Since when had he developed a complex?
Chapter Four
Rose glanced around the board room to make sure she had gotten everything right. Ross had told her that when Darius met with other managers to discuss particular accounts, he liked to do it in the main board room. There was also a list of all attending members Ross had compiled which included allergies, food and drink preferences, and even the correct seating arrangement, which would guarantee the meeting was a success. Ross did his homework on everyone.
Now that was Rose’s role.
One final glance around the office, and Rose was more than happy with the setup. The coffee machine was ready, so she quickly rushed back to check the temperature of the coffee.
“It’s fine, Rose, it is all fine.”
“Do you make it a habit to talk to yourself?”
She spun around to find Darius inside the meeting room.
“Not really, I just wanted to make sure everything was, you know, perfect.”
For over a week now, they’d been playing this game of discreet flirting. The sexual tension was palpable between them. But there was more, something deeper. Every day they spent together brought them closer on an intellectual level. She enjoyed his company, felt safe and at home around him.
“This is a necessary business meeting to discuss a very important account. I can’t wait to see what you come up with when we’ve actually got plans to talk to the client.” Darius made his way toward the head of the table, taking a seat.
She couldn’t look away as he opened his notebook, putting several files to one side, and then jotted down some notes on the book in front of him. He hadn’t gotten to the top by chance. Darius knew what he was doing behind the scenes, and it turned her on. Everything about him, from his confidence to his undeniable sex appeal, drove her crazy.
“Ross did all the hard work,” she said. “He knows his stuff.”
“His first time organizing a meeting didn’t go so well. There was a lot of chaos, and he was constantly up and down, trying to appease everyone. I needed him to take notes, and well, he failed miserably. He thought I was going to fire him, but anyone who worked that hard to try to please everyone only needed a short time to get accustomed to the role.”
“I hope I’m as good as him.”
“Follow his direction and I don’t see why you won’t be. You’ve already taken plenty of his advice. How did the shopping go?”
Rose glanced down at her body.
She hated clothes shopping, but the moment she had gotten a saleswoman and flashed the card with Darius’s name, everything had gone smoothly.
“It went as well as clothes shopping can go. How do I look?” The suit she wore was ridiculously expensive. She had only purchased three suits, with one pair of shoes. It felt like a crime to spend so much, but he insisted.
“You look amazing, but I do have some concerns. I checked what you purchased, and it says you only bought a maximum of three suits, which is not what I requested.”
Rose frowned. Why did he have to look so sexy seated at the head of the table? So in command, dominant, experienced. She had never been attracted to many men before, but Darius wasn’t just any man, he was her boss. This was embarrassing. It would just be her luck to finally fall for a man who was her superior.
She wasn’t going to act on any attraction she had. It would only backfire.
In fact, she wasn’t even going to acknowledge that she had an attraction because that would just be ridiculous. Darius didn’t want an inexperienced girl like her as his woman.
“I, well, you see, I didn’t want to exploit your kindness. I’ve got one to wash, one to wear, and one to change into, in case of emergencies.”
Darius chuckled. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry, but that is not going to work. My business takes me all over the world, and some meetings can last longer than three days.” He pulled out his cell phone. “What’s on my schedule for tomorrow?”
“You have a three o’clock with accounting, and a phone consultation with the art department.”
“Please go and cancel them immediately. Reschedule. We’re going shopping, and I’ll tell you exactly what you need and what for.”
“You don’t have to do that, sir.”
“I want to. Ross clearly didn’t give you the memo of how to look the part of my assistant. No worries, he wasn’t happy when I had to do this with him either.”
“You had to dress Ross?”
“Yes, I do expect a certain standard from all of my employees. It’s part of the dress code. I do not pay paltry salaries, and I always make sure there is plenty in bonuses as well. As my assistant, though, you do need to have a certain look. The suits you chose are amazing. We’ll go to the same store.”