Her Dom
Dominic Powers Series, Book 1
By
A.D. JUSTICE
1
CHAPTER ONE
Today has beenthe day from hell. There’s no other way to describe it but as the shittiest day in history. Well, in my history anyway. I am the Chief Executive Officer of my company, Dominic Powers Software, also known as DPS. We develop the software programs that run most of the otherFortune 500companies. The software engineers that are the backbone of my company are the best in the world. Recruiting globally from the top universities, we bring the talent to the office here in Dallas, Texas.
My problem is that I’m hiring a Personal Assistant and, so far, notoneperson has been qualified enough to even wipe my ass, much less be my right hand. My assistant must be able to make executive decisions when I’m not available, know what my expectations are, and have the gumption to carry out my orders with employees at all levels of my company. After endless interviews and countless yawns, I’m almost convinced the ideal candidate doesn’t exist.
There are department leads for each of the major divisions. We also have a Vice President, Darren Hardy, but his main focus is being our Chief Financial Officer. He has no interest in making decisions that don’t require number crunching. His recent revelation is the reason behind my current search through an endlessly disappointing applicant pool. My phone buzzes as my secretary, Dana, calls from her desk outside my office.
“Not another one, Dana. I can’t deal with one more Ivy League graduate with no damn common sense,” I say as a greeting.
“Mr. Powers, your four o’clock appointment is waiting to speak with you. Her name is Sophia Vasco,” she responds professionally. However, since I know her so well, I can hear the motherly admonition in her voice. She won’t allow me to be rude and brush off the last interview of the day and I love her for it. She’s saved me from myself more than once.
“Do Ireallywant to talk to this one, Dana?” I ask, genuinely interested in her opinion.
“I do believe so, sir,” she replies and I can hear the smile in her voice.
“Give me five minutes then send her in, Dana. Thank you,” I instruct before hanging up.
I rise and walk toward the fully stocked bar at the other end of my executive office. After pouring a tumbler of bourbon, I quickly down the amber liquid, enjoying the sweet burn as it flows down my throat. One more quick shot and I’m ready for the last interview of the day. This candidate better be good because I’m quickly losing faith in being able to find a good match.
The familiar, three-rap knock alerts me that Dana is at the door and I call for her to enter. Dana walks into my office and gives me a knowing smile. She’s been with me since the very first day I was able to afford a secretary. In her later fifties, she is old enough to be my mother, but young enough to understand what I’m looking for in an assistant.
Her smile tells me she approves of this candidate. I straighten my stance and walk across my office toward her. Approaching them, my feet halt in mid-stride when the latest applicant steps out from behind Dana. Beautiful doesn’t evenbeginto describe the lady standing before me. There’s an unmistakable air of innocence about her, combined with a determination and steeliness that’s evident in her perfectly straight stance.
She’s unlike any woman I’ve ever seen before, especially in this cutthroat business. I’ve never been caught up in a woman to the point where I forget my own name, or what my purpose is, but she has me completely and utterly enthralled. Her long, reddish brown hair cascades over her shoulders with wavy curls scattered throughout. She’s petite but her high heels provide just the right amount of lift to make her perfectly fit my six-foot height. As she looks down at the floor, her black eyelashes are fanned out across her cheeks. When she looks up at me from under her lashes, her deep brown eyes are full of both anticipation and trepidation.
When her eyes meet mine, my breath catches in my chest and I have to consciously keep from audibly gasping. My need for control kicks in and I feel my blood pressure returning to normal. There’s something about this one that Dana obviously identified—she knows me all too well. Resuming my trek toward them, I remind myself of why she’s here to see me. This is an interview for a job in my company, as my right hand, not as my paramour.
I strive to be the consummate professional at all times and somewhere my psyche chastises me for my momentary lapse. By appearances, she is young, inexperienced, and innocent. None of these are traits that I hold in high regard in any woman. Her beauty had momentarily stunned me, but now that I’m thinking with my business head, I know what needs to be done. Time to put her through the grueling interview process every employee of DPS has to face. We hire only the best and brightest here.
“Mr. Powers, this is Sophia Vasco. Miss Vasco,” Dana says, emphasizing theMissas a message to me, “this is the owner and CEO of DPS, Mr. Dominic Powers.”
Sophia extends her hand while maintaining eye contact with me. Her boldness gives me an unexpected thrill and the front of my dress pants begins to become uncomfortable. I take her proffered hand and instantly feel the sizzle from the connection. Her handshake is firm, but her hands are soft, and my mind wanders to imagine how they would feel on me.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Powers. I’ve heard great things about DPS and I’m anxious to learn even more,” she politely says.
I hear her words but I can’t completely focus on them at the moment. The pitch of her voice is like silk and crushed velvet across my skin, simultaneously soothing my nerves and exciting my body. I’m still holding her hand, slowly moving in the normal handshake manner, but nothing seems normal about this meeting.
“Thank you for coming, Miss Vasco,” I say, intentionally choosing my words just to observe her reaction. The timbre of my voice mirrors the one I use in more intimate settings. She doesn’t disappoint me—the flush of pink in her neck quickly crawls up her cheeks as she lowers her eyes. A shy smile spreads across her face as she takes a moment to regain her composure.
Very interesting, indeed.
“Thank you for seeing me today, Mr. Powers. It’s my pleasure to be here,” she responds with a genuine smile that reaches her eyes. They sparkle with a hint of mischief and playfulness. I release her hand and have a sudden urge to grab it again.
There’s something about her that causes my thoughts to stray from the task at hand. My momentary reclamation of my senses has passed, and I am once again thinking of the various things I would love to do to her. Things I’m positive she’s never experienced before. At one point in my life, I would’ve been more than happy to teach her. In more recent times, I’ve been more than hesitant to even consider it.
“Thank you, Dana,” I say, finally recognizing that my secretary is still present with us. She smiles that familiar smile–the one that tells me she thinks she knows exactly what I’m thinking but offers no input. I can say with all certainty that she hasno ideawhat thoughts are really flying through my mind.
“Can I get you something to drink, Miss Vasco?” I ask after Dana has closed the door behind her.
