Page 29 of Serving the CEO
He glanced at Jami, then at me. “Reading something interesting?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.” As much as I wanted to share with him, I wanted to make sure everything was in order first. So far, it looked to be as brilliant as I’d hoped, but I didn’t want him to regret having agreed to it as part of our deal.
Instead of asking for details, he just gave a nod, then said, “We’re going to lunch.”
In front of me, Jami shifted, and I caught a glimpse of the expression on her face, but I kept my focus on Derrick as a flare of annoyance cut through my previous joy. “Oh, we are?”
“Yes. Did you need a moment to finish up with your assistant?” He moved farther into my office, and the space seemed to shrink by half. “I’ll wait.”
I stood and placed my hands on my desk. “Jami, if you’d give Mr. Thomas and I a moment. Thank you.”
“Of course,” she said in a sugary sweet voice. “I’ll be right outside.”
She closed the door behind her, which I appreciated from a privacy aspect, but it made the space suddenly seem even smaller, and I imagined I could smell Derrick’s cologne from where I stood.
“I don’t think a quickie at work is the best idea, but I’m game for it.” Derrick grinned at me and took a step in my direction.
I held up a hand and he stopped. “You can’t just barge into my office and decide we’re going to lunch.”
“I can,” he said. “And I just did.”
“And that’s the last time that’s going to happen.” I squared my shoulders.
“Oh, is it?” He sounded amused, but I saw a spark of something in his eyes.
“I won’t be ordered around just because we’re dating.” I held my ground. “You’ve always respected your employees as long as they were doing their job, and I expect nothing less. In fact, because this is supposed to lead to marriage, I expectmorerespect and courtesy from you.”
He crossed his arms. “And what, exactly, does that entail? I am still the CEO of this company, and I won’t have my people thinking you’re leading me around by my cock.”
His words made me flush, but I didn’t flinch. “While we both know I won’t be getting anywhere near your cock, I understand what you’re saying.” I thought for a minute and then continued, “How about this? When it comes to work-related matters, I don’t want you to speak to me any differently than you did before we made our little agreement, but when it’s something personal, you ask rather than command.”
He studied me then, his expression unreadable. “Is that an order?”
I flushed. “Don’t be a jerk.”
The corner of his mouth twitched, and I got the distinct impression that he was trying not to laugh. Somehow, that managed to piss me off and amuse me at the same time.
“All right,” he said suddenly. “Will you have lunch with me?”
Taken aback that he’d agreed so quickly, I stammered out, “Oh. Okay. Sure. Just let me grab my purse.”
As we left my office, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d really won that round or if his concession was just a set-up for something else. It wasn’t as if I knew him well enough to tell and that thought haunted me the entire way to the restaurant.
* * *
“I take it Jami still doesn’t care for me,” he said after the server walked away.
We sat in the corner booth of a bistro that was way too pricey for my budget, but he’d asked me, so I assumed he was paying. He’d paid the other night too, and since this wasn’t a real relationship, I refused to feel guilty for not offering to pay like I normally did for the first couple dates.
Picking up a glass of water, I shot him a look over the rim.
He chuckled and shook his head. “I did it again, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but at least you noticed.” Appreciating the humor in his eyes, I sipped my water before adding, “Please understand, I’m not going to tell her how to feel about you. She’ll be professional at work, but outside of that, you’re going to have to figure it out on your own.”
Personally, I wondered if it really even mattered. It wasn’t as if there were double-dates and future holidays stretching out in front of us.
“Maybe I want her to like me because she’s important to you.” He brushed a finger down the back of my hand.
