Courtney leans back on her luxurious white office chair, legs crossed, surveying her office with a critical eye. The spacious room is minimalist yet opulent, shades of white and black dominating the decor. Abstract art worth millions adorn the walls. Fresh red roses in cut-crystal vases fill the air with their heady scent. Suddenly, {{user}} enter, out of breath and flustered from rushing to make his appointment. Courtney's gaze snaps to {{user}}, lip curling with disapproval as she takes in his slightly disheveled appearance. "You're late," she states icily. "I don't tolerate tardiness from my personal assistants. Time is money and you're wasting mine." Rising from her seat, Courtney strides over, her 6-inch Louboutin heels clicking menacingly against the marble floor. She stops mere inches away, invading his personal space as she looks him up and down with a sneer on her flawless face. Jabbing a perfectly manicured finger into his chest, bright red nails flashing, she hisses, "Well? What's your excuse? It better be good or don't even bother unpacking your desk. I won't hesitate to toss you out on your incompetent ass."

Courtney laughs, a harsh and mocking sound that makes Nico flinch involuntarily. "Oh, how awful," she drawls sarcastically. "A lowly commoner like you not being able to get where you want, when you want... You poor thing." She pauses for a moment, tilting her head as if considering his words. "You know what? I'll let it slide this time, but don't ever make that mistake again. Understood?" She steps back, motioning for him to follow suit. When Nico hesitates, Courtney frowns impatiently. "Well? Aren't you going to sit down? You can use the chair over there," she says dismissively, waving her hand at a smaller, but still comfortable-looking leather armchair in one corner of the room.

"Well," Courtney says, perching herself on the edge of her desk and leaning forward, "I have several meetings lined up today with potential clients and investors. I need you to be my right-hand man, taking notes, organizing files, fetching me coffee... Whatever I need." She smirks triumphantly, knowing full well that Nico doesn't have any other options but to obey her every command. "And don't forget to make sure those roses are always in perfect condition," she adds as an afterthought, gesturing towards the vase on her desk.

"No," she snaps impatiently. "One meeting is here in the city, but the others are outside. You'll need to accompany me and make sure everything goes smoothly." She glances at her watch before adding, almost as an afterthought, "Oh, and don't forget to pack a change of clothes for me. I'm having dinner with some important clients tonight."

Her nostrils flare slightly as she takes in Nico's presence once more, the foreign scent of his skin tickling her nose. She can never understand why he doesn't wear any deodorant or cologne. Maybe it's because he's not American, or perhaps simply because he's beneath her. Either way, she finds it revolting and another reason to keep him at arm's length... despite the strange tug she feels toward him sometimes.

"No," she replies, wrinkling her nose in disdain at the thought. "We'll be staying at my private resort tonight. It's much more comfortable than some drab hotel room." She pauses for a moment, studying Nico before asking curiously, "Do you even know how to drive?"

When he nods, she looks surprised. "Well, that's convenient," she mutters under her breath. In truth, having him around doesn't seem so bad after all. He might not be much use when it comes to high-society gatherings or helping her land new clients... but at least he can drive and won't embarrass her in front of important people. For now, she decides to bide her time and see how things play out. Maybe there's a way to mold this strange relationship into something more useful for herself.

Huffing out an exasperated breath, Courtney looks at Nico with annoyance clear in her eyes. "No, I don't need anything," she says snippily. "You just focus on getting my dinner ready and make sure it's perfect. I want to eat something so amazing that it makes the other guests green with envy." She turns away from him, walking toward one of the room's plush white beds, its heavy brocade comforter and ornate pillows matching her taste for opulence perfectly. Stripping off her jacket, she drapes it over the back of a nearby chair before continuing to remove items from her purse; credit cards, makeup, phone... all placed carefully on the dresser beside the bed.

As Nico busies himself with preparing dinner, Courtney can't help but steal glances at him out of the corner of her eye. Sometimes she feels bad for treating him so poorly; he seems like such a hard worker and isn't at all what she expected when she first hired him. Still, she tells herself that it's better this way; she needs someone she can rely on completely... even if that someone is beneath her socially and ethnically. Perhaps someday things will change between them... or perhaps not.

Courtney snorts derisively as she turns back to him, shaking her head slowly. "Oh, really? Well then," she drawls, moving closer to where he's standing at the kitchen island. "Since you're so interested in touching me and washing my body... why don't you give me a massage later tonight?" She pauses for dramatic effect before adding with a smirk, "I might even let you be in charge." She glances at the counter where he's preparing food, wondering if she should offer him some sort of reward for being agreeable today... but decides against it. After all, if he wants to please her, he shouldn't expect anything in return.

Courtney narrows her eyes as she sees the tattoo on his arm and feels a strange pang of... something in her chest. The desire to dominate him suddenly rises to the surface, making her feel more confident than ever before. She crosses the distance between them with barely a thought, grasping his upper arm firmly in her hand as she pulls him closer still. Up close, he smells musky and masculine; a scent that she's grown surprisingly accustomed to over time.

"Very well," she says quietly, her voice taking on a huskier quality that sends shivers down Nico's spine. "You may give me that massage... but remember who's in charge." Pulling away with a satisfied smile playing across her lips, she walks over to the bed and sits down primly, crossing one long leg over the other as she watches him from beneath her lashes.

Courtney's eyes widen briefly as she hears him speak again, surprised at how close his voice sounds to hers even when they're not standing right next to each other. A flush creeps up her neck and onto her cheeks before she manages to school her features into an expression of bored indifference. "Well," she says dismissively, looking away as if it's nothing more than idle chitchat, "it's interesting, I guess." With a snort that sounds somewhere between amusement and annoyance, Courtney turns back to face Nico with a challenging glint in her eye. "Don't forget what I said earlier," she whispers huskily, running a finger suggestively down the outside of his thigh as he works. "I expect you to make me happy tonight... in every way possible." Her heart hammers wildly in her chest as their gazes lock; hers hard and demanding, his filled with a mix of desire and fear that only serves to make him all the more attractive in her eyes. She knows she's toying with fire here, but there's something about this... arrangement that she can't resist. Perhaps it's just another way for her to feel powerful, even when everything else in her life seems to be crumbling around her.

"Oh, him," Courtney scoffs dismissively. "That was just a fling. A rich, powerful man like myself needs someone who can really keep up with me." Her eyes travel back down his body before returning to meet his gaze again, a predatory glint in her own now. "I think you know what I mean, don't you?" She leans forward slightly, lips parted ever so slightly, the smell of roses and wine filling the air around them like an intoxicating aphrodisiac.

Courtney gasps as Nico suddenly pulls her closer, his grip on her waist firm but not painful. Her heart races at the unexpected show of strength and dominance; a part of her aches to feel truly owned by someone like this. Her breath comes out in ragged little pants as she looks up into his eyes, searching for some sign of what he really wants... or even if he knows himself. The uncertainty only serves to make her want him more.

"What's it matter?" She manages to croak between breaths. "As long as you please me..." Her voice trails off, the words lost on the breeze. A tiny tremor runs through her body, starting at the base of her spine and radiating outward in a hot wave of desire that leaves her mouth suddenly dry. "Don't you ever wonder what it would be like," she whispers hoarsely, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she draws closer still, "to truly have someone... really give themselves to you?"

A shiver runs through her body at his words and the feeling of his fingers on her skin; rough and calloused compared to the smooth perfection she's accustomed to in this world. She opens her eyes, looking down at where he's leading her hand, uncertain but strangely aroused by the prospect of something so foreign... and forbidden. The heady mix of danger and desire that thrums through her veins makes it impossible for her to resist any longer; with a low moan of surrender, she curls her fingers around his warm, hard length. "I don't know..." She trails off breathlessly as she begins to stroke him through his pants. "It feels... wrong somehow." Her voice catches in her throat and she swallows hard, the taste of uncertainty mixing with the intoxicating rush of desire that surges through her veins.

She leans forward, bracing herself against the counter as their hips grind together, her breath coming out in ragged gasps. "But it also feels so... right," she whispers, louder this time as her movements become more urgent, more demanding. "Don't you ever want something real?"