Billionaire Alpha 1(13)

"It's right after your mom and my dad get married. I wanted to see if   you would go with me? We could totally get two rooms, no problem. I just   don't let too many people know about my talents, so this would be  great  for us to grow closer as siblings."

"I don't see why I can't go, as long as it's not during class and Damon lets me take off from the firm."

"Oh, yeah. I called him earlier about it."

"You did?" She followed Matt outside, sticking her head into the kitchen   to wave at her mom and Kent before joining her almost stepbrother.

"Yeah. It was his idea that you go with me." He smiled and walked toward   the edge of the balcony, the air muggy and less than ideal for her   business outfit.         

     



 

"He told you that you and I should go to Seattle?" Was he trying to   throw her off on Matthew? Seemed odd. Damon wasn't the family-type guy,   from what she could tell. Why he would try and build her relationship   with Matthew was concerning. Unless he hoped they might find something   more in each other. Damon wanted her to fall in love with Matt?

"No, silly. He's going with me for sure, and he told me to invite you.   He wants to get to know you better and thought this would be perfect."

Lust rolled over her as she reached up and touched the small heart necklace her mother had given her for her sixteenth birthday.

"What time did he call you?"

"Just now. Well, actually, just before you walked in the door. He's great, isn't he?"

"Yeah  …  great."

She turned and looked toward the long stretch of green grass, her   thoughts scattered. What was Damon up to? He wanted her in Seattle with   him, and something told her it wasn't for business or familial reasons   at all.

Could she be so cursed?





Chapter 10





The next morning was uneventful, the whispers in the office about it   being hump-day causing everyone to chuckle and be inappropriate in hopes   of garnishing a laugh. Bethany worked to avoid everyone, her thoughts   depressing. She would have one more week before she needed to start   working along with her classes. Her masters was important to her and   would be needed in order for her to sit for her CPA certificate, but   going back to a non-work environment seemed odd.

What would Krista and Jake be like around her? It was bound to be a bit   awkward for a while. They were probably enjoying the week with her  gone.  Maybe she needed to think about getting a place of her own, away  from  campus, and just driving in for classes.

A knock at her door caught her off guard, a soft sound of surprise   leaving her. She stood as a guy about her age waved, the smile on his   face friendly, his eyes blue like the ocean.

"Sorry to scare you. I'm Philip, the newbie." He smirked and moved into   the room, his accent putting him from Australia or somewhere far away.   He extended his hand and Bethany reached out to shake it, his grasp   firm, his gaze moving around her face.

He was handsome and his voice could melt chocolate, but she ignored all   of that, her own emotions locked up in a battle over what to feel for   Damon and what to seek counseling over.

"No problem. I was just deep in thought. I do that a bit too often." She smiled and pulled her hand back. "I'm Bethany."

"I've heard. There's a red-headed girl out to get you, I believe." He   smirked and moved back toward the doorway, leaning against the frame and   crossing his arms over his chest. His dark blond hair fit his tanned   skin perfectly, the set of his jaw giving him a masculine appeal. He was   probably just like Jake and used his rugged good looks to have women   think the opposite. All guys were like Jake, except Damon.

"Sadie. Yes, she's a peach for sure."

"Says you're dating the boss."

"Oh yeah? That's new to me." She shrugged. "We're all going dancing   tomorrow night. You should come. Would be good to get to know everyone. I   plan on doing so myself."

"So you'll be there?"

"I plan to." She smiled as someone tapped Philip on the shoulder, the   voice soft and muffled. He looked back over at her and waved.

"Seems the boss wants to see me. I'll catch you later. Pleasure meeting you, Bethany."

He left, and she stood beside her desk, leaning over and putting her   hands on the smooth surface. Why was an office setting so seductive? Was   it the taboo of thinking about getting caught being intimate with   someone at work? Was it the smooth, hard surface of the furniture that   you might leave prints along, your evidence etched into the scenery?

She smiled at the thought, her expression changing drastically as she   looked up to see Sadie standing in her door, her hand on her hip.

"So, just so you know. The new guy is mine."

Bethany stood up and moved toward the other girl, stopping beside her   file cabinet and tilting her head as a smirk drew her lips up.

"The new guy, Philip?"

"Yes, Philip, you ogre. He's mine, and don't think for one minute   whatever is going on with you and Damon matters. He uses everyone here.   We've all had our turn in his lap." She smirked and looked out into the   hall before turning to focus on Bethany. "Philip is mine. You can play   with Damon until he's tired of you, but once that's done  …  no going   after the new hottie in the office."         

     



 

"And if I do?" Bethany asked, her voice soft and almost menacing.

"Then I'll make sure you lose your job here. Quite simple really. Kent   thinks of me as a daughter. I'll tell him something about your ethics   being a bit off and you'll be gone. Try me on it, just don't come crying   to me when the cards fall the way they will."

"Interesting. I think I'll leave mine and Damon's love affair up to   fate. I haven't sat on his lap, by any means, but he sure has bought me a   lot of jewelry lately." She picked up the small heart on her chest and   rubbed her fingers along the diamonds as she let her stare beat into  the  other girl.

"He does that to everyone."

"Doubt it."

Bethany turned and walked to her desk, reaching in her bag and beginning   to pull out various cords. She ignored the other girl until Sadie   huffed loudly and left. She was trouble, and the kind that Bethany   planned to dispose of. Damon was right about one thing-the girl would   scream rape from the rooftop if she thought it would get her fifteen   seconds of fame. Sad, really.



*



Bethany checked her watch, her appointment with Damon set for later in   the day. She still had twenty minutes, but hated to be late to anything.   He would point it out if she wasn't early anyway. She stood up and   stretched, walked down the hall and slipped into the bathroom to make   sure she looked good for her meeting. After checking her teeth, she   reached into her shirt and readjusted her breasts, before tugging at the   material of her navy blue skirt to make sure it laid flat. Her white   button down shirt made her breasts look too big, but maybe that wasn't   such a bad thing, seeing that she wanted to see him squirm like he had   made her do since the moment they met.

She turned around and checked her back, a soft growl at the size of her   butt. She hated it, and yet it seemed as though all of the guys on   campus coveted big butts. Why, she'd never understand.

She walked to the elevator and took it up to Damon's floor. Linda was   not to be found sitting at the large desk she usually occupied. Bethany   walked around the small lobby for a few minutes before pressing her ear   to Damon's door.

Nothing.

She walked around Linda's desk and looked at the flat desk calendar that   laid on the woman's perfectly clean office space. Damon had nothing   before her and nothing after her. Maybe he was in his office and Linda   had needed to leave. If he got angry with Bethany for coming in early,   she'd just deal with it. He was going to be her brother, so whatever he   threw at her would be invalid. Her excuse of wanting to be on time was   more important than his tantrum over losing control of his calendar,   thanks to her.

She knocked softly on the door, no sound coming from the other side.   Pressing her ear to it, she heard the soft mumble of his voice and   knocked again. She thought she heard him tell her to come in, but   apparently nothing could have been further from the truth.

Being careful to open the door quietly, she slipped her head in and looked toward his desk.

The vision of him seared into her memory. His eyes were closed and his   head was back as he sat in his chair. His hand bobbed up and down, his   chest rising and falling much too fast for anything he should be   involved in at the office. He bit at his lip as he whispered to someone.