“I’m not going to be your secret. Sorry.” I sigh. I won’t let myself get fucked by a guy again. I learned my lesson the hard way.
“I don’t want you to be a secret. But I at least wanna give it a try.”
“Please don’t do this … not on the phone,” I plead.
“All right. I can wait. We’ll continue this Monday then.”
Before I have the time to say a word, he’s already hung up.
I stare at the phone in my hand.
“What did he say?” Hailey asks.
“He’s not giving up,” I mutter. “He’s gonna try to persuade me when I get back to work Monday.”
She cheers. “Woop!”
Clutching the phone tightly, I mutter, “Son of a bitch …”
“Guess he’s really head over heels for you,” she muses, winking.
“God, I hate him so much,” I retort.
“And you’re just as much in love with him too!”
“I am not!” I say.
“See? Too many feelings.” She makes a weird hand gesture. “Ooohhh.”
“Stop it,” I say, trying to grab her, but she jumps away.
“I’m so going to look him up on Facebook and give him some tips.”
“You wouldn’t,” I snarl, giving her a nasty look.
“I want him to succeed,” she says.
“I thought you were my best friend, not his.”
“Oh, I am,” she says. “And I’m looking out for your best interest.”
“How is dating him in my best interest? I could lose my job, or worse, we could be scrutinized by our own co-workers.”
“So? At least you’ll have an amazing boyfriend.”
“I don’t need one!” I reply.
“Are you happy?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” I ask.
“Case in point.” She shrugs. “If you don’t see it, I can’t make you, but I’m not going to let you ruin this for yourself. You need to move on from the past, Lesley.”
“No, no, no. Don’t you bring the past into this conversation. That has nothing to do with this.”
“Really? Then why did you run away from him? Do you really think it’s because he’s your boss, or because you just don’t trust any man?”
I look down at the table and take a deep breath.
She’s right, but I don’t want her to be.
“I’m here, Lesley,” she says, grabbing my hand. “Just like you were there for me. I’m not going anywhere. And I’m going to help you get past this. Even if you hate me for it. Because dammit, you deserve to be happy.”
I smile. “Thanks.”
Her lips perk up. “Now, let’s go grab another ice cream. I want that sugar rush!”
Chapter 15
TJ
I pull out the panties and sniff.
God, so fucking perfect.
They smell like sweetness and sin. The perfect combination from a perfect night together.
She had these on when she first kissed me … I’ll remember that and think of it every time I take them out of my drawer for a whiff.
I admit, I’m a sleazy bastard, but I don’t give a fuck when it comes to her.
Apparently, she’s roused a flame in me I thought I’d never find. A girl who could keep me hooked. Someone who fights back just as hard as I push. Someone who can be my match.
And still …
I lower the panties and reluctantly tuck them back into my desk.
The fact remains that I did something that could spark an outrage if found out.
And not just that; if she discovers my entire collection, I’m screwed.
We’re done. Finished.
I can’t let it happen.
The only problem is, am I willing to sacrifice my personal pleasure to gain her affection?
To make her stay?
I don’t know. At least, not yet. Not as long as she isn’t willing to admit there’s more between us than just sex. More than just a spark. If only she’d be willing to explore …
I’m more than willing to discover every nook and cranny of her body, anyway.
I smirk to myself, thinking about what I’m going to do next time I see her.
I’ll make her see she can’t fight against her own desires, nor mine.
I check my watch and tap my desk. It’s Monday, early morning, and she still isn’t here. That, or she hasn’t even said good morning. When I go to check, her desk is still empty. So I decide to text her instead.
TJ: Where are you?
It takes her a while to respond.
Lesley: Coming.
Wish she was.
TJ: You should’ve been here by now.
Lesley: Sorry. Pepper’s sick, and I was bringing the new toy I made.
TJ: Really? I’m curious.
Lesley: If you stop texting me, maybe I can finally go.
TJ: Not in a good mood?
Lesley: That depends on whether you’re going to give me a hard time.
TJ: I won’t, but if you ask nicely, I’ll give you something else hard.
Lesley: Really? Again?
TJ: Too soon?
Lesley: How about never?
TJ: Too late for that.
I grin. I don’t even have to see her face to know she’s fuming.
Lesley: I’m not talking about this via text. I’m coming as soon as I can.
TJ: Good, then we’ll talk when you’re here in person.
She doesn’t respond, which I assume is because she’s still trying to avoid me after everything. When will she learn there’s no denying what we did? She can pretend it never happened all she likes, but it did, and I intend to discuss it.
And I intend to do it again.
I just have to make sure not to expose her to my dirty secrets. Like that panty addiction I have.
It’s a little too early to declare I’ll never sniff them again for her. We haven’t even gotten to the trust stage yet, let alone boyfriend and girlfriend.
For now, I’ll keep my secret … and I’ll make sure I get to keep her too.
It’s about time I settled down. That’s what my pops would say anyway. Not that he’d approve of her, but still, I’m doing the best I can to make him proud. I wonder if he knows.
Not soon after, someone knocks on my door, and it opens before I can even say come in.
“I’m here; I’m here.” She’s puffing, totally out of breath as she puts Pepper on the floor, who immediately runs toward Dozer to play with him.
“Jesus, what did you do?” I ask, laughing a bit.
“I ran,” she mutters. “Five blocks.”
“Why?” I get up from my seat.
“Well, you said I was late,” she says.
“Right … but you look like you’re dying.”
“I’m fine,” she says, sweating like crazy as she wipes off her face. “I just … need a … minute.” She bends over with her hands on her knees, clearly wiped out.
“You didn’t have to run,” I say, walking to her.
“I don’t like being late for work,” she says.
“I really don’t mind. Honestly,” I say, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She quickly jerks back. “You texted me, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but you didn’t have to start running. It wasn’t that important.”
“Well … it’s work. Of course, it’s important. I wanna keep this job.”
I raise a brow. “So you like it here?”
“Well … yeah. Otherwise, I wouldn’t still be here, would I?”
Her straightforwardness makes me smile. Not a lot of people would dare to say such a thing to their boss. But she does, which is why I admire her. She doesn’t back down and isn’t afraid of anything, except her own failing, even when she didn’t.
“That’s good to hear,” I say. “So … you had something?”
“Yes.” She rummages in her bag and takes out another toy. This time it’s a disc, but with fluffy balls att
ached. “Look!” She throws it around the room, smashing a plant pot, which makes her squeal and cover her eyes. “Sorry!”
However, Pepper immediately makes a run for it, snatching it off the floor and thrashing it around like it’s prey. Dozer follows suit, trying to snatch the toy from her mouth, despite the fact he normally doesn’t like new things.
“Love it!” I say. It’s a clear winner with both dogs.
“You do?”
“Yeah, of course. Look at how she’s playing.” We both gape at Pepper who’s chewing on the balls and swinging the disc into the air.
“Looks like a win to me,” I say.
“Yes,” Lesley mouths, pumping her fist in the air.
I laugh. “So now that we’ve gone over that, time for the more serious talk.”
She narrows her eyes. “What talk?”
“The … talk.”
***
Lesley
His closeness makes me take a step back, but I can’t go any farther than the door. He places his hands on the wood and traps me inside his arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I murmur.
“Sure, you do,” he says. “The one where we discuss that night.”
“What night?”
“Don’t play dumb. I know you’re too smart for that,” he says.
I guess I should take that as a compliment?
But yes, I am avoiding it. And for good reason. He’s my damn boss. I shouldn’t have danced with him then I would’ve never let him come home with me. No, scrap that. We should never have met at the Blue Lagoon.
It was all a mistake. I thought I could keep things professional. Guess that idea went down the drain quickly.
“We’re co-workers.”
“So?” he says.
“We should be professional.”
He snorts, shaking his head. “You seem to be under the impression I’m interested in that.”
“Why did you hire me then?”
“I didn’t, at first.”
“Right. Why is that, exactly?” I narrow my eyes. “You had an eye on me, didn’t you? From the beginning. That’s why you wanted to avoid it.”
“Well …”
“I knew it.” I tap my chest. “You knew as well as I did that it was wrong.”
He grabs my wrist and pins it against the wall. “Yet we did it anyway. Guess neither of us can be professional.”
“Failing once doesn’t mean we have to repeat it,” I say, my body feeling heavy as he towers over me, his eyes lusting over me.
“Oh, I don’t consider banging you a failure,” he says, biting his lip in such a seductive way it makes my head spin.
Fuck.
Why does he always do this to me?
From day one, the moment I met him, he’s been trouble. Hormones are messing with my head, and I just can’t get it to stop. Can’t stop feeling like I want him to kiss me and take me on his desk.
And I hate it.
I fucking hate it because if he weren’t my boss, I’d actually be allowed to put my hands and mouth all over him.
“I don’t want this to be a one-night thing only,” he says, his lips so close I can feel his breath on my skin.
I suck in some oxygen. “It can’t be anything more than that.”
“Give me one good reason,” he murmurs.
“I … we’re … you’re my boss.” I’m struggling to find the words.
“So?” Goddamn that sexy smug face of his.
“People will talk,” I say.
“So what? Let them.”
“You don’t understand. Maybe you can do whatever you want, but I can’t. People look up to you. They do what you say. But me … I’m just an intern.”
“You’re so much more than that to me,” he says. “And not just in an ‘I wanna fuck your brains out’ way.”
I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my lips, but I shake my head to make it go away. “No, I mean, they won’t see me as one of them anymore. They’ll think I got this job and everything else because we’re hooking up.”
“I’ll make them see differently.”
“It’s not …”
I sigh. I can’t explain this. How do you tell a man you don’t trust anyone? You don’t. Because it hurts them. And believe it or not, I don’t want to see him hurt.
“I like you,” TJ says, and he tips up my chin to make me look at him. “And I want to see where this could go.”
“I’m not a closet fuck,” I whisper as he leans in closer and closer.
He laughs. “No … you’re a bed fuck. And a desk fuck. And a bathroom fuck. And pretty much everywhere else I can think of.”
I close my eyes and bite my lip just thinking about all the dirty things he could do to me.
But what if this too turns out to be just a one-way deal?
What if he is only interested in fucking me? And then I fall in love and get hurt all over again by some asshole who thinks he can get away with stealing both my heart and my life?
Fuck, no. I can’t go through that again.
I promised myself I would wait until I got a steady job before I’d try my hand at someone new in my life. And I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet. Especially when it comes to TJ Morrows; eccentric, powerful, playful, a go-getter attitude, and above all … sexy as hell. Not only is he exactly my type but he’s also the one person I shouldn’t go anywhere near.
But dammit, when he’s all up in my face like this with those lickable lips and those swoon-worthy eyes … it’s almost impossible to say no.
From the corner of my eye, I spot something that could be my savior. “You might wanna look behind you …” I murmur as his lips are inches away from mine.
He glances over his shoulder, and his jaw drops as he sees Dozer humping the bean bag in the corner of the room. “Dozer, no!”
I snigger and say, “Pepper, c’mon!” Clapping my hands makes her jump into my arms.
“Wait, don’t go,” TJ says, picking up Dozer while looking at me.
I quickly open the door and say, “Good luck with that!”
And as I close the door, I kiss Pepper’s face. “Good job, girl. Getting the boys horny so I can make a run for it. You’re a real lifesaver. And you know what that means, right?” Her face perks up. “Treats!”
Chapter 16
TJ
A few days later, she’s still avoiding me like the plague. Every time I walk past where she sits, she’s magically disappeared. It’s like she sees me coming. That or Beau is filling her in on my day-to-day business. Wouldn’t be unlike him to warn her because he always likes to stir shit up and piss me off. It’s just what he likes to do, his hobby or something. If he wasn’t such a great asset to this company, I would’ve fired his ass a long time ago for being such a cock-block. If that’s even allowed.
I sigh, staring down the bannister with a cup of coffee in my hand. Lesley’s playing with Pepper, swaying that new disc-type toy she made then throwing it around the room. Everyone seems to love it … even her. She’s really fitting in.
Which begs the question of whether I should continue chasing her.
Is it worth it if we end up getting hurt?
Part of me wants to quit. She’s making it so hard.
But another part of me refuses to let go, wanting to know where this could lead. I can’t deny these feelings, this attraction I feel.
But I can’t ignore the risk either.
“Pondering the meaning of life again?” Gillian muses.
I turn around as she walks up to me. “Oh, I was just thinking about that new product placement ad.”
“Sure, you were,” she replies, smiling coyly.
“What?” I mutter.
“Nothing.” She chews her lips.
“Why is everyone around me acting like they’re suddenly seeing things?”
She shrugs. “Guess we’re all enjoying the ride.”
“What ride?”
Still smiling, she hands me an envelope and
says, “Here. Received it this morning.” She’s completely ignoring my question.
“First Beau and now you. What’s going on here? Is there some gossip going around that I should know about?”
“Stop hiding it. We know what’s going on.”
“Know what?”
She narrows her eyes and playfully says, “Everything.”
“Okay …” I frown. “I think I should go check my office for bugs.”
She laughs wildly. “Oh, don’t be silly, TJ. Of course, we’re not tapping you.”
“Then what do you know?”
“You know …” She makes a weird gesture with her eyes. “That girl.”
“What about her?”
She grins. “Like I said … nothing.” And then she turns around and sashays away, leaving me scratching my head.
I knew she was talking about Lesley, but there’s no way I would’ve brought it up myself. Yet apparently, she already knows. Must’ve been Beau. I wonder who else knows.
I turn around and enter my office, opening the envelope as I sit back down in my chair behind my desk. I take out the letter and read it, but the further I get, the more my smile disappears.
It’s a request for comment … on an article written by some dirty magazine. Topic? Me, stealing panties.
“What the hell,” I mutter, as my eyes scan the paper.
They’re literally writing a piece about me stealing girls’ panties, and they want my opinion on it. Doesn’t matter if I tell them it’s not true, they’ll run the article anyway. This letter is just a courtesy.
Fuck. Just when I thought this was over, it comes back to bite me in the ass. I knew I should’ve dealt with it when I had the chance. And now it’s too late.
“Dammit!” I smack my fist down on the desk to blow off some steam.
Suddenly, my door opens, and I glance up from my rage-induced glare at the letter on my desk. I was literally hoping it’d burst into flames. That is until Lesley showed her face.
“Whatcha doing?” she asks gently.
“Nothing,” I say, swallowing as I tuck the letter away in my desk.
Bad Boss (Unprofessional Bad Boys Book 2) Page 10