Wonderlust (Steel Roses #1) (3 page)

“That’s just a plane ride away. Your parents are on a
world cruise
, right now. I’m sure if they can do that, you can go to LA for a while. It doesn’t have to be forever.”

“I need to go home a read the contract. He wants a decision by the morning.”

“He’s an impatient bastard too, huh?”

“He’s very well known in the music industry.”

“I’ve never heard of an Alex Heater. Does he have a stage name? With a name like that, I’m surprised no one has suggested one. You might want to.”

“I’ll have to mention that to him. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Grabbing my bag and coat, I rushed out of the pub and back to my apartment.

I couldn’t find fault in the contract, and the pay was unbelievable. Did people really get salaries that high? It didn’t stop me from having a restless night, though. Could I work for Alex Harbour? I’d been lusting after that man since I was
twelve
. He was arrogant, selfish, opinionated, and clearly damaged by fame, but there was still an aura about him that fascinated me. That was what I was afraid of though. I was running to LA to get away from my feelings for David, but Alex might be the worst kind of distraction. I had no idea what to do.

Then I remembered the three month trial he was giving me. If anything got to be too much or I hated working for him, I could leave. What was the harm in trying the job out for three months?

This was
Alex Harbour,
after all. I was getting a chance to be inside his world. To live with him in his famous LA hilltop mansion. Did I really need to think about this?

Quickly, I typed my acceptance letter to Gina. I
could
do this. Alex surely wasn’t
that
bad.

“Nat, I don’t understand. What is this?” David frowned at me from behind his desk. His dark blonde hair was catching the morning sun as it gleamed through his windows. I tried not to think about all the times I’d spent across that desk, when he’d taken me to heights I’d never felt before. He was a strong and powerful man both in body and mind. He played rugby in his spare time, and that only made him more desirable. Why did I always fall for men that I couldn’t have?

“It’s my resignation, effective immediately. I’ve been offered a job with a rival company.” I stood tall with my head held high. This man wasn’t going to break me. He’d made his choice. He was engaged to the daughter of the owner of Flavour Records. I couldn’t compete with that.

“What are you talking about? What job? You can’t leave. I need you.” I fought back the tears. Yes, he needed me, but not in the way I wanted.

“You’ll find a replacement easily, David.”

“That’s not true. Nat, you’re the best PA I’ve had. We’re a team. You can’t leave.”

“Rock Records wants me. I’ll be based in LA. This is my dream job, David. Don’t hold me back, please!” I begged, watching his stunned face.

“Rock Records?” he gasped. “Who will you be working under?”

“I can’t disclose that until I’ve signed my contract. You know the rules.”

“You’re really going to leave me after all this time?”

“It’s for the best,” I muttered, playing with my hands. After everything that happened, I was unable to look him in the eyes. “I need a change of direction. There’s nothing here for me anymore.”

“Is this about Sarah and me?” I looked up, noticing he was out of his chair and making his way toward me. “You and me, Nat, it was a bit of fun. We spent so much time together because of work that it meant being with you was easy, but you can’t base a relationship on sex. We have nothing in common. I thought you always understood our arrangement.”

“I did. This has nothing to do with that,” I lied, trying to catch my breath. I was talking too fast. “This is me moving on. I’ve worked for this company for six years. I came here right from university. It’s time for me to spread my wings. Rock Records is the company I’ve always dreamt of working for.”

“Then who am I to hold you back? I’ll miss you, Nat, so much.” He pulled me into a tight embrace. I closed my eyes, basking in the closeness. This would be the last time he’d hold me this way. In a matter of months, David would have a new wife and his whole life ahead of him.

“Take care of yourself and Sarah,” I whispered, pulling away. “I need to go clean out my desk. My flight to LA leaves tonight.”

“That soon?”

“It’s a PA job for one of their top artists.” Well, it was Rock Records
top
artist, but David would know who I was working for if I said that.

“If the job doesn’t work out, you know where to find me. Working for an artist is different from the job you have with me.” Stroking my face, he whispered, “I’ll always be here for you.”

“Thanks. I’m sure the job will be fine, though.” I moved away from his touch, wandering over to my desk to clear it. He began to follow me, but luckily his phone rang. Hurriedly, I began packing my belongings into the small box I brought with me. I didn’t want a dramatic goodbye. I wanted to slip away quietly. David was still on the phone as I reached the door to leave. With a longing look toward me, he nodded as I waved a small farewell. It was easier for both of us this way. I’d fallen in love with him, and it was never going to work out. It wasn’t easy leaving a piece of my heart behind. We’d had our fun, but he had never been mine to keep. A new start was what we both needed.

Liv was an emotional wreck at the airport. I’d Skyped my parents earlier, and they were over the moon about my new job. They were hoping to see me when their cruise stopped near a local port in three months. It would be great to see them, but I’d told them we’d have to sort it out when the time got closer.

To my surprise, Gina had upgraded my plane ticket to first class. Talk about comfort. I slept most of the trip.

When the plane finally landed, the butterflies in my stomach returned. What was I doing? In just three days, my life had done a complete one-eighty. Was I crazy? I kept asking myself that until I reached the arrivals lounge and found a well-groomed, dark haired man waiting for me.

“Miss White?” he asked, reaching to take my luggage from me.

“Yes,” I replied.

“I’m Shane Brown, Alex Harbour’s bodyguard and driver. Gina asked me to pick you up.” Alex’s bodyguard was a good-looking guy and wore a suit very well. He had a shaved head, dark brooding eyes, and was extremely well built. He
was
security, though. I suspected he also had abs of steel. Why was I such a pervert?

“I can carry a few bags, I don’t mind.”

“It’s fine. I have them all. Please follow me. The car is just outside.” He led me outside toward a large black SUV. “How was your flight?”

“I slept most of it. I’m not a great flyer.”

“That will soon fade. You’ll be flying a lot with Alex.” Crap, I hadn’t considered all the travelling. “So you’re from London?”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t seen much of London. The trips I take with Alex are always short, but I do love the chocolate Alex imports from there.” Cadbury’s chocolate was the best.

“Do you like working for him?” I asked as Shane pulled onto the highway. It still felt surreal. I couldn’t believe that I was in LA! The sky was pure blue, and I’d never seen the sun this bright before. It could have just been the excitement making me see things differently, though.

“Yes, he’s fine once you’ve become accustomed to his ways, Miss White.”

“Shane, please call me Natasha or Nat. We’re going to be working together after all. What do you mean by ‘his ways’?”

“You’ll see. Alex is a complex individual. He has many layers, but I’m positive you’ll get used to him quickly.”

“You’re not doing a very good job selling this position to me. I was apprehensive about taking it in the first place.”

“I’m sorry. Please ignore me. Diego knows him better than I do, anyway. I’m sure he’ll fill you in.”

“Diego?”

“His stylist. He’s also Alex’s oldest friend. He was the only person to follow him from Steel Roses.”

“Oh, okay. Does he live with Alex, too?”

“Yes. He has the pool house, and I have the apartment above the garage. Mary is the housekeeper and cook. She goes home on the weekends. Steve is my right hand man on the security detail, but he doesn’t live at the mansion. There are others that come and go, but I don’t want to confuse you with all their names.” Wow, that was a lot of people to look after one man. “Everyone is excited to meet you, though.” He grinned over at me. “Milly is hard to replace, but Gina spoke very highly of you and how you
handled
Alex.”

“I’m not sure that I handled him. I pissed him off, though. That’s for sure.”

“He argued with Milly a lot. They were like an old married couple. He needs to be put in his place from time to time.”

“I don’t want to spend every day fighting with him. That would be exhausting.”

“Unfortunately, that’s Alex.” Shane was quiet for the rest of the drive. I gazed out the window, mesmerized by the sites in front of me.

Alex’s mansion was high up in the Hollywood Hills. It was surreal how quickly the scenery changed. One moment we were driving through the horrible traffic toward the downtown lights, and the next we were high up in the hills. It took my breath away. It was very secluded compared to the other mansions in the area.

“Steve, open the gates,” Shane called at the intercom once we’d approached the long driveway. Two large steel gates began to creak and slowly open, revealing the stunning mansion.

Holy shit! I was going to live in this paradise? The whitewash mansion was gigantic and very modern. It looked as if it had three floors to it, all surrounded in glass to capture the amazing view I expected. There were also the side buildings and the Olympic sized swimming pool, with a cascading waterfall that ran down a beautiful rock structure. Alex’s Hollywood mansion was more than I could have ever imagined, and I hadn’t even looked inside yet.

“It’s quite something, isn’t it?” Shane chuckled, looking at my gob smacked expression.

“Uh huh.” Still stunned, I could hardly speak. He pulled up outside the three-door garage.

“Couldn’t Alex afford a house with more garage doors?” I teased.

“Don’t let Alex here you say that,” he chuckled. “I’ll get your bags later. Come on. You need to meet everyone first.” I liked Shane. He was very calm and collected. I could see why he was in the security industry. He put everyone at ease. I was glad Gina has asked him to pick me up.

The inside of this place was just as magnificent as the outside. It was a mass of white walls, gold frames, and deep red carpets. I met Mary in the grand white marble kitchen first. She was a middle-aged woman, with light brown hair cut into a bob. The cookies she was busy making gave her a motherly feel and smelled amazing.

“If you need me to iron any of your clothes once you’ve unpacked, let me know,” she called as Shane led me away.

“Thank you, but I’m sure they’ll be fine.” Jeez, she
was
just
like my mother.

“Mary is a bit of a mother hen.” Shane winked, leading me down a long hallway and pointing out rooms as we walked past. There were so many: the games room, the library, the bar, the television room, and the music room. This was just the ground floor, too! I was in awe of everything.

“I’m going to get lost in this place,” I chuckled. This mansion needed a map!

“I’ll watch out for you.”

“Thanks.” I smiled shyly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I always wore my hair up when I was working because I hated when it got in my face. The humidity here was making it a little unruly, though.

“Alex is probably out by the pool.” Oh, the life of a rock star. I took a deep breath, ready to face him again.

There were a few people out by the pool. The first thing I noticed was a mass of beautiful, long blonde hair and these long sexy legs, with long slender feet that were in the most amazing silver stilettos I’d ever seen. Alex and his blondies; I had to hide a smirk.

The figure turned as Shane called out, and my gaze froze on the blond. It was a
man
! Wow! His eyebrows were perfectly shaped and he could apply his makeup better than me. His face looked familiar, too. I was sure I'd seen him in magazines before.

Mr. Feminine strutted gracefully over to me. “Natasha, this is Diego Britvic,” Shane introduced. I was in awe of this guy. Maybe he could teach me to walk in those shoes. He moved better than a catwalk model.

“So, you’re the one that bruised Alex’s ego? I love you already, Honey! And you’re gorgeous, too!” He pulled me into a tight embrace, taking me by surprise. Oh no! Had Alex told everyone? Why would he do that?

“I’m not sure anyone could break through that ego of his, but it’s lovely to meet you.” Diego eyed me carefully before looking over at the other side of the pool.

“Alex, aren’t you going to get up to greet Natasha?” My eyes scanned across the water until I found him. My mouth fell open at the sight of Alex in just his swim shorts. His sun-kissed body made my legs clench together. That wasn’t a good reaction if I was going to be spending a lot of time him. None of that stopped me from gazing at his body from head to toe, though. He was lean but had strong, broad shoulders, and all his tattoos were on full display. His left arm had a tattoo at the top that was music related. Thorns, music notes, and roses joined together with the letter ’H’ underneath. He had two stars on either side of his chest. My eyes fell onto the crucifix on his torso, near his heart next. He could have been sculpted by Michelangelo himself for how perfect he was. Lastly, my eyes fell on the lonely Latin quote,
dum spiro, spero
on the inside of his left arm. I’d always loved the meaning of that quote—
While I breathe, I hope
—and always wondered why he’d chosen it.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again so soon, Miss White.” Alex had a playful grin on his beautiful face when he reached me. I didn’t like it.

“I don’t know what you were complaining about the other day, Alex. She’s a beauty.” Diego stretched his hand out to the touch the side of my face. “You better watch yourself with this man-whore. He’ll eat you alive if you let him.”

“Diego, don’t you have to straighten your hair or something? You can go, too, Shane. I’ll take it from here.” At Alex’s command, everyone disappeared from the pool area. He really was the king of his castle. Did everyone always obey his orders? “What?” he asked, snapping me from my thoughts. He seemed a little vexed with me already.

“Do you always clear a room this fast?”

“It’s a rock star perk. I
always
get my own way.” Something told me that we weren’t talking about clearing the room anymore.

“My last employer trusted my judgment and it worked well that way.”

“I’m sure we can come to some sort of arrangement.” Alex’s piercing blue eyes wandered to my cleavage. Really? He couldn’t even be subtle for a few moments?

“We won’t if you keep trying to get into my knickers!”

“Knickers? I prefer the word panties. It’s sexier.”

“They both mean the same damn thing. You’ve forgotten your British roots.”

“You’re bringing up panties a lot…”

“It’s
not
going to happen, Mr. Harbour.”

“You really think you can resist me?” he asked smugly.
Stupid egotistical rock star!
Hadn’t he learned anything from our first meeting in London?

“Oh, I know I can.” Why did I enjoy denting his vanity so much? Oh yeah, because he deserved it.

He was thoughtful for a few moments. “Okay, if you say so. Let me show you to your room.” He was backing down? Well, that was a surprise.

I lost count of how many doors I passed while following him silently down the corridor.

“This one is yours.” He pushed the door open, revealing a pale blue room. It was smaller than I had imagined, compared to the size of this place. Clearly, I wasn’t getting the same accommodations that his last PA had, and that was fine by me.

“It’s lovely, thank you.” I didn’t want to play his game. The room was more than adequate for my needs.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. If you could get Shane to bring my belongings up, that would be a great help, thank you. I’d like to get settled in before we start talking about my duties and your schedule, if that’s okay with you.”

“We can do that tomorrow morning. You must be exhausted from all the traveling.” He was right; I was extremely tired. “I’m sure if you see Mary, she’ll fix you something to eat. You’ve got to be hungry, too. Please feel free to take a look around house to familiarize yourself. You have your own office, but that can wait until tomorrow. I’m glad you decided to give this job a shot, Natasha.” Stunned, I watched as he glanced at me before leaving without another word.

Walking into the room, I turned on the few lamps and wandered around the space. I had my own white tiled bathroom, which was definitely a good thing. The large, dark oak bed in the middle of the room looked comfortable, and there was a matching dresser and closet. Yes, the room would suit me just fine. The best part were the large glass windows that looked out over the Hollywood Hills. Thank God it didn’t have a pool view. Watching Alex in his swim shorts all the time would be a little too distracting. I scolded myself internally. I came here trying to run away from my feelings for David. Now was
not
the time to lust after my
new
boss. He was a jerk anyway. It should be easy to keep my feelings in check. There was only one problem with that: Alex was my first ever crush. You don’t forget those easily, especially when they’re flaunting their incredibly sexy bodies in front of you, and clearly trying to get into your knickers.
Fuck my life!
Why had I agreed to this job again?