The Vampire's Assistant(12)

Jon’s mouth dropped open. He couldn’t even speak, could only stare at Nikolas in complete shock. He started to wonder once again if Nikolas was crazy. Or maybe he’d just heard Nikolas wrong, misunderstood what the man said. No one signed away as much money as Nikolas was worth. He was the CEO of one of the biggest pharmaceutical and research companies in the world. He had to worth millions, if not billions.

“Nikolas, you’re not serious.”

“Of course I am. If we were married in the eyes of your people, we would share all of our worldly possessions, would we not?”

Jon frowned. “Well, yes.”

“In the eyes of my people, when you became my rajaaka and we bonded, we were married.”



* * * *



Jon sat in a chair just off to the side of Nikolas’s desk and watched him work. The phone seemed to ring off the hook, but Nikolas handled every caller as if he had all the time in the world to chat with whoever was at the other end of the phone.

When he wasn’t talking on the phone, he was either working on paperwork or on his laptop. Several times, people came to meet with him. Jon sat in the corner the entire time, silently observing how Nikolas Vaile ran his empire.

Part of him simmered at being ignored. No one coming in gave him more than a cursory glance, as if he didn’t matter. If someone looked too long, a low rumble would sound from Nikolas’ chest.

Jon found Nikolas’s possessive behavior amusing. The man seemed intent on protecting him from the world. In fact, this was the first time in the last three days Jon had been there that he was allowed into the office while others freely came and went. He wasn’t allowed out without Nikolas close at hand or a group of heavily armed men to protect him.

Jon snickered when Nikolas’s second phone began to ring. The man scowled as he glared at the offending object. Jon rolled his eyes and walked over to pick it up. Nikolas’s eyebrows shot up, but he didn’t object.

“Nikolas Vaile’s office, how can I help you?” Jon asked into the phone.

“Louis Redgrave here,” a gruff voice answered. “I need to speak with Mr. Vaile.”

“Hold one moment, Mr. Redgrave, while I see if he can get away.” Jon didn’t bother covering the mouthpiece. Instead, he merely looked at Nikolas. “Louis Redgrave,” he said silently. “Do you want to talk to him or should I take a message?”

Nikolas chuckled and shook his head. “Take a message. I’ll call him back later.”

Jon nodded and put the phone back to his ear. “Mr. Redgrave, Mr. Vaile is on a conference call at the moment and can’t get away. He did want me to assure you he would return your call the moment he was free. Is there a message I can take for Mr. Vaile?”

“Just tell him to call me, damn it.”

“I would be happy to, Mr. Redgrave.”

Jon waited until the other man hung up then did the same. He grabbed a note pad and wrote down the time and date of the call and who it was from, and then handed it to Nikolas. Setting the phone back on the desk, he walked back over to his chair and sat down.

Realistically, Jon was bored out of his mind. Sure, Nikolas answered any question he asked. The man took several breaks, and a few long lunches, during which they dirtied the windows again. And at the end of business, all of Nikolas’s attention was centered on Jon.

But Jon just wasn’t one of those people who could sit around and do nothing. He spent the better part of five years studying his heart out to get a degree while working one, two, sometimes three jobs, which was why it took him five years instead of one to finish his education.

Restless, Jon stood up. He went behind the desk and leaned over Nikolas’s back, wrapping his arms around the man. He kissed Nikolas’s cheek. “I’m going to go see my sister. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

“No!”

Jon straightened, dropping his arms as he took a step back from Nikolas. “You said I wasn’t a prisoner here.”

“You’re not. It’s just…” Nikolas pushed his hand through his hair then dragged his palm down his face. “You’re not a prisoner here, rajaaka. You just can’t go out without an escort.”

“Why?”

“You’re not safe.”

Jon frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he walked around in front of Nikolas’s desk so he could look him in the face. “Why not? I’m still the same man I was three days ago, a week ago. What’s changed?”

“You are the rajaaka of Nikolas Vaile, that’s what’s changed.”

“And?”

“And there are people out there, my kind and yours, who would stop at nothing to get to me. Taking you or hurting you is the quickest way to do that.” Nikolas’s lips thinned as he gritted his teeth. “I would give every last thing I owned to have you returned safe to me and they know it.”

“Who?” Jon absently rubbed his arms to ward off a sudden chill that seemed to seep into his bones.

“Anyone who knows me,” Nikolas said quietly as if he were afraid to voice the words. “Anyone who knows what you mean to me. Even when you were away from me I watched over you. I had to keep you safe.”

“Petjya.” Jon’s heart warmed to hear Nikolas’s words. He walked around the desk and into Nikolas’s waiting arms. “I don’t want to cause you any problems, Nikolas. I certainly don’t want anyone to kidnap me or harm me but I can’t just sit here and do nothing. I’m bored out of my mind.”

“What would you like to do?” Nikolas brushed the hair back from Jon’s face.

“Well, I do have a degree, you know, and I did originally come here to interview as your assistant. Why not give me a try?”

Nikolas’s eyebrow arched. “You really want to be my personal assistant?”

“Who better to assist you than your rajaaka, huh?” Jon grinned. “We do everything else together. Why shouldn’t we work together?” Jon wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Besides, it gives us a good excuse to spend time alone in our office.”

“As you wish, rajaaka.”

Nikolas pulled away from him and reached for his phone, and Jon frowned. He’d expected a kiss or something, a soft caress at the very least. Being bent over the edge of the desk would have been nice.

“Bella, I want another desk brought into my office, a phone and a laptop.” Nikolas glanced over at Jon and grinned. “I also need a cell phone, office supplies, and a tablet filled with all of my appointments, phone numbers, and pertinent information.”

Jon blinked.

“I want these items brought immediately to my office but knock first.” Nikolas hung up the phone and grabbed Jon, pulling him back into the curve of his body. “I want one promise from you.”

“Anything,” he answered without hesitation.

“Beware what you offer, rajaaka.”

“Why?” Jon chuckled. “You would never hurt me. You said so yourself.”

“True, but I still need this promise from you.”

“Fine.” John sighed. “What is it?”

“Promise me you will go nowhere without me, not even to the bathroom unless it is the one here in our office. Don’t leave this room except to go out to see Bella. And never leave the building or go anywhere with someone you do not know. If there’s a problem and you can’t find me, find Bella or Louis. They will protect you.”

“Is Bella a vampire like you?”

“Bella is my mother.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Jon suddenly remembered every stupid thing he’d ever said in front of the woman, the way he tripped over air. He felt his face turn red. He was pretty sure the blush went all the way down to his toes.

“Do not worry so, rajaaka. My mother knows who you are, and she adores you. Who do you think brought me your résumé?” Nikolas stroked the side of Jon’s face. “She scented your blood and knew we would have a connection.”

“She knows I’m human, right?”

Nikolas chuckled. Jon rolled his eyes, knowing the answer before the man even spoke. Of course Bella would know he was human. She could smell it just like Nikolas could. “Oh man, holidays around here are going to be mighty interesting.”

“Holidays?” Nikolas asked.

“I usually try to get together with my family for a little while during the holidays. I’m hoping we can still celebrate, your mother, you, me, Gina, Ben, and the new baby, not to mention my mother, assuming we can drag her away from my dirtbag stepfather.” Jon frowned. “Do vampires spend holidays together?”

“If that is your wish, Rajaaka, then it will happen.”

Jon melted against Nikolas. The man had a way of giving things to Jon that made him go all mushy inside. He was starting to wonder at his good luck. Nikolas gave him everything he ever wanted—acceptance, mind-blowing sex, respect for his abilities. It all seemed almost too good to be true.

Jon laid his head on Nikolas’s shoulder and tugged on the edge of Nikolas’s red silk tie. “Petjya, is there anything about this whole bonding thing I don’t know about, something you’re keeping from me?”

“Why would you ask this?” Nikolas covered Jon’s hand with his own, pressing it against his chest.