his fingers brush mine.
“I’ll get the paper out for you.”
He’s so close, my lips want nothing more than to connect with his. Abigail, what’s wrong with you? I step back, breathing heavy. Who are you?
“Must be hot in here.” He smirks, working on the machine.
“Really? I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you’re blushing, Miss McMillian.”
I swallow even harder. “How do you know my name?”
“Magic,” he says with a whoosh of air. “And you’re an eye roller, I see?”
“What?”
“You just rolled your eyes.”
Shaking my head, I look everywhere but at him.
“Uncomfortable, are we?”
Closing my eyes, I just breathe. “No.”
He laughs. “It’s fixed now. Can I assist you with anything else?”
I shake my head again.
“Do you always bite your lower lip like that?”
I release it from my teeth immediately. “Do you always ask questions?”
“I do.”
Leave the room. I don’t.
“Who are you?” I ask.
“Marcus.” He smiles kindly at me. “You have very pretty eyes.”
“Are you an assistant here as well?” I dismiss the comment about my eyes.
“You could say that.”
“O.K.A.Y,” I say, each letter of the word drawn out.
“Are you nearly finished here?” He points to the photocopier.
I burst into laughter. When I look back at him, he’s smiling again.
“Something funny?”
“You could say that.” I point to the large folder on a table beside the copier. “Yeah, I’ve got to do that. Given my first attempt, I’d say I’ll need at least two hours.”
He laughs again. “I’ll do it for you. It’ll maybe take me fifteen minutes, give or take.”
“Great.” Walking towards the door, I glance over my shoulder. Our eyes make contact. “I’m on level two. I’m guessing you know where my office is, Mr Marcus Magician. Just bring them up when you’re finished.”
He smirks, so I wink and leave him and my pile of work to get acquainted.
Asher is just outside the doorway as I exit. Her arms are crossed, and there’s a look of amusement plastered across her face.
She whispers, “What was that about?”
I mouth, “Wow.”
She in turn mouths, “So hot.”
She isn’t wrong. I think I will enjoy working with Marcus.
Not long after returning to my office, Jasmine enters. She doesn’t knock. Barging in must be her style. I remove the headphones I’m wearing.
“Documents, Abigail?”
“Yes, they are coming any minute. I delegated that task. I’m in the middle of transcribing dictation.”
“You delegated the task?” Her hands fall onto the desk before she leans down.
“Yes.”
“To whom?” Her eyes narrow.
“To someone who apparently loves photocopying. This way, I can get two jobs done at once.”
She tries hard not to look pleased but fails. “Fine, get them to me as soon as possible.”
“Yes, boss,” I reply, giving her a thumbs-up.
She closes her eyes and shakes her head. Jasmine is definitely growing on me.
Keys press down quickly. The voice of Mr Sims plays in my ears, a voice aged and oddly deep.
“(New sentence) Anthony James Stewart (comma) hereby agrees to give thirty days (comma) until ownership of this asset becomes that of (change to upper case) MURTELLl PTY LTD (full stop). (New sentence) Property pertaining to Mr Stewart will stay mute and undisclosed under the privacy laws of Australia …”
I’m interrupted by the sight of two folders falling onto my keyboard from behind me. The headphones I’m wearing are slowly pulled from my head. I sit frozen.
“Task complete, Miss McMillian.” His voice is warm, and his words flow softly into my ear.
“It’s just Abigail.”
“Abigail.”
My name coming from his lips sends a shiver coursing down my spine. He swivels my chair around. His gaze is unwavering and intense as he leans towards me, gripping both armrests. He’s so close.
“Th-thank you.” Fuck, he’s gorgeous.
“You’re welcome.”
As quickly as he appeared, he disappears. The sound of the door closing means I finally inhale air.
I think I might like this place after all.
SIX
Amusement
“Abigail, are you hungry?” Asher clears her throat, standing in the open doorway to my office.
“Famished,” I reply, rubbing at eyes stinging from the glare of my computer screen.
“Well, come on, let’s go eat.”
“Am I allowed to? Should I run it by the Nazi down the hall first?”
Asher giggles as she leans against the doorway. “The Nazi will be fine with you having lunch. It’s one o’clock. That’s your break time and mine.”
“Awesome. Hang on … I didn’t bring lunch. What do you have? Sharing is caring, my new friend.”
She laughs. “I eat at Leyton’s next door. Most of us do.”
“Who uses that big staffroom on the first floor?”
She shrugs. “I just use if to get coffee throughout the day, I’m not sure.”
“Okay, I’ll come. Just let me finish