Page 4 of Claimed By the Boss

“Lunch will be ready infive minutes,” she said, before backing away, taking Nora’s clothes andleaving.

Nora looked down at theclothes she had been handed, and Gabriel, without a word, gave her privacy. Thetemptation to peek was so strong, but he kept his shit together. Nora needed totrust him. He was not going to fuck this up. This was the start he was hopingfor.

“Thank you,” Nora said,holding out his jacket for him to take.

He did so, sliding hisarms inside, and staring at her. He didn’t want to break eye contact, he justwanted to look at her.

The scent of vanilla washeady in the air, it was her fragrance. It wasn’t overwhelming but subtle and sweet,making him want so much more.

“Join me for lunch?” heasked.

“I really should get backto work.”

“I insist. After all, itwas my employees that embarrassed you. Let me pay you back with lunch.” She wasnot going anywhere until he said so.

Nora didn’t know it yet,but her life was about to change. She now belonged to him, and he had nointention of giving her up.

“Okay, sure,” she said.

She clasped her handstogether, and there was that politeness that was no doubt going to be herdownfall. He couldn’t help but smirk, but he turned back to his desk.

“So, Nora, tell me aboutyourself,” he said.

“There’s not much totell.”

“You work in the maildepartment, right?” he asked.

“Yes, yes, I do.”

“Is that where you want towork?”

She frowned and opened andclosed her mouth. “I enjoy my job, but what I love about your company, sir, isthat you offer opportunities. Even for those who have not gone to college.”

“And is that what youwould like?” he asked.

“I would like theopportunity to learn and to grow. When the time is ready, and I am ready, I’dlike to take promotions and learn everything there is to know about yourcompany.”

He sat down and looked ather. “Why?”

He had never considered apotential spy for his parents being thrust into his life. Nora didn’t seem thekind, but then she had been desperate for work. His parents could quite easilyprey on the weak.

ChapterTwo

“With how vast yourcompany is, there is so much to learn. You’re in advertising, finance,publishing, and even the start of social media platforms. It all seemsexciting, and I had hoped to go to college and major in business. That’s what Iwanted to study.”

Nora thought about all thethings she wanted to do—study business, learn from the best, start her owncompany. Growing up, she spent many times playing games where she was the bossof her own company. It seemed somewhat lame now.

Her parents had alwaysreferred to her as their little businesswoman. Some might have said she had herhead in the skies. Her thoughts were nothing but fairy tales. They turned intofairy tales, and then this opportunity came up, and she took it, knowing itcould lead to more. Her dad always said she had a good eye for opportunity. Hermother always advised her to let go of the negative, focus on the positive, andto keep moving forward. She realized it was how people coped with the pain andstruggles of life. They stopped looking back at the past and only movedforward. She understood it. No one could change the past.

Gabriel stared at her forseveral seconds.

“Your company is the onlyone known for allowing promotions across all sectors of enterprise. You havebuilt-in training, and like I said, some of your managers didn’t need college.”

Nora sat down in the chairopposite. She had spent a great deal of time thinking about sitting oppositethe boss. Being interviewed for the next position. There had been a few to openup in the last few months, but their roles were far too complex to consider.She had hoped to move up to assistant. Nora didn’t want to promote to a roleshe wasn’t capable of handling.

The last thing she wantedto do was embarrass herself. So, she would keep working her ass off and waitfor the right opportunity. She would learn everything about Gabriel’s world, soshe’d have the ability to take control of her life and live it the way shewanted.

“Our lunch has arrived,”Gabriel said, getting to his feet.

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