Forbidden Desires

by Jenna Hartley

  “I heard there was a dinner?” He waggles his eyebrows.

  Seriously, who does he get his info from?

  “There was.”

  “And you were invited?” he asks.

  “I was.”

  “Oh, Annie, you’re big time now.”

  My hand falls to my stomach. “Don’t scare me. I’m terrified.”

  He shakes his head. Is it odd that we’re having this conversation on the phone but still face-to-face? “You got this. Just remember what I said. Don’t let him railroad you.”

  “I heard you.”

  I want to tell him don’t worry. That Enzo Mancini isn’t the man we thought he was. That he’s given me more say and more credit than Mr. Beardsman ever did. Jake is blessed to work with Mr. Zilroy, who lets him pretty much follow his every move. He’s also about a hot minute away from retirement. I’m pretty sure Mr. Zilroy naps after lunch every day, but Jake, being the good assistant he is, makes excuses for him. One day it could be Jake and me in these offices.

  Mr. Zilroy walks out of his office behind Jake.

  “Turn around. Bye.” I hang up and go through my emails.

  I try to get through them all, but I keep checking the clock. It’ll be nice when I can get rid of Mr. Beardsman’s correspondence from my list of responsibilities, but a rock of guilt sits in my stomach for abandoning a man who treated me so nicely for two years. The temps they’ve brought in are struggling, and I see now why Enzo probably went through so many. Maybe he wasn’t the problem. Then my eyes fall to the dry cleaning slip.

  Nope, he was the problem.

  “Ready?” Shelby knocks her knuckles on my desk. She’s wearing a full-fledged cat sweater. I mean that literally. Little floating cat heads with sequin eyes and mouths cover her green cable-knit cardigan.

  “Yes.” I slide my desk chair out and grab my pen and paper. It isn’t until after I step away from my desk that I remember to grab the phone. “Hold on one second.”

  “Yes?” Enzo answers.

  I look through the glass door to find him leaning back in his chair with a smirk plastered on his face. I grip the phone tighter. This isn’t going to be good.

  “Shelby and I are ready if you are, Mr. Mancini.”

  “What did we just talk about?”

  I clear my throat. “Are you ready?” I smile at Shelby, who looks at me quizzically.

  “Say it.”

  My jaw clenches and I lower my voice. “This is ridiculous.”

  “Let’s practice again. Let it roll off your tongue. Ennnzzzooo.”

  I glare into his office, and he looks as though a laugh is about to break his composed stature. I huff, and Shelby wanders away to tell Jake about the game of hide-and-seek she played with her cats this weekend and how Spunky found her every time.

  I shield my mouth and the receiver. “Shelby and I are here… Enzo.”

  He cradles the phone in his neck and applauds.

  I roll my eyes, done with this game, and hang up. I try to mask my annoyance. “Ready, Shelby?”

  She seems surprised, having been entranced in her reenactment of quality cat time this weekend. Jake widens his eyes and mouths “thank you” behind her back.

  We step into his office, and Enzo’s smile at the two of us feels weird. Before I started working for him, I could probably count on one hand how many times I saw him smile.

  “Please.” He signals to the chairs in front of his desk.

  Shelby sits and crosses her ankles before pulling some papers from a file folder. Enzo straightens in his chair.

  “Congratulations to you both on the Coddle account. I heard there was a snafu but you two hung in there.”

  “Thank you, Shelby,” I say.

  Enzo nods.

  “Mr. Jacobson sent me an email Saturday morning. You’ll no longer be reporting to Mr. Beardsman, Annie. Your time needs to be on the Coddle campaign with Billy and Mr. Mancini. We’ll find someone permanent to work for Mr. Beardsman, but I do ask that if the new assistant needs any help that you help her find her way. I’ll try to step in as much as I can, but you’ll be hard to replace.”

  My stomach flutters with excitement. “Of course.”

  “That being said, you’re receiving a raise since Mr. Mancini is one of our busier ad execs.” She beams at Enzo. “Due to the larger accounts he handles, and the confidentiality perspective, Mr. Jacobson would like to offer you this.” She hands me a paper that details their offer.

  Enzo leans back. I wonder if he’s behind the scenes on this decision. Does he know how much they’re offering?

  “What exactly will be my new position?” I ask.

  “You’ll be Mr. Mancini’s assistant exclusively.”

  I tilt my head and glance at Enzo, who’s smiling as if he just got his Christmas wish granted. I can’t help the way my shoulders sag in disappointment. “Oh.”

  Shelby pats my arm. “This is a good thing. I think it’s the first of many moves for you.”

  I wonder if she believes the bullshit she’s throwing at me. Am I really supposed to sit here and give away all my ideas, but still make sure Enzo gets his coffee and lunch daily?

  She takes the paper from my hand and sets it in front of us on the desk. “I just need you to sign here and here. We’re extending your confidentiality agreement and non-compete.”

  I place the tip of the pen to the paper. A non-compete means I can’t leave if they take all my ideas and never give me credit for them.

  I drop the pen. “I need to think about this. Can I have today?”

  Shelby rears back as if I slapped her.

  Enzo’s bolts upright in his chair.

  Both of them look at me as though I just flew in through the window in a Supergirl costume.

  “I thought you’d be happy?” Shelby asks but quickly waves. “Of course. Take today and we’ll discuss it tomorrow.” She stands and exits the office.

  Before I have a chance to sneak out with her, Enzo stands, rounds his desk, and sits on the edge right in front of me. “Forget the whole name thing. You want to call me Mr. Mancini, go for it.”

  I lean back in the chair and shake my head. “It’s not that.” I’d never admit it, but I like his playful side.

  “What is it then?”

  I look at him. “Would you be happy remaining an assistant if you were part of the reason your firm scored the whale?”

  He crosses his arms, his shirt straining along his strong shoulders and biceps. “You want more money?”

  I shake my head, standing. “No.” I take a few steps toward the door.

  “Help me understand.”

  I whip around, but he’s still leaning against the desk, except his hands are gripping the edge now. And all I can think about right now is how hot he looks.

  Hot. Powerful. Intense.

  What the hell is wrong with me? I’m at the pivot point of a change to my career, and all I can think of is how I want to jump my boss.

  I’m a disgrace to women everywhere.

  “You know what, forget it. I’ll sign it.” I wave him off, but when my hand moves for the doorknob, it clicks locked. “What the—?” I turn around as Enzo’s hand slides out from under his desk. “You mean people actually have that?”

  He doesn’t smile or act cocky or even answer. “Is it because you’ll be working for me?”

  I plant my hand on my waist and cock out my hip. “First of all, I’m not cool with you locking me in your office.”

  He reaches down and I hear the lock click again. God, I hope no one else heard that outside.

  “It has nothing to do with you. I thought I’d maybe be promoted to junior ad exec or something. I didn’t think it was going to be a ‘when you have free time between catering to Lorenzo Mancini, think of some great ad concepts, will ya?’”

  He crosses his arms and tilts his head as though he’s rolling my words over in his head. “Everyone pays their dues. When I started, it took a long time before I made junior and a ridiculou
s amount of time to become a senior exec.”

  “You’re thirty-one,” I deadpan.

  He shrugs. “True, but there were lots of late hours and no sleep. I didn’t get to where I am without sacrificing.”

  “Really?” I cross my own arms, matching his stance. “Were you someone’s assistant for two years only to get to pitch to the firm’s biggest client, and then be told, ‘oh guess what, you still get to be an assistant, but you can do a lot of the work of a junior ad exec too?’”

  He rounds his desk, stares out the window for a second with his hands in his pockets, then turns back to me. “Okay. I get it. This is the opportunity you’ve been waiting on pins and needles for.”

  “You’re right. It is. I just thought…” I let out an exasperated breath. “Women are constantly overlooked in this office.”

  He says nothing, but from his confused expression, he’s either never thought about it or he’s recounting how many women he’s demeaned in his own career.

  He picks up his phone. “Shelby, can you come to my office for a moment?”

  “Don’t.” I step away from the door. “I don’t want this made into a huge deal because I’ll be seen as a problem and I’ll be fired.”

  His forehead crinkles. “You’re not going to get fired. I can guarantee that. I’d handle this myself, but technically Shelby’s your boss. If I go above her head, it won’t be good for either of us.”

  “Why would it be bad for you, golden boy?”

  “I’m allergic to cats. One sweater smother from Shelby and I’m dead.”

  I laugh.

  “I like you much better smiling,” he says in a soft voice.

  My laugh dies on my lips and we stand there with our gazes locked, in silence. My stomach flips. Do not fall for the boss.

  Shelby’s knock on the door breaks the spell, and Enzo waves her in. She takes a moment to appraise us and waits.

  “I think we should go back to Mr. Jacobson and suggest that upon agreement of two or more Coddle product ad approvals, Miss Stewart is promoted to junior ad exec.”

  Shelby’s eyes widen. “You want me to do this?”

  “The org chart says you’re her boss. I’ll gladly fight for her, but it’s not really my place.”

  Shelby blows out a big breath. “This is why you don’t want to sign?”

  “I don’t want to be a pain, but with this non-compete, I can’t take my talent somewhere else, yet I’m still an assistant.”

  She nods. “I see. Okay, I’ll go to bat for you. We’ll see what happens.” She points at Enzo. “You have to back me up on how much she deserves this.”

  Enzo holds up his hands. “Done.”

  “I’ll let you two know what happens.” She leaves, and I shift my weight from one foot to the other.

  “Thank you,” I say.

  He rounds his desk and sits in his chair. “Don’t thank me. I didn’t do anything. You could’ve signed those papers with no complaints.”

  “I know but…”

  He places his hand in the air, silencing me. “I’ll be out for lunch this afternoon. Coddle sent an email saying we’re receiving a package of their products tomorrow, so we’ll be busy most of the day with Billy. Make sure you tie up any loose ends with Mr. Beardsman today.”

  The conversation is clearly over, based on his standoffish vibe. This man switches moods faster than my sister did when she was in labor. At least she had a reason.

  Chapter 12

  Enzo

  * * *

  “If I tell you this, there’s no telling Dom,” I say to Carm.

  He increases the speed on his treadmill. Dickwad. He’s purposely making this a contest. Everything’s a contest to him.

  “Okaaay.” He draws out the word.

  “I’m conflicted.”

  “Conflicted?” Carm laughs, upping the incline on his machine.

  I press the buttons on my treadmill to match his speed and incline. He snickers but doesn’t change the setting. We can do this all day because I have more endurance than him and we both know it.

  “I have a new assistant.”

  “And she quit already? What do you do to these poor women? It’s really not that hard to treat people well.” He flashes me his billboard smile. The same smile that’s made him a shit-ton of money.

  “Anyway, she’s working on the Coddle campaign with me.”

  “Look at you, growing up! I’m proud of my big brother. He’s learning how to share.” His breath is labored while his feet pound on the treadmill.

  “Will you just listen?”

  My patience was thin to begin with, but it decreases when two girls come over, one on either side of us, and jog on the treadmills as if they’re on the slow-mo reel in Baywatch.

  Carm and I share a look that says, you want to or not?

  I’m a no.

  Carm’s a yes.

  I really need to talk to someone about this shit rolling around in my head. One minute I’m flirtatious with Annie, then mean, then polite, then indifferent. I thought I had my attraction to her under control, then I go and negotiate a new contract for her. What the hell?

  The look on Mr. Jacobson’s face when he called me into his office to discuss moving Annie up the corporate ladder was shock. I wanted to say yeah, I get it, I feel the same way. I think I’ve been abducted too.

  At first it was the way her skirts clung to her curvy hips and ass. And the way one button would fall open on her blouse midday, giving me a glimpse of her bra. Sometimes it wasn’t even a sexy lacy bra, just a basic nude-colored one, but my mouth always waters to find out what’s hiding behind the fabric. Are her nipples a dusty rose or a light brown?

  When did I become such a fucking pervert?

  When Annie Stewart came to work for me, that’s when.

  But my draw to her appearance has been buried by my admiration of her mind. I know. Who the hell am I turning into? Being attracted to a woman’s mind? What does that even mean?

  By the time I get out of my own head, Carm’s flirting with the woman next to him, his speed and incline increased so much it’s like he’s trying to sprint up Mount Everest.

  I glance to my right. A smiley blonde turns her head to face me, and dread settles in my stomach at having to play wingman for Carm. I was seconds away from baring my soul, giving my baby brother reason to razz me for life, but instead I’m going to plaster on a fake smile and keep the girl beside me occupied so that he can get laid.

  “I’m Trina.” Her ponytail swings along her back. Her full face of makeup says she’s not here just to workout. She’s here hoping to pick up a guy.

  “Enzo.”

  She presses the button on her treadmill to lower her speed. The running was an obvious ruse to grab my attention. “Do you come here a lot?”

  “Usually in the morning, but I had a hard day at work.” I move my attention from her to my machine.

  Meanwhile, Carm has slowed his pace, laughing with the girl next to him.

  This is ridiculous.

  “It was nice meeting you.” I press Stop on my machine then pat my brother on the back. “I’m out.”

  He looks over and nods, but my words register a half second later. “What? No!” He stops his machine, riding the belt to the end and hopping off.

  Show-off.

  He winks at the girl he was talking to. “I’ll be right back.”

  I throw my towel in the hamper and head toward the locker room.

  “Enzo!” he calls, but I don’t turn around. I could recite what he’s going to say. “What the hell?”

  “I’m not in the mood,” I mumble, pushing open the locker room door.

  “Not in the mood? Since when?”

  “I just wanted to work out.” I open my locker.

  He rests his back on the lockers next to mine. “You’re acting like a chick.”

  I glance at him and grab my jacket from my locker. “I wanted to get rid of this tension piling down on me with this big campaign.”

/>   “I thought you wanted to talk about your conflicted feelings?” He smirks.

  See, my brother’s not stupid. He knew I needed to get something off my chest, but to him, pussy is the priority. Unless there’s a real estate deal to be had.

  “Forget it. Go back in there.” I wave him off and shrug on my jacket.

  “Don’t you think blondie might be the best way to get over these ‘conflicted feelings’?” He puts the words in air quotes.

  I shake my head, sitting on the bench between the row of lockers. “This time I don’t.”

  He straddles the bench, facing me. “Whoa. Okay, what’s going on?”

  I glance up from untying my runners. “I find myself being nice to her. Like going out of my way to be nice. Hell, I shared a taxi with her to Inwood the other night.”

  His eyes widen.

  “Today I helped her get a new contract that will give her a hell of a promotion.”

  His eyes bug out like they did the first time he saw a nudie magazine when he was ten. We can all thank Dom for that.

  “Yeah, I’m fucked.” I pull off my shoes and toss them in my gym bag.

  “My guess is she’s attractive?”

  I nod.

  “Have you banged her?”

  “No. I would never.”

  He tilts his head.

  “You know my rule about that. But I still find myself flirting, and then when I catch myself, I shut down.” I grab my other shoes from the bottom of the locker.

  He nods a few times. “Maybe you’re just being nice. Like you respect her. You said she helped you with the diaper campaign. Maybe it’s a platonic thing? You’ve never had a woman coworker before, have you?”

  I crinkle my forehead while I do up my laces.

  He holds up his hands. “I mean, like, someone who challenges you and your ideas. You’ve had assistants, but Jacobson and Earl isn’t exactly known for their women ad execs.”

  Now that he mentions it, he’s right. There was Viv Beacon back when I first started, but she left and started her own company. Other than her, all the women in the office are assistants. Shelby’s the highest-ranking woman, at least on my side of the building.

  “Maybe you going to bat for her contract is just a nice thing because you like having her around the office and you value her input. And you’re not blind. If she’s attractive, your body is going to have a natural pull to her. Just don’t act on it.” He pats my back.