The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (159 page)

“But . . .” I could tell she bit back a sarcastic reply as she took a deep breath and sank her teeth into her bottom lip before she nodded. “What time would you like me to be here for, Mr Hunt?”

“6.”

She nodded once and pulled out an iPad from her giant spotty bag and turned to face me, an impassive expression settled on her face and she crossed her legs, causing a slight burn in my guts as her dress slipped further up her silky soft thighs.

“Shall we make a start, Mr Hunt?” she said with absolutely no expression.

You fucked this up good and proper Lucas.

I nodded and pulled up my diary on the computer. “Sync your iPad and things should be a little easier” I told her, trying to give her a soft smile, one of my best actually, as I slid the password across the desk towards her, but she didn’t even lift her gaze to me as she tapped away on her tablet.

“I need the coffee machine sorting first, my dry cleaning needs collecting and we have a lunch engagement with Mason Fox and an afternoon appointment with Henry Wills. Pull up the details and familiarise yourself with the contract will you.”

She nodded again. I noticed her thumb flick when I mentioned Mason and I hoped she didn’t realise we were actually meeting the head of the London mafia for lunch, but she still didn’t look at me and my blood itched at her indifference.

“I need flowers ordering, a dinner appointment arranging with Richard Everett and an account settled with Desire Decor.”

She just nodded her confirmation again and I bit my tongue in an effort to stop the boil of my blood.

“Are you always this fucking rude?” I spat out.

Her blazing eyes lifted and locked onto mine in an angry glare and my eyes dropped to the heave of her breasts against the tight material. The dress was a simple plain number that scooped across her neck, and a thin red buckle belt that skimmed around her waist, but it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen.

She was utterly adorable when she was pissed off and I fought against the urge to reach out and tuck the stray curl from her fringe behind her ear.

“I am always professional, Mr Hunt. If you find me a problem to work with, I can contact the agency and have them send someone more your suitability? Someone more . . . submissive” She finished with a lift of an eyebrow.

Touché, Red.

“That won’t be necessary, Red. I’m sure you’ll mould around me soon enough.” I grinned mischievously as both her eyebrows lifted and a sly smile curved her lips.

“The only things I mould around are long metal poles, Hunter!” she retorted boldly as she uncrossed her legs and deliberately folded them over the other side.

Why the hell did my heart rate speed up to explosive levels when she purred out my Dom name and gave me a glimpse of her smooth milky thighs?

Fuck, I had to get over my hunger for this sassy little dancer.

She stood and smoothed her dress over the contours of her hips and gave me a tight smile “If that’s all for now, Mr Hunt?”

I nodded and made my way into my private bathroom, looking over my shoulder at her when she asked who I wanted the flowers sending to. “Erica French” I answered and carefully watched her reaction.

She smiled, nodded and turned away.

Nothing.

Fuck!

Chapter 5

Layla

SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!

That man was the most egotistical, arrogant jerk I had ever had the misfortune to meet and when he had brought the pole reference into our work place that had really pissed me off.

How fucking dare he? Making out like I was some cheap tramp when he possessed worse habits than me.

As soon as my arse hit the chair behind my desk, his rumble filtered through his door. “Coffee, Red!”

Why the hell did he insist on calling me bloody Red?

Taking a deep breath and preparing myself for his snarl, I entered back into his room and marched straight over to the machine he couldn’t seem to live without.

I filled the water compartment and prepared the beans before starting up the appliance. He mumbled something behind me and I turned to him, “Sorry?”

He nodded towards the percolator now bubbling and spluttering coffee into a tiny espresso cup.

I shrugged in puzzlement as his eyes narrowed on me. “It died on me this morning” he informed me blandly.

I hid my grin from him. “Did you actually put any water in it?”

He looked at me as though I’d asked him if he ate his own dog for breakfast. “Water?” he said with incomprehension.

“Yesss, water in the water compartment” I said slowly.

He rolled his eyes and turned his back on me. “That’s why I pay pretty females to make my coffee” he retorted cheekily.

My fists clenched at his chauvinistic behaviour and I continued to make his coffee. “Your coffee, Mr Hunter” I announced before I ventured back to my desk.

This was going to be a torturous six months and I sighed heavily as I ordered flowers for his lady friend, arranged delivery of his dry cleaning and pulled up the Will’s account.

I wondered how long it would be before I found myself stapling Lucas Hunt to the wall and whipping him with his own expensive blue tie.

* * *

I shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat of Lucas’s flash Porsche as he manoeuvred the London traffic on our way to La Roche. “Have you ever been to La Roche, Red?”

I rolled my eyes at his jab to my lowly background. “Yes, Mr Hunt. I won’t embarrass you. You don’t need to worry yourself over my underprivileged existence.”

He frowned and stole a quick glance at me. “I didn’t mean that” he said almost angrily, but I shrugged and studied the London pavements through the window.

The silence was quite uncomfortable and Lucas cleared his throat, as if trying to restart the conversation. “So, how long have you worked for William?”

I ran my tongue around the inside of my cheek in an effort to bite back my retort, “Four years.”

His eyebrows rose and he gave me a flick of his eyes “That long?”

I just nodded and flicked my thumb across my finger in a bid to calm my nerves. “What did you do before that?” he asked and I sighed.

“I fucked men for money.”

That shut him up.

We pulled up outside the restaurant and the valet opened my door before I climbed out and Lucas appeared beside me and escorted me into the building.

I shivered as I felt his palm brush against my lower back and I stepped away from him. He scowled at me but didn’t try to repeat his touch.

I smiled widely at our lunch companion as we approached our table, and he beamed the wickedest smile I had ever seen. “Well fuck me, Little Willow” Mason exclaimed as he stood and pulled me into a tight hug.

“Mase” I chuckled.

I caught Lucas’s dumbfounded expression but chose to ignore him.

Mason stood back and regarded me with narrow eyes. “You’ve lost weight” he said sternly and I rolled my eyes.

“Why are you always so obsessed about my weight?” I teased as he pulled out my chair for me.

He shook his head in exasperation but left it alone as he turned to Lucas. “Lucas” he acknowledged with a smile and Lucas shook Mason’s outstretched hand.

“How are you, Mason?” he asked. Mason smiled and nodded as he sat down, “Good, you?”

Lucas nodded his confirmation as the waiter approached and Mason turned to him. “I’ll take the veal and Miss Summers will have the monkfish” he ordered with a wink at me. I chuckled and nodded my agreement before Mason ordered a bottle of expensive wine, “Better get the good stuff now we are accompanied by a lady.”

Lucas snorted and I flinched at his dig. Mason’s head turned slowly to Lucas and his eyes fired in fury as he tipped his head. “Did you say something, Hunt?”

Lucas pulled in a heavy breath and shook his head once, “Nope.”

Mason continued to glare at him but after taking a calming breath he turned to me again. “So little Willow, how’s things?”

I smiled warmly at him “Good. I haven’t seen you and Ava in the club for a while.”

He nodded and sighed. “We’ve been abroad for a few months. Nate wanted Ava to turn the American office around after a few troubling issue’s. We’ve only been back a few weeks so I expect Ava’s kinks will kick in soon” he smirked and winked.

“I’ll let William know” I told him.

Lucas cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows at me and I lowered my eyes from his questioning ones. “I take it you two are friends” he said as his eyes dropped to my mouth and I released my bottom lip from behind my teeth.

Mason smirked at Lucas “We fucked a few years back, Lucas.”

“Mase!” I growled disapprovingly.

Mason shrugged and I didn’t miss the roguish twinkle in his eyes. “Well, yes you’re right, Lay. We did a lot more than just fuck.”

I sighed at his obvious attempt to rile Lucas and smiled to the waiter as he filled our glasses. “How are the twins?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation onto safe grounds as I felt Lucas’s piercing stare on me.

Mason’s face broke into a massive grin at the mention of his two twins, Katie and George. “They’re brilliant as always, they’ve just had their fourth birthday” he told me as his eyes twinkled.

I grinned at his obvious love for his children.

“Do you actually think we could get round to business at all today? I have another meeting at 3” Lucas grumbled and I rolled my eyes.

What the hell was wrong with this man?

Mason shifted his eyes across the table to Lucas and frowned at him. “Somebody seems to be a little jealous that we’ve fucked, little Willow.”

Lucas spluttered out his wine and frantically dabbed at his shirt with his napkin in an attempt to soak up the spill before it stained.

I narrowed my eyes on Mason, who just shrugged and looked amused as the waiter placed our food in front of us.

“Yum,” I smiled, “I haven’t had the monkfish here for years.”

Mason grinned wickedly and I widened my eyes at him and shook my head faintly when I knew what was coming, but it flowed fluently from his mouth and I cringed. “Yeah Lay, I seem to remember I enjoyed you having the monkfish as well, you devoured it . . . and then devoured me under the table.”

Lucas spluttered again and I glowered at Mason. “Will you stop!” I warned him.

He just chuckled and turned to Lucas. “Ready for business?”

Lucas stared at him in astonishment and I nudged him, “Ignore him Mr Hunt, he’s winding you up” I lied.

He tipped his head at me. “I suppose this was from your ‘fucking men for money’ days?” he barked out.

“What the Fuck!” Mason growled as I shot out of my chair and held Mason back.

“It’s okay Mase, my fault. He asked what I did before dancing and I kinda told him I fucked men for money.”

Mason glared at me and frowned “What the hell did you tell him that for?”

I shrugged. “He was getting too personal” I whispered in his ear.

“You were joking?” Lucas asked and I rolled my eyes.

“Of course I was bloody joking!”

He seemed to relax and then smile, before a huge grin erupted on his face. Wow, he was really stunning when he actually smiled and I bit my lip against the small flutter in my stomach.

The twinkle in his eyes came back and he seemed happier as he tucked into his lunch.

We all ate our lunch whilst Lucas and Mason discussed some new club venture Mason was developing and he required Lucas to set up the technology side of the business.

As we stood to leave I placed my hand on Mason’s forearm and halted him before I turned to Lucas. “I just need a quick word with Mason.”

Lucas sighed heavily but nodded. “I’ll wait in the car” he said bluntly and stalked away.

Mason gave me a curious glance. “You fucking him, Lay?” he asked with a concerned expression and I calmed his nerves immediately, “No.”

He nodded in acceptance and I swallowed before I looked up at him. His face became serious as he sensed my anguish.

He tucked a stray hair behind my ear in a comforting gesture “Lay?”

I bit my lower lip as my thumb drummed against my index finger. “I think he’s here, Mase” I said quietly.

Mason’s eyebrows lifted high on his brow and he inhaled deeply “You want me to check it out?”

I nodded and grimaced, “Yeah.”

He nodded again and leant in to kiss my cheek, “No problem, babe” he smiled gently and led me out to Lucas’s car.

“I’ll sort out with Ava for a COD night, little Willow” Mason grinned and I chuckled. He knew I was the only person on the planet that could slaughter Ava at the Xbox game and he loved to watch her get crushed underneath me.

“Only if Greg’s not playing” I winked as I climbed in the car beside Lucas.

“Fuck no, he’s banned. My walls can’t take any more of his hissy fits” he scoffed as he raised his hand to Lucas and strolled off towards his car.

Lucas was mostly quiet for the ride back and I sensed his question before it came. “So you had a thing with Mason?”

I just nodded in confirmation and pulled my trilling phone from my bag. I frowned at the name displayed on the screen, “William?”

“Hey, Willow. Sorry for ringing in your personal time but I’ve had a bloke digging about you and I wanna give you a heads up.”

My skin immediately became clammy and cold and I hissed through my teeth. “What did he look like?”

“Handsome fucker. Tall, black hair . . .”

“Fuck!” I interrupted him.

“You okay?” he asked hesitantly.

“Did you tell him I worked there?” I asked apprehensively.

Fuck!! Why now? After six years of nothing, of thinking I was okay, he turned up out of the blue.

“No, told him I didn’t know any blonde dancers. Didn’t like the vibe he gave off, Willow” William admitted, “Is there something going on?”

“Someone from . . . before.”

“Shit, Willow. Is it him?”

I nodded, even though I knew he couldn’t see me and then mumbled a “Yeah.”

“Okay, sweetheart, I’ll step up security and get Trevor onto it.” William said with sincerity.

“Has anybody ever told you you’re the best boss ever?” I told him.

He chuckled, “Loads of times. You told Mason?”

“Yeah, he’s onto it.”

There was a slight silence and I knew William was nodding. “I’ll see you tonight, Willow” he added before ending the call.