Holt's Holding (6 page)

On time, my phone buzzed.

The test message from Sam:

“Pickles at the circle in about an hour?”

Reply:

“Sounds good.
 
Leaving now.”

I gathered my belongings and headed for the elevators.

After a few minutes, the doors opened, and I walked in to
be assaulted
with that cologne again.

Hmm, someone around here had excellent taste in cologne.

Turning, I noticed the man that Sam seemed downright taken
with race for the doors. I stuck my hand out to hold the elevator. Stepping in
he nodded.

I offered a smiled to be polite.

“Appreciated” he replied as he straightened his suit.

He had an English accent…
Shit,
I
bet he’s one of the new owners. But then again, there were many new staff
members with accents.

“You’re welcome.
 
I
know from experience that the wait can be frustrating.” Smiling I looked away
quickly.
 
The deeper meaning, laced my
statement, more of a vocal frustration I
was currently
trapped
in.
 
My nervous were
peaked. Crap!

He turned to me and cocked his head.

“You’re Lillian…Foster’s Junior Editor?”
 
His voice sound
amused?

Hmmm, he knew my name…I
wasn’t
sure how or why he would know it, but he did. Oddly, I
don’t
think I had ever heard anyone call Mr. Leiber by his first name.

“Sure, we can say that.” Pausing I faked a clearing of my
throat and whispered “More like his assistant with a nice title”

He scrunched his brows tight in thought and pulled his lips
tight.

Oh shit…I shook my head. I think he heard me. Hold up…his
voice…oh double shit, recognition had my turning red, the basement?

“Are you not satisfied with your current position?” He
grinned like there was something hidden in his question.

Turning to face him, I slighted my head “Is anyone ever
satisfied with their position?” I pulled a croaked grin, my memory of
straddling his body flashed before me and my body responded, fuck the ached
between my legs roared through my body.

“Well played, and a particularly compelling point if I may
add”, he grinned once more.

“The question was rhetorical and not actually a point to be
made. That’s more of a fact of life” smiling I turned back to the elevator
doors.

Where in the world did this brassiness come from on my
part? Shit…Shit…Shit! Not good potential new owner and I just insulted my title
and possibly my boss. I was fucked no recovery from that.

“Well, he had nothing but strong opinions to your ability,
and I certainly see where his opinions are founded, closing two high profile
accounts today of all days.”

“Yeah, and I make a fantastic cup of coffee!” I smirked.

Again, shaking my head brain to mouth
filter!
Oh lord
I’m
going to lose my job.

He laughed. Ok maybe a good sign.

“Somehow, I’m certain all that you do is beyond great
Lillian.”
 
He voice was dark and laced in
hunger.
 
The implications of his
statement had my breath hitch. Yet my mind still had me in the reality of what
I had said.
 
I felt the need to recover
from my lack of filter and brassiness…but shit, I
didn’t
know why he was making me feel agitated.

“I’m sorry, I had a long day, and my brain doesn’t seem to
be functioning. I mean
no disrespect
to Mr. Leiber.
None at all.”
I finally looked up at him and genuinely
looked at him.

Whoa, now I understood Sam’s earlier display.

Tall dark and deliciously handsome.

His eyes were breath taking. The most aqua blue I had ever
seen.

Shit my knees felt a bit weak. I was tall, but he towered
over my 5’8”. Even in my 4-inch heel.

He smiled at me. Wow and what a smile that was.

“Where are my manors? Here, I know your name and yet I
suppose you know not mine.” He pulled his hand out of his pocket and extended
to me.

Like a nervous ass, I pulled mine out slowly.my breath
hitched…it was the oddest experience…in part that I
didn’t
want to put my hand in his…he intimidated me and not for the obvious reasons.

I stared into his eyes.

“Sebastian” he took my hand slowly and tenderly. “Sebastian
Vaihn”

“Lillian Holt…But you knew that already. It was you in the
basement.” My response was low and cautious.

“Yes it was, and of course,” his grin, was one of a
satisfied man.
 
“I did know your name
prior. I like to know everyone whom works for me.” He held my hand now tighter,
maintaining eye contact. Oh, fuck me!
 
Sebastian from the basement, shit!
I’ve
been
fantasizing about my boss. I needed to pull myself together.
 
My eyes slowly lowered down the length of
him.
 
In a heated
frustration
I found myself landing to his waist biting my lip hard.
 
Fuck, I raised my eyes quickly as he clearly
didn’t
hide the fact that he knew where my mind and eyes
just went.

Finding my voice, suddenly I felt irritated with his
arrogance, or perhaps it was that damn grin on his face. “I suppose that would
be a rare thing for one whom acquires many companies.”

“You are familiar with all my holdings?” He raised an
eyebrow.

“No, I apologize for my ignorance, but I do not.
I’ve
only heard rumors. Please forgive me but I wasn’t even
aware that your company had purchased this firm.”
 
Looking away from him, for a moment my mind
added
, nor do I fucking care.

Still holding my hand in his he looked down to our hands
then slowly back to my eyes…“I accept the apology Lillian, however since you’ve
already left it as an open gesture I suppose you don’t need to. Not many knew
of our acquisition.”

Cocking my head to the side, I pursed my lips only to bite
down on my lower.

“I suppose that was the point was it not?” Two words rang
clear, “hostile takeover”.

I could tell his eyes, fixed to my lips
;
interesting.

“You are correct. It was the point.” His eyes still locked
at my lips.

My phone, rung with an alert of a text
message.
Frozen as he still held my hand; I
wasn’t
sure what was going thru his mind.

Hesitantly, he let my hand go.

Trying to regain a bit of my composure, I reached into my
bag for my cell phone.

Looking down it was from Sam.

Sam: “Left yet?”

ME: “In elevator, leaving now.”
I
replied

Sam: “Good, I need tequila.”

ME:
 
“
LoL
…ditto”

Sam: “Actually, I need sex, but Tequila will do the trick
with some double A’s LOL” she responded

ME: “I’m with U there!”

I hit send and turned the screen off. I had the sense he
had been looking at my phone.

I looked up at him as the elevator doors opened.

The grin on his face was telling. He read my messages. He
even possibly looked intrigued. The experience in the basement seemed to flash
before me, again.
 
Finding some sense of
power in that knowledge and remembering that I
wasn’t
the only one aroused, I found myself inwardly laughing.

“It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Vaihn.” I smiled.

He gestured his hand allowing me to walk out ahead of him,
yet his strides had him to my side. Sebastian
place
a
hand on my back freezing me in place, as he stepped to the front of me and
leaned down.

“Lillian, Call me Sebastian, please, and I do hope that you
and Tequila have an enjoyable evening Lillian” His smile was dangerous, and his
eyes luring me to somewhere I was sure I
didn’t
want
to go. His breath on my skin had me closing my eyes briefly to reign in
this
crazy effect that he had.
 
Swallowing hard, I
didn’t
know how to respond. I
was caught up
in his scent and
his heated breath on my neck. I could swear my heart skipped a beat.

I certainly now needed a generous dose of tequila.
 
I needed to remind myself this was now my
head boss. This translated to one thing, Off Limits.

He moved slowly up away from me and I felt trapped in his
stare. His grin was seductive and hard to resist.

Clearing my throat and trying to maintain some level of
control, I responded. “Well Mr. Vain, which I will maintain …I do now work for
you. So I do insist on the formality,” pausing I added, “I suppose me and
Tequila will be having a date this evening. But please note that one could be
of the opinion that reading someone’s text messages is both intrusive and
rude.”

I pursed my lips tight and cocked my head waiting for a
reaction. It was clear that this man needed to
be brought
down a few notches. Even if it meant losing my job….hell, I hated my job anyway
and after all that I had said, I
wasn’t
too sure if I
would have one tomorrow.

“It seems now it is I whom owes you an apology.
Nevertheless, I do insist on you calling me by my name. And I sincerely hope
that you enjoy your evening, but within reason.”
 
Listening shrewdly, he sounded a bit
possessive?

“Mr. Vaihn; as for my plans this evening I believe it is I
whom control what or how I conduct myself. Furthermore, since my brain clearly
has malfunctioned with its filter and I believe I may be without my job in the
near future, I don’t believe it is of anyone’s concern what reason I chose or
chose not to use this evening.”

“Hmm”, he pursed his lips, cocking his head. “Feisty, I
see. I meant
no disrespect
. I simply care for those
whom are employed by me and it
saddens
me that you
believe not have a future here.”
 
Dude
this
guy
had me confused, his expression shifted like
the tides, his eyes actually looked apologetic for a moment.

Shit how was I to respond to that? I shook my head,
breaking my stare and looked to the floor.

“No, it is I whom owe the apology for my lack of filter and
quick defensiveness. I’m sorry”

“No need for an apology Lillian.”

He smiled genuinely, and then walked away. I watched him
intently not understanding what just happened between us. He definitely ruffled
my feathers’, I just
couldn’t
tell, if it was in a
good way or not.

I was now truly ready for a drink.

I walked to the parking lot and to my car. From the side of
my vision, he was leaning down into the driver’s side of a car that was
extremely tinted.
 
Sebastian appeared to
be talking to someone.

The car a bit much, Bentley, I think? I could sense he
looked up at me, and then quickly back to the driver of the car. Was he talking
about me?

I had an eerie feeling that he was.

I quickly made it to my car and jumped in. Looking thru the
side mirrors, I could tell he was watching me. Shaking it off, I started the
car and pulled out.

The drive to Pickles was quick. Pulling up, I parked in my
garage knowing it would be best to walk over.

Walking from the parking garage, my mind
was
still trapped
within the elevator, and all the crazy notions that had me
up in arms without a filter. He got under my skin. I realized that I was both
aroused and repulsed. It was possible that it was the way he spoke or maybe
what he
didn’t
say; his expression, looked like one I
would normally carry.
 
Well,
when I was trying to fuck with someone.
It was even sadistic in my
opinion.

Nonetheless, I
was turned on
with
his display.

I spotted Sam at the bar and made a fast approach.

“Hey Lil, you look frazzled?”

“It’s been a day, oh, and your mystery man from the
elevator is one our new boss, and an ass.” I sat down staring at the bar.

“I take it, you met him?” She smirked

“Yeah, in the elevator, on my way out.”
 
My voice carried my frustration and my need
to drown it in a drink.