Chapter 20 "Fuck! It's Cerber Spiders." I turn back to Vander, who is still locked at his desk. "What's that? Because that sounds like creepy baby food." His eyes meet mine for a flicker of a second before they return to his monitors. "Cerber. Not Gerber. They're a hacking ring. It's ransomware. They've encrypted files and are holding them hostage along with customer information, including social security numbers, addresses, and bank routing numbers. They're demanding payment in cryptocurrency for their release with a twenty-four-hour timeline. That was fast, though after last time, I'm not shocked they did it this way." "Can you stop it? Like you did last time?" "Likely, yes." He leans back in his chair, his arms behind his head. He looks exhausted, and my heart tugs a little. "What about the meeting?" He grumbles. "Text me in an hour and a half. I'll shower and get in there." "Do you have clothes? I can run home." "I have stuff here." "Good because you smell." His lips twitch. "So do you, but I like it." His eyes train on me, gliding up and down. "What are you wearing?" I glance down. "Um, work clothes." "I can see your bra through your shirt and the tops of your thigh-highs when you walk." I pick up a random paperclip this time and throw it at him. It bounces off his tee and lands on his lap. Not nearly as fun as the stress ball, and I wish it weren't on the floor behind him so I could chuck it at him again. "You shouldn't be looking." "True, but I am. Either change before the meeting or don't come." I flip him off. "You can't tell me that. It's against... I don't know. HR or something." "I'm the CEO, and I don't want the motherfucker from Thompson looking at you, which he will." I roll my eyes. "He certainly wouldn't be the first to look at my bra or thigh-highs." He grits his teeth. "Just stop fighting with me for once and change, or don't bother coming. Okay?" "But I like coming, remember?" He grunts. "Are you ever not a pain in the ass?" "Stop avoiding me like the plague, and maybe I won't be." He studies me. "Is that why you're so angry, my little angel? Because I've been keeping my distance and not paying you enough attention?" Yes. "No." "That sounds like a jealous girlfriend." "Try annoyed assistant who can't find you or get you to do your job." He puffs out a breath. "Fine. I won't avoid you like that again." At least he admitted that's what he was doing. "I'm going back into my closet. Ping me in an hour and a half and knock if I don't reply." "Is this what it's always like here with you?" He glances up at me, one eyebrow raised. "Welcome to cybersecurity, Angel. It's binary. Secure or breached. Safe or compromised." "Life isn't binary, Vander, and it's not all work. When was the last time you ate?" He sighs and stands. "I don't know." "I'll get you something to eat. Can I bring it into your cave for you, Batman?" "No. Just leave it outside the door." I huff a breath. "You could trust me, you know." He laughs humorlessly and rounds his desk to stand before me. "You mean the way you trust me with all your secrets?" I turn away from him, and silence stretches between us, filled only by the soft hum of computers and the distant sounds of the office beyond the door. I can't tell him my secrets, and it's not because I don't want to. I shift my weight, suddenly aware of how small I am with him standing before me. I can feel the heat of his body and smell the scent of his skin. Even after who knows how long in that room, it's not unappealing, and I don't get it. I want to hate him still, but it's getting harder and harder to keep that up. "Do you want us to move out?" I ask, hating how small my voice sounds. "No." "I feel like we kicked you out of your house. Were you working or just staying away?" He steps into me, his voice low and controlled as his hand cups my chin and turns it so I'm giving him my eyes again. "I was giving you space. I thought that would be for the best." "Why?" He shakes his head. "Don't ask me that question." He's right. Nothing good comes of this. "I'll call Mr. Daniels and tell him you're working on it, and I'll text you half an hour before the meeting. Check outside your door in twenty for food." He nods, already turning back toward the hall that leads to his closet, and I let him get to it. An hour and a half later, just before I'm set to text Vander, there's a knock on my office door, and a woman comes in carrying about ten designer garment bags, informing me that the rest of my clothes, shoes, and bags, along with my daughter's items, have been delivered to the house. Damn him. This is too much. Me: I can't accept the clothes. Vander: You can and you will. Me: Why did you buy me all of this? Vander: Because I prefer you not wearing clothes you can see through. Me: I have nice tits and thighs. Shouldn't everyone be entitled to see them? Vander: No. A laugh hits my lips. Me: Fine. But that means you don't get access either. Vander: Wasn't looking for it. Me: Riiiiight. Okay there. We'll just be boss and employee and pretend that buying me designer clothes is perfectly normal. I'll also pretend that stealing your bodywash and shampoo for my own is totally fine as well. Vander: Are you doing that? Me: Maybe. Vander: Come in here and let me smell your hair and skin. Me: That's inappropriate, boss. Vander: Angel, do you smell like me? Me: I'm sorry to inform you that you'll never know unless you smell me directly. Vander: Again, come in here. I know what you taste like. Now I need to smell you. Me: Our meeting is about to begin. Vander: If you think a boardroom full of people will hold me back from finding out, you're very wrong. Me: I'll change, but I don't plan to keep the other things. Vander: You will because it makes me happy. See you in thirty. A stupid, girlish thrill I have zero right to tickles my stomach and springs a smile to my lips. Opening up one of the bags, I find a red silk top and a black leather skirt. It's paired with black patent leather heels with red soles. Holy fuck. And everything is exactly in my size. I can't believe he did this. This outfit alone has to be thousands. I really should say no to this. Once again, he's overstepping and bordering on red flag territory. Right? I mean, buying me clothes he wants me to wear and knowing my size isn't healthy, normal boss-assistant stuff. It's not like he's done this for Champagne. I don't even have to ask her to know that. I chew on my lip as I stare at them. I don't know what I'm doing with him, and yet I can't seem to stop myself from doing it. Fuck it. They're just clothes. I'm sure he's not actually going to smell me during a meeting. I only used his shampoo and bodywash because I ran out of mine and didn't have time to buy more. I wasn't doing it so I'd smell like him or anything. Crap. This has bad news written all over it. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ ƒindNoᴠᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I head down the hall to the bathroom to get changed, slip into the new clothes and shoes and expertly do my hair up into my high ponytail and polish off all the red with a smear of it across my lips because fuck him. Just as I exit the bathroom, I practically run straight into Alesha, who gives me a disdainful once-over. "Where did you get those?" Isn't that the question I shouldn't answer? "Saks." "Hmm. Well, all that red makes you look cheap." I snort. "Not sure how cheap I can look in these clothes, but thanks for your unwanted opinion." I start to brush past her when I think better of it and turn back right before she goes into the bathroom. "You know, tearing women down is a bad look. I get that you don't like me for whatever your bullshit reasons are, but you might want to take a hard look at yourself and ask why you feel the need to be this way." I leave it at that, and she doesn't reply. I'm hoping she can get over whatever jealousy or pettiness she has toward me. Somehow, I doubt it, though. I drop my things, pick up my laptop and phone, and head straight for Vander's office. When I arrive, it's empty, and I press the button so he comes out of his lair. After two minutes of no Vander I walk down to his closet and pound on the door. No answer, but the sound of another door on the other side of his office opening has me turning around. His bathroom. Oops. I did it again. And now I sound like Britney, but this is the second time he's caught me in his office when he's come out of the bathroom after showering. Vander's blond hair is wet and tickling his forehead and eyelashes. He's shaved his beard and is wearing his standard black button-down and black slacks. Still, there's no denying how good he looks. He gives me a long once-over, very different from the one Alesha just gave me. This one makes my blood sizzle and my skin hot. "Should I do a little twirl? That way you'll get the full effect of my ass in the skirt." "Not necessary. Nice hair and lips." I smile coquettishly. "I thought so too. Shall we go to the meeting?" He pans a hand toward the door of his office for me. I head in that direction without glancing over my shoulder at him, but his hand swoops around my waist as I pass him, and he pulls me back to him. My breath catches as his nose meets the back of my neck, and he takes a deep inhale. A chuckle rustles the hair at the nape of my neck, his hot breath making me shiver. "Mmm. Smells better on you." His nose glides up my neck, and I stifle my whimper, but I know he hears it anyway. "Shall we?" He releases me, and I nearly stumble over my damn feet. We'll say it's the ridiculous heels tripping me up and not the man. I clear my throat and exit his door. "Did you get everything sorted out?" "I think so," he replies. "It was the same idiots who did this last time. They thought the fast timeline would throw me off. It didn't." I glance around the hall and make sure no one is near us as I whisper, "Are you a hacker?" "I'm a cybersecurity professional." I roll my eyes. "That doesn't answer my question." "You tell me your secrets and I'll tell you mine." I look at him as we walk. "Why are you so interested in my secrets?" He doesn't answer, and I decide to let it go. We reach the conference room, but before we enter, he stops me and says, "I find I'm more interested in everything that has to do with you than I should be. And curiosity isn't something I'm known to sit on."