by Lola Gabriel
Oryn sat up in bed and rested his forearms on his thighs. His concealed wings itched under his skin, but he shrugged his shoulders. He would be so distracted by his feelings that he would never make it back in time before sunrise. After taking a few deep breaths to calm the dragon blood begging to be released, he lay back down and attempted again to fight the urges inside.
He only had to wait a few more hours. Then he could see her again.
4
Adley gulped down her coffee as quickly as she could, along with the very mild sedative she took on a regular basis. It didn’t alter her state of mind, just made a tension filled day a little more bearable.
She hadn’t slept very well last night, tossing and turning, concerned about the next day at GreenVeil. She had bumped into a really handsome man at the office, dropped all the carefully arranged files and papers on the floor, and had to redo them within the hour. Her superior, Evan Morgan, kept badgering her for it, adding even more stress to her day. Hopefully today would be better.
The morning went off without a hitch, as Adley was determined not to mess up again. Even Evan noticed her quiet and calm demeanor, but he didn’t say anything about it. Work carried on like usual: Evan was in and out of meetings with the CEO, whom Adley had not even met or seen yet. She had been wanting to look him up online, just so that she could know who to look out for, but she never got the chance to. She didn’t sit still for a single moment, which was good, because all she could think about was the bright green eyes of the guy she had bumped into yesterday and the sudden run of feelings he had woken up inside her.
Adley felt stupid, allowing herself to get so worked up and flushed about a guy she had never seen before and probably would never see again. He was incredibly hot, though, and Adley couldn’t help herself from thinking about him. She wondered what he did at the company. Was he a sales rep? Did he work in human resources? Either way, she hoped to see him again.
Of course, being the shy woman she was, she wouldn’t be the one who would simply waltz up to him and start a conversation, but she also didn’t want to seem uninterested. Playing hard to get was not an attractive trait for a woman, but neither was being too available.
Adley frowned as she recalled her thoughts and shook her head, silently scolding herself. In the past few months, she had vowed to never allow another man, any man, to make her feel anything she didn’t want to feel. She was done with being controlled and manipulated, and she just wanted to be happy, whether that was alone or not. The problem with that was that she craved intimacy, but she was too scared to open herself up to another person.
Clearly, she was at a crossroads and didn’t know which way to turn.
It was just after two when Adley stepped into the kitchen area for her last cup of coffee for the day. While she waited for the coffee maker, a familiar scent filled her nostrils, and she slowly turned her head to the side. Then she froze.
He stood in the doorway, looking directly at her with those bright, green eyes, causing her heart to pound in her chest. His broad shoulders were accentuated by his stance, and she noticed his muscles under his crisp white shirt.
“Hello,” he greeted her formally.
“Hey,” was all she managed to say to him. She let out an inaudible breath and turned back to the coffee maker. Much to her surprise, he walked over to her and came to a stop right beside her. She smelled his cologne and bit her bottom lip. Scraping every ounce of courage inside her, she took another breath and asked, “Would you like some coffee?”
“No, I’m fine. Thank you, though. I was just taking a break.”
“Is your boss down your neck today, too?” she asked, pouring creamer into her coffee.
“Something like that,” he answered.
“You get used to it, I suppose,” she shrugged, not sure how the hell she was managing to hold a conversation with him. She hadn’t been able to do that for a long time, but something about this guy put her soul at ease, and she felt like she could tell him anything. “I’m Adley, by the way.”
“Oryn.”
“Oryn, that’s a really nice name. Where is that from?” she asked and turned to him, holding her cup of coffee.
“It’s old Greek, actually. It means man of the mountains.”
“It’s beautiful. I’ve never known anyone by that name,” Adley stuttered. “Are you Greek?”
“No. My family is from Romania.”
“Romania,” she gasped. “I’ve never been.”
“You should go. It’s beautiful there. All the hills and open fields. The mountains.”
“Is that how you got your name?” she asked.
“I’ve never really asked, but now I definitely will.”
Adley smiled and became lost in Oryn’s green eyes.
“Judicious,” Oryn murmured.
She raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
“Your name means judicious.”
“How do you know that?”
“I read a lot.”
“Clearly. Although I think I don’t deserve a name like Adley.”
“You’re not judicious?” he asked.
“Not always.”
“Well, I’m not always in the mountains, so it’s okay. I guess.”
Adley smiled again and nodded. “I guess I should get back to work. I don’t want Scott to have a heart attack, or maybe I do.”
“Don’t let him or anyone else get you down,” Oryn suggested.
“I just wish sometimes they would acknowledge me and the ideas I put forth, you know? I feel like I’m invisible, only good enough to steal ideas from. I know I’m just an entry-level assistant, but still. I have pretty good ideas that could save so much money on marketing, but I’m afraid that if I tell them about it, they’ll claim it as their own.”
“And that’s something they do?” Oryn asked.
“More often than not. They’ll shoot my ideas down and take them and present them as their own. They get promoted while I’m still stuck in an entry-level position,” she replied, lowering her gaze. “That’s life, right? I don’t even have the courage to stand up to them.”
Oryn’s strong jawline distracted Adley completely and she stopped talking.
“Why don’t you?” he asked.
Her lips parted slightly, completely sidetracked, not even paying attention to what he was saying. The feeling she had been wondering about the entirety of last night had returned, and she just couldn’t control it. What was it about this man that made her feel this way? Was it his intense green eyes which practically looked into her soul? Was it the way the corners of his mouth curled up into a sexy and alluring smile? Was it the way he smelled? Was it the close proximity of his body to hers? Maybe it was all those things, Adley simply couldn’t be sure. All she knew was that there was something about Oryn that was irresistible to her, and she wanted more of him.
He raised his eyebrows expectantly, and she realized that he had probably asked her a question.
“What?” she asked breathlessly.
“Why don’t you stand up to them?”
“Because they’re my superiors,” she answered.
“That doesn’t mean that they can treat you like that. You just need a bit of confidence.”
“It’s easy for you to say, Oryn. You walk into a room and everyone looks at you. You exude confidence, and I don’t. I don’t think I ever will,” she said. “Could we not talk about this anymore?”
“Sure.”
Adley sighed a breath of relief. “So what do you do here?”
“Oh, I’m in charge of a bunch of people,” Oryn said.
“What division?” she asked.
“All of them.”
Adley looked up at him, and her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I own GreenVeil.”
Adley’s jaw dropped, and the blood drained from her face. “Oh, my god.”
A smile formed on Oryn’s lips. “It was nice to meet you, Adley. Enjoy your coffee.”
Adley watched in horror as Oryn, the CEO of GreenVeil, walked out of the kitchen area and left her standing there alone. The world spun around her, and she ran her free hand through her hair. “Oh, shit.”
She had just told the CEO of GreenVeil that her superiors didn’t take her seriously. How could she be so stupid and irresponsible? She had never said any of those things out loud, or to anyone, but somehow standing beside Oryn, in his presence, she had told him exactly what was on her mind.
Her blood froze in her veins, and she started to panic. What was he going to do with the information she had disclosed to him? Was he going to have a meeting with the senior marketers? Was she going to get in trouble?
She couldn’t afford to lose this job, and she had to make things right, but how? She was pretty sure that Oryn already thought she was a whiny entry level assistant who felt sorry for herself. She stepped out of the kitchen and her heart continued to pound in her chest. Everyone else was going about their business. Maybe she was just being paranoid. She couldn’t see Oryn anywhere, much to her relief. She couldn’t bear to face him after she had embarrassed herself in front of him.
Sitting down on her chair, behind her narrow desk, she placed her coffee cup in front of her and dropped her head into her hands.
“What’s wrong with you?” She heard a voice, and when she looked up, she saw Garrett, one of her colleagues, standing at her desk. “You look like shit. Like you’re going to throw up or something.”
“I think I should.” Adley stood from her desk and rushed past Garrett towards the bathroom. She locked herself into a stall. Kneeling in front of the toilet, she lowered her head and closed her eyes. Her world didn’t spin as viciously and fast as it had a moment ago, and she took a deep breath. She wasn’t a fan of throwing up, and she wanted to avoid it if she could. After a few minutes of gathering herself, she stood from the cold floor and left the stall. She washed her hands and splashed water on her face and stared at herself in the mirror. She was paler than she had ever seen herself, and she wondered whether she wasn’t coming down with something. After running her mouth towards Oryn, she wouldn’t mind staying home for a few days. At least then she wouldn’t have the time to think of something to say to him to redeem herself.
Adley left the restroom feeling much better, especially when she realized it was almost time to leave, but as she walked back to her desk, a tall woman with light blonde hair which looked like silk, wearing a tight fitting black dress and red high heels, approached her like she was on a mission.
“Are you Adley Murdoch?” the young woman asked in a stern voice.
“Yes.”
“Mr. Veskovic would like to see you in his office,” she answered.
“And who are you?” Adley asked.
“I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear you ask me that,” the young woman retorted, turned on her heel, and walked away. “This way.”
Adley realized the woman was serious, and she followed her, taking strides as long as she could with her short legs. The blonde woman was much taller than her, and Adley had to practically run to keep up with her.
“Wait, Mr. Veskovic?” she asked, but then the blonde woman opened the glass door, and Adley glanced at the golden plaque on it.
Oryn Veskovic, CEO.
She came to an abrupt stop, and her shoulders slumped.
“Come on,” the blonde woman said. “He’s waiting for you.”
Adley took a deep breath and stepped into the office. Sure enough, Oryn sat behind a large mahogany desk. The offices in the building were modern, with glass and chrome, in hues of grey and white, but Oryn’s was completely different. It looked like the office of Sherlock Holmes. The paneled walls were made of wood, and the floor was covered in lush carpets with designs which reminded her of those Persian rugs in catalogues. There was a large wooden fireplace on the far-right wall and a large grandfather clock rhythmically swaying. The air was warm and cozy, and she felt as though she could almost kick off her shoes and go sit by the fire.
The blonde woman closed the door behind Adley. It was like she had just walked into another world.
“Oryn…” she stuttered and shook her head. “Mr. Veskovic, I am so sorry. I didn’t know that it was you, and—”
“Please stop apologizing, and please, call me Oryn.”
“But you’re the CEO of this place,” she countered.
“And?”
“Okay, Oryn. I was out of line in the kitchen.”
“But all those things were true, weren’t they?” Oryn tapped his fingers on his desk.
Adley stared at his hands for a moment too long and exhaled slowly. “Yes, but I didn’t think that it would get them in trouble.”
“You’re not getting anyone in trouble, Adley,” he said.
Adley frowned at him and took a step closer. “And I’m not in any trouble?”
“No, not at all. In fact. I would love to hear a little more about your ideas for the marketing team,” Oryn replied.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes, have a seat.”
“Okay.” She slowly sat on the soft leather bucket chair in front of her. Oryn’s eyes were fixed on her, and shivers of delight ran down her spine. “Well, I’m not a fan of social media or anything like that. I mean, I take the occasional selfie and post it to my feed, but…” Her voice trailed off as she realized he probably didn’t want to hear her babbling about her social media accounts and selfies, although he seemed very interested in every single word she said. She cleared her throat when she noticed a small smile form on his lips and continued.
“Anyway. I might not have a huge following on social media, but there are a lot of people who do, and I mean hundreds and thousands of people watching their every move. Why not approach a handful of them and offer them a service the company provides for free? Of course, with the bigger influencers, there will have to be money exchanged. Your company has a history of using traditional media, but it’s so expensive and you’re not always guaranteed to target the right type of people. Utilizing the followers of social media influencers can be so much more effective than traditional media. I think we need to focus more dollars there.”
“Are you afraid of technology, or do you just avoid it?” Oryn asked.
“I just avoid it. Social media is too public for me. I prefer reading a book to going online and posting about what I ate for breakfast at which restaurant. That is prime bait for stalkers and psychos. They don’t need to know my every move. Not even my mother knows my every move.”
“I bet she’s too far away to keep tabs on you, right?” he asked.
“Yeah. How did you know?” Adley narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Your accent. It’s still very American. Where are you from?”
“I thought you called me in here to talk about my ideas,” Adley retorted.
“I did. I’m sorry,” Oryn answered. “So you think social media is the way to go?”
“In this day and age, definitely. You’ll be giving influencers the opportunity to advertise and market your services to the world. You can easily target influencers who share your target market. Again, it’s less expensive than traditional media and can be more effective.”
“We could definitely look into that. GreenVeil needs to start expanding to individuals, and not only to companies.”
Adley nodded. “Good idea. Also…”
“Yes?”
“I took a look at your website, and it’s pretty high tech. I mean, it’s nice and fancy and all, but if you’re going to expand to individuals, like people on the street, you’re going to have to make it more accessible, you know. Make it more user friendly,” she suggested. “Look, I don’t want to tell you how to do your marketing, or your website, for that matter, but I really feel like this is the way to expand your user base.”
There were a few moments of silence in the office, but Adley didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. Oryn stared out in front of him for a few minutes, clicking his pen as he pon
dered things over in his mind.
“I absolutely agree with you, Adley,” he said eventually.
She blinked and gaped at him. “You do?”
“You’re worth much more than being stuck in an entry-level assistant job,” Oryn repeated her words from their earlier conversation.
Adley’s cheeks flushed, and she lowered her gaze. “I honestly didn’t expect you to be the CEO of the company. You didn’t seem, you know, like the CEO of a company.”
“That’s a good thing, though,” Oryn said with apprehension.
“Not for me, especially not right now, either,” Adley admitted. “When I found out who you were, I silently hoped the earth would open up and swallow me whole.”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed, Adley.”
“I should. You’re my company’s biggest client at the moment. I can’t be pissing off the big boss, especially not on my first day.” She sighed and looked at him. “But, judging by the expression on your face, you’re either amused at my honesty, or you’re going to get me fired, and you hide it very well.”
“I’m not difficult to read. Ask anyone, especially Naomi,” Oryn chuckled.
“Naomi? The leggy blonde?”
“That’s her,” Oryn chuckled again and sat back in his chair.
“Is she your wife? Girlfriend?” Adley asked hopefully.
“Worse. She’s my personal assistant.”
Adley cringed and rolled her shoulders. “Poor you.”
Oryn laughed heartily. “She’s not so bad. She has a very direct personality, but she’s great. She gets me through my day even when I think I can’t.”
“She sounds like the perfect assistant.” Adley folded her hands on her lap and took a deep breath. “So, you’re sure that I am not getting anyone in trouble or anything like that?”
“I swear. In fact, I have a proposition for you.”
“A proposition?” she asked.
“Yes. And it’s a good one, I promise,” he replied with a wink.
“Let’s hear it,” she answered confidently, surprising herself for the umpteenth time that day.
