Audrey
I was kicking myself as I walked the ten feet back to my desk. I couldn’t believe it. Of all the stupid, clumsy shit that I could do, I’d smacked right into Enzo! Thinking about it filled me with a mixture of shame and something else, something that left my lower belly tight and made my breath come hard.
I couldn’t figure it out; I didn’t like him very much. He didn’t seem like a good man, and I hated the way he stared at me. But when I’d bumped into him, I hadn’t been able to resist noticing the way his muscles bunched and tightened under his skin. He was like a prize athlete.
I shivered as I remembered the first day I’d laid eyes on Enzo—when I’d caught him sleeping with that blonde. He’d had a muscular ass, too. Hot blood pooled in my cheeks at the memory.
And just what had he meant about the end of the day? I tried to focus on my spreadsheets, but all of the numbers flew around on the screen, giving me a headache. What’s the use of even finishing this? I wondered darkly. He’s probably going to fire me anyway. And then what the fuck am I supposed to do? Just go back to temping or working at a restaurant?
An uneasy feeling passed over me, and I shuddered. Maybe it was like Carl had said: maybe Enzo was going to try something. I decided that if that happened, I’d leave as quickly as I could. Even though I thought Enzo was sexy, I wasn’t going to become just another girl who got fired for sleeping with her boss. I winced at the thought. It had taken me months to find this job, and I wasn’t about to give it up for something as simple as resisting the attraction to my boss.
“Audrey! Come in here!”
I stood up so fast that the blood rushed to my head, making me feel dizzy. After gripping the edge of my desk for support, I darted into Enzo’s office with a nervous smile plastered on my face.
“Yes? What is it?”
Enzo pulled out a large leather portfolio and handed it to me. When I took it, he didn’t let it go immediately, and I had to tug, hard.
“This is some work you’ll be doing in the evenings, at home,” he said. “I need you to go through these files and mark every number that’s coming from the Fort Lauderdale area, okay? The area codes are marked on the sides. It’s not much, but you need to pay very close attention.”
I nodded. I felt like that couldn’t be all. It wouldn’t take me more than a couple of nights. I could already see myself curled up with Pepper and a cooking show on in the background. I smiled.
Enzo smirked. “Yes, Audrey? What’s so funny?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Um, I’m sorry. I’m just kind of relieved. I wasn’t really sure why you’d called me in here.”
Enzo stood up from his desk and slowly walked around towards me. I shivered as I watched his strong, muscular legs close the gap between our bodies. Whenever he came close to me, I smelt a very musky, expensive cologne wafting off his neck.
“Audrey,” Enzo said with a low growl. “There is something else; something I wanted to address with you.”
“Yes?” I wasn’t even aware that I was trembling until my voice came out in a cracked whisper. “What is it?”
Enzo grabbed my arm and pulled me close to him. I’d never seen him look so intense before. His light gray eyes almost looked blue in the perfect natural lighting of the office, and his jaw was tense. My heartbeat skipped in my chest, and my stomach rolled over itself with nervousness. That same odd, tingly feeling came back to my lower belly—almost like I had to scratch an itch between my legs. I blushed; I wasn’t sure that I liked the feeling of being this close to Enzo.
“You know, you’d be gorgeous if you tried a little harder,” Enzo said silkily. He ran a finger down the back of my spine, and I shivered. “Just a little harder,” he said, his full lips in a perfect pout. “You wouldn’t have to try hard.” Enzo winked at me. “I could take you shopping,” he added huskily. “I know what you’d look good in.”
I swallowed hard and tried to step away. It was harder than I’d thought—the emotions and adrenaline were rushing through my body and making me feel like I almost didn’t want Enzo to stop touching me. When he pulled his hand away, I rubbed the spot on my arm where he’d touched me.
“No,” I said as sharp as I could muster. My voice still sounded weak, and I winced. “I mean, no, thank you,” I added stiffly. “I’m not interested in being gorgeous. I’m interested in being your secretary.”
I knew that I should be insulted at Enzo’s comments, but the adrenaline spike was making it hard for me to focus on anything other than his perfect body, and the gleam in his eye when he looked my way.
Enzo laughed. His pose relaxed, and he instantly became less threatening, smugger. “I thought you might say that,” he replied. Suddenly, his eyes flashed with a dark fire. A shiver coursed through my body. “Of course,” Enzo added in a sotto voice, “you might change your mind, if you smarten up…”
I stood up straight. “If that’s all, I’m going to head home for the day.” The leather attaché case under my arm felt oddly bulky. “Is there anything else?”
Enzo stared right into my eyes. Goosebumps broke out over my body, and I rubbed my arms with my hands. I’d never experienced this odd mix of feelings before. Men like Enzo, well, they’d never paid attention to me. This sensation in my body, both thrilling and new, was almost intoxicating.
“Good night, Audrey,” Enzo said in a low voice. He smiled at me, showing his perfectly white teeth.
Breaking my gaze away from his perfect face was hard. Even when I closed my eyes, I still saw Enzo’s intense visage and perfect, sculpted jawline. I shook my head as I stepped backward.
“I’m not going to be some… some notch on your bedpost,” I said in a shaky voice. “I’m not like the other girls.” I licked my lips nervously, noting the way Enzo’s eyes were glued to my mouth. “I mean, I got this job for a reason,” I said, softer. “And I’m not going to throw it away just by sleeping with you.”
Enzo raised his eyebrows and smirked. “I never said you were going to throw anything away just by sleeping with me.”
I blushed. “That’s not what I meant.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s been a long day, and I know you’re tired. Go home, Audrey. I’ll see you in the morning.”
As I walked out of LennoxCo with the leather case tucked under my arm, I felt strangely unhappy. Even after having to admit that Carl had been right the whole time, telling Enzo off didn’t feel as good as I thought it would. I mean, I’d done the right thing. I knew that deep down I couldn’t sleep with him, not if I wanted to keep the job. My parents were so dependent on the money I sent them.
Glancing down at my frumpy attire, I wondered what was wrong with Enzo. He had gorgeous women throwing themselves at him all the time—what the hell did he want with me?
It’s because I don’t want him, I realized suddenly. I stopped dead in my tracks, letting others on the cold Chicago sidewalks push past me in irritation. He wants me because he thinks I’m not interested.
I swallowed hard, feeling nervous with the realization of the truth. On the one hand, it was almost comforting to know that I wasn’t doing anything to lead him on. On the other, I felt almost insulted. Of course, a man like Enzo would be offended that someone like me wouldn’t want him.
Looks must not matter to him, I decided. He must have been one of those guys who just wanted to sleep with every girl who crossed their path. Maybe he’d somehow, miraculously, gotten sick of all those other girls because they made it too easy for him.
“So all I have to do is not take the bait,” I mumbled. That should be easy, right? I groaned as I thought about how hard it had been today to not crumble into his arms, to not fall weak at every single one of his advances. I knew that Enzo had been leering at me since I’d started, but I’d never imagined that it would culminate in something like this.
Staying away from him was going to be harder than I thought.
# # #
When I finally got home, Pepper was going nuts. She was dancing around and barking, wiggling her body in a frantic circle. I felt my heart swell with love—nothing like coming home to my favorite being in the world.
“Hey, girl,” I crooned, getting down on my knees and burying my face in the thick fur of her ruff. “Did you miss me? Did you miss Mommy?”
Pepper barked affirmatively and wagged her tail so frantically that her whole body was shaking from side to side.
“Come on,” I said, rubbing her head as I got to my feet. “Time for a snack.”
Ten minutes later, I sat on the couch with some frozen grapes while Pepper gnawed on a bone from last week’s stew. Enzo’s face flashed into my mind, and I groaned in irritation and popped another frozen grape in my mouth. They were surprisingly refreshing. I hated to admit it, but I’d stolen the idea from one of the women at work. Women at LennoxCo didn’t really eat; they nibbled throughout the day on energy and protein bars, or frozen fruit. I’d brought my lunch the first couple of days, but after enduring a few humiliating stares from coworkers, I’d taken to ordering salads like Enzo. I couldn’t feel myself losing weight, but it was better than enduring the stares from bitchy coworkers.
“You know what?” I said to Pepper. She cocked her head and looked at me. “Forget this.” I tossed the bag of frozen grapes across the room. It landed in the garbage can with a satisfying thud. “We’re getting pizza tonight.” I raised my eyebrows. “I think we deserve it, don’t you, Pep?”
Pepper barked, and I pulled her on the couch with me for a snuggle. She was still pretty young, but I could tell that sometimes she had a little trouble with her joints. Leaving her alone all day made me feel guiltier than ever. Even with the fancy dog-walking service, I’d started paying for, I had to imagine she probably didn’t like so much time alone in the apartment.
“Things will get better, Pepper pup,” I told her as I rubbed her ears. She yawned and relaxed her head on my lap. “I just have to stay at LennoxCo for maybe six months, then I can get a recommendation and go somewhere else.”
Pepper whined and looked up at me with her big brown eyes. Color and species aside, her gaze was oddly haunting, almost like Enzo’s.
“Why, no, I don’t think it’s going to be hard to resist Enzo,” I said to Pepper as I rubbed her belly. “I mean, he’s a jerk, Pepper. You should see the guy—he probably doesn’t even like dogs.”
Pepper growled.
“It’s not that bad,” I told her. “I mean, I don’t mind it. It’s just when he stares at me.” I licked my lips and shuddered. “He looks at me like he can see me without my clothes on.”
Pepper barked again, and I nudged her off the couch before walking into the kitchen and peering in the fridge. I wasn’t a big drinker, but I was really in the mood for a glass of wine.
“Perfect,” I said as I laid eyes on a bottle of white tucked in the back of the fridge. “You’ll do nicely.”
Pepper had followed me into the kitchen, and she was wagging her tail, glancing excitedly down at her food bowl. All the talk of Enzo had turned my stomach uneasy and suddenly, I no longer felt like getting pizza. Guiltily, I reached into the garbage can and pulled out the bag of grapes. For someone who hadn’t ever gotten three square meals growing up, I was sure being wasteful.
“We should probably just eat in tonight, yeah?” I asked Pepper as I reached down and scratched the top of her head. “I mean, we don’t need pizza.”
Pepper sighed and sprawled out on the kitchen floor, her legs going in every direction.
I sighed, too. “I know,” I told her, sinking down and resting my hand on the soft fur of her belly. “I know, girl.”