Arrogant Boss

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’d been planning to ask you out. You know, maybe not right this second, but in a week or so. But now I already know what you’ll say.” Julian shook his head again, a sad expression on his face.

“That it would be entirely unprofessional.”

“Exactly. But it’s such a shame.”

I stared at him. This man was impossible. No-he was right out insane. And he deserved to be knocked down a peg.

“What makes you so sure I’d even accept becoming one of your wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am’s?” I asked him. “Theoretically speaking, I mean, if I wasn’t committed to my job.”

He raised an eyebrow. “First and foremost, I never implied my intention was a one-night-stand.”

I rolled my eyes again. “Sure. Well, what makes you think I’d accept?”

“We have chemistry,” he said, holding up a finger. “We are great at verbal sparring. Surely you’ve noticed that as well? Or do you talk this freely to everyone?”

“Lenny, our mailman, and me are like this.” I held up two intertwined fingers.

Julian laughed. “Alright, so it’s me and Lenny. I can handle a bit of competition. And thirdly… well, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve seen in a long time. I think we’d be good together.”

“These are all hypotheticals.”

“They’re very real arguments, Ace. But since you’re committed to your job, you can’t possibly accept me.” Julian put a hand over his heart. “Leaving me eternally disappointed.”

I rolled my eyes at his silliness, trying to play it cool despite my racing heart. Julian had asked me out, even if it was in a joking manner. Julian Hunt. I remembered the feel of his arms around me, how he’d carried me without missing a beat. The masculine scent of him.

But I knew how this would play out if I accepted.

And I was not going to be the girl who had a fling with the boss early on and who was then transferred to a different department only a month later. No. I wasn’t going to give people the chance to gossip about me at the water cooler.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone else who can lick your wounds, Julian,” I said. “You won’t even remember my name next month.”

“I wouldn’t bet money on that. But don’t worry-I won’t expose my fragile ego any more by asking if you might have gone out with me, had I not been your boss.”

I snorted. “Fragile? I’ve never met a more self-confident man.”

Julian grinned and waved at the waiter for the check. “And you never will, Ace.”

Julian. She’d said no.

It didn’t come as a surprise-from the moment I saw Emily Giordano’s gorgeously flushed face in that club, I knew I’d met a force to be reckoned with.

She stood up for the people who mattered to her, had played an honestly pretty shitty hand of cards in life really well, and was smart as a whip. The fact that I never knew what would come out of her mouth made her damn near impossible to stay away from.

Wasn’t that just typical, though?

You meet an amazing woman and before you really truly understand how amazing she is, you go and offer her a job which makes you the only man in the world she will categorically not date.

I hadn’t thought that one through properly.

It had been a long time since I’d met a woman so responsive. Passive was not in Emily Giordano’s register, and she didn’t try to pander or flatter around me. She even had the balls to openly question my decision to hire her, a decision that undoubtedly worked out well for her.

I didn’t have a good answer.

Offering her the job had been a spur of the moment idea, a brilliant one at that. I knew it would bring Turner over to us, but more than that, it’d ensured her eyes lit up with agitation. She enjoyed a challenge, alright.

Taking her out for lunch had been a… stretch. I hadn’t lied-I did sometimes go out for lunch with employees to pick their brains on a project or another.

Occasionally.

Perhaps once or twice a year.

But knowing I was only three floors away from seeing her beautiful eyes sparkle as she called me out on my bullshit was enough to break my willpower.

But then she thought I’d offered her the chance for a one-night-stand or some cheap fling.

She thought her job would be in jeopardy if we became better friends.

In retrospect, of course that’s what she assumed. Hell, that must have been what she thought I was doing at that idiot club with Rafe-womanizing and schmoozing.

I had my work cut out for me. I had to ensure she started seeing me in a different light, like a man she’d consider spending time with. It would be a challenge, but I had never backed down from one before.

“Sir?” My assistant’s head popped through the half-open door.

“Yes?”

“It’s your mother’s birthday next week. I just wanted to ask if you’ve prepared anything or if I should schedule a flower delivery?”

I sighed. “Schedule a flower delivery.”

He nodded and shut the door behind him. Honestly, he was the best assistant I had ever had-no-one was more organized-but sometimes I thought he followed my life so closely it left no room at all for his own.

As if summoned by the mere mention, my phone lit up with my step-mother’s name.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

With a sigh, I decided not to answer.

For while my mother was living with her sister in Florida, my step-mother was still in California. And she was driving me insane.

To say that we had different views on life would be an understatement. More than that, though, were our different views on Ryan.

My little brother meant well, but he often got himself in all kinds of trouble. Some of that trouble might leave rather permanent dents one day if he kept it up-he was getting older. Being bailed out by your brother worked at twenty-one, but it wouldn’t look so cute at twenty-five.

I’d had this discussion with my step-mother a thousand times already. No doubt she wanted to schedule another screaming match. Everything was dragged up; my father’s legacy, money, the future.

A problem for another day. For now, I needed to ensure my app launch would go smoothly.

I needed to meet a reporter for a two-page spread.