Boxed Set: Seduced For Revenge (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) (3 page)

“
Would you like to come in for a few minutes? I think I need to go lie down, but I feel bad about breaking our date
.
”

He stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind him
,“
Is there anything I can get you
?”
he offered
.“
I hate to leave you like this
.
”

“
I took two aspirin earlier,
I’
ll be fine. Can I get you anything
?”
She finally pulled the robe over her shoulder and pretended to be embarrassed about it.

“
No, why do
n’
t you get some rest. W
e’
ll have dinner some other day
.
”

The weekend was peaceful and Victoria got a chance to get some work done. She had exactly one more week to cement her position in the company or she could kiss everything sh
e’
d worked for goodbye.

After Koltan left on Friday evening, she poured herself a glass of wine and planned her next move. The company had a special place where all the old files were stored. Maybe she could find something there. All she needed was a reason to be there and maybe the permission of someone who no one would question.

She arrived at the office earlier than her usual time and headed directly to his office. She knew he was already there because his parking space had his Bentley in it. After knocking softly a few times he answered.

“
Come in
,”
he raised his head from his computer, his eyes widened and a smile spread across his face at seeing her
.“
Victoria
!
”

“
Sorry to bother you, I need a favor
,”
she got straight to the point.

“
Yes
.
”

“
I only have one week left to prove myself, but I know next to nothing about the company. I need to study the past quality control reports and company accounts in order to do a proper analysis
.
”

“
The company archives have all you need.
I’
ll let the clerk know yo
u’
re coming
,”
he responded, immediately picking up the phone and alerting the responsible party.

“
Thank you
,”
she smiled.

“
Yo
u’
re welcome. Ho
w’
s the headache
?
”

“
All better
,”
she told him, hoping he would bring up dinner again. When he did
n’
t she took the initiative
.“
About dinner,
I’
m sorry
.
”

“
No problem. We can do it another time, whenever you say
.
”

She looked at him and saw that he was waiting for her to make the move
,“
How about tonight
?
”

A broad grin appeared on his face and he nodded
,“
Good, I was hoping yo
u’
d say that
.
”

After leaving his office, Victoria went down to the basement where the old documents were stored. The male clerk was expecting her and left her to search on her own. He was in his mid-sixties with greying hair and a slight hunch.

She picked out some old reports that she needed then began searching through the old records, dating back to when her father was director. There were dozens of boxes with files but they were all dated by the year and quarter, for easy location.  She found the year her father was pushed out of the company and picked out a few files, hid them between the reports she actually wanted, and closed back the box.

“I’
ll need to come often. I had no idea there were so many reports
,”
she told the clerk.

“
Yes m
a’
am. Mr. Koltan said to let you in whenever you want
,”
the older man smiled.

“
Thank you
,”
she said, returning a smile.

That evening she took the files home so she could have a look at them without interruption or any one getting suspicious. Though she was anxious to see what they contained, she put them aside and got ready for her date.

She had
n’
t left the office until minutes after six so she had little time to spare. She took a quick shower and pulled on a white cocktail dress with red three-inch pumps and matching purse. With an elastic band she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, leaving soft curly tendrils hanging at her temples and nape. Finally, she smeared on cherry colored lipstick and a little mascara.

He was on time. When she opened the door to him, he stood staring for a moment.

“
Hi
,”
her voice was sweet
.“
Shall we
?
”

“
Yes. You look beautiful
,”
his voice took on a gravelly sound.

“
Thank you. You are
n’
t bad yourself
,”
she replied, with meaning. He looked really good in his dark blue suit.

He took her to a little Italian restaurant in Newport Beach where the atmosphere was cozy, the food good and the company was better. They talked about everything including the company and how he never wanted to work with his father. It was his mother who encouraged him to join his father and so learned all he could, with the hopes of taking over someday.

Victoria was surprised that she had a good time and by the end of the night she wished she did
n’
t have to use Koltan to get what she wanted. When he took her home, she tried to think of another way to get close to Harmon, but failed.

While looking through the files later that night, she kept thinking about him; the way he entertained her through dinner and his easy way of doing things. There was an innocence about him, something that could have been real or could have been show, she was
n’
t sure.

She had gotten to this point with a singular goal; to get back at Harmon. It was never her intention to hurt anyone else in the process. She knew that Koltan had nothing to do with what happened years ago. In addition, he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. She went to bed feeling guilty that the only reason she agreed to go out with him was to seduce him.

However, by morning she was back to her old self
.“
Ca
n’
t allow myself to get weak now
,”
she told her reflection as she got ready for work.

With great effort, she pushed him out of her mind and tried to concentrate on work for the next few days. She had exactly four days to prove her worth. There was no time for weakness or she would lose sight of what she wanted to accomplish. She was
n’
t sure where to find the answer, so she decided to continue her plans to seduce him, though she was a total novice at it.

Although she had been on many dates, sh
e’
d never had a serious relationship, and she worried that sooner or later, if she continued with her plan, she may have to sleep with him. This was something that she had
n’
t thought of, never having actually gone all the way with a guy before. She decided to think further about dating Koltan. Could she achieve her goal without sacrificing her purity?

After a few hours of pouring over reports Beth popped her head around the door
,“
Victoria, Mr. Grey wants to see you
.
”

As she walked to his office, she realized that she was a bit nervous. She found him perched on the edge of his desk. His jacket was draped over the back of his chair and the three top buttons on his shirt were opened, revealing dark chest hair. His sleeves were rolled up to just below his elbow and he seemed a bit disheveled.

“
You wanted to see me
?”
she stood at the door waiting.

He beckoned to her
,“
Come in
.
”

“
Are you okay
?”
she asked.

“
I
t’
s my father. H
e’
s trying to block the board from approving my plan
,”
he his voice was taut
.“
That man, I swear, if he was
n’
t my father
!”
he hit his palm against the desk.

“
Can he do that
?”
stepped closer.

“
Apparently so, he still has quite the influence over the board. To them,
I’
m just a boy who inherited a company. My father is the real businessman, not me
.
”

“I’
m sorry
,”
she moved towards him and touched his shoulder
.“
I wish there was something I could do
.
”

“
This would make the company more dependable. Employees would be more loyal and would have the best interest of the company at heart
,”
he jaw was set and she could see him clenching and unclenching his teeth.

All of a sudden he was embracing her and she let him. She was
n’
t sure if this was a part of her plan or not, but she hugged him back. She could feel his body against hers, his heat, his hard muscles beneath his thin shirt and she stiffened, regretting getting so close.

Then before she knew what was happening, his lips found hers and she was pushing against him, trying to fight it. Her palms pushed against the hardness of his chest, but before she could push him away, someone opened the door. Startled, they broke apart and she thanked her lucky stars.

The woma
n’
s face was stoned. Her blonde hair was pulled back from her face, revealing high cheekbones and grey eyes. She was dressed in a gray tailored skirt suit. She looked very professional, but the way she glared at Koltan made Victoria wondered who she was.

“
Niki
!”
Koltan exclaimed
.“
What are you doing here
?
”

“
I came to see you, but I see yo
u’
re busy. Who is she
?
”

“
This is Victoria, my girlfriend
,”
he replied, shocking her out of her wits. He then proceeded to pull her to his side.

Nik
i’
s eyes glared at him while furrows formed between her eyes and her lips twisted viciously. She threw down her briefcase on the armchair in the corner
.“
Girlfriend? That was not in our arrangement. My father wo
n’
t like this. Does Harmon know about this
?
”

“
What is there to know? My father ca
n’
t force me to marry you or anyone else.
I’
ll marry when
I’
m good and ready
.
”

Victoria could not take anymore. She pulled away and turned to face him
,“
Wha
t’
s going on Koltan
?
”

“I’
m his fian
cé
.
,
”
 
Niki spat, walking up behind her
.“
I bet he did
n’
t tell you
.
”　

“
Is this true
?”
Victoria looked at Koltan with her eyes slightly squinted.

A shadow crossed his face and he looked Niki in the eyes when he replied
,“
No, I never agreed to this arrangement. My father is the one who agreed to it, not me. I never said I wanted to marry her. We have never even dated
.
”