My dads boss wants me 4

Luke’s POV

I never needed excuses before. Work ran like clockwork, decisions were made in seconds, and people stayed out of my way. But for the past week, I invented reasons to see Diana Carter every single day.

A morning meeting in the design department to “check on the new branding project.” An afternoon request for her to bring fabric samples to my office. Even a late coffee delivery that I insisted only she could handle. Each time, I told myself it was harmless. Each time, I knew I was lying.

This morning, I found her in the sample room, surrounded by bolts of silk and sketches scattered across the table. She was focused, her eyebrows furrowed as she pinned a design to a mannequin. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and a small smudge of charcoal marked her cheek. She looked beautiful. Real.

I leaned against the doorframe, watching her for a moment longer than I should have.

“Mr. Hudson,” she said when she finally noticed me. Her cheeks flushed that pretty pink I was quickly becoming addicted to. “I didn’t expect you here again.”

“Luke,” I reminded her, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. The room suddenly felt smaller. Intimate. “How’s the project coming along?”

She launched into an explanation, pointing out color palettes and stitching techniques with genuine passion. I listened, really listened. Her ideas were fresh and smart; she had an eye for what women actually wanted to wear, not just what looked expensive on a runway. It wasn’t just her body that drew me in anymore. It was her mind. Her drive. The way she worked twice as hard as anyone else to prove she belonged here.

“You have talent,” I said quietly when she finished. “Real talent. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

For a second, her eyes softened. She looked at me like she was seeing past the CEO, past the cold reputation. “Thank you… Luke. That means a lot coming from you.”

I wanted to pull her against me right there. Kiss those soft lips until she forgot every rumor swirling around the building. But I held back. Barely.

The rumors were getting louder. I heard them in the elevators, in the break rooms. “The CEO’s new favorite.” “She must be sleeping with him already.” “Intern gets special treatment.”

Every time I caught Diana’s uncomfortable expression in the hallway, something protective and possessive tightened in my chest. I hated that it bothered her. But I couldn’t stay away.

On Thursday afternoon, I called her up to my office under the pretext of reviewing a marketing proposal involving fashion elements.

She stood by the floor to the ceiling windows, reviewing the documents I’d given her. Sunlight caught in her hair, making it glow.

“You’ve been working late every night this week,” I said, moving closer. “You don’t have to push yourself so hard, Diana.”

“I want to,” she replied, turning to face me. Her voice was soft. “This internship… It’s more than I expected. And you’ve been kinder than people say you are.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Kind?”

She smiled shyly. “Yeah. Under all that intimidating CEO stuff, there’s someone who notices the little things. Who actually cares about the people who work for him? You’re… lonely, aren’t you? All this success, but you keep everyone at a distance.”

Her words hit deeper than I expected. For years, I had buried myself in deals and numbers because it was safer. No one got close enough to hurt me until her.

I reached out and brushed that charcoal smudge from her cheek with my thumb. She didn’t pull away. Her breath hitched, and her eyes dropped to my mouth for a brief second.

“You see too much,” I murmured. Voice rough, “Be careful, Diana. I’m not as nice as you think.”

Before I could do something reckless like kiss her, my office door opened.

Michael Carter stood there, face pale with shock and anger. He must have come up for our scheduled review and heard enough.

“Mr. Hudson,” he said tightly, glancing between us. “Can I speak with you? Alone.”

Diana’s eyes widened in panic. “Dad”

“It’s okay,” I told her gently. “Go back to your desk. We’ll talk later.”

She hesitated but left, closing the door behind her. Michael stepped forward, fists clenched at his sides.

“I’ve heard the talk around the office,” he started, voice shaking with barely controlled rage. “My daughter. The rumors. The way you look at her. She’s twenty two, Mr. Hudson. She’s my little girl. And she works for you now because you offered her this position.”

I sat down behind my desk, calm on the outside even as my blood heated. I respected Michael. He was a good, loyal employee. But this was different.

“I didn’t hire her because of attraction,” I said evenly. “She’s genuinely talented. She earned the spot.”

Michael didn’t back down. “And the rest? The personal attention? The way you pulled her aside every day this week?”

I met his eyes without flinching. The truth had been building inside me since the night she spilled champagne on my suit. There was no point hiding it anymore.

“I intend to court your daughter,” I said calmly. “Properly. I’m not playing games with her, Michael. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want Diana. Not just in my bed, though God knows I do, but in my life.”

Michael stared at me like I had lost my mind. The silence stretched between us, heavy and tense.

“She deserves better than office gossip and a boss who”

“She deserves someone who sees how extraordinary she is,” I interrupted. “Someone who can give her the world while letting her build her own. I can be that man. If she’ll have me.”

He rubbed a hand over his face, looking exhausted. “She’s protective of me. Of this family. If this blows up…”

“It won’t,” I promised. My voice left no room for argument. “I protect what’s mine.”

Michael left without another word, the door clicking shut behind him. I leaned back in my chair, heart pounding harder than after any boardroom battle.

Diana Carter had cracked through every wall I’d built. Her sincerity, her stubbornness, and the way she saw the lonely man behind the billionaire mask were all pulling me under.

And for the first time in my life, I didn’t want to fight it.

I would make her mine. Slowly. Thoroughly. No matter who tried to stand in the way.

Downstairs, I knew the rumors were still spreading like wildfire. But let them talk. Soon enough, they would see exactly how serious I was about the beautiful intern who had turned my world upside down.