Читать книгу Caught on Camera with the CEO - Natalie Anderson - Страница 9

DANI kept three feet behind Alex as he strode past the PA.

‘Please cancel that last appointment and take messages, Kelly. I’m out for the rest of the afternoon,’ he said without slowing his pace.

‘Certainly.’ No surprise, no questions. The PA gave Dani a coolly professional smile but Dani was still too rattled to be able to match it.

Alex glanced at the lift. ‘Shall we take the stairs?’

Dani was already at the door to them—hoped the PA hadn’t heard his question. He’d laced it with the faintest hint of irony and if Dani were to look at him now and see him smiling she couldn’t be held responsible for her actions—aggressive energy seemed to be bouncing round her body.

‘Where are you staying?’ He thudded downstairs swiping a security card to get them into the basement.

She gave him the name of the hostel and saw his frown appear.

‘You don’t know Auckland, do you?’ He sent her a sideways glance. ‘Because if you did, you’d know that’s in a really dodgy part of town.’

It was a cheap part of town.

He unlocked the car—sleek, attractive, outrageously powerful, just like its owner. Dani got into the passenger seat. In seconds they were out of the garage and driving down the congested inner-city streets in awkward silence—he’d quickly cut the music that had roared louder than the engine. Dani wished he’d kept it on—better to listen to that than the silence between them or the voice in her head telling her how much of a mess she was in. The weather had turned, the rain drizzling and dampening her spirits further.

‘Um…’ he was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel ‘…I…’

Dani waited, surprised by his sudden attack of the fidgets.

His fingers abruptly stopped their beat and gripped the wheel. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Pardon?’

‘Your name.’ He kept his eyes on the road ahead. ‘I don’t know what it is.’

‘You don’t know my name?’ Stunned, Dani stared at him. ‘How can you not know my name?’

‘We never finished our introductions.’ His high cheekbones were streaked with slashes of colour. ‘I have a lot of employees.’

‘Oh, and I was just one of the temps.’ OK, so she was. But she hadn’t been just one of them—he’d kissed the hell out of her. She’d felt him and he had her—intimately. Or did he do that with all the girls? Anger roared through her again—vicious, wild anger. ‘You could have found out.’

‘I don’t use the HR files for personal reasons.’

‘No, you just use the temps.’

He braked sharply at the traffic lights. ‘I didn’t use you and you know it.’

Dani shook her head, stupidly hurt by his admission. ‘No, I don’t.’

She wanted to get out of the car and away from him right this second. It was beyond humiliating—she’d gone to him because she had nowhere else to go for help, using her anger to mask the hope that he’d actually feel some kind of responsibility. Buried right beneath everything had been the teeny, tiny hope that he might have actually liked her. What a fool. The whole thing had been so meaningless for him that he hadn’t even bothered to learn her name. He could have found out—his HR dragon or his oh-so-efficient PA could have told him. But he hadn’t asked—he hadn’t wanted to. So while she’d been blown away by that kiss, he hadn’t given it a second thought, other than to be a little annoyed about the resulting clip—or perhaps amused was what he’d been. But the video didn’t affect him the way it did her—all it did for him was enhance his reputation as some kind of playboy sex god. But for her it ruined everything—her prospects, her plans, her reputation. ‘You know something, Mr Carlisle, I don’t care how good a job you can offer me. I don’t want it.’

‘Look—’

‘I’m serious. You can drop me at the corner.’

The locks in the car clicked on. She shot him a venomous look.

‘I’ll take you to the hostel.’ He looked angry, which was so wrong because he was the one who had been insulting, not her.

They were almost at the hostel already—Dani recognised the landmarks. He must have intended to take her there anyway. So much for a conversation somewhere more relaxing—so much for the possibility of a different job.

She was out of the car as soon as he’d pulled over and released the locks, felt her tension yanking tighter when he got out of the car just as quick. ‘You don’t need to see me in.’

‘The least I can do is see you safely home.’ He glared at the hostel’s sign, his frown saying all that he thought about her home—all that he thought about her.

Dani marched up the stairs ahead of him, wishing he’d get the hint and just leave. But he was right behind her as she crossed the floor.

‘Excuse me,’ the receptionist called out to her. ‘Danielle Russo?’

Dani veered towards the desk. Alex got to the counter at the same time as her. So now he knew her name—way too late.

Dani lifted her brows at the woman behind the desk and managed an almost-smile—not able to trust that her voice wouldn’t be razor sharp if she asked if there was a problem.

‘We need you to pay for this week. It’s nothing personal—but we have had trouble with people leaving without paying and then their credit-cards not working. And, er—’ the receptionist looked at her notes ‘—we don’t seem to have credit card details for you.’

That was because Dani knew all about credit cards not working—and, worse, being abused. ‘I paid cash,’ she mumbled.

‘Great. Shall we settle it now, then?’

Dani swallowed. ‘I already paid for last week.’

‘I know.’ She looked apologetic. ‘But I now need payment for this week.’

Alex was like a statue next to her, listening to every word of the painful exchange. Could the day get any worse? Did he really have to be here to witness this last painful humiliation?

‘Um.’ Dani mumbled some more. ‘I’m waiting on my pay before I can do the next week.’