Billionaire Decoded Read online

  "So Brecken has hired himself another trollop-"

  Trollop? What the hell was a trollop? "Excuse me?" Heather interrupted, frowning and beginning to feel more than a little perturbed. "This is my first day on the job. Mister Shaw hired me-"

  "Oh, I know why Brecken hired you," Alyson sniffed.

  Again, she was taken by surprise. "Excuse me?"

  "Where is he?"

  Alyson rounded the side of the desk, quickly stomped toward the window, stared out for a moment, and then turned around, hands on her hips and literally glaring at Heather. What the hell was going on? Surprisingly, anger surged through her. She was usually very slow to anger. Still, Alyson's attitude, comments, and insults were uncalled for and quite frankly, the epitome of ill breeding.

  Heather slowly stood up from her seat. She felt uncertain butterflies of anxiety in her stomach, but was careful not to allow her emotions to show. After all, this was the co-owner of the business. Still, she wasn't about to be walked all over. "Ms. Burk, I'm telling you the truth. I don't know where Mister Shaw is. I've been in my office all day, working."

  "You're lying!"

  Heather's mouth dropped open in dismay. "I'm not! Why would I?"

  Alyson Burk gave her a knowing look, her eyes passing over Heather from the top of her head and down to her toes and then back again. "Why not indeed?"

  "Ms. Burk, I don't mean to be rude, but I’ve answered your question more than once already.” Heather took a step toward the open door, gesturing. “Perhaps Mister Shaw-"

  "How dare you speak to me like that?" Alyson burst out. "Do you realize that I'm the co-founder and co-owner of this business? I want to know-"

  Just then, Brecken appeared in the open doorway.

  "What the hell is going on in here?"

  Both Alyson and Heather looked toward the doorway to find Brecken standing there, glancing between Heather and Alyson, a frown darkening his brow. When he saw Alyson, he barely refrained from rolling his eyes. He looked directly at her.

  "Alyson-"

  Alyson turned toward Brecken while Heather looked on in shock. She had never been spoken to in such a manner and for no reason! Her eyes wide, her heart pounding in her chest, she looked at Brecken. "Mister Shaw, Alyson has been looking for you," she said as calmly as she could manage.

  "So, what are you shouting about now, Alyson?" he asked casually, leaning against the doorway as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  "I see you've hired another plaything-"

  Heather had had enough. "Excuse me?" she again gasped, as her eyes widened. It seemed that was the only phrase that would come out of her mouth. She had never been so shocked in her life, and despite her incredible urge to demand that Alyson get out of her office, she didn't think she had any right to order the co-founder of the business around, let alone out of her office.

  "Alyson, be nice," Brecken said.

  Heather stared at him a moment, just as surprised as she had been by Alyson's comments. Why, he almost looked amused! The last thing she wanted, despite the great job and the gorgeous office, was to get caught in the middle of a disastrous relationship, or whatever the hell was going on between Brecken and his ex-partner, ex-fiancée, and still co-founder of the business. Was this something she was going to have to deal with every day?

  She got the immediate impression that Alyson was jealous and still, quite obviously, had feelings for Brecken, which were definitely not returned. Great, just what she needed. She should've known. Everything good had a downside. Every silver lining had a dark cloud in front of it. It wasn't as if Heather was a pessimist, but she had learned, through a few knocks of her own, that if anything seemed too good to be true, it probably was.

  Watching the expressions that passed over Brecken and Alyson's features just proved it. Alyson was in a fury, her face practically mottled red, while Brecken, still leaning casually against the doorway, stared at her as if she were nothing more than an interesting distraction.

  "I need to talk to you," Alyson finally replied.

  "And you couldn't come to my office?" he queried.

  "I did! You weren't there!"

  Brecken glanced at Heather, and then back to his ex-fiancée. "So, you decided to harass my new employee?"

  "Employee," she scoffed, casting a glare toward Heather. "We all know why you hired her. Let's not pretend. You forget how well I know you, Brecken."

  Brecken sighed, as if striving for patience while he pushed himself away from the doorsill. "She's dealing with the accounts, Alyson," he muttered. "Nothing less, nothing more. Now, shall we retire to my office?"

  Heather frowned at both of them. They certainly had an odd relationship. It had to be incredibly difficult for Brecken. To have to deal with an ex-fiancée who was still co-owner and co-founder of the business? No, she didn't even want to think about it. She didn't want to get involved in any of this. She had been hired to do a job, and she was determined to do it. She would do her best to avoid Alyson, but had a feeling that she would not return the same courtesy.

  Without even looking her way, Alyson lifted her chin and sauntered past her desk, nearly bowling Brecken over as she headed out the door. He glanced at Heather with a wry expression.

  "Sorry about that, Heather," he said. "Let me make it up to you."

  She stared at him, not sure what he intended.

  He held up a hand as if he had read her thoughts. "Dinner. Strictly business and strictly as an apology," he suggested.

  What should she do? What would he do if she turned him down, or accepted? She felt smashed between a rock and a hard place. The last thing she wanted was to somehow end up in the middle of this acrimonious relationship between the owners of Shaw & Burk, but she didn’t want to snub the boss, either.

  "I’ll pick you up at seven, all right?"

  Heather didn't know what to say, so she dumbly nodded. "All right. Let me give you my address-"

  He waved a hand. "Wear something nice," he suggested. "And, you don't need to give me your address. I already have it, Heather."

  How could he already have her address? Had he been checking on her? Again he seemed to read her thoughts.

  "You put it on your application, remember?"

  She sighed and then nodded. She was definitely flustered, not only by Alyson's behavior, but by this sudden and unexpected invitation to dine with the boss. Well, she supposed it couldn't hurt. If it made Brecken feel better, then she supposed she could do nothing less than acquiesce. Still, she was slightly taken off guard. She didn't know what to think. But she was hungry, and he seemed intent on apologizing for his ex-fiancée's rude outburst.

  She sat down, nodding. "I'm going to log out and call it a day," she said. He nodded.

  "I'll see you at seven," he reminded as he left her office, closing the door softly behind him.

  Heather sat staring at the door for several minutes, still trying to process what had just occurred in the past five minutes. Dinner with the boss? What had she been thinking, excepting such an invitation? Then again, what else could she have done?

  What else indeed.

  Chapter 2

  Brecken walked away from Heather's office, shaking his head and smiling. His new billing manager was beautiful: a svelte and sexy brunette who had the smarts he was looking for in his company. As he watched his ex-fiancée saunter down the hallway toward his office, he couldn't help comparing her to Heather. While he had known Heather for less than a day, he was incredibly attracted to her.

  She had a great body, all natural, unlike Alyson, who despite her incredible beauty had a bad habit of sneering her distaste or disagreement with people or things that was painfully obvious. He had told her it numerous times that the expression was off-putting, but she didn't seem to care. In fact, Brecken was practically convinced that it was unconscious on her part – the expression on her face, not her attitude.

  Alyson was also incredibly sexy, and she and Brecken had shared passionate and explosive sex while they were d
ating and during the first six months or so of their relationship. She was smart, sharp, cutthroat, even. At first, Brecken had appreciated that, especially when they had developed the new company. Then, over time, her attitude had begun to grate on his nerves. Even her great tits and ass couldn't make up for her sour disposition. Extremely critical – that kind of described her in a nutshell.

  Alyson was never satisfied, never happy. No matter how hard Brecken had tried at first to keep his new fiancée happy, it was never enough. Never mind the fact that he was a billionaire and owned a nice mansion and several houses around the country. Never mind that he drove a nice car and bought her everything she desired. It was never enough. She wanted more. Always more.

  He had gotten used to hearing Alyson scolding, shouting, or demeaning everyone that crossed her path. When he had heard her raised voice several minutes ago, his first thought had been, who she going to be yelling at this time?

  It was a shame, really, because Alyson, other than her horrid disposition and personality, was his ideal woman. She was as driven and passionate as he. He had first met Alyson when he was a Navy SEAL. He and his unit had been on a mission in North Africa. Following the mission, he and his buddies had had a few hours in Cairo to kill prior to their return to the States. They had taken advantage and walking into a local watering hole, he had met the gaze of the most gorgeous blonde he had ever seen in his life. She had seemed as captivated by him.

  They had struck up a conversation, shared a few drinks, and then, less than two hours after they met, had ventured to an upstairs room where they had engaged in blood-thrumming sex. He had taken one look at her naked body and been filled with desire that threatened to overwhelm him. That first sexual encounter had been an eye-opener. She was hot-blooded, that was for sure, with a nearly unquenchable zest for sex that took even him by surprise, and he was no slouch when it came to his experience and techniques.

  "Are you coming or you just going to stare at my ass all day?"

  Brecken jolted out of his reverie, saw his ex-fiancée eyeing him over her shoulder with a seductive smile while she waited at his office door. He always kept it locked when he wasn't at his desk. One couldn’t be too careful, even in their own company. He nodded, taking his time catching up to her. He couldn't help but remember their breakup. It had been nasty, filled with accusations, innuendo, and threats. While he was inwardly glad that they had never said "I do," he couldn't help but feel a surge of momentary regret that they hadn't been able to work things out.

  The blunt truth of the matter was that other than their desire for one another, they weren't very compatible. To be brutally honest with himself, he had to admit that she was a bit unstable. Now, she seemed more than that. She seemed crazy. Her moods could change in an instant. One minute, she was purring in your ear, and the next minute, depending on what you said or how you reacted, she wanted to scratch your eyes out. After months of trying to be as patient as he could, hoping that stability, creating their business, and their upcoming wedding plans would begin to mellow her out, he had realized that she would never mellow. Alyson was always on the warpath and it didn't matter what time of day, what was going on, how much money she had, or who she was with.

  Brecken liked to think it was Alyson's despicable personality and thinly veiled contempt for anyone but herself that had driven him into the arms of the other woman whose name he couldn't even remember right now. Perhaps it was his own inability to commit or settle down. He thought he had been ready to do that with Alyson, and he wasn't sure how much her demands had played a role in his wandering eye, but as instantly as he had fallen for her, he felt repelled by her.

  Nevertheless, and unfortunately for both of them, they were connected by their business. As co-owner, Alyson had yet to move on from their broken and damaged relationship. Brecken had broken it off with her two months ago, but she didn't seem to want to put it behind her. Or accept it. He had tried to let her down easy, but there was really no way he could say something like "you're kind of crazy" to a crazy person.

  He unlocked his office and gestured for her to go in before him. When they were inside, he shut the door and then moved toward his desk. He didn't sit behind it, but instead turned and leaned his hip against it, his arms crossed over his chest and his feet casually crossed. He stared at her with a bland expression while she shot daggers at him. Cliché, but when it came to Alyson, if looks could kill, she personified the expression.

  "What can I do for you today, Alyson?"

  "I thought we were to discuss a new manager for the billing department together."

  He shrugged. "I left you a message for you two days ago that I was interviewing. You didn't show up. I figured you weren't interested. I hired Heather Kurtz, whom you so rudely yelled at just moments ago. So, what's the problem?"

  "I don't like her," she said.

  "You don't like anybody," Brecken replied.

  "We need to talk," she said, her voice softening just a bit and she took a step closer to him.

  He knew where that might lead and held up his hand. At the moment, he wished he had some garlic or a crucifix or something toward her off. He knew that look, and he knew just as well that while he was no longer emotionally attached to Alyson, he still felt physically attracted to her. He didn't know why, but his dick always semi-hardened when she was around and he had an urge to cup his hands around her huge, fake breasts, to squeeze, to hear her moan…

  What was it that he wanted from her? He shook his head, trying to focus on something else, but from her expression, she knew what he was thinking.

  "You're still hot for me," she commented. "Why deny it, Brecken? We were made for each other."

  "Not hardly, Alyson," he said. "You know it as well as I do. When we're together, we argue-"

  "That's because we’re so hot for each other," she smiled. The smile didn't reach her eyes. "It’s the sexual tension."

  "I don't care what it is," he said, straightening. Maybe he did need to sit down behind the desk just in case his dick hardened any more. He certainly didn't want to give her any indication how much he still desired her physically, nor give her any ideas. To help combat his imagination over Alyson's body, he thought of Heather’s. Fresh. Innocent, maybe. Just as desirable as Alyson, but in a different way. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He had been with plenty of beautiful women. He supposed when it came right down to it, their personality mattered just as much as their physical body.

  "What do you want, Alyson?"

  She pouted. "Never mind. I can see that you’re not in a mood to talk about anything, let alone our relationship-"

  "Other than the company, Alyson, we don't have a relationship anymore. Remember?"

  Her pout turned into a scowl. "Brecken, I know all your secrets-"

  He immediately stood, his heartbeat accelerating, but not in passion. He was growing angry and irritable. "And, I know plenty of your secrets, too, Alyson. Are you threatening me?"

  She backed down, but only slightly, when she saw the expression on his face. "Maybe, maybe not." She turned and headed toward the door. "But you and I need to talk – and soon."

  "We can talk later, but now I have work to do. I assume you do, as well." He knew better than to assume anything when it came to Alyson. While she was a co-owner, she rarely appeared at the office building. He didn't really care. The less he saw of her, the better. As a silent partner, maybe things might work, but only if she didn't let her attitude take over her better judgment.

  He narrowed his eyes as he watched her exit his office and quietly close the door behind her. For a second, he wondered why she didn't slam it as she usually did. So, it had come to that, had it? She was threatening him? Implying that she would divulge his secrets? He frowned as he sat down and stared unseeing out the window.

  Not good. Not good at all.

  *

  For the short time that Brecken remained at his office before he decided to go home and change in preparation for his dinner date with
Heather, he contemplated his options. He didn't really like any of them. Although he had been careful not to show any change in his expression when Alyson had mentioned secrets, he knew that he had to deal with this – and sooner rather than later.

  She could bring him down. If she talked, she would bring them both down. He knew she was vindictive, but was she self-destructive? He doubted it, but then again, he could hardly take the chance, could he?

  Finally, as dusk began to filter through his window and his office developed shadows, he glanced at the clock and realized he better get going. He pushed thoughts of Alyson out of his mind. He was looking forward to spending a lovely evening with his new billing manager. Heather was a beautiful woman, with her dark, almond-, hazel eyes, that perfect little nose, and those luscious lips that just begged to be kissed. While her breasts were not as large as Alyson's, they were perfect, no enhancements needed. Besides, more than a handful was a waste, wasn't it?

  He had his driver take him home, where he quickly changed into a pair of dark blue slacks, a light blue dress shirt, and a bold, red tie. He wanted to treat Heather to a nice restaurant. Ritzy, but not too ostentatious. He was looking forward to getting to know her a little better. He knew a little about her, had naturally done a background check on her before even interviewing for the job along with investigating her social media pages, but what he wanted to know was more personal. He knew she wasn’t married, but did she have a boyfriend?

  While he had told her that the dinner was strictly business to make up for Alyson's behavior, he had seen the brief expression of hesitance that had crossed her face at the invitation. He knew what she was thinking. An invitation from the boss for dinner? After her first day on the job? He had seen, without needing to hear her speak the words, her uncertainty. Could she decline without worrying about her job security?

  While he was incredibly attracted to her, he also knew that he had to take things slow or she'd bolt. He didn't want to come on too strong. He also had to remember how quickly he had fallen for Alyson, intrigued by her exterior without really getting to know her on the inside before he had impulsively asked her to marry him. He wasn't going to make that mistake again.