The Secretary's Boss - Allen Brothers Series : Book One - An Enemies To Lovers - Office Romance

by Paige Cooper

  The truck inspection report lay underneath a few other papers, but I didn’t need to dig it out to know what it said. It was burned into my memory.

  An independent inspector had concluded that the truck had several critical malfunctions and should never have been on the road, nevermind making a long journey across states.

  I pressed the intercom button that linked my office to Nicole’s desk. The only way I would get through the jitters was by practicing my cross-examination.

  It took no time at all for Nicole to enter my office. The air became charged with a thick tension and I stared at her as she walked toward me. I found it difficult to tear my eyes away, but I needed to remember why she was here.

  “You asked for me?”

  “Yes, I need to practice my cross-examination. I’ll be in court tomorrow, and there are a few things I need to fine-tune,” I said gruffly, trying to remain as prickly as possible.

  I didn’t know if thinking she hated me made me less attracted to her or more, but it was getting difficult to do anything in this office or in my private life without thinking about her.

  “Sure. I’ll take a seat here, and you can ask me your questions.” She smiled at me and I looked away, not wanting to see the way her eyes lit up whenever her lips curved into a smile.

  “Okay, so you’re the engineer that signed off on the truck, for the purpose of this cross-examination. I’m assuming he’s told the jury a bunch of lies, and I simply need to get to the truth, or at least prove he’s an unreliable witness. Any doubt cast on his expertise would be beneficial for the case.”

  Nicole nodded her head in understanding and took the seat in front of my desk. Maybe this had been a mistake. I wanted to focus on the rehearsal, but all I could think about was how good she looked sitting across from me and the many different things I wanted to do to her.

  “So, you say you’re the only one with the authority to release vehicles out? It takes your signature?”

  “Yes,” Nicole said simply, her eyes trained on me.

  “Then, by that definition, you knew the truck was faulty.”

  “No, it was fine.”

  “Was it? Or are you such a miserable coward you’ll stand here and lie to the face of the man you paralyzed for over six months?”

  Nicole stammered, her eyes went wide, and she struggled to come up with a quick response. I didn’t care, though. I felt frustrated by her presence, and I wanted to tear into someone, anyone, and she was there.

  “A man who did nothing more than stand in the wrong place at the wrong time? Why are you lying? You signed the document. You’re responsible for nearly killing a man.”

  Nicole seemed flustered, her cheeks colored a deep red, and she wrung her hands together in her seat.

  “Pathetic excuse for a human being is what you are. You could at least stand here and tell the truth, but instead, you’re lying. And for what? To keep a job at a company that will throw you under the bus?”

  Nicole stood up abruptly as I tore into her. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she pushed the chair back and took a few steps away from me.

  “Excuse me,” she squeaked and ran out of my office.

  I looked at her retreating figure, guilt forming like a hot lump of coal in my chest.

  I shouldn’t have spoken to her like that. I held my head in my hands and leaned over my desk. I wasn’t even sure what had come over me. All I knew was that she was sitting in front of me, and it annoyed me to the core of my bones how much I wanted her and how much I couldn’t have her.

  All she did was distract me, day in and day out. But did that mean I had to take out my frustrations on her? Despite wanting to put her out of my head, I felt like a giant asshole. I’d never seen her cry before—it was clear I had pushed her too far.

  I resolved to leave her alone for the rest of the day.

  I locked my office door, preventing anyone from coming in and disturbing me. It was going to be a long night, and I had to be in court by nine the next morning. Thankfully I had my own private room attached to the office, which would let me rest here.

  It also meant I wouldn’t have to see Nicole’s face anytime soon, or at least for the rest of the day.

  After locking the door and unplugging the phone receiver on my desk, I turned my attention back to Peter Daniels. He was counting on me. Everyone was counting on me.

  Chapter 11: Nicole

  T he office hummed with the usual hushed conversations, patterings of laughter, and the sound of copying machines whirring away.

  The five-dollar coffee I’d grabbed on the way into work did little to soothe my heart after yesterday’s interaction with Mark. I sipped on the cherry-flavored latte, hoping the caffeine would make it easier to get through this day. I wasn’t sure what I was going to say when I saw Mark this morning.

  He’d retreated into his office for the rest of the afternoon and hadn’t asked me for anything after I stormed out of his office in tears. It was embarrassing to be seen crying like that, and part of me felt like I needed to apologize.

  Then I remembered how horribly he’d spoken to me, and any instinct to apologize quickly disappeared.

  I couldn’t understand how someone who treated people the way he did would have a good reputation as a lawyer. The longer I worked for Mark Allen, the more of a mystery he became to me.

  I’d researched him, and every article ever written about Mark highlighted three things—his bad temper, his good looks, and his unbelievable charisma in the courtroom.

  I couldn’t believe it, myself. The words he’d said to me would surely be more damaging to his case than helpful. It had felt like a direct attack against me. Maybe that was why people loved his ability in the courtroom, because he intimidated people until he won.

  I arrived at my desk with over half of my coffee left. It really wasn’t as good as they’d made it sound, and I almost felt sick that I spent five dollars on it.

  My first paycheck from Allen Legal had hit my account three days ago, and I was still learning what it felt like to have excess spending money again. One thing was for sure—there were no more overpriced coffees in my future.

  The blinds on Mark’s office were up, and there was a cleaner inside taking care of the debris he’d left behind. It was unusual that they had stayed so late; I assumed for some reason they hadn’t been able to get into his office.

  There were no signs of Mark anywhere. I stole a glance into his office at the spot next to his desk, where he usually kept his briefcase. It was gone. I had come into work a little early in the hopes that I would catch him before he left for court, but it seemed that I was a bit too late.

  I didn’t want to analyze why I wanted so badly to see him after I’d walked out of his office crying the day before. Everything about Mark Allen put me on edge, and he constantly rubbed me the wrong way with his grumpy attitude. Yet, this burning desire to know more about him and see other sides of him festered inside me.

  If I was right, Mark wouldn’t be in for most of the morning, and I didn’t have much work to do. I normally tried my best to complete every assignment he handed me within the same day.

  Without thinking or giving myself a chance to be talked out of it, I made my way to David’s office. Michelle beamed at me as I approached her desk.

  I religiously had lunch with Abby and Michelle, and once it had become apparent to Michelle I was here to stay, she’d warmed up to me exponentially.

  “Nicole, do you need to see David?” she asked me as she double-checked his calendar.

  “Is it possible I can quickly steal five minutes with him now?”

  Michelle nodded her head and waved me back toward his office.

  I hadn’t spent much time in either David’s or John’s offices since joining the company because Mark kept me so busy doing tasks for him, so I was surprised to see it had a stark contrast to the setup in Mark’s office.

  David’s office was light and airy, with bright prints on the wall and tons of natural l
ight brought in from the windows. He had the same signature desk that Mark had, except his was made of glass.

  David stood in a corner of the room with his back to me. He was looking out the window at the city, I presumed, and seemed deep in thought.

  “I’m sorry to bug you, David,” I said gently as I approached him. Part of me felt bad for taking away his few minutes to himself.

  “Nicole. What can I do for you?”

  “I was wondering if I could have the morning away from the office to watch Mark in court.”

  “That’s an excellent idea! I couldn’t think of a better way for you to truly see how Mark works. I must admit, sometimes I think he’s a better lawyer than I am. Though, if you ever told him that I’d wholeheartedly disagree.” David winked at me, an excited smile on his face.

  I wasn’t prepared for him to meet my suggestion with such enthusiasm, and it took me aback for a second.

  “Thank you, I think it’ll be good to see what he’s like in court, too.”

  “How are things going with Mark, anyway? It’s been a few days since he’s tried to fire you,” David chuckled as he strode over to his desk and took a seat.

  “Definitely not easy. It’s hard, working for him, but I’m getting used to it. He likes things done his way, and he’s tough on people. That’s what I’ve managed to surmise so far.” I shrugged, wondering how much was too much to tell his brother.

  Honestly, Mark was like an enigma to me. I felt myself drawn to him like a moth to the flame, and yet he was a horrible person by all other accounts.

  A few more minutes of idle chatter with David and I was off to the courthouse. It felt scandalous to leave the workplace within the same hour I got there, but I was looking forward to this field trip.

  The journey to the courthouse wasn’t too long, and fifteen minutes after leaving the offices, I found myself scurrying up the steps to the building. I was late, and I didn’t want to announce my presence by walking in during the middle of a session, so I prayed for a recess of some sort where I could slip in quietly without being noticed.

  As if the gods themselves had heard me, the door that the kind security guard up front pointed me toward was open. It seemed like they’d taken a short break, and court was going to be back in session any moment. I slipped inside and took a seat directly in the back. I didn’t want Mark to know I was here.

  I felt him in the room before I saw him. My breath caught in my throat, and I stifled my gasp as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

  Mark had his shirt sleeves rolled up and his jacket draped over the chair he sat at. He leaned over and whispered something to the client, who I assumed was Peter Daniels. I hadn’t worked at the company long enough to actually meet him yet.

  Mark cleared his throat and stood up at the signal of the judge to begin his cross-examination.

  Matthew Teele, the mechanical engineer, sat in the witness stand, looking smug. He had a black mustache that sat over his lip and looked like a hairy caterpillar. His eyes were calm, and they stared deadpan at Mark. He seemed like he was willing himself not to be intimidated.

  When Mark began his line of questioning, I was blown away at the gentleness of his voice. It was dramatically different from the way he’d badgered me the day before.

  “And you signed off on the truck? So you’re willing to state that, to your knowledge, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the vehicle?” Mark asked the witness.

  He stood impressively tall in the middle of the courtroom, but his eyes were trained on Matthew. He spoke almost as if they were friends, sharing secrets over a beer rather than in a courtroom that would determine the result of a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

  The witness squirmed in his chair, and I could tell that Mark’s gentle line of questioning was slowly bringing the truth out into the open. As he moved to face the jury while he asked the next question, I caught sight of the muscles that showed below the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt.

  A flashback of the first day I met him crossed my mind, and I couldn’t help but think of how he’d looked when he was lifting weights in the gym.

  I tried to focus on the case unfolding in court. Matthew was trembling in the witness stand now, and Mark took him a bottle of water.

  “Take your time. It’s okay. We’re not rushing you here,” he said softly, pulling the witness more into his confidence.

  I glanced over at the lawyers on the defense team, who were all whispering hurriedly to one another. They looked nervous at how their witness seemed to crumble on the stand, but there was little they could do to object—Mark hadn’t said or done anything over the line.

  My heart swooned as I saw him turn around, getting a full view of his face and body for the first time this morning. He seemed in control, sure of himself, and there was a softer look in his eyes—a look I wasn’t used to seeing.

  I could hear my heart drumming inside my head. I wanted to grab Mark’s hand and rush him into a corner, kiss him, and tell him I’ve felt this attraction for him since day one.

  It was hard to focus on the business of the courtroom and the outcome of the case when all I could see was Mark. All I wanted to know about was Mark.

  The arguments he made faded into the background, and he was all I saw. His muscles flexed as he moved his arms, and I wondered what they would feel like if they wrapped me up in his embrace.

  The sound of the judge’s gavel bringing order after the defendant’s lawyers objected to the witness’s confession brought me back to reality. Court was winding down, and I needed to get out.

  I stole one last glance at Mark, watching him be a gentler man than I would have expected. So this was what all the articles meant. He oozed charisma and tenderness in the courtroom. It was hard not to like a man like that.

  Before he could notice me, I slipped out from the back seat and into the hallway. I needed to rush back to the office and get a start on a few tasks so that he didn’t have any reason to bark at me when he got back from court.

  I felt dizzy with the new information I’d gleaned about Mark’s character, and I didn’t know exactly where to mentally file it yet. Maybe somewhere between the files where I wanted to kiss him and know what he looked like naked.

  Chapter 12: Mark

  W hat the hell was she doing in my courtroom?

  In the midst of congratulatory claps on the back and mutterings of rejection from the defense team, I packed up the files and papers I’d spread out on our table. We’d won the case by a landslide.

  The jury had come back in record time and delivered a unanimous verdict. Peter Daniels would get some semblance of his life back. The trucking company was at fault and was due to pay out millions of dollars to both Daniels and the state of New York for the destruction that had occurred due to the out-of-control truck.

  Matthew Teele’s testimony had sealed the deal. He’d been under pressure to release all trucks no matter their condition in an attempt to meet the demands of orders the company was behind on. Unfortunately, that decision had almost cost a man his life—and cost the company their public image and a good chunk of change.

  I wanted to be reeling off a high from winning the case. It was a big one for the firm and for me, yet, I couldn’t shake Nicole’s appearance out of my head. She was everywhere, and now she was in the courtroom?

  I didn’t understand why she had snuck in to see me. It was evident she didn’t want me to know she was here.

  It was during the middle of my cross-examination that I noticed her. She sat in the back of the courtroom with her hair tied in a messy bun on top of her head. I’d say it wasn’t professional, but Nicole made it work. She had on a white blouse and a black skirt.

  Almost instantly, my mind had turned to imagine her naked, and it had taken active effort to focus on the trial ahead of me rather than Nicole and her full lips that sat behind me.

  I wanted to shake my head and chew her out. Her presence had totally spoiled my good mood. The thrill of the win dissipated
as a cloud of irritation settled over me.

  I marched out of the courthouse with my briefcase, stopping only to acknowledge more small congratulatory remarks. Peter had left a while ago, needing time to compose himself after this win.

  It gave him back his life and bought him some time while he found a new job. I wouldn’t be surprised if his wife came sniffing back around now that he was millions of dollars richer, but I hoped he had the will to reject her. If not, he knew my number if she started to make trouble.

  I slipped into my car, driving the short distance to the office. I’d given my regular driver the day off, which meant I was riding solo. I kind of preferred it on days I had cases. Driving gave me time to think.

  This time, all I could think of on the way back to the firm was how many different ways I could yell at Nicole for invading my privacy in the courtroom. Was that a thing? Did I even have privacy in a courtroom?

  Well, okay, she had definitely stepped over a boundary, and that was the same thing. Instead of the drive being relaxing, my annoyance at her grew with every minute it took to get to the office.

  I parked in the ground-level parking and hurried to the elevator. I felt like I was about to explode with irritation, and I needed an outlet. I wanted to direct it all at Nicole. After all, she’d skipped work to come and watch me play lawyer.

  I rolled my eyes in contempt at each chime the elevator chirped out. Everything took ten times longer when you really wanted to get somewhere. I should have felt a sense of relief that the biggest case of my career to date was over, but I didn’t. All I could focus on was her.

  Finally, the elevator let me escape its doors, and I made my way past Ella. She could sense my mood because instead of smiling at me like she’d done since Nicole started working here, she bowed her head at the sight of me.

  I wanted to gnash my teeth at her, give her a real reason to be afraid of me, but I realized that would take away whatever few strands of respect the employees had for me—if there were any at all.