Haze

I'd left the store and boarded a bus to take me to Liore for my shift. The Liore lingerie offering is new for the Foster brand but it's already selling well and for the time being, I'd like to keep myself attached to that in the form of a steady stream of commissions. That means I need to do damage control to convince Gabriel Foster that I don't normally plan secret, after work, meetings in the offices of the men who visit the store. I may have gained a few points when Cicely was in the room, but now it's just me fighting for my job.

"I don't think you play games," I try to sound genuine. "I didn't say that."

He leans forward, his dark eyes boring into me. "You offered me a private show in the comfort of my office. I'd like to understand exactly what that entails."

I nervously skim my hands over the thin fabric of the skirt of my dress. I glance down at my lap, the pale nude polish on my fingernails has chipped away leaving a jagged layer of shimmer that catches the light when I glide my hands towards my bare knees.

"Isla? Do you have an explanation for me?" he asks, his voice startling me.

I look up and across the desk to where he's sitting. It's the perch from where he runs his business and apparently also subtly intimates people. He's doing it to me now. I know he expects me to back down. Men like him always do. They think the fact that they have more life experience or a larger bank account means they can push me into a corner with their words, or in some cases, their bodies.

"It's not something I've done before," I admit. "I haven't made that offer to any other man who has come into the boutique."

His left brow arches as the corner of his lip rises. "I was your first?"

I keep my eyes trained on his face, watching the way his gaze slides over my lips before it falls to my neck. He's enjoying this. He's pulling some perverse pleasure from watching me squirm in this leather office chair.

He wants me to break and fall to my knees in apology so I can keep my job. I see it in the way his fingers are strumming the edge of his desk. He's relaxed and completely, utterly in control.

"You were the first." I dart my tongue over my bottom lip, suddenly feeling as though the air in his office is heavy and thick. "I shouldn't have offered to come to your office. I don't know why I did. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly."

He adjusts one silver cuff link, then the other, before he pushes himself gracefully to his feet. "Stand up, Isla."

I do it because I have no other choice, even though I'm not sure my knees won't buckle from the combination of stress and desire I'm feeling right now. I know logically that he's called me here to reprimand me for breaking one of the company's mandatory rules, but I can't help but wonder what he's like when he's not wearing the suit, and his focus is entirely on a woman he craves. He's different since he showed Cicely out. The energy he's exuding is rawer, more intense.

"In a case like this, company policy is clear," he says with no emotion.

The rasp in his voice resonates, pushing me back a step. I cross my arms over my chest. It's a restless gesture meant to help me gain my composure. My job is on the line here and even though I know I can score another retail gig tomorrow, I'll have to work twice as hard to make the money I'm pulling in at Liore. I just need this to tide me over until my birthday next month.

"I'm the best you'll ever have," I blurt out.

"You're the best I'll ever have?" His voice lowers as he steps towards me. "You'll need to explain that to me."

I sigh realizing how arrogant my words sound. "My sales are more than all the other girls combined. I work hard. I move merchandise. I'm an asset to Liore."

"I reviewed the numbers for last month this morning when I received them from accounting." He tips his chin towards his desk. "Your sales are impressive. I'm not going to argue that point."

I rub my fingertips over my forehead before I look up and into his face. "I made a stupid mistake earlier today, Mr. Foster. I guarantee that it will never happen again."

He glances down at the silver watch on his wrist. "This company is an extension of my family, Isla. I expect each and every employee of Foster Enterprises to follow the code of conduct that is outlined in the employee manual."

Yes, I know, and I broke it when I essentially offered to come to his office and give him a private lingerie show. "I don't have an excuse for my behavior, sir. I want this job. I like working at Liore. All I'm asking for is a second chance."