I gently knocked on the door. Best not to startle him first thing in the morning—he could charge like a grizzly bear.
Not that there are bears in England, but he reminded me of the ones I’d seen on TV.
Great. My brain was rambling again.
I shoved the door open.
His face was glued to the screen, but as I approached, he held out his hand. I placed the cup into it.
The brown paper bag went down on his desk without a word.
“No need to run through the calendar—I’ve already checked it. Go work on the presentation.”
“Yes, sir,” I said with a nod and retreated. Fast.
This was better than I’d hoped. No lecture. No berating. No—
“Try to be on time tomorrow. Or else.”
I didn’t offer an excuse or try to pacify him. There was no point.
I closed the door quietly behind me.
But as I leaned against it, I couldn’t help wondering.
Or else… what?
Chapter 3
Laurent
My eyes flicked from my screen to her heels, trailing up the length of her stockings until they disappeared beneath the curve of her skirt. She had some real meat on those bones. My body reacted instantly, and the pressure inside my trousers became unbearable.
“Try to be on time tomorrow. Or else,” I said, my voice colder than I felt.
She didn’t reply, but that slight hesitation—just a beat too long—was all the response I needed. Her back straightened, spine taut.
I sipped the coffee. Unfortunately, it was perfect.
I popped the lid to inhale the scent—not because I loved it, but to drive away hers.
It clung to me all morning like a virus.
?? ?? ??
At 1:45 p.m., I checked the boardroom. It was pristine.
The projector sat centred on the table, a laptop already positioned where I was due to sit. Along the sideboard, neat trays of fruit, sandwiches, and snacks were laid out—nothing extravagant, just efficient.
No drinks were necessary. The complimentary machine and water dispenser in the hallway would suffice.
I was about to close the door when I caught a scent in the air.
Her.
The door slammed.
The glass partition didn’t shatter—but it wanted to.
