Page 230 of Savage Bosses

Daisy grabbed my arm. “Wake up. Hot Teddy at 12 o'clock.”

I straightened as he strode over to us with an unshakable confidence that he always seemed to possess. Highly analytical and calm, Teddy was the pragmatist in the Dragon Moon partnership. I read somewhere that he and Ryu were friends in high school, part of a trio. The last member of their trio was always off somewhere because I never saw him. Then again, over the last year or so I barely saw Ryu or Teddy in the office, either. Hot Teddy was cold as ice.

Ryu was the sexy, aloof playboy. He had a new woman every week—those bougie ones that were messy as hell. He still lived like a frat boy according to the media. The only saving grace was that he didn't bring that into the office when he showed up, andwasactually brilliant. I saw him code something during my interview at Dragon Moon that stumped the others. It was the other reason why I took the job.

He was different from every successful man with too much money. There was more to him. I hoped to see more of it before I left. I always loved a good mystery.

Daisy squeezed me. When did she wrap her arm around mine anyway? I gotta stop with the inner narration so she won't have to lead me around as if I were a patient.

“I'm alert.” I stepped forward, pulling her with me. “Good morning, Teddy.”

“Judy-Lynn,” he greeted with an icy warmth.

The man was so formal that subtle nuances were all that betrayed his feelings. He was like Tyrone inHunter's Creed, with his cold, regal demeanor, but then he allowed people to call him Teddy, not Theodore. He probably needed a hug, but I wouldn't chance it. “Good morning, Teddy. I prepared for the meeting. I just need to put my things down in my cube.”

He painted a smile on his face. One of those polite ones when a person is too awkward at comforting people, except for him it was terrifying.

“Something wrong?” I knew it! They hired someone else and I needed to brief the new project manager. He just doesn't want to tell me.

“Ryu was called away on other matters, so you will have to meet with me and the leads today.”

That son of a—calm down, Judy-Lynn. Don't bring his mama into this. You don't know that lady, and he is too old to blame her. “He made it plain that he wanted me to detail to him how we would get Amber back on track.”

Teddy narrowed his eyes slightly. “I know, and it was supposed to be your kick-off as a project manager with his blessing. You could settle for me, couldn't you?”

I'd have to. Besides, I got the job! Booyah! “It's never settling with you, Teddy. I'll email him a synopsis and brief him in person later.”

He smirked. “Excellent. I will see you in a few minutes. “

“What was that?” Daisy asked once he left.

“A friend covering for a punk. Ryu must have partied too hard last weekend with some Instafame model and can't pull it together. But I got the job either way!”

“I know! Congratulations!”

I glanced at my watch. “We better hurry. The meeting starts in ten minutes.”

She shrugged. “I'm not a lead.”

“The project lead decides.” I touched her left shoulder and then her right as if I held a sword. “You're the Graphic lead. Now get your butt ready to show off your skills.”

She curtsied then hurried ahead of me.

Show time first, then I was calling my girls. Tonight the wine was on me.

CHAPTER 6

Ryu

T

he world should not be this fucked up. It really shouldn't. Yeah, there was tragedy and inequality in the world. Hell, I was an Asian man in a country where, despite the fact I was born here, I was still considered an other. If another asshat asked me where I was really from again, I'd lose it.

But this—I stared at the tiny white piece of cardstock that ruined my weekend of books, cosplay, and great sex, which I had wanted to do again after unsuccessfully trying to satisfy myself in the shower. I had planned to drag Jaelle off to the shower or split her there in bed. Okay, I planned to do both.

I was forty-seven years old. It wasn't often that a woman reduced me down to my horny twenties, where I wanted it all day and some days marathoned sex like it was an Olympic sport.

Jaelle did that to me.

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