A/N - I would like to dedicate this chapter to everyone who reads my story and takes the time to review; It makes me want to write more. Also, I hope you don't mind shorter chapters. I have ADHD, so if I tried for longer chapters I would probably get overwhelmed and not finish them, especially since by the time I can do some writing my meds have worn off leaving me with the attention span of a gnat. Plus, this way it allows me to update more often. :-)

Chapter 7

APOV

Tonight is the GEH Charity Dinner. As a thank you to us for our work on the paper, Christian has purchased a ticket for each of us to sit at his table. I'm so nervous. I've never been to anything this fancy before; I hope I don't do something foolish.

I'm standing at the mirror looking at myself. I'm wearing a 'Marcella' navy open back sequin dress with cap sleeves by Dress The Population. Kate helped me to pick it out. She said I could borrow one of hers but I wanted to buy one with some money I had saved. Kate and the sales woman told me I could wear this dress for more than one occasion because it's sexy but not slutty and the blue looks good with my eyes. I know nothing about this kind of stuff so I listen to Kate. She laughed at me and said I was boring when I got a pair of open toed, black high heeled sandals with an ankle strap instead of the flashy ones she picked out. The dress is already out of my comfort zone and I don't want to trip. My hair is curled and pinned up loosely so you see my back and Kate did my makeup giving me what she called 'a sexy smokey eye'. I have to admit I do look good.

My taxi is waiting so I say my goodbyes to Kate and head out. This is it.

CPOV

I arranged the seating for the table so Ana and I are sitting together and can talk. I'm trying to take Flynn's advice about just being friends but I can't get her out of my mind. I feel like I have to be near her as much as possible and when I'm not I'm thinking about her.

I'm standing there making small talk with Vernon Hanson, the head of the legal department at GEH when I see her come in. The world stops around me. My heart is beating rapidly and my mouth is dry. She is strikingly gorgeous. I excuse myself from Hanson and walk up to greet her.

"Anastasia. I'm glad you could make it. You look lovely." It's taking everything I have in me not to kiss her at this moment. "Let me show you to the table."

She looks up at my shyly through her long eyelashes and just above a whisper replies, "Thank you. You look nice as well." I give her my elbow to escort her to the table and that magnetic draw is still there. I know she feels it too because I hear her breath hitch.

She plays on my mind throughout the dinner as I listen to her talk animatedly to Andrea and Diane. After dessert and coffee, the band begins to play some music for dancing. There is nothing more I'd like to do than hold her close to me on that dance floor. But I can't. I'm her boss.

After the first couple of songs the band starts to play "I've Got You Under My Skin" when Steven McKinney from accounting asks her to dance. What the fuck? Even I know he's a smarmy bastard. I want to yell at her no, to not dance with that asshole but, I can't. So I watch her go off and dance with that bastard and I can see the look on face. I have to get up and leave before I punch him.

I am so conflicted with emotions. I know she's too good for me but I want to be with her. I want be the one she has lunch and dances with. I want to be the one who makes her laugh. I've never felt like this before. Then, I get an idea and I rush home to put it in action so it's ready for Monday.

APOV

I had a nice time at the dinner. And Christian looked so hot in that suit. When he gave me his elbow to escort me I honestly thought I was going to melt. I hoped he'd ask me to dance but he didn't. Then again, he is my boss and totally out of my league. Steven was nice enough but really kind of pushy and I didn't appreciate that. I left shortly after the dance. I wanted to say goodbye to Christian but I couldn't find him.

I spent the remainder of the weekend hanging out with Kate and Ethan. We ended up binge watching TV while eating pizza and drinking beer but it was fun to not have to think about things.

It's a typical Monday morning at the office just preparing for the week ahead when Christian calls me to his office. He probably wants to go over the articles I've chosen. When I enter his office he stands to greet me. "Good morning, Anastasia. I trust you had a good weekend."

"Yes. You?" Why are we making awkward small talk?

"Oh. It was fine. I have something to give to you. A thank you for all of your work and becoming an integral part of my staff."

He hands me a small wrapped package. When I open it up it's a wonderful leather-bound edition of The Collected Poems of Thomas Hardy. On top is a handwritten card:

At nine in the morning there passed a church,
At ten there passed me by the sea,
At twelve a town of smoke and smirch,
At two a forest of oak and birch,
And then, on a platform, she:

A radiant stranger, who saw not me.
I queried, 'Get out to her do I dare?'
But I kept my seat in my search for a plea,
And the wheels moved on. O could it but be
That I had alighted there!

I'm stunned. I look up at him, "This is from Faintheart In A Railway Train." He is now inches from me. His scent is intoxicating and the heat from his body radiates out of him like a fog that has enclosed us.

He looks down at me, caresses my cheek with his hand and whispers, "Yes."

I can feel the draw between us, neither capable of ignoring it. My heart is pounding and he's so close I can feel his breath on my lips.

Suddenly, an emphatic voice yells "Hey bro!", breaking the spell. Christian pulls away and lets go of my face. Meekly I respond, "I better get back to work. Thank you for the book." I scurry out of his office as quickly as I can. What just happened? Or rather, what just didn't happen? That must have been a sign that I'm being stupid and it would be career suicide to get involved with my boss.

CPOV

"Jesus Christ, Elliot. Don't you knock?"

"Hey. Andrea said you were free and I didn't expect to find you about to suck face with some intern."

I glare at him, mostly because he caught us but also because of how he described Ana. "She's not an intern and it's none of your business."

"Dude. I may not be Mr. Genius Billionaire but I do know you don't fuck the staff."

"Shut up Elliot. I didn't fuck her. Why are you here?"

Elliot looks at me with sudden realization and smiles. "You actually like her don't you?"

"No...yes...I don't know." I run my hands through my hair in frustration. I really don't want to discuss this with my man-whore brother.

He sits himself down in the chair obviously not leaving. I sigh and sit down at my desk.

"Well?"

"Well what Elliot?"

"Come on. I walk in on you about to kiss this girl and she has you thrown for a loop. You have to tell me about her."

I look up at him knowing that he won't go anywhere until I tell him something. "Her name is Anastasia, OK?"

He has a complete shit eating grin on his face. "And how did you meet her? Did you hire her because she makes you feel strange things in your tummy and your pants tight?" I glare at him. I imagine he's acting this way because he's never seen me with a woman.

"Actually, no. I met her in London."

He looks up at me confused. "How did you meet her in London?"

"She fell into me and I caught her."

"So… how did she get here - working for you?"

"I didn't do this on purpose. I didn't think I'd ever see her again after London but it turns out she's an Editorial Assistant at the publishing company I just purchased." I try to sound nonchalant but my heart is still pounding from the encounter with Ana.

"No way! That crazy. But you know you can't get with her while she's your employee. It's all sorts of wrong."

"I know. I know. Nothing is going to happen. It's strictly professional."

He gives me his smirk. "If you say so. Want to do lunch? My one job finished early and I have some spare time."

"Sure. Let's go."