Chapter 2 - Sky
Before working for Gemma, I was never all that keen to go to work. Sure, I was doing a job that I loved, but something always felt wrong about the previous offices I had come to know. They were typical publications: stuffy, strict, and run by prickly old men.
But her business felt completely different to me. It was a breath of fresh air, and I found myself happier than ever to go in for the day.
Gemma’s expectations were always clear, and knowing I had the pleasure of watching my good friend step into her impressive career was something I held dear to me. It inspired me in many ways and made it all the more enjoyable.
With a warm smile on my face, I moved down the hallway with a stack of revisions in my arms, greeting my coworkers as I always did. The atmosphere in the building was light as usual, and even if it was early on a Monday, those around me were relaxed and ready to begin the work day.
Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Research was underway, collaborative meetings had begun, edits were being made, and interns were fetching coffee. It all worked with near-perfect synergy, and it was a pleasure to watch as I traveled through the building.
My heels clicked against the polished floor while I entered the elevator and chatted aimlessly with a few of the others already inside on the way down. Our conversation was light as we discussed weekend plans, what was on the agenda, and any notable stories going out that week.
Then, the elevator reached the main floor with a ding, and I said my farewells before heading through the front foyer.
Glancing over the stack of papers in my grasp, making sure I had all the necessary revisions before I found Gemma, I reassured myself they were still there and looked up again.
Immediately, I couldn’t miss the tall figure standing next to the glass doors at the front.
Dressed in all black, the man remained in place while he looked over the entry, wearing a mask that obscured his features.
A shiver raced through me at the look of him. Whoever he was, he clearly had more than enough intimidation points in his favor. Between his imposing height, big muscles hugged by his dark clothes, and the way he stood like a silent sentinel over the place, something in me was screaming to keep moving. To forget what I saw and just get to where I needed to go.
But with the mask covering his face, my curiosity piqued even more, and I just wanted to know who it was.
The man was alarming...yet intriguing.
I swallowed hard as my eyes briefly tracked over the mystery man’s figure again, losing myself for a moment in how defined his physique was even beneath his clothes.
In that moment, I felt no better than a man…
As I looked him over, the guard stood perfectly straight with his arms crossed behind his back, facing the wall opposite him. With the mask on, there was no way of knowing where he was looking. Still, I couldn’t help but feel the heat of his gaze on me.
The intrusive sensation shook me out of it at once.
Clearing my throat and forcing myself to get my head back on straight, I tore my eyes away and picked up my pace by a hair, all while holding the documents close to my chest.
Reminding myself, I was at work and shouldn’t be ogling over whoever was stationed in the office building, I continued to Gemma’s office. I needed to focus and get those revisions to her before I missed my chance.
Pushing my dazed thoughts about the guard aside, I couldn’t get my mind off of how odd it seemed.
Ever since I was hired, we never had anyone posted to guard the place. As far as I knew, we never had any security problems.
It was definitely strange, but I set my sights on Gemma and noticed her sitting in the conference room still as the investors left the glass-encased room once their meeting wrapped up.
When she saw me in return, Gemma waved me in.
With a nod, I waited until the others were gone before I slipped inside and smiled despite still feeling unnerved by the guard in the front foyer.
“Everything alright?” she asked, leaning back in her chair with a hint of concern in her gaze. She caught the uncertainty written all over my face.
Brows furrowed, I gestured behind myself. “What’s going on?”
Recognition immediately entered her features, and Gemma seemed to school her expression into a calm one. She nodded her acknowledgment of what I was talking about. “You mean the guard in the foyer?”
I nodded simply.
“Given my husband’s family and the nature of what we report on here, Benedikt and I figured it would be smart to have a guard on rotation. Just for everyone’s peace of mind.”
Considering her words, well aware of what she meant, I pressed still. “Who is it?”
“It’s just Damien Novikov,” Gemma said evenly. “He’s starting the rotation, at least. I wouldn’t be surprised if the other Novikovs were eventually here too.”
I lifted my brows, surprised to hear it. “That’s Damien?”
Gemma chuckled and nodded. “Yes, it’s him. I know he’s pretty intimidating, but that just means he’s doing his job.”
Intimidating was certainly one way to put it.
Still, I couldn’t fight the slightest thrill that moved through me at the mention of his name.
I had seen him a few times while attending some Levov events with Gemma, and he was definitely good-looking, albeit with a healthy dose of terrifying just like the rest of them.
I never really had the chance to talk to him myself, but even I could admit he was interesting.
Knowing that his family, as well as the Levovs, were running the city didn’t make matters any more comforting, but I figured having someone like Damien guarding the place made sense.
In all honesty, I still couldn’t wrap my head around how Gemma was able to accept everything surrounding them and their business, but if she was at ease, then I found it easier to follow her lead.
Letting go of a breath, feeling a little more relaxed at the idea, I nodded. “I suppose that makes sense...better to have some precautions than none at all.”
Gemma smiled and nodded. “Exactly…soon enough, you won’t even know he’s there.”
As much as I wanted to believe her, I had the feeling that was far from the truth. He was too striking to be ignored. Too big, too attractive…
God, it really was going to be difficult having him around.
But I reigned my thoughts in and smiled in return. I was a professional, and I was determined to keep it that way.
Damien was just some man, anyway. Just a ridiculously tall…muscular…
“Are those the edits you had for me to approve?” Gemma asked, voice breaking through my silent reverie.
Blinking back at her as I regained my composure, I nodded and carefully handed the stack over to her. “Yes…they need your final green light.”
She smiled in return and nodded while taking them from me. “Perfect. I’ll go through them and get back to you shortly.”
“No problem…you know where to find me.”
I turned to leave, still somewhat distracted by the thought of Damien lingering around in the office.
“…and Sky?”’
Pausing, I glanced back at her with a brow raised. “Hm?”
“Don’t worry too much about Damien being here. There’s nothing to be concerned about.”
Gemma’s warm smile was a comfort, and it did manage to subdue me enough to press a mirrored version of her expression, but the sense that something odd was going on still clung to me anyway.
“Of course. Business as usual, right?”
“That’s right.”
With a final nod, I eventually slipped out of the conference room and found myself questioning all of it.
My heels continued to click against the floor as I moved through the office building all the while my mind got stuck on Damien Novikov.
As much as I didn’t want to get hung up on thinking about him, my curiosity was piqued, and I wanted to better understand the situation. Gemma reassured me that everything was fine, but something in my gut told me I wasn’t hearing the full story.
Regardless, I trusted Gemma, and I could only believe that she had everyone’s best interest in mind.