Page 1 of The Billionaire's Assistant

1

BEN

Itook a deep breath as I approached the midtown headquarters of Montgomery Enterprises. I was honestly shocked to have even gotten an interview. No matter how well I’d tailored my résumé, I was seriously under qualified to be the CEO’s assistant. Sure, I’d spent the two years since I graduated from college working as an executive assistant to the president of a small company, but that couldn’t compare to working for the billionaire head of a huge conglomerate.

I wouldn’t have dared applied if I’d had a choice, but my fucking family wasn’t giving me one. My father has been running cons since his teens, and once we were old enough, he expected me and my brother to do his dirty work. I thought I’d broken away from that life, but I made the mistake of not running far enough. When my father came to me, asking me to help him steal product formulas from Montgomery, he made it very clear refusal wasn’t an option.

I fought back nausea as I stepped into the lobby. What would I do if I didn’t get the job? I had no other way of getting access to the kinds of corporate secrets my father was eager to sell.

What if I did get the job? Would that be even worse? I didn’t want to be part of any more of my family’s cons, but the job would pay better than anything I’d ever dreamed of and with a few paychecks I could gain more independence. What if I could stall long enough to….

No, that would never work. My brother would come knocking at my door. He’d never been afraid to use violence to get what he wanted, and he loved money above everything else. He would track me down and make sure I complied with our father’s wishes.

Why hadn’t I left New York, changed my name, and started over? It wasn’t like I had ties here other than a love for the city.

Unlike most corporations, Montgomery had a reputation for taking good care of their employees. Was there any chance Mr. Montgomery would take care of me? It wasn’t like I could tell him I’d come here to steal information, but what I really wanted was his help. No, I had to handle the shitty hand I’d been dealt all by myself—like I always had.

I walked to the concierge desk and greeted a man in a suit far nicer than mine.

“I’m Benjamin Allred. I have an appointment for an interview.”

The man tapped some keys on his computer and nodded. An elevator that stood apart from the main bank slid open. “Take the executive elevator. Mr. Montgomery’s office will be straight ahead when it opens.”

It never occurred to me I’d go straight to Mr. Montgomery’s office or that I’d see him today at all. I assumed this would be a preliminary interview with an underling or at most a vice president or some lower-level executive.

The man frowned. “Do you have a question?”

I realized I’d been staring at him blankly for several seconds. “No. Sorry. I don’t have any questions.” I hurried over to the elevator before he decided to close it and send me on my way.

Once I was inside, the elevator took off, rocketing me to the top of the building. When it stopped, I felt queasier than I had before. When the doors opened, I had to force my mouth to stay closed. The executive lobby was gorgeous. It was quietly elegant with art on the walls that clearly hadn’t come from a random box store like most office buildings.

I saw Mr. Montgomery’s office straight down the hall like I’d been told.

The door was solid dark wood. A desk stood just outside the office, and a middle-aged woman sat behind it. I assumed she was either the assistant who was leaving or someone who had the position temporarily. I glanced around again, in awe of my surroundings.

Suddenly I wanted this job, not because of the trouble I’d be in if I didn’t do what my father demanded, but because I wanted to work here and prove to myself that I was capable of a job like this. I was going to do whatever was necessary to get this job, and I wasn’t going to help my family. I was going to help myself. If I had learned anything from my family, it was that when you go after something, you go after it ruthlessly.

I walked down the hall, attempting to look more confident than I actually felt. I was used to faking it. That was how I’d survived my teen years.

I approached the woman at the desk. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, sir. Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes. I’m Benjamin Allred. I’m here for an interview.”

“Welcome, Mr. Allred.” She gestured toward an upholstered chair to her left. “Have a seat. I’ll let Mr. Montgomery know you’re here. Would you like coffee or anything else to drink?”

“No, thank you.” I wasn’t about to chance upsetting my stomach or trust in my ability to keep from spilling something on my suit.

I forced myself to sit still even though my whole body was buzzing with nerves. A few moments later, the assistant said, “Mr. Montgomery is ready to see you now. You can go on in.”

I heard a lock disengage as I reached the door. When I stepped inside. I saw Mr. Montgomery behind a large desk, looking even better than he had in his many online photos. I knew he was gorgeous, but I wasn’t prepared for the reality of seeing him in person.

He was everything I would’ve wanted if I could’ve had a man made specifically for me. He was in his mid-thirties and tall, a few inches over six feet, with broad shoulders that made me wonder if he was a swimmer. His dark gray suit hugged his body in all the right places. It had clearly been tailored just for him and likely cost more than I earned in several months. His dark hair was styled to perfection, and his deep blue eyes seemed to see all the way through me.

“Good morning, Benjamin.” His silky voice and the way he looked me up and down made my whole body tingle as if he’d touched me.

I had to stop thinking like that. I was here to be a professional, not to gawk at him. “Good morning, Mr. Montgomery.”

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