Grumpy Boss

“I’m not easily charmed,” she said, then appeared in the doorway, half-dressed wearing a navy button down blouse, the front open to reveal a hint of her chest and her bra. “How’s this?”

I stared at her and god damn it, she was doing this on purpose. But I nodded and gestured in her direction. “That’s fine.”

She smiled and dipped back into her room. “What’s our story then? I’ve been your assistant for a while?”

“No,” I said, pacing again, thinking about her body, her lips. “You’re new, just like in real life. We met through Lori at some party, she wouldn’t even remember the one, and started seeing each other after that. We’ve been secreting dating for a month now, and I hired you as my assistant to keep you closer.”

“Is that a good idea, bringing Lori into this?” She appeared at the door again, this time her top buttoned, and a pair of slacks added to the ensemble.

“It won’t matter,” I said. “There was a party a month ago, and Lori did attend. For all she knows, we actually met there. She won’t have to lie if she says she doesn’t know for sure, or if she can’t remember.”

She made a dubious face, and I could tell she had a problem with my story. Typical lawyer—she wanted to make it her own, and probably thought she could come up with something more airtight. But damn it, Jack and I spent a lot of time on this cover, and I knew it would be perfect. It was plausible, and while it tangentially involved Lori, she wouldn’t have to lie if questioned.

Millie disappeared back into her room and I began to pace again, heart pumping. Coming here was a mistake—I thought it would start the bonding process, but instead it only made me want to take her even more than I already did, which was a liability. We needed people to think we were fucking, but we didn’t actually want to fuck. Getting entangled like that would only distract the both of us, and we didn’t have the time to waste.

She came out a few minutes later, dressed in a tasteful outfit. She didn’t have any makeup, and her hair was in a messy bun, but the clothes were perfect at least. “I just have one problem,” she said, leaning against the doorframe. “If we’re secretly dating, why would you hire me as your assistant, and why the hell would I do it?”

“Because you’re procrastinating taking the bar exam, and you need to pay rent, and I need an assistant. You’re wildly overqualified, but I don’t care, because I’m fucking you senseless in my office every afternoon, and you don’t care, because I’m paying you far too much money, and also because I’m fucking you senseless and you love it.”

Her lips formed a tight line. “You’re assuming a lot about your sexual prowess.”

“I’m the kind of man that forms his opinions based on prior experience.” I tilted my head a little and let my eyes roam along her curves, thinking about that hint of her breasts I saw just a few minutes earlier. “And I have a lot of experience.”

Her face softened and she shook her head, but her cheeks blushed again, and she disappeared back into her room.

I killed time on the couch, drinking my coffee while she finished getting ready. It took her another fifteen minutes, which wasn’t too bad. By the time she emerged, we were later than I wanted, but she looked perfect, the consummate professional.

“You’ll make one hell of a lawyer,” I said. “Those old judges won’t be able to take their eyes off you.”

“Plenty of women are judges now too, you know,” she said as she shouldered her black leather bag and glared.

“Women can also be attracted to you.” I put my mug down on her coffee able. “Come on then. Let’s go to work.”

She followed me outside, down the stoop, and we waited as I called for my driver. I watched her move foot to foot, nervously bouncing a little, and even though this was already more involved and fraught and emotionally intense than I ever imagined it might be—I had to admit, I was having a good time.

Millie was beautiful, she was flirty, she was smart, and she wanted to fuck me. She had it all.

My driver arrived, we climbed inside, and got started.

3

Millie

We flew in a private jet from Philadelphia to New York early the next morning, which took almost no time at all, and was a stupid, extravagant waste. When I pointed out that we could’ve taken the train for half the price, and a quarter of the environmental cost, Rees only shook his head and said, “Nothing but the best for my girlfriend.”

I knew what he was doing. His visit to my apartment was a test, and I had no clue if I passed or not, and I found that I didn’t really care. He could shove his test up his ass. I was doing him a favor and risking a lot for this situation, and although he was compensating me big time, that still didn’t mean he got to treat me like an employee.