seem.
"I know, I'm sorry, sir. It was just that-"
"Excuses do nothing to accomplish your day's assignments, Miss Lane."
Swallowing my excuse, I nodded as I headed towards the assistant who had stood to greet me and show me to my desk.
"Asher," Theodore Harding's voice boomed, irritation teetering on the edge of his vocal cords.
" Dad ," Tattooed Ass responded, his voice matching Theodore's in disdain.
"What have I told you about business formal attire?"
My mouth dropped. Theodore Harding is that prick's dad? I thought in wonder. Then, for a split second, I wondered which would be worse: having Theodore as a father or Tattooed Ass-- Asher, as he'd called him--as a son. More like Asser, I snickered quietly to myself, while also enjoying the scolding he was receiving almost as much as I hated the one I'd just received. I flicked a glance behind me to eye the tense scene I was leaving behind.
Before I turned back to face where I was going, I caught Asher shrug nonchalantly. "Does my attire really make a difference when it comes to taking you your precious clients?"
My breath hitched. Something about the way he said 'taking' made it sound like he wasn't just gaining new clients for the company. It practically sounded sexual--enough so that it made electric fire flash inside me. It was a feeling I didn't often get with very many men. In fact, the last time I felt so turned on from just someone's tone was during my early college days. I savored his tone in my head for another second or two before shaking it out of my head along with any other charm I thought he had. Any attraction I had to him was crushed when I summoned the anger I felt towards him in the elevator.
I flicked another look behind me. Asher strode away from his father and into one of the glass-walled offices, clicking the lock in place behind him and drawing the curtains closed. As if he sensed me watching him, he turned and looked at me dead in the eye while continuing to close it. The corner of his lip turned on knowingly, and I quickly turned back around to face Theodore's assistant, Clara.
As I set my purse down on my desk and absently listened to Clara list off my duties for the day and the password for my computer, my mind continued to betray me with the information I discovered in the past ten minutes. I don't know what's worse... the fact that Asser is the CEO's son, the fact that he hit on me after I was a bitch to him, or the effect that he had on me. Either way, my time at Harding & Co certainly had an interesting start.
"Thank you," I responded warmly to Clara.
She smiled briefly. Shit, I think she knows I wasn't listening. "No problem. Just a word of caution: watch yourself around Asher Harding."
Confused, I swiveled in my chair to face her. "You mean Theodore Harding?" I pinched my brows together.
Clara shook her head. "No, I mean Asher. Mr. Harding only wants to make sure you're doing your job efficiently. Asher just transferred here from New York, and I heard that he's bad news." She leaned in and said in a hushed tone, "Not only has he been arrested twice but the second time he actually went to prison. "
Her eyes flickered to Asher's office and lingered there. I followed her gaze. He had pulled the curtains slightly open and was blatantly staring at us.
"And I don't wanna freak you out or anything, but in the week he's been here, I've never seen him watch someone the way he's been watching you since you guys walked in. Be careful."
Chapter 2
"Nat, are you even listening? Blake Slate is on line two," Clara whispered the reminder to me from her desk.
' Thank you' I mouthed to her. It's only been two months since my first day at Harding & Co, but some things were already established. I've established that Clara is an amazing person and loves ranting about work over a glass of Cabernet as much as I do. I've established that Asher takes every possible opportunity to prove that he really is an Ass...er.
A sexy pain in your ass, my mind
"I know, I'm sorry, sir. It was just that-"
"Excuses do nothing to accomplish your day's assignments, Miss Lane."
Swallowing my excuse, I nodded as I headed towards the assistant who had stood to greet me and show me to my desk.
"Asher," Theodore Harding's voice boomed, irritation teetering on the edge of his vocal cords.
" Dad ," Tattooed Ass responded, his voice matching Theodore's in disdain.
"What have I told you about business formal attire?"
My mouth dropped. Theodore Harding is that prick's dad? I thought in wonder. Then, for a split second, I wondered which would be worse: having Theodore as a father or Tattooed Ass-- Asher, as he'd called him--as a son. More like Asser, I snickered quietly to myself, while also enjoying the scolding he was receiving almost as much as I hated the one I'd just received. I flicked a glance behind me to eye the tense scene I was leaving behind.
Before I turned back to face where I was going, I caught Asher shrug nonchalantly. "Does my attire really make a difference when it comes to taking you your precious clients?"
My breath hitched. Something about the way he said 'taking' made it sound like he wasn't just gaining new clients for the company. It practically sounded sexual--enough so that it made electric fire flash inside me. It was a feeling I didn't often get with very many men. In fact, the last time I felt so turned on from just someone's tone was during my early college days. I savored his tone in my head for another second or two before shaking it out of my head along with any other charm I thought he had. Any attraction I had to him was crushed when I summoned the anger I felt towards him in the elevator.
I flicked another look behind me. Asher strode away from his father and into one of the glass-walled offices, clicking the lock in place behind him and drawing the curtains closed. As if he sensed me watching him, he turned and looked at me dead in the eye while continuing to close it. The corner of his lip turned on knowingly, and I quickly turned back around to face Theodore's assistant, Clara.
As I set my purse down on my desk and absently listened to Clara list off my duties for the day and the password for my computer, my mind continued to betray me with the information I discovered in the past ten minutes. I don't know what's worse... the fact that Asser is the CEO's son, the fact that he hit on me after I was a bitch to him, or the effect that he had on me. Either way, my time at Harding & Co certainly had an interesting start.
"Thank you," I responded warmly to Clara.
She smiled briefly. Shit, I think she knows I wasn't listening. "No problem. Just a word of caution: watch yourself around Asher Harding."
Confused, I swiveled in my chair to face her. "You mean Theodore Harding?" I pinched my brows together.
Clara shook her head. "No, I mean Asher. Mr. Harding only wants to make sure you're doing your job efficiently. Asher just transferred here from New York, and I heard that he's bad news." She leaned in and said in a hushed tone, "Not only has he been arrested twice but the second time he actually went to prison. "
Her eyes flickered to Asher's office and lingered there. I followed her gaze. He had pulled the curtains slightly open and was blatantly staring at us.
"And I don't wanna freak you out or anything, but in the week he's been here, I've never seen him watch someone the way he's been watching you since you guys walked in. Be careful."
Chapter 2
"Nat, are you even listening? Blake Slate is on line two," Clara whispered the reminder to me from her desk.
' Thank you' I mouthed to her. It's only been two months since my first day at Harding & Co, but some things were already established. I've established that Clara is an amazing person and loves ranting about work over a glass of Cabernet as much as I do. I've established that Asher takes every possible opportunity to prove that he really is an Ass...er.
A sexy pain in your ass, my mind
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