I volley his first question right back at him because I need an explanation and these two are my best bet for getting one. “Who are you?”
“I’m his sister.” The girl jerks a thumb into the side of the little guy’s head.
“I’m her brother.” He pokes a finger at her, just missing her left eye.
I’m lost.
“I’m back,” Isabella’s voice comes at me from the right.
I turn to see her on the approach with a juice box in each hand. Her pace slows the second she lifts her gaze and spots me.
“Why are you here? You’re supposed to be in meetings all afternoon.”
That’s not the greeting a CEO expects from his executive assistant, but I’m learning that Isabella has a certain attitude when it comes to me. I, on the other hand, have a certain question that I want an immediate answer to.
“What’s going on here?” I point in the general direction of her desk.
“It’s snack time.” The little boy runs a hand under his nose. “Mommy forgot to pack us a snack, so Bella went to get some juice.”
“In the break room,” she answers, brushing past me. “I ran there. I didn’t leave them out of my sight for long.”
I need zero explanation about her abilities as a childcare provider because she’s my fucking executive assistant and nowhere in her job description does it mention babysitting mop-haired toddlers in the middle of a Thursday afternoon.
She hands a juice box to each of the kids. “I have some animal crackers in the bottom drawer of my desk. Do you want those?”
I wait for her to turn her attention back to me, but she carries on like I’m not staring a hole in her back.
I’m fighting every urge inside of me to glance at her ass, but there are children in the room and I consider myself somewhat of a decent man.
Clearing my throat, I watch as she rounds her desk, bends over and slides open the bottom drawer.
I get a brief flash of the top of her breasts before she stands up again.
Jesus.
Animal crackers spill onto the top of her desk when she tugs on the package to open it.
The kids burst out in laughter. Isabella does the same, so I stalk into my office, shutting the door behind me. I have no idea what the hell is going on, but as soon as my assistant is alone, I want answer
s.
***
“Come in, Isabella,” I call out an hour later when she finally knocks on my office door.
I heard the screech of excitement from both kids when someone exited the elevator five minutes ago. I had no interest in getting up to see who came to claim them. They shouldn’t have been here in the first place. It’s an unwritten rule that anyone who can’t do basic math shouldn’t be in the building.
Garent Industries has yet to host a ‘bring your kid to work’ day.
It would cut into productivity and cost the company too much in potential revenue.
Ivan brought Duke to work every day and that was a fucking disaster.
My office door inches open slowly. She clears her throat before she speaks. “I come bearing a gift.”
“A gift?” I repeat in a neutral tone.
Her hand darts into view. She’s waving something in the air. I inch ahead on my chair and narrow my eyes to get a better look.