The Billionaire's Bitch

Sixty

Happy Summer Reading!

HRH

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I sat quietly at my desk and tried not to watch the clock.

My laptop was open, but I was just watching my jellyfish screen saver.

To entertain myself, I browsed the PA graveyard in my head.

Joan Barnaby Aug. 8th 2015

'Employer is prone to borderline psychotic mood-swings. Impossible to predict, even harder to please. NEVER likes his coffee.'

I couldn't exactly disagree with dear Joan.

Erica Stevenson June 16th 2016

'Boss has secrets. Don't get too close.'

That one was certainly interesting; it made one wonder just how close our Erica had come to her employer, exactly. Close enough to know he had secrets.

Much too close, apparently, considering it was her last entry.

My mind kept returning to the very first entry in the tomb, Matilda Jones.

Now that I knew Adrian had slept with her, of course I had to revisit her entries.

It had been back in 2009 and there was a two month gap before he'd secured himself another PA.

She had been more fastidious than the rest of them in her note taking, at least in the beginning. But then, after a week or two, the tone of the notes changed; becoming shorter and more emotional.

The last entry was the most telling.

'A.K. will wound you. He will find cruel and unusual ways to torment and break you down, and you won't even realize it before it's too late.

'I ask you simply this, dear future PAs; is the money worth your soul?'

Frankly, I had thought that Matilda was being a bit dramatic, overall.

My soul? Really?

That was a bit extreme.

But now I understood it.

I did feel like I was in danger of losing my damn mind, anyway. But it had nothing to do with money.

"You're doing it again."

I jumped when I rotated round in my swivel chair to find my boss standing there, gazing down at me with a reluctantly amused expression.

"Sorry, sir?"

"You just can't help your sighing, can you?"

I flushed. "Sorry. I didn't realize-"

"It's fine, it's just after six now. Join me for a drink?"

"Is that an order, sir?" I asked, rising from my chair to stretch as he went to his wet-bar.

He poured himself a snifter of brandy – yuck! – then looked to me quizzically. "Wine?"

"I'll take a mojito, actually. If you please, sir."

He didn't quite roll his eyes, but it was his turn to sigh. "Cognac and mint then?"

"Har-har." I said, going to the bank of windows to look out at the dusky sky.

It had been one helluva summer so far.

Adrian joined me a moment later and presented me with a perfect mojito.

"Thanks." I murmured, resisting the urge to chug the drink down in one go.

Adrian sipped his brandy, studying me thoughtfully. "Now that we're off the clock are you going to tell me what's been bothering you all day? I hope it wasn't something to do with Tiffany. Was she mean to you?"

He tucked a wisp of my hair behind my ear and I lowered my gaze.

"No. It's not her. Oh, is Ty okay?" I asked him, looking up into his eyes.

"He's fine. Stop avoiding the question, please. Tell me what's on your mind."

I sighed and knocked back more of my drink.

Sufficiently fortified, I charged ahead with it. "I just think we should talk about it."

Blue eyes narrowed. "Talk about what?"

"How we had unprotected sex this morning!" I hissed, glancing over my shoulder at the door to double check we were still alone.

"Oh." He looked genuinely surprised. "You're on birth control. We've already established our clean bills of health, respectively. So what's the problem?"

My eyes flared wide. "What's the problem?! The problem is that it was reckless behavior, on both our parts. And you didn't even stop to ask if I'd taken my pill that day."

His eyes continued to narrow. "Well, did you?"

"Yes! I take it religiously."

"Good." He cocked his head, visibly relaxing. He even smiled. "And even if I did accidentally get you pregnant, would having my baby really be the worst thing in the world?"

###

I was temporarily stunned speechless, a true rarity.

Adrian observed my face with apparent amusement in his. "Why so shocked, love? You want children, don't you?"

"Maybe! Some day!" I spluttered. "In the future. With someone who loves me!"

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

The wake of silence was deafening.

Adrian gazed at me steadily and I could practically hear the cogs in his mind ratcheting along. "I don't really see what love has to do with it. I would take care of you and our child, you know that. You would never want for anything. Do you think Tiffany and Ty want for anything?"

Pain ricocheted through me. I had no choice but to act out, so profound was this pain.

So I reared back and gave it everything I had as I slapped him across the face.

###

Adrian's eyes flared wide.

That slap had shocked us both.

He set his brandy down on a nearby table and grasped me by the upper arms, presumably to keep me from slapping him again.

I responded by again purely reacting, and I threw my drink in his face.

My boss stared down at me, thunderstruck. Mojito moisture and mint dripped off his dark strands into his eyes.

I couldn't help it; despite everything, I giggled.

I knew danger when I saw it flash through his eyes and I bit my lip in self-admonishment. I'd gone and done it now.

This time I'd surely pushed my boss over the edge.

Would he fire me-?

Almost before I could finish the thought, he suddenly yanked me against him, making me gasp as he kissed me.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ooooh the scandal of it all! Haha!

Thanks for reading!

HRH