“It had better not. You’re going to be at The Pinnacle tonight by 7. Head down to accounting and speak to Melissa Daye. She’s the assistant to our Chief Financial Officer. She’ll give you a crash course on how I like things done around here, and then, you can ask her whatever you want about accounting in the real world.”
Declan doesn’t wait for my reply before motioning for me to leave his office and shutting the door. Great. We were doing great, and now, I feel like I’m on his shit list. I wonder if he’s going to call the agency to request a replacement.
Instead of dwelling on how I almost got fired from a job I’m only going to have for a few days, I walk back toward the lemon pucker receptionist on this floor. She’s still sneering at me from behind her desk in front of the elevator bank.
Clearing my throat to get her attention, the woman peers up from her computer with a look of disdain riding her face.
“May I help you?” she asks.
“Can you tell me how to get to Miss Melissa Daye’s office?”
The woman rolls her eyes and sighs heavily. “You can find the accounting department on the 7th floor, and Miss Daye will be the woman sitting in front of the Chief Financial Officer’s office.”
I turn to walk away, but something tells me to not let this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach go. When she feels me not leaving, the woman with the sour disposition stares up at me. “Will there be anything else?”
“What’s your name?” I ask, forcing a smile.
“It’s Mrs. Perry.”
“Good morning Mrs. Perry, I’m Denise-”
“I remember who you are,” she cuts me off with an abrupt nod.
“Have I done something to earn your frustration?”
“No.” Her words are short, and I look over her shoulder to Declan’s office, wondering if she can sense the attraction between us. Is it jealousy?
“I was just going to tell you that since I’m only going to be here a few days, whatever your concern is when it comes to me-”
“There’s no concern when it comes to a temporary placement. The much larger concern is what happens while thistemporaryassistant to the CEO is here snooping around. I’ll have my eye on you, Miss Meyers. Should any issues arise where our competition mysteriously has information that comes from files and departments you’ve been privy to, be warned.”
Okay, so it’s not jealousy, just paranoia. I wonder what was stolen in the first place.
Mrs. Perry stares at me with her gray and brown hairs pulled back into a bun so tight I swear her face would tear off if she blinked too fast. While standing up for myself seems like a great way to start my morning, I decide to back off. There’s no reason for me to cement my position here. I won’t be around long enough for Mrs. Perry’s approval to matter.
When I leave the reception area and head toward the elevators, I press the button, which lights up without issue. I growl under my breath, with memories of my aching legs reminding me that I need to hate Declan Daniels and keep these aching legs closed to him. It doesn’t matter how my pussy tightens at the idea of him being the first-
Deep breaths. My soft words fill the empty elevator, mumbling to myself, “Push the incredibly handsome CEO out of your head and take advantage of the opportunity he’s giving you.”
A few more deep breaths shift my overactive imagination from bedding my temporary boss to focusing on finding my way to the accounting department. It’s not rocket science with the signs plastered all over the walls.
A red-headed woman, with a far less puckered pout, is sitting behind a small area of desks with a pair of glasses resting across the bridge of her nose. Her eyes widen as I approach her.
“Good morning,” she beams with chipperness, which I can’t seem to match after hauling myself up to the 8th floor and then getting sent here by the stupidly handsome guy I’m supposed to be working for.
I try to be as pleasant, but I’m suffering from a case of whiplash this morning. “Good morning. Mr. Daniels told me to come down here and get some real world accounting experience.”
She tips her head to the side, eyes full of curiosity. “I’m sorry. Who are you?”
Before I can answer, the phone rings and she holds up a finger to me before answering it. A very short conversation later, she hangs up and stands out of her seat. Her smile is increasing and worrisome. Who is this happy at work? It’s suspicious.
“I’m Mel, the assistant to Mr. Alessandro, the CFO. Mr. Daniels just informed me that I’m showing you the ropes around here.”
And show me she does. After spending the day with Melissa, Mel, I learn the ins and outs of tracking money through the fitness corporate juggernaut, with a few tips and tricks to keep Mr. Daniels happy as his assistant. Unfortunately, none of those tips involve him pummeling my pussy to erotic oblivion.
It’s like an obsession, and I can’t let go. Craving someone is new to me. To immediately feel it in my bones that he’s the one is foreign. No guy has ever piqued my interest until now, and they’ve all been less than worthy of my time. I’ve never lusted after anyone the way I’m lusting after Declan. I have to have him.
By the time five o’clock rolls around, I leave Mel with a smile and head back to Declan’s office where Mrs. Perry is talking to employees, puckered pout still intact. When I reach the desk outside of his office, I peek inside to see it’s vacant.