Authors: Coco Cadence
I almost have a heart attack right there and then.
“Leo?” I gasp.
Leo’s raised eyebrows and plastered on smile immediately make me growl.
“What in the hell are you doing here?” I say. How did he get back from his parents so quickly? Did he follow me home? “Never mind, I don’t even want to know. Bye.”
I attempt to close the door, but he places his foot between the door and frame.
“Wait; I’m not here to be a bother.”
“Well, you
are
,” I snarl, trying to shove the door in his face. However, he’s quite persistent, holding on to the wood. “Let go of my door, Leo.”
“I know you don’t want to listen to me, but you have to know that I’m sorry. It’s all one big mistake.”
“Yeah, tell that to the woman who told me she’s your real wife. How many do you have? Five? Do you tell all of them they’re just faking it?” I make a face when he laughs.
“No, it’s not at all like that. She is my wife, yes, but only on paper,” he says.
“Oh, so you collect them like trophies? Is that it?” I wince.
“No, stop putting words into my mouth.” He sighs. “I’m sorry. I’m an asshole, I know.”
“Damn right you are. Now, tell me why you’re here because I’m really not in the mood to talk.”
He chuckles. “Damn, you’re so feisty.”
I sigh out loud. “Leo…”
“What?” He leans in. “I like it.”
“And you think that I give a shit right now? Smooth talking won’t get you out of this mess, mister.”
“No … but you should know that I
do
give a shit. I give
a lot
of shit. And I’ll try to smooth talk my way out of anything; you know me.” He smiles so seductively with his eyes half-mast, eyeing me up like he wants a piece of this ass. Well, he ain’t getting any.
“I know, which is why I won’t let you use me for your own pleasure again.”
“What?” Now he’s the one making the face. “You really think I …?”
“You used me,” I reiterate, getting up in his face. “Which makes you an even bigger asshole than I could’ve fathomed.”
“Hmpf.” He steps back. “If that’s how you think of me.” His voice is laced with regret, although I’m not sure if it’s because of what he’s done to me, or that he got caught.
“I came to apologize, but you don’t seem to want to talk to me, which is okay. I understand.” He rummages in the pocket of his coat and takes out a check. “I wanted to give you this.”
I frown as he hands it over to me. “What’s this?”
“For the expenses. Traveling back must’ve cost you.”
I look at the paper which says about a thousand dollars. Jesus Christ.
“I can’t take this,” I say, pushing it back into his hand.
“You have to. I’m not letting you pay for your flight back home. That was on me,” he says, refusing to take back the check.
I sigh, swallowing away the lump in my throat. Then I tuck the paper in my pocket. Leo’s already turned around and is walking down the path. I feel like I should say something, even though I hate him so much right now. Some part of me also wants to believe in the good part of him … even if I can hardly see it right now.
“Thank you,” is all I can muster up.
He waves back at me, and then steps into his car, throwing me a final glance before driving off.
Why do I feel so wrong about this?
Two days later
With a heavy heart and a heavy ass from eating all the chocolates I had stored in my emergency cabinet, I get myself to work. Papers have piled up and my inbox has my eyes rolling into the back of my head, looking at the sheer volume of replies. I hope Leo will still pay me extra for doing what we did, plus this extra work I now have from not being able to answer all the phone calls and emails that I had when I was away. Being his assistant doesn’t pay well, and I’m not sure I want to keep this job after what happened. Of course, no way in hell am I leaving before he gives me a big, fat paycheck to take home.
On top of that, I just noticed my natural dark brown hair is growing back. Eew. Better get a dye job quickly, I do not want to lose my redhead factor. It’s about the only thing that looks good on me.
Suddenly, an email pops up on my screen that I can’t ignore.
----------------------------------
FROM: [email protected]
Are you up for some play? I have something filthy in mind.
A.
----------------------------------
FROM: [email protected]
Sorry, but I’m too busy with work right now. Another time?
Xx
S.
----------------------------------
FROM: [email protected]
Suit yourself. No promises.
A.
I frown. Well, isn’t he a joy. God, what is up with all these men and wanting to get a piece of me? I’m going to give them a piece of my mind, instead, if they keep going like this. What happened to being civilized? Or at least pretending to be. That would be better than nothing. Well, if they’re not going to be then neither am I.
I click away the email and right then the office phone rings.
“Leo King’s office, Samantha speaking.”
“We need to talk.”
It’s Leo, and I immediately feel the urge to chuck the phone at his office. However, that wouldn’t be productive … or legal.
I sigh. “What do you want, Leo?”
“I want you in here.
Now
.”
“Is it about work? Because otherwise you can suck it.”
“Don’t tell me about sucking anything, Miss Webber, because you know damn well that it makes me think of other, less talkative things to do.”
I make a face. “As if.”
“If you don’t get your round ass in here right now, I will fire it.” I can hear him tap his fingers on the desk through the phone.
“You wouldn’t,” I growl.
He hums. “Maybe.”
“Asshole. After everything I did for you …” I hiss through the phone.
He chuckles. “Keep saying that, Miss Webber. You know I like it.”
“So, now we’re back to last names only? You really do go through girls quickly.”
“Insult me more because it only turns me on.”
“What do you want?” I ask, tired of these games.
“Was I not clear enough? I want you. In my office. Right now.”
And then he slams the phone down before I have the chance to rebut again. I stare at the microphone with my mouth open, a disapproving sound leaving my lips. I’m going to give him such an ass whooping if he’s really going to fire me. There’s no way in hell I’m losing out on all that money he promised me. No fucking way.
My chair rolls back a few as I shoot up and waltz into his office, slamming the door shut behind me. “What?”
His eyes light up like a fire has been lit. I feel like gasoline. We’re surely going to explode.
He gets up from his chair. “We need to talk.”
“About what? That you’re a pig?”
He raises a brow. “Does it make you feel good to call me names?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” I snarl. “It does.”
“Continue, then. Please.” He smiles. “Don’t keep it all inside. Let it out. It’s good for you.”
“I don’t want you to tell me what’s good for me,” I growl, huffing. Why does he make me so angry? I feel like I could scream.
“You want me to give you more fuel to hate me, but I won’t.” He chuckles. “It can’t get any worse than this.”
“I doubt that. You’ve been lying about that woman, so who knows what more you’ve been lying about.”
“Not much, actually. And technically, I didn’t lie about her. I just didn’t tell you. There’s a huge difference there. I don’t like lying, I just like hiding things.”
“Oh, you call that hiding?” I cross my arms. “Deliberately keeping information to yourself to benefit you but not the other? I call that straight-out lying.” I take a deep breath. “But who cares, I mean, you got what you wanted, right?”
“Sam.” He frowns. “Don’t say that, it’s not at all like that.”
“Whatever. As long as I get my payment. I’ll be out of here before you know it, and you can get a new assistant again. Some new ass for you to conquer,” I sneer, cocking my head. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have
real
work to do.”
He walks to me and grabs my arm when I’m about to open the door. “Wait. I’m not finished yet.”
“What do you want from me, Leo?” I jerk my arm free.
“First, let me apologize. I dragged you into this and it’s my fault you’re feeling this way, however—”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses, Leo. It won’t help.” I frown. “You … you made me believe that …”
“Believe what?” he asks, leaning in further.
“You kissed me. And then … I thought it was only for show because you kept saying that, but then you kept doing it, and somehow we ended up in bed together.”
“Uh-huh,” he says, placing his hand on the door behind me.
“We had sex, Leo. I thought you liked me. I thought it was because you genuinely wanted me.”
“Who says I don’t?” Now he places his other hand on the door, trapping me between his arms. Shit. I can’t get away now.
“Your
wife
came to our hotel, Leo. The
real
one. You used me for your own sexual pleasure.”
He winces, frowning like he’s confused. “Is that what you think this is? That I just used you for sex?”
“After all of this … How can I not think that? You’ve been using me all along.”
He bites his lip, gazing straight into my eyes with those flaring, needy, gorgeous eyes of his … and oh, God, I’m doing it again. I see only the good side while there is plenty of bad in that devilish man.
Stop it, Sam!
He leans in even further, making it hard for me to breathe as I’m pushed against the door and I feel his body against mine.
“And here I thought you kind of liked what I did back there in the hotel,” he murmurs, licking his lips.
“I didn’t say that I didn’t,” I murmur, feeling his hot breath against my skin. It’s hard to keep my cool … and my resolve.
One of his hands moves to my waist and pulls me closer. “And you think my concern to pleasure you was only for my own satisfaction?” he muses with half-mast eyes.
“That’s how it feels …” I gasp when his hand moves to my ass and squeezes it.
His head moves to my ear. “Tell me how I can persuade you that your feelings aren’t correct …” he whispers.
My lips shudder and my breath comes out in hitches as he places a kiss on my neck.
“Because, contrary to what you believe, I didn’t just have sex with you because of my own horniness, Miss Webber.” He places another kiss right below my ear, causing goosebumps to scatter on my skin. “This isn’t just a one-time fling. At least, it doesn’t have to be.” His hand moves to my front, down my dress and curls underneath, crawling up my thighs. I’m having a hard time forming any coherent thoughts right now, let alone a sensible response.
“But you used me as a fake wife while you had a real one …” I whimper when his fingers brush my pussy. “I shouldn’t have said yes.”
“Why did you then?” he muses.
“Because I was afraid I’d lose my job if I didn’t.”
“I wouldn’t fire you,” he says. “How could I?” he growls, biting his lip in such a seductive way it has me all riled up. Especially when he starts rubbing my panties. Oh, God.
“So it was just an empty threat?” I ask.
“No, more a move of a desperate man.” He nips on my earlobe and sucks on it, making me moan. “You have to believe me. I didn’t want it to go the way it did.”
I shake my head. “Wait … what?” Coming to my senses, I push him off me.
“I didn’t want her to come.”
“Yes, but you just admitted that your threat to fire me was vapid. You had me sign a contract knowing it would go your way regardless.”
“Yes … well, I like to get my way.” A smirk grows on his face. “Nothing wrong with that. At least, I didn’t hear you complain when I gave it to you. And trust me, there’s much more if you only give it a try.”
I wince. I should so slap the shit out of this guy right now, and I’m so very tempted to do exactly that … if it wasn’t for the charges that’d be hanging above my head if I did. “I knew it. You used me. It was all a lie.” I turn around and open the door before I do something illegal … like smack him over the head with a plant and bury his corpse somewhere no one can find it. Maybe I’m overreacting, but sometimes a bitch just wants to kill someone. “You’re disgusting.”
“Where are you going? We were just getting started,” he says.
“Go fuck some other assistant, since you seem to care so much about fucking and so little about speaking the truth.”
“Hey … that’s not fair,” he says. “I don’t just
fuck
anyone.”
“Well, you screwed me over all right.”
“Wait.” He grabs my hand, but I jerk free. “I’m not done yet.”
“I am. Bye.” And then I waltz out the door as quickly as I came.
I won’t let that man seduce me. Not again.