Luci stopped at the bottom of the stairs, her back to me. It offered me the perfect view of Addison, all dressed up in that very grown-up outfit. She was smiling brightly and it was the first time I’d seen her expression quite so…unguarded. Sure, I’d seen small glimpses—like when she’d given us shit about the noises she’d heard through the walls last night—but nothing as radiant as the grin on her face when she laughed at something Luci said.
“And this is the floor Ben and Justin occupy,” Luci explained. “They had it redesigned for additional office space in the hopes we’ll bring on a few more executives.”
I noticed Langston walking down behind them and our eyes met. He offered a subtle nod, which I took to mean Luci and Jordan had approved of her. I hadn’t expected anything less. Although I didn’t suspect Addison had opened up much, I figured once she did, the woman would be a definite benefit to our company.
Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned to see Ben strolling down the hall toward us. He’d obviously come down for our interview, or to see what was going on. Either way, I was glad he was here.
I nodded as he approached. “Looks like you have perfect timing.”
He smiled, then turned his attention toward the others.
Luci and Addison remained at the bottom of the stairs.
“It’s been great to meet you,” Luci said, smiling brightly. “And I hope to see you here tomorrow morning.” Without warning, she reached out and hugged Addison.
I noticed Addison tense seconds before Luci made contact, but she quickly corrected herself and hugged Luci back. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen anything quite as awkward as Addison hugging someone. She obviously wasn’t used to that sort of affection. Luci was like that, though. She was very welcoming and I knew that, should Addison decide to take the job, they would become fast friends.
Personally, I wanted that for Addison. Almost as much as I wanted the woman for me and Ben.
Granted, I was doing my best not to think along those lines just yet. It was imperative that we got Addison settled and stable before we pushed her too hard. I had every intention of getting a contract drawn up tonight, but when and how we pursued her was something I hadn’t decided on.
“How’d the shopping trip go?” I asked Ben as we waited for Addison to join us.
“Painful,” he said softly. “But worth it.”
“Judy manage to get all her measurements and sizes?”
“Yeah. It was like pulling teeth.” He sighed. “But it’s done and I’ve ordered enough to get her through the next couple of weeks. It’ll be delivered to the vacant apartment this afternoon.”
“Perfect.”
I had decided that, should Addison choose to take the job, I would set her up with her own place and work it so that her rent was deducted from her paycheck. I would’ve preferred to have her stay there rent free, at least until she was financially stable, but I knew that wouldn’t go over well with her. On the other hand, I hadn’t thought about what I would do if she opted to decline the position.
Although we fully intended to spend a lot of time with her, I felt it was important that she have her own space. Addison Hayes had her pride as well as a rebellious streak a mile wide. And yes, we were making a few assumptions—such as her accepting the position—but I figured being positive couldn’t hurt.
Stepping out of my doorway, I headed toward them, pasting a smile on my face.
“Mr. Parker,” Luci greeted. “Thank you for bringing Addison in. We had a good time talking with her.”
I nodded, meeting Addison’s eyes. There was a glow on her face I hadn’t seen before. She looked genuinely happy.
“She’s all yours now,” Luci said sweetly.
I wasn’t sure if Luci realized how true that was. Being that Addison had agreed to be our submissive, I was looking forward to spending time with her in the very near future. Funny, too, since I knew so little about the woman. I wasn’t known for my knee-jerk reactions, so my response to her took even me by surprise.
“Come on, pet,” Langston said, extending his hand toward Luci. “Let’s leave them be.”
“Yes, Master.” Luci glanced over at Addison. “If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to ask me anything.”
“Thank you,” Addison said, her tone still reflecting some of her nervousness.
“Thank you for coming in on your day off, Miss Wagner.”
“Of course. It was my pleasure.” She smiled again, then allowed Langston to lead her back up the stairs.
“This way.” I motioned for Addison to precede me, then steered her into my office. Ben followed close behind.
“What’d you think of Luci and Jordan?” I asked as Addison eased into the chair across from my desk. Her posture was rigid, her hands clasped tightly together.
