Chapter 5 Savannah
SAVANNAH
Irest my head back against the hot wood of the dim sauna.
It’s been a long few days. Yet, I survived my first week with a new boss.
I’m thankful Julian was away on a work trip at the end of the week, though his constant emails and calls were enough to give me a migraine.
Even in writing, he’s grumpy and impossible.
One email had nearly twenty exclamation marks because he thought I’d changed a meeting location, though he simply missed the right room down the hall.
It’s growing on me, at least. I’m now immune to him and his ways at the office.
Wrapping the towel tighter around my naked body, I reach to the side to flip the hourglass timer. Fifteen minutes will be perfect. I scoot over, lie down, and my body begins to loosen, but after a minute, the sound of the door cracking opening causes me to shoot up because I thought I was alone.
It only takes one look, and dread fills me to the brim.
“Should I even ask?” Julian says, not waiting for my answer as he walks over to the other bench.
I do my best not to let my eyes drift to where the white towel is hanging low on his hips, but it’s hard not to notice due to the taut lines on his stomach and the V leading south.
Running through the options in my head, I can either flee or knot my towel strongly. But I don’t want either of those options. Instead, I get back into my comfortable position because I’ve already survived him—well, past the average success rate.
“I could say the same. Don’t you have your own sauna in your little castle in the sky?”
I’m not even sure if he has looked at me longer than he should while I’m in a towel, so maybe he can be a gentleman.
He adjusts his spare towel around his shoulders and sits on the upper bench.
“I do. But my flight got in early, and traffic is a bitch due to a baseball game. Normally, when I come this late, they lock it so nobody else can join. Imagine my surprise when they told me tonight that they would have to kick you out so I could enjoy my relaxing time. Lucky for you, I said there was no need.”
I stare up at the ceiling, already feeling that familiar urge that always comes when we're together. We volley retorts and jabs back and forth. I sigh and say, “Such a kind soul you are,” my voice lacking authenticity.
“I should point out it's wildly inappropriate for us to be here naked except for a towel.” He sounds utterly unconcerned. “Company policies. Harassment risks.”
“We abolished the boundaries policy, remember?” I counter.
He lets out a brief chuckle, and out of the corner of my eye, I see him adjust the towel draped over his waist, moved to leave little to the imagination.
"Oh yeah, I can ditch this and use the sauna properly. You really only need the towel to sit on—not for anything else. It’s better for your body." Now I hear him yank his towel off, and I divert my gaze even further away.
“I’ll take that under consideration.”
The entire last few minutes have me questioning what world I’m in.
This isn’t me, is it? I’m not completely on edge or having a meltdown; I’m actually ready to level with him because I need to prove to him that I’m not fazed and to myself that I have the power to hold the upper hand.
This scene was nowhere on my professional list, but I’ve quickly learned that Julian doesn’t fit the mold, and we already established our lack of rules.
One tilt of my head and I’ll see if reality matches his ego.
“But I could counter, Savannah. Either one of us could willingly leave, yet we don’t. Besides, it’s a sauna. There are rules for the sauna. You know what you signed up for. There’s even a sign that states to enter at your own risk.” His tone is a little too patronizing for my taste.
I cross my thighs, his taunting making the pining worse. “Boundaries. We have none,” I say, a little too loudly.
The room grows quiet; at least he gives me that—a moment of solitude. But the silence shatters as something in me snaps. I shoot upright, clutching the towel around me so loosely that it reveals more cleavage than I intend. His heavy gaze lingers, and I can feel my pulse quicken under his stare.
“Is this my initiation? Is that why you’re here?”
That curl of his lip only displays his arrogance. “No. But that is a great suggestion.”
“Do I get under your skin, Julian?”
A tiny smirk plays on his lips. “I don’t know, Savannah. Tell me what that must feel like, as I know I’m under yours.”
I huff and check my hourglass—only halfway. Nothing is keeping me here. I could leave, but I stay. My feet won't move.
“I knew I should have gone home when I had the chance,” I grumble as sweat greases my skin.
“Why did you stay?” he asks, genuinely curious.
“Why do I normally stay late? You know the answer. I haven’t quit yet because I can handle the work. I sure as hell am not going to quit because we’re trapped in a sauna and you’re naked as can be.”
His low, devilish chuckle sends a ripple of chills straight to my nipples, despite my body being covered in sweat. “Yet you haven’t fully looked.”
Does he really want me to look? This is twisted—and still, I’m drawn in. My sense of right and wrong collides with an urge I can’t completely deny.
My eyes betray me, and he catches my glance. Sweat sheens our faces; the light glows on our skin, intensifying everything. The sensual setting heightens our senses.
The first word that comes to my mind is long. And hard. And is it because of me?
My eyes meet his with purpose as I falter. "Hmm, I thought I'd need a tape measure, but I guess not."
His lips twist before he wryly half-smiles. “What a wicked little mouth you have.”
I shrug my shoulders and sigh. “But clearly one part of your body loves it.”
"You’re in a towel with nothing underneath in front of me.
I’m a hot-blooded man." With intent, I slide my fingers along the edge of my towel, lowering it slightly over my breasts, taunting him as his eyes roam my body. "Don’t toy with me, or you won’t like the consequences.
" His voice is firm, making the threat clear.
My brows rise. “Lucky you, my time is up.” I remain locked in his gaze, even when I stand in the middle of the sauna to leave.
I pause for a second and begin to adjust my towel.
“You are so wise with all of your years. You’re right.
I should follow sauna etiquette better.” I rip away the towel to be completely naked in front of him.
I’m not shy, and he can’t hide that he is taking a photograph in his head.
I’m not going to deny myself that I wonder what he’s thinking. Is my body the way he imagined? How would he touch me if I let him? This is me with the power to lead the scene.
That’s why I give him a few more seconds—just to taunt him—before turning to leave.
Feeling a heavy set of eyes on me the entire time.
I don’t intend to break the keyboard on my laptop, but my natural instinct is to jab each one with intense frustration.
It’s not because of the unacknowledged, highly inappropriate moment I had with my boss after seeing him naked.
I’m aggravated because some tasks in my role are interesting, but my new boss is draining.
No wonder everyone quit. Yet, I still have the drive to succeed and go down in history as the one who broke Julian Haven…
except being so close to his orbit shakes my confidence; he makes my body buzz.
Sighing, I abandon the email, grab a packet of fruit snacks from my jar, and sink into my chair.
Based on the agenda, I might actually leave on time and meet Elodie for drinks, since she has a sitter tonight.
I need a moment to unwind. Last weekend, I worked nonstop fixing mistakes left by past assistants during their brief stints at the company.
I eat another red gummy, acutely aware that drinking cocktails on fruit snacks means doom. Hopefully, the place Elodie chooses has solid appetizers.
The elevator dings, and I groan inside because Julian must be back from a meeting.
His stare is sharp as he slows his swagger past my desk, creases forming as he pauses.
“What the hell are those?”
I follow his gaze to my jar. “Uh, fruit snacks.”
“Yes, I can see that. Enlighten me why a child’s snack choice is on display on my personal assistant’s desk?”
Every time he says my personal assistant, my body is not pleased. Especially now that I’ve seen him naked, and I imagine him saying it in a different setting. My thoughts could reach a meltdown if I’m not careful.
"Sometimes I need a pick-me-up that isn’t candy," I say, tossing a grape-shaped snack into my mouth.
“Well, it isn’t the pick-me-up choice that represents Julian Haven, so let’s find a new home for that crap, or better yet, give it to the tiny terrors down in the company daycare.”
He must see the annoyance that I feel. “Forgive me, dear highness,” I bring my hand to my heart, “for not aligning my snack choice with your brand. Let me guess, your family chef growing up wouldn’t allow fruit snacks as part of your refined palate.”
A subtle shake of his head and his brief check of the ceiling relay that the feeling of annoyance has returned in full. “I don’t have time for this. Messages?”
“Yes, Dale Jones from Davenport Group phoned, said he can’t reach your cell but needs to talk to you. Wouldn’t say why.”
Julian’s jaw sets as a new irritation has been found. “There is a list somewhere, or ask Charles. The list has the name of every board member from Davenport, and I’ll be damned if I give them a second of my day. Learn it, use it, and never let me hear you bother me about it again.”
His insistence possesses a different kind of emotion that can’t be pinpointed. However, it’s in relation to his father’s company, which always releases a different sort of cold from Julian, and I have no intention of poking that sensitivity.
“Of course.”
“Where are my notes for the Stevens meeting in twenty?”
“On the drive that is linked to your calendar appointment, which I have only told you a gazillion times since last week, that is where notes are kept.”
“Fine. My dry cleaning?”
Yeah, I wasn’t so impressed with that demanded task he added to my list, and he is probably expecting me to make a snide remark about it.
Instead… I smile. “Of course, at lunchtime. I hung it on the hook behind the door. I also adjusted the temperature in your office to ensure your suit remained in pristine condition, free of wrinkles. The man at the laundromat found a paper with a number in the pocket and saved it for you. I thanked him and said he could throw it in the garbage, unless…” I bring my finger to my chin and pretend to contemplate.
“You really needed Stephanie’s number, who left lipstick stains on the paper.
” His jaw clenches while I bring my hand to my mouth for theatrics. “Oops, my bad.”
He snickers. “Cute.”
To be honest, other than the second that I chose to forget to be jealous of a woman with Julian, I assumed it was another number of some doll who slipped him a piece of paper that he forgot he had… I hope. Wait, no, I don’t.
“Anyhow, your meetings have been shuffled around for tomorrow. I’ve ensured that none are too early.”
“Good.”
“And I told the tech team to take another look at their meeting points for Monday because it would have been a waste of your time otherwise.”
“Fine.”
Why are his eyes locked onto me as though it’s the start of an entrapment?
I don’t let him unnerve me. “Anything else?”
“Did you do the report for Tuesday’s 11:30 meeting?”
Wait, what? “No.”
He doesn’t seem impressed. “And why not? You should be on top of it.”
I stand and set my hands on my desk, with fury bubbling inside me.
“Well, if you had actually said that you wanted me to come up with some report for a measly meeting about the company’s spring party, even though the events team are making a proposal, by all means, I would have ensured you received your War and Peace-length report by 4:59 PM.
Alas…” I splay my hands out. “My boss did not communicate such a thing, probably because he himself didn’t even think of it until now, purely because he despises me. ”
Julian attempts to hide his sly smirk, and I know because his cheek twitches. “Could be. Who knows. You can add it to your list. You can finish your day, then run along,” he tells me and walks away.
“Oh golly, how lucky I am,” I call out at the same time he shuts the door behind him.
“Things not going swell?” I hear Charles. I had no clue he’d arrived on the floor or how long he was watching us.
I grumble, but at least my body becomes less tense. “He is…”
Charles smiles, and when he arrives at my desk, he’s a normal human and actually takes a pack of fruit snacks from my jar. “If anyone can keep him in line, it’s you,” he reminds me.
“Sure. Doesn’t mean it’s a joy to do.”
He shrugs and glances at the closed door. “He’ll lighten up. Give it time. There is something worthy of understanding underneath his exterior.” It piques my interest what he meant by that. Julian does have a mysterious aura. “So far, you have lasted longer than most.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose and remind myself of that fact while I shake the negative energy away and change the topic. “How are you? Already adding more golf outings to your schedule, I hear.”
“Yeah. I’m not going to miss coming to the office every day, but so far, the two days a week that I do go to the office, I’m thankful.
Being home more means my wife got the idea that my new career is running all of her errands for her.
” He beams a smile when he says that, and it makes me smile too. Charles affects people that way.
“Good to hear. Now, what brings you here? Something I can do, or are you here to talk with Julian?”
“My part-time assistant is doing great since you left her a detailed handover. Which means that I’m here for the latter. I was hoping to discuss a client contract.”
I glance quickly at my screensaver to see the time. “If you’re quick, he has one last meeting for the day.”
“Okay. Do you have any plans tonight, or is it a study evening?”
I appreciate that he asks. “I decided that I’m going to meet Elodie for drinks at a place called Jupiter. I deserve a break.”
His grin grows wide. “You do. If I don’t see you, have a good time.”
“Thanks.”
How refreshing to have a man who lacks a glare and is genuinely curious if my day is going well. I’m going to miss having Charles around the office. Maybe he’s right, maybe Julian will mellow out when he has to accept that I’m not going anywhere.
What a shame that I probably won’t be meeting Julian halfway on the calming-down line.
I let the thought go for now, as I want to wrap up a few things before escaping.
A drink is most needed to escape my boss from hell.