A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 55: SOFIA

Chapter 55: SOFIA

I was on the what had to be the tenth stair when his words seemed to echo in my ears,

"Will Harry stay or leave? That’s up to you, do as I’m about to dictate and you will not only save a man’s job, but secure one for yourself."

Secure one for yourself. That can only mean one thing. Cole.

I raced up the stairs and found him in a rather weird situation. He stood Titanic with both hands outstretched, his white shirt unbuttoned and flapping in the breeze, his cuffs were also unbuttoned and folded and his suit jacket draped on the desk.

I hadn’t been entirely stealth about my ascent. I was certain he heard my footsteps, but he didn’t as much as indicate that he did.

I was torn between announcing my presence or simply leaving him to whatever he was doing.

As I stood there yet to decide, he said,

"I know I’m pleasant to look at even from behind, but stare too long and I might have to charge you for it"

Oh my God! He’s insufferable. And how had he even known that it was me?

"Don’t kid yourself, you are not that pleasant looking and my silence was merely because I couldn’t decide whether to disturb you or leave. But it’s clear now which I should have opted for" I returned, lacing my voice with as much disdain as I could muster.

"You were saying?" He turned abruptly.

My next words died on my lips as I gaped at him. He hadn’t been kidding,

he was kinda pleasant to look at. And I fear I’m being litotic.

His dark hair was messy from the wind, a few strands banged his forehead. Some reaching his lashes.

His shirt was still unbuttoned, revealing his toned midriff, a phrase too dark to make out was tattooed above his bulging pecs.

On purpose, he backed the rail, his hands framing in support on both sides. His grip flexed his taut biceps beneath the shirt that seemed to hug to them.

On his exposed forearms due to the folded cuffs, were tattooed chains circling his arm and broken at the end. His broad shoulders relaxed and his athletic legs were crossed. He was also barefooted, I realized.

With his current stance, I noticed what had to be single words itched above the

phrase on both sides of his hard pecs.

His chiseled abdomen seemed to ripple with each breath he took, his skin tanned a warm golden brown. His defined abs heaving with each breath. A sprinkle of dark hair led down to his waistband, framing his toned midriff.

I swallowed as my eyes trailed to the curves of his hip bone, what appeared to be a scar lined his right side.

"Just a little lower and..."

I averted my gaze, color flushing my cheeks as I stopped that trail of thought. What was wrong with me? How could my mind even attempt to go that far?

"Like what you see, huh?" The prick asked, a simper twisting his small lips.

"No" I croaked, my voice shaming my attempt at denial.

"Is that so?" He mused, uncrossing his legs and folding his arms, the effort should have ripped his shirt, but somehow it didn’t as he sat on the rail, not at all bothered that he was fifty stories up.

"Can’t really say I’m surprised," he continued, a finger to his lips as if he pondered his words, "I understand you would rather chew your tongue than admit it, but at least this time you can’t claim your cherry cheeks are as a result of surprise or discomfort"

"How hard had I blushed that he could make it out from where he stood?" I thought.

It was infuriating that he knew. That he was right. My heated cheeks had nothing to do with surprise or discomfort, it was something else entirely and never have I ever hated my rebellious mind than in that moment.

Yes, I had been surprised to find him like this, a look some may find vulnerable, but not him. He flaunted it like an accessory and worst, I had been hinged by it.

I felt like slapping myself until my cheeks redden with hurt and not this embarrassment that colored them.

"Don’t be so sure it’s not as a result of the same things" I returned.

"Keep lying to yourself." He returned to his former position, his hands back on the rail, leaving his chest exposed.

"Anyway, why are you here?" He went

on, "Or was it simply to devour me with your eyes? Lord knows what going on in that gainsaid mind of yours"

"Eww," I quickly said, "you are disgusting"

"Yes I am" he admitted, "can also say the same of you, if not, how could you fathom if you weren’t thinking of it yourself?"

The wind ruffled the flowers, filling the air anew with their intoxicating fragrance. His shirt flapped like a pirate emblem on a flagpole. More strands banged his brow, framing his eyes. He looked... younger. At that moment, he looked his age. Not the responsible and cruel CEO, but a wasted boy on the school’s rooftop hours into prom.

And he looked... just... pulchritudinous.

Yeah, I know that’s a big word for someone I can’t stand. But in that moment, I just couldn’t help it, vulnerability looked great on him. Except his bearing was anything, but vulnerable.

I shivered, hugging my coat tightly. I like to believe it was the cold wind, but I knew it was more than that.

Waving his last statement aside, I said,

"I had reservations about the supposed assignment you gave me and um_"

"You can’t do it," he supplied. Then as if to himself, he murmured, "Typical of you to get cold feet"

"No, that’s not it." I quickly said, hating the notion of him thinking me weak. "I mean, it’s impossible, but for Harry I’m willing to try, it’s just that I... um_"

"If this is the part where you tell me that that letter from Anna was forged, then spit it out already and be done with it, heavens knows I had my doubts" he cut in.

"Can you allow me to speak?" I snapped. "Doubt it all you want, but that letter came directly from Anna and Lord knows if it wasn’t for Harry, I wouldn’t even be considering this_"

"Not even for the job I might offer you?" He asked, interrupting me again, his smirk on display.

If his intentions were to get me annoyed, he was most certainly hitting the mark.

"Not even for the job you are offering" I gritted. Raising a finger to silence him from offering the remark he had opened his mouth to say, I continued, "especially if it’s to the detriment of another, and by that I mean Cole, the

young man you’ve offered the job to already or have you forgotten?"

"Of course I haven’t!" he snapped, obviously enraged that I had ordered him to be silent.

"Then what’s your game... allow him to start work tomorrow and... and fire him the next day if I succeed or what?"

"That’s precisely it," he crossed his legs, "who knew for your denseness you could actually come up with such an accurate prognosis, well done. Hope I’ve cleared your reservations_"

"Of course you haven’t!" I interjected, losing my shit. "How could you possibly think of doing something so sadistic?"

"If it helps, the guy you are talking about, spoke highly of you. He practically begged me to give you the job instead, and I don’t think he would take it to heart if I grant him his wish, or do you?"

The words hit me like a boulder. Cole had really kept his promise, he had done that for me. For an undeserving being like me. For the same being who was planning on never engaging with him ever again. What sort of person am I? Perhaps I wasn’t so different from the beast in front of me.

"Are you surprised?" He asked when I couldn’t bring myself to answer. "Well, don’t be I guess you have a thing for making people fall fo_"

"Grant him his wish," I repeated, cutting him off, "after allowing him to believe the job is his. Who does that?"

"Me, obviously. But if it would help you sleep, I will have Vera call him tonight and tell him that after careful reconsideration, we decided to give you the job. Are you happy now?"

"Of course not!" I cried, then softly, I added, "I can’t do that to him. He doesn’t deserve that"

"Suit yourself, Mother Teresa." he said, turning away from me, "But remember you have two days before Harry loses his, so I suggest you get on with it"

"But I_"

"If you don’t mind, it has been a long day and I’d like to puff a stick. Run along, unless you haven’t seen enough, should I turn or do you prefer the back view?"

Without even offering him a response, I left.