Page 30 of Bossed By the Orc

She turned to me with a frown. “You never leave this early.”

“It’s Friday,” I told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

She tilted her head, almost too cute for words. “You leave early on Fridays?”

“Yes,” I snapped, neatening my desk before standing. “And we’re taking Sunday off.”

“Really?” Her eyes were huge in her face. “But—”

“I don’t believe I was asking you. I was telling you.”

She was gaping at me as I strode out of the office, walking over to Fionel.

“Cancel everything for the rest of today and Sunday. We’ll be in tomorrow. But clear every weekend from now on, starting next week. That’ll give you time to reschedule the priority meetings,” I said, coolly, still not trusting him around my female.

“You’re taking… weekends off?” Fionel’s incredulous tone made me smug.

I enjoyed throwing him off. “That’s what I said,” I drawled as I watched Penelope gathering her things hurriedly through the open door of my office. “And if you flirt with my assistant again, you’re fired.”

The male had the audacity to huff out a laugh. “Anything you say, boss,” he chuckled and I scowled.

Damn right, anything I say.

I waited until Penelope was next to me before stalking off, glaring at the elf over my shoulder. She waved goodbye and he reciprocated, looking right at me the entire time.

I’m going to have to kill him.

My murder list seemed to be getting longer by the second. Settling against the elevator wall, I surveyed Penelope as she nibbled at her lower lip. She kept peeking at me from the corner of her eyes and I knew she wanted to ask me something.

I let her stew in her indecision for a few more minutes, exiting the elevator and ensuring she was settled into the SUV before I leaned in. Her eyes widened as I said,

“Just ask me.”

“I… It’s inappropriate,” she whispered and I felt a jolt in my cock at the word.

Gods, now I need to know.

“You can ask me anything,” I told her seriously, praying to the Gods that she wanted me to fuck her on the hood of the car, but I doubted that was it.

She chewed on that lower lip again and it was everything I could do to stop myself from kissing her to stop it. “Dristan,” she murmured, swallowing hard, her delicate throat working under my gaze. “Can I get an advance on my salary?”

My brain skidded to a halt, all my fantasies about those moist lips wrapped around my cock disappearing. “What?” I squawked, annoyed with my tone.

“It’s just that I have this payment to make and I need the money right away. I know that you barely know me, so you have zero reason to trust me, but I still want to ask in case—” she blurted the explanation, but I held a hand up to cut her off.

“Of course you can have a fucking advance, Penelope. What kind of a bastard do you think I am?” I growled the words, annoyed at myself and her.

Why would she think that I wouldn’t help her?

I’d been trying so hard to show this female that I was an option for her—a male she could depend on and turn to—and here she was agonizing over asking me for an advance on her salary.

She did a double-take before leaning forward to grab the lapels of my jacket in her tiny hands. “Really?” she gasped, and a sheen of tears popped into her eyes.

I sighed, reaching up to cup her cheek with my palm, swiping a thumb under her eyes gently. “Really,” I sighed the word, the hope in her eyes more than I could take. “Always ask me, Penelope. I may not be the easiest male, but…” I shook my head, removing my hand from her soft skin. “You can talk to me.”

I looked down at my phone, transferring her salary from my personal account to hers.

I didn’t look at her as I made my way to the driver’s side, grinding my teeth instead. All the progress that I’d thought I made felt like a lie.

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