Page 7 of Bossed By the Orc

I watched her ponder several pages before stacking them to the side of my desk in neat piles. I was curious, but I didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than I’d already done.

She had to have noticed that I was just standing there staring at her, but she went about her job, disinfecting my desk, including the pen my brother had given me. I watched her polish it with the cloth and my mouth went dry.

I was acting like a common pervert, staring at her polishing a damn pen, but my body was frozen where it was. When she was finished, moving on to the sitting area, I headed to my desk, settling in the big leather chair.

My lips parted a few times while I watched her, knowing that I needed to apologize. She finished quickly, and was on her way out of the door when I cleared my throat, standing again. I watched her stiffen and cursed myself for my earlier gruffness. “I get angry sometimes.”

She turned to peer at me over her shoulder, her brow furrowed, but I continued quickly.

“You won’t be terminated. You don’t have to worry about that.”

I watched her gaze soften slightly. “You’re the boss. If you say something like that, I have to assume I should take it seriously.”

I dipped my head in agreement. “It won’t happen again.”

She swept her eyes over me for a long moment before nodding and leaving. “Thank you.” The words were quiet, but carried across the space between us. The relief was immediate. I would be careful with my words when it came to her job in the future, but I needed to know why that would garner such a strong response in this female who more than made up for her lack of orc-ly stature with her sass.

Sitting at my desk again, watching her ass appreciatively as she sashayed toward the exit, I tapped an extension on my phone without looking at it.

“Dris?” Rudgar answered immediately, concern in his voice. I didn’t call him this late. I never expected him to work as much as I did. I’d prefer if he used his time for other more enjoyable things, but for this, I needed his help.

“Can you look into someone’s background for me? I need it by tomorrow night.”

There was a long pause and then my brother released a gruff laugh. “The new female? Her name’s Penelope.”

The name made my heart jump in my chest, but I cleared my throat, pretending nothing had happened. “Her.”

“I’ll get everything together for you.” His voice held so much amusement that I gritted my teeth, but I didn’t want to give too much away. “I already started, actually. So, I can have a preliminary sent across in ten minutes.”

I stiffened in my chair, my palm squeezing the edge of my desk.

“Relax, Dris. I did it for you.”

“I don’t see how you would’ve known I’d need that information.” I cleared my throat, struggling to sound unaffected. Of course he’d know me well enough to start without asking me. A sentimental ache hit my chest, realizing that the kid brother that I’d raised was now a fully grown male who was invested in my happiness and wellbeing.

“Right. Well, I’ll send that to you now then.” The bastard was smug as he hung up. I didn’t bother to call him and yell at him the way I wanted to. I tapped my finger on the desk as I waited for the info. Grinding my teeth together, I stared at the computer screen, all but willing the info to pop up.

The e-mail contained a gif of a kissy face, but I ignored it, opening the file so fast I almost smashed the mouse to pieces. Scanning quickly at first, I scrolled back up to the top and settled in to learn more about the female who wouldn’t leave my mind or my dreams. Who had burrowed so far into my chest, I wasn’t sure where she started and I stopped.

Chapter Five

Penelope

There was something odd happening with my boss. Other than the fact that I could swear he was nocturnal—for the past few weeks, he was there every single night while I worked—he watched me in a curious way. As if he knew me somehow.

I didn’t like the expression or the way that I could just feel him plotting something. I enjoyed his eyes on me, though. They were an almost palpable caress every time I stepped out of the elevators and onto his floor.

The door to his office was open every night now, and while he didn’t say hello—still rudely barking orders in a way that got under my skin every time—he made himself known in other ways. His presence was so intense. When he moved around the office, I knew exactly where he was without looking.

It annoyed the ever living hell out of me. He was too sexy to exist, but who could deal with that much attitude all the time?

“Sort those,” he snapped at me, pointing at the papers on his desk like he did every day.

I swore he messed them up daily just so I would have to sort them. And he watched me while I did, his eyes shining with a calculation that I didn’t understand. It was as if he was testing me, but I didn’t know the parameters that I was being judged on. I rolled my eyes, turned away from him so he wouldn’t see, scanning them quickly and sorting them into neat piles like I did every day.

The little hum of approval that this action garnered shouldn’t make my chest swell with pride the way it did, so I rolled my eyes again to offset the feeling. Wiping down the rest of his desk, I tried not to be distracted by him.

“You missed a spot.” Dristan’s hands were in his pockets as he leaned over my shoulder, his chest scorching my back as he pressed against me. He pointed to his desktop where there was a miniscule smudge—the tiniest mark that had ever existed anywhere—but didn’t bother to pull away while I cleaned it.

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