Page 17 of Mid-Thirties Slightly Hot Mess Female Seeking Billionaire

"No offense or anything," she says as if that makes it better, then laughs. I can’t help but smile at the sound. Her laugh makes me warm. It’s silky and loud, and it pleases my ears.

"No offense taken. Just checking so that I don’t have to fire you."

"Fire me?" She freezes, and the laughter is gone. Which I regret because I like the sound a lot.Weird. I’m not even sure why I’m drawn to her laugh. What I really need to be doing is going back to the office to finish going through the paperwork and figuring out what Lord Chambers wants from his jingle.

"You couldn’t work at Rosser International if we’d fucked. It would make it too awkward," I explain, then pause. "You work in copywriting?" I ask her, and she nods slowly. I try to think back to being in that department earlier in the day, but I don’t remember seeing her. I’d remember those eyes, and that smile, and those breasts. Though, I know I’m not supposed to be noticing any breasts.

"So, Slutty, what’s…" The bulky jackass is back, and I turn around to face him.

"Sit your ass down," I say in a low and very distinct tone. He stares at me for a few moments, and I know he’s wondering if he can take me, which is not likely. He is most definitely drunk, and I’m sober as all get out. He’s also a bit top heavy, and I’m evenly muscular. He doesn’t want to take me on. It wouldn’t be a fair fight whatsoever.

"Whatever." He shrugs. "She’ll be dancing on my table after she’s done with you." He looks back at Sarah. "You’re cute, but you got eye issues, or what?"

"I don’t have my glasses on." She glares at him and blinks rapidly. "Isabel, give me my glasses now," she demands, and I watch her friend wordlessly handing back a pair of thick black glasses. Sarah puts them on, and they take over half her face. She’s still cute, but they aren’t the most attractive accessory I’ve ever seen. She presses her lips together as she continues playing with her hair.

"So, you work for me and as a stripper?" I ask her because I don’t know what to say at this point. Was that why she’d been dancing on the table?

"Um, kinda, not really, I mean…" She looks away and shrugs. She seems to think something over, and I watch as she squares her shoulders and stares me directly in the eyes again. "A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do, right?" She gives me the sweetest smile a woman has ever given me, and for a few minutes, we take each other in. I feel like I feel when I’m at the beach and staring at the waves of the ocean. I’m awed. And my heart stills for a second. My breath catches as I stare at her lips. Lips I want to kiss.

"I guess so." I nod slowly and take a step back. "So, it’s jingles in the day and dances in the night?"

"You know it. Something like that." She takes a step toward me. "I am the top dancer in the region." She spins around. It’s not the daintiest spin I’ve ever seen, but I can’t seem to take my eyes off her. "Tap, ballet, hip-hop, you name it, I can do it."

"I’m sure the men only care about one sort of dance though?" I can imagine her giving me a lap dance, pressing her breasts against my lips. Telling me I can’t touch.

"Yah, my pole work is excellent." She puts her hands up in the air and pretends to start climbing. "All I need is a pole and a thong." She presses a finger to my lips and heat consumes me. "Then they don’t forget me." She’s got my heart racing now, but I don’t respond. "Have a great evening, Mr. Rosser." She grabs her friend’s hand and they leave in a flourish. I stare after her for a few seconds and then shake my head. How am I hard right now?

"What was that?" I ask a dumbfounded Jackson. "She actually works for us?"

"She does and shit, she’s hot." He licks his lips. "Think we can change that fraternization policy?"

"Not at all," I snap and look at my watch. "We’ve had a drink. Now we need to go back to work."

"What?" He’s aghast and sighs. "We’re not going to discuss what just happened with little miss hottie and her thong comment?"

"Nope." I shake my head. "What my employees do outside of work hours is up to them. Now, if she were to do such a thing in the office, I’d have her fired so quickly for being unprofessional." I ignore my burning lips and the images in my mind. I can picture Ms. Kahan sliding up and down a pole, a thong in her ass cheeks as she dances around, breasts bouncing in glee. I need to get the thought out of my mind. I am not going to break my no-fraternization policy for a copywriting stripper, no matter how intriguing I find her. Though, I suppose I do have a duty to find out where she works at night to ensure that it’s not dangerous or shady. I can’t have my employees mixed up in anything too salacious or seedy. Rosser International doesn’t need any bad press. Not right now, when we’re about to expand even more. That would completely ruin our new lighting launch. And the announcement of our new home chain stores.

Business is the most important thing right now—the absolute most important thing in the world. I’ll make sure Sarah Kahan’s night activities aren’t going to mess up anything, and then I’ll promptly forget who she is and what she’s doing in her life.

7

Sarah

Dear Diary,

I touched his lips. And told him I liked to dance on a pole in a thong. Why, oh, why did I say that? A thong? I haven’t owned a thong in years. They are so uncomfortable. How can I go in to work tomorrow? Maybe he won’t remember? Maybe he was drunk, as well. I have no idea if that’s true or not because I could barely see him for more than half of our conversation, and then for the other half, I was just embarrassed.

The "he" I’m talking about is my boss, Ethan Rosser. Why, oh, why is his name popping up in my diary so much now?

I mean, you would have been embarrassed, as well. I don’t know what possessed me to pretend I was a stripper on the side. I literally have never stripped in my life. Not even with a boyfriend. I’m not going in to work tomorrow. Well, maybe I am, but only because I need the paycheck.

Why couldn’t I have been born to rich parents? My family has really let me down.

Stupid Sassy Sarah

The previous evening feels like a really bad dream. A part of me wishes that it was one. Yes, nightmares suck, but then you get to wake up and join the real world again and banish all the bad memories—no such luck when your nightmare is real life.

Yes, I’ve been waiting for Ethan Rosser to notice me, but that is not how I wanted it to happen. Frankly, I was slightly miffed that he’d been so shocked that I worked for him. He really hadn’t recognized me. I know I look different with my hair down and my glasses off, but I don’t think I look that different. Though, I can’t worry about that too much now. My stomach tenses as I get closer to work.

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