Page 7 of His Secret Betrayal (Cedarwood Valley Duology #2)

I march obediently beside Alek down a hallway and into a large, open area with several rows of cubicles.

Despite the relative quiet, it’s full of the typical office sounds one would expect: fingers typing away on keyboards, mouses clicking, printers spitting out paper, and someone popping bubblegum.

Some of the sounds cease as I walk in with Alek, heads popping up and sending me curious glances as we stride towards the back of the room.

In the very, very back, next to a corner window, are two cubicles sitting side-by-side.

The one on the far left is empty, but the other one is occupied by a young man about my age.

His brown hair is flopped over his left eye, and his head is subtly bobbing along to whatever music is currently playing in his headphones.

His hands fly away at the keyboard with a speed that shouldn’t be possible.

“Finn,” Alek says.

Finn continues bobbing his head, humming something that sounds like an old-school Britney Spears tune. Alek rolls his eyes, a sigh dragging from his lips before he plucks an earphone out. Finn jerks, his limbs flailing as he screeches like a damn banshee.

“Son of a monkey and holy baby Jesus, Alek!” Finn gives Alek a stern glare, spinning in his chair to fully face him. “Stop sneaking up on me. My heart can’t take it anymore!”

“I think it’s your hearing you need to worry about,” Alek says wryly.

Alek’s face remains neutral, but I swear I see a spark of light dance across his eyes. I, however, am unable to stifle my spluttering laughter. Both heads swing towards me, and Finn beams at me like he didn’t just make a dramatic scene in front of his boss .

“Oh, is this the new guy? He’s pretty.” Finn waggles his eyebrows. I shuffle around on my feet a little, unsure how to take his compliment as I rub the back of my neck.

Alek frowns. “Finn, this is Luke Parker. I need you to show him the ropes this week.”

Finn honest-to-God flutters his eyelashes at me. “I can show him the ropes all right.”

“No flirting with this one, Finn. I mean it.” Alek’s voice goes stern in a way I haven’t heard yet, so I peek over at him. His eyebrows are bunched together, his lips pursed. When Finn gives him a quizzical look, Alek adds, “He’s Caleb’s best friend.”

Finn performs a mock salute. “Whatever you say, boss man.”

Alek rolls his eyes again, but his stance visibly relaxes. He nods once, his gaze roaming briefly to me. “Let me know if you need anything. My office is always…”

I smirk. “Always open?”

He snorts. “I hate sounding cliché, but yeah.”

As soon as he’s out of earshot, Finn holds a hand up with his knuckles bent in a way that resembles claws. “Rawr,” he purrs, his gaze sliding to me. “Alek has hot daddy energy, am I right?”

I arch my eyebrows. “Uh, no. I mean, I haven’t really noticed.”

Finn cocks his head to the side, studying me in a way that feels a little too assessing before shrugging. “Fine. Live in denial.”

Before I have time to decide how I want to react, Finn is a flurry of motion. He plops a chair down next to his, adjusting the computer monitors so we can both see the dual screens, and dramatically gestures toward the empty chair. I smile and take a seat.

His hands fly over the keyboard, my eyebrows shooting up at the impressive speed at which his brain seems to operate. Before I know it, there is an array of design programs pulled up on the screen. “This is where most of the magic happens.”

He clicks around for a while, showing me the layout of their design program and the basic functions.

I blink in awe, my mind reeling as he explains that not only does the company design book covers, but we also make an array of social media advertisements and promotional material for said books.

From Facebook banners to Instagram reels, and even bookmarks.

“We also have a website designer, if the client is interested in those services,” he explains, jerking his thumb towards a cubicle where a blonde-haired woman sits. “And once the author has received all their files, don’t forget to remind them we also offer professional formatting.”

It's a lot of information to take in, and I’m grateful when Finn offers me a blank notebook and pen to jot down some notes.

Before I know it, my stomach is gurgling and half the day has passed.

Finn has just finished showing me the latest book cover he’s working on, some kind of romance series involving a hockey team, if the logo is anything to go by.

Two males are embracing each other on the gray monotone cover, and I can’t help but study the way their firm, toned chests bump against each other.

After lunch, Finn lets me take the wheel, so to speak.

He guides me through my first book cover.

It’s not for a real customer, but it’s still exciting to see it come together.

By the time I’m done, my cover has a shirtless man smoldering at the reader, a green background, and a mountain top logo.

When Finn compliments it, something inside me wants to puff up with pride.

I wonder if Alek would like it ?

I shake my head, trying to clear that thought away as I stand and stretch the stiffness out of my body. My back pops, and I release a relieved groan as I crack my neck, too.

“Jeez-us, not you, too,” Finn mumbles. I shoot him a quizzical look, and he flaps his arms in my general direction. “You’re not even trying, are you?”

“Trying what?”

He huffs. “I swear. You and Alek both. Completely unaware of how attractive you are.”

I avert my eyes. “I’m not…”

Finn waves a dismissive hand. “Oh, stop it with the modesty bullshit. Now, are you going to let me buy you a drink?”

My head whips up. “You want to buy me a drink?”

I like Finn, but I don’t like Finn. How do I let him down easily? Wait, is he asking me out or does he just want to get friendly drinks?

A steely, harsh voice interrupts my inner ramblings, and I squeak. “We’re not here to flirt with our coworkers, Mr. Parker.”

Finn giggles as I turn and come face-to-face with a very pissed off Alek. His jaw is clenched, his eyes hard as they bore into me. And I realize he must have walked up to us in time to catch the tail-end of that conversation and get the wrong impression.

“I’m not flirting with anybody,” I quickly deny. And for some reason, I really want him to believe me.

“I just heard you ask Finn to buy you a drink,” he drawls, clearly unimpressed.

“What? No!” I shoot Finn a help me look, but he cackles maniacally, saying something under his breath about “smoking hot tension” before giving some lame excuse and bounding away.

Traitor.

“It’s really not professional, Mr. Parker,” Alek continues .

Ugh. A ripple of annoyance makes itself known, and I frown. “I’m not flirting, and what’s with the Mr. Parker shit today?”

I can’t believe I’m talking to my boss this way. Why does he make me want to argue?

Alek scowls. “It’s your name.”

“You call everyone else by their first names,” I point out. “And you called me Luke the other day.” It was hot as fuck the first time he addressed me as Mr. Parker , but now it feels like he’s using it as a way to put space between us.

“Some of us are professionals. You could give it a try.”

I cross my arms. “Well, I don’t like it. I want you to call me Luke again.”

“Only if you stop flirting with my other employees.”

“Fine.”

Those sharp blue eyes run over my body in that assessing way of his that makes the tiny little hairs on my arms stand to attention, my pulse hitching as he flashes a triumphant grin before turning away.

Plucking my lip between my fingers, I study the vacant space, feeling dazed by our exchange before something occurs to me.

“But I wasn’t flirting!”