Tempt Me (The Macintyre Brothers 1)

Oh, God...

Had Josh found my file folder with the erotic story ABOUT HIM?

There was no way he wouldn't see that he was the hero. Rich. Handsome with blue-gray eyes. Light brown hair, a bit longish. A well-trimmed beard. Tall. Built. Even a newspaper magnate.

I cringed internally when I thought about it. Oh, God...

I felt momentarily sick and went back to my office, sitting at my desk, not knowing what to do or how to handle it.

I made one more attempt to find the red file folder before I completely gave up hope, but it wasn't anywhere to be found. Then I thought that, maybe, I'd accidentally brought it with me to the boardroom and traced my steps back there.

Nope.

I went back to my office and sat behind my desk, staring blankly at my files, trying to decide what to do. I was going to do nothing. I wasn't going to contact Josh and ask if he had it. If he contacted me, I'd act as if it meant nothing. I'd laugh and say I was using him to make money, because I could actually sell my stories for a few bucks on Amazon.

I would not let it get to me.

Crap!

I texted Steph.

ELLA: You'll never guess what just happened!

STEPH: You won the lottery and are inviting me on a world cruise? Prince Something of Somesuch Country proposed and you're finally going to realize your dream to be a princess? The Nobel Prize Committee just awarded you the Nobel Prize for Literature? Do tell...

ELLA: I wrote an erotic story featuring Mr. Straining Glutes and me in a tryst at a hotel. I had it in a red file folder on my desk. While I was out at a meeting, he dropped by my office and found the file and took it!!! Hasn't said a word but he's the only one who could have it. I don't know what to do.

STEPH: Oh, now you're in for it! He'll probably pester you until the two of you act it out. I can see it all now -- you'll bang each other's brains out and decide you can't stand to be apart and will get married and have five kids.

ELLA: Steph! This is serious! I'm mortified...

STEPH: Seriously, kiddo. He'll probably have to make a

trip to the executive washroom to rub one out after reading it. Your erotica is good and I mean gooooood. Chill out. He's hot as a firecracker and now he won't be able to get you and your story out of his mind. Betcha a million bucks.

ELLA: You don't have a million bucks.

STEPH: But if I did, I'd bet it.

ELLA: What should I do?

STEPH: Do nothing. Let him come to you. Act nonchalant. Tell him that you were searching around for a story to make a few extra bucks and threw it together at the last minute, but you're not sure it's hot enough to sell. It might need editing. Act like it's purely a business decision. He'll be totally impressed and totally captivated and will want you even more than before.

ELLA: He's, like, a billionaire, Steph. He could have any woman he wanted. Models, starlets, debutantes.

STEPH: He'll want you. Trust me on this. Now, just go do your job and text me if anything happens. XOXOXOX

ELLA: Okay... *sigh*

I did what Steph suggested and totally ignored the panic welling up inside me. I could do nothing about the fact that Josh had found my erotic story. He had it and so now, the ball was in his court. It would be up to him whether he'd let me know he had it.

I tried to spend the rest of my day not thinking about Josh reading my story, but it was damn near impossible. I went to my meeting with Sharon and at least that distracted me for a while. At about five thirty, I packed up my things and took the elevator down to the main floor, hoping beyond hope that I wouldn't run into Josh on the way out of the building. I heaved a sigh of relief when I made it past the security desk with no incident and walked down the street to the subway stop.

Then I got on my train and went home, thankful that the confrontation that I knew would eventually happen was postponed for at least another day.

About nine o'clock that night I got a text from Steph.

STEPH: Nothing yet?