Fuck.
Unbidden, the image of Nathan crooking his finger at her and indicating she should lower herself across his lap filled her mind. She saw him lift her skirt and all but felt a trembling in her legs as she prepared for him to lower his hand in a punishing spank.
She heard herself begging, but since she didn’t know whether she would want him to continue or stop, she shoved aside the image.
What in the hell was wrong with her?
Purposefully Kelsey stood and dumped her cup in the nearby trash bin. Making a point to herself as well as the world, she brushed her hands together, as if washing away thoughts of him.
It took the entire walk back to the office to banish the lingering tingles that the images had given her.
Thankfully Nathan’s door was still closed.
Not having to see him after her discussion with Andi was a blessing.
A phone call from Zoe McBride, Sofia’s sister and manager of the Houston branch of Encore Events, distracted Kelsey, made her think about business rather than entertaining outrageous fantasies. They set up a meeting for the following morning.
Thankfully, the next hours passed in a flurry of phone calls and meetings. Nathan left to visit the docks, giving her some appreciated time alone.
She reached out to Holly Newman, and they discussed plans for the going-away party. The woman agreed that the end of the month or beginning of December would be fine.
Before they hung up, Kelsey arranged to visit Samuel at lunchtime the next day.
Nathan returned a few minutes later.
The office temperature seemed to increase as he swept in, full of harnessed energy. Seeing him there, big, powerful, confident, she wondered again if he was a Dom.
Kelsey hoped he’d continue past, but he stopped in front of her desk and pulled up a chair.
“Ms. Lane?”
“Sorry.” She shook her head. “You were saying?”
He repeated that the meetings had gone as well as he had expected, then added, “Anything I need to know?”
She brought him up to date on preliminary plans for Mr. Newman’s party. “If he’s up to it, after Thanksgiving and before your retreat seems to be ideal.”
“Agreed. Did you get the artwork I sent over this morning?”
“I did. I’ve ordered a few things that will be expedited. As for the rest, I’ll get you my recommendations and pricing in a couple of days.”
“Good.” He stood. With a crisp nod, he returned to his office, sucking energy out of her and the room.
It took her a couple of minutes to refocus and get back to her task list.
Toward the end of the afternoon, Lawrence dropped by with a corrected check and termination letter.
“Thank you. Sorry for the confusion.”
“It’s not going to be easy,” Lawrence said. “The changes, I mean.”
“I know,” she replied. Nathan’s words about loyalty seemed to echo in her head. And while she stood by her statement that he had to earn it, she knew she was a crucial part of the company’s future success. And for all the employees, she had to back her boss. Even if she had to bite her lip. “Mr. Newman believed this was the right course.”
“Remains to be seen.”
“And it’s up to all of the management staff to ensure the success of Donovan Logistics,” she said firmly, leaving him no room to argue. “There’s a lot at stake here, beyond your personal opinions. We’re counting on you to help set the tone.”
“We’ve had a lot of questions,” he said.
“No doubt.” She chose her words with care. “If you need to talk to Mr. Donovan, you should. Give him a chance.” She could hardly believe the words came out of her mouth.
“Honestly, Kelsey, I’m not sure.”
“No one is,” she agreed. “But what’s another option? We can leave. And we should if we believe the company is going the wrong direction. Or we can trust that Mr. Newman knew what he was doing and help him fulfill his vision for the company.”
“Seward has been with us a long time.”
“And he screwed up. You know it. I know it. Better than anyone, you know about family leave. He was entitled to it, and he chose not to utilize it.”
“I don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to. Neither do I. But he was given a second chance.” And both of them knew how much worse it could have been. If the barge had sprung a leak or sunk, the company would have been damaged.
“He’s got a problem.” Lawrence pressed his point.
“And we have help for that too. You talked to him, explained it to him, didn’t you?”
He nodded.
“He was given every opportunity. You can only save people who want to save themselves. He’ll be awarded unemployment benefits.”
Without another word, Lawrence put the file on her desk.
“Go home,” she told him. “Enjoy spending some time with your wife.”
He scowled.
“She won’t be pregnant forever,” Kelsey said.
“If I have to go to the convenience store one more time at midnight…”
“Stock up. Hide the stuff she craves in your car. All you’ll have to do is walk to the driveway.”
He loosened his tie. “Not possible. I don’t know if it’s going to be pretzels or ice cream. Last night it was licorice. Black licorice. Who the hell ever wants black licorice?”
“Goodnight, Lawrence. Give Erika my regards.”
“Go home yourself,” he said.
After he left, she glanced toward Nathan’s office to see the door was open. She wondered when he’d done that, and how he’d managed it without her being aware of it. With a frisson of alarm, she replayed the conversation, just to make certain she hadn’t said anything he’d take exception to.
She locked the file in her cabinet for the next day before contacting Seward’s field supervisor. The man explained that the tugboat captain was currently in the middle of his days off, so the termination would occur when he returned.
Though the field supervisor didn’t argue, there were long, uncomfortable silences on the line. She knew it was the man’s least favorite part of the job, and truthfully, it was hers too. No matter how justified, she hated it. Especially when she had a personal relationship, like she did with Seward. “If you need me or someone from HR to be there with you, let me know.”
“I’ll think about it overnight.”
Kelsey ended the call then finished a few more tasks before uncomfortably shifting in her chair. Her lower back felt stiff, and she did a gentle stretch. In surprise, she realized it was after seven o’clock. On some level, she’d been aware it was getting dark, but she’d had no idea it was so late.
She heard Nathan’s deep baritone in conversation, and she debated whether or not to let him know she was leaving. With Mr. Newman, that hadn’t been a problem. Holly expected him for dinner promptly at five-thirty, so he never stayed later than five. Generally, Kelsey was still at her desk when he walked past with a wave and a cheery goodnight.
Since she didn’t want to interrupt Nathan, Kelsey reviewed her upcoming calendar then made a list of her priorities for the next day. After tucking the paper beneath her keyboard, she shut down her computer.
Then came the big, internal debate. She wanted a hot bath and a glass of wine. She needed a workout. Kelsey knew that if she went straight home, the workout would never happen.
She grabbed her workout bag and purse before riding the elevator to the building’s tenth-floor fitness center.
Except for one other woman who was in the shower, the locker room was empty. This late in the evening, that wasn’t a surprise.
Kelsey changed into her gym clothes, pulled her hair back into a ponytail then grabbed a bottle of water and picked up her phone.
The message icon was on and she checked it. Not surprisingly it was from Andi.
Called Deviation. I think we’re in for this weekend. More deets with drinks.
Kelse
y’s hand shook. She couldn’t believe she was actually considering going to a BDSM club.
Her hands were still trembling as she selected some music then put in her earbuds and walked toward the fitness center.
Though the area wasn’t large, it was well equipped with a small free weight area, a few circuit machines and plenty of cardio pieces, all of which faced windows and had views of a downtown park.
She froze when she saw Nathan on the treadmill next to the one she liked to use. It was difficult to believe she’d been in the locker room for so long that he’d managed to beat her to the fitness center.
His headset was plugged into the machine, and he was watching business news on the attached monitor.
He wore a dove-gray T-shirt and shorts that showcased his powerful, muscular legs.
Damn. How was it possible that he was more appealing out of a suit than in it? He ran with a fluid, purposeful grace, making the exertion seem effortless.
Everything in her responded to him. Her pulse thundered, her lips felt parched. On some deep, core level, she wanted to be possessed by him.
She’d never had that kind of visceral reaction to a man before, and it terrified her, made her edgy.
Kelsey had a moment of choice. Leave before he noticed she was there, or be brave and pretend it didn’t matter that they’d be alone, not just in the building but in the small room.
Then the decision was made for her.
Chapter Three
In the window’s reflection, Nathan met her gaze and didn’t let it go. He seemed focused on her in a way he hadn’t been earlier.
For a wild moment, she wondered if he’d known she would head for the fitness center rather than going home. Then she shook her head to clear it. The thought was ludicrous. Even if he cared what she did, a man like Nathan Donovan wouldn’t alter his plans to spend more time with her.
She rationalized that it would be ridiculous to skip her workout just because her boss was in the same room and she’d noticed how masculine and appealing he was, so she fiddled with the settings on her phone, pretending she’d been doing that all along.
As she walked behind him, he gave a curt nod.
Maybe he wasn’t getting enough oxygen to actually speak to her. She hoped.
After stepping onto the belt, she selected her favorite workout music, a mix of pop tunes from various decades by different artists. Kelsey pretended to ignore him and her questions about whether or not he was a Dom and concentrated on pushing the correct buttons to program her machine for an interval workout. Satisfied, she pressed the green button to begin.
She started at a medium pace. Over the next few minutes, the belt went faster until she was at an easy jog.
Even though the music in her ear was loud and she was into her own workout, she could hear his feet pounding on the machine next to her, making every part of her aware of him. He set a punishing, grueling pace that she realized was most likely a metaphor for the way he approached life.
Did he ever slow down or relax? And would she ever be able to keep up?
Helpless to resist his magnetic draw, she glanced over at him.
Sweat dotted his brow, and his Donovan Worldwide T-shirt clung to his damp skin. Seemingly unaware of her, he continued to focus on the screen in front of him.
Or so she thought, until he suddenly turned his head and caught her looking at him. He captured her gaze, compelling her not to look away.
What was it about him?
Unnerved, she missed a step and had to grab the rail to steady herself.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Obviously he hadn’t missed a thing. His lack of attention had been an act.
With a half-smile, she nodded and found her stride again.
For the next few minutes, she played with the controls for the television monitor, looking for something to occupy her interest—anything to drown out the overwhelming man next to her.
She found a comedy show, and since it had captioning on, was able to immerse herself. Until he reprogrammed his machine and slowed to a walk.
His machine beeped and he hit the stop button.
He was barely breathing hard, which seemed really unfair.
Then he pulled off his shirt and wiped it across his face.
If she hadn’t been holding on, she might have misstepped again.
She’d been very much aware of his size and breadth, but until now, she hadn’t realized just how muscular and toned he was. His abs were hard and tight, and there wasn’t any excess fat on him. Everything about him, from his posture to his attitude to the state of his body, screamed restraint and discipline and, damn it, sex appeal.
He went to find sanitizer and cleaned off the machine.
Finally. She’d have the place to herself and could finish her workout in solitude.
Instead, he pulled his shirt back on before walking into the free weight area.
Because he was looking in a mirror to check his form, she was free to study his reflection.
As he bench-pressed enormous plates, she noticed the flex of each of his muscles.
Her heart rate accelerated in a way that had nothing to do with the workout. She told herself she’d never hit the gym with her boss again. He was too dangerous to her physical state.
A few minutes later, he finished his weight training. He lifted a hand in acknowledgment as he passed behind her.
She waited a few minutes to make sure he was gone before ending her workout and crossing to the locker room.
Rather than changing into her regular clothes, she toweled off then reapplied some mascara.
After pulling on a lightweight jacket and slinging her bag over her shoulder, she grabbed her purse and exited into the hallway.
Nathan Donovan stood there, arms folded, leaning against the wall, waiting for her.
She stopped so quickly that her bag slipped to her forearm.
Quickly, he took two steps toward her to readjust it.
“I… That’s not necessary.” And because he raised an eyebrow, she added, “But thank you.”
With her in tennis shoes instead of heels, he loomed even taller, broader. He’d showered, if his damp hair and the scent of the woods after a rain were anything to go by. And he looked devastating. He wore a crisp, white, long-sleeved shirt, with the top two buttons open. His slacks were gray, and his shoes had a mirror-like polish. The addition of a buttery leather bomber jacket was enough to make her weak.
More than ever, she felt as if she were at a disadvantage. The man overwhelmed her.
“I think you should let me buy you dinner.”
To hide her shock, she said, “I’m sorry?”
“Today has been…unusual. I want to be sure we get off to a good start.”
“It’s a little late for that, Mr. Donovan.”
“Which is even more reason to let me buy you dinner.”
She gave him a false smile. “Really, it’s not necessary.”
“I insist, Ms. Lane.”
“I’m hardly dressed to go out,” she told him, especially with him looking so fresh and in charge. Though damn it, her traitorous pulse thundered at the idea.
She wanted to dislike him, and she certainly did on some level. But she also couldn’t deny how much he physically appealed to her.
Her resolve was complicated by the sudden, wickedly hot images tumbling through her mind…of being in his arms, of him looking at her purposefully before lowering his mouth toward hers, of him skimming his fingers up her spine.
She shook her head. Thinking of her boss in that way would be a rabbit hole leading to pure, pure madness.
Damn pheromones.
“We don’t have to go anywhere fancy,” he persisted.
“Perhaps another time.”
“You need to eat,” he countered. “If I’m correct, you skipped lunch, like I did.”
“Are you accustomed to always getting your way?” She tilted her head back.
“Yes.”
&nbs
p; He let the word hang between them long enough that she squirmed and looked away. How the hell did he manage to do this to her?
“And I always get it when I’m determined to have it.” He paused. “When it’s important.”
Was he saying that she was important to him?
“We’re going to be working together, Kelsey. Presumably for a very long time.”
Somehow, he’d managed to read her mind. And that frightened her more than anything. “That’s exactly why it’s best to keep it professional,” she said, though she wanted nothing more than to accept.
“I’m not implying anything otherwise.”
What the hell was going on here? Of course he hadn’t implied otherwise. Just because she was having reckless thoughts about him being a Dom and spanking her didn’t mean it was mutual. Embarrassment clawed at her, heating her from the inside out.
“There’s a sandwich and coffee shop a few doors down.”
“Marvin’s,” she said quickly, too quickly, eager to move on from her revealing mistake.
“They have espresso drinks.”
“And the best chocolate cake on the planet.” And it was okay to pop in wearing workout clothes or a suit. “How do you know about it?” She frowned at him. Though Marvin’s had a good reputation, it was more of a neighborhood place, or somewhere people knew about if they worked nearby.
“I’ve needed coffee and food over the past few weekends. The building attendant recommended it.”
Which meant he had been spending time in this area.
“I’ll even buy your dinner,” he said.
“I’m pretty expensive,” she warned. That ought to slow his miserly ass down.
“Some things are worth the price,” he told her, a smile flirting with the corner of his mouth.
Her breath caught. Anything but that. Anything but him being charming.
“It’s only a meal,” he said with a light shrug. “What harm can there be?”
Intuitively she knew the question wasn’t as harmless as it sounded, not to her, anyway. With his searing eyes and inviting words, the man demolished her resistance.
“What do you say?” he asked. “We could have a truce for the time being.”
Boss Page 6