For His Pleasure: The Boxed Set, Books 1-6 (For His Pleasure, For His Taking, For His Keeping, For His Honor, For His Trust, For His Forever) Read Free Page A

internship,” she said, nervously twisting and untwisting the cap on her water bottle.
    “I believe you would.” He got up from the desk and walked behind her chair, circling. “But then again, so would the hundreds of other applicants.”
    “I know I can do this job.”
    “What can you do? Tell me.”
    “Anything and everything the creative department needs from me,” she said.
    “Making copies, getting coffee, faxes, emails, research, making phone calls.”
    “Yes, yes, yes, to all of those things. But there’s more to it then that.” He stopped in front of her, sat on the desk again and folded his arms. “I need people who are fearless.
    Absolutely fearless. People who will go to the very edge of their capabilities and then beyond them. I want to hire people who will do whatever it takes to be here.”
    “I’ll do whatever it takes,” she replied.
    “I want to work with men and women that will follow me into battle, that will fight by my side. Because this business is very, very serious, and sometimes even dangerous.”
    “Dangerous?”
    He nodded. “I’ve had death threats. Once, a few years back in Abu Dhabi, I was nearly kidnapped.”
    She wasn’t sure if she believed him. “You never said that in any of the interviews I read.”
    He shrugged. “Some things aren’t meant for public consumption, Nicole.”
    She nodded slowly.
    “You don’t believe me?” he said.
    She thought about it for a moment. “No,” she said. “I don’t.”
    He stared at her a long time, so long that the spit in her mouth dried up. She knew in that instant, she’d blown it.
    Suddenly he grinned again. “Good girl. You’re right, Nicole. I was lying about the kidnapping in Abu Dhabi. In actuality, I’ve had nothing but wonderful times there.
    The hotels are incredible, some of the best in the world.”
    “I’m confused. So you weren’t kidnapped then?”
    “It was a near kidnapping. And no, it never happened.” He stared at her.
    She was aware again of her legs as he looked down at her. The skirt was really short, too short. Her legs were bare and smooth and soft.
    Imagine if he put his hands on your bare legs right now. Pushed your skirt up…
    “..do you?” he said.
    “Excuse me?” she asked, flustered. Somehow she’d gone into a fantasy in the middle of the most important interview of her life.
    Red scratched his chin. “It wasn’t important.”
    “No, please.” She took a deep breath. “Please ask me again.”
    “It’s not important. Really.” He locked his dark eyes on her once more.
    She looked back at him, trying to hold his gaze. “Am I blowing this interview?”
    she asked, surprised that she’d just said it out loud.
    “Blowing your interview?” He took a moment to consider it. “No, I don’t think you’ve done any such thing, Nicole. In fact, I’m very, very pleased to make your acquaintance.”
    “Me too. It’s been nice meeting you, I mean.”
    His eyes moved up and down her body as if evaluating a painting, and he rocked back against his desk, shook his head and laughed wildly. “I’m sorry, Nicole, but I really…I really can’t continue this.” He laughed again.
    “Did I offend you?” she asked.
    “Look,” he said. “I really need to go. I have a call to attend to. It was very nice meeting you.” He couldn’t even look at her now.
    “But…but…I don’t understand…”
    He sat down behind his desk, picked up the phone. A few seconds later he said,
    “Mary Anne, please come and meet Ms. Masters in my office. We’re done here.”

    ***
    She sobbed on the train ride home. She didn’t care that people were watching her, thinking she was crazy.
    She kept thinking about the look on his face as he’d ended the interview. He’d shown her to the door and that bitchy receptionist had been there, and next thing Nicole knew she was out on the street. Not a word about her being hired for the internship position.
    It was clear she’d lost the job because Red