She Moves into a Shared Office Space, Clueless the CEO She Greets Each Morning Will Fall for Her
The CEO and the Shared Office
Penny Sullivan nearly dropped her coffee when she smacked straight into a broad chest that smelled like cedarwood and coffee beans.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” she blurted, looking up at the man she’d bumped into in the hallway of her new co-working space.
He blinked, then smiled.
“No harm done.”
Holy hell, he was gorgeous—tall, dark-haired, with a sharp jawline and a suit tailored like it was stitched to his skin. Penny felt her heart stutter embarrassingly.
“I’m Penny. Just moved into Suite 5A, the tiny one with the flickering light.”
“Simon Vale,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand. His grip was firm and warm. “Nice to meet you, Penny. Welcome.”
She had no idea she’d just shaken hands with the CEO of the building’s parent company. Penny had moved into the shared office space in Midtown Manhattan after finally launching her freelance design business.
Her budget was laughable, but the little corner office had natural light and the shared kitchen had free granola bars. It was a win.
Every morning she passed Simon in the hallway. Sometimes he was on his phone. Sometimes he just nodded and gave her a quiet morning greeting.
“Morning, Penny.”
She thought he might be another freelancer—maybe a lawyer or one of those financial advisers who always had multiple phones. She never imagined he was the one who owned the entire building.
“Morning, Penny,” Simon said again a week later, holding the elevator for her. She stepped in, clutching her laptop bag.
“Morning, Simon. Big day.”
He glanced sideways.
“Always.”
She laughed nervously, and he smiled again. Just like that, it became a routine of morning greetings, elevator rides, and passing smiles.
Penny didn’t think much of it. She was too busy trying to land new clients and keep her bank account from flatlining.
Simon, on the other hand, noticed everything. He noticed the way she bit her lip when she focused and the way she talked to the receptionist like they’d been friends forever.
He noticed the way she always picked the granola bar with almonds and left the others for everyone else. There was something about her that stuck.
He didn’t usually notice people like this. He couldn’t afford to; it distracted him. But Penny was different, and she didn’t try too hard.
She didn’t flirt. She didn’t even seem to know who he was, and that was exactly why he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
One afternoon, Penny was in the kitchen pouring herself lukewarm coffee when Simon walked in.
“Don’t drink that,” he said, moving toward the machine.
“Why not? It’s not poison, right?”
He chuckled.
“Barely counts as coffee. Let me fix that.”
Before she could say anything, he pulled out a key from his pocket and opened a side cabinet Penny hadn’t even noticed. Inside sat a sleek silver espresso machine that looked like it belonged in a luxury hotel.
“What the—are you hiding a secret coffee stash?”
“I am,” he said, already making her a drink. “Don’t tell anyone. I’ll lose my reputation.”
“Reputation for what exactly?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
He handed her the cup. Being low-maintenance, she took a sip and gasped.
“This is amazing. What is this, Italian coffee?”
