Chapter 9
Sadie
The elevator doors opened to an empty office.
My footsteps echoed as I walked through the space, clutching my purse in one hand and a large coffee in the other.
I looked around and realized I was all alone.
I had never been this early to work before, and clearly, none of the others had either. A whole two hours early.
I took a long sip of my iced coffee as I arrived at my desk, the swirl of cream and sugar sweet on my tongue.
I honestly could have used three more jumbo-sized lattes after the sleepless night I had.
After the kiss—or really, the make-out session—in the elevator with Jeremiah, I was so wound up that sleep didn’t come easily.
My body wanted one thing, while my mind strong-armed me into staying in my apartment, instead of going up to find him and finish what we started.
It had taken everything in me to untangle my limbs from his body and my fingers from his hair.
It was as if the ding of the elevator had broken some sort of spell and I found myself stumbling off, struggling to find air.
To find space. Space I told him I needed, which in turn he had laughed at.
It was an impossible ask when we lived in the same building and I was now his personal assistant.
I thought after how terribly yesterday had gone, he would want nothing to do with me, so him following me onto the elevator was not on my bingo card.
The truth was, I had gone for a run to clear him from my mind, and instead it bit me in the ass.
If I had just stayed in my apartment after the workday, I would have avoided running into him.
Maybe part of me wanted to. I sighed as I realized just how complicated my life was before plopping into the white leather swivel chair at my desk.
I could still taste the bourbon on his tongue, even though I had brushed my teeth several times and took a long, hot shower to rid my body of his intoxicating scent.
It was no use, though. All I could think about was him and the way he so easily lifted me in his arms as my legs instinctively wrapped around him.
He had still been in that well-fitting suit from the workday, while I probably looked like a drowned rat in my sweaty workout clothes.
It didn’t seem to faze him, though. He still had that hungry look in his eyes and his hands were eager to explore my flushed skin.
I shook my head and took another long sip of coffee before firing up my laptop.
I was eager to find a distraction from the night before, even though Jeremiah would be here soon and be all the reminder I needed that he existed, and that we had crossed so many lines in the past few days.
I told myself we wouldn’t cross any more. Keeping this job was too important.
At least, I had made it here before him today.
Before everyone. I was eager to prove that I could do this job.
But once I had logged on to my laptop, my calendar began pinging with notifications, filling the screen and making my eyes move in a frenzy to keep up.
My stomach dropped. Yesterday’s to-do list had doubled in size and I started to doubt I was able to keep up.
I couldn’t understand how someone could be that busy.
His day was full of meetings. Meetings I would most likely accompany him to.
The thought made my heart skip a little faster.
I leaned forward, looking toward the elevator for any sign of Jeremiah.
There was a bundle of excited nerves in the pit of my stomach.
I had spent a better part of my morning taking my time getting ready, giving myself an at-home blowout and putting on a cream skirt suit I had pressed before getting ready for bed.
It was stupid, really. I told myself it was because I wanted to look the part, but I knew part of it was for him.
The elevator doors opened, sending me flying backward in my seat, but it wasn’t Jeremiah. It was Tanya, the front desk clerk. She must have also wanted to start making a good impression on the new boss, along with the other associates who trickled in not long after.
She gave me a wave and walked over. “You’re here early,” she said, looking around the almost empty office.
“Am I?” I shrugged.
“Oh, come off it. You’re scared shitless, like the rest of us,” she said with a raised brow.
I let out a breathy laugh. “Is it that obvious?”
“I don’t blame you. The man is a tyrant. I swear, he’s the only one who would ever have me up this early.” She shook her head.
I nodded in agreeance as her eyes curiously looked at my laptop screen that was full of multi-colored tasks and appointments. It was an array of impossible to-dos disguised in colors of the rainbow. She clucked her tongue and shook her head.
“Damn. He’s got you running like a chicken with your head cut off, huh?” asked Tanya, looking at me sympathetically.
I groaned. “Send help.”
She gave me a reassuring smile. “You’ve got this.”
She drummed her knuckles on my desk before walking down the hall to her desk.
The rest of the office started to fill up with employees eager to prove themselves.
Soon, I needed another coffee to help stave off the sleepless night I had.
I walked to the breakroom, my senses on alert for any sign of Jeremiah, but there was no sign of him.
I pulled a white mug from the glossy black shelving and poured myself a generous amount of black coffee from the carafe.
I was only gone for a few minutes, but when I got back to my desk, I found Jeremiah’s office door now closed.
He must have arrived while I was in the breakroom.
I took a deep breath and gathered the files on my desk that I had reviewed for him this morning, and were now ready for signatures.
Outside his door, I clutched the files under one arm and discreetly fussed with my hair with the other.
I was about to knock, but stopped with my hand raised when I heard muffled voices through the door.
He wasn’t alone. I could recognize a few of the voices coming from inside.
Jeremiah was talking to managers from the smaller departments.
I would have gone back to my desk, but I heard my name float through the door, which made me stop in my tracks.
“There’s no room for her,” one of the managers said.
“Surely, there’s somewhere for her to be of assistance,” said Jeremiah insistently.
“She’s just a paper-pusher,” said the manager.
“She’s been here a long time, but hasn’t really earned anything…” another manager chimed in.
I could feel my face burn as I absorbed what they were saying about me. I didn’t want to listen anymore, but my feet felt like they were glued to the floor.
“Please, gentlemen. I need her out of the role as my PA…”
Jeremiah’s words sliced through me like a knife.
He really doesn’t think I’m good enough, I thought to myself.
Tears formed in my eyes as I slowly backed away from the door, but not fast enough.
The door to Jeremiah’s office swung open, and I found myself face to face with the managers who had just spoken so poorly of me.
I quickly blinked back my tears as they stepped out of the room, giving me irritated glances that I had been eavesdropping.
They walked past me without a word, leaving me standing in plain view of Jeremiah, whose stare was unreadable, yet I was sure the embarrassment I felt was painted plainly on my face.
“I have meetings to get to,” he said coolly. “You’ll accompany me for the day. Keep me on schedule.”
All I could do was nod, knowing if I spoke my voice would shake and the tears would fall.
He walked past me, and I quickly grabbed my purse from my desk, trying to keep up with his long strides.
We rode the elevator in silence, a much different experience than last night when we had been pulled together like magnets. I wondered if I had imagined it all.
I followed Jeremiah out of the lobby and out to a black town car that was waiting on the curb.
The driver opened the back door and Jeremiah slipped in without so much as a thank-you.
I gave the driver a polite nod and clambered in after him, careful to keep my distance on one side of the car.
Soon, the car pulled away from the curb and I discreetly looked at Jeremiah from the corner of my eye.
He was typing on his phone, his brows pulled together in concentration.
He wore a black suit today with a crisp, white button-down, making his golden skin look even deeper.
A five o’clock shadow darkened his chiseled jawline.
His scent wrapped around me in the space of the backseat, making it feel like the walls were closing in.
He cleared his throat and I quickly broke my gaze, looking straight ahead. “Did you look through the calendar?” he asked, his eyes still on his phone.
“Yes,” I said, embarrassed by my eager stammer. “Yes.” I tried again, calming my nerves.
He looked at me, his blue eyes narrowing. “You good?” he asked, and it was so condescending that I couldn’t help the words that came out sharply this time.
“Yeah. I’m good.” I emphasized the last word, letting it drip with sarcasm. “I’m just not used to overgrown men talking about me and my worth.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t eavesdrop.” He shrugged.
I felt my face growing hot, but it wasn’t from embarrassment. It was because he was such an asshole.
“Look, I’ve only ever done my best at this job. My old boss and I got along great. I’m trying to find my footing with you, but you’re not even giving me a chance to. You’re just so…”
I stopped myself, trying to find the right word.
“I’m what?” he asked, his voice low as he leaned in closer. His eyes dipped down to my lips, waiting eagerly for my next word.
I swallowed hard. “Difficult,” I managed to say.
He laughed before pulling back.
“Is that funny?” I asked, raising a brow.
“I’ve been called worse.”
He was insufferable, but I couldn’t help but admire how little he cared about what people thought.
“Honestly, I thought you would have quit by now. It’s fine by me if you do.
I can easily find someone to fill your shoes,” he said nonchalantly, but his words hurt me more than they should.
How could he make me feel like I was the only one in the room one minute, and make me feel like I didn’t exist the next?
“I’m not quitting,” I said firmly, pushing my feelings aside and reminding myself how much I needed this job.
He looked at me curiously, as if seeing me for the first time this morning.
His eyes ran over the cream skirt and matching blazer, stopping on the gold hoops that peeped out from the red waves of my hair, before finding my eyes that did their best to stay firmly on his.
He seemed to give a small nod of satisfaction, and I hated how good it made me feel.
“But maybe you could be a bit nicer to your employees,” I said softly.
“Is that so?” he asked with that familiar smirk tugging at his lip.
“Haven’t you heard the expression ‘you catch more bees with honey’?”
He chuckled before straightening the lapel of his suit. Looking back to his phone, he said, “Honey didn’t make me this rich, sweetheart.”