Taming the Billionaire Playboy

Ashton's eyes opened slowly as he made a light stretch on his bed. He could vaguely remember what had happened last night. He blinked twice and felt a figure on his bed with him. This startled him. He jerked slightly and spun his head to the right. Beside him was a naked blonde woman lying beside him comfortably. Ashton turned to his left and saw another blonde woman sleeping beside him with her hand on his chest. It was then he recalled everything. Last night was extreme. He had partied hard with Lilith until she had left him alone. Completely forgetting the reason for partying so hard, he rubbed his eyes slowly.

The woman on his left recoiled into the sheets while the one on the right moved closer to him. Ashton smiled and drew her closer to him. He laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. This was how he had pictured life. He was already in heaven. Memories of last night slowly crept back into his mind. He could remember vividly the loud music blasting as a woman with a serpent tattoo on her neck danced with him. He could remember holding a glass of liquor in his hand. He could also remember spilling it. He could remember everything. The only thing he couldn't quite recall was the reason for the party. It had been hosted by Lilith on his behalf.

Ashton sighed and he closed his eyes to sleep, then it hit him. The reason for the party last night was his pending coronation as the new CEO of Mavericks Industries, the coronation which was to take place this morning. Ashton smiled as he remembered this. Then, it hit him again.

TODAY?!

THE CORONATION WAS TODAY!

He was supposed to report to work in his new office at 9 am. Ashton's eyes shut and he jerked from the bed, startling the two naked women beside him awake. They looked at him in surprise as he looked at the digital clock beside the bed, butt naked. It was 8:45 am. He had only fifteen minutes to nine. Ashton scratched his head in anxiety and confusion. How was he going to get to the office before 9 am? He couldn't believe that he was going to be super late for his first day as the new CEO. His father was going to kill him.

Ashton often wondered why his father had chosen to hand over the control of the company to him when he still didn't trust him that much. His father, Mikael was aware of his irresponsible lifestyle and often doubted him as his successor. But that seemed to have changed drastically over the last few months. After being distant for so long, Ashton had been summoned back to California to work in the company, before being told that he would be the next CEO a couple of months ago. It had been so fast and unpredictable that Ashton still felt unconvinced that his father would trust him so quickly. Was there something his father was hiding from him? There had to be.

For half of his life, Ashton had been far away from his parents. Either schooling or work. And his parents had always been too busy for him anytime he was home, not that he cared anymore. He had a duty to fulfill now, but he was already going to disappoint his father by arriving late. Well, it was what they would expect of him.

The ladies looked up at Ashton in confusion as Ashton rushed into his suit pants. The girl on the right tucked her hair behind her ear and bit her lip as she stared at Ashton lustfully. A wild thought entered her head and she rose from the bed and held Ashton from behind as he tried to put on his shirt. Ashton quickly spun and faced her with a perplexing look.

"I'm sorry ladies, but I have to go," he said as he buttoned his shirt hurriedly.

"Let me help you with that," the girl said.

Ashton gave her a snug smile and she helped him button up his shirt. Ashton slid his legs into his shoes and picked up his suit jacket from the bed. He looked at his ruffled black hair in the mirror and used his fingers to arrange it. As he headed towards the door, he paused and turned back to the ladies. The girl was back on the bed kissing the other blonde girl. Ashton could feel his phallus grow as temptations clouded his mind. But he had to leave, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Ermm. Ladies," he called.

They both turned to him slowly.

"Keep the key under the carpet on your way out," he ordered.

They nodded and he eluded the room. Ashton jumped down the stairs heading towards the door in a hurry. He looked at the Cartier on his wrist and he realized that he had five minutes to reach the office. There was no way he could make it. He grabbed his car key from the kitchen counter and was surprised at the mess he saw. There were bottles of liquor on the counter with one of them having been spilled. Ashton couldn't remember any of these happening. It was weird that he had some potholes in his memories from last night.

Outside the house, his black Corvette lay in wait for him. He lifted the door and got into the vehicle. The engine made a smooth roar as he revved it. Ashton stepped on the gas and sped to work.

***

Ashton looked at his reflection in the elevator as he arrived at work. He tried to dress properly and was lucky that he was alone there. He was already late. A glance at his Cartier made him aware of this. He was fifteen minutes. The traffic was terrible for all the days it had to be. The elevator binged and opened. Ashton stepped into the hallway of his office and headed towards the familiar polished wooden door. He could see his name boldly written on the door now. He could only sigh in response.

Ashton swung the door open and stepped into the cold office. Behind the desk, a figure occupied the chair which was facing the glass wall. Ashton already knew who that was. The figure had an apple in their hand and seemed to be tossing it impatiently. Finally, the chair swung to face him, and his father, Mikael came into view. Mikael Maverick, who was dressed in a dazzling purple suit had a grim look on his face as his black and white hair shone. His blue eyes had glaring hints of disappointment which seemed to plague his attitude.

"You're late," Mikael said.

Ashton could feel his heart thumping. He flashed a smile and walked towards his desk. On the desk now was his name boldly written on a black name tag which was on the left side of the desk. In the dust bin just a few feet away from the desk was his father's name tag which now sat vertically in there. The first two letters of his name were concealed by a bunch of papers which were situated there too.

"I was caught in traffic," Ashton lied.

"Traffic, huh?" Mikael questioned after scanning Ashton's outfit.

"You look like shit," he added. "Is this how you're going to run my company?"

Ashton smirked at his words. Mikael shook his head and dropped the apple on the desk. He had expected nothing less from his son. His son's attitude right now was the consequence of his absence as a father for him. His mother was too soft on him, and that was why he had become a spoiled brat. Something he would forever regret. But he had no choice. It was an emergency, so he had to take the risk and make his unworthy son the heir of the company. If he had more time, maybe things could have been different.

Ashton took a seat at the chair before the desk. He laid back on it and stared at the office. He used to come here as a kid on rare occasions, and it was surprising that it still gave him that chill feeling. It was that air condition and that was the first thing he was going to change.

"Where's mom?" He asked.

"She couldn't make it," Mikael replied.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "I'm surprised you made it."

Mikael raised an eyebrow at him. His son had just taken a dig at him. He sighed and gazed at the apple. Mikael reached into the drawers and brought out some papers from it. He kept it at the desk, and Ashton reached for it. There were signed documents indicating Mikael's agreement to hand over total control to him as the new CEO. Ashton felt a strange feeling in his stomach as he read through it. His father trusted him this much and he couldn't understand why. Things are getting more confusing now. Ashton closed the files and handed it back to him.

"Is that it?" He asked.

Mikael rose from the desk with a sigh.

"One more thing," he replied.

"And what's that?"

"You'll be getting a new secretary," Mikael responded.

Ashton seemed irked by this.

"A new secretary?" He asked. "What happened to Irene?"

Mikael smirked at his question.

"She left California as soon as she heard I was stepping down," he replied.

"Seems like some people don't want me as the new CEO," Ashton said.

Mikael stole a glance at his watch.

"Your new secretary should be arriving just about now," he said.

A few seconds later, a knock came at the door.

"Come in," Mikael ordered.

The door opened gently and a figure stepped in. Ashton, who was staring at the apple on his desk, brought his eyes to the newcomer. His eyes grew wider as he stared at the beauty before him. She had glowing chocolate skin with the best hazel eyes he had ever seen. Her braids were packed up into a bun, and her suit brought out all her curves. She was gorgeous.

"Good morning, and welcome," Mikael said.

"Good morning, sir," she said politely.

"You'll be working with my son, Ashton, the new CEO," he said.

Her eyes turned to Ashton and Ashton could feel his heart skip a beat. He smirked as he scanned her lustfully. He was already having dirty thoughts about her. Maybe being the new CEO wasn't bad at all. Ashton rose to meet her with a devilish smile on his face.

"Good morning sir, nice to meet you," she said, shaking his hand.

"What is your name?" Ashton asked.

"Annika. Annika Pleton, sir," she replied.

"What a lovely name," Ashton said as he shook her hand.

She smiled politely at him. Mikael cleared his throat to revert their attention to him.

"I'll be leaving now, and Ashton, this company is in your hands," he said.

Ashton smiled at him. Mikael walked up to him and shook his hand firmly while looking him in the eyes. Then, he brought his lips to his ear.

"Take a shower, you smell like shit," Mikael said before walking out of the room.

Ashton chuckled at that as he watched his father leave. Annika soon left after him and he could only stare at her. When the door closed behind him, he quickly sniffed himself and realized he smelled of alcohol and sex. Ashton chuckled at himself and went to his desk.

He took a seat on his chair and picked up the apple before placing his legs on the desk. He bit the apple and munched it as he thought of his new secretary. She was gorgeous, and it had taken him by surprise. All of a sudden, he was glad that Irene had left. Now his father was gone, he was in charge which meant that he could do and have whatever he wanted.

The first on that list was his secretary, Annika. She looked polite and strict, but that didn't matter to him. She was hard to ignore, and he was going to do whatever it took to get her. With that, he smiled to himself and took another bite from the apple.

Annika closed the door behind her and heaved a sigh of relief. That moment had been tense even though she had fought hard to keep a straight face. She had been talking to her employer, a multi-billionaire and well-known man from where she came from. Getting employed by Mikael Maverick was one thing, but getting to meet him was another level. She had thought that she would get to be his assistant. When she had gotten the acceptance email, she had jumped for joy. Never in a million years did she know that she would end up here.

Being the secretary to the CEO of one of the most distinguished companies in the country.

Her luck was however cut short when she realized that Mikael was stepping down. She was going to be the secretary to his son who was meant to be the new CEO. Disappointment had hit her like she had run into a brick wall, but she had kept a straight face. Ashton, his name didn't look like someone who knew how to run a company. He looked so irresponsible and was also late. He smelled like alcohol and sweat, and his hair was ruffled. She had thought that the son of Mikael Maverick would be so extravagant like his father, but the drop of quality from him to his son was an eyesore. Maybe she was judging him too quickly.

Annika had seen the way he had been staring at her when she came in. She recognizes the mischief behind his smile vividly. She knew what he was. He was a playboy and dangerous which meant she had to be careful around him. She couldn't forget the reason she had moved to California. It had to start afresh. She had left a toxic environment in search of peace and fulfillment. A path which she was walking on now. Ashton was bad news and she was going to avoid him at all cost. But that seemed impossible because she was his secretary which meant that they would spend a lot of time together.

Annika scratched her forehead and leaned off the door as she headed back to her desk which was just outside the office. She took a seat and leaned against the chair. Whatever happened, she had to maintain a safe distance from Ashton.

***

The elevator door binged and a female figure walked out of it. She stepped into the hallway and all eyes went to her. She was blonde and her beauty was stellar. She had a woven hat with shades on. Her pink sundress made her stand out from the rest of the workers. The contrast between hers and the workers' dressing was obvious. She swung her handbag as she made her way towards the polished wooden door up ahead.

Annika, who was busy with the computer, looked up and saw the girl approaching the office. She couldn't let her go in without informing Ashton first. The last thing she wanted was to get fired on her first day. Annika quickly rose to her feet as the girl arrived at the door.

"Excuse me," Annika greeted.

The blonde girl turned sharply to her and pulled down her shades with her index finger to look at Annika. Her blue eyes shone intimidatingly but it didn't fade Annika one bit.

"You can't just go in there," she added.

The blonde girl scoffed and took off her shades as she strode her way to Annika's desk. Annika gazed at her with authority as she arrived.

"And who are you?" the blonde girl asked.

Annika pointed at her name tag on the desk with sarcasm. The blonde girl chuckled as she read her name out loud.

"So you are the new secretary?" She asked.

"Yes," Annika replied. "And I need to know if you have made an appointment first."

"I don't need to book an appointment to see Ashton," the blonde woman said sassily. "And what happened to Irene?"

The wooden door behind them swung open and Ashton stepped out dressed without his suit jacket. The sleeves of his white shirt were folded as well. Both women turned to him. Annika was startled that Ashton had heard them. He looked a little more decent than before.

"Ashton," the blonde girl called, moving to him.

Ashton smiled at her.

"Lilith," Ashton responded.

Ashton had heard voices from the office and had wondered what ruckus was going on outside. He was surprised to see an altercation between Lilith and his new secretary.

"Can you believe that she asked me to book an appointment before I could see you?" Lilith said.

Ashton chuckled and looked at Annika. Annika's eyes fell to the desk.

"She's my friend and therefore she can see me anytime she pleases, okay?" Ashton said softly.

Annika was surprised that he had shouted at her. She brought her eyes up and saw Lilith sniff him. She tried to hold back the laughter that was eager to burst out her lips.

"Y...Yes sir," she replied.

Ashton flashed her a smile and went into the office. Annika sighed and got back to work. She didn't want to know who Lilith was to him. But it looked like they were a thing from the way she hugged him. Annika smacked her forehead and concentrated on her work.

"

"You smell like shit," Lilith said as she sat on the couch that was at the far corner of the office. Ashton chuckled and sat behind his desk. Lilith looked around the room. The apple that he had eaten earlier was now in the trash bin completely devoured. Ashton was staring at the glass window behind him. He was silent as he was lost in thought. He wondered what would have happened if he hadn't come out. Would they have fought? Annika looked like someone who was messing around.

It made him more interested in her now. "How was it?" Lilith asked, breaking the silence. Ashton turned to her slightly confused. "How was what?" He asked. "The sex" She replied. Ashton's eyes widened as the realization hit him. So it had been her? "You made me sleep with them?" Ashton questioned. "Yes? You were tense last night about today, so I had to make you feel better," Lilith replied. Ashton sighed and smacked his forehead. He swung his chair to face her. Lilith didn't seem to have any hint of remorse on her face. Ashton shook his head at this. There were so many potholes in his memories of last night. Had she played a role in that too? "You seem tense," she said. "I was late, Lilith," he said. "My old man was disappointed." Lilith chuckled. "It isn't the first time, and it surely won't be the last," she pointed out. Ashton rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Lilith. That is so comforting," he said with sarcasm. Lilith stood up from the couch and walked towards his desk while she reached into her handbag. Ashton watched her tenaciously. "I got something that can change your mood," she said. She sat on the chair in front of his desk and brought out a small plastic bag with some white substance inside. Ashton's eyes widened as he realized what it was. He looked at Lilith who raised it with a devilish smile on her face. "What the hell are you doing with that?" Ashton asked. "You're not supposed to do that here." Lilith chuckled as she shook the little plastic bag. "I can do whatever I want, wherever I want, Ashton," she replied. "And don't act all saintly." Ashton clenched his teeth as he realized what she was talking about. "It was a long time ago, Lilith. I went to rehab too," he explained. Lilith opened the bag and sniffed it with delight. Ashton watched completely displeased with this. "Well last night, I gave some when you were drunk," she confessed. "And you didn't act like someone who wanted to stop." Ashton's eyes widened at this. This explained the potholes in his memory. This was why he couldn't remember why there were so many bottles of liquor on his kitchen counter and why it had taken time for him to recall the events of last night. How could she do that to him? "You drugged me last night?!" Ashton yelled. Lilith was getting nervous. She scratched the back of her neck as she looked for a way to explain herself. It seemed she had messed up by telling him this. "Well, you were telling me how nervous you were so I had to make you feel better," she said. "There are other ways to make me feel better other than drugging me, Lilith," he said. Lilith smiled as he said that. She placed the little plastic bag in her handbag and rose from her chair. Ashton sighed and rubbed his forehead. He couldn't believe that Lilith would do such a thing to him. The reason why he wasn't able to recall some events from last night was because he was high. He couldn't remember having sex with those ladies. The only thing he could remember was leaving with them and waking up naked next to them this morning. What had they done while his mind was blank? Judging from the bottle of liquor on his kitchen counter, they must have drunk a lot. It was a wild night and it had gotten wilder for them. Ashton could finally understand why they didn't want him to leave earlier. Neither did he, but he was late. Lilith came to Ashton and sat on his thigh. She placed her index finger under his chin and lifted his face. Ashton stared at her blue eyes that seemed to be piercing his soul. She brought her lips to him and kissed him softly. Ashton brought his hands to her waist but retreated quickly. He broke off from the kiss too which left Lilith flabbergasted. "We shouldn't be doing this," he said. "Not here, and not now." Lilith placed her hands on his chest and smiled at him. She wasn't pleased that he was holding back. "There's a party tonight at Dad's in honor of my coronation," he said. "You should come." Lilith chuckled at that. "Oh I definitely will," she said. "I'll be banking on that," Ashton said. Lilith placed her index finger on his lip and Ashton kissed it. She placed it in his mouth and Ashton sucked on it slowly with his eyes fixed on hers. Their eyes were locked in a lustful embrace for some moments before he stopped. Lilith wasn't pleased with this. "What's going on, Ashton?" She asked, dissatisfied. Ashton sighed. "There's just one more person I have to invite," he said. Lilith folded her hands across her chest. "And who's that?" She asked. Ashton reached for the telephone on his desk and dialed a number before placing the receiver on his ear. The phone rang once. "Yes sir?" Annika's voice sounded. "Come to my office," he demanded and placed the receiver down. Lilith raised an eyebrow at him. "Why do you have to invite me yet?" She asked. "Because she's my secretary which means she has to be there," Ashton replied. "Daddy's orders too." Lilith sighed. The door opened and Annika stepped into the room. She wasn't prepared for the sight she gazed upon. Lilith was sitting on Ashton. She knew that they had something going on. Her eyes went to Lilith and she gave her a victorious smile. Annika resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her. "You asked to see me, sir?" She said, "Yes," Ashton said. "We are having a party this evening celebrating my induction as the new CEO. Your presence will be needed." Annika was lost. She had to attend the party? "The address will be sent to you shortly," he added. Annika bit her lips to prevent herself from stuttering. "Okay sir," she said. Ashton nodded. "You can leave now," he said. Annika nodded and walked out of the office, closing the door behind her. Ashton's attention turned back to Lilith. "So where were we?" She asked.