by London Casey
“Who’s your agent?”
It took me a moment to realize that he was talking to me.
“Oh, I’m not here for…I’m an attorney.” I smiled at him. “I’m here for a job interview.”
“Ah.” His teeth flashed white against his tanned skin and I wondered how often he had to bleach them. No one had teeth that white.
“I’m Krissy Jensen,” I said.
“Taylor Moore.” He leaned across the table and held out a hand.
I took it, giving him a firm and brief handshake. Normally, I would’ve been all over that, but I didn’t think it was smart to hit on a client, or at least someone who was the client of my potential employer.
“You know,” he said as he leaned back. “I have to admit, I wouldn’t have pegged you for a lawyer.”
I raised an eyebrow. If he was going to flirt, I wasn’t going to encourage him, but I wasn’t going to say no, either.
His grin widened, showing dimples. “Women in LA who look like you are models or actresses.” His gaze ran over me, the light in his eyes saying that he was definitely being more than polite. “I’m guessing you’re under five eight, so probably not a model, even though you’re gorgeous enough to be one.”
He got points for saying I was too short, not that I was too…curvaceous.
“So I guessed an actress.”
“Wrong, but very observant,” I said as I set aside my magazine.
“And you’re not from around here,” he commented. “I thought I’d caught an accent before. Now I’m sure. Where are you from?”
“New…” I paused. “Born and raised in Chicago but I’ve been in New York for a while.”
He nodded. “I’m from Wisconsin.” When I didn’t pry with a question, he offered more information. “I came out here after high school to be an actor. I’ve done a few commercials. Local stuff, so you wouldn’t have seen me in anything…yet. I’ve got things in the works. Who are you interviewing with?”
I had to admit, I was impressed. He was definitely into me, but he hadn’t asked yet if I was married or had a boyfriend. Most guys would’ve asked that question first or second, not wanting to waste their time with someone who was already taken.
“The head of the legal department. Mr. Duncan.”
He nodded. “That’s good. It’s a good thing it’s not with DeVon.”
That didn’t sound good. I knew DeVon Ricci was the head of the company, but I hadn’t done a lot of research on him. I’d focused on Duncan, since that’s who I had to get through first. If I made it to the second interview, then I’d planned to start looking into Ricci. Now I wasn’t so sure I’d made the right choice. Maybe I should’ve checked Ricci out first.
“What’s wrong with Mr. Ricci?”
Taylor shrugged. “Let’s just say DeVon has his own…unique style.” He sounded like he was being very careful with his word choices. “If you were interviewing with DeVon, I think he’d scare you off and I want you to stick around.”
I gave him a polite smile. “Thank you.” I straightened. “But I wouldn’t be too worried,” I added. “I don’t scare easily.”
“Miss Jensen?” A petite red-head came through the frosted glass doors. “Mr. Duncan will see you now.”
I stood and smoothed down my skirt. “It was nice to have met you.”
“And you,” Taylor said. His eyes ran down my legs. “I look forward to seeing more of you very soon.”
The heat in his eyes suggested he wasn’t just talking about seeing me again around the agency. When he said more, he meant more and it took all of my self-control not to fire back with a double-entendre of my own.
“Have a good day,” I said as I followed the red-head through the doors. I could feel Taylor’s eyes on me as I walked. I was pretty sure he was staring at my ass, so I put a little more swing in my hips than I normally would have. Might as well leave him with a good impression.
I was definitely liking Hollywood.
“Mr. Duncan?” The red-head knocked on an open door at the end of a corridor.
I caught a glimpse of an elevator to my left. A sign next to it said “Private.” That must lead to the mysterious Mr. Ricci, I thought as I walked into the office.
An attractive man in his mid-fifties stood on the other side of a very expensive-looking desk. He had such light-colored hair that, at first, I wasn’t sure if it was blond or white, but then I realized that he had been blond, but his hair was streaked with silver, giving it a strange, dual-colored look. His eyes were intelligent and a pale gray that contrasted strongly with his tanned skin. My boss back home would’ve been all over this guy.
“Mr. Duncan.” I gave him my best professional smile as I held out my hand.
His handshake was brisk, but not rude. That was good. Too many men either snatched their hands away like they were afraid I’d read something into their touch if they lingered too long, or they purposefully lingered, turning the shake into a holding.
“Please, have a seat.” He gestured to the chair across from his.
I sat carefully, crossing my ankles and tucking my feet under my chair. My skirt was an appropriate length for work, but I didn’t want to take any chances on flashing my prospective boss. He didn’t seem like the type who’d appreciate the view. And I was grateful for that. I didn’t want someone more interested in what was between my legs than what was between my ears.
“You have quite an impressive resumé for someone so young, Miss Jensen,” he began.
The interview was like something out of a dream. He asked specific questions and seemed pleased with the answers I gave, though not overly exuberant about them. Another good sign. He wanted to make sure I knew that I’d done well, but didn’t want to show any sort of sign as to how I measured up against the competition.
“I do have to ask, Miss Jensen,” Mr. Duncan said as he set down my resumé. “Do you have any desire to become an actress, model or celebrity of any kind?”
The question surprised me, but I didn’t let it show. “No, Sir,” I answered promptly. “I’ve never wanted to be in the spotlight like that. Put me in a courtroom in front of a judge and jury, and I’ll be a star, but I don’t want to be in front of a camera.”
He gave me a partial smile. “That’s very good, Miss Jensen. You understand, in our business, we attract a lot of attractive young people who see this place as a stepping stone, but not to rise in the legal department. They think that they can use us to get their ‘big break’ and that is not something we encourage.”
“I understand.” I nodded, thankful that I was being completely honest. “I’m not interested in any of that. I want to rise in the company, but as a lawyer, not as anything else.” I decided that bold was a good idea. “In fact, Sir, I’d like to see myself sitting in that desk one day.” I let one side of my mouth twitch up into a half smile. “Many years from now, of course.”
Mr. Duncan gave me a full smile, his eyes twinkling. It was good to know that the serious face wasn’t all there was to him. “That’s very good, Miss Jensen.” He stood and I did the same. “While we do have other interviews to conduct, I would like you to come in tomorrow for a second interview.”
I tried not to let how excited I was show. “Thank you, Sir.”
“And, Miss Jensen,” he added. “You are one of our most promising candidates.”
Now I couldn’t stop the smile. “Thank you.” I almost sounded like I was gushing and I forced myself to rein it in.
“Your driver will take you to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of your day here and be back at nine tomorrow morning, prepared for a more in depth interview. We are only conducting two second interviews, so it is imperative that you come fully prepared.”
I wasn’t sure, but that sounded to me like a warning. Taylor’s comment about DeVon Ricci came back to me. As I walked out of the office, I wondered if that’s what Mr. Duncan had meant. Was I going to be meeting the big boss tomorrow? And if I was, what could he possibly have planned that I would need
to prepare for? I had to admit, the thought did make me a little nervous.
I set my jaw as I walked back out into the California sun. I wasn’t going to let it bother me. I knew I was perfect for this job and nothing was going to keep me from making sure everyone at Mirage Talent knew it too.
Chapter Four
I had a feeling my driver was taking the scenic route to the hotel. I wasn’t minding, though. I’d never seen anything like this city before and even my excitement over how well the interview had gone couldn’t distract me from the view. When we finally pulled up in front of the hotel, I was eager to get to my room, shower and head out into the sunshine. I hadn’t eaten much that morning, not liking to fly on a full stomach, and I was starting to get hungry. I couldn’t wait to see what Los Angeles had to offer.
I thanked the driver as he handed my bag to the valet waiting at the entrance. This was a nicer hotel than any I’d been to in New York, but it was impossible to compare them, really. New York was stone and history. No matter how updated their buildings were, they always had a sense of being old, especially the swankiest hotels. This one was modern, with clean-cut lines. If New York was ‘old money’ then this was new, and I loved it.
“Miss Jensen, you’ve been upgraded.” The clerk at the desk gave me a pleasant smile.
“Excuse me?” I knew I couldn’t have heard her correctly. Mirage was a wealthy company and they obviously liked to show their potential employees a good time, but a hospitality suite at a hotel like this was already above and beyond.
“You’ve been upgraded to a top floor suite,” the woman clarified.
“By whom?” I didn’t mean to sound rude, but it was a bit of a shock. I mean, my interview had gone well, but this was ridiculous.
The clerk’s smile faltered for a moment, then came back, steady as ever. Definitely a wanna-be actress. “Mirage Talent, of course,” she said. She slid a keycard across the desk. “Marcus will help you with your bag.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “I can take it from here.” I held out my hand and, after a moment, was handed my bag. I just wanted to be alone to process.
When I got off on the top floor, I still hadn’t figured out why I’d been upgraded. Maybe tomorrow was just a formality, I thought. This could be their way of welcoming me to the company. If it was, wow. I smiled. Whatever the reason, I was going to enjoy it.
I took half a dozen steps into the room as the door swung shut behind me, and that’s when I realized I wasn’t alone.
In the center of the room was a massive couch and my trio of visitors were centered around it. I stared at them for several seconds, unable to believe what I was seeing. Two were women: one a red-head, the other blonde, neither of them naturals. I could tell because, unfortunately, neither of them was clothed. One was on all fours on the couch, her ass towards me as she kissed the man sitting on the couch. The other woman was kneeling between his legs, running her hands up and down his thighs. He, at least, appeared to be clothed. Not that it made things better, because while he was kissing the red-head, he had one hand between her legs, two long fingers sliding into her. His other hand was on the blonde’s breast, pinching and twisting one rose-colored nipple.
I processed all of this in the time it took for me to regain my voice and to overcome my shock.
“Excuse me.” My voice came out stronger than I’d expected. “What are you doing in my room?” And, as I always did when I was mostly at a loss for words, I said exactly what I was thinking, no matter if it was appropriate or not. “Is this some kind of orgy?”
The man on the couch rolled the red-head onto her back so that she was lying across his lap, her legs spread so that I could see more than I wanted to. His fingers slid back inside her and she moaned, writhing on his lap.
“What else would it be?” The man had a faint accent; Italian, I thought. “Come join us.”
I looked at him now, my temper flaring. Who the hell did he think he was? “Join you? No fucking way.” I sneered at him. “You couldn’t handle me.”
I let my eyes rake over him, taking in the wild black waves of hair that fell across his forehead, the rich brown eyes. He was handsome, with strong features rather than the pretty-boy look Taylor had going on. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a firm, defined chest. He was lean but his body was cut in a way that would usually make me wet. The fact that he was still fingering the red-head and the blonde was crawling up next to him, her large breasts swaying as she moved…that all kinda pissed me off, so arousal wasn’t exactly my emotion at the moment.
“Get the fuck out of my room before I call security.” I gave the women my most derisive glare. “And take your bimbos with you.”
His eyes flashed, but the corners of his mouth twitched like he was amused by something. When he spoke, however, his voice was flat. “You don’t know who you’re talking to, do you?”
“Yeah,” I retorted. “An asshole.”
He laughed, sliding his fingers out of the red-head’s pussy. He held his hand out to the blonde, barely glancing at her as she began to lick his fingers clean. The red-head made a mewling sound, but he ignored her, too. “I like your smart mouth,” he said. “Duncan will definitely be pleased with you.”
I frowned. Duncan? He couldn’t mean Leon Duncan, the head of the legal department at Mirage Talent, the man I’d just interviewed with.
“Oh, that’s right. We were never properly introduced.” He stood, spilling the women off of his lap.
I couldn’t stop my eyes from flicking down over his torso to his narrow waist, my curiosity getting the better of me. I tried very hard not to lick my lips at the impressive bulge at the front of his tailored, gray slacks.
“Krissy.”
My name brought my attention back up with a snap. I could feel heat creeping up my cheeks.
“I’m DeVon Ricci. Your new boss.”
My stomach plummeted. Fuck. What kind of shit-storm did I just walk into? I shook my head, refusing to believe it. “I never met DeVon Ricci. How do you know who I am?”
He grinned and held out his hand. The hand that had been between the red-head’s legs. No way in hell was I going to shake that. I folded my arms across my chest. He dropped his hand and used it to gesture towards the coffee table in front of the couch.
“I was watching your interview. Duncan has a webcam on his computer that allows me to watch all of his interviews. I find it saves time weeding out the candidates.”
“So, what is this, then?” My hands curled into fists, my fingernails digging into my palms. “I jump in to the fun and I get the job?”
He raised an eyebrow, a gesture that usually went straight through me. I wasn’t going to let this one do that. I focused on how pissed I was.
“Well,” he said. “I never give out guarantees.” He ran his gaze down my body in that slow way that said he was imagining how I looked naked. “But it might put you at the front of the line.” His eyes were darker as they met mine and I knew he’d liked what he saw. “That is how my last assistant got hired.”
His voice was dripping sex, promising pleasure I couldn’t imagine. Damn, he was hot. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. Too bad he was a complete tool. There was no way in hell I was joining in. “Like I said.” My voice was even, but I could hear the fury in every word. “This is my room and I’ll give you and your bimbos thirty second to get the fuck out before I call security. I have another important interview tomorrow and I’d like to relax.”
DeVon’s eyes narrowed as he studied me for a moment and I held his gaze. I had nothing to be ashamed of here and I wasn’t going to look away first. Finally, he glanced over his shoulder and held out his hands. “Ladies.”
The women stood, bending over to pick up what I assumed were their clothes. They pulled skimpy dresses over their heads, not bothering with any undergarments. I really hoped that was because they hadn’t been wearing any. I didn’t want to sit down and find a pair of panties under the cushions. I glanced at the couc
h. On second thought, I’d just sit in one of the chairs.
DeVon let the women leave first and then he paused, turning back towards me.
“Congratulations, Miss Jensen.” His tone was serious now, no hint of flirtation. “If you had joined us, you wouldn’t be getting to stay here in this lovely suite preparing for your interview tomorrow. You would be on your way back to New York. Mirage Talent does not hire women who use sex to get ahead.”
I gaped at him. Seriously? The whole thing had been a set-up? I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved, horrified or even more furious. I chose the latter. I scowled. “I thought you said that’s how your last assistant got hired.”
A glint appeared in his eyes and one side of his mouth tipped up, giving me that sexual smile again. “There is always the exception to the rule.” He stepped into the hallway, getting the last word in as the door closed. “She was fucking hot.”
Chapter Five
Devon
The thing I hated the most about what I’d done was the fact that I’d had to carry my jacket in front of me while I waited for my hard-on to go down. I was glad Krissy Jensen had turned me down – my lips twitched at the memory of how pissed she’d been – but it definitely made for an uncomfortable ride back to the office.
I was still thinking about the way her dark eyes had flashed when Leon Duncan stepped out of his office before I could get on to the private elevator to my office. I was turned towards him when something flew through the air, narrowly missing my face.
“You bastard.” Leon’s face was red. “You were spying on me!”
Sometimes, I wondered if complete honesty was always worth the trouble. I looked down to see the webcam I’d had installed shattered at my feet. I looked back up at the head of my legal department and spoke in a cool, even tone despite feeling anything but cool.