Close To Her Asian Billionaire

“However, because you’re my client, I won’t tell him who it was. And I doubt he’s going to look too hard because that is publicity he doesn’t want.” She narrowed her eyes at Joanie, who looked relieved that she wasn’t being sold out. “But just keep away from Jason Liu until I’ve got what I need for you.”

Joanie nodded. Satisfied that the point had been put across, Carla turned to leave. She was at the door when Joanie’s voice stopped her.

“You’re going to fall for his spell as well. I know it.” Carla turned back and saw Joanie’s mouth twist in a sneer. The woman snorted. “He charms them and then he casts them aside when they’re well and truly under. He doesn’t have a care for human life.”

Carla didn’t believe this. The Jason Liu she had met did care for human life and he wasn’t the debonair playboy that he made himself out to be. But she had only known Jason a day, and not much of it at that. She was in no place to judge.

“I’ve never fallen for any spell and I’m not going to start now. I’m immune.”

But Carla wondered if she really was immune as she left the condo. If she wasn’t, she was going to be in big trouble.

*****

“You okay, Jason?”

Jason looked up.

“Huh?”

Richard waved his arms in front of his face, causing Jason to jerk back before Richard’s head guard hit him in the head.

“Hello? Anyone in there?”

“Sorry, Rick.” Jason gingerly touched the bandage taped to his head. “I guess I’m a little out of sorts.”

While he was adamant that he was fine to everyone else, Jason would tell Richard the truth. And the truth was that his head hurt like hell and it had knocked him for six. But that wasn’t going to stop him from his daily workout. He would just have to make sure there weren’t any head shots.

He had replaced Carla’s bandage with a fresh one that morning, having a look at the damage in the bathroom mirror. The cut looked to be already healing although it still looked ugly and there was a lovely bruise coming up around it. Everyone in the building had become concerned when they saw what had happened but Jason had brushed them off, assuring everyone that there was nothing to worry about.

He wished he knew who the bastard was that hit him. Once he got hold of them Jason was going to give them a piece of his mind. And possibly a similar headache.

“I can tell.” Richard sat beside him and peered at him. “How did you get it? Dan from Security said you had a fight with a mugger and they came off worse.”

Jason grunted.

“I wish. I was walking Carla back to her car and was attacked from behind. I didn’t even see who it was.”

“Carla?”

“The journalist I was going on a date with.”

“Oh, that Carla.” Richard grinned and nudged him. “So, how was the date?”

Jason thought back to the previous evening. Apart from the bang on the head, he couldn’t remember an evening where he had found more enjoyment. A smile crept across his mouth.

“She was lovely. A really lovely woman.”

And she had been. Carla was witty, smart and she could counter Jason easily with her teasing and her charm. If Jason was the settling down type he could easily see himself coming home to Carla, curled up on the couch with him watching a movie and cooking him a Sunday roast.

But he wasn’t the type to settle down and she should be completely unsuitable for him. So why was his head telling him that he was in denial?

“I bet she was ‘lovely’ in bed as well.” Richard chuckled.

“I wouldn’t know. I didn’t go to bed with her.”

Richard looked at him like he was mad. And Jason couldn’t blame him. This was the first time he hadn’t slept with a woman on the first date.

“You what?” Richard spluttered. “You were in her apartment and you didn’t take the chance to get her panties off and her legs spread?”

“Tony was there!”

“He could’ve watched.”

Jason shuddered. The thought of his driver watching him have s*x with anyone, never mind Carla, was stomach churning. He wasn’t into being watched; that certainly killed the mood.

“You really are crude, Rick. And given that I had just been whacked over the head, I was hardly in a position to seduce anyone, let alone fu*k them.”

“You could’ve said it was the best treatment for you.” Richard suggested with a chuckle.

Jason shook his head. Sometimes his best friend was like a child stuck in a man’s body; his mentality was like that of a horny teenager’s.

“Carla’s not going to fall for something like that. She’s too smart for that.”

“Even smart women fall for it.”

“But at least they know up front with me if it’s going to happen.” Jason looked down at the floor. “I went in that apartment with no thoughts of s*x in my head.”

That was partly true. He went in the apartment with no thoughts of s*x or seduction but came out thinking all sorts of possibilities.

Richard grunted, putting on his head guard.

“Sounds like she didn’t press any of your buttons.”

“Oh, trust me, she did. She pressed all of them.” Jason picked up his head guard from his gym bag. “But she’s a special kind of woman, Rick. She deserves more.”

“Special?” Richard turned on the bench and stared at him like he had grown an extra head. “I’ve never heard you talk like this, Jason. You found a woman special, and a journalist of all people?”

“I know.” Journalists weren’t Jason’s favorite people. But Carla couldn’t help what profession she had. “She’s special to someone.” He turned his head guard over in his hands. “Probably just not to me.”

That rankled him, which surprised Jason. Why was he upset that Carla wouldn’t be special to him? He didn’t want anything long-term. Did he?

He needed to get laid. Once he had s*x with Carla he would have her out of his system and he could move on.

“But you like her.” Richard chuckled. “Wow. I never thought I’d see you caught by a woman.”

“I don’t think I’ve been caught.” Jason said quickly, inwardly wincing at how fast he responded to Richard’s teasing. “I’m interested, yes. But Carla’s way out of my league. She’ll choose someone nearer her pay grade, someone who has the same ideals. She balks at the idea of so much money you don’t know what to do with it. She doesn’t like going out to big parties, preferring to stay at home. She wouldn’t fit in with my lifestyle.”