6. Mila

I've stopped breathing. Every painfully aware moment that passes by while we stare each other down, causes my lungs to burn. Seeing Damien this way, is surreal. I feel hysterical laughter trying to escape my throat, but I clamp my mouth shut. Damien's eyes are a dark, unwavering swirl of authority as he regards me closely. I almost think he's not going to say something but just when I go to turn away, he speaks.

"I'm assuming you've enjoyed that."

The cockiness in his tone makes me fume. I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest, appearing unimpressed by him and shrug.

"I've seen better," I reply. He scoffs and shoves his hands into his jean pockets.

"Where," He challenges, while quirking his brow, scanning his eyes along my face to see if I'm being serious. I'm not telling the truth, but he doesn't need to know that. I blurt the first comeback I can think of that doesn't see totally ludicrous.

"You haven't heard of the place, I'm sure."

He snickers, bites his bottom lip and shakes his head. I hope he doesn't notice the way my eyes slide down his sweat glistened chest. The mischievous gleam in them when I make eye contact with him again confirms he noticed.

"What are you doing here?" He glances around with a look that clearly implies I'm 'out of place.' It pisses me off.

"Hm, well I'm actually accompanying someone."

He looks surprised. He glances around the room, waiting for me to point someone out like I owe him an explanation.

"I assume this won't get in the way of your job responsibilities," he states. I know he's just trying to be an asshole. Kass told me he would be difficult. I bat my eyelashes mock innocently and offer him a smile.

"Of course not, Sir. I have no problem keeping things professional at work."

"I'll be the judge of that," He replies, and offers me a quick nod, while grinning like the asshole he is and leaving me there with my blood boiling. He really knows how to push buttons.

I search for Ken who's lost himself amongst the crowd. I wish he hadn't brought me here. I find him eyeing a woman casting him yearning eyes towards the front of the room. When she sees me she doesn't look pleased.

"Ken," I address and tap his arm. He sets his eyes on me and offers me a curious gaze.

"So, what do you think, Mila?"

I shake my head.

"I- I really just want to go," I reply. He firms his lips and nods.

"Of course, I wasn't trying to make you uncomfortable. Everyone's views on sexuality tend to be so pessimistic. I think if nature didn't want us to indulge – it wouldn't be an option."

A bubbling fit of laughter surprisingly springs from my lips. He's the strangest older man I've ever met. He offers me his arm, and I slip mine through his, following alongside him as we go towards the exit.

I can't help my eyes as I scan people searching for Damien again.

I ignore the disappointment in my gut when my eyes come up empty.

***

Professional.

The word is a repetitive chant in my mind – Professional. Simple. Controlled. Professional.

That's all I have to be. It's exactly the opposite he expects from me but I'm not going to give him the satisfaction.

With a deep, calming breath, I strut into the office, with as much confidence as I can muster up after my crappy day yesterday and greet a few of the staff passing by with a smile. I set my bag and coat down at my desk, and hurry quickly with a piping hot cup of coffee in my hand to Damien's office.

I knock and wait for him to direct me to come in and enter. I'm surprised when I see Kassandra and another woman I'm unfamiliar with. Kass widens her eyes quickly, before giving me a small smile. Damien's eyes gleam with the humor of our little secret. The lazy search my face, lingering uncomfortably long on my lips – which I realize I'm biting – before he claps his hands together enthusiastically and waves me over.

"Miss Wright – just the assistant I was looking for. This is Mrs. Holloway." He introduces us. Mrs. Holloway is an older woman – maybe mid-forties – who's thin with silver hair, and a warm smile. She appears genuine when she offers me her hand, which I take and return her smile.

"Please, call me Mila," I reply after we've finished our handshake. I place Damien's coffee on his desk and turn with a bright, unwavering smile towards him as he continues.

"She's one of our biggest accounts – "Mrs. Holloway steps in and explains with a boiling expression.

"My husband's Clifford Holloway."

I try not to appear confused, but thankfully Kass swoops in and saves me.

"The CEO of Holloway enterprises, the medical delivery service."

"Ah," I respond knowingly. Pharmacy crap. I nod understandingly.

"I helped the bastard build that company, and you know what I get? Cheated on, with his secretary..." She sighs and crosses her arms over her chest. "We paid for that little bitches nose job too... they can both go rot in hell." I know the feeling. My mind drifts back to Cole and I can feel the angry threatening to resurface. I have to shove it down, because there is a time and a place and right now was not the time.

"Oh, believe me, Cecilia. When we're finished he'll wish he was in hell," Damien says confidently. Cecilia takes a break from fuming to cast him a bewitched smile and bat her lashes. Although she's probably a decade from him, he still manages to make her swoon.

"I'll be holding you to your word, Mr. Sinclair."

"As you should." He chuckles before his eyes avert to me again. He quirks a brow at my face. I unfurrow my brows and finally address him again.

"Yes, Sir?"

"I've emailed you Mrs. Holloways contract and a few of our other clients. I want you to prepare the conference room and please read through the contracts to make sure they are up to par."

"Of course, Sir."

"Cancel my lunch with Raina."

"Certainly." I nod slowly. "Is there anything else, Sir."

"That'll be all."

He reaches for his coffee and brings it to his lips, before darting his tongue out to taste the bit that's around the rim. I catch myself staring and shake my head before muttering a quick bye and casually walking back to my desk like I didn't just drool over his tongue. I mean, he's attractive, but that's not enough to drive me wild. There has to be more – suave, and something else.

Control.

The word makes me shiver in my chair. There's something about a man with control. One who owns the room and himself. A man like that would never be anything remotely close to the coward that is Cole. He isn't controlled. That's why he stuck his dick in so many things when we were together.

Kassandra stops by my desk a few minutes later on her way to her office.

"Hey, how you been holding up?"

"F-fine," I stutter quickly thinking she's addressing my slight fascination with Damien.

"Good. I was worried this would hit too close to home for you, what with Cole and all his cheating bullshit, but I know you're strong enough to remain professional."

My mouth forms an O as I correct myself, and nod quickly.

"Yes, I'm fine. It'll be nice to see a cheating bastard get justice is all." Kassandra agrees.

"You free to do lunch today?" I tilt my head while looking at her. She sighs and waves her hand dramatically as she begins to bitch.

"I wish, but I really have to watch Damien with this one. He knows sleeping with clients is a conflict of interest and he won't be able to represent her, but I'm sure he'll find a way to give into his idiotic primal urges and fuck everything up. I don't know what it is about woman, but when they're around him – they really become the lesser species."

I chuckle, but deep down inside I'm fucking mortified. Especially after being so vulnerable from my break up, maybe Damien isn't the right person to be around. God, I hate how pathetic I sound. I'm usually more reserved with my emotions. I fucking hate men sometimes.

"Woah, Mila, are you okay?"

I lift my hands from the desk, and cringe at the small scratches I've left in the wood.

"Fuck," I mutter. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a Cole thing. I'll be fine. You go. I've got this. I can handle Damien just, so you know."

"Good. He needs someone to tame him," She states. I think she's joking but she sounds serious.

I open my email and download the forms he's talking about. One of the contracts is missing the name's of the client's. I hop up from my desk and scurry into his office. Mrs. Holloway is perched on his desk, drawn deeply into something he's saying when I enter.

"Sorry to bother you again, Mr. Sinclair, there's no name on one of the contracts and I'm just not sure which client it is for."

He apologizes to Cecilia before opening his laptop and searching through what I assume are his emails.

The loud blare of cats meowing fills the room, and I glance around confused. Cecilia apologizes and glances at the phone beside her on Damien's desk.

"I have to take this, if you'll excuse me."

Damien nods. Cecilia prances out of the room quickly with her phone firmly to her ear and leaves us alone. It's the first time we've been alone together since the club incident and the tension just builds in the air so quickly, I'm afraid I'll choke on it.

"I've emailed you the revised contract with the appropriate name."

"Thank you. I'm sorry to interrupt you."

"Are you?"

"Yes," I say with uncertainty. His sarcastic tone catches me off guard. I stand with my hands clasp, hiding the anxiousness I'm feeling. This is the same man I watched fuck someone on a stage. Publicly. I've seen his cock already and I've worked with him for not even a total twenty-four hours. I can't even disclose anything, no matter how badly I want to, to Kassandra because of the form I signed. She wants to know why Damien's so good with woman – I'll tell her. It's because he has extreme practice fucking them and enticing them.

He rises from his desk and takes graceful steps towards me.

"Thank you for the coffee, Mila."

"Of course, Sir." I blink away the fluttering feeling in my gut.

Another step closer.

"It's harder than it looks isn't it Mila?"

Another step.

I moisten my dry lips with my tongue and swallow the lump in my throat.

"I-is what hard?"

"Being professional."

I don't want to entertain the overwhelming sexual feelings I get staring at him, but I let myself slip for one measly second and really gaze at this man before me. He towers over me, all thick chiseled muscle in an expensive suit he bought himself with such an impressive company he built. His dark locks aren't perfectly quaffed but slightly disheveled which compliments the rest of him. He's enticing. And there's no doubt he's in control, of everything in his life.

When that never ending second passes by, I yank myself out of a fantasy of penetration and nervously spin on my heel, deciding it's better to just ignore the question altogether than try and have a conversation with him about it.

I head for the door, only to take a wobbly step that sends my heel sideways and me with it. I know the hardwood floor is going to greet me. I'm more surprised when I feel his arms grab me and pull me back up into him, spinning me around when I've steadied.

My breathing is sporadic as a jolt of shock courses through me. Damien's face is serious as he examines me.

Both of our eyes meet before we look at each other's lips. His perfectly plump and delectable to kiss and nibble. Something I haven't done in a while because of Cole.

His eyes are moving quickly, darting between my mouth and eyes, and even as he moves a fraction forward, a word spills from my lips.

"No."

He frowns, confused. Not because it sounds like rejection. No. He snickers because he's realized exactly why I've said the word.

He doesn't seem surprised by my next words.

"It's not hard being professional."

I remove myself from his grasp, and step back. Proud of myself even though I've lied.

This is just another day Damien Sinclair hasn't claimed me.

I catch him grinning as I glance over my shoulder before leaving the room.

I'm not another easy conquest.

No.

His exciting realization of this is portrayed by the way he licks his bottom lip and bites it, watching my hips sway as I leave his office.