Chapter 4
Why he suddenly started being nice shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. He was actually polite, and I could have sworn he sounded desperate. It made me think. He spent so much time working he was probably pretty lonely. Maybe having me around working was something he needed. It was sort of cute in a weird way.
I was working on fixing his errors, but I felt his eyes on mine and it distracted me. I’d read the same line five times before I couldn’t take it anymore and cleared my throat. “I can’t concentrate with you watching me. I don’t need babysat to edit a document.”
He recoiled. “I wasn’t watching you to babysit.”
I raised a brow. “Do I have something on my face or something?”
He chuckled and leaned forward. “Nope,” he replied and let the word pop. He licked his lips and his eyes were bright. If I didn’t know any better I would think he was trying to hit on me.
“I have a boyfriend,” I blurted out and then blushed.
“That’s nice. I don’t think I asked about your relationship status, Miss Turner,” he said, and I heard the same tone from before and sighed. It was too good to be true.
“Sorry,” I mumbled then focused on the paper in front of me. Sliding the highlighter over the first mistake I focused on the words in front of me. He was definitely professional.”
His hand wrapped around the highlighter and I glanced at him frowning. “Now what?”
“Why do you apologize so much? I was an ass and yet you took it.”
I shrugged. “You’re my boss.”
“So? Does that give me a right to treat you poorly?”
What the hell was his game? He was calling me out for not calling him out. I was so confused. His mood swings were worse than a ping pong match, and I was about to get whip lash. “Well, no but seeing’s how it is my first day I figured I ought to make a good impression especially because you don’t seem to like me much.
“I like you fine.”
I laughed I couldn’t help it. If he liked me then he was terrible at showing it.
“What? I’m always a jackass.”
“I highly doubt you treat everyone like you’ve treated me today.”
He shook his head and actually looked ashamed. “No you’re right. It’s only because I like you. I wasn’t expecting to be so—attracted to you.”
Well shit. I hadn’t seen that one coming. “Oh puh-lease!”
“No really. It threw me off guard, and then boom, asshole aboard.” He laughed and ran his hands through his hair messing up his fauxhawk.
Was he playing me? Probably. Did I swoon? A little. Did that totally piss me off? Hell yes.
“Well even though you’re not asking, I do have a boyfriend.”
He nodded and smirked. “Yes, I’m aware now. I’m also aware he knows me, and yes I did listen to your conversation. So I’m curious as to who he is.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I couldn’t hold back my own smirk when I said, “Ryan Wilson.”
He blanched. His face seriously paled and he leaned back. The smile fell from his face, and he ran his hand through his hair again. “I see. That would explain your impression of me then. He certainly doesn’t like me, and for the good reason. I don’t like him much either.”
I nodded and shrugged. “He warned me about you but I didn’t listen. I didn’t think you’d be so bad—”
“But you learned otherwise right?” His tone was hateful and he glared at me like I had just committed the biggest sin.
“Well you haven’t exactly been the most welcoming.”
“Yeah I know.” He pulled the paper from me. “I think I can do this after all. You’re free to go home now.”
I stared at him confused. “Wait? You’re mad at me for being honest? Let me finish the damn paper then I’ll go.”
“No it’s fine. I got it.”
He was being ridiculous. “Stop acting like a baby. Ryan told me his opinion; I didn’t listen until you treated me worse than the dirt under your shoes. You did that, not him.”
His eyes widened in shock and I shrugged. I was done letting him push me around. If I was going to work for him I demanded a certain level of respect and general kindness wasn’t too much to ask for. He nodded and handed the paper back to me without taking his eyes off of me.
I took it and went back to work ending the conversation. It felt good to take control over the situation.
“I was hoping to take you to dinner tonight.”
I laughed and highlighted the next error. “Funny.”
“I’m serious, but the chances of that are pretty slim now huh?”
I looked at him wondering if he was playing me. “Not on your life.”
“What if you didn’t have a boyfriend?”
“Not even then.”
This seemed to upset him. His brows drew in and he frowned as if turning him down was a surprise. “I see.”
I had nothing to say so I continued working. He stopped talking and left me to handle the document. My heart pounded the whole time. Every few seconds I felt his stare, but he didn’t say anything. It was like he was trying to figure me out. I couldn’t believe he actually thought I’d have dinner with him. I chuckled about it without meaning to. It was really quite amusing.
I glanced at him and shook my head.
“What?”
“Nothing, just thinking.” I handed the file to him. “There wasn’t too much wrong, but you got a little wordy in a couple of places. I assume you want these contracts to be thoroughly read?”
“Yes,” he replied as he looked over the paper.
“So if you replace words shortening it up your better off. People get bored with too many words. It will make it easier.”
He nodded and smiled. “Thanks it looks good.”
I was stunned by his praise. “It’s something I’m good at.” There wasn’t much but it was nice. I stood to go, but he grabbed my hand.
For a second I stared at his large hand wrapped around mine and licked my lips. Then I glanced at him. He rubbed his thumb over my flesh and I shuddered. Yanking my hand away I waited. He walked around his desk; his height was intimidating as hell. I had to tip my head back to look at him. The man had no boundaries. He crowed my spaced, and then his fingers gripped my hip. I went to pull back but he held me tight.
“Let go,” I whispered.
He shook his head and leaned down running his nose along my neck. I swear I hated it. Hell I wanted to hate it.
“I know your secrets Leila. All of them.”
I froze and my body shook. No one was supposed to know about my past. I worked hard to put it behind me and though some of it still haunted me things were getting better. “No, you don’t know anything about me.” Denial. I was good at that.
He pulled me back and shook his head. “I wish you wouldn’t lie. I do in fact know. I’m a rich man, and I dug into your past easily. I know about what you did.”
Tears filled my eyes. “I never wanted anyone to know.”
“If I could find out so could Ryan. I don’t like to admit this, but he is wealthier than even I am. If he hasn’t checked into your past yet he will. I know him, and he won’t stick around once he knows what you did. He won’t care you went to rehab. He won’t care how far you’ve come.”
I shoved him back before the first tear fell. “Why would you say that? He trusts me.”
Aiden chuckled. “Should he though? You are lying to him every day you don’t confess.”
I paled. He was right and I hated him for it. Why would he call me out on my past? “Why did you even hire me then knowing what you know?”
He shrugged. “I believe in second chances, Leila. I believe you aren’t your past. Ryan on the other hand—let me tell you from experience—won’t be so gracious.”
I didn’t get it. Ryan talked so poorly of Aiden, and my new boss didn’t seem to think very highly of my boyfriend. He acted like Ryan was—a snob. “How would you know? He might be okay with it.”
“Then why haven’t you told him about your past?”
I bristled. “It’s too soon.”
“Oh my. Well I know Ryan, and let’s say I tell him—to help you out of courses—”
“You wouldn’t,” I seethed. He couldn’t really do that. I couldn’t let him do that.
“Haven’t we established I’m an asshole? So I most definitely would especially when it will hurt him. What you don’t know is Ryan and I used to be really good friends.”
I let the tears fall. He was going to ruin everything I worked so hard to gain. I didn’t get it. What did it matter about my past? “All of this just to get back at him?”
“Yes,” he replied but there was something in his tone as his eyes scanned my body.
“Even if you hurt other people in the process?”
“Yes.”
“Well aren’t you just as mature as they come. I don’t buy it. I don’t think you’ll tell him knowing I’ll hate you even more. I may be new, but you can’t seem to keep secretaries. It’s no wonder why. You might want to keep me around for a while.”
“You wouldn’t quit. You need this job too badly.”
Shit he had me again. I did need the job, and they were hard to come by. He had me cornered and he knew it. I didn’t want to believe he would tell Ryan, but something in the way he talked about him proved otherwise. There was seriously some bad blood between the two of them, and I had no idea my past would hang by a thread just because of some stupid revenge.
“Why do you hate him anyways?”
Aiden glared at me and moved away before sitting back down at his desk. I could breathe again, for the moment.