Going Down Easy (Billionaire Bad Boys 1)

His lips firmed, and he was about to rip into her when he realized she looked as if she’d been caught in the morning’s downpour. Her brown hair was damp, curling at the ends, and her white shirt had water stains on the front, calling attention to a lace bra and her full breasts. None of which detracted from the beauty beneath the smudged makeup. With big blue eyes and porcelain skin, she was exactly Kade’s type.

Not skinny and more than a handful, he thought, his mouth watering at the thought. “And my other question? Who are you?” he asked, his voice harsh in order to cover the sudden rush of desire he didn’t need riding him here and now.

“Lexie Parker, your new personal assistant,” she said, her voice soft and pleasing, at distinct odds with her bossy personality, if her nerve in rearranging his desk before meeting him was anything to go by. His anxiety and ADHD were off the charts with a mere glance at the new setup, not that he’d admit to such a thing.

When he remained silent, she placed her hand on the stapler—on his now neat desk. Folders sat in precise stacks; his favorite pen was nowhere to be found, probably mixed in with the writing utensils in the holder he never used. His organized disorganization was gone. Not even his meds took the edge off her changes.

“I didn’t hire you,” he said through gritted teeth.

“I see you two have met,” Derek said, joining them in his office and slapping Kade on the back as he drew up beside him. “Think you can hold on to this one?”

Kade unclenched his jaw. “Did I miss the interview?” he asked.

“Lexie is Wade Parker’s daughter,” Derek said, naming their biggest backer and investor. “She needed a job, and you, my friend, need a personal assistant you can’t run off with your not-so-charming personality and demands.”

His eyes shot daggers at his partner, who knew full well he liked to choose his own PA, before glancing back at Lexie. She smiled and treated him to a small wave. His dick responded to her smile. The wave irritated the shit out of him.

He turned to face her. “Guess we’re stuck with each other.”

She smiled, and it brightened her entire face, lighting up incredibly blue eyes. Sky blue, his favorite color. “So what next?” she asked.

“Don’t touch my stuff without permission.”

She frowned, her eyes narrowing, drawing attention to her dark lashes. “How about you try my changes. If you don’t like them, I’ll put things back the way I found them.” She patted his chair, indicating he should sit.

Well, what do you know? She wasn’t intimidated by him.

He met her gaze and grinned, extending his hand. “Just ask before you touch my things next time.”

“Yes … sir.” They shook hands, and the feel of her soft flesh sent waves of desire rippling along his skin. He jerked his hand back quickly.

Derek chuckled. “I think you two will get along just fine.” He leaned in close and whispered in Kade’s ear. “And since she’s Wade’s daughter, you can trust her with your keys. You won’t have to pick up your own dry cleaning.” Another slap on the back, and he walked out the door.

“Would you like to make a list of what’s expected of me?” Lexie asked eagerly.

He groaned. A peppy, sexy personal assistant wasn’t what he’d had in mind. Of course, he’d run off the older woman before Lexie (too many personal errands for her taste), the young woman right out of college (she’d come on to him and looked like jailbait, and when he’d not-so-politely turned her down, she’d walked out on the spot), and another PA who hadn’t appreciated his request for coffee every morning. She’d said it went against her feminist sensibilities. He’d told her he didn’t give a shit and she’d quit.

Lucas claimed Kade had control and trust issues with women and drove them off on purpose. He was right about one thing. Kade didn’t trust most females. The first one in his life had abandoned him by choice, and the ones who’d come after had betrayed him. That didn’t just jade a man. It embedded an ugly truth deep in his psyche. Women either wanted something or would stab him in the back, one way or another.

His personal assistant, as much as he needed one, had the potential to get too close and intimately involved, at least in his private life. Add in the fact that the woman waiting for his instructions was beautiful, and things were destined to get complicated. But he needed the help, something Derek obviously knew. So Lexie Parker was his, at least for now.

“Let’s start with you giving my desk back.”

He cocked an eyebrow and waited for her to walk around the piece of furniture, providing a view of nice legs beneath her pencil skirt that ended just above the knee and an ass she knew how to sway as she walked. With the way his body tightened, her damned hem might as well hit mid-thigh.

Pissed at himself, he strode around her, catching a whiff of a warm, feminine scent he couldn’t name but would never forget.

“I’ll just go get a pen and paper,” she said.

“Here.” He handed her a yellow lined notepad and a pen, pulled from the holder she’d moved to the right side of his desk.

He gestured for her to sit before easing himself into his luxurious leather chair and tipping back, getting as comfortable as he could within the confines of his suit. He much preferred his well-worn jeans. He loosened his tie and undid the top button of his dress shirt, his gaze locking with hers. She’d been staring, watching his every move.

Caught, her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and she ducked her head, busied herself, making a

show of clicking the pen open and getting ready to take notes.

He steepled his fingers and began to rattle off his list of daily needs. “First things first. Coffee waiting for me at nine. I like it fresh, hot, black with three sugars. You’ll keep my schedule of meetings. I tend to forget without a reminder. You’ll accompany me to meetings, get a feel for this business and anything I’m currently working on. I need you fluent in tech.” He glanced over his fingers to find her writing quickly.