Wonderlust (Steel Roses #1) (4 page)

It didn’t take me long to unpack once my luggage had been brought up. When I was done, I had a long, soothing shower before slipping into a pair of shorts and a vest. Tying my hair up into a wet bun, I decided to take a look around the mansion like Alex had suggested.

Mary was still in the kitchen and kindly made me a chicken sandwich when I wandered in looking for something to eat.

“What do you think of the house?” she asked, opening the fridge to get me a glass of juice. She was a mature, round lady, with a warm smile.

“It’s incredible. The magazine features don’t even come close to what it’s truly like.”

“Alex only allows the media to see parts of his life. He’s been that way since… well, no, it doesn’t matter.”

“How long have you worked for him?”

“Ten years.” She smiled, placing a glass of juice on the table for me. “And I don’t know anymore about him now than I did the first day I arrived. Other than what he likes to eat and drink, of course. We all have our roles, and he tells us what we need to know—nothing more. Milly was a lot closer to him, but they had a different kind of relationship. He let her in.”

“Why did she leave?”

“Gina didn’t tell you?” I shook my head. “She got her own talk show.” Wow, I wasn’t expecting that. I was hoping it was more along the lines of suing Alex for sexual harassment. If my first meeting with him was anything to go by, that was more believable. “She’s been a celebrity in her own right for so long. She stayed as long as she could, but even Alex couldn’t hold her forever.”

“I have some big shoes to fill, that’s for sure.”

“Gina is a great judge of character. She handpicked all of us, even Milly all those years ago. You’ll do just fine.”

“This sandwich is great,” I groaned, taking my first bite. “Thank you, Mary.”

“Remember, you can help yourself to anything you want, and you can add any items onto the weekly shopping list.” I nodded as I watched her pick up a bottle of whiskey, some ice, and a glass. I gathered that wasn’t for her. “I have a few errands to run, but Shane should be around if you need anything.”

“Where is Alex?”

“In his music room, I expect. He’s either there or in his entertaining room with a few people.” Oh, it was
that
kind of entertaining room. “I wouldn’t bother him at this time of night, though. He’ll be occupied either way.”

“With his music?” I teased, knowing full well what Mary was trying to tell me. Rock stars were all sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. I’d already suspected that he would be no different.

“Something like that,” she chuckled on her way out of the kitchen.

After wandering around the mansion for a while, I heard laughter coming from one of the rooms on the ground floor.

“Why didn’t you give her Milly’s old suite? You’ve given her the smallest room in the house.” It sounded like Diego talking.

“She has to earn her keep before she gets anything from me,” Alex slurred a little. He sounded drunk. “I’ll break her, she’ll be in my bed before the end of the three month trial, then I can send her packing with a broken heart.” Shocked, I froze in place and listened to his hateful words.
That
was why he’d offered me a three-month trial. This
was
all about getting me in the sack!

“She seems really sweet, Alex. Don’t do this to her.”

“I’ll find out just how
sweet
she is when I’m in between her legs.” Ugh! He was disgusting!

“You’re a fucking whore, do you realize that? If you spent as much time on your music as you do trying to score pussy, you’d have your next album finished by now. ”

“You might be right, but Miss White has no idea what’s in store for her. I’m looking forward to teaching her a lesson or two.” I’d heard enough. If Alex Harbour thought that he could seduce me, he had another thing coming! I wasn’t going to quit, though. There was no way I would give him that satisfaction. I had a better plan, and that was to play just as dirty as him!

“I trust that you slept well?” Alex asked, watching me help myself to some breakfast the next morning. Mary had put a wonderful spread out. I wasn't sure if it was because of my arrival yesterday or if this was normal.

“I did, thank you. Aren’t you going to eat?” I questioned, noticing he hadn’t picked any food up.

“No, I had my breakfast earlier.”

“Was all this on my behalf?” I gasped. Alex nodded. “Mary shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.”

“She likes to make people feel at home.”

“I can see that.” He was still trying the Mr. Nice Guy act, but I wasn’t falling for it.

“Once you’re done, meet me outside by the pool. I’ll show you to your office and we can get down to business.”

“Okay.” I smiled back politely.

After three pancakes with syrup, a bowl of fresh fruit, and two glasses of juice, I was ready to face him. As I was leaving the kitchen, I made a mental note that I’d need to get Mary’s pancake recipe. They were delicious.

Mr. Ego was outside by the pool with Shane when I walked out.

“Good morning,” Shane greeted me warmly before looking back to Alex. “I’ll wait until I get your schedule for next week, then I’ll make some calls.”

“Thanks, buddy.” Alex patted him on the back, and then we were alone. “Right, let’s get you settled in. Everything is going to shit. Gina bailed on me for some emergency in New York, and we’re behind schedule already. Plus, I need Shane to run a private errand for me.”

“That’s why I’m here. We’ll have you back on track in no time.” I wasn’t the most confident person when it came to personal things, but when it was about my job, nothing fazed me.

“I take it you like to have the press questions prescreened before they reach you?” I mused, looking at my computer screen. My office was huge. It was larger than my bedroom. Like the rest of the mansion, the walls were white. I had two large black leather couches—one in each corner—and a large, tropical fish tank opposite my ridiculously large, dark oak desk. It also featured two large sliding doors that led out toward the pool. There were plants everywhere, too.

It didn’t take very long to get everything in order. Gina had handled almost everything before rushing off to New York.

“How do you know that?” Alex seemed surprised. I could tell he was impressed with how quickly I took control of his calendar.

“You’re the celebrity that everyone wants to know in great detail. The press eat that shit up. I know part of my job is to protect you from that.”

“You’ve surprised me, Straight Lace.” Great! He clearly had a nickname for me, and he’d already used it a few times now. What pissed me off was that he was partly right! Leaning toward me, he took my hand in his. “For the record, I want to know you in
great
detail, too.”

“I wasn’t talking about me,” I snapped, quickly pulling my hand away.

“Oh, sure you weren’t. I get it, you’re dedicated to your work, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun while you’re here. We’re going to be working
very
closely together.”

“Is that the kind of relationship you had with Milly Crown?”

He burst out laughing, which made his eyes softer, more human. It took my breath away. Alex laughing was a sight to behold. “Milly would have cut my balls off if I’d even
looked
at her in that way. She’s like a sister to me.”

“What makes you think I won’t cut your balls off if you keep making these advances toward me?”

“I don’t know, but I have to admit, it would be hot to watch you lose control like that. I have a feeling you’ve never let it all go before.”

“That’s a little dangerous, leaving me in control of your balls.”

“Baby, I’d let you control my balls all night long if you wanted.”

Swallowing hard, I tried to refocus. I was burning from the inside.
Alex Harbour’s balls.
God, the days I used to dream about having just one night with him and his balls.
No! Stop it, White!

“Let’s just stick to me controlling your calendar, shall we? Blurring the lines in a professional relationship is never a good thing.”

“If that’s what you want. You don’t like to live dangerously, I get it.”

“I don’t see how any of that would be your business!” I snapped. This man was infuriating!

“It was only a statement. Calm down!”

“This nice guy approach isn’t going to work, Alex. I already know you’re a jerk, and that’s fine. I knew what I was getting involved with when I took this job. Just remember, you will
never
spend a night with me! In fact, if I were you, I’d quit now to avoid the disappointment.”

“Do you have any idea just how fucking sexy you are when you’re all fired up like this?” Licking his lips, he eyes dropped down to my chest.

“I can finish the rest of this on my own, thank you. I’d like you to leave.” I turned away from him and let my attention fall onto my computer instead.

“You’re going to leave me all worked up like this?”

“Yep!”

“Baby, that’s not fair.”

“Why don’t you go and cool off by the pool? It’s
not
going to happen!”

“Are you a cock tease? Is that what this is all about? I don’t like games, so just give it to me.” While trying to contain my anger, I realized that losing my shit might not be the answer. Every other time I'd done that, it hadn’t paid off. It was time to beat him at his own game.

Taking a deep breath, I turned and gave him my best sultry grin. “Do I look like the kind of woman that likes to tease cocks?”

“Yes, and I’m the kind of guy that likes to tease pussy. We’re a perfect match.”

“Alex, you don’t play fair. I’m sick of sleeping around.”

“I told you before, I get what I want.”

“Here?” I questioned, looking over at one of the couches.

“Fuck yes.” In a heartbeat, he raced over and slumped down on one of the couches.

“Do you have any protection?” He looked around like a lost little boy. I suspected he didn’t even know what protection was these days. “Wait here, I’ll be back in two minutes.” With a lazy grin, he nodded and stretched out, waiting for me. How stupid was this man?

I made my way toward the kitchen to collect a bucket full of ice. This was going to be hilarious. I was enjoying the idea too much already and I hadn’t even done it yet.

“Close your eyes,” I purred once I got back, leaning against the office doorframe while hiding the bucket from his view.

“What are you planning?” He quirked an eyebrow at me.

“You’ll love it, I promise.”

“You’re sure full of surprises. I didn’t think you’d give in this quickly, Straight Lace.” He chuckled, closing his eyes. “I’m not complaining, though. I’ve been ready for this since the moment we met.”

“It’s your animal magnetism, Alex.” I held in a giggle. Placing the ice bucket beside him, I reached out, noticing he already had his cock in his hands and was stroking himself up and down. This idiot was so sure of himself. “Are you going to fuck me with your mouth?” he purred.
No asshole, I’m not!

“If that’s what you want.” I made my voice drip with lust, which wasn’t that difficult when I caught sight of his well-defined abs. “Just you wait, I’m going to make you feel
so
good!” The bulge in his pants began to grow as he moaned in response. That was unexpected and quite flattering. Was I turning him on? I almost felt sorry for the guy. Reaching down, I picked up the bucket. “Are you ready?” I whispered, moving to straddle him a little as I rested my hand on his torso. Jesus, his chest was rock hard. This man was pure muscle!

“Yes!” At his word, I tipped the entire bucket of ice on his crotch, darting up quickly as he rose and yelled in shock. “Holy motherfucking shit! Shit, that’s cold, you bitch!”

“You needed cooling off.” I could hardly talk, I was laughing so hard.

Alex’s reaction had caused Diego to wander into the office.

“What the hell is going on in here?” he asked, tossing his long blonde hair behind his back.

“This bitch just threw a bucket of ice on my cock!” Alex seethed, shaking the remaining ice off his open jeans.

“Maybe you’ll get the message now!” I replied, laughing hysterically.

“I want you on the first plane back to London. I’m fucking done with this shit!” Alex seethed, storming off.

“That’s fine by me!” I yelled after him before looking at Diego. His eyes were wet with tears from laughing. “Sorry about that.” If I was sent back to London, it was worth it.

“Girl, you are pure entertainment. I’ve never seen anyone get him worked up that fast before. What possessed you to throw a bucket of ice on his crotch?”

“That man needs to stop thinking with his dick.”

“I’ve been trying to tell him that for a long time. It’s got him into so much trouble over the years.”

“What am I getting myself involved in, Diego? He’s exhausting.” Shane had said Diego was Alex’s oldest friend. Maybe he could help me understand Alex better.

“This will be unlike any job you’ve ever had, but I can promise you one thing.” I urged him to continue with my eyes. “It will change your life.” Was that good or bad? “You should stick around. I have a feeling things are going to get interesting now that you’re here. Alex can’t fire you without an agreement from Gina, so you won’t be going anywhere.” That was a good thing, right?

Alex ignored me for three days after my ice stunt, but it seemed that Diego had been right about Gina; I still had my job. I didn’t let the fact that he was ignoring me bother me, though. He was being childish. I carried on with my new duties, and that in itself was a lot to take in. He had a lot of press events coming up over the next few weeks due to a song that he was singing for a movie soundtrack. While the soundtrack had already been released, the movie was premiering next month. Gina was in New York finalizing a fragrance contract for him, too. For a washed up rock star, he still had a lot of work and sponsors coming in.

My cell phone rang while I was trying to get through some important emails from Gina. When I glanced at the caller ID, I froze. What the hell did David want?

“Hello.”

“Please tell me you’re not working for Alex Harbour.” David’s voice was cool and calm. We had half a world between us, yet just the sound of his voice and I wanted to be near him again.

“David, I’m at work. You can’t just…”

“Tell me. Nat, I’m worried about you.”

“What would it matter to you if I was?”

“This
is
about Sarah, isn’t it? That’s why you left. You left in such a hurry. I didn’t even get to say a proper goodbye. Come back to London, Nat. We can work something out. I don’t want you working for that slime ball. He’s bad news!”

“How did you find out?” I sighed, playing with a paperclip on my desk.

“I made a few calls. I told you I’d always look out for you, and truthfully, I’m missing you like crazy.”

“Are you starting to realize how much I did for you?” I started to spin on my chair but stopped immediately when I noticed that Alex was leaning against my doorframe watching me. Shit! How long had he been there?