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“Why?”
I say with an apologetic smile, “Because you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and I wanted you to know that.”
“Me?” Her eyes widen and she twists her fingers with nerves and stutters, “I, I’m not beautiful.”
“Yes, you are.” I reach up and hold her face in both hands and whisper, “I didn’t mean to scare you, Laura. I’m not a man who loses control, but I did then. That story made my blood boil and if you ask me, the footballer is a fool. Perhaps that’s why he asked you out for coffee. I’m guessing he saw you and realized his mistake.”
“Stop.”
She turns away and whispers, “He was just using me for a second time, actually a third, but I’d rather forget about that one.”
My anger is rising, and I say tightly, “The third time?”
She sighs and stares into my eyes with a misery that tells me this isn’t going to be pretty and so I pull her down beside me on the bed and say softly, “Come on. We’ve got this far. I may as well hear the rest of the story.”
“Okay, but after that I’m leaving. You’ll probably be glad I’ve gone, anyway.”
I guess this isn’t the best time to tell her she’s going nowhere fast, so I wait patiently for her to unburden a little more of her soul.
“It was a few weeks later.” She takes a deep breath and says sadly, “I saw the two of them in a club in town and they appeared to be fighting again. I was still obsessed and watched them from the shadows, and she pushed him and left with another guy.”
She laughs softly. “I was happy to see her go, especially when he just laughed and whispered something to his friend, and didn’t appear to be bothered about it at all. Anyway, later that evening, somebody came up behind me on the dance floor and I didn’t need to see him to realize it was Oscar.”
She sighs heavily. “He spun me around and started kissing me and I didn’t even attempt to stop him. He was officially single, and it was my time to shine, so I did everything possible to make him like me.”
She laughs bitterly. “He liked me alright. He offered me a ride home, and it involved another one with him. When I got home, he just saluted me and told me to look after myself and he’d see me around. I mean, for Christ’s sake, he fucking saluted me. What was that all about?”
My claws are sharpening, and I know exactly what I will do next, and she surprises me by resting her head on my shoulderand sighing deeply. “So, there you have it. Laura Kincaid is nothing but a desperate fool and rubbish at everything. So much for the perfect personal assistant you wanted me to be. I’m a car wreck and I probably always will be.”
I turn her head to face me and whisper against her lips, “I happen to think you are perfect just the way you are and if you’ll let me, I’d like us to start again.”
“Really?”
Her eyes widen and I laugh softly, “As it happens, you are a shit pa; what can I say, I’m not sure you’ve done a stroke of work since I hired you except fetch me coffee.”
She colors up and I brush my lips against hers and whisper, “Which is why I want to offer you a different position in my organization.”
“I see.” She lowers her eyes and I tilt her face to mine and say softly, “I need a girlfriend, for appearance’s sake only, of course, and I would like to offer you the job.”
It’s as if I have told her the world is about to end at any moment because she freezes and merely stares at me as if I’ve told her I’m the devil on earth.
She blinks and then opens her mouth, but no words come out and so I say huskily, “You will live here, in your own room. You will enjoy a generous allowance to include expenses for clothing and a personal trainer. Trips to the hair salon and beautician are also included and you will accompany me to my various functions as my plus one. To everyone else, we are madly in love, but I promise not to expect any more of you than that. In addition, I will pay you more than double your current salary and I expect nothing more in return than you to be available when I need your company.”
I stroke the side of her face and say gently, “As it turns out, Laura Kincaid, you are perfect. Your college crush must haveshit for brains because he held a diamond in his hand and let it slip away. I’m not about to let that happen.”
She is stunned and appears to have lost the power of speech and her eyes glitter with unshed tears as she whispers, “You think I’m special?”
“I do.” I stare into her eyes with all the sincerity of a would-be lover, and she swallows hard and whispers, “I’d be a fool to turn this opportunity down, wouldn’t I?”
“You’re not a fool, Laura.” I remind her and she smiles shyly. “And I’d have my own room and not have to, well…”
“Not unless you want to.”
I didn’t believe she could blush any more than she is already and her face flames as she gasps, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Yes, is the answer you’re searching for.”
She shivers as I run my thumb across her lips and as her eyes darken with desire, I have her exactly where I want her to be.
