Page 13 of (Un)Planned

My jaw tensed. “What do you mean?

“She’s not your usual type.”

“Which is?”

“Older, work-focused,dull.” He emphasized the last point. “But Calla…” He sucked in a breath. “She’s a fucking knock-out. How the hell are any of us supposed to get any work done with her in the office?” He shook his head, smiling slyly at me. “I forgot who the hell I’m talking to. You probably didn’t even notice.”

Oh, I’d noticed. I have to be fucking blind not to notice Calla’s beauty. Between her long legs and a smile that lit up the world, it was impossible to keep my thoughts about her strictly professional.

Not that I would ever let Jack know that. I forced a scowl on my face. “Don’t even think about it.”

“What?” he chuckled. “I’m just saying that if the whole assistant thing doesn’t work out, she’d make a great first wife.”

“Like you’d ever willing tie yourself down to one woman.”

He placed his hand over his heart like he’d been struck. “You wound me, my friend. Maybe I’m just waiting for the right one to come along.”

“Just make sure it’s not my assistant.”

“Say no more; she’s off limits.” He winked at me. “How about we go for another drink and see what this city has to offer?”

I shook my head. “Another night. I have a meeting with a client tomorrow, and I need to make sure everything is good to go.”

“Oh, c’mon, Theo. You know the saying about all work and no play.”

“Makes me in charge of this office,” I added solemnly. “A lot is riding on us bringing in new clients. I’m not going to fuck it up in our first month.”

“Whatever you say, man,” Jack joked, walking backward down the street. “Let me know if there’s anything you need in the morning.”

I waved him off, hailing a cab uptown. At the late hour, it didn’t take long to get back to the office, but my eyes were already heavy. Most sane people were probably heading home for the night, tucking themselves into bed next to their partner, but I meant what I said to Jack. This officeneededto be successful. There was no other option.

The rest of the building was quiet as I rode the elevator up, all the lights turned down low. While I enjoyed seeingmore faces around the office, these were the moments when I thrived.

But as the doors opened on our floor, a strange sound echoed from the office—music. More specifically, someone was singing. I walked down the hall, following the noise. Maybe a janitor had left the radio on? One of the staff? When I turned the corner, however, someone entirely different came into view.

Calla was in my office, white AirPods tucked in her ears. She swung her hips as she sang along with the words. She had twisted her hair up, and she’d kicked off her heels to the side of the couch. As she piled different file folders on my table, she sunk to the floor, twisting her hips as she rose back up.

What the hell was happening right now? I waited for a surge of annoyance, for my anger to rise at the sight of her desecrating my office, but instead, I found myself smiling, unable to look away. I lingered for a moment, just enough for the memory to implant itself right alongside the last one. Her hips moved in a seductive rhythm, as if begging for my palms to caress them, to hold her against my chest, letting her feel the effect she had on me.

I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to keep my dick in line. If she turned around and saw me watching her like that, it’d be a recipe for a sexual harassment case. This needed to stop. These daydreams about Calla were going to be the end of my career, and I couldn’t allow that.

My jaw tensed as I walked into my office, taking her phone off my desk. After I pressed the pause button, Calla kept going, belting out the last few notes.

“What the hell?” she snapped, quickly turning around. “Oh shit.” She ran her hands through her hair, rushing overto throw on her shoes. “Theo—I mean, Mr. Ayad, I am so sorry. I got carried away, and I just?—”

“Thought you could perform a private concert in my office?”

She scrunched her face. “Sort of. It helps keep me awake during late nights.”

“And why are you here so late?” I asked, suddenly desperate to learn more about her and her thoughts. “It’s Friday night. Surely you have better things to do than collate my files.”

“I wanted to stay,” she admitted, a new blush filling her cheeks. “I know you’re really swamped next week, so I wanted to make sure I had everything prepared.”

I nodded, thumbing through the documents she left on my desk. Everything was meticulously organized. Hell, she had even color-coded the folders based on the types of meetings. It was a simple touch, but one I appreciated.

But instead of voicing that thought, I said, “You can leave now. I’ll take it from here.”

“Oh…” Calla brushed a few strands from her forehead. “Are you sure? I have a few more things I want to get done.” When I looked up, she snapped her lips closed. “Of course. I’ll get out of your way, Mr. Ayad.”

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