Chapter 8: Chapter:8

**Dimitri's POV

I back away and sip on my coffee as I look at her stunned face.

"I did what?" She asks softly as her cheeks heat up. The look of pure horror on her face I force myself to not full-on grin as I watch her squirm.

"You taste amazing by the way." I say just to see those cheeks redden even further.

"Oh my..." She says before sitting down. "I can't work for you anymore." She suddenly says and I straighten up.

"What? Why?" I ask a little too fast.

"We've completely ruined the working relationship so I can't work for you. I'm going to need to look for a new job and if I can't find one, I can't pay rent and my landlord is gonna kick me out  I'm going end up homeless and die on the street leaving my body for the rats to feast on." She rambles on and I can't help but chuckle at how cute he looks.

"You could always move in with me. I have a lot of space...on my bed." I say just to mess with her and she looks up at me with teary eyes.

My mood instantly shifts to a serious one as she looks at me with sad eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. Nothing is going to happen. I'm not going to mention what happened if you don't want me to. We barely see each other at work so you don't have to worry about things being weird." I try to reassure her knowing full well that I would make a plan to see her more at work.

*I'm selfish, sue me.

I feel the slight sting of rejection going through my heart and I don't know how to process it.

*That's new.

"You're right. This can't ever happen again." She says and I fake pout. "Aww. Buzzkill." I joke and she rolls her eyes with a smile.

I let out a slight chuckle and she smiles wider.

"You're really sweet." She says softly as her eyes scan my face. Her slightly red cheeks and pout lips make her look so innocent.

I really want to kiss those lips.

"Thanks?" I say snapping out of it causing her to giggle.

"Let me take you out for breakfast? An apology for making you lose your mind for a few seconds." I tease and she laughs.

"I would love to but I need to get home. Gotta change out of this." She says and I nod.

"Lunch? You could freshen up and meet me somewhere for a bite. I would really like to get to know my employees a little bit better." I say and she snorts.

"Sure. Cause you are so hands-on at work." She says sarcastically.

My eyebrows shoot up and I smirk.

"I partake in work activities. I had some of Maria's birthday cake." I say confidently and she scoffs.

"But were you there to sing to her?" She asks with a raised brow and a hand on her hip.

Slight guilt washes over me and I look down. "You got me there."

"Let's do this, once you start being a little bit more involved with your employees and they are not terrified of you, I'll think about grabbing lunch with you." She says and I smirk.

She's definitely interested.

"You make a good deal, Ms. Bennett. Should I pick the restaurant or will you?" I ask and she smiles softly.

The things I would do to that mouth.

I feel a stir in my sweat as she bites her bottom lip and forces me to look away.

My phone rings and my driver's name flashes on the screen.

"Eddie is outside. Let me walk you out." I say and she nods softly causing her silky, deep brown hair to move.

*So pretty.

We walk to the elevator and hop in before standing in awkward silence as it goes down. The doors open to expose a lobby full of people whose eyes immediately fall on us and I peek over at Taylor to make sure she's okay.

Her face is covered by her hair due to her looking down and I immediately become annoyed at the nosey onlookers.

We make it out past them and I help her into the car. "Text me when you get home." I tell her.

"But I don't have your number." She says and I grab the pen from Eddie and write my number on her palm.

"Now you do."

"I'll see you soon." I tell her and she nods softly.

Closing the door, I watch as they drive off before heading back up.

My phone rings and it's my mother calling this time. I answer immediately and her soft voice fills my ears.

"I know that I gave birth to two children but only one ever calls me." She starts and the guilt floods me immediately. "Hello, mama. How are you?" I say and she sighs.

"I miss you, bambino. Come home for a little bit." She says totally ignoring my greetings. "I know you do, Mama. I miss you guys too but I have a lot of work that needs to get done." I say feeling like an asshole because it has been months since I last saw my family.

"Always working when you have to see us but never when you want to party all night and drink with girls." She says and my brows shoot up.

"What are you talking about, Mama?" I ask confused. "There are articles of you and some girl in a pink dress, all over each other." She says and I grab my laptop before searching my name.

Pictures of Taylor and me outside the club pop up.

"Cazzo." I whisper. "Language." My mother scolds and I roll my eyes knowing she says worse all the time.

"Come home for a few days. We miss you." She says with finality in her voice and I sigh. "Fine. I'll book the flight for next week." I say giving in.

"Good. Bring the girl. She's cute." She says before hanging up.

I drop my phone next to me and read the article.

It's nothing too bad but Taylor is definitely going to freak out.

Between running a new business, my mother's nagging and having to protect Taylor from the mess I just put her in, my plate is full and overflowing.

I open my emails and see my PR team has been sending a bunch of them.

My phone rings again and this time it's Keath.

"You've seen it?" He asks and I hum a yes.

"I can't have her exposed to the kind of shit we do. This just puts her in the spotlight." I tell him.

"Has your mother called you yet?" He asks and I can hear the amusement in his voice.

"Yeah. She wants me to bring her home next week." I say as I rub my eyes.

"To be fair, it is the first girl you've been seen without in public. And you guys look really cozy. Maybe it isn't such a bad thing to go with the flow of things." He says and I think about it.

"You could be right." I say. "I have to go through. Need to get them to take this down." I tell him and he says bye before hanging up.

"It's going to be a long fucking day."