At the Boss's Command

by Darcy Maguire

  She pushed open the coffee shop door, glancing at her watch. She was late. Maybe late enough for the girls to be totally focused on the wedding or the baby shower and to have forgotten entirely about her lack of promotion.

  She didn’t want to talk about it. She wanted to forget it had happened, try to recapture that naïve innocence and faith she’d had this morning that it was imminent, not an ‘if’ but a ‘when’ and she was the success she wanted to be.

  Tahlia weaved through the tables. She definitely didn’t want to talk about it until she knew what in heavens she was going to do about it.

  Keely and Emma were leaning over their usual table, looking up at the same time, as though they’d picked her up on some radar.

  ‘I’m so sorry, honey,’ Emma said, gathering up the photos of wedding cakes and a couple of dozen letters that were probably more of the RSVPs she’d been checking off her guest list for the last week. ‘About the promotion.’

  Tahlia slid into the seat at the booth, gesturing for Andy, their usual waiter. ‘It’s nothing. A slight hiccup. I’ll be fine.’ She wished she could feel as fine as she hoped she sounded.

  ‘Darrington is one hell of a hiccup.’

  Tahlia shook her head, swallowing hard. ‘So your baby shower is next week—’ And then she’d be abandoning work for putting her feet up and focusing on her future, her baby, her husband and her new house.

  ‘And you’re avoiding the subject. What are you going to do about the new suit in the office?’ Keely asked, tipping her head.

  ‘Nothing,’ Tahlia said as casually as she could, shrugging. ‘I’m going to ignore him.’

  Emma tapped her pile of stuff into symmetry. ‘That may be a bit difficult seeing as he’s your boss.’

  ‘And he’s cute as,’ Keely added.

  ‘I’m a professional.’ And there was no way she wanted to see the guy again after their mortifying first meeting, let alone the fact he’d destroyed her dream.

  Keely leant forward in her seat, her hand resting on her bulge. ‘So you’re telling us that you haven’t noticed how nice-looking he is?’

  She shook her head vigorously. ‘No.’ She wished she’d known who the guy was from the start so she hadn’t allowed her body to buzz around in flights of fancy. ‘I don’t find that sort of clean-cut chiselled features, tailored-suit sort of guy attractive at all.’ Now.

  Today was just another good reason to avoid men altogether—they were trouble. They took what you wanted and ruined your life.

  Emma drained her cup. ‘So what now?’

  ‘I get on with my job,’ Tahlia said coolly, raising her eyebrows and giving a soft shrug. What else could she do?

  ‘If we still have one,’ Keely offered, flicking cookie crumbs from the table in front of her. ‘Rumour has it that the owners are selling up WWW.’

  ‘That one has been going around for ages,’ Tahlia retorted, fighting the ache in her belly. It couldn’t happen, not to her workplace, her future…

  Keely got up, picking up her coat. ‘I’ve got to go…home to Lachlan—gosh, I still can’t believe my luck.’

  ‘You deserve it,’ Tahlia offered, grabbing her friend’s hand and giving it a quick squeeze. ‘And more.’

  Emma shoved her wedding stuff into her large bag. ‘You know you could start looking around for another job?’

  Tahlia shook her head. ‘I’ve got too much invested here.’ And she’d rather walk on hot coals than admit failure, especially to her mum. She was going to get that promotion even if she had to wait another year for it.

  ‘But don’t feel bad that you’re running off to the Big Apple.’ Tahlia slapped the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. ‘Leaving me all on my own to battle the Darrington disaster.’

  Emma laughed. ‘You’ll do just fine.’

  Tahlia nodded, forcing a smile to her face. ‘Of course. Always.’ She was always fine. She had been fine when her father had died, fine when her mother had gone to work, fine when she’d come home to an empty house, fine when her mother hadn’t made it to her graduation, her birthdays or their lunch-dates, and she was fine now.

  She could handle Darrington all on her own. She’d find out who the man was and what he’d done so that she could explain how he could get her job promotion—to herself and to her mother.

  Maybe he just had better luck than her. She bit her bottom lip. Maybe she should get a few charms to be on the safe side, to cover all bases, to ensure her success.

  She’d do anything to get where she wanted to go. She was a professional.

  Chapter Four

  Everything in life has a price.

  And I never know what it is until it’s too late.

  CASE sat in the large leather chair and surveyed his new office again. He couldn’t quite believe he was here.

  He’d spent all yesterday calling in employees, talking to them, encouraging them to tell him just how much they did in the company and how much more they could do, given the right incentives.

  Work was going well.

  This was going to be good for him. It reminded him of where he’d been six years ago, took him back to simpler times, when he still believed in so many things, including love and marriage.

  Framed prints hung on the walls, large ferns sat in the corners looking as if they were in need of a water or a wax—he never could tell if indoor plants were fake or not—the sofa in the corner was cream with tan cushions that matched the rug under the glass and chrome coffee table.

  The place could do with a makeover, as one of the employees had suggested, to improve morale. He’d have to look into it. And Miss Tahlia Moran.

  Case snatched a pen from the desk, slapping it into his palm. No. There was no mystery to unravel. Nothing to explore except how to get this office dynamic working to its highest potential.

  The only responsibility he had was to the company. So what if she’d vanished during the meeting yesterday, somewhere after her report and the general housekeeping.

  He stabbed the pen into the file on his desk. He wished she’d left his thoughts as easily. He couldn’t stop wondering about her and that lack of light in her eyes.

  He’d half thought of calling her into his office yesterday but had caught himself. There was no rush here—he could take his time to investigate the office politics, the hierarchies and issues at WWW. Besides, he would run into her eventually. They were on the same floor.

  But he hadn’t yesterday.

  Was she avoiding him? He rubbed his jaw. She could easily be. Women were strange creatures. She could be put out that he hadn’t mentioned his position to her when he’d bumped into her. But dammit, he hadn’t wanted anything to interfere with her first impressions of him. It was so rare for him to have people see him as himself.

  For once in his life he just wanted to be Joe Anybody.

  Much good it had done him. He was her boss now, and the cool professional look she had cast him across the boardroom yesterday had said it all.

  ‘Mr Darrington,’ Miss Moran offered, tapping on his door. ‘You wanted to see me?’

  She stood tall with high black heels, black trousers that held her curves and a white shirt with the top buttons undone, giving the hint of a lace undershirt.

  His blood heated.

  Her hair was in the same wild knot as yesterday, her lips were pursed, her green eyes cool and assessing, a finely arched eyebrow quirking as though she was not impressed to be here.

  ‘Yes.’ Case cracked his knuckles. He’d spent the last twenty-four hours trying to work out why it mattered so much what she thought of him…

  He moved around his desk, extending his hand, offering it to her. ‘Case.’

  She nodded.

  ‘And you are Tahlia Moran, Director of Sales,’ he suggested lightly.

  She raised her eyes to meet his. ‘Guilty,’ she said, striding forward and taking his hand.

  Heat sizzled up his arm. ‘Nice shake, Miss Moran.’

  She pulled her han
d from his smoothly. ‘Ditto, Mr Darrington.’

  ‘Call me Case.’

  Tahlia stepped back. ‘I have to say…before… downstairs…you caught me off-guard. I’m usually quite…sane.’

  ‘O-kay,’ he murmured, watching the rise of colour in her cheeks. Was she embarrassed?

  His body buzzed at the thought. Did she like him? Had she felt the heat between their palms too? Had she felt that buzz yesterday when they’d collided?

  Was that why she was so upset that he was her boss—because she felt the electricity between them but maybe had her own rules for not getting involved with workmates?

  Hell, he had the same ideals. But if there could be one person he’d compromise his rules for it would be her, and that incredibly sweet innocence that she’d just bubbled with yesterday morning.

  Now he’d never know…anything she said would be sugar-coated for ‘the boss’.

  Case straightened his tie. He was giving himself a headache. There was only one way to find out what was going on with Tahlia Moran and put his mind at rest…

  He just hoped he liked the answers.

  Tahlia glared at the man standing behind her desk in her office with her title as casually and comfortably as though he owned the place. ‘If we could make this quick, Mr Darrington, I have work to do.’

  He lifted an eyebrow. ‘Would you like a coffee?’ he asked, reducing the distance between them. ‘I’m just on my way to the kitchenette.’

  ‘Fine,’ she bit out, stepping well back for the man to pass by. She didn’t want to be anywhere near the guy, let alone touch him again.

  She swiped her hand against her thigh, trying to dispel the tingling in her palm.

  He stopped beside her. ‘Ladies first,’ he said smoothly, gesturing the way for her.

  ‘Fine.’ She sauntered down the hall, her breathing short and shallow, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. The promotion-stealer had to remind her of yesterday morning’s embarrassment!

  Wasn’t it enough that he’d started throwing his weight around? Meeting everyone under him and convincing them he was interested in their ideas.

  Jerk.

  So, it was a great idea, not only to meet his staff but to get friendly and supportive…especially since he was a stranger coming in, but if he was thinking it was going to be easy to get on her good side he had another think coming.

  Tahlia pushed open the door on the kitchenette and stalked across the room to get as much distance between them as she could. ‘So what can I do for you, Mr Darrington?’

  ‘Call me Case,’ he said again smoothly, striding to the coffee pot and picking it up with one hand, plucking a mug from the rack with the other. ‘How would you like it?’

  She crossed her arms over her chest, resisting a reaction to his casual friendliness, his supposed humility in the face of his superior position, the ease with which he brandished the coffee pot as though it was natural to him to make his own.

  Tahlia stiffened. ‘How would I like it?’ Pretending to be just another workmate was not going to get him anywhere with her. ‘I think honestly and straight down the line,’ she said evenly. ‘No sugar-coating or fluffy padding would be nice.’

  ‘I meant your coffee, but okay…’ He smiled, his blue eyes gleaming at her.

  Tahlia swallowed down the flutter in her belly. Snap out of it. So he was in a kick-arse deep blue suit that hugged his body like silk to pillows. So his eyes smiled as sexily as his mouth. She was not going to make any mistakes today. ‘Black, no sugar.’

  Darrington nodded. ‘I need to know all about my staff. My team. I’m reliant on them to make or break this company,’ he said, splashing the coffee into her mug and sliding it down the bench to her.

  She halted its progress, cupping the mug in her hand. ‘It sounds like you’re aiming at Raquel’s job next,’ she said slowly. He couldn’t take that off her too… ‘A little ambitious for the first week, aren’t you?’

  He put the coffee pot back, poured some milk in his mug and added three spoons of sugar. ‘I like to aim high. I like to push my staff to their potential and I like to succeed.’

  She nodded tightly. WWW Designs sure needed that sort of attitude, that optimism and drive…but from her, not some interloper!

  Case Darrington sipped his coffee. ‘So what do you have to offer, Miss Moran?’

  She paused, her nerves rippling their response down her spine and settling deep in her belly. ‘My track record speaks for itself, Mr Darrington,’ she bit out. She’d be damned if she was going to spell out her worth to a man who had undermined it.

  He leant against the counter, his attention fixed entirely on her. ‘I want to hear it from you.’

  Tahlia took a deep breath. ‘Well, that’s all well and fine but I’m a busy woman. I really don’t have time to list my skills, my achievements and my worth to this company to somebody who can’t be bothered reading my file.’

  His mouth fought a smile. ‘You’re not scared of me?’

  She took a gulp of the coffee and looked pointedly at her watch. ‘No.’

  ‘Not even wary?’

  ‘No.’

  He crossed his arms over his wide chest. ‘Aren’t you worried I’ll fire you for your lack of respect for authority?’

  Tahlia shrugged. ‘If you can’t see my worth from reading my file, by what I do around here, then I’m better off somewhere else.’

  He nodded slowly, his mouth fighting a smile. ‘You are absolutely right.’

  She met his sapphire-blue eyes warily. ‘I am?’ What was he up to? It had to be something…

  ‘Yes.’ He picked up his mug and walked to the door. ‘Maybe we can discuss any ideas you have…over lunch some time?’

  ‘Ye-es,’ she said slowly. She had a lot of ideas to improve the place that Raquel hadn’t seemed to want to hear despite numerous discussions, letters, memos and slip-anonymous-suggestions-on-to-her-desk attempts.

  It would be nice to have someone who was actually open to improvement rather than just wanting to keep doing things the way they had always been done because it was her way.

  Tahlia surveyed the man in front of her. Did the Rottie have any idea what this new guy was up to? She couldn’t wait to see her face when Darrington brought her his recommendations to change her system.

  She caught herself. Darn it. He wasn’t meant to be like this, all competent and businesslike and friendly. He was meant to be an insensitive jerk who didn’t really care about anything but his own career.

  He was…nice, and behaving like one hell of a good boss—if she could trust him. Huh. Like that would ever happen. Tahlia Moran was never going to trust a man.

  She wasn’t about to weaken, not when so much depended on her being strong, sensible and in control.

  ‘So I’m guessing you’ll want to meet to discuss new markets, existing clients and what my team’s ideas are to advertise our services?’

  Case Darrington shook his head. ‘Not a priority for me just now,’ he offered casually, and left.

  Tahlia stared after him. Not a priority? He didn’t want to know about it? What on earth was wrong with the guy? Didn’t he have any idea what his job was?

  She swung to the sink and tipped the rest of her coffee down the drain and rinsed her cup. This was such a stuff-up!

  How could he have been put in that position, her position, if he wasn’t going to do what was needed?

  She strode to the door, her blood hot, her body tense.

  This wasn’t her failure; it was Raquel’s. She was the right person for the job…a mistake had been made. She just had to prove it.

  So the new guy thought he was God’s gift to the office with his smooth deep voice, friendly act and dazzling blue eyes? So he enjoyed toying with her and watching her embarrass herself?

  So Case Thieving Darrington liked playing games? She could play a few of her own to find out what she needed.

  He wouldn’t know what hit him.

  Chapter Five

 
; They say it’s lonely at the top.

  I say it can be lonely anywhere.

  CASE glanced at his watch. What time did they take lunch here? He ran a hand through his hair. He had no idea.

  He’d tried to play it cool by waiting, taking his time, attempting to talk himself out of taking the woman to lunch over the last two days, but it was impossible. Everyone he talked to had something to say about Tahlia Moran’s dedication and commitment to her work…

  He’d cracked and sent an invitation to lunch to her this morning.

  He had to know more about her than the snippets he’d picked up in conversation around the office.

  It wasn’t enough.

  There was enough information to go either way. Her dedication to her work intrigued him, her confidence teased him and her beauty tortured every inch of him. But he could be wrong…like with Celia, his ex…and Tahlia’s dedication could well border on obsession, her confidence narcissistic and her beauty only skin-deep.

  Tahlia’s reluctance to pander to him or his ego fascinated him. Her forwardness, her bluntness, her total lack of pretence appealed to something in him. What, he didn’t know…

  He couldn’t afford another mistake. For his parents’ wavering belief in him as much as his own reluctance to go through anything like Celia ever again.

  So what was he doing? Playing with fire…

  He stood up and strode to the floor-to-ceiling window and stared out at the Yarra river and Melbourne’s city sprawl on the other side.

  Hell, he needed a breath of fresh air in his life. He deserved one after what Celia had put him through.

  Celia had been amazing in the beginning, sweeping him off his feet with her calm assurance and big smiling eyes into a whirlwind marriage that had torn through his savings, his illusions and his heart.

  He could have gone on for years, trying to make it work, pushing her to see a counsellor with him, attempting to recapture the magic of those early days. Her spending hadn’t mattered. He had been making enough to fund her passion for designer clothes, shoes and jewellery.