Free Billionaire Undaunted: The Billionaire's Obsession ~ Zane by J. S. Scott Page B

last, but Ellie didn’t understand what people were willing to do for millions or billions of dollars. “I know you think I’m paranoid because everything is on tight security here, but when I’m home, I have a lot of information with me—research results and projects that some of our competitors would want for all the wrong reasons. It has to be secured.”
    “There has to be a ton of people who are more qualified to work for you. I don’t have a college education,” she argued. “I don’t know anything about biotechnology.”
    He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I just have to have someone I trust, someone to help me stay organized outside of the lab. I have faith in you, Ellie. If anyone can get me organized, it’s you.”
    She looked at him for a few minutes before asking, “What would I do?”
    He grinned at her, suddenly knowing exactly how he was going to get her to drive her new vehicle. “Whatever I say. The first thing you’d do is accept the car I gave you.” He saw her open her mouth to protest, so he held up a hand. “You’ll need a car. What if you have to run errands or do something for business?”
    She glared at him, but dropped the subject. “What would my duties be?”
    “Anything I want. When you’re feeling better, you’ll see how badly I need some organization in this house. My home in Denver is about the same, although it’s cleaner thanks to my housekeeper. But she never wants to touch my personal stuff. My brain is usually so busy thinking about current projects that I don’t get much else done.” The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of Ellie taking on the job as his personal assistant. It might put him in a hell of his own making by having her around him a lot, but it was better than worrying about how she was doing all the damn time.
    “Would I have to move to Denver?” she asked cautiously.
    “No. When I’m there, you can stay with me. My house there is just about the same size as this one. We’ll be going back and forth.” Zane wanted to start spending more time in Rocky Springs. His mom wasn’t getting any younger, and Rocky Springs was still home for him.
    “Are you doing this because you really need me, or because you feel sorry for me?” Ellie asked bluntly.
    “Believe me, I need you,” Zane answered honestly, a double meaning in his words, his cock hard just from sitting across from her at a fucking kitchen table. He admitted he was desperate for her, but not in a way that he could confess to Ellie.
    “Will you allow me to pay you back from my paycheck for the car and other things you’ve bought?”
    He shook his head. “No. Those are the perks of working for a rich man. Personal assistants get personal gifts sometimes.”
    “Not like this,” she muttered, sounding unhappy. “What’s the salary? Benefits?”
    Zane named a yearly salary and explained the benefits, as much as he knew anyway. He had a human resources department that dealt with that kind of thing.
    “Oh, my God. That’s way too much.”
    “It’s not much more than I paid my last assistant,” Zane said insistently. “And that was a few years ago.” He paused before adding, “I really do need you, Ellie. After what happened, I doubt I could trust anybody else to do the job.”
    He held his breath as he watched her brows draw together, her expression thoughtful. Zane wondered what the hell she was thinking, but he didn’t want to stop her thought process to ask.
    “Okay. I’ll do it. What would you like me to do first, boss?” she asked teasingly.
    Zane released a long breath of relief. “I’d like you to get well and be happy,” he grumbled. “No work until you feel ready.”
    She nodded sharply. “I’m ready.”
    “Smartass,” he rasped.
    “Zane, I’m already bored,” she cajoled. “Give me something to do.”
    “Let’s go into town. I need a haircut, and I’d like to check out the new bookstore.”
    Ellie ran a hand through her hair. “I