Page 37 of Bling

“Izzy, what is all this?” her uncle asked from the hall.

She jerked the door open. “I’m moving it, I’m moving it,” she muttered as she hurried past him into the living room. The container held a clothing rack on wheels and some small boxes at the bottom. She moved the rack into her room first and came back for the boxes.

On the rack, there were a variety of skirts, blouses, and blazers, all appropriate for her new role at Colorado Logistics. And while it was all high quality, none of it was overly flashy. At the end of the rack hung her dress, and she smiled as she let her fingers trail the soft silk.

She quickly selected a skirt and blouse before turning to the boxes to open them. Thank God they weren’t filled with undergarments like she’d feared. There was, however, a collection of jewelry and shoes. She would wear the shoes, but she was drawing a line at the jewelry. She would call Jasmine and arrange a return tomorrow.

In the kitchen, she made sure the girls had what they needed to get out the door before she rushed out to the driver waiting to take her to work. As the car moved toward the apartment complex exit, she noticed a construction crew setting up to work. It didn’t seem like it was time for the yearly round of fixing parking lot potholes yet.

In the office, she received a smile from Garrett but no comment on her outfit. As promised, he remained professional. It was jarring how different he was at work compared to the club. The only thing that remained the same was the dominant bite to his commands when he asked her to do something for him.

Most of the day, it seemed like he was working on projects for other sectors of his company, so she felt like a fish out of water trying to help him, but she did her best.

At lunchtime, he poked his head out his door. “Can you stick around for lunch? I’ll have something brought in.”

She nodded. “Of course. Would you like me to place an order at the bakery?”

He flashed her a smile. “That sounds lovely, Isabelle. Come in when you’re finished.”

He closed his door without telling her what he wanted. She let her mind drift to previous times she’d seen him eat lunch and tried to remember what he ate and how he liked it. She ordered a turkey sandwich on wheat, with bacon, avocado, and tomato, and hoped she got it right.

“No mayonnaise,” she blurted at the end of her order as she remembered him once turning his nose up at the condiment.

When the delivery was arranged, she stood and knocked on Garrett’s door.

“Come in, Miss Alvarado,” he said with a wink when he swung the door open.

Her heart slammed into her throat as she stepped across the threshold.

“What a lovely blouse you have on,” he murmured, as she stood awkwardly in the middle of the room while he shut and locked the door.

“How long until food arrives?”

“They said twenty minutes.” It came out a whisper

“Perfect. You seem nervous,” he said, moving toward her.

“Maybe a little. I’m still irritated about the clothes,” she said, hoping to relieve some of the sexual tension thick in the room.

He hummed. “It’s a perk of working for me. Just like health benefits or vacation pay. Sit,” he said giving her a gentle nudge toward the couch.

“Do you buy your other assistants’ clothes?”

He shrugged as she sat and tugged at her skirt. “I have before.”

“Just the ones you sleep with?”

Why are you being so defensive, Isabelle?She let her shoulders sag. “I’m sorry. That was rude.”

Garrett sat down and leaned in close enough that she could smell him, but he didn’t touch her. “It was. If we were at Solitaire, I might spank you. I’ve never slept with an assistant before. I’m usually a stickler for not blurring the lines.”

“So, what’s so special about me?”

He folded his arms and sat back, eyeing her. “Do you want a list?”

She blushed and dropped her gaze.

“Hey, I’m not trying to upset you. I just want to enjoy lunch with you. After our weekend, I’m finding it hard to remain professional, and your current attitude has my palm itching to connect with your ass.”

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