Page 9 of Under Your Scars

Judging by his tone, he’s clearly on the warpath. I take a deep breath and brace myself as he stomps towards me from his office. I turn slowly in my chair and force a smile. “Yes, Mr. Hayden?”

“Where the hell have you been?” he shouts, his tone already drawing the attention of curious eyes across the office. His nostrils are flaring, and he points a crooked finger at me. “I’ve been trying to call you all weekend! I had court this morning and needed you to file an order before I got there. Where the fuck have you been, Eliza?”

“Elena,” I correct. He hardly ever gets my name right. It’s not even a complicated name, he just likes to get under my skin. “I’m sorry…I broke my phone on Friday night and I haven’t—”

“I’m getting real sick of your excuses,Elena.You know what? It’s not working out for you here. Pack your things and leave. See HR on your way out.”

My heart sinks to the floor. “What?” I ask with a quiver in my voice. “Please,” I start begging. “I really need this job. I’m sorry about this weekend. I’ll get a new phone and–”

“This is not a negotiation.”

I look at his stern face for another moment before I sigh a breath of defeat. I don’t keep many personal belongings at my desk—just a few of my favorite gel pens and a framed photo of my dad and I at my college graduation. I shove it all into my purse and stand up, blinking away a stray tear to try and maintain some dignity while I leave.

When I turn to make a break for the elevator, I run face first into an Armani suit and a cloud ofabsolutely divinecologne. Large, warm hands hold me steady by my upper arms when I lose my footing and nearly fall over.

I gasp. “I’m sorry!” I crane my neck to look up at the man holding me. My lungs seize up. I feel as though I’ve just been punched in the stomach.

Christian Reeves is standing before me in a well-tailored gray suit and a black turtleneck.

TheChristian Reeves, as in, the man who owns Meridian City and whose name is plastered on the side of the building I’m standing in.

TheChristian Reeves as in, the CEO.

TheChristian Reeves as in, the richest man on the goddamn planet.

I swallow the lump in my throat and all I want to do is sink seamlessly into the floor and perish.He gives me a dazzling, perfectly straight, bright white smile, and says, “It was my fault.”

His voice slices through my resolve like butter. I can’t help the blush that rises to my face. He’s not just handsome. He’s stunning. Godlike. His jawline could cut diamonds. Waves of dark brown hair frame his face in a ‘I styled my hair but don’t want to look like it’ sort of way. He’s clean shaven and his eyes are such a pretty shade of blue the ocean would be jealous. His whole demeanor screams wealth. The grin on his face oozes confidence. He’s tall. A full foot taller than me and then some, and he’s so broad I’m not sure how he can fit through a door frame.

He smiles at me warmly and patiently waits for me to stop ogling him. All the while, Neil Hayden is witnessing this extremely awkward interaction. My eyes go down to Christian’s chest and blow wide when I see that I ran into him so hard I left smudges of my makeup on the lapel of his expensive suit. His eyes go down to his chest too, and he stifles a chuckle and wipes the makeup away with his thumb. I realize one of his hands is still firmly on my arm and I subtly wiggle out of his grip.

Christian glances at the bouquet on my desk and nods towards it. “Pretty flowers...” He rubs a finger over the acrylic nameplate next to the vase. “Elena.”

Holy shit. Holy fuck.

The way this man just said my name was pure sex. I take one small step backwards to try and relieve some of the tension that’s pooling between my legs.

What I wouldn’t give to have him say my name like that again. Like it’s the prettiest sound in the world. Like it’s coated in sugar and dripping with honey, and he’s got a massive sweet tooth.

I blink and look at the flowers, cotton mouth stealing my ability to speak. “Thank you.”

Christian looks at my purse hanging off my shoulder. His brow arches.“Surely you’re not already leaving the office? It’s nine AM on a Monday.”

“I’m…I’m…no longer employed.” My face heats up at the admission. Christian Reeves has more important things to worry about than an entry-level employee, but it’s still embarrassing to admit that I just got fired to the CEO.

“She was just on her way out,” Neil interjects, pulling Christian’s intense eyes away from me and I almost thank him for it, because I can finally breathe again. “Weren’t you?”

I nod. “Yes, sir.”

I move to leave, but Christian steps in my path. I look up at him and my brow knots, because I really can’t tell what he’s thinking based on his expression. “I think the three of us should take this discussion to your office, Mr. Hayden,” he says to Neil, though his eyes are fixated on me.

“The three of us?” Neil asks with an eyebrow raised.

“I don’t believe I stuttered,” Christian says, giving him a threatening glare that has Neil shrinking in his shoes. Neil leads the three of us to his office, and in a gentlemanly fashion, Christian holds the door open for me.

I really wish the building would catch on fire or Godzilla would attack. Anything to get me out of this. I pray silently for an act of God to save me. Neil takes a seat at his desk, and Christian sits down in a low back leather chair across from him. I stand awkwardly in the corner of the room, and Christian turns in his seat to flash me that billion-dollar smile.

“Come sit,” he commands, pointing to the chair next to him, still smiling. My legs feel like jelly, but I take a shaky breath and slowly sit down in the matching chair next to him. I’m so out of place right now. An entry level nobody, with the boss that just fired me and the CEO who has more dollars to his net worth than there are stars in the galaxy.