Flirting With Desire (Contemporary Romance) Complete Collection
Read Flirting With Desire (Contemporary Romance) Complete Collection Online
Authors: Lucia Jordan
Copyright © 2013 by Lucia Jordan
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be constructed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
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No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Table Of Contents
Flirting With Desire Book 1
It hurts. It really, really hurts.
Those were Hannah’s thoughts as she left Chet sleeping in their tousled sheets. He looked so boyish and cute spread out beneath the covers, his overlong blond locks half-shielding his face. His toned, gorgeously cut torso was visible before the rest of him disappeared beneath the comforter.
She bit on her bottom lip with regret and then sighed, stealing one last look of longing before exiting the room. It was getting harder and harder to have to leave Chet in the mornings and make it for work before eight AM. But such was the life of a young top-rate secretary in a highflying corporate environment.
As she passed the gilt-edged mirror hanging on the wall in the hall, she barely took note of her appearance. The upswept blonde hair, the light, classy makeup and the stylish black pencil skirt and striped grey and white blouse, buttoned to the neck. The high, patent black heels that added a few inches to her natural height. Her slightly full-figured form in her carefully picked attire seemed trim, though she was never going to pass for the supermodel type.
But then, when it came to her looks, Hanna wasn’t overly conscious or concerned. She took care to fit into the appropriate mold of an executive secretary, nothing more. Unlike other girls at the office, she wasn’t all about seizing attention, especially male attention. Why should she anyway? She had the hottest man sleeping in her bed. The last thing she wanted was to catch the eye of any of her co-workers or employers. And even when she did, she nipped any kind of personal interaction in the bud. Her number one rule on the road to success was never to mix business and pleasure.
She felt her mood begin to lighten the closer she got to the high rise that held the Rush Towers. She loved her job and enjoyed working for one of the biggest conglomerates in the city. However, her mind couldn't help flitting back home, to her apartment.
Early this morning, she’d enjoyed a satisfying romp with the insatiable Chet. Always, it felt like heaven to be loved up by her man. She hid a slight frown as she noted how he seemed distracted of late. She knew he wasn’t happy with the minor progress his band was making.
Chet Howard was the lead guitarist of Hard Hitters, an indie rock band made up of him and three other friends he’d known in college. They were still waiting for their big break after two years together. Playing clubs and small festivals for free wasn’t exactly an encouraging career evolution.
Hanna had nothing but complete faith in Chet’s talent and that of his band. But she had to admit their kind of eclectic blend of rock music would be hard to appreciate for some tastes. She hoped the band would get a promising gig soon. Chet had been broke for months and had to move in with her, which she hadn’t really minded.
It only meant having another mouth to feed and extra chores to do because as lovable as Chet was, he wasn't exactly the neatest soul which meant there was always more than the usual laundry, dishes or cleaning up when she got home. Hanna knew his mum had spoiled him impossibly and now at that he was twenty-five, Chet was still used to someone else picking up after him.
Hanna shook any slightly disparaging thought that lingered about Chet. He was supportive of her career, was a caring partner and romantic too. She just wished he could find a way to meet his full potential. Unlike Hanna, Chet had finished from one of those Ivy League colleges. But he'd picked up music during his college days and now that was all he was interested in pursuing.
Hanna had no doubts when Chet promised he'd make it all up to her once things started looking up for him. When his band released that hit song or killer album, he vowed she'd never have to worry about money again. Hanna wanted that so much, for him, not herself. She didn't want him because he was going to be a big rock star. She loved him for him and she felt sure he felt the same about her.
Hanna was already brimming with enthusiasm for the new work day when she was eventually seated behind her desk.
There was the buzz going round about the job just opening up for executive assistant. But when she heard who was in need of filling that newly vacant position,
Hanna thought twice about applying. Her closest friend at work, Carly was nudging her to take the bold move.
“You’re always complaining about having so many bills,” Carly said suggestively. She was the secretary to one of the higher up company execs, and was a petite redhead with a warm, friendly disposition that was refreshing in the
cut-throat world of business.
“But I’d have to be crazy to want to work for Damian Rush,” Hanna said dryly.
Just saying his name out loud gave her a certain shivery sensation over the hairs of her skin. Damian Rush, eldest son of Elvin Rush, who owned the company. Everyone knew Mr. Rush Jnr. was hell to work with. It was no surprise he was in need of a new assistant. He changed assistants virtually every few months. No one seemed to work for him for long. Many said he worked his assistants ragged, while others say that once the female ones start to get too sweet on him, he fires them. Hanna huffed at that. Yes, Damian Rush looked like sex on legs but he was still a horrible human being. She’d seen a worker get reduced to tears with just a few words from his well carved lips. She’d never met the man personally, but only seen glimpses of him from a distance.
One of her friends at work, Bree had been the one at the receiving end of his ire months ago. She’d been sent to get his coffee at one of those pricey coffee bars he frequented, and she’d messed up his order. He’d come out to her desk and in under a minute, had Bree sobbing and dashing from the office hall once he’d stalked back into his inner chamber and slammed the door after him.
Hanna had been standing at the other desk talking to one of the other staff and had witnessed the whole scene. She’d only got to see a bit of his chiselled profile and his broad shoulders as he’d walked back to his office, and her breath had caught in agony and fury on Bree’s behalf. He really was an ogre and she didn’t care how good looking he was with that midnight black hair and movie star features.
By the end of the day though, Hanna had taken the time to think about it and considered the benefits that would come with the job of executive assistant to the CEO. Their pay was usually triple what she made, with better perks attached. After working for the company three years, she’d climbed up from the bottom and made an
impact within that short time. She felt she was more than qualified for the post. But she didn’t really think she’d get the position. On a whim, she finally put in her application before she could change her mind.
As a week went by, she forgot all about it until
she was summoned by HR for a meeting in their office. Hanna broke into a sweat but then reminded herself that she’d worked hard to get to where she was and no matter what, deserved everything that she had coming her way.
She was half surprised, half dismayed to finally sit in front of the panel of three HR personnel who told her the news.
“I must say you have a commendable track record, Ms. Simms,” said the middle woman, who looked aristocratic in her dove grey suit and wire-rimmed glasses. “Mr. Damian Rush needs someone like you working for him. I’m happy to tell you that you have been promoted to the position of Executive Assistant to the CEO. With this role comes not just a new title, but your own office and of course, a substantial increase in remuneration.”
It almost seemed too good to be true and even as she felt filled with a strange dread, Hanna couldn’t keep from beaming as she accepted the position.
Hanna had never shied from challenges. That was why she’d applied in the first place. And she’d faced tougher problems than Damian Rush. This was about moving ahead, making things happen. As they said, opportunities came around but once. She’d let nothing, not even him, stand in her way of success.
*
Meeting Damian Rush in person was every bit as nerve-racking as Hanna had expected – but for a variety of reasons she hadn’t foreseen.
She walked into his office, let in by one of her superiors. “Mr. Rush, your new executive assistant, Ms. Hanna Simms.”
He wasn’t alone in the room; there were two other men present who were seated in front of his desk. Hanna watched with interest as Damian Rush rose from his chair and strode around his desk to where she stood.
Hanna almost rocked on her heels as her surroundings suddenly faded to the background. Having to finally face him head on, she was struck by just how much she’d underestimated his physical charms.
Damian Rush had to be at least six five, with compelling pale grey eyes and deeply tanned skin. Every line of his face seemed moulded by loving hands. There was nothing out of sync, everything so well placed he looked almost too perfect. Except for the cold, mocking glint in his gaze that had her back stiffening. His frame was not too broad or too lean, with just the right amount of musculature to make his suit seem sprayed on as it moved effortlessly with him.
“Ms. Simms.”
She snapped to attention as he stood before her, even more devastating up close. Before she could speak, he added briskly, “I’m not sure what you heard about what you are taking on, but this is far from a frivolous position.”
Hanna almost couldn’t hear the words spoken in that voice of his that was all timber and gravel. She was busy staring at his mouth, the form enticing and almost sinfully sexy in the fullness of the bottom lip.
Oh my God. He’s fucking hot.
I still hate him though
, Hanna added on almost the second she made the former observation. He was glaring at her impatiently, and she drew in a deep breath as she searched for a suitable response.
“I’m not afraid of hard work, Mr. Rush. In fact, I thrive on it. I look forward to my new role and for the record, I don’t do frivolous.”
He raked his eyes over her from head to foot, and she made sure not to squirm. She was conscious now of the other people waiting at his desk, obviously part of the meeting he’d been having before she appeared. Feeling like she could easily dissolve into a puddle and disappear, Hanna decided to endure his somewhat scathing scrutiny before he huffed and turned away, dismissing her brusquely.
Hanna returned to her newly appointed desk with burning cheeks. She was right; this was a plum job indeed but after what she just went through, it had better be worth her resisting the urge to knee her boss in the balls for all his attitude.
She just had to get through it one day at a time.
*
Damian found his new assistant to be classifiable as one thing: a
distraction
. One he couldn’t well afford.
He was used to having pretty assistants. So what was it about Hanna Simms? With her looks, it would have been easy to pigeonhole her as one of those ditzy blonde types who simply did what they were told.
As the weeks went by, his assumptions were shot down one by one.
For starters, she had no clue what a bombshell she was. Even with her uninspiring fashion sense, he could still see that she was a mouth-watering morsel. She had curves in places he’d never known a woman could have.
After a few days, he had been unable to stand it any longer. He made her know he was implementing a dress code where she was concerned. He made no bones about telling her how much he disapproved of her style of dress. “It might look well placed were you from the typing pool or perhaps worked in the mailroom,” he drawled, “But as my direct employee, I expect more…verve.”
So saying, he ignored her bristling gaze and settled an allowance for a total overhaul of her wardrobe.
“Is this totally necessary, Mr. Rush?” she’d asked, the words barely making it past her pursed lips.
“In the coming weeks, you’ll be accompanying me on trips and when needed, to social functions. Most times you will be the face of my office, the first person people come in contact with when it comes to meeting me. I’d expect you to look the part and not as if your attire was put together from the bargain sale.”
“I don’t…”
He
smirked as she seemed to catch herself from saying something else she would regret. He nodded in somewhat grim approval. “You can take the afternoon off and follow my instructions as to what I expect in terms of appearance. If you show up in anything I don’t like, I’ll just have to send you back home.”
“Point taken, Mr. Rush,” she murmured, and turned sharply on her heels to leave.