Claimed by the Billionaire: Seduction #1 Read online

  “I don’t know,” I tried to say airily, “Depends on where you would take me.”

  “Hmm, where would I take you? Someone who has seen everything there is to see already…”

  “That was when I had money,” I admitted, “Now I couldn’t go to Disney World with my son.”

  “Disney World is more expensive than people realize.”

  I felt as though I had knocked the conversation off track due to my Disney World comment as he stood up. Were we not going to have the meeting?

  But no, Mr. Gable began to walk around the living room set up slowly, “No, you’d have to go somewhere where you could relax. I don’t think you’d be able to do much relaxing in your daily life, am I right?”

  I nodded, “Yes that sounds about right.”

  And then he was behind me, leaning down with his lips right above my ear, “What helps you relax?”

  His lips right above my ear sent shivers down my back and I could feel the heat off of my face, “I…” I couldn’t think of anything to say.

  “I could think of some things.” He said to me again in that low tone.

  He was hitting on me right? There was no other way that I could take this besides one way. But I was no good at flirting, unsure how I had even gotten this far. It felt like my entire body had locked up. I told myself that this was my chance to — to what, sleep with my boss? Why did he have such an effect on me?

  I turned my head to look at him, our lips inches apart and our eyes looking at each other. I wanted him to kiss me. I wasn’t going to initiate such a thing. This went well beyond what I knew was proper or acceptable to do with your boss. He must have been thinking the same because he didn’t act on it either.

  Suddenly, his cellphone rang, going off with a loud chiming noise that made me jump to the other end of the couch almost in one movement, as though we were teenagers about to get caught. He picked up his cellphone and I left his office quickly. I felt like a ludicrous idiot. What were we going to do, kiss? It seemed absurd that I was letting a couple of fantasies bring me to this level of insanity.

  I sat down at the desk and hoped he didn’t come back out. I hoped it was one of those days that he stayed in his office. I looked at my computer hopelessly. I thought of the way he had whispered in my ear and I shivered. I wanted him and I had to admit it. I could only pass it off as fantasy for so long. The way he moved, the smooth way he talked, the way he looked — I felt a yearning for him in my chest. He had to have wanted me too, didn’t he?

  I threw myself into work the best that I could. I organized the desk to what I preferred and went through the emails, replying and setting up meetings when needed. I even fielded a couple of calls, taking messages and sending Mr. Gable stilted e-mails with information. The silence hung heavy. I wished for a radio or something to break it up.

  My cell phone rang. It made me jump out of my skin. I rarely got calls anymore. Most people lose interest in you when you no longer have the money you use to have. It was Greg’s school. I picked up.

  “This is the school nurse, Mrs. Warden. Greg needs to be picked up. He is sick and threw up at recess.”

  Usually my husband would have been able to get him but now it was up to me. I had no one in the area who could go get him and I felt awkward texting Cathy and asking her to pick up my son. I thanked the nurse and hung up the phone, looking at the office door. I didn’t want to go in there. Now I had to go in there and ask to leave early to get my son. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

  “Come in.” Came his muffled voice.

  I walked inside the office. Mr. Gable was behind his desk and looked up from his computer.

  “I’m sorry to bother you,” I said, “But the school called…Greg is sick at school and they’ve requested I go get him.”

  “That’s fine, Mrs. Warden,” Did his tone seem stiff or was it just me? “I have to leave early myself today.”

  “Will you be needing me to have my phone near me tonight?”

  “No, it is not business. I have a date.”

  He said it so matter of fact and so casual that I could only blink. A date? Only a few hours since we had almost kissed in his office? Mr. Gable was looking at me as though he was waiting to see what I was going to say but all I did was feel like a fool. Was he trying to punish me for not kissing him even after he had finished his phone call?

  “Have a good night.” I said to him.

  I turned and walked out of his office, letting the door close behind me.

  I went over to my computer to do one last scan of emails. I decided on a whim to set up Janine’s old e-mail address to forward messages sent to me. I was sure people were still emailing her since they may not have known she moved. Focusing on her email was easier than focusing on my own feelings. I opened up her email inbox to set up the forwarding and stopped when I saw an e-mail that had come through ten minutes ago. It was from Mr. Gable’s ex-wife, sent to him and had Janine copied on it. I looked back at the door and then opened the e-mail.

  Bradley,

  Hopefully Janine reminded you of our meeting with our attorneys tonight about our divorce... I expect you to be on time for this since you are refusing to speak to me outside of them.

  Your wife,

  Winter Gable

  I read the e-mail three times quickly and then shut the computer down. He had lied to me. He didn’t have a date at all and instead was meeting about his divorce. Why had he lied? I thought about it the whole way to my car. As I slid into it and turned my car on, I could only think one thing — he had been trying to get me jealous? It seemed childish but it was a tried and true method with people…and as much as I hated to admit it, it had worked.

  As I pulled out of my parking spot and headed to my son’s school, I caught myself smiling. Mr. Gable was into me, as much as he wanted to hide it. As much as we both wanted to hide it. Maybe I wasn’t the only one having fantasies? I felt a thrill come over me as I thought about how long it had been since I had been wanted by someone other than my husband. He wanted to play hard to get and I was ready to play it back at him too.

  Out of all the illustrious woman he must run into on a daily basis, Mr. Gable was interested in me. I couldn’t help but smile.