One

         "If that call has lasted more than five seconds, consider yourself fired!" Someone bellowed. Judging by how loud the person had been and the fact that she was on the phone, there was no doubt the person was talking to her.

"Something just came up. I'll call you later" Eva said hanging up then spun around and came face to face with the hottest man she'd ever seen in her entire life. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration because she'd dated hot men all her life but this one had to be on top of the list. She couldn't think of anyone who might surpass him. Most of them were models or actors or famous people. In her opinion, if you didn't have a crowd to please then you wouldn't even bother changing out of your pajamas or visiting the gym. The reason she preferred stars. The more famous they were the better.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you deaf?" the guy snapped sounding irritated.

"Are you talking to me?" She asked feigning ignorance.

"Do you see anyone else around?"

"Uh, yeah. All these people scurrying around like rats and the guy standing behind you? You could literally be talking to anyone in this office" she paused, looked around then added "Last I checked, the men's bathroom is..."

"What is your name?"

He didn't know her? Ludicrous! And attractive. Right there and then, she decided he was her next targ- boyfriend.

"Ouch! I will assume you live under a rock and let that one go. The men's bathroom is in the opposite direction. Make sure you do some research before coming back out" she went to leave but he grabbed her hand. Her plan to play hard to get went right out the window. Together with her dignity and filter and composure and basically anything else she might have possessed. He'd come right out of one of her books. Tall, broad shoulders, pretty face and most importantly, domineering. He also smelled heavenly.

"Rosie, judging by your attire, I'm guessing you're either a receptionist or an intern" he said, letting his eyes flicker down to the name tag on the dress before going back up.

"Or a secretary. Are you perhaps in need of one? I promise to cater to your every need. Everything" she whispered the last word, bringing her face closer to his. He dropped her hand and moved back. Disgust written all over his face. That might have deterred someone else but not her. It only made her more determined to unwrap him and see what was beneath those cloth- attitude. Any other guy would have indulged her. Not just any but every man in the world. She was after all...

"Rosie" he bit out gritting his teeth.

Right. Rosie. At the moment, she was Rosie

"Yes sir. Rosie at your service, how can I help you? Do you need anything?" The image of him lounging on a sofa while she was dressed in a maids uniform flitted through her mind. Eva bit her lip to stop herself from giggling like an idiot. The fantasies this man was going to fulfill for her...

"Aside from standing in the hallway and talking on your phone all day long, what do you do?"

It occurred to her then, that he was the boss or at least someone with a high position. Okay girlie. Think fast. This guy thinks that you work here. Where did you get the uniform? From one of the receptionist. Oh my God, for once you get to be one of your characters. This is so exciting. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. The whole time she was thinking that, the man in front of her had intensified his glare while all she did was blink rapidly. It wasn't her fault though, it happened every time she was excited or nervous. She got lost in her head.

"Did you lose your voice? Speak!"

"Uh.... I'm sorry sir. You're just so handsome that you take my breath away" she blurted out then slapped a hand on her mouth. That wasn't supposed to come out loud. But since it had... Oh well, couldn't be helped.

"Do you think this is a joke? Which department are you from? Let's see if you still have the nerve to talk like that when you don't have a job anymore"

"Oh please. As if I....."

"Miss, thank you so much. It fit perfectly. Are you really giving me the..." the real Rosie said coming out of the bathroom. Stopping, she looked from her to the people standing behind her and went completely pale. Knowing her cover was about to be blown, Eva rushed towards her.

"Are you okay Miss Eva?"

"What?" Rosie asked confused.

"Just play along. I wanna see how far this will go" she whispered then asked loudly "Are you okay? I was telling your secretary that you might need the afternoon off when the boss showed up. You've gone pale. Do you need anything? Water, coffee, juice?"

"I... Uh.... I...."

"Miss, please come with me to my office. My secretary will get you anything you need. You don't look so well" Boss man said pushing Eva aside so he could take over. Poor Rosie was shaking so much that her legs gave out on her which only made things worse because boss man lifted her up and carried her bridal style to his office. Eva coughed to cover up her laugh. She had to admit that she was a little jealous because she should have been the one in Rosie's place. However, if that man didn't back off, that girl was going to start hyperventilating.

"Go get coffee. The boss takes it black with no sugar"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you really have a problem with your hearing or do you just like making people repeat themselves?" the guy asked rudely. Eva decided to name him stinky PA because of his rotten attitude.

"No. Where is the kitchen?" at his glare she added "I'm new here"

"Damn it. I hate newbies"

"And I hate your attitude" she murmured under her breath.

"Find it yourself. If you take more than ten minutes, half of your paycheck will be deducted for compensation" he told her before leaving.

"Compensation for what? Offending you?" When he turned around to answer her, Eva ran to the front desk where the other receptionists looked at her as if she'd lost her mind.

"What's wrong ma'am? Are you okay?"

"No, I think your office is awesome. Wanna swap places with me?"

"We wouldn't know what to do ma'am"

"Stop calling me that. And all you have to do is just take a vacation for a week while I take your place. Except I wouldn't want to face stinky face everyday"

"Who is stinky face?" the other receptionist whose name tag read Joy, asked.

"The guy walking behind your boss. He's so annoying. How do you even stand to look at him?"

"The pay is good so we try not to complain"

"Okay. Forget that, I need coffee for the boss and Miss Eva"

Maria then other girl frowned "Miss Eva? Have you lost it ma'am? Aren't you...."

"I know who I am. But I'll explain later. First get me the coffee"

"Okay"

"You do know how your boss takes it. Right?"

"It's the first thing we were taught when we came for training. You get it wrong and you're dead"

"Aah. So he's a perfectionist. I'm going to enjoy turning his life upside down" she told herself smiling evilly.

Carrying a tray, Eva matched to the boss's office, of course with the help of other employees who showed her the way while giving her weird looks. She wondered how that man hadn't recognized her when everyone around him knew who she was. If he wasn't so hot she'd call him out for being rude. Not just him but his secretary or driver or whatever that stinky PA was. What kind of business were they running? At the door, she barged in without knocking knowing she would get a glare from Mr. Hot stuff. And she wasn't wrong. He glared at her so much that she almost swooned. Get yourself together Eva girl. This one won't be as easy as the others. She told herself shaking her head to clear the cobwebs.

"Coffee just as you ordered it"

"Don't you know how to knock?"

"How could I knock when I was carrying the tray?"

"Where the hell did you come from? Patrick!" he yelled. Eva placed the tray on the table smiling. He'd lost his cool which meant she was getting on his nerves. To her, that was good news. If she could get on his nerves then she could get on any part of his deliciously muscled body. There was one particular part she couldn't wait to get on. She wondered if it would be considered sexual harassment if she tied him to that chair and stripped him bare.

"Oh, God. Is it getting hot in here?" she asked straightening up.

"Uh.... Ev.... Rosie can I talk to you?" fake Eva asked.

"Sure, what's up?"

Standing up, Rosie pulled her to a corner whispering "I can't do this. I feel like Mr. Adler is going to find out who I am then swallow me whole. Look at how angry he is? I've never seen him that way. He's a serious person but today it looks like he's about to explode. I can't be here when.... "

"Relax. Just do it for a few more minutes. I have to test something out before I tell him who I am. Breathe Rosie"

"But...."

"Okay ma'am. Don't worry, I won't leave" Eva said leading her back to her chair and standing behind her. Nervous Rosie held onto her arm as if it was her lifeline. Boss man eyed the action and realizing his newest client felt safe with her in the room, chose to completely ignore her. But Evangeline Becker wasn't someone you could ignore. Not on her watch. She stared at him while he was outlining what he was willing to offer her until he finally snapped

"I'm sorry Miss Eva but does she have to be here? This deal has nothing to do with her"

"You're right. But Miss Eva feels safe when I'm around so you just have to bear with it for a little while longer"

"I wasn't talking to you"

"I... Please let her stay" Rosie said pulling her closer.

"But....."

"Do you want this deal or are you going to complain about who is in attendance? Think of me as her other half. She can't function without me. You can choose to ignore me like you've been doing. Unless you can't do that which makes me wonder if I'm making you uncomfortable"

"Keep your mouth shut"

"Yes sir" Eva saluted. Adler's nostrils flared as if he was trying to keep his anger under control, which he probably was. Schooling  his features into a stony expression, he went back to negotiating with Rosie. Eva thought he was bipolar. One second he wanted to swallow her alive and the next she was invincible. Not that she was complaining, his business face was a major turn on and she hoped she would see it more often in the future. She also hoped to see other expressions. Particularly how he looked when he was on top or beneath her. She wasn't picky about positions or anything for that matter.

"Tell me what you want?"

"What?" Rosie asked, almost jumping from the chair. 

"I mean your expectations. Do you have any requests? That's how we work. You tell us what you want and we try to accommodate you"

"I.... I....."

"You can speak freely. As your next publisher, we want to make sure that you're satisfied with our work. I also don't normally do this but since you have best selling books, I thought it would be wise to meet with you myself"

"I.... I...."

"Jesus woman, at this rate I'll go bankrupt" Eva snapped "Come on, I'll do this myself" she said pulling Rosie from the chair and sitting down.

"Miss Rosie I've had enough....."

"My name is Eva. Evangeline Becker to be precise and this here is your employee Rosie" she said smugly

"What?"

"It was just a case of simple misunderstanding. You saw me wearing her clothes and thought I was your employee"

"Do you think this is a joke?"

"I should ask you the same thing Mr. Adler. Do you think this is a joke?"

Kicking his chair back, Adler stood up "You are the one who deceived me in the first place. Had you said something I wouldn't have wasted half an hour trying to make one of my employees comfortable"

"Why? Isn't she a human being?"

"She works for me dammit!"

"Lower your voice. This is your mistake and you should be apologizing instead of yelling at me"

"My mistake?" he asked. Eva watched him in amusement. He was really struggling to keep his anger in check but everything she said made him more angry. If that was even possible. The way his eyes flashed reminded her of a wolf getting ready to pounce and in this case she was the prey. What more could she ask for? 

"Yes. Setting a meeting with me and showing up without even knowing how I look like, don't you think that's a little insulting?"

"I...."

"What? Cat got your tongue?" she stood up and using her palms, she leaned on the table so that their faces were inches apart "I think you're a snob. The rumors I heard about you were right. Just because this publishing company isn't as big as your other companies, you don't care about it. If you did, you would have looked me up and memorized my face. It wouldn't have mattered if I came here wearing rags, you should have known who I am. So instead of getting angry, you should apologize and tell or show me how sorry you really are"

He closed his eyes, breathed in, opened them and said "I'm really sorry. It was my mistake and I am ashamed. Please forgive me"

"Okay, I accept your apology even though it doesn't sound sincere"

"Shall we get down to business then?"

"Yes"

"So what are your expectations?"

"None"

"Excuse me?"

"I've just decided that I'm not going to publish my next book with you"

"Why?" Adler asked through gritted teeth

"I think it would be a conflict of interest if I do that"

"What are you talking about?"

"The rule that stipulates I can't date the person I'm working with. Office romances don't turn out well in real life"

"The person you're dating?"

"Yes"

"Who?"

"You of course. Who else would I be talking about?"

"Excuse me?"

Eva turned to Rosie and asked her to leave them alone. She left in a hurry making her realize that the woman had been uncomfortable. Rounding the desk, she pushed the papers aside and sat next on the edge "I like you. So I've decided that you are my next boyfriend. I think working with you would be violating some rules. Am I right?"

"Your next boyfriend?"

"Yes. Don't you think we'd make a really cute couple?"

"I think that you should have yourself checked. I'm sure there's something wrong with your head"

"I already did. I've had MRI's and even a psychological test. They all said that I was perfectly fine"

"Maybe the machines were broken"

"I should be offended that you think I'm crazy but it's just turning me on"

"Okay then" Adler got up and put some distance between them "This meeting is over. Since we have no more business to discuss I suggest you leave my office. I have other clients to see"

"I didn't know you were so shy"

"I'll tell you this in simpler terms. I have no intention of ever dating you. Let alone not being my type, I find you rude, annoying, and completely crazy. I don't know of other men but I can't stand you. So I suggest you do away with the notion that I'm your next boyfriend. I don't even want to be your friend. Am I clear?"

"Crystal. But a little piece of advice, I've got thick skin. What you just said makes me want you even more. Now, more than ever I'll do everything in my power to have you. This is a challenge I'm hundred percent up for"

"I wasn't challeng....." he started but a knock on the door cut him off "Come in" he called out

"Sorry for the interruption but you have an interview to get to Eva. I brought you the change of clothes you asked for" Pippa, Her secretary said.

"Okay. Hand them over. I'll change and meet you outside"

"Okay" she gave Eva the bag then stood at the door.

"What are you waiting for? Close the door on your way out. I can't change my clothes with everyone watching"

"Change..... You mean you're going to change your clothes right here? In this office?" Pippa asked wide eyed.

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"What about him?" she pointed at Adler who was standing idly by the window with his hands in his pocket.

"What about him?" Eva echoed the question back. Realization dawned on Pippa and she sighed.

"My condolences sir"

"Excuse me?"

"I feel that you should accept your fate. It would be easier for you that way. Once she loses her interest in you, I promise that she'll leave you alone. The only problem is if you will be willing to let her go"

"Stop talking nonsense and leave Pippa. Unless you're not interested in getting your next paycheck"

"I'm leaving"

When they were alone again, Eva asked "Aren't you going to leave so that I can change?"

"This is my office. If you want to change your clothes go somewhere else"

"I knew there was a reason I liked you" she said unzipping the skirt she was wearing. Slowly she slid it down aware that Adler was watching her. Deciding to give him a show, she wiggled a little then let it pool at her feet. Her blouse came off next. Stepping out of them, she looked up and smiled when she saw the way his eyes were fixated on her body. It just so happened that this was going to be her easiest target yet "Like what you see?" she asked adjusting her bra and pushing her breasts up.

"I've seen better" he answered with a hoarse voice.

"I know and I don't mind. I've also seen better" bending, she opened the bag and took out the dress Pippa had brought. A navy blue and white chiffon that was conservative but sexy as well. The long sleeved, deep V-neck sarong style dress had a zip on the back. Pulling it up, she walked to where he was and turned around saying "A little help please"

Eva almost jumped up and down when she heard his intake of breath. It didn't matter if he'd seen better. He still liked what he saw. His hand grazed the skin on her back making her shiver. After he was done she turned to face him. His eyes told her everything his mouth couldn't.

"I believe I'll see you again Mr. Adler. Make sure you watch my interview. It'll air tomorrow night at 8pm"

"I don't waste my time watching gossip channels"

"There's always a first time for everything" she told him, stood on her tip toes, kissed his cheek then left. A mischievous smile playing on her lips.

He was hers.

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