The Billion Dollar Contract: The Executive Collection (12 page)

“Will give you more details later. You’re dismissed.”

Sighing, Jasmine was about to stomp out of the office when she remembered something still on her mind. Since she and Ethan were being so frank right now, it didn’t seem awkward to bring it up. “Are you sleeping with Nadia?”

Finally that man looked up at her again, this time with surprise plastered on his otherwise perfect face. “What? No. Why would you think that?”

“Don’t know. Hot woman manning your front desk? You’ve already proved yourself to be quite forward. What else am I supposed to think?”

“Hot, huh? Didn’t know you swing that way.”

“Excuse me.” Ethan didn’t get to know about college yet.

“Anyway, no. I’m not sleeping with her. Never have. You know that, per the contract, you and I are exclusive. Even if I had slept with her before, I wouldn’t be right now. That’s all I have to say. Please, I want to read in peace.”

That was his way of dismissing her without any further conversation. Jasmine stepped out of the office, latched the door behind her, and went to her desk to pretend she cared about what Google thought of him.

Stories abounded whenever Ethan Cole was up to no good in the business world. “No good” of course meant making nefarious deals, or at least that’s what the financial blogs said about him. Jasmine wasn’t supposed to look for gossip, however. She was supposed to look for libelous things and to keep up with popular opinion. If she worked for anyone else, then this would be an easy job. Most people didn’t get talked about this much. Even famous celebrities got a bit of reprieve here and there. But men like Ethan Cole were always talked about, even if they weren’t household names. In the business and financial worlds, he was. Worst of all, these articles and blog posts were usually dry, highly opinionated, and used terms that she was not familiar with. For every article tab she had opened in her browser, Jasmine had to have a dictionary open as well.

Since Ethan never asked her to do anything else that morning, she did that until lunch time, when Nadia got up from the reception desk and came over to say hello.

They had lunch in the break room, Nadia crunching on her salad while Jasmine unwrapped a sandwich she made at home. Nothing special. She hadn’t been paid yet, so the grocery pickings were still thin in her kitchen.
Soon as I get paid, I’m buying two whole bags of groceries.
If Blackbeard made it another day without trying to poop in her shoe, as he often did when she started a new job, he might even get a little bag of kitty treats.
He’d inhale them with one breath.
Or crush them.

Jasmine and Nadia never talked of anything important while at work. They barely got to know one another, but Jasmine had a feeling that these conversations weren’t meant to lead into a genuine friendship. They were work buddies, and nothing more. Yet it was nice to have someone to talk to while she nibbled at crust and wondered why she put so much mustard on her food.
It makes my breath smell bad.

Besides, that day Jasmine was too distracted to listen to whatever Nadia had to talk about. She kept staring at her, covertly of course, trying to figure out if Ethan was telling the truth about sleeping with her.
Can’t just ask her.
But Nadia was a beautiful woman, with ample curves in just the right places, or so the fashion magazines would tell Jasmine. Her long, luscious, and bouncy hair was full of life and radiated warmth whenever she turned her head. Her bright smile on her heart-shaped face could’ve made her a movie star. And with the types of clothes she wore? What man — or woman, really — wouldn’t spend half their day staring at her cleavage? Jasmine sighed halfway through some topic about some TV show. Ethan was a fool, really. He had to at least think that Nadia was a beautiful woman. Maybe even sexy.
Of course he thinks she’s sexy.
Why else would she be working there? Not that Jasmine thought Nadia wasn’t qualified for her job, but if it came down to Nadia or a frumpier woman, there was no doubt Nadia would have won.

Jasmine was putting her Tupperware away when she realized that she sounded jealous. Why? What did it matter to her if Ethan Cole got his jollies with Nadia once upon a time? Or even now? They weren’t in a romantic relationship. No, theirs was pure business, with sex thrown in for good measure. Sex that Ethan hadn’t asked for in the three weeks Jasmine was there.
Isn’t that a good thing?
She had to stop thinking about it. It was almost as if…

She slammed her purse back into her locker and latched it shut.
We have a date on Valentine’s Day.
Jasmine checked her hair and makeup in a mirror as if she were going on that date right now.
At least that’s happening.
All right, so she was a little jealous. Who could blame a girl when it was a man like Ethan, who had already shown how good he was in bed?

Satisfied with her appearance, Jasmine went back into the executive office to get back to work. She usually liked to check in with Ethan if he was back from lunch as well, but sometimes that man wouldn’t return for a whole two, three hours.

But before she could make it halfway across the office, Jasmine stopped. She turned toward her desk, banished to the corner of the office, and stared at the strange woman sitting in her chair.
I’ve been replaced already.
That really was her first thought.

10

“Can I help you?” Jasmine stood with her arms crossed. The woman sitting in her chair looked up, as if it were ludicrous that anybody would be talking to her right now.

“I…” That was all she said before looking away again. In that moment Jasmine caught sight of a pair of dull blue eyes – she didn’t even know that blue eyes could be dull. The rest of this woman wasn’t that striking either. Oh, she was lovely, with brilliant brown hair and a designer jacket that said she came from means. But there was no life to her. In that one look she gave Jasmine she had practically told her life story. Boredom. Inertia. Someone who was meant to blend in with the scenery and only speak when spoken to. Like now. “I’m sorry. This is where I was told to wait for him.”

Who? Ethan?
“Who are you?”

“Forgive me for my intrusion.” The woman nodded her head in subservience. “My name is Monica Graham. Pleased to meet you.” She did not extend her hand to shake Jasmine’s, but to cover her own mouth as if her very words were offensive.

“What are you doing in my chair?”

“This is where I sit when I wait for him. Are you… the new girl?”

“Er, yeah.”

“Oh, you must be with Mr. Cole then. Congratulations. You’re a lucky woman.”

Jasmine dropped her arms in surprise. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Please don’t mind me. I won’t tell. You’re not the first one I’ve met.”

How was she supposed to respond to that? Jasmine turned and walked to the receptionist counter, where Nadia went through the calls that came in during lunch. As soon as she looked up, Jasmine asked, “Do you know who that woman is over there? At my desk.”

Nadia looked past her and right at Monica. “That’s Monica. Jackson Lyle’s girlfriend.”

“Jackson Lyle?” Of course Jasmine knew who that was. She couldn’t work for Ethan Cole for three weeks and not know something like that. Jackson was his business partner, the man who put the Jackson in Jackson-Cole.
Someone conceited enough to use his first name.
Jasmine didn’t know much about him though. He didn’t keep an office in the executive suite like Ethan did. Ethan was the one in charge of the building, after all. From what Jasmine understood, Jackson mostly did things behind the scenes. He was a recluse without actually being called one. Well, if his girlfriend was hanging out around the office, then Jackson himself must be somewhere.

Jasmine went back to her desk. “Excuse me, but I really need to get to work, and that’s sort of my chair…”

The woman curtly nodded again. She rose from Jasmine’s chair without a word, picked up a small black bag, and took two steps away from the chair. Apparently she thought she would bide her time standing in front of the window just behind Jasmine’s desk.
Oh dear Lord.
Either this woman was unbelievably slow, or something else was at play here.

Jasmine turned so she could get to her chair. She happened to catch a glance at the reception desk and found Ethan standing in front of it, his head bent low toward Nadia. He whispered something into her ear, hair tickling his nose as he smiled at his own joke. Nadia laughed, but Jasmine didn’t know her well enough to tell if it was genuine or playing up his ego. Either way, she did not appreciate the punch to her gut the scene gave her.

“Ah, Jasmine.” Ethan stood up, straightened out his jacket, and rounded the desk to approach her. “I came to look for you. There’s someone I want you to meet.” When Jasmine looked over her shoulder at Monica, Ethan continued, “No, not Miss Graham. Although it’s good to see that you’ve met her already. She’s a good friend of mine.”

Jasmine joined him en route to his office. She didn’t have time to say anything to him that wouldn’t be overheard by Nadia or cut off by the opening of the door.

Apparently, it also would have been overheard by the man sitting in front of Ethan’s desk.

He closed the door behind them. “Jasmine, I would like you to meet my best friend and business partner, Jackson Lyle.”’

The man stood up from his seat. He was tall, both taller and lankier than Ethan, but not lacking the charm that man had either.
He looks like he works in Hollywood instead of on Wall Street.
Tanned, blond hair, and a light brown suit complemented with a turquoise necktie. Somehow this man made it work. Maybe it was the way he carried himself when he raised his hand to shake Jasmine’s. After such an invitation, she had no choice: she shook his hand, firmly, and he shook it back as well – firmly.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Jasmine.” He had a rich voice, a bit haughtier than Ethan’s. “He’s told me so much about you.”

Jasmine couldn’t help but blush a little. “You flatter me, sir. But I have a hard time believing that. I just started working here.”

“Perhaps so, but Ethan can’t help but telling me all about his most recent conquests.”

Jasmine dropped the man’s hand and turned to gape at her boss – and lover.

“Don’t worry, Miss Bliss. Jackson is in the loop of such things. In fact he’s a man a lot like me. You met Miss Graham.”

“Did she now? My sweet petal blooms wherever I leave her.” Jackson leaned against the leather chair, both arms and ankles crossing. “It’s always a wonderful day when two men can share their two women with each other.” A masterful glint twinkled in his eye. “No, I don’t mean that way, Miss Jasmine.”

She didn’t know what to do or say. On one hand she wanted to defend herself in front of the stranger… the stranger that presumed to know her already. As if she could be
shared.
Such things were forbidden in the contract. Jasmine made sure of that, and now she was grateful.

On the other hand, she didn’t say anything at all. This man had caught her off guard, and she wasn’t sure if Ethan would come to her rescue. Was this how the relationship was to be after all? Ethan and his friends making jokes at her expense?
Calm down.
First impressions were everything, and Jackson already blew his, but Jasmine had to not hold it against him.

“First and foremost, she’s my personal assistant.” Ethan put his hand on the small of her back. It was comforting, a little.
Only because it’s like he’s protecting me. His possession.
She wasn’t jealous anymore. Ethan could be as busy as he wanted now. “Which is why I called her in here.” Ethan took his hand away and approached his desk. “Jackson and I are about to discuss some business. I would appreciate it if you took some notes for me.” He sat in his chair and looked expectantly at both business partner and assistant. “Well?”

With a smirk, Jackson kicked his chair back and sat in it. Jasmine pulled a pen and paper off the shelf and took her mantle behind Ethan. This would not be her first time taking notes during one of his meetings, but it was the first time she was so irate to do so.

They talked business for the better part of an hour, throwing numbers at each other and talking about people Jasmine had only tangentially heard of before. She had no doubt that this was all privileged information. But when she first started working for Ethan Cole she had to sign a number of NDAs to make sure she stayed hush-hush about all the office goings-on. Just as well, since there was no way she would be able to retain any of this information for herself later on. She barely had time enough to mark down the names and numbers before Ethan and Jackson were on some other subject altogether. Years of working as an administrative assistant taught Jasmine all sorts of shorthand that came in handy now.