When she finishes, Adam’s smirk turns into a friendlier, more welcoming grin. He pulls his elbows back from the table and leans further into his seat. He lets out a deep sigh and relaxes a bit.
“Now, that’s what I want to hear,” he begins. “Tell me about your previous work experience and relate it to the position you’re applying for.”
“Well, I’ve always wanted to work in the fashion industry, and so my work experience has always been in the sector. I used to work as a virtual assistant for an online fashion shop. I helped with the design of the clothes and the management of all the company’s social media accounts and growing the community and customer base. Relating it to this job, managing multiple online accounts will be similar to managing your schedule and calls for you. I’m a process-oriented person. I love to-do lists, and those are essential if I’m given the opportunity to work as your personal assistant.”
By the end of her answer, Adam can’t help but smile. The edge of his lips almost reaches the tips of his ears. He’s impressed with her answer and knows she’s a good fit for the position.
“My schedule can be very demanding, and I like to work overtime and so will you,” he then says. “You’ll also be fielding calls from left and right and will accompany me in business meetings and large-scale corporate events such as conferences. Will you be able to handle all of that?”
When Lexi nods her head, Adam sends a smile her way, stands up from his seat, reaches his arm out, and then says, “Well, congratulations. You’re hired.”
Unable to control her happiness, Lexi almost flies out of her seat and shakes Adam’s hand a little bit too enthusiastically.
“Thank you so much, sir,” she says, her hands still in his. Her fingers are soft and tender against his stronger hand. “I won’t disappoint you.”
“You’re welcome,” he says in response. “So I’ll see you at eight in the morning come Monday?”
“Yes, sir.”
Shaking his head, he corrects her, “Just call me Adam. I’ll see you next week.”
When Lexi walks out of his office, Adam’s eyes lazily trail her figure from behind. Her hips are sashaying from side to side, giving her ass a little bounce with every step forward she takes. When her fingers close around the doorknob, Lexi turned her head back to face him and gives Adam a small smile. For some reason, Lexi has Adam’s interest piqued. How can such an adorable face have a rocking body underneath the button-up and black skirt? He thinks. When Lexi closes the door behind her, Adam sits back down on his chair. It takes him at least half an hour before he resumes working since thoughts of Lexi preoccupy him.
Chapter 2
“I hope this will do for now,” Adam says, stretching his arm out over to the MacBook propped on the rectangular glass table. “HR told me your desk and other furniture will be delivered in a couple of days.”
“Sounds good,” responds Lexi, taking a seat on the plush, velvet couch.
Adam’s private office is humongous. To one side sits his desk with a floor to ceiling window. It boasts a great view of the city, and to the other side is the receiving area where the couch and the coffee table are. The couch and table are quite low, and Lexi feels a bit awkward. She props one knee beneath the other in the hopes of hiding her underwear. She has no plans of giving Adam a peek.
“Since it’s your first day, how about you start with going through my calendar for the week,” Adam begins, and Lexi nods her head in reply. “Also, start taking all my calls today. Get a hang of it. I’ll print out a template you can use as a guide for answering.”
“That’s great. Thanks, Adam,” she then says, still unused to calling her boss by his first name. “Can I get you anything downstairs? Breakfast or coffee?”
At that, Adam can’t help but shake his head. He takes the seat beside her on the couch before he looks at her with an amused glint in his eyes.
“I plan to give you real work, Lexi,” he says, placing a hand on her shoulder. She’s taken aback by the gesture and freezes in place for a moment. Soon enough, she relaxes and breathes out a sigh. “I’m planning a fundraiser event to raise awareness on the state of education in some parts of the country. I have a list of people for you to contact. Inform them of the event and send each a personalized invitation via email. How does that sound?”
“I’ll get to work on that,” she says, opening her MacBook. “I’ll just be here if you need anything.”
Adam gives Lexi a quick nod before he stands up and stalks over to his desk. He sits down on his chair, leans back into it, and gives Lexi a onceover.
She has a geometric printed sheath dress on today. The sides of the dress are in black while the center is in a navy blue color. To add, the caps of the sleeves are in black as well, and she has pointed toe heels encasing her feet. The dress as a whole accentuates her body in all the right places; however, the hem lands a few inches above her knees, so Lexi has a hard time trying to cross her legs and avoid giving Adam a peek of her lace underwear.
At seeing her struggle with trying to close her legs as she sits on the low couch, Adam can’t help but shake his head. He knows what she’s trying to do. The couch is far too low so Lexi’s knees are higher than her lap, and so he has a good view of her underwear. He finds her struggle adorable and a breath of fresh air. He has always been used to women throwing themselves at him. He’s a billionaire, businessman, and a handsome one after all. Women, from his experience, are more than willing to give him more than a peek of their bodies, so seeing Lexi trying her best not to give him a show was refreshing, but she was failing. He doesn’t want to tell her he spots the black lingerie. He’s not going to admit it out loud, but he’ll admit to admiring a woman and her body when given the chance.
Lexi focuses on typing something out on her new laptop, so Adam takes the opportunity to stare at her and trail his eyes up and down her body. The bust area of the sheath dress presses her breasts up and deepens her cleavage; the tightness of the dress clinches her waist to reveal a tiny waist. Her caramel brown hair, tied up in a high ponytail, gives him a great, clear view of her neck. There’s something about a woman’s neck that always turns Adam on. It’s probably its sensitivity. Women are always moaning in pleasure every time he nips at their necks.
“Damn,” he whispers to himself. He doesn’t want Lexi knowing he’s already having dirty thoughts about her. What will she think of her boss?
When a few minutes pass by, Adam mentally slaps himself awake and forces himself to get back to work. Lexi doesn’t seem to have a problem, and she’s typing away at her laptop in indissoluble focus.
Chapter 3
Lexi Hayes walks up the grand staircase of the luxurious art-deco hotel. At her side stands Adam Sinclair with her arm hooked around his. It’s the night of the Business Excellence Awards, and some of the country’s most prominent business magnates and media personalities are in attendance. Lexi Hayes swears she’s already seen some A-List celebrities and tech billionaires milling about.
When Adam invited her to the event a few days ago, she was quick to decline. The most obvious reason being she didn’t have a gown fit for the occasion and buying one would probably cost more than her monthly salary.
When she looks back to that afternoon in Adam’s office, she remembers him trying not laugh at her.
“If course I’ll pay for it.” She remembers him saying. “You’re going to be my date after all.”
Standing by his side now and walking up the steps of the red carpet, Lexi is in awe at the extravagance of the occasion. Floral arrangements in classic European flower pots line each step of the grand staircase while low hanging drapes in satin add multiple levels to the ceiling. Even the attendees dress to the tee. Diamonds and other gems are in abundance tonight, and designer dresses and haute couture parade around.
“Mr. Johnson, it’s nice to see you again,” Adam greets the man standing before him. “You still owe me a round of golf.”
“I’d rather we not,” teases the man
. “I’m happy to stay on top and undefeated.”
Alexis Hayes tries not to gape as she tightens her arm around Adam’s. Mr. Tim Johnson is one of the city’s wealthiest venture capitalists. During his younger years, he had founded a number of businesses. Today, they’re some of the biggest in their respective sectors. Watching Adam talk to the tycoon so casually has Lexi mesmerized. Billionaires, they’re just like us, she finds herself thinking.
Throughout the night, Lexi feels awkward and intimidated. What does she know of the newest developments in Asian or Europe? How can she share her thoughts about the biggest gainers and losers in the stock market when she’s still buried in student loans? As Adam talks effortlessly to the other attendees, Lexi finds herself nodding her head like a broken record. It doesn’t help that she’s fresh out of university. Worse, she can’t stand tall and pretty like the few supermodels and celebrities part of their circle of conversation. She has four-inch ankle-strapped heels on, but they still tower over her. They look straight out of a magazine, as these women flip their voluminous hair behind their backs and laugh and agree absent-mindedly at whatever’s being said, while Lexi stands stupidly, not only feeling oblivious but ugly as well. How can she compare to these 5’9” Barbie’s with 24-34-24 dimensions?
“Are you alright?” Adams asks her, unwinding his arm from hers and placing a hand on the small of her back. “Hungry?”
Lexi shakes her head, mouths out a small ‘no’, and then turns her head forward to pretend to listen to one of the techpreneurs who’s trying to explain to the older generation how most of his sales are generated by online ads. The conversation is fascinating; she’s all ears.
Online marketing for businesses is something Lexi understands. That’s exactly her course of study during undergrad; however, she feels wary of sharing her thoughts. She’s no businesswoman, and the people in the circle have their own achievements. If she weren’t Adam’s personal assistant, they probably won’t even give her the time of day. And so, she nods and ‘oh’s and ‘ah’s when she finds something interesting and relatable. Beside her, Adam can’t help but look at her. She doesn’t talk, but he can see she’s exerting great effort into listening and understanding the conversation. She’s all-ears and not just absent-mindedly nodding like a bobble head. She looks so genuine.
When the night ends, Adam instructs his chauffeur to drop off Lexi in her apartment building. On the ride home, they engage in effortless conversation. He asks her if she enjoyed the party, and she can’t stop gushing.
“You might think I didn’t enjoy since I barely said a word,” she begins, fingers clasped together on her lap. “But I’m still in awe. I learned so much from just listening. I think I can start a business now,” she teases, which has Adam grinning from ear to ear.
“I won’t allow you to do that,” Adam then says, voice light and playful. “I think I snuck a clause into your contract without you knowing. If I remember correctly, you’re bound to the company for a decade, but you shouldn’t worry, you’ll be promoted to senior assistant manager by then.”
At Adam’s last statement, Lexi finds herself erupting into a fit of laughter. He almost got her there.
“And this is me,” she then says, when the limousine stops at a somewhat low-rise and run-down apartment building. When she’s about to close the car door behind her, Adam reaches for the handle and steps out of the vehicle.
“I’ll bring you up,” he says, his eyes moving from her to the structure in front of them.
They enter the building and climb about ten flights of stairs. When they reach the fifth floor, Lexi leads the way to her apartment, which is at the far end of the hallway. She invites Adam in, but he remains standing by the doorway. His eyes roam the whole expanse of the room, which isn’t much. It’s a studio type with a kitchenette right by the door, a small table a foot away, a bathroom to the side, and a bed at a corner. It isn’t much to say the least.
“Lexi…” he starts, looking somewhat pained. “I can’t have my assistant living here. I’ll rent a place for you much closer to the office.”
She makes a move to respond and decline, but Adam catches her gesture early on. So, he looks pointedly at her and shakes his head once. She knows the best thing to do is to shut up and not say a word. When he says, “You’ll move to a new place next week,” Lexi can only nod her head and mouth out a small ‘thanks’ in response.
The turn of events, from the Awards show, to the designer gown, and now to the new apartment has Lexi confused. Is Adam this nice to everyone?
Chapter 4
“The business plan’s in a folder on top on my table.” Adam says, from the other end of the line. “Once you have it, ask the driver to drive you to Waft. Let’s have a working lunch.”
When he hangs up, Lexi walks over to Adam’s desk and reaches for the folder, when her hand accidentally swipes over the mousepad of Adam’s laptop, the screen flashes on, and Lexi can’t believe what she sees. There are thumbnails of naked people having sex, and some other pictures of women dressed in revealing nurse, teacher, or even masseuse costumes. For a second, she freezes on the spot, unsure of whether to close the porn site or just look away.
She know it’s not supposed to be a big deal since everyone watches porn these days, everyone except a handful people which includes her. Her eyes automatically scan the screen, and she can’t help but look. As her eyes skim over the thumbnails, the first thing that crosses her mind is, are penises really that huge?
With her train of thought, she starts to feel her lower region reacting to the photos. There’s a sensation she can’t describe in her pussy, and she starts to feel a little bit warmer and a little bit more wet. She feels her vaginal muscles suddenly constrict, and she takes that as her cue to look away. She can’t explain what she’s feeling, but it’s not a bad feeling at all. She actually wants more of it.
She puts the business plan in her bag, and locks Adam’s office door behind her. The chauffeur, Mark, has the car waiting for her right at the entrance of the building, and when she enters, she asks him to take her to Waft, a French café Adam favors. Throughout the ride, she can’t stop thinking about the images earlier, and she knows she’s supposed to shrug the thoughts off, but she can’t. Thinking about Adam and porn in the same train of thought has her feeling hot and heavy, and when she meets him in the café, she’s having difficulty acting nonchalant.
When she reaches for her glass of water, she almost knocks it off; when she tries to order, she ends up stuttering and taking longer than usual to give her order; when Adam talks to her about his calls and meetings for a day, she finds herself looking at her planner instead of rattling the details off her mind. Adam doesn’t miss her behavior.
“Are you alright?” he asks, watching her from over the tip of his wine glass. Wine and any other alcoholic beverage is Adam’s substitute for water. “You don’t look sick, but your mind’s far off.”
“It’s nothing,” Lexi says, shrugging off the tightness she’s feeling in her vagina.
She feels all the more worse when she looks up to meet his jade green eyes. They’re studying her face, and for a moment, she sees the way they flit over to her lips, and she finds herself licking and biting her bottom lip.
“Really?” he asks, voice more concerned than mischievous. “You can take the rest of the day off…”
Lexi shakes her head at the offer and then says, “No.” When Adam doesn’t say a word, she continues. “I’m alright. I’m sorry.”
Adam knows she’s not okay, but he lets it go for now. They spend the rest of lunch going over Adam’s schedule for the week. He’s thankful he doesn’t have any international meetings during the week since he’s been travelling to Europe and Asia at least twice a month in the past. When they finish their meals and wipe their plates clean, Adam pays for the bill and calls for Mark to pick them up.
Lexi’s surprised when Adam instructs Mark to drive them over to his apartment. He tells her he has to pick up something fir
st before they head back to the office. When Lexi steps foot in the three-bedroom unit, she’s in awe at the expensiveness and interiors of the flat. She thought the new apartment Adam transferred her to was already the height of luxury. But his is a whole other level.
Of course, she thinks. How very fitting for a CEO.
Adam walks over to one of the rooms, the one closest to the front door, and when Lexi takes a quick peek, she sees a desk, a chair, and a bookshelf. She presumes it’s his office, and she tries not to shake her head. Adam really is a workaholic. When he closes the door, he turns to face her. She’s wary of the tight-lipped smile on his face.
“So tell me, what’s really going on with you?” he asks, unable to let go of her fidgety behavior.
“N-nothing, I swear…” she says, but when he looks at her pointedly, she then asks, “I can’t bullshit my way out of this, huh?”
Bliss: A Step Brother Romance Page 14
