Chapter 1

My Ice-Cold Boss Made My Heart Race

I gripped my purse strap and stared up at the massive glass building in front of me. SinclairTech. I kept repeating the name in my head.

God, I was actually going to work here.

Thinking about my pathetic bank account and the student loans I still owed made my stomach twist. But I didn't have a choice—I needed this job. Really, really needed it.

The elevator opened on the 30th floor and I walked into what had to be the CEO's office area. Everything looked expensive—modern furniture, huge windows with views of Seattle, the works.

I straightened my blazer and gave myself a pep talk. Come on, Claire. It's just an assistant job. You can do this.

Then an office door opened.

I swear time stopped.

The guy who walked out was ridiculously good-looking. Bright blue eyes, perfect jawline, the kind of face you see in magazines. His dark hair looked like he'd just stepped out of a salon, and his suit probably cost more than my rent.

I just stood there staring like an idiot.

"You're the new assistant?" His voice was deep and smooth, but his tone was ice cold. "Follow me."

He headed toward his office and I hurried after him, my brain completely scrambled. Holy crap, he's gorgeous. But wow, what an attitude. Focus, Claire! You're here to work, not drool over your boss.

"I'm Alexander Sinclair," he said, sitting behind his desk without even looking at me. "I need someone who's on time, gets things done, and doesn't ask a million questions. Think you can handle that?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Sinclair," I tried to sound professional.

"Good. Your task list is outside. Jade will show you around." He was already looking at papers, clearly done with me.

My heart was still pounding when I left his office. Seriously, how was my boss this hot? How was I supposed to get any work done?

The day flew by with typical office stuff—filing, scheduling meetings, answering phones. Alexander stayed cold and distant, but at least the actual work wasn't too hard. I kept telling myself to just do my job and not overthink everything.

But by nine that night, when I was the only one still there, I started wondering if I'd made a huge mistake.

My stomach was growling, reminding me I hadn't eaten a real meal in twelve hours. I rubbed my neck and kept organizing stuff for tomorrow's meeting.

That's when I saw him walking toward my desk.

Alexander was carrying a takeout bag. He set it down in front of me and I could smell something amazing.

"Pad Thai," he said.

I looked up at him, trying to process what was happening. "This is... for me?"

"Don't skip meals," he said, still sounding cold but there was something softer in his eyes.

My heart started racing again. "Thanks, Mr. Sinclair, you really didn't need to—"

"Just Alexander," he said, reaching for a file on my desk.

When he handed me the papers, his fingers brushed mine. It was like getting shocked, but in a good way. Our eyes met and everything just... stopped.

We stared at each other for what felt like forever. His blue eyes were so intense I could barely breathe.

Then he pulled his hand back fast, his face going all professional again. "Don't stay too late."

He turned and left, and I just sat there with my face on fire.

When it was time to go, Alexander and I ended up waiting for the elevator together. The building was empty and everything was so quiet I could hear both of us breathing.

The elevator doors opened and we got in. In the small space, I could smell his cologne—something clean and expensive. I tried to act normal but my heart was beating so loud I was sure he could hear it.

When we got to the 15th floor, the elevator suddenly jerked.

I lost my balance and stumbled toward Alexander. He caught me fast, one arm around my waist, his other hand near my head to protect me from hitting the wall.

We were so close I could feel how warm he was. He looked down at me and something flickered in those blue eyes.

"You okay?" His voice sounded different, rougher.

I nodded but couldn't speak. I found myself looking at his lips, then quickly looked away.

The elevator started moving again, but Alexander didn't let go right away. Another long moment of staring at each other. I felt like I was melting.

"Careful," he finally let me go, his voice back to normal.

The doors opened and we went separate ways. On the bus home, I was still in a daze.

Back at my apartment, I immediately called my best friend Bella.

"Bella, I think I'm going crazy!" I said as soon as she picked up.

"What happened? Bad first day?"

"No! It's my boss, Alexander. He's like... dangerous!" I flopped on my couch and covered my face. "He's gorgeous and sweet and cold all at the same time, and I'm totally losing it!"

"Wait, slow down," Bella sounded amused. "Are you telling me you have a thing for your boss?"

"I don't know!" I sat up. "I couldn't even think straight when I first saw him, and then he brought me dinner, and caught me in the elevator... God, what am I supposed to do?"

"Claire, breathe," Bella said. "Maybe he's just being nice."

"But the way he looked at me..." I remembered those intense blue eyes and my heart started racing again. "Bella, I swear there's something there."

"So what are you going to do?"

I was quiet for a few seconds. Honestly, I had no idea. My last relationship had been a disaster, and I'd planned to just focus on work and avoid any drama.

But Alexander Sinclair was already messing with my head.

"I don't know," I finally said. "But I have a feeling this job is going to be way more complicated than I thought."

After we hung up, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. I couldn't stop thinking about Alexander—his cold expression, those warm eyes, and that moment in the elevator when my heart almost stopped.

I knew this was trouble. Office relationships were always a bad idea, especially with your boss.

But my heart wasn't listening to my brain anymore.