ay, but my mind was too far gone to even register what sh

to

l to acknowledge what had happened between us. And the worst part? The

e out of my head. "What's with

nked.

n her lips. "Don't tell me you're still

ked on my lu

ping my mouth with the bac

ing. I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd think

r. "I'd rather

my mutual friend and fashion assistant before

en I p

utside

ed, silent,

esday morning? The latter wouldn't surprise me. I sighed and turned toward my office,

and forward it to several departments before lunchtime. I hated how even

turned i

g across the keyboard. But my eyes kept drifting to

ng fr

was

thing rude, something frustrating. And now that he wa

anning to

was he ig

m., I was d

ffice, irritation bubbling up like a shaken soda bottle. I stopped at the doo

s when I

lway behind me, just loud enough to ca

Mr. Russo won't be

ned back, just en

p restaurant downtown. Private table and everything.

mach d

the hallway. For a moment, I t

a girlfriend?" the

lthy heiress. She's been around for a while on and off, but

siness racing the way it was. It was none of

ehow, i

lo

force than necessary. I tried to focus, but the image of him kissin

as the g

s dream. Sophisticated. Confident. A walking ad for diamon

ssed her boss in a club while dru

ared at my screen, and

"Of course he's got a whole-ass rooftop reser

t he had someone, or the fact that he didn't eve

sappeared without te

ed my

No forwarded messag

, and a growing storm b

ay dr

ughed in the break room. I didn't feel like talking to anyone. Especially no

, I was e

ing I didn't even want to name. Something that felt a lot like

I thought the day

alke

, when his voice echoed from the hallway li

ng into the office space like he owned t

y, arching a brow

ed. "Any

ied without look

f my desk, clearly am

nstructions. Just vanished while I had to clean up your cha

nal matters

Ah, yes. Rooftop lunch with

o playful glint behind them just steel. "Care

ing," I shot back, chin lif

all charm. "And do you make a habit of listenin

aring during critical meetings

end my time?" he snapped, voice cu

lap, but I refused to fli

schedule from falling apart. Which is impossible when you va

augh one without

nd learn the difference between professionalism and personal insecu

ed into fists

ying to do m

ply. "And stay out of thin

like a storm inside me

back. "Always with that attitude,

"Because you make

meone who gets distracted by who I k

, jaw clenched,

That same unreadable, smug m

e turned t

finished no

"maybe try acting like a real boss instead of

pau

yes burning now not with amu

d coldly. "And if you're so bothered by how I run th

caught in

sper as he stepped close again. "My private life is not your concern. So the ne

he air until it choked you. And then he took another ste

wl. "You are nothing more than an assistant. A paper-pushing, errand-running, easily r

ath catching

in," he continued, "I'll fire you so fast

d at him

red, every word designed to cut. "You don't. Not to me. Not

d my ground, biting the inside o

another beat, wait

woul

for

to

ned, dismissing

ruel. R

nt absolut

hen he walked aw

slamming shu

in my throat, heart pounding with r

e was just my boss somehow, his words st

de out. I wanted to scream, to throw something, to s

e I di

mu

was the