Lily
As we enter the conference room, I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. It doesn’t work. My heart is racing, and I can feel sweat starting to gather in uncomfortable places. I haven’t smoked in forever, and even though I don’t consider myself an addict, it did help me calm down.
But I need to learn how to function without it. I’m determined about that and take another deep breath. This is just a meeting, I remind myself. It’s not the end of the world.
Wesley, oblivious to my panic attack, takes a seat at the head of the long table. I sit down next to him, feeling like a mouse in a room full of lions. The other men in the room are all tall and muscular, their suits tailored to fit their frames perfectly. They stare at me with cold eyes, and I shrink into my seat, wishing I could disappear.
“This is Lily Lopez,” Wesley announces as he gestures at me, and the men nod in acknowledgment. “She is my new secretary, and I expect her to be taking notes for us during the entire meeting. Let us begin.”
Wesley gives me a notebook and pulls out a pen from his pocket without looking at me. I gratefully take them and try to focus on the task at hand. I can do this. I’ve taken notes during meetings before. This is no different.
As the meeting progresses, I scribble down everything that is being said, trying to keep up with the fast-paced discussion. However, I cannot help but notice the way the men in the room are staring at me. Their eyes rake across my body, lingering on my curves and sending shivers down my spine. I try to ignore them and focus on my work, but their attention is making me feel uncomfortable.
Suddenly, a hand lands on my thigh, gripping it tightly. I look up, shocked, to see the man sitting next to me leering at me like a creep. “You’re quite pretty,” he whispers, his breath hot on my cheek.
I freeze, unsure of what to do. My heart starts racing again, but this time it’s not from anxiety—it’s from fear. I don’t know how to react to his unwanted attention. Had I not worried about keeping my job, I would have already punched him.
Instead, I try to maneuver away from him, but he tightens his grip, making me feel trapped.
“Let me go,” I say through gritted teeth. “I’m here to take notes, not entertain you.”
The man only laughs, squeezing my thigh even harder. “Come on, sweetheart. Don’t be like that. I can show you a good time. I’m quite talented.”
My face burns with indignation and anger. I want to scream at him, to tell him off and make him regret ever touching me. But I can’t, not in front of Wesley and certainly not in front of these powerful men who could easily ruin me.
So instead, I take a deep breath and calmly say, “If you don’t let go of me right now, I will report you for sexual harassment.”
Surprisingly, the man’s grip loosens, and he withdraws his hand. His sneer turns into a frown, and he looks away, chastised. I sit up straighter, but my smile falters when the man mutters, “You’re not even that pretty.”
Embarrassment burns my face. It’s never fun when someone speaks ill about your appearance, but I bet this guy is just bitter that I’m not interested in him.
Ignoring the man’s comment, I focus on the meeting, trying my best to be professional and ignore the unwanted attention coming from the men in the room. As the meeting comes to a close, Wesley stands up and addresses the men.
“Thank you for your time, gentlemen. Lily, please make sure that the notes are done and sent out to everyone by tomorrow morning.”
I nod, eager to leave the room and get away from the leering men. As I stand up, the man who had harassed me earlier turns to me and smirks.
“I will be seeing you around, sweetheart,” he says, his eyes scanning my body.
I stiffen, but before I can respond, Wesley steps in between us with curious eyes. He looks intimidating but also darkly amused by whatever is going on.
“Is there a problem?” Wesley asks, his voice cold.
The man grins. “No problem, sir. I was just complimenting your new secretary on her work. She’s quite talented.”
Wesley’s gaze flickers toward me for a moment before he turns back to the man. “Thank you for your compliments,” he says, his voice tight. “But I require your attention elsewhere, Mr. Nicholas. Leave.”
I shudder at the tone of Wesley’s Alpha voice. Even the man who harassed me, who had seemed so scary a second ago, shrieks before quickly darting out of the room. Once he is gone, Wesley stretches, and my heart skips a beat.
My gaze darts up to Wesley’s handsome face as he yawns, and I’m suddenly aware of how close he is...and that his shirt has ridden up to expose his washboard abs.
Oh my god. I had almost forgotten what he looked like naked, but I sure remember now! We are standing inches apart, and his body looms over mine. I’m struggling to breathe, not from fear but from something else entirely—passion, need... Desire.
Wesley turns to me, and his eyes darken. “Are you okay?”
I smile weakly, still feeling shaken by the man’s unwanted attention, but I’m trying not to let it show. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you.”
Wesley nods, but his gaze lingers on me longer than necessary. It’s as if he’s studying me, trying to figure out what the man said to upset me so much. The silence stretches between us until he finally sighs. “If anyone ever makes you feel uncomfortable again, let me know. I won’t tolerate harassment in my company.”
I’m a bit surprised that he is looking out for me. Wesley has been nothing but rude to me… Well, that’s not entirely true. He was nice in the elevator too. And during our first night together, so perhaps he isn’t completely evil?
“Thank you,” I say. “I appreciate it.”
“Don’t mention it. I’ve been looking for a reason to fire Mr. Nicholas, and this could be it.”
“I take it he hasn’t done well for the company, then?”
“Not for the pack either.”
“I see,” I bite my lower lip. “Has he sexually harassed other women besides me?”
“No, I just don’t like him, and wait…sexual harassment?” Wesley tilts his head, and as mad as he looks, he is still so darn handsome, probably even more now that he looks ready to murder someone. “What exactly did he do to you, Lily?”
“He...umm...he touched me on my thigh,” I stammer, not wanting to relive the memory. I’m also half-afraid Wesley won’t believe me. Like, I know I’m not ugly, but I don’t think my boss agrees. “It was really uncomfortable.”
Immediately, I see flames light up in Wesley’s eyes. “That’s it. He’s gone.”
“But...I don’t want to get him fired,” I say, feeling guilty for causing trouble.
Wesley sighs. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Lily. Mr. Nicholas made a mistake, and he has to face the consequences. Don’t worry about it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he smirks. “Where did the confident girl go?”
I breathe a laugh. “I think the pregnancy is messing with her... I’m feeling very insecure, emotional, and hungry. But it comes in waves. I was feeling on the top of the world earlier.”
“And now?”
My bottom lip trembles. “Now I just want a damn pizza...”
Wesley breathes a laugh but masks it by ducking away when I glare up at him. He is having way too much fun at my expense, but his following sentence shocks me.
“Since the lady is so hungry, let’s get the hell out of here and get you a ‘damn pizza’ before the restaurant closes. Is there any specific flavor you would like?”
“Can I look when we get there?”
“Of course.”
As we walk out of the conference room, I catch the eyes of some of the men in the room, still lingering on me. I can feel their eyes on my back as I walk out, but I refuse to let them make me feel uncomfortable again.
As we exit the building and head towards the pizza place, Wesley’s hand finds its way to my lower back, gently nudging me forward. Despite my initial reservations and fear of him, I find myself drawn to his touch and the way he seems to be looking out for me. Perhaps there’s more to him than meets the eye.
We arrive at the pizza place, and I’m delighted to see a variety of flavors and toppings on display. Wesley lets me take a look around, asking the server for recommendations while I contemplate which pizza I want to order.
I end up ordering two different ones, and I’m too hungry to wait until we get home. I open the first box in the car, uncaring that I’m acting like an animal in front of Wesley. When I catch him watching me, I chew with my mouth open so that I can ask, “What?”
He shakes his head and chuckles, which almost makes me choke on my pizza slice. I stare at him when he reaches out his hand as if asking me for a piece of my pizza.
“You want a slice?”
“From the pepperoni one,” he says and blinks down at the box underneath the one I’m eating from. “I expect you to devour both boxes, so it won’t matter if I have a slice from the other box, right?”
“Not at all.”
I hand him his slice of pizza, and his teeth sink into the cheese so good that when he pulls it from his lips, I can practically feel the bite on my skin. I shiver violently in my seat and continue to eye him until his hand returns to silently ask for more pizza. It makes me laugh. For the first time, it’s evident that Wesley has a lighter side buried underneath his sultry exterior. That makes me hopeful about the possibility of having a better working relationship with him.
“Careful,” I tease. “You might lose your six-pack if you keep this up.”
“Eight-pack,” he corrects. “And don’t worry about me, little rogue, my Alpha genes keep me from getting fat.”
“You’re so cocky...” I roll my eyes at his arrogance but can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips.
Wesley leans back in his seat, contentedly munching on his pizza slice. “What is so wrong about being cocky?” he asks, and his intense eyes lock on mine. “I mean, we both know you’re attracted to it.”
I gasp. “I am not!”
“The smell of your arousal says otherwise.”
What the hell?!
I’m so stunned that I can only stare in utter disbelief as Wesley shamelessly steals yet another pizza slice from my box with the speed and agility of a professional thief. When I still don’t move, he takes another.
“Hey!” I growl and try to get it back. “Why didn’t you buy your own damn pizza?! Give that back!”
Wesley easily holds the pizza slice out of reach and makes a show of how good it tastes. He smacks his tongue and offers me a smirk that screams asshole. “Why get your own pizza when stealing yours is so much more fun?”
Beyond irritated, I cross my arms over my chest and lean back in my seat. “You’re such an ass…”
Wesley doesn’t respond, but his satisfied smile speaks volumes: he is content and happy and has no regrets. I’m sort of worried about what kind of person our child will turn into when their dad is a total bastard.
Suddenly, Wesley’s phone chirps with a notification, and I get a glimpse of his screen. His background is a picture of Mirelle—the same woman from that old portrait in his mansion. She has such kind eyes, and my chest aches knowing Wesley still carries a torch for her. Somehow, deep down, I know his love for her is another reason why he couldn’t accept me as his mate.
I avert my eyes, but a second later, my eyes find their way back. What the heck is wrong with me?
It hurts knowing that Wesley is still in love with Mirelle, but there’s something strangely comforting in the understanding too. Finally, I realize that perhaps Wesley is too in love with the memory of his deceased mate to ever fall in love with someone new. It makes me more determined not to fall in love with him, but when he notices me looking at him and smirks, there is already a flutter in my chest.