"Good morning, Mr Salvatore."

April, the new receptionist's voice danced across the lobby from her spot at the reception desk. Damon could see her legs under the desk. Her skirt had run up her thighs, and she was wearing stockings.

He knew this little show was for his benefit. Like it had been every day since she started. A different seduction technique, but it had not escaped his radar that April had wanted to get his attention.

Of course she did. Damon Salvatore was hot and rich. And he was also the boss. And the soon-to-be CEO of his family's company, Lady Boss, when his father, Giuseppe Salvatore retired and handed the reins over to his eldest son.

Lady Boss was one of the top women fashion brands in the city. 'Think like a woman, act like a boss' was the slogan for the company for many years, and Lady Boss worked on women of all ages and would never go out of style. From chic and sleek to classy and elegance, Lady Boss was all about style, sophistication and finesse.

Damon had the best job in the world.

"Good morning, Aril." He gave her a brief, pleasant smile. Not the smile he knew he could get women into bed or on their knees for him in minutes.

No flirting back with April because she worked for him.

Damon never slept with his staff.

That was his rule.

He didn't want or need the complications that sleeping with an employee would bring.

Aside from leaving himself wide open for a lawsuit and that his mother would kill him, Damon couldn't deal with the drama and tears when she clued in to the fact that all he wanted from her was sex.

Even though he would have repeatedly told her that it was a one-time thing.

That was also his rule: Always make it clear that hook-ups are just that. No strings attached.

In addition, he would never let them know where he lived, work, or his phone number just in case the above rule didn't stick.

Damon pressed the call button for the elevator, and the door opened immediately. He got on and hit the button for the fourteenth floor where his office was.

He loved this building. It was home to him. Everyone here was like family. His parents liked to run a happy ship, and they treated their employees very well. His folks were well loved. They were the best. He knew everyone here was sad to see them retire. There were a lot of tears the day it was announced.

Honestly, it would be weird for Damon, being here and running this place without them.

But he was excited, too. This was what he had been working towards his whole life.

The elevator arrived on his floor, and Damon stepped out when the door opened. He walked through the lobby and towards the executive offices, and then he pushed open the door to his office area.

His PA, Rose, was already at her desk.

Rose lifted her head from her screen. "Morning, Damon." She picked up his takeout coffee from her desk, which she brought in for him every day, and held it out.

She was the best PA ever. Damon was lucky to have her.

"Thanks." He took the coffee and had a sip. "You look great today."

Rose smiled at him. "Thanks. Did you have a good weekend?"

"Of course."

Damon loved his job, but weekends were reserved solely for playtime, and he loved playing.

Friday night was spent with Andie Starr, a supermodel he had met at a show a few weeks ago. Saturday night was boys' night out with his buddies, Enzo and Alaric. Damon, Enzo and Alaric had been boyhood friends, had gone through twelve grades virtually inseparable, then had roomed together for four years at Harvard University.

Damon knew he was what women considered a real catch. He was smart. And he was rich. Plus he was an extremely handsome man with a height of 5'10' and a well-toned body. With striking, intense blue eyes contrasting wonderfully against dark lashes and eyebrows, and a "bad boy" smile, everyone in the city had described him as the "eternal stud".

He was in no way ready to settle down with just one woman. He didn't have anything against relationships per se. He just didn't want one.

Well, not at the moment anyway.

And to be honest, most of the women who crossed his path were less stimulating—both intellectually and physically. Most of them only had great bodies and incredible legs.

Damon loved his job despite enjoyed seeing a woman he liked every weekend. Woman was reserved for weekends because the week was for work.

Work always came first, and he didn't see that changing anytime soon. Especially not now that he would be taking over the running of the company from his father.

Maybe, in the distant future—like ten or fifteen years—Damon would meet some girl he wanted to have a relationship with, but if he was being totally honest, he just couldn't see it happening.

"How was yours?" Damon asked Rose. He knew she was going to spend the weekend with her fiancée's parents.

"Yeah, it was okay, but Trevor's mother was talking wedding stuff nonstop all weekend."

She rolled her eyes, and Damon laughed.

"Anyway, I have got this morning's schedule ready for you, but first, your parents are waiting for you in your office."

"They are?" Damon moved his eyes in the direction of his office door.

"Yep."

"How long have they been waiting?"

"Only five minutes or so."

"And they didn't say what they wanted to see me for?"

"Nope."

A mild unease settled in his gut.

Of course, it was not unusual for his parents to turn up in his office unannounced, but first thing in the morning was unusual.

The last time they were waiting in his office for him this early in the morning was seven years ago when Damon was working in the sales department, and he had just screwed up the Mikaelson deal. The big deal that they had trusted him with.

And, by screwed up, Damon meant, he broke Mr Mikaelson's daughter, Rebecca's heart, a few months prior. At that point, Rebecca had blatantly hinting that they ought to get married, Damon had briefly entertained the idea, but the impulse had passed very quickly. He enjoyed Rebecca in bed and out of it, and he liked her style, but he had no intention of marrying her despite they were seeing each other for a few months.

The truth was he had never seriously considered marrying Rebecca because he had never had the violent, possessive, insane need to see and touch and laugh with her, that volcanic passion that controlled him and couldn't be sated. No woman had managed to look up at him and made him feel humbled and powerful at the same time—or ignited that desire to prove that he could be more and better than he was. To marry someone who didn't do that to him was settling for second-best, and second-best in anything wasn't good enough. At the same time, he had absolutely no desire to experience those tormenting, stormy, crushing emotions. If Rebecca had been able to get under his skin, he would have broken off with her as soon as he felt it happening. He didn't want, would never permit himself, to be that vulnerable to anyone.

But the problem was, Rebecca had wanted more than what he could offer, and when Damon put an end to their delightful relationship, she hadn't been so happy at all. In the end, Mikael Mikaelson had decided he no longer was interested in considering stocking the products of Lady Boss in his department stores.

Unfortunately, Giuseppe didn't exactly see it that way.

Damon got reamed out for losing the deal and also a lecture from his mother about how he should be treating women with respect and not trying to sleep his way through the city.

That was seven years ago, and it still bugged Damon that it was the one deal he had messed up. But he didn't let the Mikaelson fiasco put him off. He didn't want a serious relationship. Not at this moment.

Maybe his parents just wanted to talk about the takeover. Giuseppe would be retiring in a few weeks, and Damon would be taking over as CEO.

I know what you are thinking. I'm their son, and that's why they are giving me the job.

Wrong.

His parents were hard-asses. They might be rich, but they had made Damon worked for everything. His parents came from nothing and built this business together, and they wanted their son to understand that one had to work hard in this life if one wanted anything.

Damon had part-time jobs throughout high school, so long as they didn't interfere with his studies. The only time he didn't work was when he was in college, as his parents wanted him to focus fully on my studies. But every summer was spent here, in the office, working for them—whether it was in the mailroom or on reception. He had worked really hard to learn this business inside out.

He did four years at Harvard University, earning a business degree. And then he went off to Stamford where he got his MBA in management. When he graduated from Stamford, he came back home to Richmond and started working here in sales. He had worked in every department in the company so that he would understand the running of the business for when it was his time to take over.

And now was his time.

"Wish me luck," Damon said to Rose.

"You don't need it, Mr Soon-to-Be CEO." Rose said the last part on a whisper even though no one was around to hear.

When my parents announced their retirement a month ago, it wasn't formally announced that I'd be taking over. Everyone probably already knows though. I mean, it's a given.

That must be why they were in there, waiting—to talk about the big announcement.

Damon didn't get excited about much, but he was excited about this.

With thoughts of his impending CEO status, he opened the door to his office with a big f smile on his face.

"Mum, Dad," he greeted them both.

They were sitting on the black leather sofa. Damon loved his office. It was big with floor-to-ceiling windows, so the view of the city was immense. And he had his own private bathroom, which was always a bonus.

"Damon." Lillian Giuseppe smiled warmly at her son. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good. What can I do for you this morning?" Damon asked as he walked the distance over to his desk.

A brief silence hung in the air. That silence made his gut tightened.

Then, Giuseppe said, "We need to have a chat."

Damon sat down. "Okay.".

They turned in their seats to face him. Damon didn't like what he saw on their faces—unease.

Damn.

"What's up?" Damon asked, forcing his voice to remain steady.

Giuseppe cleared his throat. "Well…"

"We have news," Lillian imparted, a fake cheeriness to her voice.

They were not retiring. They had changed their minds.

Damn.

Damon wanting his parents to retire didn't make him a bad son or selfish. His parents had parents have worked hard their whole lives, building this business up and making it into what it was today. But they were in their late sixties, and he wanted them to take it easy and enjoy their golden years.

"Good or bad news?" Damon's eyes flickered between the pair of them, trying to catch anything in their expressions, but they were giving away nothing.

"Good news." Lillian beamed a smile. "Isn't it, Giuseppe?" She nudged Giuseppe in the side with her elbow.

Giuseppe grunted a sound that she gave a disapproving look to. And that sound did nothing to appease the sick feeling Damon had right now.

"Now, honey, even though this is good news, I have a feeling you might not think so off the bat, but I just want you to have an open mind and listen to what we have to say."

Damon swallowed. "Okay…"

"Well, there's no other way to say this than to just say it, so…we have hired another CEO to come work here with you and help you run the company."

Damon froze. "I'm sorry, what?" He stared over at his mother. "You are going to have to say that again because, for a second there…I thought you said that you had hired another…CEO."

"I did. And we have."

Damn. Damn. Damn.

He stared at his mother's steady face. His eyes moved to his father's face. Giuseppe's expression was blank, giving him nothing.

"Is this a joke?"

"No," Lillian said softly. It was the voice she used when he was younger and he was upset, and she was trying to soothe him.

The pacifying voice.

Damon used to love that voice. Now, he officially hated it.

"Why the hell did you do that?"

"Language, Damon," Lillian chastised.

Damon's jaw tightened. "Like now is the time to quibble over my use of the English language." He looked at his father. "Am I not getting the job?"

He saw a flash of dismay in Giuseppe's eyes. "Of course you are," Giuseppe said, his tone resolute. "The job is yours, Damon. Without a doubt. Your mother just thought—"

"We both think," Lillian flashed a stern look at Giuseppe, "that you could do with the support that having a co-CEO would offer. It's a lot of work, running a business of this size."

"I know. And I'm fully equipped and ready to do so. That's what you have been training me to do for the past seven years. Jesus, I have been working towards this ever since I started coming in with you both when I was a kid. I know this business inside and out! No one knows the business better than I do." Damon knew his voice was getting louder and louder, but he couldn't help it.

A co-CEO. What the hell!

"Damon, we know how experienced and knowledgeable you are. It's not about that. Your dad and I have successfully run this company together. Lots of companies nowadays have co-CEOs. There are a lot of benefits in having a partner to run the company with."

Damon wanted to yell at them that they were wrong. That he could run this company with one arm tied behind his back while blindfolded. But he knew by throwing a hissy fit would only reinforce to his parents that they made the right decision to hire this new person to come and work here with him.

No, what he had to do was be mature about this. He would tell them he would make sure to work with this new co-CEO and be nice.

And, in reality, he would be looking for a way to get rid of this job-stealing asshole while proving that he was more than capable of running the company alone. His company.

Damon took a calming deep breath and placed his hands, palms down, on his desk. "Well, I can't say that I'm happy about this turn of events because I'm not. But it is your company, and you are free to do as you please with it. Yes, I'm your son—your only child—and heir. But you raised me right, and I will go along with whatever you think is best for the company."

"Damon, I know you are thinking that we made this decision to bring someone else in because we think you can't run the company alone. But that's not the case."

"I'm not thinking that at all. I know I'm more than capable of running the company alone."

Lillian smiled at his son. "Of course you are, Damon. But what's made this company so successful is the male-female dynamic from your father and me."

"So, from that, should I take it that you have hired a woman?"

"Yes. We have hired a female co-CEO to help you run the company. I love you, Damon. You are my son. You are incredibly bright and talented. But, when it comes to women, you don't have a clue. You don't understand their wants and needs."

Damon raised his brows. "That's a very sexist thing for you to say, Mum."

Giuseppe smothered a laugh.

Lillian threw an annoyed glance at Giuseppe and then looked back at Damon, her brows furrowed in annoyance. "I meant that you don't understand their wants and needs when it comes to the actual items. That can only come from being a woman. And having both a male and female viewpoint helps enormously with the business we are in. My view comes from a woman's perspective—of actually wearing and understanding the product, the issues of materials and comfort as well as the look. Your father's perspective is in sales and focused on branding. Together, we have been a formidable team. I want that for you."

"I'm not marrying this chick."

"Of course not!" Lillian's laugh tinkled around the room.

"Your mother just wants you to have a counterbalance, Damon," Giuseppe said.

"Why didn't you tell me this before now?"

"Because we weren't sure that we were going to find the right person to fit the role."

"And, now, you have?"

"Yes."

"Just out of curiosity, what would you have done if you hadn't found the right woman for the job?"

Lillian's shoulders lifted. "We would have crossed that bridge when we came to it."

Damon kept quiet. He knew his parents loved him, but this sure did feel a lot like betrayal. And he didn't like it.

"We are not doing this to hurt you, Damon. You know we have only ever had your best interests at heart."

"Mmhmm." Damon folded his arms over his chest. "And how long will I be co-CEOing for?"

Lilian's brows drew together. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how long will I have to share my job for?"

His parents glanced at each other and then back at him.

"Well, we are not sure…exactly," Lillian answered.

"So, that means, I will one day have the company to run alone?"

"Yes," Giuseppe said decisively. "Damon, you know the company will be yours when your mother and I are gone. And you can do as you choose with it then."

"Well, I'm hoping you don't go anytime soon, and I would quite like to run the business solo well before then."

"Let's put a pin in this for now." Lillian clapped her hands together, ending the conversation.

Put a pin in it? Jesus Christ. They were talking about his life here, and his mother wanted to stick a pin in it.

But Damon knew that pushing the issue right now would get him nowhere. He needed to tackle this again—and soon—but at this moment in time, he needed to deal with the crap they had just dropped in his lap.

"So, when do I get to meet this mystery woman?" Damon asked.

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Damon echoed.

"Yes, she is coming in first thing tomorrow morning to meet with you. And then, afterward, in the weekly meeting, we will formally announce her new role along with your step up as co-CEOs."

Co-CEO. The word made Damon wanted to vomit.

If he didn't love his parents, he would legit strangle them right now. With his bare hands.

"I know you are worried about this, Damon, but Elena is great, and you do actually already know her," Lillian said.

That brought Damon's head up. "I know her?"

Had he slept with this woman?

"Elena told us that you went to Harvard together," Giuseppe said.

Elena. Harvard. Went together.

This wasn't sounding good.

Damon swallowed. "What's her surname?"

"Gilbert," Lillian answered. "Elena Gilbert."

Ah, hell.

Elena Gilbert. The stuck-up bitch.

Relief and dismay swept through Damon in equal measure.

Relief because he definitely didn't sleep with her in Harvard.

Dismay because she hated him then.

Which was a shame because she was a pretty thing. Well, her face was, which was always on show—as her hair was habitually tied back into a ponytail—unlike her body, which was always covered up with ugly-ass big sweaters.

And she was so damn serious all the time. Hence the nickname Stuck-up Bitch.

She never went to parties. She spent all her time either in the library or with her nose stuck up the professors' asses.

Damon had never once heard of her socializing or saw her with any friends. She was a stuck-up bitch who thought that she was better than everyone else. Included him.

Elena Gilbert took an instant dislike to him from the word go without even bothering to get to know him.

She came to the conclusion that he was an overprivileged, womanizing man-whore.

Fine, he did have certain privileges growing up because of his parents' success, and, yes, he had a job to walk straight into out of university, but his parents made him work for it. Nothing had ever been handed to him. He had earned everything he had.

And, sure, he had dated quite a few girls in Harvard.

Except for her.

Because she took one look at him and thought she had him pegged. When, in actuality, she knew nothing about him.

Did it annoy Damon? Sure, it did. But he wasn't going to lose sleep over a stuck-up bitch who went around and made snap judgments about people she barely knew.

But then that was nine years ago. A lot can change in nine years. Maybe Elena Gilbert had changed.

Well, Damon hoped she had because, for the short-term—until he could get rid of her—he was stuck with sharing his company with her.

To my beloved readers, I'm back! This is my latest Delena story and I hope you guys/gals will enjoy this story:) Hopefully my writing hasn't deteriorated and I promise I will continue to improve my writing. Thank you for the support!