Page 5 of One Little Mistake
Fuck!
What the hell do I say now? There’s no desk since my last assistant sat in a conference room because she annoyed the hell out of me? That my reaction to you is unsettling with the need to keep you close?
How do I explain that when I heard Lexi’s guard promise her she was safe, something inside of me broke? I have excellent hearing, but I overheard their hushed conversation because I was standing at the end of the hallway. Needing a moment to sit with my reaction to her, I tiptoe ran back to my desk. I’ve been sucking in huge gulps of air while I wait for her to arrive in a lame attempt to calm myself down.
I haven’t been this tripped up since … sinceher. Almost ten years later, I still can’t say her fucking name. I’m so pathetic. She really did ruin me for all things good. It reinforces my need to keep Sexy Lexi far, far away.No, dick weed, not sexy Lexi. Not sexy, Lexi.
Glancing up, I realize I’ve been silent for too long.Get a grip.
“Ah, the last assistant preferred to work in the conference room, so I didn’t have a desk for her. Obviously, that didn’t work out. I need you close.” The truth in those four words has the muscle in my jaw so tight I feel the veins in my neck throbbing.
Beautifully inappropriate are the two words on the tip of my tongue, but I bite them back. Staring at Lexi, I recognize the vacant, haunted look in her eyes. Forcing my gaze to move anywhere but on her, I put my asshole hat back on.
“As I said, seven a.m., not a minute later. You are not my gofer, and I don’t expect you to fetch coffee. We have interns for that. However, there will be details of the job that are confidential, so I’ll need you to sign an NDA with HR before you begin. I don’t ask for things twice, and I expect you to learn my routine and step in to make my day easier without getting in my way.”
“So, you go through assistants like underwear then?”
My head whips toward her. “Wh-What?”
“Well, Mr. Sunshine, how long are you able to retain assistants before they quit?”
Six weeks, but I’m definitely not telling her that. “I compensate my employees well for their hard work.”
“Hmm, yup. Just as I thought. What’s your record? Four weeks? Maybe five?”
What the fuck?I stare at her, lost for words.
“Don’t worry, East. I’ve already been to hell and back. Whatever bullshit you throw at me will be a walk in the park. So, should I head to HR so we can get started with your precious NDA in place?”
“I … ah, d-don’t you want to hear the r-rest of your duties first?” I stammer.
She rolls her eyes and I feel my lips twitch.
“Listen, I need a job. You could tell me to clean the toilets, and I’d have to do it. I’m not so proud that I can’t admit that. Whatever you’re going to throw at me will get handled. I’m used to hard work, and I’m a fast learner. I’m stronger than I look.”
With that, she rises from her seat. “Where’s HR?”
As she turns, I see what Preston was talking about. Lexi is probably one of those women who is just naturally thin. Her height gives her a statuesque quality, but she’s frail. A knot forms in my gut.Why do I hate the idea of her hurting so badly? Because she’s family adjacent? That has to be it.
Realizing I’m still staring, I clear my throat. “Ah, yes. Catherine in HR is who you’ll be looking for. I asked her to come in early today, so she should be waiting for you on the seventeenth floor. It’ll take a couple of hours to go through all the paperwork, and when you get back, we’ll dive right in.”
“Sounds good. And, Easton?” She tosses her blonde hair behind her as she squares her slender shoulders.
I know she’s testing me, so I force myself to hold eye contact with her, and I nearly swallow my tongue. She’s beautifully broken, and I have no right wanting to take her in.
“Yeah?” I force out.
“Thank you. I’m sure you hired me out of some misplaced obligation, but I appreciate it just the same. I’ve always worked hard, and I’ll prove that to you. In another life, I graduated in the top two percent of my class at Northeastern, then climbed the ranks of the largest department store on the East Coast until I was the top buyer in my field. So, I’ll do that here, too.”
I nod because words are lodged painfully in my throat. “Just come back here when you’re finished, and we’ll get started.”
My southern manners kick in, and I rise with her as she stands. When Lexi turns to leave, her hand unconsciously runs along the detail work I spent hours perfecting on the lines of her chair. Somehow, that one small gesture seems more dangerous than the one-night stands I occasionally allow myself.
As soon as she’s out the door, I flop down into my chair. What the fuck was that? And how in the hell is this going to work?
For the next hour, I attempt to get work done, but Lexi’s eyes haunt me. When I finally acknowledge I’m being useless, I pick up the phone to call my youngest brother, Ashton. He runs our Cyber-Security department here at The Westbrook Group, but I know he also does some shady shit with Loki in whatever secret government agency he spies for.
“Hey, East. What’s up?” Even as he speaks, I can hear the clicking of the keyboard and know he probably has four different screens running right now. Ashton is the genius in the family and has more potential than the rest of us combined. He’s also a gentle soul. He’s good and kind and everything I’m not.
