Flirting With Desire (Contemporary Romance) Complete Collection (3 page)

“Mr. Rush, please reconsider. I really need this week for…for personal matters.” Begging him was very low, but Hanna suddenly felt she had no problem sinking to that level.

“I don’t think so. No. For some reason you were hand-picked for this position, and you accepted to take it on. Now I have to travel and need you on board. You’ll just have to cancel your plans with your boyfriend.”

Hanna felt her anger build at his smug words. She hadn’t even known he knew she had a boyfriend. He made her so upset with his unfeeling attitude. Her relationship with Chet was too shaky to take this new blow. Could she find a way to make Chet understand?

*

It turned out Hanna could not.

Chet took the news badly. She’d never seen him so furious, and yet so cold. He didn’t even yell.

“You promised me, Hanna,” he said, slowly and quietly. “This is the last straw. He keeps pulling shit like this. You need to quit.”

His frozen tone and words made her chest constrict. “I can’t do that. I want to keep my job, Chet. But I don’t want you mad at me. Please understand.”

“I understand a lot more than you imagine,” Chet said bitterly. “I understand why a woman like you would sit and take crap from a man like him. Gorgeous billionaire boss and all that. You can’t help but be attracted to him and he probably feels the same about you.”

“Oh please don’t start that up again,” Hanna said with her own burst of anger. “The man has no attraction for anyone least of all me. And I’ve told you a million times how much I love only you.”

“Well maybe you need space to make up your mind about that. Because I’m moving out.”

Hanna had had enough. He always did this. He knew all this time why she’d taken the job. They’d been able to move to a better apartment and afford all the bills and more. She’d tried so hard to be there for him with no demands or expectations of her own. Why couldn’t he just
be understanding instead of acting like a petulant child?

He always threatened to leave but they were always just threats. What was he going to do now?

“Why don’t we talk about this when I get back? There’s so much you need to get straight,” Hanna said, hating the pleading tone in her voice. Twice today she’d had to grovel to a man and it irked. She hated this feeling of being a doormat, someone who couldn’t control her own affairs.

Instead of replying, he retrieved his cell phone and made a call. “Hey, precious. Yes, come get me. I’m done here.”

Hanna watched in confusion as she saw him pause to listen to the mystery person speaking before he replied, “Great. Meet me at the front door. Yeah, love you too babe. Bye.”

That word shocked her to the core. Hanna was shaking her head, feeling at a loss. She followed him to the bedroom and found he had several bags packed. If he was going for just a weekend, why did he need so much stuff? And who was that person he’d called?

“Will you at least tell me what’s going on?” Hanna asked, fearing the worst.

He looked like nothing more than a stranger as he turned to her then. “Let’s just say, you aren’t the one with someone on the side.”

“Wait! What? You’re seeing someone else? Chet, how could you? How long has this been going on?” demanded Hanna.

He paused, facing her again. “Seriously? You need to ask?
Now
you want answers. Well, forget it. Because in the past six months, you’ve been with him every day and night. He calls and you run to meet his commands. I mean damn, Hanna. He even has you groomed to look like his very own sex kitten. And if you both haven’t fucked yet, then you will soon. It’s only a matter of time.”

Hanna wanted to scream as she fisted her hair.

Chet’s smile was somewhat pitying. “Don’t sweat it, okay. Anyone would cave beneath the pressure.”

“I told you, Chet, there’s nothing…”

He spun on her sharply, his face a mere inch from hers. “Tell me something. Two weeks ago you requested for the few days off and it was approved. Did you by any chance tell him or anyone we had plans together?”

Hanna’s head was spinning. “I don’t discuss my private life with him! But…I did mention to one of his secretaries that we were travelling to London for a getaway. Why would she…?”

“If you mentioned it to her while you were in the office, and he was close, chances are he knew about it,” Chet said grimly.

“Can you hear yourself right now? You sound totally paranoid. What has that got to do with anything?” cried Hanna.

Chet merely shook his head. “I’m just a third wheel, Hanna. You two want each other so much it’s palpable to me. And I haven’t even met the guy! I wouldn’t have even guessed anything if not for the total change you went through. The way you look when you say his name or talk about him. Once or twice, I’m sure I’ve heard you say his name while we fucked.”

Oh God. What? No! Hanna was shaking with anger and a feeling of trepidation. “You…you’re so wrong. This is crazy! Chet, please…”

There was a sudden noise from outside, of a car horn blaring. Hanna watched helplessly as Chet gathered up his bags at the front door. She chased after him. “Don’t leave! We can work this out. Chet!”

Chet brushed past her clinging hands and opened the door. Hanna stopped short at the sight of a slim, tall beauty with dark brown hair and startling green eyes. Her sleeveless top was cropped, showing off a concave belly while her snug jeans played off her hips. She looked no older than twenty-one and her breasts seemed ready to burst out of her bodice.

“Ready, Chet? We need to hit it,” the girl said, her voice smoky and smooth.

“Give me a minute, babe,” Chet said quietly, before turning to the shell-shocked Hanna. He reached forward and kissed her gently on the temple. “Take care, Hanna.”

Hanna fell apart. She screamed at them both, telling them she hoped they rotted in hell while she threw anything she could reach their way. They hustled out with the bags and slammed the door after them. Hanna sobbed and fell to the floor, feeling like an earthen jar smashed to pieces.

*

Damian was prompt in arriving at Hanna’s place to pick her up at five AM the next morning. He told himself he expected some dramatics but she was quiet, and dressed as exquisitely as he’d desired. He opened the door to help her into the passenger side, before filling the trunk with her luggage.

“Glad to see your boyfriend let you leave without incident,” Damian commented with a sidelong glance at her. “And thank you for being ready on time. We have a long drive ahead of us.”

Hanna made no comment, which made him feel curious about her, sensing
a strangeness in her behaviour. During the ride, he noticed how distracted she seemed. Beneath the carefully applied make up, it looked like she was trying her best to hold herself together.

Something didn’t sit right with him. Before he knew what he was doing, he rapped out, “Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?”

She sent him a cool glare but he was used to that. What he wasn’t used to was seeing her look so cold and almost devoid of bounce. She was always full of spirit no matter his bossy antics. Now the spirit was replaced with freezing disdain as she turned to him.

“Mr. Rush, I believe my personal life is no concern of yours.”

Damian was perceptive enough to feel not just her anger, but a sense of injustice rolling off her tongue. Somehow, he knew it was directed totally at him. If for some reason her boyfriend had turned out to be upset about the business trip after all, Damian was sure the man would get over it.

He didn’t say another word until they arrived at their destination and were registered at their hotel. The
bell hop carried their bags to their suite and both Damian and Hanna followed in the guest lifts.

Before she could finally walk off to her own room without a word, he found himself gripping her arm and turning her sharply to face him. “We have to meet with a client in a couple of hours and you look out of sorts. Since you don’t wish to discuss what’s troubling you, would you at least ensure you look presentable before our client arrives.”

“But of course, Mr. Rush,” she replied with more sarcasm than he cared for. But he did let her go, an annoyed frown on his face.

At ten, they were meeting with a close friend of his father and one of their biggest clients, Clay Hughes. Damian was seated at the restaurant waiting when Hanna arrived.

He looked up as she approached, and something seemed to go off loud in his head.

Fuck. She was stunning.

He’d never seen her look this way before. She had some sort of dress that stopped at her knees and hugged all those damn curves. It managed to look formal yet sensual, in the best way a dress could be. The angular cut of the neckline merely hinted at cleavage and the way the fabric clung lovingly to her full breasts, Damian felt his mouth go dry.

Her blond hair was set in waves over the side of her face and sweeping her shoulders seductively. The deep red of the dress did amazing things for her skin tone and her beautiful green eyes. Her heels were at least four inches high and screamed pure sex.

Damian had never seen her look exactly this way before and his reaction to her appearance astounded him. He realized just how much he wanted this woman. Wanted to claim her till she forgot any other man who’d ever touched her.

She walked up to their table in strides that showed she was more than comfortable in her own skin. Like a female in her prime, her thickly lashed eyes seemed to gleam
with a force that had Damian sitting back and viewing her with unhidden titillation of interest. He locked his gaze with hers and with every fiber of his being, vowed that before the end of the night, he’d be buried as deep inside Ms. Simms as humanly possible.

*

Hanna was well aware of Damian’s response to her get up as he made no qualms about hiding it. He seemed transfixed as he stared her way more often than usual all through the meeting. She could feel eyes follow her when she’d arrived, and still she sensed the admiring looks from staff and other guests. But she only had eyes for Damian; the man who’d robbed her of everything and didn’t give a damn.

She’d wanted to scratch his eyes out earlier when he’d had the audacity to feign concern for her on the drive over. Damn him, he had no right. He’d cost her the love of her life and now he pretended to care?
To hell with that.

She’d deliberately gone all out with her look today. At least she’d been able to confirm one thing: Damian Rush was far from immune to her. His eye-fuck as she’d walked up to meet him would have floored a lesser woman. Hanna had ignored the rush of heat that spread over her from the waist down. He’d all but stated his intent with that one look of his and yet, he was a fool if he thought she’d let him touch her with a six-foot pole.

He may want her, but he will never have her.

The waiter arrived with their order of food and the three at the table paused in their conversation. Hanna noted the way the young, handsome waiter could hardly take his eyes off her and she smiled beguilingly at him. His warm blush as she thanked him aloud was so endearing before he walked off. Hanna was conscious of Damian’s dark looks after that exchange but she ignored him.

Finally, the appointment was over and Mr. Hughes, a broadly built African-American, thanked them for breakfast and how much a pleasure it had been. He promised to relay the discussed proposals to the rest of his board.

Their client bid them farewell and the moment he was gone, Hanna rose to return to her suite. She was aware of Damian following her closely but she chose to
disregard the fact. Right up to the moment where they got into the otherwise empty lift and he grasped her arm in that hard grip of his.

“Would you mind explaining what all that was about at breakfast? Flirting with the waiter, I mean. I’d prefer you perform your coquetries on your own time, not while we’re discussing business.” Hanna hid a smirk at his obvious annoyance, but her eyes glittered with fury when he added, “After all, I’m sure your boyfriend would frown at such behaviour as well.”

Now Hanna rounded on him with a grim smile. “Well, thanks to your manipulative tendencies, Chet – my boyfriend – left me last night. It amuses me to see you’re jealous that some waiter happens to like me.”

He started and she could tell he was surprised by her revelation regarding Chet. Seeing Damian at a loss was satisfying to say the least but it was nothing compared to what she really wanted to do to him
; to make him suffer as she had done.

Nevertheless, he seemed to have collected himself once they reached their floor and he all but dragged her to their
suite which had interconnected rooms for convenience.

He led her inside and shut the door, finally facing her with his face, a mask of anger. “Ms. Simms – Hanna, I understand you must be distressed about your relationship issues, but your behaviour this morning was uncalled for. You openly flaunted yourself in flirting with that waiter and in front of a client! That was highly unprofessional and…”

“Oh please,” Hanna sneered. “Like you’d understand the meaning of being professional.”

Hanna had reached breaking point and she didn’t care if she got fired after this but she had to speak her mind. Hands on hips, she glared at him. “For over six months I let you treat me like your slave. You seem to get kicks from messing up my life. I never have a weekend off. You call me up at all times of night with ridiculous requests. You make it seem like you have the total right to walk all over me and run my life because I’m your assistant.”