Her mouth dropped open. “You think I’m cheating on you?”
“You just said you were.”
“I most certainly did not,” she told him, her own temper rising.
“Yes, you did, you said . . .” he trailed off, looking uncertain.
“I think I’d know if I was cheating on you. Newsflash, I’m not. What the hell kind of person do you think I am? How could you think that?”
“So, what have you been doing all these nights?” he asked suspiciously. “If you’re not cheating on me where have you been?”
She let out a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She might not have been cheating on him, but she hadn’t been honest with him either.
“I’ve got a second job. I’ve been working as a cleaner at nights. That’s why I’ve been so busy. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
A second job. She wasn’t cheating on him.
His head spun. He’d convinced himself there had to be someone else. She’d been acting so oddly. Guilty. Because she had another job. One she hadn’t told him about. But why? Did she think he’d be angry? He would have been concerned, not angry. It didn’t make sense.
He sighed. He really preferred when people were upfront. Made things a lot easier and left less room for confusion.
“A second job? I thought that job you did the other night when you were late to the club was a one-off.”
“Well, I might have misled you a little there. I’ve got a job cleaning in the evenings. I go from my job at Foley’s to my new job.”
Which is why she looked so exhausted and why she was always busy. Not because she was sleeping with someone else.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She bit her lip, looking worried. They were getting to the heart of things now.
“Because then I would have had to explain why I needed another job.”
Why did she need another job? This shithole she lived in couldn’t cost much. He looked around him, downgrading that “much” to “anything at all.” This place was so dilapidated, it was a wonder it hadn’t been torn down. He’d only been here once that he could remember. He wondered why he hadn’t thought that weird?
Because you like having her in your territory. It might make him a bit of a caveman, but he liked having her under his roof. In his care.
It had suited him that she never wanted to go back to her place. So, he’d never questioned her. She’d always been happy to drive over to his house before they went out to dinner, then she’d come back with him and stay the night.
Hmm. Seemed he should have been paying more attention to his sub. She might not have been cheating, but she had been keeping things from him, and lying to him. That was something he wouldn’t accept.
Lies would tear a relationship apart. He’d experienced that before. Never again.
“Why do you need another job?”
She stared up at him, wincing a little, and he realized he was scowling, but he didn’t make any apologies for being angry. She’d lied to him.
“I owe money. A lot of money, and I needed more cash. This job fits around my other one, so I can do both.”
He still didn’t understand why she’d felt she had to keep that from him.
“How much money and to whom?”
She licked her lips, looking nervous.
“Do you have a drug habit I don’t know about?” He knew she didn’t, but he was growing impatient with her reluctance to tell him what was really going on.
“No, of course not.”
“Gambling? Alcohol?”
“No.” she frowned at him. “It’s nothing like that.”
“Then why won’t you tell me?”
“Because it’s embarrassing, and I’m ashamed, and you’re weird about money!”
What? I’m weird about money?
“What does that mean, I’m weird about money?”
“You have this thing about money. About people with money. About talking about money. I didn’t want to tell you I had all this debt because I didn’t want you to think I was asking you to help me pay it off. I can take care of the bills myself. That’s why I didn’t tell you. Because I was the idiot who was duped, by a man who claimed to love me, into putting my name on everything, and, when he did a runner with a blonde bimbo, I was left with all the bills to repay.”
Her ex left her with debts to pay? That asshole.
“And you thought I would be upset with you? That’s why you didn’t tell me? Because you thought I’d think you wanted me to pay them?”
Would I have thought that way? He wanted to instantly deny it, but he wasn’t sure he could.
“When we first met, I figured it wasn’t something I needed to share. Things were new, and you didn’t talk about your finances. Then as time went on, it became harder to bring it up. And you’ve made a few comments about money that made me worry you would think I was some sort of gold digger.”
“I’d have to have gold for you to be after it,” he told her. Although in comparison to where she lived, his place was a damn palace. And while he wasn’t rich like Alex, he was comfortable.
“Then as the weeks went by, I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to look at me differently. I was such an idiot, believing everything Eddie had told me. I trusted him. And now I’m in this mess. My fault. My problem to solve, not yours. I didn’t want you to see me as weak or as a pushover. It was embarrassing. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get anywhere with this debt hanging over me, so I finally decided to take a second job.”
She looked up at him from wide, blue-green eyes. Eyes that pleaded with him to understand. And he got it. Pride was a powerful thing. She felt ashamed even though none of the fault was hers. But it still didn’t excuse lying. If she could lie about this . . .
“I better go.” He needed to leave. He needed time to think about all of this.
“What? No, you can’t just walk out. Sloan—” She reached out to grab his arm, and he stiffened.
She dropped her hand with a sob. He grimaced but didn’t turn to look at her. He knew his resolve might crumble if he did, and he’d probably forgive her anything. But he’d been lied to before and he’d gotten burned. Badly.
Lying wasn’t something he thought he could forgive. Ever.
Except this is Kinley. She means too much to you to just let her go.
And it wasn’t a huge deal, having a second job. Sure, it was something he should have known about, and he was concerned about her. She was so pale and tired. Also, how big were those debts?
What else had she lied about? Would she lie again?
He rubbed his forehead, confused.
“Is that it then?” she asked. “It’s over just like that?”
“I don’t know,” he said without turning. “I need time to think. Don’t try to contact me. I’ll call you when I’m ready to talk.”
He opened the door and stepped through, then paused. “Lock the deadbolt behind me.”
He shut the door then waited until he heard the bolt slide into place. He thought he heard a low sob, but he could have been mistaken. He forced himself to walk away. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
“You missed a spot.”
She jumped with a squeal, turning, her rag held out in as she gaped at the man who’d snuck up behind her.
“Easy,” he said in a low voice. “Put the rag down and step away.”
She looked down at the cloth in her hand, dumbfounded. What?
“It was a joke,” her boss told her without cracking a smile. “Not a very good one, I admit. I’m out of practice.”
Meaning he used to be good at joking? She couldn’t really see it. He was so serious—so angry.
“Sorry for scaring you,” he said, breaking the silence and making her realize she’d just been standing there, staring at him.
“Again.” She held her hand up to her chest, realized she still held the rag and put it on the countertop next to her. She’d been in the mid
“Again.” He nodded, watching her carefully.
Why was he here? What did he want?
He’s your boss. Didn’t mean he wasn’t scary. Or dangerous. She stared into his eyes for a moment before dropping her gaze away. Oh, yeah, he was dangerous.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked. She’d been shocked when she hadn’t received a message saying she was fired. So, she’d turned up on Monday night and everything had gone as usual. Until tonight.
“This isn’t your floor,” she said suspiciously.
What was he doing in a bathroom on the fifth floor when his office was on the seventh floor of the building? Plus, they were in the women’s restroom.
He looked around with fake surprise. “It isn’t? Silly me, I must have taken a wrong turn on the way to my office.”
She sighed. “If you’ve just come in here to make fun of me you can go. I have work to do.”
His gaze narrowed warningly, and her pulse sped up.
Maybe you should show him a bit more respect.
“Why are you cleaning this floor?” he asked abruptly.
“Because this is the floor I always clean. As well as the floor below.”
“I want you to clean the seventh floor from now on,” he ordered arrogantly.
She smarted slightly at the dictate.
He’s the boss, she reminded herself.
“Elsa assigned me these floors to clean,” she told him as politely as she could.
His smile made her think of a shark, white gleaming teeth filled with a deadly promise.
“I’ve already spoken to Elsa. You’ve been assigned to the sixth and seventh floors.”
“I thought you didn’t like anyone cleaning your office.”
“I’ve changed my mind. You’re going to clean it. Every night.”
She bit back her sigh. Arguing with her boss wasn’t exactly keeping her head down and getting on with things.
“Come,” he ordered arrogantly.
She waited until his back was turned to stick her tongue out at him.
“Very childish. Be careful or there will be consequences.”
Consequences? She gaped at his back as he left the bathroom. What was he talking about? He wouldn’t fire her for sticking her tongue out at him. Would he? And how had he seen her do that?
Then she turned and looked in the mirror. The very long mirror, in which he could have easily seen her waggle her tongue at him.
Mortification filled her. What had she been thinking? She was thirty-four. She never acted like this. It was just that he was an ass. Bossy and arrogant. He reminded her a little of Sloan.
She reached into her smock and took her phone out. Fully charged. No messages.
She sighed. She’d ruined things between them. She knew she should have told him everything.
Idiot.
The door to the bathroom opened. “Kinley?” James March called out.
“Yes, sir?” She silently cursed herself as soon as she said it.
“I just wanted to tell you that I can’t stand tardiness. I’m a busy man with things to do. If you’re not in my office in ten minutes, I’m going to come looking for you and I’m not going to be happy.”
This time she made certain the door was closed before she pulled a face. Then she sighed. This wasn’t her. Her mama had raised her better, to be more respectful. Even if her boss was a jerk, she still needed to be polite. She was just on edge from her argument with Sloan. She hadn’t heard from him since he’d walked out. She hadn’t been sleeping much and could barely eat.
She took a deep breath in then let it out slowly. If he didn’t want to speak to her, then she guessed that meant he didn’t want to work things out. It was painful. So painful that sometimes she could barely breathe. And it made her realize just how much she’d come to love Sloan.
But he was gone now. And, somehow, she’d have to be okay with that.
8
James was starting to consider that he might be a masochist.
Nearly two weeks had passed since he had insisted she clean his office each night. He couldn’t seem to get her out of his mind. She intrigued him. She’d gotten under his skin and had snuck her way beneath his guard. She wasn’t his normal type. He went for tall, leggy blondes, as a rule. Women with careers and drive of their own. Who understood when he had to cancel at the last moment because of a work thing. Who didn’t have any holds on him, who didn’t make too many demands.
She wouldn’t be like that. For her, he’d have to come home at a decent hour. He’d have to remember anniversaries and birthdays. He’d have to be there for her, and he wasn’t certain he could do that.
She had that forever look about her. He just knew she wanted marriage, kids, and probably a damn dog. She was looking for happily ever after.
His cock grew hard as she bent over to dust his shelves.
That’s right, sweetheart. All the way down. Fuck.
He straightened. What the hell was wrong with him? She was his employee for God’s sake. Standing here, lusting over her was going to land him on the losing end of a law suit. Not only that, she was taken. She had a boyfriend, and he didn’t poach.
She wasn’t for him. She was too soft. He’d crush her. He wouldn’t be able to help himself. He’d become more and more demanding. He’d expect everything from her.
He grinned as he remembered the way she’d stuck her tongue out at him a few weeks ago. If she’d been his, she’d have found herself naked and bound over his spanking bench, her pale ass quickly turning red, her butt smarting from the plug he’d press deep inside her—and thinking this way was doing nothing for getting his erection to die down.
He knew she cleaned his office at different times each night on purpose. Sometimes she came here first, hoping to get it cleaned before he arrived, other times she came late, hoping he’d already be gone.
Little did she know he had cameras set up in here. And since he lived in the apartment above, he was always ready for her.
His eyes narrowed as he took in the way her shoulders drooped. She was moving slower than usual, without her usual energy or fire. What was going on? Had someone said something to her? That silly woman, Gloria? He knew she’d protested having to change floors. He’d told Elsa she either did as she was told or took a severance package and left. She’d soon quietened down. She knew she wouldn’t get pay or benefits like he provided anywhere else. If it was Gloria, he’d find out. Although he didn’t think Kinley would let a foolish woman like that get to her. She’d stood up to him easily enough. And there were people who’d worked for him for years who wouldn’t dream of speaking to him the way she had.
It just made him like her all the more. Maybe that’s why she intrigued him. Because he hadn’t had anyone challenge him since Sloan had left.
That man hadn’t understood the meaning of giving in or giving up. Stubborn ass. The thought of Sloan ruined his good mood. He straightened.
He stepped into the room. Time to find out what was going on. She’d been growing increasingly melancholy, and he didn’t like it. He also didn’t like the dark bags growing under her eyes or the way she held herself. Defensively. Like she expected someone to attack at any moment.
Was it the boyfriend? Had he hurt her? Hit her? A surge of alarm filled him quickly, followed by anger and then satisfaction.
If she was having problems with her boyfriend, that paved the way for him to step in. James wouldn’t steal another man’s woman, but he wasn’t above picking up the pieces.
And what happened to leaving her alone? She isn’t for you.
He sighed. He really wasn’t a nice man if he was thinking about taking advantage of Kinley.
But then, he’d never claimed to be a nice guy. Had he?
“Are you going to stand there all night watching me?” she asked, not bothering to turn away from her dusting.
“You’re getting harder to sneak up on.”
“You do know it’s not nice to sneak up on people, right?” She looked at him over her shoulder, and he frowned as he noted her drawn face. Was she losing weight? Had her loser boyfriend said something to her about her weight, and she’d gone on some fad diet?
She better damn well not have, or he’d . . . do nothing. Not his problem.
Could be if you made her yours. You could order her to eat. Better yet, order her to her knees next to you and feed her yourself. You could have her in your apartment, following your rules, in your bed each night, where you’d make certain she got enough rest.
After fucking her half the night, of course.
But then she could sleep half the day since she damn well wouldn’t be working as a cleaner. Or working at all. She could be totally devoted to him. His needs. His wants.
He wondered what that would be like. To have this woman’s total attention. Unless he was misjudging her, she’d no doubt make a loyal, faithful companion.
Companion? She wasn’t a dog. No, certainly not. She’d be a wife.
Okay, he needed to stop. He didn’t even know if there was trouble in paradise with the loser boyfriend. Hell, he didn’t even know if he was a loser.
But then, considering he allowed his girlfriend to clean offices half the night after working all day, James didn’t think he could be much of a man. He knew she worked as a receptionist in a plumbing business during the day because he’d snooped through the information she’d given to human resources. He didn’t like that she was working such long hours, especially as it was obviously taking a toll. Any man worth his salt would take on three or four jobs before he allowed his woman to work herself so hard.
So, yeah, maybe taking her from this loser was what he deserved. “Either I’m slipping, or you’re becoming more observant.” He hoped it was the second. While it was a little fun to sneak up on her, he didn’t like the idea of someone else being able to do the same thing. Someone who did not have good intentions.
Good intentions? Do you really have good intentions?
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