Derek Hilliard was a tech billionaire who made his money by designing little gadgets that nobody needed but couldn’t live without. He was also a prick, but he was a very lucrative client and the billable hours we incurred from him were extremely high. We’d handled Derek’s business’s needs for ten years before he “retired” at the ripe old age of twenty-eight. When he asked to keep us on for personal use, I’d agreed. We didn’t usually handle personal accounts, but there were a few exceptions.
“Put him in the lounge and tell Karla to bring him back in ten minutes.”
“Will do.” Jerry nodded and pivoted around, strolling from the office.
Isabella stood again and helped me gather everything from the table.
“I’ll take care of this, sweet girl,” I told her. “Go ahead and sit at your desk and get ready for the meeting.”
“I haven’t finished the reading,” she said softly.
I turned her by the shoulders and ran the tips of my fingers down her spine, enjoying her quick intake of breath and her delicate shiver. Then I gave her a small push toward her workspace. “I didn’t expect you to. I only wanted you to be acquainted with his latest legal issues so you could learn as much as possible in the meeting.”
“Oh.” She beamed at me over her shoulder. Her red, pouty lips curved up into a smile, and I curled my hands into fists to keep from grabbing her and kissing all that lipstick right off her face. She looked great, but she didn’t need any of that shit to make her the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I much preferred her natural and showing her real self.
I winked at her, and her cheeks bloomed with crimson like I knew they would. I fucking loved to make her blush like that. It was cute as fuck and also a complete turn-on.
She moved toward her desk, and my eyes dropped to her incredible ass in that skirt. Then my breath stalled in my lungs. I hadn’t noticed it before, but there was a deep slit on one side that exposed much too much of her thigh.
I stood there, frozen as my mind and body battled it out. Knowing Derek was probably on his way back was the only reason logic won out over my desperate desire to rip that fabric until the skirt fell from her body, exposing her to my mouth as I knelt on the floor in front of her.
“Did you bring a coat?” I croaked as I tore my gaze away and finished clearing away our lunch debris.
“It’s almost 90 degrees outside,” Isabella answered with a giggle.
“Do you have a change of clothes?” I growled as I stomped to my desk, forcing myself to keep my eyes to myself.
“Um, no. I thought—”
“Fine,” I grunted, interrupting her. “But in the future, I expect you to dress more professionally. No more tight skirts or blouses unbuttoned indecently low.”
She was quiet, and my eyes darted in her direction for a moment. When I saw the crestfallen expression on her face, I mentally banged my head into a wall and called myself twenty types of idiot.
“You look too beautiful,” I admitted. “I don’t like other men seeing you like that.”
Isabella’s head snapped in my direction, and she double blinked a few times before a smirk curved her sexy lips. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Her tone was sassy, and I knew I was fucked.
“Beau.” I dragged my eyes away from my bombshell at the sound of my name. Derek strolled into my office with a congenial smile, and I forced one in return as I stood to shake his hand.
“How’ve you been, Derek?” I asked, trying to sound at ease rather than knotted up tight with repressed sexual tension.
We shot the shit for ten minutes before getting down to business. At one point, I realized the assistant who’d prepped the file for the meeting had forgotten a particular set of documents. I buzzed her desk, but there was no answer. Grunting with frustration, I pushed away from my desk, but before I could stand, Isabella popped up and offered to go fetch them.
Derek’s eyes practically bugged out of his head as she crossed the room, and I didn’t miss the way they were glued to her ass as she left the office.
I cleared my throat to regain his attention and jumped back into work before saying something stupid. His eyes strayed to the door several times, and I raised my voice a decibel on my next few words every time. He’d come back to the conversation, and then it would happen again. I was perilously close to blackening both his eyes so he couldn’t see my woman at all.
As I was talking myself out of it…again, Isabella returned.
“Here they are,” she said with a sweet smile as she set them on my desk.
“Thank you,” Derek jumped in before I could say anything. He flashed her his trademark charming smile, and a growl rumbled low in my chest. He either didn’t notice or didn't care.
“What’s your name, sweetie?”
Isabella’s steps faltered at the side of my desk before she continued walking back to her space. “Um, it’s Is—”
“Izzy,” I answered, cutting her off. I didn’t like anyone else calling her Isabella.