Beyond Love Lies Deceit (2 page)

“Well according to this letter of reference she was very sad to see you go.” Luke chimes in the moment I finish. “Is there a reason you didn’t stay on for a more permanent position? By the looks of it you definitely could have.” He gives me a smooth smile causing my stomach to clench slightly.

“I enjoyed my time with Ms. Osborne immensely but overall the company wasn’t the right fit. I want to work for a company I can grow and expand with. Unfortunately marketing is not the field I want to pursue and while I gained a great deal of experience working for Advanced Global, I knew going in that my time with them would be a stepping stone, a learning experience to better assist me with where I ultimately want to end up.”

“And is Sco-Tech somewhere you want to end up?” He asks, looking up from my resume.

“More than you know.” I answer truthfully.

Whether it’s for the reasons he’s assuming is irrelevant. The statement stands true regardless.

“What is your ultimate goal in a career? I’m guessing based on your education that you don’t want to be an assistant forever.” His gaze on me does not falter.

I feel squeamish under the intensity of his eyes but I manage to keep myself together.

“I would love to be a financial analyst which is why I think this position is perfect for me. I feel like working as an assistant to the Chief Financial Officer will give me invaluable insight into what it takes to operate a multi-billion dollar corporation.” I beef up my answer, hoping to come across as driven and eager to grow within the company even though not one part of my response holds any truth.

“Why Sco-Tech?” He asks a question I knew was coming.

“It’s simple.” I meet his gaze. “Sco-Tech has revolutionized the technology industry. It controls so much of a major market that working for any other company seems meager in comparison. Sco-Tech is the mother ship Mr. Scott, but then again I’m pretty sure you already knew that.” I can’t help but smile when he lets out a light laugh.

“I have got to hand it to you Miss Reynolds; you’ve done your research.”

I’m not sure but if I had to guess I would say he views this as a good thing, though I could be wrong. Maybe he views it as me being too eager to impress which could potentially reflect negatively on me. Most people want straight shooting hard workers, not ass kissing know-it-alls. I hope I don’t come across as the latter.

“It says here you graduated with your Bachelor’s degree in less than three years.” He gives me an approving nod when I meet his gaze.

“Yes. I attended classes year round in order to cut down on the length of time I had to spend on my education.” I confirm, nervously tucking my hair behind my ears again even though it has barely moved since the last time I did it.

Again, I’m not sure if he is impressed or annoyed with my response. Coming into this interview I felt like I had this in the bag, but sitting in front of a man like Luke Scott has completely derailed my confidence and is causing me to second guess every word that leaves my mouth.

As Luke continues, I do my best to keep my answers straight and to seem unaffected by how much he wants to know. I must have practiced the answers to every question he asks a hundred times over but I still feel the heavy weight of doubt creeping in with each one I give.

Even still, by the end of the interview I am fairly certain that I at least have a shot. Besides being initially distracted by how attractive he is, I feel like I handled myself relatively well.

Standing, Luke once again extends his hand to me. “It was very nice to meet you Miss Reynolds.”

“You as well, Mr. Scott.” I reply, taking his hand, flinching slightly as his fingers tighten around mine.

Not that it’s painful, not even close. It’s more about the way his hand around mine causes my stomach to clench and my heart to pick up speed, even if just a fraction.

Pulling my hand away, I nod and smile politely before quickly excusing myself from Luke’s office, eager to escape the confines of the four walls that I’ve felt closing in on me more and more as the time has passed.

As I exit the building just a few short minutes later, I can’t seem to shake Luke’s eyes from my mind. The way they studied me with each word I spoke, the way they seemed to burn traces into my flesh as he took in my appearance, the way they seemed to momentarily blind me from my very purpose for being in his office.

I find the whole thing unsettling and yet oddly electrifying at the same time. While I may be here for a very specific purpose, that doesn’t mean I am any less human or any less of a woman. I would have to be blind not to be physically attracted to Luke Scott.

****

A
fter walking for twenty minutes in less than comfortable heels, I finally reach my apartment complex, which sits a few blocks from Sco-Tech’s Corporate Headquarters. I get two steps into the entrance of my building when my phone springs to life in my purse.

The sudden screeching causes me to jump slightly. Having just bought this phone two weeks ago, a cheap pre-paid phone I got at a nearby store, I am not used to having a cell phone. I know that sounds unheard of to most people but for me it just made sense. Why have a phone when there’s no one alive that cares to talk to you?

“Hello.” I say, holding the small device to my ear.

“Miss Reynolds.” Luke’s voice washes over me.

To say I am surprised that he is calling me personally, especially this soon after leaving his office, is a bit of an understatement. I assumed when I heard back about the position it would be from his secretary or someone maybe in Human Resources and not for at least a couple of days.

“Mr. Scott.” I reply, trying to keep the surprise from my voice.

“I’m sorry to do this to you considering you just left a few moments ago, but I was hoping you could come back to the office sometime this afternoon.” He says.

“Sure. Is everything okay?” I ask, praying the question doesn’t seem suspicious.

“Everything is fine, great actually. I wanted you to come back to fill out your new employment paperwork.” He replies casually.

“Employment paperwork... You mean...” I pause for a moment trying to calm my excitement. “I got the job?”

“You got the job.” He confirms. “That is, if you still want it.” He tacks on, a note of uncertainty in his voice.

“Of course I do.” Again I try to keep the excitement to a minimum, afraid to come across too eager.

“If we can get you back in today for paperwork, we can get you started as early as Monday.” He says, once again surprising me, given that it’s already Thursday.

“Absolutely.” I answer immediately.

After confirming all the details about meeting with Human Resources today at three o’clock, I hang up the phone, feeling a sense of satisfaction I have not felt in a very long time. Finally, after years of hell, Ryan Scott is going to get exactly what he deserves, and what’s better, he doesn’t have any idea it’s even coming.

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L
uke

“Word on the street is you finally replaced Katherine.” My brother Ryan pulls my attention from the spreadsheet in front of me and I look up just as he flops down in one of the chairs across from my desk.

“I did.” I confirm, looking back down at my laptop screen.

“Well don’t act too excited Luke.” He sighs, running his hand through is short sandy blonde hair while hitting me with an annoyed look.

“Excited?” I can’t keep the sarcasm from my voice. “Why would I be excited about the fact that I had to give up my assistant because you can’t keep it in your pants?”

“What are you talking about?” He tries to play innocent.

“Do not play stupid with me Ryan, Dad already told me what happened with Carly.” I can’t hide my irritation with my older brother.

“Jealously does not look good on you Luke.” He gives me an arrogant smile, already knowing full well that jealously has nothing to do with the current issue I have with him.

“I’m not jealous. You and I both know I could have had her if I wanted. Unlike you, I have a moral code.” I give him a knowing look.

My brother has always tried to make me feel inferior to him in every way possible. And while he tries to insinuate that he is the better looking of the two of us, we both know we look too much alike for him to make that claim. Other than the fact that I am about two inches taller and have darker hair than he does, you would almost think we were twins; at least when it comes to our appearance, personality wise we couldn’t be more different.

“Give me a break.” He sighs loudly. “Besides, Carly made her own bed.”

“You mean she made yours, after you slept with her.” I tack on.

Ryan has always been what you would call a playboy. He goes through women quicker than anyone I have ever met and shows very little remorse over the trail of broken hearts he leaves behind him. Why women still get involved with him is beyond me, it’s not like he tries to hide who he is.

Ryan’s latest conquest left my father’s assistant of three years out of a job and resulted in mine being transferred to my father’s office to take her place. Considering Katherine is in her early fifties and has been with the company for over thirteen years, I guess my father felt like she was a safe bet to fill Carly’s sudden departure.

“So tell me about this new girl.” He raises his eyebrows up and down at me suggestively, wasting no time redirecting the topic of conversation.

“You’re unreal.” I shake my head in irritation. “Tell me again why Dad is prepping you to take over as CEO, because for the life of me I can’t understand it?”

“Again with the jealousy Luke.” His arrogance infuriates me but I manage to bite my tongue. “Chief Financial Officer is not a bad gig. Besides, we both know you’re not cut throat enough to take on Dad’s role.” He gives me a look that dares me to challenge him.

“You mean I actually have a heart. Not going to argue with you there brother.” I turn my attention back to the spreadsheet on my laptop. “Now if you don’t mind, I have actual work that needs to be finished. You can see yourself out.”

Pushing out of the chair, he mumbles something under his breath before swiftly exiting my office, clearly not happy with my reluctance to indulge in his little games.

Ryan is one of those people you hate to love. He’s crude and arrogant, selfish and dishonest, and it’s very rare that he shows any emotion in regards to anyone but himself. Sure, he’s fun to be around if what you’re looking for is fun. But find yourself in a bad situation with him and rest assured that he will leave you high and dry without so much as a backwards glance. Something he has done to me over and over again, especially when we were kids.

You would think at twenty-eight, he would have grown up a little. Honestly, I think age has had the opposite effect on him. Even though he is two years older than me, most just assume that I am the older sibling.

Don’t get me wrong, Ryan has some redeeming qualities. While I give him a hard time about his unprofessionalism in regards to the women we work with, when it comes to the actual company there is not a person that knows this business better than Ryan. Thanks in large part to my father who has spent the last ten years grooming his oldest son to take over his empire.

I try to put on a poker face most days where Ryan and my father are concerned but losing Katherine has left a bitter taste in my mouth. Katherine has been my assistant since I took over as CFO four years ago. She is very much like a mother to me. It guts me that she is going to have to work directly for Ryan one day. She’s optimistic about the move and seems to be in good spirits, though I feel like a part of that is probably for my benefit.

It’s not that I am not excited about Miss Reynolds, but I loathe such dramatic change. Even still, I am trying my best to take it in stride. She is very qualified and I’m confident she will be a good fit here. On the negative, she is also very attractive and young which means her success will hinge on whether or not I can keep her away from Ryan.

I let out a loud sigh, pushing my chair backwards away from the desk slightly to stretch out my legs a bit. This has been such a long day and unfortunately, I am also looking at a very long night. Being the person that oversees finances for a company operated by Nicholas Scott is no easy task. Especially right now with him being caught up in acquiring smaller tech companies and pulling them under the Sco-Tech brand.

There is a lot that goes into purchasing these businesses and my father rarely plans ahead with these acquisitions, which usually leaves me working all night to draw out the financials and contracts for a deal he wants to close in the matter of days.

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S
amantha

“What do you say baby girl? Should we give it another go?” Sean smiles, standing over me from my place on the sidewalk, his hand extended out to me.

I look at his hand and then to the bike laying on the ground next to me. Do I want to try again? The pain in my knee tells me no but the encouraging look on Sean’s face makes me want to say yes.

“You can’t give up after one fall.” He wraps his large hand around mine and pulls me from the ground.

Standing my bike next to me, he urges me to climb back on.

I hesitantly throw my leg over the frame, terrified of falling again but even more terrified of disappointing Sean. Taking a deep breath, I give him a weak nod before he begins pushing the bike, jogging next to me until he feels like I have my balance before letting me go.

The front tire sways and fear paralyzes me for a moment but I manage to recover and keep the handlebars steady. I peddle as fast as my legs will allow, riding all the way to the stop sign at the end of our street before realizing I made it. I actually did it.

Managing to stop the bike without wrecking, I jump off the seat and let the pink and purple glitter bike fall to the sidewalk. I turn towards Sean as he’s jogging to me, an enormous smile on his face.

“I did it!” I squeal, jumping up and down as the realization sets in. “I did it!”

“You did it.” Sean confirms, pulling me into his side in a one armed hug. “I told you Sam, you can do anything. You just have to be brave enough to try.”