“Jessa!” I sifted through the mess of folders on my desk and prayed for patience. I had an intercom but yelling released some of the stress. Hopefully, it would keep me from a rash reaction like firing her. “I need the paperwork for my next appointment.” I couldn’t find it in the pile, so I shoved everything to the opposite end of my large, corner desk. Another task I’d have to ask her to re-do. Everything was running at a snail’s pace since I hired Jessa, but she was a sweet kid and I could tell she was trying.

I didn’t normally have a softer side. In fact, I was known for being rigid and uncompromising, pretty much a total asshole. But, I had my moments and one of them was when my assistant, Margaret, an extremely efficient and sarcastically funny woman in her sixties, had announced she was retiring. She’d asked me to hire her eighteen-year-old granddaughter because she was too sheltered and needed to get some experience in the real world. Margaret said she would stay on and help her out until she got the hang of things, so I agreed. Then Margaret’s appendix had burst, and she was currently in the hospital. Leaving me with no one but the teenager with her head in the clouds.

In the rarest of occurrences, I happened to have one of those moments the night before as well.

Calista.

Something about that woman inspired some softness, although parts of me were certainly rigid. I had a completely foreign desire to possess another person. I wanted to throw her over my shoulder, take her home, and tie her to my fucking bed so I didn’t have to share her with anyone else. With her long, inky black hair, high cheekbones and full lips she had a face Hollywood would love. She was tall, which I appreciated because even though I was still quite a few inches taller, I didn’t have to bend in fucking half to kiss her. Her body was lean and toned, with endless legs that had shown off her strength when they clenched around me as I fucked her tight, little pussy. Last night had been the greatest fucking sex I’d ever had in my life.

Shit. I had an interview in less than twenty minutes, and I was hard as a fucking rock. I’d probably scare the fuck out of Jessa if she saw me at that moment. I tried to think of something other than how it had felt to be inside Calista.

Baseball stats. Weston. Rhys. Thank fuck thinking about my best friends was working, and I was starting to soften. But damn it, I still couldn’t stop thinking about her. When Weston and Rhys had fallen for their wives, I’d rolled my eyes and told them to stop being such pussies. And, it only took a minute of staring into her dark brown eyes to know exactly what they’d been talking about. There was no doubt in my mind that this woman fucking belonged to me. Not that I’d be admitting it to either of those jackasses any time soon.

A knock on my door broke through my thoughts, and Jessa stood there timidly, holding a file. “I’m sorry,” she practically squeaked. “I forgot to bring it in with the other folders.” I tamped down the urge to shout that it was probably a good thing or it would be lost in the pile behind me. She’d organized client folders all morning, then brought them in and set the unsteady pile on my desk. I asked her to move them and start putting them in the filing cabinet but just as she was reaching for them, my phone rang and she sprang to answer it, knocking the pile and sending everything flying in all directions. She’d started crying and fled the room.

I sighed, I didn’t need to bring down the wrath of Margaret on my head, so I just moved everything and tried to get ready for my appointment. “Thank you,” I grated, holding back my temper. The point was that she was trying, right? She handed me the file and spun around, scurrying from the office.

Flipping it open, I scanned the CV of C. Lewis. I’d recently picked up a handful of high-security clients, and it required hiring more bodyguards so we wouldn’t be short-staffed. This guy had been recommended by a friend from the agency who Weston had introduced me to. Evie Shaw was one of the most badass women I knew and if she had a hand in training this guy, I wanted him.

There was a whole shitload of “classified” typed on the papers when it came to work experience. My security clearance was higher than most people knew. Even Weston, who was currently CIA, didn’t know just how deep I was in with the agency. I’d been secret service when I first started out and had risen through the ranks at lightning speed. I realized quickly that I would be happier answering to myself, but I’d made the right contacts. They came to me for help on certain cases and returned the favor when needed.

Digging into his missions was as simple as picking up the phone, and they’d sent the un-redacted file over, but it wasn’t really necessary. All I’d needed to consider the guy was the recommendation of someone in the agency that I trusted implicitly. This interview was more of a formality than anything as I fully intended to hire the guy.

“Mr. Gray.” Jessa’s high-pitched voice pierced the silence in the room through the intercom. “You have a visitor.”

“You mean my appointment?” I asked after pressing the little button on the box.

“Um, I think—maybe? I—let me double check—”

Fucking hell. “Just send them in, Jessa.”

My door opened and in walked the star of all my daydreams. “Calista,” I greeted with surprise, jumping to my feet and rounding the desk. I could feel the grin splitting my face, insanely happy that she hadn’t been able to stay away from me. Her mouth formed a cute O, like she was shocked about something. Had she expected me to be upset that she’d showed up at my office? Clearly, I needed to prove that wasn’t the case. Before she could say anything, I slammed my door shut and pushed her up against it, my mouth crashing down on her.

By the way my heart was racing and my blood pumping, you’d think I hadn’t kissed her in years instead of hours. She tasted so fucking good, like peppermint and something that was all her own. My tongue danced with hers, and my hips involuntarily rolled into her when she moaned. Before I fucked her against the door to my office, I tore my mouth from hers and buried my face in her neck. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she panted, and I fought the instinct to feel the beat of her heart by palming her tits.

“Baby, I didn’t expect to see you today. I’m so fucking glad you’re here, but I have an appointment any minute. Can you come back in about an hour? I’ll have you for lunch.” No, that was not a slip of the tongue.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she mumbled. I pulled back and inspected her beautiful face, trying to decipher what had changed between leaving her in the morning and right that moment.

“Did something happen with your interview?” If it hadn’t gone well, I was going to do everything in my power to get her to come work for me. Jessa could help out one of my managers and Calista could help me. My only requirement would be that she bring me my lunch every day and spread it across my desk. The picture of eating her pussy while she was sprawled there in front of me almost broke my control. But, I was a fucking professional, and I needed to handle the interview first.

“I haven’t had the appointment yet.” Her eyes darted around the office, looking at everything but me. My eyes narrowed, and I grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze.

“Calista, what’s going on?”

“My interview is at Gray Security, Xander.” Her dark eyes were studying me closely.

Then everything clicked, and I let go of her to run my hands through my hair. “You’re C. Lewis?” She nodded. “Holy fuck,” I whispered, her file running through my photographic memory. I felt ten years of my life immediately fall away. Right then and there I vowed, never again would she be in that much fucking danger. I didn’t care how capable she was. I was going to hire her and keep her close so I could protect her.

Besides, once we got married and had kids, she’d have to quit this line of work anyway.

That thought brought me up short. That was fucking fast. I mentally shrugged; that didn’t make it untrue. Then I remembered. We might just be well on our way there since we hadn’t used a condom the night before.

“I guess I’ll be moving back to D.C.,” she sighed.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I growled.

“I can’t stay here without a job, Xander. Evie offered me a position—”

“Hell to the motherfucking no, baby. You are not going anywhere. You have a job; I’m hiring you. I’d been intending to offer you the job before I knew it was you.”

She scoffed, “I can’t work for you, Xander.”

“Why the fuck not?” I was seriously considering bending her over my knee and spanking her ass until it was cherry red.

“It’s one thing to joke around about me calling you boss in bed, but it’s another thing entirely for you to be my actual boss. We slept together, and the attraction between us is still there. It would make it incredibly difficult for us to work together. The barn door is already open so to speak, and leaving it as a one-night stand won’t close it.”

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. And this day had started out so well…