Chapter 23 Presley

“I was let go,” I say carefully. “All the interns were let go.”

“Not you,” he says with a smile. “You’ve been selected.”

“Selected?”

“Didn’t Dom tell you?”

“No,” I practically shout. Rein it in, Presley. “Dominic doesn’t tell me anything.”

“That doesn’t really change over time.” Oliver sighs, smirking. “But you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know him better as our new director of operations.”

My heart skips a beat. He can’t be serious. “Director . . .”

“You’ve been promoted. Congratulations.” Oliver turns and points down the hall to a small office. The door is ajar. If I squint, I can read Director of Operations in bold print on the placard. “That’s your shiny new office.”

I’m speechless. I must really be wearing a funny expression, because Oliver can’t keep it together. He laughs like I’ve told him the best joke he’s heard all year.

“Go put your stuff down. And then go see Dom. He’ll tell you about his decision. And your salary,” he says, poking me playfully in the arm.

I practically run to the little office. It is gorgeous—small but somehow feeling expansive with its tall window overlooking the cityscape. I slide my box of all-things-Presley onto the glass surface of the desk (my desk!) and wander around the room. It’s so pristine . . . so cozy.

I can imagine early mornings, sipping coffee at this desk while scrolling through emails. Bright afternoons, leaning against this window, making calls to clients. Late nights curled up on the love seat, jotting down important things to do the next day in my planner. Joy threatens to overwhelm me, but I have something to deal with first.

I stride purposefully across the office, ignoring the heads turning to watch me march toward my boss’s office. When I open the door without knocking, he’s staring out his own window, his hand on the glass.

He turns, surprised. The light catches his eyelashes and casts dark shadows across his cheekbones. I’m almost dazzled by his beauty.

Almost.

“I thought I was being let go,” I say. It isn’t a question, but I need answers.

His eyes squint, an almost comical expression of confusion on his face. I would laugh, but I’m too . . . pissed? Surprised? In shock?

“Jordan was packing,” I say, quieter now.

“The interns were let go. You’re not an intern anymore.”

I flush as Dominic takes slow steps toward me. “But you saw me packing up my desk.”

“I thought you were moving into your new office. Do you like it?”

“Yes,” I say in a small voice. “But no one told me.”

“I’m sorry. I thought Oliver caught you when you walked in. I shouldn’t have assumed,” he says in a voice so tender, I almost look over my shoulder to see if his daughters are here.

“It’s okay. I just didn’t know what was going to happen to me.”

“You should have known,” he says with a teasing smile. “Your work as an intern excelled above all the others. You’re diligent, adaptable, bright.”

With every compliment, he takes a step closer to me. Leaning way too close, he reaches over my shoulder and pushes the door closed.

As soon as it clicks shut, his hand settles on my waist and his lips brush against mine. The kiss is so warm, so precious. I feel cherished and irreplaceable with every caress of his thumb against my cheek, even if I know that’s not the case. When he releases me, I’m breathless.

“How will this work?” I ask, looking into his dark eyes for reassurance. “Won’t the others find it unprofessional? I don’t think they’ll take me seriously if—”

I stop myself as Michael’s words of advice ring through my head. I can’t fall for his charms. I can’t keep sleeping with him. I need to be firm. It’s the only way. Too bad it’s nearly impossible because this man turns me into a pile of goo with one smoldering look.

“Let me worry about that,” Dominic murmurs, his lips still inches from mine and his palm on my hip. I don’t realize I’m shaking until I put my hands on his chest, not pushing him away, but not letting him come any closer either. “Don’t you want to know what your salary is?”

I pull back to look him in the eyes. “Well, duh.”

He chuckles, and my body shakes with his. I join in, until we’re both laughing a little too loudly. He kisses me once more on the lips before taking my hand and spinning me around like we’re dancing. Suddenly, I’m back at the door.

“Go talk to HR. They’re waiting for you.”

“Thank you, Dominic,” I whisper. I know he can feel my gratitude by the way he smiles and shoos me away. This man can’t handle too much emotion at once.

When I get to the human resources office and sit with my coworkers Daniel and Brienne (oh my God, coworkers!), the reality of the situation finally sinks in. I’m about to take over an entire department of Seattle’s Aspen Hotels, including a team of two assistants to do my bidding and a salary that makes me choke on my coffee.

“Seriously?” I ask, still coughing.

Daniel and Brienne laugh and confirm the number. I can see their mouths moving, but I can barely hear them over the pounding of my heart. They can’t be paying me that much!

“Congratulations, Presley,” Daniel says, clapping his hands together. Brienne joins in the applause, and I wipe a pesky tear from my cheek.

I can hardly process the rest of what they tell me—something about a medical plan, stock options, paid vacation time, and a retirement account. Taking one more deep breath, I nod to everything they say, knowing I’ll have to dig into the details later when I can think clearly.

“Thank you again,” I say, rising to my feet, and they both smile at me.

Out in the hall, I dial my brother’s number with shaking fingers. I get his voice mail. He’s most likely at class. It doesn’t matter—I can barely speak anyway. In a low voice, I leave him a quick and jumbled message to share the good news, punctuated with an “I love you!” at the end.

Once I’m back in my office, I shut my door and call Bianca. She answers immediately.

“Hey, babe, what’s up? You okay?”

“Oh my God, Bianca.”

“Oh my God, what?”

“I got the job.”

Bianca screams so loudly, I have to pull the phone away from my ear.

“Yes, you did, bitch! Yes! You! Did!”

Bianca is so excited, my heart finally explodes. I jump up and down and squeal as quietly as I can. I’m still at the office, after all.

“It’s insane! Oh my God! I can’t believe it!”

“You better believe it! How much are they paying you?”

“Uh . . .” I laugh, almost drunkenly. “A lot.”

“Yes! I guess that means you’re buying tonight. We’re going out!”

When we hang up, I allow myself one more excited giggle before I put my game face back on. I’ve got to get through several more hours before the celebrating begins. How I’m going to stay focused is beyond me, but I’m excited to get to work. I haven’t been this happy in a long time. Maybe ever.

And there’s so much more to come.