The CEO'S Secret

Chapter 2

Alex shoved away the documents he had been working on with a frustrated sigh. He couldn’t believe it. That was the third mistake he was making today and it wasn’t even noon yet. He prided himself on being a perfectionist and having the unique ability to focus on a single goal regardless of distractions, it was the secret formula to his growth. It is a puzzle to discover now that something else apart from work has consumed his thoughts.

He found his thoughts straying to the woman who made him laugh and insulted him in one breath yesterday. “Who is she?” Her carriage impressed him but most importantly, what had him hooked was her eyes. He couldn’t get past the fierceness she displayed in those brown eyes even in the face of danger. Emma. What was it about her that made it hard for him to concentrate, this was not the first time he had encountered a woman. So what made this one different? Briefly, he wondered if he should fire her then dismiss the thought sharply as it crossed his mind, she was a lot of fun to have around with.

“That’s it!” He reacted with a bang on the table, he rarely loses control like this. “What is wrong with him?” He couldn’t afford to let emotions sway and distract him like this. This partnership deal was one he had been chasing for months with a fashion brand, the final meeting is in two weeks. Securing this multi-billion dollar deal is a huge deal for Hudson Industries, he can’t afford to lose his head right now.

He placed an intercom call to his secretary.

“Anna?”

“Yes, boss.”

“Send in all the documents we have on Saint Laurent.”

“On it.”

A sharp knock announced her arrival, “Come in” he mumbled without looking up.

Long silence.

Looking up sharply, he almost grinned seeing who stood before him but caught himself in time.

“Get a grip on yourself, man, one would think it’s your first crush.”

“Emma, I presume?” His head tilted questioningly

A small nod from her.

“Well, can I help you?” He asked dismissively. It was a deliberate ploy to rattle her, he didn’t like the effect she was having on him.

He watched her breathe deeply as she thought of the words she could say. She wrung her hands nervously and he tried to imagine what she wanted to say that put her through such inner turmoil. He was a bit surprised because he had the impression that nothing fazed her, she would probably tackle all situations head-on with blazing eyes just like yesterday. Maybe some things are worth compromising for, especially the threat of losing your job. He would watch to see where this leads to, but he was willing to bet a thousand dollars that she would behave the same way she did yesterday before she left his office.

This should be fun.

He raised an eyebrow, waiting.

“You can start by shoving your arrogant air down your throat,” he imagined her thoughts.

“I apologize for my rudeness yesterday and I want you to know that’s not me. I’m usually very reasonable and calm.” She winced a bit at the last word, she was anything but calm and probably realized that using the word calm was too obvious a lie. He couldn’t believe this woman.

“I promise that such wouldn’t repeat itself.”

“I bet it will.” He responded dismissively, his eyes studying her face like a hawk. Her face had gone red, he watched her gaze fall on his desk and wondered idly if she planned to kick him under his impossibly large mahogany desk. That, he would pay to see. Goading her was easy enough, she had a clear and expressive face that betrayed every emotion she felt all at once. She would be a terrible chess player.

“Great then.” She said and turned to leave.

“I don’t remember dismissing you yet, have I?”

She paused, hand frozen on the door knob.

“I apologize again.”

He stood up, face an inscrutable mask. Alex liked the fact that he was getting under her skin, he wondered what it was costing her to appear this sweet, and he wanted to see how far he could go before she snapped again.

“Do you know me?”

“Pardon?”

“Do you know me?” He was closer now, standing above her. He crossed the threshold of propriety and invaded her space. She was struggling to breathe now.

“Mostly what I’ve heard.”

“And what have you heard?” He peered down so he could see the color of her eyes. They were such a bright warm shade of brown. What game was he playing? He wasn’t sure anymore. He liked the effect his closeness was having on her. Her heart was beating fast like a trapped bird and it was a struggle to maintain eye contact with him but she stubbornly refused to look away. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. He was impressed, very.

“You know. The usual.”

“Like,”

“Was he really fishing?”

“That you work late all the time and you’re always busy.”

“Is that all?”

“I’ve also heard about how you go through women like a used tissue and how no woman lasts longer than a week with you. I wonder how you sleep at night, it must be such a backbreaking labor to be the self-appointed commissioner of women's affairs.”

She immediately covered her mouth sharply, shocked by her words. Alex grinned triumphantly, amusement lighting up his eyes.

“Oh God,” She moaned

“Yes, you are not far off the mark Emma. I eat women for a living, literally and figuratively. His voice was soft and deadly. “But don’t be afraid, you’re safe. Let’s just say I have more exotic tastes.”

He shifted his gaze to hers and watched as she battled with anger, fear, and relief all at once. It was interesting, the way emotions flitted across her face according to how she felt. He had never met anyone with such a transparent face as hers. He wondered if she kept a lot of secrets.

“I keep my women and business separate. You’re a woman, Emma. Emotional manipulation and cheating are embedded in your DNA and you can’t change that. The best we can hope for is that you try to fight against thousand years of evolution when you’re with me. So, you see why no woman is worth any sympathy. That will be all, Miss Andrews.” He was walking back to his desk now and his cold impassive mask had fallen into place.

As she turned to open the door of his office, he said without looking back

“I heard you’re a talented designer, I want to see several sketches you’ve done before noon.” She appeared even more shocked and tried to say something but eventually settled on nodding. She quietly shut the door behind her.

“What is wrong with you, Alex?”

He didn’t understand how he lost control whenever it came to her. Picturing her panicked face when he went closer to her, he figured If roles were reversed he would be running away from him by now. That was close, too close. He would have to be more careful with his words. He couldn’t afford to spill all his secrets before he knew everything there was to know about her now. He had requested her file early this morning and consumed all the information on her. Yet he was still curious. He knew sparse enough details like her background but he wanted to know what made her tick.

Was she really as innocent as she appeared or it was all a cover? He knew enough about deception from women to write a book on it.

An hour later, she was back with her designs and he had to admit that she knew what she was doing. Alex was filled with a quiet surprise at her ideas. They were surprisingly good, like a breath of fresh air. She had an edgy street-like quality that she managed to capture in her designs giving them a uniquely chic and streetwise vibe. It was refreshing from the classics that Stefano regularly stuffed his face with time and again.

Studying her excited face, he reflected on their conversation in the morning. She had almost made him laugh again and this time because he fought to keep his face impassive. No one had ever told him what they thought of him with such refreshing honesty before. He supposed he should feel offended, she called him an asshole and a playboy between their first and second meeting. But he was amused, there were many layers to her that he wanted to unravel. There’s no good antagonizing her, she’s obviously not like the others and wouldn’t allow him bully her.

Scrutinizing her face closely again, he admitted that he lied. Her clothes did little or nothing to detract from her beauty. If the woman was on sack clothes, she would still turn heads. She had fierce eyes that would intimidate an average man, he was not an average man. Her shiny red hair, long finely crafted legs, and small lips easily made her a gorgeous woman without even trying.

He wondered if she was aware of her appeal. The woman oozed s*x appeal with those lips of hers that seems to be begging to be kissed and a smoky-eyed look like she just got out of bed. She was an annoying distraction he didn’t need at this point, he remembered his second lie. She was exactly his type with her voluptuous breasts, the type of woman he could never resist, and look at where that got him with his history. A broken--

He grounded his hands under his desk as he struggled to put to rest those dark tormenting memories struggling to be free.

“Are you okay, sir?” She was asking, her face a mask of concern.

He must look pretty bad for her voice to sound so alarmed.

“I’m fine.” He responded gruffly.

He returned his attention to her sketches again.

“Impressive.”

She c****d her head like she heard wrong and despite himself, he wanted to smile. She must have expected him to ride roughshod over her ideas and trash them. She seemed to be searching his face for the familiar glint of amusement she had come to expect and the almost smile at his lips to follow the words but none came. He deliberately kept his face an impassive mask, eyes dark and brooding.

“It’s still raw and will still go through some adjustments and finishing from Stefano but it is a very impressive idea. You have quite a lot of them in your little sketch pad, Miss Andrews.” There was a new look of respect in his eyes.

When she had confirmed that he wasn’t goading her, she finally smiled.

“Submit them to Stefano, I’ve attached a little note to it. He will know what to do with it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hudson. I’m glad you like it.” She responded breathlessly as she stood to leave. He tried to imagine Stefano’s reaction when she shows up with her designs bearing his approval, it would be so comical. The French man was very proud of his work and he always took suggestions as an affront to his standards. He was quite creative but sometimes stiff and unyielding with his new ideas. Emma would have her hands full with him but he trusted her to handle it well. He just couldn’t see her being bullied by Stefano, rather the Frenchman who was equally as stubborn would be the first to yield before agreeing to a compromise.