Taming Her Boss

by C. M. Stunich

  “Lex drinks French wine,” I say as I skirt away from him and throw his coat over one of the hooks in my hall closet. If that doesn't bother my mothers, I don't know what will.

  “When we have such amazing Cabernet Sauvignons in our own backyard?” June asks, and I thank Christ that she's at least dropped her earlier line of questioning. I'm not exactly sure what she was planning to say before Lex interrupted her, but I'm certain I don't want to know. Lex laughs, and I glance over at him as I close the closet door, resting my fingers against the wood. He's loosening his tie, threading his fingers through the blood red silk as he smiles wickedly at June.

  “It's hard to argue against a Bordeaux though, isn't it?” he purrs, and I hate the way his voice fills the dining room with a strange sort of warmth, taking up all the empty space and owning it. Motherfucker. This is not his space to own. I sweep back into the room and cross my arms over my chest, suddenly wishing I'd worn something other than a gray T-shirt and blue jeans. With June's designer blouse, Carol's custom tailored khaki slacks, and Lex's multi-thousand dollar suit, I feel a little underdressed.

  “We were hardly drinking Bordeaux at the restaurant,” I say, trying to regain a foothold in this conversation, but it's too late. I got them started and there's no going back. When Craig reenters the room and hands me a glass of wine, I don't even bother to look at the color – red, white, if it was freaking purple it wouldn't matter at this point – I just take a sip and count my blessings.

  “I'm going to stop you two before this gets heated. California Cabernet should never be compared to Bordeaux. This is an argument that started in the seventies, and it's gotten even more ridiculous as the decades have worn on.”

  “Oh, please,” Lex says, his voice thrumming through my bones. I wonder if anyone else can feel it? When his steel gray eyes flicker over to mine, I hold his gaze and keep it there. If I ordered him to leave, would he do it? He seems to like it when I insult or scream at him. I mentally trace the curve of Lex's mouth. You'd think after years of poisonous insults and scathing scowls, his lips might've suffered some degradation. But no. No. They're just as perfect and moist and kissable as ever. That dick. “As if you were around in the seventies? A woman as young and radiant as you? I know you said you were Olivia's mother, but I find that hard to believe. Sister, maybe?”

  “God,” I snort, and all eyes turn to me. I take another sip of my wine and scoot past Lex, dragging my body against the narrow wall of the dining room, so I can get to the chair in the back corner. There are only four – I've only ever needed four – so Craig drags one of the chairs from the breakfast nook in the kitchen, setting it up opposite me. “Could you get anymore cliché? Stop hitting on my mother and sit your ass down.”

  There's a second of hesitation, but only a second. With the slightest flicker of a scowl breaking across the practiced perfection of Lex's face, he sits down next to me. We stare at each other for another couple of seconds before the rest of the family joins us. Carol immediately pushes the cheese and fruit plate my way, showcasing a handpicked selection of Gruyère, Brie, and Stilton along with pomegranate arils, pear slices, and small round balls of kiwifruit.

  “I take it since you haven't asked to be introduced, y'all got nice and friendly when I was upstairs changing?” I glare at Craig, since he's probably the person at this table who's the easiest to intimidate. He stares back at me from a familiar set of emerald eyes and then reaches out and snatches a big handful of glistening pomegranate seeds, trailing red juice across the table like blood.

  “I found your living room condom stash.”

  The color drains from my face and then I kick him under the table – hard. My brother grunts which helps satisfy my frustration. Unfortunately, all this makes Lex do is smile.

  “Yes, we managed to get through introductions without you,” June says, adjusting her silver sequined top. On anyone else her age, it might look like they were trying too hard, but with that gentle crinkle around her eyes and that confident smile, it just looks like the damn thing was made for her. I'm pretty sure it's a Rodarte top – which means it cost big bucks. “Your ex-employer was just starting to tell us why, exactly, it was that he decided to fire you – despite your obvious competence and dedication to your work.” Lex goes completely still, and it's my turn to smile, reaching out and grabbing one of the three small silver knives that are arranged around the cheese – one for each type. I'd sort of like to stab him in the arm with it. And then straddle his lap and feel his erection grinding against me. Maybe both. Serves you right, you dick. Now you have to deal with this for the rest of the evening.

  “Business is business, I'm afraid,” he says, which just drives me freaking nuts. “It had nothing to do with how I feel about your daughter as a person.” I snort as I grab a slice of French bread from the edge of the plate and smear cheese across the surface. Lex leans back and shrugs his suit jacket off, letting it hang on the back of the chair. After a moment of hesitation, he takes his tie completely off and unbuttons the top two buttons of his shirt. Oh my God. Beauty like that shouldn't be wrapped around such a humorless jackass of a man; it isn't fair. I stick a slice of pear on the top and push it across the table at him. He stares down at the food for a moment before looking up at me. We spend several seconds staring at each other again.

  “And how exactly is that?” Carol pushes, drawing both of our attentions back to her. I watch as she takes in a deep breath and does that weird thing where she stares at the ceiling before dropping her gaze to ours.

  “Excuse me?” Lex asks. I guess he's forgotten what we were talking about, too. At least he picks up the piece of bread I gave him. I didn't know devils actually ate food. Who woulda thunk?

  “You said your business decision had nothing to do with how you felt about our daughter as a person. How exactly is it that you feel?” I give Carol my meanest look and pluck a pomegranate seed from the plate. The sharp tangy sweetness explodes in my mouth, giving me clarity. Jesus, I love me some fruit.

  “Mom, we just met on Friday. One week ago. Lex and I are … ” I glace back over at him before I finish the sentence. “Strangers.” I grab myself a piece of bread and start to cheese it up. I don't think about the almost sex in the elevator, or how I left my purse behind in my haste to get the hell out of there. At least I had my keys and my phone in the pocket of my suit jacket. That and a couple of twenties I dug out of a pair of jeans in my dirty laundry basket. I was planning on grabbing it when I started work on Monday, but I guess this works out just as well.

  “You've worked for him for what, two years now?” June interjects, and I cringe inwardly. The only thing that could make this moment any harder to stomach would be if Maxi showed up. I count to three and wait for a knock on the door. Fortunately, that at least, doesn't happen. I know if she came over here and saw Lex, she'd freak out. I don't know why I'm not freaking out. Why I am letting this asshole sit at my table and eat cheese? It just doesn't make any sense. “And you just met last Friday?” She gives Lex a rude look which he returns with a stoic blankness that I find hard to read.

  “I should go,” he says, setting his half-eaten bread down on the table and pushing his chair back. I curl my fingers in my jeans and watch as he reaches for his discarded tie. There's so much heat between us, twisting in the air like smoke. I wish I was brave enough to breathe it in. Or rather, I wish Lex wasn't such an asshole, so I could. If he'd been nice to me, we might've been able to have some fun together. As things stand, even a purely sexual relationship with the man is out of the question.

  “Don't be ridiculous,” Carol says, grabbing the deck of cards and shuffling them. “You know how to play Texas Hold 'Em, don't you?” Lex narrows his eyes at her, but not in his usual, piggish, mean-spirited sort of way, more like he's trying to discern her angle. Hey, when it comes to the moms, I don't entirely blame him, but he's thinking too business minded right now. This isn't business at this table, it's family – and it's a hell of a lot scarier. “There's someth
ing about him that I like.” That's what Carol said, exactly one week ago, about Lex. What exactly that trait is, I'm not sure. I haven't found anything to like about him other than his body – or his massive horse sized dick. Ahh. I bite down hard to clear the thought. I look between my boss and my mother, wondering if she feels the same way now as she did then. And how she might feel if she knew the whole story.

  “I do. I'm quite good at it actually,” he says, resuming his position at my side. His fingers crawl across the table and grab the piece of bread. “If you normally play for bets, I'd suggest against it.”

  “Please,” I snort, raking my fingers through my damp hair. Lex looks over at me and this strange hint of a smile actually teases the edges of his lips. It's not a smirk or a grimace or glower, just a smile. At first, I think he's smiling at me and then I realize that more than likely, he's just spotted the oil painting of rotten fruit above my head. “Bring it on, bitch.” I nod my chin at my mom. “Ante up and I'll show Lex Lyndon here how it's done.”

  “Holy crap, you really do know how to play poker,” I say as Lex leans back in his chair and smiles at me. I drop my cards on the table with a sigh and push the massive wad of singles towards him. Other than the twenty I contributed (it was all I had on me), the only bill in that pile bigger than a dollar is Lex's hundred. He looks down at his winnings for a moment and then sits forward, raising his arms above his head for a stretch.

  “Keep it, please,” he says, on the tail end of a yawn. This is the closest I've ever seen the man to relaxed, and it's kind of weirding me out. I grab the last ball of kiwifruit from the plate and pop it in my mouth. Crag and my moms have long since flown the coop, leaving me and Lex to battle it out with the last bottle of wine sitting empty between us.

  “I don't need your money, Lex,” I say, feeling prideful as I grab my wineglass and drain the last few drops. I may or may not be a little buzzed, the whispers of grapes playfully teasing the edges of my brain.

  “No, but unlike you I don't carry around a purse large enough to swallow up all these bills. Keep them for next week.” I pull my wineglass away from my lips and glare at him, prepared to go at it if needed, but all I see on Lex's face is amusement. He's certainly had his fair share of wine tonight. Maybe he's buzzed, too? If so, then he should seriously consider becoming a wino because his personality seems to be much improved.

  “Who says you're invited?” I ask him, setting down my glass and giving him a challenging stare from across the table. I almost wish he was still sitting next to me, so I could poke him in that perfect chest of his, feel up his pecs under guise of a tease. Hmm. Okay, so maybe I'm more than a little buzzed, but I'm not at the point I was last week, tearing off my shirt and answering the door without even bothering to see who was on the other side.

  “Well, I suppose I'll have to live with that decision,” he says, rising to his feet with a groan. The sound drives straight through me, making me clench my teeth – and my thighs – tight together as I fight a physical reaction to his voice. Lex has a nice voice, especially when he's not using it to scream or belittle the people around him. “Since I've already fired you, there's not much leverage for me to use to garner another invitation, now is there?”

  “Guess not,” I say, watching his face, his gray eyes, his lips as they twist up into another smile. “It seems that I'm the one with all the leverage in this relationship.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them on so many levels. Lex's face shifts, not considerably but enough that I can tell he's thinking of that stupid contract again. I was kind of enjoying not talking about it, just sitting around the table with him and Craig and my parents. I hate that I have to give him brownie points for being able to deal with the craziness that is my family. That, and he never even blinked at the fact that I have two moms, didn't even ask about it. But why the hell did I use that word? Relationship. Ugh. Lex and I are most certainly not in a relationship – business or otherwise – and I don't think that we ever could be. As much as I've enjoyed putting our feud aside and pretending to be friends, that will never happen, not long term.

  “Olivia,” he begins, and for a split second there, I feel like he's going to apologize. Something in my chest twinges, and I find myself licking my lower lip and holding my breath. But no. Nope. Not Alexander Lyndon, CEO of Lyndon Realty Trust. Apologizing to me would be far too much like admitting he was wrong. Either that or he just really, really wants me to kick his ass. For money. “Are you sure you won't reconsider the contract? Take a look at the terms. I've been fair.”

  “Are you even hearing yourself?” I ask as I stand up suddenly, knocking my chair against the wall behind me. “Lex, you want to pay me to be your personal whore/dominatrix for six months.” I pause as he reaches out and grabs his tie, wrapping it around his neck loosely before snatching up his suit jacket. He's getting angry with me again, but I don't care. I keep thinking that I'm never going to see the man again when I suddenly do. What if this time really is the last time? I might as well say what I want to say. “You do understand how I might feel insulted by that offer?”

  “You should be honored,” he snaps at me, sending my temper into a raging fury. I storm after him as he stalks down the hallway towards the front door and then pauses, turning and trying to go back for his pea coat. I stand in his way, effectively blocking his path and stare up at him while he glares down at me.

  “Honored?” I echo, hoping that if I repeat his words back at him enough times, he'll finally get my side of the story. A flash of silver behind Lex catches my attention, and I shift to the side slightly to get a better look. “Shit!” Lex startles a little, like I've manage to somehow surprise him and turns to glance over his shoulder. There's a pile of condoms on the small table next to the front door where I usually keep my keys. If I had to bet money on it, I'd blame my brother for that little stunt. That fucking asshole!

  Lex's gaze swings back to me, and I lift mine up to meet his, feeling the wild heat between us, this strange feral attraction that demands to be sated. I won't think about his mouth in the elevator. I won't. I won't. I won't. I swallow hard and take a deep breath, putting my hands on my hips.

  “Yes, honored,” he says, and I actually breathe a sigh of relief that he's neglected to mention the condoms. “I've been searching for a woman like you for a long time. You're the first and,” Lex growls something inaudible under his breath, “most likely the last woman I'll ever reveal this secret to. If your reaction is anything to judge by, it really is something to be ashamed of.”

  “Ahh!” I grab the sides of my head and try to bite back a scream. This man is so stubborn and thickheaded, I don't know why I continue to talk to him much less allow him into my house for poker night with the fam. But I can't help myself. Maybe it's my own stubborn streak swimming up to the surface, I'm not sure, but I can't keep my words to myself. “Lex, Alexander, listen to me. It's not the nature of what you want that's shameful, it's the fact that you think you have to pay someone for it.”

  “Then tell me, Olivia, how a man of my standing is supposed to tell one of those empty-headed kitty cats what I want? Do you think they'd have the strength of character to make me believe for even one second that they were in charge of the situation? I want a woman with backbone, with strength, somebody that can stand up to me and mean it. Someone like you.” I swallow hard and hate how horribly romantic that sounded. I'm sure it wasn't Lex's intention, but there it is, hanging in the air between us like smoke. The tendrils of his words curl around my wine addled brain and make me feel dizzy.

  “Then you should've asked me on a date, Lex.” I hold up my hand before he can protest. “A proper date, not just a dinner meeting to discuss some contract.” He raises one of his dark brows at me.

  “You're telling me that if I took you out, wooed you – ” I interrupt him.

  “Stopped screaming in my face, stopped threatening to fire me, treated me like a Goddamn gentleman – ” Lex takes a step closer to me and lifts his hand to run hi
s fingers through my hair. I feel my heart flutter, but I don't move from that spot, hands on my hips, frown pulling down the corners of my mouth. I bite my bottom lip and try not to make a sound as his hand drops to my throat, traces across my fluttering pulse with his fingertips.

  “You're telling me,” he continues, sighing heavily, like his entire body is tired. “That if I'd done those things, you would've signed the contract?” I smack his hand away and pinch my eyes closed to keep from screaming. I can smell him from here – this heady mixture of cinnamon bodywash and cologne. I want to fucking bathe in it.

  “No, Lex, I'm telling you I would've done it for free.”

  There's a horrible moment of silence that hangs heavy with contemplation and vino induced clarity. I keep my eyes closed until I hear the whisper of clothing. I open my eyes, expecting Lex to be turned around and headed towards the front door. Instead, he reaches out and brushes the back of his hand along my jaw.

  My body says yes, please but my brain refuses to give in to my libido. No matter how attractive Lex is, he is still an asshole, and he still fired me, and I still threw a shoe at his head.

  “Don't,” I say, blowing out a rush of air and taking a step back. Lex lets his hand drop to his side. “If you start now, we'll both know where you're coming from.” I put a smile on my face and cross my arms over my chest. “What I meant was, if you'd liked me, really liked me, then it could've worked. Go find a woman with a backbone that makes you smile, Lex, not one that makes you as crazy as I do. If you really want your ass beat with a cat o' nine tails, go find her out there.” I raise my right hand up and gesture at the front door. Inside my chest, my heart beats so quick that I feel like I'm going to pass out.

  “What happened on the elevator, Olivia?” he asks, voice strangely distant, like he's so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he has no idea what he's even saying.

  “Oh, God, Lex!” I let my head fall back and take in another breath. “I was just horny, okay? That's not a crime, you know.”