Coldhearted Boss

by Grey, R. S.

  I want things to be different, but they never will be. The root of the issue is that I have no options. My jobs have always been lifelines. As long as I’m living paycheck to paycheck, as long as I remain unqualified for any work with more stability and advancement opportunities, I’ll find myself back in this position.

  Helpless. Angry. Easily preyed upon.

  My high school counselor handed me that pamphlet for online classes months ago and I disregarded it because, at the time, it seemed impossible.

  Now, well…maybe it’s not.

  Suddenly, I’m rushing back into the cabin to throw on clothes.

  “Hey, where are you going?” Ethan protests.

  “I’ll tell you later!” I shout, letting the door slam closed behind me. I feel panicky and excited and hopeful, like my chest might burst open. I haven’t felt this way in a long time and I’m not going to stop to let doubt and insecurity wind their way through me. I throw on my jeans and boots and a t-shirt then I’m running back down the trail, my hair whipping in the wind behind me.

  The ground is a muddy mess from all the rain and the crew is already getting started cleaning up what little damage the storm caused. The sunny skies will help dry things quickly, but even still, there are branches scattered around the jobsite and some debris that needs to be removed before they can continue working.

  Hudson is overseeing everything and I run straight for him, heart thumping wildly in my chest.

  “Hey Hudson! Would it be okay if I borrowed your laptop?”

  He shrugs. “I’m barely on it. Use it for as long as you need.”

  “Thanks!” I say, already turning to run in the opposite direction.

  “Hey, wait! Why are you in such a rush?”

  I’m rushing because it feels imperative that I keep the ball rolling. No second-guessing myself, no debating whether or not this is actually possible.

  In the trailer, I sit down at Hudson’s desk, boot up his computer, and immediately pull up a website I haven’t gone to in years. There, at the top of the page, I hover the cursor over Course Calendar and click.

  * * *

  That day, one major life decision rolls into another. I’m on fire, feeling like I haven’t felt in years, possibly ever. After I finish on Hudson’s computer, I borrow Ethan’s phone to call my mom, confirm she got my most recent paycheck, and then inform her that I’ll need her to leave a little bit of it in the bank for a bill I have coming in the next few weeks. With the rest, she’ll still be able to get the car out of the shop, finally, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. (Well, that’s a lie…it would have been nice to have it these last few months, but I won’t let anything spoil my positive mood.)

  With only two weeks left in her program, she tells me she’s already started shifting the furniture around in the trailer and carved out a little niche for a small salon. Right now, it’s not much, just a mirror hanging on the wall over a small vanity she got for free from one of our neighbors. She mentions her school was selling off some of their used salon chairs and she hasn’t purchased one yet, but I insist that she should, even if it means holding off on the car.

  Her dream is to own a big salon one day, but right now, operating out of the trailer makes more sense. She’ll be able to keep costs down for her clients since she won’t have to spend money renting out a space.

  She’s always had a good eye when it comes to hair, and it won’t be long until everyone in town is lining up to get an appointment with her.

  After we hang up, I rush back into the trailer to hand off Ethan’s phone. He’s meeting with Hudson about the framing inspection they have coming up tomorrow, so I don’t want to interrupt.

  I set his cell on his desk and turn to hurry back out and see what Robert needed when he asked me to come find him earlier. Some windows were delivered yesterday and I think he wants them to be inventoried so we can confirm they’re the exact style number the interiors team ordered.

  “Taylor?” Ethan asks, catching my attention.

  I glance over my shoulder, brows perked with eagerness. “Yes? Do you need anything?”

  I sweep my gaze across his desk, seeing that he’s still got some coffee and there’s nothing in his outgoing tray for me to scan or file.

  “You’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off. What’s gotten into you?”

  What’s gotten into me is largely thanks to stupid Grant and his stupid insinuations about my presence here on the jobsite. What he did to me yesterday was the last straw, the great big shove I needed to finally take control of my future.

  I should actually send the man a thank you note, but I’d rather send him a steaming bag of dog poop.

  I smile and nod toward the door. “I have to run and help Robert, but I’ll find you at lunch, okay? How’s that?”

  I don’t wait for him to reply, already running out of the trailer.

  I feel bad for taking time this morning to handle some personal things, so I work my butt off until lunch, finish up everything Robert requests of me then trailing after Hudson with a tape measure while he double-checks the few changes the clients requested before the framing inspection gets underway tomorrow.

  I don’t have a second to catch my breath, but even when I stop to go get food, I still can’t quite breathe easy. There’s one more thing I know I need to do today, one more thing that should be accompanied by a tremendously kickass song and a group of spirit guides spurring me on.

  I have nothing but my screaming nerves and my erratic heart telling me this might be a slightly impulsive idea. Then I stomp down on that train of thought. For weeks, I’ve worked side by side with a rowdy group of construction workers and I’ve tried my hardest to stand my ground with them and prove I’m not intimidated. I don’t know why I’ve gotten it into my head that they can’t know about my relationship with Ethan. They won’t do what Grant did. He is a disgusting pig. These guys are my friends.

  Also, so what if they make snide remarks or poke fun?

  HELLO, I am having sex with a veritable god—who CARES what they think?

  This morning my mouth watered when I saw him up on that roof. There is no going back. This is the only way.

  When I tug open the door to the mess hall, I find Ethan standing in line. Around him are one thousand people. Okay, maybe less, but still…my hands start to shake as I make my way toward him. I was hoping for a small crowd, maybe one or two guys who could just pass the message on, but unfortunately, most of the crew is in here, scattered around the tables, talking and eating. It’s a lively group and there’s no way I can chicken out now.

  Not after everything else I’ve done today.

  I’ll never forgive myself.

  Ethan spots me and that dimple makes a wonderfully unexpected appearance when he sees how determined I am to get to him as I wind my way through a group of guys.

  “Outta my way!” I shout teasingly.

  A few of them put their hands up as they step back, like they’re actually scared of me.

  They probably should be at this point. I’d mow straight through them if I needed to. I’ve got a destination and that destination is a ruggedly handsome man I am hopelessly in love with.

  Max shouts my name, showing me he’s saved me a seat, and I wave and hold up a finger. Yup, be there in a second, right after I make a huge public declaration and embarrass myself big time.

  Ethan is only a few yards away, then a few feet, and then I’m there, cutting the line to get to him.

  There’re moans of protest behind me. Hungry men want their lunch and I’m standing in the way of that, but I’m not here for a plate of spaghetti, though that garlic bread does smell damn good, so perhaps I will reward myself with some afterward. At the moment, I’m here for something else.

  Without another thought, I press up onto my toes, grab Ethan by the front of his shirt, and lay one on him like I’m a soldier returning from war. Our lips collide and stars erupt. Somewhere in the distance, fireworks explode, I�
��m sure. Whoops and shouts go up around us and I should probably break it off now that I’ve made my point, but I’m not quite done. I press myself against him until our chests meet and then I kick one foot into the air, having accomplished exactly what I intended to do.

  When I pull back, Ethan’s grinning down at me, and sure, my cheeks are the color of ripe tomatoes, but my voice doesn’t waver as I turn to the man standing behind us in line and find his eyes wide with shock.

  “Did you hear? I’m dating the boss. Spread the word.”

  Ethan laughs then, wrapping a hand around my waist and tugging me against him.

  “You know there was probably a more tactful way of informing everyone about our relationship.”

  “How? By sending out a company-wide memo? You have to admit, this had much more panache.”

  He shakes his head, amused. “I thought you wanted to keep things between us.”

  I pat his chest with a mocking smirk. “Ethan, Ethan, Ethan, that was so yesterday. Can’t you keep up?”

  * * *

  That night, in the cabin, the events of the day finally catch up with me. I feel like all of my energy has been zapped away, like I’m a runner breaking through the finish line of a marathon then collapsing straight down onto the hard concrete. I’m happy though, happier and feeling lighter than I have in years. There’s hope where there was none before, a plan that is feasible and scary all at the same time.

  “Today was interesting, to say the least,” Ethan says, drawing my attention over to his side of the porch. We’re sitting with our backs to the posts on the top stair. The sun’s still setting, but we’ve been here a while, enjoying the cool breeze before summer steals it away for good.

  “You should have seen the way the guys treated me after lunch. I thought they would be disrespectful, but if anything, they’re terrified of me now! Like if they so much as look at me the wrong way, you’ll fire them. A few of them starting calling me ma’am!”

  He grins. “Things will mellow out in a few days. Robert only made it worse when he stood up in the mess hall and told everyone to ‘mind their own damn business’.”

  I chuckle, remembering the scene. We’d just walked over to join the others and everyone was staring at us, in shock after what I’d just done.

  “It was kind of silly of me to do that, I know. I just didn’t want you thinking I was ashamed of you or anything.” I scrunch my brows. “It seemed really romantic in my head.”

  “You don’t hear me complaining,” Ethan says with a teasing smile. “Though we probably shouldn’t make a habit of making out in the lunch line.”

  My cheeks grow warm under his gaze.

  “Want to fill me in on the rest of your day? Maybe what had you running around all over the place this morning?”

  Oh right.

  I haven’t told him yet.

  I glance down at my water, feeling small all of a sudden. “Oh, um…it’s nothing major.”

  “Tell me.”

  My finger traces the lid of my water bottle. “I signed up for two online classes through Austin Community College. They start in two weeks.”

  When I glance back, I find his brows arched.

  Clearly, that wasn’t what he was expecting.

  “What did you sign up for?”

  “English Comp and American history. I have to start with the basics.” Then I realize he might be wondering how I’ll manage it all. “Maybe I should have checked with you first, but it shouldn’t affect my work or anything here. I’ll be able to handle the reading assignments and homework in the evenings and on weekends.”

  He nods. “Of course. Let me know if Hudson’s computer isn’t fast enough and we’ll see about getting you a new one.”

  I scowl, about to remind him that I don’t want any favors, and he laughs.

  “Oh, c’mon. It’ll be Lockwood Construction property. I’ll bolt it to the desk, how’s that?”

  I nod, careful to keep my face neutral. “I guess that would be okay.”

  “Do you have enough saved to cover tuition?” he asks lightly. “Or are you going to try for financial aid?”

  I answer him carefully. “It actually isn’t as ridiculously expensive as I thought it would be since it’s just community college, and they have a payment program, so tuition isn’t due all at once.”

  “But you’ll tell me if you need anything?”

  I shoot him a glare. “Ethan, I’ll be fine.”

  He holds up his hands in innocence. “All right, but I’m your boyfriend, Taylor. It’s not a crime for me to care about you or want to provide for you. I respect what you’re doing and I’ll honor your boundaries, but if you ever feel like you’re in a place like you were that night at the bar, I want you to come to me. Don’t let that stubborn streak of yours stand in your way. Why are you smiling like that? You should still be scowling.”

  “You said you’re my boyfriend.”

  “I also said a lot of stuff after that—important stuff.”

  “I wasn’t listening.”

  He growls, reaches over, and hauls me toward him so I collide with his chest. I expect my weight to topple him over, but he stays right where he is, with the post at his back and the golden hour casting him in a warm glow. He’s beautiful.

  “You’ll have to repeat it,” I continue, my attention on his lips.

  “I can’t, not now that you’re on my lap,” he says, moving his hand to cradle my chin and tilt it up. His thumb brushes across my bottom lip and I shiver.

  “Sorry,” I tease. “No time for seduction these days. I’m a college student now. I have books to read, papers to write, tests to ace.”

  He smirks. “If you had been in my classes in college, I would have failed every test.”

  “Really?” I shake my head, sure I have a more accurate representation of what the two of us would have been like in college together. “I think we would have developed a healthy competition. Who could get the better grades…that sort of thing. I’ll have you know, I’m actually smarter than I look.”

  His grin widens. “Believe me, I know.”

  With that he scoops me up and stands, carrying me across the threshold of the cabin like we’re husband and wife. It still feels like we have so much to discuss. We have crazy weeks ahead of us. I want to head back to Oak Dale for my mom’s graduation, and when McKenna is ready to go to camp in Austin, I think it’d be fun if we drove her there. That way, she and Ethan can get to know each other a little better.

  I don’t start classes for a few weeks, but I’m eager to order my textbooks and start prepping. I want new pencils and a fresh planner and the course syllabus and my reading schedule, and mostly I just want a chance to be the kind of student I could have been if my life had been different in high school.

  Ethan pushes the door closed, and that’s when I notice something’s different about the cabin.

  Very different.

  “When did you do this?!”

  He’s grinning. “After I finished the roof.”

  “How?”

  “It was easy. The bunks each had a twin bed frame supported by posts. I unscrewed the post supports, separated them from the frames, and viola…”

  Now, there’s just one big bed shoved against the wall of the cabin, across from the desk. It’s totally impractical. The cabin is small and now there’s hardly any room to walk. We’ll have to shimmy around the bed to get to the bathroom and the dresser, but somehow, I love it, and I wouldn’t change a thing about any of it. That’s the desk where I’ll study, and that’s the bed where Ethan will distract me, and this is where I’ll start taking the steps to change my life.

  Forever.

  “Ethan?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Did I ever tell you how crazy it is that we ended up together? Me and you, the most coldhearted boss I’ve ever had. You, the man who drives me crazy. You, the person I think I’m starting to fall for.”

  “Starting to?”

  “I don’t want to sc
are you.”

  “Scare me,” he commands.

  “I think I’ve developed deep feelings for you,” I say, chickening out.

  “This from the woman who marched across the mess hall and mauled me today,” he drawls with all the arrogance of a lion.

  “I didn’t maul you!”

  “Just say it and put me out of my misery. I know how much you hated me, now tell me how much you love me.”

  “Okay. I really, really lo…ok forward to continuing to work on your crew. It’s been a great experience.”

  “Try again.”

  “I really lo…se myself in your eyes. They’re really pretty. Like chocolate, or poop.”

  He laughs and tosses me down onto the bed then crawls up over me.

  He gives my hip a little love bite and I squeal.

  “I’ve never heard such overtures of love before. I’m going to swoon.”

  He’s working my t-shirt up and over my bra. Soon, it’s yanked over my head.

  “I really—ah!” I yelp when he unbuttons my jeans and tugs them roughly down my thighs. “Well I don’t love you when you’re doing that!” I tease, glaring down at him.

  Then he tosses my jeans off the bed and settles his chest between my thighs so his mouth drops easily to my stomach, kissing the sensitive skin just below my navel, swirling soft circles just above the hem of my panties with his finger.

  I’m sorry, what were we talking about…?

  “It’s fine,” he says confidently. “You’re not ready to say it…but I can be persuasive.”

  “Oh, really?”

  He lowers his lips to my skin. “I made you a bed today,” he says, as if that was part of his persuasion strategy.

  I squint an eye skeptically. “Technically, you dismantled a bed today.”

  “I let you have half my cookie at lunch.”

  “You traded me your cookie for half my sandwich, and like I said, that trade is always available in the future, especially when the caterers do those white chocolate ones and when they’re straight out of the oven and the chocolate’s still kind of melted…”