Page 5 of Checkmate
“Well, he married me, didn’t he?” She replied with a smirk.
Poor Marcus. Usually, he was great at picking out jewellery. She wasn’t sure how he’d missed the mark so spectacularly. Although it seemed this year, he’d chosen sentimental bullshit over any sort of class. Still, his gift had worked in her favour, and Alex was playing right into her hand. “I didn’t have you pegged for a jewellery snob.”
“I’m not,” he said, finally releasing the pendant and leaning against her desk. She glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone was looking in their direction, adrenaline making her fingers tingle. She tried to hide her disappointment when all she saw were people hard at work.
How could they not be interested?
“I just don’t like to see something so ugly worn by someone so beautiful,” Alex continued, winking at her.
Sophie flushed with pleasure at his compliment. She glanced down, biting her lip for a moment as though shy. Slowly, she looked back at him, dragging her eyes up to meet his. It was a move her mother had taught her, and it had got her what she wanted more times than she could count.
“People could hear,” she warned, lowering her voice even though she wanted nothing more for them to hear.
“I don’t care,” he said, shrugging dismissively. “I can’t compliment my favourite PA?”
“You’ll set off the gossip, you know?”
“Sophie, you’re the biggest gossip in here. I’m not worried.”
She forced herself to laugh with him, even though she found no humour in his words. Is that how he saw her? An airhead with nothing better to do than gossip?
She had to work on that.
Ever since she started working for Alex’s company, she had done everything in her power to make him notice her.
At first, it was innocent.
Yes, she had a crush on him. But that’s all it was. She just enjoyed being complimented by him and having him praise her work. Every time he smiled in her direction, or gave her a wink, it made her work harder and take more pride in her job.
It had paid off wonderfully.
Sophie had started out as a receptionist, answering calls and making copy after copy of the same old documents. She knew she could offer more, and after a short meeting with Alex, he agreed.
She was now his personal assistant. Sure, she still managed a lot of the secretarial work, but she got to work closely with Alex and manage his appointments.
It was working closer with him that led to their current situation and the fact they were openly flirting with one another in full view of the office.
“So, did you get me a gift?” She asked, moving the conversation away from her gossiping ways.
“I might have,” Alex said with a smirk. “Why don’t you come to my office at lunchtime? You’ll find out then.”
Offering her a final wink, Alex pushed off her desk and made his morning rounds. Her eyes followed him around the room, watching as he joked with his staff.
She never intended to start anything up with him. Since she first started dating, she had never cheated on anyone. The thought disgusted her. But then she met Alex and something about him sparked a fire inside her.
His looks played a big part in that. There was no point denying it. After spending her childhood dressing up to look like a princess, she had always imagined her prince charming to be something out of a fairytale.
Alex looked like he could have stepped out of a Disney movie.
He was classically handsome, with dark hair and beautifully piercing eyes. His face was so chiselled, she refused to believe he hadn’t had some kind of work done.
And his body.
God, the man knew how to wear a suit like no one else. His shirts, always a touch too tight, hugged his muscles in a way that made her think too much strain would tear the fabric. He always presented himself well and moved with such confidence, she couldn’t help but fawn over him.
But beyond the physical, Alex was everything she envisioned for herself.
He was wealthy and ambitious, and it wasn’t until she had struggled financially that she realised how important that security was for her.
