10 An Intoxicating Disturbance
Liam’s POV
“She’s something else, isn’t she?” Damian’s smug voice broke through my daze.
I tore my eyes away from the closed door, where I could still picture her–Hazel Vance, standing tall and poised in that perfectly fitted navy dress, her striking green eyes meeting mine with a mix of nervousness and determination. Her long black hair was pulled up, exposing the elegant curve of her neck.
“Who?” I asked, feigning disinterest.
Damian laughed, dropping into one of the chairs opposite my desk. “Don’t play dumb, Sterling. Your new assistant. I saw your face when you looked at her.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I busied myself with unpacking my laptop, refusing to acknowledge how my heart had nearly stopped when I’d first seen her.
“The great Liam Sterling, struck speechless by a woman. Never thought I’d see the day.” Damian leaned back, grinning. “Those green eyes alone could stop traffic.”
I shot him a warning glare. “She’s an employee, Damian.”
So? Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the view.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Something hot and possessive flared in my chest. “Stay away from her.”
Damian’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Whoa there, boss. Getting territorial already?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I snapped, loosening my tie. The office suddenly felt too warm. “I just don’t need you distracting my assistant with your pathetic attempts at flirting.”
“My attempts are never pathetic,” he countered with mock offense. “But seriously, what’s going on? You’re acting weird.”
I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “Nothing’s going on. I just-”
“Just what? Got hit by a lightning bolt of attraction? Because that’s what it looked like.”
“Drop it, Damian,” I warned, my voice low.
But Damian, being Damian, pressed on. “You know, the last time I saw you this rattled
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by a woman was-”
“I said drop it!” I slammed my hand on the desk, making pens jump.
He raised his hands in surrender, but his smirk remained. “Fine, fine. But for the record, if you’re not interested, maybe I should ask her-”
“You won’t be asking her anything,” I growled. “She’s not here for office romances. She’s here to work.”
Damian laughed outright. “Oh man, you’ve got it bad. I was just messing with you, but now I’m genuinely concerned.”
I was about to respond when raised voices from outside caught our attention.
“I’m sorry, but if you’re looking for Mr. Sterling, you’ll need an appointment.” Hazel’s professional voice was firm but polite.
A shriller female voice responded, “I don’t need an appointment. Tell him Vanessa is here. Now.”
I groaned, recognizing the voice immediately. Isabella Clairemont. The woman couldn’t
take a hint.
“Sounds like your favorite stalker is back,” Damian commented dryly.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I told her last week I wasn’t interested.”
“Maybe she needs a more direct approach. Like a restraining order.”
The confrontation outside escalated. Isabella’s voice grew more hostile. “I’m not leaving a message. I’m going to tell that bastard exactly what I think of him to his face!”
“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.” Hazel’s voice remained calm but resolute.
“Get out of my way before I make you regret it.”
At that threat, I was on my feet in an instant, striding to the door and yanking it open.
What I saw made my blood boil. Isabella, dressed provocatively as always, was glaring daggers at Hazel, who stood firmly between Isabella and my office door. Hazel’s spine was straight, her shoulders/back, her expression professionally neutral despite the clear threat she was facing.
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“Is there a problem here?” I asked, deliberately positioning myself behind Hazel, close enough that she’d know I was there to support her but not so close as to undermine her authority.
Isabella’s face transformed instantly into a cloying smile. “Liam, darling. Finally! Your watchdog here was refusing to let me see you.”
I felt Hazel stiffen at the insult but admired how she kept her composure.
“Mr. Sterling, this is-” she began.
“Vanessa,” I cut in, not bothering to correct the name. It didn’t matter what I called her. “What do you want?”
“What do I want?” Isabella’s voice rose shrilly. “You stood me up last night! No call, no message. I waited at the restaurant for an hour!”
I heard Damian mutter behind me, “Oh boy. Here we go again.”
“I never agreed to meet you,” I stated coldly. “As I’ve told you repeatedly, I’m not interested in pursuing any kind of relationship with you.”
Isabella’s face contorted with anger. “You think you’re too good for me? Is that it?”
“This isn’t appropriate workplace behavior,” I said firmly. “I suggest you leave before security escorts you out.”
Her gaze shifted to Hazel, who still stood between us. “Is this why? You’re screwing your secretary now?”
Rage coursed through me. “That’s enough!” My voice boomed through the office. “Ms. Vance is a valued employee, and I won’t have you insulting her.”
“You’ll regret this,” Isabella hissed. “My father plays golf with half your board members.”
Hazel stepped forward, her voice calm and professional. “Ms. Clairemont, I’ve called security. They’ll be happy to show you to the exit.”
Isabella’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You little bitch. Who do you think you are?”
Before I could intervene, she lunged forward, grabbing Hazel’s arm roughly. I moved instinctively, reaching to separate them, but Hazel smoothly sidestepped, causing Isabella to stumble in her ridiculous heels.
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“Please don’t touch me,” Hazel said, her voice steady despite the situation. “Security is on their way up.”
As if on cue, the elevator dinged, and two security guards stepped out.
“This isn’t over,” Isabella spat, directing her venom at both of us before allowing herself to be escorted to the elevator, making a dramatic scene the entire way.
The office fell silent after she left. Hazel turned to me, professional mask still in place despite the slight tremble in her hands.
“I apologize for the disturbance, Mr. Sterling. Would you like me to bring you coffee while you continue your meeting with Mr. Knight?”
I stared at her, impressed by her composure. “No apology necessary. You handled that perfectly.”
A slight blush colored her cheeks. “Thank you, sir.”
Damian cleared his throat behind me. “I should head back to my office. Those
quarterly reports won’t review themselves.” He winked at Hazel as he passed. “Nice job, Ms. Vance. Our CEO here needs someone who can hold their ground.”
Once Damian left, I turned back to Hazel. “Are you alright? Did she hurt you?”
“I’m fine,” she assured me. “It’s not my first encounter with an entitled client.”
Her green eyes met mine directly, and something electric passed between us. I found myself staring at her lips for a moment before catching myself.
“Right. Good.” I stepped back, needing space between us. “I should-
”
The elevator dinged again, and we both turned, half–expecting Isabella’s return. Instead, Evelyn rushed out, looking concerned.
“I just passed security escorting Isabella Clairemont downstairs. What happened?”
While Hazel explained the situation to Evelyn, I retreated to my office, shutting the door perhaps harder than necessary. My heart was racing, my thoughts jumbled. What was wrong with me? I never lost control like this.
Minutes later, a soft knock came at my door.
“Come in,” I called, composing myself behind my desk.
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Hazel entered, carrying a cup of coffee. “I thought you might need this after all.”
“Thank you,” I said, accepting the cup. Our fingers brushed, and that same electric current shot through me. I nearly spilled the coffee.
“Will there be anything else, Mr. Sterling?”
I made the mistake of looking up at her. Something about her seemed hauntingly familiar, though I couldn’t place it.
“No, that will be all, Ms. Vance.”
She nodded and turned to leave. In my distracted state, I suddenly stood, intending to open the door for her. Instead, I misjudged the distance and bumped into her.
The impact sent her stumbling forward. Acting on instinct, I reached out, catching her around the waist and pulling her against me to prevent her fall.
Time seemed to stop. Her body was pressed flush against mine, her hands on my chest for balance. I could smell her perfume–something delicate and floral that triggered a distant memory I couldn’t quite grasp. Her green eyes widened as she looked up at me, lips slightly parted in surprise.
My body reacted immediately and unmistakably to her proximity. I held her there a moment too long, my hands burning where they touched her waist, my heart thundering so loudly I was certain she could hear it.
“I–I’m sorry,” she whispered, her breath warm against my chin.
But I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t do anything but hold her against me, fighting every instinct that screamed at me to lower my head those few inches and capture her mouth with mine.
We stood frozen, trapped in each other’s gaze, as the atmosphere around us charged with dangerous, forbidden electricity.
