“It’s not like that,” Sierra quickly replied, hoping they’d drop it.
“No way. I saw him watching you. His body was tense, and his eyes were practically stripping you where you stood,” Trinity said with a giggle.
“Mmm, agreed. We didn’t even need to turn the oven on to boil the water,” Nicole added.
Sierra didn’t want to say how close to right they may actually be. He may have hired her for nothing but a call-girl. He’d be disappointed if that’s what he was after.
“Honestly, I swear it’s not like that,” Sierra said, but as the women laughed, she couldn’t help but smile with them. Her fear was quickly evaporating in light of Damien’s choice of friends. He couldn’t be too terrible of a man if he associated with such good people.
“You do think he’s hot, right?” Trinity asked, her gaze boring into Sierra, not allowing her to lie.
“I am human. It’s pretty hard not to notice he’s a bit better looking than the average guy. Then again, all your husbands are on an equally sizzling scale, so I think it may just be that this house has some incredibly good lighting,” Sierra said with a giggle.
“Ah, great come-back. No, it’s certainly not the light. Those men are definitely drool-worthy. Seriously, though, they have hearts of gold – each one of them,” Trinity said, her eyes softening as she talked about the men she loved.
“I’m sure they do,” Sierra replied, a bit envious at the connection these women shared with not only their husbands, but each other, as well.
“Okay, we promise not to grill you anymore tonight, but only if you swear to tell us if anything does occur on that lengthy flight,” Jasmine said as she pulled a tray of sizzling meat from the oven.
“Deal,” Sierra promised, feeling confident there wouldn’t be anything to tell.
Chapter Seven
“What exactly am I supposed to be doing for you?” Sierra asked as they buckled their seatbelts and prepared for take-off. She wasn’t a fan of flying and hoped he’d at least speak to her, take her mind off the fact that soon they’d be flying over the ocean for the next fifteen or so hours.
She’d been in awe of his private jet, which had luxuriously soft carpet, a comfortable seating area, two bedrooms, full-sized bathroom, and a kitchen. Her father had a company jet, but it paled in comparison to Damien’s. She felt like she’d stepped into a whole other world.
“My corporation has various arms to it – investments in multi-billion dollar properties throughout the world, exports to and from many countries, and most importantly, wine. My vineyards are my passion. I take pride in creating a superior product. The most elite wine connoisseurs are on waiting lists for my best products. I have various P.R. Reps, but only one who travels with me as I close deals. The rest are stationed in different countries and do what needs to be done year round.”
“That didn’t answer my question. What is my job?” Sierra said with some frustration.
“Your job is to do whatever I need you to do,” he said, his gaze connecting with hers. A shiver ran down her spine at the look in his eye.
“I’m exhausted. My world has been flipped upside down. This morning I woke up after a long and grueling week, only to be told I’ve been hired for a position I didn’t apply for. I’m not complaining, I’d just like to know what that position is, exactly. Do I type up papers, file documents, take notes? What are my daily tasks?”
“Yes to all of the above, along with a lot of research. I’ll go over more of what I need you to do when we land. My week has also been exhausting and I have a lot to get done on our trip. Taking the time to find a new employee is always frustrating, but I don’t trust anyone else to hire certain positions, especially the placements where the employee will spend a lot of time with me. You’ll have access to a lot of personal data, and I take that seriously. After take-off, why don’t you go try and get some sleep. I have work to do and don’t have time to visit,” Damien said, dismissing her.
Sierra felt her temper flare. She was sick of men telling her what to do, expecting her to bend to their will. She was sick of being a punching doll, whether mentally or physically. Fine. If he didn’t want to explain her duties, then she’d just enjoy the ride and explore the island of Australia. It didn’t really matter to her one way or the other. At least she was away from her father.
Once the captain cleared them to remove their seat-belts, Sierra got up and walked down the plush hallway to the smaller of the two rooms. Inside was a double bed with the blankets turned back, inviting her to lie down.
She opened a door and found a small bathroom, which even included a shower. She made use of the facilities, then laid down, not expecting to catch any sleep.
Sierra woke up, slowly rising to a sitting position. She rubbed her eyes before glancing at the clock, shocked when she noted the time. She’d slept for ten hours straight. How had she managed that? She couldn’t remember ever sleeping that long. Maybe it was because of their high elevation, or possibly the stress of the last few weeks catching up with her, but whatever it was, she felt better than she had in a long time.
She climbed out of bed, taking a minute to stretch her stiff muscles. After once again using the small, but nice bathroom, she made her way back out to the front of the jet.
Sierra stood in the dim light of the aircraft as she entered the main cabin area. Damien was in the same seat she’d left him in, but his head was leaned back against the soft back, his eyes closed as he gently breathed in and out.
She took a moment to glance over his softer features. He really was quite handsome, even more so without his eyes shooting sparks at her. He had a five-o-clock shadow shading his jaw, and the top two buttons were undone on his shirt, showing just a hint of the toned flesh beneath the stark white fabric.
She found herself wanting to reach out and run her finger across the opening, see if his skin felt as silky as it looked. Her eyes traveled down his body, the strong, wide shoulders, defined arms stretching the fabric of his shirt. She moved lower, past the flatness of his stomach to where his shirt was still tucked into his custom fitted slacks. He’d removed his belt, and like his shirt, the top button of his pants was undone. Her eyes were drawn to the button-hole, her fingers almost itching to reach out and tug on his zipper.
With a shake of her head, she pulled her gaze back up, and collided with his now open eyes.
“Have a good look? Would you like me to stand, maybe remove some clothes?” he mocked her sleepily, causing her face to turn scarlet. She had been ogling him, though, and deserved his snide remark.
“I just…uh, well, I thought I saw a bug,” she said, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation of why she was looking at the juncture of his thighs.
“A bug?”
He could’ve been a gentleman and just let it go, but she was quickly learning that Damien Whitfield was the furthest thing from a gentleman.
“Yes, a bug,” she said with more conviction. It may be a stupid lie, but it was hers, and she was going to own it.
“Take a seat. I’ll have Amber bring out a menu,” he said as he stood. She was rooted to the spot when he reached his arms above his head and stretched, his hands touching the ceiling of the jet, his shirt pulling tautly against his torso.
The man should be on magazine covers, not sitting behind a desk.
“Is there another bug…Sierra?” he whispered as he stepped closer.
It took a second for his words to compute in her brain. She didn’t bother replying, just quickly scurried away and plopped down in a chair as far from his as possible.
It didn’t help her nerves when she heard him chuckling as he walked away to his private bedroom.
The rest of the flight went surprisingly fast. Damien ate dinner with her, or at least she was assuming it was dinner. Her body was already turned upside down with traveling through so many different time zones. After their meal of delicious food, and ridiculously polite small-talk, he went back to work and she watched a couple movies.
She wouldn’t have minded helping him, but she didn’t want to start the whole “job” discussion again. That could wait until they were on solid ground.
As they began their descent, Sierra’s eyes were glued to the window. She looked out, beaming with joy that it was daylight and the sky was clear. She had a perfect view of the famous Sydney Harbor. It was all she could do to stop herself from clapping with excitement. She didn’t want her new boss to think her too much of a child.
They landed safely, allowing Sierra to breathe a huge sigh of relief, and before she knew it, they were stepping off the jet. A warm breeze blowing against her skin was a welcome and surprising relief. It was the beginning of December, freezing back home, but here it was warm, sunny, and just about perfect.
She hadn’t thought about the season’s being reversed. She was itching to explore the area, but she’d wait and take cues from Damien. She didn’t know if they were going to immediately get to work or not.
“This way,” Damien said, placing his hand on the small of her back, leading her to an awaiting limo. The man sure liked his long cars. She found it humorous, but managed to somehow keep her laughter to herself.
They quickly traveled from the airport and she drank in as much of the bustling city as she could through the tinted windows of the large car. Too soon they were pulling up to a stunning hotel.
“Where are we?” she asked with awe. The seemingly endless building was stunning.
Her father was a wealthy man, wealthier than most, but she hadn’t traveled the world with him, hadn’t gotten to experience the same privileges her sister had. It was a real treat to visit Australia and stay in such a luxurious hotel.
“This is the Park Hyatt,” he answered her matter-of-factly. He seemed slightly bored. Sierra couldn’t imagine ever getting to a point in her life where coming to such a beautiful place would seem boring to her.
A doorman was instantly at their car, holding the door open for them. Sierra took his hand as she stepped from the limo, her eyes wide as she looked up at the impressive entrance to the five-star-hotel.
Damien joined her, then placing his hand on her back again, guided her inside. She looked around the incredible lobby, as she followed beside him. She didn’t hear his conversation with the staff, but soon they were riding in an elevator, and walking down a beautifully decorated hallway.
The bellman assisting them slid his card through the key card slot in their door and they walked inside a massive suite with floor to ceiling windows seemingly everywhere. She walked over to them and looked down at a perfect view of the famous opera house. Maybe she’d be able to attend a show. Oh, how she hoped so!
The room was spacious, with work areas, a kitchen, bar, luxury bathrooms, even a baby grand piano. She didn’t understand the need for such a large room for just the two of them, but she wasn’t going to complain.
Within minutes of arriving, Damien told her to order what she’d like for food, and then he disappeared into the office, shutting the door behind him. She stood there, feeling out of sorts.
