Flirting With Desire (Contemporary Romance) Complete Collection (2 page)

“One more thing,” he said in a calm voice. She swivelled to face him once again, her expression schooled. His was penetratingly cool. “Don’t ever question me again. When I say jump, you ask how high. That is, if you intend working here long.”

He watched her stiffly exit his office and then his lips curved in a humourless smile. He’d got to her. Good. Because he had to give her a dose of what she made him feel. He sensed her indifference or perhaps, her outright dislike. Damian had never minded women hating his guts, but one thing he wasn’t used to was anyone being unmoved by him.
Especially a woman who’d got under his skin from the very first moment.

He’d seen the look on her face.
That mask of shocked lust that had stirred him deep in his loins. But it was gone in a fleeting instant that he’d doubted if it had ever been there. And since then, nothing. She was every bit the efficient ice princess and perhaps, he’d needed to take her down a peg and thus his orders for her wardrobe change. Damn. He had zero tolerance for this. He lived for the company, barely making time for his personal life as his father took great pains to point out regularly. Women were an afterthought, and they generally fell into his laps without question anyway. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever had to actively pursue a woman he desired. But it was safe to say he’d never desired any woman of recent the way he did Hanna Simms.

In just the four days she’d begun working for him, he’d pictured the many positions and situations he could have her pinned beneath him, taken hard by him. Or with her rocking those shapely hips from on top of him, impaled up on his dick. Heck, even her shoved against the wall, with him thrusting deep from behind, making her feel him in her farthest crevice.

Fuck. He needed to get laid. He’d hung on to celibacy much too long. His aversion for any form of commitment had seen him avoiding relationships of any sort. Women seemed to want more out of him than he was willing to give. He didn’t need anyone interfering in his life now, or ever.

He hadn’t expected Hanna to spark his interest or desire. And yet she did, without even trying. Damian knew the image he portrayed was as someone who never really cared for anyone else but himself. It was certainly true that once he’d been a cold-hearted womanizer, and yet now he didn’t even have the patience for the game. Maybe he was done playing.

What if it was time to switch things up? Perhaps, a diversion was exactly what he needed. And Damian felt he knew exactly where to start in his new quest for a change to the norm.

*

Hanna felt consumed by her new role. Or maybe it was just the man himself. She would never let him see how much he made her squirm.

She’d always played down her looks. Being blonde, shapely and with a girl-next-door face wouldn’t have done much in her favour if she hadn’t taken steps to curb the stereotype. She was smart, driven and sensible. Getting to be objectified in the workplace had never been her thing. Yet now, Damian Rush was making her conscious of everything about her image, her work ethic, her very self-control.

How she put up with him and his insufferable antics she’d never know. No other assistants had to go through what she did with her boss. Sometimes, she had the strangest feeling he was pushing her to the wall, hoping she’d quit. Part of her longed to do just that, just snap and lose that self-restraint she’d been so proud of. With a perfectly aimed kick to his shin or a resounding slap to his devilishly handsome face, she could then walk out of the company for good.

She never did that, of course.

And she never strained her sense of principle at the workplace by complaining about what he did to her. Everyone could see she was harried to the bone but she’d never be the one to voice her concerns. He treated her abominably.

When he arrived at work, he never deigned to acknowledge her greeting. He had no qualms showing his disapproval of her dress sense whenever he chose to. There were occasions where he made her endure his examination: she would be instructed to stand in front of his desk, her hands placed behind her back. Then he would inspect her minutely and if satisfied, she would be commanded to return to her desk. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he had her coming in for work earlier than normal and sometimes, she was the last to leave the building.

On top of that she had to plan his journeys, do the shopping that he didn’t have time for, send out gifts during holidays and birthdays, and scheduled his time so he could visit his family. There were the trips, as well, where she had to accompany him. And she always had to be available when he required an escort for a social event.

The more he pushed her, the tougher she got. Damian Rush couldn’t break her. She had a long history of having to fight for everything she’d earned. She was determined to be nothing like her underachieving parents who’d been the type to
settle
. Hanna didn’t want to simply ‘accept’ what life threw at her. She’d seize the future with hard work and dedication, not simply expect that life would hand her everything she deserved.

Winning Damian’s favour was never going to happen. Even after months of working for him, she knew she would never get past his impenetrable shell. No matter how she tried, there was no way he’d show her the appreciation and regard she knew was due. She might as well wish for the moon before that happened. But more to the point, why did she even feel his appreciation mattered? This was just a job, and he was just her employer. Just another man who felt his power and money could make her feel less than she truly was.

One thing she did let trouble her, was how it all affected her relationship with Chet.

Three months after she’d started working as Damian Rush’s assistant, she returned to her apartment at the close of a particularly hellish day. There had been deadlines to
meet, and agreements to close. She’d barely had time to catch her breath until she walked into her nicely furnished living room where she could relax.

But not for long.
Chet came storming in an hour later, his guitar case in his hand and a furious look on his face. “Where were you?” he growled.

“At work,” Hanna said, eyes darting at his attitude. “Why, what’s wrong baby? Didn’t rehearsals go well?”

“It wasn’t rehearsals, Hanna. I had a gig tonight. You promised to be there. It was only for one fucking hour for crissakes.”

With that he huffed and exited the living room, and Hanna was torn by the need to give herself a facepalm or groan out loud in frustration. Shit! She’d forgotten all about Chet’s gig tonight. His band had managed to hook an opening slot for a headlining rock band at some concert. It was supposed to be the big-time and she’d honestly just forgotten. But only because she’d been so busy! She remembered she was stuck still working on compiling files and accounts at the time Chet’s band must have been on.

“You didn’t even call!” Chet said angrily when she joined him in the bedroom, her expression apologetic.

“I’m so sorry, Chet. Sometimes I’m at work and everything else just closes off. If I didn’t do that, I’d go insane. You know what a slave driver my boss is.”

Chet’s curvy lips curled bitterly. “Are you saying it’s just work? You’re sure there isn’t something more?”

“What else could there be?” Hanna asked in genuine confusion.

Chet let out an impatient sound, shoving a hand roughly through his dark blond hair. “This job of yours. Your
boss
. Is there something I need to know about the two of you?”

“Like how? Goodness, Chet. No. What are you suggesting?”

“What does it sound like?” exclaimed Chet. “Look at you, Hanna. Look how you’ve changed. Make up always perfect, your professional wardrobe up to the nines. Even your underwear’s more trendy and sexy. You put in more effort for
him
than you ever do for me.”

“He requires it of me,” Hanna said, hating the blush that swept over her cheekbones. “This wasn’t my personal choice.”

“Your underwear?” Chet scoffed. “Can’t you see he’s grooming you into the perfect woman for him? If you’re too blind to read the signs, I’m not! I know exactly what’s going on.”

“Chet, you’ve got it all wrong. He doesn’t even notice me! He’s just some workaholic control freak.”

“Yeah, sure. Now tell me he doesn’t have more power over you than you’re letting on. This is more than just a boss-assistant thing. He wants you, Hanna. For all I know, you want him too. How long do I have to compete with him?”

Now that made her stop short. “I don’t know what to say,” she breathed. “I never…it didn’t occur to me that you felt this way. I’m sorry I missed your show. I’m sorry I work too much. But the money’s good and we never worry about bills anymore. Life is going so well for us now and I thought…”

“No, it’s not going well,” Chet said hardily. “I want my girlfriend back. The Hanna I’ve always known wouldn’t let some cruel boss push her around. I’ve always supported your career you know this but not if it demeans you the way he does.”

Hanna bit on her lip. “I’ll get some time off. I’ll find a way to make more room for us. I’ll admit I’ve been far too focused on work to realize how much our relationship is suffering.”

“Sometimes, I wonder if it’s him you think about,” Chet said with deceptive softness, closing the gap between them as he stared deep into her eyes. “When we make love I feel like your mind’s somewhere else. With someone else. It’s like you’re under a spell.”

Hanna blushed. How could Chet say that? He was implying that she secretly had the hots for her boss. That she even fantasized about him. That was bullshit! She hated Damian! If he was someone she’d met in different circumstances, and if he
wasn’t really a brute in real life, then maybe she might have had a crush on a man like him. But for Chet to even imagine that she’d be thinking of Damian while she and Chet had sex. It was all crap. Utter crap!

“I love you, Chet,” Hanna said firmly, cupping his face and staring into his deep blue eyes. “It’s you I want to be with. I can’t even stand my boss. He’s nothing like you. He doesn’t make me all warm and gooey inside the way you do.”

No, Damian made her feel hot, and then cold. One look from his dark, enigmatic eyes and something strange trilled within her core. A brush of his hand would make her start like she was electrified. He would pass by her and his stimulating cologne made her senses go on a trip. He never smiled, but she wished he would. She wished he’d say one word, just once, about how nice she looked or how well she’d carried out her tasks. None of that happened. But it didn’t stop her from being aware of every little thing about him. The way his suits always fit him impeccably; the jet black sweep of his hair, his thick dark brows and blade of a nose, with lips so generously cut they looked too sensuous on such harsh handsomeness.

Oh shit
. Hanna embraced Chet tighter to hide her inner turmoil. Was Chet right? Had she inadvertently started to fall for her boss?

That was an insane assumption. She’d figure out a way to show Chet there was nothing she felt for Damian Rush. He made her so mad at times she couldn’t see straight. How could she desire a man like that? Being a woman there would be times he would strike her as eye-catching and even attractive.
But only in a detached sense. None of her feelings for Damian should give her boyfriend any cause for concern. And soon, she’d find a way to prove it.

*

Hanna had to save her four year-long relationship. She’d put too much time and effort to making it work. Even when her friends told her that Chet was having it too easy, chasing his music career while she worked to the bone to pay the bills, she’d stood firm. Now she could feel him slipping away from her.

She couldn’t let that happen. She hated to fail at
anything even love. Especially not love. So she had made up her mind how best to win back Chet’s love and trust.

Hanna walked into Damian’s office for the normal debriefing at the close of day. She could hardly hide her eagerness to rush home and finish packing. That was until Damian’s words made her pause.

“That will be all for today, Ms. Simms. Just make sure you’re ready on time for our Seattle trip. We leave first thing tomorrow,” he informed her. “Please don’t make me have to wait a minute longer than necessary.”

“There must be some mistake,” Hanna said with a confused smile. “I’ve been approved for time off for the rest of the week. I’m not the one to accompany you to Seattle, that will be Ms. Taylor.” She had it all worked out. She’d requested time off a fortnight ago and it was confirmed via email just last week.

“Wrong,” he said coldly, looking up from his files at her. “You need to do your homework, Ms. Simms. I never approved of any days off for you, certainly not during the Seattle trip.”

Hanna really didn’t want to stand there arguing with him, so she swung round and went back to her desk to check her email. Sure enough, now there was an email showing that her request for time off had been denied. She couldn’t help her outburst as she suddenly swore out loud.

This couldn’t be happening. She rushed back to Damian’s office, and foolishly thought she could reason with him. She knew the Seattle trip was important but he could take anyone. Ms. Taylor, Ms. Brentwood. Hanna had already promised Chet that this time would be different, special. They were going for a London music festival that was the high point of the year for many fans of the genre. If she cancelled for any reason, there was no saying how Chet would take it. Oh God, she had to do something.