The Contracted Fiancee

He was just as breathtakingly as the first time she'd laid eyes on him and those lips, they were perfect..

Arabelle Raphael stepped into Roland Warner's office and couldn't tear her gaze from her new boss's mouth as he introduced himself as CEO of Cameron Enterprises. The company that had bought out Worth Industries.

She'd heard he was from New Zealand originally. She wondered briefly if his home country's British colonial background was responsible for that slightly stiff-upper-lip way he had of speaking.

Oh, Lord, there she was, fixated on his lips again. No wonder that very mouth had claimed hers in a kiss that had seared her senses and made her toes curl only two years ago..

Even now she could remember the pressure of his mouth against hers and the way her blood had suddenly heated, then rushed through her veins. The sensation more exhilarating and intoxicating than anything she'd ever experienced before.

Especially a man who probably paid more for a single cut of his neatly trimmed dark brown hair than she spent on her own hair in a year.

Not that he appeared vain. Far from it. With his casual elegance he probably never thought twice about the cost, never had to. Nor the price of the tailored business suit that fitted the width of his shoulders and now hung open, revealing his flat stomach and lean hips.

Even with the two-inch heels on her sensible pumps boosting her height to five foot nine, he stood a good five inches taller than her.

Belle found herself nodding and murmuring in response to Mr. Warners invitation to sit down. She really needed to gather her wits , but for the life of her she just couldn't.

Every cell in her body vibrated on full alert. Did he recognize her from behind the dim lights of the valentine dress she'd worn? She'd certainly recognized him although, on that night, she hadn't had any idea of who he was until after the night when she caught a glimpse of his ID on his phone.

The second he'd talked to her at the bar, she'd felt her body tingle but her broken self got the better of her.

He'd entered the room alone, standing for a moment in the doorway, his dark costume fitted to his body, his cloak swirling gently around him.

Her eyes had been instantly drawn to him. Dressed like model, he was the perfect foil to her Spanish lady and it hadn't taken him long to find her and swing her away in his arms to the dance floor.

They'd danced the minutes until midnight together, and he'd kissed her just as the countdown to unmasking had begun. But then someone had called his name, and as he'd taken his lips from hers, she'd realized exactly who he was.

Her behavior that night had been completely out of character. She would never in a million years believed she could feel so much so soon, for a man she'd never met before that night.

A flush of heat surged through her body at the memory. A surge that came to a rapid halting crash as she became aware that he clearly awaited a response to something he'd said.

She cleared her throat nervously and fixed her gaze on a point just past his ear.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that please?"

He smiled, no more than a smooth curve of his lips and her internal temperature slid up another notch.

This was insane. How on earth was she going to work for the man when she couldn't keep her wits about her in his presence? She'd be out of here in two seconds flat if she couldn't perform.

He had a real reputation for being a hard-ass. She could deal with that. He hadn't gotten where he was at the age of thirty-one without that particular character trait, she was sure. Focused people didn't scare her-she admired them-but in his case she had to admit that she admired him just a little bit too much.

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

"No, not exactly. Perhaps a little surprised at my appointment, not that I'm complaining about it."

"I was merely commenting on your length of service with Worth Industries. You're what, twenty-eight, and you've been with Worth for eight years?"

Even his voice was a distraction. Rich and deep and with a texture that sent a tiny shiver of longing down her spine and his accent, a little bit Upper East Side and a little bit Kiwi. The combination and inflections in his tone did crazy things to her insides.

"Yes. My whole family has worked, or does work, for Worth."

"Ah, yes, your brother Blake, is it?"

She nodded. "And my parents, too, when they were alive. They were both on the factory floor."

"That's quite a loyal act you're showing there."

Belle shrugged. "Not really. Especially when you consider that Worth Industries-I mean, Cameron Enterprises-is the Major industry and employer in Vista del Mar."

This promotion to Mr. Warner's executive assistant, even in its temporary capacity, since he'd been seconded to Vista del Mar short-term only to complete financial viability studies, was not only unexpected, but the increase in income would prove very welcome.

Paying off her brother's college tuition was an ongoing cost for both Blake and her and one they looked forward to seeing the end of.

Even with Blake working here for the past two years and contributing to their monthly expenses, including the payments on the small house that had been their home from childhood, the college loans had remained a yoke around their necks.

Maybe now, with her promotion, they could plan for a few luxuries for themselves~ within reason, of course.

"Have you never wanted to branch out? Go further with your work?" he asked, leaning back against the edge of his desk.

Go further? She was afraid if she told him the truth he'd laugh at her. Ever since she was a child she'd had a map of the world pinned to her bedroom wall. A round red pin pressed into every city or country she wanted to visit. For now, she contented herself with travel books and movies.

But one day she'd fulfill those dreams. . Roland awaited an answer. Wow, way to go on impressing the new boss, she thought. So far she'd let her mind wander, what, how many times?

"Travel isn't my priority right now," she said firmly and sat a little straighter in her chair.

He gave her another one of those smiles and she felt it all the way to the pit of her belly. She'd travel to the ends of the world with him, she thought and allowed her lips to curve into an answering smile.

"There may be some travel involved in your position with me. Will that be a problem?"

"No, not at all. I have no dependants."

While that was technically true, and she and Blake shared their family home, the habits of ten years were pretty darn hard to break. Besides, she still felt a deep sense of responsibility toward her younger brother.

He'd gone through a very rocky time after their parents died. Guiding his decisions had become second nature, although she knew he sometimes resented her continued interest in his whereabouts and friends.

"I'm glad to hear it." He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and pushed up off the desk edge, pacing over to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the Cameron Enterprises corporate campus.

"You mentioned you were surprised to be given this position. Why is that?"

Belle blinked several times behind her glasses. Surprised? Of course she was surprised. For eight years she'd been virtually invisible to her peers and certainly invisible when it had come to her previous applications for promotion.

"Well..." She chewed her lip for a moment, choosing her words carefully.

"As you said, I've been here quite a while. I guess I thought that no one ever saw me as capable of rising to a position such as this. That's not to say that I don't think I am capable-nothing could be further from the truth. I've worked in several departments here and I believe my experience makes me a valuable asset to any of the executives."

He laughed. "You don't need to convince me, Miss Raphael You already have the job."

She felt a heated blush rise from her chest to her throat before flooding her cheeks with color. Now she'd be a blushing mess. She forced herself to remain calm and focus instead.

On the fact he'd called her Miss Raphael. No one called her that. Since she was a little girl everyone around her had called her Maggie, and she hadn't really minded much.

But hearing her full name from his lips made it sound special, particularly with the way he spoke with that slightly clipped intonation. Yes, as the executive assistant to the CEO of Cameron Enterprises, she would be called Miss Raphael.

She replayed the syllables in her mind and let a small smile play across her face in response. . "Thank you, I do know that. I just want you to know you , won't be sorry you chose me."

"Oh, no, I know I won't be sorry," he replied.