Billionaire Alpha

Lunch With Him

Good Morning, Bethany. Damon will be with you shortly; just take a seat over there." Linda, Damon's secretary, looked over the top of her desk and smiled with what could have been kindness. She was too sensual, and it left Bethany wondering about Kent's thoughts when hiring the woman. Maybe she was just that way around other women? Surely not.

Damon's door opened, and a short blonde with a pixie haircut and red lipstick walked out, a dizzy look to her as she turned and waved, as if in love. Damon moved out beside her, his hand on the small of her back as he looked over at Bethany. His finger brushed by his lips at the crimson lipstick that was smeared on the side of his mouth. Linda got up and walked to him, leaning over to wipe it for him as the woman walked away.

"Why does Miss Carrington insist on kissing you like an old-fashioned church woman? She's in her thirties. I think she does it simply to kiss on you." Linda moved back and shook her head as Damon smirked, the man never seeming to smile. "Better. Your reservation at Cruz is for eleven fifteen. You want me to call them to bring your car around?"

"Yes, the Mercedes." He looked over toward Bethany. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She smiled and stood, walking toward him. She half wished he would offer his bent arm like his brother, Matthew, had done the night before. The difference between the two men almost left her with more questions than comfort.

Damon walked beside her, everyone they passed stopping to greet him and giving her the once-over. A conversation needed to start between them to deflate the awkwardness, but perhaps it only existed in her mind. Or maybe he enjoyed the feeling that someone was squirming because of him. Asshole.

He opened the door to the lobby and waited until she'd moved through to step up beside her. The elevator opened, and they squeezed in, him moving in behind her. He kept the space between them appropriate, but simply knowing that it was him that hovered over the back of her caused her skin to tingle, her body reacting without consent.

She needed to talk with Krista, tell her that her new stepbrother was everything she sexually wanted in a man. Then let the girl call her a prude.

She smiled as the door opened and then moved out, waiting for Damon to move up beside her.

"I heard you got to meet Matthew last night?"

"I did. I liked him a lot. He's very down to earth."

A smile touched the side of Damon's mouth, the look softening his features. She had to wonder if there wasn't more to him. Between Matt's joking about him and Ben's support of him, surely he wasn't the monster he appeared to be. He opened the door again for her, and they walked out of the front of the building, the Mercedes waiting for them.

The bellhop held her door open, and Damon stood beside him; his father had obviously taught him the way of Southern manners. She slipped into the car and watched him carefully as he moved around the front of the car to get in. Breathing in deeply, she enjoyed the smell of him. Woodsy and masculine, strong and sensual. His black pants hugged his legs and waist, the faded pink button-down shirt bringing out the darkness of his features. He got in and looked over at her.

"Steakhouse for lunch. Hope you're hungry."

"I'm always hungry."

"My type of girl." He looked over his shoulder, the long tanned slope of his neck far beyond kissable. She chided herself, hoping that she'd be able to keep it together for lunch. The excitement at finally feeling a deep sense of lust washed over her but was shortly followed by the stark reality that nothing would come of it. What would they have, a double wedding? Her mom and his dad with the two of them beside them?

Ridiculous.

Was she his type of girl? From what Matthew had confirmed the night before, her looks were right in the middle of the ballpark, and yet he seemed to focus on blondes.

"Let's utilize every ounce of time we have together today." He turned back in his seat and reached for a pair of dark sunglasses, looking even more sinful than he had a moment before.

"Sounds good to me. What is my first assignment?"

"First, my rules. I run the company, and my father has graciously trusted me to do things my way. I have several rules that everyone is aware of, and you'll do well to remember them."

Heat flushed her chest and raced up her neck at the condescension in his tone. She would have to suffer through lunch if he was going to put on his asshole cloak and be the man she expected he was.

"Okay. Tell me the rules. I'm happy to be compliant if they don't impede on my morals." She gave him a sideways glance, hoping to convey that the 'no panty' rule didn't apply to her. He looked over at her as a lovely smile lifted his mouth again.

"I almost pegged you for someone who didn't follow the rules. Your demeanor is on the edge. You look the part and are most certainly intelligent enough to play it, but something tells me there's more to you than you let on. Rule follower isn't something I would label you as."

She laughed, her nervousness at the tone of his voice causing the air to thicken. It was hard to breathe, and something told her that it wasn't going to get any easier each and every time the delicious man beside her made an appearance.

The rules were simple, and Damon had barked them out like Bethany was a three-year-old.

No drama.

No lies.

No complaints.

In all dealings with him, those were the standards he set, and she was to follow the rules like everyone else did.

They sat across from one another at the upscale restaurant, Bethany watching Damon as he ordered their food and pulled a black napkin into his lap.

"You didn't even ask me what I wanted to eat."

"Did you want to change the order?" He leaned forward, his gaze heavy and intimidating.

"No, I love crab and could eat cheese until I'm blue in the face."

"Then, hush. You've broken two rules—no drama and no complaints." He winked at her, and she sat back, her hands fiddling uselessly in her lap. The fact that someone could be so handsome and have so much handed to him in life and yet be domineering in a master-slave sense was sickening. He wanted power, and he took it in each and every situation from what she could see.

"Don't overanalyze me, Bethany. I'm too complex for you to figure me out during the first week of your employment." He leaned back, picking up the glass of white wine that sat before him and taking a long drink. "I want to talk with you about the interns."

"What about them?"

"Ben is running the program for me, but he has no stamina or courage. They run all over him, and he often falls short of pushing our initiatives through to the younger generation such as yourself." He set the wine down, lifting up his finger to tell her to wait a moment.

She bit her lip, anxiety pressing against her at why he had to play the ass and do it so well.

"There are several of the girls in the group that plague me and, I'm sure, hope to catch my eye and then my heart. It's not happening. I would never date someone your age, and I'd most certainly not be interested in being anything less than completely professional with someone that works for McKenzie and Bryant."

Her heart sank, much to her dismay. What had she hoped for? That her stepbrother would see something in her and show her how a real man takes a woman? Bend her over the long sleek top of his desk and give her reason to use his name profanely?

"What does this have to do with me, Damon?"

"Glad you asked." He paused as the waiter placed the food before them, the smell causing Bethany to groan softly.

She loved good food more than anything in the world.

Damon’s eyes moved from his plate to hers, his lips parting as he studied her. "I assume your sensual sound of pleasure is toward the food?"

She laughed and picked up her fork, picking at the crab before taking a tentative bite and letting it melt on her tongue. She groaned softly again, nothing too loud, but the flare in his gaze told her quickly—he liked sounds.

"Stop concerning yourself with my food addiction, and tell me what you want of me where the interns are concerned. I am one myself, so keep that in mind."

He waved her off, picking up his fork and starting to eat, his head bowed slightly but his eyes focused on her. The long slope of his nose was beautiful, his eyelashes long and almost resting on his strong cheekbones. He was both masculine and yet breathtaking by anyone’s standard.

"I need you to ensure that the message is clear. I'm not interested in anyone within the office. One silly girl keeps trying to visit me daily, as if I'd ever find anything in her interesting. It would only take one moment alone with her, and she could file a s****l harassment suit against me. That's where you come in. Make sure they know. Simple, really."

"And why would I know that you're not interested? They don't know we're soon-to-be siblings. It wouldn't be believable that you just put me in charge of spouting out information, as if you and I were intimate."

"Don't tell them that you're soon to be my sister. They would treat you quite unfairly, and then I'd be forced to step in and save you."

"I don't need saving." She stiffened as her past caused her to feel small before him all of a sudden.

He looked up, leaning back as realization crossed his features. "Everyone needs saving, Bethany. Don't deny yourself when the opportunity arises."

She had no clue what he was talking about, and it was easier to continue down a linear path for their discussion.

"I'll figure out what to tell the interns, but being ambiguous will just make it seem as if I have my own agenda to get into your pants."

She looked up as he chuckled, his face softening with the action. Her heart ached in her chest at what would never be. She swallowed the desire to be whatever he wanted, to do whatever he demanded, to force him to want her as much as she wanted him. The realization of her feelings caused her stomach to turn.

"You think far too much on things. No drama, no lies, and no complaining. Rules to live by, I promise."

They spoke very little on the way back to the office, Damon inviting her to stop by the next day and fill him in on her conversation with the other girls. She awarded him with a deadpan stare and walked back to her office, her fantasies leaving her heart beating fast and her palms sweaty.

She needed a stiff drink.