Page 3 of Daddy’s Accidental Little Fighter

“You know any good coffee places here in town?” he asked, and I nodded. “Good. You can start by getting me a large non-salted caramel non-fat latte, no whip, no drizzle, hold the extra sugar. Keep track of your mileage during work hours, and I’ll see to it that you’re properly reimbursed.” I stared at him in shock and disbelief, and he raised an eyebrow at me. “Did you get all that? Or do I need to repeat it again?” I took a deep breath and forced a smile, hoping that, with Lance standing right there, he would be able to get me a position as a real estate agent soon enough.

“I got it,” I reassured him. I then turned and walked out of the office and back to the bus stop, thankful for the company credit card Lance had already provided me.

What kind of jerk was this guy? The least he could do was say hello. I hoped that, when I gave his order, the barista would spit in his drink or something, but I knew better than to retaliate. Ever since my parents died, I learned that life’s not fair, and, to fight back, you have to be sneaky. Maybe I was overreacting, but I already hated the guy.

CHAPTER FOUR

Ashton

"What in the world was that?" Lance demanded as soon as Hannah was gone. "You want to explain to me why you just did that?" Not wanting to cause a scene where everyone in the office could hear us, I rose to my feet and made my way over to the door and closed it. Lance continued to stare at me as I made my way back over to my desk.

"I'll explain my reasoning as soon as you explain yours," I told him as I leaned against my desk. "Why the hell did you decide to have someone like that work as my assistant? From what I saw and heard, she belongs in the field with the other agents, not back here." Lance rolled his eyes and shook his head, his arms crossed as he stared me down.

"Did you not see how well she presented her case when Vicky tried to get her in trouble?" he asked. "That girl could have anyone and everyone wrapped around her little finger if she so chose. If I had openings as agents, I would, but, since I don't, I want to keep her close, especially since she worked with Derek and Skye." I frowned as I stared at him, feeling even more confused than before.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked, still confused. Lance sighed and sat down in one of the chairs I kept in my office.

"She could be a valuable asset to the company," he told me, "but I have to rearrange a few things before I bring her on as a real estate agent. Just take her on as your assistant for the time being. If she proves even more useful to you, then we'll keep her as your assistant until she goes in to become a legal consultant like you. If you still don't want her around by the time I have an opening, I'll pull her from your office, and you can go back to your miserable routine. Does that sound fair?" Considering how stubborn Lance could be and how much of a grudge he could hold if he didn't get his way, I realized there was no point in fighting, and I nodded.

"Fine," I told him. "She can be my assistant, but you better hurry and find her another position soon." He nodded and left the room, and I went back to my files.

It wasn't the fact that I was worried about her being incompetent or a nuisance in the office. I was worried about how her presence might affect me and my work. I had seen Hannah fight for the opportunity she wanted, and, as much as I hated to admit it, I had fallen for her. I couldn't allow this to happen. Lance had recently brought Bianca back to the office, and they were always in their office, leaving all the work to me while they got off on each other's company. With so much work stacking up on me, I couldn't afford any distractions.

Lance was to blame for all that was happening… He had always been trying to get me to date and marry, but he always chose the worst people. The last match he made resulted in the girl getting pregnant with someone else's child and claiming that I was the father. That had been a long legal battle that had cost me too much time and effort that turned me away from dating. Since then, the most I ever did was the occasional fling that never became more than a one night stand, and I was always exceptionally careful. Lance, on the other hand, never gave up without a fight.

Of course he had chosen the perfect little vixen to tempt me with. She was tiny, no taller than five feet, and she had the figure of an hourglass. Her perfect, luscious breasts had been bursting through her blouse, seeming to threaten to pop out of the blouse that held them, and her long, black hair shined in the office lighting as it swished from side to side as she walked away. Her green eyes were as dark as emeralds, and her ruby red heart-shaped lips had formed the perfect smile the whole time she was around. She looked like a sweet angel sent from heaven, and I, being a devilish man, was the kind that corrupted women like her. I knew it was better to stay as far away as possible, but I couldn't help it. She was too beautiful.

Feeling the tension in my pants, I looked down and realized that my cock had grown stuff and erect just thinking about her. As unprofessional as it was, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to bend her over my desk and take her right here in my office. Would she even let me after the way I had acted? Maybe if I apologized to her and took her out after work, I could show her the way things could be if she gave herself up to me. All I knew for sure is I wanted her, and it would only be a matter of time before my lust for her became too severe. As I thought about all the ways I could win her over, I heard footsteps coming towards me from down the hall. Realizing that it might be her, I immediately set back to work, making myself look busy as someone came to my heavy, wooden door and knocked. Not even glancing up from my work, I cleared my throat and called out to them, hoping I didn't sound too gruff.

"Come in," I ordered, and the door opened to reveal my new assistant, Hannah.

CHAPTER FIVE

Hannah

Ashton sounded annoyed, as if it was a huge inconvenience to be bothered at this exact moment, even though he was the one who ordered that I bring him coffee. I had barely been his assistant for an hour, and, already, I was starting to question myself on how good of an idea this was. It was obvious that, after everything that happened, he didn't like me, and I couldn't say I blamed him. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was most likely because we had gotten off on the wrong foot all thanks to the situation with Vicky. All I had to do was show him all I could do, starting with being as nice as possible to the jerk when I gave him his coffee. As soon as I opened the door, I smiled at him.

"I got your order," I informed him with a cheery smile as I approached his desk. "One large non-salted caramel nonfat latte, no whip, no drizzle, hold the extra sugar." He looked up at me briefly as I put the coffee on his desk and frowned when he only saw one drink.

"Where's your coffee?" he asked, surprising me. Wondering if he was testing me, I shook my head.

"I didn't get one, sir," I told him. "I just went to get you the order you requested." He looked genuinely confused as he stared at me.

"Don't you like coffee?" he asked, and I felt as though I had chosen the wrong answer.

"Well, yes, I do," I admitted before seeing the time on my watch and coming up with the perfect excuse. "It's too late in the afternoon for me to have coffee, though. If I had some now, I would never be able to sleep tonight." He looked skeptical as he watched me for a moment before taking a sip of the coffee. After tasting the heavenly brew, he smiled and looked up at me.

"It's perfect," he informed me as he put down the cup. "Thank you." I couldn't help myself as I stared at him in shock and disbelief.

He seemed completely different from the man who had barked his order at me not even half an hour ago like a drill instructor talking to a cadet. Where was the man who could tear you limb from limb in the courtroom and still have the same professional demeanor as the lawyers on TV? Who was this man, and what had he done with Ashton Lanberger. He frowned a little as he stared at me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wiping at his face instinctively. "Do I have a coffee mustache?" Taking this God given excuse to diffuse the awkward situation, I nodded.

"Sorry, but yes," I told him, and he wiped the smallest amount of coffee from his upper lip.

"Did I get it?" he asked, and I pretended to look for it before nodding my head.

"Yes," I reassured him. "You got it." He smiled, making me wonder if he was truly the same person and went back to his paperwork. Seeing that I didn't move, he nodded towards one of the chairs.