Page 21 of Bossed By the Orc

She was still holding out the fob, her gaze flitting between me and the door a few times, her eyebrows lifted.

“Do you understand?” I demanded and she nodded slowly. “Good.”

I turned and walked toward the elevators, holding a keycard toward her. “This is also yours.”

“Something else?” she gasped, shoving the keyfob toward me again. “I can’t accept this.”

“Part of your job. Part of your contract. Deal with it. Now open the damn elevator,” I snapped, holding out the keycard between us.

Her huff was music to my ears as she snatched the keycard and inserted it into the elevator. The doors opened smoothly and we stepped inside.

“That’ll work for the penthouse, too,” I told her, my gaze sliding over her as we rode to the top floor. “It’ll let you into any locked room in both buildings.”

“Buildings?” she asked with a sharply inhaled breath. “Do you own the building you live in too?”

I nodded, stepping out of the elevator with my palm spanning her lower back so I could propel her forward to my office. “Of course.”

Her laugh sounded a little hysterical as she repeated, “Of course.”

“Our first meeting is in fifteen minutes. Before that, do you need anything?” I asked, waving at the elegant elvish male who sat at the giant desk—gatekeeping both myself and my brother. “Fionel can help you.”

“You must be Penelope,” Fionel said, standing and taking my female’s palm into his. “Thank the Gods you’ve joined us.”

I could feel the growl in my throat and struggled to hold it in. If the male wasn’t being completely professional and appropriate—I would rip his throat out with my teeth. Instead I brooded silently on the inside as he welcomed Penelope.

“You can sit with me,” he told her, gesturing to a chair that he’d already set up for her. “And I can get you situated and familiar with everything Dristan has going on right now.”

The relief in Penelope’s eyes annoyed me. She should be seeking that information from me.

“That’s not necessary,” I told him instead. “She’ll be joining me in all of my meetings this week and I’ll be bringing her up to speed. She’ll share my desk, not yours.” The male elf was attractive. Blond and tall and the ladies loved to swoon all over him. But not this time. I met his gaze and the silent communication was acknowledged with a nod from him.

Mine.

I saw Fionel’s lips curve and his eyes soften before he cleared his throat. “Of course. Well, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re joining our team. Dristan is…” he trailed off, seeming to be searching for an appropriate word. “Dristan.”

My eyes narrowed at that. Yes, I was indeed a lot to deal with. I’d come to terms with it in the past. I didn’t need Fionel to be warning my female. Clearing my own throat, I pressed my palm against my favorite spot on Penelope’s lower back, urging her forward into my office.

“Yes, well, she’ll be working with me even more closely than you do, so I assume she’ll be getting used to Dristan rather quickly,” I snapped at him.

The elf just grinned back at me. Penelope smiled at him and I was immediately irritated. Was that what she preferred then? Annoyingly handsome males with stupid perfect faces who were closer to her size? Someone who was cheerful all the time, as if he had some sort of social disease that made him nice?

I scowled down at her as we walked into my office.

Well too damn bad. She’s going to have to settle for me.

Chapter Thirteen

Penelope

Dristan’s scowl was in full force as he navigated me to his desk before gesturing to his seat. My eyebrows were probably in my hair.

“This is your seat,” I told him, trying to temper my words so they didn’t sound like an accusation.

He grunted, moving around the desk and easily plucking a chair from the front to bring around next to me. I took a seat in the plush leather before glancing out at his vast, opulent office.

My feet gave a little wiggle as I imagined what it might be like to be Dristan every day. Holding that much power, wielding that much clout on a daily basis.

No wonder he’s such a bossypants all the time.

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