AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Would they discuss the e-mail? Her conduct? Her future? Would they change their mind? Should she start hunting for another job and cut her losses? But the trouble was…she just couldn’t. Not even if she wanted to. This was where she belonged. Where she felt comfortable. Where she could shine. And most of all. The feelings she had for Jess, as inappropriate as it was, were real.
That was the trouble.
But she was ever so cognizant of his past troubles. Did she just add fuel to the fire that was burning out from the last scandal?
Whatever they decide…she had a sinking feeling that nothing at TLC Advertising Agency would be the same again. Especially her relationship with her sexy boss, Jess.
CHAPTER 5
Alexa felt a presence outside her office cubicle. She lifted her head slowly to look up.
Her heart stopped when Jess appeared in the doorway. Dripping with charm, dangerously handsome and ever so annoyed in his facial expression.
Alexa’s mind went numb.
“Oh…um…Jess. I didn’t see you there.” The words caught in her throat. Her entire body tensed up.
Jess paced briefly before settling his gaze on Alexa. She felt her stomach squeeze. She wanted to say something. Anything. Apologize. But humiliation stung her too much to respond in her defence. She braced herself for the worse.
“We need to talk, Alexa.” Jess’s voice was emotionless. Unreadable.
She was toast. She knew it then. Why did she even bother coming into the office that morning?
“Jess—”
Before she could finish he held up his hand to silence her.
“Not here. Meet me in my office in ten minutes.” He paused then drew in a deep breath. As if he were going to say more but stopped himself.
Ten tortuous minutes later, Alexa was in front of Jess in his corner wall-to-wall window office with the breathtaking view. The sun beamed inside fully, but there was nothing sunshiny about what he had to do now. Confront Alexa on this potentially damaging e-mail.
As she sat motionless before him, her beautiful brown eyes gazed down on his desk. Waiting. For what? A verdict? What would his decision be? At this point, he was the only one in the office, at least that was what he wanted to believe, who had information about this e-mail. Should he just forget it and pretend it never happened? That his eyes never scanned those seductive words? Or should he just confront her and get it out of the way? The inevitable.
Face it, Jess. You’re just as attracted to her as she is to you. What are you waiting for? Don’t kid yourself. Hotter than a fire hazard, huh?
Well this e-mail was an occupational health hazard—a potential career killer for him and for her. But not if he could help it. The million dollar question was—could he help it?
“Jess, I…” Alexa’s throat tightened as she sat finally uttering a word. “I’m so sorry.”
“Listen, I think we should just pretend it never happened. Got it?” His words spoke one thing but his body was saying something else. His erection tightened under his silky boxers. God, he wanted her. He wanted her badly. Now.
Alexa was caught off guard by his stoic manner. Was this worse than she thought?
Pretend it never happened?
The words echoed in her mind like a ghostly presence. If that wasn’t the ultimate insult. She immediately closed off emotionally.
Did he really find her to be that repulsive? All of a sudden, Alexa had no desire to be inches from Jess Tandon. Maybe he wasn’t really all that, after all.
Pretend it never happened? Her pulse roared with fury. She tried to quiet the fumes spreading within her soul. She wasn’t Miss America, but she wasn’t Misshapen, either!
Jess, knew there would be no other way to deal with the sexual urges between them than to just squash it there and then. He knew full well where this could potentially lead to and he most certainly wasn’t going there—again!
A quick look at her flushed face as if someone had reached out and slapped her across her beautiful features made him realize that perhaps he was a bit too harsh. But what else could he do? Tell her that he too had visions of them locked in a passionate embrace? And ruin his reputation, his future, his business? Risk another potential law suit? No way in hell. That was for damned sure!
But if he did the right thing then why in God’s name did he feel like hell? Why did he feel as if his own insides were ripping apart? A war was waging between his inner bad boy side and his corporate professional side. Because what he truly wished he had. What he really wanted was really inches away from him sitting in his office and he couldn’t or shouldn’t have her.
“Very well then, let’s get down to business, shall we? We need the Hot Spot Resort gig. I have a great plan I think Brea would go for.” Alexa fumbled through her files like a bag of bungled nerves but tried to remain business-like in her presentation. She didn’t need any crap. She was there for one thing. She could rise above the rejection, the humiliation. Maybe he was right after all, pretend it never freaking happened.
