Hate Me or Love Me: An Enemies to Lovers Romance Collection

by Ella Miles

  Sean nods.

  The waiter then looks at me, a bit surprised. “And what can I get you? Or do you need a few moments with the menu? I can start you off with something to drink.”

  I know I need to make a decision quickly. That is what Sean wants. A decisive woman who is willing to stand up for herself.

  I glance at the wine menu in front of me. “I’ll have your house pinot grigio and…” I glance down at the menu and find the cheapest thing I can find. “The Caesar salad.”

  The waiter raises an eyebrow and then looks at Sean, like he is going to approve or deny what I just ordered. Sean and him exchange some kind of secret conversation that I’m not privy to.

  “Very good, sir,” the waiter says.

  “What was that about?” I ask after the waiter has left.

  “You come to the best restaurant in town, and that is what you order? A salad and cheap wine?”

  I frown and then lean back as waiters begin pouring us water, and a napkin is placed in my lap.

  “You know what my salary is. I can’t afford anything more.”

  He chuckles. “You think I would let you pay?”

  I feel the anger growing fast inside me. “Excuse me? Let me pay? I’m more than capable of paying for my own dinner, thank you.” I throw my napkin down on the table, not caring that I am making a scene. “You know what? This job isn’t worth it.”

  Sean stands and grabs my hand. “Stay. I’m just trying to push your buttons. It seems it’s the only way to get that fierce, sassy mouth to tell me how you really feel.”

  I frown. “You can push me without insulting me.”

  He nods and slowly sits back down while I still stand, towering over him.

  “I would love for you to have dinner with me. I’ll try my best to behave.”

  He grins, and everything inside me calms. One stupid grin, and I believe everything he says. I slowly sit back down.

  An appetizer platter larger than anything I have ever seen and a bottle of wine are brought out. My eyes grow large as I watch Sean taste the wine and then nod in approval. I can’t believe the amount of food that has been placed in front of us, and this is just the appetizer. The waiter pours me the red wine as well and then leaves us in peace.

  “I don’t like red wine,” I say, looking at the full glass in front of me.

  “You’ll like this one.”

  I frown. “I doubt it.”

  “Just try it,” he says, sighing.

  I take a sip and immediately say, “I don’t like it.”

  But it’s a lie. I’ve never tasted anything so smooth, sweet, and delicious as this glass of wine.

  He raises an eyebrow.

  “Fine. It’s delicious. Why do you have to be right all the time?”

  He smirks. “I like being right. So, you’d better get used to it.”

  “So, Mr. Right, what do you recommend I try from this appetizer platter since there is no way I’ll be able to eat it all along with whatever you ordered me for dinner?”

  He laughs and then says, “Try the squash blossoms. But I would try to make room for a bite of everything.”

  I sigh and take a bite of one of the squash blossoms. I close my eyes as the food swirls around my taste buds before I finally swallow. When I look up, I see Sean smiling at me.

  “What?” I ask.

  He shakes his head. “Do you know that you moan when you eat?”

  “I do not.”

  He laughs. “You just did.”

  “Well, that is because this food is delicious.”

  I take another bite and try not to moan, but I can’t help it. The food is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. I keep my eyes open this time while I eat, staring intently into Sean’s eyes. He swallows hard, like he is struggling with something as he watches me eat, but I can’t imagine a man like Sean struggling with anything.

  I take a sip of the wine, and I watch his gaze shift from my mouth to my throat as the liquid goes down. It’s almost like…I’m turning him on. But that can’t be. He doesn’t find me attractive. I’ve messed up too many times for him to find me the least bit attractive. And it would be entirely inappropriate for anything to happen between us. He’s my boss.

  But the way he is looking at me tells me something different. It tells me he wants me. And the way my heart is beating in return tells me something that I thought was impossible to feel. That I want him, too. Strictly in a sexual way. After all, from what I can tell with his clothes on, his body is all muscle. I’d love to see what is beneath his clothes.

  I have a boyfriend though, whom I love deeply. I’m not going to throw a year away just so I can see what my boss looks like naked. I have to stop whatever is going on between us. Now.

  “So, should we talk business since that is why I am here? What would you like to discuss?” I ask.

  Sean smirks. “We don’t need to talk business. It would be a waste until I’m confident you have the skill set to be a leader. I don’t really think understanding how the company works is your problem. I’ll pay for you to take the realtor’s test, and I’m sure you’ll pass with no problem. Once you have the leadership skills, then we can talk business. That is the easy part to teach.”

  I take another bite of food. “Then, why am I here? I thought you brought me here to train me.”

  “I did.”

  I blink rapidly. “I’m confused.”

  “Eat, and then I’ll give you your first lesson,” Sean commands.

  And so, we do. We eat mostly in silence, just enjoying our food. We don’t have to say much to each other because the food more than makes up for entertainment. It is the most delicious meal I have ever eaten. But, as our dinner comes to an end, I grow more and more anxious, trying to figure out what his plan is.

  The waiter brings Sean the check, and I try my best not to snoop and find out how much this extravagant meal cost. But Sean doesn’t even glance at the number. He just throws his credit card down on the bill, like it’s nothing. I need to spend some time researching him later to understand what he does when he’s not driving me crazy. Then, maybe we can be on a level playing field.

  “So, what is this training you have planned?” I ask.

  Sean shakes his head. “You’re impatient, aren’t you, Olive?”

  I frown. “No. Just curious.”

  The waiter returns with the bill.

  Sean signs the receipt and then gets up. “Follow me,” he says.

  I stand and follow him, but we don’t go far. Just to the bar. Sean takes a seat in the booth, and I take a seat opposite him, more confused than ever.

  “Relax, Olive. You are going to have to learn to trust me if you are going to work for me.”

  “I work for Jamie. She was the one who hired me. You’re just a temp.”

  Sean sighs as he runs his hand through his hair. He glances over at the bar. I assume he’s found a hot woman to take home for tonight.

  “Lesson number one: Confidence. That is the number one thing you need to be a leader. Get that guy over there to buy you a drink.”

  “What?”

  “If you can get that guy to buy you a drink, then you can convince someone to buy a house or an employee to change how they work.”

  “I have a boyfriend though.”

  Sean laughs. “I’m not asking you to date the guy. Just get him to buy you a drink. If you can do that in a place like this, then I must have really underestimated you.”

  I narrow my eyes. He doesn’t think I can do this.

  “Fine.” I get up and look at the man Sean is looking at.

  He’s dressed in a suit, sitting at the bar by himself. He’s about my age, but far more successful, it seems. He’s good-looking. Not as good-looking as Sean, but he’s still way out of my league.

  He doesn’t know that though. All the man knows is that I ate at this restaurant, same as him. And, as long as he doesn’t know much about fashion, then he won’t know that my whole outfit cost less than thirty doll
ars and that I got it from a thrift store.

  I start walking toward him, trying to be as confident as I can, when I hear Sean say, “I would unbutton that top button or two if I were you. That’s what got me.”

  I feel my body fuming. But then I remember everything else Sean has done today. Every time was to get a reaction out of me. Every time was to build that fire up inside me. Well, it worked. I’m fired up, but I’m just not sure I can handle any more of Sean’s training.

  I have to find a way to prove to him that I can be a strong, confident woman who is perfect for the job. I’m not sure how to convince him, but I’ll start with getting this guy to buy me a drink without unbuttoning my shirt.

  I slide onto one of the high-top chairs next to him. Even though there are dozens open, I’ve chosen the one right next to him.

  The man looks over at me.

  “I’m Olive,” I say with a large smile on my face.

  “I’m Dave. And, as much as I would love to sit next to you while we both enjoy a drink, my wife is going to be here any second and would love to sit next to me. So, if you don’t mind scooting down a couple of seats, that would be great.”

  I nod and bite my lip as I make my way back over to where Sean is sitting.

  He laughs. “Failed already?”

  “He’s married and meeting his wife here. I don’t think that was really a fair fight.”

  He shrugs. “It wouldn’t stop most married men.”

  I frown while he laughs at me again.

  “Okay, fine, fine. You can try again.” Sean glances around the bar and then spots the next target. He nods toward the guy who must have just sat down at the bar. “Get him to buy you a drink.”

  I smile. “Done,” I say, getting back up and walking over to the man seated at the bar.

  Of all of the men Sean could have picked, he picked the one I know I will be able to get to buy me a drink. I’m almost to him when a blonde woman takes a seat next to him.

  I frown. She isn’t going to get him because the man she is flirting with is already taken. By me.

  The woman grabs hold of his neck and begins kissing him. He doesn’t fight her off. He kisses her back.

  I freeze.

  I never thought I would be in this situation, but here I am.

  It doesn’t take me long to decide what to do. I finish walking toward him and tap him on the shoulder. Slowly, Owen, my boyfriend, soon-to-be ex, turns around and looks at me with wide eyes.

  “Olive. Hi, baby! Uh…this isn’t what it looks like,” Owen says.

  I slap him hard across the cheek. “We are through, Owen.”

  I turn back and walk toward Sean, angrier than I have ever been. Owen wasn’t perfect; I knew that. But I loved him, and he loved me—or so I thought. Now, that’s gone.

  I look over at Sean, who now has a large grin on his face. I know I’m about to do something else I never thought I would do. I’m going to fuck my boss.

  7

  Sean

  Olive slapped the guy. My eyes are so wide that they are practically popping out of my head as I stare at her. I can’t believe that she is the same woman who wouldn’t even tell me to slow down when I was driving at reckless speeds. This woman has two very different sides to her personality. I just can’t figure out which one is the real her.

  She hasn’t even slapped me yet, and she hates me. So, whatever this guy did must have been really bad. Or she thought that it would impress me since she couldn’t get the guy to buy her a drink.

  Olive stares at me as she walks back to our table.

  “What was that?” I ask.

  “Can we go?” Olive asks.

  I raise an eyebrow. “Is that a question or statement?”

  She sighs. “I don’t have time for your tests or training or whatever this is right now. I want to go. Now.”

  I nod and get up from the booth, but she doesn’t immediately storm out. Instead, she freezes. I put my hand on the small of her back because, honestly, it looks like she needs me to guide her out of the restaurant and keep her standing.

  When we finally get to the front of the restaurant, the hostess goes and gets my coat. I take it from her and help Olive into it. She puts it on, but it’s almost like she’s a zombie. Her eyes are blank, and she’s just going through the motions. She’s not really here with me.

  I guide her outside where the valet, thankfully, already has my car waiting. The valet opens the door, and I help her into the car before going around to the driver’s side. But I don’t immediately start driving off. I need answers. Now.

  “What happened back there?” I ask.

  “Did you see what happened with the guy at the bar?” Olive asks.

  I nod.

  Of course I watched her at the bar. I’d set up this test for her, hoping that seeing her hit on another man would make me stop wanting to fuck her. But it backfired on me. Seeing her attempt to pick up another man drove me even wilder with need. My whole body grew furious at the sight of her anywhere near another man. Because I want her for myself. I don’t want to share.

  “Well, the guy sucking face with the blonde was Owen, my boyfriend.”

  My eyes widen. The boyfriend was real. I truly thought it was something she’d made up.

  “Well, ex-boyfriend now anyway.” She looks up at me, cocking her head to one side as she studies me. “I guess you aren’t going to tell me that you’re sorry.”

  “Would it help?”

  “No, it wouldn’t.”

  “Then, why would I waste words by saying something that’d never make you feel any better?”

  She nods in agreement. “I guess I didn’t pass your test since I didn’t get a guy to buy me a drink.”

  “I would say you passed the first lesson with flying colors.”

  She raises an eyebrow at me.

  “You slapped a guy in the nicest restaurant in all of Chicago. I would say you showed that you have more than enough balls to be a leader. Now, you just have to learn to be that person on a regular basis.”

  She laughs. “So…your place or mine?” she asks.

  I choke on nothing. Did she just say that?

  Of all the ways I saw tonight ending, this wasn’t it. Sure, I hoped in my own twisted way, but I didn’t think it would actually happen.

  She bites her lip, trying to keep her grin at bay. She’s not blushing or showing any signs that she’s embarrassed by what she said. She meant every damn word.

  “Are you sure you want me to fuck you? He won’t take you back after this, if that’s a concern of yours. I’m not sure you’re ready for the severe consequences of saying yes,” I say, reminding her of the boyfriend—or ex-boyfriend.

  “I’m not taking him back after this. And why are you asking me if I’m sure anyway? I thought you would say something about how managers always make a decision, and once that decision is made, they don’t go back on that decision. Managers just deal with the consequences, so be sure of your decision before saying anything.”

  I smirk. “That does sound like me. But that was a lesson I was saving for later.”

  She takes a deep breath and then exhales slowly while she thinks for a moment and then another.

  She’s going to say no. She’s going to come to her senses and realize that fucking me is not going to solve any of her problems. It’s just going to create new ones. New problems that involve a complicated relationship where she fucked her boss and would have to come into the office tomorrow and every day after, wondering if the reason she got promoted, was getting special attention, was yelled at, or fired was because she’d fucked me.

  And, as much as I know that the sensible thing to do is for her to say no, I’m begging her to say yes. Not to mention, my own experience. I know better than to fuck an employee. Jamie might have been the worst mistake of my life. I ended up losing the only woman I ever cared about.

  “Your place or mine?” Olive asks again, more slowly this time.

  I grin. “Mine.”


  “Holy crap!” Olive says when I open the door to my condo.

  I smirk as I hold the door open for her. “Are you going to go inside?” I ask.

  Olive tears her eyes away from my condo and looks up at me. “Please tell me this isn’t your condo. Tell me that you have some rich friend you’re staying with or that this is your parents’ place.”

  I chuckle and rub the back of my neck, feeling weird for the first time ever about how nice of a place I have. I’ve never cared what a woman thought, and I for sure have never felt ashamed to have a place this nice, but the way that Olive is looking at me right now makes me feel like maybe I should be ashamed.

  “It’s not mine.”

  “Thank God,” Olive says, exhaling.

  She finally steps inside my condo while I walk in behind her, enjoying the view as I stare at her tight ass in the tight black skirt she’s wearing.

  “Technically, it’s not mine.”

  Olive flips her head around and looks at me. “What?”

  I smile, loving throwing her off her game. “Technically, it’s not mine because I’m just leasing it for the year. I’ll decide after that if I want to buy the property or not.”

  Olive’s mouth drops open, and then she slowly looks around my condo—up at the ceiling that’s two stories tall and around the large room that contains everything, except my bedroom and bathroom. Her eyes go over the kitchen that is full of stainless steel and granite, then across the dark hardwood floor to my living room where all the furniture is pointed at the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the city, and then over to the dining room that can easily seat twelve beneath a large chandelier.

  “Where’s your TV?” she asks.

  I walk up behind her and inch as close as I dare without touching her. Close enough that I can smell her and feel every emotion oozing off her body. Nervousness. Anger. Excitement. Need for sex.

  “Why would I need a TV for entertainment when I can have this?” I reach out my hand and gently caress her neck, turning her toward me before I press my lips against hers.

  Her whole body shivers at my touch, which only makes me want to kiss her more. Deeper. So, I do, and when I finally pull away, all I see are her gorgeous, big eyes staring at me.