Surprise Seduction

by Jana Mercy

  “Take an aspirin.” Sheila came into her room, flung the drapes open, and tried to pull the covers back.

  An aspirin. Ugh. She’d taken an aspirin right before throwing up Friday night. She never wanted an aspirin again. Or a drink.

  She refused to budge from her position under the blankets. Sheila finally gave up and left for work.

  Adrienne rolled over in her bed, dragging her covers with her.

  What was she going to do about Chase? For that matter, what was she going to do about Morrigans? She’d made a complete idiot of herself at the party Friday night. She hadn’t gone back to the party after running from Chase. Having caught a taxi, she’d high-tailed it back to the apartment, and she’d stayed hidden in her hole all weekend despite Sheila’s protests.

  She didn’t want to face the world or the decisions she had to make. So many people would be affected if she made the wrong one. But she couldn’t stay hidden forever.

  She made herself crawl out of bed.

  Sheila was right.

  She would have to face Chase. One way or another, she had to tell him the whole truth. Today. She needed to deal with Roger and her stepfather. The thought of seeing Drew gave her the willies. The man was evil. Why couldn’t her mother see that?

  She padded into the bathroom and turned the shower on full blast.

  Today would be a day she’d always remember.

  Chase sat at his desk and wondered if Adrienne would show for work. He’d come in early hoping she’d already be at her desk, but she was now--he glanced at his watch for the fourth time in the last two minutes--eleven minutes late. The first time she’d ever been tardy.

  The pen in his hand clicked in rapid succession.

  Why wasn’t she here?

  Damn, he hated the thought of having to get another assistant. These past few weeks of not being harassed had been nice. Except for when he’d found himself wanting to kiss her things had been perfect. Not once had she done anything out of line.

  Until he’d caught her in his office making out with another man.

  When he’d believed her gay, he’d understood why she was so oblivious to how she affected him.

  Now, he was confused.

  She’d felt good in his arms Friday night. Too good. He hadn’t been able to get the feel or smell of her out of his head the entire weekend, much to his chagrin. He’d been able to think of little else.

  He could almost believe he’d imagined the whole thing. Mousy Adrienne hadn’t really turned into a hot fox.

  But a pair of long legs haunted his every thought. There hadn’t been anything mousy about the woman he’d seen in his office Friday night. He hadn’t imagined her transformation, but he sure had imagined a lot of other things since seeing what she’d been hiding.

  Maybe he’d been better off not knowing.

  He twirled his ink pen between his fingers.

  This was not good.

  He couldn’t be sexually interested in Adrienne. That went against his golden rule. He refused to get involved with a co-worker.

  She’d admitted to wanting him.

  Hell, he wanted her.

  Bad. More than he’d ever wanted a woman.

  Knowing she returned his attraction, would he be able to resist touching her? Kissing her? He wanted to know how she tasted.

  He groaned. He really wanted to know.

  Anger and some other hot emotion he refused to label streaked through him.

  She’d lied to him.

  God, he knew nothing about her. Not really. What he’d thought he knew had been lies.

  He had no choice but to fire her.

  Why did that make his stomach roll?

  Because he wanted her. More than he’d ever wanted any woman. He liked her. A lot.

  But he couldn’t trust her.

  That was it. He threw his pen down on his desk and crossed the room to stare out at the Charles.

  After casting a wary eye at Chase’s open office door, Adrienne snuck into her seat as quiet as a mouse. She’d keep her fingers crossed that he’d had an early morning meeting and would never know she’d been late.

  She’d find a private time later where they could talk, where she could explain.

  Mail had already accumulated this morning. She picked up the letter on top, intent on clearing the stack. She had barely gotten the envelope slit when Chase emerged from his office. So much for wishful thinking.

  “Get in here. Now. And no back talk.”

  Oh boy. Not here five minutes and already called in to face the music. Of course, she had been thirty minutes late. That probably hadn’t helped matters.

  She tugged on the short business skirt she wore. She’d forgotten her shopping spree on Friday until she’d gone to the closet and all her old clothes were missing. In their place hung the new outfits her friends helped her choose.

  They all showed off her body. Today, she longed to blend in with the scenery as she’d done for the past month.

  Her eyes ran down the hunter green skirt that came mid thigh. The white tucked in blouse showed her slim waist and full breasts off to perfection. No ace wrap flattened her chest today.

  She didn’t blend. Not at all.

  Adrienne entered the lion’s den, forcing her spine to stay straight. Immediately her gaze flew to the spot where she’d cried in Chase’s strong, protective arms.

  Funny, she hadn’t imagined Chase as being a compassionate man, but on Friday night he had been. Compassion when she’d wanted passion. Adrienne smiled wryly.

  “What’s so amusing, Miss Morris?” He didn’t sound pleased this morning. More like the roaring lion she’d envisioned as she entered his office. One with a thorn in his paw.

  “Nothing.” She sat down across from his desk and crossed her legs, refusing to tug her skirt lower in an attempt to cover the smooth expanse of leg on display. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Oh, I’d say I’ve already seen more than I ever wanted to.”

  His nasty words ripped into her, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. “You shouldn’t have interrupted.”

  “You shouldn’t have been in my office making out with another man.”

  “What?” she exclaimed. “We weren’t making out.”

  “Just what were you doing?”

  “I needed an aspirin. I knew there was a bottle in your bathroom, so I let myself in.”

  “You were in my office with another man.”

  “Oh, would it have been okay if I’d been with you?”

  “Damn straight!”

  Adrienne’s mouth fell open, then clamped shut. She didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t expected his answer. She remained silent for a whole minute.

  “But…you don’t find me attractive. Why would you have?”

  “That’s debatable,” he muttered half under his breath.

  “But when I told you I wanted you on Friday night, you didn’t say anything. You…” Heat flushed her cheeks. She couldn’t believe she’d just told him she wanted him a second time.

  “I was stunned. You ran off before I could say anything.”

  Each word roared in Adrienne’s ears. “If I’d stayed, what would you have said?”

  He took a deep breath. “I’d have told you that I’d like to take you out, but I couldn’t because you work for me. That isn’t a problem anymore.”

  Her heart raced. “What do you mean ‘not anymore’?”

  “You’re fired.”

  “You’re kidding.” He had to be.

  “No.”

  Panic filled her.

  “I can, and I did.”

  “But I haven’t done anything wrong,” she protested. Her hands shook. Nausea burned her throat. Fired? How would that look when she went before the board? Fired from an assistant position within her father’s company. Great.

  “You lied to me to obtain your job.”

  “You can’t fire me based on my sexual orientation.”

  “You falsified your answers to the q
uestions I asked during your interview.” Chase’s eyes challenged her to deny it, but she couldn’t lie to him. Not again. He couldn’t fire her based on her sexual preferences.

  “You didn’t ask me my sexual orientation. That would have to be illegal.” She didn’t want to be fired from the first—-the only—-job she’d ever had. Fired from her own company?

  “Okay,” he shrugged. “You’re fired on the grounds of your activities in my office on Friday night. Do you think breaking and entering your boss’ office qualifies as sufficient grounds for your dismissal?” His eyes glittered like green fire shooting out hot sparks of jeweled flames.

  “I didn’t break in.”

  “You used a key intended for business purposes only.”

  “I didn’t break in,” she repeated numbly.

  “What do you call it?”

  “I…” She couldn’t believe this was happening. Moisture gathered in her eyes. “I thought you said you wanted me, too. How could you do this?”

  She had just been fired.

  From a company she essentially owned.

  Hurt, anger, and disbelief churned inside her. She stood up, walked blindly across the room, and paused in his doorway.

  “You can’t get rid of me this easily.”

  Angry tears flowed the moment she stood safely inside Sheila’s open office. Lucy had been away from her desk and seeing Sheila’s door open, Adrienne had marched in.

  “What’s wrong?” Sheila stood from her desk, concern evident on her face.

  “Chase.” The lone word came out as almost a sob.

  “What’s he done this time?”

  “He fired me.”

  “Fired you?” Sheila gasped. “For being late this morning?”

  “Can you believe the nerve of the man? He fired me from my own company!”

  “He fired you?” Sheila repeated, then gasped, her gaze averting to the chair in front of her desk. The occupied chair.

  “Hello, Adrianna,” George Weston said as he turned to face her.

  Adrienne closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then met his gaze. “How long have you known? Since I barged in here and announced it like an idiot?”

  “I’ve known since the first day I saw you. You’re the spitting image of your mother.”

  “My mother would never have been caught in the sacks I’ve been wearing or without make-up on.” Adrienne walked over to the chair next to his and sank into it. George knew. “Why haven’t you said anything?”

  “I figure you have your reasons for being here and would let me and everyone else in on them when you’re ready.”

  Adrienne met his gaze. “I want to keep Drew Steinberg from running Morrigans. I’m willing to do just about anything to keep that from happening.”

  “I came to that conclusion the day I learned you were working incognito as Chase’s assistant. That’s the part I haven’t figured out, though. Why work at Weston instead of Morrigans?”

  “Drew would never have let me. He’d have sabotaged any effort I made to learn the ins and outs of the business. Weston is Morrigans largest holding. My father trusted you and Chase. You’re both on the board.” She shrugged. “It seemed the logical place for me to turn.”

  “What are your intentions?”

  Did she trust him? Could she tell him everything? Her gaze met Sheila’s. Sheila shrugged.

  “I want to take my father’s place.”

  George’s white brow rose.

  “I need your help.”

  “Anything you ask,” George instantly answered.

  “You know I’m already in up to my neck. I’m behind you one hundred percent,” Sheila said.

  “I overheard a phone conversation Drew was having. He mentioned Weston several times. He was talking to someone who works here. I think this person is feeding Drew inside information. I don’t know what or why, but my gut instinct is that something big is about to happen.”

  George frowned in thought.

  “We have lots of projects coming up. The biggest one is a new cancer med currently being researched in our Philadelphia lab. It promises to be revolutionary, but it’s been kept hush-hush as everything is speculation at this point. None of the human trials are in yet.”

  “Any thoughts on who might be Drew’s rat?”

  George’s face wrinkled in thought. “It could be anyone, but for the person to have access to restricted information, he’d have to be in high management. If I had to bet, I’d put my money on one man.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Chase leaned against the doorjamb watching Adrienne pack her personal items in the empty cardboard copy paper box on her desk.

  “You’ll find another job.”

  She looked up, squinted her eyes at him with barely restrained anger, then returned to her chore. He’d hoped she’d have calmed down some so he could explain why he’d had to let her go. Despite the guilt that had kicked him in the rear when he’d fired her.

  He couldn’t have kept her on. Not after what she’d done. What kind of example would he have been setting if he had?

  So why did he feel as if a piece of him were being torn away with every item she shoved in the box?

  “Yes, I know,” she muttered between gritted teeth.

  He studied her rigid profile as she meticulously sorted through the items in the top drawer. When positive she’d removed all her belongings, she closed the drawer and opened the second one.

  “Stay away from Mel.” He grimaced. Was he trying to provoke a reaction from her? If so, it worked.

  Her head popped up. “I no longer work for you. I can do as I please.”

  Ouch. He deserved that one. The skin on his face pulled tight over his cheeks. Damn, she was beautiful when she was angry. He chuckled.

  “Was it all an act, Adrienne? The whole mouse bit?”

  “Huh?”

  “The whole submissive thing and the frumpy clothes. Were they part of the act? I’ve always known there was a sassy mouth lurking beneath that front you put on, but I hadn’t realized just how deep it ran.”

  She didn’t answer him at first. Just stared at him with those amazing eyes of hers. Eyes she hadn’t bothered to hide behind those glasses she usually wore. Had they been a facade too?

  “Whatever I did, it worked, didn’t it? You hired me, and I did a fine job.” She tossed him an impudent smile. “You sure can’t complain that I threw myself at you in overwhelming lust like your previous assistants.”

  No, he’d wanted her to, though. Still wanted her to. Not that now was a good time to mention that. She was already ticked at him. Majorly ticked.

  What had she expected him to do? Ignore the fact that she’d lied to him? That she’d snuck into his office with another man?

  A knife twisted in his gut.

  Without a word, he rounded her desk. His heart pounded against his ribcage. Remembering how she’d felt when he’d held her Friday night, he pulled her to him in one swift motion.

  A thousand fires lit in his soul. In his body.

  He was tired of wondering what those lying lips tasted like. Damn tired.

  “Guess you need a taste of what you’ve been missing out on.”

  With those words he covered her mouth with his.

  All the fantasies Adrienne had ever had of being kissed came true in Chase’s first touch, in his initial caress of her lips.

  Her eyes closed. Her left knee reflexively bent. Her insides melted, starting at the very center of her being and spiraling out in sweet waves of hot pleasure.

  She gave in to his caresses, to his tongue’s demanding thrusts.

  She couldn’t help herself.

  She pressed herself as close as she could fit, forgetting all the reasons she had to shelf her desire for Chase. Reasons that weren’t negotiable for her and George’s plan to work. Still, her traitorous body welcomed the enthrallment of his masculinity.

  Her fingers found their way into the rich brown hair at his nape, playing with the sun-lightened tips. She
breathed in his heady, musky scent. Spicy. Sexy. Chase.

  The one leg she stood on shook.