idea what to say, how to act. Would he be embarrassed? Would he blame me for leading him astray? I hoped not. I just wanted to get out of there and move on with the day.
The sensation of his mouth on my bare shoulder was too delicious to ignore. He stirred something inside me without even trying, just by his tenderness and strength. It had been a blissful night, and part of me wished it didn’t have to come to an end.
“Good morning,” he murmured, his hand teasing me. I groaned, stretching like a cat, practically purring as stirrings of pleasure spread through my body. I wondered absently if we had enough time to stay in bed a little longer—not being able to see out the window totally threw off my sense of time.
“Morning,” I whispered, tipping my head back as he snuggled behind me and kissed my neck. It was so easy to close my eyes and let him sweep me away. My body cried out for him, for more of what he’d given me. I was so greedy, wanting everything he had to share.
“I hate to say this,” he started, his hand continuing its exploration, his mouth still gliding over the skin of my throat, my shoulder, “but we have to get out of here. I don’t want you to feel like I’m kicking you out.”
I shook my head, feeling stark disappointment. “Not at all. We have to start the day.”
I sighed as he wrapped an arm around me, squeezing. His chiseled body fit so well around mine, it was like he’d been built for me. The thought that I was working against him, trying to hurt him, rang in my thoughts like a bell tolling doom. I felt like I should apologize, even though he didn’t know I had anything to apologize for. I’d never regretted my job as much as I did at that moment, with his warm, perfect body so close to mine. Wrapped up in whatever strange, undeniable attraction there was between us.
But the real world did call, and I suppressed a slight whimper when he pulled away. The only thing to do about it was to get up and get it over with. So I did, sitting up, running my hands through my mussed hair. I could only imagine how different I looked after our wild night.
“You’d better get your clothes on,” he said coolly as I sat there with the sheets pulled up against my chest. My back was bare, facing him.
“I’m going as fast as I can.”
He chuckled. “I didn’t mean it that way. I meant you’re much too tempting. If you don’t cover up soon, I might not be able to control myself.”
I had to giggle. “Oh, sorry about that.”
Instead of pulling my clothes together, I stood and dropped the sheets, causing him to groan hungrily. I smiled to myself, loving the thought of driving a man like him to distraction. If nothing else, it was a fun job.
There was only so much time for playing around, of course, and when I checked my phone and saw that it was already past six o’clock, it was enough to spur me to hurry.
We were both dressed within minutes, and a cursory glance in the bathroom mirror told me I wasn’t in dire straits. I smoothed my hair into a bun, wiped away a little smudged eye makeup and dared leave the bedroom.
“You look fine,” he assured me. He did, too. Just as dashing as the night before—maybe even more so, since I knew what he had going on under his suit. He was a living god, plain and simple.
“I’ll get a cab home,” I said. “I’ll be in as soon as I can, but I might be a little late.”
“It’s all right,” he assured me. “Plenty of people will be late today. We sort of expect it after a night like last night.”
“Everything seemed pretty subdued to me,” I pointed out as we made our way above deck.
“Sure, but things always heat up the later the night goes. Remember, we missed a lot of the action.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” I grinned, and he turned with a grin of his own.
He kissed me—a quick, sweet kiss full of gratitude for an incredible night. It couldn’t be more than that, of course. As far as he was concerned we were still an employee and her employer. I did my best to show him I could be mature and professional about it. He didn’t have anything to worry about—at least, nothing to do with our night.
I felt the bitter pang of deception when our mouths parted, and I saw his smile. Why did he have to be such a nice guy? It would have been so much easier if he’d been the fat, sweaty old letch I’d originally pictured.
He hailed a cab for me and I jumped inside, hoping I wouldn’t be too late when all was said and done. It wouldn’t take me long to shower and dress. I didn’t have to wash my hair—a bun would do. But the later I arrived at work, the more chance for people to assume the truth about where Lucas had disappeared to.
Only when I got home did it hit me that I had to call the client. They needed to know I hadn’t found anything. They’d be furious, I was sure, and the memory of that cold, robotic voice sent an unpleasant chill down my spine. What would they want from me? Would I have a time limit after that?
Maybe things will go well, I reasoned after rushing into my room and heading straight for the shower. Maybe, when I told him I couldn’t find anything, he’d give me a heads-up on something specific to look for. It might actually work in my favor. I had to hold onto that idea, as farfetched as I knew it was. I needed something to keep me calm as I dressed, something to keep my fingers from fumbling over the buttons to my blouse.
Finally, there was nothing left to do. I had to make the call.
My phone, sitting on the sofa where I’d tossed it on coming in, stared mutely up at me. Accusing me, almost. I had never felt so much like I didn’t have a friend in the world. No matter what I did from then on out, I would be hurting somebody who didn’t deserve it.
I kept that in mind as I dialed, telling myself it wasn’t too late to back out if I had to. Then again, I needed the money for Mom and Dad. I remembered the picture in my wallet as I waited for the client to answer.
“Selena. How’s it going?”
I closed my eyes, absorbing the shock of hearing that strange, robotic voice. It was so creepy—even though I knew what it was, there was still something about hearing it that set me on edge.
“Not as well as I would have hoped at this point,” I had to admit. I kept my tone professional, sharp, brisk. I wanted to get it over with as fast as possible. “I have to be honest. I haven’t found a single piece of evidence pointing to De Rocha doing anything wrong. Nothing that would be worth creating a scandal over.”
Silence. That was almost scarier than hearing the voice.
“This is very disappointing,” they finally said.
“I understand.”
I stood, pacing the living room floor. There was a knot in my stomach, tightening, tightening. I hated feeling like I was letting a client down, always wanting that gold star for my work—even when that work left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
“What do you intend to do about it?”
The question stopped me in my tracks, eyes wide. I might as well have gotten punched in the stomach—all the air left me just as though I had. What could I say?
“Keep trying? I’m sure there has to be something, somewhere, even if it’s well-hidden.”
“I don’t have endless amounts of time to wait for this, Selena.”
“I understand that. Do you have a suggestion for how we can expedite this, then?” I crossed my fingers, hoping they wouldn’t lose their temper. I wasn’t sure I could handle the sound through that voice altering device.
“There’s only one solution. If you can’t find evidence, you have to plant some.”
My insides turned to ice. No. I hadn’t even considered it. Lucas’ face appeared in front of me so clearly, he might as well have been standing in my living room. How could I do that to him? He seemed like a good, genuine person. He didn’t deserve it.
“I don’t know,” I whispered. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”
“There’s a first time for everything.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. This was beyond
anything I’d imagined. Bad enough sleeping with the man, knowing I was sent to ruin his life and the business he’d worked so hard for. Bad enough knowing that when I took down his company, I’d take down all the people who worked for him. All of those people would be out of work, just as Lucas would be punished for something he hadn’t done. Did I have it in me?
“Selena?” A singsong. My blood ran cold. “Did I lose you?”
“No, you didn’t lose me. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Don’t waste my time,” came the reply. No more singsong. The voice was like a whip. “There’s nothing to think about. If you want to get paid the money I’ve promised, you’ll do as you’re told.”
The money. What difference did it make to me if a bunch of strangers had to find a new job? What difference did it make if a billionaire lost his money? Why should I care, when it meant taking care of people who meant the world to me? Those strangers hadn’t made sacrifices throughout their lives to make sure my life was better than theirs had been. They hadn’t stayed up to work two shifts back-to-back to earn enough overtime to buy me a prom dress. They hadn’t slaved to get me the things so many people took for granted.
I couldn’t let them down. I had to go through with it, as sick as it made me feel. The guilt was almost too much.
“All right,” I finally said. “Do you have any preference as to the nature of the evidence?” I could only imagine the client would go ahead and blackmail Lucas once I confirmed I’d planted something. “I mean, what do you think would provide the best results for you?”
“A good question. With his reputation, maybe something to do with women. It doesn’t matter what, really. I can spin it however I need to.”
I took a deep, shaky breath. “All right,” I said. “I’ll do what I need to do.”
“You’re making a smart decision,” my client assured me. So why did I feel so ill? Why did I wish Frank had never put me in contact with the mysterious person who held my parents’ futures in their hands?
EIGHT
“Burning the midnight oil?”
I glanced up from my desk, grinning at Dani. “It’s hardly midnight. Barely five-thirty,” I replied with a grin.
“Still, this place is practically a ghost town. Why don’t you get out of here? It’s Friday!”
I sat back in my chair, letting out a long sigh. “There’s too much I need to get done. I’d hate to leave it all hanging over the weekend. I won’t be able to stop thinking about it, you know? I’d rather have a fresh slate on Monday morning.”
She shrugged. “I can see that. Still, I hate to think of you slaving away like this when almost everybody else had gone home.” She tapped her foot, crossing her arms. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
I shook my head. No, unless you want to help me plant evidence against our boss.
I felt sick just thinking about it, but it had to be done. I’d accepted the job, and I’d agreed to do the client’s dirty work. There was no turning back, not after I’d spent the entire day talking myself into it.
“No, thanks,” I said. “Really, it shouldn’t be that much longer. I didn’t have plans tonight, anyway. No big loss.” I shrugged.
“You don’t have plans?” She narrowed her eyes, looking me up and down. “I’d think you would have dates banging down your door.”
I laughed. “You’d think wrong, then. I’m more of a homebody. My ideal night involves watching old movies with wine or ice cream. Maybe both, preferably in pajamas.”
She wrinkled her nose in mock disgust. “We’re young! We have plenty of time to settle down and do things like that.”
“You’re right. Still, that’s what I like to do.” I preferred to be alone, when at all possible. It made life easier. I didn’t have to worry about making up stories about what I did for a living. I could be myself and not have to answer to anybody else.
“If that’s what makes you happy,” she shrugged. “Still, I think you’re too young and too pretty to waste your life sitting at home with the TV.”
“Aw, you just made my night.” I gave her a wink as the phone rang. I answered, waving to Dani as she left.
When she was gone, I was alone. The only person on my section of the floor. If I were in an old Western, a tumbleweed would blow past—then again, in a Western, I wouldn’t be sitting in front of a computer while wearing a headset.
Lucas was long gone. I hadn’t seen him since just before lunch, when he’d left the office for a meeting. According to his calendar, he had a tennis match with a big client that afternoon—I’d made sure his instructor had his racket restrung just for the occasion—before heading to a cocktail reception held by his charity foundation. The man lived a busy life, for sure. Anybody who thought the rich lived idly was wrong. Sure, on the surface it looked like he was having fun, but I knew it was work.
In my desk drawer was the evidence I had gotten together for my client. I’d gone online to several escort agencies and created a file on the most promising candidates. I’d then gone in and ordered one, scheduling the “date” for a week from then—and put it all on the company credit card.
My plan was to cancel the date, but to wait long enough for the transaction to process. Lucas didn’t look at his credit card bills. That was all work for an assistant to take care of. He wouldn’t be the wiser. Meanwhile, I’d place the file with photos and descriptions of the girls in his desk—if it was discovered that he’d been ordering girls on the company dime, and a search of his office resulted in the discovery of girls from that very agency, it would be a pretty airtight case.
Or so I told myself. I hoped it would be enough for my client to use.
As soon as I was sure I was alone, I pulled out the file and took it to Lucas’ office. The lights were off, and the silence throughout the room and the hall just outside it was unnerving. The rest of the city was rejoicing, finished with work for the week and ready to party. I wished I could be half as lighthearted as some of the people I saw all the way down on the street. They looked like ants from where I stood. I wished I were in any of their shoes, the thought of planting false evidence leaving me feeling soiled and devious.
How long would it take for my client to be able to use the evidence against Lucas? I’d emailed a copy of the agency’s receipt to a private, untraceable address. I could then forward it to the client and be done with it. Would I even be back there on Monday? I guessed not.
With that in mind, I looked around, trying to take it all in. It was my last job, for sure. I would never do this kind of work again. Not ever.
Time was wasting. I was stalling, unwilling to slide the folder into the drawer of the large, mahogany desk sitting against one wall of windows. There was no sense in putting it off any longer, so I walked over, using the key Dani had given me to unlock the drawer.
Footsteps, out in the hall. I froze, wondering who it could be. That quick stride. Confident. Assured. It could only be one person. Damn it!
I slammed the drawer shut, locking it just in time to stand up straight before Lucas flipped the lights on.
“Oh!” He stopped short, eyes widening at the sight of me. “I didn’t expect you to be here, Selena—especially not in here. Is everything all right?”
“Oh, sure.” I laughed shakily, putting a hand to my chest. “You almost gave me a heart attack, is all!”
“Same here!”
We stood there, a little awkward. I prayed he was only acting that way at the memory of what we’d done together.
“So…what are you doing in here?” he prompted.
I motioned to the surface of his desk, where I’d laid out a series of schedules for him earlier in the day. “I just wanted to be sure I hadn’t forgotten anything here. I wanted to make sure you’re all set for next week before I leave for the weekend.”
He grinned, all signs of worry disappearing. I could have wept with relief. “That’s really great. Thank you. You know, you’re doing a great job here.”
I let out a self-deprecating snort. “I’ve only been here for three days,” I reminded him.
“I know, but I’ve never had an assistant who stayed late on Friday night just to be sure I was set for the coming week. You’re conscientious, and that goes a long way. I feel confident leaving myself in your hands.”
Oh, I felt like the world’s biggest snake in the grass. I could have melted into the floor then and there and never come back. I couldn’t stand hearing him praise me when I knew the opposite was true. He had no reason to trust me. He had no reason to believe I was anything other than a liar and a thief. I was there to hurt him, and there he stood, looking trusting and kind and warm as always.