Seduced by the CEO Read online

  Releasing the breath she’d been holding, she sat up straighter in her chair. This was her time to shine, to prove that there was more to her than met the eye, and Jariah held nothing back. She told the HR director about her education, her past work experience, and the joy she found in volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program.

  “What makes you stand out from your peers?” Mrs. Reddick asked.

  “I’m dependable, trustworthy and responsible. I take great pride in my work, and I’m committed to being the best account manager I can be.”

  The HR director continued. “What’s your worst character trait?”

  That depends on who you ask. My parents think I’m irresponsible, my ex says I’m unreasonable, and his mother is convinced I got pregnant to trap her beloved son. The accusation stung, even after all these years, but Jariah didn’t have time to dwell on her troubled thoughts. “I can be stubborn at times, especially when I’m very passionate about a project, but I’ve never allowed my shortcomings to interfere with my ability to do my job.”

  Mrs. Reddick folded her arms rigidly across her chest, and Jariah knew she’d said the wrong thing, but before she could revise her response, the HR director spoke.

  “Why should we hire you, Ms. Brooks?”

  “Because I’m a dedicated, hard-working professional who thrives under pressure.”

  “Mrs. Reddick, if it’s all right with you I’d like to ask Ms. Brooks a few questions.”

  Bewildered by Nicco Morretti’s request, Jariah regarded him coolly. This isn’t good, she thought as her heart rate sped up.

  “Go ahead, Nicco.” Mrs. Reddick flapped her hands like a bald eagle taking flight. “She’s all yours.”

  Leaning forward in his chair, his eyes zeroing in on hers, he was nothing like the sly, flirtatious guy who’d hit on her two days earlier. “Why do you want to work for Morretti Inc.?”

  Because I’m an out-of-work single mom, and kids are expensive! Unsure of what to say, Jariah racked her mind for a suitable answer, one that would paint her in a favorable light. Over the past three weeks she’d been on so many interviews it was hard to keep the companies straight, and though she tried, Jariah couldn’t remember anything remarkable about Morretti Inc. But she couldn’t tell the boss’s son that, so she said the first thing that came to mind.

  “This is not only a fine opportunity for personal growth and professional advancement, but Morretti Inc. is a place where I feel I can make a difference.” Hearing the nervous quiver in her voice, Jariah paused to take a deep breath. “As an account manager, well versed in finance, book keeping and stock and investment options, I see this position as a perfect fit for me. Because I have excellent time management skills, I’m able to accomplish a lot in a limited amount of time and I have always led by example.”

  “Is your significant other supportive of your career ambitions?”

  Jariah frowned, and noticed that Mrs. Reddick raised her eyebrows, too. What an odd question. Is that his way of asking me if I have a boyfriend? She expected Mrs. Reddick to come to her rescue, but when the HR director didn’t, Jariah had no choice but to respond. “I’m single,” she said brightly, though she wanted to kick Nicco in the shin for digging around in her personal life. “My daughter is my number one priority right now.”

  “Do you have any qualms about working at a male-dominated company?”

  “Absolutely not. To be honest, I get along better with men than I do with women.” The second the words left her mouth Jariah regretted them, but to her surprise, Nicco grinned. He looked amused.

  “Do you have any questions for me before we conclude today’s interview?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact I do.” Jariah held his gaze. For some odd reason seeing the puzzled expression on his face bolstered her courage. “What makes Morretti Inc. different? What sets your company apart from the competition?”

  Nicco gave her a long, searching look. “That’s a great question, Ms. Brooks.”

  You impressed the boss’s son. You go girl!

  “Morretti Inc. has been the leader in the shipping industry for over fifty years, and since expanding our services in the nineties we’re increased our profits by 16 percent. In addition to our shipping, moving and security divisions, we also own condominium properties, car dealerships and a wildly successful restaurant franchise. Have you heard of Dolce Vita?”

  Yes, but it’s too expensive for my tastes. “Yes, of course. It’s a celebrity hotspot, and one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Miami.”

  Jariah fidgeted with her fingers and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Lying didn’t sit well with her. It troubled her conscience, made her feel like a fraud but she felt compelled to tell Nicco Morretti what he wanted to hear. The interview was going well, better than she’d expected, and she didn’t want to do anything to turn him off. “Can you tell me about your employee development program?”

  Mrs. Reddick spoke up. “We have a mandatory, one-week training session for all new employees, monthly webinars and workshops and a tuition reimbursement program for all full-time employees enrolled in university classes.”

  “That’s impressive,” Jariah said, meaning every word. “When will you make a decision about the account manager position?”

  “By Wednesday.” Mrs. Reddick closed her file folder. “Do you have any other questions?”

  Shaking her head, Jariah picked her purse up off the floor and stood to her feet. “Thank you for taking time out of your very busy schedule to meet with me this morning.”

  “No, thank you for coming.” Nicco stood and gestured to the door. “I’ll walk you out.”

  “That won’t be necessary. I remember the way.”

  “If you insist.”

  “I do.”

  Stepping forward, Jariah took the hand Nicco offered, and gave it a firm shake. Ignoring the warmth of his touch, she strode through the conference room door with her shoulders squared and her head held high.

  * * *

  Staring through the glass window, Nicco watched Jariah walk down the hallway with the grace of a woman twice her age. Her sleeveless dress, which clung to each sinuous curve of her body, made Nicco wonder if she’d ever been a model. He imagined her naked, with nothing on but her red patent leather pumps, and all but exploded in his boxers.

  Jariah Brooks is all wrong for you. His conscience pointed out. She has a kid, man trouble, and a serious attitude problem, remember? Nicco did, but that didn’t stop him from wanting her. Intelligent, assertive women turned him on, and he enjoyed Jariah’s strong personality and the way she stood up to him. She was definitely a looker, and he liked that she was single...and available.

  “What do you think?”

  Remembering that he wasn’t alone and that Mrs. Reddick was standing beside him, watching him like a hawk, he turned away from the window and shook off his thoughts. “I think Ms. Brooks would be a great addition to our accounting department, don’t you?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “You don’t?” Nicco heard the surprise in his voice and coughed to clear his throat. After leaving Javalicious on Friday, Nicco had told himself to forget about Jariah, but the message had failed to reach his brain. All weekend, he’d thought of her and nothing else. Running into her at his office had been a stroke of good luck, and after sitting in on her interview, Nicco was even more intrigued by the single mom with the keen mind and stellar résumé. “I was impressed by her answers and the questions she asked.”

  “Ms. Brooks is articulate, and obviously intelligent, but I don’t want to hire anyone who may cause trouble or disrupt the harmony within the accounting department—”

  “And you think Ms. Brooks is trouble?”

  Mrs. Reddick shoved her papers back into her manila file folder. “I can’t say for sure, but I’d rather not take the cha
nce. And besides, she’s a single mother.”

  “What does that have to do with her ability to do the job?”

  “In my thirty years of experience in HR, I’ve found single moms to be unreliable, undependable, and often too distracted by personal issues to effectively do their job.”

  “That sounds like discrimination, Mrs. Reddick.”

  “It’s called selective hiring.”

  Her words troubled him, but Nicco decided not to argue with Mrs. Reddick. The HR director was new to Morrretti Inc., but his father trusted her wholeheartedly, and he didn’t want to say anything to ruffle her feathers. “You’re the expert. Do what you think is best,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Have you hired a new executive assistant for me?”

  “Unfortunately, none of the men I’ve interviewed yesterday were up to snuff.”

  Stunned, Nicco stared wide-eyed at the HR director. Was Mrs. Reddick off her rocker? What would ever possess her to hire a dude to be his right hand? “Come again?”

  “In light of what happened with Ms. O’Conner, your father thought it was best I hire a male assistant to work alongside you, and I agreed.”

  “I don’t give a damn what my father thinks,” Nicco snapped, growing annoyed by her condescending tone. He knew what the HR director was implying, and he didn’t like it. “I would prefer working with a woman, so please don’t discriminate against female applicants.”

  “I’ll keep your wishes in mind, but I have to do what’s right for the company...”

  Nicco raked a hand through his hair. It wasn’t his fault his former assistant, Gracie O’Conner, had developed feelings for him and caused a scene at the company barbecue. Three days later Gracie quit, and when word had got back to company headquarters about the incident his father, Arturo, had reamed him out in English and Italian.

  His thoughts slid back to the past. Nicco loved everything about women—their strength, their femininity, the way they smelled and looked and moved. But they were also the most cunning, calculating people on the face of the planet. One night, after too many glasses of Cristal, he’d slept with Gracie. The next morning he’d apologized and made it clear that they could never be more than friends, but like all of the other women in his past she’d foolishly thought she could change him. When that didn’t work, she threatened to sue him for sexual harassment. To keep her quiet, and their family name out of the tabloids, his father had quietly paid her off.

  The muscles in his jaw tightened. Every time he thought about how Gracie had screwed him over, he burned inside. Why did women view him as their meal ticket?

  He didn’t want to rock the boat or piss off Mrs. Reddick, but he wasn’t sold on having a male executive assistant. He needed someone strong and assertive who spoke her mind. Someone like... A light went off in his head. “I want Ms. Brooks.”

  Mrs. Reddick gasped. “Excuse me?”

  “I want Ms. Brooks to be my new executive assistant.”

  “But she applied for the account manager job.”

  “I know, but since you’re not hiring her for the position, I’d like her to work for me,” he said, keeping his tone casual, despite his growing excitement. “Not only does Ms. Brooks have marketing training, she also has extensive experience working with start-up companies, and I bet she has great ideas on how to trim costs without sacrificing value and quality.”

  Mrs. Reddick pursed her thin lips. “I’ve been an HR director for more than three decades,” she reminded him. “My gut instinct is that Ms. Brooks isn’t the right fit for this company.”

  Nicco dismissed her words with a shake of his head. For some unexplainable reason, he wanted to help the out-of-work single mom. Other women like Gracie enjoyed living off men, but Jariah was independent and charitable, and he admired her ambition. After reading her curriculum vitae, he felt that she’d be a great addition to the Morretti Inc. family. He didn’t care what Mrs. Reddick thought. He was hiring Jariah, and that was that. “With all due respect, Mrs. Reddick, I’m quite capable of hiring my own executive assistant.”

  “Ms. Brooks is a university graduate, with years of experience working in finance,” she said matter-of-factly. “Being an EA is beneath her. She won’t take the position.”

  “She will.” Nicco adjusted his tie and flashed a broad grin. “Because I’m going to make Ms. Brooks an offer she can’t refuse.”

  Chapter 3

  “Mom, can Dad come over for dinner?”

  Absolutely not! Jariah thought, opening the fridge and taking out the Tupperware container filled with last night’s leftovers. The less time she spent with her ex the better, so inviting Wesley over to break bread after another stressful day of job interviews was definitely out of the question. “Not tonight, baby.”

  “But I haven’t seen Daddy since my birthday party.”

  Hearing the anguish in her daughter’s voice made her heart ache, but Jariah couldn’t tell Ava the real reason her father wasn’t coming around anymore. He was still trying to get back at her for breaking up with him, but the only person he was hurting was their daughter. “Your dad is busy at work, but he’s always thinking about you, Ava, even when you’re apart.”

  Ava sat at the kitchen table, playing with her stuffed animals, and when she poked out her bottom lip she looked just like her father. “I miss Daddy so much,” she said. “He buys me ice cream and games and always tells me funny stories...”

  Like most children, Ava adored her father and could go on for hours about how wonderful he was. Jariah wasn’t in the mood to talk about Wesley, but she let her baby girl talk, and resisted the urge to change the subject. Her ex was a decent father who spoiled their daughter silly, but he was a terrible boyfriend and a selfish lover. Considering how inept he was in the bedroom, it’s a miracle we ever got pregnant.

  Jariah’s gaze drifted to the window above the sink. Birds chirped in the trees, girls played jump rope in the streets and the neighborhood watchdog, Mr. Regula, stood in his driveway, buffing his Cadillac to a shine. Aventura was a safe, caring community, filled with hardworking people, and Jariah enjoyed living in such a diverse, multi-cultural neighborhood.

  “Mom, can we go to Chuck E. Cheese’s tomorrow?” Ava asked, glancing up from her toys.

  Jariah popped the leftovers in the microwave and set the timer for two minutes. “You have day camp tomorrow, remember?”

  “I hate summer camp. It’s boring and the kids are mean.”

  “Still not getting along with the other girls, huh?”

  Her lips twisted into a scowl. “Laquinta called me a boo-boo head and pulled my braids.”

  “La who?”

  When Ava giggled, her pigtails tumbled around her pretty, plump face.

  “It doesn’t matter what anyone says. You’re beautiful.”

  “Just like you, right, Mama?”

  “That’s right, and don’t you forget it.” Jariah walked over to the table, cupped her daughter’s chin and kissed the tip of her nose. “Put your toys away. It’s time for dinner.”

  “Are we having pizza? I hope so. I just love cheese pizza.”

  “I’ll make you pizza this weekend, but tonight we’re having veggie casserole.”

  “Again? But we had that yesterday.”

  Overlooking her daughter’s disappointment, Jariah opened the stove and heaved the casserole dish onto the counter.

  “When I’m at Dad’s house he lets me eat whatever I want,” Ava announced. Marching over to the pantry, she tugged open the door and rummaged around inside. “I don’t want leftovers. I want Froot Loops and chocolate chip cookies.”

  “Ava, cut it out. You’re going to eat what I made for dinner and that’s final.”

  “Why?” she demanded, her voice a shrill shout. “Why can’t I eat what I want?”

  “Because eati
ng junk food will give you a tummy ache, and I don’t want you to get sick.”

  “You always say no. You never give me what I want.”

  Feeling her temperature rise, Jariah cautioned herself to remain calm. Instead of scolding Ava for acting like a spoiled brat, she picked up the stuffed animals scattered on the table, and handed them to her daughter. “These need to go back to your room.”

  “I hate it here,” Ava shouted. “I wish I lived with Daddy!”

  Of course you do, Jariah thought sourly. Your dad gives you whatever you want, and there are no rules at his house. It’s one big party over there! Releasing a deep sigh, she fought back the tears of frustration that threatened to break free. Ava’s words hurt, made her question whether or not she was a good mother. Before self-pity could set in, Jariah shook off her thoughts and regarded her strong-willed daughter. “You can sit down at the table and eat dinner with me, or you can go to your room. It’s your choice.”

  Ava stood there for a minute, her big, brown eyes narrowed as if weighing her options. Without a word, she took the toys out of Jariah’s hands and moped down the hallway toward the stairwell. Her head was down, her shoulders were bent, and she moved like someone racked with grief.

  Sadness flooded Jariah’s heart. She felt a tightness in her chest that made it hard to breathe. It hurt to see her daughter like this, but what could she do? It wasn’t her fault Ava hadn’t seen her dad in a month, was it? These days, Wesley’s visits were short and sporadic and more often than not he didn’t show up at all. Should I take him back? Should I move in with him for Ava’s sake? Is that the answer to all of my problems?

  Chasing away the thought, Jariah returned to the stove and resumed preparing dinner. Taking Wesley back would be a mistake. He didn’t love her—not the way she needed to be loved—and more importantly she didn’t love him. Years ago, when they’d started dating at Miami University she’d naively thought Wesley was “the one.” But after discovering she was pregnant, she’d seen a different side of him—a weak, spineless side that chose his parents repeatedly over her. And after years of playing second fiddle to his family, Jariah realized Wesley was never going to change, and broke things off for good. Contrary to what he thought, she deserved more, and didn’t need him or anyone else to take care of her.