THIRTY FIVE

Ryder

I responded with a grin and a firm "No way, Mina!" I didn't want to be rude to my executive assistant because she was expecting a child. Not when she had taken care of all of my work and personal responsibilities for the past ten years, found solutions to every problem, and never once threatened to quit even when things got strange. And there was a lot of strange stuff to do at this job.

She was someone I considered to be my sister, and she could count on me for anything.

However, this is not the case.

Mina placed both hands on her hips before continuing. "Ryder, I've never asked you to do anything else in your life other than this fucking thing."

I responded with "No, that's not true." "I'm always getting asked for things by you."

She stopped for a second to give it some thought.

I retracted my chair and started counting the objects on my fingers as I did so. You stayed in my apartment in Paris the year before last. The month before last, I bought you tickets to see the premiere of Charged Up, and you didn't go—"

"Okay fine, yes." The hand that I was holding was struck by Mina's hand. He was one of the very few people in the office who had the capability of completing the task. "But I've worked hard for everything that I've got."

Despite the fact that I was irritated, I laughed.

“Undoubtedly. But you don't understand. If you believe that you will require two temporary workers to fill your position, then we will hire two temporary workers. You don't need Lexie."

However, Lexie is more familiar with the company than a temp would be. And I trust Lexie. You run the risk of getting two that are poor."

"It's been one month since Lexie moved in here. She is familiar with the agency to the same extent that a temp is."

"However, because she is familiar with you, she is not afraid." Mina repositioned her hands so that they were on her hips and rocked her body back and forth while gritting her teeth.

"Mo, please take a seat." Because I was concerned, as well as because of what she said, my jaw clenched. It would be to everyone's advantage if Lexie was intimidated, as I was beginning to understand where Mina's insistence was coming from. Lexie was responsible for her behavior in some mysterious way. I assured her in a firm voice, "I won't intimidate the temp either."

Mina heaved a sigh and cocked her head to the side as she examined the expression on my face. "No, that wasn't the plan. Ryder, you have a very commanding presence. During my first few years of employment here, I lived in constant terror of you."

I responded with an offended "you were not."

"You're right, I was. And I wasn't really able to do a good job of my job until I realized that you're not a complete asshole. "

I took a moment to pause and consider this.

"Let's get it done, Ryder." Mina was finally able to lower herself into one of the chairs that surrounded my conference table. She placed her hand on her stomach, which had expanded like bread dough over the course of the past few months, in a careful and strategic manner. "If Lexie and a temp are taking care of you, I'll feel a lot better," the speaker said.

"Christ," I mumbled under my breath. If you don't get what you want, why don't you just come out and tell me that I'll make the first few months of your child's life miserable?

Mina beamed because she was aware that she had me. "I was saving it for the big finish, but if I need to say it now..." "I was saving it for the big finish."

“No.” I couldn't believe how frustrated I was, and I shook my head. I was infuriated, but not at Mina for any reason. She was acting in a way that she sincerely believed would be beneficial to me. It was Lexie's fault; she was the one who deserved my anger. And she would comprehend it.

However, before anything else, she was going to have her way.

Mina returned to her desk so that she could continue discussing the situation with HR in regard to Lexie's new job. While I ruminated at my desk, I formulated a strategy. I was powerless to take any action until Mina returned from her maternity leave, but as soon as she did, I would deal with Lexie. It's possible that she was able to coerce Mina into doing what she wanted, but as soon as Mina was out of the picture, she wouldn't have anyone to hide behind anymore.

I looked over and saw the desk being brought in and set up next to Mina's. I was there when the IT department set up the computer and printer. However, I was still unprepared when I walked in on Tuesday morning and saw Lexie sitting behind everything that was going on. I came to a complete and utter stop as the force of her physical presence struck me. She was dressed in a dress, but it was not one of the gauzy college-girl dresses that she had attempted to make look more professional by adding a blazer to. This one was all black and form-fitting, with a belt that cinched it in at the waist, and it swirled down to a point that was just above her knees. While still managing to exude an air of allure, it is the ideal attire for the workplace. In it, she appeared to be much older than her age of twenty-three, and I wondered if that was the intention behind it.

"How are you today?" When she saw me standing there, she immediately stood up. She didn't say anything even if she saw the whiteness developing on my knuckles as I gripped the handle of my briefcase. "Would you like me to get you some coffee?"

I took a deep breath in and then slowly exhaled it.

The executive assistants are not allowed to have coffee.

“No?” The long golden sheets of Lexie's hair fell off her shoulder as she tilted her head back, exposing her neck.

I responded with a firm "no." "I take care of my own. I believe you'll find that I can handle most things on my own." In addition to that, I planned to become more independent. I wasn't going to ask Lexie to do a damn thing that would bring her any closer, not even an inch closer.

In spite of this, she moved closer and flashed us her gorgeous eyes that were wide open. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

Was it my imagination, or did she have a teasing tone in her voice? I literally could not tell what was going on any longer. Regardless of whether what I was experiencing was real or imagined, lust continued to pound away at me as I thought about all the things she was capable of doing. I had to force myself to ignore the thoughts in order to summon the strength to say, "Keep my calendar straight and transfer my calls, and consider your job done."

I entered my office with a stiff gait, wishing for the first time that it had a lock on the door and that two-thirds of the interior walls weren't fucking transparent. I walked into my office with my hands on my hips. I wish I could have gotten some privacy, because the memory of her lips forming the question "what do I do?" would have caused me to jerk off. And I forced myself to forget about her.

Instead, I had to talk one of my clients down from a ledge after they felt they were wronged on set, all while my dick was pressing painfully against my pants. I found myself staring at the back of Lexie's blonde head multiple times, which caused me to lose my train of thought. Now it was me who was getting into trouble with my client.

"You're not even listening!" She yelled before hanging up the phone.

That is something I couldn't contest. She was a significant customer, but for some reason, I was unable to recall a single thing she had said. I was at a loss as to whether I should call the director and request that he provide her with a larger trailer or the agent of the other actor and give him a piece of my mind. I became so enraged that I slammed the phone on the table, and an even darker feeling began to ripple through my body. As I watched Lexie laugh at something Mina had said, I narrowed my eyes slightly. Through the glass, I couldn't hear her, but in my head, I could hear a raspy sound coming from her. I had another thought about her profile picture, which brought to mind her long, bare legs and the curvature of her behind.

I told myself that there were three weeks and a half left. After that, Mina would be on maternity leave, and Lexie would have plenty of time to focus on developing the perfect ass. After what she'd done, I'd rip everything out of your hands and throw it away. The position. The apartment. When compared to the excruciating torment of being in close proximity with the one person I desired but couldn't have, having to find a way to deal with Samantha seemed relatively simple. However, I would have to find a way to do so.

Why the fuck didn't she just get the hell away from there?