Resisting the Billionaire (5 page)

He made a derisive sound. “That’s a naïve outlook. The
Richardses
could also sit back and coast on Weston’s
resources once they are under our umbrella. Then I’d have to reallocate
resources to reorganize the company.”

“Maybe you need to have some faith in people,” I shot back,
disgusted by his cynicism.

“And you trust people too easily.” His jaw clenched. “Or
maybe you’re too easily charmed by the younger Richards.”

I mentally threw up my arms in defeat. “Believe what you
will, Jake. I’m going to finish these notes.” I stalked out of the room.

“So what’s it like?” Jamie’s blue eyes looked huge as she
leaned over the table at our favorite deli. “Working for the big boss, what’s
it like?” She was practically vibrating with curiosity.

After news of my promotion came out, Jamie was the only one
from my old department to reach out to congratulate me. She didn’t seem to
resent me for getting the job and I was grateful for her support because many
of my previously nice co-workers, now treated me like a pariah. According to
Jamie, they were jealous of my “good fortune,” and rumors abounded about how I
didn’t deserve the promotion. They’d be shocked to realize I agreed
wholeheartedly with them.

The situation made me realize how loyal Jamie was. After my
mom’s death, I had kept to myself and lost touch with my friends. I kept
everyone I met at arm’s length. Deciding it was time to start reconnecting with
some old friends and making some new ones, I invited Jamie to have lunch with
me.

I sucked on the insides of my cheeks, trying to find the
right words. As much as I was beginning to like Jamie, I wasn’t confident she
could keep any secrets so I had to choose my words carefully.

I had been Jake’s assistant for a little over three weeks
and my head was still dizzy from how fast everything moved. I hardly had a
moment to breathe. Jake Weston’s schedule was more than one mortal man could
handle. Which made me think he was some kind of robot because I didn’t think
the man slept or rested.

“Um…busy,” I said.

Jamie’s made a face at my vague answer. “Come on. You can do
better than that!”

“Well, every day is different.
It’s
actually pretty interesting stuff. In my first week, we visited a construction
site because Jake wanted to check on the project’s progress. Last week, we went
to a robotics firm to look at the new products they will offer next year. And yesterday,
a software firm came to do a demo on a new technology that could revolutionize
our electronics division.”

I found I loved the challenge of having new things thrown at
me. After the episode with the Emerson project, I was reluctant to share my
opinions, but Jake insisted. Sometimes he dismissed my arguments, but sometimes
I was able to give new insight. Gradually, I was getting more comfortable
voicing my thoughts.

“And is he as unreasonable as they say he is?”

I pursed my lips, weighing her question.

The man behind the counter called out our order and Jamie jumped
out of her seat to pick it up.

I took the few seconds to collect my thoughts about my boss.
Jake Weston baffled me more than ever. As expected, he was dynamic and
confident– and yes, even arrogant– but in the last few weeks I
had seen many other aspects of him.

He was respectful of his staff. He was blunt when someone
screwed up, but he was never demeaning. It was revealing that his executives
were not afraid to voice their opinions, even when Jake disagreed with them. It
forced me to revise my initial impression of him as a tyrant.

His relationship with his family was also an eye-opener. He
clearly worshipped his mom and respected Troy. The two brothers consulted with
each other throughout the day.

But his ruthlessness in business still made me
uncomfortable. In the boardroom, he transformed into a distant and unfeeling
man. He was never outright rude, but he did not let any sentiment seep into his
decision-making process. The Richards meeting was the worst example of his
coldness and I still seethed with anger when I thought about how he treated
Leon and Dale.

Jamie set my turkey club in front of me and took her seat. For
a few minutes, we busied ourselves with our food, but she was soon
back
on the hunt for information.

“So?”

“He’s demanding, but I wouldn’t call him unreasonable. I
guess he’s like any other high-power CEO. I haven’t been yelled at so far,” I
joked.

“Hmm…doesn’t sound too bad.” She seemed let down by the lack
of drama.

I decided to throw her a tidbit. “The office manager is a
pain in the
patootie
.”

Perking up, she propped her chin in her palm. “Really? Is
she the pretty blonde with the skinny body?”

“Yeah. Alana Latham. She hates me.” I got a visceral chill
when I walked by her desk.

Rearing back in offense, Jamie demanded, “Why the hell would
she hate you?” Her indignation on my behalf made me smile.

I shrugged, truly puzzled by the other woman’s animosity. “I
have no idea. I tried to be nice.” I described the incident with the pastry.

Jamie made a clicking sound in the back of her throat. “Ugh.
Rude! Besides, you have a sexpot body going for you. Men find curves
irresistible on a woman.”

Making a face to show my skepticism, I brushed her
compliment aside. “I’m willing to put up with a lot of things, but that was the
last straw. Anyone who throws away a chocolate croissant has no redeeming
qualities as far as I’m concerned.”

Jamie laughed and nodded in agreement with my assessment.

“We’re at an icy stalemate. We only deal with each other
when absolutely necessary. Unfortunately for me, I have to interact with her
more than I would like since she essentially runs the executive floor.”

“Talk about the snake in your paradise! She’s probably just
jealous she didn’t get the job. I’d bet she applied for the EA position.”

“I didn’t even think of that!” It certainly would explain a
lot.

“Girl, if I didn’t like you so much, I’d be pea green with
envy too! As it is, I’m merely seasick green.” She grinned to show she wasn’t
serious. “Spending the day next to dreamy Jake Weston is every girl’s fantasy.
Is he as hot in person as he is in the tabloids?”

I fought the blush threatening to paint my cheeks.

Yes! Sizzling hot. Hot
enough to melt a girl’s panties. Hot enough to fry my brain cells.

To my dismay, the attraction I felt during our first meeting
was only growing. The more time I spent with Jake, the more my body rebelled
against my brain. I buzzed with energy whenever he was in the vicinity. I had
never had this type of physical reaction to a man. It was unnerving, especially
since I wasn’t sure I even liked him.

And it galled me that I now understood how his ex-EAs felt. But
I was determined to hide my errant feelings at all costs. There was more at
stake than just my job. There were my future plans and most of all, my dignity.
The image of Jake firing me for having a crush on him made my stomach turn.

I dropped my eyes. “He’s pretty good looking. There are some
good genes in his family. Have you seen his brother, Troy?”

My diversionary tactic worked because Jamie eyes glazed over
as she stared dreamily off into space.

“Yes, Troy Weston is a hunk too.” She sighed gustily before
she blinked and came out of her trance. “Too bad they’re both players. Troy
just broke up with some Broadway star and I heard Jake is dating the Brazilian
supermodel, Carolina Oliveira. Have you seen her yet?”

Something pinched inside my chest. “Not yet. Is she the one on
the cover of Sports Illustrated this year?” I asked, aiming for a casual tone.
If I remembered correctly, Carolina was a sultry dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty.

Jamie nodded as she sipped her soda. “Yeah, she’s gorgeous.
I heard she’s a bit of a diva, but if you’re as beautiful as she is, you could
afford to be. And he’s obviously willing to put up with her. She must do some amazing
tricks in the sack.”

The image of Jake’s body entwined with the supermodel’s
induced a sharp pang. I firmly ignored it and smiled weakly at Jamie. “I love
your perspective on things.”

Her smile was dazzling. “It’s a gift.”

“Do you know how long they’ve been dating?” Instantly, I
hated myself for asking, but the question came out without conscious thought.

Scrunching up her brow, Jamie said, “Two months, I think. I
haven’t seen him date anyone for longer than three months so he may be ready to
move on. Although this relationship might last longer since she’s been away on
so many photo shoots. They do say distance makes the heart fonder.”

“Yes they do,” I said softly.

“She’s supposed to be back in town anytime. As his EA,
you’ll probably see her soon.”

The prospect of meeting Jake’s perfect girlfriend did not
excite me. I felt an insistent throb of pain in my chest. “Shit. I think I have
heartburn. I must have eaten too fast. Do you have an antacid?”

Jamie frowned. “Sorry, never had a need for them. Do you
want to drop by the drugstore to get some?”

I massaged the tight spot and felt it ease. “No, I should be
fine. So what’s going on with you?”

Jamie proceeded to tell me about her last three dates with
men she met on a popular dating site. I was guffawing in no time as she
recounted each disastrous date to me.

“Maybe you should try another site and be more specific about
what you want,” I suggested. “Although, I’m not qualified to give any advice
since I don’t date.”

“Ooh… we should make a profile for you!”

“So I too could meet a man who wears culottes on a first
date?”

Giggling, Jamie smacked me playfully. “That was one in
million! You wouldn’t be so lucky.”

The rest of lunch was fun and light-hearted. It felt nice to
talk to another woman and Jamie and I made plans to have lunch together again.

When I returned to the office, Jake’s door was closed, indicating
he had a private meeting. I spied a stack of papers on my desk. There was a brief
note on top.

Review and let me know
what you think.

I rolled my eyes. The man definitely did not know the word
“please.” I sat down and started reading. It was a report on a local real
estate company called
Bauen
. I didn’t know what I was
supposed to review since there was no context, but I slogged through the pages.
A lot of it was business jargon that didn’t mean much to me.

I was relieved when I came to the financial report. Numbers
I understood. I skimmed through the figures and frowned. I couldn’t quite put
my finger on it, but something felt off. I slowed down and went through each
line, but I still couldn’t pinpoint the problem.

“What do you make of the report, Cora?” A deep voice came from
above.

I jerked my head up to meet Jake’s gaze and my heart gave a
recalcitrant jump. No matter how often I saw him, his gorgeous looks were
always jarring to my senses– those piercing aquamarine eyes, the strong
jawline,
the
sensual lips. It was more temptation than
any girl could take.

Private
school for Marcus, Cora.

Thank god for the voice of common sense. I stiffened my
spine and tightened my grip on the pages. “Um…well… I haven’t read the whole
thing yet.”

He smiled at me and I cursed that damn dimple. It was such
overkill for the man to be this beautiful
and
have that adorable dent at the corner of his mouth. Science said that
dimples were deformities, but it sure as hell didn’t look like a defect on his
face.

“Come on. I value your judgment. What does your gut say
about
Bauen
?” His tone was soft and cajoling.

He leaned over my desk, almost invading my personal space
and I couldn’t look away from his gaze. My pulse sped up as my nose picked up a
hint of his cologne and underneath the expensive scent, his own unique musk.
His eyes roamed over my face and seemed to hone in on my mouth. Automatically I
licked my lower lip and his pupils dilated. His eyes darkened to a deep ocean
blue and his face tightened with some strong emotion.

The moment became charged with electricity and my breaths
became little pants. My eyes dropped to his mouth. His lips were slightly
parted. I wondered if they felt as soft as they looked.

Ring. Ring.

I blinked.
 
Jake
stood upright, looking intently at me. Trying to clear the fuzz from my brain,
I inhaled deeply a few times before picking up the phone.

“Weston Enterprises.
Jake Weston’s office.
How may I help you?”

A contralto voice purred on the other end, “Yes. I’d like to
talk to Jake.”

“Can I tell him who’s calling?”

“Si. Tell him it’s his
querida
,
Carolina.”

I knew enough Portuguese to know the word for darling. I
swallowed against the lump in my throat. It was as if my talk with Jamie
conjured her up. “Let me check if he’s available.” Putting her on hold, I
looked up at Jake. “It’s Carolina. Do you want to take the call?”

I didn’t know what reaction I expected, but the look of
alacrity on his face made my heart sink.

Stupid girl,
I
chastised myself.
Whatever you imagined was
happening before her call was just in your head.

He nodded. “Yes. I need to talk to her. Put her through to
line one.” Without another word, he strode into his office and closed the door.

I pressed the button to transfer her to his line and stood
up from my desk. Suddenly, I was desperate for a moment of privacy and I
skedaddled to the bathroom. It was fortuitously empty. I braced my hands on the
sink and looked in the mirror. My eyes were too bright and my cheeks too pink.
To my shame, heat coursed through my body, concentrating in my core. I squeezed
my thighs together and felt the slickness at the apex of my legs.

“This will not do, Cora girl.” I spoke to my reflection
sternly. “He’s got a supermodel girlfriend and you can’t jeopardize your plans
with your foolish thoughts. You should be thankful the phone call saved you
from doing something you’ll regret.” I nodded with satisfaction at my logical
reasoning and splashed cold water on my face. The last thing I wanted to be was
another assistant who didn’t know her place. I needed to keep my mental distance
from Jake Weston.