Her Godfather: A Dark Romance (With FREE Bonus Book: Trapped In His World) (9 page)

Chapter Two

I stand looking at myself in a full-length mirror at the Grand Oak Country Club. I’m absolutely horrified. The dress I have on is without a doubt beautiful. It is a long, strapless apple satin fit and flare dress. But it leaves little of my curves to the imagination, emphasizing my ample bosom and stretching tightly across my generous hips. I groan out loud. I really don’t think I can muster up enough courage to leave this room. I suppose I have to at some point though. Chloe is waiting on me to help her get ready. I draw in a deep breath and head out to the adjoining room.

I enter to find Chloe fussing with her dress. She fans off another bridesmaid who is attempting to assist her. She spots me in the mirror. “Navia, thank God you’re here. Help me get this thing on. I’m a nervous wreck. I think I might throw up my breakfast any second now. I knew I shouldn’t have eaten anything this morning. Look at you, you look gorgeous. I don’t think I’m going to look as good as you do in my gown. I should have gotten another dress.”

I rush forward to take over before she does serious damage to her gown. “OK hon, take a breath and calm down.” I have always known Chloe to get a little too chatty when she is nervous. “Your gown is absolutely perfect, and you will look incredible. You are just experiencing a bad case of nerves right now.” I finally get her into the dress and zip up the back. I turn her to the mirror and her eyes light up, just like I knew they would once she saw herself in the gown. “See? Perfect.”

A broad smile spreads across Chloe’s face, “You’re right, honey, it is. I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t look great. I tried the damn thing on a thousand times before today.” I smile. Her case of nerves has gone right out the window.

“You look like a beautiful princess right out of the fairy tales, Chloe.” I can’t help but wonder if I will ever get to put on a white gown.

As if reading my thoughts, Chloe smiles at me. “Pretty soon you will be the one in the white gown.”

I snort inwardly. It most definitely will not happen in the near future. The guy that I am seeing on and off can’t even be considered a boyfriend. We got out once in a while and we have slept together a few times. As I look at my best friend, I feel a pang of guilt. I might have given Chloe the impression that things were more serious between us than they actually are. She has met him twice, and she is convinced that he and I are in love. I chose not to let her think otherwise, or she will get it in her head that she needs to play cupid and find me a man. “Um… maybe not too soon,” I say. “Well, you are all set, let’s get you married, missy.”

*

The country club is packed with people I have never met. How many people do Seth and Chloe know, anyway? It seems like everyone in the state of New York is here. I pull at my dress as I wait for the other bridesmaids to make it down the aisle.  “Stop fidgeting,” Chloe hisses from behind me. “You’re making me nervous.”

I turn around. I smile at Chloe’s father standing beside her before I focus my gaze on her. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it. Why are there so many people here? Do you even know half of them?”

She rolls her eyes, “Of course not. Most of them are Seth’s family, friends and coworkers. I can’t believe how many people he invited from work.”

“Where is your boss, by the way? You said you invited him.” I would like to see him so I could get a slight idea of what I will be in for Monday morning.

“He is around here somewhere. I spotted him earlier. Turn around, you’re up.”

I gasp and whirl around.
Crap!
It’s my turn to walk all by myself, with all eyes on me. It sure seems a long way, now that it’s actually time for me to make the journey. I gulp and tighten my fingers around the lovely bouquet in my hands. I’m surprised I haven’t crushed it. I take a deep breath and step forward. All eyes are trained on me as I walk slowly down the passage.
Please don’t fall, please don’t fall
, I chant. My heart is going a thousand beats per minute. I groan inwardly as I notice the lascivious once-over glances that are thrown my way from a few of the male guests. I finally come to the end of my walk to stand beside the other bridesmaids. I let out a low relieved breath and turn to watch my best friend walk down the aisle, accompanied by her father.

I smile when she meets my gaze and winks. I sneak a peek at the groom. He is looking at his approaching bride with stars in his eyes. I am hit with a feeling of longing. When will a man look at me with so much love? The right man for me has to be out there somewhere. I just need to be patient. I sigh inwardly. Patience has never been my strong suit. The perfect man could be among the guests here this afternoon. I scan the crowd idly. As if by a magnetic pull, my gaze locks with mesmerizing blue. My breath hitches in my chest. The man looking at me is incredibly good-looking. As a matter of fact, he is gorgeous. He stares at me with a burning intensity that causes my toes to curl in my strappy heels. I feel flushed, yet the way he looks at me causes me to shiver. My gaze lowers to the perfectly manicured hand placed possessively on his arm. Standing beside him is a tall, stunning blonde. She looks like a supermodel.

Laying eyes on his gorgeous companion, the trance that I seemed to be in quickly breaks. I shake my head slightly and return my attention to Chloe. I’m surprised to see that she has already reached the altar and is standing next to her groom. I quickly move to adjust the train of her gown behind her. I make a terrible maid of honor. I wasn’t even paying attention to the bride. I try to ignore the mysterious man’s presence, but I can’t forget how his eyes bore into me and the fact that he looks like a Greek god. I can still feel his eyes on me and I am tempted to look back at him, but I fight the urge. I wonder who he is. He must be a friend of Seth’s. If he were a part of Chloe’s circle, I’m sure I would have noticed him before. The man is pretty hard to miss.

I listen as Chloe and Seth recite their vows, and my heart melts at how they stare into each other’s eyes lovingly. The mysterious man creeps into my mind. What would it be like to have someone like him stare lovingly into my eyes? I’m utterly sure I would swoon. But that can never happen. The blonde beside him would make sure of that. He is way out of my league anyway. I could never land a man like him. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” The priest’s voice penetrates my thoughts. I blink. Wow, the ceremony is over already? I spent the whole time thinking about a man whose name I don’t even know.

The crowd proceeds to the reception area. The bridal party is seated at a long table at the front of the room. At this point, I wish I could disappear at will. I push the salmon around on my plate, not feeling hungry at all. I am way too nervous sitting before so many people to even think about food. I start to fidget with my dress again, pulling at the top to somehow get it to cover up a bit more of my cleavage. Of course, my attempt is futile. I notice Chloe looking my way and smile. “Congrats, Mrs. Decker,” I whisper to her.

She beams at me, “Thanks, love, I just love the sound of my new name. And you didn’t do too badly, by the way.”

I let out an exaggerated sigh, “I’m just glad I didn’t fall on my face. Now, if I could only make myself invisible until the reception is over, I would be one happy girl.” I pull at the top of my dress again.

Chloe rolls her eyes, “Get over your shyness already. Look at you; you’re positively sexy in that dress. You should be flaunting your goods.”

My eyebrows go skyward, “
My goods?
Uh, I think I will refrain from flaunting anything of mine, thank you.”

Before she can comment, Seth leans over, “Hey babe, it’s time for our first dance.” Chloe takes his hand and they head to the dance floor. There is a murmur of “
aws”
from the crowd as the newlyweds whirl around the dance floor. Pretty soon others join in, throwing the celebration into full swing. I sit awkwardly as the other members of the bridal party disappear from the table.

“Hi, would you like to dance?” I look up to find one of the groomsmen smiling at me.

He is young and quite good-looking. But of course I refuse. “Um, no thanks, I don’t really dance.” He seems disappointed but nods curtly. I watch him walk away, on the quest to find another partner. I can’t picture myself out there dancing. For one, I’m not very good at it and I’m a total klutz. I have two left feet. I should disappear before anyone gets it in their head to ask me to dance. I think it’s because I look so damn pitiful, sitting at the table by myself. I grab my glass of champagne and ease out of my chair. It is high time I pull the disappearing act until Chloe needs me. I push my way through the dancing crowd, finally making my way outside.

The spring air is refreshing and I fill my lungs with it. I’m relieved to be away from so many people. I take a sip from my glass and lean against the wall. I feel a presence behind me. I turn abruptly to apologize, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone else was out here.” The words die on my lips when I realize who it is. I let out a small gasp. It’s
him
. It’s the extremely handsome man I made eye contact with during the ceremony.

“It all right, no worries,” he says, his deep baritone voice washing over me. It is like the sound of the smooth, deep voice caresses my skin. His eyes bore into me as I stand gaping up at him. His lips twitch slightly and I blush. He must think I’m a complete idiot. My mouth is probably hanging open.

“Uh, I-I’ll go back in and give you your space,” I stammer while turning to leave.

“I said it is OK, you don’t have to leave. There is more than enough room out here for the both of us.” I study his serious demeanor from beneath my lashes. He really is a fine specimen of a man. His compelling blue eyes border on a sea green shade. They seem like they can penetrate so deeply that he can see into my soul. His strong nose is set above a mouth that has a fuller bottom lip than the top. His lips seem to be twisted in an almost wicked smirk. His bronzed complexion and windblown black hair give him a rugged look.  I feel tiny next to his tall frame. I estimate him to be about six feet and two inches compared to my five feet three inches.

There is a dangerous air about him. It is in the way he watches me as though h were stalking prey.  I get the impression that he can be sensual and he can be cruel. I should walk away and go back inside, but I am rooted to the ground in front of him. It is like he has me hypnotized with his eyes. I wonder where his model-like girlfriend is. She is nowhere to be seen. I swallow hard when his gaze runs from my face downward to swipe over my silhouette.

I am suddenly very self-conscious and I start to move away. His words stop me, “Why have you left the party? Aren’t you having fun?”

“Uh, sure, but I just needed some air.” Actually, I’m really not enjoying myself. The whole thing is not really my scene. “What about you? What brings you out here away from the celebration?”
What took you away from your girlfriend?
is really what I want to ask.

His lips lift slightly, “I don’t like crowds very much.” Well, we have that in common. I can’t believe I am standing outside of a party, chatting with a man who looks like he can grace the cover of a man’s magazine. The champagne must have boosted my courage and self-confidence.  Before I can muster up the courage to ask him who he is, he completely startles me. “Dance with me.” Huh? I stare up at him, wondering if I heard him correctly. He takes my hand.

“Oh uh, I-I’m not really good at dancing.” I try to pull my hand away but he does not release me. He takes the now empty glass from my hand and places it in a nearby flowerpot. He pulls me closer to him and his masculine scent assails my senses. I must be dreaming. The most gorgeous man I have ever laid eyes on just asked me to dance. Well, he didn’t really ask, it was more of a command. But who cares at this point?

“It’s OK, just follow my movements.” His hand rests on the small of my back and I shiver. He stares down at me intensely and I feel the urge to run away. There is something dark about him, and something ominous present in his gaze, but for some reason I can’t bring myself to pull away. We sway to the sound of a slow beat coming from inside. My throat feels overly dry and I am finding it difficult to catch my breath. The stranger’s proximity is doing weird things to my insides. I can’t even think straight. “What’s your name?” he asks softly.

In a daze, I attempt to answer. I am surprised I even remember my own name. “N-Nav—,” I stammer, but I am interrupted by a female voice.

“There you are, darling. I wondered where you disappeared to.” I turn to see his blonde companion from earlier. She is staring daggers at me. If looks could kill, I would very surely meet my demise in that instant, I quickly pull away from my dark, mysterious dance partner. “Aren’t you ready to go?” she purrs.

“I-I’m going back inside, nice to meet you… sir.” I walk off in a hurry, not bothering to look up at him or in the direction of the giant blonde. I hate confrontation and I want to get away from the hateful stare the woman gives me. I sigh in relief when I am inside. I sag against the wall. I didn’t even get his name. It doesn’t matter anyway. I will most likely never lay eyes on the sexy stranger again after today. I will have only the memory of being in his arms for a hot minute. I will forever remember his intense blue eyes, his scent and the feel of his hand on my back. He will play a starring role in my erotic fantasies for quite a while, I am sure.

Chapter Three

I stare up at the building before me. It is eight thirty in the morning. I’m supposed to be at Mr. Black’s office by nine, but I wanted to make a good impression and show up extra early. I spoke to Chloe briefly this morning. She is having a great time on her honeymoon. The excitement in her voice made me a bit jealous. I would love to be lounging at the beach on a tropical island with the man I love.  She gave me a rundown of a few things to do to stay on the boss’s good side. I remember what she said about getting things down and staying out of his way. I can do that very well. As a matter of fact, I excel at staying out of people’s way. I would be happy if I didn’t have to deal with people altogether. She assured me that getting through the week would be fairly easy. I sure hope she is right. I take a deep breath and square my shoulders, attempting to exude confidence. I want that recommendation from Mr. Black so bad; I will have to try my best not to revert to my timid ways. I’m pretty sure I can fake it until I make it.

I stroll into the building and head for the elevator. Once inside, I dig around in my handbag to pull out a compact mirror. I give my face a once-over. My makeup is almost non-existent, with just a light application of foundation and a clear gloss on my lips. My long black hair is piled in a bun on top of my head. I smooth out one of the best professional dresses I could find. I don’t usually make a fuss over my clothes, but I decided to dress to impress this morning. The dress is knee-length but it hugs my curves, as does most of my clothing. I just can’t escape the generous curvature of my body. At least the dress is still office-appropriate. Besides, I’m sure Mr. Black won’t notice or care how my body is shaped. I take comfort in knowing that I will be working for a probably elderly, respectable businessman.

The ding of the elevator signals that I have reached my destination. The doors slide open and I step out. “Here goes nothing,” I whisper to myself. I have my eye on the prize, a recommendation and a generous paycheck at the end of the week. I plaster on a friendly smile and push the office door open. The place is empty. The office looks like it was expertly decorated. There is a huge desk in the middle of the room which I assume will be my work station. Behind the desk is a single door. Where is everyone else? Isn’t this supposed to be some kind of big communication technologies business? Yet there is one desk in the entire room. Doesn’t Mr. Black have more than one employee?

The door ahead is ajar. My curiosity gets the better of me and I decide to see if anyone is in there. I knock first, and then cautiously push the door open when I get no response. I push my head inside first to look around. I step inside the posh space. The entire office is empty. Maybe I’m in the wrong office. I would expect such a large company to be buzzing with activity already. I glance around the room, noticing the many awards and certificates decorating the wall. I walk over to the window to admire the lovely view of the city. “This place sure is nice,” I mumble. I would love to work permanently in a place like this. Hope blossoms inside of me. I will have a better chance at landing a job in a place like this with Mr. Black’s recommendation. Where is the man, anyway? If this is the right office, that is. I wonder if I should go back out and try another door. Just as I am about to turn to leave, I hear a voice.

“May I help you?” I jump, dropping my handbag and spilling the contents onto the carpet.  I whirl around at the voice coming from behind me. Recognition hits me.
Oh my God
. It’s the mysterious man who I danced with at Chloe’s wedding. My pulse rate speeds up. The same attraction that hit me at the wedding hits me now. I can tell that he recognizes me, as well. Surprise flashes in his blue eyes and quickly disappears. He looks at me, waiting for me to answer his question.

“Uh, is this Jason Black’s office?” I ask, still not able to believe that I am having a second encounter with the man I have been dreaming about since Saturday. I never thought I would see him again. He is dressed in a well-tailored suit. He must work here, as well.

He steps toward me. “This is indeed Jason Black’s office. You are?”

“Navia Watson, I’m the stand-in secretary for this week.” Something flashes in his eyes, but it disappears so quickly, I am unable to identify what it was. I remember that my belongings are scattered across the floor and bend down to retrieve them. He is beside me in an instant. He stoops down to help me retrieve my scattered belongings.  He hands me a tampon and my cheeks instantly flush. I think I might just die of humiliation. I grab it from his hand and shove it in my bag. “Thanks,” I mutter. He stands up, his lips twitching in amusement at my obvious embarrassment.

“No problem, Navia Watson.” The sound of my name rolling off his tongue does weird things to my insides. I have never thought of my name as being sexy before. But somehow he manages to make it sound sexy. I want to close my eyes and ask him to call my name again. Annoyed with myself, I shake the erotic images his voice has conjured up in my mind. I am here to work, for goodness’ sake, and here I am lusting after another employee. “Your name suits you,” he says. “I knew it would be something exotic when I met you at the wedding.”

  I lower my lashes to conceal my pleasure at his compliment. “Thank you,” I breathe. “Do you work for Mr. Black?”

His lips twitch again, “I do.”

“It’s a small world. I never thought I would see you again. This is such a coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences, Ms. Watson. I’m a strong believer in fate.” He holds my gaze for a few intense seconds. I suddenly get the strange feeling that I walked into big trouble the minute I entered the office door. But I know that’s ridiculous, I’m only here to work for one week. What kind of trouble could I possibly get into? All I have to do is avoid Mr. Dark and Mysterious here and I will be fine.

“So where is everyone? For a big company it sure is quiet around here.”

“Only Mr. Black and his personal secretary work in this space. He likes peace and quiet and his privacy. The rest of the company takes up the two floors beneath us and the remaining rooms on this floor.”

“Oh, OK.” Well, that makes more sense. “So what time does the boss usually get here?”

“He is already here. Why don’t I show you to your desk, so you can take a few minutes to settle in? I’m sure he will find you to introduce himself shortly.”

“Sure, thank you.” I wonder what he does around here. Is he like another personal assistant to Mr. Black or something? Will I be working closely with him for the next week? If it is possible, my heart soars and drops at the same time. I’m attracted to the man beyond belief, but I can tell that he is dangerous and I need to stay away from him. He escorts me to the desk that I already assumed would be my work area. I place my handbag down and turn to smile at him. “Thank you so much, Mr.…”

“Jason Black, a pleasure to meet you, Navia Watson,” he drawls. My mouth drops open and I look down at the hand he has extended, then back at his face. Wicked amusement is written all over his face; he has been toying with me the entire time. I place my hand in his, unable to speak. He is whom I will be working for the week?  I can’t believe that
he
is Jason Black. To think I pictured him as an old grandfather type. The man before me is the furthest thing from grandfatherly. He looks so young. He can’t be a day over thirty.

I nearly groan aloud. I really should grab my bag and hightail it out of here. Jason Black looks like nothing but trouble. But I promised Chloe I would cover for her. Plus, she has worked for him for two years without incident. But I wonder if he strips her with his eyes, like he is doing to me at the moment. He remains silent as his smoldering gaze roams my body. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that he can see beneath my dress. I feel violated but turned on at the same time. His eyes finally lift to meet mine. “Welcome to Black Incorporated, Ms. Watson. I will do my best to ensure that you enjoy your time here.”

My heart skips a beat. Is it my imagination, or did his last statement sound very suggestive? I swallow hard and force out a smile, “Thank you, Mr. Black.” He nods and turns to disappear into his office. I drop down in the chair behind my desk. How am I going to get through the week? I am going to be plagued by the memory of Jason Black’s hands on me. I danced with him at Chloe’s wedding and had sex dreams about him for the past two nights, and now he is my boss. Talk about awkward. The only comforting thing about this whole situation is that it will only last for a week. I pray that the days fly by. I need to just try to stay focused on doing a good job. Speaking of which, I remember that Chloe left me a guide, God bless her heart.

I locate the folder in the top drawer of the desk. I find a list of things to do for Mr. Black on a daily basis and his itinerary for the week. It is filled with scheduled meetings. I read through the detailed instructions. I glance at the clock on the wall; apparently I am five minutes late with the boss’s coffee. Luckily, Chloe was considerate enough to mention the location of the break room and how Mr. Black likes his coffee. I quickly run across the hall to make the cup of coffee for him.

I knock on Mr. Black’s door. “Come,” he says. I push the door open to find him engrossed in paperwork. I stand in front of his desk, unsure of what to do next. I don’t know if I should interrupt him to hand him the cup or just place it on his desk and leave. I finally make a decision, “Uh, Mr. Black, your coffee.” I extend the cup to him with shaky hands. I pray that I don’t spill the dark liquid all over his desk.

“Black, no sugar?” he asks.

I nod, “Yes, sir.”

“You can drop the sir, Navia. Can I call you Navia?”

“Sure.” I almost tell him he can call me anything he wants with that sexy baritone voice of his.

He cocks an eyebrow, “Are you going to watch me drink my coffee, Navia?”

I realize that I am standing in front of his desk staring at him. “Huh? Oh, uh, no. Do enjoy.” I turn to amble quickly through the door. Can I be any more of an idiot? I give myself a mental kick and plop down in my chair. Jason Black must think I am a total idiot. I try to forget that I made a complete fool of myself and engross myself in work. I answer the phone and refer calls to Mr. Black for the remainder of the morning.

I stick my head in his office to remind him of his afternoon meeting. He thanks me without looking up from his task. This work environment is not so bad after all. I revel in the fact that I am isolated from the other employees. The less people I have to deal with the better. The boss has pretty much ignored me all morning, which sits just fine with me. I don’t think I can handle any more of his heated looks.

At around four o’clock I hear his door open and I look up. The man has been holed up in his office all day. I don’t know how he did it. He approaches my desk. “I’m heading out for my meeting now, Navia. I will need you to remain here until I get back, which might be a bit of overtime. But I will compensate you for the extra time, of course.”

“Sure, no problem.” Of course I will do a little over time. I need all the extra money I can get. Hell, I will even stay overnight if he wants me to. I have nothing to go home to anyway, just a crappy apartment in a broken-down building and no company.  I watch Mr. Black saunter away.  Things are going great so far.

Now alone in the office, I whip my cell phone out to give my mother a call. “Baby girl, I hope you are calling to tell me you have come to your senses, and you are coming home,” my mother says dryly.

I scowl. “Hello to you, too, Mother.”

She chuckles, “Hi honey. How are you?”

“I’m OK. Great actually,” I beam.

“Great, huh? What exactly has you so excited?”

“A new job. Well, it’s temporary, but I’m getting a nice chunk of change and I will be sure to land something permanent after this.”

“Oh, well, that is great, dear.” Her Cuban accent is more pronounced. She doesn’t sound too happy. I know it’s because she is dying for me to leave New York. She is convinced that I am going to get robbed or killed. I can’t seem to reassure her enough that I will be fine.

“You don’t have to pretend, Mom, I know you’re not really happy.”

She gasps, “Of course I am, sweetheart. How can you even say that? I am happy that you are happy.”

I smile, “Thanks, Mom. Is everything all right with you?”

“Oh yes, other than the fact that my youngest is in a dangerous big city.”

I roll my eyes, “Please don’t start on that again, Mom. The entire world can be dangerous, not just big cities.”

“OK, OK, fine, whatever you say, baby girl.”

“I can’t talk too long. I’m still at work. I just wanted to let you know I’m all right.”

“OK, my little one. You take care of yourself. I will talk to you soon. Love you.”

“I will, and I love you too, kisses.” I hang up and shake my head. I never have a conversation with my mother without her bringing up the dangers of big cities. She is desperate to get me back to North Carolina. I almost gave in too, ready to throw in the towel and go home. But landing this temporary job, my hope has been renewed. I might just make it in the big city, after all.

*

It is almost six in the evening and I am still sitting at my desk.  I’m sure just about everyone else has gone home. I wonder if Mr. Black remembers that he asked me to remain in the office until he gets back. I sit patiently and wait. Luckily, he strolls into the office not too long after. He seems to be in a dark mood. Maybe his meeting didn’t go very well. His gaze finds me and roams over my face. I am tempted to pull out my mirror and look to see if I have something on my face.  “Navia, thank you for waiting, follow me to my office please,” he says softly.