Working under the CEO novel Chapter 31

/HIS POV/

It's relaxing, sitting in front of the fountain there, as the soft wind blowing past them as their company. Damon never thought he would be spending time like this with his assistant of all people. They have come a long way since they started, so it's not surprising to be sitting together. After gorging on the corn dogs, they decided to get the famous ice cream Mia has been raving about.

The assistant wrapped her arms together as she stared at the afternoon sun. It's a scorching day compared to New York.

"What's left on the agenda for today?" She lazily asked, turning her head towards him.

Mia was watching him expectantly as she licked at her cone. Whoever told that cone ice creams were only for kid didn't know what they were saying. Damon was trying not to stare at the way she flattened her tongue against the ice cream, but it's a bit distracting.

He cleared his throat and dropped his gaze. Now was not the time to be thinking of anything else. Besides, they did have a few hours left before they board the private jet.

"We have um...someplace to be at six, so we should probably leave here in about a half-hour."

Mia frowned at that.

She must be thinking about the place he planned on taking her. Unlike her, Damon didn't need any kind of research. He has been to LA a few times before.

"Someplace, huh?" The assistant raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Are you going to tell me what this place is?"

"Yes," Damon chirped around a bite of ice cream. "And no!" He grinned at her, then stuck his tongue out at her, waggling it around so that she can see the half-melted ice cream caught on it. Mia can be childish as well. Without another thought, she leaned forward and grabbed his wrist, yanking it over, before stealing a bit of his ice cream with a broad swipe of her tongue. He made a sound of outrage, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Hey! You have your own!"

The CEO pulled his arm back to which she shrugged while swallowing. "Yours is different. I wanted to taste it."

"You could have asked," He said, rolling his eyes.

Mia shrugged again, her voice teasing as she looked over, "You make plans without asking me, I take your ice cream without asking you."

"That is hardly the same thing," He scoffed, but she just smiled serenely at him, then went back to her cone.

The CEO bid his time, ate his ice cream in silence and watched her out of the corner of his eye until she's distracted by the lights. Choosing that moment, he reached out and snatched her cone right out of her grip before taking an enormous bite.

It's fucking freezing, and his teeth were starting to ache, but it's worth it for the look of absolute shock on Mia's face. Her hand was still curled into a loose fist in mid-air. Once Damon managed to swallow all of the ice creams in his mouth, he handed back her cone, "Thanks, kitten. Mint chocolate. Good choice. I might have to get that flavour next time."

She scowled at him. "I hate you."

***

Damon rented a car. He was going to drive them to that private place. The number of vehicles on the road had significantly thinned. Hence, all they passed consisted of silent and still fields, the occasional bundle of lights of a nearby township, and lone buses and lorries making late-night runs. Not for the first time, the CEO was grateful that he had Mia in the passenger seat, a comforting presence even when quiet, and somehow remaining beacon bright in the all-consuming dark.

She had fallen asleep soon after they began driving, and throughout the ride, his eyes couldn't help but slide over to Mia's sleeping frame. She looked so soft and inconceivably sweet, knees pulled to her chest and hands tucked under her head in a makeshift pillow. He felt a low ache in his belly and a quickening beneath his ribcage and tried not to think about how it might not have anything to do with lust and wanting.

"Now who's the one staring like a creep?" Mia said suddenly because she's only been feigning sleep.

The CEO looked back to the road, his cheeks flamed at being caught. "I was just looking."

She cracked an eye open. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a completely shit liar?"

"Has anyone ever told you to stop talking?" He retorted.

It's a terrible comeback, but she laughed anyway like she's delighted that he's trying to retort. Sitting up properly, his assistant finally gave up on trying or pretending to be asleep.

"So how much longer do you reckon?" Mia asked, stretching her hands while surveying the bare scenery as if she could pick up where they are by interpreting the trees' spacing.

"About thirty minutes is my best guess, give or take," Damon sighed.

"Just point me in the right direction," Mia said, craning her head out of the window.

"I think it's around the bend in that road," The CEO said, pointing to the left, where they could see a ring of cottages around the edge of the golf course.

They parked the car and got out.

The cottage was dark and a little cold. There was a fireplace though, upstairs in the bedroom, and as Mia flipped some lights on, and went to the bathroom, Damon knelt in front of it and was pleasantly surprised at how plush and soft the carpet was. After all, he spent a fortune booking the place at last minute, so it's not that shocking.

There was a massive bed in the middle of the room with soft thread count sheets. Maybe he could still transition this evening into a more pleasant avenue.

There was already wood set up in the fireplace, and all he had to do was light it. By the time Mia came out of the bathroom, the fire was already beginning to crackle.

"Oh," She exhaled, as the assistant warmed her hands in front of the flames, "that's very nice."

Damon patted the ground next to him. "Come sit with me, Mia."

He couldn't miss the apprehension in her eyes, but she sat regardless, hesitantly reaching out and curling an arm around his wrist. Slowly, they scooted closer together, until she had her face buried in his neck.

"Is this alright?" He heard Mia whisper into his skin.

He gently turned and cradled her face in his hands. "Of course, it is."

They sat there for a few minutes before Mia tilted her head, her thick lashes kissing her cheeks. "So what's so special about this cottage then?"

"This" Damon hurriedly grabbed the remote on the site and angled it over the roof. He pressed the button, and slowly the ceiling began to shift and opened far wide. They were now staring at the dark sky blanketed in stars while sitting in the bedroom with fireplace.

***