Falling For My Playboy Boss
Chapter 45

Cora's

POV

I woke up and went ahead and hit the shower. My room is really nice, but I am not going to unpack. I am just going to put my stuff on top of the dresser, and it will help me to get repacked when it is time to go. My garment bag is hung in the closet and Mateo even sent shoes with me, so I would be head to toe Mateo in case anyone asked, and I really hope that they do. I am glad my cell phone automatically updated when we got here so I could set my alarm. I really liked how updated this place is and my shower is really nice. Well, the whole bathroom is really nice. The bed was comfortable, and I had a good rest from when we got in. Catherine had sent me some tips and I had brought several pens and notebooks with me to take notes in his meetings. I don't do shorthand, but Catherine said I didn't need to, there would be packets given out with the main points at the end of the day that covered what all was spoken about, but that I needed to take some notes on the main points of each speech and anything that Collin took notes on, for me to do as well, with like talking buzz points that can help me remember what was said. I have on my black and red dress and my new red shoes that I got last month because they are actually comfortable, and I feel like I look both fashionable and efficient in this outfit. I have my hair up in my usual bun, at the base of my neck. We needed to leave in 20 minutes, and I wandered out to the kitchen area to try to replace something to eat or drink. I went around the corner to enter the kitchen and froze. I see Collin has his back to me and is making a cup of coffee, but that wasn't the problem. Collin was wearing a pair of grey sweatpants that he had probably slept in, and no shirt. Sweet baby Jesus. I could see the muscles moving in his back as he stirred his coffee, and my mouth went dry. I couldn't blink and I watched him turn towards me to leave the kitchen and I saw a full 6 pack and a really nice V cut. I have only seen those in men's health magazines, not in real life. I force myself to close my eyes, as I really don't need to see this. I couldn't hear him as he was barefooted and I prayed that he had gone back to his room, but when I opened my eyes, he was right in front of me on the other side of the counter with a stupid smirk on his face and I immediately blushed. I know my whole face is red, and he grins even bigger and then takes a sip of his coffee and I can't help but look at his Adam's apple bob with the sip. I couldn't stop my eyes from dropping lower and checking him out again. What the hell is my problem? I know he can see me and yet, I couldn't stop myself from doing it. I was powerless to not look at his ab's, I may have to go take a cold shower myself after seeing this. I force myself to go around him and get my own coffee. I make sure to keep my back to him. I don't know if he is still there or not, but I am scared to turn around. Collin is hot, like a male model hot, like my mouth is still dry and I can't blink when I am looking at him hot. Being there in the same apartment was not a good idea. Maybe I should get myself a room at a hotel, maybe one with a view of the Eiffel Tower. That would be a good idea. I will see about talking to one of the other PAs today about it.

I go to look and see if there is an apple or something in the fridge and I hear Collin laugh a low laugh and then walk out of the kitchen. He knew I was not going to turn around again. I hear his shower come on and I notice that he left his door a little open. Why did he do that? He has never shown even the slightest interest in me. I know that Ava had told me that she thought Collin was interested in me, but he has never flirted or shown any interest in me at all. I eat my apple and grab another cup of coffee. I hope that they will have some there as well. I make sure I go right back to my seat at the island, where I can't see anything near his room, and wait for him to get done. I hear his dress shoes walking out towards me and I get up to go get my purse and notebooks from my room that I need to take with me.

Collin seems to replace that amusing as well. I bet he knew I had stayed here so I would catch any more glimpses of him undressed if his smirk had anything to say about it. I went to stand by the door and wait for Collin to grab his briefcase and come over to me for us to leave.

"Were you able to get any sleep this morning, Cora?" Collin asked me.

"I did thank you," I told him.

"Make sure you get something for lunch today, and I want to take you out to dinner tonight, if that is OK with you, Cora," Collin tells me.

"You don't have to, Collin. I can get something to eat here", I told him and then remembered that I was going to check and see if there were any available hotels for the next two nights.

"I did the same thing for Catherine when she came with me. It is to thank you for all your hard work. It really isn't a problem", Collin tells me.

"Actually, I was thinking that maybe I would see if there were any available rooms at a hotel here, maybe with a view of the Eiffel Tower or something. That way you would be more comfortable in the apartment, especially if you wanted to bring someone home with you while we are here", I told him. He makes no response to me, and I keep my gaze on the ground. The elevator doors ping to signal we are on the ground floor and Collin reaches out his arm and slides his hand around my wrist.

"Cora, look at me, I will not be bringing anyone to the apartment. With the awards ceremony, there is probably nowhere in the city for you to safely stay anyway. It is OK for you to stay with me in the apartment, you can always look into a room, but I am 95% sure that there is not a nice hotel available in the city for the next two nights. Just please stay with me where I know that you are safe. I won't be able to sleep if I am worried about you in a bad part of town, because you are being stubborn", Collin tells me gently and then releases my wrist. We headed over to the SUV and headed to the company we are having the meeting with.

Eurazeo is a private equity firm that offers investment services in Europe, Asia, and America. They deal with private equity and real estate. They are at the top of their game, and it will be an honor to meet with them and learn from them while we are here. We are met as soon as we enter the lobby, and a gorgeous redheaded woman approaches Collin and gives him a lanyard for the meetings today. I get one as well and she gives me a look up and down as she looks back at Collin, and then back at me, before she shakes her head as if to dismiss me and asked us to follow her to the conference room for the meeting. She stands very close to Collin in the elevator and pretends to fall into him when the elevator stops on the floor. He smiles at her and helps her straighten back up. That was totally obvious on her part, and if he couldn't tell that, then that was on him. I gave an eye roll and followed them to the conference room. She slides the door open and then, after Collin enters and steps away, she lets go of the door on me, so I have to grab the door before it hits me. This is going to be a long day. She plops down on the chair next to his, where the card with my name on it sits, and then motions me away with her hands, to go to sit in one of the chairs set up against the wall. I go to the other side of the room so I can do what Catherine said to do and take notes based on when Collin is taking his notes on, as that is what he deems the most important, so that I what I need to make my notes on. I was told to just use words that would help me to remember what the main focus of the talk was about. I sit back and get comfortable and go to use my leg as a table, as I don't have an arm on this chair, or a table to write on as the redhead took my spot. I just swallow down my anger, because I don't feel like dealing with her, or him right now. I buckle down to do my job.

"I am sorry that happened to you" I heard quietly from my left side, and looked over to see a handsome blond man sitting next to me.

"It is OK working with Collin, I have gotten used to it," I tell him.

"That is Chloe Durand, she is a PA too, for the COO, and she was super excited that Collin Lauder was coming. I know she was waiting for him to arrive in the lobby. She kind of earned her job, if you get my drift. My name is Marc, Marc Blanc. I work as a PA for the VP of Finance here. You two were supposed to come up here and your tags were to be waiting for you at your seats, but she snatched them up and left. I figured out what she was doing. I am so sorry for her actions", Marc tells me.

"How could it be your fault? It is OK. I have learned to deal with it, but it is getting old fast. I am actually considering becoming an Accounts Manager, which is what my area of expertise is in. I have an MBA in it, actually", I told Marc.

"Really, that is very interesting. I will have to pass that on to my boss. He was telling me that one of Collin's people had come up with an innovative idea and that, due to the idea being so thoughtful of the area that the clients wanted to invest in, your last quarter numbers really jumped. It was very impressive", Marc said to me.

"Yes, I know about that, it was me. I helped the Account Manager out with the idea, and it has really worked out well for the company. She was kind enough to have split her bonus with me on it, and the V.P. of Finance had reminded me I still had a job waiting on working with him and I also got a bonus passed on to me due to the increase in investments that came in as a direct result of it," I told him.

"If you get time tomorrow before the party, I would love for you to meet my boss, Gabriel Dubois, and speak with him," Marc asked me. "Sure, numbers are my thing. I always enjoy talking about my work. I would be glad to talk to your boss", I told him.

We smiled at each other, and the meeting got underway.