Chapter 3 INAPPROPRIATE

"Mr. Black?" she called, in a soft, whispery voice, like lace sliding against silk.

Just like her eyes, her voice was unusual, sensual, like nothing he'd heard before. Apart from her attire, she looked young, innocent, fragile. Her age couldn't even be guessed; she could easily pass for an eighteen-year-old.

"How long have you been working for me?" he asked in an unintentionally gruff voice.

Her perfectly plucked brows knitted in a frown, which told him she was wondering what kind of question was that. Probably thinking he should know these things, but he wasn't God. Kudos to any businessman out there who knew all their workers' resumes by heart.

"Five years. Right out of college, I interned in DD for a year until Gilles Chad offered me a position."

"How old are you?"

She gave him a leery look. He knew the age question was a forbidden question in the workplace, let alone for most women, but he needed to know.

"Twenty-five," she answered, quickly adding, "I turn twenty-six in three months."

"Cancer or Leo?" he whispered.

Why the hell did he just ask that? And why did it come out as a whisper?! The fuck?

The angel's feather took a small step backwards, watching him warily as if she expected him to pounce on her at any minute.

"Leo. Um, I'm just going to be honest with you: I'm hella nervous right now. Getting called to your office is like getting called to the Principal's office in high school. It's never good news."

Seth almost smiled. She was nervous. And she was cute. A downright sexy combination that had his snake head rearing up in its cage.

"Relax, Miss Roberts. You're not endangered. You were summoned here to be informed of your new contract. That is, the Riverview project."

Taking another step backwards, her eyes widened.Damn those eyes.

"What? No!" Instantly, her hand flew to her mouth at her outburst, and then she said in more polite manner, "I mean, I can't."

Arching a brow at her audacity, he figured it was time to snap out of his school-boy lusting. "May I ask what sane person tries to turn down a contract for a high-end project coming directly from me?"

"Aside from the fact that I'm currently contracted on a nightclub, I-I don't specialize in residential projects. Let alone tower lofts and penthouses."

Staring back at her, Seth realized she was genuinely frightened by the idea of working on a project this big. Which was both unfathomable and unacceptable. A designer is a designer. Whether it's a club, house, store, office...designers design.

"Miss Roberts, if we have given you a position here at The Royals' Realty after your internship, then it's because you fit the criteria of everything we look for in our designers. We don't hire inept idiots or cowards. Also, if I have called you to my office to speak to you in person-which is a rarefied action-then it's because I've seen your work and believe that you can suit my needs. Are you a coward, Miss Roberts? Are you inept?"

"No, but I-"

"Your current contract is up in two days. On Friday, you will be taken to Riverview's work site so you can view what you will be working with. If you prefer a virtual tour of the building emailed to you instead, no problem. Seven days is all I'm giving you to create your designs. I need three different options to choose from. Please bear in mind the type of project that Riverview is. The best requires nothing but the best."

She took a step forward this time, her hands clasped under her chin. "Please, Mr. Black, I ca-"

"Do you remember when I said you weren't endangered, Miss Roberts? It was only but a minute ago."

"Yes," she said with caution.

"Well, I lied. If you turn this down, then you've automatically relinquished your position here at The Royals' Realty. You also will not receive any referrals from this company when you try to seek another employment."

She shifted her gaze and fixated it on his topaz birthstone that had a real scorpion embedded inside it, sitting proudly on his desk, used as a paperweight. Worrying her lower lip, she watched the stone for a long while, then sighed in defeat.

"Okay. But, can I at least have two weeks to-"

"Seven days, Miss Roberts," he clipped, leaving no room for debate. "You're dismissed."

Nodding, she turned and slipped through the door.

Seth watched the door long after she went through it, every feature of the peculiar girl who was just standing in his office burned into his mind: from her exotic blue eyes to her plump red lips to her whispery voice...

An ache throbbed below, telling him it needed some attention, or it would blow. Leaning back in his chair, he adjusted his crotch to ease the ache.

Who was that girl? She was young. Twenty-five. So why was he so goddamn affected?

The last time this shit happened with a younger woman, it was with his brother's fiancée. Even then, it wasn't this bad. No woman had ever rendered him speechless or temporarily paralyzed before, younger or older. None.

So much so that he'd just sat there and shamelessly raped her with his eyes. Talk about unprecedented.

Seth glanced down at the bulge in his pants and sighed. He needed to sort this shit out. A press of a button on the receiver connected him to Will.

"How may I help you now, sir?"

He could hear sarcasm in the jackass's voice, but he hadn't the time to deal with Will's BS right now.

"Is Anna in?"

"Out for lunch."

"Lucy Taylor?"

"Out for lunch, too."

"Who isn't out for lunch?"

"Nora James and Mina Cole are still in." Will fake coughed while he garbled, "inappropriate."

Seth ignored it. Yes, he was that kind of man. He shit where he ate and had absolutely no qualms about it.

"Grab Nora for me."

"Mind if I ask how things went with Alice Roberts?" He could almost sense the sonuvabitch smirking on the end.

"Piss off, asshole-wait, you're acquainted with her?"

"Who isn't? She's like the queen of fashion. We consult her for fashion tips all the time."

"Yet you still dress like a queer douchebag?"

"I am queer, and I'm most certainly a douchebag. So that means I'm getting it right."

"Just send Nora in and shut the hell up, cock breath."

A few balls-aching minutes later, Nora walked through his office door. Brunette, tall, shapeless figure, she wasn't anywhere near the angel's feather who had left him with this hard-on, but any mouth would do at the moment.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Black?"

Seth swiveled his chair away from his desk and shot her a side-long glance. "Yeah. How's Mr. James recovering?"

"He's alright. Still beside himself that he's been able to overcome his surgery. So kind of you to ask," she smiled sweetly.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't really give a shit.

"And your son?" he asked, leaning forward to shrug out of his jacket.

"Oh, just amazing. He's on the honor roll!"

Out of things to ask, Seth jumped straight to her purpose as he started to undo his belt buckle.

"I've got something I need you to take care of for me."

Nora's eyes lowered as she watched him undo his fly and freed his length, rock-hard and throbbing. Her pink tongue darted over her lips, and without another word, she sashayed across his office, around his desk, and sank down to her knees.

Head tossed back, Seth breathed a satisfying sigh when Nora's wet lips wrapped around him