The billionaire's sweet editor
Chapter 19: Lucas: 24/7

Chapter 19: Lucas: 24/7

I’M ALMOST done scanning the last page of my magazine when Iris comes back, makeup different as though it has been retouched.

"She really liked you," she announces, stepping inside my office and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The hint of emotion in her voice doesn’t escape my notice. I can tell she’s been crying.

"Were you crying?" I ask, about to stand and walk to her, the sudden urge to hug her overwhelmingly settling in my head, but she gestures for me to sit down.

"You really don’t like her at all? I kinda feel bad for taking her man."

"I avoided her because I didn’t like her, Iris. And as far as everyone at this company knows, I’m your man."

"Doesn’t change the fact that I took you from her," she argues.

"I was never hers to begin with."

"You could’ve at least agreed to one date, you know...just to settle her dying hopes."

"That’s even worse than rejection. It’d have lifted her hopes, NOT, settled them. Please sit down," I whisper the last part and she obeys. "I used to have a one-sided crush on a girl in high school. Long story short, she exploited my love for two years straight, and I was in too deep to notice...until the day I saw her kissing my senior."

I’m not even done speaking before Iris is slapping my desk, laughing so hard she chokes on air. I hadn’t realized just how much I missed this sweet sound. It’s intoxicating and I find myself laughing along with her even though I should be embarrassed she’s laughing at my dumbness.

And I wasn’t kidding when I told her she looks beautiful when she smiles. Angelic is the only word to describe the picture she paints when her mouth is curled up into a smile—especially when those pearly white teeth show.

"Oh my god, I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect you of all people to have been used..." she trails off, covering her mouth as she laughs some more. Every time she peeks at me from between her fingers, her lips stretch into this huge grin and she laughs again. It keeps going on for a few more minutes where I laugh along with her, until finally she gets a hold of herself.

"Wow, that must have hurt."

"You think?"

"Well I can’t relate, so yeah, I can only imagine how it felt."

Pausing and drilling a hole into her face with my eyes, my mouth almost drops on my desk. "You mean to tell me you never had a crush on someone?"

"Of course I did, but he came to me instead of me going to me."

I squint my eyes at her. "Someone is delulu."

Iris rolls her eyes. "Whatever, just know I’m like that diva who ruined your high school experience."

"Whatever you say, Diva queen," I mumble taking another magazine issue to inspect. I’m two sentences in before I’m underlining a phrase that feels like it would drop sales when Iris stretches her neck to take a peek.

"I’m checking for any faults with our magazines," I tell her.

"Because it dropped a number down the bestsellers list and you want to make it to number one?"

"Yes—wait, how do you know that?

Adjusting herself in her seat, she fumbles with her fingers on my desk. "Your Dad told me all about it yesterday."

Oh for fucks sake, how could Dad go around telling everybody about my business. Judging by how Iris is still fidgeting with her nails and biting her lip, I know he told her a lot more than that. Slouching into my chair and rubbing my forehead, I let out a sigh.

"How much did he tell you?"

"Pretty much everything, including how you told him we’re not a couple," Iris replies, tone dropping as she grits her teeth. "You fucking liar. Why didn’t you warn me? You have no idea how embarrassed I was when he said that." I can feel her eyes boring into my skin like a laser as she wraps her arms around her chest with her mouth angrily pouted, turning me on even though it’s not the time for that right now.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t want to worry you."

"And look where it got us," she says spreading her arms around. "You told me you had him under control."

Stretching myself and detaching her wrapped hands, I focus on her, wrapping them with mine. "Please don’t be mad, I’m sorry for not telling you, you looked stressed enough that day, and telling you that would have put you on edge. I’m sorry."

She eyes me for a moment, before closing her eyes and hissing at herself. "Ugh, why am I doing this? I know it’s not your fault, I just wanted to vent. I’m pretty sure your dad would’ve come to my house either way since he had homework to give me."

I scrunch my face at her. "What homework?"

"Should I tell you the entire truth or half of it," Iris asks, biting her bottom lip. If she knew just how seductive she looks doing that and how much it affects me, I’m pretty sure she’d be torturing the hell out of me right now just like the good old days two weeks ago—before Dad happened.

"The entire truth," I mumble, my hands still holding hers.

Glancing at the door, Iris frees one hand and leans closer till I can smell her. God I missed the smell of roses, I almost take in a deep breath. "He said I need to help you with the magazine so that we make it to number one on the chart..."

"Aand?" I urge on after noticing the abrupt silence.

"And that I should use everything in my sleeves to convince you to become his vice, seducing you is included in that list."

"Oh my god," I flip my hand in the air, making Iris flinch. Way to go Dad. That shameless old man. "Did you agree to his ridiculous request?" I question Iris and she shrugs.

"He was at my house, I couldn’t risk him outing me to my grandparents," she whispers under her breath.

"Did he bribe you?"

"Kinda."

Oh great, so he did. "Is he the reason why you’ve been avoiding me all this time?" A part of me desperately wishes that she say yes because that would mean I didn’t do something wrong in a sense.

"Yes," Iris says, making my heart thud with so much force I can hear it in my ears. It’s been my Dad’s fault all this time and I thought...

Ruffling my hair, I take out my notes app and calendar before scheduling a day to meet up with Dad at his. "Don’t worry, I’ll talk him out of it."

"I don’t think that’s a good idea," Iris argues.

"Why not? He can make me suffer, but I can’t have him bullying you too. You did nothing wrong."

Iris pouts, pulling the puppy eyes thingy on me and I still. "You know you’re such a lovely jerk right?"

If I thought my heart was swelling a while ago then I was right because it suddenly bursts, seeping all the energy throughout my entire bloodstream and awakening my once dead body to life. A fucking resurrection just because of one compliment.

"But even though you’re lovely, your ideas aren’t. Challenging your dad when we’re the ones with something to lose isn’t a great idea pappy. What if it triggers him and he exposes us to my grandparents?"

I’m trying to figure out whether to dwell on the fact that she called me Pappy or to commend her for her situation assessment skills, but I can’t ignore both of them. So I opt for nodding since both options feel right.

"How about we work on the magazine instead?" Iris adds, taking my hands and wrapping them in hers. They’re soft and warm. Unbelievably warm.

"I don’t want him to drag you into this, baby."

"I still have to get used to you calling me that," she mumbles with a blush, shaking her head as if she’s trying to bring herself back to reality, "I believe you, and I also don’t want to be dragged into this, but the moment he saw us at your house was the end game. I won’t be free from him unless we do this right. Besides, will you be okay with all the pressure and stuff?"

A thud in my heart disrupts my blood flow, making my cheeks and body heat up. Iris caring for me is uplifting. I love it.

"Don’t worry, I’ve managed to handle pressure ever since I stepped into this department," I assure her.

"Are you sure? You look tired." Walking around my desk until she’s standing before me, she reaches for my face, clasping my cheeks into her palm and brushing her thumb under my eye.

For two weeks, I’ve been deprived of these soft hands, and now that I get to feel them on me again, I don’t want her to stop. Inhaling her rose scent is soothing, a dopamine that leaves me yearning for the rest of her in my arms.

"Once I get some rest will be healthy again," I mumble nuzzling into her palm.

"I’ll need to make sure of that, and that’s why I’ll be with you 24/7 for days to come."

I pause, my eyes trudging up her body until I’m glancing at her beautiful face. "What do you mean by that?"

Smiling at me, she brushes off the hair covering my forehead. "I’ll be following your dad’s plan exactly how he relayed it to me. I’ll stick to you throughout the day. Maybe some all-nighters...but definitely all day long."

Fuck, I’m getting ideas again.

"Are you sure you can handle Mr. Perfect here and his constant orders? I won’t go easy on you just because we’re close."

Iris smirks at me, eyes glinting with mischief when she leans towards my face, turning it around until her mouth is on my ear. "I’ve handled bigger things from you than what you’re promising."

Okay, that was hot.

The sudden urge to grab her by the waist overtakes me, and I have her standing between my legs, looking down at me with a smile. The adrenaline kicks in and I suddenly forget about promising to keep my hands away from her.

I’m pretty sure she’s forgotten too. Grabbing the small of her back, I tug her closer to me, about to make her sit on my lap when the two large department doors suddenly open.

"Oh god! PDAPDAPDAPD..."

"We heard you!" Both Iris and I hiss at Keith as we pull apart, my hands burning for more of Iris when she wriggles away from them.

Fuck you, Keith.

★★★★★