Chapter 3
CASSANDRA
Cassandra gives a gentle knock on Mr. Rodriguez’s door, hearing a voice from inside say, “Come in.” She takes a deep breath, exhales slowly, and steps inside.
The office is twice the size of Mr. Smith’s. Two chairs sit opposite a stunning, hand-carved wooden desk, with a black suit jacket casually draped over a black leather chair behind it. To her right, there’s a lounge area complete with a drink station, and a chess board sits on the coffee table in the center of the room. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a breathtaking view of Times Square.
Closing the door behind her, Cassandra ventures further into the room, her legs trembling slightly. She stops in front of the desk, but there’s no one there—just the stunning view.
“Mr. Rodriguez?” she calls out softly, but there’s no response. She leaves the file and mail on his impeccably organized desk and turns to leave.
A deep, masculine voice stops her in her tracks. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Cassandra spins around so quickly she nearly loses her balance. The man she’s looking for is nowhere in sight, but that voice…it’s so familiar.
The leather chair slowly swivels around, and Cassandra’s face drains of color. Emilio…?
Emilio is her boss.
Fearful that her shaky knees might give out, Cassandra steadies herself on the nearby couch. His stunning eyes meet hers; he looks just as surprised as she feels, but he’s more attractive than ever with his golden olive skin, jet black hair, dark eyes and brows, high cheekbones, and chiseled features.
And that mouth…oh, the things that mouth has done to her body. The mere thought sends a shiver down her spine.
EMILIANO
Emiliano can’t tear his gaze away from the woman who once set his blood on fire. She was the first woman to spark his desire with just a look, the only one whose memory left him hot and bothered in the mornings.
As a teenager, just beginning to explore the pleasures a woman’s body could offer, Emiliano was often aroused. But since then, he’d never felt such a strong sexual attraction to a woman. Until Cassie, with her fair skin and fiery red hair, her big green eyes, cute nose, and full lips—lips he’d kissed and nibbled on.
She’s just as beautiful as when he first met her, when he’d found pleasure in her curvy body, in her full, firm breasts that he’d caressed. Even now, just thinking about them stirs a desire in him.
“Damn!” Emiliano mutters under his breath. He’s not that hormonal teenager anymore; he needs to get a grip.
Cassie was also the first virgin he’d ever been with. As a rule, he avoids inexperienced women—they tend to come with a lot of expectations.
Emiliano rises from his chair and walks around the desk. He stops a few feet away, his six-foot frame towering over her five-foot one. From this angle, she looks incredibly small, young, and delicate.
CASSANDRA
Standing face-to-face with Alex’s father, a man she thought she’d never see again, Cassandra is at a loss for words. It’s even more apparent now how much her son resembles him.
“Emilio,” she murmurs softly.
“Cassie,” he replies in a drawl.
It really is him.
The memory of their night together floods back to Cassandra. Her gaze sweeps over his athletic body, and her body reacts just as it did the first time she saw him.
What would he do if he found out about our son? He’s a billionaire, the founder of a world-renowned bank. Would he try to take Alex away if he knew the truth?
Is he married? Does he have other children? Cassandra doesn’t think so; the office gossip is that he goes through women like they’re going out of style.
“How long have you been working here, Ms. Miller?”
Emilio’s question—and his use of her last name—catches her off guard. Her heart pounding, she meets his gaze. “Uh…eight weeks, sir.”
“Do you like working here?” he asks.
“Yes,” she whispers.
“Then I suggest you arrive on time. I don’t tolerate tardiness, especially from my receptionist. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Mr. Rodriguez.”
“You can go now.” He moves back behind his desk and starts going through the mail she brought. For a moment, Cassandra is frozen in place, taken aback by his cold demeanor.
Looking up, Emilio—Mr. Rodriguez—gives her a stern look. “Is there something else you need?”
Cassandra shakes her head and quickly leaves. As she makes her way back to her desk, she can’t stop thinking about his distant attitude.
What did she expect? That they’d pick up where they left off? That he’d want to continue what they started fifteen months ago?
One thing is clear: she’s not his type. Men like him never give her a second glance; she should just focus on her job. And forget about her attractive boss who also happens to be the father of her son.
During her lunch break, Cassandra does a quick internet search. Emily had given her his full name, Emiliano Alejandro Rodriguez, and she finds that he’s more often featured in the Financial Times than anywhere else. He’s a successful businessman who started his bank eleven years ago at the age of twenty and now has branches all over the world. But he has no children or wife.
Cassandra breathes a sigh of relief, though she’s not sure why—he means nothing to her.
Why did he introduce himself as Emilio instead of Emiliano? No wonder people looked at her like she was crazy when she asked about him.
The more she learns about him, the more it becomes clear that people both fear and respect him. This man is dangerous and definitely not her type; he might stir certain feelings within her, but he’s not someone she’d dare to challenge. He doesn’t seem like the type of man who takes “no” for an answer or lets anyone tell him what to do.
What on earth had she been thinking when she decided to sleep with him that night? Sure, there had been a few drinks involved, but she hadn’t been drunk. Yes, she had been attracted to him, but she had no clue he was such a high-powered businessman.
Her mind wanders to her son. “Oh, Alex,” she whispers to herself.
“Googling your boss during work hours isn’t exactly professional.”
His voice startles her, and Cassandra jumps up so quickly that her coffee cup topples off her desk. Thankfully, it’s cold, so it doesn’t scald her.
Perfect, she thinks.
“What are you curious about?” he asks, his gaze holding her in place.
“Nothing!” Cassandra stammers.
“We’re not paying you to investigate me. Get back to work.”
Once he’s gone, Cassandra tries to calm her racing heart before she cleans up the mess she’s made. She then finishes her work for the rest of the day, grateful not to run into Emilio or Emiliano or whatever his name is again.
At half past three, Cassandra grabs her bag and heads for the elevator. Another day down. She can’t wait to hold her son in her arms.
Jake, the accountant, catches up with her at the elevator. He’s good-looking, and if Cassandra had been interested, she would’ve accepted his date invitation two weeks ago.
They step into the elevator together, and the doors close. She looks up at him and smiles.
He grins back. “How’s your day, Cass?”
“I’m doing okay. How about you, Jake?”
“Better now that I’ve seen you. Still not interested in that date?”
Before Cassandra can respond, the elevator dings open, and Emilio steps in. Suddenly, the elevator feels tiny—and to make matters worse, he stands ~right next to her~.
Cassandra feels a flush creep up her body. Her boss’s aftershave or cologne blends so well with his natural scent. Her toes curl in her shoes.
“Mr. Rodriguez,” Jake greets.
“Jake. Ms. Miller.”
Cassandra’s entire body tingles at the sound of his voice. She doesn’t respond.
“I’m still waiting for an answer, Cass,” Jake says.
“I can’t, Jake,” she replies. “Now isn’t a good time.”
“How long will you make me wait?”
“Don’t. Guys are the last thing on my mind right now.” Cassandra almost glances at Emilio but decides against it. She can feel his dark eyes on her, for some reason.
“At least you didn’t say ‘no,’” Jake says. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.”
The elevator doors open again, and Jake steps out, leaving Cassandra alone with Emilio. She’s acutely aware of every inch of him. How can she still be attracted to this man after all this time? How can his presence still affect her like this?
When she meets his gaze, Emilio says, “It’s against the bank’s policy for employees to date each other. I hope you’re aware of that.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be sure to remember that, Mr. Rodriguez.”
Cassandra holds his gaze for a full minute before looking away.
EMILIANO
Emilio can’t tear his eyes away from Cassie, watching her chest rise and fall with each heavy breath she takes. He knows what’s hidden beneath that shirt she’s wearing.
His gaze lands on the exposed skin at her neck, where her pulse is racing, and he knows she’s still affected by his presence. So, he’s not the only one who feels the sparks flying between them.
Emiliano usually loses interest quickly when it comes to women—that’s why he has a different one in his bed every other week—but Cassie is an enigma, a challenge. She keeps him intrigued and makes him want to know more, something that’s never happened before.
With her enticing curves and full, round breasts, it’s no surprise Jake made a move on her—any man would. But for some reason, the thought of another man touching her sexy body makes Emiliano seethe.
He can tell she’s trying to avoid him, and he wonders why. All he wants to do is hit the emergency button and lose himself inside of her. Any woman who captures Emiliano Rodriguez’s attention deserves his full focus and time.
The only problem is…he’s her boss.
