Boss I Love To Hate Read online

  He was probably the only male who didn’t have morning breath.

  It was a sin to be that good-looking.

  “But, Shorts,” he said in jest, “we had so much fun last night.” He walked toward me and reached for my waist. He was playing and eating up every little second of it.

  I pushed his hand off me. “Get out. And Shorts? Where did that come from?”

  “Your new nickname.”

  He kissed the tender part of my neck, and I flinched.

  “Stop it. Charade over. Out. Out. Out.” I pushed him out of my room, and panic seized my chest when I spotted my dartboard of his face. “Close your eyes.”

  His laugh rumbled, echoing through my small apartment. “I’ve seen it already. Your shrine to me.”

  “Shut up,” I groaned. Could this guy get any more annoying?

  He walked over and picked up a dart, noting the tiny holes that marred his face. “Using me for dart practice?”

  “No,” I said, eyes wide and blinking. I schooled my features and lifted a finger. “Actually, how can you be sure that’s even you? There are a lot of people who look like you.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes.” I plucked the dart from his hand. “The pizza boy, for example.”

  He nodded, still way too amused. “That must’ve been one really good-looking guy.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Nope. But it was really, really, really good pizza.”

  I pointed to the door again, and he laughed.

  He slipped on his shoes, and I opened the door to escort him out. When he turned to give me one final good-bye, a scary thought filtered through my head. Last night changed everything between us. Our exchanged kisses and a make-out session I didn’t remember.

  After everything that had happened, I needed to confirm one thing.

  “Brad …” For once, I turned sheepish, digging my toe into my carpet. “Thanks for being my pretend boyfriend.” I couldn’t look him in the eye for obvious reasons. Things had shifted between us, but I needed things back to normal. “But everything on Monday morning will be the same, right?” I twisted my hands in my shirt, needing him to agree. He’d said I still had a job, but I needed him to confirm this last request.

  He was silent, and then his smile slipped. His eyes studied me for far too long. “Yeah, Sonia. It’ll be the same as before.” There was a heavy disappointment in his voice, which confused the heck out of me.

  I rushed into him then, throwing my arms around his neck, hugging him as relief flooded me. “Thank you.”

  His arms wrapped around my waist, tighter than my grip around his neck, and then loosened. His head dropped to the hollow between my shoulder and neck, and for a brief second, I thought he’d sniffed me.

  After a few long seconds, my hands moved to his chest, and I was the first to pull away. “Thanks again.”

  All the awkwardness was back.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Then, we were in some weird eye-lock action that made my stomach clench, and a dizzying current rushed through me, causing me to sway, so I slowly shut the door.

  Hangover central. I blamed it on my consumption of way too much liquor last night, which would never happen again.

  * * *

  Brad

  I stared at her condo door and the numbers 323. It must have been at least five minutes of me standing like a stalker outside her apartment. I’d been on this side of the door before, but I’d never hesitated walking away. Now, I waited. For a few more seconds, just to see if she would open the door again. Maybe she’d remember last night and how amazing it had been, how great we were together, and she’d let me taste her sweet lips again.

  Fuck … I am screwed.

  I’d promised her normalcy on Monday, and right now, I didn’t know if I could give her that. I rubbed at the back of my neck, feeling the tension rise to my shoulders. I headed toward the elevator with my tail between my legs.

  There was an absence in the car that was undeniable. I could still smell the faint scent of her perfume that lingered in the air as though the universe were tricking me, and if I looked over to the passenger seat, I’d see Sonia smiling or asleep, cuddled into herself.

  An unnatural tightening in my chest occurred, a feeling that I hadn’t ever experienced before, and that was when I knew Monday could not be normal because the feeling could only be described in one word—longing. I missed my annoying, sexy little secretary.

  I banged my head against the steering wheel, waiting for the light to turn green. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

  I needed an intervention and stat, so I rushed home as though my life depended on it. I knew the exact person who would talk sense into me.

  When I walked into the house, Mason was seated at the kitchen table, paper in front of him, with Sarah eating breakfast.

  “Where’s Mary?” I asked, searching the room.

  “Still asleep.”

  I didn’t know why I’d even asked. Mary was the female version of me when it came to our sleeping patterns. We’d sleep till one in the afternoon if we could.

  “Mason, living room. I have an emergency.” My tone was clipped and serious, meaning business.

  He took note of my new suit, probably rumpled from it being tossed on the floor. Inside my suit, my shirt was buttonless.

  “What happened to your shirt?” He shook his head. “Where did you go?”

  “To a wedding,” I said.

  “Nice.” Then, his head was back in the paper, and his cup of joe was on his lips again.

  “With Sonia.”

  He coughed up his coffee, splattering some on the paper, black coffee stains dotting what he had been reading.

  “Sonia, your secretary?” he asked as though we knew more than one Sonia.

  He shot up from his chair, rubbed his forehead, scratched the back of his neck, and itched his arm.

  Have you seen two-year-olds drop to the floor, kick their feet, and do circles, all the while trying to rip off their clothes? That was Mason but till he was eight. And, boy, did I like to watch him get all riled up. Most of the time, I was the cause of his tantrums because I had taken his toys.

  I tipped my head in the other room, noting little teenage eyes on us. “We need to discuss.”

  “Where did you spend the night last night?” He pushed his hands through his hair. “Tell me it was at your apartment.” His eyes widened when I didn’t answer, his mouth slimming to a thin line.

  “Other room,” I urged.

  “No. No. No. I want to hear what happened,” Sarah said, hopping off her chair. “I love Sonia. She’s cool and sweet and …”

  “This is an adult conversation, Sarah,” Mason said, cutting her short and heading to the study.

  I followed, but so did Sarah.

  “I like her,” she said behind us. “I really do. Seriously, you’ll never find any other girl who puts up with your crap. No offense.”

  “Out.” Mason pointed to the study door. “Finish your breakfast.”

  A stubborn-faced Sarah did an about-face and stormed out the door. After Mason slammed the door shut, I faced his wrath.

  “You slept with your secretary.” His hands flew to his hips. He was in scolding mode. “The only one we’ve been able to keep on forever to work with you. Why the hell would you do that? Are you dumb?” He shook his head and answered before I could. “Shit! I already know the answer to that. Charles will have your balls on a stick. Of all the girls you could sleep with, she’s the one girl who was off-limits!”

  He gripped a fistful of hair, wanting to pull it out. If I weren’t so desperate, I’d have laughed at his over-the-top reaction.

  “Why the hell can’t you keep your pants on?” His face reddened.

  I simply stood there and took it, watching him flare up.

  “I didn’t sleep with Sonia.”

  He paused, mouth open as though his words were stuck in his throat. He took a breath, and then his whole body slackened like a balloo
n releasing air. “Well, that’s good.”

  “But I want to.”

  His whole posture turned rigid again.

  “And you’re not going to,” Mason said gruffly. “So, stop having those thoughts right now.”

  “I think I like her, Mason.” The words flew out, uninhibited, pure, uncensored honesty.

  A cynical laugh from one of those horror movies escaped him. “Like her? Please, the only person you like is yourself.”

  My frustration bubbled underneath the surface. “I’m being serious. Every single time I kiss her, I want more.”

  Maybe I hadn’t come here for an intervention. Maybe I needed permission, his blessing, someone to tell me that this was okay and that I was merely experiencing symptoms of being in love.

  Love? Shit. I’d have to analyze that later.

  The sane part of me wanted him to convince me that what I was feeling wasn’t wrong. It was the war of my two worlds—one where we worked together and the other where I was falling for her.

  Mason ran one frustrated hand through his hair. “Listen to me. You do not like her.” He stepped into me and spoke slower, as though I were an old person hard of hearing, “What you like is the chase. In business and in women. And, because Sonia won’t look at you, which is exactly why we hired her, you see her as a challenge you want to conquer.”

  His words were all wrong. I didn’t want to conquer her. I wanted to be with her. Her. No one else.

  I shut my eyes and let out a shaky breath. My world as I had known it was discombobulated, turned upside down and inside out, and it’d all started with that damn kiss. “I don’t know.”

  His eyes narrowed into angry slits. “You do know, or you wouldn’t be coming here, straight to me. You know I’m your voice of reason, and I’m telling you, once you sleep with her, you’ll have to fire her because things between you will be a mess. You’ll ruin your relationship and never talk again.”

  His words shot me in the chest. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin my relationship with Sonia. To never talk again? I couldn’t imagine not hearing her smart mouth or seeing her stunning face every morning.

  I hung my head, staring at the lines in our hardwood floor that seemed so suddenly interesting. “I don’t know.”

  His hand rested on my shoulder. “You know I’m right, Brad. Deep down, you know I am.”

  * * *

  Brad

  The next morning, before I walked through my office doors, my chest tightened. I recognized the feeling—anxiety. The same feeling before I walked into a meeting to seal the deal and acquire another company.

  This time, the anxious feeling was intensified, a rattling in my chest, my palms sweaty.

  I inhaled deeply. The best thing to do was to face my fears head-on, so I walked through the doors, my eyes already searching for her because she was always there before me. Always. When my stare was met with the vacancy of her chair, the tightening in my chest rose to my throat.

  What if she quit on me, all because of what happened at the wedding?

  I flipped around, my eyes wide, and the tension instantly eased out of me. I took in all five feet two of Sonia Vanducci. Her brown hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, exposing the span of creamy white skin that I had kissed a few days ago. Her yellow silk shirt was tucked into a fitted skirt, one that hugged her slim figure, the same slim figure that I’d had beneath me.

  Shit! Get it together, Brad.

  I swallowed and croaked out, “Good morning.” I sounded like a teenage boy who’d just hit puberty.

  Real smooth.

  She quirked an eyebrow and held out a cup of coffee. “You okay?”

  “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?” I schooled my features, but my pulse ticked up.

  “Okay.” She sounded unsure. “Anyway, you have a meeting at nine with the McCarthys and then a meeting with that China supplier at ten.”

  I nodded, keeping it casual. “Aren’t you going to come into my office for my morning brief?”

  Flashes of papers scattered on my office floor and Sonia on her back on my desk, naked from the waist down, pushed through.

  Normal? We were far from normal.

  My voice was hoarse and horny. “Come into my office.”

  She blinked up at me. She wanted normal, and that was our normal routine. Is she avoiding me now?

  “Oh. Yeah. Of course.” She fidgeted in her spot, pulling at the edge of her shirt. “I’ll be in, in a bit.”

  She let out a shaky breath, and I was a bit relieved that it wasn’t just me who was anxious.

  “Okay.”

  I walked into my office, sat behind my desk, and powered up my computer. I swung my chair around to take in the Chicago skyline at my feet.

  Challenge. Sonia is simply a challenge, as Mason put it.

  And what male didn’t love a good challenge, right? This man sure did. Wasn’t that why I ran faster on the treadmill, sprinting, upping my incline and speed? Wasn’t that why I always tried to increase the weight that I benched? Wasn’t that why I volunteered on every deal Mason and Charles thought was too farfetched to win?

  I was the epitome of a conqueror.

  Maybe Mason was right.

  A small knock came at the door, and I tucked away any emotion from my face, plastering on a nonchalant smile. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” She stood by the door for a bit, not her usual style, before I tipped my chin toward the chair in front of me.

  “Don’t be shy. I’m not going to bite.” I smirked. “Unless you want me to.” And then I was back to flirting, which never happened between us. I cleared my throat. “Sit down, Sonia. We’re going to go over my schedule for the day because I have that nine o’clock.”

  “Yeah. Okay. Sure.” She sat down and rattled off my boring meetings of the day. Then, she reminded me to send Sarah’s and Mary’s teachers a teacher-appreciation present that Mason had tasked me to do. Teacher appreciation was tomorrow, and Charles was back at the end of the week.

  As her eyes focused on her iPad, my gaze zoned in on her delectable lips. I could still taste the sweetness, feel her smooth, silky tongue against mine. I pictured me on top of her, grinding against her, my hardness against her softness. I shifted in my seat as my cock slowly came to life.

  When she was done, she stood. “Anything else you want to make note of?” She held the iPad against her chest, as though using it as a barrier between us.

  I smiled casually. “Nope. I’ll let you know if I do.”

  She nodded and then turned to walk to the door. My eyes dropped to her tight ass, and I swallowed.

  She was just about out of eyesight when she flipped toward me. “Does this …” She motioned between us. “… feel weird? Because it totally feels weird. Sometimes, I regret taking you, but then again, I don’t because Ava said everyone was talking about us and how hot you were, and so …” She raised one hand in the air. “… yay!” She gritted her teeth. “Go, team, go, right?”

  “Do you think I’m hot?” I asked, carefully watching her and wondering why her opinion was so fucking important to me.

  I usually didn’t care what women thought of me. Well, that wasn’t true. I usually knew what women thought of me. With Sonia … I wasn’t sure about anything really. What she thought, felt. She was a mystery, which was partly terrifying and mostly exciting as hell.

  A flush crept up her neck. “Can you please stop that?”

  “Stop what?” I very well knew what I was doing, and despite Mason’s warnings, I couldn’t stop.

  “Wipe that shit-eating grin off your face and stop flirting with me.” She walked toward the chair again and plopped down. “Here are the facts. You are my boss, and I am your employee. I took you to a wedding, and, yes, we kissed and … okay, made out from what you told me.” She bit her bottom lip, and her knees bounced.

  “Anything I did under the influence cannot be held against me. Listen, I promise not to stalk you or act weird, like all those other girls who date you and
flip to the psycho side because I’m just not that type of person. But you …” She gave me a pointed look and extended her forefinger. “… you have to act normal, and pretend to flirt just to make me uncomfortable is not acting normal. You promised, Brad, remember?” She sagged against the chair as though that whole speech had wiped all the energy from her.

  “I want everything to go back to how it was when I hated you and I annoyed the hell out of you.” She blew the bangs from her eyebrows. “Can we do that?” Her hands flew to her chest, her eyes pleading. “I need this to all be normal between us.”

  I searched her face, and there were so many things that I wanted to say, like the fact that she never annoyed me or that I didn’t want her to hate me. Ever. And the fact that I’d had such a great time on Saturday night.

  My heart felt as though it were shrinking. “Yes, Sonia, we can do that.” I tried to hide the heavy disappointment in my tone because I didn’t want normal. I wanted the opposite of normal between us.

  The crinkle between her eyes eased. “Thanks, boss man. I really do love it here.”

  “I’m glad.” And I was.

  But I couldn’t help feeling like things were never going to be the same. Mostly like I was never going to be the same.

  * * *

  Brad

  When she left, I plowed through my day, but I couldn’t stop thinking about her. But, when she came in and dropped my lunch on my desk, I waved her off, keeping my eyes steady on my computer screen. I noticed that her smile widened at my gesture because she thought we were getting back to our normal, but it was anything but. Because, every chance I got—when I went to the restroom, when I went to drop something off at her desk, or when I went to make a copy at the machine by her desk even though I never made my own copies—I’d steal glances at her when she wasn’t looking. I’d admire her profile and the natural poutiness in her lips when she was concentrating on her computer screen. Something that I had never noticed before.

  And it wasn’t nearly enough. I had a crazy thought of making an excuse to move her desk into my office so I could have more time to study her features.