Read Online The Boss's Mistletoe Maneuvers by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
Ads: Link
mother had preached. If you gave them your secrets, they’d betray those secrets at the drop of a hat. If you gave them your love, they’d easily destroy it.
Kim wanted desperately to stop hearing her mother’s voice. She would have covered her ears if Monroe had let her.
“If you’re going to fire me for slapping you, go ahead,” she said a bit too breathlessly for the sternness she had been aiming for. “There’s no need for us to further humiliate each other.”
“Fire you? Humiliate you? I wanted to meet with you to avoid those things.”
“Well, you didn’t do a decent job of reaching that objective. Now you do want to fire me, right? You’ll have to, unless I protect myself?”
“That was never the idea, Kim. You’ll have to believe me.”
“Then why can’t you leave me alone? We were doing fine here until you arrived.”
“Fine? This company was sliding, whether or not you knew about the bottom line. It was in serious decline. I came here to help the agency out of that decline. The company’s success means a lot to me because I have a stake in it. I need everyone to work, including you. If you’re one of the best people here, your help is needed in all areas.”
“I’ve been doing more than my share.”
“I know that, and yet I need more. I’d ask you to do things you don’t necessarily want to do because the company requires it right now, and for no other reason.”
“Not because you want to kiss me again?”
“Yes, damn it. I want to kiss you. But believe it or not, I do have some control.”
He leaned closer as he spoke, so that Kim felt every muscle in his body from his shoulders to his thighs, and everywhere in between. Yet his mouth drew her focus: the sensuous, talented mouth that had nearly done her in.
“It’s going to be yes or no,” Monroe said. “You have it within your power to upgrade, maybe even to upper management someday. All you have to do is what I ask, or explain why you can’t.”
Kim shut her eyes.
“Look, Kim. Do this one thing for me, and we’ll reevaluate your position here.”
Kim stopped shaking just as she realized she was shaking. Like the last VP, Monroe was promising her the moon when he had no real capacity for giving it to her. He was the vice president. The only way for her to take over that job was for him to leave it.
“I’d like you to leave me alone,” she repeated.
“The company needs you.”
“Yes. With your body pressed against mine in a public hallway, I can feel how badly you need me.”
That did it. Enough was enough. No more squirming. No more playing around. Chaz Monroe had finally done it. He had just buried himself.
Smiling grimly, Kim reached into the purse hanging at her side. She pushed Monroe away and drew out the small tape recorder she kept there. With a precise movement of her finger, she clicked the gadget off.
He glanced at her in surprise, then looked down at what she held in her hand as if not quite believing what he was seeing.
“My lawyer will be talking to your lawyer in the morning if there is any further mention of my contract,” Kim said, slipping out from beneath his arm. “You have heard of sexual harassment, being number-one boss man and all?”
He was staring at her as though he’d just felt the arrow of doom pierce his heart dead-on, and also as if he had been betrayed. His arms dropped to his sides. His expression smoothed into something unreadable.
The elevator pinged as the door rolled open. Kim walked inside and turned, wearing a smile she had to struggle to maintain. Her insides were in knots. Both hands were shaking. She hid her sadness and the urge to throw the recorder at Monroe. She felt like sinking to the ground.
He just stood there. He didn’t look angry, only disappointed. He had been bushwhacked, broadsided. Did he fear what would happen to him if this conversation were to fall into the wrong hands? Did he now fear for his job?
Monroe had a casting couch, pure and
Kim wanted desperately to stop hearing her mother’s voice. She would have covered her ears if Monroe had let her.
“If you’re going to fire me for slapping you, go ahead,” she said a bit too breathlessly for the sternness she had been aiming for. “There’s no need for us to further humiliate each other.”
“Fire you? Humiliate you? I wanted to meet with you to avoid those things.”
“Well, you didn’t do a decent job of reaching that objective. Now you do want to fire me, right? You’ll have to, unless I protect myself?”
“That was never the idea, Kim. You’ll have to believe me.”
“Then why can’t you leave me alone? We were doing fine here until you arrived.”
“Fine? This company was sliding, whether or not you knew about the bottom line. It was in serious decline. I came here to help the agency out of that decline. The company’s success means a lot to me because I have a stake in it. I need everyone to work, including you. If you’re one of the best people here, your help is needed in all areas.”
“I’ve been doing more than my share.”
“I know that, and yet I need more. I’d ask you to do things you don’t necessarily want to do because the company requires it right now, and for no other reason.”
“Not because you want to kiss me again?”
“Yes, damn it. I want to kiss you. But believe it or not, I do have some control.”
He leaned closer as he spoke, so that Kim felt every muscle in his body from his shoulders to his thighs, and everywhere in between. Yet his mouth drew her focus: the sensuous, talented mouth that had nearly done her in.
“It’s going to be yes or no,” Monroe said. “You have it within your power to upgrade, maybe even to upper management someday. All you have to do is what I ask, or explain why you can’t.”
Kim shut her eyes.
“Look, Kim. Do this one thing for me, and we’ll reevaluate your position here.”
Kim stopped shaking just as she realized she was shaking. Like the last VP, Monroe was promising her the moon when he had no real capacity for giving it to her. He was the vice president. The only way for her to take over that job was for him to leave it.
“I’d like you to leave me alone,” she repeated.
“The company needs you.”
“Yes. With your body pressed against mine in a public hallway, I can feel how badly you need me.”
That did it. Enough was enough. No more squirming. No more playing around. Chaz Monroe had finally done it. He had just buried himself.
Smiling grimly, Kim reached into the purse hanging at her side. She pushed Monroe away and drew out the small tape recorder she kept there. With a precise movement of her finger, she clicked the gadget off.
He glanced at her in surprise, then looked down at what she held in her hand as if not quite believing what he was seeing.
“My lawyer will be talking to your lawyer in the morning if there is any further mention of my contract,” Kim said, slipping out from beneath his arm. “You have heard of sexual harassment, being number-one boss man and all?”
He was staring at her as though he’d just felt the arrow of doom pierce his heart dead-on, and also as if he had been betrayed. His arms dropped to his sides. His expression smoothed into something unreadable.
The elevator pinged as the door rolled open. Kim walked inside and turned, wearing a smile she had to struggle to maintain. Her insides were in knots. Both hands were shaking. She hid her sadness and the urge to throw the recorder at Monroe. She felt like sinking to the ground.
He just stood there. He didn’t look angry, only disappointed. He had been bushwhacked, broadsided. Did he fear what would happen to him if this conversation were to fall into the wrong hands? Did he now fear for his job?
Monroe had a casting couch, pure and
Similar Books
