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Pulling myself to my full height, I crossed my arms. “I do question you when you’re overworking me just so you can get ahead. That project was your direct responsibility.”
“Jesus Christ, I knew you’d be trouble. That’s why I don’t like hiring women. One day I can rely on you, the next one you’re PMSing and spouting shit. You’re here to do what I tell you. You’re not here to think.”
“This is employee harassment, Greg. HR will have a few things to say about this.”
He gave me a look full of contempt, as if he didn’t think I’d follow through.
“I have a phone conference that will last the entire afternoon. Forget about the education center and get to work.”
I left his office fuming. Fuming. But I wasn’t giving up. So the next day, I went into his office at 8:00 a.m. sharp.
“I thought I made myself clear yesterday,” he said when I brought up the subject.
“I have enough funding for this—”
“By using your personal assets. And then what?” Greg slammed a hand on his desk. “Jesus Christ, can you just put your emotions aside? I need you for other projects. This is the problem with you women. Emotions get in the way, and one can’t count on you anymore.”
I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. I’d always known Greg had a misogynistic streak, but this was... unacceptable.
“You’re way out of line, Greg.”
“So are you, disregarding my instructions. You answer to me.”
“You are my boss, yes, but this doesn’t mean I have to put up with insults. I have already contacted HR and filed a complaint.”
“You did what?”
“You thought you could just insult me and I would accept it?”
He pointed to the door. I breathed in through my nose, releasing the air through clenched teeth as I left his office, taking refuge into mine. I was a little stunned and a lot angry as I sat behind my desk. I couldn’t believe the nerve of him. The misogynistic bastard. I hadn’t slacked off in my other tasks in the slightest, and now he wanted me to give up the project even though it was feasible? Well, I refused to. Not when I was this close to seeing it through. But what if he fired me? I’d been with Three Emeralds for so long that I didn’t know what the alternative entailed.
Greg hadn’t had time to circle back to the topic, but as I headed to Will’s apartment later that day, I felt deflated. I hadn’t come up with a way to come to an agreement with Greg. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to anymore because I had another idea... a dangerous one.
Stepping inside Will’s apartment, I smiled when I smelled grilled steak. I hadn’t yet moved in with Will officially, but I hadn’t gone home since we’d returned from our vacation.
And could I say that living with this man was just the best thing ever? I mean, here I was, having a crappy day, and now my mood improved just at the sight of him cooking bare chested, wearing only jeans.
After kissing me deep and good, he scrutinized me, and I felt as if I was under a microscope.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
I told him quickly about Greg’s reaction. My insides clenched tight when I laid out my dangerous idea.
“So, I thought... I could quit and dedicate myself to opening up the education center. I’ve always been in charge of funding only, but I could oversee operations as well.”
I only realized after I’d said it out loud that this might sound as if I was taking advantage of him, or expecting things of him.
“I have savings, so I can live off them for a while. Then after I set it up and it runs smoothly, I’ll look for a new job.”
Will put his hands on my shoulders, his thumbs brushing the base of my neck.
“Paige, whatever you decide to do, I’m with you. I’m proud that you’re willing to go to these lengths. And if you don’t want to ever work again, that’s fine by me too. As you recently discovered, I’m loaded,” he said on a grin. “I can take good care of both of us.”
“No, no. I don’t want to be kept,” I assured him. I was doing an inner victory dance, because my gorgeous man had just made my evening.
And he currently seemed more interested in feeling me up than finishing dinner. Somehow, he’d backed me against the counter and was trailing kisses up and down my neck, twirling his tongue over my sweet spot until I was aching for him.
“Will... dinner,” I whispered weakly, and felt his lips form a smile against my skin.
