19
***SJ***
IslippedunderBarrett’sarm and then stopped in my tracks once I got inside the office. The space was massive, with a desk the size of my bed at home in the middle of it. Bookshelves lined the walls and the view beyond the windows was stunning. One side of the room held a sitting area, complete with a bar. The other held a second, smaller desk.
More impressive than anything in the office was the man sitting at his desk. He’d already stripped off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. His hair was styled and his beard trimmed. He looked so powerful sitting there that I felt a moment of shyness. I was starstruck.
It only made things worse when I breathed deep and the smell of leather and fresh rain dusted over me. I might’ve sighed. I wasn’t sure. It made me want to demand to see Barrett in his office, too. I knew the sight would be just as delicious.
“Sugar?” Barrett grinned down at me, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder, his thumb at the base of my throat. “You okay?”
I laughed. Then I realized that wasn’t an appropriate answer and shook my head. “Yeah, no, I’m fine. Sorry.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I’d give up my house to be able to read your mind right now.”
I puffed out a disbelieving breath and forced myself to step away and address both men in a less embarrassing way. “This office is beautiful.”
Dominic sat back in his chair and looked me over. It was lingering and it felt a whole lot like funny business. “Did you have any trouble getting here? We can have a car pick you up and drop you off each day.”
Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. “No, no. That’s not necessary. I got in fine. I liked the drive. I got to listen to a podcast and put on my makeup.”
I got the reaction I wanted when both men’s eyes just about bugged out of their heads. Only when I giggled did Barrett relax. He narrowed his eyes at me and then nodded at the smaller desk in the room. “That makes me feel less guilty for throwing you into the deep end.”
I stared at the desk and then at Barrett. When he didn’t say anything, I looked back at the desk and then at Dominic. Surely, he wasn’t saying what I thought he was saying.
Dominic stood up and walked around his desk, just to lean against the front of it. He looked like a character fromMad Menin that moment. My outfit fit right in. “You need a crash course on the business. The best way to get that is by working in here, with me.”
I must’ve looked at the desk in horror because Barrett laughed like I was putting on a show. Shaking my head as I moved slightly farther away from the desk, I tried to think of anything that would keep me away from the man. If I was expected to get any kind of work done, I couldn’t have the option of staring at Dominic all day.
“I’ll be a nuisance to you if I’m in here. I don’t want to be a bother. There has to be someone lower than theCEOto tell me about the business.”
“Of course, there are people under us who could do it. I take a more hands-on approach with my work, though, Sugar. You won’t be a problem.”
A hands-on approach. I swallowed and nodded like it made sense, but I was panicking. I couldn’t work sitting across from him. That was a terrible idea. “Well. If you’re sure, I guess this will work. I can learn the business fast and then move out of your way.”
Barrett chuckled and backed away. “I have to get something ready before the meeting. I’ll see you there, Sugar.”
I watched as he left, shutting the door behind him, and then turned back to Dominic. We were alone in his office and apparently that’s just something we were going to be doing. I pushed my shoulders back and strolled over to my desk. Putting my clutch down on the edge of it, I tapped my knuckles lightly on the smooth wooden top and nodded. “Okay. What should I do first?”
“That laptop already has a new email set up for you. Cindy wrote down passwords for you and put them in the top drawer. I sent you an email this morning with a basic overview of the company. Read that over and then let me know if you have any questions.”
I moved around the desk and pulled out a desk chair I recognized as top-of-the-line. My ass had never been in anything as nice. I sat down and crossed my legs, letting the feeling of the new space settle over me. I wiggled in the chair a bit, twisted it back and forth, lost my heels under the desk, and sank into the plush ergonomic goodness. I’d never had such a comfortable setup.
“You plan on moaning the whole time? That could be distracting.”
I looked up and found Dominic staring at me from his own chair. I licked my lips and then pressed them tightly together. I hadn’t been moaning. At least, I didn’t think I had been. Finally, I decided to use it to try to get my own space. “Maybe you don’t need me in here.”
Dominic slowly smiled at me and shook his head. “I know what I need. Now, get to work.”
“Yes, Sir.” I’d said it playfully, but of course my brain instantly sent dirty signals flaring all over the place and I nearly broke my neck in an effort to avoid looking up at him. No way could I see the look he was giving me and still be expected to do anything that day.
After a morning of reading about the company and meeting new people, I was starving by the time lunch came around. I’d confirmed with Logan that my lunch was from noon to one and he was meeting me downstairs, in the lobby. I wasn’t exactly excited to reunite with him, but I barely had any friends who lived near me and I was hoping he’d changed into a nicer version of himself since I’d last spoken to him.
Just before noon, Barrett and Holden showed up in Dominic’s office. Holden was a surprise, since I hadn’t seen him all morning. Instead of keeping his distance, he walked over and pulled me into a tight hug, crushing my body against his. I relaxed into it and realized just how much I’d been missing contact with other people. I felt like I’d gone a lifetime without being touched and I was starving for it.
“Look at me, hugging you, even though you’re a dirty traitor who went to Bernie’s and said he was a great chef, or whatever.” He pulled away and stared down at me while gripping my shoulders lightly. “I could make a shepherd’s pie that would put his to shame. I’ll make you one. When I do, and it’s a million times better, I expect you to add a footnote to that blog post that details how good mine was.”
I stared at him for a few seconds before laughing. I laughed hard enough that my stomach ached and my cheeks hurt.