Page 32 of Teasing Her Grumpy Boss

‘You’re not staying in tonight’’ Why had she thought he would? Just because he’d made her take the night off—he hadn’t suggested a date or anything like it.

‘I have to work.’ He shuffled more paper. ‘I worked all morning and now I’ve had a break I need to get back into it. The case starts soon.’

‘You can’t work here?’ He’d worked here this morning, hadn’t he?

His hands stilled. ‘No. I can’t.’ His lips twisted. ‘I need to meet with my junior and go for as long as it takes.’ He clipped the lid on the box. ‘You stay home and watch a movie or something. I spoke to Sinead and she’s promised to have everything under control.’

‘I should go there tonight.’

‘You’ve been working too many long hours. I’m not risking your taking me to the Employment Tribunal for unreasonable working conditions. You need a day off.’ He walked out, shut the door and took her good mood with him.

She sat for a while, thought about more food and decided against it. She headed indoors, switched on the smart TV screen and flicked through the streaming options—once through all of them, then again before switching it off. She checked out the bookcases again. Other than legal mumbo jumbo there was only a selection of modern classics, a few wine almanacs and a collection of crime novels. Typical. The last thing she liked to read. Where was the light relief?

She couldn’t stand it any more. She was so out of place here, with nothing in common for them. It screamed of Daniel. And all she wanted was Daniel. Being in his space like this was driving her insane.

She grabbed her light jacket, set of keys and headed for the door.

She stopped at the Malaysian restaurant near the pool and got a curry to take away. The spicy aroma tempted her listless appetite and she headed to the club with a spring in her step.

Sinead rolled her eyes as Lucy approached her on the door.

‘You’re supposed to be having a night off.’

‘I am. I’m going to sneak this into the back, then I’m going to have a game of pool and relax.’

‘Yeah, right, you’ll be back behind that bar before you can help yourself.’

Sinead was right. But, Lucy mentally argued, it was a particularly busy night. A film crew had wrapped and the club was the post-party destination point. The place heaved with beautiful people all wanting drinks right this instant. Corey and the other tenders pounced on Lucy as soon as they saw her. Lucy loved it. It felt great to be wanted. Fantastic to be needed.

She slugged back her food and, after a freshen-up, headed out to face the punters.

It was after eleven when she spotted Daniel. Her heart stopped, then accelerated alarmingly. He’d just entered with a couple of guys at his side. Lawyers-doing-casual. But it wasn’t them who caught her attention. It was the striking-looking brunette on the other side of him. She was tall—almost as tall as Sinead. Slim with perfectly formed corkscrew curls ringletting around her face. It made Lucy loathe her own unruly waves. The brunette wore a black top—close-fitting, showing off her small waist and gentle rounded curves. She’d teamed it with a royal-blue skirt—slim line with a pencil-pleated trim around the bottom. Underneath her long shapely legs tapered to slender ankles and stylish shoes. Definitely a lawyer. Definitely interested in Daniel. It was obvious in one second—the way she looked at him, the way she stood close to him.

Question—was Daniel interested in her?

Lucy looked to his face—although usually it was inscrutable. Only when she was up close and able to see the changing molten gold in his eyes did she have some idea of what he was thinking—and feeling.

But right now he wasn’t wearing his usual poker expression. He was looking straight at her, and he was looking mad. She glanced again at the woman by his side, the one standing too close. He’d told Lucy not to come here tonight. Was this why? He didn’t want his one-night stand getting anywhere near hisgirlfriend? Is that who she was—his girlfriend?

Damn lying lawyer.

Lucy squared her shoulders and turned to the next customer waiting. Hiding her rising fury with über-efficiency.

Within minutes Daniel was standing at his usual spot on the end of her bar, alone. ‘Lucy.’

She finished serving the customer she was dealing with and turned to the next.

‘Lucy.’

Her hair stood on end. That wasn’t a tone she’d heard from him before.

She smiled an apology to the customer after that and turned towards Daniel. He glared at her grimly, grabbed her arm and pulled her close so he could talk right into her face. ‘What are you doing here?’

She glared right back. ‘What does it look like?’

‘I told you not to come in here tonight.’

She tried not to be dazzled by the molten gold. ‘I’m a free agent.’

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