Romance: Hired (3 page)

Chapter 5

I clinked my glass to his. 

Might as well make the most of the evening.

Besides, even if I sprinted now, I wouldn’t have had the money for a taxi and it was a long walk back to my cold, dark apartment.  It didn’t sound like a great second option.

“You have to promise you’ll just enjoy everything that happens tonight, no matter what.” 

Damon sipped the wine delicately.  His was a mouth that had spent years developing the right way to taste the abundance of flavors in the glass. 

I gulped my wine.

Damon’s eyes drift to my lips.  He looks as if he wants to make a move to kiss me, but he doesn’t.

“But…” I tried to object. 

I didn’t want him to pull all the stops out for me.  It will just make me feel more obligated to have sex with him, and what if I can’t go through with it? 

“No matter what…” he reiterates, studying my face. 

I nodded to appease him.

“Here we go.”

He walked into the next room – a room that I hadn’t seen inside yet. 

My heart was in my mouth.

What is this?

Is this going to be a secret dungeon reserved for only the kinkiest sex acts? 

My senses were heightened.

One weekend, I repeated to myself under my breath.

But then the doors opened and I felt a cold breeze.

Oh no, what have I gotten myself into…

As I entered through the large wooden doors, to my relief, I saw just another room.  Large couches, a floor to ceiling library and antique lamps. 

Just another room in this endless mansion.  

“Sit down and relax.  Let me pour you another drink,” whispered Damon in my ear, while I followed his commands. 

His soft breath drove shivers through me.

I knew what was coming up.

I knew what he wanted.

He handed me another glass of wine and I almost drank it all in one go.  My cheeks were feeling flushed with the alcohol and I really hoped it would help me relax.

He sat next to me on the elegant sofa and he was sitting closer than a friend would usually would.  It almost felt like he was invading my personal space.

Damon lightly ran his strong fingers through my loose hair and I could feel him staring at me.  I didn’t look at him.  Instead, I stared straight ahead.

“Can I ask why Andrew decided to let you go today?”

I was slightly surprised at the abrupt change in topic. 

I thought the alpha billionaire would want to get right down to the business of having sex with me.  

I leaned back, almost unable to breathe. 

“Well, I don't understand it. He just chastised me rudely in front of all my customers and fired me.  I wasn’t even able to stick around long enough to collect my tips.” 

I regretted discussing this here and now. 

After all, Damon wasn’t paying me to listen to me whine about my problems. 

He paid for me to make love to him. 

I should kiss him or touch him or something.  But, damn, was I nervous.

He stared at me, smiled, put his palms on my face, and caressed them gently with his thumbs.

“Don't worry about it.  If you want, I can set you up with a job in one of the restaurants I own.  There are no bad bosses there,” he reassured me. 

Wow.

I wondered if this was what it felt like to be taken care of.  I hadn’t felt this way since I was a little girl and I could count on my daddy to fix my problems and kiss all my fears away. 

I liked it. 

It felt kind of nice. 

My ex-boyfriend Richard had never let me feel this way.  He was always self-absorbed and told me that I was a big girl who needed to take care of myself. 

I resented him for it.    

Most nights that I came home, he was not at home waiting for me.  He was out at some club until late and almost always returned home wasted, smelling of some other girl’s perfume. 

I never could understand why Richard had even bothered to move in with me, except that his roommate was sick of his constant parties at his old apartment. 

As we chatted, I began to feel more comfortable around Damon.  I caressed his hand and smiled back. 

“Thank you… you are good to me and I appreciate everything that you have done for me tonight.  It is quite impressive. 
You
are quite impressive.”

He smiled with satisfaction, placed his glass on the table next to me, and circled around the back of me.

“Stand up and I will help you relax.”

I stood up next to the couch and his large, strong hands massaged my shoulders, moving my muscles with beautiful rhythm. 

The stress in my muscles started to melt away with each stroke of his strong hands. He moved close enough for me to catch more of his seductive cologne. 

His warmth breath danced on my neckline.  He moved a bit closer to me to get some leverage, and I could feel a hardness growing in him. 

I pulled away because it surprised me slightly and I gave a little laugh.

I didn’t feel scared.  I felt protected here. 

As he massaged my shoulders, I started to wonder what it would be like to be here with him.  To take care of him like he was taking care of me.  I could pleasure him when he needed the release from a hard day in the office.  Having a lot of money must be stressful.

Then I shook off my stupid thoughts. 

My heart began to race as thoughts of tonight began swirling around my head.  The more I thought about him, the more I started to get restless with desire for him.  My primal urges seemed like they were starting to kick in. 

Just as I wanted to turn to kiss him, he suddenly stepped away to fill his glass with wine without meeting my eyes. 

Does he even want me?  Maybe I’m not up to his high standards?

“Do you live alone?” he asked.

Before I answered his question, I drank some wine from my glass again.  My head was swirling again and I started to wonder if I’d had enough. 

“Yes, I live near the restaurant. But it's not really a place that I could invite you over.  I quite often think that a gorilla’s cage in the zoo would be bigger than my apartment.”

He looked at me sadly, and put his hand on my hair and started caressing me again. 

Shivers ran through me as he touched my cheek lightly with his large hands. 

“This place is bigger than I could ever use.  There are rooms here that I have never even been into.  You can stay here as long as you like, you know…”

I stared at his lips smiling.

Placing my index finger on them, I removed a drop of wine that he didn’t notice was there.

“Sit back down,” he stated.

I was in no position to argue.

When I sat back on the couch, Damon sat in front of me and began to massage my feet. 

Could this man be anymore perfect?

Why is he bothering with all this sensual stuff? 

Can’t he tell that I want it now? 

I wanted to shout at him that I am ready but then his strong touch began to caress the soles of my feet. 

Oh…

All the worries in the world disappeared at that moment.

Years of standing up while working were built up in the stress of my feet.  Damon easily unlocked that stress with the slow movement of his strong hands.

I wanted to talk to him but he was sending me into a daze.

“You really are a stunning woman,” he began.

I didn’t know how to reply.

“Even in the restaurant… I've always stared at you, trying to make eye contact,” he continued, “I wanted to know you.  I wanted to hold you.  I wanted to be next to you.”

I was already lost in his seduction. I think I wanted it more than him.

The desire became too much.

I leant forward and grabbed his face with my two hands, moving his head towards mine.  Slowly, I brought us into kiss each other.

The air between us became electric.

My lips landed on his and I tasted the sweet lust.

Wow…

Our kiss set my body alight.

His hands began to wander all over my body, feeling my exposed kiss.

I wanted him.

I needed him.

The loud clock on the wall rang loudly and interrupted Damon’s focus.  He looked away from me and at the clock ringing midnight.

No…

Don’t pull away now.

“It’s already midnight,” he stated as he pulled further away from me, “You should get some sleep.”

I was shocked.

I felt like Cinderella.

I couldn't think of one thing to say as he led me up to his bedroom. 

I followed him mindlessly, wondering what was happening.

Was he repulsed by me? 

Was my kissing not good enough for him?

“Here, this is your room,” he pointed into one of the guest rooms, “I hope it will be comfortable enough for you.  If it’s not, let one of the staff know.”

“Are you coming in?” I asked nervously as I entered the room large enough to fit my whole apartment.

He smiled and shook his head, “No.  My bedroom is down the hall.  I will see you tomorrow.”

Had I done something wrong?

What did I do to upset him?

As he walked away, I wanted to ask him. 

I wanted to stop him and drag him back into the room. 

I wanted to devour his stunning body.

But he clearly didn’t want that.

I really felt like I had been perhaps falling for him over the course of the night, but maybe he hadn’t felt the same.              

Had I blown my chance?

But my chance at what? 

I was more disappointed about missing the opportunity with the man, than the thought of the money.

With the thoughts crashing through my head, I got ready for the night of sleep.

Again, everything that I could have required was waiting for me. 

Just before I turned the lights out, Damon stepped back to the entrance of the room and saw me in the beautiful silk nightgown. 

Has he come back for love?

“If you need anything don't hesitate to tell me.”

I nodded my head and he switched out the light.

Expensive pillows are easier to sob into than the old ones I own… 

Chapter 6

The next morning, I slept in. 

I didn’t realize that Damon had left for work, until one of the house staff reminded me.  He left me a note and said that I was welcome to use anything in the house, including his Ferrari.

But I was too nervous to go near that.

I couldn’t believe the freedom that I felt walking through the bush trails behind his house.  I felt like a princess and I pictured Damon riding on the back of the horse with his arms around me. 

I giggled when I thought about his inability to control himself around me for a moment in the previous evening. 

Briefly, I wondered what it would feel like to feel Damon inside of me.  Then I shrugged off the thought, getting uncomfortably warm inside.

Damon arrived home late in the afternoon as I was exiting the shower, catching me with a towel wrapped around my naked body.

“How did the staff treat you?” he asked, obviously wondering what I looked like under the towel.

“Wonderfully.  You have chosen some wonderful people to help out in this place.  My every need was attended to before I could even think of it.” 

I dreaded the thought of having to leave to go home the next day.  It felt like I was at a wonderful spa on vacation.  Every stress in my life had disappeared under the blanket of luxury.

I could get very used to this lifestyle.   

“Would you like to grab a cup of coffee before dinner?  There is a amazing vendor a couple blocks from here with the best java around.”

“That sounds really great,” I agreed. 

And it did.

I had never been treated so nicely.

I began to make a move to get dressed and Damon remained standing at the door.  In a moment of sheer bravery, I dropped the towel and exposed my naked body.

Damon’s eyes almost popped out of his head.

That was the reaction I was after.

He couldn’t take his off my curves.

I knew he wanted it.

But he would have to wait.

When his eyes finally raised off my body to meet mine, I smiled at him.

“I would really love a coffee.” 

He met my gaze with a grin.

He was right about the coffee, it was amazing. 

I never thought a cup of coffee could surprise me so much!

“The beans for this coffee have been sourced from the high mountains of Papua New Guinea.  I’m told it is the best place in the world to grow coffee beans.” 

“Papua New Guinea?  I don’t even know where that is.”

“It’s a country off the top of Australia.  I travelled there once when I was a lot younger.”

“And you had great coffee there?”

“Um… no.  It was a long time ago but my clearest memory of the place was being chased by a man with a large knife.”

“Oh.  That doesn’t sound like fun.”

There was a long pause between us as we sipped more of the coffee.

I wanted to talk all about my day but I held my tongue hoping he would start the next conversation.

As the seconds ticked by, I almost exploded in withheld conversation.

“You’ll have to excuse me if I’m a little bit shy about some things with you,” he finally stated, “This is all a little new to me.  My inner shy guy is that chubby nerd with glasses that everybody looked right past. I guess my approach isn’t exactly player status.” 

His vulnerability peered through his billionaire exterior every once in awhile, and it amazed me.  I was at a loss for words to explain a strong, confident billionaire who isn’t debonair with the ladies.

“You? Nerdy?... I mean… Hardly!” I wrinkled my eyebrows in response.

“Oh, ugly duckling for sure,” he continued, “Growing up, I never fitted in.  I even had braces.”

“Wow,” I laugh, “Oh, sorry… but I have a hard time picturing that!”

“It’s true and essentially, I’m still shy.  I’m confident in a board room but outside of that…”

“Shy?  I don’t believe it.  I don’t believe that someone who approaches a girl on the street and offers them money for a weekend is shy.”

“I’ve been wanting to say hello for some time…”

“Really?” I laugh out loud at the idea of having a secret admirer.

“I saw you once in the restaurant but you didn’t serve me.  So I started coming to that restaurant every Friday night for month.  I looked at you from afar until the night you served me but that was also the night you quit.”

I remembered seeing him but he was always sitting in the exclusive part of the restaurant where I was usually not allowed to go.  But last Friday night, the usual waitress called in sick and it gave me a chance to work the more expensive tables. 

I was too consumed by bad relationships, a bad boss and a bad apartment to consider that the most handsome man in the room might fall for me.

That would be too wild even for a dream.

“Why didn’t you just come and talk to me?”

“It was…I just...” his vulnerability is now clear. 

I can see it in his eyes.

“You are too cute, just tell me why…” I trailed off, trying to encourage him and give him the chance to speak candidly.

“It’s sort of foolish,” he started but eventually his courage kicked in, “I guess my inner child took over, and I got scared of rejection. It was only once I heard that you were fired that I decided I had to do something.  If you didn’t get fired, we might have never met.”

“Well, we got a chance after your indecent proposal...” I reached across the table and squeezed his hand in a reassuring way.

He smiled as if he wasn’t agreeing with my comment and then pulled his hand away.

What was there not to agree with?

What isn’t indecent about approaching girl and asking her to exchange money for sex?

“How’d you make all the money?” I tried to change the conversation to avoid the uncomfortable moment.

It was a fair question. 

The man had more money than he knew what to do with, and showed no evidence of inheriting any of it.  I sipped my coffee slowly, waiting for him to answer. 

“I created and developed an app that allowed storage and real time sending of detailed medical vitals directly to the devices of doctors,” Damon explained, “I had buyers from the big pharmacy investors to groups of doctors courting me. It was pretty hectic for a while and they were all throwing money at me to buy it outright.  But I retained ownership of the application because for me, it was more about saving lives than making money.”

“But you made money out of it?”

“A lot of money,” he smiled, “And I’m pretty proud of where I am today.” 

He held out his cup of coffee in an awkward toast.

“That’s impressive,” I responded. 

“I used that money to invest in other things, and now I’m the major shareholder in a lot of different businesses.  I try to spend a lot of time with up-and-comers and teach them how to become successful.”

The rest of the evening was chock full of fun talk and laughter between us.  It was only a matter of time before the real Damon came out.  He was fun, lovable, creative, sophisticated and well educated.  His vast variety of interests ranged from wine to cars to beautiful art and theater.

I came to know the kind man - the loving man beneath the businessman who hired people to do so much work for him. 

After the best coffee I have ever tasted, we returned to mansion, driven by his driver. 

I knew what was coming next… and it excited me.