Chapter 24

It was a quarter to four on a Monday afternoon, and the entire staff of the executive department, excluding Amaya, seemed to be abuzz with excitement. As Amaya walked back from a meeting with the HR representative, she could see make-up, slyly in some cases and blatantly in others, being applied at desks, and the general office area reeked of a clash of newly sprayed perfume. "What the hell is going on?" Even the guys were at it—appearing from the men’s room with a generous dash of newly applied hair product and a glint in their eyes as the end of the workday approached.

It was just Monday night, and it seemed everyone had plans.

Everyone except Amaya.

Well, she wasn't expecting anything, though, and curiosity might then actually kill the cat.

She’d be lucky if she was out of here by seven, and she had to be back here by six the next morning to meet with Chase and then fly up for a ten-thirty a.m. meeting in London.

—and she had been in her dream job for almost a month now. And though it was still just that—a dream job—it was also extremely hard work—as secretary to Chase Johnson, it wasn’t just her job title that took some explaining. Every minute of Chase’s time was valuable, as Gabby explained on her first day. Beyond valuable, actually—which was why he had his own travel team, a butler, two full-time drivers, in fact, a whole fleet of staff that took care of the details and allowed Chase to get on with doing what he did best—giving struggling companies the best technological help, turning them around, and making an obscene amount of money in the process.

Amaya’s job was varied, mostly exciting, and yet also downright boring at times—dealing with his whims, his so many women, his search for a suitable wife, his dog, and his housekeeper’s endless reams of days off. The list was endless.

Ducking into the ladies’ room, Amaya knew she ought to attempt a quick repair job on her hair and face before she headed back to her office and to whatever mood Chase was in, but it took forever to elbow her way to the mirror, and her curly, dark hair had spent too long in an air-conditioned building because it was looking decidedly frizzy. She borrowed a squirt of serum from a snooty-looking redhead, re-tied her hair back in a low ponytail, and then, sick of the coffee on the top floor, she grabbed a hot chocolate and a bag of crisps from the vending machine, then headed back up in the lift, knowing that in all likelihood this would double up as dinner.

"Asshole!"

As Amaya walked out of the lift, she stepped back as a stunning, purple-haired woman stormed out of Chase’s office and into the lift, tears streaming down her face, but watching his closed office door and just standing there, waiting for it to open, waiting for him to follow her out, to call her back, to no doubt tell her that it didn’t have to end like this, that he’d had a change of heart.

Of course he didn’t.

Yes, he was a heartless dick!

Of course he wouldn’t—no one delivered an ultimatum to Chase and came out smiling, not even this rare beauty, who, with a sob of frustration, finally pushed the lift button, her desperate eyes peeking out of the closing gap, still hoping that Chase would change his mind.

Amaya raised her brow.

"That," Chase said, first peering around the door and making sure it was safe to come out, "was not my fault." He put up his hands in bemusement and said it again. "Really, that time it wasn’t my fault."

She sighed, and still Amaya said nothing; she just watched with pursed lips as he helped himself to her coffee, as he always did if she didn’t pour it into her mug before he saw it. "Honestly, it wasn’t!"

"Yeah, of course it never is." Sarcasm dripped from Amaya’s lips, which might seem rude to some and might be no way to talk to your boss—but it was quickly and expertly rebuffed.

"Amaya, did you get my messages?" The Lord of Dick frowned at her.

"About what?"

"I told you to bring me some coffee."

Amaya sighed. "That is my coffee in your hands now, your highness."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Miss Patterson."

"As if."

"What did you say?"

"Oh, nothing, sir," she sneered as she checked her phone, because he never read them. "By the way, sir, your grandfather... um, called—he wants you to ring him."

"Okay."

"And your step-sister too—she wants to know if you’ve looked at the ties."

"Ties?"

"She emailed you with some photos of ties—for the groomsmen to wear at the wedding—and she wants to know if you’re staying. She’s rung a few times today."

"Remind her of my hourly rate," Chase drawled, "and if she keeps ringing, bill her."

He didn’t mean it; Amaya knew that, but he could be so scathing at times.

"I do mean it," Chase said, as if in response to her private thoughts.

"You really want me to bill your step-sister for ringing you?" She knew he didn’t mean it, knew he’d hit the roof if she actually did it, and just refused to play his games.

"I want you," Chase said, very firmly and very clearly, "to practice some of the assertions this job demands—I am not to be bothered with these details, is that clear?"

"Copy that, Mr. Johnson!"

If her sarcasm could kill, he would be dead.

"Good," Chase said. "You choose the ties, you sort things out, and you have my full authority to tell her it was me."

"Okay."

He was turning now, heading back to his office, tossing the empty chocolate cup in the bin. Then he turned around.

"Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Yes," Amaya said through gritted teeth, "I’ve got plans."

"Well, cancel them." Chase shrugged.

"No, it's my son’s—"

"That stupid Russian heiress was supposed to be coming with me to some awful dinner dance at Hotel de Russie. It’s plus one, so I’m expected to bring someone."

"I really do have plans!" Amaya repeated, because she was beginning to get tired of this—she worked hard, more than hard, but this would be the fourth night in a row that she hadn’t gotten to play with Tommy, and it simply wasn’t fair—surely she was allowed to have a semblance of a life? "My son needs me," she reluctantly explained, loath to let Chase in on her personal life. "I told him I’d be over tonight."