Law #2: Don't Play with a Player: A Sweet Office Romance Story (Laws of Love) by Agnes Canestri (web ebook reader .txt) 📕

“No, I’ll come,” I reply.

She steps backward, leaving me space to enter.

The floor we’re traveling to is already selected, but I push the button again to cancel out my previously indecisive behavior.

The doors shut, and I turn around to face Laia.

I give her a once-over, a slower and more deliberate one than I’d typically allow myself at work. On some unconscious level, I want her to feel as fazed as I was by her unexpected transformation. A slight suspicion forms, and I’d like to see if I’m right or not.

My plan seems to work because Laia shifts uncomfortably and brushes her palms against her pants. Her cheeks deepen into a darker hue.

I allow myself to enjoy her embarrassment until she starts to chew on her lower lip, then I redirect my glance to her face.

“So, I guess you were playing me yesterday, right?” I ask.

Her eyes, hovering over her shoes, dart to my face. They’re so wide her irises seem to overtake the entire space. Having them reflected at me by the mirrors of the elevator from every angles magnifies the effect.

“What do you mean ‘playing you’? I wasn’t…I didn’t…”

I meant my comment as a provocation and hoped I could make her confess her trick, but Laia’s genuinely flustered expression tells me my hunch might have been off.

“So, you didn’t dress differently for the interview because you wanted to ensure that I’d focus on your resume and not be blinded by your….you know…”

Her brows round. “My what?”

I point at her figure and move my finger up and down. “Your womanly charms.”

I wouldn’t have thought her eyes could become larger, but they do.

“Are you easily blinded by such aspects?”

I shrug. “It depends. In my private life, sometimes. At work, no. Though if you trust the rumors about me, you may assume something different.”

Laia cocks her head to the side. “You know what they say…a rumor always contains a grain of truth.”

In my case, probably more than just a grain. But never when it comes to my employees.

That’s why Laia’s phrase makes me cringe. I don’t want her to feel uneasy with me.

“Laia, I need to make something clear to you.” I lean a bit closer to her to make sure she pays attention to my words, and her scent wafts over me. My nostrils flare, allowing her perfume to sink right into my lungs.

“Devon? You were saying?”

Laia’s voice jars me out of my sensual distraction.

“Oh, yes. You may hear gossip about me being a…”

I squirm with my shirt collar while Laia’s curious gaze makes an unusual heat flow to my neck.

What word should I use to sound professional but still truthful?

Womanizer? Nah. I’m not really that.

Playboy? Maybe, but calling myself that in front of an employee would sound wrong.

“Player?” Laia chimes in.

I could probably go with that. “Yes, some may call me a player, even if I’m not one. Players often lie, and I don’t. But since you came up with this word, can I ask whether you’ve read any tabloid articles about me?”

“Yes, one.” She nods, and by her slightly disapproving tone, I deduce that the publication she saw might have been on the racier side.

“That’s okay,” I say as casually as I can. “Is that the reason you dressed in a shapeless suit for the interview, instead of the clothes you’re wearing today?”

She stares at me, then her mouth moves into a smile that’s an exquisite mixture of shy and amused. “No, of course not. I used that suit for my graduation, too. I know it’s kind of ugly.” She bobs her head back and forth, then smacks her lips. “Or maybe even a lot, but I didn’t have time to find a better alternative on such short notice. I’m not really a fashionista.”

When she sees my doubtful frown as I eye her chic blouse, she pinches the fabric on her shoulders and adds, “This top, together with these pants, are gifts from my roomie. She wanted me to look the part of a CEO’s assistant.”

“Well, you certainly do.” I smile.

Not only that. Laia looks pretty. Very. Her new style suits her way more than that oversized pantsuit.

It’s not just her new clothes, though. She’s chosen to wear her impressive dark mane loose, which plays up her eyes and emphasizes her enticing skin color.

“Believe it or not,” I chuckle, relieved that my suspicion about her was without foundation, “your weird blazer was the first reason you stood out to me among the other applicants.”

“How so?”

I didn’t plan on mentioning anything to Laia about Hayley, but maybe I should. I don’t want Laia to fret that she might get entangled in something scandalous while working for me. She’ll undoubtedly hear soon enough all the whacky theories circulating about my former assistant’s departure.

I clear my throat. “I didn’t want to hire anyone who would use her looks on me. I had some issues, personal issues, with my ex-assistant. That’s why I explicitly wanted someone who will be focused solely on her job. In my company, private life and work don’t mix—not for me and not for my employees. As my PA, you’ll be privy to a lot of sensitive information about me, which increases the importance of keeping personal boundaries clear between us.”

Laia’s mouth opens slightly, then her features smooth out. “I don’t have any problem with this. It sounds just right.”

“Good, because—”

The elevator door opens. Katja rushes over to us with a pile of documents in her arms. “Robert Leonic just called and confirmed your tea together for Thursday. The invitation to the CCF gala arrived. It’ll be held in a luxury resort outside Tucson this year. Shall I book your spot now?”

“Yes, please,” I answer.

Katja blinks at Laia. “You may peek over my shoulders as I make the reservation. I handle the admin work for Devon’s trips, but when I’m on vacation, it will fall onto your plate.”

Laia nods. “Of course.”

Katja turns to me. “And these reports? Shall I give them to you or to Laia?”

I flash a