Tied Down: He'll see to her needs, if she can tend to his... by Leila Haven Page A

Cooper’s spot was empty and waiting for him. The security guard addressed us both by name as he greeted us. We walked on through to the elevators and rode upwards. It was difficult not replaying what had happened in that elevator the first time we used it.
     
    Cooper left me with his assistant, a stunning redhead in her twenties. “I’ll see you at lunchtime,” he said to me, winking. Lunchtime seemed like a very long way away.
     
    I looked at his assistant and she looked at me. The air was completely awkward, with neither of us sure what we should be doing.
     
    “I’m Melody,” she said, extending her hand. I shook it, hoping she didn’t notice my sweaty palms.
     
    “I’m Emily. It’s nice to meet you.” I took a breath and we both laughed nervously. “Please just forget that Cooper is my boyfriend. I don’t want to be treated any differently from anyone else.”
     
    “I’m so glad you said that. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and if you were absolutely horrible, I didn’t know how I was going to get through it.” She smiled kindly, both of us relieved.
     
    “So where do I start today?”
     
    “Well, I need to deliver some internal mail. Do you want to come with me? You’ll get a feel for the layout of the place.”
     
    “Sounds perfect,” I agreed. I didn’t confess that Cooper had already taken me on a walk-through. A refresher was definitely required. Maybe this time I would remember everyone’s names.
     
    As it turned out, Melody was actually really nice herself. She was also in on all the office gossip. As we delivered the mail, she pointed out anybody that she had some details on.
     
    King Endeavors was a cesspool of gossip. So many people were sleeping with others in the office, not to mention hidden pregnancies, affairs, and a case of crabs. I didn’t need to watch daytime soaps, I was working in one.
     
    Along with all the inside information, Melody also told me the people to stay away from. The men who chased every tail that passed their desk, the women who were great at backstabbing, and the young ones who would only suck up for promotions.
     
    By the time we finished the rounds, my head was spinning. Melody left me to do some filing with a cup of coffee. I hid away behind my desk and hoped nobody noticed me.
     
    The filing was easy, I finished it in under an hour and reported back for a new task. “You’re finished already?” Melody asked.
     
    “Yep. What else do you have for me?”
     
    She looked around her cubicle, searching for a task, it seemed. Her hand clasped a thick file as she hauled it onto the desk. “You can take care of this for me. They are expense reports that need to be entered into the system.”
     
    Melody showed me how to enter a few before I took the file back to my desk. The work wasn’t exactly stimulating my brain, but it felt good to be doing something.
     
    Lunchtime came around quickly. I saw feet beside my desk before my gaze traveled upwards. Cooper was standing there, still as gorgeous as ever. “I have lunch waiting for us in my office.”
     
    I knew a command when I heard one. I followed Cooper back to his office, noticing the way he locked the door behind us. A shiver ran down my spine with the thought of why he might need to ensure our privacy.
     
    He hadn’t been kidding about lunch. The coffee table in front of the couch was covered in different dishes. “We’re eating Japanese today,” he explained. Everything looked delicious, including the man himself.
     
    We sat down and started eating, all the food making my mouth water. I wouldn’t have had that last muffin from the break room if I had known I would be indulging in all these tasty dishes.
     
    “How is your first day going?” Cooper asked.
     
    “Great. Melody has been really nice to me,” I replied.
     
    “What does she have you doing?”
     
    “I filed and then entered expense reports.”
     
    “That’s all?” His tone of voice gave away his annoyance. I