Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 262(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
“Miles, I’d like to meet with you as soon as possible to go over the planning for our new lab,” Lisa said.
“Ben can get you on my calendar tomorrow.”
She turned to me. “I’ll email you later today.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I started to follow Miles from the room, but Frank stopped him. “You can’t seriously—”
The look Miles gave him made me shiver, and it wasn’t even directed my way.
“Forgive me.” The man didn’t sound the least bit apologetic. “I believe we can turn things around, but I would like to discuss how we will continue until we do. We need to make a statement to the board by next week.”
“I’ll handle that.”
“I have the latest reports here. If we take a few minutes—”
“I don’t have a few minutes. Send me the most pertinent items and only those.”
The man sighed as Miles walked out of the room. I followed him, not daring to refuse his command. I was far lower in the hierarchy than the other executives, and he didn’t even allow them the freedom to disagree with him.
I followed him into his office. He dropped a file folder on his desk and spun to face me. The look on his face confused me. He was angry, but there was something else there, something I couldn’t decipher though it felt like eagerness. Maybe he got off on firing employees.
Or maybe….
No. I’d fantasized plenty about being called to his office, bent over his desk, and fucked until I was screaming and begging for more, but that was a porn scenario, not real life. In real life, the boss was just a regular asshole, not one who fucked like a dream and who was a bad boy who could be reformed.
“Close the door and lock it,” he ordered.
My pulse accelerated. It wasn’t unusual for us to have a closed-door meeting, but something about his tone of voice had my hands shaking as I obeyed his command. I swallowed hard and turned the lock.
“Explain yourself.”
Heat rushed to my face, and I wasn’t sure I could speak. What did he know? Had he figured out my family connections? Anything I said could make things worse.
Finally, I cleared my throat and said, “About what, sir?”
“You weren’t here. I had a crucial meeting, and you didn’t show up.” I exhaled my relief. I could explain being late. I’d been on time ever other day. Surely he wasn’t going to fire me over this one mistake. As I was formulating my response, he continued, “Why did you apply for this job?”
Fuck. Does he know. Think. Think. “It was an excellent opportunity and a chance to work for a well-respected company.”
“Bullshit.” He stared at me, letting his gaze run up and down my body. I hated how much it turned me on. I wanted him so damn much, more maybe than I wanted to run, which was stupid. Running was what I should have done when Jesse told me I had to apply for this job. I should have run gotten myself as far away from my family as I could get.
“You already had a good job.”
“This one was better.”
He studied me, letting the silence build. “There were qualifications you didn’t meet.”
Did he know just how much I’d lied on my résumé? “Then why did you hire me?”
“That’s an excellent question. Maybe an even better one is why should I keep you on here? You disappointed me today.”
“It won’t happen again.”
He nodded. “You’re right. It won’t.”
“I need this job.”
He shook his head. “You could get another one.”
Not one where I could steal secrets for my father. If I got fired, he’d blame me, and I might not get another chance to prove I could be useful. “You can’t fire me for being late one time.” Fuck. I sounded pathetic.
“I can do anything I want.”
He could. Anything. With a snap of his fingers, I could be escorted out of the building, or even murdered and never seen again.
No. He wouldn’t kill me. He wasn’t really going to kill whoever had fucked up their financial reporting either. Was he? When I met his gaze again, I wasn’t so sure. He looked like a predator who was ready to hunt me down.
8
MILES
I knew it was wrong to enjoy Ben’s uncertainty as much as I did. If I were more evil, I’d make him beg, make him pay for his mistake, but I had enough self-control to stop myself. “You’re in luck, because what I want is to give you another chance.”
“Thank you, sir.” I could get off to that submissive tone in his voice so easily.
“Do not be late again.”
“I won’t. Today was…an anomaly.”
I gave a quick nod of acknowledgement. “It wasn’t a day for anomalies. It was a day for being focused.”
“Yes sir. I’m sorry. I will transcribe the meeting recording and have that for you soon.”