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I ignored her too, moving inside and slamming the door behind me. Montgomery didn’t seem startled in the least. In fact, he was cool as a cucumber, amused that I was standing in front of him with a nasty scowl on my face. The way his gorgeous eyes twinkled was just another thing to rile me. The closer I walked, the more his intense emerald green eyes drew me in. By the time I was standing a few feet away, I had a lump in my throat.
“I was ready to leave this place but was convinced that somewhere underneath all that rough and tumble take-no-shit kind of attitude there is a decent man. I’m honestly not sure about that. What you did to Joshua is reprehensible. If I stay, that kind of behavior will not be tolerated. Is that something you can understand, or do I need to write it down for you?” Why did he have to look so incredibly sexy? The two- or three-day stubble accentuated his full lips, adding shadows and contours to his sculpted features.
I allowed my gaze to fall from his crisp white shirt to his form-fitting black jeans, hating myself for staring the thick bulge between his legs. I had to get a damn grip. This was only about business and nothing else.
There was a smile curled across his lip as he studied me. “You must be Aspen Porter, my new employee. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to meet during the moments you were berating me for talking with my employee. I am Montgomery Wolfe and I own this entire establishment. I sign the checks. I am responsible for my employees. I say yes or no to keeping them. Period. I’m not certain you understand that scenario.”
The arrogance of the man just kept increasing. I inched closer and a wave of electricity hit me like a sledgehammer. There was so much heat resonating from his body that I found it impossible to breathe. “I understand the rules of business perfectly, Mr. Wolfe. I also know the requirements of state and federal mandates regarding how employees can be treated, and I assure you that does not include physical punishment of any kind. If you continue to engage in that wretched practice, I will turn you in myself.”
Now his eyes flared with the same kind of venom I’d seen before. “Again, this is my company, and I can do what I want when I want to.”
While he was right to a degree, that didn’t sit well with me. So, I reacted and knew almost immediately I was going to regret my impetuous actions.
I slapped him hard across the face.
A light flashed in front of my eyes as well as my career, or I should say hopeful career. I knew after this display of attitude I would be sent home without a blink of his breathtaking eyes. While I held my stance, acting as if I was righteous in performing the action, I was cringing inside, trembling to my toes. I don’t know what I expected him to do other than display his rage.
Instead, he took a deep breath, holding it for several seconds as he continued to tower over me. When he finally let it out, the heat splashed across my face, only further arousing me. My nipples were hard as tiny pebbles, and I could swear my panties were damp. From taking abuse from a savage man? I was losing it. This was no different than my previous life. I was such a damn fool.
Montgomery slipped around me, moving with purpose behind his desk. He opened a drawer, pulling out a paper file. As he flipped through the contents, I couldn’t have been more uncomfortable in my life. I recognized the document and hissed. Damn if he didn’t take his time, reading over the contract I’d signed.
My brain started working overtime, trying to remember every detail of the six-page document. Had I missed something important in my eagerness to transform my life? I was ready to lose the rest of my patience when he slowly lifted his head, a slight smirk forming on his face. He had a way of instantly pissing me off, dragging another round of fury to the forefront of my mind.
“Ms. Porter. It would seem that you and I have a problem.” His deep baritone was far too sultry, sweeping over me like the softest blanket, tickling every inch of my skin.
“And what exactly would that be?” I couldn’t believe I remained haughty, but I couldn’t seem to help myself or control my behavior around him. He seemed to bring out the fighter in me.
“You certainly don’t seem to understand authority.”
“I understand it just fine. What I don’t comprehend is your reason for being so… nasty.”
He chuckled under his breath, rubbing his jaw before staring down at a page in particular in the contract. “Whether or not you believe I’m being nasty is of no concern to me. I have a business to run, one that I’ve worked very hard to make successful over the last ten years.”
“You mean your father made successful.”
Montgomery opened his eyes wide, the smirk widening on his face. “Yes, you do your homework. Good for you. However, my point is that I refuse to allow anyone, especially a new employee to derail my achievements or my future plans.”
“While I can appreciate what you consider to be a strong work ethic, I think you’ve failed on several attempts during the last two years. Your profits are abysmal, your ratings tanking, and your employees are leaving in droves. That smells of a significant problem and while I might not know this industry, I am capable of analyzing a business situation. That’s what I’m good at. You are the problem, likely caused by your intense anger. That isn’t something I signed on for. I’m no psychiatrist and it’s obvious that you need one.”
Whether or not my statement riled or bothered him was impossible to determine. His face was hard as stone, his eyes becoming blackened pools, as if the man had no soul.
I could tell he was debating what to do with me and my skin began to crawl.
“You are one formidable woman, Ms. Porter. Anyone else talking to me in such an egregious manner would be fired instantly. However, it was obvious my business manager, who is also my attorney saw something in your qualifications that the winery needs. I’m going to accept his recommendation, allowing you to remain. I’m even going to boost your salary as well as allow you additional opportunities to make some of the changes you believe in.”
What?
Was the man serious? I couldn’t believe that this was some kind of crazy negotiation. He had to have a screw loose. “Okay. I’m not certain I understand.”
“If you’re wondering what the increase will be. I’ll double it if you can change the profit margin by five percent within three months.”
Five percent? I tried to do the math in my head. I realized he was challenging me with the goal in his mind that I wouldn’t accept failure. If I did, he’d not only be able to fire me, but he also wouldn’t be required to pay me the additional salary. “What’s the catch?”
“You mean other than you will likely fail?” He eased the contract down onto his desk, once again moving closer. With every step he took, I realized it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. There was an odd connection between us, a heightened level of electricity that almost refused to be denied.
But he wasn’t going to get under my skin. Not under any circumstances.
He smiled as he gazed down the length of me.
