Chapter 40 Go Home

Chapter 40 Go Home
GENERAL

Sienna collapsed onto the nearest swivel chair as soon as she stood up from the floor. Her chest heaved up and down as she tried to stabilize her erratic breathing. The air was laced with the scent of sex and sweat.

With a teasing gaze fixated on her, Lucien dragged his pants up and buckled his belt.

“Do you want some water?” he asked, walking nearer to her.

At that moment, Sienna remembered the situation she was in. She had been in his office for more than thirty minutes, and she was certain the other workers must have been expecting her to step out. When the realization dawned on her, she sprang up, but the weakness overwhelmed her fear. She ended up settling back into the chair.

“What…?” he inquired, shocked by the way she suddenly stood and collapsed back. “Is there a problem?” His brows creased.

“My seat has been empty for too long,” she mumbled. “Others must have started suspecting something is going on,” she added, her face contorting with worry. She didn’t want to be the topic in the office. For years, she had lived free of scandal or gossip. And even if she wanted to be talked about, she would prefer being a news headline rather than the company’s gossip. This was the place she resumed work every morning; she didn’t want it to become a place she dreaded the most.

“So?”

“I need to go back before their thoughts run wild,” she muttered, trying to stand again. Before she could, Lucien placed both hands on her shoulders and kept her in place.

“You want to go out?” he asked.

A part of her brow raised. “Yes. It’s only right if I go back to work.”

“I know. But you want to go out this way?” The question confused her, and he noticed it from her baffled expression. “Don’t you think you’ll be setting yourself up if you go out smelling like sex and me?” he added.

That was when she recognized the scent in the room and inhaled it on her body. Her body stiffened for a moment, and she raised her gaze to him. “So what do I do? I can’t keep staying here. John and Catherine will definitely probe until I can’t keep it in anymore,” she said, fear-stricken.

He smiled so widely that it reached the corners of his eyes. Without saying a word, he walked past her toward the door. Sienna spun, confused and unsure of what her boss was about to do.

When Lucien stepped out, he walked straight to the employees’ work area and stood at the center, hands tucked into his pockets. Everyone was surprised. This was the first time the boss stood still in one place. Before now, he was either walking in or out. He had never stayed rooted. So, they assumed there was a problem and halted everything they were doing before his arrival, anticipation and anxiety scribbled across their faces.

He turned his wrist and glanced at the time. It was a few minutes past three—two hours before closing. Putting his hand back into his pocket, he cleared his throat.

“Stop whatever you are doing and go home,” he told them.

For a few seconds, the employees stared at him like he was a sight to behold… or maybe he really was, because all the women in the office had imagined marrying and sleeping with him—but all of that existed only in their heads.

Catherine and John shared glances, trying to confirm if they had heard him correctly.

“Ex… excuse me, sir,” Catherine said, raising her hand. “I… I’m sorry, but can you kindly repeat your statement? I just need to be sure my ears aren’t faulty,” she added. As if others had been waiting for a spokesperson, they murmured in agreement.

Lucien nodded and shifted his gaze to her. Catherine flinched, inhaling sharply as her eyes locked with her handsome boss—her real-life crush.

“Anyone still here after my countdown will have to work overtime,” he said, his eyes fixed on her.

The moment they heard his words, everyone sprang into action, shutting down their computers, packing their bags, and scurrying out of the office.

However, Catherine’s steps faltered when she realized she hadn’t seen Sienna. So, she turned back and said, “Boss, Sienna is—”

He interrupted her before she could complete her sentence. “She’s working in my office.” His fingers grazed the tip of his nose. “There’s an issue with a project, and she just happened to walk in when I needed someone to edit the work,” he explained, even though he hated explaining himself to his employees. But he had no choice. One of Sienna’s fears was her colleagues discovering their relationship, and he would help her conceal it.

“Oh!” Catherine nodded without doubt.

“Let’s go, you fool. I’m not staying with you if you become the scapegoat,” John shouted, pulling her arm and dragging her toward the elevator. With an awkward chuckle, he bowed as the doors closed.

Lucien’s eyes scanned the entire place, and he snickered lightly. Afterward, he turned and went back into his office.

Sienna stood up and rushed toward him as soon as he walked in. She had regained some strength and was eager to know why he had gone outside and what had caused the commotion.

“What did you do?”

“Asked them to close early,” he mumbled, as if he hadn’t just done something outrageous.

“What!” Sienna spurted, surprised. “Why? It isn’t even closing time.”

“Does it matter? You need to be comfortable in my office, and you can’t do that with them around,” he said with sheer nonchalance.

She was taken aback. She never would have thought he would do something like that when he stepped out. “But—”

“Come here,” he cut her off, snatched her wrist, and pulled her against his body. His arms instinctively encircled her waist. “Stop talking. Asking them to leave before closing time will cost me some dollars.” He shut his eyes and gently rested his chin on her head. “Let me enjoy this moment with you. That way, I won’t regret losing some money,” he added.

Sienna was stunned. He had closed the entire office just so she could stay with him? Even at a loss?

A familiar emotion swirled within her, and fluttering waves rushed over her like a tidal wave. She hated to admit it, but her expectations had risen. Her lips curled into a smile as she wrapped her arms around him.