He’d raised his voice at the last part.
It was the first time anyone had ever stood up for Rose against anyone.
****
Darius thanked Anna for the cup of coffee. Not that he needed another cup. After another four hours of grueling meetings to get the Rancourt account ready in the morning for the final stages of acquirement, he was ready to hit the hard stuff. A nice bottle of scotch was in his future, and very soon.
Sipping at the coffee in his hand, he was thankful it wasn’t the rancid instant stuff that always left a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn’t stand that kind of shit. This was nice though.
Good.
“I don’t see why I can’t just stick to the suits,” Rose said, sliding the curtain across and stepping out in a gorgeous, red dress. It was rather modest, not fancy. Thick straps, a high square neck molding around her tits, slipping in at the waist, and then wrapping around those amazing hips and thighs.
His cock began to harden.
“You look stunning,” Anna said, coming back to them.
The salesgirl kept reappearing, making it impossible to spend any quality time with his new assistant.
You shouldn’t be seeking alone time with her.
“She does. We’ll take this one.”
“You mentioned evening wear, and I saw this on the shelf. The gold will look amazing on you. Please, try it on,” Anna said, rushing over to Rose.
He liked her smile.
Darius had noticed it after he called Elizabeth Juke out on her bullshit. The catty woman was a pain in the ass. So many of her staff complained about her because of her bitchy attitude, but she was a woman who knew how to get the job done. He would have fired her long ago, but her knack for numbers was what kept her in her position. The biggest problem was that she wanted to be by his side, running the company, and that was never going to happen.
She’d tried to insinuate they’d make an excellent couple, but it had to be the furthest thing from the truth. They wouldn’t make a good couple.
One, he couldn’t stand her. Two, she was an awful human being. Three, he just didn’t like her, and there was no attraction. The list could go on and on, but he was bored just thinking about her. Rose was only a few feet away, more of a welcome distraction.
Seconds later, he stared at a beautiful vision. Even with her curls coming out of her bun, the ringlets seeming to have a life of their own, she was breathtaking.
“I don’t think there’s ever going to be any place for me to wear this.”
“Yes, there will be,” he said.
“There is?”
“I attend charity events and galas often.”
“Don’t you take a date to those things?”
“Not all the time. When I need my assistant, I take Ross.” Which was never, but Rose didn’t need to know that.
Anna came in with a gasp. She clapped her hands. “Amazing. Am I good at my job or what?”
Rose chuckled. “You’ve been a real lifesaver. Honestly, she was the one who got me the suits beforehand.”
“In that case, could you please bring us everything you suggest from evening wear and formal dinners to some downtime outfits?” he asked.
“I’ll be right back.”
“You don’t need to do this,” Rose said.
“You’re my assistant. I do.” She was also going to be his woman very soon, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. He was still trying to convince himself it was a bad idea—unsuccessfully.
“Is image important to you?” Rose asked, crossing her arms across her chest.
Darius sighed. “No, image is not important to me, but perspective is. We’re in a cutthroat world. Everyone is looking, waiting to pounce on you the moment you look weak. It can be from the way you dress, to how you hold yourself. The media like to circulate lies to sell stories.”
“And dressing well is all part of the image?”
“Yes. Some may think it’s shallow, but it works.” He didn’t need to tell her that he had family members who would do anything to see him hurt or to tear down what he’d built.
He was constantly aware of them looking for a weakness, a way to pull him down. Darius prided himself on being one step ahead of the game, not allowing anyone to get too close.
Ross understood what was at stake. His previous assistant had the unfortunate task of meeting his parents. It had been ugly, and Ross had vowed to always be loyal to him, to never turn his back. He knew Ross had felt guilty at adopting a brand-new baby, but Darius couldn’t have been happier for him.
“I don’t think it’s shallow,” she said. “I kind of get it. I’m not the owner of a multi-million-dollar company. I do know what it’s like to feel like everyone is against you though. How they don’t want to see you succeed.”