Chapter 1
Colten Lewis looked at his watch. He hated tardiness. He looked up at the tatty apartment building and imagined what it would look like once his builders had finished with it. The rental income from the luxury apartments would be much higher than it was now. How could a real estate owner let a building in such a prime location get so dilapidated? he wondered. All the tenants would have to leave. There would be protests, no doubt. The usual ban the bomb, support mass immigration assholes would turn up. Then there would be the press reporting what a bad man he was for putting old ladies and families with handicapped kids on the streets. They always took that line, the press. But not one of the journalists had ever bothered to dig below the surface and see what Colten really did with tenants he wanted to move. Most of them got more cash than they could earn in a lifetime, and if they went without making a fuss, he always rehoused them in much better accommodations. The problem was that if you had to move three hundred tenants, there were always a couple who chained themselves to the front door in protest. Most of those who protested had never done a day’s work in their lives. Colten called them freeloaders, people who lived on welfare and feigned illness so they would never have to work.
“You're late,” Colten said as he got out of his chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce. “The price has just gone down a hundred grand.”
“Sorry, Colten. Bloody traffic,” Jim Nail said. Jim was old now, and he could no longer run a credible business. It had all become too fast for him. The deals were more complicated than in years gone by. In those days, you shook a man's hand and the deal was done, no clowning around with lots of lawyers. At seventy-six, he'd decided to sell his portfolio, and he intended to sell most of it to Colten. He knew Colten would drive a hard bargain, but Colten was trustworthy and did what he said he would do.
“You're not walking too well, Jim,” Colten observed.
“Gout,” Jim replied.
“Not surprised, what with all the alcohol you pour down your neck.”
Colten was one hard son of a bitch, but he was straight and fair. Jim laughed to himself when he remembered what his wife always said when she talked about Colten: great mind, great body, great catch.
“Where's that lovely PA you used to have? Every time I call your office I get some guy on the phone,” Jim asked.
“Fired her,” Colten said coolly.
“Why? She was hot and efficient. Why would you fire such a good advert for your company?”
“Because she didn't do what she was told,” Colten replied.
“You mean she wouldn't let you screw her.”
“That would be very wrong of me as a boss,” Colten said.
“But true nonetheless,” Jim added. Colten smiled.
“Anyhow, I've got a new PA starting Monday. If you thought the last one was nice, you've gotta see this one.”
*****
“Are you nervous, Avaline?” Penny asked.
“No. Why should I be?” Avaline Francis replied as she put the finishing touches on her nails.
“Maybe you've forgotten, but you start your first job tomorrow. You know, at CL Real Estate?”
“How could I forget,” Avaline replied.
Avaline and Penny shared a student apartment in a seedy area of Los Angeles. Not that either of them was still a student. They had both recently finished secretarial college and had found jobs. Penny had passed a casting shoot and was soon to star in a porn movie with one of America's hottest adult actors. Avaline had also given the idea of porn some thought but had decided it was degrading. When she'd gone to pick Penny up from the studio, the director had begged Avaline to take her clothes off, but she'd refused.
“It's such a pity. You're really hot. Look at your sexy legs and those boobs,” he'd said.
Avaline wondered how a gay man could possibly judge her, but apparently, he was one of the world's best adult movie makers, so he must know a thing or two.
“You'll have to sit in an office and take orders while I travel the world to exotic locations.”
“Crap. The furthest you'll get is Brighton Beach where a well-hung Russian will shag your brains out and come all over your belly,” Avaline said. “And besides, no man tells me what to do. Remember John and what happened to him?”
How could I forget? Penny thought Poor John. He'd been Avaline's boyfriend for years, and although she'd cheated on him numerous times, he'd never found out. When he'd told her he didn't like her new hairstyle, she'd gone crazy. First she'd taken a picture of his manhood while he was asleep and posted it on Facebook under the heading, “Small Cock for Sale.” Then she'd taken all his clothes and stuffed them down a drain outside the apartment.
Penny looked at Avaline. She was a beautiful woman. Her long legs seemed to go on forever, and they were as shapely as any woman's. She had long, natural blond hair and a smile no man seemed able to resist.
“Out in the real world, I think you'll find it's different, especially in the business world.” Penny took the pot of nail varnish Avaline had handed her and began to paint her own nails. “There are a lot of very hard men around. You won't be able to click your fingers and have them fall to their knees like you did with all the others you've had.”
“I've never met a man strong enough to resist me yet. I can twist them all around my little finger. All I have to do is show a bit of leg and flutter my eyes and the poor creatures buckle.”
“You're so wrong; you'll find out sometime.”
*****
Avaline looked at her watch; she was five minutes late. CL Real Estate was located in a huge glass-fronted building in downtown LA. Colten's company occupied the top three floors, and the rest of the building was occupied by various companies, from banks to shipping companies. By the time she got to the top floor, she was ten minutes late.
“Hi. I'm Avaline Francis. I'm starting work as Mr. Lewis's PA today,” she said to the woman behind the magnificent reception desk.
“He's expecting you. Through that door there.”
Avaline looked behind her and saw a double glass door. It led to a smaller office with a desk, which she assumed was hers. Another door led from that office to Colten's. She knocked and entered.
“You're late. Your first day and you're late. I would have thought you’d be twenty minutes early. That's what I expect.”
He was tall and dark, and she noticed his nose had been broken at one point. It wasn't crooked, but it was flatter than most men's. She hadn't met him at the interview; he'd asked his personnel department to choose a few suitable candidates. He'd taken two things into consideration when hiring her. First, what the personnel department had to say, and second, the way she looked in the photo of her they gave him.
“Sorry,” she said.
“That's your desk out in the small office. You don't come in here unless I call you. Is that clear?”
“Yes.”
“And you're working hours are twenty-four seven.”
“Sorry?”
“You are to be available any time, day or night, when I need you. I operate an international business.” He sat on the edge of his desk and looked at her tanned legs. “Calls come in at all times of the day and night. It will happen that I call you in the middle of the night and ask you to come in. The world never sleeps, and neither will you when I need you. Clear?”
“Yes, it's clear.” Be professional and do as he requests. After a few weeks, you'll have more control over him, she thought.
“Good. Today you're going to spend the rest of the day with Jean from personnel. She's going to show you how we do things around here. I like things done my way. I expect a lot from my employees; that's why they are well paid. They also respect me.” He turned and looked out the window. “This is a special view. You can see the ocean and a lot of LA. I earned this view with my own sweat. Nobody will ever take it away from me. If you work hard for me, you will get a lot of rewards as well.”
Avaline remembered what Penny had said about there being some hard people in the big wide world. If she was right, he was surely one of them. “I'll do my very best to do a good job,” she said.
“You can start with your timekeeping then, can't you?” he said harshly. “Tell Jean to bring you back up to my office at 5 p.m. You'll find her one floor below, room 365.”
Avaline felt like she'd just been grilled by an army officer. Nobody had ever set out so many rules for her.
At 5 p.m. she stood in Colten's office and waited until he'd finished his telephone call.
“That's all I can pay, Jim. It's a fair price. Look at the place; it's almost derelict.” Without another word on his end, he put the phone down and clapped his hands together. “Another great deal done. Making money is all about purchasing at the lowest price possible.” Avaline nodded. “One compliment I do have for you is how nice you look,” he said. She was wearing a short black skirt, black pantyhose, and a blue blouse. “You look very businesslike, and your hair and makeup are perfect.”
She hated being judged by a man in such a way. He'd appraised her like a farmer would appraise a prize bull. But she was going to be professional. “Thank you,” she said.
“Party time. The day's for working and the evening’s for enjoyment. Come with me; I'm going to introduce you to the gang.”
*****
When they arrived at the Hopeless Sinner, a bar, restaurant, and health club, Avaline could hear the beat of loud music from outside. Colten got out of the Rolls and opened her door. When she got out, he was careful to note how shapely her legs were as they slid from the leather seat.
“This is our playground, the Hopeless Sinner. I own it, and a guy called Tony Jameson runs it for me.”
They had stopped close to the waterfront. It was a curious building that Avaline would never have thought he owned. Built of wood, it looked like an Austrian log cabin. There was a veranda at the front and a large neon sign on the roof advertising the best fish in town.
“Tony, this is Avaline, my new PA. Whenever she wants to come here with her friends, you look after her and put whatever they have on my tab. Okay?”
Tony was a young man of around twenty-five, tall and thin and Hispanic looking. “Sure, boss. Do you want the usual this evening?” Colten nodded.
“Remember that, Avaline. Bring your friends here whenever you want. Now let me show you around.”
They were standing in the bar area. In front of the bar, which extended down the side of the interior, there were wooden tables and chairs. She followed him through a door and into the restaurant area.
“Wow. This is pretty special,” she said.
“Yes. All the furniture was imported from Indonesia especially. The palm trees are from Egypt. We tried to get a real nice colonial look.”
“Well you succeeded. It's really atmospheric.” Avaline imagined herself transported back to the days of the British in India.
“Wait till you see this,” he said.
They went through another door and down some steps. After they had walked down a corridor, Colten pushed a door open, and then they were in paradise. Avaline was sure they were now underground. What she saw was a vast cavern with a domed roof and a serpent-shaped swimming pool. She gasped. At the side of the pool were two Jacuzzis and more palm trees, only these were bigger than those in the restaurant. When she looked more closely, she saw they were artificial. She assumed that because there was no real daylight, real ones wouldn't survive there.
“I'll tell you what we're going to do this evening. We're going to have a bottle or two of champagne, have some of Tony's best seafood, and come down here and relax.”
“But I haven't got any swimwear with me,” she said.
“Don't worry about that; we don't need clothes.”
“Er...excuse me? I'm not cavorting around here in the nude.”
He laughed. “Then you're the first prudish PA I've ever had. Most of them were only too pleased to get their clothes off. Especially when they saw what my friends looked like.”
“Well, I...” Avaline was caught. She didn't want to appear prudish, but surely this was beyond the call of duty. It was also quite unprofessional. She'd gone to CL Real Estate to start a career, not prance around like a two-bit hooker. “Sorry, Colten, but I'd rather not be naked.”
“Okay. How long will it take you to choose a bikini?”
“Er...a few minutes.”
“Great. Then the chauffeur will take you downtown. You get a bikini and be back here by six thirty. Okay? Here's two hundred dollars.”
Avaline was beginning to feel like a kept woman. She wasn't used to this level of attention, and it was a little overwhelming. She also didn't much fancy being in a bikini for all of Colten's friends to gawp at. But she needed the job, and she'd already pissed Colten off by arriving late for work. The last thing she wanted was to have to join Penny on the set of some B porn movie.
When the chauffeur, whose name she discovered was Robert, dropped her off outside Raylene's Swim and Casuals, Avaline immediately saw a beautiful bikini in the display window.
Raylene was about five foot nine and as butch as any woman Avaline had ever seen. “Yes, we've got that in your size. It's great quality. Look.”
“Yes,” Avaline said, looking at the multi-coloured material.
“Do you want to try it on?”
Avaline had heard a lot of stories about the dangers of trying swimwear on. Most of it had been tried on before by an average of five women. “Has anyone tried it on before?”
“No. It's fresh out of the cellophane. You don't have to worry.”
Avaline stood in front of the mirror and admired herself. Even the harsh fluorescent lights didn't show a single blemish on her skin. The bikini fit nicely. She took off the top but quickly pulled it over her breasts again when Raylene popped her head through the curtain. “Everything okay? Oh yes. I like those bottoms. Haven't got the top on yet. Shall I help you?”
Avaline declined and waited until Raylene had gone. Should she report her? How many women had she ogled, felt up, or raped in the changing room? she wondered She got dressed quickly and went to pay. Raylene gave her a wide smile. “Here's a voucher for twenty-five dollars. We've got an open evening next week. Come along and see if you can find anything you like. We've got more than swimwear, as you can see. Raylene pointed to an array of other leisure wear. “That will be ninety-nine dollars.”
Avaline paid and left the shop. Robert was waiting for her on the other side of the street. Unfortunately, she didn't make it that far.
*****
“More champagne please, Tony,” Colten said. He was sitting at the bar with his best friends, Sylvester and Chris. Both were self-made real estate dealers, but not quite as rich as Colten.
“I'm getting too old for this, Colten,” Sylvester said. “My body won't take it anymore.”
“Crap. You're not even forty yet,” Colten said.
“Thirty-nine and counting. You're only thirty-three, remember. Maybe you can drink champagne and get laid every evening, but I tell you, I'm beginning to feel my age.”
“Jesus, you're not going soft on us, are you? This place will be full of LA's most beautiful women in a couple of hours. Just think of that.”
“He's got a girlfriend,” Chris revealed.
“You what?” Colten asked. “You've got a steady girl? So it's not your old body letting you down. Some broad has got her thumb on you. Great,” Colten said despondently.
“It's time to settle down. I want a family. All this partying has been great, but it's time. You'll feel the same in a couple of years,” Sylvester said.
“No way. Forty-five. That's the age I've got in mind for settling down,” Colten said. “Well, old friend, good luck. I hope she turns out to be the one. Although when she sees how well hung you are, she'll probably run a mile.” He looked at his black friend and laughed. So did Chris.
“She already has seen it, and no, she didn't run. She liked it,” Sylvester replied, a sparkle in his eye.
“Here's to you then,” Colten said. There was a chink of glass on glass and then they all downed their drinks in one.
A group of scantily clad women came into the bar and looked at Colten. “Hi, Colten,” Nikki said. “Are you up for a good time tonight?” She was tall, blond, and well proportioned. Her black dress clung to her hips and buttocks as she walked across the room.
“Sorry, Nikki. Not tonight, darling. We had a great time on Saturday—it was really nice—but I'm a bit busy tonight.” Nikki pulled a disappointed face, turned around, and joined her friends again.
“Did you just turn her down?” Sylvester asked. “I've never seen you turn down a broad that hot before.”
“Avaline's my choice for this evening,” Colten said.
“Who's she?” Chris asked.
“My new, super attractive, sexy PA.”
“You're terrible. Do you know that?” Chris said. “You've tried it on with all your PA's.”
“She's different,” Colten said.
“How?” Sylvester interjected.
“I can't put my finger on it, but she's classy, intelligent, and so sexy you won't believe it. This one really does something to me,” Colten concluded.
“How old is she?” Chris asked, swirling around the champagne in his glass.
“Twenty-two,” Colten said.
“Ten years in it then. No too bad. She'll be able to supply you with innumerable babies.” Sylvester laughed. The thought of Colten changing nappies was too much for him.
“Funny,” Colten hissed.
*****
Avaline hadn't seen the man hiding in the alleyway next to Raylene's. As she made her way along the sidewalk toward the Rolls, he jumped out and grabbed her bag. Avaline didn't want to let go, so she put up a fight. Before Robert could get out of the car, the man hit her over the head with a club and ran off, leaving her unconscious and bleeding profusely.
Raylene heard the screams and ran out of the shop. Robert dashed over the road and squatted next to Avaline.
“Call an ambulance,” he said to Raylene.
He took out a clean handkerchief and pressed it to the wound on her head. A crowd of bloodthirsty spectators gathered around them as Raylene shouted into her cell phone.
Robert had spent long enough in the army to know that Avaline had now stopped breathing. He let go of the handkerchief, pressed her nostrils together, and gave her the kiss of life, followed by three sharp presses to her chest. He waited, but nothing happened. He repeated the process and waited again. This time, Avaline spluttered and began to breathe. Shortly after, the ambulance arrived and took Avaline to UCLA Medical Center.
Colten was halfway through his seafood platter, wondering where Avaline was, when Robert called him. He left the restaurant in a taxi and hastened to the hospital.
“How is she?” he asked Robert.
“I don't know. They told me to wait for her while they do the tests they need to do.”
“First day at work and mugged. Did you see the man who did it?”
“Not that well. There were some parked cars between me and the incident.”
Colten felt responsible. He'd sent her to town, and all because of a bikini. His thoughts turned to his sister, who had been raped in a park in LA. She'd also just run out to do something trivial. The rapist had been sentenced to just six years, but Colten had made sure his life inside was unbearable. He hadn’t been able to believe how cheap it was to have someone's legs broken, although having the man raped in the showers had cost considerably more.
The doctor came out of intensive care and looked at Colten and Robert. “She's concussed, but we can't find any lasting damage. We'll keep her in for observation for two nights, and after that she can go home. But she'll need to rest. A couple weeks off work should do it.”
“All right doctor. Thank you,” Colten said.
“I believe you are to thank for saving her,” the doctor said, looking at Robert.
“I gave her mouth to mouth, if that's what you mean.”
“Yes. Well, you did it very well. She's got a lot to thank you for. Does she have any relatives we need to inform?” the doctor asked.
Robert didn't have a clue, so he looked at Colten. “No. She's alone in the world,” Colten said. “Can we see her?”
“When we get her onto the ward, in an hour or so.”
It was two hours before Avaline was on the ward, by which time Robert was snoring in a waiting room arm chair and Colten was checking his bank accounts on his cell phone. A nurse came and fetched them. Avaline was sitting up in bed with a bandage on her head. The first thing Colten noticed was how pale she looked.
“So you didn't want to come back to the Hopeless Sinner?” Colten asked jokingly.
“No. I decided to get myself bashed over the head instead,” she replied. “I'm sorry.”
“What for? It wasn't your fault. You'll be back in the saddle in a couple of weeks. You need some rest,” Colten said. “You're coming to stay with me.” Robert flashed him a glance and mentally questioned Colten's motives.
“No. I'll be fine at the apartment. Penny can look after me.”
“I'm not taking no for an answer. I won't have you sitting in some tatty apartment while you're ill. There's all you need at my house. You can swim, sun yourself, go for a sauna, and walk the grounds. It's very relaxing.”
“Thank you, Robert,” she said. “I heard you saved me.”
“It was nothing, miss. I'm glad I was there. My army training came in useful for once. If you'll excuse me, I'll leave you two to talk.” Robert left the room, and Colten pulled a chair up to the bed.
“You've got one hell of a bump on your head,” he said.
“A hell of a bikini bump, you could say. I'm not coming to your house to recover. It's not right. I'm one of your employees, not your wife.”
“I don't give a damn about that. You're coming back with me, and that's the end of it. This happened when you were working for me, and I'll look after you. You've got nobody else except that porn star.”
“How do you know about Penny?” Avaline hadn't told anyone about Penny's occupation.
“I know everything. You are my PA, and you will be handling very sensitive information. Did you think I'd employ you without doing some checks on you?”
“Jesus. I'd never given it any thought.”
“I also know you're alone in the world. I know you were left at a hospital as a baby and brought up in three foster families.” He looked at her and saw how amazed she was that he knew her most intimate secrets. “I know you did okay in high school and well at secretarial college. I also know you're way too intelligent to work as a PA, but you underachieved at school because you found boys more interesting than Pythagoras or Shakespeare.”
Avaline felt as if she were naked. Was there anything he didn't know about her? “Do you know my bra size as well?” she asked.
“No. That's still a secret I haven't gotten to the bottom of.”
“And you never will. I work for you.”
“That’s never stopped me before. You know you're very beautiful. I could give you all you want in life.”
“Do you think I'm stupid? You would soon get bored of me and discard me. Then what? Being fired without a reference wouldn't look good on my resume.”
A nurse came into the room and checked Avaline's blood pressure and temperature. “Your temperature's up a little. She's tired now; perhaps you can come back tomorrow?” the nurse said.
“Sure. Remember, Avaline, you're coming back with me. I always get what I want.”
The nurse looked at him as he left the room and shook her head. “Is he bothering you, Avaline? He seems awfully pushy.”
“But hot, wouldn't you say?”
“Yes. I would say hot but dangerous,” the nurse replied. They both laughed at the sisterly joke.
“Yes. The dangerous bit hadn't escaped me,” Avaline concluded.
*****
When Robert picked Avaline up, he was worried he was taking the fly to the spider’s web. But those were his instructions. He knew what his boss was like. He'd ferried lots of women to Palmer Court, Colten's massive mansion in the hills around LA. None of them had stayed very long. He'd also taken most of them away again, in tears. Colten was a hard bastard. It didn't matter whether it was business or women; he applied the same principles. Robert remembered when Colten had told him about his philosophy. Colten saw life in terms of deals. He'd said a good deal is when you get out more than you put in. When Robert had told his wife what Colten had said, she'd laughed. He recalled her exact words. “That may work great for business, but it's absolutely the wrong attitude for relationships.” But Robert was convinced Colten didn't give a damn.
“Here we are, miss, Palmer Court. What do you think?” Robert said, pulling the Rolls up outside the mansion.
“My God, it's huge,” she said. “I had no idea. Maybe it won't be such a bad place to recuperate after all.”
“Miss,” Robert began. He had to choose his words carefully. “I've brought a lot of young women here, to this house. None of them stayed very long, and most of them left with a broken heart.” Avaline listened intently to what he had to say. “I like you. You're bubbly and beautiful. I don't want to see the same thing happen to you.”
“Robert, as well as a lifesaver, you're a star for thinking of me in that way.” She reached from the backseat and patted him on the shoulder. “But I want to tell you there is no way I'm entering into any kind of relationship with Colten. I'm his PA, not his mistress, despite what he may think.”
“Good for you, miss.”
Avaline took her handbag from the seat and put her hand on the door handle. “No man has ever played around with me, and I don't intend to let him do so.”
But he's gotten you to come to his house already, Robert thought. He wasn't convinced Avaline could hold out against the firepower Colten could muster. Power and wealth were strong persuaders as far as women were concerned.
“So here you are,” Colten said as he walked down the stone steps that led from the front door.
“It's some house. I love the peacocks.” Avaline gestured to the two birds walking across the lawn.
“They are great, aren't they? Come on. Let me take your bags.” Colten and Robert carried her bags up the steps and into the house. Inside it was cool and roomy. Avaline had thought it would be tacky. She'd had images of gold and marble, but it wasn't like that at all. It was exactly as she would have furnished it. It was colonial, just like the restaurant, the Hopeless Sinner.
Robert left, and Colten showed Avaline to her room. It was the biggest bedroom she'd ever seen. The bed alone was large enough for four people.
“This is yours for as long as you want it. It's south facing, so you'll get lots of sunlight.”
“Colten,” she began. He looked at her. She was more beautiful than any woman he'd ever had at the house. So beautiful he felt the beginnings of an erection when he looked at her. She was dressed in a floral dress that showed off a good amount of cleavage. All he wanted to do was rip the dress off, throw her on the bed, and take her. “I'm grateful to you. This is a very relaxing place to rest. But I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I'm not here to share your bed. I hope you understand.”
He smiled at her. He loved her resistance. So many of the others had just lay down and spread their legs in the belief that that was what would keep Colten interested. But it wasn't. He needed sport. He needed a chase, someone to say no to him. He knew he'd get what he wanted from her in the end. The only question was when.
“Sure. Of course. I understand,” he replied. “Anything else would be unprofessional. Freshen up and I'll show you around. Come downstairs when you're ready.”
Avaline took a shower in the en-suite bathroom and then dressed in a pair of shorts and a yellow blouse. She tied her hair in a ponytail and decided not to bother with makeup. Colten heard her coming down the stairs and shouted to her, “I'm here.”
Avaline followed the sound of his voice. It took her down a corridor and into a small room that was breathtakingly beautiful. It was a sort of conservatory but used as an office. There were pictures of buildings she assumed Colten owned on the walls and a superb view of the yard. The water in the pool, which was just outside the doors, reflected the evening sunshine onto the ceiling, making a wonderful shimmering effect.
“Oh, it's lovely here,” Avaline said.
“It's even better with a glass of wine.” He rang a bell and a tall man appeared. “A bottle of Rojo please, Edwin.”
“Jesus. Is he a butler?” she asked, open mouthed, once Edwin had gone.
“I suppose so. He's Dutch and as gay as they come. I've got a cook as well.”
Colten opened the doors and stepped outside. “It's been damn hot today, but it's great now,” he said. “Come and sit here by the pool.”
Avaline sat down on a rattan garden sofa and looked across the yard. It was simply the most beautiful place she'd ever been to. Not that she'd made a habit of visiting expensive houses before. Edwin arrived with the wine and poured them both a large glass.
“I think I'll cool off a bit,” Colten said. Without a care in the world, he began to undress in front of her. She took a sip of wine and sighed as she felt its relaxing effect. When Colten took off his shirt, she stared at him. Gorgeous muscles, dark skin, and a smooth chest with a hint of hair around his navel. She couldn't bear to watch as he slipped his pants off. When he stepped from the dark material, all that was left was a pair of tight-fitting shorts and the most impressive male behind she'd ever seen. He walked around the pool and stood on the diving board. No Olympian had a better body, she thought as he raised his arms and dived into the pool. When he reached her end of the pool, he stopped and grinned. “Coming in?”
“No. I'm fine here with my wine.” Until that moment, she'd been amused by his flirty behavior, but now it was more. He'd undressed in front of her, knowing full well that it was bound to turn her on. Add the wine and it was a very dangerous cocktail indeed. Be strong. Don't give him what he wants, she thought. Christ, you've only been working for him for a day. Who does he think he is?
Colten swam a few lengths and then pulled himself out of the pool. As he did so, she saw the large muscles in his back flex. When he walked toward her, she saw a faint hint of a six pack. She didn't like the body builder type, but she did like men with well-defined muscles, just like Colton had. He was dripping when he stood next to her to take a gulp of wine. Water ran down his chest and dripped onto the floor via the considerable bulge in his shorts. She tried not to look at it, but he was standing so close that it was unavoidable. He lay down on a sun bed next to her sofa and closed his eyes.
“Perfect,” he said. “What a great evening. I've got all I want: the pool, wine, and you.”
She looked across at him disapprovingly. You haven't got me, she thought. I'm just a guest. But she couldn't help but look down his chest and stomach to his bulge once more. She was sure she saw his manhood twitch, and she turned her reddening face away.
“Tell me about yourself,” she said. “You know everything about me, but I know so little about you.”
He put his arms behind his head and looked at the sky. “Not many people have asked me to tell them my life story.”
“I'd like to know.”
“My mom and dad live in LA, in the same house they did when I was born. I've offered to buy them a new house, but they won't budge, so why waste my money. I've got a sister who has three kids and a man who hits her, and a brother who is bipolar. He lives in a mental hospital most of the time.”
“Wow. Can't you get your brother-in-law to stop hitting your sister?”
“I've tried. I set some of my heavies on him once, but my sister went mental. Totally mental. I can't understand it. She kept saying that it wasn't his fault.”
“I'm sorry to hear about your brother. That's hard.”
“Harder for him. It's made my parents’ lives so difficult. I think they feel guilty. As for me, I went to high school, graduated, and went to the Yale School of Management.”
Avaline finished her wine and put the empty glass down on the ground. He still had droplets of water on him, and she was sorely tempted to run her hand over his stomach and grasp his manhood. It was the wine, she told herself.
“But how did you get so rich? It's no mean feat.”
“I bought a piece of land when I was twenty for next to nothing. It was just a speculative deal. Then the military decided they wanted it for a shooting range. They paid me ten times what I'd paid for it. After that, I was up and running. I reinvested and bought four apartments in LA. They were pretty seedy when I bought them, but I renovated them and sold them at the right time. I just kept the circle going. Buy, sell, reinvest. You can see the result.” He gestured to the house.
“Yes. Well done. I would never have thought to do that.”
He turned his head to look at her. His eyes ran over her smooth legs and admired the shape of her thighs. “You are different. You are worth more than pure money. You don't have to get rich.” A cat appeared from somewhere and began to rub around the bottom of the sofa. “That's Duke. He's the boss around here.”
“So you like animals?”
“Love them. They are so much more trustworthy than people.” He put his hand out and Duke purred as Colten stroked him.
“Do you want a family one day?” she asked. “Settle down with one woman and have some kids?”
“One day. But I'm only thirty-three. Time is hardly pressing.”
“Well think about this. If you wait until you're forty, when your child leaves college, say at twenty-three, you'll be sixty-three—almost ready to retire. You shouldn't leave it too long.”
“A very gloomy outlook indeed,” he said.
Edwin came out and asked what time Colten wanted dinner. They settled on 8 p.m.
They ate in a dining room that was large enough to house a fourteen-seater table. It was bigger than a pool table. They sat next to each other at one end, and Avaline looked over the vast expanse of the unused table and imagined it filled with children, grandparents, and aunts and uncles.
After dinner, Avaline was tired. The wine has taken its toll. “Thank you for a lovely evening,” she said, and she was tempted to kiss him.
“My pleasure,” he said.
When she had gone to bed, he sighed. She was hotter than hot, but for the first time in his life, he didn't know quite how to approach a woman. She just sent out negative signals all the time. He wasn't used to it. But he still had his trump card to play, and that was that he was the boss and she had to do what he said or leave. But did he really want to play that card on someone so lovely? He might.
After two weeks, Avaline returned to work. She and Colten had spent most evenings chatting around the pool. As each evening passed, Colten became more and more frustrated. Every time he tried to lead the conversation toward the bedroom, she refused his advances by telling him it was unprofessional to sleep with one another.
*****
“Avaline,” Colten shouted. Avaline hurried into his office, carrying a notepad. “I want you to book a two rooms at the Hilton Hotel in London.”
“Sure. Who shall I say will be staying?”
“Me and you.”
“Er...okay,” She looked at him suspiciously.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I'm going to look at some deals in London, and I need my PA with me.”
“But you've never done any business outside the US.”
“And now is the perfect time to start. The market has reached rock bottom. There are some great deals around in London.”
“Right. When are we going?”
“Tomorrow. You'll need to book the flights as well. First class for me, economy for you.”
Avaline looked a little disappointed, but Colten was in no mood for it. It would do her good to realize who was the boss. She'd had enough of his hospitality. Now it was time for her to feel like she was way down in the pecking order again.
The next day Robert dropped them off at Los Angeles International Airport, and they boarded a nonstop flight to London. It took eleven hours. Colten arrived refreshed, having slept most of the way in a comfortable reclining chair. Avaline, on the other hand, was sleep deprived and sweaty after her ordeal in economy class.
When they arrived at the Hilton, Avaline wanted to go to bed, but Colten wasn't having any of it. He decided he wanted to see the sights. He paid a taxi driver a small fortune to drive them around a list of sights he'd downloaded from the internet before they’d left LA.
When they reached Buckingham Palace, he prodded Avaline, who was nodding off next to him. “Look. That's where the queen hangs out. It's great to see, isn't it?” Avaline nodded, her eyes half closed. To her, it was some large building with an ornate railing in front of it, nothing to get worked up about. Colten was equally enthusiastic at the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Nelson's Column, and Piccadilly Circus. By the time they reached the Hilton, Avaline was fast asleep.
Colten decided he would give her a few hours to sleep and then buy her dinner. They had a lot of appointments the following day, so in the meantime he did some preparation in his room.
At 6 p.m. he rang Avaline.
“Hello?” she said in a gruff voice.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. Very.”
“Dinner in an hour in the main restaurant.” He hung up.
Avaline had packed a black cocktail dress, and she decided if he were going to be an asshole to her, then she would return the favor. He'd made her fly economy all the way from LA, and it was perfectly obvious that her room was nowhere near as luxurious as his. She didn't expect the best room in the house, but she wasn't going to be treated like a servant either. She was going to make him suffer. She would look so hot that he'd have an erection all through dinner.
When she arrived in reception via the elevator, she did look hot. A few handsome men were checking into the hotel, and all of them watched every step she took until she disappeared into the restaurant. Colten was sitting at a cosy table for two in the corner, next to the window. When he saw her, his jaw dropped. As she moved sensually toward him, he saw her hips swinging, fighting the black material, and her breasts standing proud for this attention. Her blond hair waved past her shoulders to the middle of her back.
“You look stunning,” he said. “I know you're my PA, and you don't like me talking like that, but you are so beautiful tonight.”
“Well, it's London. It's a classy place, so I decided to make a bit of an effort.”
While the waiter was busy pouring the wine, Colten made a decision. Tonight had to be the night. It was make or break time. He wanted her, and he was used to getting his way. No, he always got his way. If she refused him, then it would be the last time.
“That was great,” she said after coffee. “It's really a luxurious place, isn't it? More luxury than I have ever seen.”
“You could have all the luxury in the world; you know that.”
“I know. You keep telling me. Only I know what I have to do for that, and I'm not a gold digger, and as I've said so often, it's unprofessional.”
He looked at her as his erection grew larger. “I don't think you quite understand. I don't just want you for a quickie or a few months. My intentions are honorable.”
“Not according to your track record. What else do I have to go on? I need this job, and if you get bored of me and kick me out, where will I go? No, Colten, it's not right.”
Colten stood up and offered her his arm. “Very well. Let me escort you to your room and we'll call it a night.” She took his arm, and they proceeded to leave the restaurant. On the way past an elderly couple, Colten heard the lady say, “What a lovely couple.”
It seemed to Colten as if the elevator took an age to get to the third floor. Eventually, a bell rang and the door opened. “This is me,” Avaline said. “I can manage from here.”
“No way. Look what happened to you in LA when you were left on your own.”
“Colten, I'm in a luxury London hotel. I'm hardly going to get mugged between here and my room.”
Colten wasn't having it. He got out of the elevator and proceeded to escort her to her room. Outside room 315, she stopped and looked for the key in her bag.
“Thank you for a wonderful evening. I will remember it for a long time,” she said.
Colten snatched the key card from her hand and shoved it into the slot. The lock clicked, and he pushed the door open.
“What are you...?”
“I've had enough of this. I want you and I'm going to have you. I'm going take what I want, and you're going to enjoy it.”
“But I told you—”
Colten pulled her into the room and pushed her face first against the wall. He closed the door with his foot and leaned against her back. He put his mouth on her neck and kissed it.
“You want it as much as I do, so stop playing games with me. You're teasing me, and I've had more than my fill of it.”
She felt his hand at the hem of her dress and soon her buttocks were exposed to the cool air in the room. He pulled her string off in one easy movement and put his hand over her vulva.
“As I thought, you're wet as hell. Now tell me you don't want me.” Avaline didn't say anything. The authority in his voice and the way he'd ripped her panties off had turned her on. “Come on, tell me. You want it too, don't you?” He let his fingers massage her womanhood as he kissed her neck again.
“Damn you. Yes, I want it. But I want more than a quick screw. If I let you take me, that's it; I want it all. I'm not one of your cheap whores.”
“I've told you, you can have it all. Whatever you want.” His free hand reached around and pulled one of her breasts out of the flimsy dress. Her nipple was already hard.
“I want love, respect, and your affection.”
He pulled her from the wall and threw her onto the bed. He got on top of her and kissed her. “You got it, babe. You got it all. Now just let me fuck you for Christ’s sake.”
She kissed him back and put her arm around his neck. With his body on top of hers, she could feel his erection pressing against her belly. He pulled away and stood up. He threw his jacket onto the chair in the corner of the room and took off his tie. His shoes and socks followed the jacket.
Avaline sat up and helped him unfasten his shirt. When it slipped off his shoulders, she ran her hands over his smooth skin. She playfully raked her nails over his chest and kissed each of his nipples.
“There's something going on down here,” she said. “Let's see what you've got.” She lowered his zipper and put her hand inside his pants and then into his shorts. “Now that's a cock,” she whispered as she felt how long and thick he was.
He smiled and reached down to her dress. He unfastened the halter and let it fall from her breasts. “Nice,” he whispered as he fondled them. He pulled her hand out of his pants and slid them, and his shorts, down past his thighs. Avaline slipped out of the dress and lay on the bed, naked. When he was ready, he lay down next to her and pulled her onto him. She straddled him and slipped him inside her with a low moan. She stayed still and bent down to kiss him.
“So you like a woman on top?” she asked.
“I want to look at you. I want to see your face and your tits.” He thrust his hips up, encouraging her to move. And move she did. She bucked up and down on him, pressing her pubic bone against his shaft. He played with her breasts, flicking his thumb over her nipples. She increased the pace, her hips moving back and forth as fast as she could manage. When he reached behind her and groped her buttocks, she let out a loud moan and slumped in a shaking heap on top of him. He put his strong arms around her and flipped her onto her back. He lay still until her orgasm was over. Then he entered her again. This time, he was in charge, and he began to thrust into her with hard strokes that made her gasp. He was heavy on her but warm, and she loved the intimacy. She loved the coarse feel of the hair on his thighs and the feel of his face as she ran her fingers over his cheeks. He was an intense lover who demanded she open her legs as wide as she could and take him into her. He was a man, a real man, the kind of man she'd always wanted. Now that he was between her legs, she wanted him to stay there forever.
He rammed her harder, his lust overflowing. She fought back, wrapping her legs around his back and thrusting her hips up, demanding his seed. He began to sweat, and she loved the scent of him.
“Come on,” she said. “Take me with you.” She reached down and touched herself.
“I'm coming, fucking coming,” he shouted. Avaline rubbed herself furiously and reached an intense orgasm at the same time his semen spilled from him and into her warm depth.
On top of her, breathing hard, he kissed the side of her face and then her neck. She wrapped her long legs tighter around his back, not wanting him to leave her. When he had to, he rolled off her and lay next to her. He took her hand and lay it on his stomach.
“I like you a hell of a lot. I'm not letting you go,” he said.
“I want to spend so much time with you. I want to know all of you. You know I can't be your PA now, don't you?”
“Yes, I know. What do you really want to do?”
“I want to be a mom.”
“Well, let's see what we can arrange,” he said, rolling onto his side. “Give me a few minutes.”
***
THE END