Page 1 of Her Temporary Boss (Slade, Inc.)

Prologue

Morgan White held up the hardly worn diamond ring, twirling it between her fingers. It was odd how she went back and forth between being a blubbering idiot and a numb zombie multiple times during the day. She huffed out an irritated breath and dropped the expensive ring into a large manila envelope.

The envelope was padded on the inside so there was a good chance that handlers wouldn’t be able to tell there was a ring inside. Maybe this would cut down on the chances of it being stolen from the mail but truthfully, Morgan didn’t care about that.

“It’s his fucking problem as soon as I drop it in the mailbox.” She exhaled roughly again.

She peered into the envelope one last time as tears started to form once more in her eyes. She wondered how long this wound would feel so raw. How long would this torture last? Morgan quickly sealed the envelope with only its one piece of cargo inside.

She had thought about putting a letter in with it, but what was the point now? There was nothing else to say. Morgan had tried for weeks to get Todd, her now ex-fiancé, to just talk to her. He hadn’t given her more than one-word answers by text. It was probably the most hurtful part of this whole mess.

Morgan stood from her kitchen table, wiping the tears from her face, and headed toward her front door. As she walked down the driveway to reach her mailbox, she played the memory of when her perfect world had shattered. It was as clear as if it were yesterday.

Just over a month ago, Morgan was waiting at a local bar. Her cousin had asked her to meet up. Kate was a stay-at-home mom who had begged Morgan to have a drink with her. Kate had made her situation sound overly dramatic. She had told Morgan that she felt like she was suffocating, and if she didn’t get out of the house, she was going to lose her shit. Morgan didn’t have children, but she was already afraid to commit if that was what she’d turn into.

She stirred her drink with her straw before taking a sip. Kate was about ten minutes late, which really didn’t surprise Morgan. She looked around the bar which was almost empty. It wasn’t fancy, but it wasn’t a shithole either. Still, it wouldn’t have been Morgan’s first choice. Actually, she was surprised that Kate had chosen it. It was called “Joey’s” and had a cowboy feel.

Morgan had told Todd that she would only be out for about an hour. He’d said not to worry because he was going out with a few boys from work anyway. She inhaled deeply, wishing she was home with him on the couch instead of here, watching the ice melt in her drink.

Just then, a woman caught Morgan’s eye. She was a bubbly looking blonde in a bright pink dress. She was exiting the ladies’ room. The reason she caught Morgan’s eye wasn’t just because of her brightly colored attire or her too-loud laugh. No, what caught her eye was that the woman almost sprinted through the bar toward someone.

Morgan rolled her eyes as she spoke under her breath. “Jesus, girl. Have some self-respect. What? Are you meeting your boyfriend just back from war?”

The next thing she saw literally stole her breath from her lungs. Morgan’s eyes widened as her mouth fell open. The blonde ran straight into a man’s arms, all right. Her man’s arms. Morgan slowly turned on her stool, still not breathing and watched in shock.

There was Todd, there was no mistaking him. He opened his arms to catch the woman in pink. When she flew into his arms, he picked her up and twirled her around. She was giggling in a nauseatingly girly way.

Morgan finally found her breath. She sighed before talking to herself. “Well, maybe it’s a long lost relative.”

Just then, the girl seemed like she was listening and wanted to prove her wrong. Todd let the woman slide down his chest. When she was standing in front of him, she went up on her tip-toes and grabbed his face. They were soon intertwined in a sickeningly passionate kiss. Not a “first time meeting” kind of kiss either.

Morgan was pretty sure she blacked out for several minutes then. Her heart must have shut her brain down for its own protection. When Morgan finally returned to full cognitive ability, the pair was seated in a booth, kissing. Todd’s hands worked up and down the other woman as if he hadn’t touched a female in ages.

Present day Morgan stopped at her mailbox and grabbed her stomach. She actually dry heaved in her mouth. The emotions were still raw. When she had confronted Todd, it was one of the last conversations they had had.

Morgan reached up and put the large envelope in her mailbox, lifting the flag to notify the mailman there was outgoing mail. She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. The worst part of being cheated on and then losing her fiancé was his utter lack of regret.

Todd never once said he was sorry. In fact, he had blamed her for not being sexual enough for his needs. Morgan let out a deep breath and opened her eyes. As she walked back to her house, a sob worked its way up her throat.

“Maybe he’s right. Maybe I’m not sexy enough to keep a man’s attention. I’m a boring nobody.” She started to cry again as she opened her door.

Chapter One

It was Morgan’s first day at Slade, Inc. She worked for a temp agency, and today she was to become Mr. Slade’s personal secretary. The agency had told her the job would most likely last only two weeks. She found it odd that she didn’t get any sort of explanation.

Morgan had done many temp jobs in her three years with the agency. Usually when she got the file, it would explain that she was just helping out during peak season or filling in for someone while they had surgery or whatever. This job, however, hadn’t come with any such explanations. She guessed it didn’t really matter one way or the other.

She exited the elevators and stepped onto the second floor of the Slade building. Truthfully, she didn’t really know much about what this company specialized in. All she knew was it had something to do with the sale of recycled metals. Not a very sexy company, she thought, but she wasn’t here for the title.

Besides, being a secretary or assistant was basically the same everywhere she went. Typing, note taking, answering the phone, picking up dry cleaning, getting coffee. On occasion, covering for cheating spouses. This last thought made a crooked frown tug on her lips as she stopped in front of a large reception desk.

“Hello, can I help you?” the young woman at the desk asked as she looked up from her computer screen.

“Yes, I was sent over from the Trevor Agency. My name is Morgan.” She smiled politely.

The young brunette behind the desk stared up at Morgan for a few seconds. It felt as if she was weighing her options. As if she might turn her away. Morgan started to feel confused and a little embarrassed.

“Ah, sorry. This is Mr. Slade’s office, isn’t it?” Morgan felt her cheeks heat.

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