“Um, sir?”I said.I waited until Mr.Harvey looked up at me.His grey-blue eyes halted me in my tracks and made me forget what I was saying for a moment.
That was why I needed to say this.I needed to do something before my crush got out of hand.And Ace was the one who was getting into fights and juicy stuff in the office, anyway.He needed someone to reign him in and keep him on track.A gay secretary to round out his gay team and make the firm even more marketable for gay athletes.It was all making so much sense.That was what I was telling myself to justify this.
Anything to avoid the fact that I wanted to stay so badly, it was a reason in itself to go.
“Out with it,” Mr.Harvey said.
I was grateful for his brusqueness.It made this easier.“I want to request a switch,” I said.“Or, like, a transfer, or something.Ace mentioned he doesn’t have a secretary right now, and we work well together.I’d like to be his secretary.Of course, I’ll do all the work of hiring my replacement.”
“No,” Mr.Harvey said.
I stared at him.There had been no hesitation.“Um, obviously it can wait until after this situation with Mr.Angus is resolved,” I said.“I wouldn’t leave you without a secretary in your time of need.It’s just, we’ve been working really well together on this investigation and I think that –”
“No,” Mr.Harvey said.
I opened my mouth and then closed it again, and looked at the doors to think for a second.He was being so stubborn.He wasn’t even giving me a reason.If he gave me a reason, at least I could argue it.Come to think of it, that was probably why he wasn’t giving me one.
“Well, can I at least go back to sitting out there?”I asked.It was the last-ditch attempt, the only thing I could think of that might save me.Not having to look at Oliver Harvey’s face all day long.Not slowly falling deeper and deeper into this crush on my boss.Not getting tempted to film things I shouldn’t and getting caught.It was the only way I could see myself keeping this job.
This job – that I wanted.Deeply.
All of a sudden, I knew I wanted this job more than I wanted to make some get-rich-quick video and expose the people who worked here.I wanted to be one of them.I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s career or public image.I just wanted to be useful.
Even if I could only stay in the same building as him and work for someone else, it would be enough.To be near him.
Just not to be so close to temptation all day, every day that I ended up not being able to work at all.
“No,” Mr.Harvey said.“Make me a coffee.”
I looked down at the mostly-full cup on his desk.
He maintained full eye contact with me as he picked it up and drained it empty.
My shoulders slumped as I turned to the coffee machine.I was trapped.
And it was going to be the most delicious torture I would ever endure to keep on working for this gorgeous, stubborn, stoic man day after day.
Olly
There was absolutely no chance in hell that I was going to let Keaton Dunbar out of my sight.
Go work for Ace?He might as well have asked me to let Ace fuck him.That was the inevitable conclusion.The two of them would work long hours together.Get dinner and lunch together.Keaton would learn all of Ace’s quirks and foibles.
They would fuck.
Maybe even fall in love.
I wasn’t having it.
I stubbornly ignored the voice at the back of my head.The one that asked what I thought was going to happen if I let Keaton stay working forme.That asked what I thought would happen if he learnedmyquirks and foibles.If he got dinner with me.Stayed long hours.Bent over my desk to retrieve some papers…
Nope.I wasn’t listening to that voice at all.
“Thank you,” I said as Keaton put the cup down in front of me.I thought I was being pretty gracious.It wasn’t easy to thank someone when your mouth was burning and your system going haywire thanks to the downing of a full cup of fresh coffee.
“Sir, I –” Keaton started.I would never get to find out what he wanted to say.My phone started to ring at exactly the same time.
I looked down at it.I looked at Keaton.I looked down at the phone again and raised an eyebrow.
