The Billionaire and the Assistant (The Billionaires 3)

“Hey, sit down. What’s wrong?” He asked. “Whatever it is that’s upsetting you. We’ll sort it, okay? If you’ve heard a strange rumor about me, then seriously forget it. I wouldn’t want to upset you.”

“Well you are upsetting me.” I yelled. Oh my God, did I really just do that? I yelled at my boss. Now I really was having my contract terminated. “Are you gonna fire me?” I eventually managed to get out in a quieter voice.

Eli’s jaw dropped to the floor. “Of course not. Where on earth have you got that idea from? You’re the best assistant there is. I wouldn’t be able to function without you around. You’re going nowhere, Alex, if it’s up to me. Of course, if you decide to move on then I wouldn’t try to stop you from living your life, but I’d be devastated.” He coughed again. “Professionally that is, although I’d miss you too of course. You know your personality. Er, that you’re a nice person.”

He took a gulp of his coffee.

The morning was getting stranger.

“So I’m not getting fired?”

“No! Whatever gave you that idea?”

“You said you needed five minutes.” I realized then how very stupid I sounded. The guy had just asked for five minutes alone time. Maybe he’d needed to make a private phone call. He could even have needed to scratch his ass and wanted to do it in private. I had totally overreacted.

I bit my lip. Why couldn’t I rewind this morning and start over? I had totally embarrassed myself.

“And that made you think I was going to fire you?” He scratched the stubble on his jaw. “Is there something you need to tell me that I might want to fire you for?”

“No!”

“Well, I have no intention of firing you. I just needed five minutes. I was a little out of breath as I’d rushed in this morning.”

“Oh, okay. Well would you like your messages now?” I said, and I tried to get the morning back to normal. It hadn’t escaped my attention though seeing that I was used to scrutinizing Eli that he hadn’t been the slightest bit out of breath when he’d arrived at the office.

Something weird was going on.

Eli

Oh my fucking God. For one awful minute I thought she knew about the wager. Knew I was going to ask her on a date, and dreading that happening and having to reject me, she’d hovered in the doorway not wanting to come in. How could I possibly ask her on a date? Let’s be reasonable here. I was nineteen years older than her. Nineteen! Her father could be the same age as me for all I knew. She wouldn’t want to date an old man. Also she might sue me for sexual harassment or something. Then tell her father, who I’m now imagining being an Army vet who will come to the office and kick my ass. Then I’ll have no assistant and more importantly I’d never see Alexandra again. Wouldn’t it be better that I continued to admire her from afar and wished her the best in life? For her to meet a young virile husband who could make her happy and give her lots of babies?

I flinched as the pencil I had in my fingers snapped in half. There was no way I could let another man get their hands on Alex. She was mine goddamn it. My mind went there, imagining all the lovers she’d probably had while under employment at King’s Enterprises and my neck tensed so much I could feel a headache starting.

My cell buzzed, and I took it from my pocket.

Aidan Hall: You asked her yet? Course you haven’t, you’re a pussy. Meanwhile I’ve been balls deep in Lori’s.

Motherfucking smart ass. Yet I couldn’t help but be amused by his text and touched by the fact that he’d checked in to see if I’d asked yet. Aidan kept telling me I deserved happiness and that I needed to find out once and for all if Alex was attracted to me. Haley, my Realtor at Green’s, had said she was, but that had been a couple years back. Plus where had been Haley’s proof? She’d put it down to how Alex had looked at me. Alex could have just been thinking I was pathetic that night at PlayKing’s when we were celebrating the partnership with Green’s. It could have been a look of pity on her face, or just general happiness for me that I’d secured such a great deal.

Every bloody day for the last four years I’d been coming into work, as early as possible to see my assistant. I’d deliberately made meetings run late, so she had to stay out with me in an evening, knowing that any social plans she’d made she would have to cancel. I couldn’t get enough of her, but I couldn’t tell her either.

That well known phrase came into my mind. Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

I wasn’t sure. If I lost her because she accused me of being a goddamn pervert, how was that better? It looked like I was going to be waging a war with myself all day about asking her out.

Then, I had a lightbulb moment! Of course! She came out with me on late business meetings. What if I set one up, but the client didn’t arrive? Because there wouldn’t really be a client. I sat with my chin in my hands because Alex took charge of bookings so how would I work that out? Fuck, I’d have to call her and pretend to be someone else, change my voice. Then we’d go out for the business dinner and the client wouldn’t arrive because of course he didn’t in fact exist and then me and Alex would have dinner. It would be a date! She wouldn’t know it but it would be. I texted Aidan back.

Elias King: Not asked yet but I’m just arranging a venue.

He texted back within a minute.

Aidan Hall: I’m watching you. If you don’t ask her by the end of the week I’m sending Lori in to sound her out.

Elias King: I’m gonna ask. Quit busting my balls.

Aidan Hall: Just trying to get someone else on em for ya.

I walked through to where Alex was busy typing up a report. “I’m just popping out, Alex. Do you want anything?”