Page 4 of Bad & Bossy

How good she tasted.

I needed to stop myself. I couldn’t go down that road, couldn’t keep looking at her, drinking her in. If I did, everything I’d worked so hard on would start to unravel.

Everything about her was intoxicating, and the more I fingered the medallion, the more I worried she was as bad for me as what it symbolized.

Her breath caught as I turned away from her, addressing the group once again. I tried not to let her presence get to me, tried to pelt out my voice as I had before I had seen her.

Today I had returned to Boulder, to restart my life, finding strength in the support of my best friend, in the company of my employees, within the walls of this building that signified my triumphs and my successes.

But now, my fragile confidence was turning to shit.

Because that woman symbolized everything that I had destroyed in my life, my weaknesses and my failures.

And now I was face to face with the mammoth endeavor of making things right.

Even if she didn't want anything to do with me, I still had to find the strength to try.

Chapter 2

Dana

My heart started pounding. I put my hands in my pockets so no one would notice how they were shaking. Why is he here?

The crowd slowly dissipated, splitting into two recognizable groups—one that clearly knew Cole, and one that had likely been hired on without meeting him. How I’d gone five months without knowing he was in charge was beyond me.

I watched as people milled about. Those who knew him slipped away from the room soundlessly while others stayed behind to introduce themselves and speak to him, shake his hand, meet the man who apparently was in charge of us all.

I’d heard whispers about the supposed runaway owner. Everything from an unplanned extended vacation right down to an alien abduction had floated around the office. I’d paid no mind to it under the assumption that he was never coming back.

Maybe I should have.

My feet didn’t follow my brain’s commands to move. Partly because the floor was so sticky and moving my shoes would take effort, but mostly because I just didn’t have the willpower. I wanted to go with the rest of them, pretend like maybe he hadn’t clocked me despite our stupidly prolonged eye contact.

Benjamin stepped up next to me, nearly making me jump as I ripped my gaze from Cole. “Come on, I’ll introduce you,” he said, one arm extended toward the line that was forming to fucking shake Cole’s hand.

“I-I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile, my eyes looking towards the door. “I don’t need to meet him.”

“He’s insisted,” Ben replied. His voice had dropped, an air of irritation dripping in his tone. “Just get it over with so we can all finish up and go home.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t have a point. I was taken away halfway through a guided tour to listen to this bullshit. I had to leave my group in the restaurant with a stack of free meal vouchers as an apology, and it was already pushing against my time to clock out.

“Fine,” I grumbled, finally peeling my boots from the floor and stepping into the line.

I discovered I was sorely mistaken with my hopes that he hadn’t noticed me. He glanced at me between each person, each time lingering for half a second too long.

It only made my heart pound stronger.

And make me want to escape.

I just wanted to get home to my son. My shift was already too long for my liking, and the nanny wasn’t exactly thrilled whenever I was late picking up Drew. At this rate, he’d be asleep by the time I got there, and I didn’t even want to consider how easy he could go from peacefully sleeping at the nanny’s house to a screeching baby in the backseat. But the pay here was insane, more than what Lottie could give me.

I should’ve known there was a catch.

I wouldn’t have taken it, no matter the pay, if I knew Cole ran the fucking company.

The line was moving too quickly for my liking. I was caught between wanting to go home and wanting to stay at the back of the line to avoid having to shake his hand and speak to him.

Mistakes had been made.

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