Billionaire's Inheritance Bride(20)

"Alec Cross?" She asked, her voice sounding unfamiliar to her own ears.

"Lily?" He asked, his voice imitating hers as he looked down to the paper that he held in his hand.

A part of her wanted to stand and to hug the person whom had been her  first love. Another part wanted to recoil away from the awkward  situation. The two parts pulled at her, making her freeze and stay  still, unwilling to move or to say a word.

She was thankful that Alec had taken the first move. He stepped to her and embraced her.

His scent rushed her. His muscles encompassed her, and his voice lulled  her. She was brought back all those years ago when a young girl had  loved a young boy. Where the two of them spent every waking moment in  each other's arms.

Lily was overcome with too many emotions to count, embarrassment being  the most prominent. She was guilt to have broken up with him.

Here she stood, interviewing her ex for a job. The same ex that she had  insisted wouldn't become anything. She felt her face flush, but she  doubted that Alec had noticed the betrayal.

"It's been a long time," he said excitedly as he pulled away from her arms and took his seat at his desk.         

     



 

Lily followed suit.

"Yes, I would say that it has." Lily contributed.

An awkward silence hung between the two of them. Lily swallowed hard,  wondering why this was happening to her. It all felt very unnecessary.  Did they need to cross paths now, after 15 years of keeping no contact  with each other?

Lily looked at the man that she had made the decision to leave. He was a  vision of power, confidence and sex appeal, and she was a heap of  regret.

The cocktail of emotions and thoughts that ran through Lily's mind  confused her. Jealousy and embarrassment hit her hard. She also couldn't  deny the fact that she was still attracted to Alec in a very special  way. Unlike the other men she had dated and been with in all these  years.



Alec, unsure of what else to say and with a head full of tasks he had to  get to, went straight to business. "So, you're applying to the  secretary job?" he asked coolly.

"Yes, I am." Lily tried to say with confidence, but failed.

" That's great. Hey, I am in desperate need. Its been crazy here for the  last few months and I need someone to manage my schedule and make sure I  get my shit done" he said smiling.

" Alec, its so great to see you. And look at this you're the owner of XYZ. I am so happy for you. How did all this happen?"

" Thanks Lily. Well, it's been an interesting journey, but I would not  want to bore you, plus it will take a long time." Alec wanted to keep  the interview professional.

"Is there a particular reason you are interested in this job, Lily?"  Alec asked, as he politely remodeled his usual interview question why do  you want this job?

"Yes. It's primarily to save my life's dream and its kind of a desperate  situation" Lily felt there was no reason to lie. It had been more than  15 years since they broke up.

For a moment, her emotions were taken over by thoughts of the bookshop.

Alec looked at Lily for a minute and then nodded.

"Are you talking about the book shop, Lily?"

"Yes."

" Are things not ok over there" Alec inquired.



" Not really, we need cash to stay open and the books are not really selling. So I need to get work until we figure it all out"

" I am happy to hear you achieved your dream, Lily. Good job!"

" Thanks" Lily was happy to connect with Alec

" You know, in business things are never stable. So don't worry about  it. I am sure you will figure this out with time". The chips were down  and Lily welcomed the encouragement.

"And, if that's the motive, then I'm sure you will work hard" He smiled at her, a smile that sent chills down her spine.

"Yes, I will."

"Also, I know you can write, and I need a ton of proposals written, so  we could use your skills. Remember that English paper?" He smiled and  winked at her.

A wave of accomplishment washed over her. She had in fact remembered  that paper. It was their freshmen year in school and Alec had come to  her with a very large English paper on a book that he had failed to  read. It was always like Alec to put away the important things until  they came back to bite him. They had spent the entire night going over  the book, one of Lily's favorites, and writing the paper. He had gotten  an A on it, and neither of them could have been happier.

Lily stared at the man across from her. She wished that she knew what  was going through his mind, but she could only guess. Alec had a few  more questions that he needed to ask to officially complete the  interview.

Between interview questions, Lily would catch Alec's strong gaze. She  would meet his stare back, but it would be broken soon enough as the  tension set in. Both tried to remain professional and cool, but each had  their own failing moments as they took in each other's view.

Lily had to fight the desire to ask him all of the questions that came  to her mind, none of them involving any work as a secretary. Suddenly,  she had craved to know the man that she had left so long ago. She wanted  to learn about the person that he had become after she said her  goodbyes.

"Do you think our past will affect your job performance?" Alec asked,  the question stunning her. She had to stagger her answer as she spoke.         

     



 

"Of course not." She said, not willing to flutter around the question.



She focused her eyes onto his lapel, and the way that it kissed his  muscular neck. She wished that she could be the one stealing kisses, and  coaxing goose bumps from him. She found little encouragement to subdue  her desires, yet she still managed to as she brushed her hand against  her milky thigh.

"I would be happy to give you the job." He said, forcing her to crash from her mental caress into reality.

"Excuse me?" Lily asked, feeling her own eyes sweep his face for a hint of humor, but found none.

"I know how you work Lilly. As far as I'm concerned, I think that you'd be a great asset for team. What do you say?" Alec asked.



"Of course!" Lilly said as she stood.

Now, the only thing that she could possibly give way to was the fact  that her bookshop would be saved. Sure, she and Holly would have to make  it work, but they would. She knew her sister would do whatever it took,  and so would Lily.

As she pulled away from Alec, she looked deep into the eyes of a man  that had both enchanted and fascinated her. She felt the sly smile that  crossed her lips, but bit it back and she thanked him.





***


Lilly bit her lip as she sunk down into the office chair. Working for  Alec had not been what she had anticipated. In fact, she had never  worked so hard, or so desperately, in all of her life.



After she would get finished working about nine hours at the office, she  would make her way to her book shop where Holly would begin to explain  to her all that happened, and it would inevitably give her a long list  of things that needed to be done that were out of her hands. Lily would  then deal with the issues that the bookshop posed.

Lily had yet to even stimulate her senses with Alec since being hired.  He kept her busy, which had made her wither in exhaustion. Every moment  of her day was taken up with work; and she had yet to reap the benefits.  The debtors would bother her everyday but there was no sign of  customers. She could see her dream slowly getting away from her.

She couldn't remember ever feeling as though she had needed to please  Alec, but as she began working for him, it was practically the only  thing that thrashed in her mind. She had managed to convince herself  that it was little more than a way to secure her place at the company;  that she was simply trying her hardest to save the book store, but she  knew deep down that it was more than that.

She made sure to make his coffee the way that he pleased, to schedule  his phone calls the way he asked, and to do each and every thing that  she could just to see him smile at her. Other women in office made fun  her when they saw her counting sugars for his coffee, or waiting by the  fax machine for far too long.

Lily could hardly recognize herself. She was never the type of woman to  do such a thing. She had somehow lost herself in the struggle of  reality. Alec had become a bit of a distraction for her, and she  appreciated it, she was even thankful for it. When she looked at him,  she didn't have to think about her rent or her shop potentially failing,  it was just Alec.

"Lily?" Alec called from his office for the third time.

She had heard him the first two, but had yet to prepare the planner that  she knew he was going to ask of her. She squiggled in two more  appointments before she stood, straightened her skirt, and walked into  his office with as much pretend competence as she could muster.

"Is that next month's schedule?" He asked, not even breaking eye contact with the monitor that set before him.

"Yes, sir." Lilly said, glancing at him.