Page 15 of Boss With Benefits

CHAPTER SEVEN

ELLAWASPACKINGup her workstation when out of the corner of her eye she saw Adam exiting the lift and striding in her direction. But despite the leap of her pulse and a hot surge of desire, she didn’t pause, not even for a second. She’d been preparing for this moment ever since she’d thought of it in the early hours of yesterday morning. They couldn’t continue working together in the same space and breathing the same air, she’d concluded as she’d lain in bed, tossing and turning, so stressed by the memory of the kiss that her cortisol levels had to have been sky high. Not after what had happened. The chemistry that still arced between them was simply too dangerous, and she had to put a stop to the self-destruction upon which she appeared hell-bent.

Furthermore, she’d finally succumbed to curiosity and googled his name and had come across a photo of him wrapped round a stunning redheaded supermodel at some charity gala the night before—hisgirlfriendno less, according to one article she’d read yesterday evening, in which the luscious Annabel St James had gushed with excitement about the brand-new love of her life.

Evidently, Adam had lied about always being single that night in the bar, but what did she care? It wasn’t as if she were jealous or anything. How dumb would that be? And what would she have to be jealous of anyway? Their relationship? No, thanks. Although it did explain why he’d been so keen to forget their one-night stand. And why he’d been so resolute it was never going to happen again. Why he’d kissed her so thrillingly on Friday night instead of pushing her off wasn’t her problem.

It had briefly crossed her mind as she silenced the alarm at six and buried her head beneath her pillow that she could call in sick. She could work from home and avoid having to face the boss she’d thrown herself at so shamelessly. But she’d dismissed the thought virtually the instant it entered her head because she would not be doing any such thing. She was stronger and braver than that, and the success of this job meant far too much. She wouldn’t put her promotion in jeopardy just because she felt uncomfortable and it wasn’t as if this would be the first time she showed up to work riddled with embarrassment and shame.

When her secret affair with Drew had eventually become public knowledge, she’d run the gauntlet of sly comments and knowing looks. Her private life had suddenly been up for scrutiny, of far more interest than her work, and that had been a situation that no amount of career planning had prepared her for. The humiliation and loss of respect had been crushing. One of her colleagues, who’d previously openly admired her work ethic, had questioned her career progression, implying that she’d only achieved what she had by lying flat on her back. Another had asked with suspicion whether any indiscreet office banter could have been reported further up the chain.

She’d had to fight damn hard to get over the mortification and restore her colleagues trust in her. It had been months before they’d gossiped in front of her again. Longer still to get to the point where she could be assigned an audit as significant as this one and it didn’t raise a single eyebrow. But she’d survived that and she’d survive this too.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’ Adam said, his voice doing strange things to her insides.

‘I’m moving downstairs,’ she replied, stuffing some papers in a box and looking anywhere but at him because it was too mortifying, too risky, too everything.

‘We’ve already had this discussion.’

Yes, well, a lot had happened since then. But despite the mess she’d made of things—would sheneverlearn?—she wasn’t going to resign any more than she was going to let him fire her and the plan she’d come up with was the only way forward.

‘This arrangement is no longer workable.’ She unplugged her laptop and stowed it in her briefcase. ‘We clearly can’t exist in the same space without some kind of chemical reaction going on. Distance is the only option. It worked last week. It’ll work this week.’

‘You’re running away again.’

So what if she was? The only thing that mattered was completing the audit so she could reboot her career, and that wouldn’t happen if she had a constant reminder of what they’d done. ‘I’m trying to ensure success.’

‘That means a lot to you, doesn’t it?’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘You fight hard.’

‘I do. I’ve had to fight for everything.’

‘The three jobs, the trailer, the dead-beat parents, the promotion. I remember. So how did you screw up?’

She wasn’t telling himthat, she thought with a shudder, regretting even more that she’d been goaded into letting that slip on Friday night. Her last disaster of a relationship was not a topic of conversation. It was bad enoughherknowing she’d made the same mistake twice. If Adam ever found out, he’d probably question her judgement. He might decide she was replaceable even at this late stage in the proceedings.

‘Launching myself at you wasn’t my wisest move,’ she said, deliberately misunderstanding him. ‘Please accept my apologies. It was deeply unprofessional. I can’t think what came over me. But rest assured that it won’t happen again.’

He perched on the edge of the table and folded his arms across the hard muscled chest, against which she’d been plastered for all too brief a moment. ‘That’s a shame.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t think much of your solution to our little problem.’

She frowned. ‘If you have a better idea,’ she said, pretty sure that their problem was anything but little, ‘I’d be delighted to hear it.’

‘I think we should have an affair.’

At that, Ella’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. What?What?On the one hand, it was a huge relief to know that he wasn’t planning on firing her for overstepping the line as thoughtlessly as she had, but on the other, what on earth made him think an affair would be a good idea? ‘Have you gone stark raving mad?’

‘On the contrary,’ he said with enviably cool. ‘I’m thinking clearly for the first time in a week.’

‘Lucky you.’

‘This chemistry we share isn’t going to go away,’ he said far too reasonably given the subject matter. ‘The more we’ve denied it, the more it’s returned with a vengeance. Do you really think that out of sight will mean out of mind?’

---