Bait: Alpha Billionaire Romance Boxed Set (6 page)

Chapter 8

A message was on my desk when I arrived back from our field trip. It was the attorney for paternity suit girl. I started to pick up my phone and call her when Jasmine rushed into my office.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

It was a common question lately and I was getting tired of it. “Nolan and I had to meet with Raminsky on the office building deal.”

“We may not have a deal unless you take care of that paternity suit. I don’t think you realize how important it is to maintain Nolan’s reputation. These matters are yours to deal with.”

I gritted my teeth. “I’ve got it taken care of. I called her attorney and told him that we were not giving them one dime until she undergoes a paternity test. It can be done while she’s pregnant. All we need—”

“I told you to settle, Charlene,” Jasmine interrupted. “Your job isn’t to make decisions about Mr. Banks and undermine people with greater tenure than yours. Offer the girl some money to make all this go away.” Jasmine picked up my phone and handed it to me. “Call them.”

I cursed Jasmine under my breath while I called the attorney. I hope he had some good news for me. I put the call on speakerphone so she could hear the conversation. When his assistant picked up the phone, she said, “Miss de Monaco, thank you for calling me back. He’s in a meeting, but he wanted me to pass along a message to you. After reviewing your findings to our client, she’s decided to drop the suit.”

I clenched my fist and shook it in the air. Jasmine looked like she’d sucked down a lemon. “Thank you for the good news.” I disconnected the call.

I thought I would get an apology from Jasmine. Instead, she raised her voice. “You got very lucky. Next time I tell you to do something, you better do it. You may have cost this company millions of dollars, not to mention bad publicity by not following instructions.”

“Are you kidding me?” I wanted to throat punch her. “Did you not hear that conversation? I saved the company a substantial settlement that we did
not
owe.”

“Next time something like this happens …” Jasmine continued her tirade with a veiled threat.

“You’re fired.”

Jasmine whipped around as Nolan’s voice cut through the oppressive tension. He’d been standing in the doorway, and now leaned casually against it, his large and imposing frame enveloping the space. Jasmine crossed her arms over her skinny chest and cut me with a knowing look. Then she chuckled.

“Jasmine,” Nolan said as he walked deeper into my office to tower over the woman. “I said you’re fired. Security will escort you out of the building and your personal items will be mailed.”

Suddenly the whole office was quiet. Jasmine’s eyes went wide. “Mr. Banks, I didn’t know you were here. You — she — you can’t fire me …” she stammered. Then she pointed at me. “She’s the one who deserves to be fired.”

“I’m pretty sure my name is on the door.” Nolan pointed toward reception. “I can do whatever I want.”

Jasmine vacillated, clearly not sure what she should do next.

Nolan waved toward the doorway. “I suppose we could have a little meeting with my father and discuss the aggressive behavior you’ve exhibited with our new employees. Of course, you’d just lower his zipper and suck him off like you did the night of the company Christmas party.” At her hiss of surprise and horror, Nolan leaned over and placed both of his large palms on either side of the chair in which she sat. Rigid. “I saw you both. First rate performance. However, I would expect the outcome would still be the same … except this time without a significant severance package.”

Jasmine flung Nolan’s hands out of the way and pushed her way past him to flee down the hallway before he could finish his sentence.

Meanwhile, I slumped down in my chair, trying to process what just happened. Ding dong, the witch is gone, or something like that. Nolan had stood up for me. I’d never had someone stand up for me before other than my dad and Mr. Richards, my third grade teacher. And I never thought my savior would be Nolan Banks.

Nolan sat down in the spot that Jasmine just vacated. “Are you okay?”

“I can’t believe you just did that,” I said, still in shock.

“It was a long time coming,” he admitted. “My dad has a soft spot for her. Or, a hard spot as it were.” Nolan’s eyes lit up and he gave me a knowing look.

“Who will take her place? We have a closing next week and I’m not …”

He cut me off. “Congratulations, Charlie. You’re now the Director of Legal.”

I gawked at him, unsure of what he’d just said. I think it was something like I was in charge of the legal department. But, I had zero leadership experience. What did I know about organizing an effective team of lawyers for a real estate firm?

“I hope you will forgive me for what happened today with Raminsky,” he continued.

“Is this why you fired Jasmine? As a thank you for following along with your scheme?” I sucked in a breath as it hit me. “Are you trying to
bribe
me in to play acting as your straight-laced girlfriend, Nolan Banks?”

He shook his head. “I fired Jasmine because she’s a bitch. Everyone hated her and she’s a liability. An employment law suit waiting to happen. My dad will understand once I fill him in, no matter how spectacular her tongue gymnastics are. I didn’t like the way she treated you or the other employees for that matter. I got rid of a bad apple. It was bound to happen and you had nothing to do with it.”

That made me feel a little better. Only a little because I couldn’t help but think I was just a pawn in his twisted game.

“I’ll let you get back to work.” Nolan stood up to leave. “Don’t forget the ball this weekend.”

How could I ever forget?

Chapter 9

It was one of those nights where I tossed and turned, unable to get Nolan out of my mind. I tried everything I could think of to get to sleep. Hot chocolate, ice cream, my favorite shows on Netflix, yet the sandman stayed absent.

Wrapped up in my ultra-soft blanket with my footie pajamas on, I lit a lavender candle and picked up a romance novel I’d been too busy to read. Melissa was out with Kyle — lucky for her. I would love to talk to her about my feelings about Nolan and the whole Winter Ball thing. I was still in a state of confusion about the way he treated me in front of Raminsky.

Was he really interested in me or was he using me to get what he wanted out of the old man? As I pondered that thought, my cell phone buzzed on the nightstand. The caller ID showed Nolan Banks. I wondered what fiasco had happened now that he’d need my help to clean up. I answered the call.

“What’s going on? Need a prop for a photo op tonight?” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

Nolan chuckled on the line. “Can’t I just call to talk to you without the verbal assaults? Jeez, Charlie, you can be prickly and not in a good way.”

“I’m sure you have a dozen women at your beck and call.” I knew that to be true as I witnessed the night before at the bar. “Seriously, what do you need? I’m sitting here in my Victoria Secret ensemble with a glass of wine in one hand and a vibrator in the other.” I slapped my hand over my mouth, unable to believe I just said that.

“Love the visual, but I beg to differ,” he answered. “I’m betting on flannel, chamomile tea and a romance novel with Fabio on the cover. Am I right?” When he was met with nothing but silence because of how close he actually was to my evening set up, Nolan rushed forward. “I wanted some company tonight and I thought of you.”

I rolled over in bed and considered his proposal. I was already tingling from the low, sexy tone he was using. The low, sexy and
persuasive
tone. “I don’t think that’s in my job description. Besides, I’m already in bed.”

“I’ve got a nice bottle of Chianti and some of that Italian food from Frank you like so much.”

My stomach growled at the thought of yummy garlic bread. “I’ve already eaten tonight.”

“How about I bring over some dessert? Tiramisu?” Nolan asked.

“I really
am
in my pajamas already,” I said, then immediately regretted it. I didn’t want him imagining me in my pajamas even though they were modest and up to my neck.

“Even better. I’ll wear mine too.” Nolan paused for a second. “But just to warn you, I’ve never worn pajamas. So constricting.”

I groaned as I ran a hand down my body, as if he were already in the apartment, naked and touching me. There he was in my mind. Nolan bringing me tiramisu in his birthday suit, spread out on my bed, hand feeding me. I faltered for a moment. “I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. See you on Monday.”

Thirty minutes later, I’d finally fallen asleep, romance book on my chest, and hot cocoa barely touched, when the door buzzer went off. I glanced at the clock. It was close to midnight. Did Melissa forget her key? I padded to the door and pulled up the video monitor. I recognized Nolan’s driver standing at the door intercom system. The man had the good grace to look sheepish.

“Yes?” I asked.

“I’m here to pick you up, Miss de Monaco. Nolan Banks sent me.”

What the hell? This man couldn’t take no for an answer?

“Sorry, but Mr. Banks will be disappointed tonight.”

“He said for me not to leave until you were in the car.” The driver looked into the video monitor. His eyes wide. Pleading. Either he was an Academy Award actor or his job really was on the line.

I didn’t want to be responsible for getting the guy fired. Plus … Nolan’s actions were sweet and something I’d never experienced before. Without giving myself time to change my mind, I sighed and reached for the button. “Give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll be down.”

Looking relieved, the driver went back to the town car parked on the curb and leaned against it to wait for me.

I considered changing clothes for a moment and decided against it. Nope, Nolan was going to take me as I was. I wrapped my cushy white robe tightly around me and slipped my feet into my favorite moose slippers Melissa brought me back from an Alaskan trip. I padded down the stairs and got into the limo. These garlic sticks better be worth it.

The driver let me into the apartment. Nolan lived on the top floor of one of his luxury buildings. The penthouse took up the entire floor. It literally took my breath away. The whole apartment must have been ten thousand square feet or more. Everything was decorated with modern furniture and accessories. It fit in with the Tribeca vibe. The window was floor to ceiling and looked out over a cool terrace and infinity pool. The Manhattan skyline loomed in the distance. I could just get used to this.

“Charlie?” Nolan called from another part of the apartment.

“No, it’s the Easter Bunny,” I shot back. “Were you expecting someone else?”

I followed the sounds of laughter into the kitchen where I found Nolan setting out plates of food. He looked good wearing loose navy blue pajama pants, a V-neck white tee shirt that seemed to outline every muscle, and bare feet. Funny, I’d never pictured him in anything but a nice designer suit. Seeing the casual Nolan instead of dressed up Nolan gave me the warm and fuzzies for some reason.

“I took the liberty of ordering takeout from Frank,” he said, dishing out the delicious food on glossy black plates.

The designer kitchen looked like it had never been used. Gleaming black granite countertops, sterling silver appliances, and Italian marble floors without a crumb dropped anywhere. Probably had a housekeeper. The aroma of rich Italian food took over my senses. I watched as he uncorked a bottle of wine.

“You seemed to like the food at Frank so I thought I would take a chance and order more.”

“How?” I asked. “The restaurant probably closed at ten. It’s after midnight.”

“I called in a favor.”

Didn’t he realize I was his attorney? He didn’t need to impress me with this romantic bullshit. I was a practical girl from the wrong side of the tracks. My fantasies didn’t involve a knight on a white horse or a glass slipper. Now, fuzzy moose slipper, that was another fairytale.

“How did you know I would come?”

“You haven’t … yet.” He pulled out a plain brown paper bag, a smirk on his face as he pointed down to my slippers. “Besides, I had to see what you were really wearing. And, I know that you couldn’t resist these.” The garlic knotted cracksticks. They were my weakness.

Okay, I thought. He was being really sweet. He handed me a plate and I followed him to the living room. His living room was the size of my apartment. We sat on the leather sofa and ate in companionable silence. I almost wondered if the great Nolan Banks was a little lonely. Sure, he was always surrounded by hangers on and gold diggers, but did he have any real friends or family to support him?

Nolan had a robust appetite and I wondered how many hours he spent at the gym to eat carbs like he did and stay so ripped. I tried to come up with something witty to say, but I was too busy watching Nolan nibble on pasta. And I was a pragmatist. But he seemed content eating the spaghetti and just chilling out.

Finally, I finished the last of my lasagna and asked him, “Now what?”

Nolan contemplated for a moment. He walked over to a large cabinet that was situated under the enormous flat screen TV and pulled out some DVDs. “I suppose you like movies?”

I nodded. “Mostly old comedies that have Chevy Chase or Steve Martin. My favorite’s
The Jerk
.”

Nolan smiled wide like a kid on Christmas morning. “I happened to be a lover of all things Chevy Chase too.” He held up a DVD. “
Three Amigos
?”

I pushed my plate away, wiping my mouth with a napkin. “Sounds good to me.”

He started to put the DVD in the player.

“Do you have a bathroom I can use?”

“Of course.” He pointed down a hallway. “Second door on the left. Take your time. I’ll clean up.”

The guest bathroom was as magnificent as the rest of the apartment. Clean, sterile, with modern touches. The toilet flushed automatically. There was a separate bidet, but I chose not to use it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted water shot up my crotch. It was already wet enough; had been ever since I’d met Nolan Banks. The faucet had sensors and came on as soon as I ran my hands under it. This was some fancy shit. There was also a comfy velvet chaise lounge in the corner. I wasn’t sure what that was for. In case someone strained on the toilet so hard they needed a nap?

Walking into the living room, I found Nolan stretched out on the couch, waiting for me. He patted the seat next to him. Dangerous. Far too dangerous for me to sit that close to him.

“No funny business,” I said as I sank down next to him and he wrapped a sinewy arm around my waist and fingered my terry robe.

“I’ll behave,” Nolan said as he placed two fingers in the air beside my head. “Scout’s honor.”

I had a hard time picturing Nolan ever being a boy scout. He pressed play and the fun began.
Three Amigos
was one of my favorites. We laughed our way through the whole movie. Nolan was repeating some of his favorite lines, which I found adorable. My dad and I watched movies together over and over because we couldn’t afford new ones. There were some we could both recite and had often done so to lighten the mood when the darkness started to envelop us both.

“How many times have you seen this movie?” I asked, playfully hitting him with a throw pillow.

“Apparently once too many.” He reached over and tickled me on the side in response.

I froze for a moment at the feel of his hand on my body. It felt warm, his fingers were strong. He was so close. My head was a little fuzzy from all the wine we’d consumed. God, Nolan stop touching me. Stop touching me before I rip off my flannel barriers and beg you to fuck me.

Touch me.

“Raminsky introduced this movie to me. He was more of a father to me than my own dad. My parents were absent most of my life. Always traveling abroad and I was left home with the nannies and housekeeper. Raminsky was always there for me. I owe a lot to that man.”

I started to understand why he pulled the little prank on me at the construction site. My heart broke for Nolan.

He whispered the last words, and for a second, I thought he was going to lose it. “I want to repay him by doing something good with that lot he’s giving us.”

All along, I’d thought Nolan was playing Raminsky and was just going forward with the Grant Project to get the luxury high-rise building.

He continued, “Raminsky’s only wish is for me to be happy and be with someone who loves me for me.”

I swallowed a large lump in my throat and said, “I wish you would have told me to begin with.”

“I just …” He shrugged. “I didn’t know how to get you to go along with it. From the moment I met you, I saw your fire and passion for the charity project. I knew you were the right person for the job.”

“Wait, you weren’t at my interview. Jasmine is the one who hired me.”

“We tape all our interviews. I get the final say on who we hire. I saw your tape and told Jasmine to hire you. I liked you from the moment I saw you walk into the interview room. All poise and confidence.” His voice was soft, caring. His fingertips brushed against my cheek, turning it to face him. Those eyes. I could lose myself in them. I could fall.

For once, I was at a loss for words. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” His fingers threaded through my hair.

Suddenly, I forgot how to breathe. The tender way he touched me. How he caressed my long hair, fanning it through his fingers like it was silk. Lifting it to his nose to inhale my cherry shampoo. Making me want more. Making me want
him
.

Nolan leaned in, his lips just a fraction of an inch away from mine, his mouth open and inviting.

“I’m … I can’t … I’m sorry.” I stammered. “I have to go.” I stood quickly. I couldn’t let this happen. Not with Nolan. This wasn’t supposed to happen. No matter how much I liked him, I couldn’t let it go further. “Thanks for dinner. And the movie. It was nice.” I rushed to the door. I heard the quickening of footsteps behind me.

“Charlie, please wait.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and spun me around. “Why are you always running?” He pressed me against the door.

And kissed me.

And I let him.

The softness of his lips caused a tingling sensation to run through me. I wanted more. My tongue teased his lips, savoring the taste of him. Nolan explored my mouth, gently at first, and as he pressed every hard plane of his body against mine, his kiss became more urgent. I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him closer, loving the feel of his hardness against my curves.

I wanted to slide my palms under his cotton shirt so I could run my hands all over every indentation, appreciating the power underneath his clothes. I felt helpless against him as he gripped my hips with fierce possessiveness, as if he wanted only me. Only now. This moment. When he leaned against me, I felt his arousal, hard and straining.