Page 9 of Daddy Billionaire Dragon

“Look, don’t worry about it. It’s your first day at work and I want to get to know you better. Executive assistants are required to work really closely with their bosses,” he says with one of his lethal smiles, placing his hand over mine reassuringly. I groan inwardly. How am I going to manage to not spontaneously combust when Lex makes me so hot with just one touch, one look?

“Sure,” I say with a shrug, trying to appear unaffected. I withdraw my hand from under his as unobtrusively as possible, then reach for the glass of sparkling water, just so that I have something to do with my hands.

“Have you decided?” he asks, clearly amused, after I have flipped through the menu about a dozen times.

“You order for me,” I say, finally laying down the menu.

“Do you share your food?” he asks.

“I don’t mind sharing.”

“I knew I would like you,” he says with a grin. My stomach does a little somersault at the combination of his words and his boyish grin.

“Are you allergic to anything?” he asks.

“No,” I shake my head.

He gestures to the waiter and places our order. Lobster pasta for him, and the burrata and black truffle tortellini for me.

“Oh cool. I’ve never had burrata before. Or truffle,” I say with a shrug, resisting the urge to pick up the menu and see how much each dish costs. Is this really a business lunch? Or will he expect something more in return for bringing me to this expensive place? I dismiss the thought immediately. While I have my doubts about this being a purely business lunch, I know it in my gut that Lex is not the kind of person to expect special favors in return for fancy lunches.

“You’ll love it,” he says, leaning back in his chair. He appears completely relaxed, completely at ease, whereas I am a bundle of nervous energy.

“It’s lovely out here. Is it always this lovely at this time of the year? LA is warm and sunny all year round, but the weather can be a bitch for a redhead such as me. I break out into the most awful freckles.” Once again, I’m talking too much.

Desire pools in my belly like hot lava when one corner of his mouth lifts slowly. The nerves and the lust have me so tightly wound up that I’m afraid I’ll snap.

“Relax,” he says with a grin. “Just enjoy yourself. This is an informal business lunch. Nothing else.”

I nod and try to smile. My mouth wants to start shooting out random information again, so I pick up a breadstick and chew on it while I turn my head and pretend to take in the view again, simply to avoid looking at Lex.

“You need not worry about your freckles. I find them charming.”

“Th..thank you,” I stutter, but I’m inordinately pleased that he likes my freckles. I am quite self-conscious about them, so knowing that he likes them makes me very happy.

“So tell me, Nicola Roberts. Why New York?” The way he almost purrs my name has my skin tingling.

“Why not New York?” I counter, neatly avoiding answering the question. I don’t want to dwell on my reasons for the move just yet.

He simply looks at me steadily.

“Well, I have always wanted to work and live in New York, the pay you’re offering is significantly higher than my last employer even considering the cost of living here, and I’ve never been an exec assistant to a billionaire before. Those are good, solid reasons,” I say a little defensively.

His eyebrows shoot up his forehead at my tone for a fraction of a second before he smiles his charming smile again.

“And I’ve never had an exec assistant from LA before. I take it that Rachel has briefed you already?”

He is suddenly all business-like, for which I’m glad. He must’ve surely sensed my discomfiture over talking about the move. So he’s considerate in addition to being charming and hot.

“Yes, Rachel did brief me. It’s pretty much what I am used to doing, so no worries. Once I learn your schedule, it will be smooth sailing,” I say with a smile, relieved that our conversation is finally out of dangerous waters. Now it’s starting to feel like a business lunch.

“Good. I don’t want you to be intimidated by me. I’m easy to work with, but I don’t tolerate tardiness. We, as a company, are constantly reinventing ourselves, so there’s a lot to be done. I highly value organization and efficiency,” he says with a serious look on his face.

“Got it, boss,” I say with a grin.

His gaze immediately darkens with desire when I say ‘boss’.

I blush and look away. He is my boss. I am his assistant. Ergo, there can be nothing between us. It is forbidden. It is taboo. And that’s why it is all the more enticing. I want him so badly. But I can’t forget the promise I made to myself when I moved here. No entanglements, no complications.

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