Page 259 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

‘I do mind. Is this about what happened in the office?’ There had been two mistakes there. At least he had the sense to stop himself before he kissed Celeste. She was his employee, and he could have kicked himself for his behaviour. The second mistake was almost going to her when she had walked back into his office. She kept testing his control. Enzo wouldnotpursue her, but it bothered him that she wasn’t being her honest self with him now. He wanted her to talk about it. At least then he would know whether she was just as affected as he was. He would have her deliberate honesty, not just her body’s reaction to him.

‘I don’t know what you are talking about, Mr De Luca.’

That got under his skin.

‘So we’re back to that? What happened to Enzo?’ He realised then that he liked her using his name, the natural way it fell from her lips. ‘In that case, Ms Park, I asked you a question.’

But she didn’t answer. He watched her watch him. As if he could see her mind at work, he knew instinctively she was looking for an excuse.

‘Well?’

‘Yes. It’s about that.’

Lie!

He had seen the way her eyes dipped to his mouth before she answered.

‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go together and blur the line of our professional relationship.’

Another lie.

They were stacking up now, and it grated on his nerves. He’d had enough of people lying to him, hiding things from him, deceiving him. The woman he had loved, his brother and now his mother.

It seemed like he was simply destined to keep learning that people weren’t trustworthy. Maybe it was something about him that made the people around him behave that way.

His response to Celeste—however ill-advised—was honest. The woman on the terrace was honest. The woman in his office who wanted to be kissed as much as he wanted to kiss her was honest. There was very little in the world as honest as the natural attraction that seemed to be building between them.

And even though their attraction was a terrible idea and an impossibility to act on, at least Enzo could trust it and acknowledge it while remaining committed to keeping the boundaries of the work relationship in place. Now Celeste reminded him why he shouldn’t trust her either. She was hiding things from him. Lying to him.

Enzo removed his hand from her laptop and sat back in his chair. ‘Don’t worry, Ms Park...’ He saw her lips press into a thin line. Clearly, she didn’t like it when he called her that. He was only returning the favour. ‘You have nothing to be concerned about. I only wish for you to attend as my PA.’ He noticed the frown on her face, but she said nothing, so he pushed on. ‘This is an event to rub shoulders with some of the most powerful people in the world. There are relationships to be forged. De Luca and Co. needs to be represented. That’s all you are there for. Nothing more.’ Which was the truth. Whether she realised it or not, Celeste was popular amongst his clients. Nearly every one of them had remarked on her efficiency, her intelligence. More than a few had approached him with offers to poach her with something in return for him, and he had turned them down every time. Taking her to the ball could benefit him and the company greatly.

She looked out the French doors, and he wondered what she was thinking now. He had to fold his arms across his chest to stop himself from snatching those glasses off her face and forcing her to look at him.

Her throat bobbed before she could respond again.

‘I have nothing to wear,’ she objected.

Of all her excuses so far, this one was the most insulting. To think that he would drop her in a sea of sharks without any preparation annoyed him more than it should.

After all, it was a reasonable thing to fret about. Except, of course, he would ensure that his date was properly attired.

He always had when it was Gia on his arm, and she revelled in the attention—in the fine silks and jewellery and his giant diamond on her finger. But then it was the diamond she’d wanted, not him. She’d made that perfectly clear.

Celeste was different, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t make the same effort for her. All these worthless excuses to get out of being in his company! Couldn’t she see that going together would be for her benefit as much as his? She was the best PA he’d ever had, and he wanted to reward that. He had already decided she would earn a significant performance bonus, and attending the ball should have been a treat. Enzo was also certain that if she dressed up and immersed herself in some glamour for a night, maybe she could find her confidence. Be that woman he had seen on the terrace. He was trying to help her.

‘I will take care of it. Any other concerns, Ms Park?’

Now he was taunting her, but he wanted a reaction. A peek behind the curtain. He wanted to crack through the wall she had erected. He wantedhisCeleste back.

Yours?

When had he started thinking of her as his? He didn’t hate the thought. She washisPA. But that wasn’t a good enough explanation for how this felt. He felt possessive over the pieces she had shown him.

And now that he was looking, really looking, she was showing him another.

‘I don’t want to go!’ she snapped.

‘Then, tell the truth,’ he nearly growled at her. ‘Be honest with me, and I might consider it.’