She frowned. “Yes. Why does everyone find that so objectionable? There’s nothing wrong with taking an Uber.”
“It’s unsafe.”
She threw her hands in the air. “How is it any less safe than taking a taxi?”
“Taxi drivers are vetted.”
“Right, we both know that’s not always the case. Anyway, as I was telling you there was this man—”
“What man? Where?”
An exasperated breath popped out of her and she placed her hands on her hips, glaring up at him, her toe tapping a tune out on the thick carpet.
“If you’d let me finish, I’d tell you.”
Damn. How had he not seen this feisty side of her before? She always acted so professionally.
This was hot.
Back on track. Stop thinking about how hot she is. You’re firing her, remember?
It shouldn’t turn him on to have her scold him, and he couldn’t understand why it did. He normally preferred subs who were obedient, who followed his every word to the letter. Brats had never interested him.
“There was a man who pulled up when I was broken down and offered to have my car towed and fixed at his garage.”
“And you just let him?”
What was wrong with this girl? Was she totally naïve? How the hell had she survived as long as she had without someone taking advantage of her?
His hands clenched into fists at the thought.
“Well, it seemed like a good offer.”
“He’s likely stolen your car, taken it to a chop shop, and you’ll never see it again.”
“I could leave my car on the side of the road, keys in it, with a sign saying ‘take me’ on it and it would still be there in the morning,” she said dryly. “Trust me, no one in their right mind would steal that heap of junk.”
What kind of car was she driving around in? How was that safe? Why didn’t she have someone looking after her? Making certain she was safe?
“Why didn’t you call a family member?”
“Like whom?” She gaped at him as though that was a weird question.
“Like your dad. Don’t you have a dad?”
To his shock, she burst into laughter. “Do I not have a dad? Jeez, how to answer that? Yes, I have a dad, but he isn’t the sort of person you call when you’re in trouble.”
He didn’t like the sound of that.
“I didn’t have anyone to call who could help. But it took a while to, uh, negotiate getting my car to his garage. I did call and leave a message with Jenny, though. Didn’t she give it to you?”
“No, she didn’t.” He stalked over to the intercom system. “Jenny!”
“Yes, sir?”
The other woman’s silky voice grated on him for some reason. He’d seen the way she looked at him. Hungry.
Jenny walked into the room, her hips swaying. A predator looking for prey. Although her prey came in the form of a rich husband. Her dress was tight and way too short for a receptionist in a respectable law firm.
“What kind of outfit do you call that?” he snapped.
She faltered, giving him a surprised look. Then she glared over at Thea. He moved his gaze to Thea and caught her biting her lip in an attempt to hide her grin. Thought that was funny, did she?
Jenny had worked there for longer than Thea, but she didn’t spend much time on a day-to-day basis with him. She probably thought her overblown fake looks gave her some sort of protection against the lash of his tongue.
That would backfire on her.
“This is Prada.”
How the fuck did she afford Prada?
“I don’t care.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Why didn’t you give me the message from Thea?”
The other woman looked over at Thea with a triumphant look, obviously thinking she’d gained the upper hand. “I never got one.”
Thea gasped, an outraged sound. “Jenny, I spoke to you less than an hour ago.”
“It’s Jennifer,” she said coldly. “And I never got your message. Sir, could I get you something? Coffee? Tea?”
The me? was silent but definitely implied. His gaze narrowed in on her. “Pack up your shit. You’re fired.”
“W-what?” Her eyes flickered from Thea to him. “You can’t fire me! I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“You didn’t pass on an important message to me and you lied and said you didn’t receive that message. Grounds enough to be fired.”
“I’ll sue!”
“You do that. You’ll need to find a rich boy-toy to afford a lawyer, though, won’t you? Not sure how easy that’s going to be for you.”
“You-you asshole! How do you know she’s not lying?” She swung her hand at Thea. “Or is that because she’s fucking you? That gets her special treatment?”
He stared at Jenny. Just stared until she flinched under his unwavering, icy glare. “Get. Out. Now.”
The other woman turned and fled, steady on her heels.
“You do realize you’ve just fired the two women who know how to make your coffee the way you like it,” Thea pointed out dryly.
“You’re the only one who knows how to make my coffee properly. She puts too much creamer in it. And you’re unfired.”
He turned away.
“Just like that?”
“Just like that. Now, make me some coffee and then we’ll go over what I need from you this week.”
Sometimes she wished she didn’t need this job so much.
Most of the time she wished her boss wasn’t as gorgeous as he was. Or as forbidding. Because the man was glacial. He didn’t smile. He didn’t joke. He didn’t do warm or friendly. Except with clients. Then he was a very different man.
And if the gossipers around the water cooler were to be believed, he used to be warm. He used to be human.
Something had changed him. She had no idea what. And it wasn’t her business. But she wished she could go back in time and stop it from happening. Because seeing him smile . . . she’d bet it was a hell of a sight. She bet it was beautiful.
With a sigh, she prepared his coffee in the break room. She turned right as Jenny walked into the room. For once, she didn’t look perfectly put together. There was a smudge of mascara under one eye and a few pieces of hair had come free from her bun.
Thea might have felt bad that she’d lost her job if she hadn’t been gunning for her from the day she’d been hired.
“I know you’re fucking him,” Jenny stated harshly. “That’s the only reason he’d hire you. Although what he sees in a fat whore like you is beyond me. You should just fuck off back to the filthy gutter you crawled up out of, slut.”
“Well, well, what is going on in here?”
The voice was deep. Commanding. With a Texan drawl. She nearly dropped the cup of coffee she held. That was all she needed. To burn herself with hot coffee. One burn was enough, thanks. Or worse, stain her clothes. It took her a long time to find this outfit. She didn’t want it ruined.
She gulped as she looked over Jenny’s shoulder to the man who stood there. He looked like sin dressed in jeans and a button-up, plaid shirt.
Jenny sneered at him. “Who are you? And what are you doing back here? This is for employees only.”