2. ~ X A N D E R ~

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"Who do you work for, Henry?" I punched at the headrest of the driver's seat.

"Your grandfather, Mr. King." Henry replied, making my eye twitch. It was something I had subconsciously picked up from my PA, and it refused to go away.

"All of you, every single one of you, are plotting against me!" I growled as I pushed the door open, stepping out into the afternoon sun.

"Plotting your downfall?" Sterling asked as she looked over from the other side of the car. "Not really. But plotting your murder? Maybe."

I sighed and gave her a sarcastic smile. "I will be sure to leave a note on who to doubt in the case of my untimely demise."

Sterling returned the smile with equal sass and turned to the stairs leading to the mansion.

My eyes lingered on those scandalizing ass as she climbed up the stairs, swinging her hips with not a care in the world.

Sterling was different. She didn't dress up or tried to kiss up to me.

I remembered a time when she was terrified of me. But now, that time had long passed and she didn't give a damn about my temper.

I found it... refreshing? The uncensored remarks and that sexy eyeroll that made my pants tighten.

I stopped that thought right there.

She was off-limits. Off-limits. 

I kept telling myself that as I watched her go up the stairs, her ebony hair swaying with the confidence she wore like a second skin.

She turned around abruptly and I quickly wiped away the hungry look that might have been on my face and squared my shoulders to compose myself.

"Edward said before one." She glared at me. "If I lose my job, I swear I will destroy your love life!"

I couldn't help the smirk that tugged at the corner of my mouth. "That's a bold threat, Sterling."

"One that I plan to go through with," she stuck her tongue out at me as she disappeared through the grand double doors.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

Sterling had a way of cutting through my shit like a hot knife through butter.

I followed her up the stairs, feeling a strange sense of dread.

Grandpa was sick.

Very sick.

He was recovering from a heart surgery.

And he liked to believe that the less he saw or heard of me when he was sick, the better. Because according to him, even though I was his darling grandson, I had a knack for making his blood pressure shoot up.

I reached Sterling's side, needed the comfort of her familiarity.

I was a twenty-nine-year-old adult for God's sake. Why was I seeking her out like a toddler would his mother?

But before I could analyze the absurdity of the situation, Sterling was already speaking to Edward. "Is Mathew okay?"

"He's been asking for you, Mr. King." Edward said, his expression unreadable.

My eyes narrowed at him. It had not slipped my notice how he always disregarded Sterling. He would constantly cut her off or pretend like she did not exist. 

Who did he think he was? 

He was a mere personal assistant to my grandfather, one who was never going to replace Sterling when I took over, if that's what he had in mind. 

It probably was. 

He was trying so desperately to deem himself important and indispensable. 

Not happening, fossil. Not happening. 

"I will go in then." I said instead, and turned to Sterling. "Why don't you follow Edward into the dining room and have your lunch?"

"There's none prepared for her." Edward's voice was as cold as ever. "Her name isn't on the guest list."

I opened my mouth to speak. "Listen, you little sh-"

"I already ate." Sterling said, cutting me off with a knowing look. "And I have to go back to the office anyway. I just came here to make sure my boss wasn't late."

Her boss.

The term grated on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

"Thank you, Sterling." I forced a smile. "But I think Edward here has forgotten his manners. You will join me for lunch. You can finish whatever work you have back at the office later."

Her left eye twitched. And I bit back a laugh.

She was adorable when that happened.

Don't go there, Xander. Don't go there.

I turned to Edward with a glower that could have frozen lava. "Get her a plate," I barked. "with me and Grandpa."

"But, Mr. King, the boss wants to speak to you in private. An outsider is-" Edward began to protest, his voice trailing off as the intensity of my glare increased. 

"I will ask the boss, Mr. King." He finally said and quickly made an exit. 

"I already ate." Sterling said as I watched that rat skitter away. 

"Yoghurt isn't considered lunch." I replied. 

"How did you-" 

"Let's go." I placed my hand on the small of her back as I pushed her in the direction of my grandfather's bedroom. 

"River!" Mathewson King, my grandfather, looked thrilled to see my PA. And I smiled with satisfaction at the look of pure betrayal on Edward's face. "Come here, child! I haven't seen you in forever!"

River.

River.

I had never called her by her first name. But what a beautiful name it was.

"I visited last Sunday, Mathew." Sassy as ever, Sterling rolled her eyes at the chairman of the King empire and sat down on the chair he was gesturing her to.

"You only stayed for what, three hours?"

I raised a brow. This old geezer was depriving my employee of her free time? "Grandpa, she has a life outside of the office, you know?" I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"Nonsense!" Grandpa waved a hand in the air, his eyes lighting up with mischief. "River, tell him how much fun we have!"

Sterling looked at me, the corner of her mouth quirking up in a smirk. "It's true, Mr. King. Sometimes we have tea parties with your Grandpa's garden gnomes."

Grandpa chuckled, patting Sterling's hand. "You are a breath of fresh air, River!"

I clenched my fists at my side. "You two are thick as thieves." I said, trying to NOT sound jealous. 

"I should add this green monster to my gnome collection!" Grandpa exclaimed and the two of them burst out laughing. 

I agreed with Edward's stoic face right now. I did not know what they found so funny. 

"Sir, the subject you wanted to talk to Mr. King about?" Edward, ever the killjoy, spoke up.

"Ah yes!" Grandpa sighed.

"I will step out for a moment." Sterling said.

Grandpa patted her hand again. "Edward, get her some tea and some of her favorite cookies while she wait. We will have lunch together after this conversation."

The old man's eyes bore into Edward, who nodded stiffly before turning on his heel and leaving the room with Sterling following behind.

I took the seat that Sterling had vacated as the door closed behind her.

"What is it?" I asked him.

Mathewson King looked at me with a twinkle in his eye. "You know, Xandy, you really need to marry that girl."

My heart skipped a beat. "What?"

"Marry River," Grandpa said with a knowing smile. "I've seen the way you two are. It's like watching an old married couple bicker. And she's good for you. Keeps you in check."

My jaw clenched.

Marriage was not in the cards for me.

"Grandpa, I think you're mistaking our work relationship for something more."

He waved a frail hand. "Nonsense, Xandy. I've seen that girl put up with your temper tantrums and still manage to make you smile. You need someone like her by your side. Someone who won't bow to your every whim and will actually challenge you."

My chest tightened at the thought of Sterling as anything more than just my PA.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, my voice gruff.

"Okay." He shrugged and turned to the nightstand to pick up his glasses.

I huffed at how easily he dismissed the topic after setting fire to my thoughts. 

"But you need to get married." He said. 

I looked at him. "You have some other employee in mind? Edward or Henry maybe?" 

"Someone who can give you a child." 

I did not like how serious he sounded. 

"Before you turn thirty. Or you can say goodbye to your inheritance."

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