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He really is devilishly handsome. His suit is on point, as I expect, a well-fitting gray that makes him look approachable but still powerful. His patterned blue tie is knotted perfectly at the neck, and it definitely gives him sexy boss vibes. Swallowing down the emotions brewing, and the desire that’s instantly ignited by his presence, I greet him professionally but warmly.
“Good morning, Mr. Sharpe.”
“Miss Hill, how are things going this morning?”
“Very well,” I answer, feeling like there’s more to the question than there should be. “I met Juliana, who walked me through onboarding, which is what I’ve been working on. If I maintain my pace, I should be finished in about thirty minutes. I thought I could check in on the Chicago commodities market? Unless there’s something else?”
Business only. Nothing weird or personal or intimate happening here.
Other than the CEO of the company stopping by my desk on my first day. And the tension cracking between us as he grins at my desperate attempt to give a concise report of the last two hours of my morning. And my heart racing when he offers me an asymmetrical smile.
“That’s fine,” Dylan says. “Tell you what, do some starter trading for me and we’ll see how you do. What do you say we start you with… a million dollars?”
I gawk, nearly choking on my tongue. “Mr. Sharpe, I know that this firm controls a lot and it’s numbers on a screen, but… are you sure?”
Dylan stares at me, his eyes warm but hard.
This is a challenge, a test.
“I am. That nervousness shows me you understand the weight of your responsibilities. Too many new hires come into the business thinking that they’re just doing a big boy version of fantasy stock market trading. To them, it’s like playing online poker for free, or fantasy football.”
“This isn’t a nickel ante game, though,” I point out, and Dylan nods.
I understand, and that’s part of the test. On one hand, this is just like playing around on the fantasy markets. The goal is to get ‘points’. And I need to relax in order to make the most points. On the other hand, these points are real dollars. There are consequences for fucking around. This million dollars could mean multiple people’s life savings. I could help them retire early or put them into an early grave with losses.
This is the exact reason I want to be in this business. I want to make a meaningful difference for people who put their hard-earned dollars in my hands. One steadying breath in, and I wipe my palms on my skirt.
“Okay, I’ll do my best,” I tell him.
Dylan steps back, giving me an evaluating look. “Good. I expect nothing less. How about you stop by my office at the end of the day, then? Say, six o'clock. I would like an update on your gains and losses.”
His professional tone never changes. If anyone overheard him, they wouldn’t think an inappropriate thing about it. But I see the fire in his eyes and can see the smirk pulling at his lips. And I definitely don’t miss the way his gaze scans my face, lingering on my lips when I lick them, suddenly feeling very dry in some places and very wet in others.
Six o’clock will likely be after most people have left, but it could still be seen as a professional meeting. But I don’t think it will be.
My heart rampages in my chest, and it has nothing to do with the million dollars he’s letting me play with. I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist him if he wants more. I don’t know if I want to resist him.
“Yes, sir. Six o’clock. I’ll have the figures for you,” I agree. “Thank you,” I say, touching the corner of thebox of chocolate, so he knows I’m thanking him for the opportunity, the trust, as well as the gift.
“Till then,” Dylan says before leaving me to get back to work.
I finish up my onboarding, and as soon as I do, my system reboots. When it comes up this time, I’ve got a full, real-time connection to multiple markets, and under my unique account identifier, I see the figure. $1,000,000.
A million dollars.
It’s madness. It’s too much. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of.
Swallowing thickly, I pull up the Chicago commodities market and get to work. Luckily, I’ve kept my finger on the pulse of the market even when it was just ‘fantasy stock trading’, and I have some personal investments already in place, but this is different in more than mere scale.
Clicking through options, I look for what I want—stable for most, but some risks. Not too risky, though. I’ve never liked to gamble, really, which some might consider odd, given what I want to do. But this isn’t gambling if you know what you’re doing, or it shouldn’t be. It should be about using research, experience, and knowledge more than your gut instincts or hopeful hunches.
And though I work hard, my gaze keeps flicking to the clock… counting down the hours until I’m in Mr. Sharpe’s office.
CHAPTER 14
DYLAN
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to head home,” Juliana says as she closes the cover on her tablet. She’s one of the few members of the firm who’ve been around since day one of this business. She was the second person I ever hired, and unlike the first, I’m grateful I hired her when I did.
