27

AUDREY
The office was, as usual, welcoming in the morning and packed with early birds flocking around each other’s cubicles. I walked straight through the hallway, being greeted by colleagues, and some extended their condolences. Overall, it was the same environment I left with, but I missed the atmosphere. I missed being in the office, feeling the air conditioner, and the smell of newly brewed coffee in the pantry.
I first poured a cup of coffee for Gabriel, expecting that he was already inside, given that I was already five minutes late.
“Hi!” Someone appeared next to me that turned out to be a new face with brown hair and green eyes. He looked young and was wearing an intern ID.
“Um, hi?”
“You must be Miss Hopkins,” he said with a smile.
“Yes, Mister…?”
“I’m Noah, the new intern. Noah Stark. Nice to meet you, Miss Hopkins.” He reached out his hand to me, and I shook it. But what got me was his surname.
“S-Stark, you said?”
“Ah, yes. Noah Stark.”
“Curious. Are you just the same name or…” I paused.
“Noah!” another voice appeared, and I saw Coulson Stark approaching us. “Good morning, Miss Hopkins.” I watched the man hook his arm to the new intern. “Oh, you’ve met.”
I frown in confusion. “Are you…”
“Noah is our nephew.”
“Ah, I see, but you came here as an intern?”
“I’m still in college, Miss Hopkins. I started here last week,” he responded.
“He’s getting a master’s degree at Columbia University,” Coulson added. “And he’s here for the graded training.”
“Ah, wow, and an Ivy League school. Welcome to Stark Apparel, Noah.”
He grinned widely. “Thank you, Miss Hopkins. I hope I can be of help to you. Uncle Gabe—I mean, Mr. Stark, put me in your post while you are away.”
“Of course, I might need a hand.” I nodded, smiling back.
“Behave, okay? Miss Hopkins here is the CEO’s executive assistant, and you will listen to her.” Coulson Stark warned. “Audrey, my nephew can be very friendly.”
“You are selling me out!” Noah complained.
I chuckled. “No problem, Mr. Stark. I will help him.”
Coulson raised both hands. “I’m out.” Then he turned back.
“Are you going to take that to Mr. Stark?” he asked, referring to the coffee.
“Yep.” I nodded. “If you don’t mind me asking, Noah, how old are you?”
“I’m twenty-three.” He grinned again. The more I looked at him, the more I saw his uncle Coulson on his face. And he’s just a year younger than me?
“And you are the boss’s nephew. How? I thought Gabriel, I mean, Mr. Stark was the eldest?”
He nodded. “Yes, I’m a cousin’s son, actually. Robert Stark? My father is the eldest among cousins.”
I hadn’t heard the name, though. “Oh, I see the connection now. I’m just curious.” I carried the tray with a cup of coffee on it.
“Can I help you with that?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll take this. I’ve got to talk to your uncle anyway.” On the other hand, I couldn’t imagine Gabriel being an uncle of a grown-up man at the age of twenty-eight.
“Then I’ll be around the photocopier if you need me, Miss Hopkins.”
“You can just call me Audrey, you know.”
“Audrey…” He smiled. “Cool! Nice name.”
“Thanks. I’ll take this now before it gets cold.”
“Oh, sure. I’m sorry for holding you up.” Noah excused himself one more time and went in the opposite direction. I headed to Gabriel’s office.
I knocked on the glass door first and came in. “Mr. Stark.”
He turned around with his swivel chair. And damn, when would I ever get used to seeing his beautiful face without getting thrilled. He wasn’t wearing a suit, but a black leather jacket, a white undershirt, blue jeans, and a pair of tactical boots. He had his hair trimmed to the side, longer on the tip, and brushed up. Was he going somewhere?
“Audrey,” he called, his voice smooth and refined, warming up my senses again. My stomach filled with butterflies.
I placed the cup on his desk, but then he sprang up from his desk, walked to the door, and then locked it.
“Come.” He grabbed my wrist and dragged me against his body. He cupped my face and pressed a deep kiss on my mouth. I shut my eyes. “Hmm. I’ve missed you.”
I ran my tongue on my bottom lip, tasting him on me.
He lowered his head onto my neck and sniffed from there, and then one of his hands cupped my cheek. “But something’s different. You smelled even more divine,” he whispered. He smelled it. My perfume.
I curled my arms onto his waist. He looked into my eyes.
“What have you done to me? Making me crazy for you this much?”
I smiled, biting my lip. “I’ve missed you too.”
“Ah, so we’re finally admitting, huh?” He kissed my forehead, and he brought me back to his body, squeezing me with his arms and stroking my hair. “The three days have been torture.” He smelled my hair again. “You look beautiful today, and you smell so good. I can’t wait to have you alone.”
“And you said we were going to talk?”
“We are.”
“But you seem like you’re going somewhere.”
“Yes, somewhere with you.”
I parted away slightly. “Where?” I asked curiously.
“Somewhere, and then to my house. I’m taking you home today,” he spoke within a few centimeters gap between our lips.
Gabriel Stark’s house. I wondered how it was. The anticipation had killed the remaining stance in my body. I was on the verge of collapsing.
“What? We’re going to leave the office?”
“Yes, now. Right now. You are coming with me.”
I exhaled the intense pressure in my chest. “Hmm. But we have something to do here.”
“Then we’ll work with it together outside, then we’ll talk. How’s that?” He pressed me even tighter against him.
I nodded. “Feasible.”
“Good. Now pick up whatever you need. See me at the parking lot in five minutes. Go.” Gabriel smashed his mouth on my lips again, but it was brief that he had gotten what he wanted. I wanted more of him. I exited his office and tried to gather my thoughts first.