Bad Boss (Unprofessional Bad Boys Book 2)

by Clarissa Wild

  “What do you think we sell?”

  “Um … I don’t know … newspapers? Stock market shares? Hygienic products?” With each guess, he leans in just a tiny inch, but it’s noticeable to me. I’m not sure I mind, but it sure is getting hot in here. Or maybe that’s just me.

  And Jesus Christ that cologne he’s wearing … It’s intoxicating.

  “Office supplies? Food?” I continue, but he still doesn’t say yes.

  The elevator door opens, and he saunters out alone. The sudden absence of his presence makes it feel like I’m choking on the empty air. It takes me a few seconds to compose myself.

  “Are you coming?” he asks, playfully raising his brows at me.

  “Yeah, sorry.” I huff, running my fingers through my hair. “I hate small spaces.”

  It’s not a lie; I do hate small spaces … but not when I can share them with him.

  Jesus, you horny bitch, stop chasing the impossible. He’s your boss now. Act like a good employee.

  “Odd,” he says, shrugging, and he turns around to start walking again.

  I quickly follow behind him. “What’s odd?”

  He glances at me. “Never pegged you to be claustrophobic.”

  “Pfft … nah, I’m not claustrophobic. I just don’t like elevators. That’s all.” I laugh it off a little, but it’s not working because he’s not laughing with me.

  “I like narrow spaces. Gives my mind the opportunity to focus,” he says, pointing at his temple.

  I snigger to myself.

  “What’s so funny?” he asks.

  “Nothing,” I lie.

  “Are you being sassy, Miss Fischer?” he asks, cocking his head at me.

  “No, of course not. What do you take me for, Mr. Morrows?” I retort.

  “Call me TJ. And I get the feeling you’re going to be a handful of sass.”

  “Me? Never,” I joke.

  “Too bad,” he says. “I like sassy.”

  His words make me fall silent for a moment. Was he flirting with me just now, or am I just imagining it?

  “Helps keep me sharp,” he adds, bursting my epic office romance fantasy bubble.

  “Right,” I say. “I can do that … TJ.”

  We continue to walk until we reach a door, at which point TJ stops and says, “Now, I hope you don’t scare easily.”

  “Why? What’s behind that door?”

  I try to peek in, but he won’t let me.

  “The products we create are for a very specific customer.”

  “We’re not working for criminals, are we?” I raise a brow.

  “No.” He laughs out loud. “We make toys.”

  “Toys? What’s scary about that?”

  “Nothing, but sometimes they are.”

  He opens the door farther, and when I step forward and look inside, my bag drops to the floor and my jaw goes along with it.

  He places his hand on my shoulder and squeezes softly. “You never asked what we do here, so now you know. The division you’re going to work for makes dog toys.”

  I stare ahead at the room full of fluffy … cuddly … chewing … barking … dogs.

  “And to make sure we’re the best of the best, all our employees have their own personal doggy assistant.”

  Chapter 5

  Lesley

  “Dog toys?” I exclaim, shocked by the discovery. “But I thought you sold people stuff.”

  He sniggers. “Well, dogs are for people too, right? And yeah, we also create and sell baby products as well as regular toys. But that’s under another division, and you won’t be working there.”

  “What do baby products and toys have to do with dogs?”

  “Nothing.” He shrugs. “We’re a multifaceted company. Like Mars Inc. You know, those chocolates everyone on the world loves? They also have a dog food brand.”

  “Really?” I frown, finding it hard to believe.

  “Yeah. Toys4Dogs is one of our brands, which is what you’ll be working on.”

  I stare into the room at the dogs playing with squeaky toys, some of them barking right at me, probably looking for attention … or a leg to chew on.

  “To create the perfect dog toy, you need to know what your target wants,” he says. “So each one of our employees at Toys4Dogs has a personal dog assistant.”

  “And you keep all them here?” I ask, looking around the magical doggy playground, which makes me shiver.

  “Well, we have to keep them somewhere, and we can’t have them all over the work floor. It would be a mess. No one would get any work done.”

  “So people have to come here to pick up their dog and then play with it or what?” I ask.

  He nods. “If they’re trying to do something new or exciting, then, of course, they can take out their dog and see if it likes it. That’s why we have them.”

  “So they’re just tools to you?” I put my hand on my side.

  “No, no,” he says, raising a hand. “It’s more than that. Every employee is expected to take care of the dog. Love it, pet it, walk it. You name it.”

  “Do people honestly sign up for this voluntarily?”

  He snorts. “They’re dogs. Of course, people love the idea. Who wouldn’t want a dog at work?”

  “But how? Where did you get all these? And who takes care of them?”

  “They’re all rescue dogs. The employees each have their own, and they take them home and feed them there. Everyone here loves dogs.”

  I shrug, rolling my eyes. “Okay … So do you have one too?”

  “Yup,” he says, pointing at a Spitzer type dog that looks like a mixed breed in the middle of the room. “Dozer’s mine.”

  “Ah-ha … Interesting.”

  “Don’t you want to pet one?” TJ asks.

  “No, why? Should I?”

  He smiles. “Well, one of them will be yours, so why not introduce yourself?” He places a hand on my shoulder and goes down to ear level, leaning in so damn close I can feel his breath tingle on my skin. He points, and for a moment there, I’m worried he might give me the Doberman in the corner, but then his finger stops right on top of a dachshund. “That one,” he whispers. “The previous owner left the company and couldn’t take the dog because his landlord didn’t allow them, so now it’s yours.”

  I suck in a breath, feeling his fingers curl around my shoulder. I don’t know why feeling him close has this much effect on me. I never was the sensitive type, but around him, I feel like I’m about to turn to jelly.

  His warm hand snakes down my back and gives me a soft push. “Go on.” I flinch at the sight of all the dogs.

  What the hell did I sign up for?

  I really should’ve done my research.

  Goddammit.

  “What are you afraid of?” he asks, smiling like it’s all one big, happy business.

  He doesn’t know me well enough yet to realize I’m actually trembling while walking.

  I don’t hate-hate dogs. I just was almost bitten one time when I was a kid, so I’ve been afraid of them ever since.

  However, I gotta keep it together for appearances. I signed up for this job, so I’m going to fucking nail it whether I like it or not. No way in hell will I let this roadblock stop me.

  I swallow as I get close to the small fence that keeps the dogs in place. They finally notice me approaching, and some of them begin to jump up and down, making me jolt up too.

  “They won’t bite,” TJ says, raising a brow at me when I give him a face.

  “Easy for you to say, standing over there,” I retort.

  He leans against the door with his arms folded, casually checking out my hesitant plan of attack like he finds it funny or something. Meanwhile, I’ve resorted to leaning over the fence, away from most of the dogs so I can reach that one tiny sausage-like dog that’s wagging its tail at me.

  I try; I really do try. But the first one to jump up on the fence and touch my hand makes me jump back and squeal.

  “Aw,” TJ says in a con
descending tone as he walks toward me. “Don’t like dogs?”

  “Oh, shut up,” I bark back like that’s helpful. I regret it the moment it leaves my mouth, and I’m so embarrassed my face lights up like a bulb. Add to that the fact he’s laughing, and I’m practically on fire.

  “I’m not afraid,” I hiss.

  “I never said you were,” he muses.

  I want to slap the smirk off his face.

  “Let me help you,” he says, leaning over the small fence to grab the dachshund. When he’s got it, he holds it out to me and says, “Go on. Pet it.”

  I hesitate but then let my fingers brush along the top of its head anyway. I find monumental courage at that moment. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because the dog is small and its eyes are big, and its hair is soft. Or maybe it’s because TJ is holding it, and I feel safe.

  “Her name is Pepper,” he says. “Short for Pepperoni.”

  I squint, still petting the dog. “Pepperoni?”

  “You know. A sausage … dog.”

  I snort and roll my eyes.

  “What?” He cuddles her.

  “Let me guess. You gave her the name?’

  “Yup.” He grins.

  “Hi, Pepper,” I say, and her tail immediately begins to wag. “Are you my partner now?”

  “She looks very excited to meet you, Lesley,” he says, pushing the dog toward me. “Here.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “You can hold her. She won’t bite,” he says, and before I know it, I’ve got her in my arms.

  I don’t even know how to properly hold her. “I don’t want to hurt her.”

  “You won’t. Remember what I said about trust? You have to trust yourself too.”

  “I do, but …”

  “You don’t trust the dog?” he muses, petting her. “She wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

  I try not to think of my fears as he grabs her from my arms and puts her down to let her sniff my shoes.

  “See?” he says. “She likes you.”

  I smile at the sight of the little dachshund, whipping its tail at me when I look at it. If it stays like this, I could get used to it.

  TJ grabs a collar and leash off the cabinet. He puts it around her neck then gives the leash to me. “Let’s take her for a walk.”

  “What, now?”

  “Why not?” He seems so easygoing. As if he doesn’t have a care in the world.

  “Well, shouldn’t we start with work or something?”

  “This is work. You getting to know the dog, and the dog getting to know you,” he says. “If we’re gonna sell stuff for them, we might as well know what they like. Don’t you agree?”

  “Yeah, but … Don’t you have a company to run?” I say with raised brows.

  “The company’s not going anywhere. You, on the other hand …” He winks, and it immediately breaks all the tension in the room.

  Goddamn, that handsome son of a bitch. He’s way too smooth.

  “Let’s go,” he says, walking out in front of me.

  I chase after him with a dog behind me, feeling weird about it, but I’ll go with the flow. No fucking way am I giving up on this job. So if I have to care for this dog, then so be it. Besides, when I look at her and those cute, round eyes, it doesn’t feel so bad. Especially when she sticks out her tongue as she waggles on the floor.

  I chuckle and hide the laughter in my sleeve when TJ glances at me over his shoulder.

  I guess I’d better get used to his intimate gaze.

  Chapter 6

  TJ

  She keeps looking down at the dog like Pepper’s suddenly going to snap at her. I don’t know why she’s so afraid of that little squirt. Pepper couldn’t hurt anyone, ever. It’s not in her nature. I would keep her myself if I could, but I already have my own dog, and we’ve got to leave some for the employees.

  Besides, I think this is a perfect way to initiate Lesley into the company. Start with a bang, right?

  Except I can tell she’s definitely struggling. The dog keeps yanking her from place to place as Pepper’s trying to greet every one of the employees we come across, and Lesley’s not prepared for the way the leash tugs her along. She needs to find her bearings. I thought a smaller dog would be easier, but I guess no dog is easy for her.

  “Whoa, not so fast!” she yells as Pepper sprints toward the water bowl.

  I smile and bite my lip, shaking my head.

  “I saw that.”

  I glance over my shoulder and see Beau standing there, snooping again.

  “You saw nothing,” I say.

  “Uh-huh …” He rolls his eyes.

  I ignore his obvious taunt and follow Lesley as she fights for control of the leash.

  “Oh, my god,” she mutters as I approach. “Couldn’t you give me an easier dog?”

  “This one was the only one available right now. Sorry.” I shrug.

  “Sorry, my ass,” she growls, trying to rope in the dog who’s jumping on another employee’s leg.

  “Stop it!” Lesley says to Pepper. “You’re embarrassing me.”

  “That’s not the dog’s fault,” I reply.

  “You’re not helping either,” she says.

  “You never asked.” I smirk when she gives me a raging look.

  I don’t know why I like it, but I do. She’s got these expressive eyes that feel magical … and I just can’t help but tick her off to see more of them.

  “Whatever,” she says, sighing. “Let’s go.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I say, winking.

  “Ma’am?” she scoffs, walking downstairs clumsily as if she’s afraid the dog will pull and make her fall. “I’m not a mom.”

  I chuckle. “Don’t worry. I only call girls that when they’re feisty.”

  “You like it, don’t you?” she says, raising a brow.

  I shrug. “Maybe I do; maybe I don’t.” I point at the dog and say, “Watch out!”

  She shrieks and jumps away from the dog, throwing the leash down like it’s a damn time bomb. I laugh out loud, and after she’s calmed and her breathing returns to normal, she slaps me on the arm. “Not funny!”

  “Yes, it was,” I say, still chuckling.

  She picks up the leash and spins on her heels. “C’mon, Pepper.”

  I pull open the door for her. “Ladies first.”

  “If you weren’t such an ass, I might’ve liked the chivalry.”

  “An ass? Me?” I place a hand on my chest. “I’m shocked you’d say that,” I jest.

  “I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve heard it,” she hisses, her nose scrunching as a cute little rabbit would.

  Fuck. Why do I like it so much?

  “You’re right. It’s not,” I retort. “You wanna know what happened to the last girl who called me that?” I muse.

  “What?”

  “She got fired.”

  Staring at me, she takes a deep breath like she’s biting her tongue and then exits the building.

  It’s grown awfully quiet as we walk down the street, and I know it’s my damn fault for bringing up the fact I fired someone. It wasn’t because she called me an ass, though, and I would never fire anyone for that reason. That’s not me.

  It just got a little too close for comfort.

  I like her a little too much, which is dangerous, considering what I’ve done.

  Buying your employee’s panties isn’t exactly kosher stuff, and I’d rather not end up with a lawsuit stuck to my ass. Let alone the media frenzy that would come with it. No thanks.

  I break the ice by clearing my throat and saying, “So getting used to her yet?”

  “Giving me a dog is dangerous, TJ,” she says. “What if I lose her?”

  “You won’t; you’ll find she’s quite loyal. Look.” I take the leash from her hand, making Lesley squeal when I just drop it on the ground.

  However, Pepper’s not moving more than a few feet away from us, constantly checking whether we’re still here as she waves her cute tail
like she’s happy to see us every time she looks.

  “See? Nothing happened.”

  “That’s just because you’re here,” Lesley says as we cross a road.

  “She’ll listen to you too if you give it some time.”

  “I don’t know. What do you want me to say? I don’t get how this is going to help me do work for you.”

  “You’ll see. You’ll get ideas for new toys. Just play with her. Take her home. Love her. It’ll come to you.”

  She turns her face to me. “So you want me to design toys?”

  “Yes. And maybe think up a way to market them too. You know, the whole package.” We turn the corner and walk into a huge park with lots of trees and animals. A good place to get Lesley accommodated with an overexcited dog.

  “You know I’m a marketing person, right?” She makes a face like I’m pranking her or something. “Not a designer. Or a dog walker.”

  “Yeah, but you gotta be versatile if you wanna work here. Besides, I think it’s good to see what your potential is. And you can’t learn to market something to a dog unless you understand a dog,” I reply with a wink, and for a moment, I think I spot a hint of a smirk on her face.

  However, Pepper suddenly starts barking profusely at some other dog near the edge of the lake, who’s digging his feet into the sand to show dominance.

  I try to snatch Pepper’s leash from Lesley’s hands, but then the owner of the dog throws a ball into the air … and it lands in the water.

  And Pepper shoots right after it.

  With Lesley still holding on.

  She squeals. “Stop! Wait!”

  But Pepper just keeps running, not giving a care in the world about the human she’s dragging with her. It’s like a super dog, running with the speed of wind like it’s chasing lightning, and Lesley’s struggling to hold on.

  “Let go of the leash!” I call out to her, but she’s not listening.

  I run after her, trying to catch up, but Pepper’s too fast.

  And then it happens.

  In a split second, Pepper dives into the water … and pulls Lesley in after her.