Chapter 6

AARON’S POV

I stayed seated after the door closed.

The documents were still open in front of me, but I wasn't reading a single thing. I looked at the door again, then back at the folder with her name on it.

Eleanor Mae.

Now she was sitting in my office asking for a job.

I pressed the intercom. "Call Miss Mae back before she leaves the floor."

My assistant answered immediately. “Yes, Mr. Pierce.”

A minute later there was a knock.

“Come in.”

Eleanor stepped inside again. She looked cautious.

“Is there a problem?” she asked.

I closed the folder and looked her in the eyes. “No. I’ve decided to offer you the position.”

The expression on her face was immediate surprise. She didn’t sit down.

“Is this because of what happened between us?” she asked directly.

“No. Your qualifications earned you the position. Everything I saw in your application and everything you said in the interview matches what this role needs. What happened that night will not influence my professional judgment. I want that cleared up.”

She studied me for a second, then nodded once. “Okay. I accept.”

“Good. Sit down. I’ll go over the details.”

She sat. I pulled out the offer sheet and turned it so she could see.

“Your main responsibilities will be coordinating operations across the main accounts, handling client communication when issues escalate, and working directly with the senior team on project timelines. You’ll report to me on the larger files. The salary is listed here and it includes the standard benefits package. Start date is Monday.”

She read through it carefully. “What’s the size of the team I’ll be working with most days?”

“Six people on the core operations side. You’ll interact with more people when projects overlap.”

“And the client load?”

“Manageable at first. But it increases once you’re settled and you’ll have the adequate support needed.”

“Will I be expected to travel?”

“Occasionally. Mostly local for now. International only if a specific account requires it.”

She asked two more questions about reporting structure and performance reviews. I answered both without rushing.

When she finished she looked up. “Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity.”

She stood and turned toward the door.

“Miss Mae.”

She stopped and looked back.

“I expect us to keep our personal history completely separate from work. Whatever happened that night stays there, it does not come into this building.”

“I agree,” she said. “It won’t.”

She left and closed the door behind her.

I stayed at my desk and tried to return to the documents. The numbers looked blurry for a moment. But I forced myself to focus, signed two contracts, and replied to an email from legal.

My attention span to that work didn’t last long.

A short while later I caught myself thinking about the night again.

The way she had felt around me, how strongly I had reacted to her from the first touch. How unusual it was for me to want more after a single encounter. I never wanted more.

That was the point of those kinds of arrangements. It was meant to be one night and both parties moved on.

But she had changed that without even trying.

I reminded myself that she was now my employee. Whatever attraction still living in my head towards her could not become a problem. I would not allow it.

Later in the afternoon I stepped out of my office to speak with one of the department heads. That was when I saw her.

Eleanor was standing near the open work area, speaking with another employee. She was smiling politely, listening, nodding at something the other woman said.

She looked completely different from the woman who had been underneath me in the dark. She looked professional and composed. It was like that night had never happened.

I watched her for a moment longer than I should have. Then I forced myself to turn away and walk back into my office.

I sat down and told myself again that hiring her was based entirely on her qualifications. Nothing else.

The interview went well, her experience was good and the way she handled the questions was amazing.

I opened the schedule for the following week and found her start date.

Monday.

I stared at the calendar for a long time and realized I had already started wondering when I would see her again.