Executive Assistant

by 12 Author Anthology

  "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 manner 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 lunch time, and whilst that had been better than sitting in damp knickers, 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 good bye. 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.

  "'Ave you been summoned too?" Simone's lilting French accent never failed to make Emma smile. She shrugged her shoulders and grabbed the files and the flash drive containing her notes.

  "Indeed, I have. I'd feel a damn sight better if I knew what happened to Shane. You haven't seen him, have you?"

  "Non, I 'ave not. Though they say 'e 'as been in with the new boss all day."

  "They do? Well, I guess that explains his absence."

  An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Emma's stomach, and every step carrying her closer to the conference room made that ball heavier. Emma was a great believer in listening to her gut, and hers churned like nobody's business right now. Something didn't add up here.

  She pushed open the heavy door to the conference room, and took a deep breath. Shane was indeed there, sat in one of the plush chairs designed to make the room seem less like an office. He seemed engaged in a rather animated discussion with a silver haired man who Emma assumed to be the new CEO. Liz sat on the other side of the room, to all intents and purposes looking as though she was sucking on a lemon. There was no trace of their former boss Richard and Emma thanked the lord for small mercies at least. The man had always given her the creeps, and had been a major reason why she'd chosen to hide rather than flaunt her curves at work this past year.

  Shane looked up when she walked in, and Emma was grateful for the cover of the files she clutched to her bosom. They would at least serve to hide her embarrassingly obvious response to the heated promise in his gaze, as her nipples did their usual ‘try and punch a hole through her bra and poke eyes out’ act. There was nothing at all she could do about the moisture coating her pussy lips, other than clench her thighs and pray they didn't want her to sit down, or hang around. This close to Shane, her body just had one thing on its mind, and that was to jump the man's bones.

  Why today of all days, all the pent up desires she'd been hiding chose to break through the surface and make themselves known to all and sundry was beyond her right now.

  Just get through the next half hour without embarrassing yourself in front of the new CEO, and you'll be fine.

  The mantra in her head flew out of her brain when the new owner of Langton Enterprises turned around and smiled at her.

  There was no mistaking the family resemblance and the bottom fell out of Emma's world. Shane's smile was duplicated on this older version of him, and Shane senior stuck out his hand.

  "Miss Mullins, I'm so glad to finally meet you. Do you mind if I call you Emma?" At her shake of the head he continued, "I've heard lots of good things about you."

  Liz snorted in the opposite corner, a sound not unlike that of a horse, and most unladylike at that.

  Shane senior ignored her and when Emma took his hand, it completely engulfed hers. He
was just as tall if not slightly taller than Shane, and Emma marveled at the strong genes that produced such fine specimens of mankind. His handshake was as warm and friendly as his smile and immediately put her at ease.

  "Sir," she said and his smile deepened.

  "Call me Oliver. I don't stand too much on formalities, Emma, and something tells me, I'll be seeing lots more of you, both in and out of the office." He nodded toward Shane and then turned his attention to Simone.

  "And you must be Simone. Excellent work you've been doing with our French suppliers."

  The petite raven-haired beauty visibly relaxed when he lapsed into French, and Emma's ears pricked up when she heard her name being mentioned. Liz, too, stiffened and then she was there, yanking the files out of Emma's arms.

  "You won't get away with this. I've spent too many years working my ass off to be replaced by the likes of you."

  She hissed the words at Emma, but in the sudden stillness of the room they could be heard as clearly as if she'd been shouting them. Shane shot to his feet, but his father stopped him with a wave of his hand.

  "Tell me what's in those files and how the results of the audit will benefit Langton Enterprises, Ms. Goven. After all, you were at pains to point out how Emma delayed your work, and that's why you didn't finish the audit, so I expect you to know them inside out."

  Oliver Nevin winked at her, a mischievous move so like his son that Emma couldn't help but grin. Liz had just gone and hung herself. The woman wouldn't have the first clue about the contents of the report. Emma didn't doubt that she hadn't even looked at the summary page pinned to the top.

  Sure enough Liz blanched, and Emma did a mental fist pump.

  Gotcha, bitch.

  "I … I … well, I—"

  "—are done working from the horizontal position, Ms. Goven."

  Shane's clipped tones focused everyone's attention on him, and Liz adopted her most haughty look. She bashed the files on the long, oval shaped oak table dominating the room.

  "How dare you. If anyone is sleeping their way to a job then it's precious little Emma here. I see it all now. Get chummy with the boss's son, so that she can take my place. I don't think so. I have rights, and I—"

  "Forfeited them the day you stopped doing your work and abused your position as executive assistant. And for the record, Emma is not sleeping with the boss's son. She'd be sleeping with the boss, if she were sleeping with me, that is. Sadly, I haven't had that pleasure, yet."

  The emphasis he put on yet did peculiar things to the rhythm of Emma's heart, even as her brain screamed at her to run. He'd lied to her, dammit. All this time, she'd thought he was a friend, and instead he'd been a spy in their midst.

  Shane glanced at Emma and smiled. It didn't reach his eyes and Emma knew him well enough to see the tension in his face and shoulders. It deflated some of her own anger at his deception. Lord, the things she'd told him, the confidences she'd shared during their many lunches, and all this time he'd simply been staking out the place he'd already owned.

  She was a goddamn fool, that's what she was. Thank the heavens, they hadn't actually done anything. She'd be as much of a fucking cliché as Liz had become.

  Emma crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Shane, a move not lost on his father, who chuckled softly and said something to Simone that made her, too, laugh.

  "Hah, so you say. Who is actually going to believe that? She's nothing but a hussy, and you will not get away with this."

  Emma crunched her teeth together and balled her hands into fists to stop herself from swiping that infuriating grin off the other woman's face. Before she could say anything at all, however, the door opened and two burly security guards stepped up to Liz on either side.

  "I told you this morning, we would see who would be escorted off the premises," Shane said. "It looks to me as though you're the one who's leaving. My father is not the CEO. I am, and as such it gives me great pleasure to tell you this. You're fired, Ms. Goven. Your desk has already been cleared and these two gentlemen will see you to your car."

  He ignored her furious screech and handed her a plain paper envelope.

  "This contains a check, payment of three months’ pay in lieu of your notice. Not that I need to pay you anything under the circumstances, but I'm not an ogre. I would remind you of the confidentiality clause you signed and which forms part of your employment contract. Should I find that you have not respected that clause, my lawyers will destroy what is left of your career. Do we understand each other, Liz?"

  Emma swallowed nervously and licked her suddenly dry lips, as she watched Shane in action. This man was a stranger. A sexy as hell stranger, admittedly, but nonetheless he made her nervous in a way the old Shane had never done. She'd lusted after him, but she hadn't felt that intense pull that made every cell in her body yearn for this man.

  "Yes, we do." Liz finally said the words needed and Shane's harsh expression softened slightly.

  "Take her away, boys. Dad, Simone, would you give me some time alone with Emma, please? I fear I have some explaining to do."

  Oliver laughed and took the files off the table.

  "Good luck with that. Your girl here looks just like your mum used to before I got the third degree. I'll take these and sort through them. Though what I've seen from Emma's work so far, I'm sure it will be all fine."

  "Of course it will, dad. Emma is extremely good at her job. I told you that."

  "Aye, so you did. Best convince your girl to stay then."

  "I'm not his girl, or anyone else's for that matter and how you expect me to stay after all this … these lies, is beyond me."

  Shane sighed and his dad simply patted her shoulder.

  "Ah, the hot headedness of youth. Let him explain, Emma, and if you still want to walk after that, I will personally write you a reference. For what it's worth, Shane wanted to tell you the truth, but this is business. Affairs of the heart have no place in business. Now the takeover is completed, however…" He grinned and Shane groaned out loud.

  "Dad, please."

  "What son? Your mum and I have been telling you for ages that you need to settle down, and I've never seen you in this much of a tizzy over a woman before. Don't disappoint me now. I'd hate to lose that bet I have with your mother."

  He smiled as Emma's mouth dropped open and then they were alone in the conference room. An uncomfortable silence settled between them when the heavy door clicked shut. Shane cupped her shoulders from behind, making Emma jump as he gently massaged her tight muscles. For a man as tall as him, he sure could move quietly when he wanted to. Then again Emma's heart was beating so fast, the blood rushing in her ears, that she probably wouldn't have heard a herd of elephants approaching.

  The rational side of her brain screamed at her to shake his hands off, preserve what was left of her dignity, and walk out of there, but that side of her brain seemed to have lost control of her body completely. Every stroke and knead of Shane's talented fingers seemed to draw a path of need straight to her clit instead. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed to not lean back against him, and let him do with her whatever he might want to.

  "I'm sorry, titch. I wanted to tell you before, but the right time never presented itself." Shane's whispered words in her ear sent her pussy into spasms of delight, as he lifted her hair off her neck, and delivered little butterfly kisses along the sensitive patch under her ear. Her breaths hitched and his lips curved into a smile against her damp skin.

  "Don't touch me. I'm not that damn easy." Emma's protest halted the magical movement of his long digits, but instead of taking his hands off of her, his grasp on her tightened. Emma gasped as he pulled her back against him until the full force of his erection dug into her lower back. His heat branded her and her traitorous body responded instantly to his nearness. Her nipples chafed against the confines of her bra, her breasts tingled with need, and her internal walls clenched and unclenched as her pussy prepared itself for his cock. The hard ridge digging into he
r back seemed huge, and Emma bit her lip to stop herself from moaning out loud. It would be so easy to just give into this insane attraction between them, but, dammit, she wanted more. She wanted it all.

  "I mean it, Shane. Let me go. I will not be your next conquest." From somewhere she found the strength to yank herself out of his grasp and to step away. She could breathe easier now that she'd put some distance between them.

  "I would never presume—"

  "Spare me, Shane." She interrupted him and spun around on her heel to face him. "This is me, Emma. I've had too many of your conquests screech at me over the phone to believe I'd ever be anything else to you."

  Shane flinched and reached for her but Emma put her hand up to stop him and took several steps away from him. He frowned, but didn't pursue her, and Emma gave silent thanks for that. If he chose to press the point she would be putty in his hands.

  "You're wrong, you know."

  The quiet words settled perilously close to her heart, and stalled the words of denial bubbling on her tongue. When she didn't reply he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, as though frustrated.

  "It's because you mean something to me that I never made a move." He smiled grimly at her sharp intake of breath, and took a step toward her before he seemed to realize what he was doing. He ground his teeth together, and balled his hands into fists.

  Again an uneasy silence fell between them, until Emma couldn’t stand it anymore.

  "You expect me to believe that bull? For all I know this is your modus operandi. Did you get a kick out my cluelessness as to who you really were?" He shook his head and threw her such a heated look that Emma swallowed hard, and took several more steps away from him until her back hit the door. Still, he didn't move, just watched her with a quiet intensity that made her hormones do the samba.