Tempt The Boss (Tempt 1)

“What do you mean?” He looks up at me with a raised brow. “I thought you were calling me Asshat?”

“Fine, then, that is exactly how I’ll answer,” I say, walking out of the room, fighting the temptation to slam the door behind me.

I walk over to my desk, drop the pad on it, and throw myself into the chair.

I look at my phone and see that there are five messages from Penelope.

What happened?

Are you still there?

Are you okay?

I don’t know what you did, but Barbara just called and extended your contract. What do I say?

Whatever you do, don’t kill him!

I answer her right away.

He’s an asshat, and he’s rude. He’s a jerk, and he’s a dick.

Her response is immediate.

I’ve been told, but you are the best person for the job.

I roll my eyes.

How am I the right person? I have killed him a million times in my head since I’ve gotten here, and it’s only been an hour. I want out.

I answer the emails that came in. My stomach rumbles, and I automatically look at the clock, seeing it’s almost noon.

I pick my phone back up, and there is a final text from Penelope.

They doubled your salary. Why don’t you see how you feel tomorrow?

Ugh, I’ll deal with Penelope later. I get up and bend over to grab my purse from under the desk.

“Holy mother of God,” I hear said loudly behind me. I go to straighten myself up too fast and knock my head on the desk, the bang echoing in the vast office space.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” I hear behind me as I feel hands trying to help me up. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

He is holding my hand while my hand is rubbing the back of my head. “It’s okay. You startled me,” I start to say and then look at him.

Crystal-clear blue eyes crinkled with laugh lines greet me. His blond hair is falling onto his forehead. He is almost on top of me at this point, my back pressed into the desk.

“What the hell is going on here?” The roar comes from behind me. I push this stranger away from me and look over at Austin. He stands there with his hands on his hips, the vein in his neck twitching.

“It’s my fault, Austin,” the stranger says, dropping my hand. “I came in and was surprised to see her. I startled her, and she knocked her head under the desk. I was just helping her up,” he says as he walks around my desk, right up to Austin, and slaps him on the shoulder. “I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch?”

Even though his ‘friend’ is standing next to me, he hasn’t taken his eyes off me. “No, I’m eating in. I have to go over the Grey Stone Park file. Lauren, can you get me lunch? Go to the deli at the corner; we have an account there. Just tell them it’s for me. They know what I like.”

I put my hand on my hip, glaring at him, waiting for it. When he doesn’t say anything, I cross my hands over my chest. “Please,” he hisses out.

“Fine.” I grab my bag and walk out, holding my breath till I get inside the elevator. I grab my phone and text Kaleigh.

Please get me three bottles of wine for dinner.

I put the phone back in my purse and make my way to the deli on the corner, where I get my boss his lunch, all the while praying that I will actually get through the day without poisoning him.

Chapter Five

AUSTIN

When I opened the door and saw my childhood best friend, Noah’s, hands all over Lauren, I wanted to rip out his jugular and then spit down his throat. I have no fucking idea why. She is my assistant, making her the definition of off limits.

We both watch Lauren walk away, her ass swinging from side to side with each step. I’m so intent on watching her, I don’t even notice Noah push me aside and walk into my office.

He throws himself on the couch I have in the office, while I open the shade to see out into the office space.

“Jesus Christ, who was that sex kitten in heels? I nearly had a heart attack when I walked up to find her bending over,” he says, looking in the direction of her desk.

“My new stay-away-from-her assistant,” I grumble as I sit down on the other side of the couch.

He throws his head back and laughs. “Oh, what happened to the ‘don’t fuck where you eat, Noah’ speech that you always give me?”

Noah and I have been best friends since we were in kindergarten. His parents were both criminal lawyers, so we were always with our nannies. Of course, no one could top Barbara, while he kept getting different nannies every week. Until he was old enough to fire them himself and hire whoever he wanted. By the ripe old age of fifteen, he had gone through thirty nannies, and at that point, he was hiring them to teach him everything they knew about sex. That was until his parents found him fucking his last nanny bent over the pool table, while she was wearing his mother’s shoes. We still laugh about it today; well, at least I do. He just sits there and groans.