“You still there?”
“Yeah, so what does that mean?”
“I don’t know, we are having a meeting over lunch to discuss the nitty gritty. So what do you think?”
“Is it more money?”
“Is everything about money for you? I’d assume so, but it would be longer hours too, I think. Look I will see what he says at lunch and talk to you about it tonight.”
“Ok Babe, talk to you tonight. If it’s more money, go for it.”
“Great help you are, see ya.” Well, he didn’t help much, It’s always about the money for him. I decided I would hear Mr Clark out at lunch and then make my decision, but something was telling me the decision had already been made for me.
The next couple of hours were spent reviewing a list of upcoming VIP guests and events that were planned in the Tower and Yarra Function Rooms for the next month. Midday rolled around quite fast and I found myself rehearsing my questions for Mr Clark in my head. I’ll need to start no later than 8:30am and finish no later than 6:00pm. I’ll need leniency over school holidays. I’ll need an entire Versace wardrobe. I’ll need a key card to your private residence. I’ll need an extensive pay rise and I’ll need to watch you work out in the mornings. As IF Alexis.
I stepped out of the elevator and Lucinda beamed at me.
“Hi Alexis, he’s waiting for you.” She had a ridiculous smile on her face, I rolled my eyes at her and entered Bryce’s office. The sexual tension and electricity that hit me as I entered his space was beyond belief, could I handle this day in and day out?
He was already sitting at the conference table in the far corner of his rather large office. Lunch had been set out on the table, I walked towards it and the smell was delicious, there was a Cloche in front of a seat which I assumed was for me.
“Please sit Alexis.” He really did take my breath away, his vivid blue eyes were so alluring and I felt myself transfixed after only seconds of looking at him. He removed the Cloche and to his word was a delectable looking Calamari Salad.
I picked up a fork, stabbed a piece of Calamari and Rocket and shook my head, before I could accuse him of abusing his powers in the field of research, he laughed.
“It’s what I do Ms Summers.”
“What if I said, I was allergic to seafood?”
“I know mouth-to-mouth, you’d be fine.” Just the sheer mention of mouth-to-mouth made my lady bits stir. I raised my eyebrows at him and slowly took a bite, his stare was equally challenging. I think he wanted me to stop breathing, just so he could prove his statement. After I had swallowed he removed his Cloche and cut a nice big slice of T-Bone. He paused.
“It’s ok, go ahead, I know mouth-to-mouth too.”
“Well in that case Ms Summers, I’ll order Satay next time.”
I laughed, I hoped he did. Oh no you don’t, you little tramp.
“So Alexis, I want you, I don’t want anyone else. What is it going to take?” I pretty much spat the tomato and bean shoot back onto the plate.
“I’m sorry?” Oh that was classy Alexis. He seemed amused with my disgusting display of table manners.
“I want you to be my P.A. I won’t take no for an answer, Alexis. What is it going to take for you to say yes?” I thought back to my questions.
“I trained very hard to be a Concierge Attendant; I was starting to like my career change.”
“If you want your position back, it’s yours when Lucy returns.”
“Ok, my children always come first, what hours do you require of me?”
“7am to 6pm.”
I counter offered, “8:30 to 6pm”
“Deal, what else?” He was definitely keen.
“What is the Salary?” This was going pretty well so far.
“What do you want it to be?” Again, I nearly spat the food I just had placed into my mouth, I really didn’t know what to say. In the past if I’d been in a sticky situation I would fake it until I made it. I bit down on the empty fork and looked directly at him, he fidgeted in his seat, then broke my gaze and reached for a glass of water. Did I just unearth the infamous Bryce Clark? It was in that moment that I decided I would work for this man for free if need be. There was just something about our chemistry that drew me to him, deep down I knew this could spell trouble for me, but I didn’t care, or at least I didn’t think I did.
“Yes. I’ll be your P.A.” He looked up and smiled.
“Good.” He got up from his seat and went across to his desk and picked up the phone.
“Lucy can you let Michelle in please.”
The door opened and a stunning dark haired Amazonian Goddess walked in pushing a garment rack full of clothing, she carried herself impeccably and seemed to be just as fond of Bryce’s blue eyes as I was.
“Michelle, thank you, as usual you are a treasure.” He was very charismatic and knew just what to say to a woman.
“You’re welcome Mr Clark.” She didn’t seem to want to leave, but got the inkling after Bryce had returned to the conference table, Michelle sullenly said thank you and left the room. I glanced at the rack and noticed the silk mesh dress I’d fantasised about this morning and next to it approximately ten other garment bags and the Versace I had left with Dry Cleaning. My mouth dropped, I turned to Bryce.
“All yours Ms Summers, think of it as an addition to your salary, which you still need to propose.” I got up and went to the rack, it not only contained the clothing but matching shoes and bags.
“This really is too much, Mr Clark.” I was starting to go red with embarrassment.
“Alexis, it’s non-negotiable.” He got up and stood on the other side of the rack.
“Now, Lucy will begin your training straight away and I will need your salary figure by the end of the day, or I will decide for you. I have spoken to Ms Maroney and she has found another C.A. to fill your place and Alexis when you speak to me please call me Bryce.” He held out his hand, I grabbed it and went to shake it, but he turned my hand and put it to his mouth. He gently kissed the top of my hand.
“Thank you.” He said and in that moment I realised this man had feelings for me.
CHAPTER FIVE
My hand was still tingling, I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. You are imaging this Alexis? No, no you're not. You're 35 and have a pretty good idea when someone is coming on to you. I fixed my hair and patted my cheeks with some water. Maybe he is just a very flirtatious guy? I kept trying to justify his actions but the more I thought about it the surer I became. Agreeing to be his P.A. was inevitable; I'm well and truly drawn to this man, I will need to tread carefully especially if he is so brazen with his flirting and especially because I am enjoying it immensely. I stepped back from the mirror and pressed my dress down. Taking a deep breath I gave myself a quick pep talk. Get a grip Alexis, you can handle this, it's just harmless chemistry. I exited the bathroom and headed back to Lucinda.
"So, where to start? Ok, I'm not going to bore you with instructions on how to meet and greet, answer phones or take messages etc, you already know how to do all this. I think what is most important is to educate you on who is my brother, Bryce Edward Clark, and we can do that by invading his privacy, follow me." She gave me a highly wicked grin, forwarded all calls to her mobile and headed through the Conference Room Door. The door to Bryce's Private Residence opened when she swiped her card through the security scanner. The décor was very different in his private quarters to what he had in his office. Instead of the cream, mahogany and gold colour scheme, the palette in here was very masculine. Greys, whites, blacks and deep blues, what really drew my eyesight though, were the windows. The quantity of glass was incredible, it was very open plan which made the view, the star attraction and rightly so. As you walk in you automatically step down into a lowered living area with white leather sofas and stunning black and deep blue silk drapes, with silver sheers.
"Wow, this is just gorgeous, he has great taste."
"Yes he does, he knows what he likes."
&n
bsp; "Oh, of course, he has a Piano." I scoffed at the black grand piano near the opening to the balcony.
"Can he play?"
"Yes we both can, but he prefers the guitar." Of course he does, sexy rock god!
I walked past the sofas and to the balcony Bi-fold glass doors. I sneaked a peek outside, it was enormous, fully equipped with a pool, spa, outdoor gym and it continued right around the building. Turning back to face the entrance I look up, the ceiling was approximately three levels high with a glorious glass spiralling chandelier. There was a staircase on the wall near the entrance which took you to the second floor. I'm assuming that is where his bedroom is, butterflies started churning in my stomach just from thinking about his bedroom and more importantly his bed. Get your head out of the gutter, Alexis!
"Just round here to the left is the kitchen, Bryce loves his food and cooks when he gets a chance."
"He cooks, are you serious? All the money in the world and the man cooks." He has just escalated from sexy, rock god, billionaire, boss man to perfect, sexy, rock god, billionaire, boss man. The kitchen was to die for, black marble bench tops that spanned the length of my entire house, well maybe not quite. There were stainless steel appliances and sleek glossy white cupboards, what stood out the most was a single photo of Bryce and Lucinda stuck to the fridge, it made me smile, it was such a sweet sentiment
"A kitchen is not quite a kitchen without something stuck to the fridge, that's a lovely photo of you both."
"Pfft, I look terrible, I had bad morning sickness that day, Bryce took me down to St Kilda beach to get some fresh air, then pulls out the iPhone and takes a selfie of us. He seems to like it though, that or he is deliberately tormenting me by having it on his fridge." She screwed up her face as she walked past the fridge and back into the living area. We started to climb the stairs, she is still quite agile for seven and-a-bit months pregnant. I was pretty much couch bound at that stage with Nate, with Charlotte I was a bit better, but not like this.
"The second floor is made up of bedrooms." She opened a door.
"This is my room for when I stay over, I live in Richmond with my partner Nic." The room was very spacious and feminine, with a pale pink bed spread, white sheer curtains and decorative cushions, there was a brand new cot in the corner of the room with a blue stuffed dog in it. I turned to Lucinda.
"You're having a boy?"
"Yes we are." She was beaming, and on cue gently rubbed her belly.
"That's wonderful." I couldn't help but think of Nate, he was my very special little man and I adored him completely.
We moved along, there were two other guest rooms and at the very end of the hall was Bryce's room. I almost felt intrusive as we entered his private space, his master king bed was in the middle of the room and in front of a feature wall. The ensuite was hidden behind that feature wall and it was huge. The shower was big enough to fit a family of four and the spa was deep enough to disappear in completely, he really did have superb taste in décor. I noticed his after shave on the vanity next to the sink, Jean Paul Gautier Le Male, one of my favourites, I loved aftershave and perfume, it was my secret fetish, I think I owned at least forty bottles myself.
To my delight I could not see any evidence of a Mrs Clark, or a soon to be Mrs Clark, there were no women's perfume or toiletries, nor did I see any photos of him with a significant other. Of course this did not rule out that he could very well be a ladies man and have no intention of tying himself down to anybody. I plucked up the nerve to ask Lucinda, after all this tour was simply a means to get to know the real Bryce.
"Is there a Mrs Bryce?" I tried to sound as professional as possible and not the slightest bit interested either way, other than for factual gain.
"No, Bryce is a single as they come, at first I thought he was afraid of sharing what he has and himself for that matter, you know, afraid of the whole commitment thing. That or he was simply too selfish for a relationship, but I've come to realise in recent years that he just hasn't been tempted yet, hasn't found the right person to whole heartedly give himself too and I think that is what he is waiting for. My brother doesn't do things by halves as you can see, if he sees something he wants, he goes for it and gets it, professionally and personally."
I deliberated what she had said as we left his room. He was a very powerful man, money means power and he had a lot of it. We reached the staircase.
"You'd think he'd have an elevator in here, how are you coping with these stairs?"
"I'm fine and he does. It's his personal elevator; it starts at his private basement and accesses every floor, every level in his private residence, the Helipad and the Observatory."
"Observatory?" Next I'll find out he has his own personal Zoo!
"Bryce dabbles in astronomy; it really is magical on the perfect night."
Nate would love the Observatory, he is mad for planets, stars and more importantly Star Wars! I'd been meaning to take him to the Observatory at Scienceworks, but had never gotten around to it.
We reached the lower level again and Lucinda opened the doors to the balcony, it was a stunning day and it seemed a shame this spectacular outdoor space was unoccupied. I could very easily kick off my pumps and take refuge on one of those comfortable looking sun lounges. As we walked past various things Lucinda pointed them out.
"Pool, Gym and just around this corner is the Helipad." The Helipad was not empty, placed beautifully on the large white painted letter H was a black Helicopter with R44 printed on it and in gold lettering 'Clark Incorporated'.
"This is the company Helicopter, it is mainly used for scenic flights and the transportation of VIP guests, Bryce takes it out every now and again too. All flight requests need to be approved by him, Abigail will email you the request forms when a VIP is scheduled and you will need to get him to sign them off."
"Sounds easy enough, but backtrack a couple of steps, you said Bryce takes it out, do you mean he actually flies it himself?"
"Yes, he is a fully qualified Helicopter Pilot."
"Is there anything your brother can't do?"
"Yes, sing!" I laughed
"Nobody is perfect." But he was close to it.
We sat on the balcony for the rest of the afternoon and between answering her mobile on and off, Lucinda filled me in on what will be required of me. Basically it was whatever Bryce asked for, if he needed room service; order it. If he needed house-keeping; organise it, schedule meetings, book flights and accompany him to events and appointments if required.
We also got to know each other a lot better. Lucy, as I was now told to call her, was a little younger than me. She was 32 and lived in Richmond with her partner Nic, who was actually a Nicole, they had been together for 8 years and had been part of an IVF program for a year, they were over the moon in love. It was clear Lucy idolised Nicole, who had rescued her from a very dark period in her life. Bryce and Lucy were two of three children to Stephanie and Lindsay Clark who tragically died in a car accident with their youngest son Lauchie when Bryce was 19, Lauchie was only 11. Bryce inherited Clark Incorporated from his father who had a small chain of hotels in Melbourne and Sydney. Lucy inherited her parents Toorak mansion but could not bring herself to remain living there so sold it and bought a couple of smaller properties around Melbourne, she also drank and smoked a lot of her inheritance away. Lucy had sunk into a huge hole of depression and anger after her parents and brother passed, Bryce on the other hand had been determined to make the most of his life and innovatively, expanded and changed the direction of Clark Incorporated into the multi-billion dollar company it was today. Their cousin Gareth was the son of Lindsay's brother Charles, Charles had had a love hate relationship with his brother. According to Lucy he was very jealous of his brother's money and achievements, when Lindsay died and passed the company to Bryce, Charles was furious and very bitter towards Bryce; their relationship is still on thin ice. Bryce and Gareth however were close, hence Gareth being in the position of Vice President.
"I'm
so sorry for the passing of your parents especially at such a young age, that must have been unbelievably hard?"
"It was, I hated the world and everyone in it and I hated the fact that my Uncle Charles became my guardian, not that he had any control over me whatsoever. Bryce had objected to the guardianship, he fought it but as he was only 19, he wasn't successful. Bryce did everything he could to keep me from getting into trouble, but I was selfish and made his life hell. I didn't realise at the time that my actions were causing him more pain and that was adding to him not being able to grieve his own loss. I think what also assisted my rebelling and anger was the fact I was subconsciously dealing with my own sexuality." She twisted a ring on her wedding finger.
"I met Nic in a bar, she was like a ray of sunshine, I'd been in the dark for months and she was the first thing that made me smile after Mum, Dad and Lauchie's death. I was a mess, broken and she, well, she repaired me." It was beautiful seeing how much she loved Nic.
"I'm so glad you found your Princess Charming." I smiled coyly at her. She laughed.
"That she is.”
"I'm so glad she found her as well." Bryce was leaning against the folding door, he walked out and sat next to Lucy. I felt like we had been busted.
"So what has my dear sister been revealing to you?" He gave Lucy a gentle nudge.
"Nothing, nothing at all." I reminded myself of Nate when he'd been busted playing his Play Station after it had been banned.
"Excuse me for a minute, the toilet calls again!" Lucy got up and waddled away. My heart quickened as I met Bryce's eye line. He was 'smirking' at me, I looked away.
"Your place is just breath taking, Mr Clark, sorry I mean Bryce." He stood up and wandered over to the glass balustrade.
"Do you like heights Alexis?"
"They are fine, when I have solid ground under my feet." I got up slowly and hesitantly met him at the Balustrade, my stomach dropped to my feet and I felt a little light headed. I stepped back, Bryce grabbed my arms and placed them back on the railing.
"It helps if you don't look straight down, start by looking out directly ahead.” He stood behind me and pointed to the Rialto.
Temptation (The Temptation Series) Page 4