The Rules Read online

  Ouch. That stung. He suspected I couldn’t afford Sky. And generally speaking, he would be right. I tucked my bottom lip between my teeth again and my hands under my thighs. It was the only way I could keep from shaking.

  “Don’t do that.”

  Do what? Seriously? Was this man telling me what I could and couldn’t do with my own lip? I knew he was because his gaze was once again riveted to my mouth. I let go of my bruised flesh and pursed my lips instead. I had no idea what made me follow Mr. Alexander’s instructions, and it annoyed me to high hell that every single thing he did made me clench my sex tighter. He could probably command me to strip naked and dance on top of this bar table, and I would readily comply. That’s how mesmerizing he was.

  “I didn’t mean anything by that. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

  He’s sorry? That was at least as shocking as his previous statement.

  “So, you intend to work your way from the ground up at my company. Is that it, Ms. Kensington?”

  “Yes, sir.” That had been the plan. Until tonight. Suddenly I wasn’t the least bit sure how I would ever go back in the building. It was much easier when he didn’t know who I was or pay any attention to me. That’s the way normal everyday women prefer unbelievably sexy men to remain—slightly out of reach. Speaking to them face-to-face makes us regular folk stammer and make fools of ourselves.

  “You can’t be making enough money to pay rent.”

  “I’m not, sir. But I’ll prove myself fast.” I had confidence, and I wasn’t about to hide it from him.

  “How were your grades?”

  “Straight A’s, sir. I work hard.”

  He found this amusing apparently. He chuckled again and shook his head. I liked it when he smiled. He had one dimple on each cheek that softened his face and made him look younger than he probably was. “Okay, then. I’ll let you get back to your friends. Enjoy your evening, Ms. Kensington.” He stood abruptly, leaving me speechless at this turn of events, and sauntered across the room in the direction he’d initially come from.

  I twisted on my stool and watched his fine ass as it moved away, unable to jump down yet and certain when I did, I would fall on my face. Lucky for me, when I glanced at my friends, I found them both hopping off their own stools, grabbing their drinks in one hand and purses in the other, including my own clutch, which I’d left on the table. They hastily rushed toward me, pulled up a third stool, and settled in.

  “Holy fuck,” Cheyenne began. “What the hell just happened? Was that Cade Alexander?”

  “It was,” I muttered as I turned, finally taking my gaze off the spot where my boss had disappeared. “And I have no idea what the hell just happened.”

  Chapter Two

  On Monday morning I arrived at work slightly more nervous than I had on my very first day two weeks ago. My encounter with the owner of the company two nights ago had me frazzled. Unfortunately, avoiding him wasn’t an option. I was, as he so kindly pointed out, on the lowest rung of the ladder at this company, which essentially meant I was anybody and everybody’s errand girl.

  In the first two weeks, I had been everything from a file clerk to a mail carrier. I had fetched coffee for more people than I could count and typed e-mails for half the staff as well. Word had spread quickly that the new girl on the first floor wasn’t simply a pretty face. It seemed I had a brain and everyone could count on me to do their bidding without fucking it up. Less hassle. I was aware of this. I prided myself on this very occurrence. It was all part of my climb-the-ladder plan.

  My only real concern was becoming too valuable as a peon to promote. That idea hadn’t escaped my mind.

  So it wasn’t a surprise when the first thing Moriah, my direct boss, asked me to do even before I shoved my purse in my desk drawer was to report to Mr. Alexander. I cringed. This was not how I intended things to go down. If the owner of the company had asked around about me, he would have heard I was a bit overqualified for the job, even without my input.

  What I did not want was to become his personal lackey. I wanted to be taken seriously.

  “Mr. Alexander?” I asked, feigning surprise, even though I wasn’t altogether shocked. Pissed. But not shocked.

  Moriah didn’t give me more than a glance. Apparently she didn’t find the request curious, at least not yet. “Yep. He needs someone to run a few errands for him, and I told him you were responsible.” At that, she lifted her gaze and smiled. She even winked. “You can thank me later.”

  Moriah knew what my goals were. She’d been the first and last person to interview me. She wasn’t stupid. I’d told her outright how badly I wanted to work for Alexander Technologies and what I was willing to humbly do to get where I wanted to be.

  Moriah had also given me many challenging assignments since I’d started. I’d already wowed Margie on the fourth floor with my accounting skills on two occasions. It seemed my luck had taken a dive if I was now forced to become Mr. Alexander’s errand girl.

  “I’m not sure about thanking you,” I mumbled.

  “Why not? What better way to prove yourself than getting in the boss’s face? Lucky break, girl. Show him what you’re made of. I’d love to keep you down in the trenches with the rest of us. You’ve accomplished more work in the last two weeks than anyone we’ve ever hired down here, but I like you, and I want what’s best for you. And I know shuffling papers and filling coffee mugs is going to drive you stir crazy fast. So go. I promised Mr. Alexander he wouldn’t be disappointed.”

  “What does he need me to do?” I asked, tucking my damn lip between my teeth and then immediately dropping it as though he were standing in the room right in front of me, pulling it out with his thumb. A chill ran down my spine at the memory of his warm solid fingers on my cheek, his thumb pressing on my lip.

  Moriah shrugged. “No idea. Errands, he said. Could be anything from dry cleaning to taking a memo. All I know is this is the first time he’s ever called me before eight a.m. and requested I send someone up to help him.” She shrugged again. “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” At that Moriah went back to typing, her gaze shifting to her computer and her fingers clicking away so fast on the keyboard I knew I was completely dismissed from this conversation.

  I made my way to the elevators, my heels clicking on the ground so loudly it sounded like fireworks were going off in the lobby. Although it must have only been me who noticed this because not a single other person paid me a bit of attention. As I waited for the elevator to arrive, I clenched my hands in front of me. They were sweating. This was not my style. I had always considered myself to be extremely confident with my chin held high. And then I met Mr. Alexander.

  That man turned me inside out every time I was near him. I’d been near him far too many times in the last few weeks, but after the incident on Friday, I was dreading this like a wisdom tooth removal. I hated that he made me nervous. Nobody made me nervous. I hated that he caused me to become mute, completely tongue-tied. I especially hated that he made my panties wet and my nipples hard. That was the worst part. It was foreign to me.

  I stepped into the elevator, wondering if I’d made the right decision coming to work for Alexander Technologies. There were so many businesses in the immediate area that would have hired me and paid me way more money. And none of them would have sexy CEOs who awakened my sexuality in a way I had flat out denied for all of my twenty-four years.

  It wasn’t that I was a prude. I hadn’t saved myself for some religious reason or out of some sense of puritanical resistance to norms. It simply happened. I was a bit too straight-laced in high school, causing most boys my age to steer clear of me. And then in college I got too busy to deal with men. Most of them were overgrown boys anyway. The only men who ever made me lift a brow were usually older, either new professors or the people who worked at the places I co-oped.

  So, here I was at twenty-four and rather virginal. Or, totally virginal. I’d had boyfriends, but none that made me enjoy their tongue down my throat e
nough to let them get to third base. Frankly, I’d begun to wonder if I was actually a prude.

  And then I met Mr. Alexander. I was not a prude. This was proven instantly upon stepping into his space the first time two weeks ago. I’d gotten hot, the kind of heat that started in my neck and raced down my breasts to take up residence between my legs—wobbly legs.

  My second day at Alexander Technologies had brought me close to the boss for the first time. I knew he was in his thirties, but somehow I expected someone significantly older. My mind hadn’t painted a picture of a young guy—fit, sexy, vibrant—the kind of man I normally drooled after from afar. I had gone to the seventh floor to drop off several envelopes. As I handed them to his secretary, Judy, he popped out of his office to speak with her.

  My body froze, my gaze landing on him and taking him in from head to toe while I should have been walking back to the elevator. His dark messy hair begged someone to run their fingers through it. His green eyes, the short flash of them I’d seen, sucked me into their pools. I was screwed.

  The second time I saw him, I’d been talking to Moriah in the lobby as he walked by. Again, I had no idea if he noticed me or not. He gave no indication. He simply headed out the door with another man, conversing the entire time.

  Each time I encountered Mr. Alexander, I got better at breathing, but only marginally. By Friday night’s encounter, I was of a new frame of mind. If that man wanted to fuck me first thing on a Monday morning, I would gladly acquiesce. At least in my imagination.

  When the elevator reached the seventh floor with a ding, I jumped. No one had gotten on with me at any point, and I’d ridden to the top alone. I stepped out onto the plush carpet and headed for the desk in front of me. Judy McLaren. Since the first time I’d met her, she’d been nothing but kind, and I intended to keep that rapport with her.

  She smiled at me. “Hey, Amy. Mr. Alexander left me a list of things he needs you to do. I hope you don’t mind.”

  I was a bit taken aback. I had expected him to speak to me himself. The thought I was not going to face him this morning was both a relief and a disappointment.

  Judy continued, “He was in a rush, but he said he spoke to Moriah, and she highly recommended you to handle his business today.” She handed me the list, which was again not what I expected. It was in a sealed envelope.

  “What sort of things does he need me to do?”

  “I have no idea. The envelope was closed when he handed it to me. I wouldn’t worry, though. He’s a private person. That’s not unusual. I hope you won’t be insulted if he asked you to pick up some sort of spice from a particular grocery store forty miles from here and then alphabetize his condiments at his private residence. He’s eclectic. I’d just go with it and see if you can get it all done by the end of the day. If not, no worries. There’s always tomorrow. I’m sure he left a prioritized list. He always does.” She rolled her eyes.

  “I see.”

  Judy smiled. “He’s a great guy. I love working for him. He doesn’t get mad, even if I screw something up. He just explains it better and we move on. So don’t stress. Have fun.” With that, I was summarily dismissed from Judy the same way I had been dismissed from Moriah. Not one person thought it odd that the new girl was summoned by the owner to run his errands.

  Clutching the envelope, I backed up a few steps and then turned around so I wouldn’t fall on my ass. I wore my second favorite pair of heels that morning, silver sling backs that made my legs longer and went fantastic with my silver jewelry. Probably not the best choice for running errands.

  As I stepped back into the elevator, I smoothed my free hand down my skirt. It was a pale peach color made of silky material that didn’t reach my knees. I thought it skirted the edge of appropriate for the office, sexy but professional. The blouse I’d chosen to go with it was white. I knew it hinted at what lay beneath just from being white and silky. I’d carefully worn a skin-colored bra that wouldn’t stand out as obvious beneath the blouse. Some other lacy bra might have been overkill, but this one felt perfect to me.

  I carefully tore the envelope open as I rode back down to the first floor. If Mr. Alexander wasn’t in the office, there was no telling where he was. He could be out of town for all I knew. He traveled often. I prayed I wouldn’t be required to go to his home. That would be more than I could bear. Seeing his personal belongings would do nothing to help me sleep at night. Getting a more thorough lungful of his scent wouldn’t help out, either.

  I almost groaned out loud when I opened the trifold paper and Mr. Alexander’s credit card fell out also. The note was addressed to me personally, which meant he knew I would be the person fulfilling today’s tasks. That wasn’t a good sign. I straightened my spine as I absorbed that fact. I could do this.

  After all, I was a woman. I’d been to stores before. I knew where to buy things and more or less what aisles contained what in a grocery store. It was a little shocking to see this list of personal errands, even though Judy had warned me of the possibility. Still, weird. Didn’t the man have a personal assistant to do these things for him?

  I stopped by my office on the first floor to get my purse and let Moriah know I was leaving the building.

  She lifted her gaze toward me and smiled. “No problem. If you don’t make it back here, I’ll know why. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  She’ll know why?

  Moriah narrowed her eyes. She pointed at the paper clutched in my hand. “The list? I assume it’s long. I’ve never known Mr. Alexander to leave a short list.” She giggled.

  “Oh, right.” I held up the page as though seeing it for the first time. “Yes. Guess I’ll manage.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do fine. See you later.” Moriah waved as I turned to go.

  My legs were shaky as I headed for my car. It was eight fifteen in the morning. I hadn’t intended to leave the office until five, and here I was right back where I’d started the day. Downtown Atlanta traffic was awful. As expected. I probably would have been better off waiting a while to begin. But then again, I wanted to make sure I finished everything as quickly as possible. This weird turn of events had left me unnerved. I’d meant to climb the corporate ladder. I had not meant to run the personal errands of the CEO in order to do so.

  It took me forty-five minutes to get to Buckhead and locate the store indicated first on the list. It took me another half an hour to collect his very specific requests. And I did all this with a knot in my stomach while I imagined the woman who was going to reap the rewards of this scavenger hunt later tonight. Because there could be no mistake. Mr. Alexander had a date.

  I actually grew a bit perturbed as I went through the motions of collecting two bottles of expensive wine that cost over seventy-five dollars apiece, prawns, some sort of specific premade potatoes from the deli that made my stomach grumble when I saw them, and a brand of fresh green beans in a steaming bag.

  The man even included a dessert, which he’d ordered from the bakery section beforehand. I didn’t pay attention to what was in that box, afraid I might be tempted to open it and eat the entire thing myself if it was anything near as fancy as the rest of the meal.

  If it was chocolate, there was no way I would have been able to resist.

  The store provided me with a Styrofoam cooler and ice to keep everything cold. After carefully stashing the groceries in my car, making sure there was no way the wine bottles would break against each other during the drive, I moved on to the next task.

  What the hell? My eyeballs jumped out of my head as I squeezed the paper in my hand, wrinkling it as though it were a wad of trash already.

  I had intentionally not read ahead on this list. It seemed prudent to make my way down it from top to bottom. And now I glared at the second task, seething.

  The man actually wanted me to pick up a parcel from a lingerie store. Was he fucking kidding? The shop was high-end. I knew the name. I even knew where it was located. I’d driven by it before, drooling at the items in the window. I ha
d not, however, been inside. Nor could I ever hope to enter the place in my lifetime. If I ever chanced to earn enough money to purchase something from Justine’s, it would be much better used to feed a third world country instead of draping across my skin.

  I swung out onto the street, headed in that direction, my hands now gripping the steering wheel and my heart racing. The audacity of this asshole.

  My boss, I reminded myself. A man who knew perfectly well who was running these errands. I wanted to kill Moriah for recommending me. An ironic turn of events since Moriah thought she’d done me a favor. Perhaps he sent random people to do his bidding every day of the week, but today I’d drawn the short straw. Any normal person who wasn’t interested in getting in their boss’s pants to see if his cock matched the rest of him in virility would probably not be as flustered as I currently was.

  However, I wasn’t any normal person. I was me. And I did not want to know what sort of lingerie Mr. Alexander bought his girlfriend. Not tonight. Not ever.

  Ugh. My parents had raised me better than this. My mother would die if she knew I was running around Atlanta picking up lingerie for my boss. This was not why I went to college. I had more self-respect than this.

  I worked my way through the streets of Buckhead until I arrived at Justine’s. It was almost ten. I shook as I stepped into the store, feeling like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. If the ladies working in this shop didn’t see right through me and know I was a fraud, it would be a miracle. In order to avoid being tossed out on my ass before I did my instructed duties, I held my head high and marched straight to the woman behind the desk, totally ignoring the cute girl working among the racks.

  “Hi. I’m here to pick up a package for Mr. Cade Alexander.”

  The woman lit up. “Oh. Right.” She smiled warmly, making me relax marginally and helping me drop the fear of being thrown out like yesterday’s dirty laundry. “Give me one second. I’ll grab that for you.”