THE CEO'S FORBIDDEN DESIRE

Amelia Hart had three rules when it came to jobs. Never be late. Never argue with the boss. And never, under any circumstances, get emotionally involved with anyone at work. By eight forty-five on Monday morning, she had already broken one of them. She was late. Not five minutes late. Not ten. Twenty-three minutes late. “Please don't fire me,” Amelia whispered as she hurried through the revolving doors of Blackwood International. Her heels clicked rapidly against the polished marble floor. She clutched her handbag against her side while trying to balance a folder, her phone, and the cup of coffee she had foolishly believed she could carry without spilling. She was wrong. The coffee tilted. “Oh, no—” A small splash landed on the sleeve of her cream blouse. Amelia froze. She stared at the stain. Then at the elevator. Then back at the stain. “Perfect.” The receptionist glanced at her sympathetically. “First day?” Amelia gave her a tired smile. “Is it that obvious?” “A little.” Great. Exactly the impression she wanted to make. She wiped at the stain with a tissue before stepping into the elevator. The doors closed, and for a few seconds, she finally had silence. Her stomach twisted. Today wasn't just any first day. It was her first day as Executive Assistant to the CEO of Blackwood International. Damian Blackwood. Even the name seemed to carry weight. She had heard plenty about him during the interview process. Thirty-one. Billionaire. Founder and CEO. Known for turning struggling companies into profitable empires. Known even more for firing people without blinking. Her former supervisor had once described him as “the kind of man who can make an entire room nervous by simply walking into it.” Amelia had laughed when she'd heard that. She wasn't laughing now. The elevator reached the thirty-second floor. Ding. The doors opened. Amelia stepped out and immediately noticed how quiet the executive floor was. No phones ringing. No loud conversations. No hurried footsteps. Everything looked expensive, immaculate, and controlled. Just like the man who owned it. A woman sitting behind the reception desk looked up. “Ms. Hart?” “Yes.” “You're expected.” Amelia straightened. “Mr. Blackwood is in his office.” Of course he was. “Thank you.” She walked toward the enormous glass doors at the end of the hallway. Her heart beat faster with every step. She stopped outside. One breath. Then another. You're an adult. He's your boss. Go in, do your job, and leave. She knocked. “Come in.” The voice was deep and calm. Amelia opened the door. The first thing she noticed was the view. The second was the man standing in front of it. Damian Blackwood wore a perfectly tailored black suit, his back turned toward her as he looked over the city below. One hand rested casually in his trouser pocket. He didn't turn immediately. “You're late.” Amelia glanced at the clock. 8:49. She frowned. “I'm aware.” That got his attention. Damian slowly turned. His expression was unreadable. His eyes settled on her. Amelia suddenly understood what everyone had meant. There was something intimidating about him. Not because he was loud. He wasn't. Not because he looked angry. He didn't. It was the complete lack of visible emotion. His dark eyes studied her with the kind of focus that made Amelia feel as though he'd already noticed every mistake she'd made that morning. “You're Amelia Hart.” “Yes.” “Twenty-five.” “Yes.” “Graduated with honors. Three years of administrative experience. Excellent references.” Amelia blinked. “You've read my file.” “I read everything before hiring someone.” “That explains the warm welcome.” His eyebrow lifted slightly. For the first time, she thought she saw the smallest hint of amusement. It disappeared almost immediately. “You spilled coffee on your shirt.” Amelia looked down. “I noticed.” “And you're late.” “I noticed that too.” “Yet you're not apologizing.” She hesitated. “Would you like me to?” Damian stared at her. Amelia stared back. Silence stretched between them. Then, unexpectedly, Damian walked toward his desk. “No.” He sat down. “Sit.” Amelia took the chair opposite him. He opened a folder. “Your responsibilities are extensive. My schedule, meetings, travel arrangements, correspondence, confidential documents, and communication with senior executives.” “I understand.” “You'll also be expected to anticipate problems before they become problems.” “That shouldn't be difficult.” He looked up. “Confident.” “Prepared.” “There's a difference.” “I know.” Another pause. Damian leaned back. “You seem unusually comfortable talking to me.” Amelia shrugged. “You're my boss, Mr. Blackwood. Not a king.” Something changed in his expression. Not anger. Interest. “Most people don't speak to me that way.” “Most people probably have better survival instincts.” His mouth almost curved. Almost. Instead, he closed the folder. “You start today.” “I thought I already had.” “You haven't seen your schedule yet.” He pushed a tablet across the desk. Amelia picked it up. Her eyes widened. Meetings began at nine. There were eleven of them. Then lunch with three executives. Then a conference call with London. Then another meeting. Then dinner. She looked up slowly. “Do you ever sleep?” “Occasionally.” “When?” “When my schedule allows it.” “That doesn't sound healthy.” “I didn't hire you to manage my health.” “No. You hired me to manage your schedule.” “Exactly.” Amelia looked back at the tablet. “Then your schedule is terrible.” Damian went completely still. She realized what she'd said. “Sorry.” He waited. “I mean—” “You don't.” “What?” “You don't think it's terrible.” Amelia sighed. “Fine. I do.” “Why?” “Because half of these meetings could be emails.” For several seconds, Damian simply looked at her. Then he leaned forward. “Cancel the ones you think are unnecessary.” Amelia frowned. “You're serious?” “Completely.” “What if someone important is offended?” “Then they'll survive.” She smiled despite herself. “Okay.” “Anything else?” “Yes.” Damian waited. “You need lunch.” His expression hardened. “That isn't your concern.” “It becomes my concern when you're expected to sit through six hours of meetings and make decisions that affect thousands of employees.” “You've been here less than ten minutes.” “And I've already identified a problem.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “You're persistent.” “So I've been told.” “I can see why.” Amelia stood. “I'll organize your schedule.” “Ms. Hart.” She turned. “Yes?” “There's one more rule.” “What is it?” “Never enter my office without knocking.” Amelia glanced at the open door. “I knocked.” “Good.” “And you said come in.” “I did.” “So we're off to a great start.” She walked out before he could respond. The door closed behind her. Damian remained seated. For the first time that morning, he looked toward the door with something resembling curiosity. Amelia Hart was different. Most people walked into his office nervous. She had walked in irritated. Most people apologized when he challenged them. She challenged him back. And most importantly, she hadn't once mentioned his money. That alone made her unusual. He picked up her résumé again. His eyes moved over the page. Amelia Hart. He should have hired someone with more experience. Someone quieter. Someone easier to manage. Instead, he'd chosen her. He wasn't entirely sure why. Across the hallway, Amelia dropped into her new chair and let out a long breath. Her coworker, Sophie, leaned over from the neighboring desk. “So?” Amelia looked at her. “So what?” “What is he like?” Amelia glanced toward the closed office door. “Terrifying.” Sophie grinned. “Seriously?” “No.” Amelia picked up her tablet. “He's worse.” Sophie laughed. Amelia tried to focus on the schedule. She had no idea that by the end of the week, Damian Blackwood would become the one person she couldn't seem to stop thinking about. And Damian had no idea that the woman he'd hired to organize his life was about to disrupt it completely. Neither of them knew the truth waiting beneath the polished surface of Blackwood International. A truth involving their families. A truth that would make their growing connection far more dangerous than either of them could imagine. For now, though, they were simply boss and employee. And that was exactly how it was supposed to stay.