Page 3 of Bossed Around

“He can’t be that uptight,” she scoffed, and I could see her rolling her eyes. I met Mia in college, and we quickly became inseparable, rooming together three of the four years and never losing touch after we graduated. She was my support system, but right now, she didn’t get how grueling Alexander could be.

“You have no idea.” The elevator dinged on my floor, and I let out a soft groan. “I’ve got to go.”

“Good luck.” She blew an air kiss through the phone and hung up as I dashed down the hall. Just before I came up to the conference room, I slowed and quickly smoothed out my outfit and hair.

Alexander stood at the head of the table, his piercing eyes fixated on me. His tailored suit clung to his muscular form, emphasizing the power that radiated from every inch of him. The scent of his cologne filled the room, both captivating and invigorating.

“Olivia, you’re late.” He looked at me coldly, his expression withering. I was learning he didn’t believe in bothering with pleasantries.

“It’s 9:05, I’m sorry. The trains were stuck right outside the station.”

I was still trying to catch my breath from running from the station. At least my cheeks were already red, so it would be less evident if he started whipping up my anger.

“Excuses won’t get you far here.” He narrowed his eyes with an expression that reminded me of a cobra about to strike. “Now, let’s go over your latest productivity reports.”

I took a deep breath, steadying myself as I watched him flip through the pages of the document I had stayed late trying to perfect. That was another reason I was ‘late’—although I’ve never worked for anyone who considered five minutes to be truly late. I could practically feel his gaze burning through me.

“Your numbers are off.” He tapped his fingers against the paper in front of him, then at his temples. “You need to reevaluate your calculations.”

“Are you sure?” My voice quivered, and my throat tightened. “I double-checked everything before submitting it.”

“Triple-check next time,” he snapped, his voice dripping with condescension. “This isn’t amateur hour, Olivia.”

My cheeks flushed, but I refused to let him break me. I clenched my fists beneath the table to steady myself, channeling anger into determination.

“Fine. I’ll revise it.”

He waved his hand for me to leave like a cocker spaniel he had no further use for. Just minutes ago, when I got in, I daydreamed about stroking his cheek and kissing those lips. Now, I just wanted to smack them.

“Is there anything else?” I kept my voice steady despite the turmoil raging within me.

“Actually, yes.” He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re going to be working directly with me on this project. I expect you to keep up. Don’t drag us down this time. I can only accept so many more errors.”

“Of course.”

The images that flooded my mind at the thought of working closely with him, me leaning over his desk to offer him my cleavage, him hovering the seam of his pants in my face and tempting me to draw his bulge in my mouth, his finger sneaking under my skirt and tracing a line to my clit, were instantly met with a sense of dread at knowing he’d be more likely to fire me than fuck me.

“Good.” His gaze lingered on me, and I couldn’t tell if the fire in his eyes was anger or something more primal. Then, he dismissed me again with a scornful nod.

I felt the weight of his stare on my back, as if he were testing me, daring me to defy him. But I was ready for the challenge. Alexander may have been demanding and ruthless, but I would not let him push me around. Instead, I would rise to meet him head-on, fueled by the explosive tension between us.

Let the games begin.

The next morning, I strode into the conference room. Alexander’s tall frame towered over the sleek glass table, covered with stacks of reports and documents. I saw him looking at the clock on the wall.

That’s right. 8:55. Take that, fucker.

My pulse raced as I prepared for the high-stakes meeting ahead. He felt less like a boss and more like a rival, one I intended to outshine.

“Morning.” I kept my voice steady despite the heat that flooded my veins whenever he was near.

“Olivia.” There was a challenge in his gaze, daring me to defy him. As the meeting participants sat down, a chill took hold of the room.

“Welcome. We have a lot of work ahead, so I’m going to make this quick.” Loathing and attraction intertwined inside me as he continued with the meeting, and I could barely pay attention to anything he said. After a while, he turned to me.

“Olivia is going to share her reports.”

He looked me over like an object as I stood to present.

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