“And,” I added, softer now, “I’d like to have one conversation in this building where we’re just two people standing in the same light. Where I’m not your boss, and you don’t work for me.”
She blinked once as she processed it, her. gaze never leaving mine.
“I guess it would be okay if you checked in,” she said, a small, cautious smile forming.
The elevator slowed as it reached the garage.
For the first time that night, the descent didn’t feel like a loss of control.
It felt like restraint.
Chapter 25
Mira
“Relax,” Ethan said as he walked up to my desk. “It’s going to take time. The last payment was less than a week ago.”
I nodded, scanning Sebastian’s schedule, wondering where he was. His schedule had been cleared the rest of the week, but why? I also tried not to spend too much time on when he’d become Sebastian in my head versus Mr. Reid. Probably about the same time he’d called me Mira, and he’d used it last night in my dream of him.
I was at work. I couldn’t think of that now. Him in my not so innocent dreams was nothing but trouble. If it wasn’t for my arrangement with Sir, I’d already accepted his date.
Ethan handed me a manila folder and a thumb drive. “Victor wants you to go over this. He’d like your input, if you’re up for it.”
I took the items, set the thumb drive down, and flipped through the information in the folder. This wasn’t something they had me do. Ever. Not as a tier two. I glanced up at him, brow raised. What was going on?
“Simulations?” The fun part. Where we tested our programming. Basically it was the testers’ job to see if we couldbreak in, mess things up, identify the weak spots. It was exactly what I loved. I’d help Micah in the background on a few things but this didn’t fall under the scope of my job.
“There are going to be some changes once all this is said and done. Victor would’ve told you himself, but…” He shrugged lightly. “I beat him to it.”
He smiled. Ethan was handsome. Dark blond hair, blue eyes, easy confidence. The kind of man who turned heads when he walked into a room. He just didn’t make my heart trip the way Sebastian did.
“To what?” I asked.
“Well, Ms. Rhodes, for the sake of full transparency, we’re not sure where to put you.”
My heart started racing but I took a deep breath. I wasn’t going to lose control here. Not in front of him. I’d more than proved myself to all of them. “I?—”
He waved a hand, cutting me off. Despite the charm, there was no mistaking the authority underneath it. “You and I both know you’re not a Tier Two analyst. And you’re certainly not an assistant.”
I stood, crossing my arms, not sure where this conversation was going.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “We’re trying to figure out where your particular skill set will best serve the company. Don’t worry. Whatever’s decided will come with a nice pay bump and, possibly, your own office.”
“Oh.” Okay, that was the one thing not going through my head right now.
He gestured at the folder. “Victor is planning to stress test our current security architecture and would like your eyes on it since you’ve been so helpful with our current problem. You’ve got good instincts. Use them.”
Without another word, he turned and left me alone with the file. I was happy to have the work because right now we were all in a watch and wait pattern.
I spent most of the morning running through pieces of code attached to one of our largest clients. It had even taken me downstairs to meet with Micah and a couple from his team to verify a few things. I hadn’t been surprised when Stan asked what the hell I wanted or that he’d been pissed when I hadn’t acknowledged him at all. He wasn’t my boss anymore. Sebastian had made that perfectly clear to everyone.
Just a little before one, I stepped off the private elevator and strolled to my desk. The top floor felt different without the constant uncertainty of when Sebastian would blow up, slam a door, or disappear into his office and refuse to take calls.
It felt empty.
“Oh, good, I was hoping I’d catch you.” A young girl turned around from my desk as I approached.
It took me a minute to place her. “Hannah?”
