Page 7 of My Sexy Boss
“The one you just bought? You can be so clumsy. You need to work on that. Men don’t like clumsy women,” she said.
Sometimes Kelsey made these offhand comments without realizing how hurtful they could be. We’d been talking for a few minutes, and the conversation had so far been all about her. I purposely avoided telling her about Trace or how the coffee spilled, then wondered if she’d ask me about my new boss.
“Cierra? Are you still there? Hello?”
“I’m still here. Will you remember to bring me a shirt?”
“Yeah, I will. What color is your skirt?”
“Black, so that makes it easy.”
“Got it. Let’s meet at six, okay?”
“See you later.” I placed the phone on my desk. Kelsey hadn’t asked me one question except the color of my skirt. That was pretty much par for the course.
Sofie popped her head in. “Do you want to grab a bite to eat after work?”
“I’m meeting up with Kelsey. Do you want to hang on Saturday?” I had no plans for the weekend except to catch up on my reading, a pile of business, cooking, and fashion magazines steadily competing to reach the heights of the Transamerica Pyramid.
“That’d be great.”
“Wanna go to the Tipsy Cow?” I knew Sofie was crazy for the impressive list of imported beers and the English guys who hung out at the neighborhood pub. Whenever Sofie heard a British accent, she’d turn to mush. I smiled when her eyes lit up.
“I love that place. I’ll meet you there at eight.”
For the rest of the day, I worked nonstop, all thoughts on the tasks at hand. I’d always been a good worker. I was the middle child, and I learned at an early age that I had to set myself apart from my older brother and younger sister if I wanted to be noticed. Getting good grades, earning some serious bucks when I was a teenager—I’d reigned supreme in the babysitting and part-time job circuits, and not giving my parents a major hard time, like my boy-crazy younger sister, gave me recognition amid all the hijinks drama that had shrouded my growing years.
Once I’d turned eighteen, I’d put dust behind me as I drove away from Fresno, swearing I’d never live there again. When I went back for breaks and the holidays, it seemed like I had never lived there. Weird, but since I’d moved to San Fran, I’d totally embraced the city. My life in Fresno seemed like a long time ago.
Everyone passing by my office signaled the end of the workday. I freshened up my makeup in the restroom, then went back to my office to return some phone calls. After a bit, I packed up my things and headed to the elevators, texting my brother as I walked in. The doors closed and the scent of expensive line-dried sheets mixed with salty herbs curled around me. I sucked in my breath and looked over my shoulder into Mr. Prescott’s mesmerizing gaze. The overhead light shone over him, and the color of his eyes reminded me of the ocean an instant before dawn’s first rays struck the water.
“Do you often stay after work, Ms. Duncan?” Leaning against the balustrade, he pinned me with his gaze.
“I suppose,” I mumbled, then turned my head to stare at our reflection in the gold-toned doors. He watched me intently, the only sound in the elevator the whoosh of air as it descended. I kept hoping we’d stop on a floor and pick up some passengers, but no such luck. It was just the two of us and a gulf of crackling tension.
Then I saw his gaze fixed on my butt and a knot of feelings surged through me: embarrassment, irritation, excitement. When a low throb pulsed between my legs, I cursed my body as I tried to avoid looking at his reflection. But I couldn’t. There was something about Trace Prescott that pulled me in, almost mesmerized me. It was the craziest thing, because I wasn’t one of those women who gushed and batted their eyes at every man who paid attention to them or threw them a compliment. And yet there I was feeling all kinds of good things in places I shouldn’t be.
He’s Kelsey’s ex. He treated her like shit. What the hell’s the matter with you?
“Are you going back to the club tonight?” His voice bounced off the walls, making me jump.
“No. I’m having dinner with Kelsey,” I said, wincing at how snippy my voice sounded.
“No doubt you’ll both have a good time bashing me.” He chuckled and took a step toward me.
“That’s not my style.” I took a step forward, moving closer to the door.
“That’s good to know.” Another step toward me.
I was practically fused to the door when the elevator stopped. My boss was so close behind me that I could feel his breath on the side of my neck. With my heart racing, I jumped out of the car when the doors opened. Another chuckle.
“Have a nice time, Ms. Duncan.”
I glanced back at him. “Thanks.”
As if I were trying to save my life, I dashed out of the building and didn’t stop until I had landed a cab and slipped inside. As I leaned back, I had to take several gulps of air to calm the hell down.What’s wrong with me?I’d never had a reaction like that to a man before. Even when I’d been in college and the all-star jock had asked me out on a date, I’d been pretty nonchalant about it, and none of the girls in my dorm could believe it. That’s just the way I was with men. I wasn’t always looking for a boyfriend like all my other women friends. Don’t get me wrong, I would’ve loved to have hooked up with a great guy, but I wasn’t in a perpetual search mode for Mr. Right. I’d always loved my alone time, even when I was a kid. I used to take my books and sit under our big, leafy oak tree and read the hours away. My sister and brother never could understand why I’d wanted to have some time to myself. I craved it and was a bit selfish about sharing it with just any man. Hence the reason I hadn’t had sex in over a year, and didn’t have anyone on my radar.
Maybe it’s because Prescott’s my boss. I’m probably freaked that he’ll fire me. There’s no way he can forget the things I said to him before knowing he was my boss.A screaming siren behind us tore through me as cars, buses, and trucks twisted and turned to let the ambulance push through. I glanced at the time and leaned my head against the cool glass of the window. The traffic began moving again, snaking up the hill, three lines of steel and tires.
