Beguiled

Prologue

Saige

“Why am I here?” I asked the question when I already knew the answer. And it wasn’t so that I could experience the wandering eyes of half the men at the Christmas party, a solid two-thirds of them arriving with a beautiful woman by their side.

“To keep me from losing my mind,” Tawny said while grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the open bar, one of several offering sparkling beverages in cut crystal.

“Then too late,” I teased, pulling away.

“Very funny. Did you forget you’re my plus one?”

“How could I forget? I’m squeezed into a dress a size too small just for the joy of being your date.” Disdain tainted my tone.

“Stop whining. You look beautiful. Most of the men in the room are hungry little bastards.”

Her laugh sparkled throughout the room. “I would call most just bastards. My guess is three-quarters of these men are married.”

“Not all of them. Remember, you’re here to make an impression. I heard there might be a job opening you’re perfect for.”

“How quickly you forget I’m not into marketing.” She was well aware of the number of jobs I’d applied for.

“No, my darling best friend. You’re into numbers even if they aren’t sexy. Now, my job on the other hand…”

“I’ll have you know numbers are very sexy. Besides, you could make funeral directing look sexy.” And she could. Nothing fazed her, a bubbling personality that refused to quit.

“Two champagnes,” she ordered, even flirting with the bartender. “Numbers are black and white, not like the hot, sexy flesh of a man.”

I had to admit that he was kind of cute with his thick wavy hair and nonchalant attitude.

But the last thing I needed was to engage in raw, carnal sin.

Even if it had been a long time since I’d indulged in anything but numbers.

Mostly, my failing ones in keeping afloat.

While I enjoyed being a barista in a fancy Fifth Avenue coffee shop, my bank account didn’t.

“Why do you believe there will be a job opening?” From her I’d learned some about the elusive Chertov Corporation, a company who’d recently appeared on the cover of Fortune Magazine.

They appeared to be a shooting star. They’d gone from rather shady beginnings to fast becoming a giant in the hospitality industry.

And that was before they’d diversified into gas and oil.

Maybe a strange combination, but with them, the model had worked very well to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

If the predictions were correct, they could hit a billion-dollar empire by this time next year.

Companies like them required experience, and being an intern for a financial advisor once didn’t seem to cut it.

“Don’t worry. It’s in the finance department. I heard it from a reliable source that one of the owners can’t keep an assistant to save his life.”

“An assistant?”

“He’s the CFO and from what I was told, a horrible man to work for.

” Tawny giggled as she handed me a crystal flute, the bubbles drawing my attention.

She and I had been friends for a couple of years.

She was a woman who enjoyed fancy parties where everyone pretended to be on their best behavior. This wasn’t my scene whatsoever.

I was the homebody, uncertain if I could even cut it in the Big Apple.

“Perfect. You want your best friend to go to work for a certifiable jerk. That’s exactly what I dream of every night.

” The crush of people coming to the bar forced us to step away, allowing me a perfect view of the spectacular ballroom.

With elegant chandeliers, gleaming marble floors, and a historic vaulted ceiling, the location was one of the most exquisite hotels in all of New York.

The hors d’oeuvres were scrumptious, the caviar and smoked brie my favorites.

Even the name of the establishment reeked of opulence. Chateau Elegance.

A girl from Iowa didn’t belong here. I’d thought more about returning home, trying to help my parents save the ranch. It was my mother who’d insisted I follow my dream of becoming a stockbroker on Wall Street. That felt like a million miles away.

“I’m saying that you’d be perfect for him. The way you handle arrogant assholes is amazing.”

“So what exactly does he do that’s so terrible?”

She laughed, even rolling her eyes. “The typical. He expects perfection, doesn’t seem to understand not everyone desires to work all night or into every weekend. He’s curt, never giving praise, but quick to criticize. And he’s grumpy all the time.”

“Oh, wow. That sounds like just the boss I’d want to work for.”

“You could always bring a whip with you and tame him. Ooh-la-la. Plus, the starting pay is astronomical, the benefits sublime.”

“Great. Where do I apply?” Taming. Whips. I shuddered from hearing both words, a prickle of heat tickling the back of my neck.

Her giggle was followed by her line of sight falling on some hot guy. She was the flirty one of the two of us. I wouldn’t know how to successfully flirt if required. Doing so wasn’t in my gene pool.

“You’d need to kick the other girl to the curb first. However, I think the odds are your favor since he’s on number three and he only started working with the company a couple months ago. Oh, my God. Look at that hottie.”

“Ouch.”

Tawny sighed, and not as if our conversation was boring her, but a dramatic, breathless sound that carried several feet away. To the man in the tailored suit who’d had his eye on her all night.

“I think he’s coming this way,” she breathed, although barely. I was worried the girl would hyperventilate right here, passing out on the floor. At least I knew there’d be a ton of men clambering to come to her rescue.

“Why don’t you go talk to him?”

“Are you sure?” The way she looked at me with her dark eyes glistening in the perfectly ambient lighting was soul draining.

“Go. I’ll be fine. Maybe I’ll get some fresh air.”

Her ruby-stained lips curled in a saccharine-laced smile, one that she’d perfected. She proved the saying that you could attract more flies with honey, or in several cases with her, vermin rather than flies. She didn’t have the best taste in men.

Her squeal was too adorable. “Maybe you’ll find a tall, dark, and handsome stranger on the balcony and engage in hot sex.”

Bubbles from the sip of champagne floated up my nose. At least I managed to cough gracefully. Maybe she was dead wrong.

Tawny blew me a kiss and tossed her long, dark mane over her shoulders.

Cringing, I felt like a fish out of water. There had to be two hundred people in the ballroom. While the space was expansive, a tickling sensation of suffocation threatened to turn into a full-blown panic attack. I searched for an exit to the balcony for some fresh air.

Even though it was December in New York, I’d heard the outside area was fully enclosed with heating lamps. I hoped so since the scarlet dress I’d borrowed was barely there.

The twinkling lights covering the gorgeous fake trees drew my attention even before I slipped outside. Once I did, I was pulled into magical surroundings.

If the area was really called a balcony, then I couldn’t imagine what a terrace at one of the coveted hotels looked like. The setting was gorgeous with various seating areas, outdoor fireplaces, and warm glowing lights from flameless candles on every table.

Why wasn’t a single person outside? The space was gorgeous. Maybe because there wasn’t bar service.

Still the view of the city seen without interference, the fencing all thick glass, was spectacular.

I moved toward it, already drinking in the fresh air.

While I was a touch claustrophobic, heights didn’t bother me in the least. I was instantly mesmerized by the thousands of shimmering lights and noise, the Christmas music piped through unseen speakers adding to the festive atmosphere.

What would it be like to work for such a profitable company?

At least working with a CFO of a major corporation would provide some experience that I needed.

Three hundred resumes in the last four months and I couldn’t get a single financial advisory or wealth management firm to even call me for an interview.

Forget about stepping onto the stock market exchange floor.

“Could you work for an arrogant asshole?” Maybe I was asking the universe that question. An answer was truly needed since I had a mouth on me.

“That’s an interesting question. But I’m curious. What constitutes arrogance in your mind?”

Tiny prickles shifted down my arms that had nothing to do with the light breeze. The man’s voice was a deep, smooth baritone, husky, a soft kiss of velvet dancing across my naked skin. What made his question so intriguing was his accent, Russian if I wasn’t mistaken.

I’d heard there were several Russians working at the company, which was another reason Tawny was enthralled with working for them. She had a thing for accents.

Ordinarily, I couldn’t care less, but the sound created vibrations in my heart, a flutter of butterfly wings in my stomach, and pool of wetness between my legs. I hadn’t experienced such a reaction to a man in a very long time.

As in forever.

“A man who doesn’t give compliments and expects his employees to work all weekend; a perfectionist who doesn’t budge an inch and a guy who doesn’t have a decent bone in his body. A real jerk.”

“He sounds deplorable.” He inched closer, enough that a wonderful whiff of his aftershave spiraled toward me.

There was an unmistakable scent of cinnamon and cloves, perfectly fitting the season.

There was also a hint of expensive leather and a touch of other spices that reminded me of exotic locations.

“Yes, he does. I have a friend who believes I could put him in his place.” I dared turn my head, praying his facial features were as attractive as his rugged scent.

Wow. There was no other way to describe him.

While his face remained partially in the shadows, his chiseled jaw immediately grabbed my attention.