Twenty-one and ready to take on the world, orphan Lizzie Gold didn't expect her chance encounter with a stranger to lead to a damnable task - to take down a rising business tycoon.
Ryan Pierce - her viciously handsome target and her new boss - might...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
L I Z Z I E 09 | don't get hurt
"...So that's the shortened version of the whole thing. What we will need the most is everything to be within our budget, excellent quality of materials, a design that suits the customers, and safety equipment installed with regular checks. Any questions?"
Twenty-one pairs of my eyes in the room fix on me, one of them including Mr. Pierce's. But the way he looks at me is different — something darker flashes across his irises. The sight of him focusing on me like that has me fixed in place, moving my eyes from him.
I can't be attracted to him. It is not my heart that should be on the line.
"Any questions?" I repeat, looking around the room curiously.
The heads looking at me move from left to right, letting me know that they don't have any further questions which means I did my job well.
"Miss. Gold," Mr. Pierce breaks the silence, his deep voice making the pairs of eyes look at him from me. "You were excellent. You may stop fidgeting now."
It is after he says that when I notice my fingers over the iPad screen which are shaking violently still.
I have never been much of a public speaker. That's the one thing I haven't managed to expert. Fear of public speaking has always been the one I have been most bothered with. However, today I conquered that fear too.
"Thank you," I say, looking down and biting my bottom lip as I beam with pride internally.
Mr. Pierce gets up from his seat, adjusting his blazer in a gentlemanly way as he turns to the room.
"Note the points that Miss. Gold mentioned and get me the new plans at my desk by tomorrow morning. Meeting adjourned."
His command is taken with extreme seriousness as everyone gets up and gets ready to depart the room. As they leave one by one, I intend to follow them but Mr. Pierce stops me with his next words.
"Stay, Lizzie."
His voice carries a firm order like he wouldn't take no for an answer at all.
Clutching the iPad to my chest, I flip around, meeting his dark gaze which he has firmly located on me.
With his hands in his pockets, he starts to walk toward me. Since the conference room has been emptied except for the two of us, the buzzing sound of the projector grows louder. The silence is deep just like the air between us which thickens with tension every minute.
"Mr. Pierce..." I gulp as he comes closer while I take a step back.
He keeps proceeding with that mischievous look in his blue eyes behind his glasses as he closes the distance between us. My breaths quicken with the closeness, skin tingling at the sensation.
