Owned by the CEO

The Taste of Restraint

♥ Jethro ♥

The door clicked shut behind me as I stepped into my penthouse, the faint scent of coffee and lemon polish still lingered in the air. It didn’t matter that Lee-Ann had been here. What mattered was that Chloe had been here. I noticed it immediately. The jacket I had left draped over the back of the couch was now folded neatly. Something Lee-Ann wouldn’t have bothered with because she knew me. And the silver tray by the door had been straightened. Again, something Lee-Ann wouldn’t have bothered with. Which meant Chloe hadn’t been able to help herself. The thought brought a reluctant smile to my lips. Unsurprisingly, Chloe had passed the test. I had left her with a list of mundane errands, not because I needed them done, but because I wanted to see if she would follow through without complaint. Most would’ve rolled their eyes or delegated it to someone else. Some have done so in the past. But Chloe Samuel wasn’t like most people. She intrigued me in ways I couldn’t afford to admit. And now she was on her way here again. I had asked her to drop by this evening to deliver the finalized reports on North Rynfield. That was the excuse, anyway. The truth was far more complicated and far less professional. I loosened my tie and glanced at the clock. She was due any moment. The knock came sooner than I expected. When I opened the door, there she was. Chloe Samuel. My assistant. My undoing.

“Good evening, Mr. Jotham,” she said softly, as she clutched her tablet to her chest like a shield.

“Miss Samuel,” I stepped aside to let her in, careful to keep my tone neutral. “Come in,” her perfume hit me the moment she walked past. A soft, floral scent that curled around my senses like smoke. I clenched my fists to keep them at my sides. She stood awkwardly in the middle of my living room, her gaze flickered to the piano, the bookshelves, and the view beyond the glass walls.

“I have the updated itinerary for North Rynfield,” she said, as she held out the tablet. I didn’t take it. Instead, I stepped closer.

“Why did you really come here?” I asked. Chloe’s eyes widened slightly.

“You asked me to—”

“Don’t play innocent,”

“I’m not,” Chloe argued. She lifted her chin just enough to make me want to test her resolve. “You said you needed the reports,”

“And you came running,”

“Because it’s my job,” she said, but the way she had said it. Quiet, calm, and unshaken, it made something in my chest tighten. I wanted her. Badly. Desperately. Every instinct screamed at me to stay away, to keep the line between us sharp and unbroken. She worked for me. This was dangerous. Messy. But then her eyes darted to my lips, and that one flicker of weakness undid me completely. Before I could stop myself, I reached for her. My hand cupped the back of her neck, and I dragged her against me, crushing my mouth to hers. For one electric moment, she didn’t resist. Her lips parted under mine. Her fingers curled against my shirt. She kissed me back, tentative at first, then with a soft, desperate sound that set my entire body on fire. She tasted like mint tea and something sweeter. Something that felt like the edge of a promise. But before I could deepen the kiss, she shoved me away. Shoved me so hard that I had to let her go. And before I could say a word or react in any way, her hand cracked across my face in a sharp, stinging slap that left my cheek burning. I froze. She stepped back, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her eyes wide with shock, and something else. “I—I can’t,” she whispered.

“Chloe—” I started, but she had already moved back. “Chloe, please, wait,” I said as I reached for her, but she took another step back. “Wait…let me explain,” I wasn’t entirely sure how to explain it. But the look in her eyes made my heart break.

“Jethro…” she whispered, and I took a small step toward her. Chloe hurriedly put her hand up. “Don’t,”

“Please, Chloe…”

“There…” she took a deep breath before she gently touched her lips. Her eyes were wide as she stared at me. “There is nothing you can say…it was…a mistake,” she said, and even though her voice wavered, I knew that it was over before it had even begun. “This is my job…I need this job,” and then she grabbed her tablet, which had fallen.

“Chloe,” I tried again, but she shook her head.

“Please, just…let me go,” she pleaded. That was the last thing I wanted to do. In fact, I was confused by this overwhelming need to comfort her. I didn’t feel right letting her go. Not like this. Not while she was so shaken.

“I cannot force you to stay, Chloe…but I don’t like the idea of you leaving like this,” I told her honestly. Chloe continued to stare at me as she slowly backed away. “At least have a cup of tea…please,” I begged. I wasn’t above begging. I still couldn’t believe that I had kissed her. That she had kissed me back. But my main concern was her. I didn’t like how rattled she looked. Chloe hesitated, so I went into the kitchen and put the kettle on to boil. I prepared a teacup for her as I listened and waited. Eventually, I heard the soft sound of her coming into the kitchen, and I breathed out a soft sigh of relief. The silence was deafening, but I did my best to ignore it.

“That can never happen again,” she said when I slid the teacup in front of her. I watched her for a moment, before I slowly nodded. Of course, I was disappointed. I had never felt anything like it. There was something between us. Something magnetic. “Promise me, Jethro,” Chloe then said, and I paused. “Please,” she added.

“I don’t want to lie, Chloe. I cannot make that promise,” I admitted. Chloe scoffed in response. For a moment, I thought she would leave. Or possibly even resign. But, instead, she took a small sip of her tea and nodded. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I said nothing as I merely stood there and watched her drink her tea. By the time she was done, I was eager for her to leave. She was a temptation. When she turned to leave, I didn’t stop her. Chloe hesitated by the door, and I hurriedly looked away. A moment later, I heard the door open and close.

♥ ♥ ♥