Page 111 of Savage Bosses

“Just shut the fuck up and listen,” I said. “We have a lot to discuss and you can’t afford to be late or hungover.”

“I can fix it.”

“I gave you a few days to run the show and you lose one of our biggest distributors.”

“I didn’t lose them.” He lied, which was a personality trait he never grew out of.

“We had a deal. You oversee the company, and I handle the funeral arrangements.”

Wesley nodded, and I launched into the morning’s agenda. There were projections to analyze, suppliers to call, and new product lines to develop. My life revolved around the success of this company, and I demanded the same level of dedication from every single one of my employees. FuSeWater was my family’s legacy, and I would do whatever it took to ensure its continued dominance.

There were two faint knocks on my open glass door. My eyes rose to see temp girl standing there with a notebook and pen.

“Sorry to interrupt. It’s 8:30, Mr. Caldwell.”

“No step inside. This is my brother, Wesley Caldwell. He works here.”

“Nice to meet you.” Aerica stepped forward and shook his hand. He held it longer than he should have. He was such a prick.

“Nice to meet you, too.” He was flirting with her like the Neanderthal I had always known him to be.

“Temp girl, sit. This will be quick.” She took the vacant chair next to my brother. “You’ll be responsible for managing my schedule, handling communications, and ensuring I have everything I need to run this company effectively.”

Aerica nodded, her gaze sweeping over the sleek glass and metal decor of my office. No doubt she was taking in the difference between my lavish workspace and her own cramped cubicle. I smirked inwardly, wondering if she felt out of place in this world of wealth and privilege.

Her eyes wandered around the room. “You can see us out there working, but we can’t see you inside of here.”

“I can see everything.” I warned.

I didn’t know anything about her. She clearly came from a modest background or she wouldn’t be working as a temp. I had been born into immense privilege. My family’s fortune had afforded me every advantage, from private schools, to elite universities, to a hefty inheritance that allowed me to found FuSeWater. In many ways, Aerica and I inhabited different worlds. Why was I even thinking about her background? It was odd. I made a mental note to stop.

“Marjorie left me some written notes on my duties while I’m here. I found them in the drawer at her desk.”

“Good.”

“Good old reliable Marjorie.” My brother said for no reason other than he was probably still a little drunk from the night before. He didn’t take our parents’ death well. He was always a fuck-up, but now he had taken it to the next level.

“Temp girl, there’s one more thing, code of conduct. This is a professional setting. There is no fraternizing with FuSe employees, our clients, or our contractors. Anything inappropriate in my workplace and you will be terminated immediately. You are here to do your job, and go above and beyond. You are not here to make friends or look for a relationship. This is a business, not a dating service.”

“I understand, Mr. Caldwell.”

“Lastly, the quickest way to lose your job is to fuck my brother.”

Aerica looked over at Wesley and then back at me. “Uh, that would never ever happen.”

I held in a laugh. Her crumpled face made it clear that no matter what he did, she wasn’t attracted to him. Most women were enamored with him. Wesley was fun, charming, and adventurous. He was completely the opposite of me. He was tall dark and handsome to women. He was the reason at least a dozen women had been fired from the company in the last ten years.

Aerica was different. I could tell he wasn’t her type. Maybe she wasn’t attracted to White men at all. I wasn’t sure why I was even giving this any thought. The single men in the office were going to be all over her. She was just that attractive. She was going to be a problem.

As Aerica met my gaze, I sensed there was more to her than met the eye. She may have lacked wealth and connections, but she possessed an inner strength that intrigued me. She was clever and quick-witted. For the first time, I felt a spark of interest in my new assistant. I quickly dismissed it, however. Getting involved with an employee could prove disastrous, no matter how captivating I found them, well her. As much as I wanted to look into her background, I wasn’t going to get an investigator to look into her. I did have some restraint.

Chapter Two

AERICA

T

uesday, I stepped out of the elevator. I was running late on the second day at this job while the big boss was back. It was like that first week didn’t even count. My heart was pounding with a mix of apprehension and anxiety. I really needed this bag, and that blonde bastard was mean as a rattlesnake. I sprinted past the blonde that showed me around on my first day. The tour was brief, my desk, the breakroom and the restrooms. There wasn’t much more.

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