The Job (2 page)

Alex
stopped her hasty steps toward the exit. She swung round so fast her long
blonde hair whipped her in the face. Alex stuck it behind her ears with angry
jerky moves, and glared at him. Furious as she was her green eyes darkened to
the color of moss. Her pale skin flushed all over. Breaths seesawing in and out
of her chest, the fabric of her dress strained over her impressive cleavage. He
couldn’t tear his eyes away from the way her nipples were lovingly outlined. It
wasn’t cold in this room, so that could only mean one thing. Despite her
protestations, he was sure she felt the chemistry between them as acutely as he
did. He would damn well see this through to its natural conclusion this time,
come what may. Maybe then he could finally forget about Alex. Surely that was
the only reason he’d never forgotten her?

Chapter Two

Damn
the man
. With those coolly delivered words flung at her retreating back, he
had the power to destroy her. From what she knew about Nathanial Longton’s
reputation, Alex had no doubt in her mind that he would do so without batting
an eyelid. The man was ruthless in business. Even more so in his private life.
None of his
girlfriends
ever lasted long. Not that Alex had spent time
thinking about him, but the man graced the gossip magazines on a regular basis.
As Marissa read them religiously, Alex had caught his brooding image more than
once recently.

Not
that any of those images had done him justice. In the ten years since she’d
last seen him, he’d filled out from the boyishly handsome to the dark,
dangerous, far too sexy male in his prime. The tailor made tuxedo he wore just
served to emphasize the width of his shoulders, while the dark scruff gracing
his chiseled jaw gave him that mean look that set Alex’s knees knocking. Nat
had always had the power to reduce her into a simpering version of herself,
much to her annoyance. The years hadn’t lessened the attraction—quite the
opposite. Alex knew what she wanted from a man. There was no doubt in her mind
that Nathanial would deliver on that score and then some.

There
was also no mistaking the fact that he wanted her as much as her wayward
hormones seemed to want him. That much was obvious from the tight set of his
shoulders, and the heated intensity in his amber gaze, as he studied her, hands
pushed into his pockets.

Alex
hastily wrenched her gaze away from temptation, and barely resisted the urge to
lick her lips. The tailored trousers lovingly hugged the impressive bulge he
was sporting.
 
She fought the heat rising
in her cheeks, when he noticed and grinned. The action made him look every inch
the predator ready to pounce. Alex squeezed her thighs together to relieve the
ache in her clit. Really, this whole thing was insane. She ought to be furious
with him—was furious in fact—so why then was her body acting as though she was in
heat. It was frustrating and arousing in equal measures.

“Staying
then, sweetheart?” he asked.

Alex’s
fingers itched to wipe that knowing smirk of his face.

“Get
off on blackmailing women to do your bidding?” She flung the words at him,
inwardly grimacing at the breathy quality of her voice. Her heart beat faster
when he straightened up and walked toward her. His long limbed gait ate up the
distance between them. Every instinct screamed at her to run away, but her
limbs didn’t seem capable of following the demands of her rational brain.
Besides where would she run to?

She
was bought and paid for, after all. Alex would do anything to spare her frail
mother any embarrassment. It’s why she had embellished her current work
situation to her. Mum didn’t need to worry over her. Besides Alex was doing
fine. She had a roof over her head and food in her belly, which was a lot more
than some people had, so she couldn’t complain really.

“You
have no idea what I get off on, Alex, but if you’re a good girl and do as
you’re told, you might just find out.”

Oh, the infuriating male
. His words
served to escalate the flame of her arousal into a fever pitch, as he stopped
so close to her that the heat off his body scorched her skin. It took every
ounce of will power she possessed to not lean into his strength and warmth, to
let him take away her worries.
Now where
had that thought come from, for fuck’s sake?

Alex
jumped when Nathanial put his large hands on her shoulder. He slid them slowly
upward until he framed her face and tilted her head up. The gentle pressure he
used was strangely comforting.

“Breathe,
Alex.”

Her
pent up breath burst forth with such force that she
ruffled the stylishly unruly dark lock of hair that fell over his forehead. His
amber eyes crinkled up at the corners in seeming amusement.

“That’s
better. You were in danger of passing out on me then, girl. As much fun as
being the cause of that can be, I do need you sentient tonight. Later on, well,
we’ll see…”

A
shiver of apprehension crawled up her spine at his murmured voice, even as her
breathing sped up, as all sorts of erotic scenarios bombarded her brain. Really,
what was wrong with her?
Think, dammit.

“I
told you already, I won’t sleep with you, or are you going to blackmail me into
that too?” Alex immediately regretted the words, when his brows drew together
in a frown. His hold on her tightened imperceptibly, and she couldn’t bring
herself to hold his gaze.

“I
realize that you may not have the highest opinion of me after the way we parted
back then, but—”

He
stopped speaking when she couldn’t help her most unladylike snort of derision. Grasping
her chin, he forced her to look up at him. Alex wasn’t small, but even in her
killer stilettos she was still a head shorter than him. It made her feel all
sorts of dainty and feminine, which was definitely a new sensation. Her stomach
churned anew at the disapproval that was edged in his features.

“Has
no one told you it is rude to constantly interrupt? If you carry on like this,
I’ll be forced to put you over my knee to teach you some manners, girl.” He
smiled when her mouth fell open in surprise.

Alex
automatically clenched her thighs together to stop the hot flood of arousal
creaming her pussy at those mental images.

“You
try anything like that, and I’ll have you up for an assault charge.” Her reply
lost all of its intended sting thanks to her voice doing its best to imitate a
breathy porn star, but dammit, could he read her mind or something?

Alex
liked a little, or should that be a lot of kink in the bedroom. Someplace she
was so not going with him.

“You
have bought my escort services for the evening,
Sir.”
She meant that
intonation as an insult, but the way his eyes flared in heated awareness and
his breathing sped up, told her what she was beginning to suspect. Nathanial
would indeed be more than capable of fulfilling her needs. That meant she
couldn’t let him near her. He would break down her barriers and she was not
prepared to risk her heart—not again.

So
instead, she pushed him away. Alex breathed a sigh of relief when he let her
go.

“But
that’s all you’ve bought. You can’t force me to do anything sexual, and—”

“Dammit,
Alex.” His frustrated growl and the way he ran a hand through his hair, as he
started to pace the floor in front of her stopped her from saying the rest. She
hugged her arms around herself and bit her lip instead.

When
he eventually stopped in front of her again, he indeed looked ready to put her
over his knee. She stopped breathing when he reached out to her, stopped
halfway, and curled his hand into a fist, dropping it to his thigh instead.

“Do
you really think that little of me?” he asked. When she didn’t respond, he
swore under his breath. Nat pulled something out of his trouser pocket.

“I
guess it doesn’t matter what you think. I’m just another client tonight, so do
your job and we’ll be fine. We’re going to the charity ball held here in the
hotel rooftop ballroom. You’ll need to look the part, so bearing that in mind,
please turn around. Lift your hair out of the way.”

Her
eyes widened when he opened his palm and she caught sight of the sparkling
diamond necklace he’d held crushed in his hand as though it was mere baubles.

“Is
that…?” She didn’t finish that question, too aware of the way he stiffened. He
twirled his free hand in a clear unspoken demand to present her back to him.

“You
know damn well it is. Now, for the love of god, do as you’re told, and let me
put this on you. Believe me, it’s the only time the likes of you will get their
hands on my mother’s diamonds.”

The
implied criticism stung. She would have given him a dressing down had it not
been for the expression on his face. He wasn’t looking at her, but at a spot
over her shoulder, swallowing hard as though he was trying to keep a hold of
his emotion. In truth, Alex, too, felt a bit choked.
 
She couldn’t imagine life without her mother,
and Nathanial’s had died only a few months ago. It was obviously still painful
for him. Her heart went out to the boy he had once been. In truth, she had fond
memories of Mrs. Longton herself. Both Nathanial’s parents had only ever been
kind to her and her mother when she was growing up. After all, Nat’s father
paid for Alex’s mother’s stay in the nursing home after her stroke last year,
much to Alexandra’s relief, as she would have never been able to afford it. Mum
had been frugal over the years. She had saved a considerable amount of money,
but not enough to provide the care she had needed. While Mum was doing much
better these days, she wasn’t capable of living on her own.

“I’m
sorry, about your mother, I mean,” she murmured the words.

When
his gaze connected with hers, the moisture she saw briefly in his eyes, before
he blinked it away made her reach out to him. A spark of awareness traveled up
her arm from the contact she made with his hand. His fingers tightened briefly
around her digits in silent acknowledgement, before he released her, and she
dutifully turned around, lifting her hair off her nape.

The
necklace felt cool and heavy on her skin as he slid the expensive jewelry
around her neck, fastening it. He left his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs
stroking the sides of her throat. The action left goose bumps in its wake. Alex
gasped when he steered her so she could see them in the mirror. His mother’s
diamonds sparkled in the overhead lighting. With her cheeks flushed, her breathing
labored, she looked just like she felt—on edge and…

“Beautiful.”
The one word delivered in his husky voice made her insides tighten in need. When
he pulled her back into his large frame, bending his head to drop a kiss on her
exposed shoulder, it felt the most natural thing in the world to let him.

“Why?”
she whispered.

Nathanial
stiffened and pulled away. “Why what?”

Alex
glanced back at the mirror, touching the necklace briefly. When he didn’t
answer her, just strode to the door to hold it open for her, she sighed.

“Please,
Nat, talk to me.”

He
blinked at the use of his childhood name. His mouth set in a grim line. Alex
could almost see the walls going up around him, as he shook his head.

“We’re
already running late. I’m not in the habit of explaining myself to my escorts.
Just do your job, pretend to be my doting girlfriend, and once we’ve made an
appearance, you’re free to go, as you find my company so abhorrent.”

“I
don’t…”

Nathanial
held his hand up to interrupt her.

The
icy disdain on his face made her stiffen her spine. This, right now, wasn’t the
Nat she remembered. Picking up her clutch bag, she threw her head back and
forced herself to walk toward him.

Nat
took her hand once they rounded the corner to the lifts, making her jump
slightly. All the air left her lungs when he snaked his arm around her waist and
left it there.

“Smile,
you look as though I’m leading you to your execution. You’re in love with my
money, remember.”

That
brought her head up. She glared at him, but her snarky comeback died on her
tongue, as the lift door opened, and a smiling bell boy waved them in.

“Good
to see you again, Mr. Longton. Heading up to the ballroom, I take it? I must
say it seems very well attended.”

Alexandra
tuned out the rest of the conversation, as the lift made slow progress up to
the roof. By the time they reached their destination, several couples had
joined them. The air was stifling with the combined scents of perfume and
cologne. Alex breathed a sigh of relief, when the doors slid open and they
stood in a marble foyer, which led out onto the enclosed rooftop space, where
the ball was being held. Live classical music floated toward them. When they
gained admittance after Nathanial had flashed his invite, she inched closer to
Nat’s protection, as they were immediately engulfed by folks.

Mindful
of her role she fixed a smile on her face. It was going to be a very long
evening.

Chapter Three

Nathanial
had to give it to her. Were it not for the death grip she had on his hand, he
never would have guessed how uncomfortable Alex appeared to be. Her polite
smile stayed in place throughout the interminably boring and unavoidable round
of introductions. While he bristled inside at the way folks ignored her, talking
over her head, she took it on the chin. Then again, this was her job, so why
shouldn’t she?

Still,
a sliver of doubt had planted itself in his chest. The longer he observed her
the more that unease grew. He’d have expected her to lap up the attention, but
in the unguarded moments, when they were briefly left alone, something about
the way her shoulders sagged made him wonder. It was that same flash of hurt
he’d glimpsed in her eyes when he’d thrown that off-hand comment at her about
loving his money. Fuck only knows what possessed him to do so, but she’d looked
so goddamn beautiful. It had felt so right putting his mother’s jewelry around
her graceful neck, he’d had to do something to stop himself from acting like a
lovesick fool.

The
realization that this woman still had the power to bring him to his emotional
knees didn’t sit easy with him, and it made him lash out.

“If
you don’t need me for a second, I’m
gonna
go powder
my nose.” Alex’s whispered words into his ear got his attention. He reluctantly
released her, and forced a smile on his face.

“Sure,
you know where they are?”

Alex
rolled her eyes. She screwed her nose up in disgust, and his dark mood lifted.

“I
think the big signs give it away. Contrary to what you’re so clearly used to, I
can read.” She fluttered her eyelashes up at him in such a way, that the sip of
champagne he’d just taken almost went down the wrong way.
Sassy minx.

“I
would even go as far as to say I’m intelligent. Something that seems to be
sadly lacking in this room. Tell me, do all of you big business moguls pick
your arm candy for looks and the ability to stay mute?” She put her hand over
his mouth to stop his response. Heat rose in her cheeks when he couldn’t resist
the temptation and licked her palm. Her pupils dilated. She groaned under her
breath in such a way that he hardened in his pants. He’d been semi-hard ever
since she’d opened that damn door, and he’d first spotted her in that clingy
dress, but this close to her, with her flavor now on his tongue…
fuck.

He
needed to get them out of here, to enable him to take this thing between them
to its natural conclusion. Despite her protestations to the contrary, she
wouldn’t resist him for long. Once he’d fucked her, he’d get her out of his
system for sure. Nathanial ignored the little voice in the back of his head
that told him it would never be that easy. She was the one that got away, that’s
why he felt so discombobulated in her presence. That was all. That was all it
could ever be.

Alex
turned on her heel, and fled so fast the click clack of her heels on the marble
floor was a mere blur. Nathanial grinned to himself, as he took in the sway of
her ass cheeks lovingly outlined through the silk of her dress.

His
smile slipped when he saw another face from his past advance on him. Trust his
ex-wife to pounce on him the minute he was on his own. He drowned the last of
his champagne. Having handed his empty flute to a passing waiter he shoved his
hands in his trouser pockets. Nat readied himself for the onslaught that was
Angela Whiney. Never had a surname fitted a woman better.

“Ah
there you are. I heard a rumor you had arrived.”

Angela
rose on her tiptoes to plant a kiss straight on his lips. Were it not for the
interested audience they were already attracting, Nathanial would have shaken
the infuriating woman off like the piece of vermin she was. That restraining
order his lawyer had advised him to get looked more and more appealing right
now, but that would give her the satisfaction of knowing that she was getting
to him.

Instead
he slowly brought his hands up. Placing them on the woman’s shoulders, he
pushed her away from him with a tight nod in her direction.

“Angela,
I might have known you’d inveigle an invite somehow. Who did you sleep with to
get one?”

She
threw her head back and laughed. The sound was so forced it was ridiculous
really, but it had the desired effect, as more people turned and stared.

Damn
the woman and her propensity for needing to be the center of attention. The
wannabe model was flawlessly beautiful, but whereas Alex’s inner beauty shone
like a beacon, Angela’s was enhanced by cosmetics, and her smile never reached
her eyes.

“You
are too funny, darling.” She leant in closer, dropping her voice to a
conspiratorial whisper. “I’m your wife. Of course I got an invite, silly.” She
dragged her red tipped fingernail up his neck and tapped his lips. Her smile
faltered slightly when he growled at her. Angela hastily dropped her hand.

“Ex-wife,
Angela. No one is supposed to know about that five minute shambles of a wedding
you tricked me into, or you, dearest, will find your payments stop faster than
you can say whore.”

For
a second her mask dropped, revealing the ugly, money grabbing person she was
underneath all that polish. He dusted his hands off of her in a metaphoric
manner.

“I
haven’t said a word, but I have as much right to be here as you.”

He
quirked an eyebrow at that. She had the good sense to lose some of her
overinflated confidence, even as she tried to hang onto it with a flick of her
long brown hair over one bony shoulder.

How
he could have ever been even remotely interested in her was beyond him right
now. Then again he had been grieving, and drunk out of his skull at the time,
but still. The whole episode left a sour taste in his mouth. He breathed a sigh
of relief when he saw Alex approach in his peripheral vision. She frowned as
she took in the other woman, squared her shoulders, and fixed a smile on her
face. Next to him Angela stiffened, sniffing the air.

“Really,
that’s your date for the evening. Nice baubles, mind you.”

Alex
had clearly heard those venomous words, because she put an extra swing in her
hips on the last few steps of her approach. She grasped hold of his hand,
snuggling into his side with her head resting on his shoulder. Fuck him, if
that didn’t feel way too good.

“Nose
all powdered, baby?” he asked. Alex giggled, and straightened up. He missed the
contact instantly and inwardly rolled his eyes at his besotted puppy act.

“Oh
yes, aren’t you going to introduce me to your
friend?”

The
intonation she put on that one word made it sound like an insult. Angela
bristled, but stuck her hand out for Alex to take. When his girl did so, Angela
went pale under her makeup, and wrenched her hand back with a frown.

“I
would, baby, if I saw any friend, not just a money grabbing whore.” Alex gasped
at his words, whereas Angela looked ready to slap him, but forced a grin on her
face instead.

“Ah,
such a strange sense of humor our Nathanial has. Well, I must be off.” With
that, the blasted woman teetered away.

Nat
forestalled any questions Alex might have thrown at him, by swinging her around
in his arms, as he tugged her along to the dance floor.

“Dance
with me, girl.”

Before
she could as much as voice an objection he pulled her close. Nat swung her into
the slow steps required for the intimate piece of music the orchestra had just
started.

“I’ll
step on your toes.” He smiled at her murmured protest, as a shiver went through
Alex’s frame when he pulled her so close that her breasts were squashed against
his chest.
 
Nathanial could feel every
sharp intake of breath she made as they moved in perfect sync.

“You
won’t. Shut your eyes and just follow my lead.”

She
stiffened against him, when he said that. For one horrible second he thought
she was going to cause a scene, leave him standing on the crowded dance floor
like Billy-no-mates, before she relaxed and went pliant in his arms.

He
shut his own eyes, simply enjoying the intimacy of the moment. They might be in
a crowded ballroom, and no doubt the gossipmongers would have a field day
speculating as to who Alex was, but right here, now, none of that mattered. All
that did was the feel of Alex in his arms, swaying to the music, as their
connection shimmered between them as though it was a living, breathing entity.
A soft moan escaped her, when he shifted her slightly. His erection rubbed
across her belly. The sound made him grow even harder as he bent his head, to
nuzzle into her neck, where the silky fragrant skin called him. Alex missed a
step when he licked along her rapidly beating pulse point, and bit down lightly
on her earlobe.

“Nat,
please, don’t.”

Her
groan sounded more like a plea for more. She gasped when he trailed the hand on
her back lower to cup her ass, pushing her even closer into his body. His damn
cock jerked against her belly, and Alex let go of his hand. Linking her hands
behind his neck, she rose up on tiptoes to look at him.

The
concern and pure physical need in her expressive eyes, which had darkened to
the color of moss, took his breath away. Not thinking of the consequences, he
lowered his head to close the last few inches between them and claimed her mouth
in a kiss.

The
insistent strokes of his tongue along her lips forced a soft moan from Alex, and
Nat deepened the kiss with a grunt of his own. Her sweet essence exploded on
his taste buds, when she kissed him back, hesitant at first and then with ever
more bold flicks of her tongue, breaking his tenuous control.

 
He broke the kiss with a deep growl. Lifting
his head briefly, he swung them off the edge of the dance floor. Nat caught her
squeal of surprise in his mouth when he picked her up. He kissed her, satisfied
to see her catch onto his idea, when she brought her legs around his waist.
Alex hung on for dear life, as he spirited them away from prying eyes, and
round the corner onto the open bit of roof.

Propping
her up against the brick wall, Nat took the kiss deeper, while Alex ground
herself against his dick in jerky moves that drove him insane. With her dress
hitched up around the top of her hips by her movements, her long legs
encircling his waist looked pale in the dim lighting. Alex whimpered into his
kiss when he shifted one of his hands to the inside of her thigh, so that his
fingertips grazed her cloth covered slit.

He
wrenched his lips off hers and groaned at the wetness that greeted his digits.
Alex moaned in need when he rubbed his index finger over the soaked gusset of
her lacy thong.

“You’re
so fucking wet for me already. I could take you right here, couldn’t I,
baby?”
 
Making a strangled sound at the
back of her throat, she buried her face in his neck, as though she couldn’t
bring herself to look at him. A wave of affection engulfed him for the
trembling woman in his arms, especially when he heard her whispered reply.

“Please…
I
… Please don’t … not here.”

Nat
pulled back better to see her, as he inched his index finger under the elastic
of her underwear. A shiver was his response. Nathanial allowed himself one last
swipe through her arousal soaked pussy lips, before he set Alex back on her
feet. When she wouldn’t look at him, just yanked the hem of her dress down in
self-conscious moves most at odds with her profession and worried her bottom
lip with her teeth, he wrapped his hand in her hair and tugged.

Alex
gasped, but followed his gentle direction, stopping her fidgeting and looking
at him. Heat rose in her cheeks when he lifted his fingers, slick with her
juices, winked at her, and proceeded to lick them clean.

“Delicious,
just like I thought you would be.”

She
opened her mouth to say something, but Angela’s affected laugh stopped her.
Damn the woman, what did she want now?
He turned his head to glare at her. Seeing his cousin with her did nothing to
improve his mood at the interruption, especially when the blasted man smirked, and
tried to look past Nathanial toward Alex. Nat moved closer to ensure Alex was
adequately covered. There was no way he wanted her exposed in front of these
two. Really, his cousin with his ex? Guess that explained how she got an
invite.

“Ah,
I’m not interrupting something, am I?” Angela asked. “Far be it for me to stop
you from getting what you paid for, Nathanial, but, really, out here? Kinky,
even for you.”

He
felt rather than saw his girl stiffen, as he swung around fully to deal with
Angela.

“What
the fuck do you want now?” He growled the words. Fisting his hands, he shoved
them into his trouser pockets, lest he felt tempted to hit the woman. No doubt
that was exactly the reaction she was hoping for. Alex seemingly having
recovered her equilibrium grasped hold of his biceps.

“Let’s
just get out of here, Nat,” she said.

“Oh,
not so fast.” His cousin stepped forward, and fuck it, if Alex didn’t jump out
of her skin. A far too extreme reaction to seeing the asshole, who’d done his
best to split them up all those years ago.

Back
then, she’d chosen him, or so Godfrey had made him believe, but seeing her
reaction now, Nat wasn’t so sure. She seemed scared almost, which made him want
to wrap her up, protect her, fight her battles for her—such a ridiculous
notion. The woman was an escort, for fuck’s sake, yet…

Damn
it, something just didn’t add up and his cousin’s next words just made Nat see
red.

“I
thought that was her when I saw you two dance, but, really, Nat. I thought
you’d given up sleeping with the staff.”