Page 28 of Broken Boss

“That’ll just make him angry,” she insists, turning to look up at me. Suddenly, she isn’t the intimidating woman I’ve been admiring for weeks now. She’s still gorgeous, still capable, but it hits me just how vulnerable she really is.

It reminds me of what she said last night in my office…the way her voice hitched when she mentioned what happens when a girl doesn’t have family.

“If he was comfortable doing this, he’s not going to respect boundaries, Autumn. We need to tell security. Or at the very least, the head of security. They’ll need to walk you to the parking garage when you leave and I’ll have them wait for you in the morning?—”

“I don’t have a car.”

One corner of her lips lift in a wry smile. Internally, I sigh in frustration, but if she’s giving me an attitude, it’s a good sign. There’s more color in her cheeks now and the way she’s pressing against me is more present, whether she realizes it or not.

“You…take the subway?”

Of course, she mentioned the train the other night, too. It’s been years since I’ve taken the subway. It didn’t even cross my mind.

Strange, though, because I have a good idea of what we pay our senior associates. Autumn can definitely afford a car.

That’s a discussion for another time. For now, we have to deal with the reality of the situation.

“Well, you can’t take the subway home anymore.”

“What? Chris?—”

“Be realistic, Autumn. He knows you work here. He can show up whenever he wants. Even if security is looking out for him, they can only do so much once you leave the property. If he follows you to the station…”

I don’t need to go into further detail. I can see it playing out in her mind. The steep stairways. The dark corners, bad lighting.

She shivers and I pull her into me tighter, her hip pressed between my widened legs. It takes everything in me to not bury my nose in her hair and breathe her in.

Thank God the door is locked. If Louise or anyone else walked in here and saw us like this…

So much for promising Grant that I’d keep it professional at the office.

“I’ll drive you home,” I blurt out without thinking.

She pulls away, giving me an annoyed look. “Chris, no. That’s not—people would talk if they?—”

“The alternative is, he finds you.”

The words hit her hard. I can tell by the way her face goes pale again, eyes faraway. Autumn goes still.

Then her shoulders slump in defeat.

“Just tonight.”

She gives me a sidelong glance. I nod, agreeing, even though we both know that just for tonight isn’t a solution. If she’s agreeing at all, even with this compromise, it means she’s scared.

I want her safe.

I need her safe.

I won’t let her walk out of here when someone could be waiting just around the corner. Not when I’ve only had a taste of her.

It’s too soon.

Trying to ignore the desperate voice in my head, I start to untangle us from the seat. The clock on her desk reads 9:15 a.m. I’ll be meeting with Detective Jacobson soon, and someone is bound to notice that we’ve been locked in here for so long.

Standing, I hold out a hand to her. The way she looks up at me almost breaks me.

“I’ll have someone come and clean all this out. There’s an empty office down the hall; I can have Louise book it for you until they’re finished, if that’s agreeable.”

---