Chapter 3

On Monday, I brought my personal accessory, Ryan, to the office.

The second we appeared in the doorway, hand in hand, the entire design department fell into a stunned, tomb-like silence.

Every single pair of eyes zeroed in on us like laser sights, or more specifically, on our intertwined hands.

"S-Sophie Sweet? You and Mr. Lakewood?" My director, Amelia Carter, was so shocked that her glasses were sliding down her nose.

I cleared my throat, threw my shoulders back, and announced in the loudest voice I could manage.

"As of today, Ryan is my boyfriend. And my personal assistant. So, please treat him well."

A collective gasp swept through the office.

Those thirsty female coworkers who used to spend every waking second buzzing around Ryan looked shocked. Their expressions were a chaotic mess of shock and envy.

One of them, Lily Smith, who acted like she owned the place just because she was some distant cousin of the boss, snapped.

She bolted upright, pointing a trembling finger at me in total disbelief. "Are you out of your mind, Sophie? Take a good look in the mirror! There's no way Mr. Lakewood would ever be interested in you!"

Before I could even fire back, Ryan stepped in front of me, shielding me from her.

He might not have his memories, but he still had his six-foot-plus frame and the alpha-male presence that came from years of being the boss.

He stared at Lily, his brows knitting together in a sharp display of annoyance. "Who even are you?" he demanded, his voice dropping to a protective edge. "And don't you ever speak to Sophie like that again."

His voice was quiet, but it carried a razor-sharp authority that left absolutely no room for argument.

Lily flinched, her confidence deflating instantly. But she couldn't help but mutter, "Mr. Lakewood, are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"She's my girlfriend," Ryan cut her off sharply. He turned, took my hand, and held it up for the entire office to see, as if claiming his territory. "And from now on, none of you will bully her."

When he was done, he turned back to me with an innocent look, like a puppy waiting for praise.

I looked around at my coworkers, their jaws practically hitting the floor, and then at Lily, whose face had turned livid. My heart soared. I was practically floating.

A flash of pride hit me. My little puppy was growing up. No, he was a total alpha wolf in disguise!

I stood on my toes, planted a loud kiss on his cheek, and said, "That's your reward!"

His face instantly went crimson.

With the entire office watching, he ducked his head like a shy kid, his ears glowing a translucent red.

I heard a collective sigh of envy and heartbreak from the women around us.

Tugging him by the hand, I led him through the gauntlet of stares to my desk.

My cubicle was tiny, with only enough room to squeeze in an extra chair.

So, for the entire morning, Ryan sat obediently beside me. As I sketched out designs, he rested his chin in his hand and just watched me.

His gaze was so focused and tender that it was like I was the only person in the world.

He was making me so flustered that I could barely hold my pencil steady.

"Ryan, stop staring at me like that," I protested in a whisper. "You're making me nervous."

"But," he whispered and leaned in, his warm breath tickling my ear, "I was told that when a girlfriend is working, her boyfriend is supposed to stay by her side and cheer her on."

I wondered which corner of the internet had taught him that line.

Heat flooded my ear, and I nearly shot out of my chair.

"Well, you don't have to be so close!" I hissed, giving him a light shove.

He didn't move back. He leaned in even closer, his nose almost brushing my cheek.

He looked at me with those devastatingly innocent eyes, his voice dropping to a husky murmur. "But I like being close to you. Sophie, you smell really good."

I could feel my face burning.

Our coworkers were pretending to work, but I could feel their gossip-hungry eyes glued to us.

I could practically hear the furious clatter of keyboards as they gave a live play-by-play in the company group chat.

[OMG! Sophie just walked in with Mr. Lakewood! They're holding hands!]

[He just said she's his girlfriend and told Lily to back off!]

[Holy crap! He's sitting right next to her, practically in her lap! Sophie is blushing so hard!]

I took a deep breath, forcing my racing heart to settle. I was the one who started this game, the one who wrote the script. I couldn't be the first one to lose my cool and blow my own cover.

I turned my head, met his gaze, and copied him, leaning in to whisper right back in his ear.

"You be a good boy for the rest of the day, and when we get home tonight, I'll let you cuddle me as much as you want."

I saw his eyes widen and watched his throat work as he swallowed hard.

Then, like a little kid who had just been promised a mountain of candy, his eyes lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay!"

Seeing that adorable, shyly excited look on his face, I smirked.

Ryan might be a big-shot CEO, but in this game, he was an amateur. He had a long way to go if he thought he could outplay me.