Page 37 of Foreplay with the Boss

The woman pressed her lips together, a judgmental pinch to her features. “Sounds like you’re playing with fire to me.”

Hell yeah, I was, and I liked the way it burned. The ornery side of me—the one that used to rule my teenage and early twenties—wanted to point out that if anyone had done any harassing, it was Kat, so she should be giving the condemning look to her.

With one final scowl, the receptionist beat a hasty exit. Clearly she’d made up her mind about me, and she looked the type to report to human resources. It wasn’t like I worked for LoneStar, but it wouldn’t be good for my currently-stellar reputation for this kind of thing to get spread around.

I was weeks away from a big move with the company that would cement my position and turn around the way people discussed the Stone name, and something like that could ruin everything and leave the company looking for a new CEO to step in and reap the benefits of my hard work. No redeeming my dad’s mistakes and proving myself separate from him, and I’d have to start over.

“I hope you’re not stupid enough to be sleeping with one of your employees,” Doug said, finally speaking up instead of giving one of the noncommittal shrugs he’d given me all afternoon.

I worked to hide the way my muscles tensed. It’s not like I didn’t know it was a bad idea, and slightly unethical, but we had a mutually agreed upon arrangement. “None of your business.”

“True.” Doug sat forward in his chair. “But hear me out…One of my business school buddies just got finished with an ugly lawsuit because he was involved with a female employee who worked under him. He claims it was mutual, and I believe him, but when their relationship fell apart, she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit, and now he’s out thousands of dollars and a job. No one will touch him.”

Worry rose up and bound my lungs, even as I told myself that my situation with Kat was different.

Kat would never file a complaint or lawsuit out of spite. Would she?

I didn’t think she was the vengeful or even spiteful type, but say she got super pissed off when she found out that I was dissolving her father’s branch of the company and outsourcing the marketing to save Craze a ton of money…

Fuck. I didn’t even get to properly enjoy that message before reality had to come creeping in.

I prided myself on leaving emotions out of business decisions and on my iron self-control, but every time I was around Kat, all I wanted to do was grab her and bury myself between her thighs. I wanted to eek out every ounce of pleasure and tease, punish, and reward her again and again.

And even worse, I felt myself softening around her. Found myself thinking more and more about her when I should be focused on work, and there’d been a few stray thoughts about trying to find another way to do what I needed to without shutting down the Hartford branch, even though I knew it was the best, most fiscally-sound option.

It was probably a good thing I had so much to do here in Texas, because I needed a few days to clear my head before I went off half-cocked and did something that would ruin years of hard work. Like put my position as CEO in jeopardy, and have all the naysayers rushing to say that they always knew I would turn out just like my old man.

CHAPTER 21

Kat

I’m not sure why I’m even thinking of buying lingerie for a guy who doesn’t even return a dirty voicemail.

He’d sent two emails over the weekend, one to both me and Rob, granting me final ad approval, and another that simply said: The reports look great. Thanks for taking care of the meeting on Friday.

Like, really? I tell him I miss his dick and then he decides to go and turn into one?

The hangers made a screeching noise as I pushed them along the racks. I was about to leave, sure I was too crabby for this trip I’d planned pre-dickish-radio-silence, but then I saw it.

Red and lacy, a bustier that had a tiny matching thong with those little strappy things that held up thigh-high hose. I could wear that under my work clothes, and then as soon as Jameson and I are out of the office…

Given that he’s talked to me before then. Grr.

My phone rang, and I glanced at the display. Shit. I ducked down like my dad would sense through the phone that I was in a lingerie store. The ringing finally stopped, and I picked up the tiny outfit, debating buying it now or using the wait-and-see method.

But I didn’t want to wait and see. I wanted to be bold, and even if I never wore it with Jameson—my gut dropped at that thought—I’d wear it with someone.

Mr. Future Dude, who I could meet now that I was mostly equipped with the verbal tools and confidence I needed to amp up my foreplay game and sex life.

My phone rang again, and I jumped, dropping the flimsy outfit in the process and then scrambling to pick it up. I glanced at the screen. Apparently Dad wasn’t giving up today.

I tucked the lingerie into a compact ball and tucked it under my arm. “Hey, Dad.” “Hey, pumpkin. Just wanted to check in and see how your second week working with JT is going.”

“Oh, great. It’s going great.” “Are you learning a lot?”

You have no idea. “Definitely learning more about being assertive.” Which meant that I was going to assert myself with Jameson, and tell him I was annoyed he didn’t call me back after I left him a sexy message. Did he have any idea what that did to a girl’s floundering self-esteem?

Not to mention my brain went all worst-case scenario and started picturing him out with other women, laughing at my ridiculous attempt at dirty talk.

---