In bed with my boss

CHAPTER 12

EMILY

The city looked different at night.

From the floor-to-ceiling window, thousands of lights glittered across Palm Springs like stars scattered across the earth. Cars crawled through the streets below, their headlights weaving endless ribbons of white and red while the distant hum of music drifted up from somewhere outside.

I tucked one leg beneath me and rested my forehead against the cool glass.

Ten hours.

That was how long I’d been waiting for someone from the front desk to knock on my door and tell me they’d found another room for Cole.

They never did.

I’d showered hours ago. My curls had long since dried, and my makeup was done. The dress I’d spent twenty minutes steaming hung neatly beside the wardrobe, waiting for the gala while my heels sat beneath it.

Everything was ready.

Everything except my mind.

Maybe no one had checked out.

Maybe they’d decided it would be easier if we shared.

I wasn’t sure which possibility unsettled me more.

I let out a quiet sigh and closed my eyes. There was no point thinking about it anymore. If they hadn’t come by now, then—

Knock.

I was already off the window seat before the second knock came. Relief swept through me as I hurried to the door.

Finally,

I wrapped my fingers around the handle and pulled it open, the words ‘Thank God’ already sitting on the tip of my tongue.

They never made it out, because it was Cole who stood on the other side.

For a brief second, neither of us spoke.

He still wore the same clothes from yesterday. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled to his forearms, the top two buttons left undone, and his tie hung loose around his neck as though he’d tugged at it too many times throughout the day.

His hair, usually styled to perfection, was slightly out of place, and despite the faint crease between his brows, he somehow still looked effortlessly put together.

He looked like a man who’d walked straight from a meeting into another without giving himself a moment to breathe.

Then, the realization hit me all at once.

He was here because of the room.

My pulse stumbled.

Without thinking, I stepped back, silently making space for him to come in.

His eyes flicked to the movement before returning to my face.

“The receptionist told me what happened.”

I nodded slowly.

“They found another room,” he continued. “The receptionist thought you might still be waiting for an update, so I told them I’d let you know.”

It took a second for those words to sink in.

Another room.

Which meant we weren’t going to be sharing a room.

The knot that had been sitting in my chest since morning loosened,

“Oh.”

It was the only thing my brain seemed capable of producing.

“I figured you’d rather hear it from someone than keep waiting.”

And that someone I was expecting was definitely not him.

“Thank you,” I said, meaning it.

He gave a single nod before glancing at the watch around his wrist.

“We’ll be leaving for the gala in fifteen minutes.”

“I’ll be ready.”

With one final look in my direction, he turned and walked away.

I watched him head down the hallway, expecting him to disappear around the corner towards the elevator.

Instead, he stopped right outside the room beside mine, slipped a key card from his pocket, pressed it against the reader, and the lights flashed green.

The door clicked open as he stepped inside without a glance in my direction, leaving it to shut behind him.

With widened eyes, I looked at the closed door for a long moment before letting out a small laugh.

Of course.

Out of every room in the entire hotel…

They’d put him next door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I took one last look at myself in the mirror before smoothing invisible wrinkles from the front of the black dinner dress that clung so nicely to my curves. Satisfied, I grabbed my clutch and stepped out into the hallway.

The door beside mine opened almost at the same time.

Cole stepped out, already changed.

The black tuxedo fit him as though it had been tailored on his body. The crisp white shirt beneath it made his sun-kissed skin appear even warmer.

He looked up.

His steps slowed almost imperceptibly.

For a heartbeat, his eyes held mine.

Then they drifted lower as though he couldn’t help himself.

The look wasn’t obvious enough for anyone walking past to notice, but standing only a few feet away, I caught it, and heat rushed to my cheeks.

His eyes lingered a second too long before returning to my face.

A muscle ticked in his jaw.

“We should go,” he said, his voice low and husky, before turning toward the elevator.

“Okay.” I managed to say, falling into step beside him.

Neither of us spoke as we entered the elevator. The silence followed us all the way to the lobby and into the waiting car.

Even with only inches separating us in the back seat, neither of us attempted to fill the quiet, so I leaned into the window.

Outside, the city slipped past in streaks of gold and white until the venue where the gala was being held came into view.

The driver pulled to a smooth stop beneath the grand entrance.

Cole adjusted the cuff of his jacket before finally looking at me.

“Once we’re inside, I’ll need to speak with a few investors and board members, so stay close.”

“I understand.”

“There’ll also be people trying to start conversations.” His gaze lingered on me for a moment. “Avoid them.”

I frowned.

“Meaning?”

“Smile. Be polite.” He opened the door before adding, “until we know who stole our idea, don’t volunteer any information.”

With that, he stepped out.

I picked up my clutch and followed him into the hall, reminding myself not to complain because I’d signed up for this.

The gala hall was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

It buzzed with quiet conversations and the soft clink of champagne glasses as waiters moved effortlessly through the crowd carrying trays. A live orchestra played somewhere near the center of the room while laughter rose from every corner as guests drifted from one conversation to another, dressed in clothes that probably cost more than my yearly rent.

Some faces were unfamiliar.

Others I’d only ever seen on magazine covers, television interviews, or towering billboards.

I suddenly became very aware of my appearance.

Everything I wore was from Walmart and had cost a total of a hundred and fifty dollars.

“You good?”

Cole’s quiet voice drew my attention to him.

“Yeah, I am.”

The look on his face was enough to tell me he didn’t believe a word I said.

“You look like you’re about to run.”

I shrugged.

“Maybe I was considering it.”

“I noticed.”

The corner of his mouth almost curved into a smile before three men approached.

The next thirty minutes blurred together with the introduction every time someone asked if I was his date.

‘This is my personal assistant, Emily Carter.’

Smiling politely as they held out their hands for a handshake.

After a while, I’d resigned myself to standing quietly beside him, but to my surprise, Cole introduced me to several other of his business partners and explained that the event was being held to acknowledge the company’s successful charity donations.

“Calloway.”

A deep voice interrupted.

We both turned to see the man approaching. He looked to be in his early fifties, his brown hair streaked with strands of grey at the temple. He wasn’t as tall as Cole, but he walked like the richest man in the room.

Beside him walked a tall blonde woman balanced on impossible heels. Her fitted red dress matched the lipstick framing her immaculate smile.

“Cole.”

The older man extended his hand.

Cole accepted it.

“Richard.”

“It’s been too long.”

“It has,” Cole replied flatly.

The older man turned slightly. “I’d like you to meet my wife, Vanessa.”

My smile almost slipped.

Wife?

My eyes widened as I looked between them, unable to stop myself. She couldn’t have been much older than thirty.

I quickly forced my expression back into place, silently praying no one had noticed.

Unfortunately for me, Vanessa had.

The smile she’d been wearing tightened almost instantly. Not enough for the others to notice, but enough for me to.

The conversation shifted to business, with Richard congratulating Cole on how well the company had been performing since becoming CEO. He praised several recent acquisitions while Cole answered with calm confidence.

Their voices slowly faded into the background when I noticed Richard’s lingering eyes on me.

Every few seconds, his eyes dropped to my chest before returning to Cole as though he was interested in anything Cole was saying.

My fingers tightened around my clutch as I shifted my weight, resisting the urge to fold my arms across my chest.

“Cole.”

Richard finally looked my way properly.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Cole’s gaze shifted to me, almost as though he’d forgotten I’d been standing beside him.

“Richard,” he said, glancing down at me. “This is Emily Carter, my personal assistant.”

“Personal assistant…” Richard repeated, the words rolling off his tongue in a way that made me cringe.

Before I could react, he took my hand.

His lips brushed across my knuckles in a kiss that lasted a second too long.

When he released my hand, I instinctively took a small step towards Cole—not because I wanted to, but because somehow, standing beside him suddenly felt safer.

“Are you okay?” He asked quietly, his husky voice making me look up at him.

A hard line had settled between his brows.

“Yes,” I lied.

He held my gaze for a moment before excusing himself from Richard to speak with a few other businessmen, leaving me standing inches away from him while Richard remained directly across from us.

I tried avoiding Richard’s gaze but the unsettling feeling in my stomach made my skin crawl.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him lean towards his wife and something, making her glance in my direction before he excused himself from the couple they were talking to.

My stomach tightened as I realized where he was walking.

He was headed straight toward me.