by J. A. Dennam
She ignored the skip of her heartbeat and recalled Ethan’s proposed scenario. What sort of plans would he have for his personal secretary? “Not to sound ungrateful,” she cleared her throat, “but…doing what, exactly?”
Ken’s mustache twitched. “You want that corner office, don’t you?”
It was the last answer she expected. With a mixture of joy and discomfort, she rubbed her palms on the arms of her chair. “Look…I know I was leading that competition when you fired me, but it would be wrong to take Ethan’s job. He’s way more entitled to it than I am.”
Amusement lit up Ken’s eyes. “Did I say you would be taking Ethan’s job?”
Her face burned with mortification. “No.”
“And your answer proves what I already know about you. Aside from the spying, you have a great work ethic,” he leaned forward for emphasis, “and you care. You are someone I need on my team.”
With each compliment, Brooke became more and more wary. “That’s quite an about-face from last week.”
He shrugged. “I’m a reasonable man. In light of the discoveries we’ve made since then, is it hard to understand why I want you back?”
“Kind of. After all, I did spy.”
Ken crossed his arms and put a finger to his lips in contemplation. “Your father and I discussed your actions, and I’ve come to see why you did what you did. Though you were entirely in the wrong, your heart was in the right place.”
For the first time, Brooke truly understood why her father had chosen to sell to this particular man. A renewed sense of wellbeing flooded her heart. “So, I assume you want me to come back under the same terms as before? As Ethan’s secretary?”
Ken’s face morphed into a comically solemn mask. “Is that what you want?”
Brooke laughed. “With all due respect, not really.” “Good.” The man got up, circled around his desk, and retrieved a thick folder. “Because I’m not a big fan of wasted talent, something your father and I also discussed.” He slid the folder across the desk. When Brooke reached for it, he sat down and assumed the position of a man ready to negotiate. “Ms. Monroe, how would you feel about earning a degree?”
25
STILL REELING FROM KEN’S PROPOSITION, BROOKE tucked the file he’d given her beneath her arm and reentered the main work area. Several people stared, no doubt wondering what she was doing there. Most of the faces were ones she never would have missed—people who never really knew her. There were only a few she wanted to see: Letreece who’d greeted her with a warm smile when she’d arrived, and Roger, to whom she owed an apology. Did he even know about Ken’s plans for her? Did he know she was here?
But first things first. Though Roger was an important factor in her life, he was little more than an afterthought compared to the man she knew was waiting for her. Their short drive to Monroe Graphics had been laden with flirtatious remarks, ones that left her with little doubt of Ethan’s intentions. But just how deep could his feelings for her possibly be, especially when he’d turned her in without so much as a blink?
When she passed by Shannon’s office, her familiar voice called, “Brooke!”
Closing her eyes, Brooke backed up the few steps to her door and waited patiently for the rant to commence. When none was forthcoming, she looked up and found Shannon behind her desk, regarding her with a curious gaze. Brooke shrugged her tacit permission to fire away.
Instead, Shannon pursed her lips and then smiled. “Nice going with that anti-malware stuff.”
So, Ethan must have pulled some serious strings in order to get the woman to go along with her plan. “I’m surprised he told you it was from me.”
She waved away the notion. “Of course he didn’t, not until afterward.”
It was an honest answer that put Brooke more at ease. “I guess I should apologize for targeting you in the first place.”
“Hell no,” Shannon retorted with a look of horror. “Then I’d have to apologize for targeting you, which would make things way too awkward.”
They both smiled a little and Brooke nodded once. “Okay, then. Glad we cleared that up.”
When she went to leave, Shannon delayed her escape with another question. “So are you back now?”
How to answer that… “Yes and no,” Brooke replied.
“What does that mean exactly?”
“It’s something that Ken should probably explain.”
The man had been hatching plans that were best kept under wraps until more real estate had been acquired—a detail that no longer stood in Ken’s way. With that in mind, Brooke left Shannon’s office and headed for the one she used to call her own. The door was open. She found Ethan standing at the window, staring down at the scenery with his hands in his pockets. Several personal photographs were on the shelves behind the desk. The first was one she’d seen before, of him and his family in suspended animation, celebrating in front of a car covered in sponsor logos. Beside that one was a photo of the white BMW racing past a blurred crowd of spectators. Then there was a cute portrait of Adrianna. Another was of a couple that she assumed were Ethan’s parents, flanking a small boy and his homemade derby car.
And, of course, there was the bowl of candy corn. Indeed, Ethan had made himself quite at home, though now he jingled the change in his pockets as if he were restless.
Brooke studied his broad shoulders, recalling a time when she’d hated him on sight. She’d hated his confidence, his drive, and his ability to charm his way through anything. But all those things were what had ultimately saved her. If not for Ethan, she’d still be paying for a very personal and stupid mistake.
How on earth had they come to this point? If not for Shannon’s interference, would they have ever found their way to each other? Would doubt have turned to trust? Disdain to respect? Would their hatred have ever crossed over to love?
Brooke shook the thought from her head. Yes, she was very much in love with Ethan, a fact that she couldn’t deny if she tried. Whether or not he felt the same…knowing him, it was a detail she’d need to extract with the use of clever tactics. “This office looks good on you,” she said from the doorway.
When he turned, his stiff features softened with hope. “Are you back?”
Her smile confirmed it somewhat, just as his question confirmed that he had no idea what she was back for. Brooke remained tight-lipped as he crossed over to her with a focused look in his eyes. He pulled her inside, shut the door, and boxed her in between two strong arms. She swallowed, wondering if his heavy-lidded stare meant what she hoped it did.
“Good.” He brushed a wisp of hair from her face. “Because I’m addicted to you, Miss Monroe, and I’ve been going through some pretty heavy withdrawal.”
It still wasn’t the declaration she hoped for, yet it did manage to stir her blood. “Are you expecting me to jump into that darkroom anytime you need a fix?”
“Can’t,” he answered, stepping closer. “The darkroom has been discovered.”
Her surroundings faded away until all that was left was his body pressing against her sundress. Struggling to stay in the moment, Brooke gave herself a mental shake. “Let me guess. Someone got caught with his or her pants down.”
“Mm-hmm.” His lips brushed across her temple. “Ken had the revolving door removed.”
“That’s too bad.”
He pushed back a little and gave her a look of intense purpose. “We still have to face him about us, though. It may take some work, but if we come up with some sort of written agreement, maybe..”
His voice trailed off when she shook her head. “We won’t need to do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because, Ethan…we won’t be breaking that rule. Now or ever.”
Brooke watched as his determination wavered a bit. The fact he just expected her to fall back in line meant that the man needed a final wakeup call…and that she’d enjoy giving it to him.
He paused for a brief second. “I understand why you don’t want to take ano
ther chance on us. That said, this is me trying to change your mind.”
He leaned in and captured her mouth in a slow, sensual kiss designed to burn the polish right off her toenails. As Brooke’s insides turned to molten jelly, she wrapped her arms around his neck. With a soft sigh, she arched into his body as he softly touched the curves of her breasts.
Then he broke away, brushing a trail of light kisses along the side of her jaw, his thumb moving over her nipple in light, teasing strokes. “Would it really be so bad working under me?” he whispered against her cheek.
So, that’s what he thought, huh? Brooke’s eyes opened as she lounged against the door, fully enjoying the moment. “That depends,” she murmured. “What exactly do you expect from a personal secretary?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe bring me coffee in the morning. Schedule my appointments. Satisfy my sexual needs.”
Brooke put her hands on his chest and gave him a push. “Then I hope you find one who’s willing.” Gaining her freedom, she strode toward the potted Ficus and pretended to inspect every perfect leaf.
“You didn’t accept Ken’s offer?” he said tightly from across the room.
She gave a nonchalant laugh. “Do you really think I could work under you? Whether it’s outside your door or on top of your desk, I just have too much pride to give you that kind of control over me.”
“Damn it, Brooke, I’m not the reason you should—”
“I accepted Ken’s offer.” She turned slightly and gave him her brightest smile.
His shoulders slumped in relief, but his glare was murderous. “Don’t scare me like that.”
“But he didn’t offer me my old job back, which means that the terms of our original agreement are still null and void.”
Instead of the disappointment she expected to see, his eyes filled with an optimistic light. “Please tell me you’re replacing Bill Knight.”
She blinked at him in surprise. “Is that what you hoped for?”
“It would be a smart move on Ken’s part. At the least, Bill’s ego could stand a good beating.”
When Ethan sat on a corner of the desk, she moved toward him again. “He never even mentioned the creative department.”
“What exactly will you be doing here then?” he asked, his mood considerably lighter.
“Ethan…I won’t be working in this office anymore. He asked me to head up a new expansion.”
His handsome features settled into a mixture of shock and delight. “He did what?”
Still dazed over Ken’s proposition, Brooke explained as best she could. “I’ll be supervising the new web design and security branch of Master Ink Innovations. It’s something I tried to get my father to do before he sold the business.” Her grin showed just how happy she was about it.
Ethan pulled her between his legs, his warm, appreciative gaze sweeping over her face. “Damn. I was looking forward to having a torrid affair with my new secretary.”
She laughed. “You would have liked that, huh?”
They stayed that way for a while, enjoying the playful mood as he stared at their joined hands. “So, does Ken have an idea where this new branch will be located?” he asked. “Someplace close by, I’m guessing?”
Her gaze moved to his mouth. “Do you want me close by?” Tell me you love me.
“Of course. It would be easier for you to buy me lunch once in a while.”
Annoyed, she broke from his grasp and sighed. “That might be difficult…unless I send you a gift card from Texas.”
“Texas!” he shouted.
She nodded with a sympathetic smile. “I’ll be leaving Wednesday.” “Wednesday!”
“So you see? We won’t have to worry about that strict rule against office romance. Problem solved.” Brooke twirled around and headed for the door. As she bent down to retrieve the purse she’d dropped earlier, Ethan caught up just in time to hold the door closed.
His breath brushed over her hair. “You don’t really want to go to Texas, do you?”
“Why not? I can stay with my parents until I find my own house.”
“You love your house here.”
“I can make a fresh start and make new friends.”
“You still have friends here,” he countered, his own voice rising.
“Maybe I’ll meet someone, fall in love, and start a family.”
“You love me!” He twirled her back around. “And I’m here!”
With a mix of pity and sheer relief, Brooke watched him come to grips with what he had just said. “Come on, Ethan. Do you really think it could work between us?”
Without further hesitation, he pushed her aside and threw open the door. People scattered, clearing the way as Ethan stormed directly into Ken’s office. With an impish smile, Brooke retreated back into the corner office. When Ethan later reemerged, she was sitting behind her old desk, her head thrown back in ecstasy as she enjoyed the many advantages of six-point massage.
The door clicked softly shut behind him. “Brooke?”
“Yes, Ethan?”
“I must have heard wrong.” When her eyes fluttered open, he was rounding the desk with a promise of retribution in his look. “What you really said was that you’ll be taking online courses from the University of Texas, and that you’ll be running Ken’s new division from the seventh floor of this very building.”
Wary of his intentions, she gave him a sweet smile. “Yes, that’s exactly what I said.”
She yelped as he grabbed her arms and pulled her into a rough embrace. “That’s what I thought,” he growled. “Because you surely didn’t just manipulate me into giving Ken a piece of my mind, right?”
Choking back her laughter, Brooke wrapped her arms around his waist and basked in her victory. “I hope you didn’t make too much of a spectacle of yourself.”
“I’m pretty sure I left him with a good idea of how I feel about you.”
The warmth of his words dissolved her smile. Before she could ask him about those feelings, he leaned down and kissed her slowly. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
Drowning under his spell, she whispered against his lips, “We both get a corner office with the same view?”
“Wrong,” he whispered back.
She groaned. “Then please enlighten me.” Tell me you love me.
“It means you are still, technically, working under me.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Brooke giggled against his chest. “You’re hopeless.”
“And I’m very much in love with you.”
Her body went still. As time stopped, she looked up and met his gaze. “Really?” she breathed. “Are you sure?”
His hand touched her hair and he gently leaned her backward. The tenderness in his voice bespoke the truth in his words. “I don’t need a weekend in the Keys to figure that one out.”
Relief rushed through her with such force that she had to keep her knees from buckling. “Me neither,” she whispered as tears blurred her vision. “I love you too, Ethan, though you’re so very brave for admitting it first.”
With a knowing smile, he murmured, “I couldn’t let you go on all lovesick and moody now, could I?”
He had her there, and she confirmed it without a shred of denial this time. “Was I that obvious?”
His hold on her tightened, promising nothing but blue skies ahead. She kissed him with every ounce of love in her heart, not caring that several faces were pressed against the glass by the door. Let them watch. Let them wonder how two people on the same quest for annihilation had ended their fight in each other’s arms, in crazy love, and on top of the world.
“But I still want my weekend in the Keys,” she murmured against his mouth.
Ethan smiled. “I think we can arrange that.”
J.A. DENNAM, an award winning author of romantic suspense and member of Romance Writers of America, resides in a small Kansas town with her husband and four children. She shares many passions for the arts including fine arts and music.
> Storytelling has been a part of her life since childhood, when insomnia forced a young girl of six to endure many long, sleepless nights. Confessing her problem to her older sister, they decided to tell each other stories to entice sleep; however, the inevitable snore always tore through her sister’s nose before she could utter the words Once Upon A Time. So the stories began to flow in silence, her imagination taking her to quiet, private places so enthralling, the trick was suddenly to stay awake.
Those habits carried on to adulthood until the need to purge her stories demanded she put them in print. Her fascination with romance, fast cars and adventure films is what structures them today.
You can find all novels by J.A. Dennam on her website, www.JADennam.com.
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