Page 63 of Assistant to the Billionaire CEO

“Hi.” I waved at her from a few feet away. “I’m Stella Copeland, but just call me Stella.”

“Stella? Did you know that the Latin word for ‘star’ is ‘stella?’” Mrs. Mills asked, finally withdrawing the paper she’d been searching for from between the file’s covers.

“My mom told me.” I smiled as we shook hands. “I have her name. My mom was a Stella too.”

“How lovely. Not many people know what their names mean.” She shrugged, putting her hand on her hip. “Oh, Mr. Windsor left a note for you before he left. On his desk.” She rushed to the desk and handed me a piece of paper. It was so romantic he’d left me a note—sorry, I mean, it was so surprising my boss had left me a note. I loved getting notes.

“Oh, wonderful, thank you,” I replied, more excitedly than I should have, taking it from her and unfolding it quickly.

It read:

Stella,

The paperwork I need you to take a look at is on my desk. Put it back where you found it when you’re done. I’ll likely be gone for the rest of the day.

I’d like you to attend the Garfield client meeting with me tomorrow evening. It’s an important meeting. Get up to speed about profitable developments in the area.

Stay out of trouble while I’m away.

Ace

Stay out of trouble? No problem, as long as he wasn’t near me.

“Is there anything I can help you with before I go, dear?” Mrs. Mills asked.

“I think I’ve got everything I need.”Yes, anything but definitive evidence for or against Ace’s association with Ecclestone. For a second, I considered asking Mrs. Mills outright, contrary to my earlier decision, but then it was past the moment when I could have done so.

“See you around! Cheriooo.” With that, she slipped out of Ace’s office and left me standing in there alone.

A part of me was relieved I wouldn’t have to see Ace for the rest of the day (and consequently that I wouldn’t have to try to resist him, or worse, resist falling for him), but an even bigger part of me was a teensy bit disappointed. Spending time with him was my favorite part of the day, even though I knew I shouldn’t allow myself to enjoy his company as much as I did.

He’s your boss and your brother’s best friend, I reminded myself as I picked up the stack of paper from his office desk.And for all you know, he could be buddied up with the evilest man in the construction biz.I made a quick scan around, but the E.C. folder was nowhere to be seen.

My own lecture didn’t dissuade my heart though, and I soon found myself daydreaming about our almost-kiss again.

* * *

The next day

As I slowly worked through the paperwork Ace had given me the previous day, I felt like I was edging ever closer to madness. Some of the forms were overdue by weeks. On any ordinary day, this fact would have sent me into a panic, but I was still expending most of my mental energy on imagining what would have happened if that portly bald man, Flint, hadn’t interrupted Ace and me while we were in the supply room. I thought about how his hand had slid down from the hollow of my back and onto my bottom, how he’d lifted my skirt, and I imagined how he would have smacked my butt and gotten closer to the origin of the tingling feeling he gave me. After the spanking, our lips would have collided in the best kiss of my life.

My bright-orange office chair started to get uncomfortable underneath me. It was harder than any other chair in the whole building, and my tailbone was starting to ache. I got up, but continued paging through the stack of paper.

Ring. Riiiing.

“Girlie! Hey,” Bonnie said from the other end of the line.

“You’ll be happy to hear that I spoke to my friend at MKY Shipping. Let’s just say, he is willing—and able—to help. According to him, there are exactly twenty boxes sitting in their storage room that fit the description. They were all labeled incorrectly and have been sitting there waiting to be picked up. I’m going to send you a form to fill out. If you send it over to me in the next half-hour, we’ll get things processed right away. And girl, make sure to put the correct address on it.”

I laughed. “Bonnie?”

“Ya?”

“I really love you.”

“I know you do.”

With the help of Winifred, I filled out the form and shot it back over to Bonnie. I was curious to know what was hidden in those boxes.

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