Craved Affection

8. Philip Turner

"Who is she?"

The girl asks. Philip didn't answer her, instead, he is staring at me as if he is waiting for my answer.

"I'm sorry but I don't have spare time right now. I have an important meeting here."

I walk away. Jackie and Waterson are following behind me. When I open the glass door of the parking lot, a girl run past us. The elevator is just around the corner. And we didn't pay any attention to that girl who almost bump with me.

"Wait!"

Philip catches up with us just as the elevator's door opens. I go inside followed by Jackie and Waterson. Philip stands on my side as the woman who's running earlier stands on his left. The woman quickly closes the door when we hear heels clicking on the floor. Philip's girlfriend, I think her name is Lauren is trying to catch up with the elevator but she is already too late.

"Is it okay for you to leave your girlfriend like that?" I voice out carefully not to sound interested.

In my peripheral vision, I see Philip smirking. There's amusement dancing on his smug face.

I hate how hot he looked even though he was a low type of man and was taunting me.

"She's not my girlfriend. She's just a business partner," he answers.

Tension dances in the air once again. Two different kinds of tension; a kind of tension that will boil your blood, and a kind of tension that will mess with your insides and make you curl your toes.

"If that is how you treat your business partners, I don't think your boss will be very pleased," I retort when I should be keeping my mouth shut.

I see the woman beside him turn to him. Philip only smiles at her and nodded gently. See, even with his subordinates, he was being flirty. Poor girl.

"I don't think my boss has any say in that. Maybe you can be my boss then, I would like to listen to what you have to say on the matter."

It's official. I hate the gut of this hot man besides me. I hate the fact that he is hot and sexy. I hate his smart mouth. I hate how my body seems to scream for him. And I hate that we are not the only ones in this elevator but the tension between us still exists.

We finally reach the fifth floor where the CEO's office is located. Philip is the first to get off, and I follow behind him. There is only one room on the floor and a reception desk outside. The woman who came with us go behind the desk and retrieve something. The office door opens and Darwin Brown appears.

"Miss Bruce, I'm so sorry for not responding to your email. My secretary resigned last week and we still haven't found a replacement for her."

Darwin Brown walks up to me and offers his hand for a shake which I gladly take. He is slightly taller than me but not nearly as tall as Philip. His hair is combed back, unlike Philip who let his hair loose.

Way to go, Catherine. Comparing every man with Philip. I think I'm going to get crazy.

"It's no problem, Mister Brown. My secretary just informed me of it as well. But I was already here, so can I take some of your time and discuss the business?" I offer.

Hopefully, they will let me in. My presence here is the indication that I am not going to take no for an answer. I don't think they will be cold-hearted to send me away without talking to me even for a minute.

"I can spare time for them, Darwin. You can ask Sam to move my schedule."

I look at Philip when he suddenly talks. He is instructing Mister Brown as if he's the boss and not some subordinate.

What a guy!

"Excuse me?"

Philip turns to me. He straightens the coat he's wearing and offers his hands to me.

"Philip Turner, the CEO of Genesis. Nice to meet you."

To say that I'm shocked is an understatement. I'm dumbfounded. I didn't hear him wrong, right? He said he's the CEO of Genesis. The head. He's saying that he is our business partner.

I think I'm going crazy.

I look at Jackie and Waterson who look shocked as I am. And then to the woman behind the reception desk. To Darwin who is arranging his necktie. Finally, to the man in front of me who is hot as hell and is claiming to be our business partner.

"I didn't introduce him last time, as he was on a business trip. Miss Bruce, this is Mister Philip Turner, our chief executive officer."

Just like that, he drops the bomb right into my face.

"Mister Turner, this is Miss Catherine Bruce, the acting head of West Brook Financing. They were the latest client we had acquired."

Philip once again smiles upon hearing my name. I couldn't help myself but notice how subtle the dimple on his right cheek appear. There is amusement dancing in his eyes and the way he looks at me excites me and embarrassed me at the same time.

"Darwin, can you discuss the contract with Miss Bruce's people? I need to talk to her privately."

Darwin nods in agreement as if they had already talked about it beforehand. Jackie and Waterson are soon being assisted to the elevator, leaving me with Philip. When I face him again, he is now motioning for me to follow him to his office.

I have been inside his office once. When I brought the contract that I had signed and the project plan that I incorporated with it. I talked to Darwin then, not realizing that he was not the head of this office. We also didn't discuss what's his position in this company, so I automatically assumed that he was the head.

What did you say earlier, Catherine? His boss will not be pleased with his action toward his business partners. Well, I don't think he's displeased with himself.

"Please take a seat. I will ask for refreshment. Black coffee?" he offers.

I don't know what came over me and refused the black coffee he was offering instead I say; "Cream coffee."

He looks at me as if he didn't believe me for a moment but I sigh in relief when he nods. He pushes some buttons and instructs her secretary to bring our refreshments. I avoid his gaze when he says my drink.

"I'm sorry for causing some confusion. I'm the type to shy away from media but I don't ditch business meetings like that. It was just something important that I needed to attend," he said as he sit down in front of me.

The positioning of the furniture is almost identical to mine. Even the center table looks almost the same. This might be the trend for men like him and David. But he is sitting in front of me, not at the center. Don't get me wrong. I don't like it when he's nearby. He makes me crazy. I was just used to seeing bosses sitting at the center when someone visits their office. Maybe it doesn't apply to him.

"Miss Bruce?"

A lot of things do not apply to him. He is hot and sexy; unlike other bosses that I know. Except maybe Mister Foster, he is handsome despite his age. But not nearly as handsome as this one sitting in front of me. Oh, and David too. He will throw tantrums if he ever learns about this.

"You are doing it again, Miss Bruce."

I wake up from my daze when I hear his deep voice. He's leaning on the backrest of the sofa; his arms are spread out and he has his legs crossed. A sinner. He was the epitome of sin.

"What?" I ask feigning innocence.

Whatever happens, I'm not going to tell him that I have been comparing him to other men. And that I may have the hots for him. My pride wouldn't take it.

"You're undressing me again. Can I take that as permission to do the same?"

He leans toward me and smirks. My breath hitches. I don't like that the other side of his wall is glass. I don't like that the sunlight is shining through it and creating a dreamy look on him. I don't like how my world is slowing down in this way.

Because it's making my heart and stomach flutter. Because all of them are collaborating to make him even more handsome. Because it's making me crazy. I'm getting crazier.

I'm doomed.