Page 159 of Savage Bosses

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arol, the HR manager, led me around various departments to introduce me to some employees. Although I was a third-party consultant, she treated me like a new hire. I accepted her conduct because anything that delayed meeting Kent Luxe was a gift. The extra time aided my silent affirmations and self-confidence.

And I needed the boost, however small, because embarrassment warmed my body despite the time it took to drive from my parents’ house. Apparently, I hadn’t outgrown the shame that followed a self-pleasuring session. Not when my teenage obsessions Adam Levine, Bruno Mars, and ASAP Rocky stared down at me from their prominent positions on my walls.

“Before we meet the big boss, you’ll want to make friends with Omar.” Carol stopped before the desk of a handsome man. “Omar, meet Madison Montgomery. She’s the new hire Ife brought on board.”

There went the other reason I didn’t correct her. Under her tone was some major butt-hurt energy that she wasn’t part of the hiring decision. I made a note to myself not to piss off the HR lady any more than necessary.

I held my hand out to Omar, who stood with a dazzling smile that complimented his tanned complexion.

Appreciation warmed his eyes as he sized me up. “Friends? If I have my way—”

Carol cleared her throat.

“—we’ll be the best of friends.” Omar shook my hand.

As attractive as Omar was, I wasn’t here to find a man. I wanted to do my job and bounce without more connections tethering me to the CEO of Luxe Locations. It was moments like these that I appreciated HR. Their sole purpose was to protect the company and Carol just saved Luxe Locations from a possible sexual harassment issue.

“I look forward to working with you and collaborating our efforts to weather the current storm,” I said.

At that moment, the door to the office I’d avoided peeking into opened. Three men, dressed in tailored suits that fit their impressive physiques to perfection, exited the corner office dominating the floor. I silently exhaled. My time was up and I was about to meet the man who could make my life a living nightmare.

“You can go in. He’s been expecting you for a while.” Omar squeezed my shoulder. “By the way, the morning was off to a rough start, so be careful where you step.”

His warning made me rethink my initial reaction. He might be a good friend to have.

“That’s my cue to leave. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask,” Carol said before turning her back, duties discharged.

The glass walls hid nothing from view. Kent sat at his desk, an overlord overseeing his domain. I squared my shoulders and entered the lion’s den, doing my best to ignore the thunderous beating of my heart or the intense desire rushing through my system.

Almost all my affirmations pfft into a cloud of ephemeral smoke and I walked in with more confidence than I felt.

“Close the door behind you,” Kent snapped.

Shake it off.

I wasn’t some low-level employee being taken to the floor for losing the company money, but neither was I prepared to unleash my temper on the man.

He’s Ife’s dad.

The reminder failed, yet served its purpose. Kent being Ife’s dad never stopped my fantasies as a teen, and seeing him in the flesh after eight years didn’t help matters. Thankfully, the reason I stood before him helped to cool me down. Somewhat. Enough to have an intelligent conversation with him.

“Do you think your relationship with my daughter allows you to show up to work late?”

Breathe Maddy.

“I was on time.”

He checked his watch. “It’s after nine. You were supposed to report here at 8:30.”

“Was Carol aware of this?”

“Why would Carol know? She’s a lower-level employee. Deke handles my hires himself.”

“Then someone missed the memo. Carol’s been in charge of my schedule since I arrived, and I certainly wasn’t informed about a one-on-one.” I pulled out my phone to search my calendar and email. “Nope, no meeting requests came through, but if you would like to focus on what is an obvious miscommunication, by all means, let’s. You pay me by the hour, and my fee is a hefty one.” I folded my arms and arched my brow at him in challenge.

Rhythmic ticking along his jaw showed I’d hit a nerve. Kent pushed a button on a device on his desk and the crystal clear glass walls turned into opaque whiteness. He stood, buttoned his suit jacket, and strode toward me. His swagger was everything a multi-billionaire had, effortlessly sexy, power with each step, and so much big dick energy he sucked all the oxygen out of the room.

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