Chapter Seven
Simon
“Good morning!”
In the past two weeks, I’d started to get used to Raina’s chipper greetings. At first, they’d annoyed me to no end. I was never chipper myself, and that was especially true first thing in the morning.
Particularly on a Monday.
But I didn’t roll my eyes at her bright voice the way I would have in the beginning—and that wasn’t just because I could already smell whatever undoubtedly delicious baked goods she’d brought in today. There were worse things than having someone so genuinely happy in the office at eight a.m.
I looked up from my computer as Raina stepped through my open door.
She was wearing a fitted navy dress today, simple but sophisticated, the fabric skimming her curves in a way that made it difficult to keep my attention where it belonged.
Her blonde hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, exposing the graceful line of her neck.
I noticed because I was aware of everything about her these days, and I hated that about myself, along with the fact that I was lusting over my best friend’s sister.
Kurt would kick my ass if he had any inkling of the dirty thoughts I’d been having about Raina, not to mention the images of her filtering through my head while I’d stroked my dick in the shower this morning.
I’d needed some kind of relief after waking up hard as stone, and much to my dismay, she’d become my favorite reoccurring fantasy to jack off to.
I’d taken to leaving my office door open most of the time so she’d have easy access. She popped in and out constantly throughout the day, more than any of my previous assistants. I realized that was because she did more work than any of them ever had.
No matter how heavy the workload I gave her, she handled it without complaint, completing every task I assigned with an efficiency that bordered on supernatural.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone this long without having to correct my assistant, let alone raise my voice at one.
In just two weeks, Raina had managed to ease my burden by taking over responsibilities that should have belonged to an assistant all along but that I’d been handling myself out of sheer distrust.
I was no longer working twelve-hour days. The relief of that was almost impossible to articulate. I slept better. Liam had even commented on my improved mood at lunch last week, which I’d deflected with a grunt.
Overall, Raina was working out remarkably well.
Which made the other problem that much more frustrating.
The attraction hadn’t faded. If anything, it had intensified, sharpened by proximity and the countless small moments throughout each day when I found myself watching her instead of my computer screen.
The way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear when she was concentrating.
The curve of her smile when she figured out a solution to a problem.
The scent of her perfume lingering in my office long after she’d left.
I couldn’t allow myself to get comfortable. Couldn’t let myself rely on her too much. Being competent and having a good attitude didn’t mean I could trust her not to screw up down the road.
And it definitely didn’t mean I should be thinking about her in ways that were completely inappropriate in a work setting.
Raina crossed to my desk and placed a basket on the corner, a cloth draped over the top to conceal whatever was inside. I looked up into her blue eyes—bright, warm, and entirely too easy to get lost in.
“What’s that?” I asked. “Planning a picnic today? I’m not extending your lunch break for that.”
Most people would have bristled at my brusque tone. I was quickly learning that Raina wasn’t most people. She just smiled and rolled her eyes at me, completely unintimidated.
“They’re muffins. Blueberry.” She lifted the cloth to reveal them, and the sweet, rich scent hit me immediately. “I made them yesterday, and they turned out so good I thought you might want to try them.”
My mouth watered. “More baked goods? First the cookies, then brownies last week, now this.” I raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to make me fat?”
Raina laughed—a bright, unguarded sound that filled every corner of my office. It was possibly the most carefree thing I’d ever heard, and something shifted in my chest. A weight I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying seemed to lift, just for a moment.
“It’s not a bad thing to treat yourself every once in a while,” she said when her laughter faded. There was a sparkle in her eyes, teasing and warm. “I have a feeling you don’t do that often enough.”
She left my office then, but I knew she’d be back. She started every day the same way—checking in with me, then firing up her computer and making coffee, bringing me a cup prepared exactly the way I liked. Just a splash of cream. I’d never told her that, but she’d simply observed and adapted.
I loved a good, solid routine I could rely on. What I didn’t love was how much I’d come to rely on her.
I waited until she was out of sight before leaning back in my chair and dragging a hand down my face with a groan.
Finally hiring a competent assistant was supposed to be a relief.
Instead, I found myself increasingly frustrated by Raina’s…
everything. She wasn’t just good at her job.
She was patient yet sharp, and she teased me in a way that made my pulse do stupid things because I enjoyed her humor.
She challenged me when I was being unreasonable and backed down gracefully when I had a point.
She anticipated my needs before I voiced them and handled problems before they reached my desk.
And I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
It was becoming a problem. I didn’t want this growing attraction. I was supposed to stay focused on work, and Raina was my assistant. Nothing more, nothing less. She was here to help me achieve my goals and keep the business on track.
Instead, I was drawn to her in a way that felt entirely unprofessional.
She was a walking distraction with her silky blonde hair and those blue eyes that seemed to see right through my gruff exterior.
The way her hips swayed when she walked.
The way her skirts hugged her curves. Her bright smile and infectious laughter that somehow made the very air feel lighter.
She was occupying way too much space in my head, and she had no idea.
A few minutes later, she returned with my coffee, placing it to my right, exactly where I preferred it. I’d never mentioned that either. She just noticed.
She also placed a piece of paper in front of me. I glanced down to find the agenda for my afternoon meeting, complete with talking points and relevant background information on the client.
I hadn’t asked for this. She’d simply anticipated the need.
“Thanks, Raina,” I said, picking up my coffee and taking a sip.
She didn’t respond immediately. I glanced up to find her hovering beside my desk, a flush of color in her cheeks and something warm and satisfied in her expression.
“What?” I asked.
The word came out rougher than I intended, because looking at her like this—pleased and slightly flustered—made me wonder if this was how she’d look if I kissed her.
Surprised at first, then softening into it.
Heat coiled low in my stomach at the thought, and I had to grip my coffee cup tighter to keep my hands where they belonged.
“That’s the first time you’ve ever thanked me.” Her mouth stretched into a brilliant smile. “I must be growing on you.”
I thought back over the past two weeks. She’d been meeting my high expectations from the beginning, and I’d been reluctantly impressed from day one. But she was probably right. Showing gratitude wasn’t something I made a habit of. I didn’t think about it, so I didn’t do it.
Feeling like an asshole, I set my coffee cup down and cleared my throat awkwardly. “You’re doing a fine job here. I’m… grateful for what you do.”
The words came out stilted, and I was painfully aware of how awkward I sounded. Clearly, I needed to be better about expressing appreciation. But Raina didn’t seem to mind. If anything, she looked even happier that I’d made the effort.
Against my will, my gaze dropped to her lips.
The urge to reach out and drag her onto my lap, to finally taste her and discover if she was as sweet as I imagined, hit me like a primitive need. My hands curled into fists beneath my desk, knuckles tightening with the effort of restraining myself.
If Raina noticed my internal battle, she gave no sign of it. She simply turned and walked out of my office, leaving me alone with the lingering scent of her perfume and the weight of my own frustrated desire.
I allowed myself one moment—just one—to entertain the fantasy.
Pulling her back through the door. Pressing her against the nearest wall, her body soft against mine.
Claiming her mouth in a kiss that would almost certainly qualify as an HR disaster.
My cock ached at the thought, and for a reckless second, I almost thought it would be worth it.
But logic prevailed. It always did.
With a heavy sigh, I forced the images from my mind, burying them under the demands of more important things: investment evaluations, expense reports, pending contracts. Work was my priority. I wasn’t going to let an unexpected attraction to my entirely off-limits assistant derail that.
I threw myself into the tasks in front of me, focusing on my computer screen with fierce concentration. The only thing that broke through was the lingering scent of blueberries, so I helped myself to one of Raina’s muffins while I worked.
Unsurprisingly, it was incredible. Just like the cookies and brownies.
I reached for another just as my brother’s voice drifted in from the outer office.
“Good morning, Raina.”
“Good morning, Liam,” she replied easily.