Hollywood Heat Read online

  Copyright © 2016 Nikki Steele

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the Author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book uses the American spelling of most common words.

  Edition 1.0.3

  Contents

  Contents

  Please Read

  Previously

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Epilogue

  Further Reading

  Please Read

  This is book two in a four part series. Each book is a self-contained episode, but just like a good TV series, there are cliffhangers that build a larger storyline.

  It is a short, Erotic Romance. It contains strong, explicit, smoking hot sex scenes. You’ve been warned!

  Previously

  Josie has just started a new job as a personal assistant to billionaire Hollywood producer Archer Williams. But what her handsome new boss doesn’t realize is that Josie has a secret—she’s being blackmailed into betraying him.

  Janus, Inc., a corrupt mega corporation about to be exposed by Archer, are forcing Josie to steal the evidence that Archer has on them. If she doesn’t, they’ll make her entire world come crumbling down— they have compromising photos of Josie, and own the debt on her ailing mother’s house, too.

  It seems simple enough, but things get complicated quickly. Archer is like no-one Josie has ever met before—devastatingly handsome, with a heart of gold.

  After two weeks of electrifying attraction, Josie and Archer make love one Friday night. She can’t bring herself to steal the tape afterward, and instead places it back in Archer’s pocket before he can find out what she’s doing.

  The story continues on Monday morning.

  * * *

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  Chapter 1

  I didn’t want to turn up for work on Monday, but I still did. I’d only been two weeks at the job, but already in that time I’d managed to sabotage evidence, betray my employer and then sleep with him.

  The ‘sabotage’ and the ‘betrayal’ parts had been the intention from day one. It was the ‘night of passion’ thing that had screwed everything up.

  At first it had seemed easy enough: Janus, Inc. gets me a job as Archer’s personal assistant, I use it to wipe an evidence tape, and then I steal the master. In return, my debt with Janus would get wiped, my sick mother would keep her house, and those naked photos of me would never see daylight.

  But then I met my new boss. And I fell head over heels into those ocean blue eyes, and my whole world changed. I couldn’t steal that tape. Not when he’d looked at me the way he had. Not after the way he’d made me feel, last Friday night.

  That was a problem. Because I had to steal the tape, at some stage. Sooner or later, Janus would come knocking, and my debt and those photos meant I had to answer.

  So I turned up for work on Monday. And decided to avoid Archer.

  If I kept going to work, I could tell Janus I was still trying to get the tape. If I avoided Archer, there would be no temptation to steal it. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it would give me time to work on something better; who knows, maybe he’d turn out to be an ass after he’d slept with me—make the job easier.

  Yeah Josie. And there’s a flying pig outside the window with a saddle on it just for you. Better that I get hit by a bus, or have one of the movie sets fall on me—I wouldn’t have to make any decisions if I lived the rest of my life in a coma.

  I lost track of how many times Archer had called after Friday night. I’d resorted to wearing a hair elastic around my wrist over the weekend. I’d snap it against my skin every time I thought about Archer, or considered picking up the phone. My wrist was red and raw, but the band had accomplished its purpose.

  * * *

  I made it a point to keep myself busy and out of my office for as long as possible that morning, in the off chance that our paths might never cross. But when I got a text message from Archer which read Do I even have an assistant anymore?, I knew the jig was up. I took my time returning to my office.

  “There you are!” I glanced over to where Archer’s door stood open; it was clear from his immediate reaction that he’d been watching for me. “Where’ve you been? And,” he dropped his voice, “why did you avoid my calls all weekend?”

  I’d rehearsed this speech for hours the day before, tweaking it until it came out as close to perfect as I could imagine. “Archer, I’ve given this a lot of thought and it’s clear that what happened between us was a momentary lapse in judgement.”

  It had been a lot easier to do this when staring into my own eyes in the mirror, instead of the startlingly blue eyes regarding me now. Dang, I should have practiced while looking at a photo of him.

  “A lapse in judgement?” he asked, not waiting for me to continue to the part where I hoped we could be friends as well as maintain a professional relationship. He got up from his chair and walked past me, shutting the door. Then he turned.

  “Josie, you have no idea what you’ve been doing to me,” he said. “Did you mean to rip my heart out when you said that?”

  “I didn’t mean to,” I mumbled. Freaking hell.

  He ran his hands through his hair, then shoved his fists into his pockets. “I was broken up, thinking I’d hurt you somehow.”

  Oh. Not because he had feelings for me. Well… it was still nice that he cared. Wait, it was good that he didn’t have feelings for me, right? It’d be worse if he did—it’d make what I had to do harder. So why did my heart sink just a little when he said it?

  “Are you listening?” he asked, looking at me strangely.

  “Of course I am,” I said. “You didn’t hurt me, at all. That’s not why I was avoiding you.”

  “So why then? Do you regret it? You said it was a lapse in judgement. Do you really believe that?” His eyes were searching my face.

  “I feel two inches tall right now,” I admitted, sitting on the sofa near the door. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But you need to understand how it feels for a girl like me when she’s with a man like you.” I hadn’t intended this conversation to take such a turn; my words surprised me when I heard them.

  He joined me on the sofa. “A girl like you?”

  “Archer, don’t be mean,” I mumbled, staring down at my hands. “You know what I’m saying. You’re rich beyond my wildest dreams, connected, powerful. Gorgeous.” I glanced up from beneath my thick fringe of bangs. “You don’t want to be with someone like me—you’re way out of my league.”

  “Funny, I was thinking just the opposite,” he said quietly.

  “I’m sorry I left you hanging the way I did,” I said. I looked down at my hands; it didn’t take long for a third to cover them. I forced myself to meet his eyes now, and smiled as gently as I could while I pulled my hands away. “I’m sorry. This isn’t going to work.”

  “I don’t get it,” he said softly. “I thought… I thought there was something real between us. Maybe we have a long way to go, but we had a connection. Was I really that wrong?”

  My finger reached absently for the hairband still on my wrist. I snapped it, hard, focusing on the pain. “Yes.”

  The look on his face almost broke me. It’s just a job… It’s just a job… “I don’t see us working out, long-term. We’re from different worlds.”

  “Not so different. I’ve told you where I came from. I’m not some spoiled rich brat. I don’t care abou
t the money.”

  “Everybody cares about the money. Don’t pretend you don’t.”

  “You know what I mean. It’s not important compared to you. Say you’ll give me another date—let me prove it to you.”

  “Archer, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “What?”

  “I-”

  I snapped my mouth shut. What was I going to say? That if I let him get close again, I’d be forced to betray him? I couldn’t tell him that. If he ever knew the truth, he’d never speak to me, ever again. Better to let him think I didn’t care, so he didn’t dig any deeper. At least then I could prolong our time together. At least then, only one heart would break when I did what I had to do.

  I stood up. “I… I’m sorry to frustrate you, but I know I’m right. If we ever did have anything, it’s over.”

  He winced, and looked away. I wanted to reach out to him, comfort him, beg him to forgive me. But all I had to do was remember those photos, and that blue cigar smoke, to solidify my resolve.

  “I don’t roll over and play dead, you know,” he murmured as I walked to the door.

  “What was that?”

  He fixed me with a cool, solid stare. “I don’t give up easily. When I see something I want, I fight for it.” He stood, returning to his desk. “Just thought you should know.”

  ***

  “Can you cover for me?” I asked Christian in hushed tones. He’d happened to walk past my office door just as I was trying to figure out a way to avoid Archer. I couldn’t stand the thought of seeing him again so soon after our talk; I knew he had a meeting later in the morning that would have him out of the office for most of the day. I just had to kill the next hour or so.

  Christian had happened to be nearby, as he so often was. He always just seemed to pop up out of nowhere, almost like he was looking for opportunities for us to run into each other. Ordinarily I’d have been over-the-moon excited over a guy showing interest in me; for some reason, though, the idea now just left me flat. Whether it was because my heart was set on Archer, or I’d just been ruined for Hollywood romances, I was yet to decide.

  “Cover how? What do you need?” he asked, leaning toward me from where he stood in the doorway. “Is it top-secret?”

  “Sort of,” I admitted. “I just have to get out of here for an hour or so; long story, you wouldn’t be interested. Would you mind covering for me in case he needs anything?” I jerked my head in the direction of Archer’s office.

  “No problem,” Christian replied with a big smile. I nodded gratefully and slipped out, my hand toying with the hairband around my wrist. There were plenty of things I could do for the next hour, but finding out what Archer had meant by that final ‘I don’t give up easily’ was not going to be one of them.

  Chapter 2

  The next day I walked into the office with my head held high. I’d knew I couldn’t hide from Archer forever—it would look sketchy if I asked Christian to cover for me every day—but that was fine. I was strong. I was in the right… in my own way. The longer I kept an equilibrium between Janus thinking I was still working for them, and Archer only being a boss, the longer I’d have to come up with a plan to get out of this mess.

  My positive attitude lasted about as long as it took me to reach my office door. The sight of not one but two lush, fragrant bouquets of roses were now sitting on my desk. I sighed, leaning against the doorframe. How could he still be so sweet after I’d turned him down?

  A card was propped up against one of the vases.

  I noticed your desk needed flowers. Let’s talk?

  My chin quivered. He was so sweet and sincere. All I’d ever wanted was for a man to treat me this way. To pursue me and try to win me over. I finally had it, but I couldn’t enjoy it. I needed to be more specific when I wished for things, evidently.

  Best of all, or worst—depending on how I looked at it, the man in question was beyond my every dream. It was all so unfair, to both of us.

  The flowers were even more beautiful than the ones he’d given me after my first week—matching sets of long stemmed buds in beautiful crystal vases. Each vase was tied with a pretty red satin bow, and interspersed among each bunch were small white baby’s breath flowers. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, and I immediately snapped my wrist band. This was bad—if he didn’t give up soon, I was going to have one very, very sore wrist.

  I looked at the roses longingly. Could I keep them, perhaps even just till the end of the day? I’d lived fantasies in my head for so long about being swept off my feet, was there harm in enjoying a real live romance for just eight little hours?

  I thought about Archer, but then I thought about that tape in his pocket. Sooner or later Janus would demand results. If they knew we were dating, that demand would be sooner, rather than later.

  With a heavy heart, I dumped both bouquets in the wastebasket. Then I sat at my desk and buried my face in my hands.

  Later in the day there was no mistaking the way Archer just so happened to walk past my door and just so happened to glance inside. I typed away on my laptop, feigning disinterest.

  ***

  When I came in on Wednesday morning, it was with the hope that Archer had gotten the hint. I knew he’d seen the flowers sticking out above the rim of the wastebasket yesterday. There couldn’t have been any doubt that I was serious.

  My first clue that he hadn’t was a frosty greeting from Goldilocks, the receptionist. I didn’t realize what it meant, though, till I opened the door to my room.

  The small space had become the envy of any florist’s shop. The desk, the floor, even my chair were covered in vases of roses—bouquets upon bouquets of them, in every color imaginable. A forest of gorgeous petals with a beautiful scent that hit me like a wall. I laughed out loud, unable to help myself.

  Best of all, I realized moments later, was the fact that my wastebasket was nowhere to be found. “You little bugger,” I whispered, shaking my head. If he was sending me a message, I’d received it loud and clear. I looked around for a card this time, and found it on my chair.

  I can be very persuasive, and I won’t take no for an answer. Let’s talk.

  I removed the flowers from my chair so I could sit down. What on Earth was I going to do with him?

  I heard snickers and whistles from the hall; I was attracting attention from passerby. Eventually I had to close the door.

  The only thing to do now was to work as though nothing was out of the ordinary. He wanted to get a reaction from me; the worst thing I could do, outside of throwing the bouquets in his face, would be to pretend I didn’t care one bit.

  Though of course I did. I cared so much it hurt. I wanted to give in to him. Nothing would have made me happier than to throw myself into his arms and let him love me… or at least like me a lot. I hoped he didn’t actually love me. That would be awful.

  Awful… and wonderful. Unimaginably wonderful, in fact. I sat back in my chair, allowing myself to revel for just a few minutes in the fact that he wanted me enough to go to this trouble. How could I have known this would happen? It wasn’t as though I’d tried to make him care; had I imagined that he’d develop feelings for me, I’m not sure I would have taken this assignment no matter the threats Janus slung my way.

  I cared about him—and therein was the problem. Because I loved my mother too, and sooner or later I was going to have to choose between betraying his trust, or kicking my ailing mother out of house and home.

  With a sigh, I once more reached down and snapped a hairband across my sore, red wrist.

  ***

  By Thursday morning I knew something needed to be done. Explaining things to him hadn’t worked. Throwing out his flowers hadn’t worked. Acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary didn’t do it, either. The flowers were still spread throughout the office, making it difficult to get anything done; I hardly had room to open my laptop or pull out my chair. And there were balloons now too, and chocolate. Expensive chocolate.

/>   I hadn’t seen him all day; he was consulting on another film’s set, one which he was helping to produce. I stormed over to the set, ready to give him a good talking to. If he wouldn’t respond to silence, maybe he’d respond to indignation.

  When I got there I asked a PA where to find him. The girl shrugged, pointing up. Sure enough, when I followed her finger, I found him 20 feet high in the air, directing the action from a crane. Fantastic. I marched over and tilted my head back, shielding my eyes against the sun. “Archer!” I called.

  He looked around, unable to find me on the bustling set. I waved my arms to get his attention.

  He spotted me, and picked up a bullhorn. “Okay, take five everyone! Nice work earlier Chrystal—head back to your trailer till we need you again.”

  A gorgeous blond with a 15 inch waist, and about the same amount of clothing, peeled off from the main stage. Was that Chrystal Holmes, Archer’s ex-girlfriend? My arms faltered, and I frowned.

  I became aware of everyone looking at me. “Um… can you come down, please?” I called out, cupping my hands around my mouth.

  “What?”

  I blew out a frustrated breath; why did I get the feeling he was playing with me? “I said, come down!” This time I shouted, and I heard a chuckle from one of the camera men.

  “Why?” I could tell he was amused, which made me even less so.

  “I need you to stop!” I called up.

  “Stop what?” he asked into his bullhorn with a twinkle in his eye.

  Freaking hell. I looked around, biting my lip, not wanting to give any more away. “You know what! Stop it! I mean it!” Everyone was still looking at me. My neck felt warm; I could feel the rash coming on, from embarrassment.