Bound By His Desire
Nicole Flockton
www.escapepublishing.com.au
Bound By His Desire
Nicole Flockton
From Nicole Flockton, author of Bound by her Ring – the last thing he wants is an emotional attachment to his new assistant, but it might be the only thing he truly needs.
Nick Rhodes has been burned before, so when he hires a new assistant, he has one rule: no emotional attachments. On either side. Pamela Bishop is everything he needs in a professional colleague, and comes with an ironclad guarantee – she absolutely will not fall in love with him.
Pamela Bishop has only one goal in her new job: getting on top of the mountain of debts incurred through her mother’s medical expenses. Jeopardising this chance by falling in love with her arrogant, if handsome, employer is the last thing she would ever do.
But as the lure and romance of New York City surrounds them, and Pamela and Nick find themselves spending more and more time together, they can no longer ignore the attraction flaring between them. Nick has always lived by his own rules – can he learn to break them in time to grab this one chance at happiness?
About the Author
On her very first school report her teacher said, ‘Nicole likes to tell her own stories’.
It wasn’t until after the birth of her daughter and after having fun on a romance community forum that she finally decided to take the plunge and write a book.
Nicole writes sexy contemporary romances, seducing you one kiss at a time as you turn the pages. She enjoys taking two characters and creating unique situations for them.
Apart from writing, Nicole is busy looking after her very own hero — her wonderfully supportive husband — and her two fabulous kids.
Acknowledgements
First off, I’d like to thank Kate Cuthbert, Belinda Holmes and the team at Escape Publishing. I am so honoured to be part of this fabulous publishing house. The cover art department totally rocks. Thank you for liking my stories.
Writing is tough and there are times when you are ready to give it up. That’s when you send out a SOS to friends and they pull you back from the ledge. I have a few of those people in my life. Thanks Kristen for always being at the other end of an email to make me laugh and realise that I can do this writing thing. To Sara and Sasha: our sticker wars are the best.
My Freaky Shey Houston. Goodness girl, I heart you so big! I’m so glad that we connected on Facebook and am so happy that we’re friends. I can’t wait to experience more freaky fun times with you!
Rachael Botson, you’re an absolute joy to know. I’m lucky to have your support and the gorgeous bookmarks you make for me.
To my Ninjas — you truly are the best with your support — read stealthily!
Kat, my website goddess. Quite simply, I would be lost without you. You are always there to tweak my site, help me with promo items. I can’t thank you enough for everything you do for me.
Jonathan Marlow, thank you for answering my real estate question, enabling me to come up with a workable solution for this story. You are an amazing father and I know it will all work out for you and you will come out on top.
I can never say thank you enough to Jason and my children for cheering me on, and dealing with me when they talk and I don’t hear because I’m immersed in writing my story.
Finally to you, the person who is reading this acknowledgment now. Thank you for picking up my book and reading it — I hope you enjoy the journey I take you on. I love hearing from you and you can find me at my website www.nicoleflockton.com or follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/NicoleFlockton and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NicoleFlockton?ref=hl. Or drop me an email at [email protected].
To Mum and Dad: thank you for always believing in me.
Contents
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Bestselling Titles by Escape Publishing…
Chapter 1
Nick Rhodes felt his body stirring to life when he spied the woman standing in the doorway of the church. Her green dress accentuated and enhanced her curves. Her hair fell softly in curls over one shoulder in a waterfall of caramel. She held a small posy of flowers and he figured she must be a bridesmaid he hadn’t met at the rehearsal dinner the previous evening. Although that seemed strange, seeing as Luc only had him as his best man. There appeared to be no one standing behind her. He knew Jasmine’s assistant was to be a bridesmaid too. Whoever this girl was, he would remedy the lack of introduction as soon as the ceremony had finished. Maybe a quick fling would take the edge off his anxiety about what was happening in New York and the disaster that awaited him when he returned.
The music started and the woman walked with slow measured steps down the aisle. As she got closer to him he had to stop his jaw from dropping. He knew the woman. It was Pamela Bishop. The same woman who had been two seats down from him at the dinner, who had worn an outfit that had ensured she blended in with the background of the room. The same woman who hadn’t said ‘boo’ to him, but had managed to change the rehearsal dinner from chaos to calm in a matter of minutes. The same woman who Luc assured him would make a perfect new assistant.
It didn’t seem possible.
His body didn’t care what Nick’s mind thought, all it cared about was the stunning woman walking towards him, and he wanted to get to know her in the most primal of ways.
The closer she got to him, the more he could see and feel her nerves radiating out towards him. Her eyes were darting all around the church, looking to see if she could find a quick exit. Everything shouted out to him she wasn’t accustomed to everyone looking at her. When her gaze caught his, he sent her a smile. Nick hoped it was reassuring. He felt his lips widen when he noticed a soft pink glow bloom in her cheeks. He shifted slightly to relieve the unexpected pressure in his pants, hoping no one noticed his discomfort.
Once Pamela reached where he and Luc were standing and took her place opposite them, the music changed and the Wedding March swelled loudly in the church. He watched in amazement as his friend, the hardest, most ruthless businessman he knew, almost melt at the sight of his wife walking towards him. He couldn’t blame Luc, Jasmine looked beautiful in the soft pink dress that emphasised the evidence of Luc’s impending fatherhood. He was excited and happy for his friend and, for today only, he gave himself permission to push business aside and enjoy the ceremony and evening ahead. Tomorrow he could find a new assistant and fix the deal before it completely fell apart.
He may have to reconsider his thought about approaching Pamela to be his assistant, though. If she turned up to the office each day looking like she did right at that moment, he might find himself throwing his own rule about getting involved with his assistant out the window.
The thought pulled him up short and the murmuring of the priest, reciting the wedding vows, faded to the far recesses of his mind.
How could he even think about pushing aside his rule to never get involved with an assistant? He knew how destructive an office affair could be. He’d lived it once, he wasn’t going to live it again. He’d sacked too many assistants recently who’d started looking at him as a meal ticket to a life of luxury. He would never go down that route and, if he did end up off
ering Pamela the job, he’d make it abundantly clear to her that if she was harbouring any ideas of holy matrimony, to cast her line well away from him.
The clapping of the congregation pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked across as Luc swept Jasmine up into his arms and kissed her soundly. He saw Pamela discreetly wiping her eyes. He never understood the emotions weddings raised in people. While he wished his friend well, he knew he’d never get married. Marriage and love could be devastating. Even Luc had almost been destroyed by the emotion. Perhaps there were exceptions to the rule, but it didn’t mean he had to explore the institution of marriage. The loss of freedom to come and go as he pleased was something he couldn’t imagine relinquishing for the sake of a woman. No matter how attractive he found her. He was thirty-three and free and wasn’t planning on changing his single status soon. Marriage definitely wasn’t a feature on his life to-do list.
The next few minutes passed in a blur as he and Pamela joined Jasmine and Luc as they signed the wedding register. Before he knew it, he found himself walking towards Pamela and holding his arm out to her to walk out of the church together.
His body flared to life again when they linked arms.
‘Wasn’t it a beautiful ceremony? I’m so glad it went off without a hitch. I planned it so carefully.’
‘Yes, a beautiful ceremony. Did you liaise with the wedding planner?’ Nick asked hoping the mundane conversation would have the same affect as a cold shower on his body. It had been a while since he’d last been with a woman. What other reason could explain his body reacting like a teenager’s the first time he found himself standing next to his first crush?
‘Oh no, I organised everything. Jasmine was looking at planners but I told her I’d do it and she wouldn’t have to pay me. I’m her assistant after all. Oh, well, I was,’ her voice trailed away.
Nick felt the sigh ripple through her. He recalled his conversation with Luc from the previous evening, about how Pamela was considering resigning now Jasmine had stopped working. ‘What do you think you’ll do now?’
They were outside the church while everyone congregated around the happy couple, standing off to the side.
‘I’m not sure,’ Pamela replied, as she pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and looked at the words written on it. ‘I’ll have to make a decision soon. I’ve got some savings but it won’t pay — ’
She broke off as if she’d recognised she’d said more than she wanted to. ‘Won’t pay what?’
‘It doesn’t matter. If you’ll excuse me for a minute, Nick, I need to speak with the photographer about where the photos are taking place.’
Nick watched her rush away. According to the conversation he’d had with Luc over breakfast, Pamela was an extremely efficient and well-organised assistant. He recalled how she’d gotten everything into shape last night at the rehearsal dinner. Luc had urged Nick to consider taking her to New York with him. She may not be familiar with the details of the current deal Nick was working on, but Luc assured him it wouldn’t take Pamela long to get up to speed on the intimate details. Nick wasn’t totally convinced, although if she took him up on his offer, they would have a long flight he could use to brief her.
He had been seriously thinking about everything Luc had said, until he’d seen her all dressed up. Then again, they were at a wedding and everyone dressed differently attending special occasions. No one glammed up to the same extreme in their day-to-day life. He may wear a suit every day, but he only ever wore a tux at formal events.
He let the thoughts of talking to Pamela about seeing if she was interested in becoming his assistant flow through his mind while he stood beside her for the photos. With every passing minute of their bodies being in close proximity to each other, his vibrated incessantly with the need to claim her and make her his. To own her and never let anyone near her again.
He would fight the urge, though. Fight it with everything he possessed. His mind would be stronger than the urges of his body.
Pam watched as Luciano and Jasmine swayed on the dance floor. She knew when the song finished she and Nick would be invited to join the happy couple on the dance floor. She couldn’t avoid the custom of the bridal party joining the bride and groom, no matter how much she wanted to. She’d managed to keep her distance from Nick ever since the photo session ended. Her body pulsated with electricity whenever he’d touched her. Sitting next to him through dinner had been torture. The man was seriously gorgeous and he wore his tux as if he had been born in it. He exuded confidence and wealth, and was so far out of her stratosphere it wasn’t funny. Nice to have a dream, though, that maybe one day someone like Nick might be interested in her.
‘Are you ready?’ The words were whispered close to her ear and her senses fired to life like fireworks going off on New Year’s Eve. She was twenty-eight and she’d never felt like this. Even when she’d been seeing Wayne, and he had been the man she’d almost given her virginity to. Wayne had dumped her when he’d finally grasped that instead of being a wealthy woman on her mother’s death, in all likelihood Pam would be struggling to make ends meet, which was how it had turned out. After the hurt had subsided, she’d been glad she hadn’t slept with him. Especially when she’d heard, through friends, he’d been sleeping around on her and bragging that she was going to be his meal ticket and he’d put up with her boring personality and plain looks.
It wasn’t like she’d been saving her virginity for any special reason. Life had happened and she’d decided she needed to lose it before she turned thirty. Nothing worse than being thirty and still a virgin. She thought Wayne could be the one, because when he kissed her she’d felt more excited than she had with any of the other men who had kissed her. Not that she could call being kissed by five guys a lot of experience. She hadn’t had too many opportunities to date through school because her mother had disapproved of it, had threatened to kick her out if she let a boy influence her. She didn’t want Pam getting distracted from her studies by boys who were after only one thing. Her mother kept drumming it into her until the thought of dating, and the consequences she could face, scared her more than it did her mother. When she’d started working she’d gone on the occasional date, but they’d never developed into anything serious. Always, in the back of her mind, she remembered her mother’s bitterness towards men and her warnings to never become a slave to a man’s needs. Her mother tarred all men with the same brush as her father, who’d run off with a waitress from a gentlemen’s club when Pam had only been thirteen.
Then, when she turned twenty-three, she thought she could move out and start her own life. Still her mum seemed to control Pam’s life. Mum had gotten sick, and life had become all about work and taking care of her ailing mother. Now her mum had gone and she potentially had no job, because with Jasmine leaving she felt she had no other option but to resign. Did she really fit into the glamour of Morelli Corporation? The only reason she’d been accepted was because of Jasmine. She really shouldn’t resign, not when she had debt collectors banging on her door every week chasing payment for her mum’s medical expenses. Did they have no sympathy? Why couldn’t they give her a little time to sort out all her finances? She had plans to pay them — eventually. But what choice did she have?
Yes, she really was doing a great job with her life right now.
‘Pam?’
Nick’s voice again pulled her from her thoughts. She’d been sitting there pondering the mess her life was, Nick had been standing beside her waiting for a response. He must think her so vague.
She summoned up a smile and took the hand he held out. ‘Yep, let’s do this.’
Pam couldn’t describe what it felt like to be held in Nick’s arms. It was like Christmas and her birthday all wrapped into one. His hand warmed the bare flesh of her back. His other hand held hers loosely, and all she wanted to do was lay her head on the solid strength of his chest. She wanted his arms to pull her close so his heat and strength enveloped her. She wanted Nick to kiss her.
&
nbsp; The thought of his lips taking possession of hers had her heart rate increasing and she stumbled. Nick tightened his hold and pulled her closer, just as she’d wished only seconds ago.
‘Are you okay?’ he murmured against her hair.
Words were impossible so she just nodded. All too soon the music merged into another song; instead of letting her go, Nick still held her. They danced a couple more songs together. Words weren’t spoken between them. A silence enveloped them in its sweet embrace. To Pam it didn’t feel awkward at all — it felt nice.
‘Do you want to get some fresh air?’
The question came out of the blue, and Pam leaned back to look up into Nick’s eyes. They were like pools of melted chocolate, a chocolate so tempting she felt she could dip into it and taste the sweetness.
‘Sure.’
Nick fingers entwined with hers and together they made their way through the crowd, towards a side door. He held the door open and she walked out ahead of him. The night had cooled; she shivered, wishing she’d thought to swing by the table and pick up her wrap. She heard the soft rustle of fabric, and in the next instant warmth cloaked her as Nick wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. She snuggled into the satin lining. The spicy scent of his aftershave floated up and surrounded her. She could stand shrouded in his jacket all night.
‘Thank you.’
He inclined his head and gripped the top railing of the decorative wrought-iron fence surrounding the balcony.
They stood like that for a few minutes; this silence wasn’t as comfortable as the silence that had encased them when they’d been dancing. Pam opened her mouth to say she needed to get inside, when Nick spoke.
‘I’ve got a proposition for you.’
It was the last thing she expected to hear from Nick and she didn’t know what he meant. Did he want to see her again? Did he want to sleep with her? She almost laughed out loud at the thought. No way he would ever want that to happen. She was pretty sure she wasn’t his type at all. ‘What sort of proposition?’
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