Page 71 of Assistant to the Billionaire CEO

Bonnie’s relief was audible through the phone. “Thank goodness. So it’s not going to happen again? It can’t happen again!”

“I know. We both agreed that we shouldn’t allow it to happen again,” I replied. “Am I silly for being sad about the fact we can’t be together? I know he and I haven’t been close for very long, but I feel so many things when I look at him or even think about him. Don’t they always say, ‘Follow your heart?’”

“You can follow your heart, as long as it doesn’t lead to your boss,” Bonnie said matter-of-factly. “Look, lots of people have chemistry and don’t act on it. You two will just need to learn how to do that. You’re not the first person in the world to have a crush on their apparently madly sexy boss.”

“This feels like more than a crush though.”

“You still shouldn’t act on it. There’s too much at stake: your relationship with your brother, your job, and your future as an architect. It’s not worth it.”

“You’re right,” I said. “I know you’re right.”

“Look. There are lots of cucumbers in the sea. You’ll find someone that makes you even weaker in the knees and whose whistle is even slurpier, and then you’ll forget all about Ace Windsor.”

“I hope you’re right. Or else, I’m totally screwed.”

“You’ve got this, girlie,” she said. “I believe in you. You can resist his sexy wiles! If anybody can resist falling for him, it’s you.”

“Thanks. I needed that. You always know what I need to hear.”

“What are best friends for? Anyway, have a good night. I’ll talk to you again in the morning. I’ve got to get up early for tennis class.” She ended the call before I could thank her again for her help with MKY, and before I could invite her—again—to yoga class.I really thought Bonnie would enjoy yoga, but she always had some “believable” excuse. She had to groom her neighbor’s cat, she accidentally washed all her pants at once, she downed a rum and Coke, thinking it was just Coke.

Feeling tiredness take hold of me, I put my cell on my bedside table and lay down on my back. The sensations that Ace evoked in me hadn’t gone away yet, I still felt it stirring in my chest—and between my thighs.

After half an hour of just staring at the ceiling, I gently ran my hand over the parts of me that felt like they were burning. An involuntary moan escaped my lips. I closed my eyes and pictured Ace on top of me. I tried to imagine what his weight would feel like, crushing against my body as he kissed my lips and thrust himself inside me. I pushed my panties aside just like he had done, and tried to relive what it had felt like when he’d done it.

My own touch didn’t scorch my skin like his had. I fell asleep splayed out on my bed, trying to imagine him kissing every inch of me, starting on my lips, then the nape of my neck, and ending where the erotic sensation was most prominent.

29

STELLA

Three days later (Or: Bad Hair Days Are a Thing)

“So, how have things been?” Bonnie asked, her voice crackling through my cell phone’s less-than-admirable network connection. I found myself sitting on my bed, talking to Bonnie, and secretly wishing I didn’t have to try to control my feelings for Ace. Sadly, I’d never been good at keeping secrets—or controlling my feelings.

“Apart from me having had a bad hair day for three days straight, better than I thought they would be,” I said, pressing my cell tightly against my left ear. “The last few days have been pretty…ordinary. No invites to lunch dates, no working late, no ‘flirting’ in the supply room—just normal work stuff.” I stared at the outfit I’d laid out beside me. Not dressing in a way that would distract my new boss was top of my list, so I’d chosen a plain pair of dark-blue slacks, a loose-fitting white blouse, and a matching navy blazer. “Ace winked at me the other day,” I continued, “in the breakroom. At first, I thought, ‘Here we go again,’ but then he just nodded once from across the room and left. There was no follow-up, or quick chat, or even the tiniest hint of flirtation. It was just a normal wink between friends.” Gah. My insides churned. I really didn’t want to be “friends” with Ace. That was the last thing I wanted to be.

“Ah, I see. Perfect! A purely platonic wink,” Bonnie said happily. “To be honest, I was worried things might be a bit awkward between the two of you when you told me what happened after the client meeting. At least the fact that they aren’t proves that Ace is a more mature guy than I thought he would be.”

“I guess,” I agreed, running my hand over the dark-blue slacks next to me. It was the first time I’d heard Bonnie say something nice about Ace. “To be honest, the rational part of me is relieved that things have gone back to normal, but at the same time, I can’t stop thinking about what happened.”

“Well, you’re only human. The important thing is that you’re both trying to put it behind you, and you’re maintaining a sense of professionalism in the process. It’ll get easier as time passes. You’ll forget all about kissing him eventually, trust me.”

Hmm. I wondered whether I’d ever be able to forget the feeling of Ace’s body pressed against mine. “At least there are no hard feelings, and we get to be friendly.”

“And you still get to be the CEO’s assistant,” Bonnie chimed in. “And work at Windsor Architects, arguablythefanciest architecture firm in the whole of New York. At least according to theNew York Times.”

“AndI get to play detective,” I added sarcastically. “Damon is still on my case about digging up more information about Ecclestone, and it’s freaking me the heck out. I have been keeping my eyes open—without any real results thus far—and I don’t know what more to do to get him the answers he wants. It’s not like I can hack into Ace’s emails or anything.”

“I bet he hides the incriminating papers in his desk. That’s whereI’dkeep my dark and dirty secrets if I were a CEO. In my top drawer. That’s where nobody suspects anything, because it’s too obvious, right?”

“Hmm. I did notice that he keeps it locked at all times.”

“See? He’s hiding something.”

“Right. But I would never go through his drawers. That’s out of the question.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Bonnie said hopefully, trying her best to encourage me. “You always do.” There was a commotion on the other end of the line, although I couldn’t quite hear what was happening. “Anyway,” she said, “I’ve got to go. UPS is here and the delivery guy is hot. Talk to you soon! Love you, girlie! You’ve got this!”

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