it opened for me. No one has ever opened a door for me. Not even past boyfriends.
“Thank you.”
He smiles and holds out his hand to help me out. I grip his hand as I stumble out, still clutching my coffee in my other hand. I’m going to need more when I get inside.
“Here’s your security badge, Miss Burns. Mr. Knight’s offices are on the top floor. He’s waiting for you.”
I nod and take a step forward, feeling like Bambi learning to walk for the first time.
“Would you like me to accompany you up, Miss Burns?”
I smile and take a deep breath to compose myself. “No, I got it. Thank you though.”
“Of course, Miss Burns.”
“Gallagher, will you be driving me every morning?”
He nods. “Most likely. I usually drive Mr. Knight, but he has made you my assignment for the foreseeable future.”
“Then please call me Mila.”
“Mila, I would suggest you hurry inside. Knight isn’t a patient man.”
He drops the mister from in front of Knight’s name as well, and I start to think the ‘mister and miss’ was just an act Knight requested him to do, and not how he usually behaves.
I know I should hurry inside, but after what Knight pulled last night I don’t care. He’s an ass. I don’t care how much money he is paying me. He can wait.
I walk inside, flashing my card to the security guard. I wait at the elevators with a dozen other people all sipping their coffees in their expensive suits and heels.
I glance down at my wrinkled mess of clothes. I thought I looked okay for going to a strip club, where I expected it to be mostly empty. This place isn’t empty. It’s full of sharp looking business people.
I swallow hard and stare at the doors, begging them to open so I can get this hell of a day over with. The doors open, and we all cram inside. I can’t even see the buttons to tell if my floor is pressed or not. It takes forever to climb the more than twenty stories as the elevators stop on almost every level to let people on and off. But finally, it’s just a woman left and me.
“First day?” she asks.
I nod.
The doors open, and she smiles knowingly. “Good luck, working for Knight is a tough job. You’re going to need a tough skin to survive here.”
I blink, not understanding. How did she know I was working for Knight?
“Good morning, Mila,” Cole says when I step off.
I smile. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Do you work with Knight?”
“Something like that.”
Ugh, again with the vagueness.
“I thought I’d show you to your office and get you set up. Knight is currently in a meeting.”
Cole’s eyes rake up and down my body. “I’m glad you and Knight seem to be getting along.”
I frown, realizing now why Knight ensured I would show up in this outfit. To make Cole think Knight fucked me. Bastard. Knight wants to claim me without really claiming me.
“I still can’t believe you and Knight get along well enough to work together.”
“We get along better than that. We are best friends.”
I stop, not believing him. “What?” I snap.
“I’ve known him since high school. He’s my best friend. I would die for him.”
I doubt that. I follow Cole and watch as he limps. Scars still cover his arms and face. Knight has healed faster than Cole.
“Here’s your office,” Cole says holding a door open to a small room.
A door! I’ve never had an office before. Most people here don’t have an office; they have cubicles.
“Why do I get an office? I figured I’d be stuck in a cubicle somewhere. I’m only Knight’s assistant.”
Cole bites his lip like he wants to say more, but can’t.
I step inside and run my hand over the bookshelf covered with books. Over the white desk that looks like it was designed for a woman. I look out the large windows that have a view of the mountains. I could work here forever. I’m not even sure I want to be a nurse again if the pay is this good and I get a view like this.
“So what is the name of this company? What does it do?”
Cole eyes me like he can’t believe Knight hasn’t told me already. We were a little busy not fucking.
I sit behind the desk and drink the last drop of coffee. Cole walks over to where a coffee maker sits in the corner of my office. He pours me a fresh