Beck and Call

Beck And Call

by

Abby Gordon

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Beck And Call

COPYRIGHT  2010 by Abby Gordon

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [email protected] Cover Art by
Angela Anderson
The Wild Rose Press

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com Publishing History

First Scarlet Rose Edition, March 2010

Published in the United States of America
Dedication

To my sons, for their unwavering support.

To Kathleen, for not letting me give up.

To Angela, for her willingness to read what literally started out as a dream.

Chapter One

Through the partially opened door, Keith MacLauren heard laughter.

Again.

This was intolerable! He was the CEO of one of the nation’s, if not the world’s, most advanced and innovative computer software companies, and he couldn’t get a moment’s peace because every person in his company felt compelled to stop by his assistant’s desk.

Hearing the voices of two board members, Keith scowled and stood. Striding to the door, he flung it aside and prepared to lash out at the two dozen people crowded in the outer office.

His mouth gaped, while his eyes took in the scene. His brain managed to snap his jaw shut before a single syllable slipped past his lips.

A birthday cake sat on Serena’s desk, along with several wrapped presents. Nearly every surface around the room sprouted large bouquets.

Keith’s angry eyes flashed to the blushing face of his assistant of nearly two years.

****

Serena bit her bottom lip nervously. Oh, he was pissed! At her. His dark blue eyes were rarely calm, but now they were so stormy they seemed to crash with thunder. Why his anger was focused on her, she had no idea. It certainly hadn’t been her idea for everyone to traipse in and out all day. She’d never told anyone about her birthday, much less how old she was. Thirty. Why on earth would she be happy to be thirty?

Yes, she had accomplished quite a bit by 1

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completing her MBA and becoming executive assistant to the CEO. But, and it was a big
but
, she thought she’d be married and have two point five kids, a minivan, and be as blissfully happy as her sisters-in-law. But then she met Keith. She was amazed that someone only five years older than herself could have such presence, such charisma, such a potent force. Since then, Keith MacLauren had become the star of every intimate fantasy. She’d dated other men, but kept comparing them to Keith.

That morning, after her mother’s call had revolved around marriage and babies, she had given herself a stern lecture about getting over the infatuation with her boss and move on with her life.

Bosses, especially CEO’s, did not have intimate relations with their assistants. That only happened in fluffy romance novels.

Serena took a deep breath and gathered her courage. She’d been with the company for nearly eight years, working her way up from an entry-level clerk to the executive assistant to the CEO. She’d been careful not to step on any toes, even as she made it clear she wanted to go as far as she could. It was obvious that a large number of people in the company liked her.

There was nothing to be ashamed of in having so many want to wish her happy birthday, dammit.

Just because Keith was in the dark about her was no reason to get pissed. He’d made it very clear in her initial interview that professional and personal lives shouldn’t mix. Even if she’d disagreed, knowing that at some point the two intersected, she’d followed his rules. In her mind, he was losing out on quite a bit distancing himself from those he spent so much time with.

“Hello, Keith,” she said, pleased her voice was steady. “The conference call is in twenty minutes.”

“We’ll be out of her hair in ten,” added a former 2

Beck And Call

boss.

A young assistant, who had interned two years earlier and been taken under Serena’s wing, lit the candles.

Serena shook her head and sighed.

“Honestly, Claire, did you have to put thirty on it?”

Gleaming white teeth flashed as she finished and shook the match out with a flourish.

“Come on, quick,” she urged. “Blow them out before the fire department arrives.” Giving the younger woman a withering look, Serena took a couple deep breaths and blew out the candles. To applause, she laughed and gave a mocking bow. Taking the large knife from Claire, she made the first cut.

“Okay, someone else take over,” she smiled, returning the knife to Claire. “And take this away so I don’t eat the entire thing.”

“Like you need to worry about that,” replied Claire. “I’d kill to have your figure.”

“When you’re thirty?” drawled Serena.

“Now,” came the grimace as Claire glanced down at her own lush curves.

Keith watched the interaction. Hiding his impatience with his usual impassive expression, he leaned against the doorframe. He caught a couple glances from those who didn’t fear reprisal. So he hadn’t known it was his assistant’s birthday, much less her age. That didn’t make him a bad person or boss. It just meant that he had other priorities. Did these people know that he made sure she had the highest bonus of the entire administrative staff? It was only fitting that, as his right-hand, she receive more. Personal information had nothing to do with the workplace.

After ten minutes, Serena literally shooed everyone out, making sure Claire took the rest of the 3

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cake so no one else came to her office. She then picked up the phone and punched in several numbers.

“Tom? It’s Serena.” She smiled and shook her head. “Thank you. I don’t think it’s hit yet. I was wondering if you could handle the flowers that were delivered. There’s no way I can take them all home with me.” She nodded. “That would be great. I’ll call security and tell them to send Charlie and Bob up.

Thanks.”

“Well, that’s something I’ve never seen,” Keith drawled after she’d called the security desk in the building’s lobby.

“You’ve never seen a birthday party before?” she replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Not quite,” he muttered. “I’ve never seen a woman give away flowers. Who are you giving them to?”

“The Hospice of Saint Benedict’s.”

“A hospice?” he stared at her. “Why?” Startled,

Serena

looked

hurt

and

then

embarrassed.

“My grandfather lived there for over a year until he died six months ago.”

Keith held his breath and tried to hold onto his temper. He hadn’t known her birthday or her age.

And now she tells him her grandfather had died—

she’d never said a word.

“And you didn’t tell me?” he said quietly. He knew he emphasized keeping personal things out of the office, but something like this? How could she not have mentioned it? “So to thank them for his care you send them your flowers?” She shook her head.

“I volunteer on Sundays and spend most holidays there.”

“You’re serious?” Keith shook his head in disbelief. “You enjoy being around people so much 4

Beck And Call

older than you.”

“Yes,” she nodded. A small smile curved her pale pink lips. “I listen to their stories. They’ve taught me that life is too precious to waste a moment. That we have to remember to feel.” He saw sadness flicker in her eyes. “That we should put relationships first.”

“I do that and the company suffers,” he muttered.

“You’re the CEO,” she reminded him with a smile. “That’s your job, but I’d bet you could manage if you wanted.”

Keith was quiet a long moment considering what she’d said.

“I guess,” he shrugged. “Sounds like you spend a lot of time over there. I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman who did something so selfless.”

“Really?” Serena sat down and tapped quickly at her keyboard. “I’m not surprised, especially considering that last woman and a couple others.”

“You didn’t like Charlotte?”

She shivered as if she didn’t even like to hear the name.

“Keith, please! The woman was more two-faced than Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!”

“What

are

you

talking

about?”

The

uncharacteristic harshness in her voice had to be because—he hated to think of something so cliché—

she was turning thirty. He’d heard that women got emotional at big birthdays. “What did she do?”

“Keith, she treated anyone worth less than twenty million to a cold shoulder that could have sunk the Titanic!” Glancing up, Serena’s green eyes met his gaze. She caught her full bottom lip with her upper teeth and relented. “I’m sure she was wonderful to be around.”

But Keith was reeling from her words. He couldn’t remember Serena saying an unkind or unflattering word about anyone. Period. Even when 5

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she’d had more than enough reason to. This was more than just about her birthday. Which could only mean that Charlotte and some of his other girlfriends had hit hard and deep at his usually calm and impassive assistant. He felt like twelve different kinds of fools.

“In other words, she was a first-class actress and a bitch when I wasn’t around, right?” Grimacing, she slowly nodded.

“Sorry.”

“I thought I knew women,” he muttered. He couldn’t believe he’d been fooled like that. Serena had said ‘a couple others.’ Keith had a feeling she meant a lot more. Who else had fooled him so well?

He wouldn’t be able to trust a damn thing any of them said. “I thought I was a better judge of character.”

“You only knew her in a social setting.

Surrounded by people she wanted to impress.”

“I wonder how many others I’ve been wrong about.”

“You’re human, Keith. We’re all wrong about people.”

For a long moment, he just stood there, staring at her. Then her phone rang, and he turned and entered his office.

****

Entering her apartment, Serena leaned against the door and closed her eyes. Birthdays ending in a zero were a bitch and should be outlawed. She didn’t know what she’d thought would happen that day.

Sighing, she shook her head and stared at the small masterpiece highlighted by the timed spotlight.

Yeah, she did know. Deep down inside, she had dreamed that Keith would be overcome with emotion or…she didn’t know what.

With a groan of frustration she headed straight for her bedroom and changed. With all the pent-up 6

Beck And Call

emotions, she was going to need one helluva workout if she wanted any sleep tonight.

Climbing on her treadmill, she started at a walk. Her brain went over the conversation after she’d called Tom. She stopped walking. Grabbing the side rails, she jumped her feet off the track. Pushing pause, she frowned recalling his words and expressions. Had she imagined it? Keith was always strong and powerful, in absolute control, but her comments about Charlotte and his other girlfriends had caught him by surprise. In a rare moment, he let his guard down and allowed her to see his vulnerability. At the same time, she winced, he had probably been able to see her emotions just as much.