Stranded for Christmas with my Boss (Forbidden Billionaire Boss Daddies)

9. Alyssa

Chapter nine

Alyssa

J ensen Riley has a heart.

I never thought I would say those words.

I press my teeth into my bottom lip to stop the smile that keeps trying to fight its way onto my face. Before the school incident, I thought he was just another rich narcissist, but that’s obviously not the case.

The way he acted with his nephew…it honestly made me feel a little warm and fuzzy inside. There’s just something about seeing tough guys with kids and how it totally changes their whole demeanor.

He wasn’t the hard ass boss giving demands.

He was the uncle asking his nephew what he wanted for Christmas. The uncle carrying his nephew on his shoulders just to make him laugh instead of cry.

That’s a side of Jensen that I never thought existed.

Now, I haven’t forgotten the grumpy side of him that gets on my nerves, but that day showed me that there is more to him than he lets on.

“When you’re done with your surveys, just hand them off to me, and Alyssa will give you your thank you gifts out in the hallway,” Maya announces as we stand in a meeting room with a conference table full of app testers.

We have a few new app features that need to be tested before being committed to the official launch, and people are more than willing to spend some time fiddling around with an app if they get rewarded for it. We snagged a few couples and a few single people to test the features and then write down their honest opinions on a survey sheet.

Hopefully, the feedback is mostly positive. I heard quite a bit of laughing, so I’m pretty sure our new message reaction stickers are a hit.

“I’ll send a copy of the survey responses to your email. I’m sure Jensen will ask for them,” Maya tells me in a low voice while the participants write down their responses on sheets of paper.

“He loves knowing everything about everything when it comes to his company,” I reply, sharing an amused smile with Maya.

That isn’t even a shot at him. Whether they like him or not, everyone has to give Jensen credit for how hard he works. Not that Austin doesn’t work hard, but Jensen is the main face of the company. If something bad happens, he’ll take the brunt of the damage, but he’s also largely responsible for the successes of the company.

“Let’s hope we’re giving him good news then,” Maya murmurs as people start finishing up and standing from their seats.

I nod in agreement before stepping out into the hallway to stand next to a small cart full of tiny gift bags. We’re giving them gift cards, Soul Flames stickers, and other goodies to thank them for their time and participation. I kind of wish I could take one home for myself.

Gradually, people start filing out of the room.

“Thank you. Have a good day. Stay warm,” I say as I hand out gift bags, smiling at each person and couple that strides out of the room.

Maya walks out with one of the single guys. “Last one, Alyssa. Thanks for your help.”

“Of course.” I smile at her before handing the last participant his gift bag, my eyes meeting light blue ones. “Thank you for participating.”

He smiles at me and nods as he adjusts his black bomber jacket over the white hoodie that he has on underneath. His hair is light brown and wavy, covering his ears and going down to his jaw. “Are you on the app?”

His question catches me off guard, making me laugh. “Me? Oh, no.”

“Taken?” He lifts an eyebrow at me, maintaining his charming smile.

“No, I guess I just haven’t considered getting on the app,” I admit with a shrug and a polite smile. “Are you having any luck on it?”

“I can’t complain.” He shrugs as well before his expression turns sly. “I would have even better luck if girls like you were on there, though.”

Wow, he’s a flirt, isn’t he? I can’t help but laugh a little again, unsure of what to even say. Sure, I get flirted with every so often, but I’m not used to it at work.

Unless I’m trapped on an elevator with a certain someone.

“You should take more of our personality quizzes. Any information you give us about you will help us match you with more compatible people.”

He steps closer to me and rests his arm on the wall. “Or you could get to know me better over a drink.”

My face warms up a little from his blatant flirting. He’s a good-looking guy but dating probably isn’t for me right now. I’m way too focused on other things.

Granted, some of those things I shouldn’t be focused on.

But I don’t even get a chance to politely decline because heavy footsteps approach me from behind, making me turn to see Jensen heading my way with a stern look on his face. It seems different, though. Like there is fire in his eyes.

“There you are,” Jensen says as he stops right next to me, barely even allowing a few inches of space between us. “I need to see you in my office.”

My mouth gapes, no words tumbling out. I look like a fish out of water, and I can breathe just as well as one.

Jensen’s eyes dart over to the guy flirting with me. “I need to steal her away. The elevator is that way.”

I blink in shock at his tone. That guy is one of our consumers! Jensen can’t just dismiss them like they’re a bother.

But he already knows that. So, why doesn’t he care?

The guy is just as speechless as me, not even daring to speak back. He just turns and wanders down the hallway, leaving me alone with Jensen.

“Did I do something wrong?” I question Jensen.

“Office. Now.”

I stare up at him with big, confused eyes, seeing the tension in his jaw and his narrowed eyes. He means business. “Okay.”

Jensen steps back and nods in the direction of his office, motioning for me to go first. That makes me even more nervous. What the hell did I even do?

I’ve been good all week! I haven’t been late. I haven’t missed any assignments or meetings. I’ve let him send me all over the damn building and city to get things done.

There hasn’t been a single day when I faltered or gave him the slightest excuse to chastise me like he did in front of Austin.

So, what gives?

I walk into his office and stop in front of his desk, expecting him to sit down in front of me and dish out whatever complaints he has about my performance or whatever I did.

Instead, I hear the door shut and the lock click behind me.

I whip around, my heart racing as I watch his fingers drift away from the lock. If it wasn’t clear before why he brought me here all alone, it’s clear now. Heat blooms within my reactive body, while my mind races.

I should tell him to unlock the door and let me get back to work. I should put my foot down for myself and get a grip on these intense thoughts of desire that go around and around in my head.

But I don’t do any of those things.

I wait for him to show me how he truly feels.