Table of Contents

1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
23. Chapter 23
24. Chapter 24
25. Chapter 25
26. Chapter 26
27. Chapter 27
28. Chapter 28
29. Chapter 29
Not On The Resume
CHLOE PETERSON
Copyright © 2023 by Chloe Peterson
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except
as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Editing by Sheryl Lee
Cover Artwork – © 2023 L.J. Anderson of Mayhem Cover Creations
 Contents
1. 1. Chapter 1
2. 2. Chapter 2
3. 3. Chapter 3
4. 4. Chapter 4
5. 5. Chapter 5
6. 6. Chapter 6
7. 7. Chapter 7
8. 8. Chapter 8
9. 9. Chapter 9
10. 10. Chapter 10
11. 11. Chapter 11
12. 12. Chapter 12
13. 13. Chapter 13
14. 14. Chapter 14
15. 15. Chapter 15
16. 16. Chapter 16
17. 17. Chapter 17
18. 18. Chapter 18
19. 19. Chapter 19
20. 20. Chapter 20
21. 21. Chapter 21
22. 22. Chapter 22
23. 23. Chapter 23
24. 24. Chapter 24
25. 25. Chapter 25
26. 26. Chapter 26
27. 27. Chapter 27
28. 28. Chapter 28
29. 29. Chapter 29
 Chapter 1
Throwing in the Towel
Cameron
“You cannot be serious.”
Pressing my fingertips to my temples, I squeezed my eyes shut against the impossibility of
it all.
Barely 9 am, and I was ready to go home.
“There m-must be some mistake!”
“The only mistake was hiring you as an assistant!” I yelled. Frustration dug white-hot claws
into my skin.
My assistant shrank in front of me, hunching her shoulders as if I’d raised a hand against
her.
Fury bubbled in my chest and stung like poison on my tongue.
“Is it really that impossible to schedule a goddamn brunch date?” My fingernails left tiny
red crescents in the palms of my hands. “It’s the same time every week, and yet you’ve
scheduled me in for three investor meetings at the same time!”
“It was an honest mistake,” she pleaded, wringing her hands anxiously.
Her eyes widened in fear, like I was a stalking tiger. And honestly? It gave me a sense of
satisfaction. If only I could scare her into doing her job right.
“I-I’m so sorry, Ms. Pierce,” Lydia stammered, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
I wanted to feel sorry for her, to tell her it was okay, and everything was easily remedied.
But energy wasn’t something I had in surplus.
“This is the third time, Linda!”
“It’s L-Lydia,” she stuttered, but I held up a hand.
“Just…” I pinched the bridge of my nose. A brand new migraine pounded at the base of my
skull and I knew it would get worse. “Get out; I’ve had enough of your incompetence.”
She hiccupped and all but sprinted out of my office.
Slumping back in my chair I booted up my computer, quickly typing an email to HR. By
now, the words practically typed themselves – generous severance package, decently
written recommendation letter, blah blah blah.
Another assistant, another disappointment.
With a sigh, I hit send and opened my calendar.
“Christ!”
I stared at the mess. Each task overlapped the last in a frantic excuse of a schedule. My
stomach turned and with a sigh, I grabbed my phone instead.
“Ms. Pierce?”
“Get HR on the phone and have them finalize my request,” I said, wishing the iciness away.
“Once that’s done, tell them I’m no longer interested in entertaining their idea of
competence.”
“Right away, Ms. Pierce.”
The line went dead with a muffled click and I spared a second to stare at the ceiling.
My head throbbed, the aching pulse thrumming up into my temples. I didn’t want to think
about the rest of my day, let alone the rest of the week.
“Isn’t this a sight for sore eyes?”
My eyes squeezed shut.
“Why are you here?” I groaned tiredly, resting my head on my chair.
I heard the telltale sound of a chair squealing against the hardwood floor and tried not to
sigh.
“I couldn’t help notice you were, once again, sans assistant,” Hayden said smugly. I blindly
flipped her off, ignoring the satisfied slant of her giggles. “What a shame, Cam.”
“How so?” I asked in a monotone, refusing to open my eyes to see the grin on her face.
“Whenever you don’t have an assistant to corral your unholy schedule, I’m the one who has
to hear all about how dreadful your life is.”
“Yes, I can see how this is terribly dreadful for you,” I drawled, opening my eyes to send her
a scathing glare.
She rolled her bright green eyes and tossed her dark curls over her shoulder.
As usual, her pressed pants suit left little to the imagination; her slacks clung to every curve
and line of her body, her pristine white shirt unbuttoned just low enough to make it
provocative.
And yet, she still held herself as the most terrifying woman in the hospitality industry.
“Look, all jokes aside, this is a problem,” Hayden said, suddenly serious. “I can’t believe you
fired another one?”
I stared at her for a long moment before blowing out an exhausted breath.
I deadpanned, turning back to the mountain of tasks that only grew with each second that
ticked by, “Why is it so hard to believe that I’m just tired of having to deal with assistants
who can’t do their fucking jobs?”
“Because I know you, Cameron. And I know there’s more to this than your staged little
power trip.”
Gritting my teeth against the shame, I pushed away from my desk and got to my feet.
“Power trip, really?” I scoffed, focusing on the clack of my heels on the floor to keep from
tearing my hair out. “You only say that because you have an angel of an assistant who
serendipitously fell into your lap. If you had to deal with the amount of bullshit I have,
you’d be singing a different tune. How the hell did you even find out?”
Hayden chewed on the inside of her cheek like she didn’t want to answer. I narrowed my
eyes at her and she gave in.
“Fine, Nicola told me,” she admitted with a dramatic sigh.
“Why am I not surprised.” I chuckled mirthlessly. “Your assistant knows everything, it’s
uncanny.”
“She’s a gem,” Hayden said with a small grin. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t find an
assistant who’s right for you. In fact, I have the perfect candidate for you.”
“No,” I said immediately, a cold wariness gripping my stomach. “Hayden, I’m done with this
crap. I can manage on my own.”
“Ha, what a load of shit,” Hayden jeered. She uncrossed her legs and got to her feet,
swinging her purse onto her shoulder with grace. “You’re sprouting gray hairs by the
minute. Just give the girl a chance. Please? I hate seeing you this stressed out when the
alternative is stupidly simple.”
My gaze flitted from Hayden’s imploring smile to the mess on my calendar.
“Fine,” I conceded. “But if she proves to be another disappointment, you’re buying me
brunch for a year.”

Elliot
“Your four o’clock is here, El!”
Aidan’s whisper startled me from my daydream. My aching heels protested as I spun
around, plastering a practiced smile on my tired face.
“Ms. Jones!” I greeted her cheerfully, holding a hand out to lead my client to her favorite
table. “You’re early today.”
“Mm, I had business nearby and thought I’d drop in a few minutes earlier,” she hummed
offhandedly, adjusting herself as she sat down. “Besides, I couldn’t wait to see my favorite
les Amés cutie!”
My cheeks flushed at her compliment.
I quickly cleared my throat. “That’s so kind of you, Ms. Jones.” I smiled, tucking my hair
behind my ear, and straightened my black and white uniform. “What can I get for you
today?”
“It’s Hayden, darling,” she said, sending me a wink. “And I’ll have my usual – Oh, wait, on
second thought, I’ll have the caviar and crème fraȋche – Make it two servings.”
“Right away, Ms. Jo- ah, Hayden.” I corrected myself with a dip of my chin. I sent her order
to the kitchen and brought out her favorite drink, iced lemon and vodka.
“Perfect!” she exclaimed, taking a long sip and sighing contentedly. “Elliot, mind taking a
seat for a bit?”
I blinked and searched her crystal green eyes for some hint of mischief, because surely this
was a joke.
“I- uh, sorry?”
“Sit, sit,” she insisted, waving at the empty spot in front of her.
“Will Mr. Moreno not be joining you today?” I asked, casting around for an excuse – I hadn’t
slept enough for this.
“Please!’ She laughed, taking another sip of her drink. “He’s probably still passed out after
drinking his weight in whiskey. I insist.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, but gave in and dropped down into the empty chair.
“Tell me about yourself, Elliot,” she prompted, her request taking me by surprise. None of
my clients ever asked about me.
I looked at Ms. Jones – sincerity and genuine curiosity brimmed in her gaze.
“What would you like to know?”
“What are your ambitions in life?” she asked without missing a beat. “What are your hopes
and dreams for the future?”
“That’s, um – I didn’t expect that,” I babbled, suddenly keenly aware of just how different
we were. “Do you mean in general, or…?”
“Ten years from now, what do you see yourself doing?”
I frowned. “I’ve never thought about it,” I said honestly, blushing.
Ms. Jones cocked her head, a perfect brow rising questioningly. “You don’t seem like the
type to ‘go with the flow’. Have you really never thought about it?”
I glanced down at the sharp edge of the napkin laid out artistically on the table.
“I’ve never had the luxury,” I murmured, looking back up at Ms. Jones. “Once I graduated
from high school, I had to start working. Ten years from now, I’ll still be working.”
“Here?” she pressed, leaning forward conspiratorially.
“I hope not,” I whispered, covering my mortified grin with a hand. “Unless all my clients are
like you.”
Ms. Jones’ eyes widened and she howled with laughter, thumping a manicured fist down on
the table. The glass and china rattled.
I panicked, half jumping to my feet in case something broke.
“You little charmer, you,” she scolded breathlessly, wheezing through another bout of
chuckles. “Oh, you won’t be here much longer, I can just tell.”
That sobered me up instantly. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” and her voice pitched low, “that I have the perfect opportunity for you to ditch
this place and actually get somewhere in life.”
I laughed. “I doubt there’s anything unique I can do for you, Ms. Jones.”
“Not me.” She winked. “A very good friend of mine needs a personal assistant and there
isn’t anyone better than you for the job.”
“I have no experience being anyone’s personal assistant,” I muttered uneasily, getting to my
feet. “And if they’re a close friend of yours, Ms. Jones, then they’re very important, and I’m
even less qualified for the job.”
“Nonsense!” she exclaimed. “I’ve seen you wrangle difficult clients with ease; you’re the
quintessential problem-solver.”
I forced a smile, trying to ignore the absurdity of the situation. Who the hell accepts job
offers from billionaires at their workplace while on shift?!
“I’m going to check on your order, Ms. Jones,” I said by way of exit, only managing not to
sprint for cover in the kitchen thanks to years in hospitality.
“Jeez, Ell, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Nolan commented, glancing up from her
plating as I dashed in. “Your order is over there.”
I nodded absently and grabbed the plates, setting them on a silver tray and doing my best
to breathe lungsful of air.
I could just play it off, I thought, mechanically moving through the routine of plating the
caviar. I could just tell her my contract wouldn’t be up for another year and then she’d leave it
alone.
Yeah, that was it.
I lifted the tray into my hand, my breaths calmer and deeper than they’d been five seconds
ago, and walked back out.
“Ms. Jones,” I said, surprised by how steady my voice sounded. “Your order.”
“Fabulous!” she gasped, digging in instantly. “Now, about that position-”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to pass it up,” I said, cutting her off. She blinked once at me, and I took
that as a prompt for more. “I have my hands full here and I don’t think I’m cut out for – for
your world.”
She studied me for a long moment, too long, before frowning in thought. “If you’re gonna
work for the rest of your life,” she said with a shrug, “at least make sure you’re getting paid
for it.”
I lowered my gaze and she chuckled, sliding a business card into my line of vision.
“Thursday morning,” she said simply. “Nine o’clock.”
 Chapter 2
A Not So Meet Cute
Elliot
Even after checking and double checking my reflection in the mirror before leaving, I still
tugged at the sleeves of my jacket nervously. My pencil skirt wrapped around my thighs
tightly, making each step unsteady and stiff. My button shirt, the only one I owned,
threatened to suffocate me until I wanted to tear it off.
Too many years had passed since I needed to wear ‘interview clothes’, and it showed.
I fidgeted with the collar of my shirt and checked the time on my phone again.
The subway rocked and clanked as it crossed the city, jangling my nerves until I was sure
I’d be sick. By the time I hopped off at my stop, my ankles wobbled under me dangerously
and I questioned my shaky confidence.
“Who am I kidding,” I muttered, ducking my head and focusing all my attention on not
tripping up the stairs. “There is no way I’m cut out for this.”
I unlocked my phone and typed in the address Ms. Jones had sent me into Maps, trying not
to focus too much on the lingering sway the subway had left in my legs.
“Seven minutes away,” I sighed, resigning myself to the discomfort of my brand new heels.
Tension pulled at my shoulders and I dialed the last contact in my recent calls, anxiously
gnawing my thumbnail to the quick.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at a fancy interview?” Reese asked by way of answering. I
sighed in relief, some of the fear ebbing at the sound of her voice.
“Which you didn’t even bother to wish me luck for,” I reminded her. “What kind of friend
doesn’t wish another friend good luck?”
“The best kind,” she quipped, her voice slightly muffled. I pictured her shifting the phone
from one ear to the other, the way she always did. “Considering I know you don’t need any
luck.”
“Like hell I don’t,” I said snidely, but it gave me comfort to know someone believed in me.
“I’m shooting my shot where it doesn’t belong, we both know that.”
“You’re just saying that,” she cut in. “‘Coz if you expect the worst, you’re either pleasantly
surprised or prepared for the alternative. Live a little, Ellie! You’re amazing and you’re
gonna do great!”
I blew out a breath. “Yeah,” I agreed, staring up at my destination.
A ‘wonder of archeology’ was putting it lightly.
The building twisted out of the sidewalk in a wreath of black glass and steel, everything
about it screaming wealth.
“Go get ‘em!”
Without another word, Reese hung up. I was left frighteningly alone in front of a building I
was sure was waiting to open up and swallow me whole.
I forced my legs to move, shoving aside the anxiety clawing through my chest and walking
through the automatic black glass doors and into the cool air of the air conditioned lobby.
“Can I help you, miss?”
I turned to the security guard who stood near the door, blinking before realizing he was
talking to me. I swallowed.
“I’m here to see Ms. Pierce?”
I hated the tremor in my voice, but he smiled kindly, the keyboard clicking under his quick
fingers.
“ID, please,” he prompted.
I handed it over without question, absently making a note of how tight security seemed to
be while hating how many people milled around.
“All right, you can head up. Stefan here will escort you.”
As if summoned by name, Stefan materialized beside me, his face carved in severity.
It did nothing to ease my anxiety.
“Thanks,” I said, following Stefan’s military march toward the nearest elevator. I just had to
get into the elevator and I could breathe for a second, just four more steps-
“Oof!”
My phone clattered to the floor with a crowd-grabbing CRASH and I silently prayed for the
expensive marble floor to disappear beneath me.
The person I walked into clicked their tongue and I lifted my head, eyes as wide as a deer’s.
“I am so sorry!” I babbled, my hands fluttering over the woman’s obviously expensive suit
as if I’d dirtied it just by bumping into her. “That was my bad, I wasn’t looking-”
She held up a slim hand to shut me up. A part of me was grateful she stopped me from
making more of a fool of myself.
But then she walked away without a word, or even a glance to acknowledge I’d spoken.
“What the hell?” I murmured, staring after her while my brain struggled to catch up with
the situation.
“This way, miss,” Stefan pressed, clearing his throat to get my attention.
I jumped a little and followed him into the open elevator, trying to shake off the incident.
The doors slid shut and Stefan stood in resolute silence next to me, leaving me to my
unhelpful thoughts.
Did I really want to work somewhere that people just shoulder-checked each other on the
way in?
I rolled my shoulders to fend off the stiffness, and God, why couldn’t Stefan just make casual
conversation on the interminable climb to the fortieth fucking floor?!
After what could only be described as an agonizing trip, the doors slid open on the top
floor. Stefan stepped out and looked at me expectantly, as if he’d asked me to follow and I’d
chosen to ignore him.
We walked in silence along the black marble tiles, our footsteps echoing hollowly off the
walls dotted with abstract art pieces.
“Wait here,” Stefan said, pointing at the ground before walking the rest of the way to the
only door in sight. He rapped on it three times, and waited.
And waited.
I chewed on my lip, anxiously fidgeting with one of the buttons on my jacket sleeve, toying
with the idea of leaving while I still could.
After all, how often did good things happen to people like me without demanding a world
of payment?
The answer: never.
I opened my mouth to say as much when the elevator dinged behind us and I spun around
at the voice that followed.
“I’m here, Stefan.”
Cold. Soft. Like velvet on steel.
“Ms. Pierce,” Stefan greeted, his hands secured behind his back as she approached. My
stomach clenched around the pathetic excuse of a breakfast I had, threatening to evict the
granola bar.
The woman I’d bumped into in the lobby now walked toward me, her long dark hair
swinging around her. She paid me no mind, her eyes barely lifting from her phone screen
long enough to look at Stefan, who quickly opened the door for her as she passed.
“Thank you, Stefan,” she said absent-mindedly.
“You have a guest,” Stefan said, stepping aside and waiting.
I looked from him to Ms. Pierce, blinking owlishly.
Ms. Pierce turned around and slipped her sunglasses off her nose, her dark eyes zeroing in
on me.
“I was hoping Hayden was kidding,” she sighed, her appraisal rooting me to the spot. Not
only because of the sharpness of her glare… She was gorgeous.
Her dark eyes glinted above cheekbones that could be carved from the marble that kept the
building standing, and the grim line of her mouth did nothing to hide the fullness of her
lips.
Shit, I thought. I’m fucked.
“Well?” she prompted, waving Stefan off. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
“Uh, my name is Elliot,” I answered, my heart hammering in my chest. “Ms. Jones told me
you needed a personal assistant-”
“And why should I hire you?” she cut in. “What makes you different from the last few
failures I’ve fired?”
“I’m good at working with people,” I said lamely, every inch of my body curling trying to
shrink into the floor. “I always try to make sure the people around me are comfortable and
have their needs met.”
“Yes, I imagine that’s very difficult to come by as a waitress,” she muttered to herself.
“Actually, I’m not a waitress,” I corrected her, my gut burning with embarrassment. “I work
for specific clients and learn their needs-”
“Which makes you somehow qualified to be my personal assistant?” she challenged icily.
“I’m here to find out,” I answered, though I wasn’t sure she’d expected me to answer.
“I’m waiting for you to tell me the same thing,” she said in exasperation. “What do you have
that everyone else lacks? What makes you special?”
My jaw went slack. I scrambled to find an answer while trying to process the harsh edge in
her voice.
“I have a-”
“Whatever degree or past working experience you have is not going to be the right
answer,” she drawled, shrugging out of her tailored suit jacket and hanging it on the rack
near her desk.
I squinted at her.
“I don’t know what sparkly dreams Hayden filled your head with.” She sighed, perching a
pair of clear-rimmed glasses on her perfectly straight nose. “But I’m not interested in
teaching competence; it’s expected. If you’re just here looking to fill a gap in your resume,
you can leave.”
Heat cracked through my chest and into my face, raw indignation unhinging my jaw and
unsticking my tongue from the roof of my mouth.
“I have a job,” I told her, my brows knitting in disbelief. “And if I was looking for a refresher
course on incompetence, it wouldn’t be here. I’m here to see if there’s something I can do to
help you. Ms. Jones filled me in on your previous assistants, so I know what I’m up against.
But I’m here regardless.”
She arched a perfect brow and threaded her fingers together, her chin resting atop her
knuckles.
All my instincts told me I’d fucked up, and yet I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the curve
of her red lips.
“If you have a job,” she said shrugging, tilting her head slightly, “why are you here? And
don’t give me that ‘helping people’ schtick, I’m not interested in philanthropists.”
I pressed my lips together, fighting the incessant urge to pick at the skin around my nails
under her scrutiny.
Fuck it, I thought with a sigh.
“I want to do something more,” I said. “I want to be able to have an answer when someone
asks me where I see myself in ten years. I don’t want my life to just happen to me.”
Both of Ms. Pierce’s brows lifted but her face remained otherwise impassive. “I doubt
working for a corporate company like this is going to give you that,” she scoffed, her
fingertips dancing soundlessly across her keyboard. “And I’m not interested in what I can
do for you because, to be honest, the possibilities are endless. But what the hell can you do
for me?”
I swallowed around the heat in my throat, painfully aware of how unsettled her focus made
me.
“Whatever you need me to,” I said, with all the confidence I didn’t have. I forced my gaze to
meet hers and stuck my chin out. “Let me prove it to you.”
Something in her eyes shifted and she pursed her lips.
“I’ve heard enough.” She sighed, looking away and waving me off. A block of ice slid into my
stomach and my chest hollowed out.
“Thank you for your time,” I murmured, taking her silence as my cue to leave.
The door to her office swung shut behind me and I groaned at the weight pressing down on
my lungs, the disappointment swirling with bitter resignation because of course it would
end up like this.
Of course I’d fuck up.
 Chapter 3
The Beginning (?)
Elliot
“Don’t say it.”
“Say what?”
“The thing you’ve been wanting to say since I got the call.”
Reese’s mouth split into a wide grin that immediately cracked open into a loud yawn.
“I don’t feel like saying it just yet.” She plucked my coffee mug out of my hand and took an
obnoxiously long sip.
“Hey!” I frowned, fatigue prickling at the corners of my eyes. “I need that way more than
you do.”
“I wasn’t the one who called in a panic at five in the goddamn morning,” she countered, but
handed my coffee back to me. “It’s just like you to think yourself into a coma.”
“Can you blame me?” I mumbled, drawing my feet up onto the sofa. The morning chill clung
to my bones despite it being the height of summer.
Reese patted my head softly in her awkward big sister way.
“I won’t say I told you so,” she said, relenting and tugging the blanket up over my legs. “But
I also won’t act surprised that you got the job. Is someone calling you right now?”
“Huh?” I blinked before her words registered and glanced over at my phone. The screen lit
up with a number I’d never seen before, and I unplugged it before answering.
“Hello?”
“Why the hell aren’t you at work yet?”
My brows furrowed. “Who is this?”
A sigh. “You’d better be here in fifteen minutes or you’ll be looking for another job.”
“But I don’t live in the ci-”
Click.
“Oh, God!”
“Who was that?”
My eyes went as wide as saucers. I hurled myself off the sofa, sprinting to the bathroom.
“Cameron,” I called back, dancing in place while I waited for the water to heat up.
Reese followed me and leaned against the doorframe, watching me jump out of my sweats
like my life depended on it.
“Who the fuck is Cameron?” she pressed, drinking the rest of my coffee.
I shooed her out of the bathroom so I could shower. “My new boss.”
Shutting the door and speed-running through my morning routine I burst out of the
bathroom five minutes later, my pulse in a frenzy. “She’s gonna fire me before I even start,
oh my God.”
I dashed into my room, Reese dawdling along behind me while I frantically searched for
something to wear.
“Shit, I haven’t gone shopping for new clothes yet,” I breathed, rummaging through my tiny
closet as if something would magically appear.
Reese sighed behind me. “Here,” she said loudly, holding out a bag she’d brought with her,
“I figured you wouldn’t have time and I’m a great friend, so…”
“Reese, I could kiss you right now,” I cried, snatching the bag to find a simple black skirt,
tights and a black blouse.
“No thanks,” she hummed, plopping down onto my bed gracelessly. “Nikki wouldn’t be very
happy with me.”
I didn’t bother answering as I pulled Reese’s clothes on and checked my watch – I was
already very late.
“How are you getting to work?” Reese yawned, stretching out on my bed like a cat. I kind of
hated her for it just then.
“Subway, I guess,” I said distractedly, throwing my belongings into my work purse. “I can
take a cab once I’m in the city; hopefully there won’t be as much traffic this early.”
“Right, yeah,” she scoffed. “I’ll drive you. I can’t imagine what’d happen if you went out by
yourself in this panicked state.”
A low whine slipped through my pout. “I love you, I hope you know that.”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s go,” she huffed, tossing me my heels.
The commute into the city flew by in a blur, the music from the radio in Reese’s old Ford
doing nothing to distract me from my own thoughts.
The sun still hid behind the towering buildings but any trace of sleep vanished along with
Ms. Pierce’s phone call.
“We’re here,” Reese said, waving a hand in front of my face. I blinked up at the building and
jumped.
“Fuck, thanks,” I said, gathering my things and opening the door. “I owe you!”
“Yeah, you do!”
I didn’t turn back as I ran inside, ignoring the strain in my ankles with each twisted step.
“I’m Ms. Pierce’s new assistant,” I panted the second security came into view.
The man grunted, different from the last one I’d met, and waved me off.
I didn’t wait for him to tell me where to go. I slammed the elevator button, jaw clenched as
it slowly descended the building into the lobby.
“Come on, come on,” I hissed, squeezing myself through the doors before they’d even
opened.
My heart beat a frantic rhythm in my chest, my stomach in knots. I watched the floors pass
by through the dark glass, the air growing thinner with each story.
“Finally!”
I bolted out of the elevator and down the passage, grateful that Ms. Pierce’s office was hers
alone, and no one else saw me book it down the long hall to her door.
I knocked three times, just as Stefan had, and did my best to control my breathing.
There was no answer, and I opened the door with a shaky hand. “Ms. Pierce?”
“Ten minutes late,” she quipped, and my stomach turned to lead. “And you didn’t bring
coffee.”
I looked down at my fingers, fear curling in my gut like a writhing snake.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t have time,” I said lamely, out of breath.
She narrowed her eyes at me from where she sat, her long dark hair pulled into a high
ponytail to expose her sharp face. “Bore someone else with your excuses,” she said, turning
back to her computer. My brows pulled down. “Sit.”
I did as I was told, folding my hands in my lap to keep from fidgeting.
She kept her focus on her computer screen as she spoke, and I was relieved not to be
trapped under her icy gaze for a moment.
“It’s your first day, so let it not be said that I’m generous,” she began, pushing her glasses up
on her nose. “I expect you to be in the office before me with my coffee – an iced Americano
with two pumps of hazelnut syrup – and my schedule for the day. Why aren’t you writing
this down?”
I jumped a little in my seat and immediately dove to retrieve the notebook and pen I’d
packed specifically for this occasion, heart in my throat.
“Why are you not ready?” She sighed, pressing the pads of her index and middle fingers to
her temple. I swallowed, beating the flutter in my gut away as she turned her dark eyes on
me.
“Please continue, Ms. Pierce,” I said quietly, my pen trembling in my hand.
She sighed again but went on. “Hayden has given you nothing but high praise,” she mused,
pinning me to my seat with her gaze. “But don’t think that her praise is mine. You have
quite the order to live up to. Don’t disappoint me.”
I nodded, biting down on the inside of my cheek hard.
“Your desk is outside,” she said finally, waving me off with a flippant hand.
I scrambled to my feet, grabbing my purse and notepad. I didn’t need to be dismissed twice.
A part of me knew that the second dismissal would be far more permanent.
I shut her office door behind me and looked at my new desk.
Files were piled high on the crystal clear glass, with boxes stacked behind the chair as well.
I set about sorting through the files, trying to give myself an idea of what the fuck I’d signed
up for.
I’d managed to move all of three files when Ms. Pierce’s door flung open and she walked
out.
“Bring my laptop,” she said, not bothering to stop as she walked toward the elevator.
I pushed away from my desk and hurried into her office, eyes wildly searching for her
laptop. I grabbed it off a small glass table and rushed out again, finding her waiting in front
of the elevator.
“Here you go, Ms. Pierce,” I said, slightly breathless. She glanced at me and then pointedly
looked away.
“I’m meeting with a new set of investors today,” she explained, her voice edged with
impatience. “You’re expected to be at my side. Always.”
I hugged her laptop to my chest and nodded.
We rode down in silence, and I took the opportunity to study her a little closer. She was still
gorgeous, much to my frustration.
Her high ponytail shone like liquid silk under the dim light inside the elevator, exposing the
smooth line of her neck and collar bone. Her white suit jacket clung to the curve of her slim
waist, flaring out over her hips.
I forced my eyes up and away from her ass, berating myself for even thinking about it.
The doors slid open and she walked out.
I followed close behind, doing my best to pay more attention to my surroundings rather
than how hot my boss was.
As we entered, everyone jumped to their feet at once and the room exploded into a litany of
“Good morning, Ms. Pierce!”
She hummed and sat down.
I looked around the room, not comfortable enough to just sit at the table, resigning myself
to standing near the back.
“Uhm, excuse me?”
I turned to the voice, finding a young woman around my age.
“Yes?”
“Are you Ms. Pierce’s new assistant?”
I nodded, holding out my hand in reflex. “Elliot.”
“Sam,” she said softly, shaking my hand. “You can sit next to Ms. Pierce, that seat is reserved
for her assistant.”
“Oh,” I said, nervously glancing at the empty spot next to her. I squeezed her laptop close to
my chest, fighting off the wave of anxiety at having to sit so close to her.
“Thanks,” I murmured, moving toward the seat and sitting down as quietly as I could.
I set her laptop on the table between us and immediately pulled my hands back.
She didn’t look at me, but sitting this close put me on edge. She made me nervous in a way
no one else ever had. I blamed my attraction to her.
“Shall we begin?”
A tall man got to his feet, clapping his hands together with a smile.
“Thank you for joining us today, Ms. Pierce,” he started, nodding appreciatively at my boss.
She dipped her chin in response. “Now, the reason we’ve come together today is to discuss
the latest project in Pierce Tech, an exciting new venture into the world of smart
appliances.”
I held onto every word he spoke, jotting down my own notes throughout the meeting.
Ms. Pierce remained silent beside me, but I couldn’t forget she was there. Every pair of eyes
in the room flicked between the presentation and her stern face, as if trying to gauge her
reaction.
After ten minutes, she raised a hand and the room fell into expectant silence.
“Starting off with an entire line of smart appliances is not the way to go,” she said calmly.
“Extensive testing has only yielded favorable results for kitchen appliances, specifically
refrigerators and coffee machines. I won’t sign off faulty tech for an instant boost in sales.
Perfect the line.”
With that, she got to her feet, and everyone else jumped to theirs as well, including me.
“Don’t waste my time with half-assed sales pitches.”
She walked out and I followed, my face burning.
“Get the car,” she ordered, her attention on her phone.
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” I said. “Where are the keys?”
She clicked her tongue and rounded on me.
“I don’t expect you to drive me around,” she spat, a small dent forming between her brows.
“Just make sure the car is out front.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce.”
I checked the time and groaned internally. I wondered if Ms. Pierce was trying to get rid of
me.
 Chapter 4
Inter-friend-tion
Cameron
My fingernails tapped a steady rhythm on my desk, a nerve twitching in time below my left
eye.
Elliot sat at her desk, head bent over one of the many files dumped there by her
predecessor. Her silhouette shifted on the other side of the darkened glass, drawing my
attention again and again, to the point where my work staggered to a pitiful stop.
With a sigh, I snatched my phone from its perch and scrolled through personal texts. It did
little to keep my attention for long.
“Ms. Pierce?”
I looked up, eyes snagging on the figure in my door.
“What?”
I did my best not to stare at the dip of her buttons that stretched over her chest, which
wasn’t necessarily enough.
“You have your brunch appointment this morning,” she said, flattening her palms on the
front of her thighs.
I tracked the tiny movement, my gaze roving over her hips.
“Ms. Pierce?”
“Very well,” I muttered, shaking the unwanted thoughts from my head. “Get the car.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” she said, spinning on her heels and grabbing her phone.
I stared at the spot she’d vacated, mind unnecessarily fixated on the slope of her neck.
“The car is waiting, Ms. Pierce.”
I walked out without a word and she fell into step behind me, carrying my laptop and other
items she’d deemed necessary.
She was silent behind me, her breathing barely audible in the elevator.
Aside from her clanking away on her laptop, the car ride was just as silent. I took the
moment to take a closer look at her, without her round eyes blinking owlishly at me.
Her legs crossed at the knees, one stilettoed foot bouncing along with the seconds that
trailed by. My eyes dragged slowly up her calf, pausing on a small white scar just below her
right knee.
I wondered what that might have been from…
Her thighs pressed together, the soft fabric of her skirt pulled tight around her hips and…
God damn my mind for taking me places it shouldn’t be.
“Ms. Pierce?”
My gaze quickly snapped to her face, her flushed cheeks only sullying my thoughts further.
“Yes?”
“I asked a question, sorry,” she murmured, ducking her head.
“Well?” I prompted; my voice edged.
She cleared her throat as though determined not to quake in front of me. “Are these
brunches something you often attend?” Her voice betrayed none of the hesitance that
shone in her eyes.
“Most weeks,” I answered, tearing my gaze from her bright eyes and looking at the traffic
that moved at a snail’s pace beside us. “I prefer it to be at least once a week, although that’s
not always possible.”
“Because of your schedule?”
“Our schedules,” I corrected her. She blinked at me, brows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t
just go and eat by myself, how pathetic.”
“Oh, right,” she murmured, eyes on her feet. “Sorry.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Ms. Pierce?”
I sighed in annoyance.
“Don’t apologize for asking questions,” I clarified. “How are you supposed to know a damn
thing if you don’t ask?”
“Sorry,” she mumbled, pressing her lips together and casting her eyes down. “I mean, ah,
right. Sorry.”
I rolled my eyes and looked away from her. My frustration bubbled in my gut and I crushed
the urge to trace my thumb along her bitten bottom lip.
“Make sure this brunch is scheduled for each week,” I said, staring right through the
passing skyscrapers. “You’ll be in touch with the other assistants to schedule it.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” she said quickly, her pen zipping across her notepad.
I listened to the faint scratching, the sound too loud in the silence of the car.
“Is there a time you’d prefer?”
“Eleven,” I replied, glancing back at her.
Elliot’s hair draped over the front of her shoulder. The soft blonde locks glowed in the
warm rays of sun that glimmered through the tinted windows. Her ponytail pulled all but a
few loose curls from her face, and I couldn’t help the way my focus zeroed in on the column
of her neck.
“A particular day?”
I dragged in a long, slow breath, half hoping it would clear my head and half hoping it
would rid me of the irritability.
“Whichever day suits the girls,” I answered, holding her gaze steadily. She blushed and
immediately looked down again, and something in my chest fluttered. “Their assistants will
give you their details and you can deal with the minutiae of it all.”
“Right.”
The car rolled to a stop and I tried to restrain myself from hurling my body out of the car.
Anything to put some distance between Elliot and myself, but she stayed close behind me,
her notebook and my laptop case pressed to her chest as we entered the restaurant.
“Stay with the other assistants,” I told her, my voice edged with ice. “And make sure you
answer your phone if I call.”
“Of course, Ms. Pierce,” she said, stopping in her tracks. I walked ahead, not checking to see
if she’d found the others.
“Finally!”
The others had already arrived, sitting around our favorite table, drinks in hand.
“Started without me?” I scoffed, catching Hayden’s barreling hug before she knocked me
over.
“You were taking too long,” she said as she released me, perfectly white teeth glistening
behind her smile.
“Liar,” Alex chipped in, taking a sip of her margarita. “She ordered the second she sat her
ass down.”
“I knew it.” I chuckled, sitting in my spot between Taylor and Hayden.
“Don’t ask me to cover for you the next time you run off to Malta,” Hayden sniffed, lifting
her glass to her lips.
Alex waved her off with a grin.
“The usual, Ms. Pierce?” the waitress asked. I nodded and she disappeared.
“So?” Reid prompted, eyeing Taylor. “How’s the latest resort going?”
Taylor groaned and covered her face with jeweled hands.
“Alex, please take this one,” she mumbled from behind her hands. “I’d rather not think
about it just yet.”
“Oh, right,” I said. “Alex is doing construction on your latest resort, I completely forgot.”
“Trying,” Alex corrected me. “The permits we need are all still stuck in processing, so the
project’s come to a grinding halt.”
I frowned. “In Bali?”
Alex nodded.
“I might have some friends over in Indonesia who can help,” Reid said. “I’ll have Millie send
the details.”
“You’d be saving our asses,” Taylor pouted. “Thank you.”
“Speaking of new developments,” Hayden interjected, her brows wagging like some silent
movie villain. “Tell us about this new assistant of yours.”
“Don’t pretend like you don’t know her,” I reminded Hayden with a roll of my eyes. “It’s
your fault I’m in this position right now.”
“Oh no,” Alex sighed. “You’re not gonna fire this one too, are you?”
“Hell no,” Hayden cut in, slamming her dainty fist on the table. “I won’t allow it.”
“Excuse me?” I laughed mirthlessly. “You won’t allow it?”
“That’s right.” She nodded to emphasize her words.
“How do you figure?” I pressed her, folding my arms across my chest.
Alex covered her smirk with a hand, but Taylor chuckled. “Hayden, I don’t think that’s a
good idea,” she warned, but Hayden clicked her tongue.
“I’ve known Cam for years, Ally,” Hayden drawled. “And this girl is great. You just have to
give her a chance.”
“How long am I supposed to wait?” I sighed, thanking the waitress as she set my order in
front of me. “A month? Two? A year?”
“No, but you could make things easier for the poor girl,” Hayden pointed out.
My brows almost disappeared into my hairline. “Easier for her?” I asked snidely. “Please
elaborate.”
“Don’t act coy; we all know you enjoy torturing your poor assistants. You look for any
opportunity to make your assistants quit.”
“And yet somehow all of my assistants have been fired. Pokes holes in your little
hypothesis, no?” I countered. I turned to my drink, a simple iced tea, and took a sip.
“Puh-lease,” she enunciated, sending me a knowing grin. “You can’t convince me those poor
things weren’t relieved beyond measure when you finally fired them.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, swallowing my retort because she was right. I had no
patience for incompetence.
“Exactly,” Hayden said, draining the last of her drink. “Just take my word for it. Please?
Elliot is great. I wouldn’t have suggested it to her if I wasn’t absolutely sure of her.”
“I just,” I paused, the pit of my gut tingling. My attraction to her tugged at the edge of my
subconscious, forcing me to divide my attention. “I don’t see what you do. She’s clumsy and
inattentive. She’s only lasted this long because of you and your recommendation.”
“You’re so cruel, Cam,” Taylor added. “You could do with a break. But you can only take one
if your assistant does their job right. Which they can only do if you let them.”
“I give them ample opportunity, T,” I said defensively. “You would do the same thing if you
had to deal with all the disappointments I’ve had.”
“Elliot is different, honey,” Hayden assured me. “My little retreat is famous for handling the
most high profile clients, and you know that high profile is just code for asshole VIPs. And
she was amazing. I’ve never seen her get angry, or even upset. She handles all of it with a
smile.”
I mulled her words over, realizing I hadn’t seen Elliot get upset. Not the way my previous
assistants had.
“Even so,” I argued. I had to shake my head as the image of her smile swam to the front of
my mind. “Do you realize how much is going on this month? We’re launching two new
companies, a whole range that barely made it through R&D, plus I have to attend the Pierce
Gala. I don’t have the time or energy to train some newbie.”
“Isn’t she supposed to be the one planning the next event after the Gala?” Alex asked.
“Don’t even remind me,” I groaned. “After the last assistant, I decided to take it on myself
and it’s actively giving me nightmares.”
“Wait, I’ve got it!” Hayden exclaimed, clapping her hands together in sickening glee. “I don’t
know how I didn’t see it before – why don’t you use that event to test her?”
“You wanna run that by me again?” I deadpanned with a single, bemused blink.
Hayden rolled her eyes at me. “It’s perfect!” she insisted. “Give her the details and what still
needs to be done. If she fucks up, then by all means do what you want. But if she proves you
wrong, you have to keep her on for at least six months. Deal?”
“Six months?” I breathed in disbelief.
But Hayden, like a dog with a bone, was relentless.
“You know what? Fine. You’ve got a deal.”
“Yay!” Hayden squealed. “You’ll see; she’s gonna knock your socks off.”
I sighed in defeat, the rest of the brunch passing by in a whirl of business chats that
inevitably turned to pleasure.
“You have to visit our latest restaurant,” Hayden said as we got ready to leave, pulling me
into a hug. “I promise to give you the best treat if you bring Elliot with you.”
I waved her off, said goodbye to my other best friends, and walked out.
Thoughts swirled in my head, spurred on by the stress and tension coiling in my shoulders
and ramming up my neck.
“Ms. Pierce,” Elliot said in greeting, walking to my side dutifully.
I paused and looked at her closely, at her flushed face and bright eyes.
“Your one-thirty confirmed your meeting this afternoon, and Wales and Ocean want to
meet next week.”
I nodded, not really paying attention. We got in the car, and I waited for it to move before
looking at her.
“You and I need to talk,” I said, watching her full, pink lips turn down at the corners.
 Chapter 5
Getting Steamy-Ish
Elliot
“I’m not cut out for this,” I mumbled to myself miserably.
Ms. Pierce had locked herself inside her office the moment we came back from brunch, our
‘talk’ taking a backseat.
She’d sent me a single email, with nothing in the subject line: Cancel my afternoon.
I grimaced and picked up the phone, bracing myself for inevitable protests from Ms.
Pierce’s appointments.
A few hours passed, and my desk was somehow still piled high with files. With a tired sigh I
reached for another file, this one just as heavy as the last.
“Did the last assistant do anything?” I muttered, flipping the file open and sorting through
the documents.
Sheets of handwritten expenses slipped through my fingers, dating back as far as two years
ago. I sighed again. These documents would take ages to file.
I glanced at the printer standing in the corner of the office, a bulb going off in my head.
I gathered the sheets and walked over to the printer. Setting the files on the table beside it,
I started scanning the sheets. I added each set to a new file as I scanned them, before
returning to my computer to file them digitally.
Hopefully, it would make finding these documents again easier.
I’d gotten through three files when Ms. Pierce’s voice sounded out, muffled behind her
closed door.
“Elliot!”
I dropped the files onto the small table and jogged over, thanking the years I’d spent
working in heels. I grabbed my notebook and pen off my desk and straightened my skirt.
Taking a breath, out of habit, I knocked twice before swinging the door open and poking my
head inside.
“Yes, Ms. Pierce?”
“Sit down,” she instructed, not bothering to look away from her computer screen. “We need
to talk.”
“Okay.”
Swallowing my nerves, I sat in the seat furthest from her desk, my heart jamming itself in
my throat. I perched my notebook on my knee, one leg crossed over the other, and waited.
“Eyes up,” Ms. Pierce said, and my gaze jumped to her face immediately. She pursed her lips
but continued, “That’s better. I hate talking to the top of your head.”
“S-sorry,” I stuttered, not sure of what to say. My cheeks burned and I was sure my eyes
were far too wide, but I obeyed her.
“That apology again.” She groaned. “Whatever. Listen, there’s something important that I,
reluctantly, have to hand over to you.”
My spine straightened a little, those words pulling all of my attention to her in a matter of
seconds.
“Make sure you get all of this,” she emphasized. “This is by far the most important task I can
give you and, quite frankly, I’m still chewing it over.”
“Of course, Ms. Pierce,” I said, opening my notebook and setting my pen at the top.
“Whenever you’re ready.”
She watched me for a long moment, long enough that her dark eyes left goosebumps on my
skin.
“Every year,” she finally began, glancing away so I could breathe again, “Pierce Tech hosts
an event where all our investors, shareholders, and basically anyone who’s anyone
attends.”
I jotted notes as fast as I could, nodding as I did.
“I’ve been told I have too much on my plate, and this is the most logical thing to pass onto
you.”
“What do you need me to do?” I asked carefully.
She leveled her gaze at me, her eyes dubious. “I want you to take over the final phase of
planning.”
“Hm?”
Ms. Pierce clicked her tongue and got to her feet, rounding her desk and stopping in front of
me.
I craned my neck to look up at her, heat crawling up my chest and into my cheeks.
She folded her arms across her chest, pushing her breasts up and, God, I hated myself for
even thinking about it.
Let alone allowing myself to look. Eyes up, Elliot! I told myself.
“Did I stutter?” she sneered.
Tingles erupted in my chest and I shook my head. “W-what does the final stage of planning
entail?” I forced out, somehow keeping my eyes above the collar of her shirt.
“This and that,” she said, turning away. “I’ll get the events team to mail you the list of
priorities. What I need to make clear is the importance of this event. I don’t think I need to
explain that hosting an event for shareholders and investors is important, right?”
I shook my head in answer, even though it didn’t sound like a question.
“The event is in a month,” she said, shoving my stomach to the floor with apprehension.
“A month?!” I blurted. She glared at me and I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to face palm.
“Yes,” she clarified coldly, cocking her head. “Is that a problem?”
“Not at all, Ms. Pierce!” I insisted, holding my hands out in front of me, palms out. “I was just
surprised.”
“You’d better surprise me by getting this done right,” she ground out, returning to her seat.
“There’s a lot more riding on this than you think.”
I got to my feet, recognizing the dismissal, and walked to the door.
She stopped me just as I lay a hand on the handle.
“Elliot.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce?”
“Don’t disappoint me.”
My mouth popped open but I nodded anyway, leaving with a quiet, “Yes, Ms. Pierce.”
I’d barely made it to my seat when my desk phone started ringing.
“Ms. Pierce’s office, Elliot speaking,” I said into the speaker, sitting down and unlocking my
computer.
“Elliot, I have bad news.”
I frowned. “Who is this?”
“Ah, shit, sorry.” The person chuckled. “I forgot you were new! My name is Mitch and I’m
the head of building maintenance.”
“Mitch the maintenance guy,” I said reflexively, not thinking about how it sounded until a
peal of laughter echoed down the line.
“That’s a new one,” he chuckled, his voice rough over the phone. “Anyway, I have bad news:
the air conditioning is gonna be down for a few hours, and I know the boss lady isn’t gonna
like it.”
“Uhm, okay?” I replied, confusion coloring my voice.
“Will you let her know?” he asked, his words tinged by fear.
“Sure?”
“You’re a lifesaver! Thanks!”
The line went dead and I stared at the phone for a moment, bewildered by his fear. Was Ms.
Pierce that difficult to deal with that he couldn’t even bear telling her the A/C was out?
I shrugged and got to my feet, knocking on her door.
“What?” came her usual response.
I opened the door and cleared my throat, keeping my eyes trained on her computer screen.
“The maintenance department just called to let you know that the air conditioning will be
out for a few hours.”
She stilled suddenly, her fingers freezing on the keyboard.
“A few hours?” she repeated, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” I said, a shiver zipping down my spine at the chill in her glare.
“You get that bastard Mitch on the line and tell him ‘Cameron said no’,” she all but growled,
her hands curling into fists. “Got it?”
“Right away,” I said, dashing out of her office and almost dropping the phone in my rush to
dial maintenance back.
It went straight to voicemail and I groaned.
“Is he ignoring the call?” she yelled from inside her office.
I whined and got to my feet. “Yes, Ms. Pierce.”
“That little prick,” she hissed, a deep frown marring her sculpted face. “Of all days to run
maintenance, he chooses the hottest fucking day! Whatever, just – leave it.”
I did as she asked and walked out, closing the door behind me. I wondered why she was so
angry over a few hours of interrupted air conditioning.
But after only an hour passed, I understood.
The summer heat stuffed itself in the office, taking up every bit of breathable air and
turning it to lungsful of fire. The little hairs that fell loose from my ponytail clung to my
neck with sticky sweat. I hung my jacket over my chair in a frantic search for relief.
I swiped the back of my hand across my damp forehead. Unable to withstand the heat much
longer, I was ready to burst into tears.
Focusing was hard enough, but I could practically feel the heat of my computer rolling onto
me. Every movement had sweat slipping down my back, soaking my shirt and bra until I
ached to tear them both off.
I glanced at the tiled floor, wondering how amazing the cool marble would feel against my
fever-hot skin-
RIIIIIING!
I jumped in my seat and fumbled for the phone.
“Ms. Pierce’s office, Elli-”
“Put Cameron on the line.”
“Sorry, who am I speaking to?”
“None of your damn business, I need to speak to Cameron!”
I frowned at the urgency in the caller’s voice, a man’s voice.
“I’m sorry, she isn’t taking calls at the moment,” I said carefully, wiping sweat from my
stinging eyes.
“For fuck’s sake-”
Click.
“What the fuck?” I mumbled to myself, annoyed with the attitude from someone I didn’t
even know. A few minutes passed before Ms. Pierce’s voice filtered through the door.
“Elliot!”
I held in a sigh and didn’t bother buttoning the few buttons I’d undone, walking into her
office yet again.
“Yes, Ms. Pier-”
“You hung up on Victor fucking Kreel?!”
I flinched at her shout, wincing as her voice echoed off the walls. “Who?”
“WHO?!” she shrieked. “He’s the man who just called to speak to me!”
My heart dropped into my stomach and my face fell into my palm.
“You,” she paused and I lifted my head. She stared at me, her eyes dragging slowly down my
body, raising goosebumps in her wake. “Why are you dressed like that?”
I swallowed, shame and something else burning my face.
“It’s really hot,” I said lamely, keenly aware of the sweat sliding down my chest and
between my breasts. I cringed, wishing I could shower.
“No fucking shit,” she breathed, her cheeks turning pink. “But you don’t see me stripping to
my lingerie, do you?”
I hiccupped, my hands flying up to my chest, fingers tracing the black lace that poked out
from my unbuttoned shirt.
“I’m so sorry,” I said in a rush, my hands scrabbling to do up my shirt. “I’ll just – uhm,
sorry.”
“Whatever,” Ms. Pierce muttered, pulling her hair free of her high ponytail only to re-tie it. I
watched, transfixed by her slender hands, as she twisted her hair into a neat bun. I pulled
my bottom lip between my teeth.
Did she have to make something so simple look so…
Devastating?
Fuck. I shook my head free of the thoughts that threatened to steal all of my control and
walked back to my desk.
“Leave the door,” Ms. Pierce drawled.
I nodded and quickly left, sitting down at my desk with a quiet sigh.
I glanced at the clock on my computer screen, pouting over the hour and a half left before I
could go home and breathe cool air.
With some luck, a very tiny bit of luck at that, the next hour came and went without
incident and I was finally ready to leave.
I powered my computer off and tidied my desk before grabbing my bag.
“Ms. Pierce?” I said, ducking around the door frame. “I’m heading out.”
“Just a sec,” she said. “I just want to remind you that you’re obligated to attend all the
events that I attend.”
I blinked, her words registering slowly. “Okay?”
“All of them,” she emphasized. “Including the Pierce Gala.”
“The Pierce Gala?” I parroted.
She nodded. “It’s this weekend,” she explained, oblivious to the mini meltdown I was
experiencing. “I’ll send over an outfit – I doubt you have anything suitable. That’s all.”
I walked out.
A sense of foreboding followed me home. Something about the Gala terrified me, and I
couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
 Chapter 6
Getting Closer
Cameron
The car rumbled around me, the glass of champagne growing warmer in my hand by the
second.
I glanced out the window, taking in the dark glass building that was Pierce Tech. My
fingernail tapped a steady beat on the leather seat, ticking the passing seconds.
“Where the hell is she?” I muttered to myself, grabbing my phone and dialing Elliot’s
number.
She answered on the second ring, out of breath.
“Ms. Pierce!” she panted. “I’m pulling up to the building right now!”
I didn’t bother replying or waiting for more. I hung up and looked the other way. A car
pulled up behind mine and I heard muffled speaking before Elliot opened the door and
finally slid inside.
I lifted my gaze and her appearance punched me in the gut.
“I’m sorry for making you wait,” she gasped, fanning herself. Her rosy cheeks drew
attention toward her plush lips.
“Go,” I told Daniel, my driver.
After a moment, I turned my gaze to Elliot who was resolutely looking out the window.
I definitely made the right choice in outfit for her, or the entirely wrong choice. The soft
black silk draping over her curves like liquid onyx was a stark contrast to her pale skin, like
night and day.
Her hair lay in an artful twist, a few strands framing her delicate face.
A thin gold chain hung around her throat, accentuated by the dainty gold bracelets on her
wrists. And, as if I wouldn’t notice, the single gold ankle chain.
No matter how hard I tried, my traitorous eyes fell to that ankle chain again and again. My
face warmed.
“Is… everything okay, Ms. Pierce?”
Reluctantly, I met her gaze and lifted a brow. “Fine, why?”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t be too disappointed by my appearance.” She nervously fidgeted
with the hem of her dress. “I know I don’t live up to the standard.”
“The standard what, exactly?” I asked, brow furrowed.
“Any standard?” she said, unsure of herself.
I narrowed my eyes, not willing to believe she thought that way. “You’re joking, right?”
She blinked at me, the soft browns on her eyelids brightening her eyes more.
“You look stunning,” I snapped, turning away from her and staring out the window. “Don’t
pretend otherwise; it’s annoying.”
“Th-thank you,” she mumbled, her voice giving away her surprise.
A part of me snapped, something deep inside let go of the iron-clad control for just a
moment. I let her see the way I looked at her with desire.
I watched shamelessly as the flush rose into her cheeks and she bit her bottom lip. Her
thighs squeezed together and her back straightened, exposing the points of her nipples
through the thin fabric.
Fuck, I thought. Get it together, Cameron.
Her hands fell to her lap.
I left things there, turning back to the window to calm my own racing heart.
By the time we pulled up to the Gala the sun had disappeared behind the city skyline, the
burnt orange of the sky turning an inky blue.
I got out and straightened my dress. After I grabbed my purse, I walked toward the
paparazzi.
“Ms. Pierce,” Elliot called. “Is there a different entrance for staff?”
“The hell are you on about?” I grumbled. “You come with me, got it?”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” she said, catching up to me.
I tore my gaze from her. That dress fit her too perfectly, tight around her waist and flaring
out over the curve of her hips. She held the length of it in one hand so she didn’t trip, the
black silk flowing like water as she jogged over.
Christ, I was doomed.
Thankfully, the flashes and cries from journalists drowned out my thoughts.
Elliot trailed behind me, no doubt trying to avoid the cameras, but she was beside me again
when I finally walked inside.
Ostentatious golden drapes covered just about every square foot of the high ceilings.
Massive crystal chandeliers dripped diamonds and shimmered in the warm light.
A dull hum of activity drowned out the seven piece jazz band playing in the furthest corner,
but my focus snagged on Elliot’s sharp breaths.
I turned to look at her, blinking in surprise when I found her right behind me instead of a
few feet away, as she had been outside.
“Champagne?”
I glanced at the tray that had been thrust in front of me and grabbed two flutes from it.
“Loosen up,” I said, handing one of them to Elliot.
She took it from me with a small smile, brushing her fingertips over mine. Her touch sent a
charged jolt up my arm and down my spine.
Almost immediately, her cheeks darkened with a deep, rosy flush.
“Thanks,” she murmured.
I tapped my glass to hers and lifted it to my lips, the bubbles effervescent on my tongue.
Though, that could have been a reaction to the stars in her eyes.
I turned away from her just as the vice chairman of Pierce Tech descended the staircase.
“Cameron!” he boomed jovially, shaking my entire arm in his excitement. “Spectacular Gala,
the most spectacular one yet.”
“Thanks, Roy,” I said, my voice shaky and off balance from the fervor of his handshake. “It’s
only just started though.”
“And it’s already the event of the year!” he declared, his jowls wobbling as he spoke. “Can’t
wait for your big speech!”
With that, he was off, bouncing to the next unsuspecting victim who was nearly shaken out
of their shoes.
I chuckled and shook my hand out.
The champagne lightened the weight in my gut and I placed a hand on Elliot’s shoulder.
“Let’s hide for a bit,” I murmured, my fingers tingling where her skin warmed beneath
mine.
She followed easily and I downed the rest of my champagne.
We stopped in a quiet, deserted alcove, slightly out of breath but relieved.
“That’s better,” I muttered, watching the event unfold from my hiding spot.
“Ms. Pierce?”
I turned my head and found another glass of champagne held out to me. I lifted my gaze,
and our eyes met over the top of the glass for a brief, heart racing moment. Without looking
away, I took the glass from her, letting my thumb brush along the back of her hand for just
a second too long.
“Cameron,” I said quietly, my heart hammering in my ears. “Call me Cameron.”
Her face split into a genuine smile, punching the air from my lungs. “If you insist,” she said,
her voice warm and inviting.
My gaze dropped to her mouth, her full lips painted a deep red, and I wondered wildly what
they might feel like under mine.
I forced a smirk and looked away, cursing the heat in my face for giving me away.
“Cameron?”
My body responded to the sound of my name coming from her lips, heat pooling in my gut.
“Hm?”
“What is the Pierce Gala, exactly?”
My brows shot up and I turned to look at her, following her gaze back to the crowded hall.
“I suppose I didn’t have time to tell you,” I mused, grateful that she wasn’t looking at me.
“The Pierce Gala is the pre game to the event you’re finalizing. It’s where our board of
directors has the chance to schmooze the investors and shareholders.”
She nodded, her eyes drifting over the throng of guests.
“Dinner first,” she mumbled, more to herself than me.
But I laughed. “It’s not quite as explicit as dinner before a good fuck,” I said, enjoying the
flush of color in her cheeks. “But it’s a precautionary measure to keep them happy, so, in a
sense, you’re right.”
She nodded, her eyes everywhere but on me.
I smirked. “Do you not approve?” I asked, turning my body to face her, my back to the Gala.
“Of the Gala?” she answered, swallowing before continuing, “Or dinner?”
I frowned, lifting a shoulder in a half shrug. “The Gala,” I answered, watching closely for her
reaction. I wouldn’t cross a line she didn’t want me to. “Where is your mind, Elliot?”
She blinked at the obvious tease in my voice and giggled, her cheeks rosy. “Truthfully,” she
said through a giggle, “it’s kind of hard to believe I’m actually here right now.”
“Oh?” I said, amusement tugging the corner of my lips into a grin.
“There you are!”
I jumped at the interruption, whirling around to find Reid waiting for me with her fists on
her hips.
“Reid, Christ,” I scolded, a hand on my chest. “What the hell?”
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” she said, walking over and grabbing my wrist. “We
have to take our seats, and Roy is on the prowl.”
I let her drag me away, trusting that Elliot would find her own seat.
“I should have known you’d be holed up with your new assistant.” Reid chuckled. “I get it;
she’s gorgeous.”
“What do you get, exactly?” I asked defensively.
She pulled me into my seat and sat beside me. “Only that you seem to be enjoying your
secret little interactions with her,” Reid explained, taking a sip of her drink. “I’ll bet it was
your idea to head back to that little spot, right?”
“You’re full of it,” I said, clicking my tongue. But my stomach turned to lead, my nerves
frayed.
Had I been that careless? That obvious?
“It’s okay, Cam,” Reid said, her tone suddenly gentle. She dropped a hand onto my knee and
I bit back the urge to bat her hand away. “You’re allowed to fall for people, you know? Just…
Maybe not your assistant.”
“It’s anything but okay,” I hissed at her, shame and guilt clawing their way up my neck. “I’m
not falling for anyone, least of all my assistant. There’s way too much going on for me to
even consider it.”
Reid sighed and patted my knee. “If you say so, Cam.”
I ignored her, turning my attention to the podium where Roy had waddled up, fixing his
pants before tapping the mic.
“Good evening, esteemed guests!” His loud voice was downright painful with the boost of
the microphone. “It’s wonderful that you’ve all come to show your support for the Pierce
Foundation. We love seeing your familiar faces.”
A round of applause echoed around the hall, and I fought the unexpected compulsion to
look for Elliot.
“We’ll begin the night with a hearty round of drinks,” he announced with a squishy grin.
“Though I see most of you have gotten a head start.”
Chuckles floated from the tables, along with the clink of empty glasses, as if to prove Roy’s
point.
“What comedic genius,” Reid teased quietly, leaning back to whisper to me. “I think he
missed his calling as a stand up comedian.”
I breathed a short laugh, my attention elsewhere.
“In a few short moments, we’ll hear from the legend behind Pierce Tech herself,” he said,
winking warmly in my direction. “But before that, she has requested that you all tuck in,
lest you turn your ravaging hunger on her.”
I rolled my eyes as more laughter bounced around the room.
Platters overflowing with finger foods swept onto each table, from the antipasti to the main
course. A grateful murmur lifted from the guests as they started eating.
I opened my clutch and frowned, rummaging through the small space for my notes.
“Oh right,” I mumbled, grabbing my phone instead.
“Elliot, I need my notes,” I said the moment she answered. The line went silent and I stilled.
“Elliot?”
“Oh shit,” she murmured, and my skin went icy.
“You forgot my speech notes?”
“I’m so sorry, I must have left them in my purse,” she whispered.
I turned to find her, spotting her rushing across the hall.
“Where are you going?” I demanded.
She dodged a waiter before answering. “To the car,” she panted. “My purse is there-”
I got to my feet. “Don’t bother.”
 Chapter 7
Two Steps Back
Elliot
My chest caved at the ice in Cameron’s voice.
“Are you – Are you sure?” I asked, lungs squeezing painfully. “I’ll only be a second.”
“I said don’t bother,” she snapped, hanging up.
I froze in my tracks, doubt and shame creeping into my veins. I looked back toward her
table and watched her get to her feet and wave her friend off. The woman’s pixie short
blonde hair disappeared after Cameron, and I gnawed on my thumbnail.
I still had a few minutes; enough time to sprint out to the car and grab my purse.
I made a turn but stopped again, doubt ballooning inside me. Cameron said not to bother.
Should I disobey her?
The pressure in my chest stole my breath. I warred with myself until I was too late.
The vice president introduced Cameron, who walked on stage unaffected, her head high
and shoulders back.
I swallowed my anxiety and clapped along with the guests, whose full tummies and
carefree smiles were suddenly worlds away.
You don’t belong here, a small voice inside my head whispered. You failed again.
“I usually prepare for this sort of thing,” Cameron said into the microphone, a sly grin
tugging at her mouth. She was a power incarnate on the stage, made to take charge. “But I
suppose this will be as much a surprise for me as it will for you.”
My shoulders hunched, the lingering sense of insignificance holding me hostage.
The guests hooted with laughter, their inhibitions loosened by the free-flowing alcohol and
delicious food, and I wished I could join them.
My dress was suddenly too tight, too revealing, my heels a foot high on my unsteady feet.
Anxiety and trepidation weighed on my shoulders, but I couldn’t look away from Cameron.
I hated that I’d fucked something up, something as simple as bringing her speech notes
with me.
“I say the same thing each year anyway.” Cameron shrugged. “Profits are up, losses are
down. We appreciate your support more than anything. But I know you’re more interested
in getting to the main course than listening to me drone on about figures, so I leave you
with this.”
She looked out across the sea of heads with a secret smile, her gaze avoiding me.
“Enjoy the food.”
The hall erupted into applause, and the vice president quickly waddled back on stage to
take the microphone.
“Short and sweet.” He chuckled. “That’s our Cameron. As you heard, ladies and gentlemen,
dinner is served!”
Dread seeped into my gut, knowing I had to face Cameron after that.
I searched for her as I walked toward the stage. I’d made it halfway before a seething
murmur passed me, Cameron’s long hair whipping angrily behind her.
“You,” she hissed. “Follow me.”
Her friend was nowhere to be seen and a part of me wished she would appear, if only to act
as a buffer between Cameron and me.
I followed Cameron into a small passage that led to the catering kitchen, barely breathing.
“Care to explain how you could forget something as important as my speech notes in the
fucking car?” she whispered furiously, her face so close to mine.
I sucked in a breath, the air around me thick with her expensive perfume. It was
intoxicating, but I couldn’t afford to lose focus.
“I’m so sorry,” I repeated, wishing a grand piano would fall from the ceiling and crush me
before I messed something else up. “I picked up the wrong purse when I got out of the car.”
“Why would you even think to bring two purses?”
I wilted under the heat of her rage, her gaze burning white-hot.
“The purse you sent with the outfit wasn’t big enough to hold your notes,” I said with a
wince. The excuse sounded lame, even to my ears, and I waited for her to blow up.
Instead, she dragged in a shaky breath and squeezed her eyes shut.
“I gave you one job tonight,” she forced through clenched teeth. “I thought I’d try to go easy
on you after a hellish week, and yet you can’t even manage that?”
My tongue latched itself to the roof of my mouth, but I forced myself to hold her gaze.
Nausea roiled in my stomach, aided by the pathetic bit of food I’d managed to eat before
dashing out of the apartment earlier.
“It was an oversight,” I answered, forcing my voice out. “It won’t happen again, and I’m
sorry it happened at all.”
“That’s one hell of an oversight,” she snapped. “What was so distracting that you forgot the
one thing I asked of you?”
My thoughts immediately drifted back to the car, to the unbridled heat in Cameron’s eyes
as she looked at me. Completely different from the way she looked at me now.
And what could I say? ‘Sorry, I wanted to jump you in the car and I lost all sense of self?’
Pathetic. She’d just laugh.
“Are you going to say something?” she prompted icily. “Anything except a fucking apology?”
I winced again, opening my mouth to respond but…
What could I say?
“Cam.”
“Not now, Reid,” Cameron ground out.
Reid glanced at my pinched face with a hint of sympathy and I hated myself even more.
“Yes, now,” Reid insisted, grabbing hold of Cameron’s elbow. “Take a breath, Cam, they
loved you.”
“I don’t give a fuck about that,” Cameron snapped, struggling to keep her voice below a
whisper. “It’s the principle, Reid. It’s a speech today, fine, but what next? One
disappointment after the next; when does it end?”
I pressed my lips together to keep them from wobbling pitifully.
Cameron rounded on me. “Go home,” she sneered, looking down her nose at me. “I can
handle the rest of the event without you fucking it up.”
“Cameron, c’mon-”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” I said softly, knowing she’d be unhappy if I used her first name. That was
reserved for people better than me.
I left without looking back, my limbs disjointed, my body disobeying me with every step.
I hailed a cab and made it back to the apartment without crying. And barely made it to my
floor before tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I stuffed the key in the lock blindly,
struggling to unlock the door in my hurry to get inside.
“Honey?”
Reese’s voice filtered through the apartment, and I locked the door behind me, fatigue
dragging my feet.
“I didn’t expect you to be back so soon – What the hell happened?”
Reese was at my side in an instant, her hands warm and gentle as she guided me to the sofa.
“Hey, kiddo,” Noah said from their spot on the sofa. “You okay?”
I looked up at Reese’s partner, their eyes swimming with concern, and felt silly.
“My feet hurt,” I mumbled, my numb fingers struggling to unbuckle my shoes.
Reese’s hands replaced mine and she worked my shoes off.
“That’s a lot of anxiety for sore feet,” Noah pressed, but Reese held up a hand.
“What’d she do?”
A hysterical chuckle slipped through my lips. “More like what I did,” I corrected her
miserably. I pulled a few pins from my hair, breathing a sigh of relief when my hair tumbled
down my back. “I fucked up. Big time.”
Reese’s brows pulled together.
“I’ll grab the wine,” Noah offered, getting to their feet and shuffling off in Reese’s Pikachu
slippers. Reese blew them a kiss as they left and quickly turned back to me.
“What really happened?”
I buried my face in my hands with a groan.
“I left her speech notes in the car,” I mumbled into my palms. “She was so mad, Reese. I
thought she was going to fire me.”
“For leaving her notes in the car?” Reese asked incredulously. “Isn’t that a bit… I don’t
know, dramatic?”
“Maybe?” I sniffled. “Either way, it didn’t stop her from totally blowing up at me.”
“At the venue?”
I nodded, accepting the wine glass Noah held out to me as they passed me.
“Thanks, Noah,” I said, taking a long sip to calm my jittery nerves. “I don’t know what I was
thinking. I’m not cut out for this job.”
“That’s a load of bull and you know it,” Reese countered, making herself comfortable on
Noah’s lap. The latter wrapped their arms around Reese’s waist, their shoulder perched on
her shoulder.
“I think your boss is just bonkers,” Noah added. “You’ve been there all of a week or so and
she expects you to act as if you’ve always worked there. It’s kinda crazy.”
“I don’t know,” I mused, pulling the hoop earrings off and setting them on the coffee table.
“I kinda get it? She’s so busy I can barely keep up, so it’s normal that she needs an assistant
to get on board immediately.”
“Stop doing that,” Reese interrupted. “Stop making this your fault. You may have messed up
a little, but she could have been a little nicer about it.”
“She didn’t fire me, Reese,” I pointed out. “I think that’s as nice as Cameron Pierce gets.”
“So you’re gonna go back?” Noah asked.
After a long breath, I nodded. “I can’t afford to give up an opportunity that could get me
far,” I reasoned, taking another sip of wine. “I just have to work harder. Even though the
awkwardness will probably kill me first.”
Reese cringed and gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “Good luck, friend.”

I’d need more than luck, I realized when I stepped into the office the following Monday.
The office air conditioning unit hummed above my desk, but it was nothing compared to
the chill waiting for me in Cameron’s office.
“Good morning, Ms. Pierce,” I said as I set my purse and jacket on my desk. “How was your
weekend?”
She lifted her dark eyes to mine, rooting me to the spot.
“Not as disastrous as it could have been,” she said pointedly, not bothering to ask about
mine.
I nodded and went to my desk, a part of me grateful that she hadn’t hauled me over the
proverbial coals again. Doubt filled my thoughts again, making it difficult to focus. I half-
expected Cameron to burst out of her office and demand that I pack my things and get out.
An uneventful hour passed before a chill slipped into my bones again, and Cameron’s voice
echoed out of her office.
“Elliot.”
I grabbed my notebook and pen, a reflex at this point, and speed-walked into her office.
“Yes, Ms. Pierce?”
“I want to go over this week’s priorities,” she stated plainly, her middle finger scrolling over
the mouse. “You’ve updated my schedule, yes?”
“Of course, Ms. Pierce,” I said, catching the unhappy twitch in her eye. “Ready when you
are.”
She stared at me blankly for a second before rolling her eyes. “Would you care to tell me
what’s on my schedule, Elliot?”
“Oh!” I jumped, forgetting how to speak for a moment. “This morning you have a meeting
with DC Industries to discuss their proposal on smart technology. Mr. Hayworth will be
here at ten-thirty. Then your lunch is scheduled at La d'Or for one. You requested the rest
of the day be dedicated to R&D, so the department is expecting you at two-thirty.”
She stared at me, dubious, and clicked away at her computer. Her eyes read through
something I couldn’t see, and she frowned.
“Impressive,” she said, my heart lifting for a moment before: “For a child.”
I looked at my knees, frustrated and embarrassed, but bit my tongue.
“If you have nothing else to say,” she drawled. “You can confirm the rest of my week.”
She waved me off with a hand and turned back to her computer.
I blinked and got to my feet, walking out to my desk in a bit of a daze. I’d never be enough
for her.
 Chapter 8
Turnabout
Cameron
Pottering around my townhouse, my mind wandered back to Elliot again and again. I
opened and closed the pantry, searched the fridge for nothing in particular, and poured
myself a glass of water.
And I still couldn’t shake the thought of her.
Not on any one particular thing, no.
It was everything.
I glanced at her file on my kitchen island and a momentary flash of shame heated my
cheeks before I shoved it aside and sat down.
“It’s only natural to run background checks on new employees,” I mumbled to myself,
ashamed for having to resort to it at all.
I flipped the file open and began reading through it.
Human resources and my own private investigator had documented most of Elliot’s adult
life. Not that it amounted to much.
“Worked at two restaurants,” I muttered to myself, reading the brief lines of information.
“Three and five years respectively. Waitress to head hostess with compliments from her
previous employers.”
I clicked my tongue and flipped to the next page, wanting something more concrete.
Hayden’s praise chased my thoughts, and I figured there had to be something more to this
girl.
After a fruitless venture, I grabbed my phone and dialed Hayden, who answered just before
the line ended.
“Yes, my darling Cam?”
“Can we have dinner?” I asked, already halfway out the door.
“Oooh, I’m flattered but you know I’m seeing someone right now,” she teased.
I rolled my eyes as I got into my car and turned the ignition. “Not everything is about you,
Hayden.” I sighed. “Just meet me at our cafe.”
She made it before I did and waved me down as I walked into the small, Grecian inspired
cafe.
“What was so urgent you just had to get dinner with me?”
“It’s about Elliot,” I started, and held up a hand to stop her from interrupting. “No, not like
that. Get your mind out of the gutter, Jesus.”
“You’re no fun, Cam.” She pouted. “Then what’s this about?”
“I ran background checks on her and can’t find much beyond her previous jobs,” I
explained, frustration burning my insides. “There’s a vague mention of her mother, but
nothing more.”
Hayden eyed me carefully and leaned forward. “Cam, what are you trying to do?” she asked,
concern tightening her voice.
I frowned at her. Wasn’t it obvious? “I’m trying to figure out why you’re so hellbent on
making sure I keep her around. I trust you and your word, Hayden, but you can’t blame me
for being a little cautious here.”
Hayden sighed and ran a hand through her thick curls.
“I understand you, Cam, I really do,” she said gently. “But how does any of this information
make what I said any clearer? I’ve watched her work, and I know she’ll impress you. What
more is there?”
“I just feel like I know nothing about the person I’m entrusting half of, if not most of, my life
to,” I groaned, exhausted. “What would you do if you were in my shoes?”
“I’ve already done what you should have done,” Hayden quipped. “I talked to her. Asked her
questions. What are you afraid of? Do you think she’ll bite?”
“Please don’t be an idiot, I’m trying to be serious!”
“So am I, Cam,” Hayden snapped.
I blinked; Hayden rarely got upset.
She sighed again and looked at me seriously. “Look, I’ll only tell you a little, ‘coz it’s not my
story to tell, okay?”
I nodded, keeping my lips pressed shut.
“She didn’t tell me much, obviously, but I’m persuasive,” she began. “Elliot told me her mom
was some hot-shot lawyer who chose her career over her kid. Elliot graduated high school
and immediately started working so she could support herself. Now, doesn’t that streak of
violent independence sound familiar?”
It did, though I said nothing.
“Exactly,” Hayden said smugly. “So give the girl a chance. For real this time.”
I took Hayden’s advice and decided to give Elliot another chance.

“Ms. Pierce,” she called, stepping into my office. “The R&D department has requested a
visit.”
“Right now?” I asked, glancing between her passive face and the email in front of me.
“If you have a moment,” she said. “Ricky mentioned it was urgent.”
With a sigh, I pushed away and rounded my desk. “Then let’s get this over with,” I
murmured, buttoning the front of my jacket.
She nodded and fell into step behind me.
“Did Ricky mention what the emergency is?”
“He mentioned the smart range,” she answered, getting into the elevator with me. She
stood on the other end, intent on putting a healthy distance between us. I tried to ignore
the dull tug in my chest. “And a new design he was struggling to finalize.”
“Very well.” I sighed.
The elevator stopped on the third floor with a humming ding and the doors opened.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Pierce!”
“Hello, Ms. Pierce!”
I nodded as a throng of employees shuffled past, on their way to lunch, no doubt.
“Ricky,” I called, spotting the redhead flitting between cubicles like a distressed
hummingbird.
He spun around and almost passed out with relief. “Ms. Pierce!” he cried, jogging over.
“Thank God, I’m at my wit’s end.”
“What’s going on?” I prompted, following him into the R&D lab.
“The development team just delivered the final design to us this morning,” he began,
pulling the file onto the massive screen that hung in the center of the lab. “But the entire
thing has changed since our last touch point. It’s gonna set us back weeks, maybe even
months.”
“We don’t have months to sacrifice,” I mumbled, trying to figure out the best way to settle
things. “And getting the development team to redesign will only make things worse.”
“Exactly!” Ricky whined.
“Can you pull up the previous design they submitted?”
Ricky’s fingers flew across the keyboard, and a few seconds later the previous design
popped up on the screen.
Shit.
They were completely different.
“Who approved the new design?”
Ricky shook his head nervously. “I have no idea,” he said. “The user on the file was
randomly generated, so I can’t tell who last approved it.”
“We’ll have to push back the launch.” I sighed.
Ricky’s face paled.
“What if we had both teams collaborate in real time?”
I turned to Elliot in surprise, not expecting her to speak.
Or propose an idea.
“Collaborate in real time?” Ricky repeated, scratching his chin. “The development team is
based in Europe; our time zones are completely out of whack.”
Elliot shook her head. “No, I mean have them work on a live version of the design along
with your team,” she clarified.
Ricky frowned, thinking about the proposal. “We could track approvals better that way,” he
murmured, turning back to his computer. “And we could run design changes between
departments with a lot more ease.”
“Will it work?” I asked, my gaze fixed on Elliot. She ducked her head, cheeks ablaze, but…
I smirked.
“It’ll take some maneuvering but we can make it work,” Ricky said finally, a glint in his
green eyes.
“Then we’re sorted here?”
“Yes!” he squeaked. “Thank you, Ms. Pierce! And you, young lady. You saved our skins.”
Elliot coughed in surprise. “N-no, it was just a suggestion.”
“Take the compliment,” I instructed, turning on my heel to leave. My chest swelled with
pride, tiny though it may have been.
None of my previous assistants had ever thought to speak out, least of all with an idea they
may have had. Still, I thought, she had much more to do to gain my trust.
She walked behind me in silence, her heels clicking in time with mine, and I did my best not
to turn around.
I wished I could see her face, see the expression she wore.
“Schedule my brunch for Thursday this week,” I told her as we stepped inside the elevator.
“That should be the one day we all have available, but check with them first.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” she said, scribbling in her notebook.
I glanced at the worn book, the pages soft with use, stickers and highlighter turning the
white pages to a colorful mess.
“What’s the time?” I asked, using the chance to get a good look at her.
“It’s just past two-thirty,” she answered.
I hummed. “Should have had lunch by now,” I muttered.
Her stomach grumbled as if in response and I glanced at her.
“I guess my stomach agrees,” she said weakly.
I muffled a laugh with my hand and her eyes widened.
“Oh, come on.” I chuckled, closing the elevator doors as soon as they began to slide open. “I
laugh too.”
“I never doubted that, Ms. Pierce,” she said quickly. “I just never imagined you’d laugh
around me.”
I shrugged – it wasn’t totally unreasonable for her to feel that way. I certainly hadn’t gone
out of my way to prove her wrong.
“Get the car ready.”
“Where will you be eating?”
“That last sushi bar I went to,” I said.
She nodded and called Daniel, who had the car waiting out front by the time we walked out.
“What time will you be back?”
I paused and stared at her for a moment. “What are you talking about?”
“Huh?” She frowned. “I can get your coffee ready for you when you get back. But I need to
know-”
“Get in the car.” I groaned, getting into the car myself and looking at her expectantly.
She froze for a second before dashing to the other side and getting in.
I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips.
“Should I arrange for Ms. Jones or Ms. Voss to meet you?” she offered, pulling her phone out
and unlocking it before looking back at me for an answer.
I stayed quiet, my gaze drifting along the soft arch of her cheeks and the curve of her
cupid’s bow. I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
To hell with it, I thought, throwing caution to the wind. “You’re a handful by yourself,” I said,
meeting her gaze for a moment.
Her brows crawled into her hairline and she swallowed. She kept her eyes glued to her
knees for the rest of the trip, only looking up when we rolled to a stop.
“Pull around the back,” I told Daniel as I got out.
Elliot followed me inside and to our table, and I couldn’t shake how… Unprofessional this
felt.
“What will you be having today, Ms. Pierce?’ the waitress, Trina, asked.
I didn’t bother looking at the menu. “I’ll have the nigiri sushi,” I said. “What are you
having?”
Elliot frowned. “I’ve never tried sushi before,” she murmured, squinting at the menu.
“You – sorry, what?”
She flushed.
“I haven’t tried sushi before,” she repeated, embarrassment coloring her cheeks and neck.
“So I don’t know what to order.”
Trina giggled and waved her hand. “I know just what to get you!” she said, whisking away
in a flutter of ruffles.
“She’s not gonna bring out, like, tentacles or something… Right?”
I choked on the sip of water I’d just taken, coughing out a chuckle at the real fear that shone
in her eyes.
She jumped out of her seat the moment I started choking but I waved her off.
“No, Elliot.” I laughed, wiping a stray tear from my cheek. “Christ, what goes on in your
head?”
“I just wanted to make sure,” she grumbled, picking at a spot on her sleeve.
My heart skipped a beat and I dampened the smile that threatened to expose me. “She
won’t bring you tentacles,” I assured her, enjoying the more vulnerable side of her. “Unless
you ask her really nicely.”
Her face instantly paled and I took a sip of my drink, swallowing the words that sat on my
tongue.
Who knows? I wondered. Maybe she’d surprise me in the end.
 Chapter 9
She Bites… If You Ask Nicely
Elliot
My pulse hammered away in my throat, the bright LED overhead counted the passing floors
as slowly as it possibly could. Frantically, I checked my watch for the ninth time since I’d
arrived at the office, checking and then double checking that I wasn’t late.
Other employees filtered in and out of the elevator as it climbed to the very top floor.
The doors finally rolled open on the top floor and I quickly walked to my desk and paused.
Someone was already sitting in my chair.
“Ms. Jones?”
“Elliot, darling!” she said, spinning around in my chair to face me. “The dragon lady isn’t in
yet; you’re in luck.”
I blew out the anxious breath I’d been holding and immediately slapped a hand over my
mouth in shame.
Hayden laughed and swatted a hand in dismissal. “Please, I’ve known Cam for ages.” She
chuckled. “I know how tough she is to please.”
I set my purse down on my desk, frowning in thought.
“I don’t think she’s tough to please,” I said. “I think she’s had to do things alone for a long
time. She kinda reminds me of that saying, y’know? If you want something done right, do it
yourself.”
Hayden stared at me for a moment, her keen eyes calculating. “That’s definitely something I
haven’t heard before,” she mused.
“What do you usually hear?” I asked, curiosity piquing my interest.
Hayden puffed up her chest and flipped her long chocolate brown braid over her shoulder.
“I’ve heard what all her previous assistants have said,” she said in a stage whisper. One of
her perfectly arched brows cocked. “And who hasn’t heard all those vicious rumors floating
around the building?”
My brows scrunched up in confusion. “Rumors?”
Hayden pursed her lips. “I guess you haven’t had much time to get to know your
colleagues.” She sighed sadly. “Cam’s got you wound so tight on a leash that you barely have
time to realize it’s only seven in the morning. Cam won’t be here for another hour.”
“Seven?” I frowned, glancing at my watch. “Oh God, my watch is an hour ahead. I’m so
stupid.”
“Relax, kiddo,” Hayden said genially. “You made it here with plenty of time to spare.”
“Only by some miracle,” I breathed, dropping into one of the little couches in the waiting
room. “It could have been an hour slow and I’d probably be fired.”
“Probably.” She pouted. “But probably not. Cam has a way of surprising us sometimes. She
hasn’t had the best run in life.”
Her words washed over me slowly, and a disbelieving grin pulled at my mouth. “I’m sorry,
Ms. Jones,” I said, smothering my incredulity as best I could. “I don’t understand what you
mean by that.”
“Oh, I know it’s hard to believe. But Cam has had it a lot harder than she lets on. It’s not my
place to tell the story, but I think you should at least know about it.”
“About what?”
“She’s difficult to work with because of all the shit she’s been through,” Hayden explained.
“I’m hoping that by telling you this, you’ll be a little more understanding. She doesn’t hate
you, nor does she want to see you fail. She’s just shut herself off pretty tightly. Keep doing
what you’re doing.”
I breathed a long sigh through my nose, thoroughly confused by Hayden’s words.
“I feel like all I’m doing is messing up,” I confessed. “I’m probably the worst assistant she’s
had.”
“Cut yourself some slack; one of her assistants ordered her a hot chocolate on a Monday.”
“Dear sweet baby Jesus,” I gaped. “And she lived?”
Hayden threw her head back in raucous laughter, the sound bouncing around the empty
room.
“Christ,” Cameron called from the elevator, startling me. “Do you have to be so loud this
early in the morning?”
“Good morning, Ms. Pierce,” I said, my heart lodging itself in my throat the second I saw her.
She nodded at me as she walked over, her dark hair loose around her shoulders for once.
“You took ages, Cam,” Hayden whined. “Thank God Elliot is such a great conversationalist,
otherwise I’d have been bored out of my mind!”
I flushed at the compliment, trying to melt into the couch.
Cameron opened her door with an exaggerated eye roll. “Did you at least call her before
you ambushed me?” she asked, walking into her office.
Hayden snorted. “No, I wanted to surprise you, dearest friend who adores me.”
“And then when I chewed Elliot out for no reason, I’d look like an ass,” Cameron retorted.
My eyes widened at her candor.
But Hayden only winked and sent me a thumbs up as she followed Cameron inside.
The door closed behind her and I took that as my cue to get started with work. I sat down
and booted up my computer, pulling up Cameron’s schedule.
Hayden left a few minutes later, waving at me as she left. I jumped to my feet, carrying my
notebook and pen.
“Ms. Pierce?”
“Come in,” she drawled, her attention on her computer.
I walked in and sat in what had become my seat, ready for her run-through. “At eight-thirty
you have a meeting with investors from Stone & Sons.” I ran through the calendar I’d
memorized the night before. “Then a site meeting at Dunford to discuss the latest plans
with the architects. Otherwise, I’ve cleared your schedule from four this afternoon.”
Cameron’s fingers froze on the keyboard and she turned to me, bemused.
“Excuse me?” She frowned. “‘Cleared my schedule’?”
“Yes,” I said breathlessly, wilting under the heat of her gaze. “You’ve been working hours
after everyone else has gone home, so I thought it’d be nice for you to leave a little earlier.”
She stared at me for so long that I thought she’d never move again.
“You thought it would be nice,” she murmured, her gaze piercing. “For me to leave a little
earlier.”
Definitely not a question, but I nodded anyway.
She blinked at me, her cheeks reddening slowly. “Very well,” she huffed, turning back to her
computer. “You’ll accompany me today.”
“Of course, Ms. Pierce,” I breathed, getting to my feet and almost running out.
Thankfully, the phone on my desk rang just as I sat down and I picked it up before it could
ring a second time.
“Ms. Pierce’s office, Elliot speaking.”
“Hey, Elliot, Stone & Sons are in Boardroom A.”
“Thanks, Claire,” I said, and hung up.
“Let’s get going,” Cameron said, already walking out of her office.
I hurried after her, mentally preparing for yet another long day.

“Ms. Pierce, it would be an oversight to let an opportunity like this pass you by.”
“I’m painfully familiar with opportunity, Mr. Campton.” The edge in Cameron’s voice was
sharper than a knife. “But I believe I declined on many occasions, yet you continue to waste
my time with fruitless offers.”
I glanced at my watch and back at the lithe investor.
An hour passed by with this man and his team of shark-like salesmen, and Cameron grew
colder by the minute.
“It wouldn’t be a waste,” Mr. Campton insisted, rising to his feet. “If you’d just consider the
offer…”
“My sincerest apologies,” I said, rising to my feet as well. A lump of nerves lodged itself in
my throat and I almost choked. But seeing these men disrespect Cameron set my teeth on
edge. “Ms. Pierce has a prior engagement that warrants far more of her time than this. Shall
we, Ms. Pierce?”
Without missing a beat Cameron stood up, straightened her jacket and walked out.
“Gentlemen,” I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. “You may see yourselves out.”
I followed Cameron out, butterflies thundering in my stomach. The burst of confidence took
me by surprise, but I was glad to be rid of the investors.
“Get the c-”
“Daniel is downstairs,” I told her. “Waiting for us.”
She said nothing else as we made our way downstairs and into the car.
My cheeks burned in the silence, wondering if I’d overstepped, or toed a line I was too
inexperienced to see.
“Stop overthinking, Elliot.”
I jumped a little in my seat. “Ms. Pierce?”
She sighed, her eyes as dark as ever. “I can practically hear the little cogs in your head
spinning,” she said.
I pressed my lips together and shot her an apologetic look.
“Thank you.”
My brows shot up.
“What for, Ms. Pierce?”
She chuckled softly, and the butterflies in my stomach took flight again. Except this time
they left me giddy.
“Saving me from those snakes,” she said with a soft smile. I squeaked in response. “I can’t
say I saw it coming.”
My confusion must have been apparent, because she continued with a sly smirk, “Who
knew you had a set of fangs on you?” she said appreciatively.
My traitorous blood rushed to my cheeks. “I wouldn’t say that,” I argued, just a little
breathless with all her attention focused on me. “He just wasn’t taking the hint, and it was
getting on my nerves. He was disrespectful.”
“Indeed, he was,” she murmured, folding her arms across her chest.
I did my best to keep my eyes where they needed to be.
“And I didn’t have to say a word. You’ve got some fire in you.”
The purr in her words sent a shiver skittering down my spine.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing that side of you a little more often, Elliot.”
I lifted wide eyes to her, searching her face for the smallest hint of a lie. Anything to tell me
the sudden rush of courage was misguided. But she only smiled.
“There’s something exciting in it, isn’t there?” she pressed, a small dimple creasing her
cheek. “Using that fire where it’s needed. Although, I wouldn’t say the office is the only
place it would have its uses.”
Another wave of heat crawled up my neck and I shrugged it off, winding the window down
a bit.
“I suppose so,” I murmured, keenly aware of how close she was. “It isn’t something I’m used
to, though.”
“Hopefully you learn to get used to it,” Cameron said, turning away.
I guessed that was the end of the conversation and took a quiet breath, desperate to calm
my jangled nerves.
“Th-”
“We’re here,” Daniel said, his voice shaking me from my little bubble of delusion.
“R-right, after you, Ms. Pierce.”
“Welcome, Ms. Pierce! We’ve been expecting you.” The head architect at Dunford dashed
off, his hard hat wiggled comically atop his head.
Steel structures were scattered throughout the site, with white and blue markings placed
here and there to outline the building’s bottom floor.
“I’ve never been to a construction site before,” I murmured in wonder, watching the
workers move the massive equipment into place around us.
“This isn’t special.” Cameron sighed, grabbing one of the visitor's hard hats and handing it
to me. She took one for herself and put it on.
Damn, it made her even sexier. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Right this way, Ms. Pierce.” The head architect materialized out of thin air.
We followed him onto the site, carefully stepping around the upturned soil and granite.
“What requires my approval?” Cameron asked, reaching back to take her iPad from me. “I
see here you already have the approval for the proposed plans; what else is outstanding?”
“Ah, the plumbing hit a bit of a snag on the second phase,” he explained, but it all went over
my head.
I turned my attention to Cameron, how her face remained a mask of grace while the
architect rambled on about pipes. Or something.
She said something that sounded a lot like, “It was in the budget” but my brain was too
busy staring at the curve of her lips and the column of her neck.
God, I was done for.
 Chapter 10
An Innocent Brunch Date
Cameron
The clack of Elliot’s heels faltered behind me and I smothered a smirk before the clacks
hastened again.
“S-sorry, could you repeat that, Ms. Pierce?” Her voice wavered.
I made a show of sighing, refusing to slow my pace.
“I thought I told you that I hate repeating myself,” I mused, walking toward the stairs
ahead. “Maybe I’m wrong.”
“No, not at all!” The twinge of panic in her voice was as clear as day. “It’s just, uh, I don’t
really understand what you meant by-”
“Joining us for brunch?” I chuckled coldly. “What on Earth is there to misunderstand?”
She huffed a little and I smiled.
The fire I’d seen in her scratched at the restraints, and some sadistic part of me wanted to
see it break free.
“Let’s go,” I ordered, swinging my purse onto my other arm. “We don’t want to be late.”
Maybe it was a little presumptuous of me, but I wanted to introduce Elliot to the rest of my
friends.
The restaurant opened into a flawless courtyard, dotted with little water features. The tiles
gave way to neatly manicured grass and cobblestone, with bursts of summer flowers
poking through the decor. It was the only place I’d decided to visit in the height of summer.
“Cam!”
I glanced up and braced myself in time for Hayden, who barreled into me for a hug.
“Hello to you, too,” I wheezed, patting her back gently. “I saw you a day ago.”
“Shut up and accept the affection, you touchy starved cat,” she sniffed, swatting at me as she
returned to her seat. “Elliot! You’re over here with me.”
“No,” I said firmly, leveling Hayden with a death stare. “You’re a terrible influence.”
“I am the best influence, thank you very much,” Hayden quipped, tossing her curls over her
shoulder. “But whatever, keep your assistant all to yourself.”
I ignored the thinly veiled jab and took my seat, motioning for Elliot to do the same. She
hesitated, her hands folded together in front of her.
“It’s okay, Elliot,” Reid said with a smile. “Sit down, you must be hungry.”
Elliot’s mouth kicked into a shy smile as she finally sat down next to me. I handed her the
menu.
“Here,” I said, enjoying the flush creeping up her neck. “Before you fall over.”
“Such a doting boss.” Hayden swooned. “Shouldn’t you introduce us, Cam?”
“You, unfortunately, already know her.” I sighed, leaning back in my seat and folding my
arms. The sun shone high above us, the large umbrella casting mercifully cool shade over
our table. “But as you all know, Elliot is my latest assistant.”
“Hopefully the last,” Alex chirped, earning a gleeful wink from Hayden.
“Then the rest of you can do the honors,” I huffed, glancing away. “Go ahead, Hayden, tell
her something useful about yourself.”
“Oof, so icy today.” Hayden giggled, completely unfazed. “Very well, Elliot, you already
know me. I’m into food and-”
“And young European men,” Taylor cut in.
I snorted at Hayden’s outrage.
“I’ll have you know that – You know what? Yeah.” She shrugged. “They’re the only men I
would date.”
“God, next, please.” I laughed, side-eyeing Elliot to gauge her reaction. She sat quietly, the
faintest smile on her pink lips.
“I’ll go,” Reid offered archly. “We sort of already met at the gala, but we didn’t get to talk
much. My name is Reid and I own Voss Visuals.”
“This is very game show-ish, isn’t it?” Alex asked.
“Fine,” I conceded.
I pointed at Reid. “Reid owns pretty much every video game company in the country and is
branching out to Asia next month.”
I pointed at Alex. “Lexi is the owner of Bell Engineering and is taking over at Dunford.”
I pointed at Taylor. “T runs a resort in almost every country and the transport that gets you
there. See? Done.”
I looked over at Elliot and snickered. “You don’t have to remember their names.”
I took the pen from her. My fingertips grazed over the back of her hand, and I heard the tiny
gasp slip from her lips.
“You’re working the poor thing to the bone, Cam.” Taylor tutted, throwing me a
disapproving glare. “This is supposed to be a casual brunch, dear. You’ll get used to us soon
enough.”
“Yes, Ms. Kane,” Elliot nodded.
I blinked at her.
“How did you know her last name?” I demanded, my brows furrowed. Her eyes flicked up
to my face and away just as quickly.
“I made sure to learn the names and companies of all the people you meet with, Ms. Pierce,”
she explained. “I didn’t want you to lose time because of any incompetence on my part.”
“Wow, you’ve caught a real winner,” Hayden said, fanning herself with a manicured hand. “I
believe the response you’re looking for is ‘Thank you, Hayden, I couldn’t have done it
without you’.”
Elliot giggled quietly beside me, and the ire that rose in my throat died on my tongue.
I glanced at her, a tiny smile tugging at my own lips.
“How’s the event planning coming along?” Hayden asked, her eyes full of mischief.
Elliot parted her lips to answer, but I cut her off. “The event is being handled efficiently.”
“Oh? Everything to your satisfaction? Not a stone left unturned?”
I drew a sharp breath. “As I said, everything is fine.”
I ignored Elliot’s goggle eyed stare. I guess I could have told her how well she was handling
the event sooner but hey, she knew now.
Hayden propped her chin in the palm of her right hand and focused on Elliot. “You really
are a great addition to Pierce Industries.”
“Um, thanks,” Elliot said, her brow furrowed.
“Now that we’re all acquainted,” I said, turning back to the table, Hayden’s stare burning
into the side of my skull, “can we get a move on with the food? I’m starving.”
By some minuscule miracle the food arrived soon enough, effectively turning the proverbial
dial down on Hayden.
“So, Elliot,” Alex said, swallowing a bite of her salmon. “Are you new to the city?”
Elliot nodded, quickly chewing her mouthful and swallowing before answering. “I grew up
in Bay Ridge for most of my life but traveled into the city a lot.”
“So you’re a real city girl,” Taylor teased.
But Elliot waved an embarrassed hand. “Definitely not,” she said. “The traffic alone is
enough to drive me crazy.”
They all laughed, totally enamored with Elliot and her innocent honesty.
It struck a side of me that usually lay dormant.
Possessive.
I cleared my throat. “She may be a city girl,” I cut in, doing nothing to hide the agitation in
my voice, “but she’s woefully ignorant of many things. For instance, she’d never tried sushi
before lunch the other day.”
“Shut up!” Hayden all but shrieked. “Tell me you at least took her to a decent sushi bar!”
I rolled my eyes, patting Elliot’s forearm. She blew out a low breath and I smirked.
“I took her to the best sushi bar,” I bit back, annoyed that Hayden would think so low of me.
“I have excellent taste.”
“You’re beginning to sound like Hayden,” Reid drawled. “Maybe you should spend more
time with us, instead.”
“Ridiculous,” I said. “Hayden could visit me less; maybe that way I’d be able to get more
work done.”
“You say that now, but I know you’d wither away without me,” Hayden said, cocking a
skeptical brow at me.
“How have you been adjusting to Cam’s heinous schedule?” Alex pried, dropping her chin
into the palm of her hand.
Elliot flushed. “It’s been an adjustment,” she admitted, glancing at her hands in her lap for a
beat. “And there’s definitely a lot of room for improvement but I-”
“She’s doing fine, Alex,” I interjected, stunning the table into silence.
Elliot’s gaze prickled at the side of my face, but I did my best to ignore the flutter in my
chest.
“Can we talk about something that isn’t work? I haven’t heard anything about this new
boyfriend of Hayden’s, despite her insistence to share everything.”
Hayden scoffed beside me, launching into a long-winded story about her latest beau. While
the rest of the table sat in awe of Hayden’s story, I watched Elliot from the corner of my eye.
There was a glint of open fascination in her bright eyes, her pink lips parted slightly as she
listened. The ‘Hayden Effect’, as Taylor often puts it. There was no ignoring Hayden if she
was in the immediate vicinity, and never for the wrong reason.
It was something I envied.
Elliot giggled and my thoughts slowly chipped away, my attention focused on the glow of
her cheeks.
“Please excuse me for a moment,” Elliot said, getting to her feet and walking over to the
nearest waiter. They exchanged a few words and the waiter pointed inside, presumably to
the bathroom.
I watched her walk inside, only looking away again once I could no longer see her.
“Someone’s a little clingy.”
“Hayden, shut it,” Reid warned.
“What? I’m just making an astute observation,” she said in defense.
I sighed. “An astute observation would be realizing that I don’t want to hear any of it,” I
countered, pushing my salad around with my fork.
“She’s been glued to your side since you came in,” Hayden pointed out. “And don’t think I
haven’t noticed the fact that you allow it at all.”
“What’s your point?” I sniffed, heat burning my face. “It’s not like there is any special
meaning behind it. You’re reading too much into something that doesn’t even exist.”
The table went quiet, each of them exchanging knowing looks – I hated it.
“Just try not to make things weird, okay?” I conceded, stabbing a cherry tomato with my
fork and popping it into my mouth.
Taylor grinned. “So there’s a ‘thing’?”
I groaned.

“Ms. Pierce,” Elliot said from the door of my office.

I looked up.
“The PR department forwarded a proposal to collaborate with a new designer.” She walked
in with her notebook. “I read through it and it looks very promising. I emailed it to you.”
I frowned in interest, scrolling to the top of my inbox.
“What’s the TLDR?”
She sat down and flipped open her notebook. “An up and coming fashion designer in Paris
designed a full range of household appliances and refuses to work with anyone else.”
“What’s the target market?”
“Young professionals and micro living,” she replied immediately, impressing me. “Her
vision is making beautiful appliances accessible to those living in the city with a limited
income.”
“Huh.”
I opened Elliot’s email and read through the preface, glancing at the attachments. “What are
these spreadsheets?”
“I thought you might like to see how similar products fared in the American market.”
She crossed one leg over the other.
The movement drew my gaze.
“So I compiled all the data I could find on similar products and their sales for the last five
years.”
I opened the first spreadsheet and blinked.
The data was separated into year on year variables, with charts and corresponding images
on the declines wherever necessary.
“Consider me impressed,” I said quietly.
I didn’t have to look at Elliot to know she was beaming; her joy was tangible, like another
presence in the room.
“I’ll have a look through this. In the meanwhile, get R&D on the line and tell them that
Design Team One has a new project incoming, and they need to wrap up.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” she gushed, getting to her feet and hurrying out. “Oh, Ms. Jones has just
arrived.”
“God, give me strength.” I chuckled lifelessly. “Send her in.”
“Right away, Ms. Pierce.”
A moment passed before Hayden burst into my office, her floor length summer dress the
picture of a tropical paradise.
“Going somewhere?” I smiled, eyeing the massive sun hat that flopped into her eyes.
She took it off with a Hayden-esque flourish and sat down.
“I’m off to Bali,” she said. “And I wanted to check in on my dearest friend before I left.”
“You should have called ahead.” I frowned. “Elliot could have cleared my schedule for
lunch.”
“Oh?” She snickered. “I do like this.”
“What?” I asked defensively.
“This,” she explained, gesturing at me vaguely. “You relying on Elliot warms my heart.”
“She’s my assistant,” I countered, cheeks aflame. “Of course I have to rely on her. Why else
would I hire her?”
Hayden giggled and leaned forward, her eyes glinting with mischief. “You tell me, Cam.”
 Chapter 11
Saturday, Interrupted
Elliot
“And they were roommates!”
“Oh my, God, they were roommates.” I giggled, earning myself a swat from Talia.
“Be serious!” she whined.
“All right, all right, keep going.”
“Anyway,” Talia lit up instantly, as if I hadn’t interrupted her at all. “Cathie was definitely
cheating but refuses to fess up. So it’s so weird having her crash at my place. Like I know
what she did and she doesn’t know I know, you know?”
I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips.
“Is that what you called us out here for?” Adie chuckled. “I canceled hot yoga for this.”
“Damn, did you really?” I gasped, watching Adie fidget with one of her long purple braids.
“That’s huge.”
“I thought it was an emergency!” she defended, playfully sticking her tongue out at Talia.
“Don’t pretend like you go there for any reason other than to drool over your hot
instructor,” Talia accused her, a pointed nail jabbed in Adie’s direction. “We all know you’ve
had it bad for her.”
“Can you blame me?” Adie whined. “She’s the most beautiful human I’ve ever seen, and I’m
stuck here listening to you bitch about your new roommate.”
“It’s okay, Adie,” I consoled her, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. “You can still see her
after class.”
“I hope so.” She sighed. “Where’s Reese? She’s normally the heart and soul of these get-
togethers.”
“She had plans with Noah,” I said. “They had tickets to an art gallery opening.”
“Fancy.” Talia snickered, sipping on her long island iced tea like it was sugar water. “She’s
definitely making good use of Noah’s connections.”
“I think it’s cool,” Adie argued. “I’d love to be able to go to art gallery openings and Michelin
restaurants.”
“Oh, you know who has been going to fun, fancy places,” Talia interjected, turning her
cunning hazel eyes on me. “Our little Elliot!”
“I wouldn’t call it fun,” I countered, pressing two fingers to my temple.
“Come on, you got to go to that sushi bar I’ve been dying to visit.” Adie pouted. “The waiting
list is something crazy, like six months!”
“It was for work.”
“And you attended the gala that everyone is always talking about,” Talia added.
“Again, for work.”
“Plus, your boss is hot,” Adie emphasized. She stuffed a dumpling into her mouth and spoke
around it. “Like, crazy hot. I don’t know how you handle it.”
I wanted to say I don’t, but swallowed the words in favor of a weak smile.
“It’s all work,” I said instead. “I can’t even enjoy the places we go to because I’m so focused
on remembering her insane schedule. Not to mention I have to anticipate what she’s gonna
ask me before she even asks.”
“Is the job worth it?” Talia frowned.
I sighed. “The pay alone is so much better than my last gig.” I shrugged. “Besides, she’s not
as bad as everyone makes her out to be. At least, I don’t think she is. I think she’s just
overworked.”
“Birds of a feather,” Talia lamented in a mocking tone. “Admit it; this is the first weekend
you’ve been able to see us and it’s only because you’re not at home, passed out on the
couch.”
I chewed my lip. “I’m really sorry, guys,” I said. “I promise I’ll try harder to meet up with
you after work. My hours have been all over the place, but I don’t think it’ll be that way
much longer.”
“And what about that friend of mine I told you about?” Talia pushed. “The designer. Have
you decided to give her a chance?”
Embarrassment burned the back of my neck and I stumbled to argue. “I don’t think that’s a
good idea,” I muttered. “I’m not into blind dates. They stress me out.”
“How else do you expect to find someone in this city?”
“There are tons of ways to meet people in the city.” Adie stepped in, saving me from Talia’s
cupid complex. “Elliot could meet the love of her life on the subway, you never know.”
“Hopefully not.” I cringed, recalling my last subway ride. “But Adie is right. Besides, why do
I have to date someone?”
“Oh, it’s been that long?” Talia frowned, pity shining in her eyes.
Even Adie threw me a worried glance.
“No, Jesus, would you relax?” I scoffed. “It’s not that big of a deal. I have to focus on work
right now. The relationship stuff will come when it’s meant to.”
“Our little romantic,” Talia simpered, squeezing my hand sympathetically.
I tossed a fry at her. “Shut up.”
“As much as I hate to admit it, El,” Adie cut in. “Talia is right about one thing. You need to
make more time for yourself. Whether you choose to date or not. You need to dedicate
some time to something other than work for once.”
“And I will,” I promised. “As soon as I’ve got things under control.”
Adie sighed, but didn’t press the matter, turning back to her dumplings.
“I really hope your person is ready to fight the blinding inobservance you’re prone to,” Talia
groaned. “If it were me, I’d just beat you over the head with my feelings.”
“Aggressive, but forthright.” Adie frowned.
My phone vibrated on the table, and a single glance at the name flashing on the screen had
dread filling my gut.
“No fucking way,” Talia breathed through a disbelieving grin.
I snatched the phone up and answered it, turning away from my friends.
“Ms. Pierce?”
“Elliot,” she snapped. “I need you in the office. Immediately.”
“R-right now?” I asked feebly, doing my best to avoid their curious, judging eyes.
“Now!”
Cameron hung up and I scrambled to my feet, pulling a few bills out and slapping them on
the table.
“Whoa, Elliot, what the hell is going on?”
“I’ll explain later,” I panted, heart racing in my chest. “I have to get to the office.”
“It’s Saturday,” Adie pointed out.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and blew stray hair out of my face. “I know. But that
doesn’t really matter.”
“This is why your love life has come to a grinding halt.” Talia sighed. “You go running off to
the wrong woman at every turn.”
“Don’t give me that.” I pouted, heart lurching at the idea of running to Cameron in an
entirely different situation. “I have so many things to worry about right now, I don’t have
the mental capacity for a relationship.”
“You keep telling yourself that, El!” Talia called as I dashed out onto the sidewalk.
The midday sun scorched every bit of uncovered skin, mercilessly burning away until I was
sure there was none left.
I hailed a cab and twitched anxiously the whole way to the office.
I wondered what could have Cameron so frantic on a Saturday, and blanched at the
possibilities running through my head.
Something big enough to scare her.
The humid air inside the cab smothered me, sweat collecting on my brow and upper lip.
I glanced down at my clothes, blushing furiously. An excellent day to wear denim shorts
and go braless.
Well done, Elliot.
I shook my head; I couldn’t change that now.
My leg bounced nervously as the buildings whooshed past us, the cab slowing as we
entered the city proper.
We finally pulled up and I hurled myself out of the car, falling into a dead sprint toward the
doors.
Relieved that I carried my access card with me at all times, I swiped it over the glass entry
pad and ran to the elevators.
How long has it been since Cameron called? Ten minutes? Fifteen?
She’d be furious.
The elevator opened on her floor and I jogged out. My sandal caught on one of the rugs and
almost sent me to the floor.
I dumped my bag on my desk and knocked on the door, trying desperately to catch my
breath.
“Ms. Pierce?”
“Finally,” she snapped, spinning around in her chair. Her ice cold glare turned to me and
she froze.
I winced.
Her eyes traveled down the length of my body, taking in the sweat-soaked tee that did
nothing to hide the fact that I wasn’t wearing a bra, my denim shorts, and stopped on my
sandals.
After a long, tense moment, her eyes met mine.
“Did you run all the way here?”
Pretty much, I wanted to say.
“It’s very hot outside,” I gasped instead, my heart beating a frantic rhythm against my
ribcage. Blood roared in my ears and I was grateful for the air conditioning that blasted
freezing air onto my feverish skin.
I could have cried.
“I apologize for my appearance,” I said, eyes fixed on a random page on her desk. “Has
something happened?”
Cameron got to her feet and any sense I had jumped out the nearest window.
She paced behind her desk, her legs clad in the tightest jeans I’d ever seen on her.
My pulse thudded in my neck, and the heat climbing into my cheeks had nothing to do with
the sun. And everything to do with Adie’s comment from earlier.
“R&D reported a suspected leak,” Cameron said stiffly. Her shoulders tensed and her nails
dug into the leather of her chair. “Apparently, one of our biggest competitors is aiming to
steal a design that hasn’t been made public yet.”
My brows furrowed in confusion. “Shouldn’t that issue be solved with the patent?”
Cameron scowled at me. “Do you think I’d drag you here if the patent would solve
anything?”
My stomach dropped at her admonition. “No, Ms. Pierce,” I said in a small voice.
“The patent is still pending,” she sighed. “It’ll take another month, and by then who knows
what will have happened. I need to fix this now.”
I nodded, fingers curling around my notebook. “What do you need me to do?”
“We’re heading down to R&D now to talk to Ricky and his team,” she announced, walking
around her desk and heading for the door.
My eyes tracked her as she moved, unable to look away from the curve of her thighs in her
jeans.
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” I responded, following her out and into the elevator.
We rode down in silence, which did nothing but spur my thoughts into dangerous territory.
In the few weeks I’d worked as her assistant I’d never seen her in casual clothes. Her dark
jeans tapered at her ankles, tucked into soft leather boots that I’d never dream of wearing
in summer.
I glanced at her back and blinked.
She wore a basketball jersey, bright and over-sized, and so unlike her that it stole every
word I had. She swung a denim jacket onto her jersey and untucked the length of her hair
from the collar.
Apart from the diamonds glittering on her ears and the designer labels, well, everywhere,
she looked almost… normal.
The elevator doors slid open and she marched on.
My sandals slapped against the marble embarrassingly, but it was all I could do to keep up
with Cameron.
“Ms. Pierce, thank you for coming!”
Ricky stood at the door to the R&D department, wringing his hands in a panic.
“Who is the leak?” Cameron demanded, and Ricky shrunk under her glare.
“I-I’m not sure, Ms. Pierce,” he stammered, pushing his thick-rimmed glasses up his nose.
“It’s the first time we’ve even heard of a potential leak, and we don’t have any leads.”
“Are you telling me there are no protocols in place for this eventuality?” Cameron sneered.
“After I drafted them myself?”
Her cold, quiet rage was a phenomenon to behold.
She didn’t need volume, didn’t need theatrics. She spoke quietly, as if she was talking about
the weather. And yet the entire department had fallen silent in her wake.
I chewed on the inside of my lip, willing my thoughts back to reality. Away from fucking my
boss.
 Chapter 12
The Walls Have Eyes
Cameron
The hushed employee murmurs grated on my nerves.
Their panic was palpable, shaky breaths intermingled with the incessant clicking of
scattered keyboards.
It drove me up the wall.
We stepped into Ricky’s private office to ensure no one would hear anything important. We
didn’t need the culprit covering their tracks further.
“There must be a way to locate the leak,” I bit out.
Ricky snapped to attention, fumbling for his iPad.
Elliot shuffled behind me and I fought the urge to look at her.
She’d done enough to distract me from the digital security breach with her Daisy Dukes and
apparent lack of a bra. Reluctantly, I thought her presence had eased some of the tension
coiled in my shoulders. But I wouldn’t admit it out loud.
“We have a number of protocols for security breaches,” Ricky babbled, scrolling furiously
on his iPad.
“Then you have a protocol for this,” I said expectantly.
He shot me a desperate smile. “We’re working on refining user access, Ms. Pierce,” he
explained. “All of our staff log in using team credentials, not individual IDs.”
Then you can isolate the team and go from there,” Elliot chirped.
Ricky lifted a set of wide eyes to her and I took the opportunity to glance at her.
A muted cough echoed from somewhere near the back of the lab, muffled by Ricky’s office
door.
Elliot’s cheeks turned pink under the bright fluorescent lights, only adding to the glow of
her face. The sweat on her skin had dried, though her shirt still bore evidence of the
sweltering heat outside.
I berated myself for looking at all. I hated that my gaze dropped to her soft skin instead of
staying on her face. The peaks of her nipples pushed through the thin fabric of her shirt
thanks to the chill of the air conditioned lab. With tech worth over a million shoved into
one space, keeping the temperature cool was imperative.
If I looked close enough, I could count the little goosebumps rising on her skin. A part of me
was awash with guilt for having dragged her out of whatever she’d been doing. But I
needed her here.
“We’ve isolated the team,” Ricky said, his lips pursed in thought. “But we couldn’t drill
down into it any further. The trail ends there.”
“Impossible,” I scoffed. “We have trillions worth in data stored on our servers alone, and
you’re telling me there’s no way to identify a potential breach? How was it even picked up?”
“We were running diagnostics on one of the servers when one of our dev guys spotted an
anomaly,” Ricky said, his words leaping off his tongue.
“And what was this anomaly?” I pressed, growing impatient.
“Data going out,” he answered. “The server was designed to host data, not share it.”
“Then you can at least identify the exact time it happened?” I asked, equal parts
exasperated and frustrated.
“Yes, Ms. Pierce, but there’s a complication-”
“Ricky, I’m beginning to wonder why I spend so much money on data security,” I said
through gritted teeth. “If you don’t give me something substantial I have to get personally
involved, and no one wants that.”
“N-no, Ms. Pierce,” he stuttered, shaking his head quickly.
“Fabulous,” I deadpanned. An idea poked at the proverbial light bulb atop my head. “Elliot
will be the person you report to.”
I turned to Elliot, her face a mask of shock. “I want reports on the progress of this
investigation, and you will be responsible for following up.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce.” She nodded, scribbling away in her notebook.
I turned back to Ricky. “You and your teams will view Elliot as an extension of myself,” I
told him sternly. “She will be respected and treated as if she were me. Understood?”
“Of course, Ms. Pierce!”
“Is there anything you want to say to the team?” I asked Elliot, watching her step forward
and clear her throat.
“If that’s all right, Ms. Pierce?”
I nodded, gesturing to the rest of the lab in a sweeping wave.
“Ricky, I understand your teams work on time tracking software?” she asked, her spine
straight despite the obvious embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “Can you pull timesheets
for the twentieth to date?”
I blinked at her mention of the date, realizing she'd officially outlasted all my other
assistants. With an impressed smirk, I cocked my head and sighed, shrugging off my jacket.
“Here,” I murmured. “Before you freeze.”
Elliot blinked at me but took the jacket with a grateful smile that punched the air from my
lungs.
“Thank you, Ms. Pierce,” she said softly, putting my jacket on and covering her chest
comfortably.
I turned to Ricky, squashing the flutter in my chest. “She asked you a question.”
“Yes!” Ricky squawked, jumping to attention. “Uh, y-yes, each person here is required to
track their time on our software.”
“Then would it not be possible to see who was doing what at the time the anomaly
occurred?”
I suppressed a smile, watching Ricky’s mouth open and close like a fish out of water. Pride
crackled alongside the flutter in my chest.
“In theory, yes,” Ricky answered.
I looked at Elliot.
“Even if we eliminate most of the people online at that time,” I told her, my gaze meeting
hers seriously. “What then would follow? Would you interrogate all the employees who
were online at that time?”
She sucked in a short breath before speaking. “Not exactly,” she murmured. “If there was a
way to identify the users online at that time, then we can cross-reference the team
credentials used and eliminate more of the possibilities.”
Impressive, I thought.
“It will take a while to pull time sheets,” Ricky said, rubbing his chin in thought. “There’s a
forty-eight hour reset period that locks in time sheets so they can’t be edited at a later
stage. But that is definitely something we can do.”
“What time did the anomaly occur?” Elliot asked.
“Yesterday afternoon,” he said. “Just after four.”
“Then we should have a clearer idea of who the culprit for the breach is on Monday,” Elliot
said. “Is there a way to secure the remainder of the data?”
“I’ve been working on that all morning.” Ricky sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and
squeezing his eyes shut. “We’re about halfway there, but it’ll take time.”
“Maybe it would be wiser to operate on a skeleton team until everything is secure?” she
suggested, her voice uncertain.
“How do you propose Ricky select this skeleton team?” I pried, adding pressure.
All of her suggestions so far had been good, but she failed to look further. She didn’t
consider the ‘what ifs’.
She blew out a tight breath, staring at the floor in thought.
“Long term employees,” she said with a shallow nod. “Start with them. There’s usually a
stronger sense of loyalty with employees who have been taken care of by a company. Just
the bare minimum to keep the department running over the weekend.”
“I’ll get started on that,” Ricky muttered, rounding his desk. His fingers flew across the
keyboard. “I can ask HR for access to the employee archive and-”
“No.”
“No.”
Elliot and I stared at one another, our voices joining to form a single refusal. I gestured for
her to continue.
“We can’t change company policy on employee records.” Elliot sighed. “Ms. Pierce, would
you be willing to allow access to start dates at least?”
“As long as it’s used exclusively for this investigation.” I shrugged. “I can’t authorize access
to more than that, nor can I ask HR to do so.”
“That’s perfect.” Elliot beamed, throwing me a bright smile before turning back to Ricky.
“Then you have somewhere to start.”
“If that’s all,” I said, sighing as I checked the time on my watch, “then we need to head back.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” Elliot and Ricky echoed.
We left his office and made our way back through the lab, Elliot sticking close behind me.
The eyes of the employees around us lingered but I ignored them as usual, focused on
getting back to my office.

Elliot
I hurried after Cameron, my eyes on the giant twenty-nine emblazoned on the back of her
basketball jersey.
The research and software developers stared at us as we left. Specifically me.
The jacket I wore was so obviously Cameron’s and not my own. The perpetual heat in my
cheeks only made me more self-conscious.
What did they think of us?
Of me?
I stepped into the elevator behind Cameron, nervously picking at my nail beds.
“I want your eyes on this investigation, Elliot,” Cameron murmured, as if we were still in
the lab, surrounded by strangers. “This breach could mean a world of trouble if we don’t
plug holes as quickly as they appear. I know I really wanted Chef Bianchi involved in the
event, but with everything going on I just want this over and done with. Any chef will do.”
“I confirmed Chef Bianchi’s involvement this morning. Everything is on track.”
Cameron raised an eyebrow, then nodded. “Very well. I want the event out of the way so
that all of our focus is on this breach. I’m depending on you.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” I said, fumbling to jot down a few notes when-
“Oh, shit,” I muttered miserably.
“What?”
“My notebook,” I whined, knocking a fist to my forehead. Idiot! “I left it back in the R&D
lab.”
“Would you lose your head if it wasn’t screwed on?” Cameron drawled, clicking her tongue
in disappointment.
But there was no venom in her words. No ire or scolding. She’d just said the words as if out
of habit.
“I’ll be right back,” I swore, waiting for her to get off the elevator on her floor.
She turned back to me with a cocked brow. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
The doors closed on my flushed face, butterflies wild in my stomach.
I took a breath to calm my sudden racing heart before pressing the floor number to the
R&D lab. Chewing on my lip in thought, I couldn’t help but wonder if Cameron knew the
effect she had on me.
I scoffed, shaking the thought from my head. Why would someone like Cameron ever look
twice at someone like me?
The doors rolled open and I jogged back to the lab, slipping past the cluttered desks and
knocking on Ricky’s door.
“Come in!”
“Sorry,” I said sheepishly. “I left my notebook here.”
“Oh, no worries,” Ricky said with a soft grin. “Thanks for your help on this. It gets so mad
here that I can barely think straight.”
“Glad I could help.” I smiled, waving at him as I left. I’d have stayed to talk to him, but
Cameron’s face flashed in my mind and I hurried back.
“You’re Elliot, right?”
I paused at the interruption, turning just outside the lab to see a woman about my age.
“Yes,” I said warily. “Can I help you?”
Her dark hair, chopped short, fell into her eyes as she hid a grin.
“Gina,” she introduced herself, stretching her hand out. I shook it and she chuckled.
“I wondered why the boss lady kept you around for longer than the others,” she said, her
gaze picking me apart.
My skin crawled and I ignored the urge to fold my arms around myself. “Oh?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “The others lasted two to three weeks, tops. Yet here you are. I get it.”
“What is there to ‘get’, exactly?” I asked, brow pinched.
“Come on, you can be honest with me,” she whispered conspiratorially, glancing from side
to side like a villain. “I think we all know what’s really going on.”
“You’ll have to be more transparent,” I said icily, mustering my best Cameron impression.
But I didn’t like where this conversation was going.
“You’re fucking the boss, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Gina giggled. “You can say it; she’s hot. Why else would she keep you so
close? I saw the way she was looking at you back there.”
“I am not fucking Ms. Pierce,” I spat, blood boiling with outrage. “And I can’t believe you’d
think I’d tell you even if I was.”
Gina rolled her eyes and shrugged, walking off without another word.
I stood in place, rooted to the floor in fear and disbelief. Was that what we looked like to
everyone else?
 Chapter 13
In A New Light
Elliot
Gina’s comments followed me into the new week, stretching my thin nerves to the limit
before I’d even had coffee.
The coffee cups shook in my hands as I hopped up the stairs. I mentally recited Cameron’s
schedule to keep from falling face first. I reached the boardroom and backed my way in,
careful not to spill Cameron’s coffee.
“Good on you for joining us.”
I swallowed the panic lodged in my throat and set Cameron’s coffee in front of her, keeping
the other for myself. I turned to the man who’d spoken to me with an apologetic smile.
“My apologies, Mr. Yates,” I said politely.
He waved an uninterested hand at me and looked away. “Shall we begin, gentlemen?” he
said, looking at the rest of the members of the board.
All men, I noted with a frown.
I glanced at Cameron, bemused at the blatant use of the term ‘gentlemen’ when she was
sitting at the same table.
“Then we’ll begin with introductions and the minutes from the previous meeting.”
A small woman cleared her throat and I looked twice. Had she been there when I came in?
“Please say your name for the record,” she squeaked, her voice almost childlike.
Each of the men around the table called their names and status, while the small woman
typed furiously into her laptop.
All eyes fell on Cameron at the end of the roll call, and she sighed.
“Cameron Pierce,” she drawled lazily, her arms folded across her chest, shoulders straight.
“Owner of Pierce Corp and Co., CEO of Pierce Tech.”
A beat of unimpressed silence followed her introduction and she lifted her brows at me.
“O-oh! Uh, Elliot Nash, assistant to Ms. Pierce.”
“A new pet already, Cameron?” Mr. Yates sneered, a self-serving grin emphasizing the
wrinkles on his face. “You go through so many; is it worth taking note of this one’s name?”
“Surely there are more important things at hand, Simon?” Cameron shot back with disdain.
Mr. Yates just chuckled. “Feisty as always. Miriam, read the minutes so we can get going.”
The small women riffled through loose pages before settling on one and reading aloud.
I wouldn’t admit it out loud, but I mentally checked out after the third item.
Cameron sat beside me, unmoving. Her coffee remained untouched in front of her.
I took a sip of mine just to give myself something to do other than stare out of the nearest
window.
The minutes trickled by, the voices in the boardroom uniting into a droning hum. I fidgeted
anxiously, and Cameron noticed.
Without taking her eyes off the director who was speaking, she moved a hand and tapped
her index finger on my notebook.
Tap, tap.
I got the message loud and clear, flipping open my notebook and taking note of what they
were discussing.
Budgets, figures, new acquisitions, new hires, the latest resignations in upper management.
They burned through each topic with a few minutes to spare, until my hand ached around
my pen. By the time the final statements were being recorded a headache prickled at the
corners of my tired eyes.
“That’s it, gentlemen,” Mr. Yates announced, clapping his large hands together. “Until next
time.”
Cameron got to her feet without a word and I followed.
Until Mr. Yates stopped us. “Try and hold onto this one.” He chuckled nastily. “I don’t know
how else you’ll manage without your coffee delivery.”
My face burned, my anger similar to the type I felt when Gina made those comments.
“Mr. Yates,” I said, drawing both his and Cameron’s gaze. “I don’t appreciate having my
position as an assistant disrespected, particularly not in front of Ms. Pierce. I’ll thank you
for refraining from making comments about me or my position.”
I turned, not allowing him to get a word in edgewise, close to Cameron, who walked a few
steps ahead.
We reached the elevator and I breathed a shaky sigh when the doors finally closed.
Cameron chuckled beside me. “You’ve got a brass set there,” she observed with a smirk. In
her eyes, something like pride reflected back at me.
In my panic, my brain took a moment too long to catch up. “A brass set?” I asked numbly.
“Of balls, Elliot.” She laughed outright. “I’m proud.”
“O-oh, uh.” I stumbled, desperately searching for coherent words. “Thank you, Ms. Pierce.”
She just shook her head, that familiar mask of indifference slipping into place.
I chewed the inside of my cheek, watching the numbers overhead slowly rise. I couldn’t
swallow the next words.
“Ms. Pierce, can I ask a question?”
“Hm?”
“With all due respect, Ms. Pierce,” I said, clearing my throat of hesitation, “why are the
board of directors so…” I paused, looking for the right word. “Unlikeable?”
“That’s putting it kindly,” she scoffed.
“I’m sorry if I stepped out of line back there but I couldn’t listen to him talk like that,” I said,
that familiar rage heating my blood. “I was so mad.”
“I’m not going to haul you over the coals for putting him in his place.”
“But why do you allow it?” I pressed, itching to know more. “You could fire them in a
heartbeat, right?”
“There’s a lot more to good business than making money, Elliot,” she said dismissively. “As
much as I can’t stand them and their sexist comments, they provide something I need.”
“What is that?” I asked, and quickly added, “If you don’t mind me asking, Ms. Pierce.”
“They’re men,” she said with a lifeless smile. “Their shares in the company make it more
profitable by virtue of their gender. It’s a hard truth, but I’ve made my peace.”
She shrugged and walked out the second the elevator doors opened, and I watched her go.
Sadness gripped my gut. Even after building an empire as large as hers, she was still
fighting to keep it.
Once back in her office, Cameron took a sip of her coffee and grimaced.
Cold, I guessed.
Shit.
“I’ll go and grab anoth-”
“Sit,” she instructed. “We have work to do. Coffee can wait.”
I did as she instructed, my fingers curled around my notebook.
“I’ve adjusted my schedule,” she said, opening something on her computer. “And yours as
well.”
“My schedule, Ms. Pierce?” I clarified, blinking in confusion.
“I’ve emailed both to you,” she said, not bothering to answer my question. “Make sure
you’re familiar with it. It’s in effect as of tomorrow.”
“Of course, Ms. Pierce,” I agreed, wondering what the hell any of it meant.
It was only later, when I was finally home, that my disbelief found its voice.
“Five in the morning, Reese!” I cried, turning my iPad to show her the ludicrous schedule
Cameron had sent me. “Which means I’ll have to be up by at least three-thirty to make it
into the city on time!”
Reese took my iPad from me and set it aside, holding my hands gently in her own.
“El,” she said seriously, looking me square in the eye, “my love, my bestest friend.”
“Yes?” I asked, almost desperate for her to talk me down from the height of my panic.
“You need to quit,” she said.
“Are you insane?” I half-shrieked, snatching my hands away and burying them in my hair.
“She’d probably lose her shit and then I’m the one who can’t get a job in the city ever
again!”
“But this is too much, El,” Reese insisted, leaning against the armrest of the sofa we shared.
“When are you supposed to sleep? Or, y’know, eat?”
“I don’t know.” I laughed listlessly, suddenly exhausted. “I guess I have to choose one or the
other? Alternate sleep and food every other day? I’m gonna die.”
The door jangled and Noah walked in, carrying two bagfuls of Chinese takeout.
The sight of food had me tearing up immediately.
“Noah,” I whined, reaching my arms out. “You’re my favorite human, you know that, right?”
Noah laughed, setting the food on the kitchen table and walked into the cramped living
room. They kissed Reese before turning to me, wearing a roguish smile.
“You only say shit like that when I’m holding food,” they said, dropping a kiss on the top of
my head anyway. “But I guessed you’d need a pick me up after the last few weeks.”
“You’re the greatest.” I pouted, turning a glare on Reese. “Why aren’t you two married yet?”
“Why are you asking me?” Reese gasped.
Noah chuckled from the kitchen. “Because I already said I was ready,” they called.
Reese tutted and jumped off the sofa, marching into the kitchen to yell at her partner. Their
giggles echoed back to the living room a few minutes later, and my heart kind of ached,
wishing I could have that too.
“Anyway,” Reese said, walking back and holding takeout boxes, “what are we gonna do
about this new schedule?”
Noah frowned in thought, sitting on the floor with the coffee table between them and us.
“It’s up to you, El,” they said, shoveling chicken into their mouth. “If it’s really gonna be an
issue, you should talk to Cameron about it.”
“Noah's right.” Reese sighed. She handed me my share and patted my shoulder consolingly.
“The only way to face this is head on. Either you go along with it, or you tell her she’s
crazy.”
“I can’t tell her she’s crazy, Reese.” I frowned, taking a bite of my own food. The warmth
spread all the way to my toes and I sighed in contentment. “She’s not the kind of person you
can just… Talk to.”
“But she’s human, no?” Noah asked. I nodded. “Then you can talk to her.”
I sighed and left the conversation at that. I couldn’t fight it. I had to accept my new
schedule.

I had different thoughts the very next morning, after my phone vibrated at four-thirty.
“Ms. Pierce?” I yawned, as the cab slowly made its way into the city. The traffic flowed
easily, although the number of people up and on the road at this ungodly hour surprised
me.
“I need my laptop,” she said. “Bring it to the gym.”
She hung up and I blinked, groggy thoughts slower than peak hour traffic. With a sigh, I
resigned myself to what would be my longest day yet.
After grabbing Cameron’s laptop from her office, I hailed another cab and made my way to
her gym. My phone told me there were just a few minutes left until five in the morning.
God, this was torture.
I got out at the gym, dragging my feet up entirely too many stairs before pushing the heavy
doors open.
Inside, the lights glared overhead, the high pitched hum of treadmills drowning out what
might have been upbeat dance music. The scent of freshly brewed coffee tingled in my nose
and my mouth watered, craving caffeine.
And my bed.
I squinted my eyes, searching for Cameron.
“Can I help you?”
I tried not to jump and turned to the woman at the reception desk.
“I’m looking for Ms. Pierce,” I said slowly, swallowing a yawn. “She needed her laptop?”
“Sure!” the woman said, way too bright for my sleep-deprived solemness. “She should be in
the yoga studio with her trainer. Right down here on your left.”
I nodded in thanks and shuffled in the direction she’d pointed, keeping my heavy eyes
peeled for any sign of Cameron.
I stopped outside a door that said ‘Yoga Studio 1’ and pushed the door open as quietly as I
could.
“Finally.”
Ah, I recognized that voice.
Cameron stood on the other side of the studio, her chest heaving.
My jaw hit the floor.
She wore tights and a sports bra, her long dark hair pulled into a tight ponytail.
Sweat glistened on her skin, her stomach and chest glittering under the light of the studio. I
fought to tear my eyes from her lithe figure, long and lean and… Strong.
God, I was so done for.
 Chapter 14
More or Less Than Friends
Cameron
The click-clack-click-clack of my heels drilled into my skull as I wore a hole in the floor
pacing the length of my office.
“Ms. Pierce?”
I glanced up, to find Elliot at my door.
“What?”
She flinched at the harsh edge in my voice, but I barely took note of it. “Dorian from
procurement is here to see you,” she said, nervously picking at her nail beds.
“Send him in.”
She disappeared along with any sense of ease.
Dorian walked in a few seconds later, his tailored navy suit a stark contrast to my dark
mood. “Good morning, Ms. Pierce,” he said gravely, folding his hands behind his back.
“Cut the shit, Dorian.” I sighed, taking a seat. “Just tell me what the hell is so important I had
to put off my site visit this morning.”
“I’m doing great, Cam,” he said theatrically, sitting down with an exaggerated flourish.
“How are you doing this fine morning?”
My eye twitched in irritation. “I’m contemplating the need for the Head of Procurement
when all he does is waste my time.”
“Jeez, okay.” He chuckled hollowly. “I get it; not in the haha mood. Anyway… One of my
team members found out that our biggest competitor is looking to get their hands on our
latest designs.”
Dread filled my lungs. “Which they usually do after we release ours at the annual expo,” I
countered, hoping that’s what he meant.
He shook his head and I groaned. “Are they behind this leak?” I sighed, pressing two
fingertips to my temple to ward off the oncoming headache.
“It’s very likely.” He frowned. “They haven’t exactly been clandestine in the past, so there’s
a good chance they’re abandoning any sense of propriety and going ah… What’s the phrase?
Balls to the wall?”
“Why even bother with a pretense? I’m still actively investigating the source of the security
breach; if it was Chroma, why hide?”
“A good question.” Dorian shrugged. “My best guess is they want to avoid any legal issues
or legal pushback at all costs, so they’re covering their tracks. Either way…”
“There’s a mole in the R&D team,” I finished for him.
He nodded, his expression grim.
“Can you verify your source?”
“I can certainly vouch for them,” he said. “They've been on my team for as long as I’ve been
at the company, and they have no interest in subterfuge.”
“Then I need to identify the mole.” My feet tingled restlessly as I stood. “Thanks, Dorian.”
He stood and made a show of bowing low at the hip. “You are most welcome,” he said with
a flourish. He swept out of my office and I had a moment’s peace before Elliot bounced in.
“Ms. Pierce,” she hissed, her face pinched in worry. “There’s been a development on the
R&D team’s timesheets.”
“What is it now?”
I couldn’t take more bad news.
“The timesheets between three and five last Friday have been erased,” she explained, her
mouth tugged into a grimace. “There’s no record of anyone working on anything when the
breach happened.”
“Fuck,” I breathed, lips pursed. “That complicates things. Your suggestion?”
She straightened up a little, puffing her chest out which briefly distracted me from the
chaos.
“I looked into the business archives for similar events and found a private investigation
team that helped you about ten years ago. I think an external investigation would be an
unbiased course of action.”
I hummed in thought, twirling the end of my ponytail through my fingers.
“It’s certainly an option,” I agreed. “Very well; I have a meeting with an external legal team
this week, so run this by Ruth’s team first. Then we can go ahead with contacting the P.I.
team.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce.”
“Elliot.”
She paused in the doorway, turning back to me with those bright, wide eyes.
“It’s Cameron,” I deadpanned.
Her cheeks flushed, a megawatt smile stealing away my breath and leaving me a little dizzy.
“Yes, Cameron.”
My heart thudded in my chest, my own cheeks warm for hours after.

“Cameron?”
“Elliot.”
She cleared her throat and I tore my gaze away from the numbers that blurred together on
the page I held.
“It’s after five,” she pointed out, her gaze drifting to the window behind me. I followed her
line of sight.
Indeed, the city glowed under the burnt orange splash from the setting sun, lights flickering
on as the sky grew darker.
“So it is,” I said. “You may go.”
“Actually,” she hesitated, eyes on the floor, “there’s something I’m hoping you can help me
with.”
I fought to maintain the indifferent expression on my face while my pulse quickened. “And
that would be?”
“This way,” she said, half-turning to the door and waiting for me to follow.
I glanced back at the page in my hands, my mind churning. Fuck it, I thought, setting the
page down and getting to my feet.
I followed her out to the elevator, expecting her to press the call button, but she turned
right instead.
“Over here,” she said, shoving the heavy maintenance door open with a huff.
I eyed her suspiciously for a beat, wondering what the hell she needed my help with, but
followed anyway.
She led me up two flights of cramped stairs, her breaths quick and nervous.
“Elliot, what are we doing in the maintenance staircase?” I asked, exhausted by the second
flight.
“I just need your opinion on something,” she promised.
We reached the top and she heaved the last door open, grabbing a brick on the floor and
using it to keep the door from locking.
“Here we are.”
I blinked at the sudden blur of light before my eyes got used to the dimness before me.
The rooftop towered over the surrounding buildings, high enough that even the chaos of
honking traffic faded away.
In the middle, set among tarped equipment, was a table with two mismatched chairs on
either side. And a bottle of my favorite wine perched between two wine glasses.
Elliot’s gaze prickled the side of my face and I tore my eyes away to look at her.
“You did this?”
She nodded, squeezing her hands anxiously. “You’ve been so stressed lately,” she explained,
breathless with excitement. “And I know you’d never go out for drinks, so I asked Mitch to
help me out. I hope it’s okay. There’s no pressure for you to-”
“It’s perfect,” I murmured, warmth trickling into my chest.
Elliot’s gaze softened and she spared me another wide smile. “Come on!” she insisted, one
of her hands reaching for me before pulling back at the last second.
My responding disappointment was a bucket of ice water, but I followed her, sitting down
opposite her.
“Is this what you do instead of working?” I mused, watching her pour wine into the glasses.
Her hands trembled.
I was so utterly enchanted that I wasn’t sure what to do with myself.
She giggled. “This didn’t take nearly as much time to prepare as anything else I have on my
plate,” she countered playfully. “And even less effort than everything you have going on
right now.”
“Slick,” I teased, oddly light and almost… Effervescent.
“You hired me for a reason.” She chuckled, lifting her glass.
I raised my own to hers, the soft clink echoing between us like a precious secret.
One I didn’t want to share.
“Lucky you,” I poked, taking a sip of the wine.
Her shoulders shook with laughter, and I stared in wonder at this young woman who
shared her joy so effortlessly. As if it didn’t cost a thing.
The event had gone off without a hitch and it warmed my heart to see the pride in Elliot’s
eyes grow as the night drew to a close. There had been hiccups of course, but we’d sorted
them out together, leaning on each other’s strengths.
I’d never had that experience with assistant. It was something I’d only felt with my friends.
“Indeed,” she said. “I’m very lucky you haven’t fired me, yet.”
“I resent that.” I chuckled lightly. “You gave me plenty of reasons at first. And yet, I’ve
abstained, long enough that you’ve outlasted the others.”
She choked on her sip of wine and pressed her fingers to her mouth, drawing my heated
gaze.
“I have?”
I nodded, eyes still fixed on the red stain in the seam of her soft lips.
“I was just as shocked,” I told her, turning away and taking another sip of wine.
Her glass clinked softly as she set it down on the table, pulling her hands back and hiding
them on her lap. “Ah, I wasn’t supposed to talk about work.” She sighed.
I turned back to look at her. “Why not?”
“This is supposed to be a work-free zone,” she insisted, her hands outlining the shape of a
box. She still wouldn’t look at me. “And I messed it up.”
“Why can’t you talk about work?” I pressed, leaning forward on my elbows.
The blush in her cheeks darkened. “I’m supposed to help you unwind,” she explained.
“Talking about work will do the opposite.”
“I’d say you’re doing a pretty good job of helping me unwind.”
She pressed her lips together and looked down again, the corners of her lips quivering.
Whether it was the fatigue crawling into my limbs or the wine loosening my tongue, I spoke
freely. Here, there was no need for pretenses, no walls or masks. It was just her and me.
High above the rest of the city, we shared a glass of wine.
And something more, I hoped.

“Perhaps it would be better to let this play out.”

“This leak isn’t something we can allow to just play out,” I said through gritted teeth.
“But, Ms. Pierce-”
“I will not allow this breach to jeopardize the next six months,” I insisted, my arms folded
tightly across my chest.
Elliot sat beside me, furiously taking notes.
The paralegal, Dave, if I remembered correctly, fell silent. His blue eyes flitted to the chief
legal officer.
“I understand your hesitation,” she said, her fingers steepled in front of her. “But at the
moment, there is very little we can do to assist. There is very little evidence of the breach
apart from a bit of code. It will hardly stand up in a lawsuit. Moreover, we don’t even know
who the culprit is.”
“I’m not telling you to set up a lawsuit around a ‘bit of code’, Nadia,” I said coldly. “I’m
telling you that waiting this out will not yield favorable results. My company will lose
millions in revenue, not to mention the internal costs of this new range of products. I will
not allow my employees to suffer.”
“There is nothing we can do at this stage to step in.” Nadia sighed.
Frustration clawed at my lungs. I pushed up from my seat, hands flat on the table in front of
me.
“Then I have no use for you.”
I walked out without another word, focused only on the scurry of Elliot’s footsteps as she
hastened to catch up.
“There’s no need to involve them further,” I snapped, anger gripping my throat. “I want an
external legal team for this investigation, am I clear?”
“Yes, Ms. Pier- ah, Cameron,” Elliot stuttered, scribbling away in her notebook.
I reached out to press the call button, desperate to give my hands something to do, but
Elliot beat me to it.
I bit my tongue, turning away.
Silly, I thought. To snap at her for something she always does.
The elevator arrived and I walked in before the doors had fully opened, my internal
monologue a mess of irritation and suppressed grief.
Of all the days for this shit to reach a pinnacle.
My son’s face burned into the darkness of my eyelids.
Just two years…
“Cameron,” Elliot murmured, “would you like me to reschedule the rest of your afternoon? I
can move your two o’clock to tomorrow-”
“I’m perfectly fine to work,” I snapped, my voice like a whip in the enclosed space. “Focus
on your own job and stop worrying about mine.”
She ducked her head and said nothing else.
The doors slid open and she made to follow me when I stopped her. “I don’t need you for
the rest of the day.”
 Chapter 15
At Arm’s Length
Elliot
The muffled dialogue from the TV washed over me as I stared at nothing in particular.
I’d long since forgotten what the movie was about, and my popcorn bowl sat on the coffee
table, cold and forgotten.
Reese giggled beside me, crunching away on her own popcorn.
A part of me figured the movie was funny. Not that it did much to hold my attention. My
thoughts chased themselves around my head, each of them focused on Cameron.
Her smile and laughter from our time on the rooftop twisted into the sharp iciness of her
words that left me fighting a serious case of whiplash.
I sighed for the third time, my legs curled up to my chest on the sofa.
“For Christ’s sake, El,” Reese groaned, exasperation stretching her syllables. “All you keep
doing is sighing and groaning, what’s going on?”
I opened my mouth to reply but she cut me off. “And if you say nothing, so help me God, I
will hurt you.”
I sighed again and was immediately met by a pillow to the face.
“Hey!”
“Stop sighing and start talking,” Reese warned, the pillow cocked back for a second swing.
“Okay, okay!” I gave in, hands raised in surrender and hoping she wouldn’t hit me again.
“I’ll talk. Jesus.”
She lowered the pillow but glared at me, pointing two fingers at her eyes and then at me in
an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture.
I swallowed another sigh, my shoulders slumped in defeat. “It’s just,” I paused, and
searched for the right word. “It’s Cameron.”
“It’s always Cameron,” Reese deadpanned.
I sent her a withering glance before continuing, “This is different,” I said, grabbing the
nearest throw pillow and hugging it to my chest. “She’s always been cold and distant, right?
But over the last week or so, she’s kinda warmed up to me. At least, that’s what it feels like.”
“So, what’s the issue?” Reese prompted.
I looked at her, cheeks blazing.
“A few days ago,” I hesitated, suddenly shy, “she was really stressed at work and I wanted
to do something nice for her.”
“Wow, what a great assistant you are.”
“Shush!” I hissed, ignoring the flutter in my chest. “Anyway, I called down to maintenance
and asked for some help to set something up.”
I stopped, my heart beating a little faster as the memories played over in my head.
“And?” Reese pushed.
“And I kinda planned a little rooftop drinks-thing,” I explained, mortified at the flush in my
face and neck.
Reese blinked at me. “El, you hopeless romantic.” She simpered, pouting at me mockingly.
“No, that’s not how it is,” I insisted, wanting nothing more than to bury my face in the
pillow I was hugging. “I was just trying to help!”
“Yeah, but that’s not how platonic employees do that,” Reese countered, tapping my nose
with a finger. “You, my friend, are smitten.”
“I’m not smitten, Reese,” I grumbled. “And it wouldn’t matter anyway.”
“Why not?”
I frowned, replaying the last day over in my head.
“I thought we were doing better,” I explained. “I thought that we were at least getting past
the whole awkward dislike phase, y’know? But she just snapped at me outta nowhere
yesterday.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ugh.” I groaned, rubbing my temples. “I’m just overthinking again.”
“Hey,” Reese said, her hand warm on my back where she rubbed gentle circles. “You’re not
overthinking. Whatever you’re feeling is valid, okay? So why don’t you tell me what
happened? Maybe I can help.”
I doubted that.
Cameron’s sudden ire came out of nowhere, but I was convinced I’d earned it somehow.
“She told me to call her by her first name again.” I frowned. “And I thought we were getting
closer, like maybe we could at least be friends or something. But after she snapped at me… I
just shut down. I don’t know what to do. I can’t even think about seeing her again, I’m so
embarrassed.”
“Why would you be embarrassed for something she did?”
“I think,” I paused again, my face hot, “I think I may have feelings for her.”
I waited for Reese to dig into me about workplace relationships or at least tease me again.
But she smiled.
“Yeah, and?”
“Whaddaya mean and?” I sniffed.
Reese chuckled. “El, you’re as subtle as a bull in a china shop.”
“I don’t think that’s how the idiom goes,” I countered defensively.
“You’re deflecting,” she sang. “Who cares if you have feelings for her? Just stop letting that
brain of yours run off with the worst possible scenario.”
“But what do I even do now?” I groaned, burying my face in my hands.
Reese looked at me for a long moment, her lips pursed in thought. “I think you should just
focus on work,” she said finally. “Give her time to work through whatever she’s got going
on, and just keep your head down in the meantime.”
“Reese,” I mumbled, the corners of my mouth pulling down into a frown. “Why did I have to
develop feelings for my boss?”
Reese laughed and pulled me into a hug, the pillow stuffed between our bodies. “Because
you just love making things difficult for yourself, El.”

“Have there been any updates on the erasure?”

We glanced at each other over the tops of our laptops, huddled together in his office.
Ricky shook his head, his leg bouncing anxiously under the desk. “None yet,” he whined, his
forehead creased in worry. “And I honestly have no idea where to go from here.”
I chewed on my lower lip, brow furrowed. “There isn’t much we can do,” I told him.
I couldn’t breathe a word about Cameron’s private investigators; there had to be no
interference whatsoever, otherwise it was all pointless.
Expensive, but pointless.
“I just can’t believe someone on my team would do this.” He frowned, glancing through the
soundproof glass of his office wall.
The lab bustled with movement, researchers flitting from monitor to monitor while their
team leaders supervised them.
“I’m sorry, Ricky,” I said quietly. “I can’t imagine this has been easy for you.”
“It really hasn’t.” He sighed. “But work is work, yeah? As much as I don’t want to believe
one of my team members would do something to jeopardize the company, I have to accept
it and get to the bottom of it.”
I admired him for his tenacity.
Cameron had snapped at me and I immediately crawled into myself and wished to
disappear.
Reese’s words floated to the front of my mind and I hummed. ‘If you feel something for her,
then accept it and deal with it head on.’
“Easy for you to say,” I mumbled dispassionately. Reese had never been bad at
relationships. Love came as naturally to her as insecurities came to me.
“Pardon?”
“Uh, nothing, sorry,” I said through a forced smile. “Just thinking out loud.”
“Right,” he said, going back to his laptop.
The awkward silence stretched on and I ached to leave. But facing Cameron seemed a far
worse punishment, so I stayed.
“I think we should interview the R&D teams individually.” I sighed. “It’s not ideal, but
there’s no other lead right now.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” He frowned. “As much as I hate to do it, it’s the only course.
Interviewing everyone will at least make it fair, even if I don’t want them all to think I
suspect them.”
“I’m really sorry, Ricky,” I said. “I wish there was something else we could do.”
“It’s unavoidable.” He shrugged. “Anyway, shouldn’t you be getting back to Ms. Pierce?
You’ve been here almost all day.”
I cringed. “You’re probably right,” I conceded, closing my laptop and gathering my things.
“I’ll be in touch.”
“Thanks for your help, Elliot!” Ricky called as I left.
I dragged my feet through the lab, eyes focused on the door on the other side. I’d been able
to sequester myself in Ricky’s office for as long as possible to avoid Cameron, but I wasn’t
ready to go back.
Throwing myself into the investigation was all I could do. It was the only thing I could
control and even that slipped through my fingers.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
I paused, my thoughts scattering as I recognized the owner of that voice.
“Gina?”
She smiled at me, her grin sheepish. “Could we talk?” she asked, and I frowned in disbelief.
“After what you had to say the last time we spoke, I can’t say I’m interested in hearing
anything else,” I scoffed, frustration and shame intermingling in my gut.
”Please,” she implored, jogging to catch up to me. “I know I said some stupid shit, but I want
to apologize.”
“Go ahead,” I said expectantly.
“Not here,” she whispered, casting a glance from side to side.
I reluctantly followed her into the hallway, just outside the lab. “Well?” I prompted. Unease
coiled in my gut, telling me to leave.
“Look,” she said, straightfaced and monotone. “I’m sorry for saying all that shit the other
day, okay?”
“Is that supposed to be a sincere apology?” I blinked, brows climbing to my hairline. “I don’t
buy it.”
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Can you blame me?” she asked in exasperation. “It’s only
since you showed up that Pierce has even deigned to visit us peasants down here.”
“And why the fuck would that have anything to do with me?” I hissed, feeling infinitely
small.
“Please,” Gina intoned. “You’re pretty, but obviously not stupid.”
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, disappearing behind the double doors
of the lab.
I glared at the doors, my skin prickling with shame and disgust.

Cameron
My fingers tapped impatiently over the keyboard, the keys clicking in time with each tap.
“Where the fuck is she?” I muttered unhappily.
I craned my neck to get a view of her empty desk through the glass window next to my
door. Her screensaver flickered back at me, mocking me.
The silence stretched on forever, somehow louder than the brief moments she’d spent
avoiding my gaze that morning.
Her sudden withdrawal vexed me.
I reached for my phone, intent on calling her when I heard the muffled ding of the elevator
doors.
Without thinking, I got to my feet and walked to the door, almost wrenching it off its hinges.
Elliot jumped, her eyes going wide as they landed on me.
“Where have you been?” I demanded.
“I was down in R&D with Ricky,” she murmured, her voice barely audible.
I frowned and glanced at my watch. “It’s already the end of the day,” I pointed out
needlessly.
She nodded. “Sorry, Ms. Pierce.” She lifted her head and looked anywhere else but at me.
“I didn’t ask for an apology, Elliot,” I drawled, searching her face for any signs.
There had to be a reason why my usually chatty assistant had suddenly clammed up, right?
“There were no updates on the investigation,” she said, moving to her desk and setting her
laptop and notebook down. “Ricky is going to interview the whole department.”
“Elliot, is there a reason you’re avoiding me?”
Her jaw snapped shut and her gaze fell to the floor once more.
So I was right.
“Well?” I prompted.
Her phone vibrated and she lunged for it.
“Ooh, I need to fetch your dinner order, Ms. Pierce!”
She pocketed her phone and whirled around, damn near sprinting back to the elevator.
“Wait, Elliot!” I called, but she slipped inside before I could say anything else.
Brow furrowed, I wondered why the hell she was acting so bizarrely.
With one last glance at the purse she’d forgotten to take with her, I walked back into my
office and shut the door.
 Chapter 16
Making Amends and Other Mistakes
Cameron
Guilt gnawed at my insides and the words on my screen blurred together before my
attention drifted off… Back to Elliot.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair with a huff. What the hell was going on?
Elliot sat typing away at her keyboard, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in my head.
Something happened, and I felt like an idiot for being stuck in the dark.
I lifted my office phone off the hook, dialing Elliot’s phone.
“Ms. Pierce’s office, Elliot speaking,” she answered, her voice sweet and friendly.
I dragged in a quick breath and exhaled. “Come to my office,” I said stoically. “I don’t feel
like yelling.”
I hung up, my gut twisting anxiously as the seconds ticked by.
She walked in, flattening the nonexistent creases in her skirt.
Black today, I noted, where she usually wore charcoal gray. Her skirt wrapped around her
hips and thighs in ways I wished I could.
I cleared my throat and my head.
“I need to get out of the office,” I said, distracted by the way her golden hair fell over her
shoulders. “Get Hayden on the line. I want to meet her for lunch.”
Elliot nodded, but turned around quickly.
I couldn’t fault her moment of confusion. I always called Hayden if I wanted to meet her,
and Elliot knew that.
She reached a hand up to close the door and I stopped her.
“Leave it,” I said.
Some part of me urgently needed to remove any physical barriers between us.
She left without speaking a single word. Her sudden silence was jarring and left a foul taste
behind in place of her laughter and chatter.
I hated how much it bugged me even more.
“I have to get in touch with the PI team. Postpone two events and meet with the lawyers
about the NazTech acquisition…”
In agitation, I shoved away from my desk, got to my feet, and walked out. “I’ll meet Hayden
at our usual spot.”
She said nothing and I could only assume she’d heard and understood.

I glared at Hayden, fidgeting with the straw in my iced tea.

“What happened, Cam? I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“I needed air.” I frowned at the melting ice cubes floating at the top of my glass. “The office
was stifling.”
Hayden pursed her lips in thought, her fingertips toying with one of her chestnut brown
braids.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek for a moment before exhaling.
My chest squeezed uncomfortably. “I feel like I’ve done something wrong and I don’t know
what it is. I want to fix it, but I don’t know how.”
Hayden reached across the table and squeezed my hand gently. “I don’t know what
happened,” she said sincerely. “And you don’t have to tell me. But I think that if you feel like
you need to make amends, then you should.”
I stirred my drink with my straw. The ice cubes clinked against each other and the glass.
“It’s not something I can just apologize for; I don’t even know what I did.”
Hayden frowned. “You probably snapped at her while under pressure. Elliot hasn’t been
around you long enough to know it's not personal.”
I thought back, remembering how cold I’d been toward her after we heard about the plans
to steal our designs and wondering if that was it.
“Instead of trying to figure out what you did, just let her know that you’re open to talk
about it,” Hayden suggested. “Take her out to lunch, where there’s no work and you can just
talk.”
“I’ll figure something out,” I told Hayden in defeat, too tired to press the matter.
After lunch, I lost my train of thought staring at the flowing traffic through the tinted car
window.
“Will you be needing the car this weekend, Ms. Pierce?” Daniel asked, shaking me from my
daydream.
“Hm?” I responded, slow to catch up. “Oh, no, Daniel, thank you.”
The last time I’d needed the car over the weekend was when I went up to the manor in the
Hamptons-
“Actually,” I said, sitting up straighter. “I will need the car.”

“When you said ‘on-site inspection’, I didn’t think you meant this.”
I glanced at Elliot, whose wide eyes scanned every inch of the façade in front of us.
“It’s one of our most recent acquisitions,” I lied and watched the awe dance in her eyes. “It’s
been closed to the public for over a decade, but Taylor wants to renovate it. Turn it into a
resort.”
“Why is it a Pierce acquisition then?” Elliot craned her neck to look up at the stone pillars
reaching high into the arch above.
“I have the resources and funding to do the leg work,” I said, following her gaze for a
moment. “And Taylor says she trusts my judgment on investments.”
With an impressed frown, Elliot fell silent.
I realized it would take some work to get her to the same comfort level she’d been
previously.
“It’s an old piece of architecture. Built some three hundred years ago as a political
stronghold before being turned into a speakeasy during the prohibition.”
Elliot lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the early morning sun, her pale blue dress
swaying gently in the warm breeze. “I always thought resorts were beach destinations.” She
walked closer to the cracked stone stairs. “I guess people enjoy different things.”
“Daniel will bring your things in,” I called, pulling a hair tie off my wrist and tying my hair
back. “You can freshen up and we’ll have breakfast on the terrace in an hour.”
She nodded and followed Daniel inside.
I watched her go, heart thumping hard against the inside of my ribcage.

Elliot
My heart ran rampant.
The manor looked more like a home than a building being renovated into a resort. Every
corner bore Cameron’s signature taste, and I wondered if that’s what Taylor wanted.
“Here you go, El,” Daniel said with a friendly smile, opening a door and stepping back to let
me in.
“Thanks, Daniel.” I smiled back, walking in and pausing.
This couldn’t be a resort in the making… A large silver chandelier hung from the center of
the high ceiling and crystal tear drops dripped from the light fixtures. At the far end of the
room, an ebony four poster bed the size of my room back home commanded the space.
Thick, plush rugs covered the pristine white tiles, leading to a small living room and
fireplace.
I slowly turned back to Daniel. “This is my room?” I asked in disbelief.
He nodded. “Enjoy,” he said, turning on his heel and disappearing down the hallway.
“Wait… What if I get lost?” I said, taking a half-step forward.
Grumbling to myself, I pulled out my phone and begrudgingly dialed Cameron’s number.
“Are you ready?”
I jumped at the voice, my phone almost slipping from my fingers as I spun around.
Cameron was casually leaning against the door frame.
Heat flooded my core and cheeks. My eyes snagged on the way her linen pants hugged the
curve of her hips.
“Yes, Ms. Pierce.”
She jerked her head and I followed her, determined to look anywhere else but at her.
She led me out onto the terrace. A huge azure umbrella was set up over a white wrought-
iron breakfast table, laden with fruits, coffee, and baked goods.
My stomach growled and Cameron chuckled.
“Sit,” she said, taking a seat. “And eat.”
I obeyed, anxiously picking at the fruits and watching Cameron closely.
Her hair was held back by a pair of expensive sunglasses. She took a bite out of a plum, her
eyes trained on something far in the distance.
Mine were trained on the glistening juice on her lips. Her tongue licked away the excess.
A whole weekend of this, I thought. Of being painfully attracted to my boss. And not being
able to do anything about it.
My cheeks rosy with wine, I giggled, telling Cameron a story about my roommate.
The day had passed uneventfully, with Cameron giving me a personal tour of the manor
and eating lunch in the massive banquet hall downstairs.
Two empty wine bottles sat on the coffee table in front of us.
“The whole bowl?” Cameron blinked in disbelief, her cheeks as red as her lips. I stared at
them while humming in response.
She sat on the sofa with one leg crossed over the other, and I sat on the floor, my legs folded
beneath me.
I’d argued that spilling red wine on the white sofa would be the most expensive thing I’d
ever do and took up a spot on the floor.
I hoped tipsy Elliot would realize that, because all I cared about was the soft glow of
Cameron’s skin in the light of the fireplace. She’d had it lit just because I’d told her I‘d never
had one.
Cameron leaned forward, her face suddenly much closer. “Did she at least eat all of it?”
For a long moment I said nothing, too preoccupied with her proximity.
“Ahh, no, she only had a few bites.” I chuckled, willing common sense into my mouth.
We’d spent the day talking, and slowly but surely, that wall between us whittled away.
“What a pity,” Cameron remarked, and I nodded, hooked on the dark red wine stain on her
lips.
“It was,” I said needlessly, my gaze fixed on her mouth. “I didn’t even get to taste it.”
“Is that what you want?”
“Hm?”
Cameron’s face grew closer, her eyes dark above rosy cheeks.
Gently, she pried the wine glass from my hand and I let go willingly, breathless when her
fingertips grazed the back of my hand.
One of her hands stopped a hair’s breadth from my face. Her skin was warm, and I wanted
to feel more.
“What do you want, Elliot?”
Her tongue curved around my name and the heat in my gut pushed me forward without
thought.
I crashed my lips to hers, desperate to drink the taste of wine from her tongue, my hands
reaching up, but not quite grasping.
Reality hit me all at once, colder than ice, and I pulled away in embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry….” I babbled, my tongue heavy.
Cameron cut my apology short, swallowing my slurred words with a burning hunger that I
quivered beneath.
Her fingers buried themselves in my hair, her fingertips gentle on my scalp, and I gladly
melted into her touch.
Because this, this was everything I thought it would be.
Her lips moved with mine, clumsy from the wine but just as hot. The softness of her mouth
on my own sent ripples of pleasure through me.
One of my hands held her wrist as if I might float away without her there to anchor me.
When the tip of her tongue, wet and warm, brushed along the seam of my lips, I thought I’d
pass out.
My lips parted, her tongue licked into my mouth and pleasure curled in my gut. I whined.
The ache in my craned neck was uncomfortable, and she slid to the floor beside me without
breaking the kiss.
She murmured something, but all I could hear was the thrash of my own heart and the rush
of blood in my ears. My fingers trembled and I wanted to ask for more, beg for more.
Without a single thought, my mouth formed the words before I could.
“Ms. Pierce,” I breathed. And froze.
I sucked in a dizzying breath, my lips parted because what had I just done?!
“I-” I gasped, pulling away and falling onto my ass.
Confusion and worry swirled in her dark eyes, and it only made me feel worse.
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Pierce.”
I didn’t let her speak, I couldn’t. I didn’t want to hear her console me for my stupid mistake.
I didn’t want to be scolded either.
I stumbled to my feet and ran.
 Chapter 17
Back to Reality
Elliot
The weekend at the manor ended as abruptly as I’d ended the kiss, and reality hit me
square in the face on Monday morning.
“Have the private investigators report back to me by no later than Wednesday morning,”
Cameron said disinterestedly, her focus on her computer rather than me.
I was grateful…
My fingers fidgeted with the end of the soft tie of my blouse, my gaze erratic as it darted
from Cameron’s stern face to my notepad.
I didn’t want the harshness of her attention on me, even if her attention was exactly what
I’d been craving.
“Yes, Ms. Pierce.”
“And make sure Ricky’s done what he needs to,” she added, pushing her glasses higher on
her nose. “I don’t want him dragging his feet during the interviews.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce.”
“I’ll be going out for lunch and then work from home.” Her fingers danced on the glass of
water beside her, tapping away impatiently. “So you can go home once I leave for lunch.”
“I’m sorry?”
Cameron turned her gaze to me and I balked.
Pterodactyls erupted in my stomach, the timid flutters turning to full blown somersaults
when her eyes met mine.
The memory of the kiss came hurtling to the front of my mind, ignoring the barricades I’d
tried to put up. I swallowed hard, my cheeks hot with the phantom touch of her lips.
Something in her gaze softened, and her shoulders loosened a bit.
“I said you can go home for lunch,” she repeated.
“Is- is that okay?” I frowned, uncertain because she had to be kidding. “I can clear your
schedule for the afternoon so that you don’t have to worry about work.”
“That won’t be necessary. I have plenty I need to catch up on.”
A lie. An unnecessary one, at that.
I knew her schedule better than anyone, so why would she lie when she’s never fallen
behind schedule?
I nodded anyway, making a note of it in my notebook.
“Will you be attending the NazTech acquisition meeting this morning?” I asked, keeping my
head bowed.
“It isn’t necessary,” she drawled, her keyboard clicking under her fingers. I looked up. “But I
enjoy catching them off guard when they think I won’t be around. We’ll leave in ten
minutes.”
I couldn’t help the small, rueful grin on my face at the veiled mischief in her words. She’d
become comfortable around me, comfortable enough to joke every now and then.
I thought we’d at least become friends – Until I kissed her.
That sobered me up instantly.
I closed my notebook, got to my feet, and walked back to my desk.
“Close the door.”
My heart sank a little at the command as I shut the door.
With a muted sigh, I sat down at my desk, fighting the urge to bury my face in my hands.
A tiny ache panged through my chest, a nasty mixture of guilt, shame, and regret. For the
first time in a long while, I couldn’t wait to get home.

“M-Ms. Pierce! We weren’t expecting you to join us!”

“Which is exactly why I’m here, Ron.” Cameron made herself comfortable at the head of the
boardroom table.
I sat to her right, setting her laptop out in front of her and opening the NazTech folder on
the company server.
“Right,” Ron answered, unbalanced by Cameron’s surprise visit. “Shall we begin?”
He rustled around in his briefcase, pulling out a stack of papers and setting it on the table.
“There are copies of the proposed contract for each of you to read through and approve,”
Ron explained, passing the contracts along the line of surly businessmen. “You would have
received them electronically as well, in preparation for this meeting.”
There were grumbles from a few of the men, each of them wearing masks of disinterest.
“Why do these documents stipulate a merger instead of an acquisition?” Cameron asked
coldly.
The room fell silent, the shuffling of paper the only sound for a tense moment.
“Beg your pardon, Ms. Pierce?” Ron asked nervously.
His forced smile desperately tried to hide his panic, and failed.
“I distinctly recall signing for an acquisition,” Cameron said, tossing the contract onto the
table toward him.
My heart skipped a beat.
“And yet this contract details a mutually agreed merger. As a majority shareholder in this
company, I’d like to know why you’re attempting a congeneric merger with a company
whose turnover is six times less than ours.”
Ron’s mouth flapped uselessly, sweat beading on his brow. His pudgy skin grew darker the
longer Cameron stared at him.
“If you have nothing further to add,” Cameron drawled, “Elliot, contact my lawyers and
have them draw up an acquisition contract. I want it forwarded to Ron and his team, after
which I will discuss the minutiae with the CEO and operating board over at NazTech
myself.”
I nodded, stealing a glance at Cameron’s stony expression.
I wondered if she knew what Ron had been planning, or if she may have sensed his mistake.
She got to her feet without another word and walked out.
I grabbed her laptop and followed her, head bent over my notebook.
The silence between us stretched, awkward and uncomfortable, but I just had to know…
“Did you know Ron would do that?” I asked carefully, keeping my gaze on the flashing
numbers inside the elevator.
“What?” she prompted. “That he’d try to undermine me?” A scoff. “He’s been trying for
years; it’s expected at this point.”
“Why not fire him?” I pressed, before remembering what she’d said about the board of
directors.
“It’s good business.” She sighed, glancing at her watch. “He has invaluable connections, and
he closes deals. If I have to step in to ensure he remembers his place every now and then,
it's a small price to pay.”
I frowned.
Business had always seemed cutthroat to me. And Cameron’s company proved that you
were always surrounded by bloodthirst and poison, constantly prowling in the shadows.
Waiting for the opportune moment to attack and yet…
I glanced at Cameron again, unfazed and polished as ever.
Cameron handled it all so effortlessly. She wore the responsibility like a Burberry coat.
“You can pack up,” she said, shoving me back to the present.
I blinked.
“Will you be leaving for lunch early?”
“My business is my own,” she replied simply, and I pressed my lips together with a nod.
I couldn't say that didn’t hurt.
Our conversation ended there, and she closed the door behind her as she walked into her
office.
I stared at the closed door, wondering if the weekend had happened at all.

“You’re home early,” Reese said by way of greeting. Her smile dropped. “Did she fire you?!”
“No.” I sighed, tired and hungry.
I set my purse on the small counter in the little entrance way, shucking my heels off
gratefully.
“She went to lunch and then she’s working from home. Said she wouldn’t need me.”
I shuffled further into the apartment. The kitchen was a mess. Pots and pans piled high in
the sink, the smell of stir fry and egg-fried noodles wafting toward me.
“Did you cook for the whole block?” I questioned her, eyeing the spices that had been left
out on the countertops.
Reese slurped on a mouthful of noodles and grinned.
“I didn’t think anyone would be home to see the mess,” she countered defensively. “There’s
still some left on the stove.”
“Thanks.” I yawned, walking past the living room and heading to my room. “I’ll eat after I
shower.”
I moved on autopilot while I showered and pulled on a pair of shorts and an old T-shirt.
“Here,” Reese called, tapping a bowl full of food on the coffee table in front of her. “You
hopeless little romantic.”
I dropped onto the floor next to her and leaned on her, too tired to hug her properly.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, reaching for the bowl and shoveling a forkful into my mouth.
“You wanna talk about what’s going on?” Reese turned to face me. “Or are you just gonna
mope around like this all day?”
I swallowed. “Why can’t you bug Noah?” I asked miserably. “Are they still at work?”
Reese hummed.
“Double shift,” she explained, before tapping a finger on my nose. “Stop avoiding the
question.”
I sighed, staring at the food in my hands, my appetite vanishing the longer I thought about
it.
“I’m so confused,” I told her, not lifting my eyes to meet hers. “I feel like my head spins
every time I think about Cameron.”
“I’m not surprised.” Reese hummed. “She’s not exactly what I picture when I think about
your type.”
“Right?” I whined. “But she’s beautiful, and she’s funny when no one else is around, and I’m
falling for her, but I don’t want to. And we… I kissed her at the manor, and now she’s even
more distant than she was before-”
“Woah, woah, woah,” Reese interrupted, both hands up, confusion scrawled across her
freckles. “Run that last bit by me again.”
My jaw snapped shut, cheeks ablaze. “The kiss?”
“You kissed?! How was I not informed?” she shrieked. “How was it? What happened?”
“Reese, please, I’m in the middle of a crisis here,” I pleaded. “I’ll give you the details some
other time, okay?”
Reese deflated a little, but nodded anyway, serious now.
“So you’re confused coz she’s being off and you’re still into her?”
“In a manner of speaking,” I deflected. “I just… I don’t even know if it was real; it feels like it
was a fever dream. Like I had too much wine and conjured this elaborate lie.”
“I know it’s probably the last thing you want to hear,” Reese said through a sigh. “But it’s
something you have to talk to her about. It wouldn’t be a big deal if you didn’t feel anything
for her, but you could ruin your job if you don’t say anything. Besides, who knows; she
might expect things like that from you in the future.”
“No,” I said immediately. “Cameron’s not like that.”
“Still,” Reese insisted. “Talk to her. For your own sake.”

Taking Reese’s advice was easier said than done.

With barely three hours of sleep, I rushed to work an hour too early, to wait on tenterhooks
until Cameron arrived.
Every minute that crawled by threatened to steal more and more of my resolve, until I was
sure my voice would die the moment Cameron stepped off the elevator.
I fixed my jacket, tying and re-tying my hair until my fingers ached with anxiety.
The elevator dinged quietly and I jumped to my feet, heart hammering hard.
“Good morning, Ms. Pierce,” I said breathlessly, heat climbing up my chest and throat.
She hummed in response and I followed her into her office. She set her things down while I
shuffled from foot to foot nervously.
“Is there something you need?” she asked, noticing my anxiousness.
“Yes, actually,” I said, forcing my voice to steady. “I need to talk to you.”
She sat down, her expression unreadable. “About what?”
“The weekend,” I started, clearing my throat.
Cameron turned to her computer, brow furrowed. “What about it?”
I frowned, a slew of emotions welled up inside because… Was she denying it ever
happened?
“The weekend at your manor,” I clarified, palms tingling with anxiety. She quirked a brow
but still wouldn’t look at me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, nonchalant but impatient. “But I’m sure
there are more important tasks to focus on at the moment. Perhaps one of those deserves
your attention.”
“I think you know what I’m talking about,” I told her, watching her jaw tick.
“No, I don’t, Elliot,” she snapped, her gaze fixed on the computer screen. “Nothing happened
this weekend.”
Her words were an icy knife twisting in my chest. “I remember it very differently.”
Cameron’s lips pressed into a hard line, her frustration almost palpable, and I didn’t want
to hear whatever it was she was about to say.
I took a breath. The next words came out in a rush. “I want to apologize for crossing the line
when I kissed you.”
Cameron blinked, her expression unchanged.
“I love this job and I don’t want to risk jeopardizing it,” I continued, ignoring the tremor in
my limbs. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me because of what I did, but I’m
also a little confused because you’re acting like it didn’t happen at all.”
Cameron’s brow quirked, and panic gripped my chest.
I spoke again before she could say anything. “Anyway… I just wanted to apologize for acting
inappropriately.”
I paused for a beat, one final question poised on my tongue. But I swallowed it and left,
closing the door behind me.
‘Idiot,’ I thought. ‘Why would she tell me if she enjoyed kissing me?’
 Chapter 18
The Feather that Broke the Camel’s Back
Cameron
“Where’s the next stop?”
Elliot cleared her throat softly before she spoke. “The D’Artanian Art Gallery. You funded
the artist’s very first exhibit.”
“Ah, yes,” I hummed, staring at nothing in particular. “Madeline, I remember.”
“After that, you’re making an appearance at the tech museum opening.”
I nodded. Ever since she apologized for that kiss, my mind had been in a state of chaos.
“What time will we arrive back at the office?”
“Just after six, if the traffic isn’t too heavy.”
The exhaustion shone clear as day on Elliot’s face. And yet, when I eyed the black cocktail
dress she wore, she was as gorgeous as ever.
She sat beside me, back straight and shoulders back, her chin high as though she was going
to war. It was endearing.
I got out of the car at the art gallery and walked through the anxious audience waiting
patiently for the doors to open. Elliot stuck close by, the scent of her perfume as familiar as
my own.
The curator led us through the exhibit.
I congratulated the artist, who’d worked her life away to support her dream.
My attention constantly turned back to Elliot, who studied Madeline’s work.
I wondered what life she’d led, to have rarely experienced the things I took for granted.
“Ms. Pierce?”
The sound of Elliot’s voice shook me from my thoughts. I made a show of turning to look at
her.
She leaned in and so did I. Our faces were so close, I could hear the faintest wobble in her
breath. “We need to leave for the museum.” She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
I nodded, not quite pulling away as I said, “Get the car.”
We left once Daniel brought the car around.
“Would you like me to order your dinner when we arrive at the office?” Elliot’s voice was
barely a whisper.
I nodded, watching her hit ‘send’ on the order she’d already typed before asking me.
When we arrived at the museum I reached to open the door, but she stopped me. Her
fingertips were lighter than a butterfly’s wings on my cheekbone.
She flushed and glanced down, holding a tiny piece of red tissue paper between her fingers.
“Sorry,” she said shyly. “Confetti.”
I mumbled some sort of thanks and got out. My heart raced at her slightest touch.
‘What was I?’ I scoffed internally. ‘A lovesick teenager?’
The office was mercifully cool. The air conditioning worked overtime to beat the late
summer heat.
Elliot lingered at my door, her fingers barely touching the doorframe.
It was late, far later than she’d predicted, and I waited for her to say her goodbyes.
But she didn’t.
She looked behind her, as if someone might be hiding in the shadows of the darkened office,
then back to me.
Anxious. No-
Nervous?
“Something on your mind, Elliot?” I asked, terrified to shatter the comfortable air between
us. She chewed on her bottom lip and walked in, stopping in front of my desk.
“I’ve been thinking about it,” she murmured looking down.
“About what?”
I waited, stomach twisting in anticipation.
“About the kiss.” She paused, looking at me expectantly.
There was no fear in her eyes, no trepidation or hint of hesitation.
“What about it?” I pressed, slowly rounding the desk.
Her eyes followed me. “I can’t stop wondering if it was real.”
I watched her eyes move between my eyes and lips.
“Because I want it to be real, even if it really shouldn’t be.”
My pulse hammered as I lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, the way I’d yearned
to do earlier.
She let out a shaky breath, and I ignored the slight tremor in my fingers.
“Why shouldn’t it be real?”
She stepped closer, her fingers curled into the loose fabric of my jacket, her hands shaking
slightly.
“Because,” she breathed, her gaze falling to my lips, “I’m not supposed to feel this way
about you.”
“Is that so?” My heart beat a mile a minute.
Elliot nodded. “I don’t even know if you’re…” she paused, leaning into my touch.
“Interested?” I offered, knowing too well where her mind was going.
She nodded.
I couldn’t help but lean in just a little closer, the warmth of her perfume heady and rich.
Courage bubbled in my chest. “Do you think I’m not interested in you?”
She shrugged, just the smallest shift of one shoulder.
“Then… Can I kiss you again?” she whispered, her hands drifting over my waist, a little
hesitant, but determined. “Please?”
Every last shred of self control shriveled away, disintegrating until there was nothing left.
Nothing but her soft and hot lips moving urgently against mine.
She sighed into the kiss, her hands winding around my waist, pulling me closer.
“Is this okay?”
All logic slipped away the longer she kissed me. Just once, I wanted to let go.
“It’s perfect,” she gasped, threading her fingers through my hair and pulling me back into
the kiss.
Perfect.
Our kisses turned frantic, charged and hungry.
I needed more.
My knees turned to jelly and I leaned back on the edge of my desk for support, dragging
Elliot with me.
She tugged at my jacket impatiently, wordlessly demanding me to remove it.
“You’re antsy,” I mumbled, my words muffled by her teeth catching my bottom lip.
She giggled breathlessly. “Cut me some slack.” Her eyes sparkled with desire. “It’s late.”
“That goes b- oh, fuck.” My retort tapered off.
Her lips brushed against the column of my throat. She lowered her body, her thighs on
either side of my right thigh, and rolled her hips forward.
The warmth of her vagina seeped through the thin fabric of my pants with every grind of
her hips, her mouth suckling gently on my neck.
My hands flew to the curve of her ass, no doubt leaving fingerprints on her skin. I
swallowed hard, watching her grind on my thigh, heat pooling in my gut mercilessly.
I wanted to feel her. I needed it, so much I was willing to beg.
Her fingers fluttered to my shirt buttons and paused, waiting for permission.
I grabbed one of her hands and guided it to my chest, popping the first button for her.
She glanced at me, unsure, and I nodded, my breath caught in my throat.
With an excited hum, she all but tore through the rest, helping me shuck my shirt off my
shoulders until I was left in a black lace bra.
She breathed a shaky, “Oh my God.”
Disbelief scrawled across her beautiful face. She ducked her head, pressing hot, wet kisses
to my chest, her lips ghosting over the lace.
I could barely hear her over the blood thrumming in my ears.
Her tongue circled my nipple through the lace, forcing my spine to arch.
My world whittled down to Elliot’s tongue on my nipple and the wetness soaking my thigh.
Her soft moans and breathy gasps were deadly.
I grabbed her thighs, lifting mine slightly to give her the friction she was desperate for,
loving the way she keened. I let go for just a moment, long enough to pull the straps of her
dress down over her shoulders, freeing her tits.
“God, you’re beautiful,” I groaned, guiding her pace on my thigh while I pressed my tongue
to her hardened nipple.
“Jesus,” she gasped, her thighs twitching around mine. “I wanna-”
“What?” I asked, suckling her nipple.
Her voice petered out, her face ruddy with pleasure.
She didn’t answer; her fingers fumbled at the clasp of my pants and I understood.
I helped her, my hands shaking hard enough that I was embarrassed.
But she didn’t care. She batted my hands away and slipped her fingers into my panties.
I buried my face in her chest, ashamed at how much of a mess I’d already become, and she’d
barely touched me.
Her middle and ring fingers circled my clit, dipping lower into my vagina.
I wanted to whine at the pleasure that vibrated up my spine.
Everything felt stifling; her breath on my neck, her bare skin under my tongue, her grinding
on my thigh, her fingers pumping slowly inside me.
God, I was helpless.
I slid my hand under the length of her dress, my fingers finding the edge of her underwear
easily.
She shivered, lifted her hips just enough so that I could pull her underwear aside and slip a
finger inside her wet heat.
“C-Cam, oh my God,” she stuttered.
Her hips kicked forward, searching for deeper friction. She rolled her hips, following the
rhythm of her fingers inside me. Pleasure glowed like the warmth of a summer sun,
comfortable despite the tingle spreading through my lower belly.
But Elliot’s movements turned erratic, her vagina squeezing around my fingers. The pads of
my fingertips brushed along her g spot until she came apart. Her thighs clutched tight
around mine.
I kissed her, wanting to taste every moan and every sigh, needing to commit her to
memory.
To commit this to memory.
Her breaths burned my lips, and the second her body unwound she was on her feet. I
looked up at her in surprise, confused as she stood on unsteady heels.
“What are you-”
“Up,” she gasped, her face bright red and her mouth set.
Fuzzy with desire, I obeyed, letting her turn me around. “Elliot?”
“Just,” she paused, her hands gentle on my hips. “Lean forward.”
“On your elbows.” Her fingers grazed my stomach. I shuddered, but obeyed, shaky with
arousal.
I turned to look at her, an awkward tension knotting up my stomach.
She dropped to her knees and pulled the waistband of my pants down, taking my
underwear with them, leaving them wrapped around my knees.
The glass of the desk was ice beneath my forearms, and the first brush of her tongue on my
clit was fire itself.
She flattened her tongue along my slit, licking in slow, greedy stripes that had my thighs
shaking. Her hands caressed my thighs, soft, warm, achingly gentle, while the tip of her
tongue teased my entrance.
My heels wobbled under my unsteady weight, shackled by my pants around my knees. My
skin was fever hot to the touch, goosebumps climbing up my arms and spreading across my
chest.
Elliot’s thumbs held me open, putting me on display before she pressed her tongue deep
inside me.
My back bowed with pleasure, my fists curled around loose pages for some kind of control.
Until Elliot’s thumb rubbed tiny, excruciating circles on my clit.
I sank my teeth into my bottom lip to quiet the moans clawing up my throat.
Relentless, Elliot’s lips and tongue hauled me closer and closer to the edge, keeping me
there for an ungodly long time.
“Elliot,” I gasped in desperate frustration. I clenched around her tongue only for her to pull
it out again, and I wanted to scream.
“Mm,” she hummed, her response sending tiny vibrations straight to my aching core.
“I need to-” I groaned, gasping as she added a finger in my vagina.
Her tongue lapped over my clit, thrusting into my vagina alongside her finger. Her thumb
pressed harder, every nerve in my body going taut as the coil snapped.
I couldn’t help the long, drawn out moan that slipped free, burying my face in my arms
while my body shook through my orgasm.
“Fuck, you taste so good,” Elliot whined, getting to her feet. Her finger stroked the dripping
seam of my vagina, slipping it in and out slowly.
My lungs rattled with my shaky breaths, and I stood up, turning to look at her.
Elliot’s lips and chin shone with my arousal, sending a rush of heat through me, but she
pulled me in for another kiss before I could speak.
It was quiet for a moment. The soft click of our lips broke the silence, and it was there that
my shoulders sagged.
 Chapter 19
On the Back Foot
Elliot
I danced from toe to toe, wringing my hands nervously.
“Just leave if you’re so anxious to be at work, you weirdo,” Reese grumbled.
I glanced over at her from the top of my coffee mug.
“Wow, good morning to you too,” I scoffed, my words holding no venom. Reese was as
cheerful as a thunderstorm in the mornings. “You slept terribly, I guess?”
“I could practically hear your brain working overtime,” she quipped, running her fingers
through her messy hair. “Even Noah had it rough.”
“I’m sorry for keeping you up.” I chuckled, offering her a spot in the kitchen.
She glared at me. “You’re worried that she’s gonna be different.”
I pressed my lips together.
“Or you’re worried that nothing's gonna change,” she said, snapping her fingers. “You’re
scared that you’ll go into the office and everything will be the same.”
“Would you shut up, please.” I pouted, her speculations rubbing my nerves raw. “I’m
already worn through; I barely slept last night.”
“For the right reasons, I hope,” she winked. The effect of her teasing was less effective with
the yawn tacked on the end. “Because any other reason would be kind of annoying.”
“You’re a mean morning grump,” I noted. She scoffed, flipping me off and stole my coffee.
“Hey!”
“You’ve been sighing and swooning over this woman since you met her,” Reese muttered,
rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “You finally fuck her and you’re nervous? You did the
thing! No more nerves necessary!”
“Right?” I mumbled, my stomach twisting. “I don’t know, maybe I’m just overthinking.”
“Maybe,” Reese said, downing the rest of my coffee and shoving me out the door.

Arriving at the office only worsened the knot in my gut. My leg bounced under my desk, the
tip of my heel clicking on the tile.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but unease coiled around my chest, squeezing out tiny
puffs of air.
The elevator dinged and I sat upright, my heart fluttering as Cameron stepped off.
She was on the phone, holding her laptop to her chest with her free hand. Her long dark
hair was tied up in a high ponytail, swinging with each step. Her black designer suit was
immaculate as always, but I didn’t care.
“Morning, Cameron,” I said with a smile.
Her eyes slid to me and she nodded, walking right past me.
I frowned, the unease growing the longer she stayed on the phone.
Did she regret it?
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, my thoughts snowballing into the wild and
unnecessary.
“Elliot.”
I jumped out of my seat, my anxiety an icy lump in my gut.
“Yes?”
“My schedule,” she said, not taking her eyes off her computer.
I frowned in confusion but grabbed my notebook anyway. I sat in my usual seat,
desperately trying to ignore the awkwardness in the room.
“Uh, you have a meeting with Mr. Nelson to finalize another acquisition,” I said, fidgeting in
my seat. “And I’ve organized for the private investigation team to report back this morning.
I also spoke to Hayd-, uh, Ms. Jones, and she confirmed your seat on the board of directors
for her merger this afternoon.”
“Very well,” she said, going back to her computer. “Have Ricky send the transcripts so I can
have a look before the P.I. team arrives.”
I nodded and got to my feet and walked out of her office, my movements jerky.
I sat down back at my desk, mechanically going through the motions of my tasks while I
zoned out.
Maybe I hadn’t been overthinking, and maybe I’d crossed too many lines too often.
Gina’s comments echoed in my head and I shrunk in on myself.
Had I fucked things up so much that she couldn’t see me as anything but an assistant?

Cameron
My stomach churned as I watched Elliot walk out, her head bowed slightly.
I tried to focus on the seemingly insurmountable load of work ahead of me, but my chest
squeezed painfully. And my gaze drifted to Elliot again and again until the unease forced me
out of my chair.
I stalked out, looking anywhere but at Elliot. “I’m heading down to the conference room,” I
said distractedly. “I need to stretch my legs.”
She stuttered out a surprised “O-oh, okay,” and I stole a glance at her as the elevator doors
closed.
Her shoulders slumped and her confusion was written across her face.
It was a punch to the gut.
“Fuck, get it together, Cameron,” I ground out, leaning against the wall of the elevator. “I
can’t be this pathetic at work.”
I glared at my reflection in the mirror, needlessly adjusting my blouse and hair, trying to rid
myself of the jitters.
“Heading to the conference room, Ms. Pierce?”
I looked up, finding a somewhat familiar face smiling back in the mirror.
“You are?” I asked, brows knitted.
The young woman choked in her rush to introduce herself, tripping over her words.
“I’m Gina,” she chirped, holding her hand out. “I work on Ricky’s team in Research and
Development.”
“Ah,” I said simply, grabbing her hand briefly and pulling away. “Great.”
“I’m so glad to catch you before you get busy,” she gushed, trucking her hair behind her ear.
I cocked a brow, my nonexistent patience wearing thin.
“I wouldn’t say I’m not busy,” I deadpanned, but she continued, unbothered.
“I was thinking about the security breach and how the investigation is taking too long,” she
jabbered, taking a step closer to me. “And I think I can help speed things up so they’re more
efficient.”
I paused and stared at her for a second, anger sparking in my chest.
“Are you insinuating that my assistant is incompetent?”
Gina’s smile dropped, and she scrambled to recover, but I cut her off.
“Or,” I interrupted, folding my arms across my chest, “are you insinuating that I’m incapable
of hiring the right people for the job?”
“No, Ms. Pierce!” she gasped, almost dropping the file in her hands. “Not at all, I was just-”
“Wasting my time,” I finished for her. I walked around her and into the long hallway leading
to the conference room. “Good day, Gina.”
By the time I reached the conference room, the legal team and other departments had
already arrived, settling in as I walked in.
“Here you go, Ms. Pierce,” Elliot said, slightly out of breath as if she’d sprinted all the way
here.
Which, when I thought about it, was probably what happened considering I’d been stuck in
the only elevator that went to our floor.
I took the coffee from her proffered hand. Sitting down, I braced myself for what would
inevitably be a long, tiring day.

“I feel like you’re hiding something.”

“This is hardly the time or place for this conversation, Hayden.”
She sat back, folding her arms in disappointment. I watched the head of Hayden’s legal
team talk the room through the merger’s conditions, but I’d zoned out ages ago.
My mind returned to Elliot, to the flash of hurt in her eyes when I waved her off before
getting into the car.
But I couldn’t allow it to distract me for much longer.
“I’ve already approved this section of the contract,” Hayden hissed, ducking her head close
to mine. “And I’m not an idiot; I can see something is bugging you. Spill it.”
I drew in a long, steadying breath, keeping my eyes on the lawyer.
“Hayden,” I said, as calmly as I could, “please believe me when I tell you this isn’t the time
for it.”
She huffed and raised her hand. “Murph, take a break,” she said sweetly. “We’ll need a lot
more coffee before we get to the asset splits, yeah?”
The people gathered in the room chuckled and agreed, filing out until only Hayden and I
were left.
“Do you always cut meetings short when you feel like it?” I grumbled.
“I’ve been over this merger a hundred times, and I asked you here to be in my court if
anything happened,” she said plainly. “But your head is obviously elsewhere. So, in the
interest of good business and good friendship, tell me what the fuck is going on.”
I dropped my head against the back of my chair.
“Hayden,” I groaned, “I just want to focus on work. That’s what I need right now.”
“So it’s Elliot,” she surmised.
My head whipped to face her, my frown deep. “How the fuck did you get that?”
“Because I know you, Cam,” she drawled, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“And I’ve seen you around her, and vice versa. Something happened, and as your closest,
dearest, most beloved friend, I’d like to know.”
“You make it sound like I have a choice,” I said through a mirthless chuckle. “Fine. I… fuck, I
made a mistake. I slept with her. Well-”
“You what?!”
“Hayden, shut up, please!” I begged. “You’re not making this any easier for me.”
“You slept with your assistant and you want me to make things easy for you?” She laughed.
“What’s the issue? Why is that a mistake when you obviously care about her?”
“Because I shouldn’t!” I snapped. “I shouldn’t care because she’s just my assistant, and
that’s all she was ever supposed to be.”
“So, what?” Hayden pressed, shaking her head in disbelief. “You fucked her and now you’re
back to be the bitch queen? How’s that fair on Elliot?”
I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to think about how it would affect Elliot
because it was none of my business.
“It’s not like that,” I argued, craning my neck to make sure no one was coming back from
their coffee break. “She told me how important this job was to her, and she didn’t want to
jeopardize it.”
“Are you planning on firing her?”
I wanted to scream.
“No, but…” I paused, searching for the right words. “But I feel like I should? Because even if
I wanted to be with her, I couldn’t keep her as an employee. And I can’t afford to lose her.”
“How very selfless of you,” Hayden drawled sarcastically.
“What else am I supposed to do, then?” I conceded, drained.
“Have you considered giving her a chance?” Hayden asked, her words irritatingly sincere.
“Maybe give yourself a chance to feel something other than stress for once?”
“Don’t start this again.”
“No, I think I will,” Hayden insisted, sitting up straight. “You bury yourself neck deep in
work the second someone even thinks about feeling something more for you. And I’ll be
damned if I let you ruin something that could potentially be the best thing that’s happened
to you in years.”
“I can’t ruin what can’t happen,” I said, finality ringing in my own ears. “I have way too
much on my plate to juggle a relationship with someone I have no business being with.
Besides, Elliot is way too young to be saddled with someone who has my kind of baggage.”
“That’s not only your decision-”
I got to my feet, holding a hand up to silence her.
“I’m done talking about this, Hayden.”
 Chapter 20
Treading Carefully
Elliot
A deep breath filled my lungs with a humid tang reminiscent of an early summer evening. I
stared up at Cameron’s front door.
Her laptop weighed a ton, burning a hole in my bag.
I had to get this done.
I checked my phone one more time, reading and rereading the text that Cameron sent
thirty minutes ago.
Drop my laptop off at my house. You have the keys.
“That means I go inside, right?” I muttered to myself, curling my hand around the set of
keys.
I shook my head and forced my legs to move, climbing the steps and unlocking the door
“Ms. Pierce?” I called, wincing as my voice echoed. I glanced around, closing the door
behind me.
I’d never seen the inside of her home before, at least, not this one.
The entrance hall opened up into a wide space, the floorboards polished to a perfect shine.
A center table held a vase of pure white lilies.
I wondered if I should just leave the laptop there and get out. But my curiosity won, and I
took a step further.
There were two velvet chaise lounges on either side of the space, the deep purple fabric
regal against the pristine walls.
“Ms. Pierce?”
I ducked around a corner, eyeing the twin staircases leading to the second floor.
I pushed on, almost tiptoeing like a vagrant, searching for signs that Cameron was home.
There was a faint rumble of noise coming from the next room, and I followed the studio-
recorded laughter into a stunning living room.
Ice-white curtains were drawn over the windows, falling to the ground beside lush green
potted plants. Three black sofas blocked off the area in front of a massive TV that might as
well have been the wall itself.
And there, in front of the middle sofa-
“Elliot?”
Cameron blinked up at me from the rug, two wine bottles perched on the ornate glass
coffee table in front of her.
“Ms. Pierce,” I said uncertainly. “Are you… drunk?”
She lifted one shoulder in a half shrug, a deep frown on her face.
“I just wanted to relax,” she mumbled, her words slurred. Her brows pinched in annoyance.
“But it didn’t work.”
I breathed a quiet chuckle and walked forward.
This was a new side of Cameron. Her bare face looked back at me, shockingly vulnerable,
the flush on her cheeks adding a hint of color.
“You’re not much of a drinker,” I said gently, sitting on the sofa on her left. “Have you eaten
anything?”
“Ugh, no,” she said, pulling a face. “I wanted to sleep off a headache. Th’nausea sucks.”
“Drinking an entire bottle of wine isn’t going to make the nausea go away,” I scolded, trying
to pry the bottle from her hand.
She frowned again. “Aren’chu a knowitall,” she muttered.
I couldn’t help the smile that spread on my face. Unfiltered Cameron was an unexpected
experience.
“It’s my job to know these things,” I told her. “Now, let’s get you some water, and maybe
some food, okay?”
“Not thirsty,” she argued.
But I ignored her, picking my way through the rooms until I found the kitchen. Thankfully,
there was a glass in the dishrack, and I grabbed bottled water out of her robot fridge.
“Here you go,” I said when I finally found my way back. I set the glass on the table and
poured her some water.
“Not like that,” she complained, clicking her tongue in disapproval. She reached for a
coaster and slapped it onto the table top, making a dramatic show of putting the glass on it.
“My bad.” I giggled, sliding the coaster toward her. “Please drink some water.”
“So bossy,” she muttered, grabbing the glass and taking a sip anyway. “There, happy?”
“Marginally.” I humored her. “What shall we order for dinner?”
“Nothing,” she groaned, dropping her head into the palm of her hand. “Just let me sleep.”
“Are you kidding? If you end up viciously hungover tomorrow, I’ll be the one running
around like a headless chicken. Besides, you’ll feel better.”
“How do you know that?” she asked petulantly.
“I just do,” I told her. “Steak? I hear it pairs well with an entire bottle of red wine.”
“You’re not making me feel any better.” She sniffed.
“And what would make you feel better right now?” I asked. “And, no, I won’t open the other
bottle.”
“Mark knew what to do,” she mumbled, her voice somber.
I frowned.
“Mark?”
She hummed, leaning her back against the sofa.
“My son,” she explained, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. “But you wouldn’t know about him.
I never told you.”
“Told me what?” I asked, heart beating hard. “Did something happen to Mark?”
She laughed mirthlessly. “He died two years ago.”
My heart dropped through the bottom of my stomach.
“What happened?” I asked quietly, wishing I could sit beside her and squeeze her hand.
Anything to chase the sadness from her eyes.
“A car accident,” she murmured, staring at the ceiling. “A drunk driver hit his side of the car
while he was driving home for the holidays and he… Never made it home.”
“That’s…” I paused, words failing me.
But she continued as if she hadn’t heard me. “Of course, everything changed after that, and
his father and I got divorced.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, heart aching at the soul deep agony shining in her eyes.
“It was quick and quiet,” she said, nodding absently. “It was better that way. Without Mark,
we didn’t feel like a family anymore.”
She dragged in a shuddering breath, exhaustion deepening the fine lines around her eyes.
I slid to the floor, sitting as close as I dared, taking her hand into mine. Her fingers were icy
to the touch, and I rubbed some warmth into her cold digits.
“But I bet you guys had plenty of good memories together, right?” I said softly, my thumb
caressing the back of her hand.
I didn’t know what else to do. I hated seeing the raw pain weighing on her shoulders,
clawing at her insides until she tried to drown it in wine.
She chuckled, her gaze on our intertwined hands.
“Mark was a rascal from day one,” she said, reminiscing. “Hayden said he came out ready to
take over the world, and she was right, as usual. The little shit had Jonathan and me up for
months.”
“A chip off the old block,” I teased, nudging her side.
She rolled her eyes, her smile small and indulgent. “That’s what Jonathan said.” She sighed.
“You know, he used to get into the pantry and build little houses out of the biscuits he
loved. We’d come home to these mini towns in the middle of the kitchen.”
“Didn’t you have a nanny?” I asked, enchanted by the soft, nostalgic lilt in her voice.
She laughed.
“Did we have nannies?” she scoffed. “We had to hire a new nanny almost every other month
because he was such a handful. They couldn’t get anything else done. We ended up hiring a
nanny just to watch him coz he never sat still.”
“I imagine his teachers were as impressed as the nannies?”
She snorted and her free hand dropped onto my thigh as she shook her head weakly.
“There was this one kindergarten teacher of his, oh my God,” she cackled, and warmth
spread through my chest. “She called Jonathan at work one day and told him to pick Mark
up coz he was sick. When Jonathan got there, Mark showed him where he’d thrown up on
their little world carpet.”
“World carpet?” I giggled.
“Yeah, those carpets that have the world map on ‘em,” she explained.
“Ah.”
“So he shows Jonathan where he threw up and says: ‘Daddy, I threw up all over America!’”
She devolved into a fit of giggles, her body heavy against my side as I struggled to keep her
from toppling over.
But her laughter was infectious, pulling giggles from deep in my gut.
And I realized how much I enjoyed seeing her happy.
“What was he like as a teen?” I pressed, eager to hear more and just… Listen to her speak.
“As unruly as you can imagine,” she deadpanned, eyes wide with sincerity. “Don’t get me
wrong, he was always a polite boy, and he cared about everyone around him. But he was
just… Always looking for a new adventure. And it often got him in a lot of trouble at school.”
“School is for sheep, anyway.” I sniffed, remembering how much I’d hated my entire
schooling experience.
“And my Mark was no sheep,” she said proudly. “He wasn’t top of his class, but he was
invested in learning everything he could get his hands on. He pulled one of my phones
apart once just to see if he could put it back together. He failed the first time, but he got the
hang of it quickly enough.”
“Was he in college?”
“Mhm, studying industrial engineering so he could help me start a ‘brand new era’, as he
called it.”
“He sounds just as incredible as his mom,” I murmured comfortingly, squeezing her hand
again.
“He was better,” she sighed, her eyelids drooping. “I miss him.”
“Hey, don’t fall asleep just yet,” I told her, craning my head to see if her eyes were indeed
closing. “You need to eat first.”
“Don’t want food,” she hummed sleepily. “Just sleep. ‘M tired.”
“I know but,” I glanced around helplessly before sighing in defeat. “At least sleep in your
bed. Sleeping on the floor is bad for you.”
She mumbled something unintelligible that I took for acquiescence, and got to my feet.
I helped her up, waiting for her to lean on me.
“I can make it on my own,” she said defensively.
I smiled, holding a hand out to her. “I know,” I said. “But I want to help, and I need you to
trust me. Can you do that?”
She stared at my outstretched hand for a long moment before taking it with an exhausted
grumble.
“Yeah, whatever,” she muttered, the corners of her lips turning up and giving her away. But
I didn’t say anything.
“Just tell me where your room is,” I said.
“Up the stairs,” she answered.
I balked, wondering how the hell I would get her up the stairs without either of us getting
hurt.
“All right,” I huffed. “One step at a time, let’s go.”
It was a painfully long climb, each step careful. Cameron clutched onto my waist for
support.
I couldn’t deny that it sent the butterflies in my stomach into a frenzy.
We reached the top of the stairs, slightly out of breath.
“There.” Cameron yawned, pointing at the one open door on that floor.
I helped her in and set her on the bed. I didn’t turn the light on, knowing from personal
experience that it was the equivalent of looking into the sun after too much wine.
“I’ll grab you some water before I go, okay? I’ll leave it on your bedside table.”
She nodded, tilting her head back to look up at me. Her fingers tugged on the hem of my
shirt, hesitant.
My gaze dropped to her lips, stained red from the wine, and I swallowed. I wished I could
kiss her, wished I could pull her in and never let go.
I blew out a shaky breath. “You okay?” I whispered.
She flopped back on the bed, her dark hair fanning out around her head like a halo.
“Soft,” she mumbled, kicking her slippers off and curling up around her pillow.
I couldn’t fight the urge and sat on the bed beside her, threading my fingers through her
hair. “Get some rest,” I told her, watching her eyelids grow heavy with each blink.
She reached up and grabbed my hand, pressing it to her cheek. “Thanks, Elliot.” She sighed
contentedly.
My heart squeezed and I smiled even though she couldn’t see. “Anytime, Cameron.”
 Chapter 21
One Step At A Time
Cameron
“Is there any reason my coffee is taking so long?” I grumbled, nausea roiling in my gut.
I squinted at my computer screen, pain thudding a dull, incessant rhythm in the back of my
head.
Elliot breezed through the door, carrying my coffee and a small bag in her hand.
“You went shopping while I was suffering?” I spat, but fatigue stole away the venom,
leaving me petulant and unimpressed.
Elliot smiled, setting my coffee on the desk and adding sweetener like she always did.
“I did go shopping.” She hummed, keeping her attention on my coffee.
She set the cup in front of me and opened the small bag.
“I got you some Aspirin, some lime Gatorade coz it's the best flavor, and your favorite
bottled water.”
I stared at her hands with a furrowed brow, trying desperately to settle my rattling pulse.
“Took you forever,” I said, reaching for the Aspirin.
She giggled softly, opening the Gatorade and offering it to me.
“You really think the lime flavor is the best Gatorade?”
“It's a battle I’m willing to die for,” she deadpanned, the seriousness in her voice making me
chuckle.
“Can’t say I’m surprised.” I sighed, before swallowing two tablets.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” I shrugged, smirking at the bemusement coloring her face.
She narrowed her eyes and pouted, but left it at that. I could have teased her all day but
glanced at the clock, wary of the day’s proceedings.
“About those morning meetings,” I began, but Elliot cut me off.
“I shifted your morning meetings to this afternoon,” she said, flipping her notebook open.
“And the P.I. team will be here in a few minutes. I requested that only the lead investigator
come through; we don’t need all five of them to deliver an update.”
I blinked, my mind going quiet for a beat.
“Then, what about my brunch date with the girls?” I asked, wondering how she’d deal with
it.
Whether she’d think I wanted to go regardless of my unfortunate hangover.
“Rescheduled for tomorrow,” she replied. “The legal team requested a later date for the
NazTech acquisition, so you have the late morning free.”
“Did you call their assistants to inform them?”
“Yes, all their calendars have been updated,” she said calmly, while my heart pounded in
my head. “You’ll meet them at the same place, same time tomorrow.”
“Impressive,” I conceded, taking a sip of coffee. The caffeine zipped through my system and
it tasted so good that I could’ve cried. “Then I assume you’ve dealt with Ricky’s snail-pace
in delivering the transcripts?”
“I went downstairs this morning to pick up the files myself,” she answered, setting a tiny
USB thumb drive on my desk. “I’ve made a single copy on my desktop, but this is the
original.”
“Hm,” was all I said. I was at a loss for words because this was unfamiliar territory for me.
After years of screaming at assistants who just couldn’t seem to do anything right, Elliot
was doing things before I could even ask.
“The lead investigator should be here soon,” she said, gathering the empty sweetener
packets and tidying my desk. “I’ll send him in.”
And she left.
I stared at the door for a long breath, slightly shell shocked.
I didn’t have much time to sit in awe, because a minute or so passed before Jared knocked
on the door.
“Come in,” I called, not bothering to turn back to my computer.
“Good morning, Ms. Pierce,” he said with a dip of his chin.
“Hey Jared, take a seat.”
“Thanks,” he said, sitting down in what had become Elliot’s chair.
“So?” I prompted, lacing my fingers together. “What is the update on the state of things?”
He cleared his throat. His dark hair, streaked through with silver white, was neatly slicked
back.
“We were able to identify the IP address of the computer that was used to lift files from the
server,” he explained, pulling a slim folder out of his briefcase.
He handed it to me and I flipped it open.
“The computer wasn’t completely wiped after the transfer, so we were able to uncover
some of the residual cache files left behind.”
I frowned.
“This can’t be right,” I murmured, more to myself than Jared.
“Beg your pardon, Ms. Pierce?”
I looked up at Jared and then back at the report in front of me.
“The computer that was used to lift the files,” I said, pointing at the user ID. “It belongs to
Gina Brennan?”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce.”
I stared at the name, my mind conjuring up her face. The researcher on Ricky’s team; the
one who ambushed me in the elevator…
“Are you absolutely certain it was her?”
“We can’t be sure of that just yet,” he corrected, folding his hands in his lap. “But I am
certain it was her user ID that was used.”
“Very well.” I sighed, the ache in my head pounding harder with this revelation. “Is that all?”
“For now,” he said with a wince, “I’m afraid so. We’ll keep you updated on any new
findings.”
“Loop in Elliot,” I told him, closing the file and setting it on the desk. “She’s heading up the
internal investigation.”
“Right away, Ms. Pierce,” Jared said, getting to his feet. “Til next time.”
I nodded and he walked out, leaving me puzzled. Was Gina behind the breach? If so, was
she the one feeding information to our competitors?
God, my head hurt.
“You need to drink more of this,” Elliot said, materializing in my office without my noticing.
She set the Gatorade in front of me and waited.
“I need to get to the bottom of this breach,” I countered, but drank anyway, if only because
it did make me feel better – Marginally.
“Were there any helpful leads?” she asked, taking her seat.
“The user ID belongs to Gina Brennan,” I told her, scoffing lightly. “Which makes no sense
considering she was itching to help me speed up the investigation.”
“Gina?” Elliot echoed, her lip curled.
“Do you know her?” I asked, leaning forward and stopping immediately as the room spun.
“Down in R&D?”
“Yeah.” Elliot scowled, and it was the first time I’d seen disdain mar her soft features. “We
talked a little.”
Okay, then.
“What do you think?” I pressed. “Do you think she’s behind this?”
Elliot pressed her lips together in thought, her bright eyes hard.
“It seems a little too convenient, don’t you think?” she mused. “I don’t know her enough to
say for sure, but it just feels off.”
“Gut feeling?” I asked.
She nodded, her eyes troubled.
“Then we’ll keep digging until we’re certain,” I said simply.
She looked up, a soft smile dancing on her lips.
“Oh!” she said suddenly, glancing at her phone as it buzzed in her hand. “Ms. Jones is here.”
“Oh God, why?” I groaned.
Her giggle followed her out, only to be replaced by Hayden’s burst of energy.
“Hungover on a Thursday, Cameron?” she mockingly scolded, gracefully falling into the sofa
at the end of my office. “Tut tut, you should know better.”
Elliot chuckled softly.
“I’ll grab you some coffee, Ms. Jones,” she said sweetly, disappearing out the door.
“That’s my little star,” Hayden said whimsically. “I’m a little jealous, to be honest. You have
an amazing assistant who even helps you get through your hangovers. Meanwhile, I’m
slaving away because my assistant decided to get married. Woe is me.”
“Yes,” I drawled, “woe is you. Don’t you have a boyfriend for that kind of stuff?”
“Who? Stefan?” she scoffed, waving a noncommittal hand at me. “You know he was never
going to be long term.”
“I thought his name was Demetri?” I frowned.
She pouted. “Does it matter?”
“No, I guess not.” I chuckled. “Was it bad this time?”
Hayden brushed her long braids over her shoulder. “About the same as it usually is.” She
sighed.
I could hear the sadness in her voice.
“But I’m used to it.”
I got out of my seat, ignoring the burning nausea in my stomach, and sat next to her.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, squeezing her hand in mine. I wasn’t sure what else to say;
Hayden was rarely on the back foot in relationships.
“Don’t you worry your pretty head about me,” she said with a smile. She patted the back of
my hand. “I’ll be just fine.”
“Here you go.”
“Even better now that I have coffee,” she gushed, her spark returning in a flash. “Mm, it
smells divine, Elliot.”
Elliot doffed her invisible hat with a grin, her eyes trailing over to me.
“Have you finished your-” she looked at my desk, spotting the relatively full bottle of
Gatorade with pursed lips. She marched over, grabbing the bottle and coming back, holding
it out to me. “You need more of this.”
I could practically hear Hayden’s delighted smirk spreading across her face. With a sigh, I
took the bottle and made a show of taking a sip.
Elliot’s concern turned to a contented smile, and I hated myself for the giddiness that
trickled into my veins.
“I’ll go out at lunch to get some more,” she said, pulling her phone out to take notes. “And
I’ll pick up your usual on my way back. Your next meeting is at two, so you’ll have enough
time to not stare at your screen for at least an hour.”
I nodded, my words caught in my throat.
“I’ll be downstairs with R&D for a half hour,” she said, looking between Hayden and myself.
“Please make sure she rehydrates, Ms. Jones.”
With an impressed frown, Hayden elbowed me hard, my ribs twinging in pain.
“Ow, Christ, do you want me to throw up on you?”
“Oh, she is good.” Hayden laughed, awestruck. “She’s got you figured out to a T, Cam. God,
I’m good. Maybe I should look at branching into human resources.”
“You got lucky,” I corrected her. “And Elliot is apparently as stubborn as I am.”
“I take it that our little deal is off, then?”
“What deal?” I sneered, before I remembered. “The event was a resounding success. Even if
it wasn’t, I would have kept Elliot on for more than six months. She’s a great fit for the
company.”
“For the company,” she scoffed, snorting at me. “I think you’re too shy to admit how good
she is at handling you.”
“She doesn’t handle me, Hayden,” I snapped, heat flooding my cheeks. “I’m not some bratty
kid who needs a handler.”
“Of course.” She chuckled, patting my head consolingly. “You’re a big girl who can cure her
hangover all by herself.”
I pursed my lips, stubborn and embarrassed because I did need Elliot. I just wished Hayden
wouldn’t make it so obvious.
“This is different,” I argued.
“Not only did she pick up some supplies,” Hayden continued, undeterred by the flush
spreading on my cheeks. “But she also cleared up your schedule AND moved our brunch
date. Talk about care in the workplace.”
“You just have to make everything sound like an insinuation, don’t you?” I groaned,
grumpily taking a sip of the Gatorade. I winced at the taste, setting it back on the small table
in front of the sofa.
Hayden’s eyes burned a hole in my skull. “What now? You don’t like the lime flavor,” she
pointed out, staring at the bottle, then flicking her gaze back to me.
“Yeah, and?”
“You’re drinking it anyway.”
My face screwed up in confusion. “The hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You’ve got it bad, friend.”
“You’re gonna be escorted out by security if you don’t shut up,” I ground out.
Hayden threw her head back, a burst of laughter echoing in the office. “I’m just happy for
you, Cam,” she said. “It’s been too long and you deserve to be happy.”
I glanced at her, trying desperately to squash the burgeoning hope in my chest.
“Thanks, Hayden.”
 Chapter 22
Pump the Brakes
Elliot
My leg bounced anxiously. The noise from the TV faded into the background while I made a
mental list of all the things I had to get done tomorrow.
“Would you please quit shaking the whole couch?” Reese groaned. “I’m trying to pay
attention, but you’re over there starting a fucking fire.”
“Shit, sorry,” I mumbled, pulling my leg up onto the sofa. “Just got a lot on my mind.”
Reese made a face, but Noah patted her thigh gently and she turned back to the TV without
chewing me out.
“Come with me,” they said quietly, nodding toward the kitchen.
I got up and followed, my thoughts straying back to the investigation at work. Jared should
be reporting again the following week, and I had to look into the connection to Gina.
Her face drifted to the front of my mind, along with her unpleasant line of questioning. I
didn’t want to point fingers but…
“Let’s see,” Noah said, opening the refrigerator door. “Wine coolers, soda, water, gin-”
“Just water,” I said quickly. “I have work tomorrow and I can’t afford to be puking my guts
out because of your drinking habits.”
Noah laughed, grabbing the jug of ice water from the refrigerator.
“You’re no fun,” they teased. “We used to party all the time. When’d you get so old?”
“When I started being held accountable for someone else’s entire work day.”
“Fair enough.”
Noah pulled out two glasses and filled them with ice water, handing one to me.
“Thank you,” I said gratefully, taking a long gulp of the water.
“Now,” they said, hopping onto the counter and looking at me seriously. “Is there something
you need help with? You’re awfully preoccupied lately. Reese is antsy about it.”
I chuckled. “Reese is antsy about everything,” I joked. “It’s her thing.”
“And avoiding the problem is yours,” they countered.
I grabbed my nonexistent pearls in mock outrage.
“I’ve lived with both of you long enough by now.”
“Fair enough. I just have a lot that I need to get done.” I sighed. “And there aren’t enough
hours in the day.”
“So it’s just time management?” Noah clarified. I nodded. “Nothing else that could be
interfering?”
“I’m perfectly capable of controlling myself around my boss, Noah,” I insisted, but the heat
in my cheeks begged to differ.
“I wasn’t implying you couldn’t El,” Noah said gently. “I’ve seen you when you’ve got your
head down; you’re unstoppable. But I also know that you tend to forget that you need to
rest. You know, like on weekends.”
I blew out a breath, setting my glass down on the countertop. “Easier said than done.” I
frowned. “If there was a way to get things done and rest, I’d do it. But one of those things
needs to sit on the top shelf for a little while, and it can’t be work.”
“You’re on a one-way trip to becoming a workaholic,” Noah mused, shaking their head.
“But Cameron’s days are becoming manageable,” I argued. “And that’s the whole point of
this job.”
“You are incorrigible,” Noah whined. “You need to take things one task at a time; stop piling
heaps of shit onto your plate at once.”
“I can give it a try,” I said. “That’s the most I can promise. There’s just so much happening
with the investigation and every other day we’re acquiring a new company. Sometimes I
feel like if I stop breathing for a second, I’ll fall behind.”
“It doesn’t surprise me that you feel that way, which is why you need to take a step back.
Objectively.”
“Aye, Captain.” I chuckled weakly, cringing at my own attempt at humor. “Thanks, Noah.”
“You got it.” They grinned, hopping off the countertop. “Now, what’s the bet that Reese
passed out after making such a fuss about the show?”
“Oh, you’re on.”

“Yes, that’ll be perfect. Thank you.”

I hung up and crossed another task off my list, confirming Cameron’s scheduled fitting for
the following week.
“Okay,” I whispered. “Next, I need to-”
“Elliot?” Cameron called. “Could you come in here for a second?”
I jumped to my feet, confused that she’d asked me to come in when she’d never done so
before. I grabbed my notebook.
“Yes, Ms. Pierce?”
She leveled an unimpressed look at me, but didn’t correct me. “Have a seat,” she said
instead. “We need to discuss your schedule.”
“My schedule?” I parroted, brows pinched. I sat down and opened my book to the very last
page, quickly jotting down a note to buy a new one.
“You’re over-applying yourself,” Cameron said. “Your hours are atrocious, and you’re in the
office before anyone else.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” I answered. Of course I was early. There was so much to do.
“We need to scale your hours back.”
My heart lodged itself in my throat and I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a
hand.
“It’s not up for debate,” she deadpanned. “The only reason I’m discussing it with you is
because we need to agree on your hours.”
“My hours aren’t that extreme, Ms. Pierce,” I insisted, bouncing my pen anxiously in my
hand. “And there’s so much that needs attention. I couldn’t possibly scale back my hours.”
“That’s why I’m doing it instead.” She smirked.
I frowned, casting about for an answer.
If I scaled back my hours, that meant she’d spend less time with my help.
The only option was obvious. “Then I have one condition.”
Her brows crawled into her hairline, but she smiled wider. “Let’s hear it, then.”
I took a breath, squaring my shoulders. “I’ll agree to scale back my hours,” I said evenly. “If
you do as well.”
Her smile faltered, but I held my ground.
“If I do what?” she asked. “Scale back my hours?”
“Yes,” I said simply. “That way, there’s a better balance of hours worked, and I won’t have
to worry about what might happen when I clock out.”
“I don’t know if I can agree to that,” Cameron said slowly. “There’s far too much that I need
to personally oversee.”
“Then you understand why I can’t agree either,” I told her.
She blew out an exasperated sigh, leaning back in her office chair.
“You should be in negotiations,” she mused to herself.
I kept my expression impassive.
“Fine. I’ll scale your hours back in accordance with mine. Satisfied?”
“Impeccably,” I teased, flashing her a bright smile. “Should I amend your schedule while we
talk about it?”
She looked at me, her dark eyes unreadable, the tiniest quirk in her lips giving away her
amusement.
“You are something else.” She eventually chuckled. “Where the hell did Hayden find you?”
Heat crept into my cheeks and I ducked my head, trying to hide my blush.
“Very well,” she quipped. “Let's get started, then.”

“This is ridiculous,” Cameron grumbled, her foot bouncing impatiently.

I swallowed the giggle that threatened to jump out, focusing on the calendar in front of us.
“You can still go to the gym at the crack of dawn,” I said, catching the curl in her lip before
she could hide it. “But then you have to be out of the office before five in the afternoons.”
“But that’s when the most important tasks come in,” she argued.
”Which we can tackle the next day.”
“What happens if it's something urgent?”
“Ms. Pierce-”
“Stop with the ‘Ms. Pierce’ bullshit.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose between
two fingers. “It’s driving me crazy.”
I didn’t know what grabbed hold of me just then, but my smirk widened to a shit eating
grin.
“Yes, boss.”
“Oh, God, that’s even worse.”
I couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that burst from me and tried to smother it with a
hand before Cameron could get mad.
“Sorry.” I chuckled. “I couldn’t help myself.”
“I noticed,” she pointed out, glaring at me. But she grinned anyway, looking away.
“So we’re in agreement on the four-thirty clock out?”
“Fine. Jesus, how am I going to get anything done?” she moaned. “I’ll have to cut brunch
down to a bimonthly meeting at this rate.”
“That’s very dramatic,” I teased. “I’ve already taken care of it; in exchange for an earlier
finishing time I asked Dana to take on your preliminary meetings on all acquisitions
moving forward. You’ll only need to be involved during the final stages once everything has
been wrapped up legally.”
“I hate that,” she muttered. “What if the acquisition isn’t worth it?”
“That’s why Dana is stepping in,” I explained gently. Dana was Cameron’s business partner
and had worked with her for over fifteen years. She had Cameron’s full confidence. “You’ll
still be approving every business move, you just won’t be physically present for every step
of the way.”
She heaved another sigh and I adjusted my seat, my back beginning to hurt from sitting for
so long.
“We might as well move your desk into my office for good,” Cameron joked, and I giggled a
little hysterically. The idea of being in the same room as Cameron every single day, without
a door to hide behind was… Unnerving.
And exhilarating.
“Might as well.” I chuckled, clearing my throat.
She hummed and shook her head, getting back to business.
“Then what about this investigation?” she asked. “This is a top priority, and it needs to stay
that way.”
“You’ll only be dealing with the private investigators, and only Jared moving forward,” I
told her. “And his reports will be emailed or delivered through virtual meetings.”
“This all seems too easy,” she murmured, her forehead creased in displeasure. “Something’s
gotta give, Elliot. I’ll be honest, I’ve been doing this almost my whole life, and I’ve never
pumped the brakes, because I can’t.”
“Correction,” I insisted. “You couldn’t before now. I’m going to make sure you can. But I
need you to trust me a little.”
My cheeks heated, remembering the last time I’d asked her to trust me.
Flashes of her rosy cheeks and petulant frown washed to the front of my mind, and my gut
twisted in response.
“I do trust you,” she finally said.
I lifted wide eyes to hers.
“Don’t look so surprised. You wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t trust you.”
I smiled and ducked my head again.
It took entirely too long, but by the end of the day we both had brand new schedules, much
to Cameron’s disdain.
“It’ll work out,” I promised her, packing up.
She hauled her bag onto her shoulder, glaring at the clock. “This feels illegal,” she muttered
unhappily. “The sun is still out.”
“So you can go for a walk somewhere nice,” I suggested with a shrug. I stuffed my
overflowing notebook inside my bag, fighting to zip it closed. “Or you could just crash on
the sofa and nap. No wine this time, though.”
She scoffed, her smile soft. “I regret leaving my laptop at the office that day.”
She said it jokingly, but there was a tiny pang in my chest, the smallest fear that maybe she
was telling the truth.
“Do you?” I asked, trying to sound unaffected.
She turned back to me, her dark eyes sparkling. “No, Elliot. I don’t.”

I arrived at work the next day, just a few minutes earlier than I should have. I dropped my
bag on the desk, knocking something aside.
“What the-”
I picked up the unfamiliar book and flipped it open, glancing at the empty pages in
confusion.
A small piece of paper floated down to the desk and I picked it up, warmth tingling my
chest.
Since you refuse to use a tablet like the rest of us.
Don’t fill this one up too fast.
x Cam.
 Chapter 23
Through the Grapevine
Elliot
The moment I stepped foot in the office after lunch, the walls closed in around me.
Almost on instinct, my shoulders rounded defensively as every pair of eyes in the vicinity
tracked my hurried steps.
A slab of ice slid into my gut and I tried to convince myself I was overreacting, that it was
just my anxiety tricking me. I pressed the call button for the elevator too many times, my
breathing a little uneven with all the attention trained on me.
Finally, the doors slid open and I quickly stepped in, frantically pressing the ‘close doors’
button. Just a few more seconds and I’d be alone, and I could breathe-
“Hold the elevator!”
I swallowed my desperate groan of frustration as a hand slid between the doors just inches
before they shut. They rolled open again.
“Elliot! Fancy seeing you,” Gina said, a Cheshire Cat grin on her face. “I was hoping I’d run
into you today.”
“Hey Gina,” I replied, less enthusiastic. I gripped the strap of my bag, twisting it with both
hands.
“I’m surprised you came in today,” she quipped, examining her nails as she spoke. “After
what everyone’s been saying, you know.”
I turned to look at her slowly.
“And what would that be?”
“Oh, you haven’t heard?” She pouted, and God, I wanted to scream. “People have been
talking about you. And Ms. Pierce.”
My heart dropped through the bottom of my stomach, the ice in my gut spreading through
my limbs and numbing my fingers.
“What’s there to talk about?” I asked, hoping to sound unbothered. Instead, my voice shook,
giving away the panic rising in me.
“That you and her are, y’know, fucking.” She giggled, as though it was the funniest thing
she’d ever heard. The air left my lungs in a shaky breath.
Oh, God.
The elevator dinged its arrival on the R&D floor, the doors rolling open to let Gina out.
“Aw, I was hoping we could chat more,” she whined. “Guess I’ll have to wait. See ya!”
She walked out, her chin high and shoulders back.
As though she hadn’t just shattered my world.
The doors closed again and the elevator climbed to my floor. But I stood frozen in place,
ears ringing and heart thrashing against my ribs.
Then, all at once, the panic overflowed and sent waves of fear rushing through me.
I jumped into action, speed-walking to my desk and grabbing my belongings. I stuffed them
in my bag, not caring if they broke or got damaged. My hands fluttered uselessly, flitting
over my notebooks, both old and new, at war with myself.
Should I leave them for the next assistant?
I flinched.
My replacement, I thought. And I’d be yet another disappointment to Cameron.
But staying here, I’d just be a reminder. A glaring mistake that Cameron didn’t deserve to
bear.
“What are you doing?”
My head snapped up, eyes going wide and filled with burning shame.
Cameron’s brows pinched with confusion as she walked towards me, the confusion quickly
turning to concern as a single tear slipped down my cheek.
“Hey, what’s going on?” she pressed, her gaze dropping to my packed stuff. “Are you…
leaving?”
I could only nod, avoiding her eyes at all costs. I swiped at the tear, feeling pathetic.
“Why?”
I bit the inside of my cheek hard.
I hated the betrayal and hurt in her words and hated myself for putting it there.
“Just, uh, I have to go,” I managed, fumbling for the straps of my bag. “I have to.”
“No,” Cameron said, stern and unyielding. I was ready to beg her not to pry. “You’re going to
tell me what the hell is going on. Everything was fine just before lunch. What. Happened?”
The last two words were drawn out, harsh and tight.
She took the straps of my bag from my trembling fingers and set my bag on my desk, her
eyes never leaving my face.
My lips welded shut and I shook my head.
With a soft sigh, she reached her hand out, gently holding my chin between her thumb and
forefinger.
It only made my chest hurt more.
“Elliot,” she prompted, her voice as gentle as her fingers. Gentle enough that it hurt. “What’s
going on?”
My shoulders fell, aching under the sudden weight of the rumors and, well, everything else.
“There are rumors,” I whispered, my gaze fixed on the top button of her dark silk blouse.
“About us.”
“Rumors?” she repeated, her lips pursed. “About you and me?”
“Yes,” I breathed.
“What sort of rumors?”
I looked up at her, frustrated that she would even ask such a thing.
Wasn’t it obvious?
“The worst kind,” I murmured, throat tight.
She frowned, glancing to the side in thought. “That I’m making you work for free?”
“Cameron, please,” I begged, hiccupping through a sob as another tear slipped free. She
dropped her hand. “This is serious!”
“Okay, okay,” she conceded, the smile turning the corners of her lips soft. “There are
rumors that we’re sleeping together, yes?”
I nodded.
“And why would that be the worst kind of rumor?”
“Because I’m not worth you losing your empire,” I admitted, the words barely above a
whisper.
“Why on Earth would you say something like that?”
“Because it’s true,” I mumbled, fighting to compose myself. But her voice was so quiet, her
hand so gentle. “You’ve worked so hard for all of this, and I’m not worth the risk of losing
that.”
“Elliot, why do you think you’re not worth the risk?”
Shame and regret burned in my gut, and I looked up at Cameron, at her unguarded
expression.
And I remembered the night she’d opened up to me, and put her faith in me, albeit a little
tipsy.
It was unfair to lie to her or keep the truth from her.
“When I was little,” I began, leaning on my desk for support, “my dad was the one who
stayed home and took care of me. My mom was… amazing. She was a big-shot lawyer who
was close to being made partner at her firm.”
I took a deep, shuddering breath.
“But my dad got sick,” I said, chest twisting. “And when he died, I had no one to look after
me. My mom tried, but she… I don’t think she ever enjoyed being my mother. She hated it.”
“Why do you think that?” Cameron asked, her voice quiet.
“I heard her talking on the phone once,” I told her. “She was talking about how much more
exciting her job was. Having to do basic tasks with me was boring by comparison.”
Cameron’s face was a mask of anger and hurt, and I looked away again.
“That’s why.” I hiccupped. “That’s why I have to go. Because I could never give you the life
you want. A simple life with me would never be enough.”
Silence bled into the room, into the small space between us, and I couldn’t lift my gaze.
I counted the unsteady beats of my heart, the seconds melting into minutes until I
whispered, “Please say something.”
Cameron drew in a breath and blew it out. “I’m not quite sure where to start, actually.”
I nodded once, ready to accept that I was right, even if it cracked my heart in two.
“Firstly, before I say anything else – Elliot, look at me, please.”
I lifted my head, shoulders braced.
“You deserved so much more from your mother,” she said, taking my face in her hands.
“You must have gone through so much all alone, especially after your dad passed. But
there’s something you need to understand: I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I’d train my replacement,” I interjected. “You’d never even realize I was g-”
Cameron’s lips were soft on mine, stealing the air from my lungs and the words off my
tongue.
She pulled away too soon but her eyes glittered, and the knot in my chest loosened a little.
“You are astonishingly stubborn,” she mused, the tips of her thumbs caressing the apples of
my cheeks. “I don’t mean as an assistant. You’re so much more than an assistant, Elliot.”
My brows furrowed and she smoothed the dent between them with the pad of her thumb.
“Don’t look so confused.” Cameron chuckled. “What we have, what’s starting between us? I
won’t let anyone ruin it. And you aren’t a risk. Not to me, and certainly not to my ‘empire’,
as you put it. Got it?”
My lips parted, trembling and unsure.
But my heart thudded in my throat, my eyes glassy as I nodded once.
Because what could I say to that?
My panic still wound itself around my ribcage like thorny vines, my breaths barely tiny
puffs of air. But Cameron’s palms were warm on my cheeks.
And maybe it would be okay.
“Come on,” Cameron said, threading her fingers through mine and pulling me into her
office.
“What are you doing?” I asked, frowning as she locked the door behind her and turned back
to me.
“The doubt in your eyes,” she said, nodding at me. “It bugs me because I get the feeling
you’re still questioning this. Sit.”
I took a seat on the luxurious cushions of the sofa in her office, knees pressed tight
together. She sat next to me, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear.
“You mean more to me,” she said, kissing me softly, “than an assistant.”
She pulled me closer, my skirt sliding easily on the soft leather of the sofa, her fingertips
running through my hair frenetically. She kissed my cheek and the corner of my mouth, her
lips gentle but urgent, and I was breathless with it.
I believed her. I believed the quiet affection in her hums, the need dancing in her palms.
Cameron lay me down, my back cushioned, one of her hands possessive on my inner thigh.
“Can I show you?”
My heart fluttered.
I nodded, voice failing me.
The hand on my thigh climbed, fingertips light as feathers on my feverish skin while she
kissed me breathless.
Her lips drifted to my jaw, her breath hot and raising goosebumps in the wake of her kisses.
My head swam, the panic and hurt melting away with every brush of her lips, until I lay
pliant in her arms.
She pushed my skirt up, her touch lazy.
As if we had all the time in the world. As if time would bend to her will.
I had no doubt it would, the same way I did.
Happily, doubtless and serene.
She bit purple bruises into the skin on my throat while her fingers hooked in my
underwear, dragging the soft lace down, down, down.
I lifted my hips with a breathless whine, heat prickling along my limbs and coiling in my
gut.
My eyes squeezed shut in anticipation, and only a moment passed, clothes rustling, before
the tip of Cameron’s tongue dipped between my folds.
I keened.
Cheeks blazing, I pressed my hands to my mouth, trying to muffle the pathetic sounds
slipping free. But Cameron hummed, reaching up and twining her fingers with mine.
“More,” she said, voice low, pressing a kiss to my inner thigh. “Don’t hide.”
Her tongue swirled around my clit, sucking on the nub until stars burst behind my eyes. I
stuttered out a shattered “O-oh,” head pressed back into the cushion.
Every swipe of her tongue pushed me further into delirium, my fingers squeezing hers too
tight. But she didn’t complain.
The muscles in my abdomen shook with pleasure, my hips bucking impatiently, that crest
so fucking close but Cameron took her time.
Her tongue lapped at my vagina hungrily, her breath so hot I thought I’d pass out. Every
thrust of her tongue was slow, her lips slick with my arousal.
“Cameron,” I whined, knotting my free hand in the soft fabric of her jacket.
There was something so wrong about it: the material of my skirt bunched up over my hips,
my lace underwear caught around one of my ankles, while her suit remained perfectly
unruffled.
It was euphoric, I realized with a weak moan.
She pushed one of my knees up and embarrassment flooded my cheeks. So bared, so open.
I forced my eyes open and looked down, the sight sending a wave of pleasure rolling
through me.
Cameron pulled her hair over one of her shoulders, the dark length almost hidden by the
black of her jacket. Her tongue buried inside me, drawing urgent, desperate moans from
me.
And her eyes.
Focused on me, blazing with desire and something hotter.
It was too much. Too much, too much-
“Fu-uck, oh my God,” I sobbed, broken whines mixing with breathless moans as my vision
went white.
She didn’t stop, her tongue massaging my clit as I rode out my high. My thighs shook,
pleasure crackling through me as it slowly subsided.
She finally pulled away and the loss of her warmth drew an unhappy moan from my
trembling lips.
I fought to catch my breath but Cameron was there, pressing her lips to mine, her tongue
licking into my mouth sweetly.
As if she didn’t taste like me.
I hiccupped, my heart still racing, her fingers caressing my swollen clit.
“No one is taking this from us,” she whispered, before kissing me again.
I believed her.
 Chapter 24
The Face of True Power
Cameron
“I won’t be long.”
Elliot lingered in the doorway of my office, a hand on the threshold.
Her hair was swept up off her shoulders, twisted into a bun atop her head. She’d shrugged
off her jacket, the soft fabric of her blouse flowing over her shoulders like silk.
I shook myself from my thoughts and focused on her.
“It’s no rush,” I told Elliot, a soft smile on my face. “I just have a few things I need to take
care of here before lunch.”
Elliot hesitated just outside the door to my office, conflicted.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to-”
“I can handle it.” I cut her off, my voice nowhere near as sharp as it usually was. “Go on, you
don’t want to be late for lunch.”
With just a hint of confusion glinting in her eye, she left, a tiny hurricane blowing out of the
office.
I sighed, waiting a few moments to make sure she had left the office before grabbing my
desk phone and dialing HR.
“Get the HODs and management gathered in the main auditorium,” I said into the receiver,
scrolling down the list of employees HR had sent earlier in the morning. “And make sure
my email is circulated throughout the company by eleven-thirty.”
“Yes, Ms. Pierce,” Cynthia said. “They’ll be ready in five minutes.”
I hung up and got to my feet, straightening my jacket, and left.
As promised, Cynthia had gathered all the heads of department and the management teams
in the auditorium. They eyed each other in confusion, their hushed murmurs cutting off as I
entered the room.
“You all know I hate wasting time,” I said, my voice carrying to each corner of the
auditorium. “And yet, here I am, wasting time on something as trivial as juvenile rumors
about me.”
The silence turned icy with dread, and I smirked.
I still got a kick out of it after all.
“As none of you are capable of putting childish behavior to rest, I’m doing it for you,” I
called out. “The rumors that are circulating the office pertain to Elliot, my assistant, and
myself. I’d like to set the record straight.”
There was a whisper of excitement, the kind of whisper that hoped for gossip.
I grinned.
“Whatever happens between my assistant and myself is no one’s business but ours,” I said,
their disappointment tangible. “I imagine you’re all itching for some juicy details but I’d like
to remind you that it is my signature at the bottom of your pay slips. And if I hear that these
rumors are still circulating, you’ll have more than just your jobs to worry about.”
Without another word I walked out, ignoring the shocked and angry hisses that followed
me out.
My chest swelled in satisfaction, happy that I could stand up for Elliot the way she’d done
so for me on many occasions.
“Ms. Pierce?”
I turned, feeling particularly smug, and found Cynthia. Her tight curls brushed the tops of
her cheeks, her glasses too big for her face and slipping down her small nose.
“What is it?”
“The Board of Directors has requested you meet them in the conference room,” she said
tremulously. “In conference room A.”
With a reluctant sigh, I nodded.
I’d already prepared myself for their ire.
The conference room was silent, thick with tension.
I walked in, irreverent, not bothering to greet any of the men seated around the oval shape
table.
“There you are, Cameron,” Ron said, his voice low and disappointed. “We need to talk.”
“About what?” I asked unnecessarily, arms folded across my chest. I didn’t want them to
think they had the upper hand, nor did I want them to think that anything they had to say
would affect me.
“The rumors of your, ah,” Ron paused, as if looking for the right words, “entanglement with
your assistant.”
“A bold choice of words,” I told him icily. “I’ve just settled the rumors. Are we done?”
“Not yet, Cameron,” Ron said, his jowls wobbling with his words. “Are you aware that there
are policies in place that strictly prohibit relationships in the workplace? And that your
disregard for these policies may mean the end of your work here at Pierce Tech?”
I scoffed, an old, buried rage clawing its way into my throat and cheeks.
“And you’re willing to vote me out on something as concrete as office gossip? I thought you
were smarter than that, Ron.”
His face turned ruddy with frustration and his lips flapped like a fish out of water.
“We have the authority to do as we see fit in the interest of the company,” he boomed,
slapping his palm on the glass table. I didn’t flinch. “And we have heard some troubling
stories about how you engage with your assistant.”
“Tell me, Ron,” I said with a sigh, leaning forward on my elbows, “what exactly is the nature
of these ‘troubling stories’? And how is it that they are now the grounds for my dismissal?”
Ron’s face slowly changed color, from a deep red to a light purple.
I enjoyed every shade of outrage.
“This is a place of business, Cameron!” he sputtered, anxiously getting to his feet. He tugged
at the collar of his shirt and tie. “It is hardly the place or time to discuss such sordid
matters.”
I threw my head back in a full-bellied laugh.
“Ron, dear, you were the ones who called this meeting,” I chuckled. “You brought up these
‘sordid matters’ and threatened to have me fired for a whisper of a rumor that you can’t
even prove.”
The eyes around the table went wide, their expressions matching the furious horror on
Ron’s purple face.
“If you’re all finished,” I said, getting to my feet and slipping my hands into my pockets. “I
have a ‘threat’ of my own: should you forget who owns the majority of this corporation and
your own business ventures, I’ll be happy to remind you, and strip you of your titles while
I’m at it.”

Elliot
“Will that be all?”
I nodded, my fingers beginning to ache around the handles of the bags I held.
“Wonderful,” the store clerk said, clapping her hands together in delight. I wondered if she
really expected me to say ‘No, I’ll take the entire store too, thanks’ because…
The store was possibly worth more money than I’d ever seen in my lifetime.
“I’ll have this wrapped,” she said, gingerly removing the long, glittering black garment from
its velour-wrapped coat hanger. “Would you like it delivered?”
“No thanks, I’ll need it for tonight,” I said, transferring the bags from one hand to the other
and handing Cameron’s black card to the store clerk.
“Of course,” she said with a polite smile that did nothing to hide her glee.
Her commission was likely more than I made in a month back at the restaurant.
She dashed off, running to the cash register, or in this case a computer, and processed the
transaction.
I waited, pulling my phone out and checking the time.
Ten forty-five, I still had time before lunch.
I scrolled through my notifications, double and triple checking that I had no texts or missed
calls from Cameron.
With a tiny bit of disappointment I tucked my phone away again, glancing around the
boutique.
Cameron was a regular there, if the treatment I’d received was anything to go by.
The walls were lined with near-priceless one of a kind pieces of clothing. Dresses, jackets,
evening gowns, and things that looked more like works of art than fashion.
I didn’t bother looking for any price tags: this place seemed like the kind that didn’t bother
with them.
I ran through a mental checklist of tasks I had to get done when I got back to the office and
sighed. I dreaded the unbearable weight of everyone’s attention, the hissing that dogged
my steps around every corner.
“Here you go, Ms. Nash,” the store clerk trilled, snapping me out of my spiral. She handed
me the credit card with a smile.
I took it from her and smiled. “Thanks,” I said, taking the bag from her as well.
“Please send our regards to Ms. Pierce,” she said, escorting me to the exit. “We appreciate
and value her patronage.”
I bet, I thought, refusing to check if there was a receipt.
Again, the boutique didn’t strike me as the type to give out paper receipts.
Back on the sidewalk I looked around, watching the throng of people milling around the
upscale cafes that lined the road across from me.
The scent of freshly ground coffee drifted over to me and my stomach grumbled.
Maybe I’d stop to grab coffee for Cameron and me.
I dashed across the street and took a spot in line, hoping that I wouldn’t be stuck there for
too long.
My phone buzzed and I pulled it out, excitement bubbling in my chest.
But it was Reese.
“Hello,” I answered, sounding more put out than I felt.
“Wow, dial down the enthusiasm, you might pull a muscle.”
“I’m sorry.” I sighed, shifting the heavy bags in my grasp. “Long day.”
“It’s not even lunch time yet – you know what? I’m not surprised.” Reese groaned. “I just
wanted to let you know that Noah and I are gonna be staying at my mom’s for a little. It’s
her birthday next week and I refuse to drive twenty plus hours for a one day trip.”
I nodded. “That’s cool, when are you leaving?”
“This afternoon,” she replied. “Probably before you get home. So, love ya! And I’ll leave
some dinner in the oven for you!”
“Love you,” I said with a smile. “Please be safe, and just let Noah drive.”
“Not this bullshit again.” She groaned. “I can drive perfectly, thanks.”
“Right, which is why your license was revoked.”
“Sh- that was one time!”
“Goodbye, Reese.” I chuckled, hanging up and pocketing my phone. The line shuffled
forward a bit and I stepped into the blissful cool shade, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Elliot?”
I spun around to find Hayden and Alex on the sidewalk just a few feet away.
“Hi!” I said, trying to wave without dropping the bags in my hand.
“What are you doing here?” Alex asked, her dark red hair loose around her shoulders.
“I’m just grabbing some coffee,” I said, pointing at the cafe uselessly. “I had to pick up a
dress for Cam- uh, Ms. Pierce for an event.”
“Have you heard from her yet?” Hayden asked, the smile on her face the only reason I didn’t
panic.
“No, should I have?”
They exchanged knowing glances before looking back at me.
“Cam is kicking up quite a fuss at the office,” Alex explained, and I frowned.
Cameron had been in a relatively good mood when I’d left, what could have changed?
“Did something happen?” I asked, the prickle of anxiety tugging at my fingertips.
Hayden cackled. “Oh, she just gave the entire company a mouthful,” she chuckled. “Took
them to task, so to speak.”
“What for?” I asked, aghast.
Hayden rolled her eyes playfully, her grin growing.
It was Alex who answered.
“For those stupid rumors about the two of you, Elliot,” she explained, sounding just a little
exasperated. But I didn’t care, my mind was focused solely on the fact that Cameron did
something to put the rumors to rest.
Slowly, the corners of my lips curled into a disbelieving, breathless smile. “Really?”
“Oh, my God.” Alex sighed. “You’re both entirely gone, helpless at this point.”
“I know,” Hayden squealed, grabbing Alex’s upper arm in glee. “Isn’t it great?!”
Alex rolled her eyes, but the ghost of a smile danced on her ruby red lips.
“We need to get going,” Alex quipped, threading an arm through Hayden’s. “Tell Cam we
said hi and she owes us.”
I watched them leave, my thoughts awash with confusion and elation, and a mixture of
emotions I couldn't even identify.
But I knew one thing for sure.
I was falling for Cameron.
Hard.
 Chapter 25
What’s Left Behind
Elliot
“And you’re sure that you’ll be fine taking the meeting with the private investigator?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, and there’s a contract I’m expecting to be sent today, it’s for the new-”
“Caledonia Office Park,” I said at the same time as Cameron, a slow smile spreading on my
lips. “Got it.”
“And if Ron or any of the directors harass you, call me-”
“Cameron!” I chuckled, taking her face in my hands as gently as I could and she quietened.
“I’ve got it all under control. Now go.”
She sighed and kissed me, her mouth pulling into a frown as she backed away. “I’ll be back
just after lunch.”
“No,” I told her sternly. “You can go home after. I’ve already called Daniel to arrange that
you be taken home when you’re done.”
“Stubborn,” she murmured, pulling me in for another kiss, albeit distracted.
And I understood.
The day had been circled in red on Cameron’s schedule for the month, ringed urgently.
Mark’s birthday.
My heart twisted painfully, not wanting to let her go just yet. But I forced my hands back,
straightening up and folding them behind my back.
This wasn’t something I would ever stop her from doing.
“Text me?”
“I will,” I said, kissing her one last time. “Now go. You’re wasting time with me.”
“You’re never a waste of time.”
Blood rushed into my cheeks and I glanced away, a little embarrassed. “Please just go
before I go any redder,” I pleaded, my voice bordering on a whine.
She smiled at me, her black dress sleek and stunning.
She left shortly after, and I breathed out a sigh.
Being around Cameron always left me breathless.
I sat down at my desk, opening my emails and sorting through the most important tasks.
Jared showed up a half hour after Cameron had left for the cemetery, looking thoroughly
haggard.
“Not to sound rude,” I said by way of greeting, offering him the coffee I’d prepared. “But you
don’t look like you have good news.”
He took the coffee with a grateful nod and sat down in one of the designer seats in the
office.
“This case gets more and more frustrating at every turn,” he grumbled, taking a sip. “Every
time we get a lead, it’s like someone dives into the server and erases more tracks.”
“I don’t know much about software coding,” I said apologetically. “Is there something I can
do to help?”
He shook his head.
“We’ll probably require Ms. Pierce’s authorization to access the on-site server if all else
fails,” he explained, his voice tired and gruff. “It’s not something we want to do because it
would leave a trace.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, feeling stupid.
But Jared was patient. “We can’t leave any traces of our own computers, or else the culprit
can track and take advantage of our software.”
I nodded, even though my mind raced through about a hundred Hollywood-esque solutions
like ‘burner phones’ and ‘burner laptops’. But, I figured, there was a reason that he was the
professional and not me.
“We’ll keep you posted on any updates,” he said, groaning as he got to his feet.
I waved him off and frowned.
Was that all they were capable of doing? With the money and power behind the Pierce
name, surely they could get to the bottom of the leak.
I shook my head, turning my attention to the next task on my list.
I hoped the day would go by uneventfully. I was itching to check in on Cameron.

By some miracle I wrapped up just after lunch time, making a mental note to thank
Cameron for agreeing to her lighter workload.
I packed up and locked Cameron’s office before leaving the office.
The cab ride over to Cameron’s townhouse dragged out, the rush hour for lunch tacking on
an extra fifteen minutes to the journey.
It was still quicker than usual, but my gut turned with unease and I just wanted to see
Cameron.
I couldn’t imagine what she might have been going through, but I knew I didn’t want her to
do it alone.
We pulled up and I got out of the cab, thanking the driver before jogging up the few steps. I
let myself in, kicking off my heels after getting my ear chewed off for it the last time.
The memory brought a smile to my face.
I walked into the vast silence of her house, hesitating because I didn’t want to shout.
It wasn’t necessary.
“I wondered how long it’d take you to get here.”
I spun around, finding Cameron standing in the archway leading to the kitchen, holding a
glass of what appeared to be vodka.
“Starting this early?” I teased, reaching for the glass and taking a whiff.
“It’s water, you worry wart.” She chuckled, but the sound was hollow and I handed the glass
back to her. “Hungry?”
I shook my head, but my stomach chose that precise moment to betray me with a loud
grumble.
Cameron smiled, reaching out for my hand and pulling me into the kitchen.
I followed easily, taking in her loose linen pants and shirt and her surprisingly bare feet.
Her long hair was braided down her back, and her face was clean of any makeup.
Her eyes were ringed with red.
“Take a seat,” she said, gesturing at one of the tall bar stools around the kitchen island.
Wanting to lift the pressure rounding her shoulders, I clicked my tongue.
“Am I going to taste Cameron Pierce’s cooking?”
Cameron leveled me with a deadpan stare and I giggled. “Can’t blame me for hoping, can
you?” I teased.
She breathed a low, empty chuckle, pottering around the kitchen almost aimlessly. Her face
drew up into a frown, her brows pinched, and my gut twisted.
She was hurting.
And I was hopelessly useless.
I reached out, grabbing her hand as she passed me, and squeezed.
“You can talk about it, if you need to,” I told her, all amusement in my voice vanishing. “I’m
here to listen.”
She looked at me for a moment before drawing in a long, shaky breath, her eyes glassy with
tears.
“I miss him,” she said, quiet and broken. A pang stabbed at my chest and I fought the need
to pull her into my arms. “It’s been two years and it still doesn’t feel real.”
“That’s okay,” I whispered. “It’s okay to miss him.”
“It's not always like this.” She sighed. “Normally, I can get through the day without even
thinking about it, and I feel awful. That I can go a full day without thinking about him.”
Her voice broke and she cleared her throat, trying to inject some strength into her words.
“And then,” she sniffled, looking at the ceiling so that I wouldn’t see her tears. “Days like
today prove just how much I wish he was still here.”
My lower lip wobbled and I pulled her forward, curling my arms around her waist and
wrapping my legs around her knees.
Her breaths shook on their way out, my ear pressed to her chest. Her heart thudded hard
under my cheek, but I just held on tighter.
“I can’t stop thinking about how little I did to protect him.”
I pulled away, looking up into her tortured eyes. “Don’t say that,” I murmured. “You did
everything you could. This guilt is only going to make you hurt more.”
“I know,” she whispered, throat tight. “But I just feel like there’s so much I could have done.
I could have told him to stay where he was. We could have gone to him, instead, and he
would never have been on the road in the first place.”
“Cam-”
“I didn’t even go to the trial,” she whispered, shame and guilt wrecking her words. “I was
devastated. I couldn’t even eat. Showing up at the trial would mean accepting that my Mark
was really gone and I couldn’t do that. By the time I came to my senses, the trial was over
and I never saw the man who took him from me.”
“Come on,” I said, threading my fingers through hers and leading her to the living room. We
sat on one of the sofas and I pulled her close.
In the wake of the rawness of her admission, it was all I could offer her just then.
“You’re not hungry?” she asked after a long, quiet moment.
I shook my head, giving her a small squeeze. “Not really,” I said with a half-hearted shrug.
“Besides, my ass was beginning to hurt on those bar stools of yours.”
Cameron scoffed, pulling back.
“If I know you at all,” she said. “Then you haven’t bothered to eat lunch. And you should.”
I took one of her hands in mine, toying with the dainty silver ring on her index finger.
“There are more important things right now,” I told her, my voice sincere. “I just wanna
help.”
“You already help too much,” she said miserably. “More than anyone. And all I do is dump
more and more of my baggage on you. I’m so-”
“No,” I cut her off. “Nope, I don’t want to hear an apology.”
“Elliot, be serious, please.”
“I am being serious,” I insisted. “I don’t want you to apologize for being honest with me, or
for trusting me enough to open up like this. It means the world to me, and I don’t want you
to think it’s a mistake.”
“I don’t think it’s a mistake,” she corrected, her lips pulling into a frown. “But it is unfair.
You shouldn’t have to deal with… all of this.”
“But you were there for me when I felt like I wasn’t worth anything,” I murmured, bringing
our twined fingers to my chest. “When I wanted to quit because I felt like I could never be
enough. It works both ways, you know?”
I kissed her pout softly, feeling the weight of her body lean into the kiss. I pulled her into
the circle of my arms, draping one of my legs over hers.
The salty tang of her tears reached my lips but I didn’t care. All that mattered was the
desperate ache in my chest, the ache that drove me forward.
And Cameron’s trembling shoulders.
She curled up in my arms and I kissed her softly, trying my best to steal away the guilt that
ate her up.
Because this wasn’t the Cameron Pierce who built empires.
This was the Cameron Pierce who grieved, who mourned for her son’s death and had no
one to help her through it.
I wasn’t sure how much help I’d be, but I knew I’d stay.
And even if that was all I could do, I thought, remembering the hollow years after my father
died, then I’d do my best.
She let out a shuddering breath against my lips and I cradled her face, wiping away the
tears that tracked down her cheeks.
The seconds ticked on and Cameron’s mouth slowed, her eyelids growing heavy with
exhaustion.
I lay back, maneuvering us both until she lay on the sofa beside me, her head pillowed on
my arm. Her breaths slowed, each one deeper than the last, and I watched her sleep for a
moment, in awe.
Of all the emotions that roiled inside me, it was my affection for her that lulled me to sleep.
 Chapter 26
Closer to the Edge
Cameron
Ice settled along my bones, seeping deeper and deeper until my teeth chattered.
I stood in the pouring rain, rooted to the middle of an abandoned road, staring as
headlights whirled into my vision before spinning out of control.
I screamed but the air in my lungs dissipated.
The car rolled with the sickening crunch of twisting metal.
My feet had a mind of their own as I ran forward, the puddles splashing wildly in my frantic
sprint to reach the car wreck.
And I knew in my gut that I didn’t want to look inside – But I did.
Elliot’s bloodied face stared back at me, her eyes wide and empty, her body mangled.
I screamed again and heard the fear and shock radiating outward. The bloodcurdling sound
wrenched me from my nightmare and into a sitting position.
My body shook from head to toe as tears splashed onto my chest and arms.
“Just a dream,” I whispered, but it did nothing to quell the full body tremor that gripped me.
A shaky glance at the clock told me it was barely 2 am.
I crawled to the side of the bed, reaching for my phone, disjointed and unsteady.
Would Elliot pick up?
I called Daniel instead, telling him to pick me up. I couldn’t drive. Not like this. But I needed
to see Elliot. See that she was okay.
I didn’t bother changing. I clutched my phone to my chest, goosebumps prickling the skin
on my arms despite the humidity outside.
Daniel was there just a few minutes later.
“Take me to Elliot’s.” My voice was rough and groggy.
Daniel drove in silence, keeping his eyes on the road while I chewed over my actions.
Surely this was too much?
My rationale leaped out the window as headlights flashed across my vision.
We reached Elliot’s apartment block and I thanked Daniel in a whisper.
I glanced up at the tall building, then back at my phone, torn.
“Apartment 302,” Daniel said, his voice low.
I blinked in confusion and he shrugged before I let out a soft chuckle, sending him a
genuine smile. “Thanks.”
I made my way upstairs and stood in front of her door. The gold ‘302’ glimmered
innocently back at me. I knocked on the door, wondering if I should just call her instead.
But the door swung open a few seconds later, and Elliot blinked at me.
“Cameron?” She glanced down the hall and grabbed my hand, pulling me inside, shutting
the door behind me. “What happened? Are you okay?”
I wasn’t sure what to say.
“You’re shaking,” she noted. “I’ll make tea.”
She sped off into the kitchen, her hair a messy knot atop her head.
I followed after her numbly, looking around in silence.
The apartment was obviously shared, because there were three sets of just about
everything. But traces of Elliot’s personality were everywhere; in the frog motif of the dish
cloths, and in the cartoon of a bumblebee on the mug she held in her hands.
The tension slipped from my shoulders with every passing second.
“You weren’t in bed?”
Elliot jumped a little, not expecting me to say anything. “I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted
sheepishly. “So, I was just, uh-”
She glanced around the rest of the apartment. Everything appeared to have been moved.
“Redecorating?” I finished for her.
“I move things around when I’m anxious,” she babbled. “Reese hates it, but it’s the only way
I can calm down so, uhm, yeah…”
She shifted nervously. “I wasn’t expecting you to drop by.”
I nodded, dragging my eyes from the rest of the apartment to Elliot’s clothes. Her body was
almost entirely drowned in a massive T-shirt. Bleach and paint stains flecked the dark gray
fabric, and I couldn’t help but smile.
She handed me the bumblebee mug with a worried frown. “Come on,” she said, pulling me
to the living room. “We can sit and t- uh. Maybe my room would be better.”
She veered to the left, knocking one of the doors ajar, and fumbled for the light switch.
Her room lit up and a chuckle slipped through my lips.
“Don’t judge me,” she whined, blushing down to her chest. “I only come here to sleep.”
I pressed my lips together, letting her guide me to the bed and pointedly stared at the large
rabbit stuffy on her bed.
“Shut up,” she said, kicking the rabbit to the floor. “Focus. What happened?”
I thought about it, about the panic stealing my breath in the car, and how it all melted away
in her presence.
“I had a nightmare,” I told her honestly, feeling safe – For once. “You died in a car crash. I
freaked out and, well… Here I am.”
Elliot’s face fell and she lifted the back of my free hand to her lips. “I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “I know it’s just my subconscious projecting. But it shed some light on a
very important question – Us. What we are, and what we could be.”
Elliot’s face turned a brand new shade of red.
I smiled, anxiety still creaking through my joints as I set my tea on the bedside table.
“I realized my feelings for you are serious.” I breathed. “I want you to be my girlfriend.”
Elliot’s eyelids fluttered, her lips parting on a soft gasp. “Is- are you- really?”
“Yes,” I said, grinning as I leaned forward, kissing her.
“I don’t know how we’ll navigate working together, because I get harsh when I’m stressed.
And you don’t deserve that side of me. But I know that I need you with me. Always.”
Her eyes sparkled and she wrapped her arms around my neck, pecking at my lips once,
twice, three times. Her smile lit up the room.
“I take it that’s a yes?” I chuckled, my hands caressing the curve of her waist and hips.
My body responded to hers immediately, my skin tingling with arousal.
“Yes,” she giggled, before pressing her lips to mine. “I can’t believe you beat me to it.”
“Beat you?” I chuckled, hyper aware of the lack of subtlety in each urgent tug of her teeth
on my tongue, on my bottom lip. “I wasn’t aware this was a competition.”
“It’s not,” she said, distracted. Her fingernails left tiny crescent-shaped dips in the skin of
my shoulders. “But I wanted to ask.”
“Too bad,” I murmured, regret the furthest thing in my mind.
She climbed into my lap, her fingers threading into the length of my hair, knotting at the
roots. Her kisses turned to desperate nips.
Her chest flush against mine, her lips quickly turned urgent and I pulled away.
“What about your roommates?”
Heat pooled in my lower abdomen.
The grin she sent me would have made the devil himself blush. “They’re out of town for the
week,” she purred, pushing me down onto the bed.
“Oh?” I hummed, heart fluttering. “How convenient for me.”
Elliot giggled, crawling over me and sitting on top of me, her hands roaming up under the
silk of my pajama top. Leaning down, she kissed me while her fingers traced the curve of
my breast.
I hummed into the kiss, arching my back into her touch.
Her fingertips ghosted over my nipples, her tongue curling into my mouth.
She was making me delirious…
My hands drifted along her thighs, slipping under the huge T-shirt, looking for her
underwear.
Her thumbs rolled over my hardened nipples and I sighed into her mouth.
The taste of sugar and lemon danced on my tongue, so uniquely Elliot. My fingers dragged a
slow ascent up her back pulling her impossibly close. I was ready to drown in the languid
brush of her tongue.
She broke the kiss first, gasping for air.
I shifted my attention to the column of her throat, unmarked and blemish-free. With a grin,
I changed that.
“Oh, shit,” she breathed, tilting her head back to give me room to explore.
Suddenly there were entirely too many clothes separating the heat of her skin from mine. I
tugged on the hem of her T-shirt, pulling it up and over her head, tossing it to the floor.
Elliot pulled the silk off my body, while I stripped the cotton from her skin with a smirk.
“Shut up,” she mumbled, chucking my pajamas aside.
She sat back, splotches of red splashed across her chest and throat matching the blush of
her cheeks.
“I’ve never seen you like this before,” she mumbled, her gaze burning as she memorized
every inch of my bare body. “It feels like a dream. A very cruel dream.”
I bridged the distance between us, kissing her hard. “You’re a dream.” My words were
muffled by her lips.
She giggled as we fell back against her pillows, lying on our sides and hesitant to pull away.
She slipped a thigh between mine, hooking the other over my hip. I marveled at how
incredible it felt to have her pressed against me like that, her hips grinding against me. It
certainly felt like a dream.
Our hands drifted, mapping each other’s body, cataloging every gasp and every mewl,
falling deeper into the small bubble that separated us from the rest of the world.
Need pulsed between my thighs. The heat fanned by the drag of her skin on my bare vagina.
Our kisses turned sloppy, open-mouthed and broken as our hands roamed.
I rolled Elliot onto her back without breaking the kiss. I straddled one of her thighs, the
other hooked on my hip, and sat up.
“Christ, how do you look like that?” Elliot whined, her cheeks blazing.
The muscles of her stomach fluttered under the caress of my fingertips, her thighs
threatening to snap shut with each pass over her hips.
Breathless, I lifted her thigh and shifted forward.
I rocked my hips, grinding the heat of my vagina over hers, drawing moan after moan from
her trembling lips.
“Like what?” I was losing myself to the soft wetness between her thighs.
“Like you just got out of the shower, while I feel like a musty raccoon.”
Her words pulled a startled chuckle from me, and I leaned down to kiss her sweetly.
“You are so disarmingly adorable,” I purred into her mouth, biting her bottom lip. I pressed
the tip of my middle finger to the swell of her clit, circling slowly as she keened. “It’s
overwhelming.”
“Im-magine how I feel,” she gasped, her hips kicking up into the new friction.
I smirked and kissed her once more before kissing a trail down her body.
“W-wait, what are you doing?”
I paused and looked up, consumed with lust. “I want to taste you,” I murmured, kissing the
corner of her mouth. “If that’s okay with you?”
She shook her head, her arms winding around my neck and pulling me closer.
“Wanna see your face,” she breathed.
She dropped a hand, her fingers nudging mine as she stroked a long, featherlight touch
from my belly button to my clit.
I shivered, heat swirling in my gut, and shifted enough for her fingers to slip between my
folds.
“Like this?” I breathed, rolling my hips into the stretch of her fingers inside me, my own
fingers knuckle deep in her vagina.
She hummed her assent, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.
I pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses to the side of her neck, drinking in each whine.
“What’s the rush?” I sighed, hips kicking forward with the brush of her thumb on my clit.
“Just need it,” she hummed, her thighs falling open the deeper I thrust my fingers. “Need
you.”
“You have me,” I replied.
My tingles had long since turned to full blown pulses of desperate need in the pit of my gut.
Heat coiled low, and my abdomen tightened with every stroke of her fingers.
I wasn’t far behind her. But I wanted her to fall apart slowly, to break apart in my hands,
sweet and unguarded.
I tried to pull away, but she held on tighter, her voice urgent in my ear.
“Together,” she gasped. Her thighs twitched as her walls clamped down like a vice around
my fingers.
I gave her what she wanted, letting go as her soft, broken cries sang me into my orgasm.
Her body locked up in pleasure but her fingers kept moving, chasing me into my own
orgasm, her nails scoring down my shoulder blades.
Bliss rolled through my limbs as pleasure locked my spine.
Her face was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes, my body twitching and loose with
pleasure.
 Chapter 27
Loose Ends
Elliot
The lobby at Pierce Tech was eerily quiet.
I brushed it off, determined to remain focused on everything that needed to get done today.
I chalked it up to Cameron’s warning and a small part of me glowed with the knowledge
that she’d gone so far for me.
I pressed the call button for the elevator and waited. My thoughts drifted back to the first
whisper of trouble I’d heard from Gina.
Her words still irritated me, but it felt like a lifetime had passed since then.
“Elliot?”
‘Speak of the devil,’ I thought.
I turned around, narrowing my eyes at Gina, who stood behind me.
“Yes,” I bit out, not caring that my voice was clipped.
“Can we talk?” Her shoulders rounded, braced for my rejection. But the strain in her voice
tugged at my attention, and I wanted to hear what she had to say.
“Why not?” I sighed, turning back to the elevator as the doors slid open. “It’ll have to be
quick.”
She followed me into the elevator, her eyes darting around, as if hoping no one else would
join us – She was in luck; the doors slid shut, leaving us alone.
“Well?”
“I know you don’t owe me anything,” she said in a rush, glancing at the LED counting the
floors we passed. “And I know I definitely shouldn’t be asking you for help, but I have to. It
involves the entire company.”
“Spit it out, please, Gina,” I said, already exasperated and nervous at the wobble in her
voice.
“It’s about the leak,” she explained, brow pinched. “And the designs that are being stolen. I-I
know who’s behind it.”
“Who?”
My suspicion reared its ugly head. Was she trying to cover her own tracks?
“It’s Ricky,” she finally confessed, quickly cutting me off as I opened my mouth to argue.
“And I know! I know how this sounds, but please, you need to believe me.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, searching for any reason to trust her after the things
she’d said about me and Cameron.
“Do you have any proof?” I asked instead, trying to give her the benefit of the doubt.
We had no other leads at this point and were chasing our tails.
“No, but I know where we can find it,” she said, her voice pleading. Sincerely,
It almost made me want to trust her.
“Ricky’s been nothing but helpful throughout the investigation,” I countered. “Why would
he involve himself to that point if he-”
Oh.
Oh, shit.
Gina pressed her lips together.
“If he could make sure none of the info would lead back to him,” Gina finished for me. “He
used my computer the day of the leak and altered the timesheets to make it seem like I did
it.”
“Jesus,” I breathed. The longer I thought about it, the more sense it made. “His was the only
computer we didn’t check. And he’s the only one with admin access to the timesheets.”
“And he’s using my user credentials to cover up,” she whispered. “He’s trying to frame me.”
The elevator dinged and the doors opened on the R&D floor.
“Go,” I told her. “I’ll look into it.”
She nodded, taking a step out before pausing. She turned back to me. “Thank you.” Sincerity
rang clear in her words. “And, I’m sorry.”
I waved her off, too intent on getting to my desk so I could call Jared.
He picked up on the third ring, barely managing a “Hello Elliot” before my barrage of
information.
He stayed quiet while I explained what Gina had told me, asking him if there was a way to
confirm her story.
“Give me an hour,” was all he said before he hung up.
“You look riled up,” Cameron mused.
My head shot up – I hadn’t heard her come in.
“Oh, uh…” I paused, wondering if I should tell her about a potential lead before I’d even
confirmed it.
She didn’t let me get that far.
“Spill it,” she deadpanned. “I can practically hear the wheels turning in your head.”
“We might have a lead,” I explained, my leg bouncing nervously under the table. “Gina
seems to think it’s Ricky, and as much sense as her story makes, I want to be sure about it.”
“Did you call Jared?” Cameron asked, her expression severe.
“He’ll call back in an hour,” I told her. “Hopefully to confirm or bust her story.”
“Well,” she said, perched on the edge of my desk, “we’ll just have to wait.”

The hour trickled slower than molasses. I almost launched my body across the desk when
Jared’s caller ID flashed on the phone.
“And?” I answered, too anxious to hear if Gina had been lying or not.
“We found it,” Jared said. “It was Ricky.”
I locked eyes with Cameron. A sad relief filled my chest because it was finally over.
“I don’t want to believe it.” Cameron sighed, riffling through the prints that Jared had sent
over after confirming Ricky’s complicity. “I guess I gave him too much faith.”
Wary of our surroundings, I reached over and squeezed her hand.
“This wasn’t you,” I said. “He chose to undermine the faith you put in him, and he lost.”
She sent me a tired smile, squeezing my fingers back.
“Thank you,” she murmured, her dark eyes on mine, “for getting to the bottom of this. I
didn’t want to say it out loud, but the Pierce name was riding on this investigation. And you
came through for us. For me.”
The resident butterflies in my stomach fluttered their wings giddily, and I smiled. “Just
doing my job.”
She chuckled.
“I suppose we should get this over with.” She sighed, the darkness in her eyes turning
stony.
“Get HR on the line and tell them to draw up the necessary dismissal documents. And I need
the legal team on this immediately.”
My fingers flew across my keyboard while Cameron disappeared into her office.
A few minutes later, she reappeared, looking solemn. “Ready?”
I nodded, grabbed my notebook and followed her down to the R&D department.
We walked into the lab, my eyes zeroing in on Gina’s wide eyes immediately. I nodded
imperceptibly, hoping she understood.
“Ricky,” Cameron said, her voice as cold as I’d ever heard it.
Ricky poked his head around one of the monitors in the back of the lab. “Ms. Pierce?”
I winced, knowing what was coming and still not ready to see it happen.
“A word,” Cameron spat, walking into his office and waiting for him.
I watched as he followed her inside and closed the door behind them. This wasn’t
something Cameron needed assistance with, and I was happy to wait outside.
The minutes inched past, my stomach clenching with every ticking second.
Ricky’s office proved to be soundproof, something I hadn’t expected, but was oddly grateful
for.
As much as Cameron fought to keep her icy facade up at all times at work, I didn’t like the
idea of her employees fearing her. Because fear often turned to hatred.
And hating Cameron was… A ridiculous notion.
Cameron emerged from the office after a tense few minutes, her jaw clenched, frowning.
“And?” I murmured, mouthing the word more than speaking it.
“It’s done.”

The next few days turned into a blur of legal proceedings against Ricky and the competitors
who paid him for the leaked designs.
Cameron’s shoulders drew tighter with each meeting, and I sat a little closer every time,
wishing I could ease the tension and take care of her.
“When will this case be settled?” she asked during one of the countless sit downs with her
legal team.
I sat close by, my hand hidden beneath the table where it rested on her thigh for support.
She was tired, and that was all I could do just then.
Nikki shuffled through the stack of paper in front of her; court documents containing
statements, allegations, and God knew what else.
“It’ll be a month until we can get the charges in front of a judge,” she said, her back straight
and shoulders squared. “But we’ve gone ahead with the lawsuit and we’re waiting on the
opposition’s rebuttal. We expect it by the end of the week.”
Cameron nodded and I stole a quick glance at my watch before leaning in close to
Cameron’s ear.
“The board review starts in ten minutes,” I murmured. “We need to wrap up and get back
upstairs.”
Cameron nodded and turned back to Nikki with a curt smile.
“Then we can adjourn for today until there’s an update.” Cameron got to her feet. I
followed, pulling my hand away. “Until then, thank you for your work on this.”
We left the boardroom and I hurried my pace to match Cameron’s.
“I know you’re gonna argue,” I said softly, making sure we weren’t being watched by any
nosy employees. “But if you want me to reschedule this for another day, I will. You need to
rest as well.”
As expected, Cameron shook her head. “I’d rather get this wrapped up.” She sighed. “It’ll be
one less thing I need to worry about.”
“What if I told you I was too tired?” I teased, stopping her in her tracks.
“Then you can finish up early and head home,” she said earnestly. “I don’t want you burning
out.”
“You’re unbelievable,” I scoffed through a chuckle. I pulled her forward. “This is why I can’t
let you go off on your own.”
She grumbled something unintelligible but followed anyway.
“What time do you think you’ll be done there?” I asked, wanting to grab Cameron a coffee
before she started the meeting.
She blinked at me.
“You’re going to sit in on the review,” she said, as it was as obvious as green grass. “I want
your opinion, as well.”
I blanked, wondering if I’d heard her right. “Me?” I jeered, half in disbelief. “Why?”
Cameron rolled her eyes at me. “Because I trust you.”

I studied the faces before us, each of them stoic and serious after Cameron’s rigorous
interrogation.
I chanced a side eye at Cameron, who appraised the new all female board members with no
shortage of satisfaction glowing on her face.
“I trust you’ve all become exceptionally familiar with Pierce Industries,” she announced,
her hands folded comfortably in front of her. “I’m excited to see what Pierce Industries can
achieve with you guiding our CEO team.”
Cameron got to her feet, shaking each woman's hand as they filed out of the conference
room.
I tried to hide my surprise when each of them stopped to shake my hand as well, catching
the smug glint in Cameron’s eyes as she watched.
“That was unexpected,” I admitted once they’d left.
Cameron chuckled, gathering her notes and packing them into her bag.
I rushed forward, hands fluttering over hers. “No, let me do that.”
She batted my hands away with a click of her tongue. “Hush,” she scolded lightly, turning to
face me. “So? What do you think?”
“About the board?” I clarified.
She nodded.
“Impressive, and definitely a sight better than Ron. I still can’t believe he was funding
Ricky’s theft.”
Cameron hummed, her focus somewhere far away, and I cleared my throat to get her
attention. “For the first time since I started,” I admitted to her, feeling a little sheepish
suddenly. “I feel like I’m doing a good job here.”
Cameron’s gaze softened. She lifted a hand, then another, cupping my face in her palms and
bringing my face to hers.
Her lips brushed mine ever so gently, sweetly, every ounce of her affection glaringly
obvious.
I pulled back, startled, and spun around to make sure no one had seen us. “Cameron, we’re
in the office!” I hissed, breathless.
She chuckled lightly, threading her fingers through mine like she didn’t care who saw.
It made my heart falter.
“You’re doing a great job, Elliot.”
 Chapter 28
Fries and Heart-Eyes
Cameron
I stared at my screen for an obscenely long time, my fingers suspended over the keyboard.
But my thoughts continue to scatter, running away from me every time I try to grab hold of
one.
I sighed.
The clock on my computer glared back at me, the 7:33pm almost accusatory, but I ignored
it.
Elliot’s soft humming filtered through my open door, tugging at the corners of my mouth. I
peered through the glass panel, watching her dance in her chair.
Warmth tingled the inside of my ribcage, spreading to the rest of my body. Cheesy, but it
was the only way to describe what I felt for her.
As if she could sense my gaze she turned around, her bright eyes locking with mine.
She sent me a shy smile and got up, fixed her skirt and walked in. “Got a second?” she asked
a little timidly.
For her?
Always.
“Sure,” I said instead, heat creeping up my neck.
She took a few steps forward but didn’t sit down. She opened her mouth and closed it again,
shaking her head a little as if she’d changed her mind.
“Jared finalized his invoice,” she told me, her fingers fidgeting with the sleeve of her shirt.
“I’ve sent it down to the accounts department to take care of.”
I nodded, knowing there was more.
“And the lawsuit is proceeding as of this afternoon,” she added. “Nikki’s PA sent through
the documentation. I’ll go through it tomorrow before passing it on.”
“Very well,” I said, still waiting.
She glanced away, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. “Uhm, and you won’t be required to
attend any court proceedings-”
“Elliot.” I chuckled, cutting her off mid-rant. “What do you really want to say?”
Crimson bloomed across her cheeks and she ducked her head, taking a deep breath to
steady herself.
“Doyouwanttogoonadatewithme?” she asked in a rush, her words tripping over one
another.
“Excuse me?”
“Do you,” she said, a little slower this time. “Want to go on a date with me?”
My lips stretched into a wide smile that almost hurt my cheeks.
“A date?” I teased, leaning forward on my elbows. “With your girlfriend? How scandalous.”
“Says the woman who ate me out a few nights ago,” she shot back, her face still pink.
I laughed, the memory keen on my tongue. “You have a point,” I mused with a devilish
smirk. “And we are technically off the clock now.”
“Is that a yes?” She beamed hopefully.
God, I was head over heels and there was nothing I could do to stop myself.
“Obviously.”

I eyed the neon sign overhead with no shortage of dubiousness. “The Big Pink?”
She giggled and pulled me toward the diner. “Come on,” she insisted. “It’s my favorite diner
in the city. You’ll love it, I promise.”
I frowned but allowed her to pull me along, her excitement palpable.
“Ellie!”
Elliot swiveled to the counter, cheeks pink. “Hey, Dina!” she called back to the blonde
woman. “Got space for two?”
“You know I keep your booth open for you and Reese.” Dina winked, waving at an empty
booth tucked away in the back of the diner.
“You’re the best!”
“Hey now, hold on a sec,” Dina called, her fists on her hips. “Who’s this?”
Elliot grinned, holding our joined hands up as if in answer. “Dina, this is Cameron,” she said.
“My girlfriend.”
I’d never get over hearing her say it.
“Cameron, this is Dina,” she told me. “Reese’s aunt.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” I said.
Dina’s smile was friendly and warm. “Glad I can finally put a face to the name.” She
chuckled.
I turned to Elliot, whose smile had vanished.
“Oh?” I asked, one side of my mouth kicking up into a half smile. “Does Elliot complain
about me that much?”
“Haha!” Elliot cut in, spinning me around and pushing me toward the booth. “Hilarious,
Dina, always making jokes.”
I heard Dina laugh again before turning to another customer.
Elliot steered me to the booth and slid in opposite.
“How much do you complain about me that your roommate’s aunt knows my name?”
Elliot groaned, dropping her face into her folded arms on the table. “I wasn’t complaining,”
she mumbled. “That’s the problem.”
I wanted to know more, to pry and find out what she meant, but I sat back with a smile.
“Okay, I won’t ask.” I chuckled.
She lifted her head with a grateful pout that begged me to kiss her. “It’s not that I don’t
want you to ask,” she said. “It’s just… I don’t know.”
“Not first date talk?” I offered.
She blushed again but nodded.
I smiled at her. “So,” I prompted. “Are you going to tell me how this diner became your
favorite in the whole city?”
“It’s a long, boring story,” she said with a wince.
I quirked a brow. “I’m pretty sure ‘long and boring’ is a part of first date jargon,” I said. “You
know, what’s your favorite color, movie, why do you enjoy coming to a diner on the other
side of the city? The usual.”
Elliot giggled. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to you cracking jokes. But you’re right. I’ll bore
you with my story. But first: Dina!”
I nearly jumped out of my seat at her sudden shout.
“Yeah?”
“Can we get fries and two chocolate shakes, please?”
“On it, hun!”
Elliot turned back to me with a beam. “Now I can bore you.”
I rolled my eyes at her, entranced.
She was so at home, so comfortable, that I almost forgot we were in a diner with other
patrons.
“I first met Reese in this place years ago,” she explained, looking around at the interior of
the diner. Nostalgia sparkled in her eyes. “I’d just experienced my first true heartbreak. I
suppose heartbreak is too strong a word, but I was in high school and this girl I was
crushing on started dating some boy. I was devastated.”
“Understandably,” I teased, picturing a younger version of Elliot, wondering what she’d
been like. How much she’d changed since then.
Anyway,” she continued, her cheeks pink, “I came here late one night because it was the
only place open and decided to drown my sorrows in a chocolate shake. Reese just so
happened to walk in after a victory party for her lacrosse team. And the rest, as they say, is
history. It hasn’t even changed much, apart from the ownership. Reese and I came here
almost every day for lunch.”
“And you and Reese?” I asked, a little uncomfortable because I had no right to ask. But I just
had to know. “You never got together?”
Elliot snorted.
“Me and Reese?” she scoffed. “We’re what she likes to call ‘platonic soulmates’. We love
each other, but it starts and ends there. She’s planning on marrying Noah next year.”
She reached across the table and nudged my hand with hers. “And I have you.”
I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep myself from grinning like an idiot, but I doubt
I’d done a good enough job.
By some grace, Dina appeared to save me from embarrassing myself.
“Here we go,” she said, putting a massive plate of fries between us and setting down the
two shakes Elliot had ordered.
“Thank you,” I said, convinced my cheeks were as pink as the bright neon sign outside.
“Shout if you need anything else,” Dina said cheerfully, bustling away to another booth.
I glanced at the shake in front of me, then looked up at Elliot.
She grabbed a fry and dunked it in the milkshake before popping it into her mouth with a
satisfied hum.
I grimaced.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never tried this,” she deadpanned, staring at me.
“Can’t say I ever ate at a diner, period,” I defended. “Let alone dunked a fry into a
milkshake.”
“No way,” she said. She dusted her hands and got to her feet, rounding the table and waving
her hands at me. “Scoot, we’re doing this.”
I groaned, but slid further into the booth, only consoled because she was sitting next to me.
She grabbed a fry and dipped it into my shake, lifting her other hand to keep it from
dripping anywhere.
“Ah,” she prompted, her hands hovering in front of my face.
I glared at her and she only glared harder.
I wouldn’t win this one.
With an exasperated sigh, I gave in and opened my mouth.
She held the fry out and I took a bite, ready to cringe, but she dropped a kiss on my
frowning lips.
And suddenly, I’d never tasted anything sweeter.
She watched me closely, waiting for me to chew and swallow.
“And?”
I couldn’t help the laughter bubbling in her chest. I lied. “It’s not as bad as I thought it
would be.”
She punched the air in triumph and went back to her seat.
“Told ya.” She giggled, taking another fry and dunking it into her shake.
“I don’t even like chocolate much,” I murmured, more to myself.
I wondered how everything she did could be so endearing, that I could ignore the chocolate
entirely, ignore my discomfort, and fall again and again.
Harder and harder.
She covered her mouth, gasping theatrically.
“Unacceptable,” she declared. “My girlfriend can’t not like chocolate. It’s my seventh
favorite thing in the world.”
I raised my brows, swallowing another bout of laughter.
I loved seeing her like this.
“I’ll make you a deal,” I offered, leaning forward. She perked up, leaning in close as well. “I’ll
eat chocolate on one condition.”
“Anything,” she said, with no trace of amusement in her eyes.
I smiled. “You have to feed it to me.”
I watched the flush climb up her neck and rest on her cheeks, and she groaned. “You’re so
cheesy,” she whined, dropping her face into her hands.
I didn’t care. I just wanted to see her smile. Always.
“I love you,” I blurted, stunning myself with my own confession. But it was too late, and I
didn’t want to take it back.
Elliot gawked at me for a moment, her jaw slack and eyes wide. “I- ugh, I can’t believe you
beat me to it again,” she grumbled through a pout.
A knot I hadn’t noticed loosened in my chest and I blew out a breath. “Normally, you’d say it
back,” I mused, taking a sip of my shake.
“And I love you, Cameron.”
The shake lodged itself in my windpipe and I coughed, wholly unprepared for the onslaught
of emotions.
I coughed again, trying to clear my throat, and Elliot smirked.
“You said it first and yet you’re blushing like a teenager,” she teased.
“I just,” I paused, chuckling. “I haven’t heard anyone say that in a while.”
I expected Elliot to frown but, as usual, she surprised me with a smirk. “Well, get used to it.
You know,” she added, popping a few fries into her mouth. “You really made it a chase.”
“Come again?”
“You,” she giggled. “You made me chase after you from day one. God, I can’t even begin to
explain it. I was fighting for my life every day, praying you’d see me the same way.”
My cheeks burned in embarrassment and I sipped on my milkshake in silent protest. “I
don’t know what you’re talking about,” I told her calmly, my heart thrashing in my chest.
She reached over and took my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm, her eyes slipping shut.
“You’re worth every chase, Cameron. You wouldn’t be in some hole in the wall diner
otherwise.”
I chuckled softly, my thumb caressing the warmth of her cheek. “You’re right about the
diner,” I teased.
 Chapter 29
The Not-So-Casual Day Off
Elliot
Breezing through the lobby, I greeted a few of the employees that passed me.
A purple gift bag swayed in my hand, my phone in the other as I navigated my way to the
elevators. It wasn’t early by any means so there were a few people milling about, mostly
visitors or contractors.
“Yeah, I’m on my way up,” I said. “Is she done with her schedule?”
“I made sure of it,” Adeline replied.
I hung up with a grin, my heart fluttering in anticipation. When I finally reached the top
floor, Adeline hurried over to the elevator, a bright smile greeting me the moment I stepped
out.
“Hey, Adie,” I greeted, unable to keep myself from grinning back. “Everything ready?”
Adie nodded, leading me back to what used to be my desk.
After weeks of hardcore training, Adie was finally ready for me to hand over my duties as
Cameron’s assistant.
There may or may not have been a number of arguments surrounding Cameron’s hours
that I may or may not have won…
“So you’re clear on everything?” I asked again, nerves twisting in my gut. I’d become so
accustomed to the job that letting it go was a discomfort I hadn’t been prepared for.
“Absolutely everything,” Adie assured me, dropping into her seat and clacking away on the
keyboard. “I’ve got reminders and reminders for the reminders. And if I need anything, I’ve
got your notes.”
With a fond smile, I glanced at my notebook.
It was an absolute mess of sticky notes, folded corners, and a spine so broken I winced.
“I hope you can make some use of it,” I said, fingertips brushing the worn cover.
“Elliot?”
My mouth stretched into a wide smile and I glanced up, meeting Cameron’s curious gaze.
She stood in her doorway, her white shirt unbuttoned at the collar.
“Good morning,” I trilled, keeping myself from walking over and kissing her stupid.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her eyes drifting to my jeans. “I thought yesterday
was your last day? Aren’t you starting your new job tomorrow?”
I grinned, the small knot of nerves in my gut twisting at the mention of my new job.
Software development was a stretch for me, but I was excited about working with a brand
new startup, and studying a new field didn’t sound so bad.
“Miss me that much already?” I teased, to which she rolled her eyes. “I’m here to pick you
up, obviously.”
Cameron frowned, her eyes darting from me to Adie and then back.
“Pick me up?” she repeated, a brow quirked in confusion.
“Yup,” I said, my lips popping on the ‘p’. I set the gift bag on Adie’s desk. “Adie has done the
impossible and cleared your schedule for the day and deserves all the praise. Which means
your time is mine.”
Cameron just blinked at me.
“That’s not possible,” she countered, brows furrowed. “There’s an entire new startup that I
need to work on. Not to mention there’s a whole avalanche of paperwork waiting for me to
get through-”
“Cameron.” I chuckled, closing the distance between us and pressing a chaste kiss to her
lips. “We took care of all of it, okay? Adie has this all handled, I swear. Right, Adie?”
“It’s all under control.” Adie beamed, her green eyes crinkling with a smile. “And I’m afraid
that I might have to call security if you don’t leave soon.”
“Security?” Cameron scoffed.
I grabbed her hand, kissing the back of it with a smirk.
“I worked my ass off for weeks to make this happen, Cameron.” I pouted, knowing it would
melt her instantly. “And Adie made sure all my work didn’t go to waste. Don’t you wanna
spend time with me?”
I watched Cameron’s resolve crumble away, the sliver of guilt fleeting.
“You’re insufferable,” she relented, shoulders dropping in defeat. “Very well, my time is
yours. What are we doing?”

Cameron
“The arcade?”
Elliot doubled over in laughter, the look of pure disdain on my face evidently too much to
bear.
“It’s not a torture dungeon.” She chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye.
I grimaced.
“It might as well be,” I grumbled in return.
Elliot smirked, slowly pulling me closer until we were nose to nose. “You just don’t know
how to unwind,” she murmured, pecking my lips softly. “We have the entire day to
ourselves for once; no work, no roommates. Just you and me, and you’re pouting because I
brought you to an arcade?”
I couldn’t help the way my body leaned into her touch, aching for more.
“My idea of unwinding involves a hot tub and wine,” I argued, the tip of my nose brushing
hers. “Which, I might add, is also something we can do without work or roommates getting
in the way.”
My fingertips danced along her waist and I leaned in, my lips near her ear. “Just you and
me.”
She shivered, her fingers fisting in the fabric of my jacket.
I was hardly dressed for a day off, let alone a goddamn arcade.
“As fun as that sounds,” Elliot replied, her voice just a little unsteady. “I’ll have to stand my
ground. But, I understand if you’re too chicken to go up against a champ like me.”
“Excuse me?”
“Oh no, don’t worry,” she said, feigning innocence and stepping away. “I am a pretty
formidable opponent.”
“You are so on.” I grinned.
With a breathless giggle, she dragged me inside and paused, her mouth popping open in
awe.
I couldn’t say I wasn’t impressed either.
What was essentially any kid’s wildest dream beamed back at us, two floors dedicated to
arcade games that I’d never even heard of.
“It’s huge,” Elliot gasped, and I nodded in agreement before swiveling my head to squint at
her.
“This was your idea,” I reminded her. “Have you never been here?”
“I came here once.” She shrugged. “Back in college, but it was nowhere near as decked out
as it is right now. They have seven Dance Dance Revolution machines! Seven!”
I chuckled at the wonder sparkling in her eyes and tried to bring her back down to Earth
for a second.
“So?” I prompted. “Do we need tokens or something?”
Elliot shot me a grin and dug into her pocket, producing two bright yellow cards with the
arcade’s logo stamped on one side.
“Got it covered,” she said.
I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. “Lead the way.”

“No way, no, I demand a rematch.”

I chuckled, gathering the little tickets that continued to spew out of the machine.
“I refuse,” I teased, my hands full of the little tickets. “Is there a basket or something for all
of these? I don’t know how I’m going to play with my hands full.”
Elliot stuck her tongue out at me, mischief sparkling in her eyes. “Beginner’s luck,” she
grumbled. “Fine, you pick the next one.”
I leaned over to her, kissing her cheek. “You pick,” I said.
I didn’t care what we did next, or whether I won or not.
She searched the floor, standing on her tiptoes.
And I was happy to watch.
She turned back to me, mischief and joy scrawled across her beautiful face.
And I quickly stepped in.
“Not the dance machine,” I told her, my voice deadly serious. She pouted, but I held my
ground. “No. I’ll play whatever else you want, but I draw the line at that.”
Her pout turned to a smirk.
“Chicken.”
“Not going to work,” I told her, eyes set.
She sighed dramatically and shrugged. “Worth a shot.” She chuckled. “Should we grab
something to eat?”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Don’t tell me.” I laughed. “Candy floss?”
“No, baby,” she said with a giggle. “Better. We’re getting hotdogs.”
I swallowed another grumble and let her drag me to the food court.
“Is there a reason it’s remarkably empty?” I asked her, once again struck by how quiet the
arcade was. “I expected shrieks and tantrums, but it feels like it’s just us here.”
“Oh, I think school only gets out in another two hours or so,” she said, offering me a hotdog.
“And I had to make sure we weren’t gonna have to fight a bunch of fourth-graders for
access to Tekken.”
“Tekken?”
“Mm-hm,” she hummed. “I lost spectacularly to you at the hoop, so I have to do something
to impress you.”
We finished eating and she jogged up the steps leading to the second floor.
Massive screens lined the walls, each screen with a set of joysticks. Ostentatiously loud
shouts and declarations of violence echoed and jumbled together. The silence was a little
heavier away from the few others we shared the arcade with.
“There!” she cried, pointing happily at one of the screens closer to the end of the row. She
dashed off and I followed, a content smile finding its way onto my face.
She swiped the arcade card and the game roared to life, so much louder than any of the
others around us.
She sat on the black bench and wiggled around until she found a comfortable spot and
patted the space beside her.
I sat down, accepting the joystick she offered me.
“Okay, this is still pretty retro,” she explained, pointing at the joystick, “so the controls are a
little less complicated than the console version.”
She explained the rules and controls, how certain characters had finishing moves that
would result in a knockout and instant win.
But my mind had run away with my own thoughts, planning for a future I never thought I’d
have with her. Brief flashes of her laughter intermingled with the smiles she loved to give
me, her reassuring touches and unflinching care.
Obviously, I lost. Every single round.
My character’s health bar all but evaporated with every hit her character landed, her
resounding whoop of triumph music to my ears.
I hadn’t heard a word she’d said about the game, too entranced by the maybes and the what
ifs we could share.
She paused in the middle of her victory dance, narrowing her eyes at me.
“You’d better not be letting me win,” she warned.
I laughed. “I don’t even remember what you said about the T.K.O. combination, my love,” I
reassured her. “I’ve never played these types of games before.”
“Was Mark not into gaming?” she asked, her curiosity morphing to concern in a heartbeat.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t-”
“It’s okay,” I told her, my chest a little tight. “It’s… Nice to be able to talk about him. And yes,
he was obsessed with this stuff. I was always on his ass about it.”
Looking a little relieved, Elliot chuckled lightly. “I can’t say I’m surprised,” she teased. “Even
though one of your best friends basically built the video game industry as we know it.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before.” I sighed, remembering how Mark would fight tooth
and nail to keep his console during school terms. “Not that Reid made it any easier for me.”
“Why not?” she giggled.
“She sent him all the beta versions of the games her company was creating,” I said, just a
little salty that my own best friend snuck my son the same games I’d warned him not to
play. “I wanted him to be outside, horse riding or doing track and he insisted on beating
every level of every game he could get his hands on. It drove me insane.”
Elliot smiled, glancing down at the joystick in her hands. “I would have loved to meet him,”
she said quietly.
My heart hurt just a little, and I slipped my hand over her thigh, squeezing gently. “He
would have loved you.”
Elliot’s eyes shone with joy, her grin a little wobbly with emotion. “High praise coming from
you,” she giggled.
My chest might’ve exploded just then, because every fiber of my being was so enchanted, so
in love.
I couldn’t keep that a secret any longer.
“I love you,” I said, holding her chin between my thumb and forefinger. “So much that I have
no words for it.”
“You’re being dramatic,” she teased, closing the distance between us with a kiss that sent
shivers down my spine. “And I love you, too. Drama and all.”
We kissed again, safe in our little bubble on the second floor of an empty arcade.
I felt like my life was beginning again.

Yes! There will be more from this group of friends. Hayden’s story is up next. While you’re
waiting, I’ve got two exciting offers for you:
Not over Cameron and Elliot? Want a glimpse into their future as they move in together?
Pick up their bonus epilogue here: https://geni.us/Tdux
Want another romance with an age gap? This time between a jilted bride and her ex-
mother-in-law? Pick up Avery Awakened here: https://geni.us/xcWc
 About Author
Chloe Peterson is the author of heartfelt women-loving women fiction. She loves writing
stories that celebrate the diversity of the LGBT community. Chloe relaxes by watching
home building shows and reading fan fiction.
To stay up to date with new releases, join her mailing list here: https://geni.us/gmiXnp
 Table of Contents
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
23. Chapter 23
24. Chapter 24
25. Chapter 25
26. Chapter 26
27. Chapter 27
28. Chapter 28
29. Chapter 29