Page 41 of Snowed In with the Bosses

That was all it took for a whole conversation about proper tea to begin. They talked, laughed, even bantered about flavor profiles and the best time of day for tea. I watched the interaction with a kind of bewildered amusement. Who was this man? I thought I knew him, but it seemed I hadn’t even truly scratched the surface. We drank an entire pot of tea together. By the time Alexander stood and hugged Mom, I could barely see through the sheen of tears threatening to spill over. Seeing them get along so well together was a blessing I never expected.

“I like her.” Alexander’s lips quivered in a light smile once we were back in the car. “I see where you get your spunk.”

“Dad used to call her a firecracker.” I buckled my seatbelt. “I worried the cancer would take that away from her, but she’s still fighting.”

Alexander steered away from Mom’s and headed toward my house. I didn’t bother questioning how he’d known Mom’s address. It didn’t matter. He’d done a good thing for her, and for me by driving me over to see her. It reassured me in a way no phone call could. We were quiet on the drive. My thoughts chased each other around and around. What would we facetomorrow in the office? Harrington had gone over our designs by now. Soon we’d hear about the rescheduled council meeting. Things were building up, stacking one atop the other like a tower of blocks. One wrong move and they’d all come crashing down.

“You’ll call if you need anything?” Alexander stopped in front of my house. His car’s headlights silhouetted my place in a warm glow before he turned them off and climbed out. “I’ll walk you.”

It was a sweet but unnecessary gesture I wasn’t about to argue with him over.

I kissed his cheek once we reached the front stoop and I’d unlocked my door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Exhaustion demanded I go inside and sleep. I’d managed to ignore it, but seeing Mom and being home allowed the fatigue to land so fast it threatened to crush me.

Alexander squeezed my hand. “Tomorrow.” It was almost a question, like we were both uncertain what happened next. “Sleep well, Clara.”

“Goodnight, Alexander.” His name still tasted exotic on my lips. I closed and locked the door before I did something crazy like invite him inside. His car engine growled to life and I waited until I couldn’t hear it anymore to pull my phone from my pocket and open it to the message I’d gotten that first night in Alexander’s mansion.

You’re a slut.

The hateful words in bold print, combined with the unknown number, set my teeth on edge. Who would send this to me and why? Why hide their identity? Maybe it wasn’t meant for me.

Still, the threat of it put me on edge. I called Ethan. He was the tech wiz of the company. If anyone could track this motherfucker down, it was Ethan.

His quick answer brought a smile to fight back the fear. “Hello, Clara.”

“I love the way you say my name.” I sighed into the phone. “I have a problem, Ethan.”

“Oh?” The instant alertness charged through the phone.

“I received a disturbing text from an unknown number. Can you try to find out who sent it?” I double-checked that I’d locked the door before making my way to the kitchen. My stomach bubbled with a mix of hunger and uncertainty.

“Send me screenshots of the text. Make sure the phone number is included. I’ll see what I can do.” His words were clipped and short, the velvety smoothness overwhelmed by a protective edge. “Do you feel safe at home? Do you want to stay with me?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s just a text message. I’ll sleep better knowing you’re looking into it.” I felt better knowing Ethan had my back and fished a quick dinner from the freezer. Liam had spoiled me with his cooking talent, but I was back in my real world and dinner was whatever I could scavenge and throw in the oven.

“If you change your mind, call me.”

I promised I would and said goodnight. I fell asleep after my dinner with a smile on my lips as I reminisced over the last few days.

I expected to feel differently the next morning when I walked into work, but things were so familiar that it was easy to believe it had all been a dream. The couch we’d slept on sat in the lounge, looking none the worse for our escapades. I grinned around the rim of my coffee cup.

“You’re looking happy this morning.” Allan’s grating tone stiffened my shoulders. “Looks like you stayed safe during the storm.”

“I did.” I almost added “thanks” out of reflex but snapped my mouth shut. Dealing with Allan was difficult enough without giving him the kind of encouragement he’d take from even a meaningless token of gratitude. “What about you?” Maybe aredirection would keep him at bay. I kept walking toward the offices where I was supposed to meet up with Alexander, Liam, and Ethan.

“Oh, I did fine. Not as warm as I’m sure you were.” A sharp gleam lit his eyes. “Body heat is a great resource, don’t you think?”

“What the hell does that mean?” I stopped in the middle of the lounge. “Are you making a comment about my weight, because that’s fucked up.”

Allan scoured me from head to toe with a lascivious look that sent nausea up the back of my throat. “Not at all.” He stepped close enough for me to smell his breath, a reeking odor of stale cigarettes and coffee. “Just saying, if you’re looking to stay warm this winter, I’d be happy to offer my services.” His fingers skimmed my arm and the outer curve of my breast.

“Get out of my face, Allan.” My voice carried across the lounge. I refused to be the one to back down. A step backward meant retreat, a move Allan would take as a victory.

Several people looked our way. A few stopped walking and turned to face the commotion. One woman approached while a few men stood back and waited. We were the morning freak show, and none of them wanted to miss the action.

Allan stayed put, his slimy grin causing goosebumps to pop on my arms. “You say that now, but you’ll come around.”

“I swear to God I’ll file a sexual harassment claim if you don’t get out of my way.” I was one wrong word away from showing him exactly how I felt about him and his unwelcome sexual innuendo.

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