Cold Prince: Princes of New York Book 1

CHAD. “There are three contenders for the P.A. job you advertised, Mr. Capet.” Chad Marin Capet, youngest son of the New York Capet dynasty, leaned back in his leather office chair and looked at the woman in front of him. Ignoring the three folders which she’d deposited on the desk, his gaze shifted to the single one still in her grasp. “And that one?” Her grip tightened on the folder, and she lifted her chin a little higher. “It’s nothing.” Chad raised an eyebrow, his gaze lifting to her face, watching as the woman squirmed. Color came to her cheeks, a sheen of sweat breaking out across her brow. “Clarissa…” Having worked for the company for five years, they both knew she wouldn’t have brought the folder into the office if it hadn’t been for him. Leaning forward, elbows going to the desk, Chad held out a hand and waited. She was a woman of savage beauty and even more savage temper, but he would not let her walk out of the office with the folder. He was over seventy pounds heavier than her, and he’d wrestle it from her if he had to. He clicked his fingers, staring and she frowned, slapping the folder down onto his palm. “Thank you.” “I still don’t get why you need a personal assistant. I am doing a fine job.” Chad placed the folder on top of the others, and leaned back again, looking at her. “Are you? When is my meeting with Jerry Holmes? Or how about Mrs. Masden? Or—” Clarissa opened her mouth to reply, but Chad held up a finger and she huffed into silence. “You are the floor manager of Capet and Sons Imports, a damned good one too. You cannot do both jobs and I don’t expect you to. Now, that is all.” Clarissa sucked her tongue over her teeth and all but hissed at him, as she turned on her Louboutins and stormed from the room. Slamming the door closed, the crystal decanter of whiskey on the sideboard rattled and Chad rolled his eyes. “Bitch.” Clarissa, while an excellent floor manager, was a lousy human. She’d been exercising her power in the company more and more, undermining his decisions and causing more than a dozen people to leave his employment, in the last eighteen months. He knew eventually, the woman would have to be let go. He just didn’t want to be the one to do it, especially since they had a history which could come back and bite him in the ass. Sighing, Chad turned his attention back to the stack of folders and lifted the first one into the air. “Now, let’s see why she was keeping you away from me.” Shoving the three other folders to the side, he placed the one in his hand onto the desk and flipped open the cover. Rifling through the contents quickly, his gaze scanned the documents, which were quite a few more than expected. Employee details. History. Working credentials. “Hmm, impressive.” Thumbing through the woman’s application, he raised an eyebrow and leaned back, staring at the page which listed her most recent job. “Louis Bartlett… no fucking way.” Chad leaned forward again and sifted back through the application, finding the woman’s profile information. There was no photo, and his gaze gravitated toward her name. “Susannah Quinn.” Picking up his phone, he bought up the search bar. Typing in the woman’s name, he added Louis Bartlett’s name to the search as well. The woman who popped up in his search results was attractive, piquing his interest quickly. Brown hair, creamy skin, and pale brown eyes. She had a nice figure and cute smile. “Well, aren’t you just the prettiest little thing.” He muttered, staring at the picture of the young woman. “Very nice.” He licked his lips and returned his gaze to the folder, a smirk coming to his lips. “And you’re highly qualified.” Chuckling to himself, he placed the phone down and picked up the other three folders. Rifling through them, Chad quickly found the other candidates were not as skilled as Miss Quinn. One was attractive, but not enough to hold his attention and turn him away from Susannah’s credentials. Closing the folders, he pushed them to the side once again and looked through Susannah’s folder, nodding in approval. “Well, I think you’re hired, Miss Quinn.” Picking up his phone again, he found his first contact and texted. Found my new P.A. There were a few seconds delay, before his brother, Theodore, messaged back. Already? I thought the interviews were not until later today. Leaning forward, Chad took a photo of the woman’s credentials and sent it through. His phone pinged a minute later. Holy shit, she worked for Louis? She was his P.A? Yep. And now she is mine. Good. Go and get her. Anyone who could work for Louis is dynamite and an asset to the company. This is going to be good for the business. Chad chuckled and typed back, proud of himself. That’s what I thought. There was more than a minute’s silence when his phone sounded. Hang on, I just googled her. She’s cute. I hope you’re not hiring her with your dick. Chad hissed and pursed his lips, as his phone pinged again. Chad… I’m not. Relax. Mood ruined. Uh huh… we don’t need a sexual harassment case hanging over our heads, little bro. Tossing the phone to the desk, Chad’s arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the device. He might have been the youngest of the Capet brothers, but he wasn’t an idiot. He knew they didn’t need a sexual harassment charge. Capet and Sons Imports was a reputable company. If he wanted to get off, he just had to go to the Velvet Lounge. They always knew what he liked and would have a girl waiting for him. His phone pinged again, and he sighed, picking it up and opening the text. Just be careful when you have the interview. Don’t let your dick rule your head. We know how that shit goes. Chad huffed and dropped the phone to the leather top, opening the top drawer. Rummaging around in the back of it, he pulled out the old lighter and a crushed pack of cigarettes. Retrieving one, he closed the drawer and stood, walking out onto the balcony and into the fresh air. Lighting the cigarette, he inhaled and leaned against the railing. Staring out over the city, he watched the world go by, wondering if he hadn’t jumped the gun a little, when it came to his new P.A. He’d all but discarded the other folders and had pretty much set his mind on Susannah Quinn. And with the way he thought, once he’d set his mind on something, it rarely fell through. At first glance, it had been solely due to her credentials. She’d helped Louis Bartlett secure over fifteen-million dollars’ worth of deals. But once he’d seen her face and her figure. Well, he had done exactly what Theo said he would… and thought with his dick. “Fuck.” Sighing, he squashed the cigarette into the small ashtray at his feet after only two puffs and looked down over the street which the company was situated on. People milled past, oblivious to the man standing over him. How like ants they seemed, scurrying around to go back to their mundane existences. Chad Capet was under no illusion of what he thought of himself. He and his family were rich. A dynasty of good-looking young men, with amazing businesses. The people below him didn’t deserve to rub shoulders with him and with that mentality, he knew why his brothers called him the Cold Prince. He didn’t mind, the more people he was nice to, the more people could and would take him for a ride—and not in the way he liked either. Inhaling deeply, Chad turned and went back into the office, pulling gum from the drawer, as he returned the lighter and he set about with paperwork before the candidates for his new P.A. job turned up.

SUZIE. Pushing open the doors to Capet and Sons Imports, Susannah Quinn stepped into another world. The interior of the building was old. Marble pillars which looked at home in provincial France, gold-gilt statues and tapestries showing the wealth which resided in the showroom. It was opulent, magical, and more expensive than what she was used to. Even Louis Bartlett hadn’t been privy to this kind of money. “Welcome to Capet and Sons Imports, can I help you?” Her gaze slipped to the woman who’d suddenly materialized by her elbow. Dressed in a sharp three-piece suit and high heels, she oozed snootiness and the moment the woman lifted her head to look down at her, Suzie wanted to turn and walk out. But she didn’t and extended her hand to the woman. “Hi, my name is Susannah Quinn. I have an interview with Mr. Capet at eleven?” Suzie didn’t know you could out-snoot, snootiness. Disdain pulsed from the woman in toxic waves, as her gaze fell to Suzie’s hand. She didn’t move to shake it and Suzie put her hand down, heat racing across her features. This wasn’t going well. The woman turned and flipped her almost jet-black hair, stomping off. “Follow me and don’t touch anything.” Scrunching her lips, her nose following suit, Suzie followed the woman, making sure she did as she was told, as if the huge signs which said DON’T TOUCH weren’t enough to deter her. Most of the things in the room were worth more than she could make in a year, and they were the ones only the size of an orange. New York’s elite rolled in disgustingly expensive art and furniture. Through the huge showroom, their movements were watched by no more than three other women, dressed almost as sharply as Susannah’s guide, their faces as pinched. She wondered if it was part of the job, to look as if someone had spit in their lobster bisque. Through the huge doors at the end of the showroom, they turned to the left and moved up a set of filigree steps, heels clanging loudly against the metal. “Mr. Capet has a terribly busy schedule; I ask for some rules to be followed when you meet him.” Not only did the woman’s face show her disdain for Suzie, but so did the tone of her voice. She hadn’t heard such vehemence in a voice in a while and remembered how much she hated it. “You need to keep your answers precise and to the point. He will not answer questions. He will only tell you about what the role entails and that is all. You will have half an hour with him, and then you will leave. I will make sure someone calls you within the next week, with the outcome of the interview.” Suzie didn’t like the woman’s tone, or the ultimatums being put on her either. This wasn’t the first time she had worked for an elite businessman. She knew the protocols of being a PA for someone, she did her research. Speaking of research, Suzie had tried to do her own on the elusive youngest Capet son. The only information she’d been able to find were tabloid articles about his legendary cold demeanor, and penchant for the girls of the Velvet Lounge; one of New York’s classier brothels. The idea for working for the playboy didn’t sit well with her, but… You have bills to pay. Her guide led them past a vast open space, filled with an antique reception desk and small storeroom, before stopping at a set of gold French doors at the end of a corridor. The woman turned back to her, face still pinched, and Susannah wondered if whatever she was using on her skin, was worth it, because it was doing nothing for her personality. “Wait here, I will let Mr. Capet know you have arrived.” The woman knocked on the door, then slipped into the room, and Suzie blinked, taking a chance to look around. Every single inch of space seemed to be pulled from a French castle. Suits of armor, tapestries and shields lined the walls. Over-stuffed armchairs and lounges— “Mr. Capet will see you now.” As Suzie turned and stepped forward, the woman caught her above the elbow and hissed in her ear. “Remember what I said.” She let go and stepped away, letting her through the door, before slamming it closed behind her. In any other situation, she might have mouthed off at the woman, given her a piece of her mind and then some. But Suzie’s attention was instantly snatched away by the huge bank of windows which took up one wall of the office. “Ow… wow.” The view was spectacular, looking not at the side of another building, but out over Central Park. Green and inviting, the sun shone beautifully on the lushness, surrounded by a ring of buildings and all Suzie wanted was to be amongst it. She hadn’t had time to look around, only having flown in the night before, expressly for this interview. “Impressive, isn’t it?” she jumped and spun to her right as the owner of the voice stepped out from behind a massive mahogany desk. The magazine pictures didn’t do him justice—not one little bit and had not prepared her for the man who strode over. Suzie was five-foot-seven—barely. This man stood over six feet tall. With broad shoulders and chest, which cinched into a slim waist and long legs. Her gaze raked up his figure until it met cornflower blue eyes and he smiled. “Miss Quinn, I’m Chad Capet.” “Hi, I’m Suzie—Uh, Susannah, but people call me Suzie… I mean Susannah.” she closed her eyes, lips pursing and, tried to bite back the stupid which seemed to come flowing from her mouth. Of all the days to have a mild panic attack, it was not the best one. She hadn’t been like this with Louis… but then again, Louis had been old enough to be her grandfather. Chad chuckled and Suzie’s eyes opened as he held out his hand. She stepped forward and shook it weakly, ignoring the heat of his touch. “Pleasure to meet you, Susannah. Please, come and sit down.” He turned and her gaze gravitated directly to his behind, before it snapped back up, heat racing across her cheeks. She’d only just met him and was already checking him out— it didn’t bode well for their potential working relationship. She’d read enough smutty office romance novels to know fawning over the boss never ended well… well not until your heart had been completely ripped out and trampled on and Suzie knew she wasn’t strong enough for that. “You come highly recommended from the agency and your application forms are impressive to say the least.” Chad stepped around the table and waited for Suzie to take her seat before he took his. He popped the buttons on his suit jacket, the top of his business shirt open, showing a smattering of dark blonde curls across tanned skin, which sent heat racing through her. “You worked for Louis Bartlett for how many years?” “Uh, five, sir.” she replied, sitting curtly in the chair, lowering her handbag to the floor. Her gaze moved away from his chest and returned to his face. “I was let go by his son, Keith, when Louis retired.” “Pity for them, your credentials are phenomenal.” Chad flicked through the thick folder in front of him. Her folder… “You were Louis’ PA, while he secured over fifteen million dollars in deals. Which wouldn’t have been an easy thing to do. Especially with the clients he dealt with.” “I did my best, sir.” Chad’s blue gaze lifted, and he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Please, call me Chad.” “Chad. Sorry.” Nodding, his gaze returned to the folder, his large fingers flicking through the documents again, before resting on the profile page and he looked up at her again. “You speak three additional languages?” “Yes. I am fluent in Spanish, Greek and French.” Chad sat back, smiling at her, before he spoke. “Je pense que vous seriez un excellent ajout à l’entreprise.” Suzie’s face heated with the French which tumbled so perfectly from his lips, and she licked her own as she quickly replied, “Thank you for thinking I would be a good fit for your company. I personally believe I would be too.” “Very good,” Chad chuckled, steepling his hands in front of him and smiled. After a few moments of watching her, he leaned forward and closed the folder. “So, Susannah, or is it, Suzie?’ “Uh, whatever you’d like.” “Suzie,” He smirked, and her face heated again and how perfectly her name rolled off his tongue. “Tell me something about yourself, which isn’t in the folder.” “Oh… uh…” Suzie’s mind drew a complete blank with his question. What would she say? What wouldn’t be too painful to dredge up? In the end, she chose the most mundane thing she could think of. “Uh, I’m originally from Texas. My mother brought me up in Houston.” “You’re a long way from home.” “I’ve never really considered it home, as such. Too much… hurt back there.” Her gaze slipped to her lap, and she bit the inside of her lip. There was a moment’s silence, before Chad spoke again, completely changing the subject. “Well, before I show you around the office, is there anything you’d like to ask me?” Suzie’s gaze lifted, as a thousand and one questions went barreling through her mind. Like how was he still single? Was he single? Did he have just as nice of a body under those clothes, as the magazines showed? What would it take for her to get a look at it— Thankfully, she managed to cut off their path to her mouth, by biting the inside of her cheek. She licked her lips and looked at her potential employer and tried to be as diplomatic in her answer as she could. “Oh. It was mentioned you don’t answer questions.” The smile faded, the coldness she’d read about coming over his features. Chad leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow. “And who told you that?” Her head turned back to the door, her stomach instantly churning, “Uh… the woman who showed me in. My guide,” She looked back to Chad. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to get her into trouble.” “It’s fine.” He murmured, gaze slipping to the door. It lingered there for a moment, before it returned to her, and he lifted himself from the chair. “Would you be kind enough to wait in one of the chairs outside? I won’t be a moment.” “Oh.” Suzie lifted herself, picking up, then slinging her handbag over her shoulder. “Of course.” Walking stiffly, she stopped at the door, as Chad leaned over and pulled on the handle. The scent of leather and aftershave washed over her, and he swept his hand out into the corridor. “It won’t be for long. I promise.” “Okay.” Stepping out into the corridor, Suzie grimaced as the door closed heavily behind her. Great… Even if she did get the job, the woman who’d guided her to Chad’s office and had already shown her disdain of her, was going to make her work life a living hell. What a way to start. Sighing, Suzie turned to the sound of Chad’s raised voice in the office behind her and frowned. She could leave and forget this whole thing. She was sure the woman who was now being yelled at, wouldn’t chase her down to see what happened. If anything, she’d probably send her off with a good swift kick up the butt. It wouldn’t take much to leave. She still had everything packed in the suitcases at the hotel. She was sure she would be able to find another job as a PA in two seconds. “Nope, you need to stop being such a wuss.” She admonished herself, walking to the chairs, Suzie sat heavily in them. Leaning back, she folded her hands neatly in her lap and waited.