Chapter 21

On Monday morning, they drove to work together, and there was no need to take both vehicles. When they got there, they walked in together, but seeing it was a place of business, they didn’t hold hands. Even though everyone knew about them, they both felt it wouldn’t be professional. Of course, they got some looks, but everyone did wish them a good morning as they went back to their office. As usual, she poured him his coffee and took it to him; he was already busy with some paperwork.

“Your coffee, sir,” she said, placing it in the spot where she did every morning.

“Thank you, Miss. Keller. Would you get me the file on Murphy’s property?” He gave her a big smile when she nodded her head and walked out.

“Do you need anything else?” she asked, handing him the file.

He looked up at her and took the file she handed him. “Yes, but it’s going to have to wait until we get home, I’m afraid.”

She rolled her eyes and left the room. She sat down and got to work, looking over at what appointments he had for the rest of the week and the properties he had to go check out. When Bonnie walked in carrying a vase of pink roses wrapped in pink cloth, she looked up. “What are those?”

“These were delivered, and I was told to give them to you,” she said, placing them on the desk in front of her. “The man who delivered them didn’t tell me who they were from, and I noticed there was no card.”

“Thank you, Bonnie.” She smiled as she took a sniff of them. They were so beautiful, pink roses in a vase covered with pink paper. But she was a little worried as to who had sent them, knowing that Ace had said flowers were not to be delivered to a place of business. Then she got to thinking that they might be from Evan, and if that were the case, she didn’t want them. So getting up from behind her desk, she grabbed the vase of flowers and carried them over to the waste bucket and was about to throw them in when Ace told her to stop.

“Rosalee, stop, what are you doing?”

“Someone sent me these flowers, but there was no card, so I thought maybe they were from Evan, and I was about to throw them away.”

He walked over to her and took them from her hand and placed them back on her desk. “I can guarantee you they are not from him; they’re from me.”

Needless to say, she was quite shocked to hear that the flowers were from him. “But you said that this was a place of business, and flowers weren’t to be sent here.”

He looked at her with a smirk on his face. “I only said that because I was jealous. I don’t have a problem with anybody receiving flowers for whatever reason. I just thought that since I’m your boyfriend, I should also send you flowers.”

“I love them; they’re beautiful, and thank you so much.”

“If you really want to thank me, you’ll come over here and thank me properly.”

“Ace, we’re at work, and we made a vow to be professional when we’re here. So I will thank you properly later when we get home.”

“Like hell,” he said, grabbing her arm when she went to walk past him. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her the biggest kiss. “Have you forgotten that I’m the boss, and I can do what I want?”

Her lips felt bruised, and she could feel that little tingling between her legs. “Yes, you are the boss,” she said, breathing heavily. The man could be so forceful and bossy when he wanted to be, and there was something sexually exciting about the way he was at times. She knew if he had taken her into his office, he could have had his way with her, and he knew it. She saw the smirk on his face when he walked away, leaving her sexually frustrated.

Damn, he knew how close he was to pulling her into his office bathroom and having his way with her. He might have done it too, but he had an important client coming in, not to mention the look on her face when he left her wanting more almost had him laughing. And something told him that she would get her revenge on him at some point; it’s like they say, karma is a bitch. He went into his bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face. When he came out, there was a knock at his door, and Rosalee opened it and announced that Mr. Simon was here to see him. The dirty look she gave him did not go unnoticed as he told her to send him in.

Ace asked her to bring Mr. Simon and himself a coffee, and when she did, she only brought one for the client.

“Your personal assistant appears to be a little upset with you.”

Ace leaned back in his chair. “Yes, I did something that she was not pleased about.”

“But you are her boss, and she totally ignored you, and I noticed she did not bring you a coffee as you asked.”

“The thing is, Mr. Simon, she’s not only my personal assistant, she’s also my girlfriend, and we are living together.”

Mr. Simon let out a chuckle as he reached for his coffee. “Oh, I get it now. So from that look, she was giving you, you will be in the dog house for a while.”

“Most likely, but enough about me, let’s get down to why you’re here.”

An hour later, when the client left, Ace went out to see Rosalee. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out and have lunch with me?”

“No thank you, I’m having lunch with Eve.”

“Sweetheart, are you still mad at me for getting you worked up?”

“And why would I be mad? After all, this is a place of business, and we both agreed not to carry on inside the office. It’s your rule, and since that’s the case, you shouldn’t have kissed me to begin with.”

“Rules are meant to be broken. Say hi to Eve for me.”

When she met Eve at the restaurant, and they were sitting having their lunch, Clarice walked in and over to their table.

“Well, look who’s here, the little tramp that stole my husband.”

“Ace is your ex-husband, and I didn’t steal him from you or anybody. So will you please walk away and let me and my friend enjoy our lunch?”

Clarice looked over at Eve. “I know you from somewhere. Oh yeah, you’re a model, and you were at the benefit for the homeless. If you have a man, I’d keep an eye on this one,” she said, pointing to Rosalee. “She just might try to steal your man.”

"Get lost," Eve snapped at her.

Clarice looked back at Rosalee. “I bet Ace is screwing you at the office even though he probably told you it was a place of business and that wasn’t allowed. He’s such a liar, I can’t tell you how many times he fucked me there. We almost got caught many times. I’ll be seeing you, a lot,” she said before walking away from their table.

“He told me he’s never had sex in his office with anyone.”

“Rosalee, don’t listen to that woman, she’s only trying to cause trouble. But tell me something, have you and Ace had sex in the office?”

“Eve, why would you ask me something like that?”

“Oh come on, we’re friends. Your face is turning red so I just got my answer. Why you little vixen you, doing the nasty with your boss in the office.”

“Eve, not so loud. Okay, we did it once in his bathroom and we made it a rule not to do it again.”

After they finished their lunch, she went to pick up his suit from the cleaners. “I’m here to pick up Mr. Thatcher’s suit.”

The man behind the counter started to look nervous. “Mrs. Thatcher already picked it up, I’m afraid.”

“That’s not possible. There is no Mrs. Thatcher, well not anymore.” She looked at the man behind the counter. “Please, from now on if she comes in here asking to pick up any more of his clothing, do not give them to her.”

“I’m so sorry Miss, she showed me a picture of her and Mr. Thatcher. I had no idea they were no longer married. Please tell him how sorry I am and it won’t happen again.”

She left the store in a huff. It’s not that she was mad at the clerk behind the desk, it was because Clarice had the nerve to go and pick up one of his suits. When she got back to the office and could see through the glass windows that he was alone, she stormed in without knocking, causing his head to jerk up in shock.

“Rosalee, what in God’s name is wrong?”

“It’s that damn ex-wife of yours, that’s what’s wrong.”

He put down the pen he was using and got up and walked over to her. “What did she do?”

“First, I have to ask you a question and I want you to tell me the truth. Have you ever had sex with Clarice in your office?”

“No, not ever, why are you asking?”

“When I was having lunch with Eve, she showed up and came over to our table and told me that you and she have had sex many times in your office and that you almost got caught.”

“She’s lying, hell we never even had sex the last year we were married. Tell me you’re not going to believe her over me.”

She let out a sigh and held back the tears that were threatening to come. “She sounded so convincing, but no, I believe you.”

He cupped her face in his hands. “I love you and you were the first woman I’ve ever had sex with in my office. Did she do or say anything else to upset you?”

“I went to pick up your suit from the cleaners and they told me that your wife already picked it up. Of course, I told him she was your ex-wife and he apologized and said it wouldn’t happen again.”

“Oh my God, I can’t believe she did that. Clarice has never once during our marriage ever picked up my dry cleaning. I don’t know what she’s playing at, but I’m going to have to put a stop to it.”

“Not planning on going to her place to get it, are you? I mean, that’s probably what she wants, to get you alone.”

“I have no intention of going to see that bitch. But what I’m going to do is see about getting a restraining order against her to keep her away from you and from me. She can keep the damn suit, I’ve got plenty of other ones. I’m just so sorry that she upset you.”

“You don’t think she’s dangerous, do you?”

He looked at her and scratched his chin as he thought about her question. “I don’t think so, but just to be on the safe side, we’ll get a restraining order and keep our eyes open.”

“I just don’t understand why she’s doing this if she’s with your brother and she has her own money.”

“Maybe she spent most of my money that was given to her or it could be that she doesn’t want to see me happy with anyone else.”

Hearing him say that he was happy made her smile. “So you’re happy being with me?”

He didn’t give a damn if anybody walked in when he pulled her into his arms.

“I have never been this happy in my life as I am now, and I owe it all to you. You’ve made me believe in love. I know you love me, I can feel it in my gut, and I know you’re not with me because of my money. Now you better let me kiss you so that we can get back to work.”

Putting her arms around his neck, she planted her lips on his. “I think we both know that a restraining order won’t stop her. She will still find a way to cause us trouble, and it’s not like she’s threatened our lives or anything. Maybe if we just ignore her, she’ll get bored and stop.” Even though she said these words to him with confidence, deep down she knew that Clarice was just beginning.

“You’re probably right. You and I are going to take the rest of the day off and go for a drive, and then later I’ll take you somewhere nice for dinner.”

“But what about your appointments this afternoon?” She had never known him to take time off work unnecessarily, but she certainly wasn’t going to complain.

After spending half an hour canceling his appointments and letting Bonnie know that they wouldn’t be in for the rest of the day, they left the office. To her surprise, he held her hand as they walked past the others to the elevator.