Tempt The Boss (Tempt 1)

“Abso-fucking-lutely not,” she says vehemently. “There is no fucking excuse whatso-fucking-ever for a married man to cheat on his wife. None. Not even if Gisele Fucking Bündchen comes in and sits on his dick while wearing goddamn angel wings.”

“I’m totally in agreement,” I mumble to myself as I get up and try to walk away, but my spinning head stops me before I can even take a step. I reach out to steady my woozy self with a hand on the counter. “We need pizza,” I tell Kaleigh as I let go of the counter, mentally crossing my fingers that I don’t fall.

Once the spinning stops, I make my way up the stairs, taking my tight skirt off when I reach my bedroom, and face-planting on my bed. “He’s such an asshole. Right, Kay?” My voice comes out a bit muffled seeing as I’m facedown on the bed.

“I took my Post-it notes. Haha, take that.” I turn my head to the side, away from her. “I think I really liked him,” I admit quietly, while Kaleigh gets on the bed next to me. “I should have known better, right? No happy for me.” My eyes get heavier and heavier as I continue blinking. “I need a little nap,” I whisper right before I drift off to sleep.

Chapter Sixteen

AUSTIN

“Maybe if you loosened up a little, you would still be married.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I wished I could call them back. I didn’t even have to see her face to know I hurt her. Her body went rigid, and for a moment, I thought she was going to let me have it. Hell, I wish now that she had, because what she gave me instead of the dressing down I deserved was a million times worse. Despite her best efforts to mask it, I don’t think I will ever forget the wounded look on her face. I immediately wanted to pull her into my arms.

I wanted to tell her that I really was an asshat. But instead, I just stood there, watching her pack up all her things, even the fucking Post-its.

When I realized what she was doing, I tried to reach out to her, but she just dodged me and blocked my hands like she was protecting herself—from me—before she turned and practically ran away. And I fucking let her.

As if that were not bad enough, of course, Carmen, Steven, and—even worse—Barbara were all watching and heard the whole thing. Carmen and Steven refused to look at me and quickly dispersed, while Barbara just stood there shaking her head at me in disappointment. “That is going to cost you more than you realize, Austin.” Leaving me with that bit of wisdom, she walked around me and went back to her office.

“Fuck, don’t I know it,” I mutter under my breath as I head into my office, pick up my phone, and try calling Lauren.

No surprise, she must have declined the call, because it goes right to voice mail after two rings. “Motherfucker.”

I try calling her again right away, and as expected, it goes straight to voice mail. “Lauren, please call me back. I want to apologize. I was way out of line,” I say before I finish with a plea. “Please, Lauren, just call me back.”

I end the call and decide to text her.

Call me, please!

I sit at my desk, watching the phone for the gray bubble with those three blinking dots, but they don’t appear. Nothing at all happens. The message isn’t even marked as read. I don’t know how long I stare at my phone willing her to call back or reply, but the next thing I know, Noah comes waltzing in. “Whoa, dude, who killed your dog?” He throws himself into the chair in front of my desk.

“I fucked up,” I confess, looking back down at my phone.

“Nothing new there. What happened now?”

“I may have told Lauren that if she weren’t so uptight and she loosened up a little, that maybe her husband wouldn’t have left her and she would still be married.” I don’t even finish getting the words out before he’s pulling out his phone. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“I’m making sure I clear my schedule for your funeral,” he says, earning himself a glare from me.

“Fuck off, asshole.” It’s the only thing I can say right now. “Let’s go get my car, and then I’ll pass by her house. She has no choice but to answer the door, right?” I ask him as we walk out to the elevator.

I see Barbara come out of her office and head straight for me. Her mouth is pressed together in a tight line. I cut off whatever she’s going to say by holding up my hand and stating, “Not now, Barbara.” I press the elevator button.