Seducing the Ice-Cold CEO

Chapter 12

Leah

I stared at my computer screen like I was solving the mysteries of the universe, but the truth was far less grand. My fingers hovered over the keyboard while my mind drifted to the memory of Dante standing in front of me, his eyes unreadable. I could still feel the ghost of his fingers under my chin and just remembering it made my skin warm.

God, why did Ashley have to be around? What would have happened if she wasn’t? Would he have kissed me? Would I have let him?

A shiver ran through me, and I bit my lip unconsciously. I was wasting precious brainpower thinking about this man when I had a report to finish, deadlines piling up and most importantly, I had to think up what the next step in my plan to get Dante was going to be. The next time we were alone, I couldn’t let it go to waste.

I was halfway through mentally mapping out all my options when May’s fingers snapped in front of my face. “Earth to Leah,” she sang, grinning. “You’re practically drooling. What’s going on in that dreamy little head of yours?”

I blinked and sat up straighter, startled as I was caught. My cheeks betrayed me with a slight blush, but I covered it quickly with a scoff. “The only dreamy thing about today will be finishing this damn report.”

May laughed and folded her arms, clearly not buying it. “Right. You can tell yourself that.”

“Okay, Miss Psychic, if you’re done reading my mind, I’d like to get back to—”

“Mr. Burke wants to see you,” she interrupted, wiggling her brows dramatically. “Probably wants to promote you to Assistant Editor-in-Chief after all the raving reviews your Dante piece has been getting.”

I rolled my eyes but felt a jolt of curiosity as I stood up and smoothed my skirt. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

Abandoning my report, I left the office and walked down the hall to his office, knocking twice before pushing the door open. Burke looked up from a stack of papers and smiled thinly when he saw me. That alone made me concerned; Burke didn’t smile very often.

“Sparrow,” he said, motioning for me to come in. “Perfect timing.”

I returned the smile as I stepped inside. “May said you wanted to see me?”

“Indeed.” He rifled through a few documents before plucking a manila folder off the desk and handing it to me. “You’re one of our best, Leah. I trust your judgment, and your instincts.”

Well that didn’t sound ominous at all. I opened the file and scanned it. It was a resume, but a sparse, unimpressive one. The applicant had very little experience, and no skills that stood out. My brows knit together as I flipped to the name: Ivy Fairchild. Her name alone solidified what I was beginning to suspect about her; she was a spoiled, rich kid.

Burke clasped his hands while I went through the file. “We’ve got a new batch of interns in. I want you to mentor this one. She’s green, but I believe she’s got potential. Give her some guidance, would you? Help her find her footing.”

I looked up, trying not to let the disbelief show on my face. “You want me to mentor her?”

“You’ll do great,” he said with an encouraging nod. “She’s lucky to be paired with someone like you.”

Great! Just what I needed! I barely had time to manage my own workload and my spiraling infatuation with a cold, gorgeous CEO and now I had to babysit a spoiled rich kid?

But I couldn’t say no, not with Burke looking so pleased with himself.

“Alright,” I said with a tight smile, holding Ivy Fairchild’s resume tighter than was necessary. “I’ll do my best.”

Back at my desk, May took one look at my face and winced. “Yikes. That bad?”

I dropped the folder on the desk like it was radioactive. “Take a look.”

May flipped it open, her expression morphing into understanding and then sympathy. “Oh no. I’d have never guessed Burke would pick you as a mentor too. This must have been last minute - all the interns had already been assigned yesterday.”

I blew away a strand of my hair that had come loose. “Just my shitty luck, I guess. Who’s your intern?”

She shook her head. “I’m collaborating with another editor from Newspeak, so I got skipped.”

“Lucky you,” I muttered, dragging a hand down my face. “I just know this one is going to be a handful. Look at her resume for God’s sake. Let me guess—daddy made a call, and now she’s here to play dress-up journalist?”

May patted my shoulder to comfort me. “Look at it this way. You’re technically a manager now.”

“Of what? A toddler in heels?”

She giggled at that. “You’ve got this. Just breathe.”

I shooed her away so I could throw myself a proper pity party, looking at her walk away with plain envy on my face. Between chasing my deadline, plotting my next move on Dante, and keeping my sanity intact due to both of those reasons, this internship side quest was the last thing I needed. But Burke had entrusted me with it, and like it or not, this was now part of my job. With a sigh, I glanced back at my report. I could finish it in an hour if I wasn’t interrupted. But my conscience poked at me, reminding me of the words I’d said to Burke: ‘I’ll do my best’.

Ugh. I hated being honorable. Grumbling, I stood up and made my way to the row of desks near the corner of the office, where the interns were usually clustered. Sure enough, there Miss Ivy Fairchild was, perched daintily in a designer blouse that probably cost more than my rent. Her legs were crossed elegantly, and her gaze was glued to her phone.

From a distance, her phone screen looked colourful and her brow was furrowed in concentration as her fingers moved quickly. I frowned. Was she… playing a game? I crept closer, craning my neck slightly, and sure enough, she was playing Candy Crush.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Clearing my throat loudly, I crossed my arms. “Miss Fairchild?”

She flinched so hard she nearly dropped her phone, catching it mid-air with a startled gasp. Her eyes flew up to meet mine, wide with guilt. “Oh! I…hi! I didn’t see you there.”

“I noticed,” I said, keeping my voice even. “What are you working on?”

She looked down at her phone, as if hoping it would magically turn into a Word document. “Uh… I was just taking a little break.”

“Right,” I said, arching a brow. “Well, breaks are for after you’ve done some actual work. Have you received your assignments yet?”

“I got an email, I think.” She opened her laptop with the urgency of someone flipping through a textbook they hadn’t touched all semester. “I was just… easing into things.”

I inhaled deeply through my nose. “I see. Well, I’m Leah Sparrow, and I’ll be mentoring you. That means I’m responsible for helping you succeed, if you’re willing to put in the effort.”

She nodded quickly, eyes wide and bright. “Of course! Totally. I’m really excited to be here.”

“Good.” I paused. “Because I won’t be carrying you. You’re here to learn, and I expect you to treat this opportunity seriously. Not everyone gets this chance.”

“Yes. Got it.” She gave me a nervous smile. “No more games.”

I gave her a tight nod, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. God help me.