those her father had thrown at her for years. She had to bite her tongue against the petulant retort she’d thrown at Robert every time he’d told her to grow up. Ric didn’t have a trust fund to threaten to withdraw if she didn’t obey. But he hadn’t asked anything completely unreasonable so far. That included his request for coffee, but she wasn’t his PA and wouldn’t cave to those demands. Better to start as she meant to go on. Getting up ridiculously early was bad enough.
‘When you ask me to do something involving the ball, I’ll do it, but I’m not your slave.’ He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. ‘Once my friends go home, there won’t be any more late nights. But you have to be reasonable, too. I’m supposed to be on holiday. I promise to be discreet and keep out of the news.’
Before she’d started her company, Together, she had never worried about what the papers printed. If she continued to do as she pleased she’d never get the clientele she needed to give Robert the trust fund back. At the moment it was her last resort back-up. Then maybe it wouldn’t feel like she was his possession, like he owned her.
Ric’s frown hadn’t smoothed out. ‘Fine, but if something comes up I expect you to do what needs to be done. Trust me, if Lydia hadn’t left me when I have so much going on, I would have found someone else.’
Ouch. First his accusation of her childish behaviour and now this. She squared her shoulders and pulled her expression into Robert’s dead-pan glare. ‘Working with you wouldn’t be my first choice either.’
One side of his mouth pulled up. Alexa’s heart stuttered. She had to remind herself every time he smiled that he was really a blackmailing git. An arrogant man who lived his life for work. A man who she shouldn’t even have on her hot-totty radar.
‘Yet it seems we’re stuck with each other.’ The half-smile disappeared and she had the urge to kick herself at the disappointment. ‘How about you just…behave how Lydia would for the next month and we call a truce? It will make both our lives easier.’
‘Make your life easier, you mean.’
Amusement sparkled in his eyes and she knew she was right. Pressing her lips together, she fought the urge to scream her frustration. Ric wasn’t the kind of man to back down. He was a younger, hotter version of her father with just the right amount of arrogance to pull it off. That thought alone should put her libido on ice.
‘It will be easier for us both.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘What were you doing out until this time?’
Alexa grinned. ‘Dare number two.’
He eyed the top half of her body with his jaw taut. ‘Flaunting your body in public this time?’
The icy question had her chin dropping. He couldn’t think she was that bad. ‘No. It was Jenna’s turn tonight.’
His posture relaxed. Alexa wondered why he would be angry at her for flashing others anyway. He’d made it clear he didn’t want her and she had told him she wasn’t interested. So what if she did run the length of Marbella in her knickers? Then she remembered. Stick-up-his-ass Ric was all about respect. If he took her to a function to network and half the room had seen her naked they wouldn’t take her seriously.
‘Do I get to hear what the dare was?’
The smile he threw her way made her silly hormones leap with joy. She had to get out of there. Now. Before she did something daft on this desk. Alexa rose and tried to hide her wince by placing both hands on the table.
‘Not a chance,’ she told him, forcing a grin onto her face while her feet felt like they would crack under her weight.
Ric rose and scowled down at the hands supporting her. ‘Try flats tomorrow.’
She nodded, not willing to argue when her feet hurt this much. It would be a shock if she could even fit them into pumps in the morning. Still, when she glanced at the Jimmy’s on the desk, Alexa knew she’d happily take the pain again if it meant wearing
‘When you ask me to do something involving the ball, I’ll do it, but I’m not your slave.’ He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. ‘Once my friends go home, there won’t be any more late nights. But you have to be reasonable, too. I’m supposed to be on holiday. I promise to be discreet and keep out of the news.’
Before she’d started her company, Together, she had never worried about what the papers printed. If she continued to do as she pleased she’d never get the clientele she needed to give Robert the trust fund back. At the moment it was her last resort back-up. Then maybe it wouldn’t feel like she was his possession, like he owned her.
Ric’s frown hadn’t smoothed out. ‘Fine, but if something comes up I expect you to do what needs to be done. Trust me, if Lydia hadn’t left me when I have so much going on, I would have found someone else.’
Ouch. First his accusation of her childish behaviour and now this. She squared her shoulders and pulled her expression into Robert’s dead-pan glare. ‘Working with you wouldn’t be my first choice either.’
One side of his mouth pulled up. Alexa’s heart stuttered. She had to remind herself every time he smiled that he was really a blackmailing git. An arrogant man who lived his life for work. A man who she shouldn’t even have on her hot-totty radar.
‘Yet it seems we’re stuck with each other.’ The half-smile disappeared and she had the urge to kick herself at the disappointment. ‘How about you just…behave how Lydia would for the next month and we call a truce? It will make both our lives easier.’
‘Make your life easier, you mean.’
Amusement sparkled in his eyes and she knew she was right. Pressing her lips together, she fought the urge to scream her frustration. Ric wasn’t the kind of man to back down. He was a younger, hotter version of her father with just the right amount of arrogance to pull it off. That thought alone should put her libido on ice.
‘It will be easier for us both.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘What were you doing out until this time?’
Alexa grinned. ‘Dare number two.’
He eyed the top half of her body with his jaw taut. ‘Flaunting your body in public this time?’
The icy question had her chin dropping. He couldn’t think she was that bad. ‘No. It was Jenna’s turn tonight.’
His posture relaxed. Alexa wondered why he would be angry at her for flashing others anyway. He’d made it clear he didn’t want her and she had told him she wasn’t interested. So what if she did run the length of Marbella in her knickers? Then she remembered. Stick-up-his-ass Ric was all about respect. If he took her to a function to network and half the room had seen her naked they wouldn’t take her seriously.
‘Do I get to hear what the dare was?’
The smile he threw her way made her silly hormones leap with joy. She had to get out of there. Now. Before she did something daft on this desk. Alexa rose and tried to hide her wince by placing both hands on the table.
‘Not a chance,’ she told him, forcing a grin onto her face while her feet felt like they would crack under her weight.
Ric rose and scowled down at the hands supporting her. ‘Try flats tomorrow.’
She nodded, not willing to argue when her feet hurt this much. It would be a shock if she could even fit them into pumps in the morning. Still, when she glanced at the Jimmy’s on the desk, Alexa knew she’d happily take the pain again if it meant wearing
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