Sex with the CEO: A Billionaire Romance (The Midnight Collection Book 1) (3 page)

Chapter 6

Annabel gasped and jumped back instinctively in shock. She held her palm flat over her heart and panted, “My God,” she shook her head, “You scared me half to death!”

              Dexter had a wry smile on his face as he leaned across the doorway, his arms spread. Annabel felt the annoyance rise to the back of her throat. This guy was obviously drunk and way too full of himself. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

              “Can I help you?” she said sternly.

              “I don’t suppose you have the time?” He grinned, his intense almond eyes drilling into her.

              Annabel’s fury was escalating, he may have been the most handsome man in the room and according to Clara one of the wealthiest in London but to her, after the night from hell, he was nothing but an irritant who obviously just wanted to get laid. Annabel glanced down at his wrist and at the thick gold Rolex adorning it.

              “You’re wearing a watch,” she growled. “Please can you get out of my way?” She waited for him to move, but he just moved in closer. The air between them was electric, the scent of his aftershave was intoxicating and she could feel the testosterone bouncing off him. She could immediately tell he was a powerful man. 

              “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “We’ve obviously got off on the wrong foot…” he leaned back to give her some breathing room and held out his hand. “I’m Dexter,” he smiled and waited for her response.

              Annabel was still infuriated but the last thing she wanted was any aggravation, she held out her hand and shook his, “Annabel,” she said, “I’m very flattered for the offer to keep me company but I’ve actually just had a phone call… there’s an emergency and I have to get home.” She let go of his hand and tried to step around him. Dexter moved to let her past but turned on his heel to follow.

              “I’m sorry for bothering you,” he said, trying to keep her attention, “I do hope it’s nothing serious?”

              Now he had changed his tune Annabel felt incredibly rude, she looked back to him and gave him a weak smile, “Thank you, it should all be okay, but I do really have to go.”

              “An-na-bell?” the way he pronounced her name made her spine tingle, he accentuated the syllables said it slowly, his voice was deep, smooth and silky. 

              “Yes?”

              “Good night,” he smiled at her down the dark corridor and her heart began to beat fast in her chest. He was unbelievably sexy and powerful, she could tell by the way he had so much confidence and the air around him screamed success. She was intimidated and shy and needed to get the hell out there and away from him. She scurried down the corridor with her head bowed. He had been so repulsive and yet endearing. She hoped it was just the shots that had made her head so confused and fuzzy. She left the club as fast as she could and hailed a taxi to take her home. When she finally fell back into bed she churned over her night with Dim Tim and everything that had happened at Vita… As she turned out the light she promised herself that she wouldn’t go to go to a nightclub ever again!

Dexter returned home alone. He was agitated the girl had knocked him back, it wasn’t often he had ever been told no in his lifetime. He had spent the majority of his life being surrounded by people who were there only to serve him and do as he wanted. If he hadn’t have been so tired and worn out after the business disasters of the week there was no chance he would have let Annabel get away. He undressed and lay back on his plush satin bed sheets and thought about the curve of her waist and the way her hips undulated as she walked. She was so sexy, he had never felt so hot for someone instantly like that. She was so intriguing with her pale skin and her black hair, she looked luminous. Maybe this was what he had been looking for? He buried his head in his pillow and turned over. He could hear Marcus still working away down the hall and fell asleep to the sound of him speaking in Mandarin to one of their associates in China and typing furiously on his laptop. Dex was exhausted, he needed the rest. For the first time in months he allowed himself to turn out the light and get a full night’s sleep.

Chapter 7

Annabel spent the rest of her weekend in her apartment in South Kensington preparing for her new job. She had lived alone there since Clara and her went their separate ways a year and half before. Annabel was lucky, the flat was in a beautiful Victorian terrace and she had the whole of the first floor to herself. The apartment itself was worth millions and her parents had inherited it when her grandmother had died six years prior. Annabel knew there was no way she could afford to live in such a gorgeous place on her salary, the rent alone would be over £5000 a month but her and her parents had struck a deal. Instead of them leasing it, they agreed she could stay there for a token rent if she kept it maintained and well looked after. It was a good compromise for both parties, Annabel had a secure home and her parents knew it was in good hands and more importantly that their daughter was safe. She counted her blessings every day that she had found herself in such a fortunate position. Her grandmother was old London money and would only want the best for her. She also knew she would be turning in her grave if they had rented it out and the place had been vandalised in any way. The apartment had been in her family since the 50’s and there was a lot of Winter History wrapped up within those walls.

She curled up on her sofa with a cup of tea and stared out of the window. It was a cold day for spring and the sky was grey. Slowly the heavens opened and tiny raindrops scattered the windowpane. She always loved being inside when it was raining, she felt cosy and safe. She leaned forward and pulled her mobile from the coffee table. She had a text from her mother wishing her good luck for her first day at her new job and she smiled. She couldn’t believe it had come around so quickly.

She had previously worked as a receptionist at a large law firm in the centre of the city. This time she had managed to bag herself a few steps higher and was going to be an executive PA. She had a good education and had been to university, but had drifted around since she had finished her degree and had never been sure of exactly what it was that she wanted to do. At one point she had thought maybe she should go into modelling, she was always being told how amazing her figure was and that it was pretty much perfect. An old boyfriend had once compared her to a pin-up model because of her large natural breasts, tiny waist and rounded derriere, her legs were long and her demeanour sultry at all times. Her mother often exclaimed she couldn’t understand why Annabel did not have a husband. “You should have been married off before you were twenty-one,” she would say, “You don’t want to end up being left on the shelf.” Annabel would always roll her eyes and close her ears. She was only twenty-five and had more than enough time to find and meet the man of her dreams. She enjoyed having the freedom to explore and do what she wanted without having to answer to someone, but she was also feeling the urge to be protected, settle down and have someone to care for her.

              She opened her wardrobe and chose her outfit for her first day. The man who hired her had been weasely and she wasn’t particularly looking forward to being his personal assistant but it was surely better than where she had been. She had spent the past year working on reception at a law firm that catered to some of London’s most vile criminals. She had been chased, threatened and at one point nearly physically assaulted when one of the clients had decided he didn’t like the way she had addressed him. She had merely smiled and offered to take him through to his appointment with one of the senior partners. The man, who was being charged with attempted murder had tried to pick up her PC monitor and throw it at her head. Luckily for Annabel, she had an office right behind her to duck into and he was wrestled to the ground and arrested within minutes. Although that job had never been boring, it had never been for her. She was ready for a new challenge and she had stumbled into the interview almost by accident, the recruiter was a friend of hers and had just sent her the details. She had turned up with only an hour’s notice and no knowledge of the company and blagged her way through the entire thing. Her new boss, Mr Jed Marshall a financial director, seemed to like her and was shaking her hand and welcoming her aboard within thirty minutes of meeting her. He still had an air about him that screamed seriousness but she wanted the change and she was prepared for anything, she was sure a cold and boring executive was better than the murderers, rapists and fraudsters she had spent her weekdays with before.

              She settled on a tight black pencil skirt, a red sheer shirt with a nude camisole beneath to protect her modesty and her high pointed court shoes. She knew she would impress in it and as she slipped it on to make sure it was okay she smiled at herself in the mirror.
You’re going to be fine
, she thought,
you deserve a new challenge
.

Dexter rolled over in bed, staring out over the city’s skyline. He was hung-over and still angry at being rejected the previous evening. He thought about the girl, the way she slinked down into the VIP area and caught his attention. She was magical, like she had cast a spell on him. He remembered the curve of her waist and felt his dick pulse in his pants. He was so unbelievably horny, just thinking about her was making him hard. He rolled over onto his stomach and pressed his cock firmly into the mattress and sighed. His morning wood was not going to go anywhere unless he did something about it. He looked at his mobile to see another set of texts from Catherine, he could easily call her, apologise, make it up, get rid of his load and then say he had to go to work but he knew he was done. He couldn’t pretend anymore to be in love with a woman who did nothing for him. He bit his fist and ruffed up his hair, but there was no way he was servicing himself. He reluctantly looked at the texts again and went to type a reply but quickly threw the phone across the room. “No, Catherine and I are done,” he said aloud, getting out of bed, his manhood hard and stiff in his boxers. He strode into the shower and turned on the warm jets. As he got in he instinctively slid his hand down, the only thing he was able to think about was the girl from the night before. She was fresh in his mind and she wasn’t going anywhere. As he pumped his cock with his fist he thought about her full lips sliding up and down his shaft all the way to the balls. He groaned as he came thick and fast, into his palm, he steadied himself on the shower wall, panting and jerking, his hot white load shooting out in the most intense release.

              “Umm, I’m going to get you,” he moaned. 

Chapter 8

On Monday morning at 9am Annabel walked into the lobby of Crown House, one of London’s premier business buildings situated in the CBD not far from The Gherkin. She crossed over to the elevator and pressed the button for floor twenty, the second highest in the building and her new work home. She felt strong, sexy and professional as she exited the lift and made her way down the long hall to the reception. The office was brand new, all marble, lush plants and modern art. This was the sort of place she had always wanted to work and she had finally got herself there. She approached the desk and smiled at the lady sat behind it, “Good morning,” she said, “I’m Annabel Winter, I’m starting here today as a PA for Mr. Jed Marshall.”

              “Good morning Annabel,” the lady smiled, she was older, maybe in her early fifties and she had ice white hair tied tightly in a bun on the top of her head. She tapped onto her telephone keypad and glanced up again to give Annabel a once over. “Good morning, Jed,” she smiled. “A Miss Winter is in reception for you.” She placed the receiver back down and held out her hand, “Please take a seat, he won’t be a moment.”

              Annabel turned to follow the direction she was being ushered to and crossed the room. She sat in one of the big, tub armchairs and placed her hands palm down, nervously on her lap. Her heart thumped in her chest but she couldn’t be sure whether it was from nerves or excitement.

              “Annabel,” the warm familiar voice of Jed Marshall was behind her, “Good morning, welcome to Crown House.”

              Annabel rose to her feet and extended her hand, “Good morning Mr. Marshall,” she beamed, her heart slowing to its normal rate, “How are you today?”

              “Very well and yourself?” He wasn’t as cold as she had remembered, she was glad he was making her feel at ease.

              “Yes, I’m fantastic thank you.” Jed began to walk out of reception and down one of the long corridors, Annabel kept at his heel, smiling and making small talk. She was sure now that she had just been nervous and that he was actually going to be a good boss, there was a kindness about him that seemed genuine.

              He took her into a section of the office that was somewhat secluded to the rest of the open plan buzz behind them. “We’re in here,” he smiled, “With the work I do I can’t bear to be around too much noise.” His office was separate to Annabel’s, she was positioned in a side room with her own desk, large leather chair and plenty of room to not feel claustrophobic. Jed’s room was a few feet down the corridor, via an adjoining door. She set her bag down on her new desk and turned to him.

              “So, today I guess it’s just make yourself at home. I’ll take you around and introduce you to everyone, I may leave you in the capable hands of Laura, one of the other PA’s who works in the main office so she can run through a few things with you and just get you acquainted with how things are done around here, show you where the essentials are, things like that. But there isn’t a lot for you to do today. I’ll be leaving at three for a meeting so feel free to go anytime from then,” he smiled and shrugged his shoulders, almost like he wasn’t used to having someone to manage.

              Annabel couldn’t believe her luck. She looked around her new office, completely secluded and not a criminal in sight. She sat down in her chair, spun around on it and held out her arms. She could hear Jed in his room on the telephone, she hoped things would always be this relaxed.

At eleven am, after Annabel had had time to settle in to her new office, set up her computer and email, Jed took her down back into the main open plan office. She walked down corridors eyeing up the executives inside, wondering what they did at this huge place and what exactly her role would entail. As they entered the main hub of the building she was introduced to Laura, a small blonde girl who was another one of the directors PA’s. She took Annabel around the entire office, filling her in on who everyone was and introducing her to all the faces along the way.

              “That’s Bill,” she whispered as they passed another large office with a good looking, younger man sat behind a mahogany desk. “He’s the big boss’s best friend from uni…” she rolled her eyes, linked her arm through Annabel’s and said with disdain, “It’s like a boys club here.”

              “He looks young?” Annabel asked.

              “Umm, mid thirties I think,” she laughed, “All the office girls fancy him and he knows it.”

              “Oh, arrogant then?”

              “Horrendously.” Laura rolled her eyes again and mock put her fingers down her throat and pretended to be sick.

              After they had been around the whole floor and she had given Annabel the gen on most of the people that were there they wandered back through to the main communal room, the centre of the office. It was large, open plan and full of people talking on phones, sat on each other’s desks and chatting over files.

              “This is me,” Laura said slipping onto a chair at a desk on the outside of the room, “Easy to find, that’s probably why Jed asked me to show you around.”

              “I’m sure I’ll be here often asking for your help,” Annabel said and she meant it. This one floor of the building was so big it was like a maze. She thought she would get lost if she tried to find the fax machine on her own or go looking for the stationary cupboard.

              “I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Laura grinned. As she said it her phone rang and she leant over her desk to answer it. She held up her index finger to signal one minute. As she chatted on the phone Annabel turned and looked around the room. Everyone who was working certainly looked happy enough and they all appeared to be relatively young and friendly, save a few older faces in the crowd. Back at her old job Annabel had worked alongside some miserable old bats and she was glad to finally be stepping into an environment where she could maybe make some friends. As she stood by the side of Laura’s desk she began daydreaming of her and a group of colleagues leaving Crown House at five pm and catching the tube to Covent Garden. They could hang out and drink cocktails in their works clothes and saunter home whenever they liked, maybe even falling into taxis with each other or using the changing room at Crown House to get showered and changed in if they had an all nighter. She was lost in her dream when suddenly across the room her eyes fell on a familiar face…

In her head she was downing shots of tequila and biting down on a piece of lemon… in reality she had just locked eyes with Dexter Slade.

He was in the office and he was looking right at her. She snapped out of her revere and her heart thumped high up in her chest. She swallowed hard and cast her eyes to the floor. Had he seen her? Was it really him?

              “Are you okay?” Laura asked, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

              “Oh, I’m fine,” Annabel brushed her hair behind her ear, “Is that…?” she looked up. He had turned his back to them and was speaking with a man at a desk near the main door to the office.

              “That’s the big boss,” Laura grinned, “Dexter Slade. Handsome isn’t he?” she had a dreamy schoolgirl look on her face. “He’s a complete prick though, all of the women here adore him and get sucked in but really he just chews them up and spits them out.”

              She couldn’t believe it. It was him. How on earth had this happened?               “Have you ever?” Annabel said it before she even realised it was coming out of her mouth.

              “Me?” Laura said grinning, “I wish, even though he’s a playboy he’s bloody gorgeous.”

              “Oh,” Annabel said, feeling herself blush.

              “He has a girlfriend,” Laura rolled her eyes again, “Or fiancé, whatever.”

              “Oh…” this time it was disappointment. Then complete disbelief, how had this happened? The man from the club on Friday who was so obnoxious and full of himself was now here, in this building, where she had just started to work.
Someone is having a laugh,
she thought shaking her head,
I
just wish it was me
.

              She turned and looked over her shoulder again, her heart was in her throat. She couldn’t believe it was him. Her palms began to get clammy and she reached up to her neck to undo her top button and loosen the bow on the shirt she was wearing.
Oh my god, he’s even more gorgeous than I remember
, she thought, biting on her lip and tracing an imaginary line over his amazing bone structure. Dexter turned and caught her staring and a sly grin crept across his face. He recognised her immediately and couldn’t believe his luck. Now he knew she was definitely going to be his. In this environment there was no escape.

Annabel trotted quickly back to her office and closed the door. She breathed out deeply and laughed to herself. God, life certainly had a funny way of working out. She thought back to her Friday night disaster date with Dim Tim and then of how when she had went into the club Dexter had demanded her company and pursued her down the corridor to the ladies room. How was it she had lived in London for nearly six years and her family had been there for decades and she had never heard of this man? By all accounts he was some sort of celebrity and he was certainly popular with the women that had told her about him. She looked around confused, a realisation dawning on her, what on earth was he doing here? How could he be the big boss? She wanted to kick herself for not making the connection… but why would she? Before Friday night she had no idea he even existed and she would never make a link between his name and Slade Properties out of nowhere. She sat down at her desk and tapped her computer to life, opening Google and daring herself to type in his name. Instead she waited for a moment and turned around. She picked up her phone and dialled Laura’s desk.

              “Stuck already?” Laura laughed.

              “Just a quick question… Dexter Slade,” she said cautiously, “What exactly does he do?”

              “What here, or in general?” she could hear Laura tapping away on her keyboard in the background.

              “I guess in general,” Annabel bit her lip.

              “Well, his father owns pretty much every building you can see in the central London area, including this one,” she was still tapping, “But they opened Crown House up a few years ago and he’s been here on and off ever since.”

              “Oh,” Annabel swallowed hard.

              “He’s a director, next in line to the Slade Empire. He’s a big noise… CEO of the property division, not that his family don’t have a lot of other ventures…”

              “What like?”

              “Hotels, transport, freight… last I heard they were going to get into tech. He’s been spending time out in Silicon Valley…”

“Wow,” Annabel whispered, “But he’s around here a lot then?”

              “Well yes, he is the boss!” Laura laughed, “Why are you so interested?” her tone was almost cold.

              “I feel like I’ve met him before, that’s all, but I think I have the wrong person.” Annabel wanted to cover her curiosity as soon as Laura’s voice changed.

              “Yes, you must. You’d certainly know if you had met Dexter Slade before.”

              Annabel put the receiver down and leaned back in her chair. Laura was right. You certainly would know. And now Annabel had been in his air space twice she realised why he was so intoxicating to women. She almost wanted to kick herself for being so dismissive of him on Friday in the club. This man was a huge power player and he had wanted her. She looked across the room to Jed’s door and decided that was enough detective work for one day. For all she knew Dexter hadn’t even recognised her and even if he did, he had been so drunk on Friday what did it even matter? If that was what he was like half of the time and he had a supposed fiancé, he was just a playboy trying it on.
Maybe I had a lucky escape
, Annabel thought. She looked at the small pile of notes Jed had left on her desk for her to go through and picked them up. She had to push him to the back of her mind and act as if nothing had happened. If she saw him again around the office she would pretend she didn’t recognise him and carry on as if he were any other boss she had just started working for.

At the end of the day, after Jed had left, Annabel decided to stay a little longer to make a good impression. She set up all the applications and software she needed on her computer and made her little office feel more like hers. As she pulled on her coat at five pm she was glad she had put in the extra hours and not just left like Jed had urged her to at three. She liked it at Crown House and now she had the intriguing incentive of Mr. Slade to keep her days ticking over too. She smirked to herself as she stepped out of her room and turned off the light. She had never been so excited about coming into work again before. She knew this was definitely a step in the right direction.