Chapter 4: One Way or Another

Alijah woke with a start. Sitting straight up in bed, she was sweating bullets, and her breathing was erratic. That, however, was not what had her main focus. No, her attention was on the wetness between her thighs and the person who had caused it; the sexy man who was probably lying sound asleep in his bed just down the hall.

She picked up her phone and checked the time, noting that it was just after midnight. After loading the dishwasher, she'd retreated to her room, showered, and settled into bed for the night. That had barely been over two hours ago. Alijah flung the covers from her body and got out of bed, taking a deep breath.

Going into the bathroom, she started the shower and turned the temperature to cold. Her body was hot, and she needed to cool off if she had any intentions of being able to go back to bed. She needed to get at least a few more hours of sleep. It was Friday, and she'd learned from some of the other people who worked on her floor occasionally for projects that Friday was just as busy as Monday.

Stripping out of her nightclothes, she stepped into the shower. The cold water instantly began helping lower the temperature of her flaming skin. She knew she needed to get a hold of herself. She had only been working for the man for three days, and already she was having wet dreams about him.

She had to get herself under control. She was meant to be Mr. Cayman's assistant, not another woman who got all hot and bothered over him. In her defense, however, he was wet dream-worthy. The man had a body and face that could make any woman catch a heat stroke.

Alijah shook her head as she began to wash her body. She needed to stop thinking about such things. Her focus was work. She would work and save as much as possible and then pursue her dreams. Though that required allowing more people to see her work. She would be getting paid tomorrow, and she planned on buying some canvases and paints. Her room was large enough to section off a small spot for an easel and her supplies. She'd also left a few selves in her closet empty to store her pieces.

After her cold shower, she wrapped a towel around herself. She dried off and slid on a pair of blue cotton panties and a tank top. Climbing back into bed, she turned off her bedside lamp and stared blankly into the dark. It was a while before sleep finally overtook her, but when it did, she was grateful.

Alijah's alarm woke her at five, as it had every other morning. After making her bed, she pulled her yoga mat from underneath it and engaged in her thirty-minute routine. She did yoga three times a week and cardio twice a week. She hadn't been able to do her cardio recently, however. She needed to find a gym nearby.

After her brief yoga session, she rolled her mat back up and put it away before slipping on some shorts, making her way into the kitchen. She washed her hands before deciding on French toast for breakfast. Taking the eggs from the refrigerator and the bread from the counter, she prepared the toast. As she put the last piece on, she started Mr. Cayman's cup of coffee.

Alijah had just finished plating the food and had started making her tea when he came and sat at the bar. He was fully dressed, as always. Taking her usual seat two down from him, they ate in silence. They'd finished eating a little after six, and she'd loaded the dishes into the dishwasher.

Going into her bedroom, she decided to put on a lavender pencil skirt with matching shoes and earrings and a black shirt with loose sleeves at the wrists. She added a necklace and grabbed her tablet and both phones placing them in her black purse. She had allowed her natural curls to draw up the night before in the shower, so she merely finger combed them.

When she made it back to the living room, Mr. Cayman stood by the door. She glanced at the clock on the fireplace and saw that it was just a few minutes after six-thirty. She followed him out of the condo and to the elevator.

Timothy was waiting for them outside. Like every other morning, Alijah greeted him and slid in. A few seconds later, they were on their way. Traffic was light, and they pulled up to Cayman Industries a few minutes before seven.

Once they reached their floor, Alijah went about her morning routine. She first placed her belongings at her desk before going into the kitchen to fix her boss a cup of coffee. Once it was complete, she took the cup and her tablet into his office.

After they had gone over his schedule for the day and she'd made notes for changes, she headed back to her desk to make said changes and email them to him. Once she'd sent the email, she made her way back into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea.

For the next hour, she called to schedule or reschedule meetings. She also confirmed that he would be at the Furthered Education Gala tomorrow night. It was last minute, but he'd been intent on not going and working tomorrow night. He'd stated that he would send a check; however, after telling him how tacky it would be for him not to show up; and how bad it would look on his company, Alijah was able to get him to agree.

She ended up having a working lunch like always. She was sure that she would never get an actual lunch break. Her boss was a workaholic, and her employment information had explicitly said she worked when he worked. Unfortunately, he always worked.

When five o'clock rolled around, Alijah packed up her things and headed to Mr. Cayman's office. She knocked on the door and waited for him to grant her access. She heard him call her in and opened the door. He was sitting at his desk typing away on his computer, most likely replying to emails.

"Are you ready to go?" She questioned, taking a seat in one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. She had finished everything that she needed to for the day and had done a bit of Mondays as well.

"No." He simply replied.

Sighing, Alijah placed her purse in the chair next to her. She still needed to go and find a dress for the Gala tomorrow, and she didn't want to spend the rest of the day and all day tomorrow trying to do it. She would give him another thirty minutes, and if he wasn't ready, she was making him leave.

After thirty minutes, Alijah stood to her feet and grabbed her purse. She walked around to his desk, taking his wireless mouse from his hand and placing it to the side.

"Let's go. I still have to find a dress for tomorrow night,” she informed him, pulling on his arm. She had dresses, but none she thought would be suitable for tomorrow's event, and since he insisted that she was to accompany him to every event, on the off chance that there would be business prospects, she needed to be prepared.

"I still have work to do,” he informed her.

She rolled her eyes. "No, you don't. You're just trying to do all of next week's work in a day. I need to find a dress."

"I don't see what that has to do with me leaving work early."

"You're not leaving early. You're leaving at a decent time. Now get your ass up, and let's go,” she stated, becoming a bit irritated.

She could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't used to people talking to him that way. She was sure none of his assistants had for fear of being fired. However, she was in a class all of her own. Alijah had always been one to speak her mind and tell you precisely what she was feeling, no bars held. She gave it to you straight with no chasers. You could either choke or swallow. So, he could fire her or leave with her.

When he seemed as if he was going to protest more, she turned off his computer screen and hit him with a look her mother always had to make her mind as a child. It took a moment, but it worked wonders. She watched him rise from his seat before turning towards the door and heading out. She wasn't concerned with whether or not he'd follow her. If he were smart, he would.

Kieran slid into the car after Ms. Douglas. He was coming to see that she was more than a bit feisty. In working for him the past four days, she had been able to do what many of his previous assistants had not, get him to leave the office at a decent hour. He knew she was more than competent and often started on the next day's work before the current day was over.

He stayed quiet while she instructed Timothy to drive her to the nearest dress shop. He was aware that she needed to find something to wear to the Furthered Education Gala she was forcing him to go to instead of allowing him to stay home and work.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to a little boutique. Timothy opened the door, and they got out. She bypassed him and led the way into the small shop. Not feeling inclined to look around, he decided to sit in one of the chairs close to the two dressing rooms.

Pulling out his phone, he decided to continue replying to the emails he was working on in his office before his little minx of an assistant interrupted him. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he hadn't realized someone was calling his name.

"Kieran!"

His head snapped up at the use of his first name, and his body began to harden as his eyes locked with green ones. It was the first time she had ever called him by his first name.

"What do you think?" She questioned, motioning to the dress she wore.

His eyes traveled down her body. She was wearing a pink dress that stopped a bit before her knees. It was a simple dress with gold at the waist. It hugged her curves in all the right places. He continued to allow his eyes to travel down to her shapely, caramel legs. It took him a moment to remember that he was eyeing her openly and that she had asked him a question.

"It's a nice dress,” he stated after he cleared his throat.

"Is it appropriate?"

"Yes, it's perfect." He found himself saying before he could stop himself.

Kieran saw the look in her eyes when he said that, and even though he had said it, he was hoping she hadn't noticed. She didn't say anything as she walked back into the dressing room. Putting his phone back into his pocket, he waited for her to exit again.

When she did, he stood and followed her to the register. The sales lady rang up the dress, and before she could reach into her purse, Kieran pulled his wallet out, handing the lady his credit card. She swiped it, Kieran signed the pad, and she gave his credit card back before placing the dress in a plastic garment bag with the receipt.

He led the way to the car and allowed her to slide in before him. When he was in, and they had pulled into traffic, he felt her shift and turn to him.

"I could have bought the dress myself."

"I'm sure you could have, but it was for an event you're attending with me. You'll never have to pay for anything that has to do with me or my company,” he informed her.

"Mr. Cayman, while I appreciate…."

"Kieran,” he stated, cutting her off.

"I'm sorry?"

"Call me, Kieran."

"I think that would be unprofessional."

"And it would be, were we in the office at the moment, but we aren't."

He watched her think about it for a moment before coming to some conclusion in her head. When she did, she nodded at him before turning back around in her seat — the conversation they were initially having forgotten.

Kieran led the way inside and onto the private elevator when they pulled up in front of the building. Once on their floor, he opened the door and allowed her to walk in before going in after her. He couldn't help watching the sway of her hips and her plump ass as she walked away.

Shaking his head, he made his way down the hall behind her until she walked into her room, and he continued to his. Undressing, he decided to put on a pair of basketball shorts. He would be lying if he said he still wasn't slightly feeling the effects of her calling him by his first name. His mind instantly went to her, moaning his name in pleasure.

Deciding he needed to blow off some steam before dinner, he headed out of the front door and onto the elevator. He placed his keycard into the slot and pressed the button for the roof.

Getting off the elevator, he headed over to the door that led to the room housing his gym. Putting the code in, the door unlocked, and he walked inside.

An hour later, Kieran was dripping sweat. He placed the weight back on the bar and rose from the bench press. Making his way out of the room, he closed the door, ensuring the automatic lock clicked. Getting back on the elevator, he rode back to his floor before stepping off and going into his condo.

The smell of spices hit him immediately, and his stomach began to voice its hunger. He made his way towards the kitchen, wanting to glimpse what she was cooking.

"There you are." His little assistant stated as he came into view. He watched as she went to say something else, but whatever it was became stuck in her throat as she eyed him.

Kieran knew she was checking him out, and he damn well welcomed it. He'd been trying to convince himself that his attraction to her was only because he hadn't slept with anyone in a while. However, over the past few days of being in her presence, he realized it was because she was beautiful in her own right. The woman had sex appeal, and it was as if she didn't even notice it. It was nice to know that he affected her as she did him.

"Um…" She began clearing her throat. "Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes."

"I'm going to shower, and I'll be right out,” he responded before turning and heading down the hall to his bedroom.

He took a hot shower and decided to dress in another pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt. He slid on a pair of socks and headed back into the kitchen. His plate was already in his usual spot, and he sat down, watching as she sat two places down from him. Kieran was sure she suspected that they would eat like every other time in silence, but he was going to change that tonight.

"So, Alijah, how did you like your first week?"

Kieran knew that he had caught her off guard. Not only with the small talk but with the question itself and calling her by her first name.

"It was pretty good. The more I get used to the things that go on, the better I'll be at my job."

He looked at her as if she had lost her mind. She was already outstanding at her job, better than any of the other assistants he'd had.

"You do an excellent job as it is,” he informed her.

"Thank you."

They lapsed into silence again, and Kieran searched for another topic that wouldn't seem forced. Most people that knew him merely thought he was an asshole, and while that was true, he was capable of other things when he felt it was warranted, and at that moment, it was.

After racking his brain for the next five minutes over something to say, he finally decided to go with something safe that wouldn't be forced at all.

"So, tell me. What made you minor in Culinary Arts?"

He saw her face light up at the question and knew that he'd asked the right one. This, no doubt, would get her talking. He honestly didn't care what they talked about as long as he could hear that voice like honey.

For the rest of dinner, he listened to her tell him how her grandmother got her cooking when she was younger and fell in love with it—trying different recipes and learning tricks in the kitchen. She told him she loved taking Food and Nutrition in high school and knew she wanted it to be a part of her college curriculum.

When they finished eating, Kieran stayed at the bar and continued to ask more questions as she loaded the dishwasher and put away the leftover food.

"So, where were you earlier?" She questioned as she wiped off the countertops.

"I went to the gym,” he responded, watching her intently. He saw the moment she stilled.

"Is it close by? I've meant to find one to keep up with my cardio regiments."

"How often do you exercise?" He questioned instead of answering hers.

"Yoga three times a week, cardio twice."

"It's on the roof. It's private so that no one will bother you. I'll give you the code, and you can use it whenever you like."

She smiled at him, and Kieran thought he'd been kicked in the gut. She had a beautiful smile, and it was simply arousing.

"Thank you,” she responded as she turned the lights out in the kitchen and made her way around the bar. She told him goodnight and then excused herself to her room.

Kieran didn't linger in the living room and made his way to his office. It was a little before nine. He decided to check his emails and go over some papers he needed to sign. Tomorrow, he would ask Alijah to work out with him.

No matter how unprofessional it was, he wanted her, and he would have her: one way or another.