“This isn’t working for me,” she said softly.
“It’s only the first day. You’ll get used to me,” I said easily.
“Doubtful,” she muttered before looking back up at me seriously. “I mean it. Something has to change.”
“Let me know when you think of something,” I said, turning to my laptop to let her know she was dismissed. I began scrolling through my emails, but from the corner of my eye, my gaze fell to her ass as she started for the door. The curve of her hips flowed effortlessly into the roundness of her ass that somehow even looked better inthisskirt than it did in the blue one from a few days ago.
I noticed she had left the legal pad with her lengthy to-do list on my desk.
“Forgetting something?” I asked.
She turned and looked at me to the pad of paper I had my index finger on.
“No,” she said curtly, tossing the length of her slicked-back ponytail over her shoulder. She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her and that perfect ass. I had my work cut out for me with her. I also felt like I needed an ice-cold shower with the heat that simmered between us. This was a dangerous position to be in.
Chapter 9
Gabriella
“I’d like you to accompany Mr. White to the charity gala on Friday,” said my father, taking a sip of wine before eating another bite of steak.
“You’re joking?” I asked, placing my silverware down and staring at him like he had just sprouted another head.
“Hardly. I need you to make introductions. You two need to look like a united front.”
“We are,” I lied, looking down at the peas on my plate and pushing them around with my fork.
“That’s not what I’ve heard.”
“So what? You’re spying on me?” I asked pointedly.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Gabriella.”
I hated when he said things like that. It made me feel weak. It made me pick myself apart even more now that he had made Chandler CEO and not me. Something I had still not gotten over in the past few miserable days of working together. Every day, he showed me some new way of being a jerk, and looked annoyingly good while doing it. I hated him.
“We just don’t mesh.” I shrugged.
“You’ll get used to it. I know it’s weird having someone else in charge now, but it is what it is.”
Only because you made it that way,I thought to myself. I wanted to say it out loud. I still wanted to know why he had made the decision he did, but a part of me was scared to find out. Maybe I wasn’t good enough. The thought ate away at me as I took a small bite of steak.
“If your mother were here she’d tell us not to talk business at the dinner table,” he said, watching me chew.
He was right. On top of that, I was sure my mother would rather be here with us than going through the motions of taking care of her own mother and her ailing health. Perspective. Things could always be worse.
“I’ll do it,” I said softly.
“Good girl,” my father said, turning to give me a reassuring smile.
As I carefully placed the backing on my diamond stud, I heard a knock at the door of my apartment. Curious, I picked up the long train of my ballgown and walked toward the door, the fabric swishing behind me. I looked out the peephole and saw Juliet waving as if she knew I was looking out. I opened the door and stood back, giving her room to enter even with the large skirt of my dress.
“Oh, my gosh,” she squealed as she walked in. “You look amazing.”
Her hands flew to her face as she walked around me like I was some sort of attraction at the Central Park Zoo. Her eyes flew from the train of my gown to my hair, taking every little detail in.
“You’re a modern-day princess,” she said, shaking her head.
“Hardly. But thank you. I’m still getting ready.” I nodded toward my bedroom and she followed behind me, careful not to step on my dress.
