Chapter 8 Lexi
LEXI
Iwalked to the elevator, my heart pounding as my legs threatened to buckle beneath me. Kacie was watching, so I forced myself to move steadily until the elevator doors slid shut behind me. Only then did I lean against the wall, my breath coming fast.
I’d slept with my boss.
Well, technically, he was many levels above me. But he was the boss.
I thought about telling Sasha how the man had scored a twenty in bed on a scale of one to ten and winced at the memory. Of course he’d been good—men like him had to be the best at everything.
Now I knew why he had given off that commanding aura. He wasn’t just another businessman. He was interim CEO of Altika, poised to become its permanent leader. The man was worth billions.
And I hated how my traitorous body had still reacted to him back there.
I swallowed down every inappropriate thought and squared my shoulders.
I couldn’t even revisit that night in my dreams anymore. Who fantasized about their boss?
But that jawline …
I couldn’t stop my thoughts from wandering. I pictured him again, the beautiful body, and those intense brown eyes.
He was easily eight inches taller than me, and at five-foot-six, I had to look up to meet his eyes.
He had wanted to keep his expression passive, but I had seen the flicker of emotion on his face when I walked in.
What had my own face given away in return? Had he seen my mouth fall open in surprise, followed by a stupid flutter of hope at seeing him again before I covered it up a second too late?
He was stunned, but he recovered in an instant. I thought I’d be fired for my insolence. Instead, he’d let me stay and set a challenge for me, perhaps just biding his time to kick me out.
The arrogant jerk.
My skin flushed as I thought about how kind he’d been at the bar. He hadn’t been arrogant then.
When the elevator doors opened on my floor, I stepped out and hurried back to my desk.
“Lexi, where were you?” Brian asked as I slid into my chair.
Stacey turned around, her eyebrows raised. “Your face is red,” she observed. “Are you okay?”
“Just …” I took a deep breath and glanced over my shoulder, making sure no one was eavesdropping. “I was summoned to the fortieth floor.”
Stacey’s eyes widened, suspicion creeping into her expression, while Brian leaned in closer, his interest unmistakable.
I felt a wave of discomfort at Brian’s curiosity and decided to downplay the situation. “Turns out, the feedback we give isn’t completely anonymous,” I said, trying to sound casual. “I mentioned I was unhappy, and they called me up to better understand my concerns.”
“You never tell the truth around here,” Brian said in a low voice, leaning even closer.
“You could get fired for being honest. Just look at Adrian Wells from the platform team. A while back, Mr. Walkers changed the rules to not allow employees access to free soda and snacks at work. Well, Adrian complained, and he was let go on the spot.”
A shiver ran down my spine, and I looked at Stacey, who nodded grimly.
“It was one of the first decisions Mr. Walkers made when he took over.”
“The man is ruthless,” Brian said.
It was the reminder I desperately needed of the vast difference in our positions. Jonah had power—tons of it—and he wielded it freely, it seemed. I had none.
None of this had mattered during our night together. That night, I’d felt I could trust him, be myself with him in a way I hadn’t been with any other man in my life.
But Jonah wasn’t trustworthy. And I certainly couldn’t be myself with him anymore. He’d been a mistake. And judging by the way he’d looked daggers at me, perhaps he wasn’t just a mistake; he was my enemy.