Page 2 of The Assistant
Looking her up and down, that hourglass figure of hers has me wanting to bend her, too. Her baggy T-shirt can’t hide her tiny waist any more than it hides her full tits and hips. I can imagineenjoying looking at her every day, especially in the right clothes. She’ll need them. Preferably something short, tight, and low-cut.
When she looks down at me, eyes blazing, I’ll be damned if my dick doesn’t twitch a little. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I am totally unskilled.” I hear what’s under her words, even if Dad doesn’t. She’s practically begging me to back her up and agree this isn’t going to work.
Before I can say a word, Dad snaps, “You will learn. You’ll have to excuse me if I made this sound optional. It isn’t. If you expect me to pay for your art school, you’ll put in one year of working for your stepbrother because I said so. Understood?”
Art school. The disdain dripping from his voice tells me what I need to know about his feelings on that one. I don’t even think I could blame him for setting rules for what she has to do if she expects him to pay.
“Is there anything else you want to say?” Dad asks.
Fuck, she’s seething. I would swear in court there’s heat radiating from her. It practically singes the dark beard I trimmed close to my skin just this morning. “I don’t think so,” she grits out. She is almost choking on rage, fighting for every word. Fighting to keep her dignity, too. I know how that goes. Hell, when I look at it that way, there’s a chance the two of us could get along well. We have enough in common.
But no, because it’s almost fun to watch her fight to hold it together. It’ll be fun to make her squirm once she’s in my face every day, too. “We’ll have to touch base,” I murmur, smirking at the way she clenches her jaw and tightens her fists again.
“Whatever you say.” That’s all she manages to grunt before turning on her heel and marching out of the room. I don’t mind the view of her ass as she leaves, that’s for sure.
There’s one thing we have in common, and it’s what makes me turn to Dad as soon as her sharp footsteps fade to silence. “Thank you for guaranteeing I’m going to have a surly employee for the next year.”
“Oh, she’ll get over it. And if she doesn’t?” All I get is a lifted shoulder.
“It’s not going to work out. You know that, right? She doesn’t have the first clue what it takes to be an executive assistant to a man in my position.”
“A man in your position?” When his face goes hard, I have to brace myself. Here I am, twenty-nine years old, officially a billionaire after the time I spent overseas expanding my holdings, but he still scowls at me like I’m the same kid who used to bounce a ball out in the hallway outside his study and disturb his work. “It could be my advanced age playing tricks on my memory, but exactly who put you in your position?”
Before I can open my mouth and give him the answer he’s looking for, he slams his hands on the desk, then stands, thinking he’ll intimidate me by looming over me. “Who started this company? Who is responsible for every success you’ve had in your life?”
He won’t be satisfied unless he gets a response. It means swallowing back a lifetime’s worth of resentment. That’s the only thing that makes it possible to nod and murmur, “You.”
“You are goddamn right,” he growls. “And I’m also the reason you made the acquaintance of the man who made it possible for you to scale up, aren’t I?”
Some introduction. Yes, Xander Rossi is a valuable partner, though it might be nice if I didn’t have to weigh every word I use in front of him. Not to mention the impulse to look over my shoulder half the time, expecting one of his armed associates to be watching. Making sure I’m trustworthy. “That’s true,” I murmur.
“I thought so.” Slowly, he lowers himself back into his chair and leans against the high leather back. “Anyway, we’ll call this repayment for the many favors I’ve done for you.”
“What about the girl? You’re inflicting me on her for a year. What did she do to deserve it?”
“It’s not what she’s done. It’s what she’s going to do.” Rather than give me an explanation for that one, he continues, “I have a few ideas for how to make her useful, but in the meantime, I need someone to keep an eye on her. Keep her out of trouble.”
I’m supposed to keep her out of trouble? All I can do is sit here and remember that luscious body and come up with ways to get her in trouble.
Though something tells me it’s the kind of trouble she won’t mind.
Chapter 2
Harper
Even two hoursafter I stormed out of Henry’s office, I can’t get Dawson’s smug look and snide comment out of my mind. The way his striking green gaze moved up and down my body made me feel like I was under a microscope. I hate that feeling, and he could tell. He is the kind of guy who likes making people feel uncomfortable. He thrives on it. What a fucking prick. A prick that I’m going to have to deal with for the next year of my life. Fuck.
I can’t let him get to me. It’s enough that I have to listen to my mother’s constant criticism about my weight, my appearance, and pretty much anything I do. I learned to drown it out for the most part, and I have to do the same with Dawson’s bullying.
I try my best to ignore my impending doom by concentrating on the drawing on my desk. I refine the eyelashes on the face I’m drawing when someone knocks on my door. I lay my pencil down and get up from my chair to walk to the door. When I open it, I find one of the maids, her arms full of things she looks like she is about to drop.
“Mr. Price asked me to bring this to you,” she says, her voice strained.
“Oh, let me help you,” I offer, as I start to take things off her pile. “Here, just drop it all on my bed.”
We carry everything across my room and dump it onto my mattress.
“Thank you, that was getting heavy,” she whispers as if she doesn’t want anyone to hear her complain.
