Page 20 of Selfish Suit

“Oh…” My pulse hammers.

The silence between us feels too loud, the elevator too small.

“I want you back upstairs in twenty minutes,” he says, quiet and lethal. “Clear your head, grow thicker skin, and if all else fails, just pretend like you’re talking to me… in private.”

He reaches past me and presses the button to restart the elevator.

“Oh, and,” he adds, glancing sideways as the doors begin to open. “No—I won’t be giving you a check for your work today.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll need toearn itfirst.”

THE CEO

DOMINIC

Ihave a feeling I’m going to regret taking on Skittles as a client. Maybe not now, but somewhere down the line.

The last time we worked with a candy company—Mars, Inc., via their M&M’s line—their sales skyrocketed for three straight quarters. Then they hired a new CEO who credited all their success to “vibes” and fired us.

Their numbers tanked six months later, and they’re still trying to rebuild the bridge they torched—without paying my new “fuck around and find out” fee.

That issue aside, there’s one thing I already regret:

Hiring Ivy.

After yesterday, I should’ve relegated her to the twenty-fifth floor with the rest of the marketing execs. Somewhere far away from my gaze. And my dick.

Needing a distraction, I scan the notes she left in my book. I’m halfway through reviewing the budget breakdowns when she reenters the room—ten minutes early.

Our eyes meet, and her cheeks flush pink.

We stare at each other a beat too long, and just when I open my mouth to say something like “You’re being reassigned,effective immediately,” the team filters back in with loud conversations.

The meeting resumes with Marcus firing off things we’ve done before, but this time, Ivy interrupts a few times.

Her questions stun the room into silence, and they’re followed by flustered shuffling and frantic typing.

Impressed, I let the meeting run without my own intrusions until eight in the evening.

“Anything to add at this point, Miss Locke?” I look straight at her. “Do you think the team is on the right track?”

“For now, yes.”

“Good,” I say. “That’s enough for today. Go.”

Ivy gathers her things without looking at me. She turns around and walks away, giving me a perfect view of her ass via her tightly fitted pencil skirt.

I don’t move or stand up from the table just yet.

I can’t.

My cock is hard in my suit pants, and I refuse to allow anyone in this building to see how easily Ivy affects me.

Around midnight, my entire building is silent—giving me the perfect chance to think, as always.

I roam the floors one at a time, walking through the empty offices and in-progress projects. No buzzing interns. No fake laughter. No Marcus monologuing into his phone like he’s pitching the sequel to his own ego.

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