I had to be impressed with her.

From what I could tell, and from what I was told, Sara did well on her first day – no easy feat for a newcomer. Being new in my office was daunting. My staff spoke rapidly with little patience to explain their long-established ways, but Sara had found a way to ease herself into the mix with grace and determination. She was bold but respectful – unafraid to ask questions, but well aware of when and how to approach. It was a skill I wished upon more of my staff, and I had to admire her for it.

Especially considering what happened this morning in the elevator.

For someone who started her day with maybe five whole seconds of her boss’s tongue between her legs, she was conducting herself well. Save for the coffee she half-spilled the one time she caught me staring, her day had gone on without a blemish.

“She’s pretty much memorized on general information – facts about the building, architecture, Basque Country itself. She’s going to take information home to keep studying, but the past hour, she’s been looking at the quarterlies. Just so she can start getting acquainted with sales,” Colin said, sitting across from my desk and shuffling in a blur through his files. He was one of my actual assistants – the person who had actually spent the past two weeks overseeing the new changes at my Biarritz resort. Sara would essentially be playing the role of Colin in front of the Roth brothers, and thus far, it seemed she was absorbing his information with ease.

“So she’s right on schedule.”

“Ahead, if anything. Like you said, the Roths are unlikely to ask about numbers tomorrow.”

“Yes, and she knows the short-term goal here is to get the Roths to agree on a trip out to Biarritz?”

“Yes,” Colin said. “She’s confident she can influence them. She’s very eager.”

That she was.

Eager was in fact the word I’d use to describe Sara today. Since stepping foot into the office, she’d been eager to learn, introduce herself, and act as if nothing had happened in the elevator. Her cheeks were still rosy and flushed for her first ten or so minutes in the office, but soon enough, she was eagerly avoiding my eye to let Colin show her the ropes.

I admired her innate respect for a job.

Lukas had mentioned something about Sara having “similar workaholic tendencies” as myself, and I could see that from watching her instantly mold into the office setting. She wanted to work, to be busy. It was her natural state, and I liked that about her much more than I wanted to. I didn’t need anything more to fuel my fixation. I’d watched her from my office all day, and I didn’t have the time to be this curious about her. I hadn’t done enough today to fantasize so much about sitting her naked on my lap, playing with her tits while I worked and then fucking her hard over my desk.

Right now, it felt like there was nothing I wanted more than to do exactly that.

Of course I couldn’t allow it.

Fucking painful as it was, I had my rule. My only rule. It was there for a reason, and there couldn’t be an exception. They were a slippery slope, and I didn’t get to where I was at the pace that I did by giving myself leeway on every self-imposed restriction.

Not even for someone like Sara.

More than anything, I was a man of my word, and the best way to force myself to follow through on something was to make it a promise to somebody else – which I planned on doing right now.

Before I didn’t.

“So if we’re all set, I can send her home?” Colin asked, getting up and gathering his folders. I glanced at the clock. A quarter past five.

“Yes. But have her stop in here on her way out.”

“You got it.”

“Thank you,” I said as I gripped the knot of my tie. I leaned back as I loosened it, bracing myself for Sara to come knocking within a few minutes. But when she did, I was still forced to clench my jaw. Fuck. Held up in a ponytail before, her long dark hair hung loose now, flipped to one side and gathered over her shoulder. I pictured the moment she arched her back and let it down. I pictured her breasts in the air as she ran her fingers through it, and I envied Colin for probably having witnessed it all.

“Come in. Have a seat.” I rounded the desk to lean against its front. “How was your first day?”

“Good. I enjoyed myself,” Sara smiled as she folded her hands in her lap. Now that it was the end of the day, I could see her getting flirty again. I did my best to ignore it.

“Colin said you did a great job. Do you feel comfortable with the material you went over with him?”

“Absolutely. That resort is…” She exhaled with genuine awe. “So beautiful, Julian. I can hardly believe you want to sell it when you had it built from the ground up.”

My stare flickered over the earnest look on her face. I was irritated that she thought that an appropriate thing to say, but maybe I was being irrational. Maybe I was looking for a reason to be less than pleased with her. Adjusting my cufflinks, I moved past the comment about the resort.

“Do you have any questions thus far?”

“About the resort? Or my day in general?”

“Either.”

She chewed her lip, smoothing her hands over the little skirt I’d fantasized about all day.

“Well, I was wondering… obviously, Colin knows a few details about my contract since he’s been training me on the resort information. But what does the rest of your office know about my role in this company? Do they know… what I was hired for?”

“Absolutely not. As far as the office is concerned, you’re training to be a third assistant. They won’t at any point learn about the specifics of your contract. It’s sensitive information.”

“Okay, thank God,” she breathed. “I just wouldn’t want my role here to be misconstrued, considering how it’s kind of… risqué in nature. I obviously trust you with the information, but not anyone else.”

“Understood entirely. No one in this office or building will know about your contract. I have no intention of putting you in a position where you could be viewed differently here.”

“I appreciate it,” Sara said with relief. A mischievous smile twitched on her lips. “I take it then that what happens in the elevator before work is an exception.”

“Actually, I called you in here to touch upon that.”

“Oh?” She arched an eyebrow. “What exactly would you like to touch upon?”

Her phrasing lured my eyes down to her tight little body. What would I like to touch upon? I had a lot of answers for that question, none of them usable.

Just fucking say it, Hoult.

“I wanted to talk to you about a rule I’ve enforced at this company for as long as it’s been around. It applies to everyone, myself included, and it’s been crucial for us in terms of running business in a seamless, strictly professional way,” I said. I took in the slowly changing look on her face.

Gradually, her faint smile fell. Her warmth and any hint of playfulness faded into something guarded, stiff. I hated being responsible for that, but I forced myself to go on.

“In short, I have a zero tolerance rule on interoffice dating. Romances, sexual relations of any kind – they’re all off the table, and I felt the need to tell you that despite your unique contract, and despite what happened between us before work this morning, I can’t allow any exceptions to that rule.”

Sara raised her eyebrows high.

“So, what happened this morning didn’t count?” she asked slowly. “Simply because I hadn’t officially started the job yet?”

“I didn’t come in this morning with the intention of taking advantage of some loophole. I hadn’t actually thought about it. My intention was to be professional with you from the start. Of course, I didn’t exactly control myself as I should have this morning, and I take full responsibility for that,” I said. “But moving forward, I hope we can start anew and give your contract with this company the full respect it deserves.”

I waited for some form of confusion or protest when I finished. I’d prepared myself for it, but there was only a moment of pause before Sara blinked and nodded.

“Okay.”

My eyebrows lifted. I studied her, unsure if I should feel relieved or wary.

“I appreciate your understanding,” I said, my gaze still trained with uncertainty on her as she rose from her seat. She caught my expression and broke into a smile.

“Of course. You might not know this, but if anyone were to understand work rules, it’s me,” she said.

“Then that’s a relief to hear. And thank you again for understanding,” I said, unable to take my eyes off of her. “I do appreciate it.”

“Well, I appreciate the opportunity just to work here,” she said breezily. “It’s crazy how much I’ve picked up from your staff in one day. I’m pretty sure I’ll learn quite a few things in just a few months here.”

“I hope that you do.”

Her dark eyes glimmered as she nodded. “Is that all you wanted to discuss with me, Mr. Hoult?”

Mr. Hoult. My instinct was to invite her to call me Julian, but I refrained.

“Yes,” I said. “That’s all. You’re free to leave for the day.”

“Great. Thank you again for everything,” she said on her way out. “And have a good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You too,” I returned, memorizing the smile she flashed me over her shoulder before letting that tight ass hypnotize me on the way out.

Fuck me. This was going to be rough.