Asuriel watched Vaerion send off the three investors as if nothing had happened, a vexed frown on her face. The moment he closed the door behind them, she spoke.
"Take me home," Asuriel demanded.
Vaerion turned to her and rolled his eyes. "Do your ears work? Like I told those guys when we arrived, I have another meeting scheduled in a few minutes."
Asuriel pursed her lips and met his gaze, holding it confidently. "So, what then? You're going to keep me here, in my underwear, until your next meeting is over? Who has meetings at seven in the evening, anyway?"
"If you're upset about being naked, next time you decide to summon a devil, wear clothes," he spat. "It's hardly my fault. And yes, you'll sit there exactly as you are, quiet as a mouse, until the next executives leave."
She sighed. "So, you're the CEO of Emberlight Holdings?"
"Yeah."
Asuriel scoffed. "Of course, a powerful businessman is a devil. How… appropriate."
"Business isn't for the faint of heart," Vaerion shrugged.
"Since you're a CEO, aren't you worried about… like, your reputation or something?" Asuriel crossed her arms over her chest, his suit jacket shifting with the movement. "I can't imagine bringing a woman in lingerie to important meetings looks very good on you."
"An amazing deduction," he walked back to his desk and turned the chair so she could face him. "You're right. It doesn't look good. Now, the world will know I bring a mistress to work with me."
"Shouldn't I at least pretend to be your secretary? Wouldn't that be better?" Asuriel wondered aloud.
"Maybe, if time hadn't been of the essence and you were actually wearing clothes," Vaerion retorted. "However, fate isn't so kind, and I had to bring you as you were. So, you and I will both suffer the consequences."
As if on cue, a knock on the door halted their conversation.
"Boss, the stockholding representatives are all present, waiting in meeting room four," a voice announced from the other side.
"Tell them I'll be there shortly," Vaerion ordered.
"Yes, sir."
Vaerion turned to Asuriel again, his golden eyes examining her with interest, as if it were the first time he was actually looking at her. He shamelessly looked at her body with a contemplative expression.
Asuriel shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. She watched as his gaze moved from her face to her chest.
Asuriel was far from being skinny; she was a little on the plumper side, with full thighs, a bit of a tummy, and bigger-than-average breasts. She had never been self-conscious; in fact, she was confident in her appearance – and plenty of others enjoyed the view of her as well.
However, she hadn't expected a devil to check her out while she was in her underwear. Infernal creatures were known for their inhuman attractiveness, so they weren't as inclined to mate with humans – so half-breeds were incredibly rare.
She had assumed that he wouldn't be interested in her, but that didn't appear to be the case. Asuriel had witnessed many lustful gazes, and Vaerion's was no different.
Not that she was complaining, of course. One would have to be blind not to see how dashing and seductive Vaerion was. It was an ego boost, for sure.
His eyes lingered for a while, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Your tits are distracting," he stated after several long moments of silence. "It'll be a problem."
"Distracting for who, Jae?" Asuriel asked incredulously, even though she already knew the answer. "No one can see them if I keep snug in your suit jacket."
"That's not my name." Vaerion corrected, then raised an eyebrow as if she were asking the dumbest question ever. He elaborated, "Distracting for me. I'll be able to see them since you'll be next to me."
Asuriel blinked a few times, stunned by his honesty. "Sorry, what? You'll admit that to me? Just like that?"
"Why not?" he asked. "You're far from unattractive, isn't it natural? I hadn't noticed until now; I was in a hurry and didn't get the chance."
"You've seen me plenty of times before; you come to the Lounge almost daily," Asuriel laughed. "I make your drinks every time."
"Sure, I've seen you and knew you were hot, but I've never gotten the chance to give you a proper… look up close," he answered, then added deviously, "and not without clothes."
She hesitated. His confidence threw her off, and she had no idea how to respond. She thought Rowan was flirtatious, but this was an entirely different beast.
"I'll let you wear one of my spare shirts," he added thoughtfully. Vaerion went to a cabinet in the corner of his office and grabbed himself a new, not-burnt jacket. Then, he pulled out a white button-up, which he tossed into her lap. "Quickly, or we'll be late."
Asuriel obeyed, sliding his jacket off and slipping the shirt on. He watched her do it, completely unabashed. She wasn't embarrassed or angry at that point, just amused… and a little excited.
Who wouldn't be when a sexy, rich devil was eyeing them up?
The red of her bra was still visible through the shirt, but it was good enough. Vaerion nodded with acknowledgment, then helped her stand from the chair.
'What a ridiculous situation,' she thought bemusedly.
"Come," he commanded, though his voice was softer than before. Vaerion grabbed her wrist firmly but without force and led her to the door. "Behave."
Vaerion snaked his arm around her waist, resting his hand on her hip. Asuriel sucked in a breath; his fingers were close enough to her new markings that she felt them heat up slightly.
He opened the door and stepped out, leading her along with him. Two men stood outside, waiting for him; Asuriel assumed they were his assistants, given their patience and dutiful mannerisms.
Both men were stunned when they saw Asuriel and looked at their boss in question. Vaerion, however, gave them a fierce glare in response. They shrunk back against his gaze, schooling their expressions and walking behind Vaerion and Asuriel at a safe distance.
It only took a few minutes to arrive at the meeting room, and Asuriel's eyes became full moons as soon as she saw how many people were inside. There were more than a dozen!
She looked up to Vaerion frantically, hoping that he would change his mind – but he just smirked and swaggered into the room with her in his arm.
All eyes were on them. Asuriel could hear their shocked murmurs.
'Did he bring his mistress?' one whispered.
'I didn't sign up for this shit today,' complained another.
'Does he always bring his pets to work?' asked an older man, an amused smirk on his face.
"You are all ten minutes early," Vaerion announced, his voice low and intimidating. All whispers stopped at once. "Impressive."
Vaerion strode to the end of the table, where a large chair was positioned. He sat down and pulled Asuriel into his lap; she had no time to be surprised, and the motion felt so natural that it didn't bother her.
"Begin."
"Uh, yes, sir," said the poor young man in charge of the presentation.
Asuriel immediately tuned out the talking, utterly uninterested in Emberlight Holdings' business ventures. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else for her to do while imprisoned in Vaerion's arms. He kept her securely in his lap, with no room for negotiation.