Tamed by the Boss (Tempted Series Book 5)

by Hazel Kelly

  “You mean grilled?”

  “Nope. I actually cooked. Multiple courses. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing meal, and I was sweaty by the end of it, but at least nothing was raw. Best of all, she was so impressed she thanked me by-”

  “That’s more information than I need,” I said. “Seriously though, all you did was cook dinner?”

  “Women like that crap. I don’t know what to tell you. I think it was the fact that to pull it off, I had to think about her when she wasn’t around, you know? Like it was the fact that I planned and prepared something all by myself that got me so many points.”

  “More points than just taking her out somewhere that actually served edible food?”

  “Absolutely,” he said. “Cause when you have money, it’s too easy to do that. Like Becky knows I take clients out to dinner all the time, so it doesn’t mean as much because it’s not something special that I wouldn’t do for anybody else. To be honest, I think that’s the real key to romance.”

  “What is?”

  “Doing something for a woman that she knows you wouldn’t do for anybody else.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “I’m no expert but-”

  “No. I appreciate that. I never looked at it that way before.”

  He smiled. “Don’t mention it.”

  “I need to do something out of the ordinary and cooking a romantic meal might be just the thing.”

  “It’ll work, Will. Trust me. You do something like that and she won’t just feel the love, she’ll taste it.”

  I shook my head. “You’re filthy as fuck Frank, but I hope you’re right.”

  Chapter 3: Ella

  When I arrived at my desk Monday morning, there were fresh flowers in the middle of it, and the first feeling I had was dread.

  What was my life coming to?

  I assumed they were from Will. I had no reason to think he’d stopped playing games with me. And it served me right. Letting him have me in his office last week wasn’t exactly the clearest break up strategy I’d ever tried. I needed to confront him immediately so I could make it clear that I didn’t appreciate the gesture.

  After all, what happened between us in his office was a bad judgment call on my part. It certainly wasn’t something I wanted to celebrate or have rubbed in my face, but two seconds after I arrived, Will and Emily walked in together talking about his schedule for the week.

  They both said good morning to me, but something in Will’s eyes made me question if he got the flowers. He looked as shocked to see them as I was, and he wasn’t grinning mischievously like I would’ve expected him to if they were from him.

  I walked around my desk and looked to see if there was a card while Will talked to Emily at her desk. Eventually, I found a little white note on a clear plastic stick at the base of the small bouquet. It said, “I can’t wait to see you again. This weekend was magic. Thanks a bunch, Jack.”

  I blushed for a split second at the thought that I’d gotten someone else’s flowers, but when I turned the card over it said my name quite clearly. That’s when I realized what was going on. I pulled my phone out of my purse and texted Jackie, “You shouldn’t have.”

  In the time it took me to push the bouquet to the corner of my desk, my phone buzzed back. “Just be glad I didn’t sign it Jack Sparrow…and you’re welcome.”

  I rolled my eyes and dropped my phone in my purse. Then I started organizing my desk for the day. I had a pitch in the afternoon and a whole heap of calls to make before I could justify taking my lunch break.

  A few minutes later, Will took a stack of papers from Emily and said he was going to look them over, but before he went in his office, he looked back in my direction at the flowers again. Maybe Jackie knew what she was doing. The fake boyfriend idea was already making me feel better.

  I was about to call my first lead when my phone rang.

  “Ella Riley.”

  “Do you have a secret admirer I should know about?”

  “Is there something I can do for you, Will? I was about to make a call.”

  “I would like to see you in my office.”

  “It’s not a good time,” I said.

  “It was a good time last time.”

  “That’s not happening.”

  “Seriously. Don’t keep me waiting.” He hung up before I could object anymore.

  I supposed my calls could wait. Half of the leads were in later time zones anyway, but he was going to be sorely mistaken if he thought I would falter again. I stood up from my desk and took a big sniff of the flowers for strength before heading to his office.

  The door was already cracked a few inches so I pushed it open and stepped inside.

  “Could you close the door please?” he asked, keeping his eyes on the papers in front of him.

  I didn’t move.

  He looked up at me. “Please close the door.”

  I closed the door gently and stayed right next to it.

  “Have a seat.”

  “I’m fine standing.”

  He sighed and leaned back in his chair.

  “Can we make this quick? I have a lot to do today.”

  A smile spread across his face.

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Who are the flowers from?”

  “It’s none of your business.”

  He seemed amused at my hostility which I didn’t appreciate. “It is if they’re on my business premises.”

  “Just a friend.”

  “Friends don’t send each other flowers.” He straightened his stack of papers and laid them down, keeping his eyes on me the whole time. “Are they from Ben?”

  I shook my head. “There is nothing going on with me and Ben,” I said. “Either.”

  “What do you mean either?”

  “I mean I’m done with Abbott men outside of business hours.”

  “Ahh.” He nodded slowly. “So who are the flowers from?”

  “Just a guy.” I folded my arms in front of me. “But I would appreciate if you would try and respect my privacy. I know it’s my fault that the line has been blurred, but from now on, I’ll be keeping my priorities straight.”

  “Do you mind if I ask what your priorities are?”

  “Work,” I said. “And moving into my new place.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. And since those things are more than enough for me to deal with right now, I would appreciate if you found a new playmate.”

  “You’re not as easy to replace as you think you are.”

  I was flattered, but I didn’t want to be anything but cold and unsexy.

  “Ben said you told him you care about me.”

  “Cared,” I corrected. “Past tense. I mean, obviously I still hope the best for you as a person, but I don’t have feelings for you in that way.”

  He stood up from his desk and dragged his hand along its perimeter as he walked around it.

  Just the fact that he called attention to his desk filled my body with fire.

  “So what happened in here last week was-”

  “A mistake.”

  He furrowed his brow.

  “A lapse in my judgment.”

  He took a few steps closer to me.

  “It won’t be happening again.”

  The air in his office felt heavier with every step he took towards me. I wished I was wearing ruby slippers so I could click my heels together and disappear.

  He stopped right in front of me. “Is that really what you want or-”

  “Yes.” I nodded. “It’s definitely what I want. We had a little fun-”

  “A lot of fun.”

  I shrugged. “A lot of fun, but it’s time for me to move on, and you should do the same.”

  He was so close to me I thought I might burst, but he wasn’t touching me anywhere. I was convinced if he did, we might both get shocked.

  “So you don’t have feelings for me anymore?”

>   I shook my head.

  He leaned forward until everything disappeared except for his hot breath on my ear. “I don’t believe you.”

  I swallowed. My body felt weak all over.

  “Let me take you out this weekend. I promise you won’t regret it,” he whispered.

  I needed to protect myself. I thought of the flowers on my desk.

  “What do you say?” His voice was as husky as if we were in bed again.

  “I say no.”

  He took a step back and looked in my eyes. “No?”

  I couldn’t catch my breath with him so close to me. “I can’t.”

  “Of course you can.”

  “No. I can’t. Not only is it not what I want-”

  His expression fell.

  “But I already have plans.”

  “You already have plans?” He looked genuinely disappointed. “But it’s Monday morning?!”

  “I know, but-”

  “With whoever sent the flowers?”

  I nodded.

  “I see,” Will said, taking another step back. “Maybe another time then.” He turned and walked back around his desk.

  “Is that all?”

  He pulled his chair out and sat down. “That’s all.”

  I walked out the door and closed it behind me. I knew I was doing the right thing by being strong and keeping my promises to myself.

  So why did I feel like shit?

  Chapter 4: Will

  I never thought of myself as an anxious person, but I was starting to feel a bit panicked. Ella was growing more distant, and it was killing me that I didn’t know why.

  Maybe she genuinely wasn’t into me anymore. I hated to think that she regretted what happened between us in my office. I certainly didn’t, and I didn’t want her feeling ashamed of anything we did at work. That wasn’t fair to her.

  Or maybe I had some serious competition for her attention.

  After she and Emily went to lunch, I tried to figure out who her flowers were from, but she must’ve taken the card with her. If I’d found any scrap of evidence, I would’ve called the florist directly to figure out who her admirer was, but I had nothing to go on.

  I needed to figure out how urgent the situation was.

  I planned a special reconnaissance mission and left the office for the rest of the day. After all, a big show to win her over wasn’t going to work if I couldn’t get her to spend any fucking time with me. Plus, the last thing I needed was to stick around, obsessing over the fact that she rejected my offer and walking by those flowers over and over.

  As soon as I climbed in the back of the limo, I changed out of my suit and threw on an old sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Then, after making a quick stop at a music store, I had my driver drop me off a few blocks away from The Nest so I could walk the rest of the way.

  I arrived just before the scheduled lunch service and followed the sound of Barbara Riley’s voice towards the kitchen.

  Her face lit up when she saw me. “Will!” She stopped stirring the pot and hung the ladle on the side of it. “I didn’t know you were coming by today. What a lovely surprise?!”

  She walked into my open arms, and I gave her a big hug. “Nice to see you, too, Barb.”

  A moment later, she turned to face the other volunteers. “Everybody this is Will. Will this is everybody. I think you already know Sandra and Margaret.” She pointed to two women who waved at me.

  I lifted my palm towards the other volunteers and nodded before addressing Barb again. “What can I do to help?” I asked, enjoying the buzz of a whole different type of service industry.

  Barb grabbed my hand and led me back to where she was standing when I walked in. “How are you at stirring?”

  “Great,” I said.

  “Good.” She pointed at the ladle. “Keep that soup moving and don’t let it boil.”

  “Consider it done,” I said, ignoring the curious stares of the women around me.

  Barb ran a tight ship. I could see where Ella got her drive and her organizational skills. Every single volunteer and person that wandered in off the street knew exactly what was expected of them and there was the perfect amount of food for everyone.

  It felt good to help some people who were less fortunate than I was for the afternoon. I needed a dose of healthy perspective even more than I realized, especially considering that I’d been pitying myself lately.

  I was particularly humbled when I helped feed a homeless man who had some kind of motor skills deficiency that made it difficult for him to handle his silverware. After that, I fell in line and helped with the dishes.

  By the end of the lunch shift, I was as pleased with my decision to volunteer as I was exhausted. Most importantly, my commitment to keep funneling money into The Nest was as strong as ever.

  “Phew.” Barb wiped her forehead on the back of her hand. “Well done folks. Thanks for coming by. Can I get a show of hands for who is coming back for dinner?” She pointed at the people with their hands up and counted quietly to herself. “And is anyone not coming tomorrow afternoon?”

  “I’m not,” a short man changing the garbage bag said. “My wife needs a scan.”

  “Thanks for letting me know, Carl,” Barb said. “We’ll all be praying it goes well for Mary.”

  Carl nodded and carried on while the rest of the group dispersed.

  I put my arm over Barb’s shoulder. “I don’t know how you do this, Barb, but I’m so glad you do.”

  She blushed and looked up at me. “Thanks, Will. I couldn’t do it without you.”

  I laughed. “You give me more credit than I deserve, but I’ll take it. Would you like to grab a coffee or something? Lunch even?”

  “There’s a little café around the corner,” she said. “They do the best coffee cake you’ve never had.”

  “Sounds good.”

  We made our way around the corner to a café that was literally called Around the Corner. I got two coffees and some coffee cake and joined Barb at a small round table.

  “So how are things going?”

  “Ahh you know,” she said. “The shelter is holding together- thanks to your funding- and besides Ella moving out, nothing’s new with me.”

  “Oh right,” I said. “She mentioned something about that, and I’m so glad you reminded me.” I reached in my pocket and pulled out a cd. “I saw this earlier and thought it would make a nice housewarming present for her.”

  Barb slid the cd across the table and picked it up. “The Best of Ella Fitzgerald?”

  I nodded. “She told me she didn’t know Summertime, and I haven’t been able to sleep since.”

  She smiled. “Her Dad used to listen to a lot of jazz.”

  “Oh?”

  “She’s named after Ella Fitzgerald actually. Did she tell you that?”

  “I can’t recall.”

  “Well it will be interesting to see if she likes it.”

  “Would you give it to her?” I asked. “You’ll probably see her before I do since I won’t be in the office today.”

  “Sure,” she said. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Can I ask how she’s doing?”

  “At work?”

  Barb nodded and broke off a piece of the fragrant cinnamon cake.

  “To be perfectly honest, she’s way better at the job than I thought she would be. I can’t believe how quickly she settled in, and everyone on the staff loves her. The guests do, too. She’s made herself indispensable in a very short time.”

  “I’m delighted to hear that,” she said, smoothing her flyaways down against her head. “She absolutely loves the job.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “Sometimes I wish she didn’t love it so much.”

  “Why is that?” I asked, taking a sip of my coffee.

  Barb shrugged. “She hardly has time for anything else.”

  “Like what?”

  She laughed. “I suppose you’re a workaholic, too, so I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”


  “Says the woman who works on Christmas Day.”

  “Fair enough,” she said. “It’s easy to point fingers and tell other people how to live.”

  “True.”

  “I just wish she had time to be young, you know? To go on some dates or something.”

  “Dates?”

  “I suppose she could be going on dates and not telling me.”

  I swallowed.

  “But I like to think she would let me know if she was seeing anyone seriously.”

  I stuffed a hunk of cake in my mouth.

  “I suppose it doesn’t matter anyway. She’ll be going out more when she moves in with her best friend.”

  “Oh yeah. I’m sure that will be good for her,” I said, thinking simultaneously that it would be no good for me.

  “Actually, Jackie called last night when Ella was in the shower and asked me for her work address. I shouId’ve asked her how soon she was planning on coming out here. I must remember to find that out,” she said to herself.

  “Her work address?” I asked, trying not to dwell on the thought of Ella in the shower.

  “Yeah, I can’t remember why she said she wanted it, though. I was watching something on TV at the time and-”

  “I know how that is,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  “Anyway, I can’t thank you enough for giving her a shot.”

  “I’m the one who should be thanking you for introducing us.”

  “Maybe,” Barb said. “But I honestly can’t remember the last time she was so happy.”

  “I’m glad,” I said. “You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that.”

  Chapter 5: Ella

  “Did I tell you that Will came by the shelter this week?”

  I placed the box I was carrying down in front of my new closet and turned around.

  My Mom was up on a chair hanging crème colored curtains.

  “What did you just say?”

  “Will Abbott came by to help at the shelter.”

  “When?”

  “Monday or Tuesday. I meant to tell you earlier.”

  I folded my arms.

  “He didn’t mention it then?”

  “No. He didn’t.”