The Secretary's Boss - Allen Brothers Series : Book One - An Enemies To Lovers - Office Romance

by Paige Cooper

  I stayed up late at night, tortured by images of Nicole out there with other men—naked and in bed with them. Eventually, I fell asleep to similar images of Nicole naked and in bed with me. It was like a never-ending torturous cycle.

  Somehow, the papers found themselves strewn across my desk. I wasn’t reading them anyway. Instead, I was feeling guilty for being such a jackass to Nicole.

  Joel was right. I should have asked her to come as my date instead of forcing her to go as my secretary. I was scared of rejection, but somehow I’d been faced with her rejection anyway. It was simply easier to handle it as my employee than as a woman I was enamored with.

  I sighed heavily, my shoulders slumping against my chair. I’d done everything wrong since day one.

  I’d treated Nicole like an object, not like a person. I didn’t want to care about her, but I couldn’t sit here and keep lying to myself and to her. It was destroying my work, and it was exhausting. How did people do this whole falling in love thing without taking naps during the day?

  Working out wasn’t even giving me the peace I needed. This hot-and-cold tactic of mine clearly wasn’t working on Nicole, and I needed to switch things up before I lost her for good. I wasn’t even close to ready for that to happen.

  I got up, taking quick strides to the door before pausing. We were at work, and there were tons of people watching us. I couldn’t go out there and declare my feelings to her and apologize. It would be humiliating. What if she rejected me? In front of everyone?

  My hand wavered for a few moments before falling away completely. I needed to change tactics, but I didn’t need to make a fool of myself.

  I wandered back over to my desk and fired up my email. Since this was our primary communication since our last major fight, I figured it would work for what I had to say.

  Nicole,

  I realize your classification of me as an ignoramus might not have been off-base. I am sincerely sorry for the way I have acted toward you. Your character and person deserve better, and I am sorry that it took me this long to realize this.

  I’ve been a fool when it comes to you, and that’s partly because I feel drawn to you. I really like you, and sometimes that means I don’t know how to act around you. I can see now that I’ve behaved horribly when all you’ve wanted was to be treated with the respect you deserve.

  I stared at the screen, typing and retyping it a few times. I wasn’t sure whether to add in details from our night before, but she seemed hurt when I chose to ignore that it happened.

  Looking back, I realized I should never have left her here alone. She didn’t deserve that.

  Also, the other night was an amazing one for me. I may have lacked judgment in the execution of the evening, but I respect you tremendously, and my only desire is to get to know you better.

  With respect,

  The ignoramus.

  Without another second to lose or doubt myself, I pressed send, and it was off into the air and onto Nicole’s email. I wasn’t sure if I’d done the right thing. I’d bared my soul to a woman who only moments before had told me she regretted agreeing to go to an event with me.

  This would either turn out brilliantly or be a total failure.

  Chapter 23: Nicole

  T rying not to think about Mark was about as easy as trying to juggle while walking on a tightrope. To sum it up? Not easy at all.

  Every time I thought we were taking steps forward, he did something to throw my center off-kilter. Who bought dresses for a woman who had made it clear she wasn’t going to attend an event?

  He thought he could control me, that I’d jump whenever he ordered me to. He was wrong.

  I groaned as I reached my desk, wishing I’d told him of my decision to attend the gala before I’d actually accepted their invite. Now I felt obligated to go. It was a charity. I couldn’t bear to have them waste the money they’d invest on my plate.

  As hard as it was, I tried to ignore Mark and forget about him. I pulled up the legal research he needed me to do. There were a few terms on this new case he wasn’t sure about and a few laws that would help make our client’s case.

  I had my screen split so that I could read the law on one side and type up the document for Mark on the other. It was easier to present the information to him this way because he already had a lot on his plate.

  Ping!

  A notification alert popped up at the bottom of my screen. It was an email from none other than Mark Allen.

  I hit the ignore button and carried on typing for a few more minutes.

  I was furious. Every nerve in my body vibrated with rage that had no outlet. He truly thought he could control me, and now he was sending me more emails. Probably with instructions for how I should dress, eat, and spend all my free time.

  I hit my desk lightly with the palm of my hand, frustrated that he worked my nerves this way. I wanted to not care about him at all.

  But the curiosity got the better of me, and I couldn’t help myself. I needed to know what Mark had said. Even it was another stupid command to type up another stupid document.

  I sighed inwardly at my inability to deny this man. Somewhere out there, women’s rights activists were rolling in their graves as I caved in and opened up Mark’s email.

  My eyes widened in shock as I took in the words of apology and the jokes he’d made at his own expense. I rubbed my eyes, looking back at the screen again in disbelief.

  There was no way he’d written this to me. For so many weeks, he’d been a jackass and unyieldingly cold toward me, and here in my inbox was the sweetest apology I’d ever seen.

  I hit the reply button as my heart softened. I knew there was a lighter side to him. He simply kept it tucked away from everything and everyone.

  My fingers hovered over my keyboard, but I couldn’t find the right words. He’d said them all. He’d apologized, he’d admitted he liked me, and he’d called the night with me amazing.

  I closed out my computer, abandoning the work I needed to do, and strode into Mark’s office. I didn’t even take a pen and pad this time. I didn’t care about how it looked to anyone else. At that moment, all I cared about was that Mark took the first step toward me.

  “Okay, then, let’s take a look at those dresses,” I said softly as I entered his office and closed the door behind me.

  Mark looked up at me in surprise as he registered my presence, and it quickly turned into a toothy grin.

  “No way. You need to try on these dresses. That’s the only way you’ll know which works best for you. Go ahead, behind the curtain to the other room, and I’ll bring the dresses to you,” Mark said, jumping out of his chair and walking over to a closet.

  Suddenly, I felt shy about this. It felt more intimate in the daylight, with only the glass of the office separating us from everyone else.

  I slipped into the room behind the curtain and, shortly after, Mark appeared with a glimmering dress and another bag.

  “Try these on. I’ll stand here by the door, and you can get dressed in here.”

  True to his word, Mark went over to the other side of the door and left me to dress in peace.

  It felt sexy knowing that only a few inches of wood and air separated our bodies as I took my work dress off and gently shimmied into the gold dress he’d brought out.

  It was stunning. The dress clung to my hips and accentuated my cleavage. It was a classic salsa-style dress. Two thin straps held the dress up on my shoulders, and it fell down one leg, but the slit in the dress curved up high on my right thigh, displaying my skin.

  I was in awe that he’d gotten my sizing right. I’d never told him my dress size, to my knowledge. The dress shimmered in the natural light pouring in from the open blinds, and I felt like a princess. Scratch that—I felt like a queen.

  I rifled through the bag, slipping on the glittering golden heels he’d bought. I was surprised by Mark’s sense of style. The heels were the perfect height to dance in, and they added an element of style to the dress.


  “Do you want me to put all this jewelry on?” I asked when I opened up the bag and saw a necklace and a pair of earrings.

  “Yes. I’d love to see you in the whole outfit.”

  His words sent an elicit shiver down my spine, and I slipped on the matching necklace and earrings. I was fully dressed now, but I felt like I was wide open to Mark.

  “I’ll be in the other room, waiting for you,” Mark said, and I could hear his footsteps walk away.

  I took in a deep breath, summoning up my courage before pulling back the curtain that separated us and walking into his office.

  Mark was silent as he stared at me and my breath caught in my throat, my heart pumping blood faster than my veins could handle. I caught sight of myself behind Mark, in the full-length mirror he kept in his office, and I gasped.

  Never in my life had I felt this sexy and regal. The outfit was perfectly accessorized. And even better than the outfit was the heat of Mark’s stare. His gaze roamed over my body before his eyes settled on mine.

  I stared back at him, my tongue slowly tracing my bottom lip. I wanted him. I couldn’t lie to myself. Standing in front of him in a dress he’d picked out with his eyes eating me up set my skin on fire.

  I took a step forward and Mark breathed in deeply through his teeth. I wasn’t sure what he felt but it looked as if his chest was as tight as my own. I wanted to know if he craved me the same way I craved him.

  The air crackled with tension, and I wanted to cross the room, kiss him, and have him take this beautiful gown off of me.

  There was something irresistible about a man who knew what would look good on you. Mark made me feel like he understood me to my core. He’d picked out a dress more perfect than I could have. He’d styled it in a way that made me see myself with new eyes.

  I held his gaze for a moment longer, trying to decide whether I should lead with my head or my heart.

  My heart wanted to collapse into Mark’s arms and never leave, but my head reminded me that there was still so much baggage between us that we needed to sort through.

  Mark reached his hand out, and I took it gently. He pulled me in close, spinning me around in the dress. The gown lifted up around my legs, twirling around me like a golden thread.

  When I came to a stop, I was in front of the mirror, and Mark stood behind me. His hands traced over my bare shoulders, down my chest, and in line with the necklace chain that sat above my cleavage.

  Our eyes met in the mirror, and I knew then that my head had no say in this. My heart was the one in control.

  Chapter 24: Mark

  N icole’s eyes gazed into mine through the mirror and I gripped her arm a little tighter. I felt the goosebumps on her skin, desire coursing through my body.

  I knew the dress would be perfect for her but I wasn’t prepared for how much she would blow me away.

  Nicole looked stunning. The dress accentuated her curves, brought out the shade of her fair skin, and highlighted the natural hazel of her eyes. Exactly as I thought it would.

  I wanted to pull her against my body and have her feel how hard I was but I didn’t want to scare her off. She looked simply delectable in that dress and the thoughts running through my mind were far from innocent.

  “What about the other dresses?” Nicole asked but her eyes never left mine in the mirror.

  I knew she loved this dress as much as I did.

  “This is the dress that was meant for you. I bought the others as a backup in case you didn’t like this, but I think we can both agree that this dress was made for you,” I whispered against her ear.

  I was seducing her. I couldn’t help myself. I wanted Nicole. I didn’t care if the entire floor heard us in the throes of passion.

  Nicole nodded her head, finally breaking the trance we were in by looking away. An edge of disappointment lingered in my heart but I turned around to hide it.

  The blinds were closed, which offered us some privacy, but I locked my office door in case anyone decided to barge in—like my brothers.

  “Why’d you lock it?” Nicole asked as she followed my movements.

  “Privacy. I don’t think you want anyone walking in while you’re trying on dresses,” I said casually, shrugging in case she didn’t agree.

  I still couldn’t take my eyes off of her in that dress. I’d seen Nicole look drop-dead gorgeous in the past, but this took it to new heights.

  “You look incredible,” I whispered as I moved closer to her, lightly caressing her cheek with the tips of my fingers.

  I couldn’t help myself. She stood there, looking sweet and juicy, and her eyes met mine and I crumbled.

  I took a last step toward Nicole, closing the gap that existed between our bodies and crushing my mouth to hers. I was hungry. I’d spent days craving her, and now I couldn’t get enough.

  At the taste of berries and peppermint, images flooded into my brain and bits and pieces of the night I couldn’t remember came back to me.

  Nicole was on top of me, her breasts bouncing as I gripped her hips. Then she was under me, her face a picture of ecstasy as she pulled me closer into her.

  Any barely concealed control I had evaporated like mist.

  Part of me couldn’t believe I’d forgotten how incredible the night was and the other half couldn’t believe that we’d wasted so much time not recreating it. I wrapped one arm around her waist and kept her body pressed tightly against mine.

  Heat coursed between us, both of us fueled by wanton desire at this point as Nicole kissed me back. My left hand held her neck and the back of her head tenderly, pulling her back against my lips whenever we parted to breathe.

  Her hands rested on my chest at first but soon she had her arms wrapped around my neck, and I didn’t have to hold her against me anymore because she was pushing her body into mine.

  Our tongues danced together, sharing stories and making promises to never leave one another again. Every second we lingered in the kiss, another memory flooded back to me, and I wanted to show Nicole how much I really remembered. I wanted to see her face as I pushed her limits on pleasure.

  Slowly, I guided Nicole backwards, pushing the curtain out of the way and leading her through the doorway. Our lips never left each other’s as I brought her back to the sofa where we’d shared our first kiss.

  Nicole fell back against the sofa first, pulling me down next to her as we made out. I’d never tasted anyone as good as Nicole and her soft lips made me crave more.

  I pulled her lower lip slightly in between my teeth, teasing her a little bit, and softly licked along the outline of her top lip.

  My fingers snaked up her back, caressing her body as I found the strap to her dress and gently tugged it off. The strap fell onto her arm, her dress begging to be peeled off and crumpled in a corner.

  Who cared that it was midday or that the office had a staff of 60 people beyond the confines of these walls? I wanted to make Nicole scream my name. I wanted to hear her moan in ecstasy.

  I moved my hand from her back and slowly slipped my fingers under her dress, caressing up along her inner thigh.

  Nicole broke from the kiss and clamped her legs shut on my hand. She moved backward, putting space in between us. I felt cold air replace the warmth from her body and a part of me was missing as she pulled away from me.

  I moved closer toward her, trying to hold her hand, but she pulled that back too and turned away. A hard and clear wall was drawn up between us and I didn’t know where it had come from.

  “Nicole,” I murmured softly, wanting to hold her in my arms.

  “No. No! I’m absolutely not going to fall for this line again. There is absolutely no way in hell I’m going to sleep with you here in your love den again. Never mind the fact that there are a whole bunch of people right outside that door!” Nicole raised her voice at me and stood up abruptly, marching off behind the curtain and leaving me to stare after her.

  “But—” I started to say, but she wouldn’t let me finish. At the
sound of my voice, she chimed in again.

  “No, Mr. Allen. I won’t be another secretary that you debauch in your love nest over there.”

  Her voice was clipped and succinct as she spoke and there was no chance for me to say anything. When I opened my mouth, she cut me off.

  The sound of her zipper coming undone drew my attention and soon after I heard the dress crumple to the floor. Not exactly in the way I’d first imagined it.

  Bewildered, I sat back on the sofa, trying to make sense of what I did wrong. Sounds of Nicole switching into her work clothes and shoes being swapped came from beyond the curtain. Thankfully, I’d locked my door, so I didn’t need to worry about her exposing herself accidentally.

  “Thank you very much for the beautiful dress. I’ll attend the event with you on Friday night. For now, Mr. Allen, I need to work. Thank you.”

  That was it. That was all she said before she put the dress and accessories back into the bag and unlocked the office door, making her way back to her desk.

  She didn’t even throw a single look back at me. The use of my last name stung me and I craved to hear her call me by my first name.

  What did I do wrong?

  I thought she was into everything we were doing. She kissed me back when I kissed her and she seemed to enjoy our intimacy. It wasn’t like I had imagined the connection.

  I couldn’t figure out where I drew the line, but something I did made her shut down on me. My heart ached at the new distance between us.

  Chapter 25: Nicole

  T he feelings of excitement and happiness I wanted to experience weren’t bubbling up for me like they had in the past.

  Before, I had never needed a man to enjoy myself or my life. I’d enjoyed going out to parties and getting dressed up.

  Normally, I’d put on some music, pamper myself, and dance away as I shimmied into my makeup and outfit for the night. Tonight, every song sounded abysmal and distracted me from the despair I was feeling.