AN: Thank you all for your continued support, appreciation, and love for our story. We hope you're enjoying Brendon (aka Christian Bale, aka Batman) and awesome Chuck jealousy…isn't that always fun to read? We also apologize for the lack of updates. Finding time to collaborate isn't always easy when we're balancing stories of our own, school, and extracurriculars, but we are definitely sticking with this story.

Blair sighed in frustration as she glared at the copy machine once more, the imposing machine glaring right back at her with the flashing words, Out of Paper.

How could that be possible when she had just refilled every tray to its capacity? The machine was still as stubborn as ever, not allowing her to copy the document in hand.

Blair Waldorf was not cut out for menial work, least of all something as trivial as photocopying. But Melanie, the resident intern supervisor, had deemed Blair unable to handle anything other than menial tasks-something which Blair chalked up to Melanie's obvious obsession over Brendon. He had visited the interns' office-where Blair had her own desk and personal space-often, seemingly following her wishes that he wasn't to avoid her. If anything, he was going out of his way to oversee the seven interns-something Blair had learned he hardly did.

Blair knew Brendon's sudden interest in overseeing the interns was due in part to his attraction to her. She knew it was wrong, utterly and completely wrong, but she hadn't the heart to stop him.

And it was completely perplexing to her as to why she enjoyed his daily visits. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he completely ignored Melanie's cleavage and obvious come-ons, focusing on Blair instead.

She felt his presence before he cleared his throat, and she turned around with a mock glare upon her features, "Your copy machine doesn't work," she declared.

The smirk lit his tired features, and he chuckled softly as he made his way over to her. "Blair Waldorf, doing the photocopying? That's something I never thought I'd see."

"Miss Dunn," she sneered condescendingly. "Seemed to think I'm incapable of anything else."

"Really?" Brendon smirked slightly, and Blair glowered in return. "Well, I guess she hasn't seen your true potential like I have."

His words became dangerously low at the end, and Blair shivered slightly as he inched closer. "Well someone better inform her about my potential, because Blair Waldorf does not do photocopying."

"I'm sure I can persuade her," Brendon told her blithely. "If I recall, Miss Dunn has always had an obsession with me."

Blair wrinkled her nose in distaste, stepping back as to put a more space between them.

"Not that I've ever acted on it," he assured her.

She turned away from him, and back to the task at hand. Following her lead, he leaned over and pressed a blue button on the machine.

Place document into tray the machine said, and Blair looked up at him in surprise.

"You had to tell the printer there was paper first," he told her lightly.

"Oh," Blair replied. "Well Blair Waldorf doesn't exactly do photocopying."

"I realize that," he told her in amusement. "I'll talk to Miss Dunn about giving you more rewarding tasks."

He turned to leave, the same way he had come in, and Blair found herself calling after him.

"Wait," he turned, the expectant look on his face quickly replaced by a cool look approval. "Thank you." she said honestly, and he smirked in response.

"You're always welcome," he answered, and she didn't miss the underlying meaning in his words as she turned back towards the photocopier.

"Serena," Blair said in amusement as her blonde roommate entered their shared apartment. "What are you doing here?"

"I do live here too," Serena told her with a short laugh.

"Could have fooled me," Blair replied sardonically. "I think this is the first time you've been here in the past couple days."

"I was here yesterday," Serena said pointedly.

"Oh, I was at the office late yesterday." Blair said offhandedly, though Serena's eyes widened. "So, S, where have you been staying these past nights?"

Serena knew that the diversion was simply a reaction to the fact that Serena had caught on to something-something Blair didn't want her to know.

"Nate's," Serena admitted. "We've been…working things out. But that's not the point. The point is, I've hardly seen you since you started your internship."

"I've been busy," Blair countered defensively. "This internship means a lot to me. Some of us actually have ambitions in life."

"I can tell," Serena mused, pointedly ignoring the last comment. "Late nights, B?"

"Just yesterday," Blair forced her tone to be conversational, lest Serena realize that something was going on. "I had a few more things to finish."

Blair didn't mention that she had only a simple e-mail translation to finish, and the rest of the night had been spent in Brendon's office. She had cultivated a boundary between them, but he had been toeing the line ever since. The subtle glances and not-so-subtle remarks only heightened her awareness of the fact. She was flirting with a married man-there was no sugar-coating it. And Blair knew as well as anyone that she what she had been doing was dangerous, immoral, really. But when it came to her and Chuck, when had things ever been moral? There was no virtue between them-only sin.

He had goaded her into continuing this, at least that was what she had told herself. When in truth, Blair knew that while Chuck may have pushed her to this, she had continued it. Because she liked it. She liked Brendon talking to her in that adult manner. No mind games. No manipulation. As if her opinion meant something to him. More than something, actually.

"I've never seen you so busy. Even when you were a part of nearly every committee and group in high school." Serena was saying, her voice conversational, though Blair caught the underlying meaning.

"Like I said," Blair replied blithely. "This internship means a lot to me."

Serena nodded, knowing the topic she shouldn't breach was right on the tip of her tongue,she changed the subject quickly.

"Do you want to go to the Modern tonight?"

Blair shook her head, turning to the book in her hands. "I'm behind in my management class. I'm staying in tonight."

"All you ever do is work," Serena pouted, and Blair shot her a look. "Alright, B, I can see you're stressed. Do you want me to bring you back some cheesecake?"

Blair wrinkled her nose, and Serena laughed. "You can pretend like you don't like it, but I know you better than that."

Blair smiled slightly, "With extra raspberries and dark chocolate sauce?"

"But of course," Serena replied with a grin.

"What are you doing here?"

She knew how hard and sharp her voice came put but looking at his almost hesitantly lurking figure, she hated Chuck Bass. She hated because whatever he abhorred, it made her want to do the exact opposite.

"A charming coincidence," Chuck answered smoothly, "I happened to have a meeting with your delightful boss."

"Drop the act, Bass," Blair said. "What are you doing here?"

"Like I said," Chuck said more sternly. "I had a meeting with Cooper and I heard you were working late and decided that out of the goodness of my heart, I would offer you a ride home. Besides, you haven't graced the back of my limo in a while."

"Charming," Blair sneered back. "But I decline your request."

"Don't you want to know what the meeting was about?" Chuck asked in an obvious bid to keep her by his side.

"Not particularly," Blair said indifferently, only to have her departure stopped by his hand wrapping around her elbow.

"You're going to find out eventually," Chuck taunted her and she grimaced. She hated how he knew her so well. So well that it would be impossible for her to leave without discovering what that meeting was about.

She was a need to know person. She paused in that strict way that told him to just get to it.

"I just thought that I would inform you," Chuck continued casually, "that I am going to run your boyfriend's company into the ground."

"He isn't my boyfriend," Blair said hastily and she closed her eyes in defeat, knowing that she had just failed his test. His jaw clenched and though there was a look of bitter satisfaction across his face, she knew better. She knew that he was dejected and more than just satisfactorily bitter on the inside.

She was supposed to laugh it off. She was supposed to sneer at his calm assurance that he could measure up to someone ten years older than him.

So that's what she did.

"You really think that's it, do you?" Blair asked dubiously. "That just because Chuck Bass says it's so, that makes it true? To Brendon Cooper, you are nothing more than a little boy, not even worth reprimanding. You couldn't even scratch Brendon Cooper if you tried."

"You didn't think I was so minuscule that night in your dorm," Chuck reminded her. "Which, might I add, has far more superior accommodations than the one you used to have at NYU."

Blair scowled. He knew that she hated hearing that tortuous year brought up. And the things that transpired within it, even more hurtful than that glorified state school.

"You remember, Waldorf," he said with that easy smirk that made her do the most unconscionable things. "How I can make you scream anywhere we are. How that first night in the limo, I had claw marks down my back."

However, his usual mantra wasn't filled with the same degree of self-absorption. He was looking at her with a hard face and she wished that she just didn't care.

"Why do you keep saying his name like that?" Chuck inquired.

"He's not my boyfriend, Chuck," Blair said. "He's my boss."

"Sure," Chuck answered. "A boss who gets some sort of perverse thrill out of screwing his employees."

"Like we didn't know exactly what you were doing with the room service twins," Blair retorted.

"Those were my father's employees," he parried.

"I don't know how you make the distinction," Blair said. "He rose from nothing and you're just soaking up all his glory with nothing of your own."

"Right," Chuck answered. "I didn't go to public school and ride in coach. But let's be honest, Blair. You're as superior as I am. If this was still Brendon Cooper when he was struggling to have doors not slammed in his face, you wouldn't look twice at him."

"I'm tired of this, Chuck," Blair answered. "You moved on and I let you make a fool of yourself with your naïve kindergarten worthy relationship. Why are you being such a hypocrite?"

"You and I both know that wasn't moving on," he said, far too close for comfort. Or to stop her heart from thrumming against her chest. "That was me running away from my true feelings and you and I both know that can't be what you're doing. Because he isn't even your boyfriend. Right?"

"He's just my boss," Blair said breathily and that sight of grim satisfaction had graced his dark features again.

"I heard you," he uttered lowly. "At Lily's that night in the study. How you miss him-"

"Shut up," Blair snapped. "Just... stop talking."

"Do you really want to ruin everything?" Chuck asked. "Do you really want to ruin us?"

"There is no us anymore, Chuck," Blair said and he hated that he could make her so emotional this way. "You made damn sure of that. Brendon isn't my boyfriend. But even if he was, what concern would it be of yours?"

"How about that night after Eva left?" Chuck asked. "Don't you remember that?"

"Break up sex," Blair said immediately, and he knew that she had been waiting for that one.

"We were already broken up," Chuck smirked. "I believe they call that make-up sex. And may I say, Waldorf, you only get better with age."

She was so furious she couldn't even speak.

"Are you going to hit me again?" he taunted. "Because that only gets me more excited for you."

It was the one thing that she couldn't bear to think about but Chuck Bass had come back with a vengeance and she wasn't supposed to like it. Not anymore.

"Brendon Cooper is more of a man than you'll ever be," she spat in seething anger. "I'm on his side now. And there isn't anything you can do about it."

She finally did walk off this time, her heels clicking loudly over Chuck's call.

"Just watch me."

She hated how he could stop her in her tracks and he had time for just one more proclamation.

"Brendon Cooper is going to be destroyed," Chuck promised. "And that's a guarantee."

...

"Mr. Bass I-"

"Money's no object," Chuck cut in menacingly. "Just do whatever you have to do."

"He is a prominent businessman in the city," Preston told him nervously. "The amount of security he has, coupled with the PIs he also has on retainer-"

"Look," Chuck said shortly, "I'll have you know you're my second choice. Mike is on...another assignment."

He winced at the thought of Mike's other assignment. Chuck had done it for her own safety, of course, not trusting him in the least.

"You either do this, or you don't." Chuck said, obviously frustrated. "But I won't have you breathing a word of our conversation to anyone else, do you understand?"

Preston sighed, a crease of worry forming in his brow.

"I'll do it, Mr. Bass."

Chuck smirked, "Excellent."

...

"Blair," came the saccharinely sweet voice from beside her, and Blair frowned slightly at the voice.

"Miss Dunn," she replied cordially, her eyes raking over the woman's attempt at acceptable office attire. Her black pumps were scuffed, her skirt too short, and far too tight, and she would do well to button up a few more buttons on her shirt. She leaned forward menacingly; her fried brown locks tumbling over one shoulder. Blair did not miss the way the male interns eyed the woman's exposed legs appreciatively, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Mr. Cooper called me into his office yesterday," Blair rolled her eyes slightly, her eyes still trained on her computer screen. "Would you have anything to do with that?"

"Miss Dunn, I can assure you that we are no longer in elementary school. Your petty accusations are a mediocre attempt to-"

"Mediocre?" the woman nearly shrieked, and Blair only smiled prettily in response. "Do you know what's mediocre, Blair? Sleeping with the boss."

Her fists clenched involuntarily, and Blair met the woman's gaze with a fierce one of her own. "Excuse me?"

"Please," Melanie scoffed. "I'm not the only one who's noticed it. The way he visits you in the afternoons, and always asks you to stay later to help with French translations. The man can speak four languages, why he would have to ask a spoiled society brat such as yourself for help is beyond me. Yesterday's meeting only cemented my suspicions. When Mr. Cooper asked me to pay more attention to your supposed intelligence, I had my proof."

Blair scoffed slightly as the woman glared at her in triumph. "Miss Dunn, what you're insinuating here is beyond disgraceful. Mr. Cooper has simply taken an interest in me because of where I go to school. Is there anyone else here who is attending Columbia?"

Blair paused, looking expectantly as the woman's brow creased. "No? I didn't think so. As for the French translations, I am fluent in French. If you knew Mr. Cooper as well as you like to claim you do, then you would realize that he doesn't read French fluently. Nor can he easily translate e-mails in conversational French."

"Even if you're a Columbia student," Melanie sneered. "He wouldn't be taking such an interest in you. It doesn't matter how smart or supposedly innovative you are-Brendon Cooper only offered you this internship because you're pretty."

Blair resisted the urge to slap the woman, her knuckles turning white around her pen. "Of course I'm pretty," Blair retorted with her usual dose of venom. "I'm stunning. But unlike you, Miss Dunn, I don't have any desire or low self esteem causing myself to throw my thinly veiled innuendos at the boss in vain attempts to get a promotion. I'm a Waldorf-I don't need this internship. I simply thought it best to gain some experience, and Mr. Cooper offered me an opportunity."

Melanie straightened up, her eyes sweeping over Blair's impassive expression. She opened her mouth, as if to retort once more, but no words came out. As Blair smirked at her easily, toying with the pen in her fingers, Melanie found herself unable to form coherent sentences.

This little society princess she had saddled menial and meaningless tasks with was clearly not one of the air-headed girls that graced page six. The brunette smirking malevolently at her was dangerous, that much she could tell.

"If you don't mind," Blair simpered. "I have quite a bit of work to get done."

Melanie sputtered in disbelief as Blair turned towards her computer once more, the picture of composure and utter flawlessness.

"Having trouble with the copy machine again? You know I'm always willing to help."

Blair whipped around at the sound of his voice, a slow smirk spreading across her face. "Actually, no. I've managed to make forty-three copies without your help."

"I believe that requires a celebratory drink."

She knew exactly what it looked like to gaze upon the deceiving face of a scheming manipulator, but found that she wasn't getting the same strange thrill of bantering with someone who was her match. He was just another attractive man looking at her. But that gave her a different thrill. one she knew she shouldn't be having.

"Shouldn't you be seducing the more prominent and permanent office skanks?" Blair asked calmly. "Not some pre-grad intern?"

"I'm afraid my intentions lie elsewhere."

"Brendon," Blair whispered as his arm wrapped around her waist. "We can't do this, remember?"

"Why not?" he growled into her ear, "I know you want this too. You've been prancing around my office in those tight pencil skirts and heels, and you haven't exactly been fending off my advances."

"We can't," Blair insisted once more, squirming out of his grip. "This isn't right."

"Why not?" he asked her again, his voice dangerously low.

"Well," Blair scoffed. "For one, you're my boss."

"All the more reason," he said with a smirk. "You do want to do well here, don't you?"

He watched as Blair's eyes widened in surprise, and the anger that overtook her features. "Are you insinuating that I need to sleep with my boss in order to do well?"

She turned to storm off, the document forgotten on the photocopier, but his hand wrapped around her elbow quickly. "Blair, I didn't mean-what I'm trying to say-" she raised her eyebrows at his stumbled words, "I didn't mean to insinuate anything. You're disarming, did you know that?"

"Disarming?" Blair asked dubiously.

"And charming," he proved with a charming smile of his own. One that exuded confidence and class, and Blair found her self-restraint crumbling once more. "You're undoubtedly the most intriguing woman I've ever met. I can't read you like I can with everyone else-I can't figure you out. And I can't figure out why I'm so attracted to you."

Blair let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, the enormity of the situation crashing down on her with alarming clarity. His hand had travelled from her elbow to her wrist, his thumb drawing small circles on the inside of her palm.

She could feel the desire flooding her body, forbidden heat curling at her toes and warming her chest. There was not one nerve in her body that didn't hum with anticipation, and she could feel the slightly disconcerting intensity of his eyes on hers. His gaze was unwavering, trained on hers as if seeking permission.

Permission neither granted nor denied, but he seemed to infer from her silence that it was permission she had granted as he leaned forward slightly.

His lips captured hers in a moment, a moment of unadulterated passion mixed with a curious sense of fear. The kiss grew more furiously needy, his hands clutching her closer to him, as hers remained limp by her sides. It was not to say, of course, that she didn't reciprocate fully, but she was loath to thread her fingers into his hair. Instead, her hands brushed against metal-the cold metal of the copy machine, to be exact.

And as the chill reverberated through her fingertips, the bleakness of reality set in as she realized where they were, and what they were doing.

"Stop," she murmured against his lips, her hands pushing at his chest. "Brendon, stop."

He released her lips, allowed her to lean back slightly, but his arms remained firmly around her waist.

"I know you want this too," he told her, the slightest hint of a threat lingering in his voice.

"It doesn't matter," Blair replied, still squirming against his iron grip. "Brendon, anyone could walk in and-"

"Is that it?" he asked incredulously. "You're scared about someone finding out?"

"You are my boss. My married boss." she reminded him with derision, finally managing to extract herself form his arms. "This can't happen again." she warned him, backing away from him slowly.

"Blair-"

But she had already turned and rushed out the door.

"I'm sorry you'll have to call back in the morning. Mr. Cooper has left for the day."

Blair heard Liam answering the phones as she sat forward in her chair, still pondering the failure that her life had become. The lights were going down and it was only her and Brendon's assistant left in the office. She sat with a letter of resignation in her hands, a letter that had been typed up two hours ago. Blair knew that this was the right thing to do-the morally honest thing to do. The only problem was, she wasn't sure if she wanted to do it.

"Well that's confidential."

Liam's voice betrayed amusement that wasn't very professional as Blair had the urge to roll her own eyes.

Clients.

"All I can assure you is that Mr. Cooper is very important and very busy and it isn't any of your business how he spends his nights."

There was a distinct click of the phone as Liam hung up, and Blair clutched the piece of paper in her hands tightly. At the sound of his commotion, Blair knew that it was officially the end of the day. Now she could go to her dorm to have her best friend look at her judgmentally for staying out so late for a job that she wasn't even getting paid for.

Fantastic.

"You're still here."

Blair looked up at the sound of Liam's surprised voice as he hesitated in the dim lighting.

"I was just finishing this up," Blair answered, pushing the document towards him. Liam's eyes narrowed at his own poor eyesight to look down at her signature.

"You're not really resigning, are you?" Liam asked in a dull expression. Apparently those rumors really had spread across the office in a day.

"I don't really have another choice," Blair answered. "Will you just put this on his desk for me?"

"Care to be more specific?" Liam asked cheekily. Blair sighed in frustration.

"Just put it on Cooper's desk."

"Well he hasn't seen it yet," Liam answered. "You can still save yourself and your career. He needs some documents run over to his suite at that hotel on Park. He's getting ready to buy it."

"Did you mishear me?" Blair asked. "I'm resigning."

"Just think about it," Liam responded. "And while you're thinking about it, run these over. Say they're for Brendon and they'll let you up."

"Isn't this a job more suitable for his assistant?" Blair asked. "I'm just an intern."

"An intern he trusts," Liam said and she thought that she could detect a hint of jealousy in his voice. "He specifically asked for you to bring these-I was only to bring them if you were otherwise occupied."

"He asked for me?" Blair seethed, infuriated with his self assured manner that was far too familiar for her taste.

"If it makes you feel any better," Liam said, "he doesn't think you're coming. In fact, I'm sure that he wouldn't be surprised if he found your resignation on his desk."

"When," Blair corrected.

"Do yourself and your career a favor," Liam said. "Surprise him."

Blair didn't know exactly what she was insinuating and by her silence, she knew that Liam took that as an affirmation.

"Have a good night," he replied evasively, pushing the papers into her hands.

Blair wasn't sure why she didn't throw them away immediately.

And she didn't know why she found herself walking towards Park avenue.

She still hadn't left her so called office. That was what he was sure of. Idling in his limo, he never felt more like a stalker than right at that moment. He had PIs on retainer for a reason. But she was different. She wasn't Finding Out Lily's 20 Year Old Secret or Surveillance of My Hot Italian Au Pair. This was Blair. And Blair required a certain matter of...finesse.

Besides, she already knew what Mike looked like.

"Mr. Bass? We're here."

Chuck leaned his head back against the leather seat after he heard Arthur's voice through the partition.

He didn't like leaving before Blair had left herself, but he had a business meeting and the destruction of Blair's life would just have to wait. But soon she would realize what was just meant to be and she would let him pick up the pieces.

The reminding knock on the glass pulled Chuck from his inner monologue that seemed more like a soap opera than anything else and opened the door that emptied out on Park Avenue.

"Fancy meeting you here."

It was a voice that he had no intention of hearing unless it was begging for mercy. Chuck turned in front of the entrance to the hotel to see one Brendon Cooper with a smug and horrible smile (smirk) that gave Chuck the impression that he was over.

Even though he knew without a doubt that he definitely was not.

"I can't honestly say that it is," Chuck answered. Brendon shrugged.

"That's your business. I for one, love that my very presence gets under your skin."

And the gloves were off.

"And what about me?" Chuck sneered. "What is it about me that makes you so hell bent on destruction? You know why I hate you. But why do you hate me?"

"Besides the fact that the papers have deemed us natural born enemies?" Brendon asked. "Your father made sure of that."

"You were my father's enemy," Chuck said. "You aren't mine. Or at least, you weren't."

"Because you know you can't win?," Brendon asked, self assurance back in place.

"Because this so-called rivalry didn't start until a month ago," Chuck answered. "And I wonder why that is. Maybe you are more experienced or well presented in the business world. But when it comes to her I will win. Every time. You can count on that. Ask the last six suitors that tried to encroach on my territory. You are going to lose."

The her in this context was very clear.

"And here I just thought you were some stalker who was convinced you had something with her," Brendon said coldly.

"She didn't tell you about us," Chuck smirked. "Did she? How could she? You're attempting to court her which would seriously set back your progress if you knew she had a habit of sneaking around with me behind her boyfriends' backs."

"Good thing I'm not her boyfriend, then," Brendon responded tersely and Chuck couldn't help but feel a wave of relief that he had something on the older man.

"And you won't be," Chuck said. "I won't have you turning her into the other woman."

"Then I suppose I won't tell you about what happened in my office today," Brendon said and Chuck wished he hadn't thought so quickly.

"She wouldn't," Chuck said through gritted teeth, wondering if their games really were getting to be too much.

"I guess you don't know her as well as you thought," Brendon said tauntingly, making Chuck very aware of how much height the man had on him.

"You won't touch her," Chuck said threateningly.

"Even if I were inclined to make that promise," Brendon said, "it wouldn't matter. Because I can tell you she couldn't keep her hands off of me in my office today."

Chuck knew Cooper was just abusing his power of position at this point and it was all he could do to just reign in his all encompassing rage.

"How's the endeavor in LA going, by the way?" Brendon asked sneeringly. "I hope you weren't thinking of buying this hotel out to cover your tracks. You can't outbid me. How do you plan to win?"

Chuck knew he was at a disadvantage and he couldn't help but wonder if Cooper had come for the sole purpose of humiliating him.

"That's what I thought," Brendon sighed. "Why don't you just retreat quietly and save yourself the indignity of losing."

"This isn't over," Chuck promised.

"No," Brendon answered. "It's really not. If anyone can attest to that, it's Blair."

Finally her name was spoken aloud and Chuck knew that his opponent was right. For tonight.

There would be no beating him in this medium. But as he walked away, he couldn't help but feel optimistic. Every man had a human weakness and like every other mortal man, that weakness was Blair. It might be the only thing that united the two businessmen. Whether she wanted to or not, Blair would help him defeat the monster.

Chuck opened the door of his limo without any assistance from Arthur, knowing the one thing that was his only comfort.

Cooper may have won the battle. But he wasn't going to win the war.

...

The destruction of Chuck Bass had been easy. Only a mere teenager who was lusting after a woman highly above his station and was more than he could handle. That was why she was leaving him in the dust. The destruction of Chuck Bass had been easy.

That didn't mean that Brendon liked it. Of course he relished in the way that the nouveau riche boy crumpled under the least bit of stress. He was not cut out for the industry. He was weak and soft, and in the end, there was no possible way that he could win. Because Chuck was weak and Brendon was strong. That was the matter of physics and that was the way that things were.

But there was something that Chuck Bass had that he wasn't counting on. He understood that there had to be some sort of history between the two of them. He just didn't think it was like that. He didn't think that Blair was Chuck's crusade. He was sure that Chuck was just another one of those teenagers who considered the amount of lays you had was some sort of honor. He didn't think it was like that.

He didn't think that Chuck meant anything to Blair. Blair was sweet and proper. Being with someone esteemed and dangerous wasn't anything that she had done before. He wasn't sure what it was about her that intrigued him, but he liked it. He liked the proper society girl and the banter underneath. He didn't think that this was just something that she did. He didn't think that she let herself be seduced by any Lothario that came along.

But Brendon wasn't like that. He didn't do this either. He didn't come on to any good-looking intern that looked his way. And he was sure it wasn't that she was unattainable and that she had a consistency of rebuffing him.

Blair Waldorf wasn't interested by Chuck Bass's advances. And that was that.

At the sound of a sharp rap on the door, Brendon put down his vodka tonic on the wet bar of the suite he had bought out for the weekend. He was sure that no one knew he was here. Those who did knew not to disturb him. He was on a job. He had a deal to close. And yet someone was visiting him. He was sure he had put down that wretched mutt at least for now. But if Bass was at his door, he would just do it again.

And be glad to do it.

Brendon Cooper opened the door of the room to see the last person he had ever expected to see, despite the fact that he had requested her.

"Hi," Blair Waldorf said, hesitating in his doorway like the most sinfully tempting angel he had ever seen.

"I'm supposed to give you these papers," she said, holding up a folder. But Brendon's eyes were trained on hers instead of the folder, the invitation clear as he stepped aside.

Pausing uncertainly at the doorway, he could see the doubt that played out in her eyes. And for a moment, he believed that she would walk away.

But then Blair Waldorf stepped inside the suite, her fingertips brushing his as he closed the door behind them.

No.

Blair Waldorf was definitely not interested by Chuck Bass's advances.

tbc