by S. Layne
I don’t even know who it is.
“Can’t wait to meet him.” Her? Him? God, I don’t even know. I don’t even care to ask now. If she’s kept me in the dark this long I might as well find out along with everyone else. I seethe, leaning in. “Take care of yourself, Anne.”
I turn on my heel and walk away before I say something I regret.
This is unheard of. Not only the way she’d sell her company, but damn it…after all these years and she’s suddenly been treating me as simply an employee and not a co-worker. Not someone she trusted. Had she come to me months ago, I would have gotten over it, worked with her. Who knows.
But this?
This is unforgivable.
I skip the morning part of the conference, not caring if it now affects my job or if Anne even notices my absence. Instead, I walk along Michigan Avenue for hours, slowly dragging through stores and around the hordes of people. It’s incredibly busy for a Friday morning, although I shouldn’t be surprised.
Chicago is always busy, particularly the tourist areas.
Mindlessly, I weave in and out of crowds and streets, not even paying attention to the honking horns of cars and shouts from people when I step off the curb without looking.
At some point, I stop and grab a cup of coffee from Starbucks and continue roaming the city’s streets until my feet grow sore from my heels.
It’s lunchtime and I haven’t eaten a thing all day by the time I return to the hotel. I need to change my clothes into something more presentable, because the part that still gives a crap about my job—at least my income—knows I can’t show up a sweaty, disgraced mess.
The social graces my parents ingrained in me are too strong to completely blow this off.
But as I reach the conference area as everyone else returns from the buffet lunch, my earlier anger has only swelled.
My cheeks are pink and heated as I take seat in the first row of tables, where Anne is sitting, looking down at her phone.
She texted me several times, but I eventually just turned my phone off.
I can barely stand to be so close to her and not yell at her, but I’m wondering if that was her plan all along: tell me in public where she knew I wouldn’t make a scene and then give me time to calm down.
I hate how much she knows me and how much she’s completely shocked me.
It’s no different from James.
My chest hurts and I rub the heel of my palm over my chest, but it doesn’t help.
God. When will people stop lying and hiding from me?
Is there anyone I can trust? I shake my head and push down the emotions that threaten to bubble over.
Next to me, Anne slides me a handout from this morning’s meeting and I take it without looking at her or the paper.
My tongue is too thick in my mouth to speak.
Then she slides the dagger into my heart. “I need you on the podium with me when I announce this.”
My head snaps to her and my jaw drops. “You can’t be serious.”
She blinks, and I see her regret. Perhaps for not cluing me in sooner? I’m seething and my hands ball into fists. I want to stomp my feet and throw a tantrum, but I can’t, because I understand.
This is business.
I get it. I do. Anne’s just always treated me like an equal, and the realization that I’m not burns.
“I am,” she whispers and leans closer. “Hate me. Yell at me later and it won’t change our friendship. But this is good for us. It’s good for the children’s lives we’re going to save, and I had to do it. And I want you with me, presenting a united front.”
I scoff. ‘United’ my ass.
I lick my lips and pull in a deep breath through my nose. “Fine,” I huff and turn to my phone.
Scrolling through, I see the text from James I ignored earlier and more pain sears my chest.
Everyone seems to be hiding something from me, and my life feels as if it’s crumbling.
Unbidden, the reminder of Liam’s hands on mine, caressing my skin and pushing his fingers and then himself inside me, fills my mind. Just thinking about him warms my body and calms my mind.
It centers me somehow, the memory of when I forgot everything, and even though it’s wrong…so very wrong…I take a moment and relish the memory until my mind is clear of everyone who has hurt me in the last month and everything but the last two nights I don’t want to forget.
With my hands clasped together in front of me, my posture is relaxed and calm. Looking out at the one hundred attendees of today’s afternoon portion of the medical conference, I know none of them can imagine the storm raging through me.
A part of me wants to reach out and strangle my friend.
A part of me wants to quit my job and never return.
A final part of me wants to simply disappear from the Midwest and start a new life over, this time choosing to put my faith in people who will not hurt me.
It’s overdramatic. I understand Anne’s business sense, and if she thinks this new owner—my new boss—can do something magical with her product and design that she’s unable to, I have to trust her. Anne’s incredible: not only is she intelligent, but she makes wise decisions—which is how ParaMed grew from two employees to fifty in just a few short years.
This news will rock our company, but I know the employees and other companies have always looked at us as if we’re a team.
And because I love her, despite her pissing me off, I understand my role as we stand behind the stage and wait for our turn to hit the podium.
“Where is he?” I ask, my eyes glancing around. I would have expected my new boss to meet me before walking on stage and not have our first meeting appear in front of a crowd of shocked onlookers.
“He’ll be here, I’m certain.”
“Great.” I sigh and my shoulders fall. I blink several times to erase the burn that threatens to create tears, and steel myself for the next few minutes.
As soon as the announcer calls Anne’s name, my entire body tenses.
“You ready?” she asks, looking at me cautiously.
I squeeze my eyes closed before inhaling a deep breath. “Yeah.” I nod. “I can do this.”
She reaches over and clasps her hand in mine before letting me go. “You’re going to do great, and you’re going to help Liam more than he can imagine.”
My hand reaches out and grabs her wrist.
It takes me a moment to process and then my blood drains from my face.
“What?” I croak. “What did you just say?”
Anne smiles at me nervously. “Liam Parker, the owner of Parkorp. He’s the one who’s bought ParaMed.”
“He can’t.” Oh my god. A freezing bucket of ice races down my spine and my grip on Anne’s wrist tightens until she flinches.
“Laurie.”
I shake my head. “He can’t,” I repeat. This cannot be happening.
“I can.”
And hell. My eyes close as I grapple for control but there’s none to be found.
His voice penetrates my senses and I’m left reeling, completely floundering as Anne peels my fingers off her wrist.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No.” I gasp.
“I’m sure she’s just surprised.” And dammit. There’s that voice again. I feel him walk up behind us and I can’t turn around.
This is not happening to me.
Not now.
Not ever.
“Liam.” Anne smiles and faces him. He’s behind me, I can feel it. Yet I can’t look. I can’t even move. I’ve become a frozen block of ice and I want to melt into the floor and disappear. “Meet my assistant, Laurie Baker.”
“My pleasure,” he drawls.
I want to smack him.
I blink and he’s in front of me. Anne’s eyes dance over me, taking me in, and she frowns.
I’m being rude, but I can’t do anything but stare at him slack-jawed when he steps in front of me.
Pleas
ure.
I bring my eyes to his and notice his hand extended toward me. I don’t take it.
His lips are twisted into a smirk, and I immediately know he’s not surprised at all to see me. Not one little bit. But his aqua blue eyes are bright, the edges tight.
He’s silently daring me to say something. To give away our affair or to keep my mouth shut, I have no idea.
Oh my god. Was he trying to screw me into submission? Have I become a whore for my new boss?
I shake my head. It’s too much.
“Excuse me,” I mutter, and spin on my heels. Anne hisses my name, but I don’t stop.
My four-inch heels carry me quickly away as I make a break through the back of the stage and into the hallway.
I don’t stop running until I’m enclosed in my hotel room.
The door shuts behind me and I crumple to the floor, sobbing.
The chime on my cell phone has been beeping over and over again and I can’t bring myself to see the texts. By now, Anne has given her news that effective immediately she will not be returning to ParaMed on Monday and has introduced Liam as her successor.
I have sat on the floor unmoving until every muscle in my legs and back is camping painfully.
Stretching my legs, I wipe my dried tears, knowing I look like a mess, and my head falls against the back of the door.
My entire world has been ripped out from underneath me again.
Anne. My job. James. Liam.
They all converge to become the perfect storm of hell that awaits me in Denton, and I have absolutely no idea how I’m going to handle it.
I need to go home and resist, knowing James is waiting for me, wanting for my answer that I promised. And yet through irresponsibility and insanity I spent part of the week fucking a man who is now my boss, and didn’t think about what to do about James and my marriage at all.
I might have thrown it all away without even knowing, before I truly decided to walk away from it.
A simple night—one decision to feel free and get back at James—has come back to quickly bite me in the ass.
But there are things I have to know before I return home. I have a long car ride to make my decision, a weekend to talk to James, but there’s someone else who needs to feel my fury first.
Quickly changing, I throw on simple jeans and a light blue T-shirt for the drive home. I slide my aching feet into flip-flops and groan as my arches stretch free from their confinement.
After I’ve thrown everything into my suitcase, I pull it behind me and make my way to the top floor, hoping like hell Liam is there.
He could already be gone, but I have one chance to speak to him before I see him at work.
If I return to work.
Hell. How I can work for him I have no idea.
I brace myself for his sandy brown hair and aqua eyes as I raise my fist to knock on his door.
As if he was expecting me, he opens it before I’m done knocking and my fist hovers in the air between us.
He glances at my frozen hand.
“Wanting to punch me?”
I drop my hand and wrap it around the handle of my suitcase. “It doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
He opens the door and waves his arm, inviting me inside. For a moment I debate having this out in the hallway, but I’m well aware of security cameras, and while the risk of anyone caring what we do is minimal, it’s not one I’m willing to take.
I step inside and let go of my suitcase as soon as the door clicks shut behind me.
“You knew.”
I don’t pretend to waste time letting him know why I’m here. I hope he can feel my anger radiating out from me and I want it to knock him on his ass.
Instead, he turns around and pours himself a glass of Scotch from the suite’s bar.
“Would you like some?”
I shouldn’t. I have to drive.
But I might crash if I can’t stop trembling and get control of my emotions.
Reluctantly, I make my way to the bar and pour my own glass. Just a little bit to help soothe the molten lava rolling through me.
He looks like a cocky prick standing next to me and the edges of my vision flash red.
I down the glass in one gulp, wincing from the strong taste and burn, and take a step away.
“You knew,” I repeat unnecessarily.
A muscle in his cheek jumps and he takes a leisurely sip from his glass. I want to bash him on the head with it.
“Not at first. An oversight on my part.”
I huff. The liquor and his admission do nothing to calm me. I can’t help but think he’s lying. Anne said it was in their contract he keep me on. Surely he must have seen my name in print.
“God, you’re an asshole.”
He nods, and I see his grip tighten on his glass. “I know. But I didn’t put the two together when you ran into me in the lobby.”
My eyes grow large. “But you knew that first night?”
He looks away.
“Oh my god. What was this? A week fucking your secretary? Was this a part of the job application I didn’t know I was applying for? If I fucked you well enough you’d keep me?”
“No!”
My head jerks from his angered snap.
He sets the glass down too harshly, and I watch as the amber liquid sloshes over the rim.
Liam takes his hands and drags them down his cheeks. “Jesus, Laurie. It was just supposed to be the one night.”
“So when did you know?”
His lips roll together and he exhales a harsh breath, his nostrils flaring. “Yesterday morning.”
“Wow.” My hands go to my hair and I push it back, running my fingers through it. It’s that or smack him. “You knew…last night.” I shake my head and take a step back. I still can’t believe I fucked my boss.
I’ve become Becky.
I flinch at the thought and push down the vomit that rises in my throat. I’m going to be sick if I think about her now.
Or James.
“You should have told me.”
“We didn’t do a lot of talking.” He smirks and takes a step toward me.
I raise my hands, palms out, pushing him away. “Don’t.” It’s a warning, because as he comes closer, I can still feel it.
The air thickening. Whatever it is between us heats and crackles, and I have to blink and look away to break the spell he somehow has over me.
“You should have said something.” My voice breaks and I feel more tears swell in my eyes. I will not let them fall. Not now. Not in front of him.
I will wait for the privacy of my car.
“What am I supposed to do?” I ask, and my hands fall to my sides, exasperated. “I can’t…I can’t work for you.”
He nods and takes another step forward. “You can.”
He shrugs. His hand reaches up and follows the path one of my hands just made through my hair. I don’t move away. I hate that I can’t, but I inhale a breath through my teeth and swallow the thick desire in my throat. I can practically taste him.
I want it.
I hate him for doing this to me. He’s twisted me up and confused me and made me forget my purpose for being here. What’s worse is that I’ve let him. It’s my fault for wanting a damn night in the arms of a man who called me beautiful.
How shallow can I possibly be?
“You’re an asshole.”
He nods and his head drops forward. I fight the urge to push his hair off his forehead, but I can’t think with his heated eyes so close to me and his hand still tangled in my hair. He gives a little tug, pulling my lips closer to his.
“I gave you what you wanted. Freedom. Pleasure—yours and mine. Don’t look into it, just take it for what it was.” His eyes glance back and forth between mine and my breath catches in my throat.
“And Monday? When I report to you at work?”
His smile is faint and not amused. “We’ll figure it out.”
I shake my head. “I can’t work for
you.”
“You can. Just put this behind you.”
“Like you’re doing now?” I test him. His hand is still in my hair and he’s still leaning forward. He’s so close I could run my hands down his chest. I could have his belt removed and his erection in my hand. He’s hard—I know he is by the slight pink on his cheeks and his tight grip in my hair.
My own arousal lights up.
“I’m trying.”
I scoff. “Right. Like a book. Just close it and put it away.” I wave my finger back and forth between us. I’m amazed I’m still standing and haven’t leaned into him yet. “Just like a closed book, hidden on a back shelf, this will disappear.”
“It could. Don’t you have a husband to return to?”
My head jerks and I push him back. God. What a dick.
“Don’t.” I point my finger at his chest and glare at him. “Don’t you dare bring him into this. You have no idea what we’ve gone through.”
“I know that if you were happy you wouldn’t have come to me.”
“And I know that if you were any kind of man I wanted to work for, you wouldn’t be throwing that in my face.”
Liam takes a step back and he searches me. For what, I have no idea, but with the small space between us increasing, his hands slide easily into the front pockets of his dress pants.
My God.
This is my worst nightmare.
But arguing isn’t getting me anywhere and I have a long drive ahead of me.
“Fine.” My lips twist and purse. I nod once and reach for my suitcase. “I’ll let you know my decision on Monday, Mr. Parker.”
It takes everything I have in me to blank my expression into one of professionalism before I reach for the door behind me and open it.
I’m out the door and stepping into the hallway when a warm hand grips my wrist and stills me.
My breath launches into my throat as his lips drop to my neck.
I shiver, unable to control my innate reaction to him.
“I wanted you, for more than one time. It doesn’t happen often, but I had to have you, Laurie. Regardless of consequences.”
I close my eyes and sink into him. I hate it.
I shake my head as tears begin to spill through closed lids. “Stop it.”
