Page 36 of Doctor Bossy

But before I could, Leila returned to the labs, and from the look on her face, whatever news she had gotten wasn’t good.

She came up to my desk immediately and didn’t even spare Marco a scoffing glance before she said, “I just met with Dr. Griffin. You are currently back on probation. Marco and I will have to closely monitor your work for the next week to see if it is up to par. Also, your pay will be docked for the next month.”

“That’s it?” I said after she finished. “I’m not fired?”

Her lips pressed together, drawing even tighter in obvious displeasure. “No. You’re not fired.”

The accusatory look in her eye told me all I needed to know about her opinion of the matter. She thought—as anyone would—that I was receiving undue favors and probably wondered what I was doing to get it. Maybe she, like Marco, assumed I was fucking him, and that was why he refused to get rid of me.

The fact that it was close to the truth didn’t make me feel any better.

God, what a mess.

And as she stormed away, I turned to face Marco.

“I’m not sleeping with him, okay?” I said.

“I didn’t say you were. Relax,” he said, with his signature amused look. “I was more so thinking about our date. How does this weekend sound?”

“Oh. Uh…” I blinked at him. My initial instinct was to say no. While I had nothing against Marco, I wasn’t looking to date so soon after my failed engagement. Plus, my life was still currently a big mess, and I needed to get the issue with my mother sorted out.

Yet, I hesitated the more I thought about it.

Were those really the reasons I wanted to say no to Marco, or was it because I was holding out hope for someone else, someone far out of my league?

I regarded him as he waggled his eyebrows at me.

Marco was not a bad-looking man in the least. He had a sense of humor, and we got along. I enjoyed his company and frankly thought he was one of the better parts of working here.

Not to mention that dating him would go a long way toward convincing everyone here that I wasn’t sleeping with Griffin.

So, essentially, you would be using him?The accusatory voice of my conscience said.

No, I denied it. I wouldn’t be using him, merely trying to see if our friendship could develop into more.

I didn’t want to lead him on, but didn’t I at least owe him a chance?

“Sure,” I said. “I’ll go on a date with you.”

16

GRIFFIN

Ishould have fired her.

The thought tormented me as I brooded on the couch.

I had seen the look in Leila’s eyes when I told her about Becca’s punishment, which hadn’t included an immediate dismissal. She was surprised and perhaps a little disappointed. While I didn’t make it a habit of making business decisions based on how my employees felt about them, I still knew that keeping Becca would be problematic on several levels and might give the rest of the techs the wrong impression—that they could get away with shit like what she did if they were close enough to the boss. Ultimately, I should have fired her, but I didn’t.

I couldn’t.

And not knowing why was fucking bugging me.

So was the reason why I’d been so close to losing my cool and fucking her right there on my work desk with the door unlocked, where anyone could have walked in at any moment.

The minute I had her in my arms, anything resembling reason flew out the window, and all I could think of was the taste, smell, and feel of her in my arms.

The fact that I lost my senses that much over the girl and was so drunk on lust that nothing else mattered was worrisome.

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