Page 83 of Bossy Wicked Prince

I take a deep breath in and out before I answer.

“I have no comment. But I better not hear that you’re harassing my employees with baseless accusations. Their personal lives aren’t any of your business.”

“I’ve already emailed the assistant in question,” Cutter says. “A Caitlin Daniels. I’m eager to hear her response. Maybe you want to comment first, before she can?”

My blood feels like ice in my veins. I know exactly what will happen if Cat reads that email. She’ll blame herself and end upconsumed with guilt, even though she did nothing wrong. If it gets bad enough, she might even end up having another panic attack.

“No comment,” I tell Cutter before hanging up on him.

I tap my foot as I figure out what the fuck I’m going to do next. I’ll probably have to pull in my publicist, and I’ll have to speak to the board. But right now, only one thing matters.

I have to stop Cat from reading that email.

I press the button on my phone that connects to her desk speaker. “Miss Daniels, could you please hold all calls.”

“Yes, sir,” comes her quick reply.

I tap the intercom again. “And could I see you in my office?”

“Be right there,” she says. I don’t sense any worry or panic in her tone. Maybe I’m in luck. She might not have read it yet.

My fingers fly over my keyboard as I open administrative access to UPS emails. A few seconds later, I’m viewing Cat’s emails. I scan through them, looking for Cutter’s name. When I finally see it, my stomach drops.

It’s already been opened.

Then Cat appears in the doorway, her already pale face as white as printer paper.

She’s read it.

“Close the door, Cat,” I say in a low voice.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” She looks over her shoulder. “I don’t want people to talk.”

“Just do it,” I growl.

Nodding, she closes the door gently behind her. She takes a seat in front of my desk, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. It sets my nerves on edge. I wish she would look at me or give me some signal that she’s okay. That this hasn’t killed us already.

I school my face into a neutral expression. I won’t lie to her, but I don’t want to make her panic unnecessarily. “I spoke with a reporter a minute ago. I know he emailed you, as well.”

“Yes.” Her voice sounds painfully small.

“It’s important to remember that we don’t know all the facts yet. We know that he’s working on a story, and he has some idea that something’s happening between you and me. We don’t know if he has any proof, or if he’s even close to publishing. We don’t have to rush to action.”

She lets out a bitter laugh. “Don’t we? Nate, this is bad.”

I swallow as a lump forms in my throat. “Not necessarily. We’ll talk to my publicist. We can spin this.”

“You should never have hired me. I’m a waitress who didn’t finish college. Nothing made me qualified to do this job. If they know we have a personal relationship, that makes you look bad.” She still won’t look at me. Her hands are clenched into tight fists in her lap.

“I hired you because I thought you could do the job.”

“And I can. Iam.I know I’m a good assistant, Nate. That doesn’t change what it looks like. It looks like you abused your power and used company resources to get laid.”

I cringe. Hearing Cat say it out loud feels like a dagger to my chest. I hate that anyone would think our relationship was tawdry or cheap, when what I feel for Cat is so much more.

But is it true? I was definitely attracted to Cat before I hired her. Did I really offer her the job, hoping it would help our relationship turn into something more?

My mind immediately shuts the idea down. Yes, I liked Cat before I hired her. But at the time, I thought I would have more self-control. She needed a job, and I knew she’d handle the workload better than my last few assistants. I was right about that. Cat is organized, driven, hardworking, and a team player. She’s an exceptional assistant.