Illicit Affairs by Holly Dixon

Twelve

The restof the weekend was one big messy blur for Ava. She kept replaying what happened in the stables until the memory was forever burned into her mind. The taste of Nate’s breath was still on her lips, the feeling of his soft grip on her throat, the way his hazel forests gazed down at her, spreading heat throughout her body like wildfire—he haunted her.

Ava had been over it a million times in her head and every time she concluded that it was highly inappropriate to have those types of relations with her boss. Peter Taylor was different; he was just a lawyer like the rest of the white collars filling the department. He was expendable. Nathaniel Brooks was her father’s business partner, and for some reason, it felt like she was betraying her old man by having these illicit thoughts. However, she couldn’t shake the itch that was Mr. Brooks; the way he stood above her and didn’t silence her demons, choosing instead to play with them—was that what she wanted? Was that what she needed?

Monday was on her doorstep before she had time to think of an appropriate way to approach her boss and explain to him that whatever nearly happened in the stables would never happen. It was a near moment that could be devastating to both of their careers. However, it was coming up midmorning and Ava hadn’t seen Nate all day despite him appearing online. He even stood her up when he was meant to be briefing her on the Forbes case. His evasiveness put her on edge, especially when his calendar was free, and being his assistant, she had no idea where he was. It didn’t help matters that the initial Forbes negotiation was today—the first time Ava would have sat in one—and she had utterly no idea what the finer details of this case were. She felt completely unprepared.

Brushing down her white blouse, she tucked her shirt into her tailored grey work slacks and perfected her high ponytail, letting the waves fall to the middle of her back. She knew Mr. Brooks would have to be at the Forbes negotiation so she decided to go early to the boardroom and hopefully catch him before the meeting.

Ava’s heels echoed down the long hallway, her laptop in her arms as she swung around a corner and stopped dead, her jaw dropping at the scene unfolding in the boardroom. There inside, stood Nate with his back to her, dressed in his usual sharp work attire as he leaned his hips against the back of a chair, his knuckles white from how tight he gripped on to the table behind him. But it wasn’t seeing him stood there that made Ava feel like her stomach was about to fall out of her arse. It was the brunette woman in front of Nate, on her knees and gripping his thighs.

Nate had taken far toomany cold showers that weekend. That vexing little blonde was all he could think about, his body in a constant state of ache and yearning that he alone could not relieve—no matter how many times he tried.

By the time Monday came around, he was glad that his morning was jam-packed, giving him some respite from his newfound and lethal obsession. First things first, the promotion of Ms. Samantha Eastley. With Mr. Archer’s permission, Nate opened up a brand-new position for the young woman, appointing her as data analyst and systems managerfor their sector, and giving her a handsome bump in pay too.

“You’re bloody kidding me right now?!” Sam trilled in her thick Celtic accent, squealing the meeting room down and practically bouncing in her seat like an excited toddler over the incredible news. “Eh, aye! I absolutely accept!” She beamed, tucking the ombre caramel waves of her shoulder-length bob behind her ears.

Nate could see why this woman was best friends with Ms. Archer; they both shared that vibrant zest for life and were both hyperactive in their own ways.

“Good, then your new position will commence in three months’ time, but I would ask for your utmost discretion on this matter, Ms. Eastley.” Nate spoke professionally even though he was breaking every HR rule in the book right now.

“Abso-fucking-lutely, mouth shut, got it,” Sam promised, nodding her head as she zipped her lips and tossed away the key.

Nate was struggling to hide his amusement as he escorted her out of the meeting room but called after her, “Oh, and Ms. Eastley?” He waited until Sam turned around to face him. “That discretion does not extend to Ms. Archer.” He winked, a small smile slipping across his lips as Sam beamed him a cheery grin and all but danced her way up the hallways. Chuckling to himself, Nate began making his way back towards his department when the elevator doors pinged open and a flash of emerald green caught his eye.

“Nathaniel!”

Nate halted and turned to see the eccentric and widowed Charlotte Forbes approaching him. Charlotte was the definition of wealth, practically dipped in gold from her late husband’s pockets. The young woman was dressed in a designer green jumpsuit that showed off the body that her personal trainer likely handcrafted for her. She reminded Nate of a viper, a very lethal viper. “I’m glad to have caught you,” she cooed in prim and proper British that was pretentious as it was tasteless. “Can we discuss somewhere private prior to the negotiation, darling?” Charlotte asked, removing her unnecessarily large sunglasses and sitting them atop her sleek brunette hair that was so flawlessly long and straight, Nate doubted it was her own.

“Certainly, Mrs. Forbes,” Nate answered and respectfully ushered her into the meeting room he had just vacated.

“Honestly, Nate, for the umpteenth time, please just call me Charlotte.” She laughed, her hand resting on his elbow and making him feel as uneasy as a jaguar entering an anaconda’s territory.

Nate had dealt with these types of clients before, women who desired nothing more than money, a succubus that would corrupt any man to get what they wanted.

“What would you like to discuss, Mrs. Forbes?” Nate asked, standing at the top of the long conference table and watching as Charlotte made her way to the refreshment table and poured herself a glass of water. A woman of her stature had a way of acting like she was at home anywhere she went.

“Well, it’s nothing pressing, of course, I very much wanted to thank you for your help in setting up my case.” She prowled closer to Nate, making his guard climb higher as he casually dismissed her gratitude for him just doing his job. “Oh, but no, your firm really has been highly supportive during this stressful and lonely time in my life.” Charlotte sniffed, a practiced melancholic smile on her face as she idly sipped at her water. “I am just very appreciative is all. I’m having a hard enough time grieving my beloved Holden without my stepchildren trying to ostracise me from the family like this”—she scoffed a sardonic laugh—“not that it isn’t something they’ve tried to do since I joined the family!”

Nate remained guarded, his face revealing nothing despite him wanting to ask if Charlotte could blame Holden’s kids for having a strong distaste for her; not only was she ages with his offspring and marrying their affluent seventy-year-old father but now she was clearly trying to hijack their inheritance.

“Again, Mrs. Forbes, this firm is here at your disposal,” Nate announced, hoping to shut down the conversation, but Mrs. Forbes had other ideas as she stood before him, waving her hand about expressively, the contents of the tumbler she held worryingly sloshing up the sides of the glass.

“And a fine firm it is—oh my!” Charlotte gasped, her hand waving to motion at the room and inadvertently spilling water down Nate’s crotch and thigh.

Nate recoiled as the ice water saturated the dark fabric of his slacks and stung at his skin. He cursed under his breath swiping his hand down over his lap before stopping short when he found Mrs. Forbes down upon her knees in front of him, his eyes blown out wide.

“I’m so very sorry!” Charlotte fretted, dabbing his thigh with paper napkins. “I’m so jittery these days!”

“That’s quite fine, honestly, I got it!” Nate hissed, trying to take a step back from this erratic woman but finding he was blocked in between her and the table behind him. His hands gripped the wood behind him, his jaw clenched frustratedly, wanting to bark at this nutjob to get off of his damn leg and kick her away like a petulant dog—even if it meant losing money and a client.

He was just about to snap when a loud thud behind him alerted both him and Mrs. Forbes. Snapping around, he saw his saviour set their laptop down onto the table, their hands on their hips with glaciers shooting icicles at him.

“Ava.” Nate’s face lit up, his stomach somersaulting and causing him to worry at the effect his assistant had on him. He felt like a pining schoolboy around her!

“Mr. Brooks,” Ava clipped out, her eyebrows raised expectantly as her glaciers dropped to the woman who was currently clung on to the sides of his thighs. “Am I interrupting?”

Two and two were put together, Nate’s attention snapping between Ava and Mrs. Forbes before he quickly realised what this scene looked like from Ms. Archer’s perspective.

Agh, shit.