"Yes. Well, he, uh, he's a...a client of my boss's, which you already know. But, anyway, when our date didn't...end well, he called Winston. And here I am."

"Didn't end well," Boston repeated, still scowling. "What do you mean, didn't end well?"

There was no way in hell she was going to tell him that part. But when she refused to speak, he moved closer and took her hand. "Ellie," he said in a soft, stonily serious voice.

She looked down at their connected fingers. And melted.

"Okay," she relented. "It pretty much followed the same pattern you and I followed the night you kissed me on the porch, but ah, when I pushed him away, he didn't take it as gracefully as you did."

"What are you talking about? I didn't take it grace—" The meaning of her words finally seemed to dawn on him, and he about broke her fingers when his hand suddenly clenched around hers. "What did he do?"

"Well..." she hedged, hoping he'd just drop it already. "He, uh, he kept trying to kiss me."

" I kept trying to kiss you, Ellie."

"Well, I didn't like it when he did it," she snapped.

"You didn't like it when I did it," he returned. When she let out an irritated sigh, he gripped her hand again. "Ellie, what...did...he... do to you?"

"Nothing!" she said impatiently. "He just didn't want to stop until I kneed him...between the legs..." She winced before adding, "And then in the nose."

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

Boston shot to his feet. "I'll kill him."

"What!? Boston, no." Ellie popped up after him and had to grab his arm to keep him from leaving the office right then and there. "Are you crazy?"

When he turned back to her, she took a reflexive step away. Good Lord, he actually looked crazy.

"He hurt you," he hissed.

"No," she said quickly. "He just scared me a little."

"And there's no way in hell he can get you fired," Boston went on as if he hadn't heard her. "What happened to you is sexual harassment, and it's illegal."

"But I don't work for him. I work for Winston, and he's never—"

"My God, Ellie." Boston broke in incredulously. "You can't lose your job because you refused to have sex with someone.

That's all there is to it."

Ellie blew out a breath. "I don't know what else to do."

"Sue his ass," Boston growled, reaching for the phone. "In fact, I'll get started right now. You'll have your job back in five minutes."

"Boston." Ellie reached for his hand to stop him from making his call. "Stop, please. I just..." She took a step back and cradled her head in her hands. "I don't know if I even want my job back," she finally admitted. She couldn't see herself working for Winston again after knowing he'd never support her.

Boston hung up the phone. "Ellie, If you don't want the job back, fine. It's the principle that matters. I'll get you the biggest severance pay you've ever seen—"

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage