Lord of Rain (The Dragon Demigods #5) - Charlene Hartnady Page 0,75
take a sip of wine instead. “Where did you hear that?” I ask.
“They just are. Guys like him are good at everything. Every…single…thing.”
I don’t need to hear this, but I can’t tell her to stop because that would give away the fact that I do actually find him attractive. I keep my mouth shut and listen when she goes on. “Anyway, I’m sure he’s had a ton of lovers. Practice makes perfect.”
Lovers.
Huh!
More like bed partners.
Hook-ups.
Dates – and I use the term really loosely. Bolt has sexual relationships, not real relationships. He makes all of us – yes, I would become part of a group – sign contracts. I’m supposed to feel special because I get my very own NDA, specific to us. No thanks! “Yeah, I suppose…women do love him,” I say.
“Oh, tell me more! Have you seen any…women? Is he seeing someone? Come on, spill.”
I give her a sidelong glance. “He’s my boss, Candice. It would be wrong of me to talk about things like that.”
“It’s me…your best friend. I wouldn’t tell anyone.” I know if I told her everything and begged her not to divulge that she wouldn’t, but I can’t do it. It doesn’t feel right. Nothing to do with that ‘standard’ NDA I already signed.
“There hasn’t been anyone.” I shake my head. “Nothing to tell. It’s been all work, work, work. My initial impression was based on the pics of him we saw with different women.” Yeah, thinking about it makes me feel…irritated. It’s not jealousy. I wouldn’t feel jealous about Bolt’s past. That would be stupid. Also, I hardly know him. Irritation is a rational emotion after everything that’s happened.
“Really? No tidbits of information at all?” She makes a face. “That’s boring.”
“It is.” I nod.
Boring?
Huh!
Bolt couldn’t be boring if he tried. The worst part is that I am still attracted to him. I believed him when he explained his reasons behind the allowance and the cash offer should I choose to resign. I still couldn’t do it. Especially after his sleazebag lawyer mentioned other NDAs. Contracts that other women had signed, pertaining to birth control and condoms. It just brought home to me how I’m just a number. A notch on his belt. When he’s done with me, I’d be put to the side and that would be the end of that. I’m not sure I could keep my feelings separate if I were to have a physical relationship with him.
“You’re enjoying your job, though?”
“Yes.” I nod. “I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would. It’s going to take me a while to get the hang of it. I’m going to be in New York end of next week.”
Her eyes widen. “On a business trip? What do you do on these business trips?”
“Whatever Bolt needs me to do.” I feel my cheeks heat as I think about all the things Bolt wants me to do to him…all the things he wants to do to me. All the things that will not happen. I clear my throat. “One of my duties is keeping women away from him. You wouldn’t believe how often they throw themselves at him.” I tell her all about what happened at The Black Swan, and about the article that came out.
“What? There’s a picture of you with Bolt in Rave Magazine? How did I not know this?” She gets out her phone.
“Don’t! It’s all a load of bull.” I shake my head.
“You just told me that there’s a picture of you in a well-known magazine and—”
“It’s a gossip magazine and all fabricated nonsense.”
“Still…I—” She gasps and then laughs. “Oh, my god, you’re famous, Ash.”
“I’m not! Thankfully, my name wasn’t published, although Bolt’s PR manager is going to release a statement so that everyone will know I’m an employee and not his flavor of the day.”
“Oh, so there are a lot of women! I knew it.”
I roll my eyes. “I didn’t say that. In fact, I believe I told you the opposite was true. Hence the need to help keep random women away, so that those sorts of articles are no longer possible. The paparazzi are ruthless.”
She squints at the picture. “Does he have his hand on your back?”
“I don’t remember. Maybe…it was crazy. All those flashes going off.”
“So it has been exciting. You made out like it was dull.”
“It was mostly dull. That story was a complete lie. All of it. We met with the board members of his newly acquired company. It was a fun evening but a work evening.”