In The Boss's Bed

Before he could stop himself, tell himself that it was a bad idea, Jamie picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number.

* * *

CURLED UP ON the couch with a wool blanket over her legs, Maya settled in after she reached for her bowl of popcorn. She didn’t care what Abby thought. Curling up on the couch and binge-watching Netflix was fun. All the fun I need, in fact. She queued up the next episode of Orange Is the New Black and sat back, letting the plush couch cuddle her in a way that no man would ever know how.

Jamie Sellers might know how, she conceded. The man looked as wicked as sin, and those strong arms she’d felt wrap around her, and those delicious lips she’d touched with her own, would certainly know how to hold and caress all of the most sensitive parts of her body.

Realizing that she had been lost in thoughts of Jamie Sellers and not paying attention to the beginning of the episode, she stopped to rewind it when her phone rang. She picked it up to look at the screen and frowned when she didn’t recognize the number as she brought it to her ear. “Hello?” she mumbled through a mouthful of popcorn.

“Is this Maya Connor?” a masculine voice that she knew, but couldn’t place, rumbled into her ear and throughout her body.

“Um, yes.” Try as she might, she couldn’t place the familiar voice.

“Hi, this is Jamie Sellers.”

What? She choked slightly as she swallowed her popcorn with her now-dry throat. “Oh, hello.”

“Well, this might seem like it’s coming out of nowhere.” Now it was Jamie’s turn to hesitate. He cleared his throat. “And I’m sorry to bother you at home. I got your number from Dr. Carmichael. But I recall you saying you didn’t yet have a job lined up after graduation.”

“Yes, that’s right.” She furrowed her brow and pulled her lip between her teeth. What is this? Why is he calling?

“Well, I was wondering if you would consider coming to work for me.”

What? “I’m sorry?”

“My assistant just quit, and I’m getting buried with more work than I can manage with each passing day. And I know it’s not a post-graduate-level job and you’re probably overqualified for it, but I’m being straightforward, working for me would provide you with a stepping-stone in your career path. I could give you some great work experience and introduce you to some important people.”

He was right. While she hadn’t counted on doing the work of an assistant after she graduated, working for Jamie Sellers would be a golden opportunity she couldn’t turn down. Her thoughts turned to the stack of job ads that she had printed, waiting for her on her desk. And then she pictured the faces of the twenty-seven other people in her graduating class, all of whom would be vying for the same jobs in a matter of weeks. Maya could guarantee that none of them currently had Jamie Sellers on the phone offering them a position.

“So how about it?”

“I’m still in school.” She closed her eyes, hoping he wouldn’t change his mind and hire someone who was actually available right away. “I still have finals.”

“That’s fine. I understand that. We can work around your class and exam schedule until you finish up. I’m just afraid that if I wait much longer, I’ll be buried alive in stacks of paper,” he chuckled, before pausing. “So, you’ll do it?”

Maya remained silent.

“Ms. Connor?”

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Shock had her sitting up straight, eyes wide. So, she took a deep breath, confident that her life was about to change. “I’ll do it, Mr. Sellers. Thank you for the opportunity.”

Jamie breathed a sigh. Was he holding his breath? “That’s great, you won’t regret it. Why don’t you call me back tomorrow morning, anytime between 9:00 and 12:00 would be great. You can talk to my secretary, Mary. She’ll be expecting your call and she’ll get your information and find a convenient time for you to come in for a face-to-face.”

* * *

A FEW DAYS LATER, Maya sat in the waiting area of Jamie’s office. She drummed her nails on her thigh and thought about how quickly her life was changing. In just a few days she would finally be finished with her degree. After years of hard work just to put some letters after her name, being so close to the end felt incredible. Maya Connor, MBA. To top it all off, she would be skipping the grueling cycle of résumé writing and job interviews to start her career right out of the gate as Jamie Sellers’s assistant.

Sitting outside Jamie’s office, about to start her career, was exciting. She had been surprised when she was told to meet him at Swerve Nightclub. The evening that she’d kissed him, she had caught a final glimpse of him, as he climbed the stairs, but she’d had no idea that those stairs led to the swanky, upscale, trendy offices and waiting room that the space above the club boasted. The large panels of glass, most likely double-sided and definitely soundproofed, looked down on the club, and she could see it all from a different perspective. From the vantage point of her chair in Jamie’s waiting room, she was brought back to the night she and Abby had been here. She could see the booth where she and Abby had sat and the dance floor where they had gyrated and swayed the night away. She saw the bar where she had kissed Jamie. She flushed slightly at the memory. She wondered whether or not he looked out those windows at her after he disappeared up the stairs. Of course not, she scolded herself. Don’t be ridiculous, Maya.

She covertly sneaked glances at Mary, the somewhat older, but still quite beautiful, receptionist behind the desk. She was perfectly coifed, styled and polished within an inch of her life. Of course she was. Jamie Sellers’s office gatekeeper could only be the pinnacle of style and grace.

She thought about Jamie’s reputation. It’s not like she had Googled him, but—okay, she’d Googled him. A quick search had revealed many news stories. Well, mostly postings on Montreal Secrets, in which he was reputed to have bedded all sorts of famous, glamorous and beautiful women.

Maya looked down and took in her own suit. A gray jacket and slim pants and a white blouse paired with some killer dark red heels which normally made her feel like a million bucks. She thought the ensemble was stylish and had always felt comfortable in it. However, next to Mary she felt bland and boring. She sighed quietly and consulted her watch, while her left leg twitched up and down—a nervous tic she had been scolded about since childhood.

Maya was nervous. She knew that she was overqualified for the job, but a small part of her thought that maybe, just maybe, she had been hired because she kissed him. Had her parents been right? Had he hired her because he thought she would be easy access for a little afternoon delight in the office? I mean, he probably thinks I’m some easy girl who wouldn’t think twice about lifting her skirt for her boss. Her nerves somehow turned to anger. How dare he? Well, I’m here to work, and if he’s just looking for some office sidepiece to fill his needs, if that’s what he thinks I’ll be, he’s wrong. I’ll show him just how hard I can work as his assistant.

“Jamie’s running a little late this morning,” Mary told her, interrupting her thoughts. “He shouldn’t be much longer.”

“Thank you,” she responded with a small smile, grateful for the break from her thoughts.

“Can I get you anything? Some espresso or sparkling water?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.”

Something buzzed on Mary’s desk. She touched a button on her headset. “Certainly, Jamie. She’ll be right in.” She turned to Maya. “You can go in now.”

Maya stood and brushed imaginary lint from her pants and jacket. “Thank you.” She pushed through the heavy door. And with her heart pounding against the inside of her chest, she walked slowly into the large office. She took in her surroundings and she was astounded by what she saw—a seating area with a sleek leather couch and armchair, a wet bar with a small selection of premium alcoholic beverages and a kitchenette with an espresso machine. One large window showed the city skyline for miles.

“Oh, wow, what a view,” she spoke softly, to herself.

He was seated at his desk, his face obscured as he looked down at some documents. His dark hair was shiny from the sunlight that was pouring in. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t even register her appearance in his office until she was standing in front of the desk. His head rose and she was hit with that face once again, making her gasp a little. His light blue eyes, high cheekbones, straight nose and that strong square jaw which seemed to be perpetually covered with a five o’clock shadow, even at ten in the morning, all combined to send her uncontrollable hormones into a tizzy.

“Ms. Connor,” he said with a smile before standing to shake her hand. “Thanks for accepting my offer and for coming in today.”

“Thank you so much for the opportunity.”

He smiled again, his white teeth glistened. “Please sit down. I’ll just go through the details of the job and expectations, and then you can head over to HR to get settled away with your compensation and other personnel details.”

Maya relaxed when he started talking about the job. Of course, he would be professional. He didn’t hire her to be his personal bedmate. He was a businessman, after all. He passed over documents and folders and explained what each one was. She nodded, attempting to keep it all straight in her head.

“If it feels like too much right now, you’ll get it in time.”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks,” she told him, balancing the files in her arms. “I do better when there’s a heavy workload, or a tight deadline.”

“Not a bad quality in someone working for me,” he said. “We’ve got quite a few balls in the air right now.”

“Well, I can’t wait to start,” she said, smiling over the reams and reams of paper that she held in her arms.

When it seemed as if he was done discussing the workload, he hesitated. He breathed deeply and sat on the corner of his desk, closest to her, and his voice got lower. “And, Maya, just so we’re clear, I hired you because of the recommendation that came from Dr. Carmichael and your desire to work in hotel management. It didn’t have anything to do with us kissing.” He averted his gaze, as if he were nervous. Did she make him nervous? “But, let me be firm. That’s not the type of organization I run here. I feel that relationships between coworkers can only lead to disaster. And nothing like that can ever happen between us again.”

Maya breathed a sigh of relief. After hearing him lay out his position on their kiss, she was certain that he hired her for her professional attributes. She could do this. She could do this if they promised to keep it professional. She nodded. “It absolutely will not happen again. I wish I could take that kiss back. I really do. Thank you for the opportunity, Jamie. You won’t regret it.”

“I know I won’t,” he said, smiling at her.

* * *

HE ALREADY REGRETTED IT.

After he had sent her off to the human resources department, Jamie sighed and rubbed his hands through his dark hair. What was I thinking hiring her? The short time she had been in his office, he found it impossible to think of anything but how her black hair shimmered, the smell of her perfume, her sharp eyes, her smile. How could he be expected to get any work done with her sitting in his office, day in and day out?

Since the night that she’d kissed him, she was all he had been able to think about. All he wanted to do was kiss her again. To feel her hair in his hands. To rip that amazing-looking suit from her body and to feel her soft skin against his own. He groaned in frustration. Well, she’s here now. You’ve got to make it work somehow, Sellers.

Steeling himself, he made a decision and pounded his fist on his desk. I’ll just do my work. Stay busy. Ignore her. That’s the only way this is going to work, and we’ve got to keep this professional. It wouldn’t be hard to do. He regarded the stacks of paper in front of him and the phone messages that Mary had just given him. He puffed his cheeks and quickly blew out the air that he had been holding in his lungs. All right now. Pull it together.

Jamie’s attention was drawn to the door when he heard a hesitant knock. He smiled, knowing he didn’t have any appointments lined up at the moment. So it must have been Maya, returning from the human resources department. He pictured her on the other side, biting her lip, not wanting to enter without permission, but needing to enter and not knowing what to do. He pushed himself away from his desk and walked to the door. He pulled it open and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Maya standing there, holding yet another folder that the human resources department had given her.

“Hi,” she said quietly. “I didn’t want to disturb you. Mary is at lunch and I didn’t want to barge in.”

He chuckled and moved aside so she could enter. “Maya, this is your office, as well.” He ushered her in. “I hope it works for you. I like to keep my right-hand man, uh, w-woman,” he stammered, “close by. But don’t feel the need to knock, just come on in. If there’s something going on for which I need privacy, I’ll just use the conference room down the hall.”

Maya nodded. “Sounds good.” She walked to her own desk to address her own stack of files. Jamie noted how much brighter she made his office. It was nice having another person around in the large room again. She looked up at him and smiled brightly. “So, where should I start?”

Jamie found himself staring. He shook his head to clear the fogginess she made him feel. He dealt with the unwelcome distraction the only way he knew how, by focusing on business. “I need you to go over the contractors’ quotes for work on the premier Swerve Hotel opening here in the city.”

“Sounds good,” she said pleasantly, though her eyes narrowed at his newly curt tone. She shrugged and located the particular folder she needed and opened it, starting her own work.

* * *

MAYA SAT QUIETLY at her own desk all afternoon. She could feel the tension rolling from his side of the office. At first, she wondered if it had something to do with her. Had she done something to displease him? She racked her brain thinking of everything that she had done or said. He never looked up from his desk, unless to ask her a specific question about her work or to answer one of hers. He barely acknowledged her existence. At first, his dismissal of her played on her mind. She thought that they were building a friendly relationship, with the easy conversation that they had shared earlier. But his new treatment of her shook her confidence.

It was when she watched him drag his hands through his dark hair, for probably the hundredth time that afternoon, she frowned. Why are you so freaking sensitive? She scolded herself. This isn’t about you. This guy obviously has a lot going on right now, and he doesn’t have time to play nice with you, chatting all day. He hired you to do a job. So do it, Maya.

Her eyes still on him, she watched him tent his long fingers in front of his face, obviously deep in thought. He grabbed a pen and scribbled furiously on a pad of yellow legal paper in front of him, apparently caught by a moment of inspiration.

Watching him at work, she smiled. Jamie Sellers was an impossibly good-looking man. Once again she was brought back to the night when, at the nightclub below them, she had kissed him in one of the most impulsive moments of her life. Her lips tingled and desire flushed throughout her body. Every time she thought about that kiss she had a similar reaction. But if she hoped to concentrate on anything at all this afternoon she needed to stop. Shaking herself free of the thoughts, she sighed.

Her sigh was a little too loud, as it caught Jamie’s attention. He gazed over at her. His steel-blue eyes seemingly looking into her. “Everything okay?”

Caught off guard, she stammered a little. “Uh, yeah, sorry. I think I just need a cup of coffee.” She recovered quickly, gesturing to the espresso machine in the kitchenette.

“Help yourself,” he said, looking back down at his paperwork. “Do you know how to use one of those?”

“Yeah, my parents have one just like it.” She stood. “Do you want anything?”

“Just so we’re clear, your job isn’t to get me coffee. I can get my own coffee,” he told her, brow furrowed. “But, yeah sure, if you don’t mind.” He smiled. “A double espresso, no sugar or anything would be great. Thank you.”

* * *

BY THE EVENING, Jamie found himself seated at the bar of the club downstairs. He watched Trevor dry the glasses he had just pulled from the washer with a microfiber cloth. Jamie smiled at the attention to detail. Neither man could abide serving glasses that had dried water spots on them.

“You all right, man?” Trevor asked him while he worked.

Jamie shoved his hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

“How’s the new assistant working out?” he asked with a smirk.

Jamie regarded Trevor carefully. He obviously knew that he had hired Maya. “She’s working out just fine,” he answered with a curt nod.

“Can I get you a Coke?”

Jamie shook his head. “Not today. I will have a finger of the Aberfeldy 21, though. Neat.”

Raising a questioning eyebrow, Trevor reached for one of their finest scotches. “Sure, friend.” He reached for the bottle at the top of the display and carefully poured out a serving. “That’s a strange order for you. You don’t normally drink at all, let alone here. What’s up?”

“Why does anything need to be up?” he demanded.

“Jamie, you’re a creature of habit, some might think you’re bordering on workaholic. So, what exactly is going on here?” He leaned on the bar to come face-to-face with Jamie. “Does it have anything to do with the beautiful new assistant you hired? I heard her name is Maya Connor. Funny, that happens to be the name of the woman who kissed you right here at the bar not long ago, is it not?”

Jamie threw back the scotch and swallowed it in one gulp. Normally, he would have enjoyed sipping such a decadent spirit, but right then he needed the fortification. “Yeah,” he sighed, the scotch burning a pleasant trail down his throat and into his stomach. “Even though you already seem to know, it is her.”

He proceeded to tell Trevor about their encounter in Dr. Carmichael’s class and him offering her the job. “And for the love of God, could you please keep that kiss on the down-low,” he whispered and leaned in. “I don’t want anyone getting ideas about why she was hired.”

“It’s nobody’s business, but why did you hire her?”

Jamie was silent for a moment. Why had he hired her? He wanted to say that it was strictly professional. That he knew she would be a competent assistant and nothing more. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell his friend that. So he went with the partial truth. “She came highly recommended by Dr. Carmichael, and I trust his opinion,” he said with a wave. “What happened here that night is just a wacky coincidence. She told me that it was a dare. Her friend Abby was trying to get her to be a little wilder, so she dared Maya to kiss me. That’s all. That’s the story.”

“Uh-huh.” Trevor stood straight, clearly unconvinced, and gestured to the empty glass Jamie had slammed down on the bar. “So, why the drink?”

“Why can’t I have a drink in my own club?” he angrily defended himself. “I have to head back upstairs for a conference call soon, and I just wanted a quick break to relax a little. Is that okay with you?”

Trevor smiled at his friend’s outburst. “It’s fine, dude. If anyone needs to relax a little, it’s clearly you.”

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