Page 4 of Desirable

“Sounds an awful lot like prostitution. As nice as that amount of money sounds, I'll have to pass.”

I stand up abruptly and turn toward the door. Surely, I'm insane to turn down millions. It would change my life, like winning the lottery. For a moment, the fantasy builds–I say yes and I get to travel the world. And for that amount of money, I can quit my job and maybe try and find something better to do with my life. Being a personal assistant at a marketing firm isn’t my dream job by a long shot, but it was the first job I got when I moved here after college. That was six years ago. I could buy an apartment and maybe find a nonprofit to work for. I could use the marketing degree I earned on more than just proofreading other people’s work.

"Sex would be purely when you begged," Parker whispers in my ear as he pulls me against him so my back is to his chest. "I'll make it one million per event, but I'll invest half for you and you’ll get the other half in cash. I'll cover all incidentals, wardrobe, hair, makeup. You name it, you get it. When we travel, you'll go by private jet and I'll assign you an assistant to ensure you're up to speed on the people you're going to meet."

Parker really has thought of everything. I turn my head a fraction to look at him out of the corner of my eye. I hate the way my imagination runs wild with the idea of him braced over me while I'm on my stomach and our bodies, slick with sweat, move together. Even in this position, I can imagine how it would feel if he bent me over right now, tugging my skirt up, leaving my hands pressed against the door. I would have to be quiet with his assistant right on the other side.

The fantasy nearly makes me moan.Thisis why I can’t say yes, because it feels too much like prostitution if I’m dreaming about having sex with him while also cashing his checks.

“Now who's begging?” I ask, nearly breathless.

Parker gives a dangerous chuckle before he takes one step around me, blocking my exit. He looks down at me, so close that when I breathe, my breasts brush against his shirt. His gaze scorches me down to my very essence. He knows how he’s affecting me, if his smirk is any indication. To prove his point, he completes his circle around me so he’s standing behind me again, out of my sight, but I can feel his presence all the same.

“Is that what you want? Do you want me on my knees before you? Does the idea of that excite you?” he whispers, his breath hot against my neck. My innermost muscles clench around nothing, because that’s exactly what I want too. I’m glad he can’t see my face; I’m sure my desire would be plain as day.

Parker’s hand snakes around me from behind so he can grip my throat, tilting my head back so I'm looking at him more fully before he releases me to slide his hand down the front of my blouse. The corner of his mouth quirks up as he touches the lace of my bra before he delves in with his fingers, grazing my pebbled nipple. I could stop him, shove him away, but I don’t. I don’t want to. I like the forbidden feeling of having him touch me in his office.

My head drops back against his shoulder, and I turn my face to look up at him, giving me the perfect view of his luscious, full lips. His mouth slants over mine, and I would think this angle would be awkward but it's not at all. He pinches my nipple and I grind back against him, feeling his hard-on against my ass.

I moan and step away from him, even though it is one of the hardest things I've had to do.

“Agree, and I'll make you so wealthy that in five years you'll be able to buy the marketing company you work at and fire everyone who dared to underestimate you. Make that fuckboy weep for thinking he's on the same level as you.”

"What do you know about it?"

Parker chuckles and plants an almost sweet kiss on my lips. “You think I didn't vet you and everyone in your life before making this offer? Sweetheart, I know your salary from your last three jobs and the balance of your three credit cards, how much you pay in rent and what your student loan payments look like. I also know that your younger sister's student loans number in the hundreds of thousands of dollars on her quest to be a pediatric oncologist. Holly, you need this offer just as much as I need you to agree.”

He’s right about everything he’s said, and I’m mad about it. How dare he look into me and my sister? Who does he think he is to make an offer that is too good to turn down? Because that’s the real problem. Saying no to this amount of money would be stupid and if I can’t do it for myself, I need to do it for Tamsin and give her a chance to not drown under student loans. “So, now you're blackmailing me into prostitution?”

That stupid mouth quirks up. “Is that what you want to call it? Prostitution? Does it fuel your righteous indignation if I call you an escort? Or will you just accept the job offer? Eight million is hard to turn down when it's right there. I'll even throw in paying off your sister’s loans. Consider it a signing bonus for putting up a valiant effort.”

“So, emotional blackmail now?” I had been ready to say yes to him. I didn’t need the bribe, but it seems holding out was at least somewhat beneficial.

“Will it make you say yes?”

“You're an asshole, you know that?”

“A very rich asshole who will make this worth your while.” There is so much more layered in his words and when he moves to stand in front of me, the desire in his eyes confirms that he knows it too.

“You win. I'll do it,” I say with reluctance, but the truth is, the idea of spending time with him intrigues me more than I want to admit. “But I’m not sleeping with you.”

“Once more with feeling, sweetheart.”

The grin that spreads on his face already has me questioning my choice.

CHAPTER3

Ibroach the subject of Parker with my sister, Tamsin, after he warned me there would be photos of us on the internet. Not that I’m expecting that she even has the time to pour over gossip rags, but I would rather she hear it from me.

So, I tell her I got a new boyfriend and am vague about the rest. I don’t want her to get attached, think that maybe I have some new beau who is better than Tyler. As much as I tried to keep the drama at her wedding to a minimum, there was only so much I could do to recover. Tammy was there for me, even on her own day. The last thing I want to do is give her hope for my romantic life.

No, thank you. I’m fine being single for now.

The true test of this whole charade will be this Saturday when Parker and I go to some fundraising gala together. The invitation was sparse on details, but I do know that it’s about eradicating Canadian Geese, as if that’s a priority. Jacoby, the earnest assistant from Parker’s office, has been sending me calendar invites to events and grooming appointments. I drew the line when he wanted to send me to get waxed. It shouldn’t matter if my pussy is bare if sex is off the table, right?

So why do I sneak out at lunch to get the waxing done myself?

Jacoby already had several dress options for the gala delivered to me, and it made me wonder how much Parker’s staff knows. It almost makes me feel like a doll, with the shoes and dresses and even lingerie. Each dress has matching undergarments, all labeled so I know what outfit they correspond with. The sheer amount of organizational skill is unparalleled.

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