A Matter Of Authority; Submission In The Board Room

ASHER

A knock came on my door before my secretary pushed it open, beaming. She had her hand placed protectively under her stomach. "Good morning, boss," she greeted, still smiling. 

"Good morning. How's our baby this morning?" 

"Kicking." She rubbed her stomach, which had gotten bigger since the time she broke the news to me. She was nearing her 9th month, and I didn't want to think of how lonely I would be when she went on maternity leave. 

Benny has been with me from the time I founded this company. She was one of the few workers who witnessed our growth. We started in a flat and rapidly grew until we got not just an entire building but different branches in the country. 

"Come on, don't give me that look." She frowned, walking over to me. "My maternity leave will just be 6 months. Before you know it, I will be back, stressing your life like I always do." She grinned, picking up on my mood like she always did. 

"I can't help it, Benny," I groaned. "You are the best secretary any boss could ever ask for. I don't think anyone would replace you."

I shuddered, thinking of how I would survive the months she would be gone. I knew it would be hell. No one would be as perfect as Benny. 

"What can I say? I'm irreplaceable," she said with a smug smile. "It's just a temporary thing. I will be back before you miss me." She reached over and pinched my cheeks, chuckling when I growled at her. "Now that's my cute puppy."

Benny was the only one who could see through me, through the mask I always had around others. While others feared me, she saw the man who tried to shoulder everything by hiding behind a wall. 

"I'm not a puppy, and you know that." I playfully swatted her hands away. "Now, to business. Why are you here?"

"Oh, dear me." She placed a palm on her forehead and exhaled. "I almost forgot. The new employee is here for his final interview."

"Oh." I checked the time on my wristwatch. "I have an hour to spare before the dreadful board meeting. Let him in."

"Okay." Winking, she left my office.

I got up from my chair and straightened my shirt to look presentable enough. Sitting back, I let the mask slide into place, taking on the role of a stern boss. It was the look I had perfected from the time I started this business, and it had worked to keep people away from me and my workers in line.

A knock came a few minutes later, and I asked the person in as I reached for his file. I opened it just as he walked in. 

"Good morning, sir."

My heart stilled when I heard his voice. It was the one I always fantasised about, a deep baritone. Slowly, I looked up, my eyes widening as they moved from a broad shoulder to his face. Time stilled, and the words I wanted to utter lodged in my throat. 

The man was freaking handsome. No, scratch that. Fucking gorgeous. The type I wouldn't mind letting tie me down. His emerald eyes stared at me, stealing my breath. 

My eyes went down again, to that fucking chest, before they moved lower, to his hands. Father Abraham, those hands would look good wrapped around my neck as he took me from behind. I imagined getting slapped on my arse as he took me hard, and the imprints it would leave. My dick hardened at that, twitching, just like my arsehole.

And when my eyes travelled lower, to the package hidden by his slacks, I felt like I might faint. He was packing something down there, and I ached to reach out, to unzip his slacks as I got down on my knees and swallowed it down my throat as far as I could without gagging. Of course, he would have his hand on the back of my neck, forcing me to take more. 

"Excuse me, sir?"

I snapped my gaze back to his face, blinking as my cheeks coloured. I felt ashamed getting caught leering at his body. 

"Are you okay, sir?" He asked politely. His expression didn't match his body at all. He looked far too innocent. 

"Yeah." I let out a cough, sitting up as I reached for his file once more. "Have a seat, Mr ..."

"Lee. The name's Guel Lee," he offered with a smile, closing the distance between us. 

The nearer he got, the more it felt like I might faint.  

Fuck. Get a grip on your damned self, Asher! I screamed at myself. This wasn't the first time I had seen a muscular man, damn it!

"Right. Mr Lee." I forced a smile as he sat. Seated, he didn't get any smaller. Though there was a table separating us, I felt like his body would swallow me whole. 

Gulping, I looked down at his resume, and the first thing that caught my eye was his age. Fucking 20?! He's 15 years my junior??! 

God, Asher, you need to snap out of this. He's way too young for you, damn it! 

Okay, it wasn't my fault that he looked at least 25 with that body. I wouldn't have doubted if he told me he was thirty. That body doesn't look like it belonged to a kid. Come on.

I leafed through the information before I looked up. "You are quite young, Mr Lee, and it said you just graduated?" I lifted a brow at that. 

"Yes, sir, I completed college a few months ago. This is my first job," he said, looking earnestly at me.

"I see." I nodded, with my hand placed under my jaw, staring at him. "You are muscular," I blurted before I could stop myself. My mouth just couldn't get the hint, running because it felt the need to. 

"I was in the football and basketball club throughout high school and college," he replied, a blush decorating his cheeks. 

"You must be quite good," I noted, still running my eyes down his muscular body, now with a reason to do so. I could always claim I was just looking at the body of a sports champion.