CHAPTER 3

Penelope’s POV

When we arrive at the venue for the award ceremony, reporters and photographers immediately rush at us- or more like, at Marcus. Marcus who is the man of the hour, takes pictures with different people ranging from fellow billionaires like himself to female models and celebrities all vying for his attention.

I take my position far away from the drama. The first and last time I had tried to maintain my position beside Marcus as his secretary during a similar event three years ago, I had been elbowed in the eye by a desperate woman who wanted to pull Marcus into a tight embrace. Since then, I have always kept my distance from Marcus and his raging fans.

After the meet and greet at the red carpet ends, Marcus and I are led inside the hall by a staff for the ceremony.

As expected, Marcus wins the award for Entrepreneur of the Year and I am genuinely happy for him. In my head, I joke about how I should get a mini award for being such an awesome secretary.

Marcus has to make many celebratory toasts with fans and well wishers and he orders me to join him for nearly every glass of champagne he drinks.

After the gala is over, we both leave to our hotel rooms for the night. The event organizers had booked rooms in the hotel for attendees to spend the night after the party. On our way to the elevator, Marcus misses a step and stumbles but quickly catches and rights himself.

“How many glasses of champagne did you drink?” I ask him as I lend him a hand by wrapping one of my palms on his biceps.

“Somewhere between three or thirty… I’m not sure” Marcus answers me.

I shake my head. From the slurring of his words, it is most likely around thirty and above.

During the past hours while the celebrations had been ongoing, I watched quietly as he shot back glass after glass of champagne and when I had even attempted to stop him like the diligent and caring secretary that I am, the woman he had been chatting with at the time had accused me of being boring, gaudy and trying to ruin the fun and Marcus had not even attempted to defend me. Annoyed by his rudeness the entire night, I decided to leave him to his own devices and look where that got us? A drunk boss and the secretary who has to help him get to his room in the penthouse suite.

***

In the elevator, my legs are hurting from my high heels so I bend at my waist to take them off. After unbuckling and slipping off my shoes, I straighten to full height and turn just in time to catch Marcus's eyes leaving my ass. I am in doubt about whether I saw clearly. This is the second time that I have caught Marcus staring at me sexually tonight. First, in the car on our way here and then right now. I desperately want to know if I saw clearly. At that moment however, the elevator comes to a screeching halt and panic sets in my chest.

“Please tell me I’m imagining things and this goddam elevator didn’t just stop” I mutter out loud to no one in particular. My voice is filled with panic. Marcus and I are the only occupants of the elevator.

Although I had not been talking to him, a drunk Marcus standing behind me and leaning on the elevator wall responds, “No, you’re n-not imagining things…” He answers looking a little lost. He is staring at me with confusion in his gaze. He looks so different from the collected authoritative CEO I work for on a daily basis. The sight of him drunk and looking ruffled would have sent me laughing in any other circumstances. But not this time, not this night. Not when my claustrophobic self is most likely trapped in an elevator.

Agitated, I pull out my phone from my tiny clutch purse and turn on the screen. I release a disappointed sigh almost immediately, “Shit. No signal” My voice sounds panicked now and Marcus notices it even under his drunken haze.

“Penelope…. Relax” He speaks drowsily from behind me.

Annoyed at his helpless state, I whip back. “Relax? Just in case you haven’t noticed we could suffocate in here from lack of oxygen.” I’m near tears now, “We could die here” I add under heavy, terrified breaths.

Fear and tension has clouded my mind that I don’t notice Marcus move until I feel the heavy weight of his large palms come down softly on my shoulders. I didn’t even notice when he moved this close or bent this low, low enough that we are now nearly at eye level.

As I study his face, I can see he is still drunk but even in his drunken state, he is trying to comfort and calm me down. Where did this caring and kind version of my boss appear from? His presence and my fear makes breathing difficult for me.

Noticing my struggle, Marcus speaks. “Breathe… Penelope.”

Instantly as if the soft command from my more than tipsy boss is a compulsion, my lungs open and I gulp in air.

He is so close that I can smell his expensive cologne and even the alcohol on his breath. I look into his eyes but our eyes don’t meet, this is because Marcus green eyes are fixed on my lips where he stares at them hungrily.

“Marcus…” I start but stop when his lips come down to press on mine.

I don’t move. I don’t even breath for fear that any sudden movement will startle him into realizing he is kissing his secretary. I don’t want him to stop but more than anything, i want to kiss him back and so, I do.

As I grab hold of the lapels of my boss’s tuxedo, I pull him close to me and kiss him back, infusing months and years of yearning and passion into the kiss. Because, yes, I have had more than a crush on my untouchable unreachable boss for years, and yes, I know kissing him will likely lead to something I will regret but right now? I could not care less, not with Marcus running his hands all over me from my neck, then my shoulders and then my back, sending shivers of excitement and pleasure running down my spine.

Unable to control myself and the feelings bursting out of me, a desperate soft moan loudly slips out from my lips, causing Marcus to pause and pull away briefly from our tight embrace.

Of course, I mourn, he must have gotten back to his right senses. I tense as I wait for Marcus to start scolding me or at least, withdraw away from me. Shockingly, the complete opposite happens.

“Penny…” Marcus groans out the words with such desperate want and longing. “My little seductress…” He adds, completely surprising me.

He moves his hands lower until both palms are grabbing at my hips possessively. It doesn’t hurt but the shock of it causes me to release a soft gasp.

Marcus grins, “You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to taste your lips….”

Oh my God…

Just then, the elevator jerks with a sudden lurch and starts moving again. A wave of disappointment envelopes me, such bad timing. With the disruption, I fully expect Marcus to pull away from me as the elevator reaches his floor, the penthouse, but instead he pulls me with him as he steps out and takes huge steps towards his room.

“Marcus. What are you doing?” I try to catch up to him, practically running on my bare feet with my shoes on one hand, behind him.

He doesn’t answer my question rather, he uses. His keycard to unlock the door to his room and brings me inside. I’ve barely had a look around before he shuts the door, lifts me like I don’t weigh more than a leaf and presses my back against the door with him in front of me. I’m trapped.

“Marcus…. What are you doing?” I ask again because this is entirely insane. I know he is drunk, we both drank a lot but him more than I, way more than me judging from his actions. I could stop him, but I would be absolutely crazy to. I want this.

He pauses to look at me and I see the silent question in his eyes asking for permission and I answer. “Yes”