The Girl With The Curves #1 (Positive Curves, #1) (3 page)

‘Then...then what? That was my story.’

‘But I want Angelina to cover it.’

‘It’s always the girl with the stick figured body. It doesn’t matter how hard you work! How hard you try to prove yourself it’s always her!’ Harley shook as she said that. ‘Well you can shove your job!’ She turned and began to head towards the door regretting every word that had just splurged from her mouth.

‘Don’t you dare take another step!’ His voice was strong.

Harley froze, her hand almost about to touch the handle. Her body didn’t move but she heard him. The sound of the chair as it pushed back, the footsteps were heavy but not rushed. He took his time and made himself known and soon he was up close behind her.

‘Not another step.’ The words were warm air against her ear.

What was happening? Sebastian Forrest was so close to her she thought she might faint.

‘You’re not going to the courthouse because I want you here with me.’ His voice was low.

Harley took in slow deep breaths; there was movement beneath the white shirt as her heart thudded so hard against her chest.

‘I want you right here with me.’ His words were slow and she felt every word.

At first it was a slow and gentle touch. Sebastian touched the curve of her hip and slowly began to run down it. There was a lot going through her head. The man she despised had his hands on her body and she didn’t want to stop him. His hands followed the contours of her body down to the hem of the skirt. The route was soon diverted and took travel up between her thighs stopping mid way and as if suddenly realising he’d gone too far. He retracted.

Harley breathed heavily against the door and waited, the next step was really up to him. Her body craved his touch and yet her heart loathed him.

‘Now, do we have a problem with that?’ he asked.

‘No sir.’

Sebastian kept his mouth close to her ear and whispered. ‘Don’t you ever think for one second you’re not good enough. You’re the best and that is why I hired you.’

Harley turned to face her boss and for the first time she saw him in a different light. There was kindness in his grey eyes, as if a smile was within them.

‘But I thought...’

‘I was waiting for you to speak up, fight! I’ve been in this business long enough to know who the bullshitters are. Angelina is a good journalist but she isn’t great. A great pair of legs can only get you so far.’ He pulled back and smiled.

This still didn’t answer what had happened between them. Secretly she hadn’t wanted it to stop.

‘Think about it Moyer, your pretty blonde skinny opponent, how long before she’s pushed aside for another younger and better looking model?’ He raised his eyebrows.

Harley shrugged.

‘One year two if she’s lucky. Don’t let any of us fool you. When the frown lines begin to appear through a process that isn’t so kind, how long do you think looks will carry anyone through?’

‘Not long?’ she asked. Harley had never experienced this before.

‘Do you think life is unfair?’ He eyed her as he asked that.

‘Sometimes.’ Harley had to admit that life had been unfair to her majority of times.

‘You my dear have been given the best route there is. I know about you, top of your class. You have talent!’

Harley glanced down at her fingers shyly.

‘You may have been pushed aside but twenty years from now you’ll be much stronger. Do you know what attracts me to a woman?’

‘Her body?’

He laughed gently and he gazed at her curves for a moment. ‘Perhaps, but that’s not the first thing. Yes men are attracted by what they see but I’ve learnt through experience that you can have the best body in the world and be as boring as hell.’

Harley giggled.

‘Intellect attracts me, women who see themselves more than an object of men’s affection. Don’t let that fool you though, I’m a huge fan of women with curves, I prefer it. But a woman with both, that’s who you are.’ There was a mischievous grin on his handsome face. ‘You have a great body, if I may say so.’

Harley lowered her head shyly. Quickly he lifted her chin so that she could face him.

‘There, that’s better. Don’t ever hide your pretty face from me again, from anyone.’

Was he for real, had this really happened or had she made it all up?

‘From now on you work directly for me. I want you at my side day or night.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘It means I want you day and night. Day at work and night well let’s say we’ll leave that to the imagination.’

‘Sir – ’

‘Sebastian, to you I’m Sebastian.’

‘But why?’

‘Because you have staying power, because I like you and I want you.’ He wasn’t shy with his words. He got right to the point.

She felt her body tingle; no man had ever wanted her, not like that. The day she’d lost her virginity was on a drunken night with a stranger, something she’d love to forget. Harley wasn’t that girl, nor had she tried to be one. Suddenly she’d been pulled from behind the curtains to centre stage to be the main character in his life. Sebastian had just introduced her to herself, something she should’ve done a long time ago. 

‘Urm...’

He took a few steps forward and pressed his lips against hers and immediately she melted. After a long and awaited kiss from Sebastian’s side they parted. This wasn’t happening. There was tingling and buzzing in her ears. The sexiest man in her eyes had just had his lips against hers. Not only was he one of the richest men, he had a body to die for. At six foot three, broad shoulders, muscular arms and legs like pistons, what woman wouldn’t be falling over themselves to get to him.

‘So your first task.’ He pulled a piece of paper and wrote down the name Susannah Craft. ‘I want you to find out everything you can about this woman.’ He handed her the paper.

‘Who is she?’

‘Don’t worry about that. I want everything, past, present and future. Past, her childhood her family, present you’ll soon find out about that.’ He waved his hand. ‘And the future, any future engagements. I want pictures, proof of anything and everything.’

‘Isn’t this illegal?’

‘She’s sort of a public figure, you wouldn’t know her but in my circles this thing is common.’

Harley nodded as she took his instructions.

‘So are you clear on what I want from you?’

‘Yes sir.’

‘Sebastian.’ He smiled.

‘I can’t sir.’

‘You can.’ He drew closer his lips almost touching hers. ‘Now say it.’ He took her hand in his.

‘Sebastian,’ it was just a whisper.

‘Good. I like that.’ He whispered back then withdrew.

‘Report back to me every morning. If you have to be out just ring my mobile.’ He scribbled his private number on a piece of paper and handed it to her. ‘Don’t bother ringing my company mobile, Erica will just pick it up. This is my personal number.’

Harley took it and nodded. He tilted his head to one side and smiled.

‘Sir?’ She felt exposed.

‘You’re beautiful,’ he said. ‘And again, it’s Sebastian.’

Harley nodded; it would take some getting used too. All of this would take getting used too. So much attention had never been offered to her this way, she hardly knew what to do with it.

‘That’s all for now,’ he said.

‘Okay.’ She swallowed, she didn’t know what else to say.

‘And when you step out of this office, walk tall, walk as if you own this place.’ He winked.

And Harley did just that; that it got Angelina a little hot under the collar!

Chapter Four

Harley had given the first part of feedback about what she’d found concerning Susannah.  Sebastian was impressed, it hadn’t taken her long to dig up Susannah’s past and he wondered how long it would take before she found out about the present.

Harley had begun to relax a lot more and that brought forth a confidence that had started tongues wagging. It wasn’t about her continual time spent with Sebastian that was office gossip. Instead it was about her size. For some reason the women in the office had begun to be a lot more vicious about her size and Harley had a suspicion who had started it.

It all started the day she’d left Sebastian’s office with a spring in her step. Angelina couldn’t help but notice and wondered what could have made Harley look so confident. It was the sense around the office; everyone could sense something had happened. In the beginning Angelina had thought she was the star of the show, the one who got given all of Harleys work. Sebastian had taken her ideas over Harleys every time. It worried her that Harley looked different, not physically but there was something in her demeanour that had changed, and so the vicious remarks began. But Harley, not once made a complaint to Sebastian instead she’d taken it just like she’d always done. But something happened after Harley had given Sebastian an update about Susannah. Angelina was called into Sebastian’s office. Angelina walked past Harley’s station with a smirk on her face but ten minutes later she walked out like a raging bull.

‘I don’t know what you’ve told Mr Forrest about me but I’m onto you, you stupid cow!’ Her words were low so that no one could hear. ‘I’m onto you.’

Harley’s heart thudded, the woman was smaller than she was, in fact Harley would’ve been able to break her in two if she wanted to but the fear stopped her. Instead Harley did what she did best, put her head down and took it.  The ping from her computer took her away from it for a moment. It was a message from Sebastian.

Don’t let anyone put you down!

Harley didn’t understand, had he witnessed what had just happened or did Sebastian just know types like Angelina. Nothing further came. Harley could hear the giggling in the distance, it felt like being back at high school.

Harley took a deep breath then pushed back her seat with Sebastian’s words ringing through her head. Shoulders back and head held high and heart beating at a vicious rate Harley walked towards the sniggering women.

‘Angelina.’

Angelina swung the chair to face Harley.

‘In future I suggest you address me by my name which is Harley. Clearly you don’t know it. We’re all grown ups here and there’s no need for name calling.’ Harley kept her eyes on Angelina even though she was shaking like a leaf on the inside.

‘And if I don’t?’ She folded her arms.

‘Then I suggest you get an escort the minute you step out of this building.’

‘Is that a threat?’

‘Yes.’ Harley swirled on her toes and walked back to her seat, hoping Angelina wouldn’t say a word, shaking so much her heart was thudding...

‘I can’t believe you said that!’ Amber put a carrot into her mouth.

They had met after work and decided to go out for dinner.

‘I know, me neither. You know I wouldn’t do that right.’

‘I wouldn’t blame you if you did. Good for you.’ She forked the salad. ‘There’s something different about you.’

‘What do you mean?’ Harley pushed the fork filled with pasta into her mouth. She shut her eyes briefly as the spices and sauces tickled her taste buds.

‘You just seem more...more... what’s the word.’

‘Confident.’

‘Hmm, yeah confident.’

Harley smiled slyly. The past couple of weeks had been going great.

‘You hardly slam your boss anymore, what’s going on.’

‘Well...’ she took more food into her mouth. ‘I’ve got a little project I’m working on. Quite interesting.’

Amber raised her eyebrows.

‘It’s about a woman called Susannah Craft, I’m doing some research on her.’

‘Why, is she newsworthy?’

‘After the things I’m finding out I would say so.’

‘What things?’

‘I don’t think I want to share it right now, not until I get the go ahead from Sebastian.’

‘Sebastian, who the hell is Sebastian?’

‘Oh I mean Mr Forrest.’

Amber put down the fork and studied her friend.

‘What’s going on? Since when are you on first name basis’s with your boss.’

‘Since a while ago.’ Her eyes drifted as she thought about Sebastian.

‘How come I don’t know anything about this?’

‘There’s nothing to know.’

‘Is he shagging you?’

‘Noooo and keep your voice down.’ Harley looked around her.

‘Something’s going on, first name basis, something is definitely going on.’

‘Nothing is going on, now drop it.’

‘Aha, you are different. Feisty, I’ve never seen you like this. That Mr Forrest has got something on you.’

‘I’m just doing a job for him that he asked me to.’

‘Fine, but be careful. Look what happened to me dating in the workplace and he wasn’t even my boss.’

‘He was a jerk.’

‘Yeah I agree. I see that now.’

They drifted on, Harley told her about the ball she was going to at the weekend.

‘A ball? What kind of people are you hanging out with?’

‘It’s work. My boss doesn’t know though. I managed to get onto the list as a reporter. I want to make him proud.’ She smiled.

‘I bet you do.’

‘It’s nothing like that.’

The look on Amber’s face said it all. The pursed lips, the raised eyebrows that said,
I’m not buying that
. But Harley didn’t worry, instead her mind was on Sebastian. He had captured her, turned her into a different woman and the more time she spent with him, the more her heart warmed to him.

‘Are you getting dessert?’ Harley asked as the waiter cleared the table.

‘Do you want to share?’

‘What do you fancy?’

‘How about we go for the brownie with cream,’ said Amber.

‘Yeah that sounds perfect. Can we have a brownie with cream?’ She smiled up at the waiter. ‘To share please.’

He nodded and the pair went back to discussing parts of their day.

Chapter Five

It was almost six o’clock when Harley stepped into Sebastian’s office. He looked up, smiled and offered her a seat. She sat nervously, every moment spent with him was one filled with excitement and trepidation. He wore a black suit like he did on most days with a white crisped shirt. The tie to his attire had been loosened and his hair was a little ruffled. It had been a hard day for Sebastian and it showed. But having her there, her presence was like a wand that cast away the exhaustion and replaced it with calm. He sat back and admired her, Harley shifted uncomfortably, it was hard trying to get used to so much attention in such a short space of time.