COMMAND

Two

Dive into your power. Reach out and grab it.

Wednesday's mantra circulated my head when I entered the mirrored glass skyscraper, leaving behind the street noises to step into the peaceful quietness of the building. My heels clicked across the marble of the massive lobby as I crossed over to the security desk to slid my ID, and accepting my visitors' badge, I headed for the elevator.

My back hit the wall as I read the numbers go up, clutching the file I was carrying in my damp hands. It was only nine in the morning, and Robert had called me fifty times to remind me to charm them and not to give them any reason to turn our company down. Hanna volunteered to come along with me, but he had declined, stating that she would only be a distraction. As if I wasn't professional. Either way, I could not wait to make it out of here in one piece.

I stepped out of the fifteenth floor and was greeted by the glass entrance of Mogue, the company's name emblazoned in a large gold font across the double doors, which was buzzing around with people either waiting in the reception area or were casually walking in and out of the double doors. I buzzed through security doors and checked in with the receptionist, who told me the woman I was going to meet, Sabrina Young, would be with me shortly. She was running late.

Stepping away, I lowered myself into a cream chair and crossed my legs. Today, I was wearing a grey suit with pants. It wasn't what anyone would call sexy, but it made me look and feel powerful like I could indeed reach out and grab anything that I liked. Taking a deep breath, I took in a whiff of different perfumes that mixed together, oddly giving a nice smell.

Someone came and asked me if I needed anything. I declined, but she still came back with a bottle of water in case I was going to be waiting for a while. I liked the company's hospitality, and it made me relax a bit. I had nothing to worry about.

The sound of the elevator opening darted my eyes to it, and I found myself choking when four men stepped out of it. I took a moment to breathe and attempted to steady myself when the men hovered around the elevator, pausing to converse. I could not believe Hanna had lied straight to my face. My knees swayed despite being seated. Sweat beaded on my brow. It was like he was a trigger, and emotion overwhelmed me, and the funny thing was, it shouldn't have. There was nothing to be nervous about. We didn't know each other. But this was the first time I was seeing him other than in a magazine or tv. It was overwhelming.

Rogue Slade looked devastatingly handsome in a dark gray three-piece suit, the perfectly tailored suit that hugged and fit every curve in his body. His head turned, and our gazes accidentally smashed together. My breathing stopped. I couldn't look away. He didn't look away. His face was rugged with scruff, but his hair was short and a little curly, giving him a polished look.

He was still standing, dark, fierce, and gorgeous, looking at me like nothing else existed around us. He wasn't paying attention to what the other men were saying. His dark gaze burned right through me with a kind of enforced restraint. It imprinted me. I wanted to look away. God, I really did. A lump got stuck in my throat. My hand went to touch my neck, surprised to find a little bead of sweat there. The smallest furrow appeared between his dark brows as Rogue continued to gaze at me in inscrutable silence.

I crossed my legs, tightening them to stop the tingles I was feeling. If he caught that, it would explain why his eyes transmitted a warning I received loud and clear. Stay away from me. My brows arched. I couldn't stop them.

Rogue's tongue came out and swiped over his bottom lip. It was such a simple, mindless gesture, but it was so sexy I groaned out loud. Then I panicked because I was sure he must have heard it. In my head, he did. In reality, he wouldn't have. There were a lot of murmurs in the air that it was impossible to pick up my groan. I rushed to stand up, looking away from him. With weak legs, I managed to reach the receptionist without falling and asked for the direction of the restroom.