Romance: Marriage of Convenience Romance: Billionaire's Inheritance Bride ( Billionaire Bad Boy BBW Romance) (12 page)

Less than ten minutes passed before Brandi came pouring out of the back office. She wore a mask of aggravation and harsh disappointment. She slammed her Jimmy Choo heels on the tile with loud clicks that made a point. A point that she was done with whatever she had left behind her. It made Lily even more nervous for what lay behind the doors to that office.

“Lily Day,” the valley girl accent called like a demon calling Satan’s next subject.

Lily stood and followed the woman to an office that screamed prestige. Glass and stainless steel sat all around her, intimidating her with their gleam. Respected awards lined the walls, along with the company logo, letting Lily know that she was lucky to be sitting where she was. She thought about leaving the office, about running from the intimidation that she felt, but she shook it off and focused by counting the clicks on the clock.

After a few uncomfortable moments alone, she began to wonder if the CEO had simply given up on finding a secretary. She wondered if they had found someone already? She imagined her bookshop going up for sale.

As the thought passed through her mind, so did some designer cologne that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It was vaguely familiar, but there was something different about it. It was familiar in the way that flowers are in the spring.

Lily listened as heels came clacking onto the tile that lined the office. Lily turned to look over her shoulder.

He stood about six foot three and had a muscular build. His skin was a deep brown, and looked bronze in the strong daylight that the office windows let in. His eyes were what sparked the memory the quickest in Lily’s mind. They were a light smoked topaz, and were unlike any Lily had seen before. He had strong facial features that were hard to ignore. The word that came to her mind the fastest was handsome. And then the rush of memories that were still blurry.

Even being familiar with the features, Lily had to take a few moments to place the face.  When she had last seen it, it had been younger. She saw the same emotion of trying to figure it out, on his face.

The man that stood in front of her had once been a boy, a boy that she had known inside and out, in the most intimate of ways. The name came creeping up to her mouth, where it lingered for more than a moment. It had been years since the name had left her lips, or traced her mind.

“Alec Cross?” She asked, her voice sounding unfamiliar to her own ears.

“Lily?” He asked, his voice imitating hers as he looked down to the paper that he held in his hand.

A part of her wanted to stand and to hug the person whom had been her first love. Another part wanted to recoil away from the awkward situation. The two parts pulled at her, making her freeze and stay still, unwilling to move or to say a word.

She was thankful that Alec had taken the first move. He stepped to her and embraced her.

His scent rushed her. His muscles encompassed her, and his voice lulled her. She was brought back all those years ago when a young girl had loved a young boy. Where the two of them spent every waking moment in each other’s arms.

Lily was overcome with too many emotions to count, embarrassment being the most prominent. She was guilt to have broken up with him.

Here she stood, interviewing her ex for a job. The same ex that she had insisted wouldn’t become anything. She felt her face flush, but she doubted that Alec had noticed the betrayal.

“It’s been a long time,” he said excitedly as he pulled away from her arms and took his seat at his desk.

Lily followed suit.

“Yes, I would say that it has.” Lily contributed.

An awkward silence hung between the two of them. Lily swallowed hard, wondering why this was happening to her. It all felt very unnecessary. Did they need to cross paths now, after 15 years of keeping no contact with each other? 

Lily looked at the man that she had made the decision to leave. He was a vision of power, confidence and sex appeal, and she was a heap of regret.

The cocktail of emotions and thoughts that ran through Lily’s mind confused her. Jealousy and embarrassment hit her hard. She also couldn’t deny the fact that she was still attracted to Alec in a very special way. Unlike the other men she had dated and been with in all these years.

Alec, unsure of what else to say and with a head full of tasks he had to get to, went straight to business. “So, you’re applying to the secretary job?” he asked coolly.

“Yes, I am.” Lily tried to say with confidence, but failed.

“ That’s great. Hey, I am in desperate need. Its been crazy here for the last few months and I need someone to manage my schedule and make sure I get my shit done” he said smiling.

“ Alec, its so great to see you. And look at this you’re the owner of XYZ. I am so happy for you. How did all this happen?”

“ Thanks Lily. Well, it’s been an interesting journey, but I would not want to bore you, plus it will take a long time.” Alec wanted to keep the interview professional.

“Is there a particular reason you are interested in this job, Lily?” Alec asked, as he politely remodeled his usual interview question why do you want this job?

“Yes. It’s primarily to save my life’s dream and its kind of a desperate situation” Lily felt there was no reason to lie. It had been more than 15 years since they broke up. 

For a moment, her emotions were taken over by thoughts of the bookshop.

Alec looked at Lily for a minute and then nodded.

“Are you talking about the book shop, Lily?”

“Yes.”

“ Are things not ok over there” Alec inquired.

“ Not really, we need cash to stay open and the books are not really selling. So I need to get work until we figure it all out”

“ I am happy to hear you achieved your dream, Lily. Good job!”

“ Thanks” Lily was happy to connect with Alec

“ You know, in business things are never stable. So don’t worry about it. I am sure you will figure this out with time”. The chips were down and Lily welcomed the encouragement.

“And, if that’s the motive, then I’m sure you will work hard” He smiled at her, a smile that sent chills down her spine.

“Yes, I will.”

“Also, I know you can write, and I need a ton of proposals written, so we could use your skills. Remember that English paper?” He smiled and winked at her.

A wave of accomplishment washed over her. She had in fact remembered that paper. It was their freshmen year in school and Alec had come to her with a very large English paper on a book that he had failed to read. It was always like Alec to put away the important things until they came back to bite him. They had spent the entire night going over the book, one of Lily’s favorites, and writing the paper. He had gotten an A on it, and neither of them could have been happier.

Lily stared at the man across from her. She wished that she knew what was going through his mind, but she could only guess. Alec had a few more questions that he needed to ask to officially complete the interview.

Between interview questions, Lily would catch Alec's strong gaze. She would meet his stare back, but it would be broken soon enough as the tension set in. Both tried to remain professional and cool, but each had their own failing moments as they took in each other’s view.

Lily had to fight the desire to ask him all of the questions that came to her mind, none of them involving any work as a secretary. Suddenly, she had craved to know the man that she had left so long ago. She wanted to learn about the person that he had become after she said her goodbyes.

"Do you think our past will affect your job performance?" Alec asked, the question stunning her. She had to stagger her answer as she spoke.

"Of course not." She said, not willing to flutter around the question.
She focused her eyes onto his lapel, and the way that it kissed his muscular neck. She wished that she could be the one stealing kisses, and coaxing goose bumps from him. She found little encouragement to subdue her desires, yet she still managed to as she brushed her hand against her milky thigh.

"I would be happy to give you the job." He said, forcing her to crash from her mental caress into reality.

"Excuse me?" Lily asked, feeling her own eyes sweep his face for a hint of humor, but found none.

"I know how you work Lilly. As far as I'm concerned, I think that you'd be a great asset for team. What do you say?" Alec asked.
"Of course!" Lilly said as she stood.

Now, the only thing that she could possibly give way to was the fact that her bookshop would be saved. Sure, she and Holly would have to make it work, but they would. She knew her sister would do whatever it took, and so would Lily.

As she pulled away from Alec, she looked deep into the eyes of a man that had both enchanted and fascinated her. She felt the sly smile that crossed her lips, but bit it back and she thanked him.

Lilly bit her lip as she sunk down into the office chair. Working for Alec had not been what she had anticipated. In fact, she had never worked so hard, or so desperately, in all of her life.
After she would get finished working about nine hours at the office, she would make her way to her book shop where Holly would begin to explain to her all that happened, and it would inevitably give her a long list of things that needed to be done that were out of her hands. Lily would then deal with the issues that the bookshop posed.

Lily had yet to even stimulate her senses with Alec since being hired. He kept her busy, which had made her wither in exhaustion. Every moment of her day was taken up with work; and she had yet to reap the benefits. The debtors would bother her everyday but there was no sign of customers. She could see her dream slowly getting away from her.

She couldn't remember ever feeling as though she had needed to please Alec, but as she began working for him, it was practically the only thing that thrashed in her mind. She had managed to convince herself that it was little more than a way to secure her place at the company; that she was simply trying her hardest to save the book store, but she knew deep down that it was more than that.

She made sure to make his coffee the way that he pleased, to schedule his phone calls the way he asked, and to do each and every thing that she could just to see him smile at her. Other women in office made fun her when they saw her counting sugars for his coffee, or waiting by the fax machine for far too long.

Lily could hardly recognize herself. She was never the type of woman to do such a thing. She had somehow lost herself in the struggle of reality. Alec had become a bit of a distraction for her, and she appreciated it, she was even thankful for it. When she looked at him, she didn’t have to think about her rent or her shop potentially failing, it was just Alec.

"Lily?" Alec called from his office for the third time. 
She had heard him the first two, but had yet to prepare the planner that she knew he was going to ask of her. She squiggled in two more appointments before she stood, straightened her skirt, and walked into his office with as much pretend competence as she could muster.

"Is that next month’s schedule?" He asked, not even breaking eye contact with the monitor that set before him.

"Yes, sir." Lilly said, glancing at him.

The words seemed to bring his attention to her. He focused his eyes on her face as he leaned back in his chair, and crossed his legs at his ankles before propping them up on his desk. He smiled with half of his mouth before his eyes widened just slightly.

Lily didn't say a word and took in the sexy demeanor. She felt his steel stare on her, and she reveled in it. She had his attention, and she was aware it was special. A sense of lust came to her, taking her prisoner under his gaze. She would give anything to know what was on his mind.

She thought back to a time between classed where the two of them had made eye contact in the hall. The gaze was intense, and meaningful without a word. A teacher had broken it up, telling them to ‘cool it’, even though neither of them were doing or saying a thing.

After a few too many moments had past, she broke the silence this time.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" She asked, as she interlocked her fingers.

"No, that'll be all." Alec said as he gazed at her out of the corner of his focused eye. 

Lily buzzed as she left Alec’s office. She had felt the undeniable tension that had been pulsing between them. She replayed the instance over and over again as she thought about what it had been that had engrossed him in her. She came up fruitless, but desperate for more.

She wished for that moment of connection to have lasted forever, and it left her tender for more.

The rest of the day, Lily spent it trying to draw Alec’s attention like she had in his office. She did what she could to get that buzz, if only for a moment.

Each and every time that she looked at him, she wondered what the hell that girl was thinking so many years ago. She had lost a man that was handsome as well as driven.

“Lily, come here will you.” Alec called from his office.

As quickly as she could, Lily was going into his office, she had wondered how much work she had ignored. A knot formed in her stomach and she clenched her hand, willing the nervous energy to be relieved.

“Yes?”

“I have some questions for you.”

Lily sat down across from Alec. He was a difficult man to read. His face gave way to a mysterious essence, one that was not there when he was young.

“What are your questions?”

“Well, I was wondering if you could ask around. Work effectiveness has gone down greatly, and they aren’t going to talk to me about it, so…”

“You want to use me as a spy?”

Alec let out a laugh as he shrugged his hands.

“I wanted to avoid using that word, but yes.”

“Okay?” Lily said as she stood and left the office.

She checked the watch that sat on her right wrist for the time before heading to the lunchroom. Inside, people sat around large, round glass tables as they gossiped. Lily felt like her face was giving her away as she made her way to sit among them, something that until this point, she had avoided.

After a few moments of awkward silence, a woman that Lily recognized as Sadie Gilstrap smiled to her.

She was young, younger than her at least, and had short black hair that had streaks of red in it

“Lilith right?” She asked, offering the first olive branch to the new girl.

Lily was thankful for the gesture.

“Oh, just Lily is fine.”

“Great! It’s nice to meet you.” Sadie had a cheery disposition that Lily was thankful for.

The rest of the table introduced themselves, and within a few moments the awkwardness had dissipated and all that was left was friendly chatter among coworkers.

“So, do you all like working here?” Lily asked, cutting to the meat of what she wanted.

“Well, we did.” Mike, and older man whom worked in accounting said as he took a large fry and put it into his mouth.

“What do you mean?” Lily asked.

“Mr. Cross has made a few budget cuts, and even though they were minor, it kind of made it suck around here,” added a young teen named Daron whom was working in the mailroom.

“What kind of cuts?” Lily continued.

“Well, our lunch breaks are shorter” mumbled April.

The staff continued to add cuts that had been made, and Lily found each one to be an annoyance. She could understand why all these people had been upset by the cuts. They were the little things that made work enjoyable.

“Well, that doesn’t seem quite right of him.” Lily noted.

“That’s what we thought,” Sadie said as everyone stood and made their way back to their areas. Lily however, disappeared into Alec’s office.

“How did lunch go?”

Lily sat down and looked at Alec. She had known what happened to most people when they got a heavy dose of money, and more respect than what one could do with.

“It was informative.”

“Yes?”

“Alec, why did you make so many budget cuts?”

Alec leaned back in his seat and a look of almost embarrassment crossed his face.

“Well, I thought we could be more productive.”

Lily let out a laugh that was more mocking than she had intended it to be.

“Alec, when you want your staff to be more productive, you focus on raising staff morale, not lowering it.”

“Lily, you don’t understand. Every morning they would bring in donuts and coffee and talk for an entire hour before beginning work.” Alec said, trying to defend himself.

“Alec, its work. They don’t enjoy it like you do. They need that extra hour in the morning. Trust me, bring those things back, and more, and you’ll get the productivity you want.”

It seemed obvious to her, but Alec had obviously not considered it before now.

“Okay, thank you Lily.” He said before focusing his attention back on the computer that sat before him.

After the day ended, Lily headed to the bookstore

“How are things going at the office?” Holly asked as the two of them enjoyed a dinner of pizza in the store.

“Okay, I guess.” Lily shrugged.

“At least you’re making enough to support the store and yourself.”

It was true. Lily was making enough to do that. She was grateful for that, and also for Holly whom had made it all possible.

A knock came at the door, and Lily stood up quickly to answer it. It was past normal store hours, but if someone wanted in, she wasn’t about to stand in the way of a perspective patron.

As she reached for the door, she caught a handsome and familiar face outside of the window. She smiled as she recognized Alec and then opened the door.

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

“I wanted to come see your store.” She said, looking around.

Holly came from the back and met eyes with Alec before shifting them to her sister. She looked as though she had seen a ghost.

“Hey Holly.” Alec greeted her.

“Alec. How long has it been? WOW?” She said before leaving the store.

“She was in a rush.” Alec noted.

“She’s a mom now, she’s always in a rush.

Alec smiled the continued to take in the bookstore.

“It’s just like what you imagined.” He remarked, mostly under his breath.

“Thank you.”

“I’m so proud of you”

“You are?”

“ Yes, and I have also missed you badly”. Their eyes met, as he said this. Lily did not say anything but she looked right into his eyes. There was love in the air and both could feel it. 

Alec came towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down and placed his hand on her soft face before lending his lips to hers.

All at once, she was overcome. Her nerve endings stood on end, her heart thrashed and her stomach became a knot. It had been so many years since she had felt his lips against hers. Those memories, those days spent together, all came rushing back to her, almost like she had never left him. She reached to him, holding him near her as she kissed him passionately.

He pulled her in close to him, his scent radiating the room and her. She was immediately overcome and intoxicated by him, every part of him. He stepped forward, pressing her body against the counter as he then lifted her up, and then gently placed her back down with grace.

They took a moment between kisses to gaze at one another. Alec gulped her down with his eyes before he pulled her close once more.

Lily wanted to stop him. He was her boss now and she could not jeopardize this job for anything. But she was so overwhelmed with feelings that she could not say anything. She knew Alec loved her; he had always loved her even when she broke up with him.

He focused kisses on her neck and down her chest before finishing on her chest as he removed her shirt. As he took it from her, she worked the buttons of his dress pants, and then allowed them to fall to the floor. She felt his throbbing member between her legs as she also felt her pulsating sex become wet with excitement and anticipation. He pulled her skirt from her toned legs as he ravished her with more kisses all over her awaiting body.

He ventured towards her sweet spot with his fingers and enjoyed her wetness. Impressed, with her, he plundered deeper, drawing moans and squeals from her. She moved her hips, drawing him in then out again as she moved.

Finally, he pulled him to her completely as he thrust himself inside of her without hesitation. Lily let out a cry of pleasure as she did, filling her immediately and completely. She allowed her head to fall back as he worked, each pump more intense than the last. He placed his hand on her face and took in her beauty as she gazed back at him.

He then pulled her close to him as his pumps became shorted. She felt him cover her with his nectar before he pulled back. Pleasure coated her from head to toe, and her breath was difficult to catch. She looked into his eyes as he smiled at her and helped her clean herself up as he dressed her.

The two remained quiet until Alec stepped back and fell into a beanbag chair, which he invited Lily to enjoy with him. She obliged and met him on the floor.

“You’re amazing.” He cooed.

Lily smiled to herself.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” She said with a wide smile as she looked at him.

“I’d like to think that I bring something to the table.” He said with a laugh. “Remember that time when you caught the kitchen on fire when you tried to fry chicken?” Alec said, suddenly remembering the past.

Lily’s hands flew to her face out of embarrassment.

“Alec! I only tried to make it because it’s your favorite.” She said, her voice high.

“And I appreciated it.” He said as he pulled her in.

“What about the time you ruined Thanksgiving?”

“It was canned ham and salad,” Alec said laughing.