3. Ian
3
IAN
Well, this morning just got complicated , I thought as I led Maddie—my new assistant—toward my office, fighting to keep my steps steady and my expression calm.
Calm on the outside, at least. On the inside, my pulse raced like a hummingbird's wings, my mind spinning in a hundred different directions.
How was it possible that out of all the women at the club on Friday night, the woman who had reignited a spark I hadn’t felt in…well, longer than I wanted to admit…was the very woman I couldn’t afford to feel any sparks with.
Man, the universe really had a twisted sense of humor, didn’t it? After nearly a year of feeling numb, the first woman to tempt me into breaking my ten-month celibacy streak had to be my new assistant.
My new and extremely attractive assistant.
I pushed open the glass door to my office, shoving those thoughts aside. Professional. I needed to stay professional. I needed to handle this like the executive I was—and the future CEO I hoped to be.
“Please, take a seat,” I said, gesturing toward one of the chairs in front of my desk.
Maddie nodded and sat gracefully in the chair, but I could tell she was trying to appear calm in this awkward predicament we found ourselves in.
She looked…different in the daylight, somehow even more beautiful, with shoulder-length hair, a petite frame, and plump pink lips that?—
Nope. I shook my head and moved my gaze away from her mouth before the memory of how her lips had felt as they’d moved with mine on Friday night could flash through my mind for too long. Definitely don’t need to think about that heated exchange right now.
I shook my head and shoved the forbidden kiss aside, taking my seat across from her. Clearing my throat, I searched for the right words to start this meeting that was already so far off script.
But before I could say anything, Maddie’s eyes—which I hadn’t realized were crystal blue until this moment—widened, and she blurted out, “I’m so sorry about this weekend,” her voice laced with anxiety. “I never do things like that—I swear! It’s just that my sister practically threatened to kidnap my son if I didn’t kiss someone while I was out. But I promise I had no idea it was you. Not the you you, at least. Not my future boss. I mean, I didn’t even know what you looked like, and when I interviewed for the job, I thought I’d be assisting your dad, and he has much lighter hair, so I never imagined his son would be so tall, dark, and handsome—” She covered her mouth, her eyes suddenly going wide with horror as she realized what she’d just said. “Oh my gosh, I just called you tall, dark, and handsome to your face. I can’t believe I said that. You’re my boss. I’m sure you know what you look like, and that kiss, well…” She shook her head, her words tumbling over each other as she tried to explain. “It wasn’t supposed to happen. Not with you. I promise, I?—”
“Hey, hey,” I interrupted, holding up a hand to calm her down. Despite everything, I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. “It’s okay, really. It’s an understandable mistake. And I can tell it wasn’t some calculated attempt to seduce your future boss.” I winced internally as the words left my mouth, realizing how bad they sounded.
Looks like we’re both on edge.
I cleared my throat before trying again. “What I’m attempting to say—however badly I’m doing it—is that maybe we should just move on. We both know what happened, and we both know our intentions. So let’s chalk it up to an interesting night and agree to avoid any more…mishaps.”
“Okay.” Maddie blinked, then nodded slowly, taking a deep breath as she tried to compose herself. “I’ll try to move on.” She hesitated for a moment, as if gathering her courage. “So…does that mean I still have a job?”
“Yes.” A grin tugged at the corners of my lips, and I couldn’t resist the chuckle that followed. “As long as you can still see me as your boss and not as some reckless guy who, on occasion, lets his guard down outside the office, then yes, you still have a job.”
“Okay, good.” Maddie smiled, relief washing over her features, and for a moment, the tension between us eased.
“So how about you tell me about yourself?” I said, leaning back in my chair, hoping to move our meeting into what an initial meeting between an employer and a new employee should look like. “Have you lived in the area for long? You mentioned having a son?”
“Yes.” She nodded, seeming to relax at the idea of talking about something less charged. “I’m from a small town in central New York state. Born and raised. But I have some family in this area and always thought it was such a beautiful place, which is why I applied for this job.” She licked her lips, briefly glancing down at her hands. “Anyway, like you said, I do have a son. Grant. He’s eight and the best thing to happen to me. And well…” She furrowed her brow like she was trying to think of what to say next. “I, uh, I have a bachelor’s degree in interior design—not that I’ve ever really done anything with it aside from helping my dad with his remodel. And…” She bit her lip. “I don’t know. I guess that’s pretty much it. Except that I just wanted to say that I’m really excited to work here. I researched your company a few months ago and it seemed like a great place to work and, um,” —she ran her hands down her skirt, in what I assumed was a nervous tic— “I promise to do my best and fulfill all my responsibilities to the best of my ability.”
“Awesome,” I said. “It’s good to get to know a little about you.”
Though I was somewhat surprised she was old enough to have an eight-year-old since she didn’t look a day older than twenty-five. But I supposed she could be a little older than I had thought.
Or perhaps she had her son when she was a teen?
My mom had me when she was nineteen, so it could happen.
“And now that I know a little about you, how about I start by telling you a bit about myself?” I said, pushing aside the curiosity I had about my new assistant. “I grew up in Eden Falls—a small town just outside New Haven. I know you’re familiar with that town, since… well, it’s where we first met.” I gave her a wink, a playful grin tugging at my lips. “Though I suppose I’m already breaking my own rule by mentioning that.”
“Yes, I’ve spent a little time in Eden Falls.” Maddie smiled at what would now be considered our inside joke, the tension in the air dissipating just a bit more.
“I’m also the son of the company’s founder and CEO,” I continued. “But I promise I didn’t get this job through nepotism or anything like that.” I smirked so she’d know I was joking. Even though I felt I was qualified for this job and worked hard to get where I was, being the oldest son of Joel Hastings did come with a lot of perks.
“Anyway, I’m mostly involved in mergers and acquisitions, handling investment properties, and, well, attending a lot of meetings—many of which you’ll join me in.” I watched her as I spoke, noting how her eyes followed my words with interest. “I also do quite a bit of travel—not always for business. I’m actually heading to Norway this weekend for a wedding. So I won’t always be in the office. But there might be times when I’ll need you to travel with me. To various conferences and such. I hope that’s okay?”
“Marsha mentioned the possibility of travel when she interviewed me.” Maddie nodded. “I have family nearby who’s already offered to watch my son. And his dad has partial custody, so he can help out, too.”
I filed that information away, my curiosity piqued about her situation—the dynamic between her and her son’s father. Sure, she had kissed me on Friday, but you never knew the kinds of relationships people had these days. But it sounded like they were separated. Which was…good to know.
Not that I should care.
I definitely wouldn’t be crossing those lines again.
Even if I’ve been imagining her soft lips whispering sweet nothings into my ear for half the time she’s been talking to me.
I pushed the inappropriate thought away.
Man, I needed to get laid again. Ten months of celibacy was way too long.
But hey, at least my celibacy streak had come in handy for one thing. It had kept me from doing what I usually did on my nights at the club—a.k.a. it kept me from going home with whatever beautiful woman had caught my eye and exploring each other in a much more intimate setting.
Dang, maybe the universe actually did have my back this time. Sleeping with my new assistant would have been much different than an innocent kiss.
“Your main responsibilities this week will be getting familiar with the company and meeting the other executives and associates,” I continued, grateful Maddie couldn’t read my mind and was simply jotting down notes for herself into a navy-blue notebook. “I’ll have my dad’s assistant show you the ropes on some of the administrative duties and how to access the various training videos if you haven’t already accessed them.” I paused, trying to remember if I was forgetting anything. When nothing else came to mind, I asked, “Do you have any questions for me?”
She pressed her pink lips together, her eyes going up and to the right as if she was mulling this over. Then she said, “I can’t think of anything right now.”
“Okay, great. Then I think that covers everything for now.”
“Okay, awesome,” she said, jotting one more thing in her notebook before closing it. “Are there any meetings I should plan on attending today?”
I pursed my lips as I tried to remember what my schedule looked like. “I have a couple of meetings this afternoon. I think I can handle the one with Branson Financial on my own. But I’ll definitely need you in my three o’clock meeting since there are a lot of moving parts that I’ll need notes on.”
“I’ll be ready for that, then.”
She stood, and even though I knew she could let herself out of my office, I found myself standing as well, saying, “Here, I’ll walk you out.”
As I escorted her to the door, my eyes were drawn to the glass walls of my office. And when I looked at her desk just beyond the glass door, I realized just how perfectly the glass walls framed her desk.
Man, I really should’ve told Marsha to hire someone less stunning. Someone more like Rhonda, the sixty-something assistant who had just retired.
I really didn’t need to be distracted by a set of pretty blue eyes and a petite-yet-perfectly-curvy frame.
But no, every time I looked up, I’d see her there.
Hopefully, once the initial attraction had passed, I’d be able to focus on my work without the memory of our kiss floating to my mind every few seconds.
“I look forward to working with you, Miss Stevens,” I said, forcing formality into my tone as I extended my hand. Maybe using her last name would remind my brain to keep this strictly professional.
“I look forward to working with you, too,” she replied, her cheeks flushing the most alluring shade of pink as she slipped her hand into mine. And the moment our hands touched, a spark of electricity shot up my arm.
Static from the new carpet, I told myself. Definitely nothing to dwell on.
Maddie stepped out of my office a moment later, and I gave her a nod before closing the door behind her. I turned back to my desk, determined to focus, but my thoughts refused to cooperate. Instead, I found myself replaying that forbidden moment from Friday night.
The memory of that kiss rushed back—how she’d felt in my arms, the way her eyes had lingered on mine just before she walked away. There was something in her gaze that made me want to lean in again, despite everything.
Why was it that the first time I’d felt a spark with anyone in nearly a year, it had to be with my new assistant?
I sighed and shook my head. This was going to be a problem.
And it was probably bad that I couldn’t wait to see how it would unfold.