CEO FROM HELL

CHAPTER 7

"No...no no no no no!" Her back had begun to ache from how it was arched like a bow with her attempting to lean as far away from Layton as possible. Every inch she moved back, he moved in. The predatory eyes never left her own. He didn't even budge when she pushed at his broad chest with her hands.

"Get off of me!" Catherine demanded, sounding anything but convincing. Her heart raced a mile a minute. But even then she refused to avert her gaze.

"Do you hear me-"

Layton caught her hand before she could shove his face away from hers. Effortlessly he forced it down, pinning her against the table. "Do not mess with me, spitfire." His hot breath fanned across her face. Their bodies were close enough for her to feel the warmth radiating off of him in waves.

"Do you really take me for a fool?" Layton's low growl echoed through her head over and over again as his grip on her chin tightened. "Or are you really that short-witted and already forgot who holds the power here? I thought I made it clear. I'm not going to play cat and mouse with you."

His cold eyes bore into her flesh and right through her soul. It was almost as if her feet and hands had turned into numb stones. Her own body had betrayed her, making her unable to move an inch.

"I-im-"

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. A young man in his early twenties peeked his head inside the office. "I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't mean to interrupt!" Clearly what he saw wasn't what he had intended on seeing. The man's voice was way more high pitched than it should've been.

Nevertheless, Catherine couldn't help the relief. Layton's attention finally shifted from her to the door. "What did you want, Dolson?" His voice still held the stern gruffness as he addressed what Catherine assumed would be one of his employees.

"The meeting with partners is about to start, sir." The man spoke, his eyes cast downwards and ears tinted in red color.

"Good," Layton finally begun to loosen his hold on Catherine's hand. "Get me a new shirt and tell Angelique to prepare me a new cup of coffee."

He slipped back into full on business mode. The young woman didn't need a better excuse to slip away from him. Layton didn't bother to hold her either. Though his eyes did capture hers for a moment longer.

"As for you, find the shoes," His perfectly shaped muscles flexed as he sat back down on the leather chair and settled his elbows onto the desk. "Dolson will show you to your desk. You're Dismissed."

The second the large door shut behind her, Catherine released a long breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Fucking hell...Is he always like that?"

"Unless you're a bikini model, yeah...pretty much." The same sandy haired guy answered, offering her a sympathetic look. "Don't mind him. You'll get used to it eventually...Oh and my name is Jeremy Dolson, sorry if I came off rude for not introducing myself earlier."

Catherine looked down at the hand offered for her to shake, getting rid of the thought of voicing the comment that had formed on the ip of her tongue. "Catherine...You can just call me Cat." She finally shook his hand, mastering the friendliest smile she could after everything that had happened a couple minutes ago.

"Cat it is," Jeremy returned her forced smile with a genuine one. "So, you're the new employee?"

"Not by choice, but yeah...I suppose I am now." Catherine grumbled, disregarding the confused look that had crossed the man's face. "Weren't you supposed to get the coffee and that shirt?"

"Crap! I forgot!" Jeremy panicked. "You stay right here! I'll be right back!"

She could swear she saw a cloud of dust raise from the squeaky clean floor with how fast Jeremy disappeared around the corner.