"a.s.sumptions are dangerous. It"s better to stick to facts," I said dryly.
"Yes, sir," she murmured. f.u.c.k, the way she said that made my stomach tighten. Those words were like a drug to me, and from her lips, it made my c.o.c.k twitch.
Why was she denying that she"d stared as hard into my eyes as I had into hers that day?
"So what did you get up to in those three days before you showed up late today?" Hopefully she"d admit to sightseeing, and I could draw the truth out of her.
She pulled her shoulders back and her posture straightened even further. "I don"t believe that"s any of your business, Mr. Sinclair. You can question me about why I was late this morning, but the days before my employment started are strictly my affair."
"Miss Bennett, since I"m stuck with you for the next three weeks, you are my business. You will do as I say and answer my questions without the att.i.tude. Otherwise you can leave," I challenged.
Her nostrils flared. "The fact that you"re stuck with me is unfortunately out of my hands. Believe me, I was equally disappointed when I learned that Mr. Spencer was unavailable to start my training today." She drew in a long breath, as if she were calming herself. "As I see it, we have two options here. Either we can make the best of it and try to make this work for twenty-one days, or we can both be miserable that events beyond our control placed us in this precarious position. Your choice, sir."
f.u.c.k. She"d called me sir again. But not in a submissive or respectful way; no, the way she said it, in her heavy Australian accent, it was more of a challenge. Her sa.s.sy att.i.tude was both getting me hot under the collar and hard at the same time. I"d never had a woman speak back to me like she was- it simply wasn"t something I was accustomed to, and it turned me on something fierce.
I grinned. "Are all Australian women as straight forward and demanding as you, Miss Bennett?"
My reaction clearly took her by surprise. "Are all American bosses so rude and inquisitive of their subordinates, Mr. Sinclair?"
The smile slid from my face.
"You will do well to remember that you"re my a.s.sistant for the next three weeks, like it or not. Unless you"d prefer it if I released you of your contract?"
Her eyes flared. "How dare you insinuate that you"d get rid of me for refusing to be bullied? If you"re still p.i.s.sed off that I was late, I will work overtime to make up the time. You will find that I"m not afraid to work hard, or to stand my ground. Either way, I"m here for a reason. I worked my a.s.s off to get this far, and I"m determined to see it through. With or without you."
Christ. This was going to be the longest three weeks of my career. Stuck with a smart-mouthed intern I didn"t want, who turned everything I said on its head. It was going to be testing as f.u.c.k.
But I was never one to back down from a challenge. In fact, I thrived on them. Miss Smarty Pants had just upped the ante. I"d break her, and have her grovel at my feet, sucking my d.i.c.k like she meant it.
There was no way this woman sitting in my office was my fantasy Golden Girl. There were definite similarities, but I"d clearly made a mistake earlier thinking it was her. From the picture I"d spent hours staring at, I knew my girl was sweet and caring, not a ball-busting over-achiever like Miss Bennett.
DEBONAIR: PART 1 BY JANI KAY.
7 - Brooklyn Oh my f.u.c.king G.o.d. It"s him. The man who"d invaded my dreams the last few nights, making it impossible to sleep, even though I"d tried to lay the blame on jetlag.
I couldn"t lie; I"d replayed the scene over and over in my head, and wished to G.o.d that I"d gone with the flow and at least spoken to him, rather than chickening out and trying to ignore him. A thousand "what ifs" had swarmed my mind, distracting me.
At first I was speechless when I came into his office, not believing how fate had thrown us together again. So this is where he disappeared too . . .
I knew he hadn"t recognized me when he hardly looked at me and made me sit in the chair across from him, ignoring me. Even though he was brash and arrogant, I was in seventh heaven, because it gave me more than enough time to stare at him openly and drink in every feature of his handsome face. Mesmerized, I admired his strong, square jaw that at some point must"ve been clean-shaven but was already showing signs of a five o"clock shadow. His thick brows furrowed, Angry-Bird style, while his nimble fingers flew cross the keyboard.
But then he opened his d.a.m.n mouth and smashed it all to pieces. His c.o.c.ky att.i.tude was one I was used to. Men never gave me the credit I deserved for my brain. Although I wasn"t a true blonde-my hair was honey-colored-they treated me as if I were dumb. As if hair color determined one"s intelligence.
Fact: I was smart, and I was born this way. Since I couldn"t change it, I owned it. I"d accepted and decided to be grateful for it, and use my gift to my advantage. Why bury my talents because it made other people feel insecure? That would be such a waste.
He smirked. "Oh, make no mistake, I"m going to work you, alright. By the end of this you"ll be a different person, of that I can a.s.sure you."
I wanted to smack the self-a.s.sured grin off his face.
"Is that another threat, sir?" My stomach dropped. He was staring at my cleavage, and I had the distinct impression he wasn"t talking about financial investments. An awkward throb had settled between my legs, but the pencil skirt I wore was too tight for me to cross them over and squeeze my thighs together without it riding up too high.
What the f.u.c.k is wrong with me?
I despised people who used their position to intimidate their subordinates. I wouldn"t have a bar of it, but here I was, wet and turned on by the gleam in his eyes.
"It"s a promise, Miss Bennett." Thick dark lashes framed impossibly green eyes.
Dammit. How could the way he looked at me, like a predatory lion, make me want to strip my clothes and let him have his way with me? I wasn"t an impulsive kind of girl. I planned everything, down to my dates and nights of s.e.x. I left nothing to chance. But this man . . . I wanted to throw caution to the wind and beg him to do things to me with that wicked mouth.
He walked around the desk and came to stand directly in front of me. He leaned his a.s.s against the desktop and folded his arms over his broad chest so that his shirtsleeves tightened over his muscular arms. His cologne-no doubt expensive-snaked its way to my nostrils and messed with my concentration.
"Your training starts this minute. A few ground rules first. You will arrive at six a.m. every morning, and have my coffee on my desk by six-fifteen. You will have lunch at your desk and limit personal calls to one minute. Overtime is a given-don"t expect to get out of here during daylight hours." He watched my face as if he were waiting for me to object. "Oh, and that includes Sat.u.r.days. Sundays I suggest you catch up on sleep so that you are fresh for the next week. Any problems with this, Miss Bennett?"
c.o.c.ky b.a.s.t.a.r.d. If he was expecting me to back down or run away, he was sorely mistaken. I was a f.u.c.king ninja-work was my savior, and I could outpace the best of them.
"I only have one problem," I replied, sucking in a breath.
"Let"s hear it," he commanded.
"Get your own coffee. I"m here to learn about investing. If I wanted a job as a barista, I wouldn"t be here." My eyes locked with his, neither of us backing down an inch.
A vein in his jaw ticked as he stared me down. "Miss Bennett, if I asked you to suck my d.i.c.k, would you tell me you aren"t looking for a job as a wh.o.r.e? The career you chose is about sucking a lot of d.i.c.k, you know. We all f.u.c.k our way to the top."
"Mr. Sinclair, if you asked me to suck your d.i.c.k, I"d tell you to kiss my a.s.s. I"m fussy about whose d.i.c.k I suck-"
He narrowed his eyes and glared down at me. "Jesus, you insist on challenging me, don"t you? Let me warn you-no woman has ever won this battle."
The heat in my belly rose up to my neck, slowly spreading to my cheeks. "I may be a woman, but I"m not a pushover. I"ve had to fight for what I wanted all my life, so n.o.body is going to throw me off my goals. Especially not my temporary boss. I"ve survived a lot worse than anything you can throw at me, so give it your best shot."
"Christ. I could throw you over this desk and f.u.c.k you into submission."
"Do you solve all your problems with s.e.x and threats, sir? I doubt I"d be learning much from you in that case." There was no way in h.e.l.l I"d let him see how badly I"d like him to take me from behind on the large mahogany desk, slapping his b.a.l.l.s against my naked a.s.s. It had been a fantasy of mine for years, and . . . the desk looked brand new and uninitiated. I"d love to be the one to change that.
Shocked by my own thoughts, I caught myself, stunned that I could have these flights of imagination about a stranger. I"d sworn off s.e.xual encounters, and had managed pretty d.a.m.n fine for the last fifteen months. Now this.
From the first moment I"d laid eyes on him in the street, I knew there was something about him that intrigued the h.e.l.l out of me. And I hadn"t stopped fantasizing about him since, picturing him all over me with his hands, mouth and c.o.c.k until I had to bring myself to o.r.g.a.s.m without making a noise in the bed next to a sleeping Ca.s.sidy. But I never imagined that I"d actually meet him face to face and have him talk dirty to me. After all, New York was a gigantic city-what were the chances of us crossing paths again?
"You will be getting more than you bargained for, that I guarantee you. I always make good on my promises. And I promise you"re going to be begging for my d.i.c.k, Miss Bennett. I"m going to punish you severely for your obstinacy."
Good Lord. That dirty mouth was soaking my new lace panties. I squirmed in the chair, pinned by his watchful gaze.
"P . . . punish?" I whispered. He made it sound like something to look forward to. Oh G.o.d, I was so screwed.
He leaned forward so that our noses were mere inches from touching. I closed my eyes, blocking him from reading my desire in their depths.
"Yes. I plan to put you over my knee and spank that a.s.s for being a bad girl." His warm breath caressed over my skin, causing me to shiver. "I know who you are, Miss Bennett. Don"t try to hide it."
Stunned, my eyes snapped open. What the h.e.l.l did that mean?
DEBONAIR: PART 1 BY JANI KAY.
8 - Tyler Unaccustomed to being rattled like this by a woman-one I hardly knew-I moved away from her chair and turned my back to her, gazing out of the large window and adjusting my c.o.c.k in my pants that had grown too tight. Christ almighty, this was inappropriate, even for me. I"ve never reacted to a woman like I"m reacting to her. I was thinking with my d.i.c.k, all blood drained from my brain and throbbing in my other head.
Not only was she challenging my professionalism, I was having a hard time reining myself in, and not behaving like an animal who just wanted to f.u.c.k.
She could place everything I"d worked for in jeopardy just by the way she looked at me with those big brown eyes. f.u.c.k, how was I going to concentrate on anything other than wanting to touch her?
After a few moments, I managed to get my d.i.c.k under control. I walked over to my desk and pressed the intercom buzzer. "Ms. Oaks, please arrange for a desk and chair to be delivered to my office for Miss Bennett."
"Oh, Mr. Spencer already has an office for the intern down the pa.s.sage adjoining his own office-"
"I don"t really give a f.u.c.k what Mr. Spencer has. Get the furniture moved here this afternoon." I didn"t wait for her reply. Two women giving me a hard time and questioning everything I said wasn"t working for me. Since I"d moved to this new office, I"d had nothing but trouble with women. Had I lost my f.u.c.king mojo?
"I"m going to be sharing an office with you?" My new intern"s voice sounded incredulous-as if that were the last thing she expected or wanted.
"Well how the h.e.l.l else am I supposed to train you, if you"re in another d.a.m.n office? It"s easier if you"re right here where I can keep an eye on you."
Even behind her gla.s.ses I could see that her eyes had widened. "But . . . don"t you require privacy? I mean . . . surely you wouldn"t want me to hear every telephone conversation, and-"
"Don"t look so frightened. I won"t do anything that"s not related to work while you"re in this office." I gave her a half smile, trying to settle her mind, but even I was questioning my own sanity. Usually I was deliberate and logical in making a.s.sessments. I rationalized every decision, even who I was going to f.u.c.k. It had served me well over the years, keeping me from disastrous mistakes.
However, it was following my gut instincts that gave me the edge over every other motherf.u.c.ker in this game. While they were still toying with ideas, I went with my gut and jumped in where others feared to tread. It had earned me the respect of my peers and was directly responsible for me getting this office and the attention of my ruthless boss, his pushy wife, and their promiscuous daughter.
The intern straightened her shoulders and glared at me. "Not that I need a babysitter, but if that"s how you want to do it, I guess three weeks isn"t that long to . . . share an office." Her expression said she thought otherwise, and was probably on the verge of telling me as much. But I liked that she realized that I was in charge here, and that she was literally at my mercy.
Yeah, sometimes I was an a.s.shole. Shoot me.
"Good. I barely leave my desk unless necessary, but today I"m going to make an exception and take you to lunch so we can get better acquainted." I grabbed the jacket off the hook and slid it on. "Come, let"s go," I commanded as I reached for the door handle.
I looked back to see if she was following. She wasn"t. She sat in the chair, her legs crossed and her arms folded across her chest. She had a really deep frown between her brows that reminded me of the stubborn look Heather had given me in grade school when she didn"t want to do something I suggested and thought she knew better.
f.u.c.k. Really? Here I was, trying to be nice and apologize for how I"d treated her since she"d arrived, and all I was getting was a cold stare.
"Coming?" I barked.
She raised her dainty nose. "I really don"t see the point. You"ll be rid of me soon enough. In the mean time, can we get on with work, since I already have to catch up?"
I grimaced. "Suit yourself." I closed the door and shrugged out of the jacket, placing it back on the hook. The truth was that I needed time to think. I didn"t really know what I was supposed to do with the intern. Since I"d never wanted one, I couldn"t care less what the protocol was. How the h.e.l.l was I going to keep her occupied for three full weeks?
I rounded my desk and sat down. Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on the smooth mahogany and made a steeple with my hands, staring intently at the inconvenient intruder. I really didn"t have time for this s.h.i.t. Some stock prices were going up, while others were plummeting. Some of my clients had made a small fortune and others were possibly on the verge of bankruptcy in the s.p.a.ce of the time I"d been idle.
We sat in silence for a few moments before I broke it. "Look, Miss Bennett, I"m going to be brutally honest with you here. I"m not exactly sure what the h.e.l.l I"m supposed to be teaching you."
At first she glared at me, her eyes unwavering as she tilted her head to listen. I could tell she felt rejected and understandably peeved that she"d travelled all this way just to be dumped on me.
I cleared my throat and continued. "Spencer didn"t leave an itinerary, and the truth is . . . I didn"t get to this position the same way he did, through an Ivy League qualification." Her interest was definitely piqued. She leaned forward in her chair, mirroring my actions and nodding slightly to encourage me to continue.
"I worked my way up the ranks the hard way since I left school. In fact, I don"t even have a formal qualification. I"m what they call a natural-born with trading instincts. I didn"t go the internship route Spencer and you have. So I"m really at a loss as to what to do with you." Her intelligent eyes widened and then went soft.
Ah, Miss Bennett has a sensitive side I haven"t seen yet.
I leaned closer. Our eyes locked over the desk. "I"m going to suggest that you fall in with whatever I"m doing. Hence, the desk in my office. It gets insanely busy most days, so I don"t have time to run to another office to check on you. I"ll probably become so engrossed in what I"m doing that I"ll forget you"re there. So it"s best if you"re right under my nose. Make sense?"
What I saw next took my breath away. A smile spread across her pretty and somewhat stern features, completely transforming her face. My gaze was glued to her lips. She"d either been pursing or biting them since she"d entered my office, but now that she was smiling, the fullness of those lips mesmerized me. Just like Golden Girl"s lips.
"Yes, I get that." Her grin widened, as if she were amused by the idea that I"d forget her. d.a.m.n, those lips . . . the soft eyes .
"Miss Bennett, I know we"ve been over this . . . I can"t shake the feeling that we"ve made contact before."
"I have a girl-next-door kind of face. Many people think they know me. But they don"t."
I shook my head. There was something about her.
Every time I"d scrolled to the pictures of Golden Girl, I castigated myself that I"d walk away instead of approaching her.
"You look like my gold-" Luckily I stopped before I made a complete idiot of myself. Who went around making up names for a stranger they"d stolen pictures of? And who kept looking at those pictures and fantasized about somebody they didn"t even know? I was losing my f.u.c.king mind. From tomorrow, I needed to run an extra fifteen minutes on the treadmill to clear my foggy brain. This was going to get me in trouble. If I explained myself to Miss Bennett, she"d think I"d lost the f.u.c.king plot. It was time I deleted the pictures and got on with real life, instead of imagining a perfect life with someone who didn"t exist except in my mind.
Golden Girl isn"t real. You made her up based on a picture and an idyllic moment stuck in your memory.
DEBONAIR: PART 1 BY JANI KAY.
9 - Brooklyn.
Why had I denied I was the girl he"d seen the other day? It would be so much easier if I"d admitted that was me, but my pride stood in the way. I was here to learn and get ahead, not to start an office romance or flirt with my boss-not even my temporary boss. I was already in trouble: his direct gaze could unsettle me like I"d never experienced with any man before.
Determined to keep it strictly professional at all times, I swallowed my smile and the warm glow that had spread through me. It was going to be tough. Something about Tyler Sinclair was intoxicating, affecting my body and my d.a.m.n brain. I had to stay on track at all costs-too much was at stake here for me to go all gaga about a s.e.xy-as-sin man and the way he melted my panties. Dammit.
Tyler"s face hardened, the tick in his jaw drawing my attention. I"d p.i.s.sed him off-again. Somehow, my being in his presence annoyed him. And he wanted us to share an office? Awkward.
"Let"s get started then. I"m working on a proposal for one of the top private construction companies in the country. They want to list on the stock exchange. But it"s complex because they have branches all over the globe, including China." The pa.s.sion and excitement in his voice was unmistakable. Even his gestures became animated. "Their Chinese partners are opposed to listing in the US, so we need to sweeten the deal somehow and get their approval. I"ve been working on the numbers all morning-until you interrupted." The momentary scowl was quickly replaced by a grin. "You can help by double-checking my figures. Your math is above average, I a.s.sume, since you pa.s.sed your degree c.u.m laude."
My eyebrows shot up, but I pursed my lips to prevent a snide remark. I didn"t want to have the scowl back on his handsome face.
"Miss Bennett? I said something?"
I shook my head. "Oh, it"s nothing. Please continue," I said, trying to placate him. "Yes, my math skills are above average." And then I did it. I couldn"t f.u.c.king resist. "You said never to a.s.sume."
He laughed. "Touche."
I laughed nervously. "You aren"t mad?"
"No. At least you listened." Was it admiration I saw in his eyes? If it was, it was so fleeting that I could"ve imagined it.
A hard knock at the door interrupted us. The scowl immediately returned.