His Secret Desire by Alana Davis Read Free Book Online Page A

face.
    “It’s a bold new direction for the company that I run, that my father built. The MIT Aqua team will serve as the cornerstone of the company’s new direction. Ladies and gentlemen, there are great things to come,” Mr. Strauss said, raising his hands in a clear sign that he was finished. “Thank you.”
    More question than before exploded into a dull roar from the crowd. Reporters were standing up and shouting over each other. I struggled to make any sense out of the words coming from the white noise of the reporters’ demands for answers. Alexander, however, seemed not to notice. Cameras were going off like machine gun fire as he quietly walked off the stage. He answered no questions, not even giving the indication that he was aware questions were being screamed at him. He was the picture of calm.
    I followed him backstage, still dazed from the crowd of reporters and cameras. How many people would see the press conference that I had been a small part of? How had I looked? I didn’t know any of the answers to my own questions. I had fought to look my best up there. I was still stunned, silent and totally without a thought as to how to proceed. I prayed that I didn’t look as confused in front of the cameras as I felt. Well, I thought, at least my outfit looked great.
    “What in the fuck was that?” A voice sneered. I jumped visibly at the sound of that voice. It was the voice of a man filled with rage. I looked around to see the man whose voice had startled me so.
    An older man walked up to Alex, peering into him with a look of twisted anger on his face. His hair was without a single strand of color, grey and slicked back against his head like a mobster’s. A sharp nose hung below eyes that looked black. His brow was furrowed with scars of wrinkles cutting across his forehead, pushing his eyebrows down to cast shadows over his eyes. Thin lips parted to show perfectly white, sharp teeth. His hand was raised towards Alexander Strauss with his long index finger pointed at him. Everything about this man was long and gaunt. Yet despite his skinny frame, came off as physically intimidating somehow.
    The man stood before Strauss, face to face.
    “Alex,” he said. “You do know that we need a united front, don’t you?”
    I balked at his tone. This man must someone extremely important to be able to talk to Alexander Strauss with such condescension.
    “Especially,” he hissed, pausing to give Strauss an even harsher look, “with all the sharks in the water.”
    “William, this is the company’s direction now. It’s better that they hear it from me in order that it reassure their faith in our course of action,” Strauss said, unfazed.
    “Our competitors will be able to see a weakness Alex! Not only that, but everyone will see that the company lacks a clear focus and direction. Your father’s company will be on its way to destruction at the hands of these fucking sharks. Are you trying to destroy it?”
    Alexander Strauss only smiled. He motioned towards me and my eyes grew large. Was I supposed to do something important now? Come to his rescue? Was I supposed to back him up? What the hell did I know about any of this?
    “William, I’d like you to meet my new assistant, Samantha Dubois,” Alexander Strauss said. His arm slid behind me cordially as he brought me forward. I smiled politely and bent over in a slight bow.
    “Samantha, this is William Henderson.”
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Henderson,” I said, hoping my nervousness didn’t come off as strongly in my voice as I feared it had.
    William Henderson’s eyes flashed over me in an instant, hardly longer than a blink. Yet in that brief moment I could see them wash over me entirely. Judging me, they analyzed me by the way I dressed, the way I stood, my physical appearance, the cut of my hair, everything. In a single second he had already made his assessment. From his lack of interest, I could see it wasn’t good. He nodded a single