Free The Billionaire's Woman Trilogy by Keana Black Page A

friends did, seducing James Waldorf would be impossible.
     
    Not that she wasn’t attractive, but Sharise really didn’t think he would go for her. She was just too young, and he could have literally any woman he wanted. And she didn’t really want him, anyway; it was just the charisma that put him into his position, the sense of power that attracted her. It had to be.
     
    With a sigh, Sharise sat down at her desk and began to dial the board of directors to let them know about the change in schedule. And with that change, she would have to spend the better half of her day soothing the feelings of the companies who tried to gain an audience with Mr. Waldorf. Anyone with any financial sense worshiped him like a king. Well, she supposed they should, as he was rapidly buying up most of the industrial sector in the area, forming his own far-reaching empire.
     
    She’d been given a document containing a company history when she first landed the job, and whenever anyone had opposed Mr. Waldorf, he’d bought their lawyers out from under them. He was absolutely ruthless in negotiations, stating what he expected to happen and leaving under the assumption that it would. His arrogance was well-known, but well respected, as apparently he always got his way.
     
    As the phones began to ring again in response to the email she had just sent out, Sharise did her best to clear her head of thoughts, and got to work for the day. She knew it would be a long one, and she was already looking forward to five o’clock.
     
     
     
    ***
     
     
     
    Sharise stepped into the building, stifling a yawn as she nodded to the security guard. It had been as long a day as she had expected, and she spent half the night studying up on several companies that refused to accept what she told them. She knew she had to learn how to handle rogue companies like that if she wanted to keep her job for any length of time.
     
    When she reached her office, she immediately realized something was up. People from other departments scurried around the building, dropping papers in their wake. The entire department had turned into a madhouse, with workers panicking and trying to be everywhere at once. Sharise grabbed one of the few people she recognized. “What’s going on?” she asked.
     
    The poor woman looked terrified. “Mr. Waldorf fired half of his board of directors, and is flying to New York to meet with an investors group. He’s taking full control of his company, forcing most of his investors out through some sort of financial coup de tat.”
     
    “He did what ?” Sharise stood with her jaw hanging open, and then groaned to herself. Her job had just gotten a whole lot more complicated. She dashed to her desk, glancing towards Mr. Waldorf’s office to check if he was in. He wasn’t, although it looked as though he’d stayed late into the night. A cup of coffee sat on his desk, which was odd in and of itself; the man was immaculately clean, preferring a spartan layout in his own office.
     
    With the door to the outside hallways closed, it was blissfully quiet, though she could see people darting across the hall in a frenzy. Her phone was conspicuously silent, and there were no missed calls, though her inbox was full of terrified questions from other departments and the department heads, demanding to know what steps to take. Sharise thought for a minute, and sent out an email she hoped would help with damage control: “Keep calm unless Mr. Waldorf instructs otherwise. Carry on as your job description would dictate.”
     
    Sharise really had no idea if that would help, but she had to do something. Finally, her phone rang, and she jumped up, startled. “Mr. Waldorf’s office, Sharise speaking.”
     
    “Hello, Sharise?” The voice on the line was oddly familiar, she thought.
     
    “Yes?”
     
    “You’ll do. Come to my manor — I need help getting ready for my flight. I left several important documents at the office last night that I don’t