A Sinful Trap (Three Sinful Wishes 2)

“Are you positive? Because it really sounded like you were trying to find a nice way to fire me.” She wanted to drop to her knees in gratitude, but she couldn’t trust it yet. Instead, she started pointing out the examples on her fingers. “You implied I wasn’t adaptable. You criticized my behavior, mocked my boxers—which revealed your ignorance of superheroes—and insinuated that I was immature and incapable of respecting your autho—”

His large hand seized hers and dragged her up against his body. They both groaned at the contact.

“Is there a reason you want me to fire you?” he asked from between gritted teeth.

“No?” She wanted a lot of things from this man that she shouldn’t, but that wasn’t one of them.

“That’s good, because despite this…” His hips rocked forward, and he closed his eyes when she gasped. “I need your experience. Work experience. I doubt I could find anyone who knows this place or this town as well as you do.”

Right. That kind of experience. “That’s true. I do know the town.”

He pressed his lips against the hair near her temple and she shivered.

“You’re definitely not firing me?”

He sighed. “You’re an intelligent woman, Bailey. If I dismissed you for being distractingly underdressed while you were in physical danger due to a broken ladder on my property, you could sue me for wrongful termination, workplace endangerment and sexual harassment.” His hand tightened on hers. “Hell, you could do that now.”

She hadn’t even considered it, but she understood that this was his olive branch. An upper hand she could use if she chose to.

It was enough for now. “Okay then.”

He let her go with obvious reluctance and she took a step back, giving them both some breathing room.

“This,” he motioned between them, “isn’t going to affect your employment, Bailey. I’ll put it in writing if you’d prefer.”

This. If it didn’t affect her job, did that mean they could feel more of it?

No. Absolutely not.

“As for the rest,” he continued, “while I want to avoid unnecessary arguments and power struggles, I always prefer passion and purpose to pandering.”

She wasn’t turned on. She wasn’t. “That’s a lot of Ps.”

He bit his lower lip. “I’m not the easiest man to deal with, but I don’t take on projects to fail. I don’t think you do either. You know the area and the locals, and I know my business. If we work together, I think you’ll be satisfied with the results. Maybe you can see me as a partner instead of a trespasser.”

“Partner,” she echoed softly in agreement.

His eyes flared in reaction. “I’m glad we’re finally on the same page.”

He’s talking about the inn, Bailey. Not sex. Different page.

Bailey’s head wobbled like a broken toy. “If it’s the page where I don’t have to live with my friends and go on a sexual apology tour, then I think we are.”

“A sexual what?”

“Nothing, Mr. Locke.”

“You’ll call me Cam, Bailey.”

Presumptuous. Another P word.

If he was always this intense, working under him on a regular basis wasn’t going to be easy.

Under him. And he wants to be hands-on.

Stop!

“Will do.” She really needed to pull herself together. “Do you need anything else, Cam?”

“You have no idea.” He sighed again and she felt it in her bones. “Take care of that scrape before you go to bed. And come and lock the door behind me.”

“Yes, sir.” She nearly saluted.

He turned away abruptly, his long strides carrying him toward the exit so swiftly she needed to jog to catch up with him.

He paused at the door when a loud, grating noise from above startled them both.

It sounded like a demon was banging a metal pipe on the roof for laughs. Or maybe the spider was still ticked. “Great.”

Cam’s expression was thoughtful. “That’s why you were up there?”

“Trying to get up there, but yes. Honestly, I think the wind from the last storm might have broken some of the roof tiles. I’m just thankful it hasn’t woken up any of my guests.”

Nothing had. Cameron Locke could be down here doing all sorts of kinky things to her and none of them would have a clue.

You wish.

So much.

“I’ll send a roofer in the morning. I’ll pay double to make this his priority.”

“Her priority,” she corrected. “Celeste is my roofer and she’ll be thrilled. She’s been dying to get her hands on my tiles for years.”

“Has she?” His scowl returned. “Is this a friend of yours an actual roofer?”

“She could bench press you for breakfast and moves across rooftops like a cat. But yes, she’s a friend. Good kisser, too.” Bailey wanted to slap a hand over her mouth. “That was not relevant information, obviously. It’s been a weird night. And it was one time years ago, when we were tipsy. She’s living with a drummer now.”

Stop. Rambling.

“Find someone else.”

“What? No. There is no one else.” When he didn’t respond, she took a step closer. “Based on my research, you’re the opposite of a prude. And if you take away the tourists, Sedona is a very small town. The pool of kissable people is a puddle. There’s bound to be some personal and professional crossover. It doesn’t mean she isn’t great at her job.”