Page 12 of Alex (Men of Forbidden Temptation #4)

ELISE

I fucked up. Big time. And not just a tiny mishap.

While rushing to get my computer and temporary desk set up at Mr. Strickland’s house, I missed an important email addressing some necessary changes for the contract.

I filled the contract out how I usually did and emailed it over to the lawyer before unpacking my office supplies and getting my desk ready for the rest of the work week.

But in my haste to get everything set up, I listed the wrong bank account on the contract document and now the merger will have to be pushed back.

I’ve never messed up a contract before. Sure, I might have made tiny mistakes in the six months I’ve worked here, but this was a huge mistake.

My desk phone rings and Mr. Strickland’s lawyer’s name pops up on the caller ID.

“Strickland Enterprises, this is Elise. How can I help you? ”

I wait for him to tell me what I already know- he’s following up with me regarding the voicemail I left him twenty minutes ago.

“I’m so sorry. Is there anything that I can do to make sure this merger happens on the intended day?”

He lets out a small sigh and says, “I’m leaving for the day. If you’re able to get me the corrected contract before my office opens in the morning, I’ll resubmit the paperwork as soon as I get in. I’ll try to pull some strings for Phillip because I know he’s dealing with the break in and fire.”

It’s the first time anyone has ever uttered Mr. Strickland’s first name on a work call, but I guess when you’re a family friend as well as his lawyer, you have certain permissions that others don’t.

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate your help in this matter.”

I was hoping to have a decent meal and get to bed early tonight, but that’s not going to happen. It’s going to take me all night to redo the entire contract. Hopefully, it won’t be for nothing.

Mr. Strickland has been working longer hours now that we’re working from his home office, and since I’m his executive assistant, I have to be ready to help him with anything that may pop up.

But now, I have to go interrupt him and tell him about my fuck up. I feel like a kid being sent to the principal’s office.

Will he be angry ?

If the merger is pushed back, then he has every right to be, but this is my first time.

And only time.

I don’t plan on fucking up like this again.

Walking down the carpeted hallway, I get to the elegant French doors of Mr. Strickland’s office and knock on the door.

I try to swallow the saliva in my mouth, but I can’t. A huge lump forms in my throat and my palms slicken with sweat.

He’s on the phone, but waves me into his office. I quietly take a seat on the couch that’s in front of his desk and wait for his phone call to end.

Gazing into his deep brown eyes, I can see that he’s confused about whatever the other person is saying. I don’t know who he’s talking to, but if it has anything to do with my mistake, then I can understand the confusion.

I guess my face is the definition of guilt because he takes one look at me and tells the person on the phone, “Let me get back to you in a few minutes.”

He hangs up the phone and turns his attention to me. “Is there something you want to tell me about the contracts?”

My gaze immediately falls to the floor. I can’t stand to see what I know will be disappointment and anger in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. I messed up, but I will make things right and get the merger back on track.”

His voice is smooth and comes out like silk. “Look at me. ”

I do what he says, hoping he doesn’t fire me.

“What’s going on?”

His eyebrows are narrow and his gaze is cold and calculating, like he’s about to fire me.

I could make excuses about not sleeping enough because I’m working too much and not enjoying life or tell him I’m dreaming of fucking his son again. I haven’t been home in days because of these ridiculously long hours.

Luckily, Alex brought me home to grab a bag of clothes and necessities. I’ve slept the past few nights in his bed, while he has slept on the couch in his room. It’s been strictly platonic- not even a kiss or a longing glance across the room.

Or I can tell Mr. Strickland the truth about how I’m drowning in debt and do not know how to fix things, but I stay silent.

Excuses never help in these types of situations, and I refuse to make excuses for my mistakes.

Mr. Strickland stares at me for what seems like an eternity, without saying a word. He studies my face for any clue as to what I’m thinking. When I don’t say anything, he nods his head slightly and sends me on my way.

I head back to my temporary desk to get started on the new documents. It’s much slower this time around, but I want to make sure they are correct.

Alex pops his head through the door to my temporary office. His eyes widen as he glances from me to my computer and back to me. “You’re still working? Don’t you have a quitting sense? ”

He chuckles, but I don’t return the gesture. “Elise, it’s dinnertime.”

I stop working on the contract as worry creeps through my mind that I’m going to mess it up while Alex is trying to have a conversation with me.

“Alex, I have a lot of work left to do tonight. Dinner will have to wait.”

“No. You already skipped lunch, and I’m assuming you didn’t get breakfast, so you will eat now.” His tone is authoritative, leaving no room for debate.

I stare at him, not fully believing that he is practically bossing me around.

His tight lips soften as he walks closer to me. “Please have dinner with me. I’ve already cooked, so it won’t pull you away from work for more than a few minutes.”

I glance at my computer screen, at the many hours of work I still need to finish, but my stomach lets out a terrifyingly loud growl that brings a smile to my face.

“I guess eating won’t take too long.”

Alex holds out his hand for me to take. “Nope, it won’t. Plus, I’m pretty sure if you don’t feed that beast, it will only get worse and you won’t get any work done.”

He laughs, but I know he’s right. I just won’t verbally admit it.

I intertwine my fingers with his and let him pull me towards the kitchen. The closer we get, the more aromatic the hallway is .

Garlic lingers in the air, causing my stomach to let out another growl.

Alex pushes open the door to the kitchen. “I made fettuccine with a garlic Alfredo sauce. I hope that’s okay.”

“It smells incredible. Thank you for cooking.”

I glance around the huge modern kitchen and the stainless steel appliances. The six burner stove is in a center island with a hood vent hanging from the ceiling. Pots and pans hang on the closest wall.

It looks more like a restaurant’s kitchen than a home’s kitchen.

My gaze makes it back to Alex’s. “This is the biggest kitchen I’ve ever seen in a house.”

“Yeah, it’s a complete waste except for when my mom would throw her lavish parties.”

Alex lets go of my hand and makes his way over to the pot of pasta before scooping out two hefty portions and smothering the noodles with the creamy sauce.

He carries the bowls over to a small table set up in the corner of the large room before jogging over to the oven.

My heart leaps in my chest and my mouth waters as he pulls out a baking sheet of garlic bread.

He piles them onto a plate and carries it over to the table. Pulling out my chair, he gestures for me to take a seat.

“Thank you.” I say as he sits in the seat across from me. “This is beyond amazing. ”

The grin on his face widens. “I’m glad you think so.”

He watches me and waits for me to take a bite. I moan as the flavors wash over my taste buds.

“Yep, I am officially jealous of your cooking skills.”

I might know how to make pasta, but I couldn’t ever replicate this sauce. The sauce I eat is out of a jar or even a can.

When I take my second bite, Alex finally digs into his own bowl.

In between bites, I ask, “So, how did you get into cooking?”

“Believe it or not, my mom taught me when I was little. She wasn’t just your standard trophy wife. Well, not in the beginning. The older I got, the worse she became. Family time turned into spa trips and lavish parties.”

His smile disappears as he glances down at the noodles spun around his fork.

My heart breaks for him, and I wish I could take my question back. “Sorry. You don’t have to tell me if they are terrible memories, or if it will ruin the mood.”

“It’s actually nice to talk about my mom.”

I raise my eyebrow at him. “Really?”

He shrugs. “Well, her leaving still hurts, but it’s nice to talk about the good memories. Dad doesn’t mention her anymore. He hasn’t since she left.”

“Life has probably been hard on him. Not that I know what it’s like for your spouse to leave, but I would imagine it would turn your life upside down.”

He nods his head and dips the corner of his garlic bread in the Alfredo sauce before taking a bite. “I think part of the reason I cook so much is that deep down, I’m still hoping she will come home. I should probably hate her after the way she left, but I miss her.”

His words sink into my heart and mind, making me miss my mom.

Alex gets up and grabs two bottles of sparkling water from the commercial sized refrigerator. “What about your family?”

He hands me one of the waters, and I stare at the bottle as I take a deep breath.

“I’m an only child. My dad left when he found out my mom was pregnant, and my mom died the night I met you.”

“Oh, Elise, I am so sorry.”

Now it was my turn to shrug. “You didn’t know.”

“Maybe not, but I knew you looked sad, and I didn’t want to leave you alone. It reminded me of my downward spiral the few weeks after my mom left.”

“I no longer had a choice in my life but to get a job and become a responsible adult.”

“On the chance that this is going to sound totally cheesy, I’m glad you got the job you did, or else I might not have found you again. ”

His gaze is heated, reminding me of the way he took his fill of my naked body.

Alex shakes his head and changes the subject. “If you could plan a perfect date, what would it be?”

I try to imagine my perfect date, but there are too many options. “Day or night?”

Alex pauses, his fork an inch from his mouth. “Are they different?”

Giving him a smile, I nod. “Of course they are. There’s also a difference between new dating and long term dating.”

He leans forward, like he’s intrigued to hear my answer. “Like what?”

“Well, usually in the beginning, it’s fancy dinners and extravagant dates, but then it turns into tacos and margaritas while sitting on the couch.”

He frowns as he processes what I just described.

“It doesn’t have to be one or the other. You can have tacos and margaritas while on an extravagant date. But anyway, what would be the difference between day and night?”

I lean forward, forgetting about the last few bites of my food as I get way too into this conversation.

“A day date could be kayaking or sailing. It could be going to a museum or even a bookstore. Day dates are usually in the let’s get to know one another and not in a sexual way kind of stage.”

He grins and winks. “I guess we skipped that stage.”

His wink ignites a fire deep in my belly, leaving me wanting to beg him to take me right here and right now.

I scoot my chair back and stand. “Well, thank you for cooking us dinner and for the conversation. I need to get back to work if I want to finish before the sun comes up.”

I hurry back to my computer before I abandon my work and let him take me in the kitchen.