Rebellious Mistress Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Lacey Abbott was busy. She had client files to get through before she left for the conference in Fiji. She was used to travel, having been to the States, London and now Edinburgh. Studying at Sanford had been a scholarship as she had been involved in the overseas academic programs. Working at Wendy's had been a necessity to pay for her tuition in order to obtain her degrees. The scholarships she had earned had enabled her to travel and gain knowledge that had helped her with obtaining a previous job on Wall Street.

She was not new to travelling but was shocked that she would have been picked to go with her boss to this conference. After all she was the new girl. She was still building relationships within the firm. Beautiful beaches, sun, and sand and why her? Her boss was Stanley Forbes-Smith, a middle aged man running to fat paunch and silver hair. He had been kind when she first started, dropping her home when she worked late but he had been slightly to familiar and it had worried her as he was her boss and so she started arranging taxis so not to cause any rumours. She had been burned once before with

The one that she dared not think about.

Forbes-Smith had been inexplicably eager to give her this opportunity. She didn't understand why.

She paused, looking over some receipts and glanced at the brochure again. Annual British Banking and Finance Conference 2013 was emblazoned across the front cover. Inside was a large list of some very prominent speakers and some great workshops.

Mr Forbes-Smith had asked her in his usual pompous attitude, "You do recognise this conference Miss Andrews?" The name still took her by surprise. She had taken her mother's maiden name after London. It wasn't far off her own name and she figured she would be using it for a while. Not that she expected to be found...

"Of course Sir, It's an esteemed conference that is of great benefit, even for the networking opportunities alone!"

Forbes- Smith puffed up. Lacey had quickly learnt that Forbes-Smith was a firm believer in knowing the right people.

"I think you would greatly benefit from attending this conference, Miss Andrews. Do you think you are up to attending?"

"Yes sir, I am."
"I suppose you are wondering why I've chosen you to attend?"

What could she say to that, that wouldn't get her in a predicament? Turns out that Forbes-smith also like the sound of his own voice and answered his own question.

"I am pleased with your work Miss Andrews and I see a bright future for you here with promotion being a very distinct possibility in the new future. The conference would be a great place for you to make the right contacts and help network the company."

Wow a future and a very possible promotion. She was really excited. There was no chance of being involved with her boss as he was a married man. She could finally have a real future. Unlike the situation that had developed with Karim. She had been known more as his mistress than her paid position.

"Miss Andrews?"

"Yes sir?"

"Have your personal assistant make the arrangements for our flights and accommodation."

"Our?"

"Of course. I will also be attending. After all I am the CEO and it's important that I attend these sorts of things and make sure I'm meeting the right people."

Lacey had her personal assistant make the arrangements. Unfortunately Forbes-Smith had not been pleased with her result. Why would we fly commercial when we have access to a jet? The hotel rooms also were not to his exacting standard. He didn't want standard rooms. He wanted a suite with the amenities which allowed for private meetings.
Lacey was dismissed while Forbes-Smith arranged the changes to their itinerary, with his personal secretary. She apologised as she did want to go to Fiji. Although, she had wanted to go with a lover to an exotic location, and not alone for a work function. She had to pull herself up and not think of the past.

She now had a good job. Possibly a promotion in the works and she was lucky to get to go to a conference. The only drawback was that she would have to spend it with her boss, Forbes-Smith. There was something that she just didn't like about him. It wasn't his snobbish attitude that he was better than everyone else. It was something else. She didn't know what it was; she does didn't like the potential situation. Maybe she was just being silly. After all it wasn't like she had a great track record with making character judgments when it came to men. Sigh there she went straight back into the past. She mentally kicked herself. She didn't have to like her boss. She only needed to respect his position as her boss.

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A few weeks flew past and the day of departure arrived. Lacey had been so busy the last few weeks that she hadn't caught up with Forbes-Smith. It was a relief on the one hand as she had a heavy workload to complete with going to Fiji for a conference. On the other hand, she wanted to make a good impression to her new boss. Granted he had left her alone but he was still the reason that Lacey had a heavy workload. Lacey had files and returns to complete and file with the government before she left. She bore it well assuming that it was some sort of test to pass to be worthy to go with him to the conference. It had been a struggle but she had made it. She had managed to complete of all her work and what Forbes-Smith had also dumped on her and now she could sit back and enjoy a well earned trip to Fiji. She smiled as she closed her laptop and packed it away. She was ready.

Her hastily packed suitcase was by the door waiting for her. Lacey's secretary came" in, "I bet you are excited to travel to Fiji Lacey."

Lacey smiled, "it's been a busy few weeks to complete all my work Dana but it's done. Will you be having a few days off as well?"

"Yes, a couple of days away and a cute little b&b with my boyfriend."

"Lovely," Lacey was slightly distracted as she ran through a mental lists of last minute items tht she had to take with her. She desperately wanted to make a good impression to her boss and for the company. She looked up noticing that her secretary was still hovering.

"Was there something else Dana?"

"Well....I'm not too sure how to put this...." She looked uncertain as Lacey appraised the concerned look on her secretary's face.

Lacey smiled, Dana was a lovely girl and knew the company inside and out. She had been of great help when she first arrived.

"Well its just...don't do anything you shouldn't," she rushed out breathlessly trying to laugh off her seriousness. "Have a lovely time and I'll see you when you get back," she babbled as she hurriedly exited Lacey's office.

Unfortunately right as Dana tried to exit, Forbes-Smith made an appearance at the door and Dana backed right into him. He grasped her hips in what looked like an attempt to steady Dana from toppling on her fashionable and extremely high heels. Dana looked shocked at being held and literally jumped to one side thus releasing Forbes-Smith hold on her.

Lacey was surprised at Dana's reaction but thought no more of it as Forbes-Smith advised her that he was leaving for the airport. That was her hint that she also must be ready to leave as well. Lacey hurriedly got up from her desk, and grabbed her bags and followed Forbes-Smith out of the office building. Dana had disappeared leaving Lacey no opportunity to follow up her odd behaviour at Forbes-Smith's hands. Lacey shook her head and spent the ride to the airport going over last minute emails while Forbes-Smith completely ignored her choosing to make phone calls the entire car ride.

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She buckled herself into her set on the chartered jet. She was sorted and on track...until they got into the air.
Her respect for her boss went to zilch in warp speed. They were sitting side by side to go over notes he had said and it seems to make sense. Once there were twenty minutes into cruising speed the respectable married boss and pillar of the community who gave to charity disappeared and a creature of despicable sleaze appeared. He made every move in the book that he could think of to try and get in her pants. He offered her the bedroom if she was tired and offered to join her. If she wanted a shower to refresh herself then he was happy to rub her back.
His shoulder kept rubbing against hers during the flight. His hand would drop to her thigh and he would caress it using the excuse he thought he was touching the arm rest. She also caught him running his tongue over his dried lips. She felt sickened and confused at first thinking she was imagining things I mean who on earth would believer her. She also needed this job desperately, as she didn't have character references in the name of Linda Andrews.

She did the only thing that she could think of and retreated into work. In reality she was just staring at the screen pretending to work, waiting for him to leave her alone. Once he got up to go and chat to the pilot she closed her laptop down and found a single seat and a blanket and pretended to sleep when Stanley Forbes-Smith sauntered back down the walkway.

}Lacey realised that she was right. She hadn't been brought here for networking. She had been brought here for Forbes-Smith seduction. They arrived a few hours later and got off the jet.  Forbes-Smith helped her into a limo that was waiting, brushing his hand less than subtly against her bottom. "Opps," he said contritely, putting on an innocent show in front of the driver.

She didn't' believe it was an accident. She didn't believe it was an accident, although wished she could chalk it up to an overactive imagination. The driver was there and he just smiled politely at them both. She had also spent time with Forbes-Smith, alone, on many previous occasions and he had always behaved like a gentleman.

Was she just being paranoid? She knew that she had a jaundiced opinion of men...well just one man if she was completely honest. Karim had never laid a hand on her until that first night. No matter that he ended up being distant and horrible, unfeeling and especially arrogant he had never treated her the way that Forbes- Smith was. She tried to take up as little space inside the limo as possible but the large space suddenly seeming suffocatingly small to avoid Forbes-Smith from the man. The limo deposited them at the hotel 10 minutes later.

Walking into the reception lobby Lacey saw a sign advertising the conference. They made their way over to check in and Forbes-Smith's arm snaked around Lacey's waist. His hand rested just below her breast. She glanced at him in alarm but he wasn't even looking at her. He was to busy looking at the reception desk. Should she pull away? They arrived at the desk and it was too late to pull away without causing a scene.

The receptionist flashed a large smile at Stanley Forbes-Smith. He completely ignored Lacey.

"How may I help sir?"

"Stanley Forbes-Smith," he said, quite pompously.

"Of course sir, we have been expecting you. Welcome."

Grace stood there like she was a statue. Although she was used to it. It had been that way with her former employer. At least she tried to think of him as former employer and not as her ex lover. She shook her head.

"I take it my suite is ready?"

"Certainly sir. Please sign here, thank you side, and here is your key card," The receptionist simpered at Forbes-Smith and if it is was even more possible; Lacey was sure he had puffed up more, clearly revelling at the extra attention. She snapped her fingers and a bell boy dressed in a red shirt and black pants came over smiling.

"Doug, please escort our guests to the penthouse suite." The man reached for their luggage. Lacey kept her distance from Forbes-Smtih and interrupted, "I have a reservation under Linda Andrews."

"Don't be silly girl, Forbes-Smith protested. He then turned to the receptionist, "Miss Andrews is my assistant and will share my suite," he explained dogmatically.

"But I'm not your assistant. I am one of your accountants!"

The receptionist appeared shocked at her outburst. Forbes-Smith looked angry.

"I mean," she added carefully, "there has been an error. I have a reservation in my name. I have the email here...somewhere."

"Linda," there was no mistaking the anger in his voice. "We are here on business. The penthouse suite is a two bedroom, two bathroom penthouse with an extensive lounge and office facilities. We will be able to meet with other attendees in complete privacy. Is that an issue for you?" he silkily asked her.

He made it seem so reasonable; like she was just acting like a silly school girl.

"Linda?"

Forbes-Smiths' eyes were gray as slate and he was holding in his anger. What could she do? She did have a problem with him. How would she get back to Edinburgh? Lose her job that that had taken an age to obtain as she had been very limited on references? No one knew that she knew what it was like to be at the mercy of a powerful ruthless man.

"Linda. I asked if you had a problem being here at this conference?"

Lacey was pale. She breathed in. "Not at all sir. You have explained it all so well."

He smiled with the cold slate eyes and the hard expression disappeared and he appeared to be back to the affable CEO that she had known when she first started at his firm. She wasn't fooled. She was going to have to make sure that she was never alone with him.

They followed the bell boy up to the penthouse suite that took up the entire top floor. He pointed out the white sandy beach outside, the huge tv screen that took up one wall and the expensive art on the walls. Lacey didn't really take any of it in. She made the appropriate appreciative noises to keep the bell hop and Forbes-Smith happy. All she really wanted to know if her bedroom door had a lock and she could access her bathroom from her bedroom.
She smiled at them both. "I'll leave you both to marvel at the tv. I'm off for a shower and nap. I'll see you at the welcome dinner sir," she pretty much bowed her head in deference knowing that he couldn't do anything with the bellhop there. She just hoped that he didn't realise that she was trying to protect herself from him. She had never been great at lying. But she was trying for all she was worth at the moment.

For the next couple of days Lacey did everything she could to avoid being alone with Forbes-Smith. It was nerve racking. She refused drink and dinner offers from him unless there were other people there. She immediately retired to her room in the suite and had one night mentioned a migraine coming on in front of the other guests citing an early night would help. Forbes-Smith had been in the middle of sucking up to a potential client and couldn't leave.

The tension was growing between them and she knew that he wouldn't take much more. But if she didn't give him a chance then he would have to admit defeat. She just hoped that she wouldn't lose her job. She didn't really believe it though, powerful men didn't accept defea. her thoughts. Powerful men didn't accept defeat. He would probably find another reason for firing her when they got back. She really was in a catch 22 situation. How could she have put herself in a situation like this?! She should have learnt the first time.

Only this wasn't the same. She never wanted Forbes-Smith mouth on hers. His hands on her breasts; his body hard up against hers. She didn't even want to be in the same room as him. She had only known one man that had made her feel that sort of desire like that. A tall hot looking man who had made her and she had throw the rule book out the window, falling into bed with him and becoming the woman that he would never permanently want.

Why she was thinking about him now of all things when she was trying to protect herself from a creep. They hadn't been together for a good year now and the affair had ended as it started. Abruptly tinged with sadness and shock. At least she had gotten out with her pride ending it before he could. Of course she had to walk away from the job she had worked so hard for. But she had her pride. Yet that was cold comfort, especially now.

A banging on her bedroom door brought her out of her dream.

"Linda," came the imperious tone, she had grown to hate it. "We have pre-dinner drinks with a select group of businessmen that we must covet so we can gain potentially some of their business." The door handle rattled as he tried it. "Linda, I need you to be on board with this." He really made no effort to be quiet and muttered a very rude comment about high strung women.

Lacey could hear him noisily draw in his breath, "Linda, I'm sick of this behaviour of yours. The door does not need to be locked!"

In that moment Lacey decided that when they got back to Edinburgh she was quitting her job. Even if she had to be a cleaner anything was better than this, powerful men who believed they were entitled to use people how they wished; the creep banging on the door was a perfect example.

"Come on Linda. We should really go over those seminar notes from today." Lacey got up from her seat shaking her head, pressing her fingers against her temples. He certainly was determined she unhappily thought. What a bloody awful trip this was turning out to be. She stood up from the chair and grabbed her bag and laptop ready to work and smooze potential clients. It wasn't in her nature to slack off from her job. Who knows maybe she might meet a potential new job tonight even escape from Forbes-Smith if she was lucky. Lacey was wearing a knee length black dress that was certainly plain with low heels. She had chosen it intentionally as to not draw attention to herself. She opened the door and pinned a smile to her face, internally gritting her teeth.

Forbes-Smith was standing on the other side of the open bedroom door looking grim. The eyes weren't slate gray which meant he was angry, but she sensed from the dangerous glitter that he was going to act soon and make his move. A tremor of fear went through her. She hid it well by bowing her head in deference. He loved that sort of behaviour. Whatever he had planned for her it wasn't going to be that...not that. She knew that she was in real trouble being alone with Forbes-Smith and worse of all he was deliberately manovering her into an untenable position.

They went to the pre dinner drinks with some other conference attendees. Lacey smiled politely and made conversation trying to look as if she was networking and moving around. In reality she was trying to stay away from Forbes-Smith. No such luck. Forbes-Smith started to make out that they were more than just colleagues networking in front of the other attendees. He kept putting his arm around her waist, touching her fingers as he would get her another glass of wine. He even went as far as staking his claim on her by referring to them both in the sense of 'us' and 'my dear'.

Of course it was noticed and there were a few sly looks. The men started  to assess her in a different light. The women that were there with their husbands stepped closer to them. Lacey kept moving around to minimise the time in Forbes-Smith company. All the while she wondered what on earth she could do? It was only a matter of time before she was caught in the spider's web.

"There you are mi'dear." He put a possessive arm about her waist giving her no option but to walk with him back to the people he was speaking with. She tried not to cringe. His breath stunk of alcohol. He spoke to the crowd but it was really directed at her, "My lovely assistant forgot to remind me of my speech for the conference and it needs to be finished."

"
I did remind you sir," Lacey spoke loudly enough that she was heard and some conversations died down to hear what would happen next. Stanley Forbes-Smith was well known in banking circles and they all knew that he was married. From the looks some gave him, it was now clear to Lacey that his reputation was also relatively well known. That reputation she was unfortunately finding out about, first hand. He squeezed her arm tightly to the point of pain. It was going to bruise her. She was silent, standing there while he humiliated her in front of everyone.

"A pretty girl like this. My assistant reminding me.' His fingers moved up to her neck in what looked like a caress. To Lacey, it felt like she was in a vice. His other arm remained about her waist. She was a prisoner. "Why would a pretty girl be bothered about my calendar?" he said to the assembled group. There were a few nervous laughs and sniggers. She blushed and looked down unsure what to do. Lacey felt awful and she couldn't do a damn thing about it without making things worse.

She had to try anyway. "Let go of me," she asked quietly.

"Now sweetie we are all friends here. Maybe when I've finished with you, you can assist one of the gentlemen here. After all, we are all friends here."

Lacey went pale at the implied threat. Some people slipped away not wanting to be involved.

"Mr Forbes-Smith I said..."

"I hear you sweetie. We will pass on the evening dinner with our friends here. You and I need to finish that speech before the morning." He laughed unpleasantly, "And other things will need to be addressed."

Most people had left by this stage not wanting to be involved. Pretty soon Lacey was alone with Forbes-Smith and she was silently panicking worried that he might act out his implied threats.

He put his glass down with a bang as he was slightly unsteady. "Let's go."

"No. Let go of me!" she tried to shrug him off but to no available.

"No. I'm getting what I paid for."

"What have you paid for?! Me?!" she responded in incredulous shock. "What the hell?"

"I chose you to come out here with me and I want my damn payment!"

"Let go of me or I will scream!"

"Of course you won't."

"What?!"

"If you scream you will cause an embarrassing scene as well as losing your job with me. And by the time I'm finished with you, you will no longer have a career in business anywhere," he pompously told her the threat evident in his hard look. He still held her in a vice like grip about her waist. He started to paw at her breasts.

"No! Get off me!" Lacey was panicked.

"You can't do a thing. So make it easier on yourself go along for the ride. You night even enjoy it. But if you don't and continue to fight me then I will have to readjust your thinking and hurt you."

Lacey stood stock still stunned at what she had just heard.

A voice came from the darkness, cutting off Forbes-Smith's threats, "like hell you will hurt her."
Lacey froze.

"I think you need to be taught how to treat a woman." The voice took on a quiet, menacing tone that made Lacey more afraid of its owner than the man holding her prisoner. "When I'm finished with you, you will be lucky if you will be able to ever perform for your wife again."

Stanley Forbes-Smith was a boorish prig of a man but even he understood the menace in those words.

Lacey didn't move, her heart was racing. She felt stuck between a rock and hard place. She knew that voice. That velvet purring tone that used to say her name softly in the dark of night, now was in command and taut with rage. She knew who this man was.

She turned slowly; Forbes-Smith forgotten.

She saw him in the shadows, tall dark, very fit and broad shouldered. His dark eyes fuming with fury, his straight roman nose and his clenched jaw as he held his anger at the scene that confronted him.

It was Karim. The man she hated with all her heart.