Boss With Benefits (Billion-Dollar Bet, #2)

CHAPTER THREE

W HAT FRESH HELL was this?

Adam strode across the floor towards the woman he thought he’d consigned to the past weeks ago, his pulse thundering, his head spinning in an effort to contain the shock reeling through him. How much more chaos could he be expected to handle? First, the issues with Helberg. Then the mad bet that had had him abandoning his principles and faking a girlfriend. And now Ella from the bar—who’d forced him to take more cold showers in a week than he had in his entire life, who’d stolen his control so comprehensively he’d almost worn a hole in the carpet with all the frustrated early morning pacing he’d done—was no longer a forgettable moment of insanity but actually here, in his office, evidently none other than the lead auditor he’d been told was on her way up.

So much for having hauled everything back under his control, he thought grimly, forcing the breath from his lungs before he passed out. What, precisely, was he going to do about this latest development that had trouble written all over it?

Instinct was urging him to hustle her straight back into the lift and have her escorted off the premises because as he approached her, it was becoming appallingly apparent that her effect on him was as immediate and intense as he recalled. A month ago, she’d decimated fourteen years of steely control with one blink of her beautiful brown eyes, and he was in danger of allowing her to do it again now.

Today, in addition to a sleeveless cream silk top, she was wearing a knee-length fitted skirt the colour of raspberries. And despite the horrified disbelief rampaging through his system, all he could think was, what was she wearing beneath it, if anything? In a flash, it occurred to him then that the sofa to his right was large and accommodating. Within moments she could be sprawled across it while he found out. In his imagination, he saw her long golden hair spread out all over the butter-soft leather with his hands once again tangled in it. He heard the desperate sounds she’d make. He even felt her stiletto heels digging into his back.

But he couldn’t get rid of her, dammit. Because, while he sent so much business her accountancy firm’s way that he had ample leverage to do so, a response like that would cause a delay to the audit. Disruption. In some quarters—say, among the remaining Helberg Holdings shareholders—such ripples in the water might be seen as indicative of potential problems, which was not an outcome he could allow.

So there’d be no hustling her anywhere. No matter how much in this moment he might regret choosing that bar and that night to alleviate his colossal stress with whisky, she was staying put.

He could handle the attraction, he assured himself as he came to a stop in front of her and banked the response of his body to her intoxicating proximity. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d denied his libido. Overwhelmed with guilt, he’d pretty much given up sex altogether in the aftermath of his mother’s death and he’d survived. Once this job was underway, he would keep interaction to a minimum and maintain his distance unless strictly necessary. He had no reason to deliberately seek her out and more than enough work to be getting on with. He would focus on the endgame and keep a clear head. It was only for two weeks. It would pass in a flash.

‘Adam Courtney, CEO,’ he said, pasting a professional smile to his face and holding out his hand. ‘Welcome to the Courtney Collection.’

Ella stared down at the hand that Adam was holding out, disbelief and pique spiralling through the shock that was still wreaking havoc on her system.

He hadn’t recognised her.

While she’d spent weeks trying not to recall every single second of what they’d done together, he’d clearly forgotten all about it. He hadn’t suffered sleepless nights and feverish flushes that attacked whenever they felt like it. Or experienced any pangs of regret that she’d walked out of that bathroom instead of joining him at the bar for the martini he’d proposed. He’d put her straight from his mind and moved on, as if for him that kind of thing wasn’t a frenzied moment of madness but an everyday occurrence. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing special. And how unflattering was that?

But the blow to her pride was something to be analysed at a later date, if at all. Right now, she had to focus on the hammer that was smashing her hopes and dreams to bits and the nausea churning up her stomach as the reality of what was unfolding here hit.

Whether he recognised her or not, their shared history had serious ramifications. That promotion she so badly wanted? Gone. The career she’d worked so damned hard to repair? Back to where it was a year ago. Her future? Very much not mapped out. Because a smooth and successful audit with her in charge was now unthinkable.

How could she possibly stay in the role when there was such a massive and undeniable conflict of interest? Auditing was not a grey area. There were rules and she abided by them, because without integrity, without control, what was there? She wouldn’t compromise the standards she’d clung to as she’d battled her way out of poverty and despair, no matter how much she wished right now she could. They were the framework on which she’d built her entire career. She lived, slept and breathed them.

So she couldn’t pretend that she hadn’t recognised him either, even though that would be so very convenient. She couldn’t just sweep this under the carpet and carry on as if her world hadn’t imploded. She had to do what was right.

Fighting back the hot fiery ball of frustration, injustice and hopelessness that was barrelling through her, Ella swallowed hard. She lifted her gaze to his, her heart pounding, her throat impossibly tight. ‘I need to step aside,’ she ground out, having to push every word through her teeth.

Adam dropped his hand and took a step back, his eyes on hers, his smile gone. ‘Why?’

‘We have a conflict of interest.’

A muscle jumped in his cheek. ‘Because we had sex?’

Once again, the floor beneath her feet rocked and her heart practically stopped. A slew of vivid images slammed into her head and a rush of blistering heat propelled a flush to her cheeks.

‘So you do recognise me,’ she said with a breathlessness that appalled her, but at least she was spared the mortification of having to explain why there was a problem.

‘Of course I do.’

‘I thought you’d forgotten who I was.’

His gaze ran over her and she nearly went up in flames. ‘On what planet would that be possible?’

‘For all I know, you pick up women in bars on a regular basis.’

‘I don’t. That night was a one-off. And who picked who up is debatable. I may have made the first move, but you made the last.’

That was true. Wasn’t it? She couldn’t quite remember. Or think straight. Her restored ego might be cheering with relief, but she’d forgotten how mesmerising his eyes were, how easy it was to fall into them and how good he smelled. Despite the disastrous nature of this situation, tiny flashes of electricity were zinging through her. Heat was pooling between her legs. If she took a step in his direction, she would be within kissing distance. She could lift herself up, wind her arms around his neck and press her mouth to his. She hadn’t dared do that the night they’d met. Suspecting she might well weaken and wind up agreeing to the martini and further madness, she’d limited herself to a brush of her lips against his cheek before disappearing. That now felt remiss.

‘However, I was intending to forget all about it,’ he said, jolting her out of her trance and bringing her back down to earth with a bump.

What? For a second, she just stared at him, her brow furrowing in confusion, the ferocious heat momentarily doused as if a bucket of iced water had been thrown at her. Surely he couldn’t have said what she thought he just said.

‘You can’t mean that,’ she said, as baffled as she was astonished.

‘Why not?’ he replied with cool self-assurance.

‘It would be highly unethical.’ Why wasn’t he concerned? He should have frog-marched her out of this building five minutes ago. She would have if she were him. ‘I could get fired. I’d never work again. And the risks would be substantial for you too. The integrity of the audit would be compromised. Your reputation might take a hit.’

That silenced him for a second. Something flared in the depths of his eyes, but it was gone before she could identify it. ‘Are you good at your job?’

‘Exceptionally.’ Which made the situation all the more painful.

‘Would what we did have any impact on your work?’

Was he questioning her commitment? Her professionalism? Or was he concerned that, once again unable to control herself in his presence, she might demand he ravish her over the photocopier? ‘Absolutely not,’ she said, determined to reassure him on all those fronts. ‘Nothing gets in the way of that.’

‘Do you want to stand down?’

The prospect of it cleaved her in two and drove a stake through her chest. ‘I can’t think of anything I want to do less.’

‘Then don’t.’

Oh, if only she weren’t so principled. If only she’d chosen a different bar in which to drown her sorrows that night. But it was far too late for regrets. ‘It’s not that simple.’

‘Have you told anyone about what we did?’

‘No,’ she said as a shudder ran through her. Why would she want anyone knowing how weak and impulsive she’d been when she’d told all her friends after the Drew affair that she was steering clear of men for the foreseeable future? ‘I can barely believe it happened in the first place. It was so out of character.’

‘Good. I haven’t either.’ His jaw lost some of its rigidity, and his expression relaxed a fraction. ‘The way I see it is this. We hardly know each other. We’re not going to have sex again. We don’t even need to refer to it again. The conflict of interest is negligible. So negligible, in fact, that I don’t believe there even is one. So why should you be made to suffer for something that is ultimately irrelevant, when no one knows about it but us?’

Well, when he put it like that, he made a good case, she thought, nibbling her lip as she considered the arguments he’d used to bulldoze her objections.

They didn’t know each other and of course they weren’t having sex again. She’d only ever intended it to be a one-time event. The reason she’d rejected his offer of a drink that night was because even though she’d instantly craved another hit of him, she’d sensed he was lethal. She’d suspected that if she ever found herself in an actual bed with him, she might never get out of it, and what impact would that have had on her career? So the disappointment that was surging through her could take a hike. It wasn’t happening. Even if he hadn’t made it clear he had no further designs on her, at which she should be feeling relieved and not insulted, she had absolutely no desire for history to repeat itself by her mixing business with pleasure again and potentially sacrificing another promotion.

And it wasn’t fair that twenty minutes of madness a month ago should destroy all the progress she’d made and threaten her future. Especially since, this time, what had happened wasn’t even her fault. What they’d done together was irrelevant. It wouldn’t have any effect on her conduct or the outcome of the audit. Her impartiality and objectivity would never be at risk.

But what about her principles if she did decide to follow his lead and forget all about what they’d done? How could she treat them with such disrespect when they’d helped her to get where she was? When they’d been her guiding light for over a decade? It didn’t bear thinking about. Although, she wouldn’t be sacrificing them forever, observed the devil’s advocate in her head. She’d merely be temporarily setting them aside for the duration of this one crucial audit, upon which the future of her career depended. She could reclaim them the minute she finished here.

The only fly in the ointment would be the chemistry that unfortunately hadn’t diminished one little bit. Her every nerve ending was quivering in response to his proximity. Her temperature was sky high. She’d never considered a white shirt particularly sexy before, but right now she wanted to rip his open and get her hands on his skin.

However, it wasn’t as if they’d be having any further contact. This unfortunate meeting was just a courtesy, and once she and her team were set up in the basement or at the end of some dark dingy corridor, liaising directly with the finance department as per usual, she need never lay eyes on him again.

She deserved the opportunity to correct the mistake she’d made a year ago, and ceding control of her career to external forces again wasn’t the way to do that. Besides, if she didn’t stick with it, there’d be repercussions. She’d have to explain her decision to her colleagues. Her boss. She’d have to confess that, once again, she’d messed up again because of a man. She’d lose the respect she’d been fighting so hard to restore, and this time her career wouldn’t just be damaged, it would be over, because she wouldn’t be given another chance. She’d be out in the cold for good, and after everything she’d worked for, she simply could not contemplate it. No, she had to see this job through to the end. And she would see this job through to the end.

‘All right then,’ she said, ruthlessly crushing the protest of her principles and channelling cool, clear-headed professionalism instead. ‘Just tell me where to go and we’ll get started.’

Having neutralised the risk of Ella stepping down and screwing up his plans for a trouble-free audit, Adam relaxed marginally and stalked over to the conference table that was to be her workspace for the next couple of weeks.

Thank God she’d seen the situation his way. Not that there was any other way he could have allowed her to see it. If she’d stuck to her guns and recused herself, she would have made life extremely tricky for the both of them. Then what would he have done? Bribed her? Resorted to threats?

Such underhanded tactics weren’t his style, but this set of circumstances was unprecedented. There was no end to which he wouldn’t go to get what he wanted, and if that meant taking advantage of the battle between integrity and a burning desire to see the audit through that had played out on her face, then so be it. Whatever the reason, it was clear she wanted this job with a determination that seemed to go beyond mere duty. Something else appeared to be at stake for her here, and he was not above weaponizing her desperation if necessary.

A part of him loathed that he had been forced to put any amount of trust in her when she was such an unknown quantity. The women he generally slept with he chose because they were safe. The attraction they shared caused him no trouble. When he was done, they were gone and he didn’t look back. But he hadn’t selected Ella. She’d selected him. If she decided to go to the press with details of what they’d got up to, she could obliterate four years of reputational reconstruction in a heartbeat. He’d instantly lose the respect and trust he’d worked so hard to earn. His authority would crumble to dust. He’d be labelled as his father’s son.

When Adam had taken over as CEO—following the fatal aneurysm his father had suffered while in bed with a nubile blonde—he’d faced an uphill battle to remove the stain on the family name. There’d been many who’d feared business as usual. One or two who’d benefitted from the gravy train and had expected it to continue.

But he’d been determined to restore the plummeting fortunes of the company that had been in his family for over a century. So he’d fired those members of the board who’d repeatedly vetoed his father’s dismissal and put a stop to the bottomless expense account. He’d implemented policies that encouraged reporting bad behaviour and transparency. He’d negotiated loans and trebled the marketing and PR budget.

With the rot gone, the climate—not just at this office but worldwide—had done a full one-eighty within six months. A year later, sales had risen by forty percent and the share price had doubled. Now, the Courtney name on a personal level was associated not with sleaze and corruption but integrity and trust.

Ella had the power destroy all the progress he’d made. She could blow his plans for Helberg Holdings right out of the water, because he well knew that shareholders could be funny about things like sex scandals. However, the conviction in her voice when she’d answered his question about whether she’d told anyone about that night in the bar, as well as her very visible shudder, had not been feigned, and that concern had been allayed. At least, for now.

Had his curiosity been piqued, he might have wondered why discretion seemed to matter as much to her as it did to him and why she was so determined to see the job through. Why she’d put aside her own integrity to do that.

But he wasn’t remotely interested in the things they shared or what drove her. He wasn’t intrigued by her at all. He certainly wasn’t dwelling on the way she’d bitten her lip as she’d considered his arguments and imagining how incendiary kissing her would be. Or regretting that they wouldn’t be having sex again. One monumentally reckless loss of control was enough to last a lifetime. Therefore, he would not be indulging the rogue urge to rile her up and get under her skin. Whether she was still as attracted to him as he was to her was utterly irrelevant. They had a job to do and that was all.

So why was she still standing where he’d left her instead of following him to the table she’d be working at for the next two weeks and getting started? Why was she still looking at him as if she couldn’t figure out what was going on? Just in case it wasn’t blindingly obvious, Adam pulled out a chair and gave it a pat. ‘You’re over here.’