“I understand,” she said with a nod. “I’m available. No baggage.” He watched her intently the way he watched all people he needed to categorize, and he wondered why she was trying so hard. What had her sitting in this seat, forcing out assurances? Ambition? Ego? Something to prove?
“West Oil’s reputation has suffered in the last few years. With safety and environmental violations, morale, and lack of innovation, we aren’t attractive to some parties out there. But once they hear my plans they’ll be interested. A large part of your job will be making sure I meet with them. Even if they are reluctant, you will make the meetings happen.”
She nodded but didn’t speak. Quiet obedience.
“Do you see these?” he asked, gesturing to the stack of files on his desk. “These are the contacts that West Oil has been dealing with for decades. You’ve likely dealt with many of them in the past.”
“Of course,” Liberty replied quickly.
“Don’t call a single one of them,” James said, shoving the stack of papers off the desk and into a trash bin. He was attempting to make a point but the motion of clearing his desk had sexual undertones. He’d just made room for her sweet ass. “These people have gotten us nowhere. I will provide you with a list of tasks in order of priority. I expect you to be able to keep up. Can you keep up?” He already knew the answer. This job was not for a woman like her.
“I can,” she said, drawing in a deep breath and blinking away the worry that danced at the corner of her eyes. There was no way in hell she was cut out for this job. He’d seen her falling apart in the break room earlier. He saw past the bravado she was forcing. She’d crack pretty quickly under the pressure he’d apply. Which would work out perfectly.
“You’re going to hate this job,” he explained. “You’ll hate me. You’ll hate this company. I will ask more of you than you are able to give.”
“Great,” Liberty replied with a breathy laugh. “I guess I better stock up on chocolate and coffee.” There it was again. That impish nature that didn’t match the essence she was trying to portray. A silly joke, a nervous laugh, and eyes that couldn’t seem to stay fixed on his.
“Are you really understanding what I’m saying here?” James questioned, raising an eyebrow at her. There was no way the easily distressed woman in the break room who verged on tears because of a tough morning would be cut out for this job. But that worked in James’s favor. He’d figure her out, she’d screw up, he’d be forced to fire her, and then be free to sleep with her. Get her out of his system. Clear his head and keep doing what he needed to here at West Oil. He could use a bit of a game, and she’d be the perfect player. It had been a long time since a woman got stuck in his head the way Liberty Saint-Jane had.
“If you’re trying to scare me into leaving, you should know the only thing I’m afraid of is spiders. Hard work doesn’t frighten me. You don’t either.” Now her eyes were locked with his, and if Mathew wasn’t in the room he was pretty sure they’d be screwing by now. The heat blazing between them, the banter, surely would have erupted into something by now. The challenge of keeping his hands off of her until she failed and wasn’t his employee anymore would be fun. Then finally having her would be even sweeter. Ultimately he knew he was still in control, but this would be a dangerously fun game to play.
“We haven’t talked compensation,” Mathew interrupted. “This is what she makes today,” he explained, spinning the computer around so James could see the screen.
“Really?” James said in disbelief. “Well if you are as competent as Mathew says and as committed as you are claiming, then let’s triple that salary.” He knew the number didn’t matter. She’d never last. “Add on a twenty-five-thousand-dollar retention bonus to be paid after thirty days of work in this position.” And there it was, the tell James had been looking for. Liberty was standing tall, acting tough, but when the idea of more money crossed the desk there was a flash in her eyes she couldn’t hide. What he’d just offered her was likely more money than she’d ever seen in her lifetime, and she wanted it. That’s what he wanted to know. What was driving her? Why was she here? It was money. The key to James’s success in any endeavor was knowing what motivated someone. Whether it was a relationship, a business deal, or a family affair you had to know what your opponent wanted. How else could you control them?
He watched her face level off before she spoke. “That seems fair,” she said quietly and nearly laughed again.
“Great. Let’s use this first week as a trial,” James said, standing up and tucking his hands in his pockets. “There will be a list on your desk by the end of the day. Let’s see how you do.” He wasn’t all that concerned with how well she did. He needed a highly effective assistant. There was no way she could do the job. But she could serve a different purpose.
“I don’t have a desk,” Liberty explained. “I’ve been working remotely and abroad.”
“About a hundred of them just opened up, walk around the offices and go shopping for one. We’ll use squatter rules. Find one you like and call it your own.” James looked her over again, head to toe. His body pulsed with the urge to run his hands from the sultry curve of her hips, up their silky slopes, then tug her firmly toward him.
“I really appreciate the opportunity, Mr. West,” she said, extending her hand. It quivered with nerves as he gripped it. Her fingers were ice cold and covered completely by his large warm hand. Leaning in, he made that shot of her cleavage more than just a hint. Magnificent. The handshake lasted a few beats too long, and it wasn’t until Mathew stood up that they released each other.
“Call me James.” The plan was formed in his mind. He’d build the sexual tension so high between the two of them that by the time she was out of a job she’d be begging to climb into his bed. No amount of innocence or righteous indignation would be able to control her desire when he was done with her. Every interaction would be layered with long lusty looks, subtle dirty talk, and casual touches that couldn’t be avoided until she was begging to be stripped down and taken by him.
“I’m sure I’ll get your best,” James grinned devilishly, imagining bringing her body to the brink of ecstasy. He’d certainly have the best of her. But now as he watched her walk out of the room he wasn’t convinced he could wait a week to have her. He may have bitten off more than he could chew.
Mathew left the room in silence and within a minute Liberty was back, knocking apologetically on the door. “I just wanted to make sure you aren’t upset. I was out of line this morning and even when I mentioned the severance stuff just now. That wasn’t my place.”
God, she was hard to bark at. He wasn’t sure anyone had ever been so genuinely apologetic to him before. Aunt Marissa had been right. James always had a soft spot for helping the underdog. He hated to see people pushed around. It had become part of his job over the years to be assertive, to be direct, but he still gave respect where it was due. Something about this woman had his old protective senses tingling.
“It’s no problem,” he assured her. “You probably think I’m coming in here and just slashing things left and right. People will talk about who I am, what they think I’m doing, but if they knew they might actually stand with me instead of against me.”
“What are you trying to do?” Liberty asked, kicking her head to the side in a way that tugged at his chest. She actually wanted to know. She wasn’t listening to form her reply; she was just plain listening. A bizarre concept in this day and age.
“I’m going to save this place. My father was so concerned with his legacy, with keeping the business exactly the same, that he let the world pass him by. I’ve been creating a business strategy for another company I was about to launch, but now I’m here. So I’m going to make West Oil work.”
“Why start your own company? You had all this already.” She inched back into the office and leaned against the wall.
“I had nothing. My father kicked me out of here a long time ago. He never listened to a word I said about the futur
e or facts, even when they were right in front of him. My new company was going to prove it to him.”
“But he got sick first,” she said, an empathetic understanding in her eyes. “That must make being here hard.”
“Life’s hard,” he shrugged, even though he wanted to agree. “At least I have my own jet and a few billion dollars.”
“I don’t intend to base my opinion of you on gossip. I can make up my own mind. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. I really do appreciate the chance.”
“Sure,” he said, his head doing circles. She was making him feel things he’d much rather keep stuffed away.
“But we’re okay, right? We can just forget this morning?”
“I don’t forget anything,” he said with a playful smile, his eyes trailing down her body and then racing back up. “But we can focus on something else.”
For now.
Chapter 6
“How do you accidently become an executive assistant to the CEO of a billion-dollar oil company?” Jessica asked, handing Libby a glass of wine.
“I don’t know,” Libby admitted, blinking tears away. “I was sitting in this meeting and everyone was quitting or getting fired or whatever, and I just knew I had to do something to keep my job.”
“You don’t have a job there,” Jessica corrected, flipping her hair out of her eyes.
“Well I do now,” Libby whined. “Look,” she said, passing a contract over to Jessica. “They tripled my salary and gave me a twenty-five-thousand-dollar advance if I last thirty days. Do you know what that means?”
“That doesn’t make any sense. How in the world did you end up with a contract like this after not really working there? There must be more to the story.” Jessica seemed exasperated but intrigued as she glanced over the papers in her hand.
Libby considered telling her about her sexy encounter with Mr. West and his proposition. But she knew her friend too well. Jessica would have her calling human resources and reporting the man. She was a woman of principle, or strength, and never tolerated being treated unfairly. The complete opposite of Libby. “This means I can keep my mother in Shady Mills. It means she can get the care she needs for the long haul. If I’d have walked out of there today without a job, we’d be done. She’d have to move to some state facility, and I know she wouldn’t survive that. I did what I had to do.”
“I guess I just don’t understand how you did it. I’ve known you most of your life. You don’t exactly exude confidence. You’re telling me they didn’t see right through you?” Jessica’s eyes were narrow, raking skeptically over Libby, who could feel herself turning hot and ember red.
“So much was going on. They had so many people walk out, and apparently on paper I’m a stellar employee. I’ve done some impressive crap for West Oil in the last five years,” Libby explained as she flailed her arms around, nearly spilling her wine. “And you should see him,” she said, pulling her phone out and flashing a picture of James West she’d pulled up on the Internet.
“Holy hell,” Jessica gasped. “You sat across from that man today? And your panties didn’t burst into flames?”
“I know,” Libby gulped. “He’s even better looking up close. And the way he treats people. The way he talks to them. I felt like he was peeling off every layer of my clothes with his eyes, and I think if he had reached over and started doing it for real I would have let him. You know me. I’m not like that, but he is so magnificent looking,” she said, raising a finger as a reminder to herself. “The way he talked to me. The way he just demanded things of me—” Her voice trailed off as Jessica cut in.
“If you weren’t smiling so big about it I might assume you were furious about the treatment. From where I’m sitting, it looks like you loved the way he talked to you.” Jessica was not laughing. “Libby,” she said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. “West Oil killed your father. Their negligence caused his death on that oil rig. Then JW intimidated your mother into taking some back-room deal so it didn’t need to be reported the right way. You hate them.”
“I might hate them, but I need them. I’m not convinced that James is like his father. He seems dead set on doing things differently.” Libby was fighting tears now, the conflict inside her coming to a powerful collision. Maybe her feelings about James West, Jr. were written on her face, but she wouldn’t go into full detail with Jessica about how the man’s voice seemed to trace its way up her spine. Or how his handshake had made her weak in the knees and warm between her legs. If they had been alone in that office, if he’d have wanted her, said the words out loud, she’d have willingly given herself over to him. But Jessica’s logic was not wrong. How in the world could she pretend to do this job without it blowing up in her face? How could she continue taking money from a company who’d hurt her family so badly? And most importantly, how could she be next to a man she was hoping would snap his fingers and demand her body? But there was always something more important than anything else. Something it always came back to. Responsibility.
“I never wanted the deal my mother made, but now I think she may have been having some early signs of dementia. There is a chance she knew she’d need to be cared for. She believed JW and West Oil when they told her she’d never win a lawsuit. She believed him when he told her this was her best option. I’d be on the books, collecting a paycheck, and no one would know the difference. My mother did what she thought was right.”
“They tricked her,” Jessica said, as though she’d wanted to get those words out into the world for quite a while. “Your father wasn’t trained properly, and the equipment wasn’t serviced right. It’s their fault he died.”
“I know,” Libby nodded. “But my mother completely depended on my father. He always made the decisions. He took care of everything. She didn’t even drive a car. Losing him, she was lost.”
“I’m not blaming her,” Jessica shot back quickly. “Your mom is an angel; I adore her. I just don’t want to see you get involved with a company capable of such awful things. Maybe it’s time to walk away. With all the other people leaving, you’ll hardly be noticed.”
“And my mother?” Libby asked, knowing Jessica couldn’t find a solution where there was none.
“I know.” Jessica shrugged and resigned herself to reality. “What do you need to do?”
“I have this list from James, I mean Mr. West, and I have to start making appointments for him. Even when people don’t want to meet with him I have to make it happen. I can’t take no for an answer. No excuses from them are acceptable.”
“That’s not you at all. That’s the opposite of you.” Jessica shook her head. “Then you need to research your part,” she said, flipping open her laptop and clicking on her vast library of movies. “We’ll watch every movie with a badass woman in it. Take a little bit from each of them. I’m not saying I believe you’ll be able to pull this off long-term, but the longer you can do it the longer you can take care of your mother. I’ll help however I can. But,” she said with a warning glance, “if you sleep with him all bets are off. You’d be spinning a web you’ll never be able to get out of. And we all know how you feel about spiders.”
“We’re not going to sleep together.” She laughed dismissively. “He’s a wealthy gorgeous supermodel looking guy. I’m me.”
“You underestimate what a woman like you can do to a man like that. You’re a toy, a plaything they like to use and then get rid of.”
“A woman like me?” Libby asked, looking slighted somehow.
“Oh come on, you have those big doe eyes and that way you look for the best in everyone. You’re a powerful man’s wet dream. But that’s about all you could be to a man like James West. You’re too good for someone like him.”
“Doe eyes,” she said, glancing at herself in the mirror hanging on Jessica’s wall.
“You don’t even begin to know the power you have.” Jessica laughed. “That’s what makes you so desirable. It’s also what makes him so dangerous.”
C
hapter 7
“Good Morning, Mr. West,” Libby hummed in a singsong voice as she stepped into his office and placed a coffee on his desk. Late into the night she and Jessica had stayed up researching everything they could about West Oil and the industry in general while movies starring strong confident women streamed in the background. The to-do list James had left for her had been thoroughly reviewed. Every name, every contact, researched. It was the exciting buzz of being completely prepared for a final exam in school.
She was right on time for the meeting he’d scheduled with her. She was determined to keep this job. She didn’t need to approve of Mr. West. She didn’t need to solve every problem of the past. The paychecks just had to keep coming.
“What’s this?” he asked with his brows knit together, glancing over her from top to bottom the way he had the day before. A blaze of heat rolled up her body and her nipples perked up, begging to be touched. But he looked disappointed in her somehow.
“Coffee,” she replied with a cautiously victorious smile. “I asked around what you like to drink.”
“You don’t get my coffee. We have interns for that.” His eyes were back on the documents in front of him now, and she missed the penetrating stare already.
“I know,” she said, swallowing hard. “I just thought I should get off on the right foot.”
“How you get off,” he said, raking his eyes over her once again, “has nothing to do with coffee.”
Did he mean how she got off? What got her off? The double entendre. She wasn’t sure if the sparks she was feeling were all imagined. She needed to keep this job, which meant pushing out the lusty thoughts that kept climbing into her brain and tickling it. Not to mention he seemed like a cold-hearted, brash jerk. Surely, now that they’d be working so closely, he wouldn’t be propositioning her anymore. There were hundreds of women who would line up for the job of being his plaything. This job, executive assistant to the CEO, was hers.
The Barrington Billionaires Collection 1 Page 5