Page 73 of Business or Pleasure

I stared at her. “You put a tracker on my phone for my parents? You work for me, not them.”

Something snapped and Brigh’s entire countenance changed. “Yes, I work for you. I do everything for you. And I always thought you couldna see me as anything else because of work. Then you go and fuck that total cow, Angie.” The words spilled out of her as if they’d been building for a long time. “It wasna fair! I love you! Then Angie left you and I thought you’d finally see me. But you didn’t. I went to your parents because I thought I could have the one thing Angie never did. Their approval. If I had that, they could get you to notice me. So, aye, I put a tracker on your phone.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“Of course, it didna make a difference because you went straight for her.” Brigh sneered at Harlee. “Barely in the city a day and you found someone else to fuck. And not even someone with a bit of class. Some tattooed, pierced slag–”

“Enough!” I practically yelled the word, startling even Alec. “You’re never to speak of her that way. I don’t plan on seeing you after today, but if I hear a single foul word uttered about Harlee, you will regret it.”

“What are you talking about?” Brigh’s anger turned to something unsure.

“You’re flying home tomorrow morning and I never want to see or hear from you again. My family will know that to hire you will be to lose me forever. My friends will know that. Everyone in Edinburgh will know. I canna make you leave the city, but you won’t be finding decent employment there. And I doubt you’ll have many friends left either.”

“You canna do that.”

“Oh, I can.” I took a step toward her. “You betrayed my trust, and that alone would be enough for me to fire you. You tried to come between Harlee and I with that stupid article about her past, and that would be enough for me to never want to see you again. But you tried to frame her for stealing. Get her fired from her job, perhaps worse. That’s unforgivable.” I shook my head. “I’m quit of you. Leave.”

“Baylen–”

“Ms. Flitton,” Alec interrupted, “if you don’t remove yourself from my premises, I will have security escort you out, and I dinna think you want the sort of scene that will create.”

Brigh’s mouth opened, then closed again. She turned on Harlee. “You–”

“Just go,” Harlee said, her tone mild. “Because if you touch me, you’ll be flying home with a black eye and possibly a few less teeth.”

Something in Harlee’s face must’ve convinced Brigh that Harlee wasn’t bluffing because Brigh turned and stormed out.

“Ms. Boswell, please see that she leaves the building,” Alec called out before turning back to Harlee and I. “I could go for something to eat. What do you say we order in some brunch?”

Thirty-Four

Harlee

I hadn’t seen Baylen since we left MIRI on Tuesday, but we talked every night and texted throughout the day. It wasn’t easy, being away from him, and that should have scared me, but it just made me realize just how much he meant to me. How hard I’d fallen for him.

And he was leaving.

We didn’t talk about it, not when he was going or what it would mean for us, but I knew we needed to have that conversation, and soon. We were going on a date tonight and I planned to bring it up. I didn’t want things to end, not when I was fairly sure I was in love with him, but I couldn’t keep going with our future up in the air. I had to know there was a chance this was going somewhere.

While I dressed, that thought kept echoing through my mind, making me wonder if this would be the last time I put on something because I thought Baylen would like me in it. The last time I imagined him taking it off me. But even with that bit of negativity, I couldn’t help smiling when I opened my door to find Baylen there with a multi-colored bouquet of dahlias.

“They’re beautiful!” I exclaimed as I brought them into the kitchen to find a vase.

“You’re beautiful,” Baylen said, the sincerity in his voice making what could have been a cheesy line into a lovely compliment.

“Thank you.” I felt myself blush. “You look great too.”

I felt him come up behind me, standing close enough that when I turned, I was staring directly at his chest. It was a very nice chest.

“Do you have any idea how tempted I am to take you right here on the kitchen counter?” Baylen bent his head to brush his mouth against my ear. “To stay in tonight and see how many times I can make you come?”

I let out a shuddering breath. “I won’t complain.”

He sighed and straightened. “Aye, but I promised myself that I’d take you on a proper date. Treat you well.”

“Orgasms count as treating me well,” I countered, tipping my head back to look at him.

He laughed, then brushed his lips across mine. “Dinner first. Orgasms later.”

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