Ruthless

by Deborah Bladon

“Barrett.” A petite woman with red curls wags a finger in the air at him. “You can’t ignore me forever. Let me in.”

  Chapter 36

  Barrett

  “What are you doing here?” I snap. “You’re supposed to be on your way to the airport, Mother.”

  “Monica,” she corrects me with a pat to my forearm. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

  Her gaze is locked on something behind me…someone behind me. This is not a scenario I imagined in my worst nightmare. I don’t need her getting in Bella’s face.

  I take a step to the side to block her entrance and repeat the question she failed to answer the first time I asked it. “What are you doing here?”

  “Introductions are in order, son.”

  Goddammit.

  I don’t try and stop her when she maneuvers around me, suitcase in tow. That’s not a good sign. If she thinks she’s camping here for the night, she’s mistaken. I want her out of my penthouse and out of the city as soon as possible.

  “And you are?” Monica blurts out once she’s got a clear view of Bella.

  Before she has a chance to reply, I step in. “This is my executive assistant.”

  Bella’s gaze volleys from my face to my mother’s. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Adler.”

  My mother approaches her, not offering her a hand or a smile. “It’s a pleasure, dear. I need time with my son, so if you’ll excuse us.”

  Bella looks to me for guidance. The last thing I want is for her to leave. I want her in my arms tonight. I’m about to fight to make that my reality.

  “We’re busy.” I direct my attention to Monica. “You’ll miss your flight if you don’t get to the airport within the hour.”

  I have no fucking clue if I’m speaking honestly. I lost track of time right around the moment when Bella and I sat down to eat dinner.

  “I switched to a morning flight.” Her gaze wanders the perimeter of the room. “I checked out of the hotel. I’ll be staying with you tonight so we can continue our discussion.”

  Like hell she will.

  “That won’t work for me.” I tug my phone out of my pants pocket. “I’ll call the hotel and book another room for you.”

  Her hand trails over her forehead in an overly dramatic gesture of exasperation. “I can’t bear another night there. You know the food is not up to my standards.”

  “Is anything ever up to your standards?”

  The question flies over her head because she’s too busy sighing heavily to notice anything but the performance she’s giving.

  “I should go,” Bella says, starting toward the dining room table. “I’ll grab my things and leave you two be.”

  “No.” The word snaps off my tongue. “You’ll stay.”

  Oblivious to what’s going on, Monica gives Bella a nod and regal wave of her hand in the air. “Very well, dear. It was lovely to meet you. Do take care.”

  If this were an audition, my mother would be nailing the role of an eighteenth-century monarch, but this is my fucking penthouse, and the only two people bearing witness to her theatrics is the woman I want to take to bed and me.

  I glance at Bella. She offers me a shrug and a soft smile. “I’ll see you in the office in the morning.”

  The urge to kiss her is strong, but I resist. This isn’t the time to get into details with my mother about my relationship with my assistant. Hell, I don’t even know how to define what’s happening between us.

  Scooping up her purse and the empty insulated bags, Bella moves across the room. With a quick look back, she opens the door and walks out, leaving me alone with the woman I thought had left Manhattan in her rearview mirror.

  ***

  I spent last night listening to my mother run through every potential film and television role she could have had. Her screen time was limited to a one-liner in a western movie shot sometime before she got married and the nosy neighbor in two episodes of a sitcom a year after I was born.

  That didn’t stop her from being a raging force in the Chicago local theater scene. She went from center stage to director, pouring all she had into every production of the classics.

  That’s wound itself down the last two years. She’s taken up painting scenery. The shift from one creative discipline to another hasn’t been without issues. Just as my seeking out my sisters here in New York hasn’t been easy for Monica.

  I said goodbye to her an hour ago. Setting her off to the airport with the driver Ivan secured for me was a good move. He’ll earn his salary since he has to entertain my mother until he drops her at La Guardia.

  That’s all she needs. A friendly ear to listen goes a long way in her world.

  “Hi.”

  My head darts up at the sound of Bella’s voice. I’ve been waiting impatiently for her since I sat behind my desk. I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept circling back to kissing her.

  She’s dressed in red today. The dress is simple but contoured to her body. Her hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail. In her hands are two large cups of coffee.

  I push back to stand. “Good morning, Bella.”

  Extending her right hand, she lets out a small sigh. “I picked up a coffee for you at Palla’s. It’s the way you like it. No cream and no sugar.”

  I take it from her, appreciating that she put in the effort to bring me a cup. “Thank you.”

  Blowing out a breath of air, she shuffles her red heels in place. “I’ll get to work now.”

  I glance at her hand. The polish on her thumbnail is almost completely gone. She’s been picking at it since she bolted out of my place last night.

  I edge around her, closing the door softly. “What’s wrong?”

  She turns on her heel so she’s facing me. “Nothing. I have a lot to do today.”

  “I haven’t assigned you anything yet,” I point out.

  Chewing on her bottom lip, she glances at the ceiling. “There are things on my desk that I should finish up.”

  “Like that crossword puzzle?”

  Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t say a word.

  “You were stuck on four letters for an unpleasant emotion.”

  “I thought it was love, but it doesn’t fit,” she whispers.

  I take a step closer to her, studying her face. “Is love an unpleasant emotion for you?”

  She cradles the cup in both hands. “Yes. With Emil it was.”

  He’s a fucked up asshole who tore her heart apart.

  “What about you?” she questions with a tilt of her head. “Is love an unpleasant emotion for you?”

  I have no fucking idea. I’m feeling something for her, but I don’t know if this tightening in my chest is the beginning sparks of love or pure lust or a combination of both. I answer honestly, “I haven’t been in love.”

  The corners of her lips tug up. “Oh.”

  “Oh?” I repeat back, holding back a smile of my own. “You’re surprised that I’ve never been in love?”

  Taking a sip from the coffee, she eyes me. “I am, and I’m not. You’re old enough to have been in love, but you seem like you prefer short term arrangements.”

  I don’t take offense, even though I’ve never been the type to fuck and flee. Sex is always better with an emotional connection. I’ve had a handful of one-night stands. The only benefit I got from them was the knowledge that I need more than a casual roll in the hay.

  “You didn’t love Alyssa Wells?”

  I haven’t heard that name in forever. It’s a part of my past I’d like to forget. Getting pulled into Alyssa’s orbit was exciting at first. It was fun and easy until it wasn’t. She wanted a wedding. I was satisfied with dating. That spelled the end of that.

  I reach past her to place my coffee cup on my desk before I do the same with hers. “No, Isabella. I didn’t love her.”

  Her bottom lip trembles. “You were a little tipsy last night. Do you remember the kiss? We kissed.”

  Reaching for her hands, I steady them in mine. She’s shaking. “
I remember everything about it. I want to kiss you again now.”

  Her eyes find mine. They’re more gray than blue today, storming with emotion that’s just below the surface. It’s there in her face. I feel it in her hands.

  “A four-letter word for an unpleasant emotion is fear,” she says, her voice quiet.

  It is fear. That’s what I see in front of me. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on is scared to death of what’s happening between us.

  Chapter 37

  Bella

  I didn’t intend on coming to the office to pour my heart out, but that’s what happened. After I left Barrett’s apartment last night, I went straight home. Gina wasn’t around. I was grateful for that. I needed time and space to think.

  I spent most of the night weighing the pros and cons of sleeping with my boss.

  The pro list was four times as long as the con, but that didn’t matter.

  At the top of the list of potential negatives was a big one – a broken heart.

  My broken heart.

  It took me time to get over Emil. Gina told me it was puppy love. She said that when I found real love, it would consume me.

  I laughed it off because my sister has never been in a serious relationship, but I’m beginning to wonder if she’s wise beyond her experience.

  I can’t define what I feel for my boss. The physical attraction is undeniable, but there’s more. I feel an unexplained connection to him that I never felt with Emil.

  I know that when Barrett looks at me, he sees who I am, not who he wants me to be.

  “Tell me what you’re afraid of.” Barrett grazes his thumb over my hand in a lazy, slow circle.

  I don’t know how to answer that without pouring my heart out. I don’t want to be that woman who scares a man away because she’s feeling too much too soon. We haven’t even slept together yet.

  “It’s the job, isn’t it?” he asks before I can say anything. “You’re worried that we’ll both get fired if Ivan finds out. I admit I’m concerned about that too.”

  It hadn’t crossed my mind until right now.

  “Ivan is in Boston.” He smiles. “We can be discreet. No one has to know about this.”

  “If Ivan finds out...”

  “He won’t,” he interrupts with a heavy exhale. “You’re my executive assistant. It’s your job to spend most of your time with me. No one will question if we work late or spend a few hours together on the weekends. You did those things with Duke and no one wondered, did they?”

  I laugh. “They wondered.”

  His eyes narrow beneath a scowl. “Someone thought you were sleeping with Duke?”

  “A few people did.” I shrug. “Ivan brushed it off as office gossip. He knew better. He trusted us.”

  His hand slides up my arm. “He trusts us too.”

  I nod.

  Cupping my cheek, he gazes into my eyes. “Whatever happens between us on a personal level has no bearing on the work we’re doing. We’re a solid team in the office, Bella. I promise we’ll be better together in my bed.”

  A rush of desire washes over me. I’ve never taken such a brazen chance before. I always weigh the pros and cons, especially when it comes to my career or my heart.

  I ask the question that’s been racing through my mind since last night. “Are there others in your bed?”

  He stills. “In my bed? Other women?”

  “Are you sleeping with anyone else right now?” I keep talking because my anxiety is shooting through the roof. “You were on a date at Atlas 22. She was pretty and there was that woman in front of Axel NY. She looked really happy to see you.”

  I take a breath and continue before he can get a word in. “I like to know what I’m getting into before I have sex with a man so I can choose if it’s right for me.”

  He quiets me with a soft kiss to my lips. “Bella, beautiful Bella.”

  I melt into the touch of his lips and his words.

  Pulling back, he cradles my face in his hands. “That date at Atlas 22 was one and done. We had one dinner, and it was done. I left before dessert.”

  Hope blooms in my chest. “It was one and done?”

  “How the fuck was I supposed to focus on anyone after spending time with you?” He growls through a smile.

  “You didn’t take her home?”

  “To do what?” He brushes the pad of his thumb over my bottom lip. “So I could talk about you all night?”

  I bow my head to hide the wide grin on my face. I had no idea that he left Atlas 22 with me on his mind.

  “I haven’t seen her since that night.” He lets out a heavy exhale. “I haven’t been with anyone since I moved to Manhattan.”

  Tugging me into his arms, he presses a kiss to my forehead. “You have no idea how much I want you.”

  I want him too, but I still have questions about the woman outside Axel NY. She ran into his arms. The expression on her face was pure happiness, but he’s not sleeping with her. He told me that no one has been in his bed. I believe him.

  “The wheels are turning inside there again.” He runs a finger over my brow. “Is it fear? You’re still scared of this? Of us?”

  I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I have reservations about jumping into bed with my boss, but I’ll handle those for a chance to be with him.

  “I’m thinking about kissing you,” I whisper.

  Without a word, he crashes his mouth into mine. I moan into the kiss. The need to be with him is so strong. It’s almost too much.

  Breaking the kiss, he stares at me. His gaze is heated and filled with the same want that I feel inside of me. “We’re working upstairs today. My penthouse. Now.”

  Taking my hands in his, he moves toward the door of his office. A soft knock greets us just as he’s ready to swing it open.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He groans. “You didn’t schedule anything for me this morning, did you? Do I have a meeting I’m not aware of?”

  Shaking my head, I answer simply, “Nope.”

  “I’ll fire whoever is on the other side of that door.”

  Tugging on his hand, I half-laugh. “You won’t.”

  “My dick is hard as stone.” He leans back to brush a soft kiss over my lips. “I need you naked now.”

  Desire pools between my legs. “Fire them.”

  “Done.” He winks at me.

  Dropping my hand, he swings open the door. Standing in front of us is the woman who launched herself into his arms outside Axel NY. Without a word to him, or me, she does the very same thing now.

  Chapter 38

  Bella

  What am I supposed to do now?

  Do I take my coffee and calmly sit at my desk? Do I tap Barrett on the shoulder and ask who the hell the woman in his arms is or do I stand here waiting patiently for the two of them to pry themselves apart?

  I don’t have to make a decision because the blonde-haired woman clears her throat. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed your hugs. I’m going to want one every time I see you now. You know that, don’t you?”

  Over my dead body.

  “If memory serves, we didn’t hug when we were kids,” he says with a laugh. “I think we did fist bumps, right? That or high fives.”

  They go in for a fist bump, their hands in perfect unison with each other.

  I catch the shimmer bouncing off the large diamond on her left hand. It’s settled next to a plain gold band.

  “You were too cool to hug me when you were a teenager.” She playfully punches him in the arm. “I’m glad you grew out of that.”

  I take a step back. That catches her eye. Her gaze moves past Barrett’s shoulder to settle on my face.

  “I’m Felicity.” Smoothing her palms over the skirt of her pink dress, she moves toward me. “You must work with my brother.”

  Brother?

  The pieces all fall into place; the big hug, the playful banter, and the color of her eyes. They match Barrett’s. So does her smi
le.

  “This is Isabella.” Barrett turns to face me. “Bella. She’s my assistant.”

  She studies me. “You don’t look like you’re ready to strangle him. Is he a good boss?”

  Biting back a smile, I shrug. “It’s early. He hasn’t had his coffee yet.”

  Peering past me to the two cups of coffee on the desk, she cocks a brow. “Palla on Fifth? Fancy schmancy, Adler. We should stop there on our way.”

  Barrett looks to me before he settles his attention on his sister. “On our way where?”

  Lowering her voice, she leans closer to him. “She wants to see you. I explained what happened with daddy keeping you away from us. She’s eager to see you. Can you come to her place with me now?”

  Staring at his profile, I watch his bottom lip tremble. “Jesus, yes. Hell yes.”

  Felicity reaches up to adjust the light blue tie around his neck before she tugs on the lapels of his navy suit jacket. “She’s not going to believe it’s you. You’re all grown-up.”

  Turning to me, he lets out a heavy exhale. “I need to go. It’s my other sister.”

  There’s no mention of what today held for us. The only thing I see on his face is hope.

  “I’ll take care of things here,” I say softly.

  I follow them out, standing in the doorway of his office as they walk hand-in-hand to the bank of elevators.

  I may have lost my chance to make love with him today, but I have a feeling that he’s getting a chance he’s waited years for.

  ***

  “Did your boss like the food, Dolly?”

  My grandma stands next to the table I’m seated at in her restaurant. The smile on her face says it all. She knows he loved the food because everyone does.

  “What do you think?” I tease.

  “I think he loved it.” She winks. “Did you like the dessert? I made it myself.”

  Taking her hand, I hold it against my cheek. “You know it’s my favorite. It’s always been my favorite.”

  “That’s why I’ll always make it for you.” She pinches my cheek. “What are you doing tonight? You should be out having dinner with a handsome boy, not eating baked ravioli with your grandma.”