Worth It: Worth The Scandal Part 2

"There was a change in the time for the Paris opening so I updated your itinerary and planned on slipping it beneath your door, but I discovered it wasn't locked." She kept her gaze focused on his knee, too afraid to look him in the eye.

"So I went inside and set it on your desk. It's right there."

"Where?"

She pointed with a shaky finger, then immediately dropped her hand into her lap. Wrenching around, he grabbed the paper from the desk and scanned it, his gaze zeroing in on her when he finished.

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Tessa kept her head bowed, her hands clutched together in her lap. She caught him watching her from beneath her lashes. "I'm sorry," she whispered, unsure of what to say.

"No need for apologies," he said crisply, dropping the itinerary on his desk.

He stood and went to the window, his back to her. "Don't get out of that chair.

You look...good in it."

She'd been poised and ready to leap out of it as soon as possible but she fell back against the soft leather, startled by what he said. How had he even known she was moving? The man must have eyes in the back of his head.

"May I ask you a question?" He didn't so much as move a muscle while he waited for her answer.

"Of course, si-" She cleared her throat, cursing silently at herself. Why couldn't she break the sir habit?" "Yes, you may."

"You almost called me sir."

"I did," she confessed weakly.

"Your formality is completely unnecessary you know. Especially because we're going to be working very closely together in the upcoming weeks," he said cryptically.

She frowned. He was leaving in a matter of days. What in the world was he talking about?

"How long have you worked for me?" Alex stared out the window at the bustling cityscape below. Cars whizzed by, mostly yellow cabs or buses, all of them in a hurry to get nowhere. He felt akin to the city that never stopped because really, he never stopped either.

He'd come into the office on a Sat.u.r.day, something he rarely did, because he'd been too restless, too keyed up to do much of anything else. An idea had

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come over him in the middle of the night, an idea so tantalizing, so d.a.m.ned crazy yet logical he hadn't been able to think of anything else.

It had surprised him, to find the very woman who'd haunted his thoughts half the night sitting in his chair behind his desk in his office, which was supposed to be locked. Anger had filled him at first, and his immediate thoughts had turned to Hunter and what he'd told him about the spy.

Could sweet little Tessa Crawford be the Worth spy Hunter spoke of?

But then he'd seen the expression on her face just before she realized he was there. Her gaze dreamy, staring off into the distance, her lush lips curved in a secretive little smile. If he wasn't mistaken that particular look was one of...

Pleasure.

He'd lost all thoughts of spies and snitches and startled her right out of that hazy, pleasured look by barking at her, much to his disappointment.

"I've been working as your a.s.sistant a little over six months." He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the sound of her sweet and sultry voice. How many times had he fantasized about hearing that voice whisper wicked words in his ear?

Too many times to count.

"Six months and nineteen days if we're going to be specific." He'd reconfirmed her hire date with the HR manager late Friday. Not that he needed to, not really.

He remembered the first day she'd entered his office, like a little mouse, a tentative, scared smile barely curving her ruby red lips. Big brown eyes had drunk him in as she stared and he'd realized he'd never seen anyone so innocently beautiful in all his life.

He'd been sucker punched from the first moment he laid eyes her.

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She cleared her throat delicately. "That sounds about accurate." There was a trace of amus.e.m.e.nt lacing her words.

Whirling around, he faced her, his gaze dropping ever so briefly to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. They strained against the front of her black turtleneck sweater, setting fire to his imagination. "Do you realize that in the last six months and nineteen days, you've yet to call me anything but Mister Worth or sir?" Her lids lowered and she pursed her lips. They wore not a hint of lipstick, not even any gloss. But they were just as full, just as tempting. "As I've said before, it's merely a sign of respect, Mister Worth." She was such an intriguing mixture of obedient and defiant. It aroused him beyond measure. "I would think that after working so closely together, Tessa-" she lifted her gaze at his mention of her name, "-that you could let go of the formality once and for all and call me Alex."

"All right." Again, she cleared her throat. "Alex." Christ. Hearing that smoky, s.e.xy voice utter his name sent l.u.s.t spiraling through him. And that wasn't what he was after, h.e.l.l no. He was trying to get them on a more familiar level, for what he was about to request was extremely last minute and downright life altering.

He didn't know anything about her private life, her obligations. What she did during non-business hours, what interests she might have. She definitely wasn't wealthy, and she wasn't married, he knew that for a fact. She lived in Brooklyn and from what he gleaned by eavesdropping-heaven help him, yes he'd eavesdropped like a foolish teenage girl-she didn't have a boyfriend.

Well, he didn't believe she did. He hoped like h.e.l.l she didn't.

"Do you like to travel?"

The abrupt change of topic startled her for she gave a little jump. "I've never been one to travel much, Alex."

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He smiled, pleased she'd said his name. "Due to circ.u.mstance, perhaps?

Have you ever wanted to travel? See the world?"

"I've worked steadily since I was in high school and college. I haven't had much time."

Or money, he was sure. Most young women of her age and financial situation had never left the tri-state area, let alone traveled the world. "And how old are you again?"

She fidgeted. Just the thought of her wiggling her lush bottom in his leather chair made his c.o.c.k twitch. "Twenty-five."

"Ah, you're young." He was thirty-five, a solid ten years older than she. Yet in the corporate world, he was considered young as well. Would she consider him too old? He had a touch of gray at the temples, a fact Rhett loved to remind him about almost every time they spoke. Their father had turned gray early, and Alex really didn't mind. It made him look more distinguished in business dealings, and he needed every advantage he could gather to conquer.

To win.

But would Tessa dismiss him because of their age difference?

Alex frowned. He was being foolish, worrying about her dismissal, her interest in him. She had none, and he shouldn't have any in her. She was his a.s.sistant, nothing more.

"I'm not too young, if that's what you're implying." She visibly bristled, and he couldn't help but find her ire attractive. The emotion added a pretty pink flush to her cheeks. "Do you have a problem with my job performance? Because I can a.s.sure you, if you ever take issue with anything I do, you can certainly tell me. I pride myself on my job above all else, and I have no problem taking constructive criticism and applying it where needed." 24 She was a feisty little thing. He knew this, had enjoyed gently baiting her in the past because of it too. Today though, he hadn't meant to light such an indignant fire within her. He needed her calm. Rational. "I have no problems with you or your job performance, Tessa. None whatsoever."

"Oh." She slumped in the chair and exhaled through her nose, as if she'd been holding her breath. "I apologize for my outburst. I don't know what-" He held up a hand, silencing her. "I need to ask you a question about the relaunch tour. I leave on Tuesday."

"Yes, you do and everything's in order." She nodded. "Do you need me to make any adjustments before you go?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I want you to come with me." Tessa stared at Alex, her mouth hanging open rather inelegantly. She snapped her jaw shut and sat straighter, struggling to find her voice so she could answer him.

"I know it's rather last minute, but I need your a.s.sistance during the trip.

We're in negotiations for new store s.p.a.ce in London and honestly, the timing is awful." He rubbed a hand along his firm jaw, and her gaze followed the movement of his fingers.

Such lovely fingers, long and topped with blunt nails. Large, capable looking hands with wide palms, hands she'd fantasized about more than once touching her gently-or perhaps not so gently. Guiding her where he wanted her to go next...

The room was quiet, and she realized he waited for her answer. "It shouldn't be a problem, Mister-" c.r.a.p, she'd forgotten again. It was hard to break the habit and it just felt so intimate, calling him Alex. "I will make the arrangements right away." Excitement bubbled up within her.

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He wanted her to go with him. The opportunity to see the world-London, Paris-made her very nearly giddy with antic.i.p.ation.

"You do have a pa.s.sport, don't you?"

"It was a requirement upon my hiring." Considering she hadn't even traveled out of the area, let alone the country, she'd never had a need for one.

Thank goodness the company had paid for it, preparation for moments such as this.

He nodded once, his expression serious, his eyes steely blue as he watched her. He always watched her, as if ready to catch her in a stolen moment, waiting for her to stumble or make a mistake. At least, that's what it felt like. "Make sure our hotel rooms are close to each other's. I want access to you at all times." I want access to you at all times. Her cheeks flushed. Well, didn't that take on new meaning when she applied her rather illicit thoughts to the statement?

"You're staying in the best suites in five star hotels. I don't think I merit a suite," she murmured. This was so strange, talking to him while he stood by the window, she sitting in his chair. It should be the other way around.

His dark brows rose at her words. "You don't merit? You don't think you're worth a suite?"

"I'm merely your a.s.sistant." She crossed her ankles, uncrossed them. He made her uncomfortable when he asked her such questions. As if he could see right through her, all of the little insecurities that made her up, that barely held her together.

"I'm the CEO of this company, Tessa, one of the oldest and most successful luxury goods providers in the United States and the world. And you're my a.s.sistant. If I believe you merit a suite, then you do." His words were final and he turned away, resuming his position at the window once more. He seemed to like staring out at the cityscape, watching the world buzz by.

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She enjoyed admiring his backside, and she'd never seen it in jeans before.

He'd shoved up the sleeves of his charcoal sweater to reveal tanned forearms sprinkled with dark hair, strong and masculine and filling her with an achy need.

He was a sight to be seen when he offered her such a view and well, she wasn't a fool.

She looked.

"I'll make the arrangements right away," Tessa said to his back as she stood.

"Give me all details when you're finished. I want the updated itinerary including your travel details as soon as everything's been confirmed." He kept his back to her.

"All right." She started for the door, her mind awhirl as to where she'd call first.

"And, Tessa?"

Stopping in her tracks, she turned and found he'd done the same. "Yes?"

"Please don't forget." One corner of his sensual mouth lifted, the closest thing she'd seen to a smile since she started working for him six months and nineteen days ago. "To call me Alex."

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