Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
She opens the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet and thumbs through the files.
“Douglas or Annette Sullivan?”
“Annette.”
She pulls it out and crosses to me, offering me the folder. “Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Hey, I’m going to order lunch today since I’m swamped here. You want some?”
“What are you ordering?”
“Whatever you want. I’m easy.” She snickers. “Well, I’m not easy. Oh, you know what I mean.”
“There is never a dull moment with you here, Maya.” She lights up at that. “A turkey sandwich sounds good. There’s a deli downstairs. They’ll deliver up to us.”
“Perfect, I’ll get that ordered.”
Twenty minutes later, Maya walks into my office and sets a paper bag on my desk. “Lunchtime.”
“Mm,” I reply, reading something on my computer.
“You know, a simple thank you goes a long way with assistants. At least, that’s what I’m told. This is the first time I’ve been one.”
I glance up at her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She grins and turns to walk out. My gaze immediately falls to her perfect ass and the way it sways back and forth as she moves in that dress.
I think how easy it would be to shimmy the linen up to her hips, bend her over my desk, and drive myself inside her.
With a jerk, I pull the sandwich out of the bag and take a bite, hearing Maya laughing at her desk.
I frown, stand, and cross the room, wondering if someone stopped by the office, but she’s on her personal cell phone.
“It’s nice to meet you, Andrew. Stella mentioned she was going to give a friend my number. Oh, that’s sweet. Tonight?”
I immediately scowl. Someone is asking her out for tonight?
“Actually, I believe I’m free. Sure, dinner sounds good.”
Fuck that.
“I’ll text you my address. Great. I’m looking forward to it, too. Okay, see you later. Bye.”
She hangs up and sets her phone down. And I’m seeing red.
It doesn’t even matter that it’s a ridiculous reaction. I want to punch the fucker who asked her out.
“Personal calls during work?”
Her head comes up, and she grins, but then the smile slides from her face. “Is that a problem?”
“You’re not here to plan your social life, Ms. Sterling. You’re here to bloody work. If that’s a problem for you, you can leave and not come back.”
She frowns. I turn and head back into my office, slamming the door behind me.
Before I can sit in my chair, Maya pushes through the door, a scowl on her gorgeous face.
“I’m on my lunch break,” she begins.
“I don’t fucking care,” I return. “This is my office, and if you don’t like the way I run it, there’s the door.” I throw out my hand in the door’s direction.
She crosses her arms over her chest, accentuating her amazing tits, and my scowl deepens.
“It was a two-minute call on my lunch break,” she continues, and I stare at her coldly, my jaw clenched.
I don’t reply.
“I spoke with my mom the other day on my lunch break. You heard that and didn’t care.”
I still don’t reply.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Is it because it was a man?”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what you do when you’re not here,” I begin, but she shakes her head.
“I think the way you’re behaving proves otherwise.”
Why isn’t she running away? Why isn’t she apologizing? Or quitting?
“I don’t care what you think, Ms. Sterling.”
“Maya,” she replies. “My name is Maya. You’ve been calling me that for a week.”
Still standing behind my chair, I shove my hands in my pockets and don’t reply.
She doesn’t back down.
“You’re going to want to go back to your desk, Maya.” My voice is steady, calm, and hard. I’m about to break every rule I have about those I employ, starting with fucking them senseless. If she doesn’t turn around and walk out of here now, I’m going to have her naked in three seconds.
“Not until we resolve this.”
“You heard me.” I gesture with my chin. “Go.”
“Derek—”
“Goddamn it, get out of my bloody office!”
She licks her lips, and my dick hardens. “Or…what?”
Chapter Four
Maya
Now I know what they mean when they—whoever they are—talk about their heart beating out of their chest. Mine pounds as Derek stares at me with those hot eyes and clenched jaw. It’s suddenly stifling in the room, and hard for me to breathe.
“Or what, Derek?”
I take a few steps forward, tentatively at first, and then more confidently when he doesn’t tell me to stop. Rounding his desk, I stop just a few inches away from him and boldly stare into his hot, brown eyes. He’s also breathing hard, his chest rising and falling beneath his suit, and I can’t resist running the flat of my hand up his silk tie.
“Maya,” he growls, almost as a warning, but I don’t stop. I don’t want to stop. I want him.
And when I boldly lift my chin, he must get the message loud and clear because he frames my face, and his lips are on mine in a nanosecond. He kisses me hard and licks my tongue with his, stealing what’s left of my breath.