CARLY
“Hey, hon. Can you bring me spring water?” Mr. Green came to the CEO’s office. He was one of the financial analysts at Langston Realty Group.
They had a brief meeting regarding economic inflation. Businesses all over the world were affected, and those less fortunate were suffering while rich people were getting richer.
Rome wanted to maintain property prices even if the materials were rapidly increasing. And substandard was not an option.
“Of course.” I smiled politely. I was about to turn when Rome called my name.
“Storm,” he called me again.
“Yes, sir?” It was weird to call him sir, but this was what I wanted. I needed a job. I wanted him, but whatever relationship we had, I had no guarantee I could find another executive assistant work if I resigned.
“Go see Jess. Tell him you’re gonna wait until my suit is ready.” Suit? He wants me to wait for his suit to be done.
“Let me call him first, sir.” My brows met together while waiting for his reply, but that didn’t come. “I’ll go get Mr. Green water. And then pick up your suit, Mr. Langston.”
“Spring water,” Mr. Green corrected me. What’s with him and his freaking spring water?
I kept my stare straight at him, and he was staring back at me, his jaw clenched, waiting for me to do his order.
“Go, Storm. My driver is waiting. I can take it from here.”
Without a word, I turned on my heels and walked out of his office. I grabbed my bag and called Zee.
“Miss Storm?”
“Zee, your boss asked me to take his suit at Jess. If it’s not finished, I will stay there like a freaking lost puppy waiting for someone to adopt me.”
He chuckled. “The car is ready.”
I hung up the phone and entered the elevator.
He just ordered me to waste my time when I could do a simple task by bringing the stupid spring water. Why do people are such a pain in their asses?
I knew this would happen, Rome gave me special treatment at work, and I didn’t like it. I knew we agreed on spending time on weekends, but he should let me do my job without him interrupting and controlling my work.
“Thank you, Zee.” I got in the car.
“Are you okay?”
“Honestly, no.”
“You have to get used to him. He did that most of the time, saving people’s asses, doing favors, and providing for the people he cares about, and you are no exception. He likes to be hands-on.”
“I don’t like someone saving my butt. If I can protect my honor, just alright.”
“Talk to him.”
“He is my boss. I can’t complain.”
“And your boyfriend.”
I froze in my seat. With an open mouth, I slowly met his gaze through the rearview.
He smiled, shaking his head. “It’s my job to keep him safe, and I knew everyone close to him, their relationships, whom he met, where he goes. But don’t worry, keeping my mouth shut is also a part of my job.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“You and he are dating? Not the exact words, but I can catch up.”
“We’re not exactly-”
“Dating? Because he’s your boss, and the policy may jeopardize your job? He may always do things by the book, but when it comes to the people he cares about, he will climb mountains for them.”
“It’s getting complicated.” That was all I could say as I stared out the window.
“It’s not that complicated.”
“So, how are you and Heera?” I decided to change the subject.
“We’re not discussing it.” He chuckled.
I checked my phone when it chimed. It was a message from him.
ROME: Be there in a few.
I slipped it back into my bag when I felt my gut twist painfully. I really like him. I enjoyed our time together, maybe a little too much.
Rome was fun, and he was not exactly what I saw in the office when he was with me. He was far from perfect and never tried to impress me. He was so free-spirited and generous and would bargain everything to make me say yes. He was also so different than any men I used to date. Why was I even comparing them?
He was just himself. That was what I loved about him. He could be bossy and persuasive but also sweet and thoughtful.
“We’re here,” Zee declared and went out to help me.
“Where are we?”
“The address he gave me to take you.”
I looked out. I realized Zee parked at the back of Mrs. Langston’s restaurant.
“Follow me.”
“I thought he wanted me to take his stupid suit.”
“He’s probably giving you an excuse to stay away from Mr. Green. Is he meeting him today?”
“Yeah, and may I ask why?”
“That old log likes younger women, and if he knows you two are dating, he may use it to get into you.”
I stopped in the hallway, holding Zee’s arm. “Wait a sec. And he thinks Mr. Green likes me? Is he frigging kidding me?”
He looked at me over his shoulder. “He’s not. Rome is an overprotective ass.” He chuckled. “Don’t tell him that. But it’s in our nature. Whether you like it or not, I will also protect you with my life, not because I’m his bodyguard, but because Rome is my friend, and I owe him my life.”
I released him. “Jeez. I feel safe already.”
“Oh, you’re about to meet the entire team.”
“The entire team?” I asked incredulously.
“Linden, Ryder, Wilder, Wollf, and even Beck. And the new guy, Cade.”
“Oh, my God. I don’t need them. I’m pretty sure no one will gonna hurt me.”
“Don’t underestimate your value.” Those words just gave me a shiver.
“Sit.” He offered me a chair. “He’ll be here in a minute.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be guarding his arse?”
He smiled down at me. “Someone is. Striker Cade. He’s a good guy. He’ll protect your boyfriend just like how I do.”
I cringed. “Will you please stop saying that? He didn’t even tell me we have that label.” Was this really what I wanted? A relationship with my boss? When the last time I broke a rule, I ended up in unimaginable humiliation. Now I was in the same loop, and people would start speculating and talking that could end my career and hurt Rome in the end.
“Well, isn’t it obvious? I’ll check on him.”
A minute later, he walked in with a new big guy with the same height and built as Zee. They talked for a few seconds that I couldn’t hear.
“Are you ready to order, ma’am?” I was interrupted by the staff.
“I’m still waiting for someone.” I was just saying, and now he was across my seat.
“Her someone has just arrived,” he said merrily, smiling brightly at me. “Hungry?”
“Angry.”
His smile faded quickly. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” I arched a brow.
“Leave us. We’ll order later,” he told the staff. When the waiter was gone, he tried to reach out to me.
“I don’t like what you did back there.” I didn’t move. “We agreed that nothing would change even if we slept together on the weekend.”
“Is that it? We are just sleeping together?” His mood changed. If I saw it right, he was angry. Or, for the lack of a better word, it was what I said that made him mad.
I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“I don’t, Storm. Do clarify.”
I blew a breath. “Look, I like you. I like spending time with you, but what we are doing, I can’t and won’t allow it to affect my job.”
“And saving you from Green is my job as your boss and boyfriend, and I’m not sorry for what I did.”
“So we are-” I didn’t even know what to say. Hearing it from him meant huge than from someone else. “I mean, we are now dating, like dating, dating?”
“Are you okay with just sleeping with me?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” I guessed I just pissed him off, as Americans would say.
“I said I don’t know.”
“You better figure it out, Storm.”
“It happened so fast-”
“And let me guess, you haven’t checked my offer.”
“I have not.” I swallowed hard. It was tempting to check it, but I wasn’t there yet.
He leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. He studied me like he was looking for the truth in my face. “What do you want, Carly? I will do it for you.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. “I like you.”
“Yeah. You kept saying that.”
“I guess I just didn’t know you wanted more than spending your weekend with me.”
“And now?”
“I don’t wanna be your damsel in distress.”
“As far as I know, you are the strongest woman I’ve ever met. You left the people who judged you to stand on your own. You live alone for the first time, even if you can’t even crack an egg. You stood for your best friend. You fight for your job. I think you are awesome, Storm. That’s why I like you. I saw not only your looks but also a woman of power, strength, and determination, and you are sweet and forgiving.”
I couldn’t look away. For a short period of time, he saw me. He understood me. How could I let a man like him go?
“Say something.”
“I’m-” I paused. For the first time, I was speechless.
“What is it that you’re so scared about?”
I reached out for his hand and cleared my throat. “Failure, it’s because I have many in my life. And I hate hurting someone I care about. Disappointment- God, I can’t see another look on their faces. And I can’t afford to hear another I told you so.”
“You would never hear that from me.” He paused as if he was going to say something he wasn’t used to saying it. “I will let you do your job alone. But you can’t stop me from protecting you and, once in a while, looking at you as if I want you to be my dessert.”
I broke into a smile. “Once and a while?”
“Fine.” He was still glaring. “All the time.”
God, I hoped I was not going to regret this. “You’re awesome, too, Rome Langston.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“By the way, I told my friends we’re dating.”
“You what now?” I took the menu he offered.
“They knew before I even opened my mouth. They said I was shining and shimmering when I walked in.”
“They couldn’t just say you were glowing?” I tried hard not to laugh out loud.
“They wanted to annoy me.”
“So, where are you taking me on our date?”
“It’s a surprise. Wear something comfy.”