Dream Lover (2 page)

It was after six thirty by the time Quinn arrived home, grateful her first day working for Maxwell was over. Kicking off her shoes she slumped onto the sofa, she had not been under any illusions about working for the Chairman of Cordell & Smyth. It had been with great reluctance she had taken the temporary position in the first place. At least she now knew first hand why his previous personal assistants had been male; they were probably the only ones capable of standing up to him. But Maxwell Cordell was in for a surprise if he expected Quinn would stand and take the abuse he hurled at everyone he came in contact with, whether they deserved it or not, because no matter what she would stand her ground.

The one thing she hadn’t been prepared for was how handsome he was, he was very tall with dark hair, and his eyes were the colour of a clear blue sky. His face was sculptured perfection, if some one had asked her to sketch her image of the perfect handsome man Maxwell Cordell would have been hers.

Smudge her cat jumped up onto her lap nestled herself down against her thighs and proceeded to purr loudly. ‘Well Smudge I wonder what sort of day you have had?’ she asked her cat as she scratched her ears. ‘Better than mine I hope,’ she added with a sigh.

Smudge looked up at her mistress with one green eye before stretching her neck further back for another scratch, purring contentedly when she obliged.

Quinn’s evening passed much the same as usual, after placing a frozen meal in the oven she telephoned her mother to pass on and catch up with the family news. When her mother asked how she was getting on with her new boss she held back a sigh.

‘The jury is out at present,’ she told her with a small laugh, ‘I’ll let you know in a couple of weeks.’

Now her mother sighed, ‘Don’t let him bully you dear,’ she said not hiding the concern she felt.

‘I won’t mum, don’t you worry.’

As usual her mother fussed over her wanting to know had she had breakfast and lunch, what are you having for dinner?

‘Please stop fussing mum, the last thing I would do is go without my food!’ she laughed. ‘Talking of which my dinner should be ready now, I’ll ring before the weekend,’ she promised.

After feeding her cat and herself Quinn fell into bed and slept like a log, so much so she overslept the next morning and was unusually ten minutes late for work. Entering her office though her own door she was dismayed to find the adjoining door to Maxwell’s office open, she had hoped to get to her office before he missed her but the moment she walked in he bellowed through the open door.

‘Quinn get in here!’

‘Yes your majesty,’ she muttered stopping only to snatch up her pad and pen then almost leaping from her skin when she looked up to find him in the doorway.

The flicker of amusement in his eyes was quickly hidden. ‘If you are going to give me a title you might try curtsying in future,’ he drawled, ‘or at least touch your forelock when using it,’ he added as he walked away.

Determinedly holding back her apology she followed him into his office, although she did duck her head so as to hide her red cheeks from him should he turn, she was quite confident her face was as red as her jacket.

‘I don’t care one way or the other what you call me behind my back, to my face or within earshot I prefer Maxwell or Mr Cordell. Okay?’

‘Yes Mr Cordell,’ she refused to let him hear she was embarrassed he had heard her and spoke up clearly giving no hint of apology in her voice.

He sat behind his desk and narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, ‘Do you recall our conversation of yesterday?’ he tapped his fingers on the wide expanse of wood as he spoke before lifting one hand to pull his fingers through his thick hair.

Her mind scrambled about looking for just what it was he wanted her to remember, ‘Most of it, yes,’ she said hopefully, while determinedly ignoring the urge to smooth down his hair once more.

‘What about the bit about being late?’ he asked as he stopped drumming his fingers and looked pointedly at his watch.

‘The traffic was very heavy,’ she lied quickly, ‘also a car broke down in the bus lane,’ she added for good measure not flinching for one moment as he looked straight into her eyes, although she did cross her fingers out of sight.

‘Well leave earlier in future, I won’t tolerate lateness no matter whose fault it is,’ he narrowed his eyes at her for a moment. ‘Right let’s get down to work.’

Over the next hour he went over his itinerary for the next month, taking a deep breath she realised she was hardly going to have a day to call her own. She was to accompany him to conferences, functions and meetings in London, Paris and Belgium where he expected her to stay for anything up to a whole week with him.

He looked up quickly from his diary, ‘Are you married?’ he asked glancing quickly at her left hand, she shook her head, ‘boyfriend or girlfriend?’ when she gave him a wide-eyed look he added, ‘well you never know these days.’

‘No, no one, just my cat,’ she informed him.

He studied her for a moment before adding; ‘the company will foot the bill if you have to have it looked after… whatever.’

‘That won’t be necessary, thank you anyway,’ she smiled and he looked away quickly.

‘I expect you to dress accordingly for each of the functions we attend, the company has an account with a lady and gents outfitters that we use in the city centre, I just can’t recall the name, I’ll find it later,’ he scratched his chin for a moment. ‘Anyway go there see Monique she is in charge of our account. Just tell her where you are going and she will supply you with the correct dresses for day wear and evening wear.’

Before she could stop herself she gave a small laugh, ‘I can’t see Paul in a cocktail dress somehow.’

Maxwell Cordell was not amused, ‘You have a smart mouth Quinn you’d do well to keep it shut,’ he glared at her while he spoke, obviously not pleased at her attempts making a joke with him.

‘Sorry, I was trying to joke it won’t happen again, and while we are on the subject of....’

Almost as though he sensed she was going to object to the company buying her clothes, he cut in quickly. ‘Your predecessors used the facility I expect you to without argument,’ the tone of his voice told her not to dare argue. ‘We will be mixing with some very influential people you will need to dress accordingly,’ he finished before concentrating on their forthcoming arrangements once more.

The following day Quinn obeyed his orders and went along to be fitted out for her trip to London. Monique was an elegant attractive woman in her mid-forties, ‘I have been expecting you, Mr Cordell has already been in touch,’ she explained when Quinn introduced herself.

Quinn saw this as the perfect opportunity to find out if he did insist on buying clothes for his p.a. ‘Oh yes, you will be mixing with some very influential people,’ she explained using the same term he had. ‘Mr Cordell is very generous with his allowance.’ Monique looked her over assessing her size and what style would suit her best. ‘I have a number of outfits which will be suitable, if you go through to the changing room I will bring them in for you to try on.’

Monique chose four dresses in all, two for day wear with matching jackets and two for evening. When Quinn saw the bill it was hard to keep her eyes from falling from her head and when she questioned Monique she told her it was well within the budget.

Quinn returned from her shopping trip and had only been back at her desk about twenty minutes when all hell let loose; one of the junior typists had been entrusted with a report to type for the Chairman. Unfortunately the girl had spelt his name wrong not once but twice.

‘Quinn!’ Maxwell yelled through the open door.

She sighed didn’t the man understand how to use the telephone or the intercom system she wondered, ‘Coming Mr Cordell,’ she murmured as she picked up her pen and pad. She refused to rush, even though he had told her on more than one occasion to lengthen her step, ‘
you’ve got long legs use them
,’ he had instructed her. She had almost told him to stop looking at her legs but quickly thought better of it.

‘Find out who….’ he sorted through the papers scattered across his desk, ‘find out who BS is in the typing pool, send her to personnel she is to be dismissed.’

Quinn arched one perfectly shaped brow, ‘I think its Beth Simons, why has she done something wrong?’ she asked, thinking some dreadful misdemeanour had been committed.

Maxwell picked up two sheets of paper, ‘my name is mentioned twice in this report, that stupid girl has spelt it wrong both times,’ he complained while pointing at the offending mistake on the paper. Quinn tried without success to hide her smile, ‘Some thing amusing you Quinn?’ he asked testily.

‘No, nothing, but don’t you think it’s a little over the top to sack her because she spelt your name wrong?’ She asked unable to keep the look of disbelief from her face.

‘Don’t you dare question me about what I do, or you’ll be going on the same trip!’ he snapped. ‘Now go and find her,’ he demanded throwing the sheets of paper across the desk, ‘and get that report retyped.’

Unable to hold her tongue Quinn rounded on him, ‘Don’t you want to have her publicly flogged first?’ she snapped pushing the papers back on the desk as they threatened to spill onto the floor. ‘We could assemble the masses…’

Maxwell Cordell shot from his seat and around his desk before she could even think of moving, ‘Just who the hell do you think you are talking too?’ he demanded, closing one large hand tightly around the top her arm and shaking her vigorously.

‘I think I’m talking to someone who is over reacting to a junior spelling his name wrong,’ she shook her arm free of his grasp, ‘and someone who is going to be without a p.a. if he ever manhandles me again!’ She told him glaring up in to his angry face.

Blue eyes clashed dangerously with golden eyes, both pairs of eyes flashed with temper.

‘There are plenty of other personal assistants who could do the job just as well as you,’ he snapped, while trying and failing not to notice how soft the skin on her wrist was. Soft warm silk was all he could think of.

Quinn gave a short harsh laugh, ‘No one else will work for you, I drew the short straw,’ she lied, not caring if she lost her job or not, the man was a bully.

For just one split second he looked taken aback but then quickly composed himself, ‘Get that report redone and stay out of my sight.’

‘Pleasure,’ she said turning on her heel and walking slowly away from him, she never made it through her door before he caught up with her; he didn’t touch her this time but stood blocking the doorway with his body.

‘Meaning?’ he asked crossing his arms over his broad chest, his eyes flashed a dangerous glint, a warning of not to push him any further than she already had.

She looked straight up into his eyes, ‘You asked me to get the report retyped, and I replied,
pleasure
, meaning just that. What did you think I meant?’ she asked her eyes not flickering from his for a moment.

For an instant a hint of amusement flashed across his eyes and his firm mouth twitched. Uncrossing his arms he stood aside, ‘Get on with it,’ he muttered something more under his breath as he walked away but she couldn’t hear and didn’t question him, although it did cross her mind to.

Quinn walked slowly to her desk a smile tugging at her generous mouth, she really did enjoy winding Maxwell Cordell up and she had too, and he looked fit to burst a blood vessel.

CHAPTER TWO

Later that afternoon Paul rang Quinn from his hospital bed, ‘How are you and Maxwell getting along?’ he asked.

‘Oh like oil and water,’ she told him with a laugh, ‘do you know he wanted to sack one of the junior typists because she spelt his name wrong?’

Paul laughed, ‘That sounds about right, just tell him it’s been done he never checks up, but for God’s sake don’t argue with him,’ he fell silent for a moment, ‘you didn’t did you?’

‘Someone has to stand up to him,’ she explained, ‘I don’t know how you work for him, he’s a bully,’ she added with feeling.

‘He’s okay really; you just have to know how to handle him. He really is a good boss to work for and has a very good sense of humour.’

Quinn laughed loudly, ‘You must be joking, he wouldn’t laugh if he saw chairs walk, just get well soon will you so I can go back to my own job,’ she pleaded.

After speaking to Quinn for a while longer Paul then asked to be put through to Maxwell. When she heard Maxwell laughing she was surprised, she couldn’t imagine him sharing a joke with anyone, no matter what Paul said about him having a good sense of humour. She would have been even more surprised to learn that she was the reason for his laughter.

Later that night her friend Sophie rang the two laughed women hysterically as she repeated the incident back to her. ‘You should have seen his face I thought he was going to have a heart attack.’

‘So what is he like?’ Sophie wanted to know.

‘What besides being a slave driver?’ She laughed before telling her, ‘too handsome for words, very tall and broad, with dark hair…beautiful blue eyes, nice firm jaw line’ she paused a moment, ‘oh yes and bad mannered, rude…what?’ she asked when Sophie started to laugh.