Page 301 of By His Rule

Kian was keen to embrace our relationship in the office as well as outside, but I wasn’t as eager. I wanted to remain professional at work and just focus on being his assistant. Kian was insistent that he wanted everyone to know that I’m much more important than that.

We walk side by side, our shoulders almost touching, our hands grazing each other. He wants to grab mine—I can sense it without looking at him. He also wants to whisper assurances in my ear that no one is looking at me.

I keep my eyes on the elevator ahead of us, refusing to look at any of the people loitering at the entrance, but I know they’re looking. Looking and judging. I shouldn’t care; I know I shouldn’t. But suddenly, I’m not just worrying about me. I’ve got Kian to think about now. I know I’m punching above my weight; I don’t need anyone to tell me that, and I’m terrified of showing him up.

I’m just a girl from a bad town in California. I’m not worthy of his life, this job, but for some reason, he’s chosen me, and I’m too exhausted to keep fighting it because…I want him too.

I love being with him. I love the way he makes me feel. I love the expression on his face when he looks at me.

I love…him.

The second we step into the elevators alone, he turns to me.

“No one here cares, Lorelei,” he assures me, staring down into my eyes.

“They do. They care more than you can understand. They’re just also scared of you and King, so they won’t do or say anything.”

He smirks. “That’s good enough for me. If anyone dares say a single thing to you, they’ll be unemployed faster than they thought possible.”

I shake my head, both loving and hating his words.

“Can we please just do our jobs?” I beg.

With him gone all last week, and both of us absent yesterday, our to-do lists are piling up fast. We don’t have time to get into an argument about him being an overbearing asshole. Not right now, at least.

“Does that mean I can’t molest my assistant whenever the need strikes?”

Heat rushes through me and memories of our time on his desk Friday night flash through my mind.

“During working hours, we’re boss and assistant,” I confirm.

Disappointment covers his face before he lifts his arm and checks his watch.

His smile grows once more, and before I know what’s happening, his lips are on mine and he’s giving me a knee-weakening kiss.

He releases me quickly, leaving me gasping for breath when he looks at his watch again.

“We had another minute. Had to make the most of it.”

The elevator dings, the doors part, and Kian walks out, shouting, “I require a coffee on my desk in no more than ten minutes.”

A laugh tumbles out of me as he disappears around the corner. I did ask for business as usual.

I jump out of the elevator as the doors threaten to close on me and emerge into the front office to a smiling Melissa.

“Good morning, Lorelei,” she says with a knowing glint in her eye.

Safe to say that she’s seen the photographs of us, then.

“Good morning. Would you like a coffee?”

She shakes her head. “I’m fine, thank you.”

Needing to dive into action instead of allowing myself to think about what everyone in Callahan Enterprises now knows about me, I abandon my things at my desk and make a beeline for our kitchen.

No sooner have I stepped inside than I set the coffee machine to work and reach for two mugs.

“You don’t need to hide.”

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