Chapter 3: Don't Look At Him

Alex was more handsome in person.

That was Milo's first thought when he saw him standing outside Lucien's office at 9:15 AM with two coffees.

Tall. Blond. Twenty-three. The kind of handsome that looked like he played lacrosse in college and never worried about anything.

He was wearing a tight white t-shirt under his blazer. Milo hated him immediately.

"Mr. Beaumont isn't in yet," Milo said, standing in the doorway of Lucien's office like he owned it. Which, in his head, he did.

Alex smiled. He had perfect teeth.

"Oh, hi! You must be Milo! Mr. Beaumont told us about you. I'm Alex, the new marketing intern. I brought him his usual—"

"I know who you are."

Milo said it flat. He was wearing Lucien's black hoodie today. It swallowed him. He looked small and soft, except for his eyes. His eyes were cold.

Alex laughed, a little nervous. "Right. Well, I can just leave it on his desk?"

"No."

Milo didn't move.

"You can leave. He doesn't drink coffee from interns. He only drinks coffee I make him."

That was a lie. Lucien drank coffee from anywhere. But Alex didn't know that.

Alex shifted the coffees. "Oh. Okay. I didn't know—"

"Now you know."

The elevator dinged. Lucien stepped out.

He was in the blue shirt. The one Milo picked. His hair was still a little damp from his morning shower. He saw Milo first, then Alex.

His face did something complicated for half a second. Guilt. Panic. Something like fondness for Milo even though Milo was being terrible again.

"Good morning," Lucien said. Calm CEO voice.

"Mr. Beaumont!" Alex lit up. "I brought your coffee, but Milo said—"

"I didn't say anything," Milo interrupted, turning to Lucien. He put on his angel face. Sweet, innocent, freckles showing. "Baby, I was just telling Alex that you have a meeting in five minutes and you can't be disturbed. Right?"

Lucien looked at Milo. Milo looked at Lucien. There was a whole conversation in that look.

Please don't embarrass me.

He brought you coffee.

He's trying to steal you.

Lucien cleared his throat. "Alex, thank you. You can leave it with Lena."

"Lena isn't here today," Milo said quickly. "She called in sick."

Lucien frowned. "Lena never calls in sick."

"She did today. Food poisoning." Milo lied so smoothly Lucien almost believed him. Lena had not called in sick. Milo had texted her from Lucien's phone at 6 AM: Take today off. Paid. Don't come in. - L. Beaumont

Alex was standing there holding two coffees, slowly realizing he was in the middle of something he shouldn't be in.

"Okay... I should go..." Alex started backing away.

"No, wait," Milo said. His voice changed. Now it was sugary sweet. Fake sweet. "Alex, how old are you again?"

"Twenty-three."

"Oh, twenty-three! So young." Milo tilted his head. "Do you have a boyfriend? Girlfriend?"

Alex blinked. "Uh... I'm single?"

"Single." Milo repeated the word like he was tasting it. "That's dangerous in this office. People might think you're here for the wrong reasons."

Lucien stepped forward. "Milo. That's enough."

But Milo wasn't done. He walked up to Alex. He was shorter, but he looked up at him with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Do you know what happens to single boys who try to flirt with my boyfriend in this building?" Milo whispered, just loud enough for Alex and Lucien to hear. "They get sent to the warehouse in New Jersey. To count boxes. For six months. No AC."

Alex went pale. "I wasn't flirting! I swear, I—"

"Milo!" Lucien's voice was sharp now. Real CEO voice. "Go inside my office. Now."

Milo's bottom lip wobbled. Just for a second. The crazy possessive boy was gone and the scared boy was back.

"You're taking his side?" Milo said quietly.

"I'm not taking sides. I'm telling you to go inside."

Milo stared at him. Then he turned on his heel, walked into Lucien's office, and slammed the glass door so hard the whole floor shook.

Alex was frozen, holding the coffees.

"I'm sorry," Lucien said to Alex, and he actually meant it. "He's... protective."

"It's okay, Mr. Beaumont," Alex said quickly. "I get it. Really. I should... yeah, I should go back to marketing."

He practically ran to the elevator.

Lucien watched him go, then took a deep breath and opened his office door.

Milo was sitting in Lucien's big leather chair behind the desk, arms crossed, Lucien's hoodie sleeves pulled over his hands. He looked like a kid who'd been sent to time-out.

"You threatened an intern," Lucien said, closing the door.

"He was flirting."

"He was bringing me coffee."

"He was wearing a tight t-shirt on purpose!"

Lucien walked around the desk. He put his hands on the armrests of the chair, caging Milo in.

"You texted Lena and told her not to come in, didn't you?"

Milo didn't answer.

"Milo."

"...Maybe."

Lucien sighed. He should be angry. A normal boyfriend would be angry. A normal CEO would have broken up with Milo months ago for this exact behavior.

But Lucien wasn't normal. He reached out and tucked a piece of Milo's messy black hair behind his ear. His fingers brushed the little silver earring.

"Why do you do this?" he asked, quieter now.

Milo's eyes filled with tears. Real tears this time.

"Because everyone leaves," Milo whispered. "My ex left. My mom left. Everyone thinks I'm too much. Too clingy. Too crazy. And you're... you're you. You're Lucien Beaumont. You could have anyone. Why would you stay with me unless I make sure no one else can have you?"

And there it was. The truth under all the jealousy.

Lucien's chest hurt.

He knelt down, so he was eye-level with Milo in the chair.

"Listen to me," he said, holding Milo's face in both hands. "I don't want anyone else. I never have. I like that you're crazy about me. I like that you wear my clothes and delete my contacts and cancel my dinners. Do you know why?"

Milo shook his head, tears falling.

"Because no one has ever wanted me like that. No one has ever been scared to lose me."

Milo sniffled. "Really?"

"Really."

Milo threw his arms around Lucien's neck, clinging.

"Then say it again," Milo whispered into his neck, voice muffled. "Say you belong to me. Say it so the whole office can hear."

Lucien smiled despite himself.

"I belong to you, Milo Chen. This whole office, this building, all of it — but I'm yours."

Milo pulled back, eyes red but smiling.

"Good. Now fire Alex."

Lucien laughed. "I'm not firing Alex."

"Transfer him to New Jersey then!"

"No."

"Then I'm staying here all day. In your office. On your lap. So everyone knows you're taken."

Lucien looked at the pile of work on his desk. The investor calls. The contracts.

Then he looked at Milo in his hoodie, in his chair, claiming his territory.

"Okay," he said. "Stay."

Milo's face lit up like he'd won the whole world.

He climbed into Lucien's lap right there in the CEO office, glass walls and all, and whispered, "Good boy. My CEO."

Outside, the whole marketing floor was pretending not to stare.