Love

The glass elevator ascended the side of the Olympian Holdings headquarters, offering a dizzying view of the city skyline. Percy Jackson checked his watch, then looked down at the girl standing next to him. Annabeth was currently humming a pop song, her head tilted back as she watched the clouds. Her light brown boho knotless braids swayed gently with the motion of the elevator, the small gold beads at the ends catching the morning sun.

Percy reached out, his hand instinctively finding the small of her back. At twenty-one, Percy was the youngest Senior Vice President the company had ever seen. He was a prodigy, a man who could look at a complex acquisition strategy and find the loophole in seconds. With his curly blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, he looked more like a surf instructor than a corporate shark, but the intensity in his gaze told a different story.

"You okay, baby?" he asked, his voice softening. "I know the board meetings can be a drag, even if you’re just hanging out in my office."

Annabeth looked up at him, her brown eyes sparkling with that bubbly energy that always made his chest feel tight. She was five feet of pure sunshine, dressed today in a soft pink sundress that complemented her rich brown skin perfectly.

"I’m fine, Perce! I have my iPad, and I’m going to finish that design for the garden project," she said, leaning her head against his bicep. "Plus, your office chair is literally the most comfortable thing in the world. I might just take a nap."

Percy chuckled, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to her forehead. "I’ll make sure the AC is set exactly how you like it. And if anyone knocks, tell them to fuck off. Only my dad or my assistant are allowed in while I’m in the conference room."

The elevator chimed, the doors sliding open to the executive floor. As they walked toward Percy’s corner office, the staff scurried out of their way. Everyone knew the deal: where Percy went, Annabeth went. In the beginning, there had been whispers. People thought it was unprofessional. Even Poseidon, the CEO and Percy’s father, had initially tried to put his foot down.

But Percy had made it very clear: he was the best asset the company had. He brought in more revenue than the entire logistics department combined. If he wanted his girlfriend in his office while he worked, that was the price of his genius. Poseidon had eventually stopped fighting it, realizing that Percy wasn't just some lovestruck kid—he was a prodigy who simply functioned better when his muse was within arm's length.

They entered the office, a massive space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the harbor. Percy immediately went to his desk, but not to work. He opened the bottom drawer, which was exclusively filled with Annabeth’s favorite snacks.

"Okay, listen," Percy said, pulling out a bag of dried mangoes, some organic popcorn, and a chilled bottle of sparkling water. "I have to lock in for this meeting. It’s the merger with the Underworld Group, and Dad is going to be a hardass. I’ll be back in exactly two hours. If you need anything—literally anything—you call my personal line and I’ll walk out of that meeting. You hear me?"

Annabeth giggled, hopping up onto his mahogany desk and swinging her legs. "Percy, it’s a business meeting. You can’t just walk out because I want a latte."

Percy’s expression didn't flicker. He looked her dead in the eye, his thumb stroking her knee. "Watch me. I don’t give a shit about the merger if you’re bored or hungry. Get some snacks, watch your shows, and just relax, okay?"

"I'll be fine, I promise," she said, reaching out to straighten his tie. "Now go be a genius so we can go to that jewelry pop-up later. You promised."

Percy grinned, the shark-like intensity returning to his eyes. "I remember. Two hours, Annie. Not a minute more."

He grabbed his tablet, kissed her one last time—a deep, possessive kiss that left her slightly breathless—and walked out the door. The moment he stepped into the hallway, his posture changed. The doting boyfriend disappeared, replaced by the cold, calculating executive.

He pushed open the heavy oak doors of the boardroom. His father, Poseidon, was already at the head of the table, looking over a stack of contracts. The older man looked up, his eyes identical to Percy’s but weathered by decades of corporate warfare.

"You're late, Percy," Poseidon said, though there was no real heat in it.

"I was getting Annabeth settled," Percy replied simply, taking his seat and tossing his tablet onto the table. "Let’s get this shit over with. We’re overpaying on the third-quarter projections, and the interest rates on the Hades deal are predatory. I’ve already drafted a counter-proposal that cuts their commission by four percent."

Poseidon sighed, leaning back. He looked at his son—the blonde hair, the arrogant tilt of his head—and knew better than to argue about the girl. If Percy was delivering four percent more margin, he could bring a circus troupe into the office for all Poseidon cared.

"Fine. Let's see the numbers," Poseidon muttered.

***

Inside the office, Annabeth was having a grand old time. She had moved from the desk to the massive leather sofa, her legs tucked under her as she worked on her digital sketches. Percy’s office smelled like him—expensive cologne and a hint of the ocean. It was her favorite place to be.

About an hour into the meeting, there was a tentative knock on the door.

Annabeth looked up. "Come in?"

A young assistant poked her head in, looking nervous. "Hi, Miss Chase. I’m so sorry to disturb you. Mr. Jackson asked me to bring in this delivery?"

The girl walked in carrying a large shopping bag from a high-end French bakery. Annabeth’s eyes widened.

"He ordered more food?" Annabeth asked with a smile.

"He messaged from the boardroom ten minutes ago," the assistant explained, looking a bit dazed. "He said the meeting was going to run fifteen minutes over and he didn't want you to get 'cranky' because your blood sugar might drop."

Annabeth laughed, her heart melting. "That sounds like him. Thank you so much."

Once the assistant left, Annabeth opened the bag to find fresh macarons, a warm chocolate croissant, and a custom iced tea. There was a small note scribbled on a piece of Olympian Holdings stationery in Percy’s messy handwriting: *'Almost done. Dad is being a bitch about the clause. I love you. Eat your croissant.'*

She took a bite of the pastry, feeling incredibly spoiled. She knew people talked. She knew she was a "distraction" in the eyes of the corporate world, but she also knew that Percy didn't give a damn about the corporate world. He only cared about his world, and she was the center of it.

True to his word, the door swung open exactly two hours and fifteen minutes later. Percy walked in, looking slightly disheveled, his tie loosened and his top button undone. He looked exhausted until his eyes landed on her.

"Hey," he said, his voice dropping an octave. He walked straight to her, ignoring the mess of papers on his desk, and pulled her into his arms.

"How was it?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Fucking brutal," Percy groaned, burying his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in the scent of her cocoa butter and perfume. "My dad is obsessed with the legacy shit, and the Hades reps are snakes. But I got what I wanted. We closed the deal on our terms."

"I knew you would," she whispered, her fingers playing with the curls at the nape of his neck. "You're the smartest person I know."

Percy pulled back just enough to look at her. "I’m only smart because I have you to come back to. If I didn't have you waiting here, I’d probably just tell them all to go to hell and move to a beach house in Fiji."

"You say that every week," she teased.

"And every week I mean it," he countered. He looked down at the empty bakery bag. "Did you like the croissant?"

"It was delicious. You’re a hovering boyfriend, Percy Jackson."

"I’m a provider," he corrected, a smirk playing on his lips. "There’s a difference. Now, come on. I’m done for the day. I told my dad I’m out."

"It’s only two in the afternoon," Annabeth noted, though she was already grabbing her designer handbag—another gift from Percy that she’d tried to refuse until he’d literally pouted.

"I don't care if it's two in the morning. I’ve done more work in four hours than most of those suits do in a month," Percy said, grabbing his suit jacket. "We’re going to that pop-up, then I’m taking you to dinner at that place with the tasting menu you wanted to try."

As they walked out of the office, they passed Poseidon in the hallway. The CEO stopped, looking at his son with a raised eyebrow.

"Leaving already? We still have the debrief with the legal team."

Percy didn't even slow down, his hand firmly gripped in Annabeth’s. "Read the memo I sent, Dad. It covers everything legal is going to ask. I have an appointment with a jewelry designer and a very beautiful woman."

Poseidon looked at Annabeth, who gave him a shy, sweet wave. The older man sighed, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. "Be back by eight tomorrow, Percy. We have the press conference."

"Yeah, yeah. See ya," Percy called over his shoulder.

Once they were back in the elevator, Percy pulled Annabeth against him, his back to the glass. "Finally. Alone."

"We're in an elevator in your dad's building," she pointed out, though she was smiling.

"I pay for the electricity in this building, I can do what I want," Percy joked, leaning down to kiss her. It was a soft, lingering kiss that tasted like chocolate and luxury.

When they reached the lobby, Percy’s black SUV was already waiting at the curb. The driver held the door open, and Percy ushered Annabeth inside like she was royalty. As the car pulled away from the curb, Percy pulled her into his lap. She was so small compared to his six-foot frame, fitting perfectly against his chest.

"You know," Annabeth said, tracing the lines of his palm. "You don't have to spoil me this much. I’m happy just hanging out at the apartment."

Percy caught her hand and kissed each of her knuckles. "I know you don't need it, Annabeth. That’s why I do it. You’re the only thing in my life that isn't about a bottom line or a contract. You’re just... you. And you deserve everything. I have all this fucking money and all this 'prodigy' talent, and if I can’t use it to make sure you’re the happiest girl on the planet, then what’s the point?"

Annabeth felt that familiar warmth spread through her. She leaned up and kissed his jaw. "I love you, Percy."

"I love you more, baby. Now, let’s go buy you something sparkly."

He leaned back against the leather seat, looking completely content. To the rest of the world, Percy Jackson was a cold-blooded business genius, a man to be feared and respected in the boardroom. But as he sat there, playing with Annabeth’s braids and listening to her talk about her garden designs, he was just a boy who had found his center, and he wasn't ever going to let it go.