Five

His head was bent and his eyes were glued to the screen of his phone. He looked even more handsome than I remember and he seemed to have gotten a fresh haircut. The sides of his hair were lowered and his beard connected from the side of his head to his mustache, looking like they were securing his face in a box.

My stomach tied itself into knots, and I gulped.

"Alright, I'll take it from here." He dismissed the secretary with a wave and she left.

My fidgeting hands pressed themselves against my thighs in a bid to dry off the sweat that made them clammy.

"Your name is..." He trailed off, dropping his phone on the desk and raising his head to meet my gaze.

"Vanessa," I answered, not missing the glint of shock that flashed in his eyes when he beheld my face.

"You..." He drawled, knitting his eyebrows into a quizzical frown. "Sit."

My legs shook internally as I maneuvered my way around the chair opposite him and sat, chewing onto my bottom lip with heat spreading up my neck and devouring my cheeks.

"Good day, sir." I greeted and a gleam of mischief shined in his eyes as he rested his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers.

My skin crept at his predator's unwavering gaze. I was dazed, saliva gathered in my mouth and I swallowed it down my parched throat. What was I to say?

'Perhaps I should apologize for jumping on him that night.' My subconscious chipped in and I averted my gaze to my hands after planting my palms on my thighs, rolling my thumbs over each other.

"I'm sorry for that-" I hesitated, risking a glance at his face, which was now emotionless. "-that night. It was under the influence of alcohol."

Slowly, a foxy grin graced his cherry-red lips and my heart fluttered when his pearly whites were in the show.

"Was it?" He reclined into his seat and picked a pencil out of a cup that sat beside a neat stack of files on his table.

Tongue-tied, I nodded, feeling like I'd explode if I said anything.

A low rumble slipped out of his lips from the back of his throat. "I don't think it was, especially not with the way you requested for it."

He rolled the pencil around his fingers in an ever-so-graceful way that got me wishing that was my nipple he played with.

My heart raced and a sheen of sweat broke out on my forehead, making me itch and swipe the beads of sweat immediately to stop the crawling sensation.

"I-"

"Okay, so... Tell me about yourself." He halted me in my tracks and sat up, dropping the pencil back into the cup and holding up a file.

"My name is Vanessa Colton and I am a twenty-three-year-old from Seneca. I worked for Lola's event managing company as Lola's assistant. I am a goal-oriented and hardworking person who strives for the best in whatever it is she does-" I paused, hoping I was buying him over with my answer. 

He looked up from the file, cocking up a brow. "Keep going."

"I am a great team player and I am time conscious. I believe I am the best candidate for the job, especially with my great communication skills. And I will use my skills for the betterment of this company even if it's already leading in the top biggest companies in New York," I explained, catching my breath and hearing my heart pounding against the walls of my chest.

"What's the difference between a leader and a boss?" He questioned, slowly thumbing through my file.

"A leader carries his followers along. For example, if I was a leader and I asked someone to carry out a task they aren't familiar with, I'd show them how to do it by leading a good example but a boss..." I continued, "... A boss would give you a task and expect you to do it, he wouldn't teach you how to because he believes you should know how to go about it."

Cole dropped the file and tilted his head back, pushing his eyebrows up as if in awe.

I was jittery within me but I tried my best to conceal it.

"Great communication skills you say?" He thumbed his beard, squinting his eyes.

"Yes, sir."

"But you didn't show much of that when you stole my clothes and ran away from my house." He pointed out with a piercing gaze enough to break through the cupboard I hid my skeletons in.

My eyes widened and I shook my head, mentally screaming. "No, I didn't steal your clothes, I-"

"Hired. You start on Monday." He dropped the file on the table and offered a smile, showing off his pearly whites with beautiful canines on both sides.

What a perfect dentition, unlike mine. I had a misplaced tooth and it added to what gave me a low self-esteem back then in high school. I didn't care anymore, I smiled everywhere I went now.

"Thank you." I returned his smile, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"You're welcome, personal assistant." He lilted, casting lazy eyes at me.

***

It was a Saturday morning and I was in the mall, shopping for more office pants and red-bottom heels.

I didn't wake up on the right side of the bed, my heart was heavier than usual. Sheldon had ruined my night with a text, asking me to give him a second chance. He was a prick.

Walking past an aisle for skirts, I scanned the different colors of office pants that hung down the rack.

My mind drifted to that night, I had never made love to anyone like that before and the way he softly called my name when I rode him caused goosebumps to devour my arms as I relived the moment again.

Small hands wrapped themselves around my thighs from behind, yanking me out of my trance and back to reality.