“That seems a bit extreme to hire an assistant.”

Her laugh filled the suite and I wondered what was so funny. “If you’re asking if Mr. Chambers and I are having an affair, the answer is no. I’ve wondered myself why he would go to such lengths to employ me as well as my husband. I’ve asked him as much.”

“And?”

“He told me it wasn’t something his father would do.”

“That’s it?”

She shrugged and picked up a folder. “I’ll need you to fill out these forms for human resources and then we’ll get started on your training.”

Training.

I wasn’t even aware when I woke up this morning that I would have a job. A job meant permanency and I had no intention of sticking around. I intended to decline but thought better of it when I recalled the dangerous vibes I got from Dash this morning. Refusing to fill out simple forms for a job I had no intention of taking would spark a fight I didn’t have the energy for, so I filled out the forms. When they were complete, Celesha scanned and emailed them to human resources.

Immediately after, she began to fill me in on the basic requirements of the job and one of them was to be available to him at any time.

Typical.

I had no intention of being at his beck and call since leaving by the end of the week. I would make sure of it.

Dash finally emerged from his office an hour later to send Celesha to lunch. I sat feeling out of place when she rose and picked up her purse. Once she closed the door behind her, Dash grabbed me from behind the desk and pulled me into his private office. Gently, he nudged me toward the couch and then turned to lock us in.

When the door was secure, he quickly strode toward me. I backed away without looking and found myself on my back on top of the cushions. I didn’t have time to recover before he was on me.

I was confused about what was happening until he lifted my left leg and hooked it over his hip. Next, his hands searched out my shirt and pulled at the hem until my breasts were exposed. His thumbs rubbed each side of my rib cage in a soothing caress, and by then it was clear he wanted sex.

Too bad.

I wanted answers. When I refused to respond to his touch and bit into his shoulder as hard as I could, he growled at me and sat up.

“What’s your problem?” he barked. I resisted the urge to laugh because frankly, he was acting like a rebuffed, horny teenager.

“Is Celesha leaving for vacation? This temporary replacement thing is only for a few days, right?”

He blew out air in a sign of impatience, but I held his stare. “Celesha is pregnant and will be on maternity leave for the rest of her pregnancy.”

“But she doesn’t look pregnant. Especially not enough to be returning in a few days.”

“She’s eight weeks along.”

“And what about the other seven months? Why wouldn’t you hire someone who can stick around that long?”

“I did. I just hired you.”

“There are two problems with that theory. One, I never agreed to any job. Two, I can’t stay here that long. You’ll have to find someone else.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve cleared your schedule.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, you’re not leaving.”

“Excuse me?”

“For some insane fucking reason, I crave you. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything or anyone. I didn’t know what to do with that until a meeting with my father yesterday. He taught me a lot I didn’t agree with, but for the first time in a long time, he taught me something useful.”

“Which was?”

“A conqueror doesn’t ask for permission.”

Embarrassingly enough, I felt my sex respond shamelessly to his threat, and I cursed my body and my heart, which now beat out of control. “And you think I’m someone to be conquered?”

“I want to be with you, Willow.” I flinched at his use of my name. It sounded weird and out of place. I’d always been Angel. God, what am I thinking? I shouldn’t be worried about what he called me. Especially a stupid pet name. “I’m no longer waiting for you to admit the same.”

“I can’t stay here. Especially with you.”

“Whatever you left behind isn’t your concern anymore. Your only concern from this day forward is to please me.”

“Let me rephrase then. I won’t stay here. Especially with you.”

“How do you plan to get away from me long enough to go back to wherever you came from?”