The PlayLion Billionaire: A Paranormal Billionaire Romance Read Free Page B

perfumery.
    Robert’s hands lingered on the person’s shoulders as he steadied himself mentally, exhaling quickly to rid himself of the scent long enough to regain his ability to think clearly. “Excuse me,” he said quickly.
    He looked down and took in the sight of the person he had run into: it was a woman, several inches shorter than he was, her dark auburn hair neatly slicked and pinned into a tight bun. For an instant he appreciated the fact that while her blazer and pants were absolutely professional, the tailoring he couldn’t doubt she’d had done on them, made it easy to see the lush curve from her full bust to her slim waist, flaring out to hips that begged to be touched.
    “Who are you?” he asked, bemused. He had never seen her before—never suspected that a woman like this could be hiding somewhere in the depths of his corporation.
    “My name is Olivia Price,” she said, recovering her own composure. Her bright green eyes came back into focus and she peered up at him, her expression altering from surprise and shock to anger. “And I absolutely have to speak to the Director of Human Resources immediately. Can you tell me where to go?”
    I can tell you exactly where to go, Robert thought as a low thrum of desire coursed through his veins. But you are not talking to the Director of Human Resources any time soon. Not anymore.
    “I can help you,” he said smoothly. Robert glanced at the manager he’d been speaking to—a member of his Pride, one of those he knew was absolutely loyal to him. The woman held his gaze for a moment before nodding and backing away unobtrusively, moving down the corridor the way they had come. “The director is actually very busy right now, but I am uniquely qualified to help you, Ms. Price.”
    “Not unless you’re ready to help me file a formal complaint about sexual harassment in this office; who are you?” Robert bit back a laugh, giving the woman’s shoulder an unobtrusive caress.
    “I can absolutely help you file a formal complaint,” Robert said. “In fact, I am the single best person that you could have run into -- even better than the director you’re looking for.”
    Olivia gave him a skeptical look.
    “And why is that?”
    Robert smiled again.
    “Because, my dear Ms. Price, I am the CEO of this company. I can definitely help you with your complaint much more than a mere Human Resources Director, don’t you think?”
     
    Robert found himself staring at Olivia Price as she spoke; he had to make himself blink, make himself relax in the office he had brought her to. Tense as a boy on prom night in my own office. He tried to shake off his distraction, wondering just what it was that was making it so impossible for him to focus on the story she was telling.
    Olivia was cute. Robert carefully avoided looking the woman up and down again, knowing by the slightly shrill tone of her voice that it would not do him any favors. She was telling him about Brooke; how Alex had treated her in the interview, how Alex had acted. In the back of his mind, Robert had to admit to himself that it was perfectly plausible that Alex would act that way—he had always had a twinge of sexism in his views, and when his wife had left him, he’d gone whole-hog into the arms of the so-called Men’s Rights movement.
    It wasn’t just that she was cute , Robert thought. It was that scent; her pheromones were beginning to taper off now—the gunpowder edge of rage settling, as she wound herself down with her recital, but the underlying musk-honey-spice of her was still enough to coil around his brain and hold him hostage. He watched as Olivia took a deep breath and the gunpowder smell of her brittle anger subsided almost completely.
    “So what are you going to do about my complaint?” Olivia asked, watching him warily. Robert pressed his lips together, thinking. He had to get this woman to stay; he couldn’t just give her a job under Alex. He would make her miserable as a matter of