Page 31 of Sins and Secrets

“Actually, yes, thank you.” I smooth my hands down the sides of my black pinstripe pants, trying to dry the sweat from my palms.

There is nothing to be nervous about. This is just going to be another job.

Except this job comes with a boss who makes me think about the way it would feel to have his hands running over every inch of my body.

It has the kind of boss who makes me want to get bent over a desk and have my hands tied behind my back with a tie.

“I’m here to meet with Alessio Marchetti. I’m his new assistant.”

The man smiles and holds out his hand. “Carson Danvers. I’m the general manager of the casino. I was told to be on the lookout for you, but nobody warned me that you would be so beautiful.”

His smile turns predatory as his gaze rakes over my body. I bite my tongue and fight to keep the smile on my face. I need to make a good impression here.

Working at the casino is good for my career. I need the experience here to help me when I start my own resort.

“Right this way,” Carson says, grinning as he puts his hand on my lower back and tries to steer me toward the elevators. “You know, there’s a great little club that just opened up recently. You should go with me. I’d be able to show you a good time.”

“No, thank you.” I keep my tone cool but polite, trying to diffuse the situation the best I can. “I have a lot going on in my life right now and I don’t have much time for going out.”

Carson frowns and shakes his head. “Do you not know how this works? I'm the manager and if you want things to go your way, you’ll think twice before turning me down.”

A throat clears behind us. “She said no.”

I look over my shoulder and see Alessio standing there with his arms crossed. His button-down shirt is taunt across his biceps. Heat floods to my core as he glares at Carson. There is something about the way he looks when he’s angry — like he will do anything to defend me — that turns me on.

Maybe it’s the fact that we both know I can take care of myself but he is giving me the option of allowing someone else to take care of me that has my pussy pulsing.

The protective side of Alessio is far more of a turn on than I ever thought it would be.

“Sir,” Carson says, stuttering over the word slightly as we turn to face Alessio.

“No need to say more,” Alessio says, his tone dark as he glares at Carson. “You’re fired. I will not have you treating other staff members or the clientele in such a manner. I’ve listened to you from the moment that Billie walked in and all you have done is set a terrible image for the company.”

“Sir, please. It wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Mr. Marchetti,” I say, not sure how formal to be with him at work. “There is no need to fire Carson. Everything is fine and I’m not upset.”

Alessio raises an eyebrow as he looks at me. “The final decision is mine. I have zero-tolerance policies surrounding this kind of behavior. Carson, security will escort you to the staff lounge to gather your things.”

I watch as a security guard peels himself from out of thin air and appears beside Alessio. Carson hangs his head and walks with the security guard to a door behind the front desk.

Alessio scowls and reaches forward to press one of the buttons for the elevator. When the doors slide open, he still says nothing, waiting for me to get on.

The ride up to his office floor is silent and filled with tension. When the doors open, he leads the way through the open office area. My heels click against the pale wood floor as I follow him to the opposite wall. He stops in front of a towering glass door and opens it, holding it for me to step inside.

“This will be your office,” he says, his voice gruff. He crosses his arms and jerks his chin at a door to my right that’s nestled between two windows. There are curtains drawn across the window so I can’t see inside. “And that’s my office over there.”

“Nice office,” I say, running my fingers along the top of the dark wooden desk. “You know, you really didn’t have to fire Carson. He was being creepy and definitely crossing a line, but I’m not going to make any friends by getting the general manager fired on my first day here.”

Alessio closes the door behind us before taking a step toward me. “Why are you defending him?”

“I got someone fired on my first day here. He might have deserved it for being a creep, but one conversation with me wasn’t enough to go on.”

Alessio walks closer, forcing me to step back until I’m trapped between his body and the desk. Heat flows between us and pools in my core. I stare up at him, watching the way his gaze drags down my body and settles a little too long on my mouth.

“It was more than enough to go on. I have a zero-tolerance policy with my staff and harassment. Which is what he was doing.”

“Funny that you seem to care so much here, but when we’re at the compound you don’t give a shit.”

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