of the main boardroom. It’s soft, quiet and perfect, like classical music on a starry night, and stops me dead in my tracks. If I did nothing but stood on this spot for the rest of my life and listened to his voice, there would be no complaints.
A large, warm hand on my bottom and a hot whisper in my ear brings me back to earth with a crash.
‘If you’re going to be late then you’ll have to make up the time in other ways.’
My spine stiffens and every muscle in my body contracts.
Hunter .
His hand moves up to the small of my back and gently pushes me into forward motion, towards his office. Frozen and unable to think of anything to say or do, I walk in silence. Once inside the office, Hunter closes the door, then pushes me back against the wall and presses himself against me, one hand on my hip, the other on the back of my neck as he brings his face down to mine. His movement is so swift there’s little time to react.
‘Nice skirt, makes me want to rip it off you,’ he says as his lips engulf mine in a kiss that would make any other woman want to rip her own skirt off, but it turns my stomach as Aiden flashes through my mind.
I struggle to remove my lips from his and try to push him backwards so that there is enough space between us to allow me to breathe.
Hunter steps back, wounded.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ he says.
‘I, umm, don’t think we should be doing this in the office, that’s all,’ I reply.
‘You didn’t seem to mind the other night.’ He tilts his head toward the desk. ‘You had the time of your life on top of that desk, and that chair, and against that wall,’ he smirks.
Cue inward cringe. Right now I’d peel off my own skin if it meant cleansing myself of the feeling of Hunter’s hands and lips all over me, and God knows what else.
Time to put it into his own language.
‘What I meant is that you’d lose credibility if you were found to be acting inappropriately towards your assistant. A man in your position deserves respect, not Chinese whispers,’ I say.
He backs off and straightens his tie as he clears his throat. The smile on his face isn’t a sincere one, and to someone who didn’t know him well, it would pass as friendly. But I know him better than he realises, and can tell he is insulted at my rebuff. Oh well, he’ll get over it. There’s plenty more ego where that came from.
‘It’s not their respect I want, it’s their fear,’ he says, as he moves toward the desk to collect his iTablet.
‘I think you’ve already got that,’ I say, knowing it will boost his ego.
Hunter bursts into a wall-to-wall smile, a genuine one this time.
‘Yes, you’re right. They do fear me, and so they should. Let’s go and scare some more of them, shall we? I need to make a call first. Go in there and see what you can find out for me. You can use your bountiful charms to my benefit while you’re here.’
Schmuck .
I straighten my skirt and shirt before leaving his office and head for the boardroom towards Aiden’s voice. My heart sprints and my legs wobble in anticipation, as I pause out of his sight, but within hearing distance. I need a plan.
Listening to his voice, another teary surge hits me. How could anyone be so stupid as to cast a spell from the internet? What does it say about me that telling the truth wasn’t my first, or even second, choice?
His gentle voice has a harder edge to it now, perhaps this is his ‘work voice’. I have a ‘teacher’ voice with the kids, it reminds them that the boss is the woman who is slightly taller than them, and that they must pay attention to me. At the same time, it tells them that I love each and every one of them, and take enormous pride in being able to watch them grow and develop under my care. A little tear rolls down my cheek at the thought of everything that has been lost.
The sound of Aiden’s voice makes me want to break into a river of tears, but tears aren’t going to solve this situation.
Aiden’s
A large, warm hand on my bottom and a hot whisper in my ear brings me back to earth with a crash.
‘If you’re going to be late then you’ll have to make up the time in other ways.’
My spine stiffens and every muscle in my body contracts.
Hunter .
His hand moves up to the small of my back and gently pushes me into forward motion, towards his office. Frozen and unable to think of anything to say or do, I walk in silence. Once inside the office, Hunter closes the door, then pushes me back against the wall and presses himself against me, one hand on my hip, the other on the back of my neck as he brings his face down to mine. His movement is so swift there’s little time to react.
‘Nice skirt, makes me want to rip it off you,’ he says as his lips engulf mine in a kiss that would make any other woman want to rip her own skirt off, but it turns my stomach as Aiden flashes through my mind.
I struggle to remove my lips from his and try to push him backwards so that there is enough space between us to allow me to breathe.
Hunter steps back, wounded.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ he says.
‘I, umm, don’t think we should be doing this in the office, that’s all,’ I reply.
‘You didn’t seem to mind the other night.’ He tilts his head toward the desk. ‘You had the time of your life on top of that desk, and that chair, and against that wall,’ he smirks.
Cue inward cringe. Right now I’d peel off my own skin if it meant cleansing myself of the feeling of Hunter’s hands and lips all over me, and God knows what else.
Time to put it into his own language.
‘What I meant is that you’d lose credibility if you were found to be acting inappropriately towards your assistant. A man in your position deserves respect, not Chinese whispers,’ I say.
He backs off and straightens his tie as he clears his throat. The smile on his face isn’t a sincere one, and to someone who didn’t know him well, it would pass as friendly. But I know him better than he realises, and can tell he is insulted at my rebuff. Oh well, he’ll get over it. There’s plenty more ego where that came from.
‘It’s not their respect I want, it’s their fear,’ he says, as he moves toward the desk to collect his iTablet.
‘I think you’ve already got that,’ I say, knowing it will boost his ego.
Hunter bursts into a wall-to-wall smile, a genuine one this time.
‘Yes, you’re right. They do fear me, and so they should. Let’s go and scare some more of them, shall we? I need to make a call first. Go in there and see what you can find out for me. You can use your bountiful charms to my benefit while you’re here.’
Schmuck .
I straighten my skirt and shirt before leaving his office and head for the boardroom towards Aiden’s voice. My heart sprints and my legs wobble in anticipation, as I pause out of his sight, but within hearing distance. I need a plan.
Listening to his voice, another teary surge hits me. How could anyone be so stupid as to cast a spell from the internet? What does it say about me that telling the truth wasn’t my first, or even second, choice?
His gentle voice has a harder edge to it now, perhaps this is his ‘work voice’. I have a ‘teacher’ voice with the kids, it reminds them that the boss is the woman who is slightly taller than them, and that they must pay attention to me. At the same time, it tells them that I love each and every one of them, and take enormous pride in being able to watch them grow and develop under my care. A little tear rolls down my cheek at the thought of everything that has been lost.
The sound of Aiden’s voice makes me want to break into a river of tears, but tears aren’t going to solve this situation.
Aiden’s
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