Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 48567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
It’s a small black portfolio with the company logo and all I have to do is hand it over and make sure he doesn’t need water, plus he’s going to be at meetings all day, I won’t even see him.
I take a deep breath and knock on Eli’s office door, then let myself in when he says come in.
The room has a different smell, almost like it rained in the woods and his office is the aftermath. Did he get taller? Is that humanely possible? His hair is laying across his forehead and he’s frowning down at something, his dark blue shirtsleeves are already rolled up to his elbows and is it my imagination or are his black pants extremely tight on him?
Muscles flex in his arms as he leans over and signs something.
“Um, hi I have the project proposal for—”
He holds out his hand.
I shove the proposal into it.
He plops down in his chair and opens it up, reading the first few lines.
“Can you do me a favor and proof this again? There are a few typos and I want it to go smoothly, as I’ll be handing out the original proposal to the board next week.”
“Yeah, of course, I’ll get right on that.”
“Nope.” He grabs his jacket from the office chair.
“You’ll have to do it when you get back late tonight. Gabe’s out sick, something about mercury and retrograde, whatever the hell that is, and I need an assistant with me.”
Shit!
“Um, yup, let me just grab my phone.” I dash out like he just set me on fire and grab my phone, only to turn and nearly run into his huge chest. I quickly jump back, hands at my sides.
“Sorry, didn’t see you.”
“And here I get told I’m impossible to miss.” He teases, or I think he is, though he’s not smiling, he leans down until we’re face to face.
“Do you have everything you need? It’s going to be a busy day.”
“Yup.” I’m surprised the word actually left my lips—nay the lie—I follow him down the hallway in a daze, and into the waiting SUV with more dazing. I’m surprised I’m not shaking or leaning into whatever that smell is radiating off of him.
Oh shit, I’m staring at his face.
He catches my stare.
“Did you need something?”
“No,” I yell, inches from his face.
“Nope. Just…thinking.”
I drum my fingertips across the several portfolios and clear my throat about a dozen times.
“Cough syrup? Lozenge? Knife so I can slit my own through if you nervously clear yours one more time.”
The need to clear it is so palpable, I swear my throat immediately goes dry.
“Also…” He holds up a finger.
“Gabe said to give you this.” He thrusts a paper in my face.
“I’m assuming it’s the CEO personal NDA, something similar to what you signed when we hired you but this is of more personal details…basically things like if the boss reveals he’s a vampire you can’t say shit, or if he accidentally fucks you against a wall, that sort of thing.”
Accident?
I snort under my breath and snatch the paperwork from his hand.
“Funny, didn’t feel like an accident, slipped and fell inside you is a bit of a stretch even for someone like you.”
“Someone?” He repeats, and turns to fully face me.
“What the hell does that mean, someone like me?”
“A guy with no moral compass, you’re lucky I actually—” I need to really stop talking.
“You’re lucky it’s been a while and I want to keep my job.”
He scowls and jerks away.
“Trust me, I don’t do this to my normal assistants.”
“So now, I’m not normal?”
The SUV pulls to the curb, Marvin hops out and opens the door. He gives me a quick wink of what I hope is reassurance.
I grab his hand, then the rest of the portfolios, and stare at the stupid NDA I left on the seat. Begrudgingly, I grab it and follow Eli into the building.
Men in suits greet us and guide us to a private section of elevators.
Once we’re in one alone, I’m ready to hit the stop button, instead, I just stand there tensely holding business in one hand and personal in the other.
When I took this job, I had no idea that mere days in I’d already be in trouble, that I’d already do something unthinkable.
I avoided my bosses at all costs for this reason, so why does this feel different?
“I’ll sign it,” I manage to say in a weak voice.
He smoothly puts his phone back in his suit pocket.
“I figured you would. Now, if you could just do a good job during these meetings, we’ll be good to go.”
“Are we going to talk about—”
“—Absolutely not.” He cuts me off and stares me down with his crystal blue eyes.
“We’ll forget it ever happened.”
I want to say but it did.
I want to say it did for me, in ways I can’t explain. That it should. Instead, he walks out ahead of me and I swear it’s like the entire floor bows to him as he walks. He doesn’t own the universe, but in this moment I realize I slept with the guy who controls this world, one I will never be a part of. So I try my hardest to answer questions, to give him his notes, to take notes, and by lunch I’m ready to start gnawing my own arm off, I stare at one of the office mints and actually think about grabbing a handful and just going for it plastic and all.