Bought by the Ruthless CEO

Chapter 10: THE NAVY DRESS

I had 18 minutes.

I ran like someone was chasing me. Up the stairs, marble still cold under my bare feet.

Hoodie off. I threw it on the floor. Brushed my hair fast, brushed my teeth, took my shower with cold water.

My closet was full of dresses I never asked for. Red, black, tight, silk. All with price tags I was scared to check. All his taste.

But in the middle, the navy dress. Long sleeves. High neck. Covering everything. The one he told me to wear.

I put it on. It fit like he knew my body better than I do. Like he measured me while I was sleeping with my mouth open.

I checked mirror. No more hoodie girl. No more shorts girl.

I looked like a woman who could sit next to a CEO and not feel small.

Lip gloss. Small earrings. Mom's black heel still on my bed where I dropped it. I didn't know what it meant, that he kept it on his dining table all night.

17 minutes, 40 seconds. I ran downstairs.

Martha was in the kitchen doorway, wiping her hands with a small towel. When she saw me, her hands stopped.

"Oh," she said softly. "Miss Lisa... you look very nice. Very nice today."

"Is it too much? Is it tight? Be honest, Martha."

"No, dear. It is perfect. Sir will... the dress is perfect for meeting."

My heart beat fast. "Where is he?"

"Dining room, Miss. Still there. Since morning."

I walked to the dining room, heels clicking loud on black marble. Not barefoot anymore. Not silent anymore.

He was still at the head of the table. Same suit. Same perfect tie. Laptop open. Two coffee cups, one empty, one cold with skin on top. File with my name — REYES — still there.

He was on phone, CEO voice low and cold.

"I told you, Julian. She is not available for your yacht. She is not available for anything. Find another girl..."

Then he looked up.

He stopped talking mid-sentence.

His eyes started at my hair, done now, down to my neck, covered by high neck, down to long sleeves, down to knees covered, down to heels.

Three full seconds of silence.

From the phone, Julian's voice was loud: "Aaron? Aaron? Are you there? Did you hang up on me?"

Aaron slowly brought the phone down from his ear. He ended the call without saying goodbye. He just stared at me.

"Turn around," he said. Quietly.

"What? Why?"

"Turn around, Lisa."

I frowned but I turned, slowly. I felt silly turning like model.

I heard his chair scrape. Steps behind me. Slow. His cologne, cold coffee smell again.

Then warm fingers on my back.

"You missed your zip," he whispered, close to my ear. "By one inch."

His fingers pulled the zip up, slow. His knuckle touched my skin for half a second. Just half a second, but my whole body shivered inside navy dress. My knees almost gave up.

"There," he said. But his hand didn't leave fast. It stayed one second too long.

I turned back, breathing fast, face hot.

"Is it okay? For meeting?" My voice was small now. Not shouting like before.

He looked away, jaw tight, like he was angry at himself.

"It's appropriate," he said. Business voice back. "Rule Six. You obey wardrobe for business."

"Liar," I said before I could stop myself. "You like it. I saw your face."

His eyes snapped back to me. Dark. Dangerous CEO eyes.

"You have 45 seconds left," he said, checking his Patek watch. "18 minutes, you are early. Good."

Good. He called me good. My stomach did flip.

"Now new plan," he said fast, closing laptop. "You are not serving coffee."

"But you said I will serve coffee and smile and not talk—"

"I changed my mind."

"Why?"

"Because Julian is already in the building. Downstairs, second floor, conference room. Ten men. Investors from Dubai. He texted me about you. He found your f*******:. Your i********:. You in that grey hoodie and shorts, I told you ."

"So?"

"So he looks at beautiful girls like they are free food. Like buffet."

I crossed my arms. "I am free. I am single. Your contract says don't fall in love with YOU. It doesn't say I can't date other men."

His face changed. Cold back.

"Rule Ten," he said.

"There is no Rule Ten! Yesterday you said Rule Nine was final!"

"There is now. I make rules, you follow. That's the contract you signed to save your father."

That hurt. He always knows where to press to hurt.

"Rule Ten: When we are with other men, you stay close to me. Two steps max. You only look at me. If any man talks to you, you say 'You have to ask Mr. Cross.' Do you understand?"

"That's possessive! That's crazy!"

"That's 365 days, Miss Reyes."

Before I could shout back, we heard it.

Elevator ding. Downstairs. But not supposed to ding. Meeting was downstairs, second floor. Why elevator came to penthouse?

Martha appeared quickly at dining room door, nervous.

"Sir... Miss... sorry, Sir, the food... do you and guests want to eat before meeting or after? I made small —"

"Martha, not now," he said, not unkind, but firm. "Guests are downstairs."

"But Sir, one guest is not downstairs. One guest came up. Mr. Julian. He said he wanted to use restroom upstairs and..."

Her eyes went wide behind us.

We turned.

Julian was standing at the entrance of the dining room. No suit jacket. White shirt sleeves rolled up. Tall, handsome in a different way from Aaron — more smile, more teeth, more player. Hair slightly messy on purpose.

He was not supposed to be upstairs. He was supposed to be downstairs waiting.

But he was here, and his eyes were only on me.

"Well, well," he said, slow smile spreading. "So we met again Lisa. Aaron's secret."

Aaron stepped in front of me immediately. One step. Blocking me half.

"Julian. You are supposed to be downstairs. Conference room is second floor, not penthouse."

"I got lost," Julian lied smoothly, eyes still trying to see me behind Aaron. "And wow, I am happy I got lost. Aaron, why are you hiding such a beauty from me? He paused and looked at me from head to toe and back to my face. Navy dress? Good choice. She looks... expensive."

His eyes went down my dress, slow, admiring.

My face went hot. I wanted to hide behind Aaron completely.

"She is not for admiring," Aaron said, voice ice, low. "She is my... she works for me. 365 days contract. She is not available."

"Everything is available for right price, Aaron. You taught me that." Julian laughed, then looked at me directly over Aaron's shoulder. "Hi, Lisa. Remember me , Julian. I saw your photo in hoodie, you looked cute, but wow... in dress you look..."

"Two steps max, Lisa," Aaron whispered to me without turning, hand behind him finding my wrist, pulling me close to his back.

I stayed.

Julian saw the hand on wrist. His smile faded small.

"Possessive much, Cross? Since when you get possessive over staff?"

"Since staff became family responsibility," Aaron said flatly. "Meeting starts in 10 minutes. Downstairs. We will be there."

Julian finally looked at Aaron fully, understanding something. He smirked.

"Okay, okay. I will wait downstairs. But Lisa... save me a seat next to you. If your boss allows."

He winked at me and turned, walking away, elevator ding again.

Silence.

Aaron's hand was still on my wrist. Tight. Warm. Not letting go.

"You see?" he said quietly, not turning to me yet. "That is why you don't wear shorts in this house. That is why Rule Ten exists."

"He is your friend and he acts like that?"

"He is not my friend. He is my business partner. And he looks at every beautiful girl like she is free."

He finally turned to me, eyes dark, looking at navy dress again like it was problem.

"You stayed two steps," he said softly.

"You pulled me."

"You stayed."

My heart beating loud again. His hand on wrist, navy dress perfect, and now Julian downstairs waiting to admire me.

And Rule Four was officially broken already in my head, even if I didn't say it out loud.

Martha's voice came small from kitchen: "Sir... so food before or after meeting?"

Aaron didn't look away from me.

"After," he said. "We will eat after. All of us, Do you understand?."

“I’m sorry sir, I thought i hadn’t asked yet”.

Us. He said us.