Sophie wasn’t sure how to deal with her spiral of emotions as she stood next to Nigel in the elevator. She wished she’d known that she’d be working directly with him. She wished she’d known just how potent this powerhouse truly was. And she sure as hell wished she’d known just how her entire body would heat because this was a completely new territory for her.
Granted she didn’t believe anything could’ve fully prepared her for that heavy-lidded stare, the strong jawline, the right amount of expensive cologne and that polished British accent.
Mercy’s sake. She certainly hadn’t counted on how sexy a conversation with a Brit would be. How did any woman in this office get work done? How was she going to get work done? She couldn’t afford to get fired from her faux job because she was too busy fantasizing about the boss.
The man opened his mouth and a slew of inappropriate thoughts filled her head. But that wasn’t why she was here. Though the eye candy certainly didn’t hurt.
A man like Nigel Townshend wasn’t just a panty-dropper, he was a billionaire bad boy with a bit of a reputation. He always had the sexiest women on his arm at award shows and debuts. He’d been known to date some of the hottest supermodels in the industry, but, to her knowledge, he’d never been seen with the same woman twice, which led her to believe he was a player.
And she was the total opposite, considering she’d never been with a man.
What would it be like to be with a bad boy? Maybe that was precisely what she needed. Perhaps she should give herself to a man who knew exactly what he was doing.
Then again, she wasn’t about to announce to a man she just met that she was a virgin. She wasn’t ashamed of the fact, and she certainly wasn’t sorry she’d spent her years building her career and devoting every waking minute to growing herself as a successful businesswoman and YouTube sensation. There was no rule or timeline for sex, and she’d do it when she was damn well ready or when a man intrigued her enough to make her want to.
Unfortunately, her new boss intrigued her way more than he should. She could easily imagine him doing a clean sweep of papers off his desk and ripping her clothes off in a heated moment of passion. The clothes would be utterly ruined, of course, but she wouldn’t mind sacrificing these skinny jeans.
Why were they called skinny jeans anyway when she clearly had curves and wore a size sixteen? If they were supposed to make her feel skinny, then they were failing.
Regardless, she’d much rather think of Nigel finding her irresistible. Maybe late nights would turn into lingering glances or sensual touching. Not that she thought he’d do anything inappropriate...but a girl could fantasize, couldn’t she?
The elevator chimed as the doors slid open. Just in time to pull her from yet another delicious daydream about her new boss.
Good grief. She had enough issues right now. She needed to focus on the job her brothers had trusted her to get done. Getting down and dirty with the CEO of Green Room Media was not quite the angle she’d been thinking of. Besides, she’d promised herself to be back in a week and getting tangled in anything other than her plan would eat up time she didn’t have to spare.
Nigel gestured for her to exit the elevator, and as soon as Sophie stepped out, her breath caught in her throat.
“I had the same reaction when I first saw the view,” he told her, staying right by her side. “I admit, it never gets old. There’s something so timeless, so classy and sexy about the New York City skyline.”
From this rooftop penthouse with a wall of glass windows all around the perimeter, Sophie felt as if she could reach out and touch the sun. She had to agree, there was something sexy about this view. Something almost...powerful, like because you were on top of the world that meant the whole world was yours to command.
Even with the wintery conditions outside, she was surprised by how bright the sky seemed to be from this angle.
Wanting to explore each part of this magnificent space, Sophie took one slow step after another as her eyes raked over the rich masculine leather furniture, the chrome fixtures, the simplicity of the lighting and the breathtaking sights of the city. This was definitely a man’s space.
She told a slight lie when she’d said she was a wannabe city girl. She mostly stayed to the country life, a laidback style that fit with her personality and the way she designed. City life always seemed so noisy and rushed...not just the cars but everything and everyone else, too. She felt that people were too busy doing their own thing to truly listen to others.
Sophie enjoyed people, she loved chatting and getting to know more about them. How else was she supposed to grow and develop her brand? She had to purposely put herself out there, so over the years, she’d just defaulted to a social butterfly.
Hey, that bold move had paid off, hadn’t it? Her YouTube channel ranked in the top ten interior designers of the entire site and she could easily see herself climbing even higher.
“Come closer,” Nigel urged, cupping her elbow and escorting her to the windows. “This is the place I escape to when everything downstairs becomes too much.”
Sophie glanced from the city below to the man at her side. “And here I assumed there wasn’t a thing you couldn’t handle.”
Nigel’s lips quirked. “Don’t give away my secret.”
“Anything you say is safe with me,” she promised. “I’m not here to judge. I’m here to help.”
She wasn’t here to expose him for anything...unless he was involved in some scandal alongside Miranda. And even then, she didn’t want to hurt anyone so she wouldn’t do any harm to Nigel.
But Sophie couldn’t start digging just yet. She had to ease her way in. Day two, she’d put more of a push on the plot since time was of the essence.
“I imagine there’s quite a bit to escape from and many reasons to clear your head.” She focused her attention back to the view. “Even the strongest people need to take a mental health break.”
“The business can be cutthroat at times,” he admitted.
“Too many divas to work with?” she joked, hoping he’d follow her lead.
“The ladies on the show?” he asked, raising his brows. “They’re not terrible. A few can be demanding, but overall, they don’t cause me too much trouble.”
Not what she wanted to hear, but she’d barely gotten started.
Passing the time with Nigel certainly didn’t make her angry.
“So, do you live up here?”
Nigel turned his attention toward her. “Oh, no. I’ve stayed here occasionally after long days of work, but I generally use this to take a break. We’ve had a few in-house gatherings and private showings up here for the show.”
“I don’t want to give the wrong impression,” she began, hoping she sounded stronger than she felt. “I mean, you know you’re an attractive man—”
“People
