Hayden (A Next Generation Carter Brother Novel Book 4)

by Lisa Helen Gray

  “What did you do?” I ask, holding back the laughter.

  Her head downcast, she slides the tip of her foot back and forth along the carpet. “He spoke, and I was startled at how sexy he sounded. I looked up and I just froze, staring at this… this godlike man. I mean, model worthy man. I’m pretty sure he starred in one of my wet dreams,” she rattles on, staring off into space.

  “Do women have wet dreams?” Chrissy asks from the corner of her mouth.

  I shrug. “I’ve woken up mid-orgasm, if that counts.”

  “Listen!” Leana yells, quickly looking towards the door like someone is going to burst in.

  “Go on,” I order, sitting down on the arm of the chair.

  She tightens her ponytail, taking a deep breath. “So yeah, I was too shocked over his appearance, and then he yelled at me.”

  “He yelled at you?” I ask, standing up again. Job or no job, I’ll put him in his place. Leana is one of the sweetest and kindest people I know. It kind of makes me sick. Still, no one has the right to yell at her.

  “Yes!” She throws her hands up, still red as a beetroot. “I didn’t know my left from my right, I was that out of it. I rushed over to introduce myself and give him his coffee and muffins, and I fell.”

  I cringe, seeing where this is going. Only Leana could do that.

  “Are you okay?” Chrissy asks, unable to look at Leana head-on.

  “Am I okay? I fell into his lap! Face first!” she screeches.

  I press my lips together to keep myself from bursting into hysterics, but it’s no use. Laughter spills out of me and I bend forward, clutching my stomach.

  “Oh my Gosh,” Chrissy murmurs, her laughter more dignified than mine. I’m pretty sure I’ve snorted twice.

  “It’s not funny! I went to apologise—while I was still in his lap. My mouth was around his very large appendage.”

  I fall back into the chair, laughing uproariously. “Leana, you have made my day.”

  “He’s going to fire me, isn’t he?” she asks, sounding so defeated I laugh harder.

  I wipe at my eyes, straightening in the chair. “No, but you should be worried about Stewart.”

  Her eyes go round. “Oh my God, do you think he’ll think I cheated on him?”

  Getting up, I walk over. I rub her arm, still struggling to hold back my laughter. “Nope. You have nothing to worry about there.”

  “Do I pay you to stand around and talk?”

  “Mr Cross,” Leana squeaks.

  My back is to the person with the warm, smoky voice that slides down my spine. My stomach swirls and my heart races. It’s pure sex. Husky with a slight hint of a London accent.

  I’m not into dirty talk during sex, but fuck me if I don’t imagine him doing just that. Though knowing my luck, he’s probably dog ugly.

  I don’t know what compels me to look at Chrissy first, but I do, gauging her reaction to the mystery voice. When the normally straight-laced, dignified woman openly gapes at the newcomer with desire written all over her, I know his looks will match that sexy voice of his.

  I slowly spin around to address him, and I’m nearly knocked on my arse.

  Damn, he’s even hotter than his voice suggests.

  His cat-like green eyes with flecks of gold stare back at me. They’re sharp, yet narrow, giving him an immediate intensity about him.

  Men in uniform have always been my kryptonite—well, that and tattoos.

  But I think men in suits is my new favourite look.

  His charcoal grey slacks fit him well, especially around the bulge area.

  I lick my lips as I raise my gaze, letting it roam over what I hope are hard abs under the crisp, white shirt. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, leaving me breathless at the sight of his tattoos and thick veins.

  God, even his red tie is bringing on dirty thoughts.

  I clench my hand when I go to fan myself. I’m a goner.

  His golden skin looks smooth, yet the five o’clock shadow and crooked nose, which must have been broken at least twice, gives him a rough appearance—in a ruggedly handsome kind of way. He wears it well, just like he does his tattoos, which decorate his arms and peek out from the collar of his shirt.

  He’s everything I want in a guy. The whole package. Not even the age difference bothers me, though he doesn’t look that much older than me.

  Fingers click in front of my face. I blink out of my haze and stare up at the sharp features of my boss. If I was a normal person, I’d be turning red with embarrassment right now over being caught checking my boss out.

  But I’m not.

  It isn’t in my blood.

  His lips pinch together as his eyes tighten, narrowed down on me. “Are you with us or would you like more time staring at me?” he snaps harshly.

  And there goes my dream of him being the whole package.

  I sigh, tilting my head. “You had to go and ruin it,” I murmur, causing his eyebrows to crease.

  I guess everyone has a flaw.

  “Excuse me?”

  I wave him off. “What were you saying?” I ask, ignoring his question. I might not enjoy my job as much as I would doing something else, but I still need it. It pays for my mortgage on the two-bed I recently bought off my uncle.

  He looks to the other women in the room, an exasperated sigh escaping him. “Is this really Hayden Carter?”

  I grit my teeth. I don’t like being spoken about like I’m not even in the room. Chrissy must feel my anger because she runs a shaky hand down her outfit, glancing at me briefly before turning back to him. “Yes, sir.”

  “And do you wear that to work every day?” he asks, disdain colouring his tone as he critically scans over my attire.

  I look down, wondering what he means. The rips might be a little indecent. I have one just below my arse, and at the right angle, you can see the soft globe of my butt. I thought it looked hot.

  Maybe he’s gay.

  “What’s wrong with my clothes?” I ask, feeling a small loss of confidence, which is rare for me.

  His eyebrows scrunch together as he looks at me like I’m stupid. “It isn’t very business-like. You work at a radio station, not in a bar. We have an image to uphold. And it’s not appropriate. You are here to work, not flash your body.”

  Gritting my teeth, I stop myself from yelling at the guy about women’s rights. It’s my body and I can wear what I like.

  Instead, I force a sweet smile, clasping my hands together so I don’t reach out and punch him. “Have our contracts changed since we signed them?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “It’s okay,” I tell him snidely, yet keep my voice sweet. “You’re new. But if you like, I can bring in my copy of my contract, which doesn’t state what the dress code is. If I worked front of house or in an office, I’d probably wear what Chrissy is wearing. But, I do not. Therefore, I choose to wear whatever I’d like to wear.”

  “We’ll discuss this later. Things will be changing around here.”

  “I bet,” I mutter under my breath.

  “Pardon?”

  I give him a wide smile, flashing my teeth. “I said, I’m glad.”

  He forces a smile, the frown lines giving away the fact I’m annoying him. “I’m changing your segment.”

  I grin, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

  And that… that is music to my ears.

  He might have ruined his perfect exterior by being a pig, but hearing those words makes me want to kiss him.

  I pump my fist into the air, giving a loud cheer. “Yes! I’ve been waiting for this day. I have some ideas of my own. I was hoping we could report on real life stories. We could still stream with the same name, so we wouldn’t need extra marketing. I was hoping to report on the signs of domestic abuse, on how to get help. Or we could do the dangers of online dating,” I ramble, completely blowing off the way his teeth grit together. “And then have a ten-minute news report at the end. We could even add it in to the Late-Night magazine.”


  “I’m sorry, but did my father leave his company to you or to me?”

  “Excuse you?” I reply, clenching my hands into fists.

  “No, excuse you,” he bites out. “I’ve been in here all of ten minutes and have been objectified by you ogling me, spoken rudely to, caught my staff talking when they should be preparing to go on air, and now I’ve been told how to do my job. Who gave you the right?”

  “You need to pull the broom out your arse,” I snap, ignoring Chrissy and Leana’s gasps. He may as well learn now that there’s only so much I can take when it comes to being spoken down to. “I gave an idea, one I think the station could benefit from. If you had been here longer than a day, you would know we have calls, emails, and messages swarming through with women asking for help over ex-partners, partners, or over a friend who’s dealing with abuse. We can’t talk on the matter, even though I’ve taken a basic counselling course. We have a platform that is listened to by thousands and we use it to give advice on what any one of them could get from a friend or their mum.” I take a deep breath, trying not to knee him in the balls. “And you might have it going on in the looks department, but the second you open that mouth, it’s ruined, so you won’t need to worry about me objectifying you.”

  For a moment, I swear I see his lips twitch, but when I blink, he’s glaring back at me, his jaw set in a hard line.

  “You can take this as your verbal warning. I won’t have members of staff talking to me in that tone. I can replace you with anyone.”

  I step forward, getting in his space a little. “Well, you need to get used to it. I won’t take shit from anyone. I’m polite, on time, and do my job to the best of my ability, even though there are days I hate it. I’m outspoken, and if that offends you, deal with it in your own time. I won’t have you or anyone else speaking down to me. If you can’t take it, don’t dish it. And before you threaten my job, make sure you have someone else who can do it better than me. Your dad fired me twice because I spoke back to him when he was rude, and he hired me back each time, with a raise, because his ratings went down without me.”

  And it’s true. His dad was the sweetest, but whenever he was in a bad mood, he was a right fucking wanker.

  He runs a hand through his hair, the motion causing his white, crisp shirt to pull taut over his flexing biceps.

  He watches me for a moment longer, seeing I’m clearly not going to back down. “I’m not my father, just remember that.” He takes in a deep breath, not looking away. “Now, as you’ve wasted ten minutes of my time, I will get to it. We’re making changes to the segment for the next eight weeks. With Valentine’s Day coming up, this is the best time to do it.”

  My heart sinks, because if he’s going to suggest what I think he’s going to suggest, I’m going to be leaving here crying.

  Pasting on a fake smile, I step away from him, leaning against the desk shoved against the wall. “And what is this change?”

  “We are going to be doing a piece on online dating.”

  I groan. “No.”

  His wolfish smile gives me a mini orgasm. Jesus, he should come with a warning.

  I can see it now: ‘He can make your knickers melt right off you with one smile.’

  “Oh, yes. We’ve partnered up with Date Night to give people a virtual experience of online dating. And you, Miss Carter, will be testing out these dates for your segment.”

  I shake my head. “Nope. No way. My cousin was robbed and attacked by the person she met online. Just no. Have you even heard the horrors?” I screech, getting dramatic. It always works for my dad. “And since when did you become my pimp? Are you asking for a law suit or do you just live dangerously?”

  Chrissy clears her throat. “I’ll, um, leave you two to it. I’ll go get us set up.”

  No one pays attention as she hurries out of the room with Leana, leaving Clayton Cross and I in a stare off.

  “I very much like to live dangerously,” he tells me, his voice low, demanding. It holds a promise, and all I can do is squeeze my legs together. I swallow, trying to appear unaffected. “Have you finished?”

  “Did you want me to go on?” I snap back, aware he’s taken a step closer.

  His lips twitch and my heart swoons. He really should stop doing that around me.

  “One, this is all completely legit. Date Night has partnered up with a series of businesses all over England to give people a safe environment in which they can go on a date.”

  I snort, looking at him like he’s mad. “Are you kidding me? Have you been living under a rock or are you just naïve and stupid?”

  “Careful. I’ll be happy to give you a written warning,” he threatens, a glint to his eyes.

  I just bet he would. I shake away the dirty thoughts of him bending me over the desk and smacking my arse with a ruler.

  I step forward, poking him lightly in the chest. “People can be whoever they want to be in this day and age. You won’t even know a serial killer until they’ve stabbed you in the chest. Everyone is easily fooled by a pretty smile and witty charm. Hell, even people online can portray whoever they want. At home, they’re probably miserable bastards who hate Christmas, and yet online, they love it.”

  “Christmas?” he asks, eyeing me like I’m one sandwich short of a picnic.

  I roll my eyes. “I’m not doing it. It’s dangerous, and I don’t know about you, but I love my life.”

  “Look at it this way, you might find someone who likes your bubbly personality.”

  I raise my eyebrow at his tone. “Don’t be sarcastic. It doesn’t suit you. And how do you know I don’t have a boyfriend who will be extremely jealous?”

  Something I don’t recognise flashes over his expression before he masks it.

  “Do you?”

  I think about lying for a second. I could even back the lie up and blackmail Reid into being my boyfriend. But putting up with him for six weeks would drive me to commit murder. He’s still sore over New Year’s and uses every chance he gets to make it right. Like that would happen. I had a moment of misplaced judgement.

  “No, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not doing it, not after what happened to my cousin.” I pause, using the opportunity to sell one of my ideas. “Which would never have happened if people knew the dangers of online dating.”

  He places his palms on the table, leaning over a little. “I’m not going to pussyfoot around you. We’ve already signed the contract. It’s happening with or without you. But my guess is, you don’t want to lose this job, otherwise you would have left by now. If you don’t do it, I’ll have to find someone who will.” He steps back before leaning against the table next to me.

  I turn to flash my glare his way. “Are you serious? You can’t fire me.”

  “I can and I will. My dad handed me this business to make it great again. Other areas of the station aren’t doing as well as yours, but even your ratings have dropped since last year. We want to branch out, do something new.”

  “Then go with some of the ideas I’ve told you.”

  “You really want to talk about domestic abuse on a station called Love Loop Live?”

  I sigh, leaning back against the wall. “Okay, you have me there.” I look up at the clock on the wall, seeing the time. I need to go. “All I’m saying is, you need to listen to the calls we don’t answer or have time to answer. We keep them logged, along with messages and emails in case we ever use them for our online article. You’ll see what the listeners want.”

  “The online dating won’t be the only thing to change,” he tells me, getting up from the table and brushing off his trousers.

  “What else?”

  He grins, flashing his pearly whites. “It will no longer be a girl-only call in. Men will finally have a chance to voice their opinions and ask questions. I’ve heard your podcasts. You rip men to shreds. It’s only fair they can defend themselves.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I growl.

  “No, a little diversity goes a long w
ay. I think having two streamers will bring in more listeners.”

  “What?” I practically yell. “It won’t be my show anymore?”

  “Nope, for forty minutes you’ll be working alongside someone else.”

  “Who, because if it’s Barry from upstairs, I quit.”

  His eyebrows draw together. “Nope, he got fired this morning.”

  I smile, giddy over the fact. I thought for sure that after we set his car on fire, he would leave the female employees alone. He didn’t. I was getting ready to bring in my brothers, but I guess now I don’t have to. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

  “That’s good, because you’ll be working alongside me until we find a replacement.”

  The blood rushes from my face as I stare at him. I must not have heard him correctly. He can’t be serious.

  “You have to be kidding, right?”

  He holds open the door for me. “No, so let’s go launch our new segment.”

  I glare at him, calculating how much damage I’d have to cause for him to give the company back to his father.

  “Have you not heard of the term, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?’”

  He shakes his head at me. “Before you leave in the morning, we need to discuss your wardrobe and hair. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

  I follow him, spitting and cursing all the way to our studio.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Anger thunders through me as I glare over the mic at our new hot boss. Chrissy and our technical team must feel the tension brewing between us because they’re staying away from me, whereas before, they didn’t mind joking around and playing pranks on me before we went live.

  I press the online button, leaning forward in my seat.

  “This is Hayley and you’re listening to Love Loop Live,” I greet, smoothing my voice out. I still worry I’ll fuck up and say my real name, especially now with Clayton here. I feel like the world is tipping off its axis. He’s driving me crazy.

  Hopefully, my listeners won’t know I’m two seconds away from throwing my Ribena all over my new boss.