It had been raining in Washington D.C. and the pavements were thronged by people. Sleek limousines edged their way along between the yellow lines of taxis who maneuvered their way in and out of the already busy traffic jam. Wealthy, big companies inhabited the tall block of that street, and the company Ella Stanford was working for had been one of them.
As Ella walked into the building, she gave the security guy a smile to which he replied with a grin. He knew most of the employees who worked in Summers Industries by sight, some were by name.
Ella walked toward the electronic gates and tapped her card on the machine. There was a buzz before the door slid open and Ella walked in. She immediately went to the set of elevators and hit the call button. Once she was on the correct floor, she walked out of the elevator towards the heavy plate glass door which bore the sign “SUMMERS ENTERTAINMENT”. Ella offered a smile to the young receptionist working behind the desk and crossed through the open office before getting into the opaque glass door which bore the “JAVIER SUMMERS” name. Javier Summers, her boss which was also the CEO of Summers Entertainment (one could easily guess by his surname), had a large square room beyond her own with a door communicating between them.
She had worked for Javier Summers for three years now. Her air of reserved efficiency and professionalism had been the reason why she had managed to keep this job that long. It was quite rare or so she had been told by her coworkers that before she came, Javier had fired five people and the last one had only been working for a month.
It was ten minutes before one. She had come back to the office early and spared enough time to get prepared before her boss came back from his lunch. Ella hung her jacket on a coat hanger, in the corner of the room, and tucked away her hair before settling down at her desk.
“How’s my wonderful professional secretary doing?”
Ella gritted her teeth against a seething wave of annoyance. Sometimes it was hard working for Javier and this was one of the reasons: when he was so careless with his words. He did not have to put the word ‘professional’ there just to make her sound boring. Furthermore, the only reason he would call her ‘wonderful’ was because he had made another conquest. Not necessarily a good business deal, his list of conquests stretched to females as well.
His voice was filled with smugness, a sure sign of sexual satisfaction. No doubt. he had spent a pleasurable lunch with his latest woman. Another sign was his missing tie. Ella remembered that when he had come to the office this morning, he had been wearing a grey tie. Not only had that tie gone missing, but his collar was also undone.
Yet one look at him and she could understand why females were finding it hard to resist him. Other than his naturally handsome look, he was also disturbingly attractive. His eyes were as blue as the ocean and sometimes when his mood had been cloudy, they would turn darker, almost as dark as the night sky. His cheekbones were angular, almost austere. His mouth was wide with the top lip firm and controlled and the lower full conveying the hint of sensuality and his mastery in the art of kissing. His face always reflected his current mood, sometimes it was full of pride when he needed to intimidate someone (especially his subordinates or business partner). At the other times, it was incredibly charming that an icy heart would surely melt at the sight of him. One thing for sure, it was always full of power just like he was. Sometimes it annoyed her how he could think faster than normal humans.
Javier Summers was a dangerous man. He was as difficult to handle as a wild puma: savage, unpredictable, and predatory. He worked hard and played hard. He was thirty-two years old, in the prime of life, and had the well-earned reputation of being a genius in the entertainment field. Other than that, he used his undoubted sex appeal mercilessly. His name had been coupled with a succession of stars. A new star or artist often got free publicity simply by being photographed with him coming out of a nightclub. He showed no signs of settling down and getting married and none of his affairs had ever appeared serious nor lasted for longer than a few weeks.
When Ella had first begun to work for him, he had asked her to dine with him which she had politely declined and his response had been a needling form of mockery. Still, Ella maintained her cool good looks and quiet manner. Even if she did have feelings for him, she had two reasons to avoid getting in bed with him. One, at that time, she still had to pay for her mother’s debts. Her mother had recklessly owed money to some people and if she had not paid them back, they would put her in jail. Two, she refused to be one of his conquests. Perhaps the reason why he had fired his previous secretaries was that he had gotten bored of them after they had shared his bed. Whether it had been true or not, Ella found it easier to avoid being intimate with him. After all, he was her boss, for goodness sake!
“Good afternoon, Sir,” Ella replied with a small, polite smile.
His dark, rakish eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Sir?”
“Is it not why you put the word ‘professional’ in your greeting just now so that I would address you formally?" Ella tilted her head to one side, returning his quizzical look with one of her own.
Javier laughed, his ocean eyes twinkling with devilish delight. The devil was clearly enjoying this little banter. “You never fail to amuse me with your sharp tongue, Stanford.”
That was one more annoying thing that he always did. He called her by her surname, the same way he had been calling his other male buddies!
Ignoring him, Ella picked up the files she had prepared for him before lunch and handed them over to him. “These are the files that you asked for. You will need to review them so I can start arranging the meetings,” she said efficiently. Once he took the files, she offered him another polite smile and asked, “Is there anything else you need from me right now?”
“No,” he shook his head and began waltzing to the connecting door. And then as if he had just remembered something, he stopped, turned around, and leaned by the doorframe. “Though there is one more thing. How is the planning going for the party this weekend? Is everything on track and according to the list I gave you last time?” When she had not answered immediately, his brows lowered. “You have not forgotten about it, have you?”
Of course, she had not! How could she forget to arrange and make plans for her boss's birthday party this weekend? Not only her salary but her job, as well as her head, would also be on the line!
“No, of course, I have not.” Ella stretched her lips into what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Everything is going to be perfect! I have arranged it exactly as you wanted.”
“Good, good,” he said momentarily then his blue eyes were once more fixated on her. "You know you are coming, right?”
“I- I—” Ella cleared her throat and then answered in a calm manner. “I do not think that would be necessary. It is not a business meeting, I don’t think you’ll need your secretary there.”
“Nonsense!” Javier shook his head, giving her a disapproving look. “I will need you there. Consider it the reward for all the work you have done in working with the Event Organizers in putting the party together.”
“Thank you,” Ella answered silkily. “I’ll look forward to relaxing and enjoying myself then.”
His eyes twinkled dangerously and for a split second, Ella saw something in those blue eyes she had never seen before. “It will be my pleasure to see you enjoying yourself, Ella.”
If the glint in his eyes was not enough to make her suspicious of his motive, the fact that he had just called her by her first name for the first time ever had.
Javier Summers settled at his desk and logged into his computer. At first, he checked his email and made sure that he had not missed any important news before opening the files Ella had given him. He was halfway through reading the document when an odd question came to mind. Would she come with her beau? She had never talked about her private life and he could not deny that he was beginning to feel curious. Most women would open up with him but never Ella. But again, most women would fall into his charm except her. It was a rather frustrating thing, really. It had made him wonder occasionally whether he had started to lose his touch or that she was simply interested in the same sex. One thing for sure, Ella was a buttoned-up, uptight girl and she would never lose her head over anything. Even his impeccable charm on the ladies. This had made her the perfect assistant both in his line of work, where artists or actresses were all too temperamental and Ella could ground and reason wi
Ella Stanford was beyond mad. She was nearly going to go back into his office and slap his face. Yet somehow, she had managed to calm herself down and by the time Javier Summers walked in front of her and bid her goodbye for the day, she had her usual polite smile plastered on her face as if nothing had happened. As if he had not just insulted her by thinking that the type of guys she could date were accountants and tax advisors! In other words, he had said that she was boring enough of a person to date the most boring type of people. “How dare he?!” said Ella as she unlocked her door and got inside. “Oh, just you wait, Javier Summers!” she vowed to herself as she placed her bag on the table and sat on the couch. Damon Matthews was hot as a sin. Ella would have fallen for him if not for the fact that he was only interested in the same sex. Either Damon or his boyfriend Tanner would suffice. Gay men could make the very best friends for a woman and she was both glad and grateful to h
Ella was late. Miss Ella Stanford was clearly late. Javier could not stop himself from glancing at his Rolex watch and then at the entrance every now and then. Another ten minutes and everyone who was currently enjoying cocktails and light snacks in the foyer would be moving to the dining hall. Yet here he was, standing on the balcony, looking down at the crowd beneath him and trying hard to find his little secretary. “Where on earth is she?” he growled to himself. His buoyant anticipation had slid through a heap of frustration at her lack of appearance before it turned into a nagging worry. Had she perhaps been in an accident? “Babe, what are you doing here?” A sultry voice asked then followed by hands snaking their way around his waist. London Star placed her head on his left shoulder, her lips grazing the side of his throat. “All your friends are downstairs. Why don’t we go down and say hello?” “Ten more minutes,” he replied curtly as he moved slightly away from her. “I cou
Ella was literally trembling as she waited to make her entrance. Perhaps she shouldn’t have let Damon and Jackie talk her into doing this. Nevertheless, she was already here right outside the huge door leading to the dining hall. Someone inside was making a speech and once the speech was over, she would make her entrance. Cheers followed with applause had erupted, indicating that it was her time now. Jackie gave her a brief hug and Damon whispered encouraging words into her ear. Okay. All she had to do was go up there and then sing for him. How hard could that possibly be? *** Javier was still glancing about the room. Ella was not here. He was tempted to give her another call but that would only up the number of missed calls she would see on her phone. “Damn it,” he cursed under his breath, not paying attention to what his brother, Thornton, had been saying on the podium. His mind was too distracted by his missing secretary. Then a dangerous thought came to his mind. Perhaps sh
She looked like her usual self yet at the same time, she looked different. There was something about the way she moved, the way her hips swayed. And when Javier looked at her, he noticed the sensual shape of her lips as she gazed up at him and wished him a happy birthday. “Come on, babe, blow the candle,” urged London at his side, putting her hand around his arm. Javier spared one look at Ella, then blew the candle. The crowd cheered and one by one, his guests started to congratulate him and wish him well. Soon, Javier left the guests to join her siblings. Two out of seven of them were here celebrating his birthday. Albeit there were so many of them, they were truly close with each other. They had not had any cousins since both their mother and father were only children. “We still don’t know where he went,” said Thornton, informing Javier about their missing brother Draven Summers. After their grandfather had written Draven off his will, his little brother had taken it so badly t
Javier Summers didn’t like this. Not even one bit. He could even consider this as the worst birthday he had ever had. No, he could not blame it on the food being served. They were splendid, cooked, and prepared by the best chefs in the U.S. And he could not fault the decor either, they were exactly how he wanted it: elegant and high class. The band playing the music right now was also giving their best performance so he could not fault that either. What irritated him the most was the fact that his little secretary who had always shown propriety suddenly decided to let loose tonight and not only did she do this on her own, she had a gorgeous man at her side, eager to please her and could not wait for the pleasurable night that might follow afterward — preferably in her place or his. Javier needed some time to cool himself or else he would drag Ella to the nearest available room and shake some sense into her. And then do what? Javier shook the naughty, inappropriate thought off his m
The band started playing again. Only this time, it was a song with a slower tempo, something that would be best suited for a slow dance. Ella had just gotten back to the table when she caught the sight of Javier and London Star. Her only salvation was having Damon by her side. It was always better to have a friend with her than to face something like this on her own. London’s eyes sparkled and she rose to her feet. “Damon, I love this song. Come dance with me,” she linked her arm to Damon, pressing her large breasts on his forearm. “You don’t mind if I borrow him for a dance right, Ella?” “I really don’t want to leave her alone,” answered Damon, freeing his arm from her grasp and failing miserably for she had held him tightly. Before Ella could say anything, a low husky voice had answered on her behalf. “She’s not alone. I will accompany her.” Then Ella could feel his arm linking around her waist and she nearly jumped on the spot. Damon’s eyes were on her, waiting for her decisi
Ella stared at her boss and for a second there, she was going to lose her temper. She’d specifically said that she was trying to find a restroom, then why on Earth had he led her into his bedroom? Her earlier thought about his wish to claim her as one of his conquests reared its ugly head. Her jaw clenched as she tried her best to calm herself by telling herself that if he made any moves, she could always knee him between his thighs, then run like hell. So when she finally opened her mouth, she was quite proud of herself for sounding calm and reasonable. “Why did you bring me here?” Without saying a word, he took her hand and was about to drag her when she planted her feet firmly on the floor and refused to follow him. "What on Earth are you doing, Sir?" She had subtly added ‘Sir’ in her sentence in the hope to remind her that he was her boss and that this was borderline inappropriate. “Didn’t you say you want to go to the restroom?” he asked incredulously as if she’d just asked h