Page 14 of Forbidden Boss (Manhattan Billionaires)

Marcus thought it was hilarious and reminded her of it at every opportunity.

These days, Penny didn’t spend much time in thrift stores. She had a child and a dog and had been absorbed by Marcus’s vibrant family—but she still made time for me.

A couple of days after my strange car ride with my billionaire ex-boss, I sat on one of the bar stools next to her kitchen island and enjoyed a margarita with a perfect salt rim. Holding it in my good hand, I let the tart, fresh drink lift my mood.

“So, wait,” Penny said, arranging a few dried apricots on the charcuterie board she was putting together. “The perfume bottle fell on you, shattered, injured you, and then they fired you?”

I nodded. “Yep. And then, weirdly, my boss picked me up from the hospital.”

“That Ophelia woman?”

I shook my head. “No. The big boss. Rome Blakely. The guy whose name is on the building.”

Marcus had been frowning at his phone until then, his dog’s head resting in his lap. At my words, he looked up. “Rome Blakely picked you up from the hospital?”

“Weird, right? He told me he wanted me to come in on Monday to discuss things.”

Penny checked the baby monitor to make sure her toddler was still sleeping soundly, then shifted her gaze to me. “What does he want to talk about?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I was exhausted and kind of woozy, so I wasn’t exactly on my game. But it kind of seemed like he was probing for information somehow.”

“Hmm,” Penny replied, frowning.

“There was one good thing, though.”

“What’s that?”

I smiled. “He had really good chocolate, said he flew it in from Belgium. So I got to eat that on the way home, at least.”

“I can make you a T-shirt: ‘I got fired from the Blakely Advertising Agency and all I got was a delicious Belgian chocolate bar (and this T-shirt).’”

Snorting, I grabbed a grape. “Seems a bit wordy.”

“Let me brainstorm something better. ‘I met Rome Blakely and all I got was a gash on my arm and a ride in his limo.’”

“‘I got fired from Blakely and all I got was an hour with a giant dildo.’”

Penny laughed, and I crunched down on my snack, grinning.

Across the room, Marcus stood and drifted closer. Bear, the dog, jumped off the couch and followed at his side before trotting over to Penny to demand scratches. Penny obliged, her smile still pointed at me. While she scratched, the red-and-white polka-dot dog collar around Bear’s neck wiggled back and forth. It was one of Penny’s creations, and it was adorable.

Marcus leaned a hip on the kitchen island and crossed his arms. His scowl was pointed in my direction. “Was Blakely trying to intimidate you?”

I cut off a chunk of smoked gouda and put it on a fancy multigrain cracker that had definitely come from a specialty grocery store that was too expensive for the likes of me. Glancing at Marcus before taking a bite, I said, “I don’t think so. He did give me a chocolate bar.” The gouda was creamy and delicious, with the perfect amount of smoke flavor. The cracker had a bit of sweetness, and the whole thing was like tasting nirvana. I groaned. “Penny. This cheese is divine.”

“Isn’t it? Try the Brie.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” I said, spinning the board around so I could get at the good stuff.

“And he gave you no sign about what he wanted to talk about at this meeting?” Marcus asked, still frowning.

I tore my gaze away from the cheese and shrugged. “He said he wanted to discuss options, and that he was sure we could come to a mutually beneficial solution.”

“Hot,” Penny said.

I rolled my eyes, laughing.

Marcus pulled his phone out. “Do you have representation?”

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