ANNE
Strict, demanding, authoritarian, tyrannical, merciless, severe, or any adjective found in the dictionary that is linked to cruelty could be used to describe Bryce Forbes, my cruel and excessively hot boss, whose main goal in life is to make me feel like a useless idiot.
Things between us used to work as follows: ninety percent of the time I hated him and just wanted to grab his neck and strangle him for being an asshole, the other ten percent I was usually imagining him naked, on top, below, or behind me.
But unfortunately, all it took was for him to open his mouth to end any fantasy. So he was usually wearing a gag when I imagined him naked.
The interesting part of this fantasy was that when I was about to twist his neck as I was now, I could just imagine sticking a big vibrator up the bastard's ass. That used to make me feel more at ease.
And it just worked once again.
"Are you listening to me? Why are you smiling?" he said, furrowing his thick, blond, naturally arched eyebrows, which gave him an angry, sexy look almost all the time.
There was only one thing that irritated Bryce Forbes more than my audacity in confronting him: my smile. I showed my teeth even more.
"I'm sorry. You were saying?"
I could also add when someone asked him to repeat something he had said.
"Can you remind me why I haven't fired you yet?"
"Yes, sir. Surely, it's because I'm the only one capable of putting up with your... peculiar personality for more than a week. Do I need to remind you about the incident with the temps?
He seemed to reflect, probably remembering six months ago, when I finally decided to take a well-deserved vacation.
A month without me, and the poor guy nearly went mad, firing assistants at every turn. I confess that it was amusing to hear the whole story when I returned.
Unfortunately for both of us, we were very good at working together, even though we couldn't stand each other. Of course, I had all the credit for that, since he's such an arrogant bastard.
"Tell me your MBA isn't too far from being completed."
He was standing in front of my desk, wearing a dark blue suit, with one of his hands in his pants pocket.
The damn beard was growing. I involuntarily squeezed my thighs, imagining what it would be like to feel it rubbing against my legs. The thought was enough to make me want to get up, lean over the table, tug at his gray tie, and finally find out what his damn lips tasted like while I pulled at his perfectly groomed hair.
With an arched eyebrow, he cleared his throat, bringing me back to reality, surely expecting an answer. I blinked a few times. Oh, shit. I had to stop this.
Fantasizing about an idiot like Bryce Forbes wasn't going to help me at all, especially since he's my boss and a damn arrogant asshole most of the time. If he even imagined I was doing this, I could say goodbye to my dignity.
"You know there are still a few months left. Are you eager to have the privilege of firing me?"
I suspected the bastard was just waiting for me to finish my MBA to finally have an excuse to get rid of me.
"Oh, no. Unfortunately, with my father around, the only way to get rid of you will be by promoting you. So, if I were you, I'd only worry about having to make a move."
"Are you planning to send me to another department?"
"How about another city or country?"
"Admit it, Forbes, you wouldn't be able to take a step without me in this company."
"Despite my family's strange adoration for you, Starling, you shouldn't forget that I see you as just another employee."
"I don't forget; you make sure to remind me every day. But it's you who forget that when you arrived, I was already here."
"No one is irreplaceable; you should know that."
"Oh, I thought we were still talking about work, not your love life."
Damn it. Me and my big mouth. He sighed in frustration.
"You may think I'm only in this position because of my family's company, but I don't care, because that doesn't change the fact that I'm the best at what I do."
"I didn't say that..."
"You don't have to. That look of disdain on your face speaks for itself."
Why did he think I would think that about him? Maybe because I really did disdain him? But it had nothing to do with the professional side. On the contrary, professionally, I admired him. His success, his achievements—I knew none of it was related to his family's money but rather his effort, determination, and intelligence.
Of course, he had privileges that anyone from an affluent family would have. But if Bryce weren't genuinely good at his job, this company could have simply closed its doors when his father retired and put him in charge a year ago.
However, in this past year, things turned out better than I expected. Maybe much better than in the previous five. I had the opportunity to work directly with his father for three of those five years.
And in the first week of working with Bryce, it was clear that he didn't like the idea of his father keeping me by his side. I didn't know why. I tried my best to please him during that week, but the effect seemed to be the opposite. For some reason, he just hated me.
But now that didn't matter because it was completely mutual. I don't care if he hates me or if he constantly tries to find fault in everything I do because I know I'm good at my job.
Deep down, Bryce knows it too, because I've caught his admiring glances many times while we were working. I have to admit, that look is priceless. It was like sweet revenge, but at the same time, it was also gratifying to be known by someone like him.
I've always worked hard, even in the beginning when I joined Forbes Media as an intern in my early college years. I've always put in the effort. And it was thanks to that effort that Joel, Bryce's father, offered me the position as his assistant and right-hand woman.
I couldn't be more grateful to that man. He practically adopted me as his daughter, as if I were truly part of his family.
Maybe that's why Bryce hates me because his family likes me. Or maybe it's because he couldn't choose who would be his right-hand person and was practically forced to work with me.
In any case, I prefer to think he's just an arrogant jerk who thinks he's too good. After all, I've always given my best, and I've never given him a reason to doubt my ability to do my job. Technically, he's the intruder; the company may belong to his family, but he's only been here for a year.
He can't think he's all that just because he has extensive experience and graduated from the best universities. Well, maybe he can. Damn it. Okay, Anne, he must be good at something to compensate for all that arrogance.
"You're right, it doesn't matter what I think. Anyway, you're still the boss," I finally said.
"Are you sure? Because sometimes it seems like you forget that, like when you make jokes about my personal life."
I squinted my eyes, taking a deep breath. If the women you sleep with didn't come here or if you didn't meet them during our meetings and business trips, I wouldn't feel this freedom, you jerk. That's what I wanted to say, but I just remained silent.
"Get the files ready for our meeting with Delta; we're leaving in an hour."
"Yes, Mr. Forbes," I forced my lips to curve into a smile.
Idiot, I know we're leaving in an hour; I'm the one who schedules the meetings here while you spend the day sitting in that chair.
Turning his back, he entered his office, leaving me alone in my room, which served as the reception for his office.
My body finally relaxed. For some reason, it always stayed on high alert when I was around Bryce.
It should be normal; all women used to react like that around him. It was really hard to resist his almost six feet and three inches of height and those eyes as blue as the sea, completely intimidating...
Hell. He couldn't have the same effect on me. Or at least, he couldn't know he did.
Perhaps my sexual obsession with Bryce—that's what I called my tendency to fantasize about him—was linked to the curiosity I had cultivated about him, even when he was still in England.
His family used to talk a lot about him, about his achievements, about how dedicated and determined he was in his goals, and how he would be a great successor to Joel.
I also found out that he decided to go abroad to specialize and work because he wanted to achieve everything on his own merits and not just depend on his family.
All of this made me develop some kind of admiration for him, and I ended up identifying with him even without knowing him personally. After all, if there's someone determined to fight for their goals and get what they want, that someone is me.
I still remember when I saw a picture of him for the first time. I remember thinking he looked too perfect and couldn't be both incredible and beautiful. What were the chances of that?
Maybe I should have trusted my instincts and kept my suspicions about him. But I ended up becoming too anxious to meet him.
And despite the age difference between us, specifically seven years, I couldn't help but develop some sort of platonic passion for him. After all, he was drop-dead gorgeous, intelligent, successful, and older. Everything a woman could want, right?
Wrong. I was completely wrong. But I ended up discovering that too late. And one week before he finally took Joel's place, I was just anxiety, trying to prepare myself to serve him promptly, looking for ways to be perfect and not disappoint him.
So stupid. I feel sorry for myself just for remembering it. All of that to find out that Bryce was nothing but an arrogant and extremely demanding jerk who didn't tolerate mistakes.
Despite our first encounter being almost normal—almost, because maybe I drooled a bit when I finally set my eyes on him.
I'm not sure about the drool, but I deduced it since my mouth was wide open. But despite that, I failed miserably at what I considered my first test.
A damn coffee. That's what he asked me for, and I simply soaked all the papers on his desk after stumbling in front of it, with the tray in my hands.
Knowing Bryce better now, I'd say he was even kind when he held back from cursing me out. He just mumbled some curses, but his look was enough to make it clear that he thought I was useless and couldn't do anything right.
Come to think of it, maybe that was the day he started hating me. But unfortunately for Bryce, I didn't give up my high heels.
And maybe I even wished to stumble a few more times, just to spill hot coffee on his pants. It would be fun to see him curse me for the right reasons, and maybe I could even help him clean his pants...
Damn it, Anne, stop that. I shook my head. Focus on the work.
Despite all the sexual energy that Bryce seemed to carry, unfortunately, he was off-limits for me. And in a way, that was frustrating because I had to see him almost every day of the week.
Maybe that's why being close to him was enough to irritate me. It was hard to deal with all this frustration.
And I knew that if something ever happened between us, it would be like the explosion of a nuclear bomb because of all that hatred and frustration.
The elevator doors opened, pulling me out of my thoughts.
Speaking of sexual energy...
Luke Forbes approached with a smile that made panties drop. He held his jacket over his shoulder, wearing only a white shirt and a black tie.
How to define Luke? 'Sexy as fuck' would be an understatement. Hell, he was as handsome and hot as Bryce.
At thirty-one, Luke was just a year younger than his brother and in charge of our public relations. It couldn't be different, with all that intoxicating charm and sensual beauty.
He had the gift of winning people over. Maybe if he weren't a Forbes and, in a way, my superior, I would have accepted his invitation to go out by now.
Luke had no problem making it clear that he was interested in me, and even though I tried to explain that I couldn't accept because of work, he kept insisting.
I couldn't even remember how long we'd been doing this. Having someone as good-looking as him interested in me was dangerous for my ego.
"Good morning, Anne!" He stopped in front of my desk, extending his palm.
"Good morning, Luke!" I placed my hand on his with a smile and waited for him to kiss it.
"How do you feel today?" He asked, looking into my eyes, as always.
Luke made me feel like he could see right into my soul. And only after some time did I discover why he always asked how I felt, not how I was.
He explained that it was because I always seemed to be doing great on the outside, and when he asked, he wanted to know how I truly felt.
I couldn't help but find it charming, even though I was aware that Luke was a ladies' man.
"I'm feeling good, thank you. And what about you?"
"Great, but I'd feel even better if a certain someone finally accepted my dinner invitation for tonight."
Why was he so sexy?
Unlike Bryce, who had incredibly blue eyes and blonde hair, Luke had dark brown hair and a beard, just like his eyes. I didn't know which combination was more captivating.
While Luke was extremely sensual and nearly irresistible, Bryce had a dominant and mysterious energy I couldn't explain, but it made me want to tear his clothes off.
Unfortunately, both of them were absolutely off-limits, and I would continue to have to deal with working with both of them. Life was anything but fair.
"You're relentless, aren't you?" I smiled. He stroked the beard on his square chin, with a slight smile on his perfect lips.
Damn it. Sometimes it was really hard to keep resisting. His perfect face was almost hypnotizing.
"You know I'll keep asking until you say yes."
"Or maybe you'll be worn down before that."
"That's not going to happen, Anne. I only need to look at you to know. By the way, you look beautiful as always."
The sound of Bryce clearing his throat caught our attention. Luke turned, leaving my field of vision, and I could finally see him.
He was leaning against the side of his open office door.
"I thought it was you. Always wasting time," he said, glaring at his brother, with a cold expression and arms crossed over his broad chest. "Stop harassing the employees and get back to work."
Idiot. I couldn't help rolling my eyes.
Completely ignoring his brother, Luke turned his attention back to me.
"You're a saint for having to put up with this every day," he whispered, aware that Bryce could still hear him. "You know, Anne, just send me a message if you change your mind." He winked before turning his back to me and walking towards his brother's office, who entered before him, shaking his head to express his disapproval.
Luke was right; I was a saint and deserved a raise just for putting up with Bryce, maybe even an award.