2. Her Timid Moment

ALICE RILEY

I was still in shock after realizing the man I saw a moment ago, the man in front of whom I acted dumb, was no one but Vivian Scott. When he walked into the conference room, now fully suited, I couldn't help from going numb. Who could have expected the young handsome hunk to be the CEO? Didn't I imagine a middle-aged man with wrinkled eyes and greyed hairs, in his place?

Thank god for making him get a call; I wanted a moment to relax my thudding heart. How could I face him after that dumb incident? Of course, I hated to look stupid.

Lost in thoughts, I returned to my senses only when I heard Mr. Scott again. "Yes, Miss Riley, how may I help you today?"

Did Mr. Scott sound polite and humble? I wondered as his deep voice reverberated in the room. He must have finished that phone call positively. He looked relaxed as he walked elegantly inside the conference room, and I cursed my luck.

Pulling myself together to face the situation was still a task, especially after the shocking encounters. His calm demeanor was troubling me. That smoking-hot body was of no help, either.

What was wrong with me? Why was I so intimidated by that man? That was so not me. That was so not Alice Riley!

I kept cursing myself for becoming so timid in front of him.

"How may I help you today, Miss Riley? I'm asking you," sitting on the chair opposite mine, he repeated his words, this time with a hint of irritation.

"Ah... well... I... I need your signatures on the documents," I fumbled, looking like a dumbass.

"That's all? You could have just sent them to my place rather than stressing on meeting me."

I thought he sounded rude and irritated. What else could I expect from a big-shot CEO?

"It's important and urgent, as well." I wanted to tell him I had spent more than an hour commuting to his office before he canceled the meeting, but I swallowed my words. How would a CEO know the struggles of an intern? I wanted to impress my boss at Lexis Consultants, and he wouldn't understand that pain.

"Not at the cost of my emergency."

I wondered if he was complaining. Denying him, I replied, "The infringement case is up for hearing tomorrow. The documents are crucial. Can we have them signed?"

Finally, I found my voice back. I wasn't the one who would take shit from people for no mistake of mine.

"Okay, where am I supposed to sign?" he said, giving up on the argument.

As he asked, I opened the file and passed the papers to him, showing the markings for his signature. He glanced at the papers briefly and started signing the documents. As he signed all the papers, I thanked him. I had been waiting to escape the room and the building as soon as possible.

I thought he would hand over the papers to me. Instead, he stood up, pushing his chair behind, and came near me to stand on my right side. My heart started beating like a drum. What was he up to?

He smirked as he held the signed documents in his hand, away from me. His delicious smell hit my nostrils, and my mind stopped working. He stepped closer, and I leaned backward, hoping to maintain some distance. He was too dangerous for my sanity, and I hated it.

Slowly, he leaned forward and whispered in my ears, "I'm a businessman. I don't give anything if I don't get double in return!"

What was he talking about? I stared at him in confusion. He must have realized I couldn't catch him.

"I'm talking about the fun you had looking at my smoking hot body, Miss." He said, winking at me and then shamelessly gazing at my neck, shoulder, and chest. Rather than being offended, an electrifying sensation passed through my body, and I struggled to hide it from him.

Stop it. I wanted to scream. But my voice was stuck in my throat.

"How can I let it go without having double fun, Miss?"

He came behind me and put his hands around my chair, keeping the documents on the table. My heart pounded with his proximity, and I thought I was having a heart attack. Then he twirled my chair, bringing me to face him.

As I watched him with a mixture of shyness and embarrassment, he softly moved his index finger on my cheek to the edge of my lips and said, "You are beautiful."

I didn't react, but my breathing became faster. The finger moved past my chin to the neck and my collarbone. Looking down at the buttons of my blouse, he whispered, "I wish I could see more. Unfortunately, I should go now. But we will meet again, Alice. Very soon!"

Pulling himself away from me, he grabbed his phone from the table and walked out of the room, not turning back even once. He was gone faster than some lightning; I was still standing there, struggling to breathe.

What just happened? I wasn't new to men's proximity. But someone teasing so openly, and me not even objecting to it, was definitely new. Vivian had an aura that could shut my brain and activate my inner woman. And that realization made me hate myself.

Ignoring my inner conflict, I collected the signed papers from the table and kept them inside the file neatly. Picking my handbag and the file, I kept my feet out of the conference room.

The floor was totally silent. Probably, only the CEO and his assistant occupied the entire floor. My office was nothing like this big building. It was rather a small office with only about twenty employees.

Thoughts about my workplace reminded me of my ambition. I wanted to focus on work. I knew my today's effort would elevate my career. I might have only started my career, but my goals were clear.

I pressed my lips tight, shifting my thinking back to the pending work for the day. I was headed to Lexis Consultants, and I knew I was going to make my boss happy.