Page 42 of Assistant to the Billionaire CEO

“Sorry,” I squeaked as I passed him. I heard him chuckle softly—oh, he had been joking—but I didn’t let his humor slow me down. Ah, wait. “A good run is like a cup of coffee.” I tried a late comeback. “I’m much nicer after I’ve had one.”

The man with the mustache laughed aloud. “Well, in that case I better have one too. Coffee, that is.”

“Yeah, you better,” I said, smiling (it was almost impossible to laugh when out of breath) and run-walking.

I reached Ace’s office in a new record time. Tiny beads of sweat were forming along my brow and threatened to run down my temples. Jesus, why was I so tense and on edge? This was Ace, not the devil himself. I dabbed my temples with a handkerchief from my handbag and loudly exhaled.

He wouldn’t eat me. I hoped.

“You better get in.” I heard the warning voice of the man with the funny mustache again and turned my head in his direction. “He hates when people hover around doorways. So they say.” He disappeared into his office, only to peek out a second later, saying, “What’s with ya? Go on, go in. He doesn’t bite.” He paused. “On good days.” His loud chuckle filled the hallway before he closed his door for good.

I put my handkerchief back into my handbag. Confident that I looked as good as I possibly could under the circumstances, I raised my hand to knock. Wait. My breathing was getting back to normal (kinda), as I stared at the door’s glistening ornate doorknob with my hand still up to knock, and tried to calm my nerves.

“Stella? Is that you panting out there?” Ace’s voice thundered from inside his office. “Come in.”

Sweet Lord.Nothing goes unnoticed by him.I gulped, took a deep (silent) breath, and carefully opened his office door.

Ace was standing behind his desk, his lips curved at the edges in an almost-smile.

Wait.

Was this a fun game for him?

His gorgeous eyes sparkled.

My heart fluttered, and I could almost swear I felt it tugging itself toward my new boss. Its erratic beating filled my ears with the sound of my own blood rushing. My blood itself felt like it had been set alight. It was blazing through my veins like a wildfire.

“There you are,” he said in a deep undertone. “I was starting to think you were going to disobey my instructions to meet here.”

I pushed my shoulders back and straightened, although I hadn’t the faintest idea how to interpret his words. “I’m so sorry I kept you waiting,” I said professionally.

“Don’t mention it. Thank you for helping at reception. Let’s go.” Before he stepped out from behind his desk, he made a point to lock its drawers and then grabbed his suit jacket. His muscles strained and bulged under his formal white button-up shirt as he slid it on. “This way please,” he said, motioning toward a door on the left. He opened it, gesturing for me to step through and follow him upstairs.

The stairs led to his helicopter pad, where the pilot was already waiting.

Wait, what?

Heart pounding like mad—and utterly speechless—I sat beside Ace in the back. He handed me headphones and adjusted the settings, so he and I would be able to talk in private. I watched him signal the pilot to take off.

Oh, my poor heart. It began to race again when things got wobbly, and the ground moved farther away. “Whoa,” I blurted, trying to take in the scenery that unfolded below me.

“You all right?” he asked, leaning in. His hand brushed my cheek and hair. “Stella? You all right?”

Because I was so ticklish, I giggled a bit. I didn’t want to because his tender touch had been completely unexpected and caused a million butterflies to take off in my belly. He likely thought I was losing my mind—which I kinda was.

“Do you want me to distract you?” he asked.

“No. Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

“It’s a short flight. We’ll be there in a minute. Try to enjoy it.”

He took a curly strand of my hair in his hand, tugging it down and stroking it. For a second, I gasped, thinking his fingers would brush my breasts, but they didn’t.

* * *

After only a few minutes, we found ourselves sitting outside in a huge round balcony area, overlooking the astonishing New York skyline.

The air outside was pleasantly mild. It was a warm day, as we’d long passed the cooler months. But I could see a few rain clouds forming in the distance.

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