“Sorry, sir. You can’t go any further.”
“It’s my father’s funeral,” I protested.
He shrugged and a police car appeared, escorting me away from the cemetery.
* * *
I woke up in a cold sweat and got out of bed. I had to fix this. I solved major problems for a living. I could solve this one.
It was still before dawn but I put on the coffee machine and sat down at the counter in the kitchen with a pencil and pad of paper.
“Find someone to have a baby with,” I wrote across the top.
I stared at the words, sipping my americano, as the sun began to brighten the room.
Then I wrote, “Find someone to pretend I’m having a baby with.”
And that’s how it all began. It was going to be that simple.
Or so I thought.
At the time, I had zero clue that what I was about to embark on would turn my life upside down, bring me to the brink of chaos, and ultimately, change every aspect of my life, forever.
I wasn’t entirely sure the idea was good, it definitely had a few risks, but I couldn’t think of any alternative. And I was too stubborn not to do something, a trait my dear father had passed on to me.
I was going to have to fool my father.
Not an easy task when he was known internationally for being one of the most cunning and astute negotiators in the business world.
Even in his seventies, even sick, he was sharp as a tack. If I didn’t proceed cautiously, if I didn’t make sure every single detail was perfect, he’d see right through the entire thing.
I would have to be extremely convincing.
I thought about it a while, tapping my fingers on the counter and sipping my coffee. I thought about it while showering, shaving, and putting on my freshly pressed suit. I thought about it on the drive in to the office, and the ride up the elevator to the hundredth floor.
And I thought about it right through my first meeting of the day.
The office was where I spent most of my time. It was the one thing that I had inherited from my father that he wouldn’t be able to take away from me. After he retired, I stepped up as the head of Rittsman Enterprises, an investment firm that my grandfather created back in the early 1940’s. My grandfather, and my father after him, had brought the company unmatched success, and it was my turn to carry on the legacy.
In many ways, I was only a figurehead. There was a whole committee of older men my father had put in place to run the day to day operations. My job was to attend meetings, show up for press conferences, charm shareholders, and look good for the cameras of the Business News Network.
It was an important job, yes, but not one of much substance.
But dedicating my life to Rittsman Enterprises was not enough for my father.
Right on time, my secretary, an older woman named Janet, called.
“Good morning, Mr. Rittsman,” she said. “How are you doing this morning?”
“Good, Jan. What’s the news?”
“Your meeting at ten has been cancelled. I think there’s a bug going around the office.”
“It’s been cancelled?” I asked, “Really?”
“Sorry, Derek,” Janet drawled. “I thought you’d be happy.”
Normally, I would be. There wasn’t anything worse than trying to stay awake through a five-hour meeting in which the directors couldn’t even reach a consensus on what color our business cards should be. Being the head of an investment firm paid well, but it was dreadfully dull work.
Today, however, I would have welcomed the distraction.
The family business, I thought drearily. It’s the reason my father is so keen on ensuring an heir. He worked hard to build this business, and he’ll be damned if it’s handed off to a stranger one day.
“I just don’t know what to do with all this free time, Jan.” I said, trying to sound cheerful.
“Well, if you’re really looking for something to do,” I could hear her tapping her pen on her desk, “the manager who was supposed to be interviewing some potential interns walked out this morning, and I can’t find anyone who has time to deal with them. It’s not really that important of a job, especially for someone like you, but…”
“Oh, fine, that’s fine. Send them up. It’ll be good to see some young blood. Thanks, Jan. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’re very welcome, Mr. Rittsman.”
I tidied up my desk and took another sip of my coffee, trying not to think about my father.
Some five minutes later, after a rap on the door, Jan let in the first candidate. I steeled myself for the task, turning my attention toward the girl in the doorway.
And, no lie, this sexy little creature literally took my breath away.
I had to gasp for air as my eyes gazed up and down her sensuous, seductive, deliciously curvy body.
She had one of those asses I just wanted to bury my face in. Her breasts curved generously in her dress. I imagined lifting her up and throwing her on my desk. I wanted to push her back and dive in under her dress, rip off her panties with my teeth, and sink my tongue into her pussy.
Fuck. I was getting hard and I adjusted my position in the chair to try and hide the fact I had a boner sticking up from my lap.
She was young, about twenty. Her hair was pulled back in a braid, a few loose curls framing her face. There was a light blush on her cheeks, and her lips were full and pink. Her dark doe eyes were round and sweet, darting shyly from me to the floor. She was dressed in a simple black mini dress that hugged every curve in the most delicious manner.
God, she looked irresistible.
I was quiet for a second too long while I tried to get my act together, and attempted to form a coherent sentence. She just stood at my door, biting her lip, patiently waiting.
“You… you’re here to interview for the interview… I mean, for the intern position, yes?”
“Um, yes,” she said with a little giggle. “My name is Amelia Parker. Just Amy, if you like.” She looked at me nervously. “Sorry. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting to talk to you today, Mr. Rittsman.”
I smiled warmly and stood up. Then I realized my erect penis was pressing against the front of my pants and grabbed a file from my desk and held it in front of me.
“Hello, Amy. Nice to meet you. I’m Derek. Don’t worry, my role here is no more important than our interns’. Sometimes I like to participate in the hiring process, since, you never know, this could be the start of a long career here.”
I led her over to the comfortable seating in my office, gesturing to an arm chair before sitting across from her. She looked wide-eyed around the room before looking back at me.
“It’s really nice up here,” she said.
“Thank you. It’s all a sign of how successful our company has become,” I shrugged. “Now, enough about me. Let’s hear about you.”
She nodded quickly and scrambled to look through her green folder.
“Here’s my resume,” she said, handing me a single piece of paper.
I skimmed through it then placed it on the table.
“You’re attending CBS? Impressive. For business, I assume? What are you planning on doing with your degree?”
I was finding it hard to concentrate. The way she was sitting, ankles crossed, leaning forward, I had a generous view of her perfect round breasts. I found myself fantasizing about ripping that dress off her and sucking each of her nipples until she begged me to stop.
My cock was in complete agreement, tingling with desire at the thought of sinking into her warm, wet pussy.
“I’m not exactly sure yet,” she was saying. “I thought it seemed like a smart choice. That’s why I’m interested in interning here, to see if I’d be a good fit for this sort of work.”
“Oh, I think you will be,” I said, trying to hide the lust in my voice.
“Do you enjoy it?” she asked peering up at me through her thick eyelashes.
I was taken
by surprise with the question.
“Uhh, yes. It’s a job. I’ve been very successful. People don’t usually go into this line of work because they enjoy it.”
“That’s true, I suppose. Still, I would want to have something I like about the job, something to motivate me to get up every day, besides money.”
“You do meet some very interesting people along the way, and make strong connections. It’s all about networking,” I said, not really listening to my own words.
My mind was elsewhere, peeling that tight dress off of her. I felt my cock harden again, and throb in desire, and I adjusted myself in the chair, hoping she wouldn’t notice how completely horny she was making me.
You’re being unprofessional, the rational part of my mind was saying, and I focused on behaving as I should. This young lady was here out of trust, and she deserved the same respect I’d give anyone else in my office.
She was nodding and listening. Although she was quiet and humble, she spoke with a calm serenity that drew me in. I could tell how bright she was by how carefully she selected each word, how she examined the room around her, taking everything in.
“I’d love to spend the summer interning here. It’s a beautiful building, and everyone’s been very friendly. I think I could learn a lot about the business.”
And I feel like I could teach you a lot, I thought.
About the business, I forced myself to think then.
I resisted saying it aloud, and instead smiled.
“I agree. And if everything works out, you can continue your internship into the school year. I don’t want to get too far into the future here—after all, there’s no day like today—but I can envision you working here for a long time. I think you could become a very valuable member of our team. We’re always searching for intelligent, interested people with entrepreneurial spirit, and I believe we’ve hit a gold mine with you.”
Amy sat up straight.
“Wow. I’m really flattered, sir.”
“Please, call me Derek.”
There was no doubt in my mind I was going to hire her. Regardless of my attraction to her, I truly did believe she would be a strong employee at the firm. She was smart, kind, and introspective—all things which, admittedly, turned me on.
“Do you have any questions for me?” I asked, leaning back and covering my raging boner by interlacing my fingers together over it. I secretly hoped she had a hundred questions to ask me so she could stay a while longer.
“No, I don’t think so,” she said.
Damn.
“Well, then I look forward to getting to know you this summer.”
As she was rising from her chair, she stopped.
“Wait,” she said. A cautious grin spread over her face. “Do you mean I have the job?”
“Definitely. You are Rittsman Enterprise’s newest intern. If you want the position, that is.”
A smile burst so suddenly and brightly onto her face it was infectious. I found myself smiling from ear to ear.
“Oh, thank you, thank you, sir. I promise I won’t let you or the company down.”
“Really, Derek is fine. And I know you won’t. I’m excited to see what you have to offer.”
I stood up, adjusting my pants again in a vain attempt to hide my erection. She stood up too, and it looked as if she glanced down and noticed the enormous bulge in my pants. Her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened, but only for a moment.
“I’ll have my secretary send you all the information you’ll need,” I said, clearing my throat. “Start date, where to go, who’ll be your manager, all that. We’ll get you settled in.”
“Wow. I can’t wait.”
That beautiful smile still hadn’t left her face.
I shook her hand. Her skin was impossibly soft, and I couldn’t stop thinking about those hands, and her mouth, wrapped around my cock.
And then, she turned around to leave the room. She walked with a gracefully sway, and my eyes drifted to her round, perfect ass.
Too soon, the door closed and I lost sight of her.
I returned to my desk, feeling like I had to catch my breath after my encounter with that sexy little angel. Interviewing Amy was very effective in getting my father’s words out of my head, but now all I could think about was her, and her body, and her lips wrapped tightly around the shaft of my cock. I imagined crushing my lips into hers, our tongues finding each other as my hands slid under her perfect ass and lifted her up into my arms. I’d tear open my suit pants and slide into her pussy without even taking off her little dress.
I wanted to be inside her, and I wanted her to be screaming my name in ecstasy.
I called Janet.
“I’m going to need some time before the next interview.”
Chapter 2
Amy
“I don’t know how it happened, Zeus, but I think I got a job!”
Zeus was at the door to greet me when I arrived home, jumping up to put his paws on my shoulders and lick my face, almost knocking me down. His tail was wagging rapidly back and forth, toppling the over-stacked mail on the coffee table, mimicking my excitement. I wasn’t sure exactly what possessed me to get such a huge dog, but he was such a precious puppy. Besides, having a two-hundred pound Saint Bernard as a roommate was the best security I could ask for.
After I stopped by the kitchen to throw him a treat, he followed me through the tiny apartment to my bedroom, where he flopped beside me on the bed.
I was still a bit puzzled about what happened back at Rittsman Enterprise. Never had I expected to be hired so quickly, and certainly not by the head of the firm, Derek Rittsman himself.
Derek Rittsman.
“He was… wow,” I said aloud to Zeus, who seemed to only care about getting his belly rubbed. But he was a good listener, anyway.
Derek Rittsman had carried himself with such confidence, such power, which made sense, considering his position. I would have expected that. Being in the same room with him made my stomach twist and flutter. The way he stared so intently at me, with those piercing eyes, almost as if he were undressing me…
“Ugh. Fantasizing about a sexy billionaire. I really need to get a life, Zeus.”
Zeus had fallen asleep.
I leaned back, biting my lip and wrapping my legs together as I thought more about Derek. It didn’t hurt to dream, no matter how unrealistic. My hands began to wander—but I was interrupted by the loud ring of my cell phone.
It was my sister, Abigail, who, as always, was filled with infectious energy.
“Amy, darling, did you go to your interview? How was it? When are you going to hear back? Did you like it?” I was bombarded with questions.
I sat up in bed, playing with the edge of the quilt. “Yes. It was very nice. They actually hired me.”
“What? Already? Tell me everything!”
I smiled. “Well, it was actually pretty crazy. I was interviewed by the head of the firm. The top guy. The big boss.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I don’t know why. But he was, you know, very nice. We talked a little. I was really surprised that I was hired on the spot. We didn’t discuss much, but he was really enthusiastic. It was a little weird. Not in a bad way, though.”
“Oh, Amy, you’re just wonderful. I’ve been telling you for such a long time. When are you going to get it through that thick skull of yours?”
I sighed. “Maybe they’re just hiring a lot of the people who apply. Maybe they’re just going to weed out those who aren’t—”
“Oh, stop right there. Can’t you hear how ridiculous you’re being?” Abby clicked her tongue. “I’ll tell you what happened. That CEO guy or whatever took one look at you and fell in love. Did you wear that black dress I told you to wear?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Honey. I’m not saying you were just hired for your looks. You’re smart, you’re friendly, you’re funny… you’ve got it all. There is absolutely no reason that they wouldn’t hire you.”r />
“I guess.” Abby wasn’t going to stop until I agreed with her, so I might as well get it over with.
“That’s what I thought,” Abby said. “Now, tell me more about this guy? Was he hot?”
“The… the guy who interviewed me?” I began to stumble over my words, embarrassed. “I mean, he was okay.” More than okay. “He was very nice, very charismatic.” And the way he was looking at me… “But Abby, I can’t think of him that way. He’s my boss now, remember?”
“So? Office romances are a thing.”
“I’m being realistic,” I said, sighing. “It doesn’t matter how much I want him, because someone like him is so… unattainable, for someone like me. I’m basically invisible to him.”
I could practically hear Abby smirking on the line. “So, what I gathered from that was, you want him?”
“Ugh. Abby!”
Abby giggled. “I knew it! My innocent little sister lusting over someone. I never thought I’d see the day. You have to sleep with him now, you have to.”
“I don’t have to do shit,” I said, trying not to laugh along with her. “Even if I wanted to. It’s just not going to happen.”
“Whatever you say, Amelia. We’ll see.” Abby was still ecstatic. “Now, what are your plans for the night?”
“I was thinking about staying in bed and binge-watching some old movies,” I said. A typical night in. I knew Abby would protest.
“Oh, absolutely not. I’m taking you out. We’re going to celebrate. My baby sister got an internship!”
I shook my head. “That’s not necessary.”
“Are you kidding me? When’s the last time you went out and had a good time?”
“Umm… a couple months ago, maybe?” I bit my lip.
“Are you ki— oh my God. When we went out for your twenty-first birthday? That’s it? Seriously?”
“Mm-hmm.” There was no escaping her now.
Abby groaned. “You are hopeless, Amelia. Hopeless. Listen. I’m going to pick you up at eight tonight, okay? I want you to be ready. I want you to be fabulous. Wear that red dress I bought you. It’s gorgeous, I don’t care what you think. I’m going to take you out on the town, and we are going to party. There will be men, there will be booze, and there will be things that we never discuss again!”
Royal Engagement Page 65