How to Seduce a Billionaire by Portia Da Costa Read Free Book Online Page A

said ‘yeah right’, but neither girl pressed. She wondered if they really
did
know or suspect her secret, but they were too nice to ask the awkward questions.
    ‘Anyway, it’s certainly brightened up a crappy day for us all, hasn’t it?’ observed Pam, with a dreamy expression on her face. ‘I thought this place was the dump of all dumps, and the last chance saloon job-wise, but just thinking about working “under” Ellis McKenna makes it worth staying put.’
    ‘He’s only visiting for the day, love,’ countered Jess. ‘A royal visit to inspect the drones and all that. We’ll probably never see him again.’
    Again, came that stab of pain. But why? Realistically, Ellis McKenna could never be more than a fantasy object, the future face of Dream Lover. He’d given her a foot massage and made a pass of sorts, but he’d probably already forgotten her. Any ideas that he might be the one to help her get rid of something she was getting mighty fed up of saving … well, they were patently ridiculous.
    ‘Ooh, I don’t know,’ said Emma. ‘I was talking to someone from personnel who knows a bit more. Apparently, he actually has a house in this area. Some stately pile or other that belonged to a Brit branch of the McKenna family.’ She paused and took a long slurp from her juice carton. ‘With any luck he’ll decide to settle down there and he’ll be popping in to see us every day!’
    ‘Ah, but doesn’t the McKenna empire have holdings all over the world? They must have posh pads everywhere,’ Pam said thoughtfully, ‘America and Australia, at least. He’s probably lived all over the place, and if he’s got the pick of them, why on earth would he decide to take up residence here in the arse end of the universe?’
    America? Australia? Well, perhaps that explained the hard-to-pinpoint accent. Like everything about him, his voice had intrigued her. He’d sounded, well, basically English, but with other notes too, a bit American but not quite wholly so.
    You speak like velvet, every syllable a seduction.
    ‘Well, he obviously likes the arse end of the universe,’ said Emma, her eyes widening. She was staring over Jess’s shoulder towards the serving counter at the other end of the canteen. ‘At least this particular cheek of it … I do believe our glorious leader is down here to dine amongst us plebs! He’s just walked in.’
    Don’t look round. Don’t look round.
    Jess had to grit her teeth to stop herself rubbernecking. The volume of chatter in the room had quadrupled in the last few seconds, and everybody she could see was staring towards the counter. The men all looked surprised and curious, and the ones who were chatting up a female lunch companion looked downright annoyed! Every woman in the room was clearly bedazzled, just as they’d been during Ellis’s royal progress through the work-floor.
    ‘Aren’t you going to look?’ demanded Pam. ‘I’d give even money he’s looking for you.’
    ‘Don’t be daft. He’s not interested in me. All this “getting down with the employees” and chatting to random people … it’s just an act,’ Jess said, stabbing at the remnants of her salad again, ‘a ploy to seem like the big nice guy super boss. There’ll probably be redundancies next week, when he’s gone, regardless of his bullshit for the troops.’
    ‘Why so bitter? You said he was nice,’ Pam said, her eyes still scoping the far end of the room.
    He is nice. He’s more than nice. But I … I … I can’t forgive him. He’s started something, and he’ll be gone in an hour and I’ll never see him again.
    She’d feel differently tomorrow. Probably mightily amused by it all. Perhaps grateful, and changed too, and ready to be bolder and, well, live a little.
    But today, now, it was all too confusing. ‘He was perfectly fine,’ Jess said, ‘but let’s face it, he’s an obscenely wealthy man who employs us, amongst many, many thousands of others. He hasn’t got where he is