The Billionaire and the Assistant (The Billionaires 3)

Prologue

Previously…

16 December

I must have drunk too much scotch the night we placed that douche of a wager. It was that damn Aidan Hall’s fault.

There we were enjoying a civilized meal when he started whining about the fact me and H were discussing our kids.

“Hey. Can we talk about something else now, man? Your son’s the most beautiful thing I ever saw but let’s talk sports or some other shit.” He complained to H.

I’d guffawed. “Oh, Aidan. You have all this to come.”

Aidan had shook his head in protest. “I really can’t see it, not for me. I’ve met plenty of women I’ve liked well enough but the big old ‘L’ word, it’s never happened to me.”

Sighing, I took a drink of my scotch and then rubbed the spiky ends of my salt and pepper hair. We were quite a trio. There was me at forty-eight, the father of a twenty-four-year old daughter and a past involving a nightmare ex-wife who made the Housewives of New York look like sweet little puppies. An ex-wife who was still causing me problems years after our divorce. Then there was Henry, forty; and Aidan, the baby of the group at twenty-nine. We were all businessmen. I owned several businesses under my surname King’s, including residential properties, nightclubs and a business school. Aidan owned a sex club he’d bought from H, and an adult movie company, GoDown Productions. H had sold everything apart from a house in Manhattan and one in the Hampton’s and continued to work for me as a Consultant for my property business.

“Out with it, Eli. When you rub that stubble we know there’s something on your mind, old man.” Aidan commented.

I raised a middle finger at him.

“Just the one thing on your mind then?” He winked at me.

“My ex-wife is getting remarried.” I told them.

“Hallefuckingluyah.” Aidan yelled and H clapped. They knew what she was like.

“Yes, well she’s getting married in January and she’s decided that in the spirit of being amicable around our daughter that I’ve to attend, and bring a plus one.” I rubbed my chin again. “Basically, she wants to show off that she’s met a multi-billionaire who’s better for her than I ever was.”

“Just say you can’t make it.” H advised me. “If she’s so madly in love she’ll not even notice you’re there.”

“Brianna is putting the guilt on, ‘Daddy, I never see you. It would be so nice if you and Mommy could finally put your differences aside’. I loved my daughter but Christ she took after her mother. “She’ll just want to hit me up for money and then I’ll not hear from her again until her bank account runs dry once more.” I sighed.

Years ago, I’d fallen in love with whom I’d believed to be a sweet, lovely woman, but once the ring was on her finger and she’d gotten pregnant, she’d become a society climbing backstabber, who had to have the best of everything amongst her friends; an unrealistic ambition when some had royal connections. She’d basically made my life a misery until she divorced me when Brianna was ten. I’d discovered she was having an affair with a Sheikh and had several properties in her portfolio that I’d not put there. It was an understatement to say it had been an ugly and messy divorce. Katrina had moved to Los Angeles, creating a distance between me and Brianna and making our daughter so spoiled that I’d despaired.

“You’re gonna have to suck it up then and take a date with you. Preferably someone like twenty years younger than Katrina. No amount of plastic surgery is going to let her compete with a nubile young woman.” Aidan said.

My goddamn face flushed as I thought of her. I’d picked up my scotch again and taken a sip. Dare I ask them about her? Would it be obvious why?

We’d talked business for a while and then I’d thought well it was now or never. “Have any of you ever picked up any gossip about my Assistant, Alexandra? You know, about her love life. Just, you know, I don’t really like asking and she could have a celebration coming up, an engagement or similar. She’s worked for me a few years now, it would be bad of me to miss such a thing.”

“She’s married, Eli, to the love of her life. Used to be a fitness model.” Aidan told me.

I fucking knew it. I’d left it too late. My shoulders slumped.

“Joking.” Aidan nudged me with my elbow. “Out with it. You have a crush on your Assistant?”

Shit. Keep cool, Eli, keep cool. Let Aidan have even a hint of your attraction and he’ll run with that ball until he scores a goal. He was that kind of a guy. I sighed. “No. I just had it pointed out to me that Alexandra might like me. I was just working out if there’s any basis to that.”

“Who told you that?” H asked.

“Haley from Green’s. She saw us together at a party a couple years ago.”

“A couple of years ago? And you did nothing about it? Fuck, Eli. What’s the matter with you?” Aidan said exasperated.

“If Haley said it, I’d say there was probably some truth to it.” Nodded H. “She’s lovely, that girl. No mean side to her at all. So genuine.”

“Yes, well I find it hard to believe seeing as I’m forty-eight and Alexandra is twenty-nine. My daughter is not much younger than her, goddamn it.”

“Well, Eli, I think you have your answer. The lovely Alexandra could be your plus-one to your ex-wife’s wedding. If she hasn’t given up all hope by now and joined a convent. All you have to do is find your balls and ask her.” Aidan shook his head at me.

At this point I ordered another round of scotch. I couldn’t ask her out. Could I?

“So, I hope I can count on you both to come to the relaunch of the Club next month?” Aidan said.

“Yes, Amelia can’t wait for an evening out. She says we might visit one of the rooms to play so I’m definitely coming.” H said.

“Good to see the support for your fellow businessman.” Aidan quipped.

“He’s pussy whipped, or wants the opportunity to whip the pussy. You selling whips?” I chuckled. “

Anyway, I’ll be there. Purely to see your up and running empire. I won’t be partaking. No offense but sex in public just isn’t my thing.”

“No offense taken, old man. There’s no one wants to see your wrinkly dick.” He laughed. Cheeky bastard. I wasn’t that old.

“I think a whip needs taking to your ass, boy, only not in a sexual way. Don’t cheek your elders.” I couldn’t help a small smirk curling the edge of my top lip.

“Why don’t you bring Alexandra with you to the launch? See what she thinks to it?”

“Not a cat in hell’s chance. I’ll be flying solo that night.”

“Pussy.”

“Yes, I should imagine I’ll see lots of it.” I raised an eyebrow at Aidan. It was time to turn the tables on our young Mr. Hall.

I patted H on the back. “I think we should look around, H, and see if we can’t find a woman for our Aidan here. He needs someone to keep him in line, dontcha think?”

“It’ll happen to him when he’s least expecting it.” H replied.

Aidan protested. “No way. I’m still young. No intention of settling down any time soon. I’m still empire building. No woman will want to be stuck at home while I’m out at my sex club.”

“Why would they be stuck at home?” I queried.