Page 49 of Naughty Heart

And now I knew it had all been for show. He had been doing what he needed to do simply to climb the corporate ladder. Considering this was Westwood’s, I couldn’t say I didn’t understand the allure of becoming the CEO and wanting to secure that position.

It was the deception I didn’t like.

It was the way he hadn’t brought me in on his plan.

It was how he’d made me believe I was a person he found interesting and exciting to be around.

Maybe it had been wrong for me to want that type of interaction with my boss, but I hadn’t gone into this situation expecting it.

Malcolm gave that to me from the start. With the exception of his reaction to me when I’d first fallen into his lap at the coffee shop—a reaction that now made complete sense, given he’d just learned days before that the future he expected to have at the company was at stake—Malcolm hadn’t been cruel or pompous.

He had been kind.

He’d been generous.

And he’d showed that he cared.

While it was true I could see that he valued the relationships he had with the people he worked with, there was something about the way he was with me that felt different.

Maybe it was the winks or knowing smiles.

It could have been him dancing in his office with me.

Perhaps it was the fact he’d declared to his parents I was going to the Christmas party with him.

Or it simply could have been the way he paid attention to the things I said and how he seemed to value my input.

Regardless, Malcolm didn’t behave in a way that I expected someone in his position would have behaved.

At first, I thought it was endearing. I thought it was wonderful. Now, I knew it was all for show. It was all just part of the game.

And I felt like a fool for believing he actually liked me.

Worse, I didn’t even know how we were in this place now. Malcolm, being who he was, hadn’t really called me out on my behavior.

God, if I’d acted the way I did with my old boss, the way I’d acted with Malcolm two days ago, I didn’t have a doubt in my mind I’d have been fired.

Malcolm hadn’t done that.

Granted, it was obvious he couldn’t do that when he needed to have me around in order to fulfill his plan. But I’d have been lying if I said I hadn’t spent the better part of the day yesterday waiting for the other shoe to drop. I had convinced myself Malcolm walked out of my office on Wednesday without explaining himself, because he was going to be methodical and purposeful with his response.

He hadn’t done anything yet.

Perhaps I should have considered walking across the hall to apologize for the way I’d spoken to him. I didn’t necessarily regret what I’d said to him, because I truly meant every word, but I certainly could have presented it better.

And he was my boss. Didn’t that mean I needed to have a level of respect for the man who employed me?

I let out a frustrated sigh and shook my head.

No.

No, that wasn’t right.

He was the one who’d deceived me. I deserved an apology from him.

What bothered me most was that he hadn’t even made the attempt beyond the words he’d said when he walked out of my office on Wednesday. Technically, he had said he was sorry, but the actions that had followed didn’t indicate he truly meant it.

At this point, I probably needed to start considering my position within this company. Once Malcolm got what he wanted, it was likely I was going to be sent packing. So, I promised myself I’d spend the weekend looking for new jobs again. At least if I was proactive about it while I still had a job, I wouldn’t wind up in another desperate situation.