Lily
Behind a sleek mahogany desk sat someone I never expected to see again.
"You… how come it's you?" I muttered under my breath, my hands already trembling.
"Ti sei perso, tesoro?" His voice rolled out smoothly, Italian dripping from every word, as he leaned back in the leather chair with that lazy, infuriating smile. The kind of smile that could make anyone weak in the knees. I sighed inwardly, Italian again, and I had no idea what he was saying.
"Uhmm…" I cleared my throat. "Sorry to intrude. I was employed yesterday as a secretary, and the receptionist assigned me to this floor." I fumbled with my badge and pass, holding them up like a peace offering.
"Is that so?" he asked, his attention already on his laptop. I stood there awkwardly, gripping the coffee I'd brought. My legs were killing me from standing too long, and I had no idea whether I should leave or keep standing. My face burned with embarrassment as memories of last night flooded back. Oh my God. I had practically begged a stranger, who was now my boss, for a kiss. Surely, he was typing my termination letter as we spoke. My mind was in chaos.
"I don't know why my employees go clubbing on weekdays," he said smoothly, his sexy Italian accent cutting through the tension.
"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again. I… I was not in the right state of mind."
"And what happens if something disturbs your state of mind next time? Is this the behavior I should expect from you?"
I froze. Just yesterday, he had been a stranger. How was I supposed to know he'd end up being my boss?
Squinting against the hangover that still throbbed behind my eyes, I tried to stay composed.
"And to think you came to work with a hangover," he added, smirking. "Should I applaud you?"
"No, sir. It won't happen again, I promise," I replied, my voice a little steadier.
"Perché non lo permetterò, amore." (because I won't allow it, Love.) His Italian words, soft and dangerous, slipped from his lips as he smiled..
My knees threatened to buckle under his gaze. He noticed, and the ghost of a smile curved his lips even wider, as though amused by my nervousness.
"You will find your office near mine. I've already sent a memo to Mandy, effective today, everything goes through you before it reaches me. Sensitive information will be handled by you. You will sit in meetings with me, schedule them, and take care of logistics. You will also go on business trips. Your full job description will be included in your employment letter, which you can collect from HR on the fifteenth floor once you're settled. Anything else you need to know, you will learn as the job progresses."
He paused, eyes briefly meeting mine. "That will be all. See yourself out and close the door behind you."
I nodded quickly, my heart hammering in my chest. "Thank you, sir." I scurried out, closing the door as instructed.
Outside his office, I found my desk perfectly positioned, just a few steps from his domain. I let out a soft sigh, lowering myself into the chair. In a distracted move, I picked up the coffee I had bought for him, and drank from it. I immediately grimaced at its bitterness. What a waste of money.
My thoughts wandered back to the man behind those doors. He was terrifying in a way that completely contradicted the warmth and playfulness I had seen just last night. Every fiber of my being wanted to avoid thinking about him, but I couldn't. The pull was there, magnetic and unsettling.
I shook my head, forcing myself to focus. This was work. This was my job. Nothing else mattered, at least, not right now.
With a deep breath, I opened my laptop and began settling in, determined to put the mysterious, infuriating, and irresistible man behind those doors out of my mind. At least for the time being.