Bargaining with the Boss (Honeybrook Love, Inc. 2)

"What?" Eliza hopped off the desk, then glanced at the door that had been hauntin

g Natalie all day. "Oh no, Brooks—er, Mr. Adams—is here. Has been all morning."

Natalie's throat went dry. "What? But I got here early and..."

And what? Had clearly been avoiding her? Because she was weird and awkward and they could clearly never work together or see each other again?

Considering the circumstances, she might have thought that'd be good news. This was her chance to go the rest of her life without Brooks Adams. And yet...

Eliza shrugged. "I can't keep track of him. He must have come in before you."

Something a whole lot less graceful than a butterfly fluttered in her stomach. Should she just go along with the ruse? But if she did, how long would she have to sit here like an idiot, waiting to read his expression?

No, this was what a guy like Brooks would want her to do.

He'd want her to obsess and worry until she'd convinced herself that all she wanted was his approval.

Well, fat chance of that, buster. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction. If things were going to be weird and quiet, it would be on her terms, not his.

Of course, that also meant she had to force herself to see him.

"Hello? Natalie?" Eliza waved a hand in front of Natalie's face and she blinked back into focus.

"Sorry."

"I said, do you want me to take those papers for him to sign

"No, uh, I'll just grab them and bring them over myself. Because, you know, I'm going on lunch soon and the papers need to be rushed out. It'll probably be easier on you, really. If I just do it myself, I mean."

Eliza blinked. "Uh...good to know? Should I let him know you're coming?"

Great. Now even Eliza knew she was spazzing out.

She took a deep breath.

Get it together. Come on, you can do this.

Girl power.

Or something less lame than that.

"Better not. It'll only be a second and I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to torment me." She opened her desk drawer and pulled out the first piece of paper she could find.

"Right, well, good luck with all that. I'm going to grab a coffee. You want something?" Eliza asked. "Maybe a chill pill?"

"Haha. Very funny." She shook off the comment, then squared her shoulders and pushed out of her desk chair. With quick, purposeful strides, she made her way to that damned wooden door.

She was going to do this.

She'd face him and make things less awkward. She'd explain that what they'd done had been a mistake. That she could be totally professional from here on out.

Just so long as she never had to look at him. Or smell him. Or think about how rough his skin had felt against hers...

A surge of need rushed between her thighs, but she blocked it out, closing her hand around the doorknob and twisting with all her might.

Everything was going to be fine.

Or, at least she thought it would be until she saw him.