PROLOGUE
The office buzzed with the usual hum of keyboards clacking and phones ringing, but Lucy’s sharp heels clicking against the polished floor. That was, until a strong hand grabbed her wrist and yanked her into the shadowed corner of the hallway.
Lucy’s back hit the wall, and Nick’s towering frame boxed her in, his hands planted on either side of her head. His eyes, dark and unreadable, locked onto hers, but Lucy didn’t flinch. Instead, she tilted her chin up, her gaze fierce, daring him to try something. he cool scent of his cologne mixed with something darker… something electric.
His piercing gaze swept over her, slow and deliberate, lingering just a second too long.
“The way you dress…” he murmured, voice deep, teasing, dangerous. “It makes me feel like you’re doing this deliberately—to grab my attention.”
Lucy arched a brow, completely unfazed. Her lips curled into an amused smirk.
“I’m wearing a trouser suit, like most of the women here. So… are you attracted to all of us?” She leaned in just slightly, tilting her head. “Or is there something else, Mr. CEO?”
Nick’s jaw tightened. There was something about her—the way she never wavered under his intensity, the way she spoke to him like he was just another man, not the most powerful billionaire in the country.
“Let go of me,” Lucy continued coolly, “I have to go sign my next contract.”
Nick didn’t move. Instead, his smirk deepened, his voice dropping lower, laced with something dangerously enticing.
“You do know it’s your body, right?” He leaned in just slightly, his breath warm against her skin. “How embarrassing would it be for the disciplined actress to return to the office with her lipstick completely ruined?”
Lucy let out a soft chuckle, completely unshaken. Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she tilted her head.
“I wonder…” she mused, her voice dripping with confidence, “how embarrassing it would be to find the young, handsome billionaire lying down, holding his—”
Nick’s eyes darkened with a mix of challenge and intrigue.
“And how exactly do you plan to make that happen?” he asked, voice husky, daring her.
Lucy didn’t answer. She simply lifted her long leg, brushing against him just enough to make her point.
For a moment, Nick just stared at her—half amused, half fascinated.
With a slow, deep chuckle, he shook his head. “You sometimes make me feel like you forget I’m the CEO.”
Lucy tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a playful smirk. “And most times you make me forget you are My bOSS”
For a moment, they stood there—locked in a silent battle
Nick stepped back, his hands sliding into his pockets as he watched her with something unreadable in his eyes.
As she walked away, his best friend, Marcus, appeared, watching the scene unfold with barely concealed amusement.
“Tsk, tsk,” Marcus chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s gonna be tough capturing the attention of a woman who’s been betrayed that much… and has turned down more managers than I can count.
Nick watched Lucy disappear around the corner, a smirk tugging at his lips. “She’s not a manager type,” he said simply,
