CHAPTER FOUR

PAYTON

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“Ah, Payton, here youare,” Alexandra says, and she sounds angry that I’m late.

Which is fair enough.

But I can’t find the words to apologize because my eyes are glued to the large and absolutely gorgeous businessman standing behind her.

Holy hell.

He’s so handsome it should be illegal. The tall, dark, handsome man is wearing sunglasses on his head and has steely blue eyes which are glaring at me.

Oh.

I probably should be concerned, but his big round shoulders and sexy square jaw with its dusting of dark hair are distracting and have created a visceral reaction within my body. My face is flaming and my nipples are hard.

Good lord, this is not good.

I stand and brush my hands over my black pants and cringe, knowing my coffee stain is front and center.

His eyes roam down my body unimpressed and yet he’s not unaffected by me.

“Payton, meet Knox Montgomery,” Alexandra says.

Oh, shit. This man is my client.

“Hi,” I say, unable to do much more than that.

“Hello, Payton.” His voice is deep and rich, and I feel every timbre at my core. Then his eyes drift down to my breasts.

Oh god. I glance down at the stain and die a little inside.

“Alexandra, can I please have a word?” Mr. Montgomery says, dragging his eyes from my top. “In private.”

“Of course.” She turns to me. “Find Karen and she’ll introduce you to the team.”

I feel my face fall along with my stomach.

Can today get any worse?

THE ANSWER TO thatquestion is yes. Karen is too busy to introduce me to everyone because she has a ‘project due’, so I ask her to show me where my desk is.

She helpfully points to a vacant desk across the room and I walk through the sea of faces feeling like Cersei doing the walk of shame in Game of Thrones.

For no good reason.

I was three minutes late. Three.

Everyone is acting like I showed up at lunchtime. Had I known the client was going to be here for a meeting, first thing I would have... well, set my alarm.

Okay, fine, it is my fault and I deserve some attitude. But Karen is a bitch.

“Hi,” a guy across from my desk says with a smirk.

I sit and set the laptop, pens, and notebook down, letting my bag fall to the floor.

“Hi.” I smile with apprehension.

“I’m Cody. I see you met Karen.” He shoots the evil witch a look across the office.

Music from a sound system plays some beats, filling the empty space so our conversation is somewhat private, but a handful of people smile.

I immediately get the feeling Karen is not well-liked.

Massive surprise.

“This place is quiet on a Monday, but it gets more fun than this, I promise,” Cody adds.

I snort before I can help myself and he laughs.

“Shit, sorry,” I mutter, closing my eyes and shaking my head. I start calculating how long it’s going to take me to pay off my student debt.

Seven lifetimes.

I really hope reincarnation isn’t a thing.

Coby leans forward, closing the gap across our desks. “Karen is a cunt. She wanted your job. Just ignore her. She’s Alexandra’s PA, so once you’re up and running, you barely have to deal with her.”

“Thank god.” I sigh and lean back in my chair.

“Well, except if we have cake, but if I was you, I’d check it for poisoning beforehand.” Cody sniggers.

I smile for the first time this morning.

He takes me around the office and introduces me. There are only around fifty people in the small team, so we’re soon heading back to our desks where I attempt to get logged in.

Cody’s mobile phone rings so he wanders into a meeting room to take the call. Roxanne, who sits beside him, leans around her monitor. “Are you connected?”

“I think so,” I say, wiggling my mouse. “Yup it’s working. Thank goodness.”

“Let me know if I can help. I knew Veronica for years—that’s your predecessor—so might be able to answer any questions. Also, call me Roxy.”

Everyone, except Karen-the-cunt, seems nice. It’s not as boisterous as the previous office I worked in, but Cody might be right about it being the Monday blues.

“Thank you. Any tips?” I ask, launching my mail app and watching hundreds of them load.

Jesus.

Knox Montgomery has sent me at least twelve this morning. I (was supposed to) start at eight, meaning he somehow found time to write and send twelve emails and get to the StoryCraft offices for a meeting.

Maybe billionaires really do start work at five.

I watched a video on YouTube once about that but didn’t believe them. Apparently, it’s true. Or he has insomnia.

I don’t know Knox Montgomery, but I did a little research on the company and their brands over the weekend. Not that I needed to do much. I know exactly who Verity Co. is. I adore their label.

“Tips? Well, being late is a pet peeve of Alexandra’s, so she will be tough on you now. And you’ll have seen the no fraternizing with clients clause in your contract,” Roxy says, then smirks. “Sucks to be you.”

I raise my brows, then realize what she’s talking about.

Knox Montgomery.

“Oh, yeah, he’s...” I don’t want to finish that sentence on the premise of what she just said.

“Hot. Smoking.” Roxy leans forward. “Totally fuckable.”

I chuckle silently.

“I’ll be admiring from afar. This job is important to me.”

Plus, I have no fantasies a man like him would be interested in me. He couldn’t have looked less interested. If anything, he looked unimpressed and unhappy with my appearance.

Which, yes, he has a point.

I grab a tissue and start dabbing at my coffee stain, like it’s going to make a difference.

It doesn’t.

I hate that I was so sexually attracted to a man when he was visibly almost disgusted by me. Not a great feeling.

I’ve been stewing, wondering what they’ve been talking about in there. Karen told me I was to join the meeting but never got invited inside.

Am I going to lose my job for being three minutes late?

God, please no.

“I don’t think he’d try anything. Veronica told us Knox Montgomery only sleeps with beautiful rich women. No offense.”

I laugh. “None taken. Look at me.”

We both take in my stained shirt as I pat down my frizzy hair and giggle.

I’m not surprised that he’s known for sleeping with gorgeous women. He’s young, rich, hot, and successful. That tracks completely.

Well, at least I can just get on with my job and enjoy the view.

Hopefully, he’s a nice client to work with and his annoyance at my lateness can be put behind us.