Page 9 of Boss with Benefits

“Hey!” Derrick barked, his eyes narrowing at me.

“It’s true,” I teased, my grin widening. “Do you even have an account?”

Derrick’s brows knit together as he picked up his phone. Before he could figure it out, I leaned over and snatched it from his hand, my fingers flying across the screen until I found the yellow icon. I tapped it triumphantly. “I need your log-in details.”

He squinted at the screen, clearly out of his element. “Hold on.” Derrick flipped open a spiral notebook, his finger tracing down the page in search of the elusive password.

“Oh my God,” I groaned, palming my forehead. “Please tell me you don’t have all your passwords written in there.”

Peyton chuckled, shaking her head. “You were a cop, Derrick. Don’t you know anything about security?”

“This is secure,” Derrick insisted, looking offended. “No one would think to look here for passwords.”

Peyton and I exchanged a knowing look.

“Dude,” I laughed, exasperated. “You’re an anomaly.”

Derrick typed in the passcode and then stared at the app like it was a piece of alien technology. “I have no idea where the messages are on this thing.”

He looked at me, completely ignoring Peyton, who leaned over to guide him. “Just click on the link in the message here, and it’ll take you directly to the podcast’s homepage. Look it over and let me know what you think,” she said.

Peyton stepped toward the door, but Derrick’s voice stopped her. “Hey, Jackson says you guys are looking to move into a new place. That’s, uh, great.” He forced a smile, though it looked more like a grimace. “Way to go.”

Peyton shifted uncomfortably, her gaze dropping to the floor. “Oh, yeah. Thanks. I’ll, um, wait to hear about that podcast.”

“Great,” Derrick said, his tone overly bright.

As soon as Peyton was gone, I threw an empty file folder at Derrick’s head. He batted it away with lightning reflexes.

“What the hell?” he snapped.

“Dude, what was that about? You were acting really weird.”

“Drop it,” Derrick grumbled, but the flush creeping up his neck betrayed him.

“It would’ve been cute if you weren’t so awkward,” I said, dragging the next tower of files closer.

“I said drop it,” Derrick said, his voice lowering into a rumble.

“I heard a rumor you dated her.”

Derrick’s fingers froze in midair over his keyboard, and his gaze sharpened. “It’s none of your business,” he growled.

“Uh-oh, did I hit a nerve?” I teased, enjoying the way his cheeks darkened. “What happened? Couldn’t get it up?”

Derrick shot up from his chair, sending it crashing to the floor.

“Get out,” he commanded, his voice dangerously low.

I blinked, taken aback. “What?”

“Get the hell out of here. I’m not having some kid analyze things she knows nothing about. Go.”

His gaze burned with fury, his broad chest heaving as if he was barely restraining himself.

“Whatever,” I huffed, kicking one of the paper towers. Real mature, I know. It toppled over, sending a cascade of documents across the floor. “I was only kidding.”

I stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind me. My annoyance simmered just beneath the surface as I charged into the break lounge, my footsteps echoing in the small space. The lounge was a stark contrast to Derrick’s office—sleek and modern with a wet bar, two beers on draft, swinging hammock chairs, and a plush, pink sofa where Eva and I often sat, dissecting our lives on her lunch break.

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