Executive Seduction

PIPER

“Troy! Didn’t you wait for me to say ‘come in’?” Bryce’s voice was sharp as I walked into his office without permission.

“Sorry, sir. I’m, um, bringing you your coffee.” My mind was short-circuiting as I watched him undress, casually peeling off his pants as if I weren’t even there.

“Did you have to grow the coffee beans yourself? What the hell took so long?”

“No. There was no coffee. I had to make it,” I mumbled, placing the coffee on his desk and trying to hold onto some semblance of professionalism.

“Hand me my clean pants,” he ordered, gesturing to a pair of trousers draped over the back of a nearby chair.

“Of course,” I said, hurrying to comply, though my mind was still spinning. “If I may ask, Mr. O’Connell, why are you changing your pants in the middle of the day?”

“My fountain pen leaked onto my lap. I can’t go to a meeting in stained pants, can I?”

“I suppose not,” I replied, handing over the pants and trying my hardest not to notice how perfectly they fit over his sculpted ass as he slipped them on.

“Anything else?” he asked, as though I had been doing anything other than staring.

“Oh. Um, no, sir.” With a stumble, I made for the door, my face hot.

I shut the door behind me, leaning against it as I tried to recover. “Oh god.”

“What?” Alyssa asked, her voice catching my panic as I approached her.

“He was changing his pants,” I whispered.

“Wait—you saw him without his pants? Seriously?” Her voice shot up a few octaves, disbelief etched into her expression.

“Yeah, he was only wearing a shirt and boxer briefs,” I replied, still dazed.

Her eyes lit up with a mischievous grin. “What did you do?”

I slapped my own forehead and sank to the floor in embarrassment. “I stared like a complete idiot.”

Alyssa threw her head back and burst out laughing. As she continued, I walked back to my desk and sank into my chair. I busied myself with emails and other smaller tasks I had put off this morning. Then I saw the Sandpepper email and groaned.

I have to go back in there. Oh, fuck me!

I grabbed the papers from my desk and steeled myself as I knocked on Mr. O’Connell’s door again. Alyssa eyed me, and I flashed her the papers as I heard Mr. O’Connell give the all-clear.

I opened the door and cleared my throat, looking anywhere but at him.

“Is there something else, Miss Troy?” His voice carried that familiar edge of impatience.

“Right, uh… Mr. O’Connell,” I managed. “I’m sorry for interrupting; I also came to update you on the Sandpepper project.”

“Go ahead,” Bryce said casually. “What’s the update?”

I closed the door and stepped into the room, forcing my focus back onto the work. I could have sworn his cheeks were a touch pink, as if he was blushing. No, the unflappable Bryce O’Connell could not be blushing because I saw him change…could he? His office was immaculate as always, a sharp contrast to the chaos in my mind.

“We’ve finalized the terms with Sandpepper’s team. The new contract is ready for your review, and they’re pleased with the proposed terms and timelines.”

Bryce nodded, his demeanor shifting from casual to sharp, his full attention snapping to the matter at hand. “Good. I want to make sure everything’s airtight. This deal is too important to risk any mistakes.”

“Actually…” I hesitated for a moment before reaching into the folder, pulling out a highlighted email.

“Before I came up, I noticed something in one of the reports while gathering the files. It seemed off to me, so I did a little digging. This email from the legal team… It looks like there’s been some kind of oversight regarding the licensing terms for the deal. If it isn’t addressed, it could create a legal loophole that might cause financial and reputational damage.”

Bryce’s eyes snapped to mine. “What kind of oversight?” His tone was carefully neutral.

“The language they used in the contract doesn’t properly reflect the latest compliance regulations. If it goes through as it is, it opens us up to potential litigation from both Sandpepper’s legal team and some of our competitors. I’ve compiled all the evidence, highlighted the discrepancies, and prepared a draft with the correct wording. I think we can still fix this before it goes public.”

I handed him the folder, and he flipped through the documents, his expression growing more serious with each page. For a moment, the room was silent.

“Piper…” He swallowed hard. His voice was steady, but there was something new in his tone. “You just saved us from what could have been a major legal and financial disaster.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the gravity of his words. “I just did my job.”

“You did more than your job,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity I hadn’t seen before. “This could’ve cost the company millions. You were smart enough to catch it before it escalated.”

I stood there, not sure how to respond, but something in the way he looked at me made me realize I was no longer just the assistant running around doing coffee and copies. He saw me as more.

“Thank you, Piper. This is…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Not bad at all.”

I felt a blush creeping up my neck as I quickly nodded. “I’ll get the legal team to adjust the terms and send them over to Sandpepper’s side immediately.”

“Do that,” Bryce agreed, his expression softening just a fraction. “I appreciate the thoroughness.”

I paused, caught off guard. “You’re welcome,” I said, still processing this new, slightly more human side of him. I turned and walked out, feeling like the office air was lighter than before.

I shut the door behind me, leaning against it again, shocked.

“What’s wrong now?” Alyssa asked.

“I think Bryce just complimented me.”

“He actually complimented you?” Alyssa’s eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth hanging open.

“Yeah…I think so?” I was still trying to wrap my head around it. “Has that ever happened before?” I asked, feeling like I had stumbled into some kind of alternate reality.

Alyssa leaned in closer, her expression incredulous. “Not that I’ve heard. I didn’t think he was capable of anything other than cold commands, sarcastic jabs, and looking like a walking Armani ad.”

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t deny the uncomfortable truth of what she said. “He’s not that handsome.”

She snorted. “Please, he’s basically designed to be admired. He’s got that whole ‘I’m too good for you, but you’ll still want me’ thing going on, and you know it.”

“He’s really not,” I insisted, though I could feel heat rising in my cheeks as I said it.

Alyssa grinned knowingly. “Sure. That’s why you’re blushing.” She leaned back in her chair and mock-fanned herself. “I bet he has a stylist pick out his clothes every day. How else does he show up looking perfect and acting like he’s about to strut down a runway?”

“You’re something else,” I muttered, shaking my head.

“I’m just saying what we’re all thinking,” she shot back with a shrug. “Before you knew him, I bet you thought he was the hottest thing to ever step foot in this office.”

“Yeah, and then I got to know him. That changes things.”

Alyssa raised an eyebrow. “Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night. Now tell me, what did Mr. Perfect actually say to you? Word for word.”

I sighed. “He said…‘Not bad.’”

Her jaw dropped again. “Not bad?” She repeated the words like she didn’t believe me.

“Yep,” I confirmed, though saying it out loud again made it feel even stranger. “That’s exactly what he said.”

A slow, amused grin spread across her face. “Not bad, Pipes,” she teased, enjoying this far too much.

I rolled my eyes and tried to get back to work. The elevator dinged, and a beautiful blonde woman stepped off and strode right up to us.

“Can I help you?” I asked, but she barely even glanced at me as she reached for the doors to Mr. O’Connell’s office.

“Hey! You can’t just go in there!” But it was too late. She sauntered in like she owned the place as I scrambled after her.

The blonde woman dropped her coat and purse unceremoniously on the couch in the office. Mr. O’Connell locked eyes with me.

“I’m so sorry,” I started. Something flashed across his face, like a mix of rage and embarrassment, and he looked away. I was stunned. This morning was pure chaos.

The blonde strode up to his desk and deposited herself in a chair across from my boss. “Let’s get to it, shall we?”

Mr. O’Connell cleared his throat and sipped his coffee. “It’s fresh. At least you’ve done something right today, Miss Troy.”

Jerk.

I reached for the doorknob but paused, glancing back at him. He was taunting me, arms folded on his desk around his coffee cup, smirking behind his glasses. The woman across from him looked irritated at the interruption.

Over a cup of coffee?

“I won’t forget your coffee again,” I said through clenched teeth.

“I know you won’t.” His stern reply sent a shiver down my spine.

“Anyway,” the woman said. “Now that the help is leaving, we need to get back to the plans.”

The help? Rude.

“If you need anything else…” I started.

“You’re not going just yet, Miss Troy.”

Of course not.

“Bryce…” the woman whined.

He just held up his hand.

“What else can I do for you, Mr. O’Connell?” I sighed.

“The boardroom needs to be set up for this afternoon’s luncheon with Sandpepper’s CEO and her board.”

“Of course it does.”

“Is that attitude?” he said.

“No, Mr. O’Connell,” I said quickly.

“The spreadsheets need to be copied and bound.”

“Of course.”

“And I need the caterer called,” he said.

“When does this need to be done by?”

“One.” I managed to get my hand on the door handle this time. “Oh, and Piper?”

“Yes, Mr. O’Connell?”

“Let’s not forget the coffee this time. And not the crap from the office kitchen?”

Bastard. I closed the door behind me.

“That man is a nightmare. I swear he’s a jerk just for the fun of it!”

Alyssa looked up from her desk, her interest piqued. “What’s up?”

“I have to prepare the boardroom for a catered lunch by one,” I complained, sinking into my chair outside his office. “And who is that woman with him?

“Ouch.” Alyssa winced in sympathy. “He’s impossible, and I have no idea. I can’t believe she just barged in.”

“She’s whatever at this point. The boardroom isn’t even all. I have to get all these files copied and bound by then too.” I dumped the huge pile of documents on my desk. “I swear he despises me.”

Alyssa smirked. “At least he’s not old and ugly like Mr. Winters.” She stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes toward the door by her desk.

“I’d prefer old and ugly,” I retorted.

“And not Mr. Dreamy Eyes?”

I rolled my eyes at her. “When does the jerkiness outweigh the hotness?”

“It doesn’t. You just put up with it.” She shook her head.

“What if I don’t want to put up with it?” I sighed heavily.

What am I saying? I can’t quit! This job is a gem on my resume, even if I am just a coffee bitch.

“You’ve already lasted six months longer than any other assistant. You have a knack with him.”

“A knack for irritating him,” I grumbled. “I need to get a move on.”

“Catch you later,” Alyssa whispered.

“Later,” I groaned, grabbing the stack of files on my desk, shooting her a look, and heading for the elevator—praying my day couldn’t get any worse.