Forced Submission (2 page)

It’s show time, folks.

Ellis pulled open the door and flashed a winning smile at
the young woman. “Good afternoon. You must be Mia.”

~*~

Mia stood frozen for a beat, staring up at the Greek god who
appeared before her. He had thick golden blond hair, rich brown eyes, a long,
straight nose and a movie star smile. He was a couple of inches over six feet,
with broad shoulders and long legs. His snowy white shirt was rolled up to his
forearms, which were tan and muscular, and dappled with golden hairs. A thin,
gold watch gleamed on his wrist and she couldn’t help it—her eye was drawn to
his left hand. No evidence of a wedding ring.

Probably gay. Stop it. You’re looking for a job, not a
husband.

Mia took a deep, cleansing breath, reminding herself to stay
cool, calm and collected. She thought about the affirmation that had been on
her kitchen calendar this morning.
If you can imagine it, you can bring it
to pass.
Imagine getting a job working for this gorgeous guy? Imagine if he
were single
and
straight? Imagine earning a six figure salary after
years of being underpaid and underappreciated?

“I’m Ellis Hughes.”

She took the man’s offered hand. His grip was firm but not
crushing, and he stared into her eyes as he held her hand in his. “It’s a
pleasure to meet you,” she managed, relieved her voice came out steady. She
sucked in her gut, as if that would hide the extra thirty pounds. Again she told
herself to cut it out. This wasn’t a prospective date. It was a job interview.

Mr. Hughes led her through a lavishly furnished living room
that looked like a layout for
Architectural Digest
and into sunny room
with a large desk in one corner and an arrangement of chairs and a sofa in
another. Briefly she wondered why they were meeting in his home instead of his
office, but shrugged it off—he was obviously one of those insanely wealthy guys
who didn’t have to do anything by the book. She knew he was one of the heirs to
the Hughes Enterprises fortune, which had vast holdings in technology companies
all over the world. He probably had seven secretaries and personal assistants
at the office, but hey, if he wanted to pay her five times what she’d earned at
her last job to be his girl Friday, who was she to argue?

She expected him to walk to the desk, and she would sit on
one of the chairs in front of it and launch into her practiced speech about why
she would be his ideal candidate. Instead, he waved her toward the sofa and sat
on a chair, his knee only inches from hers.

They talked for a while about the job and its requirements,
and why her particular skill set and experience would make her a good fit. Mia
found herself beginning to relax as they talked. He was friendly and charming.
She loved the dimple in his cheek, and the way his hair kept flopping over onto
his forehead, and his big hands.

Stop it. Focus.

“This isn’t a nine-to-five job,” he continued. “Sometimes
we’ll be working around the clock to close a deal, or we’ll need to take off to
China or England at a moment’s notice. Is that a problem for you? Family
obligations, children…?” He trailed off, his eyebrows lifting in question.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Mr. Hughes.”

“Please, call me Ellis.”

“Yes, okay. Ellis.” Mia felt her cheeks heat and prayed she
wasn’t blushing. She pushed on. “I have no family to speak of. I am—was—an only
child. Both of my parents passed away a few years back.” She forced herself to
ignore the sudden, sharp pain that pronouncement still engendered inside her.
“No kids, no husband, not even a boyfriend.” She heard her own nervous titter
and silently cursed herself. She sounded like a total loser.

She reminded herself of her affirmation when she was feeling
insecure:
I am more than good enough and I get better every day.
She
smiled brightly at her prospective employer. “By choice. I’m too young to get
tied down right now. I’m only twenty-five.”

“Too young to get tied down,” Ellis repeated, his mouth
quirking slightly, as if she’d made a joke of some kind. “I’m sorry to hear of
your loss,” he added kindly. “But I have to stress, a requirement of the job is
your being able to work late without worrying about other obligations, and
being ready to jet off to Asia or Europe at the drop of a hat.” He interrupted
himself to ask, “You do have a current passport, correct?”

“I do,” Mia replied, though she didn’t mention she’d never
used it. It had sat unused in the small strongbox she kept on a shelf in her
bedroom closet, along with her car title and her parents’ passports, death
certificates and wedding rings. They were going to take her to Europe to
celebrate her graduation from college. Instead, only two days before the three
of them were scheduled to travel, her parents had been killed in a head-on
collision with a drunk driver.
Stop focusing on the past. Don’t blow this,
Mia.
“I love to travel.” She leaned forward, wondering what other
candidates she was up against, praying she had at least a shot at working with
this handsome, sexy man.

“Excellent.” Ellis looked down at her résumé. “I see you’re
from Maine?”

“Yes. But the lease is up on my apartment and I’m ready to
make a move. The small company I’ve been working for has just merged with a
larger firm and it’s a perfect time to seek new opportunities.”
Interview-speak
for I’ve become redundant, but hopefully he won’t make me say it.

To her relief, he didn’t press the issue. Instead he said,
“It can be tough to find affordable housing around here. There’s a carriage
house on the back of this property. You could stay there rent free, at least
until you find something more suitable. It’s small but perfectly serviceable.”

“Oh!” Mia’s heart began to beat fast. “Does this mean you’re
offering me the job? Don’t you want to check out references or whatever?” She
bit her lip, furious with herself.
Shut up, Mia. He’s going to think you
don’t want it. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. This is the chance of a
lifetime.

To her relief, Ellis just smiled. What a nice man! “I tend
to go by my gut, and my gut’s telling me you would be perfect for the job.
You’re young, eager, unattached, bright and ready to work hard. From your
résumé and our discussions, I believe you have the skills necessary to serve as
my assistant. Of course, I’ll check your references, but I have a good feeling
about you, Ms. Roberts.”

“Mia,” she blurted, and again felt herself coloring.

But he just nodded. “So, assuming your references work out,
when would you be ready to start?”

Just that morning, her desk calendar had advised:
expect
the unexpected
. Yes!

“Next week? I just need time to pack up my stuff. Oh, Mr.
Hughes, uh, Ellis, I’m so excited! Thank you for this chance. I promise you
won’t regret it.”

He stood and so she did too. “I’m sure I won’t.” He smiled
again, his cheek dimpling, his brown eyes gazing deeply into hers.

~*~

They kept in touch via email over the next week. Ellis was
careful during the exchange, keeping up the façade that he was in fact hiring this
young woman to be his personal assistant. He pretended to check her references,
and gently probed into her personal life, which, he was delighted to discover,
was basically nonexistent. He flirted a little, but only a very little, just
enough to let her entertain the glimmer of a possibility that maybe someday,
somehow… Women liked that, he’d found. They liked to feel desired from a
distance in the workplace, but respected at the same time. He knew just how to
play her.

She had a Facebook page, but she only had five Facebook
friends, and she didn’t seem to be active at all on that or any other social
media. In this age of constant and instant communication, Mia was refreshingly
unconnected.

She confided in Ellis that she’d been in a relationship with
some guy named Greg, but he’d been out of the picture for several months, and
had apparently moved to California. She didn’t have close friends, and no
family to speak of, other than some great aunt off in North Dakota or
somewhere. She was more than eager to avail herself of the offer of free
lodging, though she didn’t yet know it wouldn’t be in the carriage house.

In fact, Mike, his driver, had been living there, but in
preparation for Mia’s arrival Ellis had let Mike go with six months’ severance
to soften the blow, explaining he was going to be spending the year abroad, and
would no longer be in need of a driver’s services. He’d also stopped the maid
service and let the cook go. It wouldn’t do to have employees nosing around the
place, not with what he had in mind.

The front doorbell rang. Ellis jumped up from his desk and
hurried to answer it. Mia stood on the stoop, dressed in another Walmart
special. She broke into a broad smile when he pulled open the door. “Hi!” she
said brightly. “I left my stuff in the car.” She jerked her head in the
direction of an old Volvo. “All my worldly possessions.”

“You drove straight from Maine?” Ellis stepped back to let
her in. He closed the door and slipped his hand into his pocket. His fingers
closed around the remote that silently locked all the doors and windows in the
house from both inside and out.

“Yeah.” She shrugged, offering an apologetic smile. “I hope
I’m not too early. I left before dawn.”

“Not at all. You’re right on time. Welcome to New York, and
the start of a new life.” Ellis smiled.

Mia smiled back, coyly ducking her head. She was hooked.
Perfect. “I really appreciate this extra day to get myself settled in the
carriage house, Ellis. Should I drive the car around back or…?”

“There’s been something of a change in plans,” Ellis said
smoothly. When her brow furrowed, he hastened to add, “Don’t worry. It’s just a
minor setback in getting the carriage house ready for you. There was a wiring
problem they found when doing some touch ups. It should be fixed in a day or
two. Meanwhile, I had one of the guest bedrooms made up for you. You’d have
your own bathroom, of course. Unless you’d rather stay at a hotel?”

“Oh, no. No, that’s fine,” she interjected quickly. Given
the state of her ancient car and the quality of her clothing, he doubted she
could afford a hotel room even for one night. “As long as you’re sure it’s not
a problem? I wouldn’t want to put you out.”

“Please, I have more rooms in this house than I know what to
do with. It’s no trouble, I assure you. No trouble at all.” Ellis’ heart was
beating hard with anticipation. He still couldn’t quite believe he was really
going to go through with this. It had been his favorite masturbation fantasy
since he was teenager, and now it was about to become reality.

For the hundredth time since he’d conceived of the plan, he
asked himself if he was absolutely insane. Maybe he was, but he felt more alive
than he had in years. He was ready for this. He wanted it. He deserved it.
After a lifetime of doing what everyone else wanted and expected of him, he was
going to bring his darkest sexual fantasies to life.

He’d thought about his scheme from a dozen different angles
and planned for every contingency. But what if he couldn’t pull it off? What if
he got caught? He doubted he’d be able to buy his way out of this one, if it
came down to that.

The answer was simple—don’t get caught.

He’d almost given up finding a woman with no connections who
was or could be molded into the fantasy of his dreams. And then Mia had
appeared—the last name on his list, no less. Though not yet his physical ideal,
she had excellent potential with the right motivation and training. Even more
importantly, she had left nothing behind. She was single, orphaned and had
relocated to a new state. If and when someone did discover she was missing,
they wouldn’t have the first clue where to look. Mia Roberts would simply
disappear from the grid, hopefully without a trace.

“Let me show you your room and then we can get your things.”
He walked her to the staircase and waved her ahead, ever the gentleman. “After
you.”

Chapter 2

Mia felt like she was in a fairytale as she was ushered up
the wide, curving staircase by Prince Charming himself. It crossed her mind to
wonder if the guy was hitting on her—using the excuse that the carriage house
wasn’t ready so he could get her into his bed. She dismissed the idea before it
even had time to fully form. No way would a guy like Ellis Hughes ever be
interested in a girl like her. He probably had dozens of model and movie star
girl friends with perfect bodies draped in designer clothes all lined up and
desperate to be with him. He would never notice a girl like Mia outside of an
office setting.

Which is fine
, she told herself firmly.
Never mix
business with pleasure.

At the top of the stairs was a wide expanse of gleaming
hardwood beneath a shimmering crystal chandelier. There were four closed doors
set in a semicircle around the landing. Stepping in front of her, Ellis led Mia
to one of them and pushed the door open. Turning, he gestured for her to enter.

“Oh,” Mia murmured in awe as she took in the room, really
more of a suite. It contained a large four-poster bed and an armoire on one
side, a set of chairs and a sofa grouped around a stone fireplace with a marble
mantle on the other. There were thick, brightly colored rugs scattered over the
floor and tasteful abstract paintings hung on the walls between the
floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Does it suit you?” Ellis had moved behind her, so close she
could feel the warmth of his body against her back. Startled by his closeness,
she stepped away involuntarily but was stopped by his hands suddenly closing
over her upper arms.

“Excuse me,” she said reflexively, trying to pull away. She
was confused. Had her earlier fleeting assessment been correct?
Was
he
trying to hit on her? Did she tell him to cut it out, or just go with the flow?
She needed this job, damn it. She’d staked everything on it. She didn’t want to
alienate the guy, but what the hell did he think he was doing?