06|Oh, I'm sure it will.

Isla’s pov.

Awkwardness.

That was the only way to describe what was happening right now. Not only was it awkward, but it was also silent—so silent that you could hear a pin drop. The only sound filling the room was the slight tapping of Alaric's fingers against the desk—each thump making my chest tighten in anxiety.

I swallowed nervously for what felt like the hundredth time since stepping into his office, my eyes darting everywhere except at the ridiculously gorgeous man in front of me. Yet, despite my attempts to avoid him, my gaze kept betraying me—always finding its way back to Alaric Voss.

You see, Alaric Voss wasn’t just a wealthy man. He wasn’t just a powerful figure who carried the blood of the esteemed Voss family—the wealthiest family in the US. No, his fame extended beyond that.

It was his sex appeal.

You couldn’t imagine the sexiest man alive and then picture Alaric differently. Why? Because Alaric was the sexiest man alive. And don’t just take my word for it—it was officially stated in Men’s Magazine.

Despite not being a goddamn celebrity, he was the talk of the town. Almost every woman dreamed of ending up in his bed, even if just for one night.

I once stumbled upon an Instagram post from a woman desperately pleading for a single night with him—just one night, she claimed, and she’d be the happiest woman on earth.

And yet…

Here I was, a complete dumbass who had actually spent the night with the Alaric Voss—

And I couldn’t remember a damn thing.

“Snap out of it, Isla! Why the hell are you upset that you can't remember anything? You should be happy—relieved, even. Who in their right mind wants to remember a one-night stand with their father’s friend?” I whispered to myself, silently cursing the ridiculous part of me that wished I could recall even a fragment of that night.

It was good I didn’t remember. Because knowing myself, I was pretty sure I had embarrassed myself in one way or another.

Still…

My gaze flickered to Alaric, and before I could stop myself, I licked my bottom lip. My eyes trailed over his broad shoulders, down to the way his suit strained against his muscular frame.

Fuck.

I’d bet anything this man was packing.

“Miss Ashford, I’m quite certain my eyes are not located at my crotch. If you don’t mind, would you stop eye-fucking me?”

Oh. My. God.

I gasped, my eyes widening in absolute horror at the shameless words that had just left Alaric’s mouth. My gaze snapped away from him as I hastily pushed my glasses higher, forcing myself to meet his eyes instead.

Big mistake.

The moment I did, a deep blush spread from my ears down my neck, and I was sure I looked like a ripe tomato. But could you blame me? The way he was looking at me—like I was some kind of amusement, a puzzle he was eager to solve—made it impossible to think straight.

“What are you talking about?! I—I wasn’t looking at your….” My sentence trailed off, the last word catching in my throat.

Alaric’s smirk only widened, and he arched a teasing brow at me before casually dropping my résumé—the very one I had just handed him—onto the desk.

“You weren’t looking at what, exactly? Why can’t you finish your sentence, Miss Ashford?” he mused, his voice dripping with amusement.

For some reason, hearing him call me that instead of little rose, like he always had, sent a strange pang of disappointment through me.

Why was he being so… professional? Especially after we spent the night together.

“Hm? Can’t answer?” he pressed, straightening in his seat.

Before I could stop myself, my gaze flickered downward—to the slightly unbuttoned shirt revealing just a hint of his skin.

“Miss Ashford—”

“Y-yes, I’m listening!” I cut him off quickly, snapping my gaze away before he could catch me staring at his chest this time.

God! What was wrong with me? Why was I acting like a dog in heat today?

“I—I can't say that word because it is improper, Mr. Voss. Please mind your words around me,” I finally mustered the courage to speak, and for a brief moment, I almost patted myself on the back for doing a good job.

But then his next words shattered whatever courage I had.

“Improper?” The corners of his lips curved into a smirk, and before I knew it, he let out a light chuckle, tilting his head slightly. “I’m pretty sure we’ve long passed the phase of what’s proper or not. If I recall that night correctly, you didn’t seem too concerned about propriety when you threw yourself at me.”

T-Threw myself at him? That was a stretch! How could he say that?

“How could you say something like that? I never threw myself at you—”

“So… do you want to spend the night together?” Those words flashed in my head.

Fuck.

How come I remember that part?

If alcohol was going to erase that night, then it should have wiped everything from the beginning.

"You can't remember that night, can you?" Alaric finally spoke, though it wasn’t really a question—it was a statement.

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his penetrating gaze. There was something about the way he looked at me—intense, knowing. And for a brief moment, I swore I caught a flicker of mischief in his eyes.

I opened my mouth—yet no words came out.

What was I supposed to say? That I probably lost my virginity to him and couldn’t even remember it? Or should I lie and pretend I remembered everything but just didn’t want to talk about it?

Those were my two options. Which one do you think I would choose?

"You really don't remember," he repeated, his smirk widening as he rubbed his bottom lip, his eyes locking onto mine—making my entire body heat up.

“I remember, but I don’t want to talk about it. That night was a mistake—it shouldn’t have happened. We both had sex, so let’s just treat it like a normal one-night stand and forget about it. Especially now that I’ll be working here—it would be quite awkward, don’t you think?”

Thump. Thump.

Of course, I was going to say I remembered and play it cool! I wasn’t dumb enough to tell him the truth. It was better to shut this down now because not only was he my father’s friend, but he was also my new boss.

No one could ever find out that I had slept with Alaric. No—no one should ever find out.

Silence.

Just as I opened my mouth, thinking Alaric wasn’t going to respond at all, he suddenly chuckled. The sound was low, almost amused, and before I could react, he gave me a slow nod. Then, as if nothing had happened, he stretched out his hand for a handshake.

I glanced at his outstretched hand in confusion before shifting my gaze back to him.

“Congratulations, you’re hired,” he said smoothly. Then, with a smirk that sent a shiver down my spine, he added, “You’ll be working as my slut—oh, my mistake, I meant as my secretary. I can’t wait to see you perform to your fullest potential.”

I raised a brow at his words. Wait—wasn’t I already hired before I even came here? Something in me screamed that I shouldn’t shake his hand, that this man was a devil in disguise and walking away now would be the smartest choice, no matter how mad my father would be.

But instead, I took a deep breath and clasped his hand, his grip firm and unwavering, sending an unexpected shiver down my spine.

“Thank you, Mr. Voss. It’s going to be a pleasure working here,” I said, keeping my smile strictly professional.

His fingers tightened slightly around mine, and his smirk deepened as he murmured,

“Oh, I’m sure it will.”