Page 2 of The Dragon in the Corner Office (Monstrous New York #1)
Chapter 2
A few days later, I ease into my new office chair, spinning to face the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sun has barely risen, casting a fiery red glow on the world. Sighing, I soak in the picturesque scene before me. Beams of light shattering around the skyscrapers of the city, creating a kaleidoscope of colors along the miles of glass.
This is my favorite time of day. Everything is fresh and new. Opportunities around every corner, ripe for the plucking.
The office is quiet and calm; it’s perfect, really. I find I get my best thinking done first thing in the morning, so I always get here around six o’clock.
Seems my luck has run out today. An incessant clacking comes from my right, followed by the tapping of a pen on the desktop. My blood boils, whooshing through my ears, nearly drowning out the sounds of my new office mate.
It would seem Cyrus also gets his best thinking done early in the morning.
Lucky me .
Swiveling in my chair, I brace my elbows on my desk and glare at him. Stupid blonde hair and immaculately fitted navy suit. Even his fucking tie is perfectly straight and color-coordinated to his pale-burgundy dress shirt.
Our L-shaped desks are on opposite sides of the office; one in each corner along the windows. From my vantage point, I have the perfect view of his profile as he faces his computer monitor.
“Must you be so loud, Mr. Wilcox? Some of us are trying to work.”
Feet braced on the floor, he spins his chair until our eyes lock. Icy blue meeting luminous gold. Like two cowboys facing off in a duel at high noon, the heavy weight of our stares is electric as they hang in the air. “I’m sorry if I’ve disrupted your flawless routine, Ms. Bauer. I, too, was impacted by this god-awful merger. Or did you forget?”
I shrug, not dignifying his mocking tone with a verbal response, but he forges on. “Might I suggest we form a truce for the time being and make the best of an abysmal situation?” One thick eyebrow rises in question .
I huff. “Whatever. Please keep your noises to a minimum and stay on your side of the office.”
“Good.” With a harsh nod, he turns back toward his computer, totally ignoring my request and clicking the end of his damn pen like he’s starting a fire.
Before I can open my mouth to further berate him, Pen saunters into the office, a steaming mug of tea in her hand.
Sighing, I take the mug from her hands. “Thank you, Pen. What would I do without you?”
Bringing it to my lips, my breath ripples across the dark-brown surface as I cool the tea before taking a sip. The warm liquid slides down my throat, calming my frazzled temper. Lavender chamomile always does the trick.
She returns my smile with one of her own, perching her butt on the corner of my desk. Notebook and pen in hand, she’s ready for our morning check-in.
Like me, Penelope Martin is an early bird, always ready to grab the metaphorical worm by its balls. We’ve made an excellent team for five years now. “For one”—she lowers her voice—“you’d murder that poor man or accidentally burn the entire building down.”
Clutching at my pearl necklace, I gasp. “Well, I never.”
One corner of her mouth hitches up, an adorable dimple popping into place. Pen is in her late-twenties. I took a chance on her, fresh out of business school, and not a day goes by that I regret my decision. As a centuries old dragon shifter, jaded by a lonely life, I need someone bubbly and optimistic like her to keep me sane. “You know you would.”
“Fine,” I relent with a subtle eye roll, but my lips tip into a small smile, making her chuckle. “What’s on the schedule for today?”
At that moment, a shadow lingers over me, blocking the bright rays of sun streaming through the window behind me. “Yes, Miss Martin, what is on our schedule today?” His deep voice at my back has lava flowing through my veins. If I look in a mirror right now, my golden eyes will glow even brighter than usual with my hackles up.
“Mr. Wilcox, don’t you have your own work to prioritize?” I grit out through clenched teeth. “Simply because we have to share this glass cage does not mean we have to actually work together. You stay on your side. I’ll stay on mine.” For dramatic effect, I point from his side of the office to mine.
He has the audacity to place his big mitts on the back of my chair and spin me until I’m caught in his icy gaze.
Leaning a palm on each arm of my chair, he cages me in, looming above me like he’s the natural-born predator—not me. He’s so close, his minty breath and masculine scent invade my senses, making my head spin. “No can do, princess. The big boss was very clear about us working together . In fact, I have a lead on a new property we can check out today. ”
Straightening, he glances over my head at Pen, whose mouth is gaping open like a fish out of water.
This insufferable man is trying to assert his dominance in my fucking office. That’s not going to fly!
“Actually,” I say, pushing to a stand, and coming nose to nose with Cyrus. I don’t blink under the intensity of his stare. Someone needs to teach him who’s in charge here— me . “Penelope and I already have an appointment regarding a very lucrative property on the outskirts of the city. We’re due there at eight this morning. You’re more than welcome to join us and watch how a real expert closes a sale.” Turning on my red-bottomed heels, my shoulder-length black hair smacks him in the face as I shove past.
I’m not sure where I’m going, just that I need to be away from Cyrus. His spicy cologne fills my nose, causing an unwanted tingling in my core.
Without a backward glance, my stilettos click on the tile floor as I stomp out of the office, Pen hot on my heels, the glass door snicking shut behind her.