A Woman Fainted in the Lobby, Never Expecting the CEO Who Assisted Her Would End Up Falling for Her
The Unlikely Encounter
Frankie Naland’s knees buckled in the middle of the marble lobby. Her vision was swimming as the world tilted sideways. The last thing she remembered was the cold floor rushing up to meet her face, and then nothing.
When she came to, her head was cradled gently in the crook of a man’s arm. The scent of expensive cologne and something warm like cedarwood and confidence filled her lungs.
“Hey, hey, stay with me. Can you hear me?”
His voice was low, steady, and oddly calming, even though her heart was pounding with confusion and embarrassment. Frankie blinked up at him, trying to focus.
Dark blue eyes stared back at her, framed by thick lashes and a jawline sharp enough to cut diamonds. His navy suit was flawless, his tie loosened just slightly as if he’d rushed to her side.
She didn’t know who he was, but he looked like he belonged in a boardroom, not kneeling on the ground beside her.
“I… I’m okay,” she whispered, trying to sit up.
“No, you’re not,” he said, not unkindly. “You fainted. Don’t move yet. Someone’s bringing water.”
“I’m fine, really,” she insisted, cheeks burning.
The lobby of Zeer Enterprises was spinning slightly, and she felt like a complete idiot. She had come to drop off her resume—one last desperate attempt before giving up and going back to her hometown. Instead, she’d collapsed like a damsel in distress.
“Name?” the man asked gently.
“Frankie?”
“Frankie Nalin?”
“Well, Frankie Nalin,” he said, his lips twitching just slightly. “I’m Felix Zeer.”
Her eyes widened.
“Wait, Zeer as in…”
He gave a small nod.
“CEO?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh god, kill her now.”
She tried to scramble to her feet.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to. This is so embarrassing. I swear I’m not usually this dramatic. I just haven’t—”
“You haven’t eaten,” he interrupted, standing smoothly and offering her his hand. “Or slept, I’d guess. Your pulse is racing.”
She hesitated, then took his hand. It was warm, strong, and steadying.
“For the record,” he added, “you’re not the first person who’s fainted in this lobby, though most of them were interns after a thirty-hour shift.”
Frankie let out a weak laugh.
“I’m not even an intern. I just came to drop off a resume—not that I imagine anyone wants to hire the girl who face-planted on the tile.”
Felix studied her for a second.
“Come with me.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you’re about to pass out again if you don’t eat something. And I don’t let people collapse in my building twice in one day. Come on.”
He didn’t wait for her answer; he just led her toward the elevators. Frankie, too stunned to argue, let herself be guided. The other assistants at the front desk stared as the CEO himself escorted her like she was royalty.
The elevator doors closed, and she finally found her voice.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I know,” Felix said simply.
The elevator opened directly onto a sleek office that looked more like a luxury penthouse. Floor-to-ceiling windows, leather furniture, a fully stocked bar, and a massive desk screamed power.
Felix didn’t take her to the desk. He led her to a small dining table by the window, then picked up the phone.
“Send up two plates of the salmon and a bottle of Pellegrino. Now.”
She stared at him.
“You don’t even know me.”
“You fainted in my lobby. That makes you my responsibility—at least until you can walk in a straight line.”
“You’re really nice for a CEO.”
Felix gave her a look.
“You’ve met many?”
“No,” she admitted. “Just always imagined them as cold, distant. You know, rich-guy-in-a-tower type.”
“I am rich, and this is technically a tower,” he said, pouring her the sparkling water when it arrived. “But I’m not distant.”
She frowned.
“Why are you actually doing this?”
He paused.
“Because something about you makes me want to.”
