Chapter 34:

Parking his car in his reserved spot and he cuts off the car and we both get out, not before he narrows his eyes at me for not letting him opening my door but a quick kiss shut him up.

Looking around to see not that many people outside and some rushing into the building, probably late. I look to see Landon shaking his head clearly annoyed. "I think I need a new staff." He grumbled. "Or a meeting."

"Be nice." We both walk towards the building, his fingers lacing through mine.

We walked hand and hand and I see the reception lady eyes beam when she sees- Landon but her eyes drop to our hands intertwined together, earning me a death stare.

I tried to pull away, but he wasn't having it, his hands tightened around mine and I felt his thumb slide down the middle of my hand, making me shudder from his soft touch. "What are you doing?" He questioned. Ducking my head, not wanting people to see us walking into the elevator we step in and I released a breath and he turns to face me.

"What's wrong?" He asked me, noticing me acting strange.

"It's just all new to me that's all." I waved it off but it was sort of bothering me. He called my bluff as he engulfed me in his arms.

"Stop thinking so hard." He gave me a squeeze before dipping his head down to kiss me, it was short lived when the elevator dinged and we- I pulled away. Taking my hand again and I look down at our joined hands and my heart rate increased even more feeling almost everyone's stare on their boss.

He noticed to and my eyes flickered up to him and I knew he felt my palm becoming clammy and hot. "If any of you would like to address something with me let me know now." He glared around the office. "I pay you to work, not to stare. If that be the case I can assign you to be windshield cleaners." He snapped at them and everyone fumbled around the office, getting back to work.

Even I tried to go to my office but his grip around hand was firm, making me stay with him. "You, come here." He pointed to a man that looked scared shitless. "I want a meeting in five minutes with your staff members and my best bet to look for them will be in the lounge since it seems everybody sits on their asses, got it?"

"Y-Yes sir." He scurried away to go find everyone that worked on the main floor.

I could feel the anger rolling off of him and with a slight pull from me, he looked down and I could visibly see him calming down. "Come on." Walking him into his office, he closed the door behind him.

"You didn't have to do that." I fixed his tie that shifted while he was speaking- more like demanding.

"I did, anyone could tell that you were getting uncomfortable and I didn't like them staring at my girl."

"Your girl?" I cheeky grin formed on my lips and he rolled his eyes at my giddiness.

"Yes." He pulled me to him, his hands resting on my rear. "You're my girl as much as I am your man." I felt like my skin was going to spilt in half from all the smiling I was doing.

"Slow down tiger." Reaching behind me to place his hands on the regional of my back.

"You didn't say that-" I covered his mouth with my hand.

"I will cut you in your sleep if you finish that sentence." I leveled him with a glare before removing my hand.

"Just saying."

"Don't you have a meeting to attend? Save up all the energy you need?" I teased.

"We."

"Why me?" I folded my arms across my chest, stepping away from him. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"You're still part of the staff baby, that doesn't change unless you quit."

"Maybe I will." I quirked my eyebrow at him. "Maybe go into some modeling." His eyes widened before he bent over and laughed... he laughed. "Hey!"

"I'm sorry." He choked before straightening up. "Did you say modeling?"

"What's wrong with that?" I didn't take it offensively because let's be honest here, my body wouldn't have made the cut.

"Nothing, nothing." He reached out for me but I pulled away again, it didn't matter to me but it was fun to play with him. "I didn't mean it." He tried to get out of me being 'mad'.

"Yes you did, you called me fat." I huffed.

"I didn't call you-" He tried to reason but seeing the hint of smirk on my face, his once tense posture changed back. "Maybe an actress, you would be good in that."

"Why because I'm dramatic?" This time raising both my eyebrows at him, and he tensed back up.

"I'm just going to be quiet." He mumbled. Reaching forward for the bottom of his suit jacket, I pulled him to me.

"I'm joking."

He blew out a puff of air. "I thought I was in trouble."

"Your staff appears to be." I nodded my head to the door. "Including me, so let's go."

"Who's the boss?" He questioned his authority.

"I'm the neck of your little facility you know, without a personal assistant you would be doomed."

"And how so?"

"You want me to go get all of your files? Start making your own calls? Set up meetings and get your own coffee? You don't really need one since you're the boss baby." I walked away.

"I'm confused.. did you quit or were you telling me

you're the boss?"

"I'm not the millionaire." I looked back at him with a smile, acknowledging his accomplishments, and it seemed to boost his ego.

"Get back here." He followed after me and I didn't slow down in the slightest.

"You're not being very professional." I called out, heading to the meeting room.

He easily caught up to me, wrapping his arm around me from behind, he pulled us both into a hallway pressing me against the wall. "With you, nothing's professional." He bent down, his lips hovering over mine and right then and there I forgot how to breathe.

"Stop it." I pushed against him, but he didn't budge. "Someone might see us."

"I can't get a kiss?" He pouted, his nose brushing against mine and I wrinkled mine and he pulled away, chuckling. "I don't want to beg but if I have to-"

Sliding my hand around his neck, I roughly brought him down to me sealing my lips with his. It was rushed and quick but we both didn't mind it, the game of cat and mouse was getting old.

Both of his hands came to my cheeks, tilting my head up for better access and I sighed against him pulling him closer with my other unoccupied hand.

"Oh!" We heard someone screech and we both pulled away to see-thankfully- Adaline looking startled. Her cheeks were beat red. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know this was occupied."

"It's not, I'm here against my free will." I looked up at Landon who's attention was solely on me. "It won't happen again." And the glint in his eyes, told me a different story.

"That was unprofessional of me." He disconnected our bodies from each other, looking at Adaline. "Forgive me."

"It's okay sir." She waved it off, and with a nod he walked around the corner to where the meeting was about to start. "Oh my- what was that?" She squealed, rushing up to me. "Someone's got it bad for you!"

"It wasn't what it seemed like-"

"That you both looked almost starved to death? Yeah I didn't notice."

"Adaline." I whined and she held up her hands.

"Okay okay, lets get to the meeting." She linked her arm with me. "Don't think this is over missy."

"Yeah, yeah." Walking in, the atmosphere was tense and the room was saturated with it. I look to see a person biting at her nails- a nervous habit- a few jitter legs bopping up and down and someone were almost sweating bullets. "Uh oh." Adaline whispered to me and I couldn't agree more.

"Sit." His demeanor changed almost in two seconds and everybody plotted down. Adaline and I didn't go unnoticed as we both took our time walking to the end of the table to sit in the two chairs pressed against the wall. "Why do you think I called this meeting?" He volunteered someone to answer, and he was going to wait actually for it.

Silence.

Utterly silence, the only thing we heard was someone accidentally sneezing with a silent "Excuse me."

"Okay." He grinned, walking in front a group of women. "You." He rolled her chair around so she was facing him and he gripped his hands around either side of the arms rest, and we all saw her face heat up from either two causes. "Name?"

"Mrs Deer, sir."

"Hmm." He eyed her. "Nice to meet you." He bitterly said, releasing her chair, before straightening out. "Can you tell us why I called this meeting?"

"Um.." She cleared her throat, before looking around the room for help. Poor girl. "I-"

"Because you're banging your personal assistant." Our heads all turned to see a woman, glaring at him.

My eyes widen and I felt Adaline tense up beside me. "Shit just got real." She mourned for the girl. My eyes flickered to Landon and then back to her to see a smirk written on her face.

"It's not a surprise really if you ask me. We all seen it coming." She continued to dig her hole.

Almost three minutes passed without anyone saying anything, just waiting on Landon's reaction to her statement. I think he was trying to see how long she was going to hold that smile on her face.

"And you are?"

"I'm Mrs-"

"Get the fuck out of my building." He didn't let her continue. "I would start calling yourself Mrs. Dumbass, because you have just been fired."

"For the truth?" She stood up, raging. "No one is blind, we all saw it!"

"You all saw it?" He waved his hand out to everyone, to get a tally. "Please raise your hand if you all seen it coming?"

A pen dropped, literally, on the floor. And everyone's hand remained down.

"Pauline." The girl turned to what seemed like her work partner she gossiped with. "Tell him." And Pauline kept her hand down, shaking her head at the girl. "Are you kidding me?"

"Pack up your office, that's if you had one, and if need be I can have security escort you out." Landon dismissed the lady.

"You all are cowards!" The lady hissed across the room dismissing herself, slamming the door on her way out.

"I'm trying to keep my paycheck." I heard a man not too far away from me and I tried to hide my giggle.

"Mrs Deer, before you were so rudely interrupted why do you think we are here?"

"We're slacking?" She guessed, shrinking back into her chair.

"Precisely." He grinned at her accomplishment to not saying anything remotely out of the way of his personal life. He walked away from her, and she sighed before turning her chair back around.

"I run a company that was built from success of my father and his father and so on, and it saddens me to see my staff is so busy worried about their bosses personal life than making more money for themselves and their families, which I am going to assume you all have." His piercing eyes scanned almost all forty of us.

"I am going to say this once." He placed his hands on top of the table calmly. "That woman right there." He pointed to me and everyone's eyes shifted to me, some in envy, and someone with curiosity of what he was going to say. "Is not someone I bang for the fun of it. She is my girlfriend, and she will be respected as such and a business woman. Her work ethic is probably twice as better than anyone in this room right now so excuse me if I go after class."

My heart did a little flip in my chest but he didn't look at me as he spoke. He was trying to get his message clear. "From now on, if you are late with a humbling excuse that I don't deem a pass you are fired, if I hear any remarks, you are fired because I know most of you gentlemen are no saints either."

Some slouched in their seats at his words.

"If it doesn't pertain to my company, then I do not care but I will not let this continue on further because at this rate we will be running quicker into the ground than a earthquake can hit this place."

He raised up, fixing his jacket. "Dismissed."

And in thirty seconds flat the room was cleared. "Miss Daniels a word." My steps were halted.

"Yes sir?" I turned to face him with my hands clasped together.

"I want coffee, and in three hours we are going on a lunch break- if you are up for that- and.." He stopped in front of me. "How was that? Not too purport?"

I rolled my eyes at how sweet he just became with me. "I think some are headed to the bathroom to see if they shit themselves but otherwise I would say I give it a solid 8."

"8?" He looked personally attacked at my words.

"I think you're losing your touch mister." I patted his chest. "Now if you excuse me, I will walk out of here with class."

"I love you." He called out to me and with a flip of my middle finger, I heard his contagious laugh.

•••

"Well if it isn't Mrs Hale," I look up to see Adaline coming into my office, a smirk on her face.

"No." I couldn't hide the blush creeping on my face.

"Don't worry, it'll come soon enough." She sat down my third drink for today.

"I don't think so I'm only 23." I picked up the water bottle before gulping it down to half point.

"Mhm okay," She said, sitting down. "The printer is broken so I'll be spending some time with you."

"Really?"

"No girl." She rolled her eyes. "With this high tech stuff everything is well ran."

"So you just want to bother me?"

"Eh, if that's what you call it."

"Well I'm sorting papers." I threw my fifth stack on the desk. "Care to help?"

"The point of me coming in here was to avoid working." She sighed but nonetheless helped.

Getting to work, I tried to avoid her stare but after five minutes passed I had enough. "What?"

"Nothing you just look different. Seem different." She says, titling her head to the side, examining me.

"I do?" I ask her, remembering when I was in the bathroom looking at myself in the mirror. Was it noticeable?

"You have a certain glow I don't know...." She trails off. "Wait a minute.." Her eyes widen a little.

"You and Landon." Pointing in the direction of his office, she then draws her fingers together locking them. "You did the deed!" She almost shouted.

"Adaline..." I groaned. Here we go again.

•••

I heard my intercom come on and I pressed the button to connect. "Miss. Daniels speaking." Placing my two go box in the mini fridge that I could snack on later.

"Embre."

"Landon."

"Can you come to my office? It's urgent."

"How urgent?"

"I think I broke my hand..." He hissed in pain and my eyes widened in alarm.

"How? I was just with you, it's okay I'm coming." I rushed out of the office to his. I saw him, sitting in his chair with his head resting on the table like he was in pain. "Let me see." Feeling my hand in his hair to pull his head up, he snatched my hand in his pulling me into his lap. "Liar!"

"I wanted some company." He shrugged.

"You know for me to have lost my virginity, you sure are the clingy one." I joked.

"Okay get up then." He released me but I stayed were I was. "When I don't show you affection anymore don't come crying to me."

"Okay, Okay." I rested my head on his shoulder. "What were you doing?"

"Signing a deal with this agency, I invested a lot of money into this one.." He reached forward and I had to sat up. "3.5 million to be exact."

"Seems cheap." I looked over the paper work. "You're still not sure yet?"

"I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt but I have given them a year deal to prove themselves to me and with my help it should run smoothly from here on out, but mixing bad business with good it might go to their heads." He talked business and it made him more attractive to see him in his element.

"If it already seems sketchy why bother?" I flipped through the folder.

"Taking a chance." Landon hands clamps down around mine, closing the folder. "Giving them a better future."

"Like you did with me?"

"Yes." I paused, he thought he was giving me a better future? I mean it was true but- "You're overthinking." He rubbed his hand up and down my back soothingly. "If you hadn't went to college and had a degree this wouldn't have worked."

"So if I was a bimbo, you wouldn't have dealt with me?"

"Would you?"

"Nope." Leaning back against him. And for the first time throughout the day, I relaxed: No paper work, coffee runs, calls. It was peaceful.

"You've given me hope for a better future." He rested his head on top of mine. "And for the first time in my life I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"I've fallen too deep with you, and it scares me that it could end."

"Well thinking like that, it will. I didn't say it earlier but I love you too, probably more than I should but what we have I would like to believe is pure."

And it was me that should me thinking like that.

"Why?" He invaded my thoughts and it seemed I said it out loud.

"You're Landon Hale." That should hit the nail on the head. "I'm not that insecure but what are you doing with me? I'm really a nobody."

"Here we go again." He sighed. "And I don't care what people think, sure to them that's what you are. I should be married off by now to the next girl that would look like eye candy on my arm but I chose you."

"That was sweet." I laughed and he joined in with me. "I'm ready to go home."

"We still have almost six hours left."

"I know." I sighed in defeat. "If I go through another meeting and with obnoxious businessmen that you deal with I'm going to lose it."

"That's unfortunate." Don't say it... "We have one in about thirty minutes from now." He looked at his watch. "Twenty nine."

"Five more minutes?" I snuggled closer to him and he chuckled before kissing my hair.

"How about twenty five."

••••

"Can we go now?" I asked after setting down the last of his papers on his desk. "I'm tired."

"Yes." He placed the last of them in his file cabinet. "Thank you." Picking up his suit jacket, we both walked out of his office- after he locked it. "You hungry?"

"Yes, we can order something in when we get home. I'm too tired to cook."

"Okay." We brushed against each other before he latched his hand around mine.

A few moments later we were in the car, jamming to 90's music because that was our era and it was cringe worthy. Singing was definitely not for us.

The energy around us went away quicker than a submarine could dive underwater. Pulling up into the drive away, we both didn't miss the Sedan blue car parked in the driveway.

"Who is that?" We both stepped out of the car to see the intruder opening the car door, and Landon grimaced before replying.

"My mother."