Bound By His Desire (7 page)

‘It’s fine, Nick. I don’t need a bank account, I’m not going to be here that long. Besides I have a credit card. I’ll be fine.’

Nick was surprised at the stubborn streak Pam was showing. It was clear she was making it known she didn’t need or want him spending too much time with her. But he knew while they were in New York there’d be functions they’d have to attend, so they would be spending time together whether she liked it or not.

‘Fine. But just be careful, and if you need anything at all go to Rob and he will call me.’

She nodded and walked out the door. As the door clicked shut, silence descended around him. Frustrated with himself and the way he was feeling out of sorts, he turned and headed for his room. He’d take a quick shower and then he’d order dinner. He should thank Pam for keeping things neutral between them. He had picked Pam as his assistant because he needed someone focused to get the deal back on track. He didn’t need someone who leaned on him to keep them entertained. He should be pleased Pam wanted to be independent, but somehow he wasn’t. Part of him wanted her to need him. The part of him that was too much like his father. He had to remember the danger of getting involved with an assistant. He had to remember what he’d seen when he’d walked back into the house that day. If he didn’t remember, he could see the order he had in his life unravelling. And that was the last thing he wanted.

Pam smoothed down the dress she’d purchased the previous evening. Her hand hovered above the side tie of the crossover design. She should change. She should put her normal work uniform on. But the dress was gorgeous and it hugged her in all the right places. The sales assistant had been insistent the size she was wearing was perfect for her. She had pushed Pam’s concerns aside when she’d asked for the next size up. Now Pam wished she’d put her foot down.

The more she looked at her herself, the more the doubts crept in. What if Nick laughed at her attempt to change her style?

No, she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t wear the dress. She would change into her plain black skirt, adding her serviceable yellow blouse to it. With the matching black jacket, she’d fade into the background like a good assistant was supposed to do. The striped pattern of the dress she wore would make her stand out, and she was sure that was the last thing Nick wanted her to do.

Thinking about Nick, she let her mind drift back to last night. He’d been in the kitchen when she’d made it back up to the apartment, so he hadn’t seen the multitude of bags she’d returned with. She had never spent so much money on clothes in her life. She had to admit, it was a lot of fun. Now she had three outfits, with matching shoes and accessories. Feeling as uncomfortable as she did in this one, she should probably take the others back.

Her hand lowered to the tie, ready to undo it and get changed. If she didn’t change, she’d spend the whole day fidgeting and feeling uncomfortable. Not the sort of impression she wanted to give to her new boss.

‘Pamela, we need to leave, now.’ Nick’s demanding voice sounded through the closed door.

‘Damn,’ she whispered in frustration. She couldn’t change now; she had spent so much time dithering about what to do, the opportunity to change had passed. She’d just have to suck it up and face the music. She was pretty sure Nick wouldn’t notice her much anyway. ‘Coming,’ she called out, and gave herself one final look. She would have to do.

Walking with a confidence she didn’t feel, Pam opened the door. Nick was busy looking at his phone, his thumb moving in an upward movement as he scrolled through what she imagined would be a ton of emails.

‘Morning, sorry to keep you waiting.’ Pam held her breath, waiting to see if Nick would notice the way she was dressed and if so, what he would say.

He looked up briefly and then flicked his attention back to his phone. ‘It’s fi — ’

Nick turned back to her and stared. His eyes narrowed, almost like thinking the view would look better through squinty eyes. He took a step back and the relaxed stance of only seconds ago was gone. Before her eyes, Nick appeared to have turned to stone. His shoulders were tense and his hand visibly tightened around his phone.

Her heart sank. She looked stupid. Why oh why had she even considered she could look attractive and efficient at the same time? She should tell him to book her on the next flight back to Australia.

Silence stretched between them.

‘I’ll, umm, I’ll go change. I won’t be long.’

Pam turned quickly so Nick couldn’t see the tears that had started to form in the corners of her eyes. She hadn’t taken a step when a hand landed on her shoulder.

‘We don’t have time,’ his tone clipped, solidifying Pam’s thoughts of how Nick looked at her — as someone trying to be something they’re not. ‘You look fine.’

His removed his hand and she heard him retreating down the hallway to the main part of the apartment.

She sighed, her hand reaching out for the door. It would only take her a moment to change. She could do it.

‘Pamela, I don’t have all day.’

Nope, the bell signalling the arrival of the elevator had sounded and come what may, she was going to be going into meetings dressed like a ridiculous clown. But she might as well make the most of the experience of working with Nick. She was pretty sure that after today, Nick would put her on the first flight back and her opportunity to prove herself would be gone.

Nick drummed his fingers of one hand on the table while he lifted his glass of water to his lips with the other. He was hoping the cold water would temper the heat and longing coursing through him. He’d been in this state of arousal since he’d looked up from his phone and seen Pam standing in front of him in a dress, looking like a million dollars.

He was angry with his body for reacting in the most primal of ways and he was angry with Pam for changing her appearance. Was she trying to tempt him like his other assistants? Had her thoughts about him changed upon seeing his apartment? Was she now looking at him as if he were only made of money? Would anyone ever see past the dollar signs to the real man? Did he even want that?

No, he didn’t. He was perfectly happy with his life the way it was. He travelled the world. Had affairs with beautiful women whenever he wanted, and he had fabulous homes in many cities. His life was full and he didn’t need anyone to complete it. He especially didn’t need another assistant who was trying to dress to impress. He was immune to that type of behaviour now. He wouldn’t let her get under his skin.

He observed Pam moving around the room with the quiet efficiency she had displayed at the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. This was the reason he had listened to Luc and hired her. At least she was doing that part of her job. She stopped and chatted briefly to a couple of the older gentlemen, laying a hand on one man’s arm. Her action surprised and increased his anger. Was she now trying to see if she could hook her teeth into an older man? Had he been completely wrong about her? Had Luc and Jasmine been fooled by her as well?

Nick stopped those thoughts immediately. He was starting to let the paranoia of what happened between his father and his father’s assistant cloud his thought processes. Pam was only doing her job. Easing the clients’ concerns, as he’d asked her to do when they’d travelled to the meeting.

He went to stand when he saw another, younger man approach her. Nick could see the look of admiration and desire in his eyes. Ethan Webster. Ethan was the leading lawyer for the company they were negotiating to purchase, and he was a player. Not to mention a cutthroat lawyer looking for a weakness, and Ethan had found the weakness in his former assistant, flirting with her and enticing information out of her. Nick had been considering getting rid of her because of her forward action towards him, but giving the enemy information just because Nick wouldn’t fall for her seductions had been the last straw. Her actions had come close to destroying the deal, and now Nick was working furiously to get the deal back in their favour.

Somehow, Nick knew Ethan’s attention to Pam was completely different. Ethan wasn’t treating Pam in the same way he had his previous assistant. He wasn’t going to flirt with Pam to use her. Ethan wasn’t stupid enough to try the same trick again. Nick had a pretty good feeling this time Ethan’s motives were purely desire-based and for his own personal gain, not for the betterment of the deal.

Nick gripped his glass a little tighter as he watched Ethan slip an arm around Pam’s waist. It was a forward move and he allowed himself a small smile when Pam discreetly moved a step so Ethan wasn’t touching her so intimately.

He couldn’t hear what the other man said, but the blush and laughter coming from Pam told him Ethan hadn’t asked about the weather.

Nick pushed back his chair, allowing instinct and emotion to take over him when Pam relaxed and leaned slightly towards Ethan. He had studied body language to give him the upper hand in his negotiating skills. Now his knowledge was coming into play. Pam was getting interested and he wasn’t going to allow it. Ethan Webster would chew her up and spit her out. Nick had brought her to New York and New York was full of sharks. He wanted to protect her. He would make Ethan regret making a move on Pamela.

As he strode towards them, a small, rational part of him yelled at him, telling him he wasn’t thinking, he was reacting in a manner that was out of character. Nick squashed the voice down. He didn’t care what his mind was telling him. All he knew and felt was — no one touched his Pam.

To anyone watching, his approach towards Pam and Ethan appeared to be very relaxed and casual. Those who knew Nick would know he was anything but relaxed. Pam’s laughter touched his ears again. His jaw tensed when he saw Pam had closed the distance between her and Ethan. She was getting more and more interested in the smooth-talking lawyer and he was having none of it.

He laid a proprietary hand on her arm and stood next to her. Their shoulders brushed and he was very much in her personal space. ‘Everything okay here, Pam?’

‘Everything is fine, Mr Rhodes.’ With the same sort of discreet movement he’d admired from her previously, Pam took a little step away from him. This time he wasn’t pleased. He was annoyed because the movement put her even closer to Ethan.

Nick nodded towards the other man, sending him a ‘back off’ look. Ethan raised his eyebrow, but didn’t back down as Nick had expected. Instead, he inclined his head towards Pam.

‘I was just getting acquainted with your lovely, new assistant. She’s different from your other ones. I like her and find myself quite taken by her lyrical accent. In fact,’ Ethan winked at Pam; the flirtatious move ignited the already simmering anger in Nick into a full-on five-alarm fire, ‘I was trying to entice her to come out with me tonight. Introduce her to the exciting sights and sounds of New York.’

‘Oh, Ethan, that would be wonderful. I only got a glimpse of the city yesterday when we arrived, but I’d love to walk around and experience it all. I can’t wait to visit Times Square.’

‘I’m afraid that’s impossible.’ Nick cut in. He wasn’t going to let Ethan Webster get his hands on Pam. No way in the world. Pam was here to do a job and that job wasn’t going on dates with the first man she spoke to. ‘Tonight I have a function which I require Pamela to attend with me.’

He glimpsed the look of confusion on Pam’s face. He’d gone over the day’s schedule with her and he hadn’t mentioned this evening’s function. He had received an invitation to attend a charity event being held at the Empire State Building. He had planned on not attending. Now he would, if it meant he could prevent Pam and Ethan from going out on a date.’

‘Are you sure, I don’t rec — ’

‘Yes,’ he interrupted her before she could say anything else. He glanced over at Ethan, who was looking at the two of them, watching the exchange with interest. He could see the speculation going through the other man’s mind. Nick needed to get the situation under control and the meeting back on track. ‘Our break is over. Webster, let’s get back to sorting through the list of requirements your client is asking for and deleting most of them.’

‘You can try, but my client is pretty firm on what they want,’ Ethan paused and directed his regard to Pam, infuriating Nick even further. ‘And I usually get what I want.’

Nick recognised a challenge when he heard one. Ethan Webster had just crossed a line and Nick would make sure he and his client paid for it.

‘So do I,’ Nick returned accepting the unspoken challenge Ethan had issued. ‘Now if you will excuse me, I have to speak to my assistant.’

Nick waited until Ethan had walked away and then he looked at Pam. ‘I trust you know the duties I require of you, Pamela?’

Hurt flared in Pam’s eyes. He steeled himself from feeling any remorse. It was bad enough his previous assistants had decided to fall for him. He didn’t want Pam falling for the first New Yorker who showed some interest in her. She had an air of innocence surrounding her. He put it down to her not having travelled the world.

Yes, sir, I know
exactly
what is required of me.’ Pam’s tone could’ve frozen the lake in Central Park. ‘And I know what is in your schedule. I studied it this morning and I know there is no function you have to attend this evening.’

‘That’s where you’re wrong. I’m always making last minute additions to it. Don’t assume what you review first thing in the morning will be the same a couple of hours later. I suggest we discuss this later on. We have a roomful of people and I don’t appreciate having my assistant question me in front of them. May I remind you that you are here to work and not to flirt with the opposition.’

Nick turned and walked back towards his seat. He hadn’t really handled that well, but being reasonable had died the moment he’d seen Ethan’s hand on Pam. If anyone was going to touch her it was going to be him. And only him.

Pam sat back down at her desk and flicked through the notes she’d made on her tablet. She had no idea how she achieved it, but she’d made it through the rest of the meeting without falling apart and crying a bucket load of tears.

In the quiet of the office she examined what happened, trying to understand the way Nick acted. A couple of days ago he’d been determined to get her to work for him. She should’ve recognised his determination as arrogance. She could leave and go back to Perth. But after half a day on the new job she was enjoying the challenge of her new position. Plus the money would help her a lot.