Page 22 of Bossed By the Orc

I might be too if I was in charge of an entire company, making powerful decisions from my powerful desk in my decadent office all day long. I peered over at Dristan who’d made himself comfortable in the much-smaller chair. I hid my grin, reaching out to sort the papers on his desk.

He grunted as he noticed, giving me a small approving nod and pride swelled in my chest. At least I was doing something right.

“So, what does a typical day look like for you?” I asked him, leaning back after sorting his mail. Everything on his desk was massive. His keyboard, his mouse, even his stapler.

“You’ll see,” he huffed, tipping his chin toward the one-way glass. Exiting the elevator was the minotaur I’d seen my first week here.

I’d watched the male and his team work tirelessly over the past few weeks, staying late almost every day. I’d started taking coffee to them from the machine on their floor and they’d been gracious and sweet.

The minotaur was almost as large as Dristan, but had none of the orc’s overwhelming presence. I’d been nothing but comfortable around him whereas I felt Dristan’s presence with every inch of my body no matter where in the room I was.

“Is that who you’re meeting?” I asked when the minotaur strode up to Fionel, his shoulders stiff.

Dristan grunted, leaning back in the small chair and still managing to look imposing as Fionel knocked lightly on the door, opening it and allowing the minotaur to enter.

The male looked as though he was facing the gallows when he entered, his gaze fixated on Dristan. They drifted to me for a moment, allowing recognition and surprise to flash into his chocolate gaze.

The male smiled at me and I raised my hand in a wave. I saw Dristan turn to look between us in my periphery but I didn’t think anything of it.

The minotaur cleared his throat, focusing on Dristan once more, straightening his shoulders. “Good morning, Mr. Everlock. I’m Garrett from acquisitions.” He moved forward to stand in front of the desk, holding his hand out toward Dristan.

He didn’t take it, quirking one imperious eyebrow instead. “I take it you had a purpose for asking to meet with me?”

“Uhhh…” Garrett faltered, dropping his hand and clearing his throat. “Yes. My team and I have been working on a new prospect that we think you’ll be very interested in.”

His eyes flickered to me for a moment and I smiled in encouragement. The poor male looked like he could faint where he stood.

He smiled back before facing Dristan again with a new spark in his eyes. I found myself silently cheering for him.

“I’ve put together some numbers and I know that with your approval—”

“Send the numbers,” Dristan cut him off and the previous spark in the male’s eyes sputtered out as he froze.

It was a moment before he tried again. “You see, sir, I thought—”

“This could have been done in an e-mail,” Dristan scoffed. “Rather than wasting my time, pass it to Fionel next time. You can leave.”

I turned my horrified eyes Dristan’s way, but he wasn’t looking at me. His eyes were narrowed on the male in front of him. There was a fire in his gaze that I hadn’t seen before.

He almost seemed angry. Well, furious would be the more apt description, but I had no idea why.

Garrett fumbled over his words and then his own hooves for a few more moments before exiting the room. When he was out, Dristan leaned back in the chair and it squeaked dangerously as he turned to face me.

“That wasn’t very nice,” I said as soon as our eyes met.

“I’m not nice,” he told me.

I silently agreed with him. He contemplated me for a long moment before he tilted his head toward where Garrett had just left.

“Do you know that male?”

Thrown, I decided to answer honestly. “Yes. He and his team have been working on this presentation for weeks now. It’s a damn shame you didn’t even have the manners to hear him out.”

If Dristan clenched his jaw any tighter, I was sure he would crack a tusk. “Have you been spending time with him?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been working,” I snapped, annoyed with his blasé attitude. “I don’t exactly have time to socialize. But I’ve seen him around.”

His eyes narrowed as he searched my face, looking for something—but I didn’t know what. “And you’ve never talked to him?”

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