Page 45 of Playboy Boss

“It’s against policy.”

Scottie looked up to Jeff, his eyes sparkling. “Well, I guess I’m not going to date anyone at Korr Corp.” She had no idea why she asked him that question. It only seemed to fuel some fire Jeff had been building since she met him on the grand tour of Korr Solutions.

Without missing a beat, Jeff said, “You’re not a Korr Corp employee, though.”

No, she most certainly was not. She also was most certainly done with the conversation.

After the awkward lunch, Scottie returned to the office only when she’d made a detour to Space City Pawn, without Jeff. She counted the twelve hundred dollars she got for the pin, which was an insult. She should have gotten three times that much for it, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. She swore she’d never be a beggar again. She couriered her portion of the rent in cash to Tara. What was done was done.

Konrad came back to the office around three, holding a small bag with handles. He stood in her cube, commanding her complete attention, which wasn’t hard to give. Every nerve ending sparked at the sight of him. Distressed jeans, chambray button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbows and Converse sneakers. Sunglasses were perched on top of his head, and his bergamot scent made her quiver deep inside. She liked his casual style as much as she liked him in a suit.

“I need you in my office for the rest of the afternoon.” He pointed in the direction of his office. “We need to work on a major presentation for Monday afternoon.”

Scottie stood, promptly grabbing a notepad and purple ink pen, trying to hide the exhilaration that ran through her. “No problem.”

Denying her continued attraction to him was impossible.

Stoic, and with no indication he shared her thoughts, he simply said, “Come.”

Come. The one word sounded obscene from his lips, and it made her remember everything he’d done to her. On that same desk were the residual images of them succumbing to desire—the desire that was clearly still there for her, despite the fact he’d called it a mistake that morning. She’d agreed with him. Correction, her brain had. Her body had come to a different conclusion.

Scottie followed Konrad into his office. How was she supposed to act around him? Let him lead. The only person she could control was herself.

Konrad met her at the round conference table at the far end of his vast office. “How was your lunch?”

The words sounded nonchalant, but the clench in his jaw suggested he was jealous. Was he jealous like he’d been last night on his desk, when they…

Stop it.

“It was fine.” With her fingertips, she skimmed the pile of folders he’d set down.

“Glad to hear it. I hope Jeff was a gentleman.” The folders had his attention as he said the words.

“He was.”

Then he lifted his eyes to her, pinning her gaze. “Good. I’ll fire him if he wasn’t.”

The breath hitched in her throat. Oh God. That stare. Eyes shifting down, she busied herself with the folders. “What’s this meeting for?”

“Ortho-Sync, the medical device manufacturing company, is interested in making a bid for the EaDo property.” He pulled out two chairs next to each other. “I want them to buy the property.”

Scottie’s gaze danced over his fingers, which were curled over the backs of the slate-gray ergonomic chairs. Those fingers… “Okay.”

Two hours later at five o’clock, when the other employees were calling it a day, Scottie continued to type on Konrad’s laptop as he spoke. She’d created the presentation live, feeding off his energy. But one thing came to mind. “This is the same property that Bayou Sling Brewery bid on.”

He’d run his fingers through his hair multiple times by that point. “Correct. But they can’t compete with Ortho-Sync. They don’t have enough investors to pull in the two million. Close, but not close enough.”

Scottie glanced back at the computer screen in quiet contemplation. “You won’t consider it?”

Suddenly, Konrad moved across the room fast and opened a drawer in his desk to rummage through it. Then he emptied out all three drawers and reassembled them again. “God, I thought I remembered where I’d left my Richard Mille watch. But no … I guess not.”

“You lost it?”

His hand gripped the back of his neck. “I have no idea where I left it.” He walked back to the round table. “It’s such a sad shame because it’s my favorite watch.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for it.”

His lips slightly curled up in a smile. “Thank you.” As he sat next to her again, the skin on his arm touched hers, singeing her, but she didn’t pull away.

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