Page 17 of A Forbidden Spring
“You can’t suspend me!”
“I can and I will. I’ve also figured out whatever glitch was allowing you unlimited time off.”
Gone is the sugary-sweet expression she wore when she walked in here, fury and indignation in its place as she glares at me.
“Adhere to the rules or you’ll be terminated.”
“You can’t fire me.”
“I can and I will. Everyone is replaceable, Miss Gould. You’ve been stealing from the business your mother worked so hard for. You should be thanking me for allowing you to prove you’re worth keeping.”
She gapes at me, but I keep my face void of emotion.
Holly had no complaints from clients, and aside from taking more than her allotted time off, she had no real marks on her record. It would be a pain in the ass to replace her, but it wouldn’t be impossible.
“You can collect your things and take the rest of the day paid, but the next five days are unpaid. If I see you in this building before that time is up, you’ll be terminated. Are we clear?”
“Yes,” she says through gritted teeth, tossing the papers back on my desk as she stands. Without waiting, Holly stalks toward the door and rips it open before letting it slam shut behind her, the sound echoing in my now quiet office.
Thank fuck.
Now to deliver some good news to the woman I can’t get out of my head.
11
WREN
Time slows as my last client of the day waves and hustles to their car. The day had been nothing but whiplash. Merrick flirting this morning and then asking me to dinner, Holly bragging that Merrick had given her a paid day off for herservices,and nonstop appointments until close left little room to breathe.
Flipping the lock on the door, I resist the urge to sag back against it and force myself to clean up my space.
Fifteen minutes and I can go home—twenty, tops.
Operating on autopilot, I make quick work of resetting the room, my heart soaring now that I can finally leave.
Buzz. Buzz.
My groan is audible as I pull out my phone and read the text message at the top.
MERRICK: Come see me before you leave
Hungry,tired, and a little strung out, I stomp toward his office. The door is ajar and I don’t wait for him to acknowledge me before I push it open and then close it behind me, the latter a habit rather than anything else.
“What?” I snap.
“Tough day?” he teases, unfolding himself from behind his desk and closing the distance between us. “Because I have some news I’d like to share.”
“Well get to the point,” I bark, poking him in the chest to punctuate my words. “I’m exhausted and grouchy, and I had to deal with Holly and listen to her say she fucked you for a day off and?—”
Merrick’s hand closes around my wrist, pulling it from where I’d been assaulting him before grabbing my other wrist in his free hand.
“You want to fight, Hellcat?” he murmurs, backing me up until I collide with the wall, one hand pinning my wrists above my head as he cages me in with his body.
“I want you to tell me that’s not what happened.”
“I gave her the rest of the day paid,” he says slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, “but not because I fucked her.”
“Then why?” I ask through gritted teeth, his hand gripping me tighter as I try to break free from his hold.
