Even more ridiculous, considering he was my boss. But after Dallas, I wasn’t so sure that was all he was anymore. I tried not to let my heart get the better of me, leaping to outrageous conclusions and hoping it wouldn’t come to a shattering fall. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the moments he revealed little glimpses into who he was as a person, not his billionaire persona. He was becoming more human the more I spent time with him, and he was a human I felt myself falling for.
Which was why when we arrived back home, the distance he tried so discreetly to put between us was palpable. I tried to let it go, shrugging it off that he was just tired after our travel day. I had been trying to ignore the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Because whatcouldbe wrong? We spent our last day in Dallas holed up in bed, talking, indulging in room service, and having mind-blowing sex.
I smiled to myself just thinking about it, and the anticipation of seeing him this morning sent me to my bedroom to get ready for the day. Holding my coffee in one hand, the warmth seeping into my palm, I sifted through the hangers adorned with blazers and button-down blouses. I selected a pale pink blouse and a white knee-length skirt that splayed out at the hemline. I admiredmyself in the mirror, knowing this was what arealpersonal assistant looked like. Knowing that Jeremiah would approve.
Once I was dressed, I spent too long in the bathroom, curling my hair and applying my makeup carefully. I was never one for a full face, but a little swipe baby pink blush and two coats of mascara had me ready for the workday ahead.
I walked the few blocks to the office, the sidewalks growing busier with morning commuters and people desperate for coffee from their favorite cafés. I found myself growing more excited as I neared work. A few weeks ago, I dreaded coming into the office, and now I had to bite back a smile as I entered the large glass doors of the lobby.
I wasn’t afraid of being yelled at or being reprimanded. I wasn’t afraid of feeling belittled or judged for not being bold. I wasn’t afraid of second-guessing my clothes, wondering if they were professional enough for the position I was in. I looked the part, and I sure as hell played the part. Now that I had been Jeremiah’s personal assistant for a few weeks, I knew what he expected.
As I rode the elevators up to my floor, I could hardly wait for the silent foreplay that was sure to ensue. A glance here. A discreet touch there. Maybe I would stay late and cash in on the desire that had been consuming me the past two days.
I settled in my desk, glancing at Jeremiah’s office, not surprised he wasn’t in yet. It was just after seven. Hardly anyone was here yet. I opened up my laptop and saw my usual to-do list displayedon my calendar. I noticed it was somehow even longer than normal. He must just have a lot to catch up on after the business trip. I scrolled through it, knocking out the easier tasks before moving onto the others.
Soon, it was nine, and I could hear the usual wave of quiet wash over the office, signaling to me that Jeremiah had arrived. I straightened in my chair and adjusted my blouse before fiddling with my hair. My nerves were dancing, the hair on my arms prickling.
Then there he was. Striding toward me in a heather blue suit I had never seen before. If his eyes weren’t blue enough before, they were outright striking now. And they avoided looking at me, making my heart begin to sink slowly to the pit of my stomach. He walked into his office, and just as I opened my mouth to say something he slammed the door loudly.
I swallowed hard.
Did I do something wrong?
“Uh-oh…” Tanya’s voice drifted my way in a doomed melody.
I looked up at her, blinking back the embarrassed tears I could feel forming behind my eyes. She didn’t seem to notice from where she sat at her desk down the hall.
“Looks like someone shit in the boss’s protein shake this morning.” She pursed her lips in worry before turning back to her computer.
I brought my gaze back to the wooden door that stared foreign back at me. I could count on one hand the number of times he had ever closed it. Today, of all days, it felt like a slap to the face. The sting of it reverberated through my body. It wasn’t just a closed door. It was him shutting me out. I sucked in a shaky breath, still staring at the door, as if I could somehow see through it to the man inside.
Jeremiah had just come through here with a pin, puncturing my feelings like bubbles. All the warm feelings I had as I walked to the office this morning dissipated, along with the worry-free confidence. I realized now that I wasn’t going to get the man I had been getting to know, but instead, I was getting the mean, cold one.
The bosshole.
I let out the breath I was holding, trying to release all the disappointed feelings along with it. I still had work to do, despite feeling about an inch tall right now. I continue going through the to-do list that was being added to right before my eyes. Each task he typed out from the other side of the door conveniently keeping me away from him.
Over the next couple of hours, Jeremiah didn’t emerge from his office. It almost felt like he wasn’t there at all.
Almost.
If it weren’t for the way my body knew he was simply a few feet away. Curse him for leaving an invisible brand on me with his fingertips.
“How’s it going?” asked Tanya, sidling up at the side of my desk, casting a cautious stare in the direction of Jeremiah’s office.
“It’s going,” I muttered.
“He still hasn’t come out of his cave of doom?” She nodded toward his door.
“Nope.”
“Probably better off that way. I can barely function with these freaking cramps.” Tanya clutched her lower abdomen and winced. “It’s like the worst PMS of my life.”
I laughed softly, giving her a sympathetic look.
“Ugh. Mine should be along any day now. Can’t wait,” I said sarcastically.
“Maybe the boss is having his own PMS today.” Tanya laughed.
