*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much. I apologize for the delay but as you can see this is a long chapter. Enjoy. I know I enjoyed writing it for you :)

Dean took me to his office after I had my meeting with Zoey so that he could show me around the office and introduce me to the people that he worked with or more like the people he managed. It is a nice work atmosphere and everyone seems to be nice despite how busy they were. "Journey," says Dean, "this is my secretary Thomas, Thomas this is my new personal assistant Journey."

Thomas extended his hand as he stood up to greet me politely. "It's nice to meet you," he says.

"Nice to meet you too," I say shaking his hand with a smile.

"Journey will be starting her new position after the weekend," says Dean. "You will go through her to schedule meetings and such," he informs him, "and then Journey will inform me of the meetings that are scheduled."

"Okay," he says with a soft smile. "I will make sure everything goes through Journey before it gets to you."

"Thank-you," says Dean with a smile. "Journey, let me show you my office."

"Okay," I say as I follow him to his office. He opens the door to an office that is walled with glass and carpeted with a beige carpet, outside his glass window he can overlook Manhattan and the buildings in the city. His desk sits near the glass window and is a mahogany polished brown with a black leather chair behind it. A flat screen computer sits on top of his desk along with a few files but no personal pictures sit on the desk. It's much like his apartment, nicely decorated but a lack of personal touch. He has no family pictures, no pictures of him with his friends and no pictures of a girlfriend which I now know he doesn't have. Three flat screen televisions are plastered onto the wall each playing videos of the stock market in different places. The glass walls turn an opaque color with the touch of a button on his desk. There is a leather couch along the wall, a mahogany coffee table matching his desk. He clearly has the biggest office in the building yet he is not alone on the floor.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asks as he walks over to the bar in his office.

"No thank-you," I say. "I'm all right."

"Okay," he says before he pours himself a drink. "What do you think?"

"It's different than anything I ever seen before," I say as I admire his office. "You have a beautiful view of Manhattan."

"I know," he says with a smile as he walks over to the window joining me. "It's hard to believe sometimes that I am where I am now. It took a lot of work to get here but I made it. Everyone used to say I would never make it here but here I am. There were times I didn't think I would get here."

"It's amazing isn't it?" I ask. "I always dreamed of having a great career and having a great life but life took me another direction," I say sadly.

"It's not too late for you to have all of this," he says. "I told you if you would like to get your GED and go to some college classes to get a degree I would help you do that."

"I couldn't ask you to do more for me than you've already done," I say. "Is that Central Park?" I ask.

"Yes," he says with a smile before taking a sip of his drink. "It's one of my favorite views."

"It's beautiful," I say with a smile.

"Earlier you were discussing your like for bad boys or how did you word it? Not exactly bad boys but a guy with a good heart but an inner bad boy?" he questions.

"Yeah," I say with a smile. "I would say I'm interested in those types of guys. I don't know if I'm ready for a relationship or to find that certain guy," I say, "I have to get my life together. I need a place of my own and I need my daughter back. It wouldn't hurt to have a job that isn't a personal assistant."

"I understand that," he says. "I'm sure one day you're going to make a man very lucky."

"Thank-you," I say with a smile as I feel my face turn a light shade of pink. "Although fate happens and the best relationships are the most unexpected ones," I say with a smile as I look at him and he looks back at me with a smile.

The moment we shared was short and interrupted by a knock on the door. It snaps both of us out of thought and Dean turns away and hits the button on his desk causing the opaque windows to turn to glass. He walks over to the door and opens it. "What are you doing here?" he asks the man standing at the door.

"I thought I would come to see this for myself," he says with a smile, "I heard that you came in for half a day. I never thought I would see the day you missed work."

"I had other priorities," he says as I look over his desk allowing him to have his time with the man that has made his way into his office.

"I'm sure," he says with a small laugh. "How can you beat out your competitors when you're tending to other priorities?" he asks.

"It was one day, Roman," he says. "It wasn't a big deal. Again, why are you here?"

"I heard you have a new personal assistant. I wanted to meet her."

"Is that all my office does is gossip?" he asks loud enough for everyone surrounding his office to hear but they all act as if they can't hear him so he makes his way out of the office. "For the record, I had other commitments to tend to this morning and yes I do have a new Personal Assistant her name is Journey. Are there any more questions you would like to ask? Or are there any more things you would like to gossip about? I would like to remind you that everything that happens in this office stays in this office if I find out you breathe another word to anyone outside this office you will be terminated, thank-you," he says before he comes back into his office slamming the door shut behind him. He is in full business mode, a side of him I have yet to see but there's something about his business side, his assertion and dominance that I find attractive.

"And who is this?" asks the man that Dean is talking to as he looks at me with one of those bad boy smiles. "I'm Roman," he introduces himself, "and you are?"

"Not interested," says Dean.

"You wound me," says Roman with a smirk. "So what's your name?"

"Journey," I answer softly.

"Journey," he says, "that's an interesting but beautiful name."

"Thank-you," I say with a soft smile.

"It's nice to meet you," he smiles.

"Nice to meet you too."

"So you are going to be working for Dean? I take it you're his new personal assistant?"

"Yes," I answer. "I am the new personal assistant."

"I must say Dean made an excellence choice," he says with a wink. "You're very beautiful, a beautiful woman with a beautiful name," he says making me blush. I can't say that he is unattractive because he isn't, but just not my type of guy. He's trying too hard. If he doesn't think I see that he's hitting on me then he's crazy or something.

"You're trying too hard," says Dean taking the words from my head. I start laughing as he looks at me with a questioning look.

"Nothing," I say with a smile as I bite my lip. "And thank-you for the compliments, Roman. I do appreciate them. I just hope I am the right person for the job and Dean didn't make a mistake in hiring me to be his assistant."

"I don't think he made a mistake," he smiles. "I think he made the right choice."

"Okay, Roman," says Dean. "Is there anything that you needed specifically or are you here to harass my new assistant?"

"I told you earlier why I was here; I wanted to check out what everyone was gossiping about."

"Don't you have your own business to run? Is mine that more important than yours that you had to drop everything you were doing to run over to my building to see if the rumors were true or not?" he asks amusingly.

"Well," says Roman as if he is at a loss for words and doesn't know how to respond to Dean's calling him out. "I think we all know who the most powerful business man is in the city let alone the entire world. The numbers show it."

"You wish," he says.

"So Journey," says Roman directing his attention back to me. "Excuse me if this seems bold but that's just the kind of guy I am," he says with a small chuckle that turns my insides.

"Yes?" I ask.

"I was hoping, well, wondering if you're not seeing anyone if you would be interested in going out sometime? You know maybe to get some dinner, watch a movie or whatever you would like to do. Would you be interested in going out with me sometime?" he asks with a hopeful smile.

"Well, um," I say, "you are really bold. I don't even know you like that."

"You don't know Dean and you're living with him," he mentions. "So how about that date?"

"Um," I say, "living with Dean is completely different in my eyes. And I'm not sure."

"Come on," he says, "I'm a good guy. You'll have fun. What do you say? Please?"

"I don't think so," I say. "I'm not interested sorry," I say.

"Okay," he says, "but if you ever change your mind here is my number," he says handing me a card with his number written on the back.

"I don't think I'm going to change my mind but thanks," I say.

"I hope to hear from you," he smiles. "As much fun as it has been I have to go back to my office to make sure everything is running smoothly. It has been a pleasure. Journey, I'll be waiting for your call."

"I wouldn't wait too long," I say, "have a good day." Dean walks him out of the office and they talk for a while before Dean returns back to the office as I am throwing Roman's card into the trashcan. I'm just not interested in him.

"I'm sorry about that," says Dean. "He can be a bit passionate about his wants sometimes."

"I noticed," I say with a small smile. "It's okay. I'm not worried about him."

"I could tell," he says with amusement. "You ready to go home now?"

"Don't you have to do some work?" I ask.

"I do but I can always work from home. It's not that big of a deal. When you're the boss you can do anything you want at your job."

"Okay," I say, "but I don't want to be a distraction for you, Dean. People are already talking apparently."

"People are going to talk it gives them something to do. Besides if they are that interested in our lives then they really need to get out more. Let's go home," he says before he grabs a few things from his desk to bring home with him.

"Okay," I say before we walk out of his office and then make our way back to his penthouse.

Dean spends the afternoon working in his home office while I do some work around the house, tidying things up even though his penthouse is pretty much spotless. It looks as if no one has lived here in years there is nothing out of place. Dean seems kind of particular so I'm not sure how he will do with Zoey living here with us because children are messy, toys are everywhere and a house doesn't stay clean for long. I don't want us to intrude on who he is and what he likes. Once I finish straightening up around the house I go into the kitchen to make us some dinner. I know he likes to order out a lot but I'm here and I want to cook for him. It's been a while since I cooked so I don't know how well I'll do but I'm going to try. I get into the fridge and pull out some chicken and then get into the cabinet and find some Alfredo sauce and luckily some pasta to make chicken alfredo. I get to work making dinner while listening to music. I dance to the music as I cook not paying attention to the world around me getting lost in my music and my cooking.

As I finish up my creation I set the table for us to eat at and get us out something to drink. I am putting the food onto the plates as he comes into the kitchen. "It smells good in here," he says with a smile as his body fills the doorway.

"I hope you don't mind, I wanted to make you dinner, make us dinner as a way to thank-you for everything."

"You don't have to thank me, Journey," he says with a smile as he walks into the kitchen. "I told you the only thing you really have to do and that's pay it all forward someday."

"Okay," I say with a smile. "I wasn't sure if you would like it but I hope you do," I say.

"I haven't had a home cooked meal in weeks," he says, "I'm sure everything is fine," he says.

"I hope so," I say as we take a seat at the dinner table. We begin to dig into our food and we each take a bite but it's nothing that I expected it to be. The pasta is hard and the sauce is chunky. The only thing that helps is the chicken other than that I didn't do a great job with dinner. I make a face and catch Dean making the same face as me. "You don't like it do you?"

"It's um," he says, "It's okay."

"You don't have to lie," I say with a smile, "it's not good. I think I over cooked the pasta. I'm sorry. I just wanted it to be perfect."

"You don't have to be perfect for me, Journey," he says. "I like you just the way you are and you don't have to try to be perfect for me to accept you. I accept you as you are."

"Really?" I ask.

"Really," he says, "so how about this, how about I discard this, put the dishes in the dishwasher and order us some pizza how does that sound?"

"Much better than this overcooked pasta," I say with a laugh.

"That laugh," he says with a smile before shaking his head as we stand up as he starts to clear the table.

"What?" I ask.

"It's just a beautiful sound, I haven't heard laughter in this penthouse ever. It's good to hear."

"I'm glad," I say with a smile as we start to clean up from dinner. Once everything is in the dishwasher he orders us a pizza and then goes into the living room to pull out a movie for us to watch together.

The pizza arrives and he says, "I hope that you like Hawaiian pizza because that's what I ordered."

"I love it," I say with a smile as I get us some paper plates. "I'm really sorry about dinner," I say as we take a seat on his leather couch.

"Don't apologize, it's okay," he says. "I can't cook either which is why I get take out a lot. We'll work on it together."

"Okay," I say as he opens the pizza box. He pulls out a slice of pizza for me and then one for him. "Thanks," I say with a smile.

"So you told Roman no earlier," he begins, "why?"

"He's just not my type of guy," I say. "I told you I have a very specific type and he doesn't seem like he's it."

"He's a little rough on the edges but he's a good guy."

"He seems like a player if you want my honest opinion. He didn't come to that office because everyone was gossiping. He came to that office to see me and see if I would give into his advances."

"You're the first woman that has ever caught onto his antics. That's pretty good."

"Oh so you knew he was coming to the office?"

"I didn't even know I was going to the office," he laughs. "He was probably right about the gossip part."

"I don't get the gossip though," I say, "what's the big deal?"

"You don't know me at all," he explains. "I had one assistant yesterday and another today and I went to the office with her. They aren't used to that. It was something new for them," he says.

"I see," I say as I take a bite of my pizza. "This is MUCH better than my chicken alfredo." We both laugh together and I love his laugh as much as he loves mine.

"So you're not interested in Roman at all?"

"Do you want me to be?" I ask.

"Of course not because you're right he is the player type of guy. He's not used to being rejected or hearing the word no very often. I'm sure it came as a shock to him."

"It's not that he's not attractive he's just too passionate as you say," I say making him laugh.

"That's true," he says with a smile.

"I'm sure he will bounce back quickly."

"Me too," he says.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You keep telling me how you came from nothing to get where you are today. What's your story? How did you become a millionaire?" I ask.

"I didn't exactly have the best life growing up. My mom left my sister and me behind when I was 3 and my sister was just a baby. I guess she didn't want to be a mother anymore so she packed her things up and left one day. It was just my father, my sister and me. My father was a drunk. He drank all day and all night. He sobered up long enough to go to some crap job that didn't pay hardly anything and would come home and get drunk again. I learned to take care of my sister Cassandra and myself when I was about 5 years old. My father registered me for school and school was my safe place because not only did my dad drink he was abusive. He was angry with my mom for leaving and he took it out on Cassandra and me. I learned to fear him at a young age and I always shielded Cassandra from his wrath. School was my getaway from all the chaos and hatred I had endured. I had teachers that cared about me and teachers that loved me. I took over the house, I took care of my sister while my father lost his job. We were nearly homeless living in and out of shelters, living in low income housing. It was one hell of a life. I nearly dropped out of school when I was 16 years old so I could get a job to help Cassandra have a better life because we lived in a neighborhood that wasn't so good and I wanted to get out of that, get her out of that life. It was too late because when Cassandra was 14 years old after years of living with an abusive father, watching him drink day in and day out she felt she didn't deserve any better of a life. She fell into a bad crowd, got involved with some guy that was in a gang and did drugs. Being the child of an addict trying that alcohol or those drugs you're more than likely to become an addict yourself. She went out one night with this guy. I warned her about him because he was from my school, I knew all about him. I knew the things he was into and the things he did but she didn't listen to me. She went out with him and I didn't stop her. She never came back," he says with tears in his eyes. "She never came back. She died that night because his gang got into a war with another gang and she was shot in the crossfire. She died at 14 years old. She had so much life to live and had a lot of chances before her but she was taken that night. She was my best friend and I blamed myself I should have fought harder to keep her home. I should have did whatever it took to keep her home and I wasn't there to protect her. I was going to drop out of school, I stopped going to school after her death but I had this one teacher, a math teacher. I will never forget him. Mr. Thomas. He was the best man and best teacher I have ever met. When I stopped going to school he came to my house and found me. I was in a bad way, drunk trying to forget the loss of my sister. Whatever I could do to get rid of knowing of her loss, I didn't want anything to do with school but he told me I was better than that. That I was better than becoming like my father. I could have become an alcoholic, an abusive husband, father whatever but because of Mr. Thomas I didn't. He offered me a place to stay and every night he helped me with my school work. He believed in me. He took care of me and made sure I did right by him and not only for him but for myself. He became a father to me," he says as I put my pizza down and take his from him. I take his hand into mine as he continues his story as he has tears in his eyes. "He didn't let me give up. He wouldn't let me give up because he saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself. He pushed me to do my best. Before I didn't give a rat's ass about school, I didn't care. I was failing pretty much but my junior year and my senior year I kicked ass because of him. I went from the bottom of my class to the top of my class in two years. He didn't want to see me give up and he told me the best thing I could do for Cassandra was to make something of myself. And so I did. I graduated with honors and while I wasn't valedictorian I ranked number 9 in my class which is pretty damn good from the bottom of the class. I got into a great college one I never thought I would be able to get into hell before Mr. Thomas I never thought I would go to college but I did and I got my degree in business and here I am today. I owe everything to Mr. Thomas. I graduated college with a 4.0 and made the Dean's list. I started off as an intern and I made my way to the top in the last few years and I built my empire. I tried to give Mr. Thomas money for everything he's done for me and pay him back for putting me through college and allowing me to stay at his house. He wouldn't accept it. He said his reward was seeing me succeed and becoming the man he always knew I would be and he made me promise him that one day I would help someone like he helped me and I promised him I would do that. And that's what I am doing. Mr. Thomas or Dad as I call him gave me a life when I didn't think I had one and he believed in me. That meant more to me than anything. That's why I have all these charities to help underprivileged kids, shelters for battered women, homeless shelters and so much more because I want to give back. I have been there. I know what that life is like. I never judge and while I have the money I want to use it for good. I just hope that Cassandra is proud of me and that she is looking down smiling on me for being someone other than our father. I wish she was here but if she had never died as morbid as it sounds I wouldn't be where I am today. Things happen for a reason and it took me a while to understand and while it killed me it gave me a new life to do something for me, for her and to be who I am today. I just hope she's proud of me for where I am today."

I look at him and wipe away the tear falling from his eyes. His story breaks my heart but I see how rough he used to have it. If fate had taken a different road he wouldn't be sitting across from me right now, the great man that I believe and know he is. "I'm sure she's very proud of you, Dean. Do you still talk to Mr. Thomas?"

"Every day," he says with a nod. "He's like my dad. He lives out in Ohio but I try to go back to visit him as much as I can. He's a great man."

"He sounds like," I say with a smile, "just like you," I say with a smile as our eyes meet. The burning intensity between us like a magnetic pull, pulling us closer and before I can stop myself my lips are on his, kissing him. He doesn't pull away but pulls me closer as he kisses me back. I cup his cheek as we share the passionate kiss on his couch, his arm wrapped around my waist, holding me as he shares his deep kiss and for the first time in my life I feel what true passion feels like and to be kissed by a man that is impassioned. "Wow," I say as we break the kiss, breathless.

"Kiss me again," he says and I don't deny his command and kiss him again.

*A/N: What did you think of Journey and Roman's interaction? What did you think of Roman asking her out on a date? Were you surprised she said no, was Roman surprised she said no? What did you think of Journey wanting to cook her and Dean dinner? What about how it turned out? Is Dean a different person inside and outside of work? What did you think of Dean's story to how he got where he is? Do you think if it weren't for his sister's death he would be who he is? What was it that attracted Journey to Dean after his story? Were you surprised she kissed him, were you surprised he kissed her back? And what do you think of the kiss they shared? What do you think happens now? Please review and thank-you for reading.