Page 71 of Cocky Prince
I cross the room to a safe I had installed and enter the code, ignoring their enthusiasm.
“Why are you keeping those?” Paul gestures to the files. “Blackwell wants all Bliss-related material on the cloud, or stored in the off-site safe. Security for this venture is critical. It’s why we invested in that damn military-grade encryption system.”
“This is a fireproof, locked safe that weighs three hundred pounds. And I’m keeping the information in here until the end of the event in case anything comes up. As hospitality director, my ass is on the line should the event suffer because subcontractors fail to deliver.”
I tuck the folder in the safe and a knock sounds at the door. Hayden slips inside, a grin on her face—until she spots Paul and William.
My shoulders tense. I close the safe and move toward my desk, giving her a warning look when Paul and William aren’t looking. We shouldn’t be seen together outside of meetings, particularly not with these two in the room. Hayden has been ordered to stay away from the Bliss business. I don’t want these guys thinking she isn’t.
“Oh, excuse me,” she says. “I—came to give you a list of applicants.” Her gaze darts to the others as she crosses the room.
Paul scans her figure, his eyes lingering on her ass. I want to kick him in the face.
“Why are you working with her?” he says to me, ever smooth. He’s gotten bolder these last few months. The power Blackwell gives him has gone to his head.
I take the folder from her and give her a courteous smile. Her eyes dart to mine, a question in them, but I look away.
“I’m working with Hayden,” I say to Paul as I scan the names and backgrounds of the applicants inside the file, “because I need an assistant.” I lean against my desk and cross my legs at the ankle. “Is there a problem?” I give him a pointed glare.
Paul’s face colors. “Yes. You’re not to work with her.” He stands and hovers over Hayden, and my arms tense. “This is private,” he says to her. “And I’d be happy to explain to Blackwell how you’ve disregarded his direct orders and butted in where you’re not wanted.”
Hayden doesn’t back down. Her chest rises and her expression hardens. “Had I been involved in hiring from the beginning, the issue with the last assistant never would have happened. Did you know she worked for a strip club?”
Paul rubs his chin. “Did she now? I had no idea.” His words are insincere. And they should be. Paul was the one who told me to hire someone from the strip club. But his boldness worries me. He’s not even trying to keep it a secret. He seems to take pleasure in letting Hayden know she’s been kept in the dark.
Hayden’s lips press together. “I don’t know what kind of outfit you’re running, but unless you want the authorities coming down on your heads like they did before, I suggest you work with the department designed to help protect the company.”
Paul steps closer to her. “Is that a threat?” he says, his breathing increasing.
I stand abruptly and shove him in the chest. He’s lost his damn mind—probably tapping into those drugs the casino has access to.
He staggers back. “What was that for?”
“Back off.” My voice is steely. “I needed someone to fill Bridget’s position yesterday. I asked Hayden for help; she isn’t butting in. If there’s a problem, I’ll speak to Blackwell.”
“What about…” Paul glares at Hayden, then looks to me. “The assistant to the hospitality director plays animportantrole.”
He means in relation to Bliss. “I understand, but some allowances must be made. We’ll find a workaround.” Paul will have to deal with the fact that my assistant can’t be a coordinator for the Bliss concierges like he wanted. “In the meantime, I’ll take care of the communication you’re referring to.”
Paul’s jaw shifts and he touches his hair in a precise manner that smooths it down while covering his receding hairline. “We’ll talk about this later.” He walks to the door and cuts Hayden a scathing look she doesn’t see, before walking out, William close on his heels.
Hayden didn’t catch the threat in Paul’s eyes, because she was too busy watching me. “What is going on?” she says.
I circle back to my chair and set the applicant folder on my desk. “Nothing. Paul’s an ass; you know that. But he’s harmless.”
“Is he?” she says, a world of meaning in her voice.
I look up. “Please stay out of it, Hayden. Stay away from Paul. And William.” William’s too damn touchy-feely. And for that matter, I didn’t like the way Paul was looking at Hayden when she first walked in. He wasn’t just appreciating a beautiful woman, which Hayden is. He was staking her out—calculating. Who knows whether Paul would ever act on his desires, but I’d just as soon Hayden kept her distance.
“We’ll talk later.” I glance at the door, sending her a silent message that now is not the time to discuss this.
“I have plans later. I’m meeting up with Mira.”
I raise my eyebrow. “Ditching me?”
Her mouth twitches, trying to hide a smile. “No, but…you just stayed the night,” she says quietly. “We can’t be together every night.”
And for the life of me, I can’t think of a reason why not. But I realize that’s not rational. “Very well. We’ll talk later.”
