Seduce Me Again (Seduce Me #2) (2 page)

“
So. You got laid, huh?” said Chelsea as soon as I walked through the door to our apartment.

“
Yes. Chels, Brandon is parking the car and will be up any minute. I want you to behave yourself when he gets here,” I said as I walked down the hall to my bedroom.

“
Okay. Hey, is that a new outfit?”

“
Yep.”

“
What about the new job? Everything is happening so fast,” Chelsea said as she followed me down the hall.

“
I know. I can hardly believe it. I told myself that I should have you pinch me to make sure that I'm not dreaming. But, a simple verbal confirmation will due.”

“
You're not dreaming. I'm just wondering if it is all too good to be true. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that you let lose and had sex with Mr. Sexy CEO –”

“
Yes. It is all happening fast. But it feels right. The job will be amazing. The money even more amazing. And the sex. Oh, Chels, the sex!” I said as I searched for my overnight bag in the closet.

“
I know that I joke around a lot. I also admit that I encouraged you to put yourself out there. And, let's face it, I'm the last one who should talk when it comes to jumping into bed with a hot guy . . . ”

“
All true. I thought you would be happier that I got a job at Jacqueline and will be moving to New York?”

“
Yes. I'm happy about that. I just didn't think it would happen this fast. I want to make sure that you don't get hurt. Are you sure the job doesn't have strings attached? Are you prepared for the possibility that you are just another fling for him?”

Chelsea made some good points. All things I had considered. Okay, considered was too strong a word. The thoughts had entered my mind though. A little.

“For once, Chels, I'm going with what feels right. I'm not going to over-analyze this like I do most things. Brandon and I are going to take the relationship part as it unfolds. As far as the job . . . I'd never get anything better.”

Our doorbell rang.

“That's Brandon. Can you get it? I need to finish packing for tonight,” I said as I looked through my dresser.

“
Sure. But we still need to talk about this. I need more details,” she replied as she turned to go answer the door.

I could hear Brandon and Chelsea exchanging pleasantries as she opened the door. It sounded like she was on her best behavior. I finished packing and headed into the living room with my bag in tow.

“There. I'm all set and ready to go,” I announced.

“
Let me get that for you,” said Brandon as he reached for the handle of my suitcase.

I knew that Chelsea wanted some reassurances.

“Let's plan on a girls day out tomorrow,” I said as I gave Chelsea a hug. “How about a day at the spa? My treat.”

“
That sounds great, but –”

I stopped her before she could ask if I could afford it.

“Chels. Don't worry about it. Thanks to my great new job I can afford it and I want to do this. It will be my way of celebrating with my best friend.”

“
Okay. Just don't go spending all your money before you've earned your first paycheck,” she said.

“
I won't. You can put your economics degree to use and help me plan out my budget. I'll text you later once I have things set for tomorrow.”

“
Have a safe trip,” she said as Brandon opened the door.

“
We will. See you tomorrow,” I said as I went out the door.

“
See you later,” Brandon said to Chelsea as he followed me out into the hallway.

As the door closed behind us Brandon turned to me.

“Is Chelsea okay?” he asked.

“
She will be. There are a lot of big changes all at once. When I have time to discuss it all with her everything will be fine,” I said as I took Brandon by the hand and we walked out to his car.

It was such a nice day that Brandon had the top down on the Aston Martin. I had put my hair into a pony tail and was wearing a pink Santa Barbara University baseball cap. Brandon put a New York Yankees cap on his head. He reached down onto the center console for his sunglasses and checked his look in the side mirror before he started the car.

I didn't want to tell Brandon that my Dad grew up in Maine and was a Red Sox fan.

Plenty of time for that later.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

“
All set,” I said as we both clicked our seat belts in place.

It was a quick ride to the airport. There was a separate entrance that led to a series of private hangers for corporate and charter jets. Brandon parked in the hanger and we got out.

Two men in pilot's uniforms greeted us. Brandon introduced them as the pilot and co-pilot. Another man took our bags from the trunk and placed them in a small cargo area under the plane. A woman emerged from the plane's cabin.

“
Good afternoon, Mr. Mitchell,” she said as she stepped off the steps of the plane.

“
Good afternoon, Linda. This is Ms. Ashley Sullivan. She is our new Director of Digital and Social Media.”

“
A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Sullivan,” said Linda. “Should you need anything in flight, please don't hesitate to let me know.”

“
Thank you,” I said.

Brandon took my hand and led me up the short steps into the cabin of the plane. I wasn't sure if anyone noticed that Brandon took me by the hand. I suppose they could have figured he was being a gentleman and helping me up the steps.

Perhaps they didn't notice. Perhaps it wasn't their business to notice, or care. It did get me thinking about how we were going to handle the business and personal aspects of our relationship. I was also thinking more about what Chelsea had said to me earlier that morning.

The cabin of the jet smelled of leather and polished wood. There were six large leather seats. They looked more like living room recliners than airplane seats. Between two of the seats was a shiny wood table. There was a also a leather couch that seated three.

Brandon escorted me to one of the seats at the table. He sat in the seat opposite me.

“
Once we're at cruising altitude, Linda will get us lunch,” he said.

“
This is nice,” I said looking around the plane. I was saying that a lot lately.

“
Get's us where we need to go,” said Brandon as he tapped out a text message on his iPhone. Much more convenient than flying commercial.”

He powered off his phone and placed it in his back pocket. I figured even though it was a private flight that the same rules applied about electronic devices. I pulled my phone out of my purse and powered it off.

“After we eat do you want to take a look at some New York apartments online? I can connect you with my real estate agent and he can help you find a great place.”

“
Um . . . Yes, I suppose,” I replied. Brandon's question caught me a bit off guard.

I would certainly need to find a place to live. But in that moment, it became another new thing. Another change that was coming fast.

“Is everything okay? You don't sound excited about the idea of apartment hunting.”

Before I had a chance to answer, the flight crew boarded the plane.

“We just need to finish our pre-flight check in the cockpit and then we'll be ready to get underway,” the pilot announced to Brandon.

“
How does the flight look to be shaping up?” Brandon asked.

“
Clear skies and calm. Should be a smooth flight,” the pilot answered. “I'll give you an update once we reach cruising altitude.”

He and the co-pilot continued into the cockpit and Linda pulled the cabin door shut. She sat in one of the seats at the rear of the plane. The pilot announced that we should fasten our seat belts and prepare for take off.

A truck pulled the plane out of the hanger and then the engines roared to life. After a few minutes of taxiing, our jet accelerated down the runway and we took off. I peered out the window as Santa Barbara became smaller as we climbed into the sky. Once we leveled off, Linda got up and served us drinks and then went to the galley to prepare our lunch.

“
So, you didn't have a chance to answer my question,” Brandon said once Linda was in the galley.

“
Oh, right...I'm fine. Maybe I'm just starting to feel a little overwhelmed. So much is happening. Just a few days ago I was a recent college graduate and now I have a new career, in a new city, I'm on a private corporate jet with the CEO, and . . . ”

I leaned over the table and lowered my voice to a whisper, “there's whatever is happening between us.”

“I guess when you put it that way,” he said rubbing his chin, “it is a lot to process. I'm so used to charging forward and acting fast to get things done, that I forget not everyone moves at my speed.”

“
Well, it's not just that,” I said as I looked over my shoulder. I was pretty sure that Linda couldn't make out what we were saying, but I didn't want to take any chances.

“
Maybe we should talk about this later,” I concluded.

“
If it's privacy you're concerned about, I can assure you that the crew pays no attention –”

“
It is private,” I interjected. I realized there was an edge to my voice. Brandon also noticed.

“
Fine. We can talk after lunch. Linda has noise canceling headphones she can wear from her seat at the back of the jet. Will that provide enough privacy for you?”

“
Yes. And you don't need to take that tone with me,” I replied. I was hoping this wasn't  turning into our first argument.

“
You're right. I'm sorry. I just don't know what is troubling you.”

Linda emerged from the galley with our lunch. Brandon and I ate in silence. I did enjoy the food. I don't know why I was so surprised, given the luxury of the jet, but the food was much better than I expected.

After we finished eating, Linda cleared our dishes. She checked to see if we wanted anything else and then sat in her seat at the back of the cabin. She pulled on her headphones, opened up a book, and began reading.

I guess Linda was used to Brandon conducting sensitive business during flights. It was either understood she was wear to the headphones or she just felt more comfortable doing so. I didn't ask which it was.

“Is it safe to speak?” asked Brandon gently to break the ice.

“
Yes. I'm sorry. Brandon, these are big changes for me. I have been so caught up in the whirlwind of the past few days. I haven't had much time to think about how much is changing.”

“
Okay. And now you are starting to think about it. How can I help?”

The intercom crackled for a few seconds.

“Hold that thought,” Brandon said.

“
Mr. Mitchell,” the Pilot's voice came over the intercom, “we have a good tailwind. We are looking to arrive ten minutes ahead of schedule. I'll let you know when we are about to begin our approach into the airport.” The intercom went silent again.

“
So, talk to me Ashley. What do we need to work through?”

“
I don't know that it's that straightforward. I'm not sure there is a problem, per se, to work through. Something Chelsea said this morning has me thinking.”

“
What did Chelsea say?”

“
She just wondered if it is all to good to be true. You have to admit that it could look that way. A fabulous new job, an amazing night of passionate sex with the billionaire CEO, a quick trip up the coast on the private corporate jet . . . ”

“
I've already explained why I sought you out for the job. Jacqueline provides generous compensation packages to hire and retain the best in the industry. Your salary is not out of line with positions of equal responsibility. I've tried my best to express my attraction to you. I'll let last night speak for itself.”

“
Yes. I know that. I appreciate what went on in screening my application. I understand the thought that went into making a decision to hire me. I'm happy to have the position, and the salary, and I know I will do a great job to earn it. As for last night, it was amazing. The best of my life.”

“
Then what, exactly, is the problem, Ashley?'

“
If last night was the start of something, how do we handle it?”

“
In what way?”

“
At work, for starters?”

“
We each have our jobs to do. We will conduct them with the utmost professionalism. I won't show favoritism when it comes to making business decisions. People will find out about us. I don't care. You shouldn't either. We can have both a successful professional and personal relationship if we work at it. I try not to complicate things.”