Billionaire Decoded (2 page)

The money he had and that the
company brought in…well the money was off the charts. He had probably earned
it, although she didn't know exactly how. In a nutshell, he was handsome, rich,
and uber confident. Why shouldn't he believe that he was God's gift to women,
maybe even men, or the entire world? When Melanie had asked exactly what the
firm did, Heather had answered as Brecken Shaw had instructed her to. She said
simply, "computer programming."

She hadn't been able to dig too deeply
into the company's finances. After all, she had been hired to do billing, not
to act as the company’s accountant. Still, she wondered if he had military
defense contracts or maybe space exploration contacts and clients.

She knew she still had to get her
legs under her, at least in regard of exactly what she was expected to do. She
had been hired to deal with certain aspects of accounting for the firm, mainly
billing. She had been instructed to start with the billing invoices from last
month. After that? She wasn’t sure yet. Either she had access to the accounts or
she didn't. Would she just be taking care of invoices and billing for certain
departments or deals and payroll? Or was something more involved? She didn't
want to ask too many questions, at least not at first. Besides, these
spreadsheets would take at least a day or two for her to get through. Maybe
after that she would talk to Brecken…Mister Shaw, to gain a more precise
description of just what would be expected of her for the salary she received.

She took a brief lunch break, but
didn't leave her office. Why should she? It was outfitted with not only her
desk and computer and every type of peripheral equipment she could imagine: fax
machine, scanner, printer, but also a small refrigerator, a microwave, a coffee
set up, a nice view, and two stuffed, upholstered chairs positioned near a
window that overlooked downtown Boston.

She pulled a small package out of
her purse, which she had stowed in one of the desk drawers, and retrieved her to-go
tuna and crackers. She hadn't been sure what to expect as far as her lunch hour
went, and on the first day on the job, she didn't necessarily want to leave the
building and look for a place to go for something to eat. She was still relatively
unfamiliar with this neighborhood.

Tomorrow she would bring something
that she could heat up in the microwave. She smiled again, thinking this she
could probably live in this office if she wanted to. It had everything she
needed.

She spent the remainder of the
afternoon on the spreadsheets, lost in her tasks, concentrating, her fingers
quickly manipulating the keyboard, the number pad, and the sheaf of papers
beside her, entering figures carefully, double-checking, and making sure that
she didn't make any mistakes.

Only when she felt the beginning of
a crick in her neck did she glance up at the clock, surprised to find that it
was nearly quarter to five. Quitting time. Just then, she heard the doorknob to
her door turn and in the next moment, the door swung open with a bang. She
jumped in her chair, startled. A well-built blonde woman entered. Though she
was startled, Heather offered a smile in greeting. The woman merely stared at
her and then informed her that her name was Alyson. The co-owner of the company?
Heather sat straighter.

"Who are you?" the woman
asked.

She was gorgeous, with curly blonde
hair, perfectly sculpted features, and a great body, obviously enhanced with
breast implants. They looked like two ripe melons that jutted out from her chest.
She had a tiny waist and wide hips. A perfect hourglass figure, but then, she
could probably afford it, along with a personal trainer, a nutritionist, and
maybe even a plastic surgeon on call. She wore a cream-colored pantsuit that
accentuated everything good about her figure, even her ass. So, this was Brecken's
ex-fiancée and co-owner of Shaw & Burks?

"My name is Heather
Kurtz," she replied. "Can I help you?"

"Where’s Brecken?" Alyson curtly
asked.

Heather stared at her moment,
surprised. Why the attitude? And, was that woman giving her a body check? While
she hadn’t minded much when Brecken had done it, she sure as hell minded it
now. "I'm not sure," she replied with a cool tone. "I haven't
seen him all day."

"Don't give me that," Alyson
said, stepping further into the room. She cast a quick glance around and then
focused her irritated gaze on Heather. "Where is he?"

Again, she shook her head. "I
don't know," she repeated. "I've been in my office all day and
haven't seen him."

To her surprise, Alyson stepped up
to the desk, placed her hands down on it, and literally glared at her. Her
nails were long, perfectly manicured, and painted blood red. She looked up at
the woman, stunned with her rudeness. What the hell?

"So Brecken has hired himself
another trollop-"

Trollop
?
What the hell was a trollop? "Excuse me?" Heather interrupted, frowning
and beginning to feel more than a little perturbed. "This is my first day
on the job. Mister Shaw hired me-"

"Oh, I know why Brecken hired
you," Alyson sniffed.

Again, she was taken by surprise.
"Excuse me?"

"Where is he?"

Alyson rounded the side of the desk,
quickly stomped toward the window, stared out for a moment, and then turned
around, hands on her hips and literally glaring at Heather. What the hell was
going on? Surprisingly, anger surged through her. She was usually very slow to
anger. Still, Alyson's attitude, comments, and insults were uncalled for and
quite frankly, the epitome of ill breeding.

Heather slowly stood up from her
seat. She felt uncertain butterflies of anxiety in her stomach, but was careful
not to allow her emotions to show. After all, this was the co-owner of the
business. Still, she wasn't about to be walked all over. "Ms. Burk, I'm
telling you the truth. I don't know where Mister Shaw is. I've been in my
office all day, working."

"You're lying!"

Heather's mouth dropped open in
dismay. "I'm not! Why would I?"

Alyson Burk gave her a knowing look,
her eyes passing over Heather from the top of her head and down to her toes and
then back again. "Why not indeed?"

"Ms. Burk, I don't mean to be
rude, but I’ve answered your question more than once already.” Heather took a
step toward the open door, gesturing. “Perhaps Mister Shaw-"

"How dare you speak to me like
that?" Alyson burst out. "Do you realize that I'm the co-founder and co-owner
of this business? I want to know-"

Just then, Brecken appeared in the
open doorway.

"What the hell is going on in
here?"

Both Alyson and Heather looked
toward the doorway to find Brecken standing there, glancing between Heather and
Alyson, a frown darkening his brow. When he saw Alyson, he barely refrained
from rolling his eyes. He looked directly at her.

"Alyson-"

Alyson turned toward Brecken while
Heather looked on in shock. She had never been spoken to in such a manner and
for no reason! Her eyes wide, her heart pounding in her chest, she looked at Brecken.
"Mister Shaw, Alyson has been looking for you," she said as calmly as
she could manage.

"So, what are you shouting
about now, Alyson?" he asked casually, leaning against the doorway as he
crossed his arms over his chest.

"I see you've hired another
plaything-"

Heather had had enough. "
Excuse me
?" she again gasped, as
her eyes widened. It seemed that was the only phrase that would come out of her
mouth. She had never been so shocked in her life, and despite her incredible
urge to demand that Alyson get out of her office, she didn't think she had any
right to order the co-founder of the business around, let alone out of her
office.

"Alyson, be nice," Brecken
said.

Heather stared at him a moment, just
as surprised as she had been by Alyson's comments. Why, he almost looked
amused! The last thing she wanted, despite the great job and the gorgeous
office, was to get caught in the middle of a disastrous relationship, or whatever
the hell was going on between Brecken and his ex-partner, ex-fiancée, and still
co-founder of the business. Was this something she was going to have to deal
with every day?

She got the immediate impression
that Alyson was jealous and still, quite obviously, had feelings for Brecken,
which were definitely not returned. Great, just what she needed. She should've
known. Everything good had a downside. Every silver lining had a dark cloud in
front of it. It wasn't as if Heather was a pessimist, but she had learned,
through a few knocks of her own, that if anything seemed too good to be true,
it probably was.

Watching the expressions that passed
over Brecken and Alyson's features just proved it. Alyson was in a fury, her
face practically mottled red, while Brecken, still leaning casually against the
doorway, stared at her as if she were nothing more than an interesting
distraction.

"I need to talk to you," Alyson
finally replied.

"And you couldn't come to my
office?" he queried.

"I did! You weren't
there!"

Brecken glanced at Heather, and then
back to his ex-fiancée. "So, you decided to harass my new employee?"

"Employee," she scoffed,
casting a glare toward Heather. "We all know why you hired her. Let's not
pretend. You forget how well I know you, Brecken."

Brecken sighed, as if striving for
patience while he pushed himself away from the doorsill. "She's dealing
with the accounts, Alyson," he muttered. "Nothing less, nothing more.
Now, shall we retire to my office?"

Heather frowned at both of them.
They certainly had an odd relationship. It had to be incredibly difficult for Brecken.
To have to deal with an ex-fiancée who was still co-owner and co-founder of the
business? No, she didn't even want to think about it. She didn't want to get
involved in any of this. She had been hired to do a job, and she was determined
to do it. She would do her best to avoid Alyson, but had a feeling that she would
not return the same courtesy.

Without even looking her way, Alyson
lifted her chin and sauntered past her desk, nearly bowling Brecken over as she
headed out the door. He glanced at Heather with a wry expression.

"Sorry about that,
Heather," he said. "Let me make it up to you."

She stared at him, not sure what he
intended.

He held up a hand as if he had read
her thoughts. "Dinner. Strictly business and strictly as an apology,"
he suggested.

What should she do? What would he do
if she turned him down, or accepted? She felt smashed between a rock and a hard
place. The last thing she wanted was to somehow end up in the middle of this
acrimonious relationship between the owners of Shaw & Burk, but she didn’t
want to snub the boss, either.

"I’ll pick you up at seven, all
right?"

Heather didn't know what to say, so
she dumbly nodded. "All right. Let me give you my address-"

He waved a hand. "Wear
something nice," he suggested. "And, you don't need to give me your
address. I already have it, Heather."

How could he already have her
address? Had he been checking on her? Again he seemed to read her thoughts.

"You put it on your application,
remember?"

She sighed and then nodded. She was
definitely flustered, not only by Alyson's behavior, but by this sudden and
unexpected invitation to dine with the boss. Well, she supposed it couldn't
hurt. If it made Brecken feel better, then she supposed she could do nothing
less than acquiesce. Still, she was slightly taken off guard. She didn't know
what to think. But she was hungry, and he seemed intent on apologizing for his
ex-fiancée's rude outburst.

She sat down, nodding. "I'm
going to log out and call it a day," she said. He nodded.

"I'll see you at seven,"
he reminded as he left her office, closing the door softly behind him.

Heather sat staring at the door for
several minutes, still trying to process what had just occurred in the past
five minutes. Dinner with the boss? What had she been thinking, excepting such
an invitation? Then again, what else could she have done?

What else indeed.

Brecken walked away from Heather's
office, shaking his head and smiling. His new billing manager was beautiful: a
svelte and sexy brunette who had the smarts he was looking for in his company.
As he watched his ex-fiancée saunter down the hallway toward his office, he
couldn't help comparing her to Heather. While he had known Heather for less
than a day, he was incredibly attracted to her.

She had a great body, all natural,
unlike Alyson, who despite her incredible beauty had a bad habit of sneering her
distaste or disagreement with people or things that was painfully obvious. He
had told her it numerous times that the expression was off-putting, but she
didn't seem to care. In fact, Brecken was practically convinced that it was
unconscious on her part – the expression on her face, not her attitude.

Alyson was also incredibly sexy, and
she and Brecken had shared passionate and explosive sex while they were dating
and during the first six months or so of their relationship. She was smart,
sharp, cutthroat, even. At first, Brecken had appreciated that, especially when
they had developed the new company. Then, over time, her attitude had begun to
grate on his nerves. Even her great tits and ass couldn't make up for her sour
disposition. Extremely critical – that kind of described her in a nutshell.

Alyson was never satisfied, never
happy. No matter how hard Brecken had tried at first to keep his new fiancée
happy, it was never enough. Never mind the fact that he was a billionaire and
owned a nice mansion and several houses around the country. Never mind that he
drove a nice car and bought her everything she desired. It was never enough.
She wanted more. Always more.

He had gotten used to hearing Alyson
scolding, shouting, or demeaning everyone that crossed her path. When he had
heard her raised voice several minutes ago, his first thought had been,
who she going to be yelling at this time
?

It was a shame, really, because Alyson,
other than her horrid disposition and personality, was his ideal woman. She was
as driven and passionate as he. He had first met Alyson when he was a Navy
SEAL. He and his unit had been on a mission in North Africa. Following the
mission, he and his buddies had had a few hours in Cairo to kill prior to their
return to the States. They had taken advantage and walking into a local
watering hole, he had met the gaze of the most gorgeous blonde he had ever seen
in his life. She had seemed as captivated by him.

They had struck up a conversation,
shared a few drinks, and then, less than two hours after they met, had ventured
to an upstairs room where they had engaged in blood-thrumming sex. He had
taken one look at her naked body and been filled with desire that threatened to
overwhelm him. That first sexual encounter had been an eye-opener. She was hot-blooded,
that was for sure, with a nearly unquenchable zest for sex that took even him by
surprise, and he was no slouch when it came to his experience and techniques.

"Are you coming or you just going
to stare at my ass all day?"

Brecken jolted out of his reverie,
saw his ex-fiancée eyeing him over her shoulder with a seductive smile while she
waited at his office door. He always kept it locked when he wasn't at his desk.
One couldn’t be too careful, even in their own company. He nodded, taking his
time catching up to her. He couldn't help but remember their breakup. It had
been nasty, filled with accusations, innuendo, and threats. While he was
inwardly glad that they had never said "I do," he couldn't help but
feel a surge of momentary regret that they hadn't been able to work things out.

The blunt truth of the matter was
that other than their desire for one another, they weren't very compatible. To
be brutally honest with himself, he had to admit that she was a bit unstable.
Now, she seemed more than that. She seemed crazy. Her moods could change in an
instant. One minute, she was purring in your ear, and the next minute,
depending on what you said or how you reacted, she wanted to scratch your eyes
out. After months of trying to be as patient as he could, hoping that
stability, creating their business, and their upcoming wedding plans would begin
to mellow her out, he had realized that she would never mellow. Alyson was
always on the warpath and it didn't matter what time of day, what was going on,
how much money she had, or who she was with.

Brecken liked to think it was Alyson's
despicable personality and thinly veiled contempt for anyone but herself that
had driven him into the arms of the other woman whose name he couldn't even
remember right now. Perhaps it was his own inability to commit or settle down.
He thought he had been ready to do that with Alyson, and he wasn't sure how
much her demands had played a role in his wandering eye, but as instantly as he
had fallen for her, he felt repelled by her.

Nevertheless, and unfortunately for
both of them, they were connected by their business. As co-owner, Alyson had
yet to move on from their broken and damaged relationship. Brecken had broken
it off with her two months ago, but she didn't seem to want to put it behind
her. Or accept it. He had tried to let her down easy, but there was really no
way he could say something like "you're kind of crazy" to a crazy
person.

He unlocked his office and gestured
for her to go in before him. When they were inside, he shut the door and then
moved toward his desk. He didn't sit behind it, but instead turned and leaned his
hip against it, his arms crossed over his chest and his feet casually crossed.
He stared at her with a bland expression while she shot daggers at him. Cliché,
but when it came to Alyson, if looks could kill, she personified the
expression.

"What can I do for you today, Alyson?"

"I thought we were to discuss a
new manager for the billing department together."

He shrugged. "I left you a
message for you two days ago that I was interviewing. You didn't show up. I
figured you weren't interested. I hired Heather Kurtz, whom you so rudely
yelled at just moments ago. So, what's the problem?"

"I don't like her," she
said.

"You don't like anybody," Brecken
replied.

"We need to talk," she
said, her voice softening just a bit and she took a step closer to him.

He knew where that might lead and
held up his hand. At the moment, he wished he had some garlic or a crucifix or
something toward her off. He knew that look, and he knew just as well that
while he was no longer emotionally attached to Alyson, he still felt physically
attracted to her. He didn't know why, but his dick always semi-hardened when
she was around and he had an urge to cup his hands around her huge, fake
breasts, to squeeze, to hear her moan…

What was it that he wanted from her?
He shook his head, trying to focus on something else, but from her expression,
she knew what he was thinking.

"You're still hot for me,"
she commented. "Why deny it, Brecken? We were made for each other."

"Not hardly, Alyson," he
said. "You know it as well as I do. When we're together, we argue-"

"That's because we’re so hot
for each other," she smiled. The smile didn't reach her eyes. "It’s
the sexual tension."

"I don't care what it is,"
he said, straightening. Maybe he did need to sit down behind the desk just in
case his dick hardened any more. He certainly didn't want to give her any
indication how much he still desired her physically, nor give her any ideas. To
help combat his imagination over Alyson's body, he thought of Heather’s. Fresh.
Innocent, maybe. Just as desirable as Alyson, but in a different way. He
couldn't quite put his finger on it. He had been with plenty of beautiful
women. He supposed when it came right down to it, their personality mattered
just as much as their physical body.

"What do you want, Alyson?"

She pouted. "Never mind. I can
see that you’re not in a mood to talk about anything, let alone our
relationship-"

"Other than the company, Alyson,
we don't have a relationship anymore. Remember?"

Her pout turned into a scowl. "Brecken,
I know all your secrets-"

He immediately stood, his heartbeat
accelerating, but not in passion. He was growing angry and irritable. "And,
I know plenty of your secrets, too, Alyson. Are you threatening me?"

She backed down, but only slightly,
when she saw the expression on his face. "Maybe, maybe not." She turned
and headed toward the door. "But you and I need to talk – and soon."

"We can talk later, but now I
have work to do. I assume you do, as well." He knew better than to assume
anything when it came to Alyson. While she was a co-owner, she rarely appeared
at the office building. He didn't really care. The less he saw of her, the
better. As a silent partner, maybe things might work, but only if she didn't
let her attitude take over her better judgment.

He narrowed his eyes as he watched
her exit his office and quietly close the door behind her. For a second, he
wondered why she didn't slam it as she usually did. So, it had come to that,
had it? She was threatening him? Implying that she would divulge his secrets? He
frowned as he sat down and stared unseeing out the window.

Not good. Not good at all.

*

For the short time that Brecken
remained at his office before he decided to go home and change in preparation
for his dinner date with Heather, he contemplated his options. He didn't really
like any of them. Although he had been careful not to show any change in his
expression when Alyson had mentioned secrets, he knew that he had to deal with
this – and sooner rather than later.

She could bring him down. If she
talked, she would bring them both down. He knew she was vindictive, but was she
self-destructive? He doubted it, but then again, he could hardly take the
chance, could he?

Finally, as dusk began to filter
through his window and his office developed shadows, he glanced at the clock
and realized he better get going. He pushed thoughts of Alyson out of his mind.
He was looking forward to spending a lovely evening with his new billing
manager. Heather was a beautiful woman, with her dark, almond-, hazel eyes,
that perfect little nose, and those luscious lips that just begged to be
kissed. While her breasts were not as large as Alyson's, they were perfect, no
enhancements needed. Besides, more than a handful was a waste, wasn't it?

He had his driver take him home,
where he quickly changed into a pair of dark blue slacks, a light blue dress
shirt, and a bold, red tie. He wanted to treat Heather to a nice restaurant.
Ritzy, but not too ostentatious. He was looking forward to getting to know her
a little better. He knew a little about her, had naturally done a background
check on her before even interviewing for the job along with investigating her
social media pages, but what he wanted to know was more personal. He knew she
wasn’t married, but did she have a boyfriend?

While he had told her that the
dinner was strictly business to make up for Alyson's behavior, he had seen the
brief expression of hesitance that had crossed her face at the invitation. He
knew what she was thinking. An invitation from the boss for dinner? After her
first day on the job? He had seen, without needing to hear her speak the words,
her uncertainty. Could she decline without worrying about her job security?

While he was incredibly attracted to
her, he also knew that he had to take things slow or she'd bolt. He didn't want
to come on too strong. He also had to remember how quickly he had fallen for Alyson,
intrigued by her exterior without really getting to know her on the inside
before he had impulsively asked her to marry him. He wasn't going to make that
mistake again.

He would take things slow; keep
things innocent – tonight.

He called his driver on his phone
and told him to meet him at the front of the house. His driver had a small
cottage at the rear side of his estate, more a matter of convenience than
anything else. He would have the driver take him to the restaurant, and then
send him to Heather's apartment to pick her up; less awkward that way, or so he
figured. He didn't want to appear too anxious or act like he was out on a date.
This was strictly business, or so he’d claimed. He didn't want to give her the
impression that it was anything but.

He told his driver to take him
L’Espalier on Boylston Street. Located in Boston's Back Bay, the restaurant
specialized in modern and sophisticated new England-French cuisine. He'd been
there many times and was practically a regular. The lounge, two dining rooms,
and an eating area aptly nicknamed “The Library,” complete with bookshelves,
was one of his favorites. It was impressive, but not over the top. He looked
forward to the Autumn Prix Fixe, a wonderful, filling menu option with a first
course and main course providing a variety of culinary options.

He usually liked to sit in The Library
dining room. All the dining areas were gorgeous and well appointed. The Salon, the
Corner Room, and the Crystal Room were also elegant. Tonight, he would opt for
the Crystal Room, which was bordered on three sides by a beautiful steel bar encased
with glass doors. For Heather, he would opt for one of the satin lined banquettes
next to a window, which would perhaps make her a little less nervous than sitting
in a quiet corner off by themselves.