Page 24 of Promise Me Forever

I laugh and acquiesce. It’s only a bagel. I add it to my plate along with a small tub of cream cheese, and he joins me at a table.

“Are you new here?” he asks, sipping his coffee and looking on as I spread the cream cheese.

“I am.” I slice the bagel in half and offer it to him, and he accepts it with a warm smile. “I only started yesterday. I’m Mr. James’s secretary.”

“Oooh, fancy. So why are you down here with the plebs when you could be hobnobbing upstairs?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I guess I prefer the plebs.”

Grinning, he holds his hand up for a high five. “Power to the people!”

I slap his hand and laugh.

“Which Mr. James do you work for? Not that I’ve met either of them, being a humble accounting clerk, but you do hear stuff. Like how much Nathan has mellowed since he got married and had a kid.”

Ah, I think, chewing a delicious bite of my bagel. That explains a lot—like why he had the reputation for being an asshole but in reality seems like a tough but nice man. “I work for the other Mr. James. Drake.”

“Right. Well, nobody really knows him very well yet, though the ladies all seem to agree he’s a catch. If you like that kind of thing.”

“What kind of thing?”

He leans closer and grins at me, looking like a naughty kid about to get caught doing something he shouldn’t. “Oh, you know… Tall, dark, handsome, and loaded. Disgusting, right?”

“Absolutely. But speaking of my boss, I really should get back to it. He’s been in meetings all morning, and I probably have a pile of work waiting for me. It was nice meeting you, Jacob. Good luck in the Bagel Wars.”

He gives me a military-style salute, and I’m still smiling as I ride the elevator back up to my floor. Hey, maybe I’ve made a friend, or at the very least someone to chat with over snacks.

I have a spring in my step as I stroll along the corridor toward our office. Everything feels brighter, a little more hopeful. A few people nod at me, and nobody seems quite as intimidating as they did yesterday.

I swapped out my black wrap dress for a sleek skirt that hugs my figure a little more closely and spent an age trying to see my own ass in the mirror this morning, concerned that it looked enormous. I’ve paired it with a cream silk pussybow blouse, and together they make me feel less dowdy and more like I belong here. Nobody needs to know that I got both from a really cool thrift store in Queens, and it’s not like anyone can tell by looking. Maybe after I get my first paycheck, I can treat myself to something new.

“Miss Ryder.” The deep voice from behind me interrupts my pleasant thoughts and brings me to a halt. The way he says my name reminds me of our night together and how he commanded me to walk toward him. I suck in a deep breath and transform my face into neutral as I turn to greet him.

“Mr. James. How did your morning go?”

“A lot better than it would have gone if I’d tried to be in three places at once, so thanks for untangling that mess. Do you have a few minutes?”

“Of course. Let me grab my notepad.”

“You won’t need it,” he replies firmly, falling into step beside me and leading me to his office. “It’s not that kind of meeting.”

I nod and swallow down my nerves. I hate this crazy uncertainty, hate living in fear. Has he reconsidered? Is this all too messy? Is he going to fire me after all? Is that a different cologne, one that smells even better? Jeez, Amelia. Keep it together.

He opens the door and gestures for me to go in first. I’m aware that my skirt is form-fitting and wonder if his eyes are on my ass. Maybe I need to start coming to work in a caftan.

“Please, sit. I’ve finally figured out the damn coffee machine. Would you like one?”

Is he trying to butter me up before he gives me the bad news? “No, thank you. But I’m glad you’ve solved the mystery. Your brother implied that you’d be hell to work with if you didn’t get your caffeine fix.”

He snorts with laughter as the machine hisses into life. “He’s not wrong. But I’ve had plenty of coffee already this morning, so don’t worry, I’m not going to bite your head off.”

He did a little biting on the night of the wedding. Nothing too rough—gentle nips and nuzzles. Enough for me to know I liked the feel of his teeth on my skin. I cross my legs and squeeze them together, trying to quell the sudden throbbing between my thighs. He sits down behind his desk, and as our eyes meet, I have the terrible feeling that he can read my mind and my body.

He sighs and runs his hands through his hair, leaving it in thick furrows. “Look, Miss Ryder, I just wanted to check in. Yesterday was a shock… for both of us. If this all feels like too much, I completely understand.”

“Are you going to fire me?” I blurt out, barely waiting for him to finish speaking. It’s difficult enough being so attracted to him, but I can learn to deal with that; however, this constant yo-yo of emotions about my job security? That I can’t deal with. Seeing him every day and wondering what his mood is, whether my position is safe, feeling like my future is at his mercy. It’s too much.

“What?” he says, looking confused. “No! No, we’re not going to fire you. You—we—did nothing wrong. I spoke to my brother about it?—”

---