The morning after the argument I overheard between Lee Know and Sofia, I try to keep a low profile as I slink through the penthouse, hoping to prepare a cold breakfast for the twins and get out before Lee Know spots me.
The can't fire me if they can't find me, right?
But I walk in to find Lee Know quietly sipping coffee at the kitchen counter.
"Lee Know! I didn't expect you to be up so early."
"I've been meaning to talk to you. You can be a difficult woman to find, when you want to be."
Oh no, here it comes...
"Beautiful Morning we're having, isn't it? It's a great day to be gainfully employed."
"I suppose it is. Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm just so relieved I have a mature boss who doesn't fire people on a whim..."
Lee Know reaches out to touch my arm.
"I'm not going to fire you, (Y/N)."
"But Sofia--"
"Sofia doesn't get a say in this. Yes, she was upset about what happened at the club, but I wouldn't fire someone just to soothe her ego. Especially when everything you said to Paolo was spot on."
"Good, 'cause I'm not gonna stop speaking my mind."
"I wouldn't want you to. Besides, if I fired everyone who voiced their opinion, I'd be an army of one. The world needs more thinkers like you."
Lee Know tilts his head to the side with a sparkle in his eye.
"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about this morning...your future. I thought maybe you could come to the office with me today. Carter can watch the boys and I know you have ambitions outside of being a nanny. This is your chance to see a Fortune 500 company up-close and personal."
"Lee Enterprises is a little out of my league, don't you think?"
"Nonsense. I've seen your credentials. I almost handed your resume over to HR instead of hiring you personally."
"Really? I'm flattered you even considered it."
"You're a bright woman, (Y/N). Don't see yourself short."
"Thank you, Lee Know. Or should I call you 'Mr. Lee' again today?"
" 'Lee Know' is fine. Now, do you wanna tell the boys, or should I?"
Not long after, I arrive at Lee Enterprises with Lee Know. Heads turn as I pass by with him.
"Good morning, Mr. Lee. I made a submission to the patent folder whenever you have a moment to review."
"Excellent. Grant, have you met (YF/LN)?"
"Haven't had the pleasure. Are you new here?"
"Oh no, I--"
"Maybe someday, if we're lucky. She just got her master's in chemistry, and shows a lot of promise."
It's nice to not just be the nanny for once.
"Mr. Lee, call for you on line one."
"Be right there."
Lee Know nods at me before leaving me and Grant to talk.
"So, a chemist! Are you looking to invent or explore?"
"I see myself inventing in a lab. The world is constantly changing, and I want to be part of that."
"Same here! Are there any ideas in particular you want to put on the proverbial table?"
"I want to create a material that doesn't break down over time, but is also complete safe inside the human body."
"Hey, that could be an industry game changer. I like that. You think big, huh?"
"I don't see the point of dreaming small. Someone's going to invent that hyper-resilient 'skinsulation'. It might as well be me."
"Spoken like a future boss."
"Should I be worried about my job?"
Lee Know smirks as he rejoins the group.
"No, I'd keep you around to smooth the transition of power." I smirk.
Grant chuckles before looking down at his watch.
"Oh, I'd better run if I don't want to be late for a meeting. It was nice to meet you, (Y/N)."
I wave as Grant leaves, then follow Lee Know to his private elevator. The doors are about to close when someone slips their hand to stop them.
"Lee Know, we need you. There's a problem with the office in Milan. Hey, (Y/N). Fancy seeing you here."
"Hey, Robin. How bad is the problem?"
"Bad. I wouldn't be wasting Lee Know's time if there was another option."
"Damn. (Y/N), I don't want to just abandon you here, but these meetings can go on and on..."
"I can take her off your hands and skip the meeting altogether. It'll be lunch before you're done anyway..."
"I like that idea even less."
"Can I sit in? That's why you brought me today, right? To see you in action?"
"...That's true. Alright, follow me."
I fall into step behind Lee Know, but hesitate when I notice Robin giving me an inscrutable look... Lee Know walks to the front of the conference room as Robin pulls up the video call with the Milan office. I slip into the back of the room and try to stay as far out of the way as possible. After a brief delay, a man pops up onto the big screen in the room.
"Signor Lee, C'e un grosso problema qui."
"In inglese, per favore, Luca. Non tutti qui parlano italiano."
"We've had a security breach. Several files were lifted onto a jump drive. We think it was a former employee. The suspect was last seen in Lab C."
The executives around me start to murmur at the news.
" 'Suspect'? " whispers an emplyee.
"Luca's always had a flair for the dramatic." David whispers back.
"Our customer DNA profiles are in that database. If the data gets out, it'll be the most catastrophic violation of privacy in our lifetime."
"Our stock is going to plummet..."
"Our stock? What about the millions of customers who trusted us?"
Lee Know closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. I glance over at Robin.
"Is this really as bad as it seems? "
"Worse probably."
"Luca, how did a former employee even have access to those files?"
"That was my fault, Mr. Lee. I lost my temper and gave him immediate notice, instead of following our usual protocol. I'm sorry--"
Lee Know holds up a hand, and Luca stops talking.
"Seal off the complex and tell security to do a thorough search, building by building. Then, alert the police. Call me as soon as it's done. Your job is on the line here, Luca."
Lee Know disconnects the call, then turns to the rest of us.
"Fiona, follow up with the Milan office in an hour. David, I'm going to need projections on the impact of the breach."
"You've got it, boss." Fiona answers.
"Robin, write up a press release. You've always been good at getting people who should be mad at you to calm down."
"It's one of my many talents."
Lee Know's cell phone starts to buzz, and he sighs.
"It's my father. I have to take this."
Lee Know steps outside to take the call, and the other executives turn to me. The woman waves me closer.
"What are you doing way back there? Come join us. I don't believe we've met. I'm Fiona Watson, Chief Financial Officer. This is David Hershell, head of marketing."
"(YF/LN)."
"So I see you got the job."
Oh right. David was at my nanny interview.
"I did get the job and I heard the Ilithyia marketing went well. After you decided to take my advice, this is."
"That was only one part of it." he says.
"Oh, you're that (Y/N). That explains a lot."
"It does?" I ask.
"Don't worry about David. He's always grumpy right before lunch." Robin tells me.
David opens his mouth to retort, but before he can say anything, the receptionist interrupts.
"Ms. (YLN), Mr. Lee requested that you meet him in his office. I can take you there now."
"No need. I remember how to get there, thank you."
I say goodbye to the others, then make my way up to Lee Know's office. I knock on the door, then peek my head inside. Lee Know is still on the phone, but waves me in.
"I'll update you again when there is an update, Dad... You know everything I do, promise."
Lee Know rolls his eyes as I slip into one of the seats. I take the opportunity to let my gaze rove over Lee Know, drinking him in... When I finally reach his face, I'm surprised to see his blazing eyes looking right at me.
"...Dad, I'll call you back."
Lee Know hangs up the phone and turns to me.
"Sorry about all that excitement. This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I invited you to the office."
"No need to apologize. Besides, it's been kind of thrilling to see you in action. I like the way you take charge."
Lee Know's eyes flash, and it's all I can do to hold his gaze.
"Good to know..."
Lee Know clears his throat.
"It seems you're quite the hit around the office already."
"I am?"
"Everyone is so curious about you...I blame Grant. Well, that and the fact I've been so busy, I haven't been able to give you a proper tour. But I booked the labs for this afternoon to make sure we have them all to ourselves."
"Really? That's amazing! Thank you."
"You're very welcome. Although..."
"What?"
"I'm an impatient man, (Y/N). I'm not sure I can wait that long to get you alone..."
"What did you have in mind?"
"We could have lunch together, away from the prying eyes of my employees... Honestly, after the morning I've had, I could really use a break from the office. What do you say?"
"Let's go."
"Great. Let me send a quick text, and we can head up to the High Line"
It's not long before the two of us are walking along the High Line, looking for a spot to stop and eat.
"What about here?"
"Perfect."
I sit down and rifle through the picnic basket to see what the company chef packed.
"Are you telling me that they managed to whip all of this up after a 'quick text'? There must be enough food for twenty people in here!"
I hold up a board of Greek appetizers, including fresh tzatziki sauce and homemade spanakopita, too.
"And this is just the appetizers?!"
"I admit, I was hoping you would take me up on my offer, so I planned ahead a little bit... But really, all the chef did was pack what they were serving in the cafeteria into a basket instead of onto a tray to send up to my office."
"You have this kind of food every day? "
"One of the perks of the job."
I take a bite, trying not to moan out loud as swirls of savory deliciousness cover my tongue.
"Mmmm... My compliments to the chef."
Lee Know smiles at me as he reaches for an olive and dips it in tzatziki.
"So, first impressions. What do you think of Lee Enterprises?"
"Seems like a great place to work, especially if you get to eat like this all the time. Everyone's so friendly and excited about their jobs here. I could see myself working here in the future...assuming things aren't too complicated between us."
Lee Know reaches out and covers my hand with his for a moment.
"I think you'd be a great fit. And the last thing I want to be is a 'complication' for your career. Regardless of what happens between us."
"I know you're not the kind of man to hold this sort of thing against me...but still, it's nice to hear you say it."
Lee Know nods, then looks out over the view from the High Line. Despite the good weather, the park is quiet, as if we're the only people in the world up here.
"I hope it didn't bother you too much to see me get tense in the Milan meeting."
"Not at all. This company is your baby, and sometimes that requires tough love. In fact...it made me want you to discipline me someday."
Lee Know's gaze cuts back to mine, his eyes flashing bright.
"(Y/N)...you can't just say that to me. Not when we're in public. Not when I can't do exactly what we both want, right here, right now."
"I'm not stopping you."
"No, but the threat of a public indecency charge is."
"Where's the fun in that? Maybe I should break a few rules until you tie me up and teach me a lesson."
Lee Know's eyes darken at the suggestion, and a thrill runs through me.
"I have thought about creative ways to punish you..."
"Like what?"
"Drive you to the edge and not let you fall over. Even when you're begging for it."
"Lee Know..."
He clears his throat, and a blush warms my cheeks. I've probably said too much.
"Dessert?" He asks
"Dessert. Yeah. Sure."
Lee Know dips a bright red strawberry into a dish of chocolate and offers it to me. I lean forward, wrapping my lips around the strawberry and intentionally brushing against his fingers before taking a bite.
"Whoops, looks like some of the chocolate dripped a little. Let me get that..."
I hold Lee Know's hand steady as I suck on one of his fingertips, then another.
"(Y/N)..."
I flash him an innocent smile as my tongue darts out to lick his finger again.
"What?"
"Are you trying to kill me? Because it's working..."
I glance down at the stiff outline forming in his pants.
"I can see that."
Lee Know takes a deep breath and leans back, putting space between us two. I can almost see the walls going up.
"(Y/N)...I'm sorry you're caught in the middle of all this."
"All what?"
"My life. My engagement. My...desire. It's not fair for me to put you through this...not when I can't give you everything you deserve."
Lee Know reaches out to gently cup my cheek, his thumb grazing the corner of my mouth...
"But I can't seem to stay away."
"What if you are what I deserve?"
I can barely focus on anything other than how much I wish he's just kiss me.
"You have no idea how much I wish I'd met you first."
"It doesn't matter. We'll figure it out. I'm not going anywhere. Not after finding you."
"Really? You'll wait?"
I nod, leaning into his touch.
"Forever and ever...although I'd really rather we work something out sooner than that."
"Me too. I will find us a clean way out of this mess. I promise."
I nod, not sure if I believe him yet, but certain that he believes what he's saying.
"For now, though, let's just enjoy each other's company? For one childfree day?"
"Deal."
We finish our lunch on the rooftop together, chatting idly and trying to forget how much trouble we're in. After lunch, Lee Know takes me on a tour of the labs.
"This is where the magic happens. The prototypes, the formulas, the fistfights over whose name goes first on the patent..."
"I can picture it now."
Lee Know leads me to a table with several pieces of hardware I've never seen, including a set of miniature robotic arms.
"This is my favorite part of our new line. Granted, it's got some kinks to work out..."
Lee Know slips on a pair of snug, beige rubber gloves and clenches his fist. The tiny robotic arms on the table clench their fists too.
"Whoa. I can't decide if you're a mad scientist...or if the tiny robot is too cute for words."
"Are those the only options?"
"Cute or crazy? More often than you'd think."
Lee Know shows off some of the other features of the miniature robot, but nothing captures my attention like him.
"I've never seen you so sexy."
"I think it's only sexy if you find science sexy."
"Trust me, you're not just sext to nerds. But you're maybe the sexiest man alive to nerds."
"I can live with that title."
"So, if you're in line for a promotion to CEO...will you have to leave all this? The lab?"
Lee Know's eyes grow distant, and he slowly peels the gloves off.
"Unfortunately, yes...I'm not looking forward to that part, but I've been waiting to lead Lee Enterprises for a long time. It's my namesake. Even if it's not easy to let go of what I love...sometimes you have to."
I lean back against one of the empty lab stations, taking in Lee Know's every reaction. His eyes, full of heart, watch me longingly.
"Why is your dad hanging on to the title of CEO, anyway? He's not even here today."
"He's easing his way into retirement, but it's hard for him to let go...especially given my so-called 'wild youth' before the boys. And then as a widower, I think he saw me as a liability. Too fragile. Adrift. It's taken so long to finally earn his trust, prove to him that I'm a reliable man."
I reach out to take Lee Know's hand...but he holds out the gloves to me instead.
"Anyway, why don't you try it now?"
I sigh internally, feeling Lee Know pull away from me again, but step forward to slip on the gloves. The robotic arms respond to my slightest movements.
"Okay, this is really cool."
Lee Know laughs as I lift my middle finger on each hand.
"That's right, nobody tells Robo-Arm how to do her job!"
After a moment, the arms freeze, wobble, then fall over!
"Crap! Did I break it?"
"We built it to be more resilient than that. Here, try it like this. You have to go slowly. Gently."
Lee Know resets the robot, then steps behind me. He runs his hands along my arms until they rest over mine. I'm acutely aware of his presence, his heat...Lee Know leans in, his lips brushing the edge of my ear as he whispers...
"Go too fast, and the whole system shorts out."
I turn in his arms and find myself face-to-face.
"Lee Know..."
My breath catches in my throat as I realize just how close he is...how much closer I want him to be...how easy it would be to reach out and... I lean in closer until my lips are a breath away from his. I hesitate as my eyes flick up to meet his...
"What if someone walks in?"
"No one's going to. I booked the lab for us. No one will dare interrupt."
And just like that, my resolve crumbles completely. My lips fall open against his as his hands go up my face. Hurrying to shirk off the robot controls, I wrap my arms around his neck.
"I tried so hard to hold back...but it feels so good to let go."
"I know exactly what you mean..."
Our lips meet again, hungrily urgently. My self-control frays fast as Lee Know deepens the kiss. His fingertips graze over my tingling nipples, only bits of fabric blocking his touch and leaving me desperate for more. I suck his tongue, hard and adamant, and he groans loudly.
"(Y/N)..."
"You've been thinking about this all day, haven't you?"
"God, yes..."
Lee Know's hands run down my body, pulling and tugging as he helps me out of my clothes.
"I think about his, about you, all day, every day.
He finally bares my chest and leans down to suck on the newly exposed skin of my shoulder...then my neck...then lower...
"Lee Know..."
I pull his jacket from his shoulders, then pop open the buttons on his shirt... I reach out to touch his body, but he binds me in his arms as his tongue plays with my nipples...
"I could kiss you forever, (Y/N)."
He nips at me, and I gasp, arching into his touch.
"I'm tired of just kissing."
He moans as I grind my hips against his, desperate for some sort of friction.
"What's gotten into you?"
"I liked seeing your sexy dominant side. You were so firm and strong and hard with that Luca guy, showing him exactly what kind of boss you are...it was hot."
"Remind me to let you watch whenever I discipline someone at work."
I pull him closer, letting out a low moan as his hips brush against my center.
"I'd rather you just discipline me instead."
My mouth comes together again, lips opening to let our tongues tangle. His fingers slip beneath my bra, teasing my pert nipples with his thumbs.
"What're you doing to me, (Y/N)? "
"You're the one who--oh!--makes me..."
I trail off, unable to finish the thought as his hands dip lower. Pleasure surges through my body, drowning me in ecstasy... Everything is moving so fast, and I can't keep up, can't catch my breath, can't think...
"Lee Know, are you...sure?"
He lifts his head to look into my eyes, the intensity burning through me. He takes my hand and lays it across his chest. I feel his heart hammering against my palm.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I've never wanted anyone more in my life... Don't you feel the same way?"
"I have never been more sure of anything too. No matter the consequences. I'm all in."
Lee Know's eyes rove over my body, and I feel myself growing hot beneath his gaze.
"Tell me what you want, (Y/N). Whatever it is, it's yours. I'm yours."
My hips but against him, thrilling at the heat, at the friction... Lee Know's lips seek mine out once more. He walks me backward until I'm flush against the wall, trapped between it and him. I reach out to touch him, but Lee Know smirks as he grabs my hand again. He lifts them over my head, pressing them against the wall.
"Not yet."
"But I want to touch you--Oh! "
I gasp as Lee Know sinks to his knees before me, kissing a blazing path down my body as he goes. With a devilish grin, he lifts my leg over his shoulder and buries his face between my thighs.
"Oh my God..."
His tongue rolls over the fabric of my panties, teasing and torturing me as I writhe against him.
"Lee Know, I..."
"I've got you, (Y/N)."
Lee Know hooks a finger into my panties, but before he can do anything else...we hear a buzzing sound outside the lab.
"What was that?"
"Someone just used their keycard to enter the hall."
"What?"
We both hurry to make ourselves presentable as another, closer buzz sounds... Robin strolls in to the lab, holding a phone to his ear.
"He should be just in here--"
"Robin! What a pleasant surprise!"
"What are you doing here?"
Robin cocks his head to the side, giving us both an all-too-knowing look.
"Sofia? I'm gonna have to call you back..."