Page 6 of Forbidden Boss

He doesn’t smile or soften in any way. “See that it doesn’t.”

He gestures to the chair in front of his desk, and I force myself to cross the room on shaky legs. Sitting down, I try to focus on the sleek lines of the office, the papers neatly stacked on his desk, the view beyond the windows. Anywhere but him.

“This is what I expect from you,” he says, his tone clipped, businesslike. “You’ve been hired as a forensic accountant. That means you will review our financial records, trace discrepancies, and report findings directly to me. I want every detail, every cent accounted for. Do you understand?”

I nod quickly, pulling a notepad from my bag as if writing could anchor me, but the words blur on the page. All I can hear is the echo of his voice from two nights ago, low and rough in my ear as he told me he wanted me. All I can see is the way he’d braced himself over me, his eyes dark with heat. My cheeks burn.

His gaze flicks up from his papers, sharp and knowing. He studies me for a long moment, his eyes narrowing slightly, and I realize he sees right through me.

“You’re distracted,” he says.

“I’m not,” I lie, my pen trembling in my hand.

His voice cuts through me, cold as steel. “We had sex. It’s not a big deal. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. If you want to keep this job, get over it.”

The words hit like a slap. I sit frozen, my chest tight, humiliation clawing up my throat.

He doesn’t care. To him, it was nothing. I’m just another forgettable encounter in a sea of apparently many others.

I force myself to nod, press my lips together, and hold back the sharp retort that threatens to spill out. I need this job. It’s everything I worked for. I can’t afford to throw it away over some dick who’d given me one good orgasm.

“Good,” he says, already looking back down at the files on his desk. “Then we understand each other. You’ll find your office down the hall. Ms.Clarke will get you set up.”

He dismisses me.

I turn toward the door, desperate to escape the weight of his presence, the cold burn of his words. As I reach for the handle, he speaks again, his tone even colder.

“I don’t mix business with pleasure, Ms.Gonzales. Remember that.”

I don’t answer. How can I? I slip out of the office, my heart pounding, my stomach twisting, shame and anger warring inside me.

Ms. Clarke shows me to my office and leaves me to it.

I shut the door and lean against it, pressing my palm over my chest. I need to get myself together before I dissolve completely.

I dig my phone out of my bag with trembling fingers.

Susie picks up on the second ring. “Are you running the whole place yet, rockstar?”

“Susie,” I groan, sinking into the chair at my desk. “You’re not going to believe this.”

“Try me.” Her voice is light, teasing, as if she already expects some kind of dramatic story.

I clutch the phone tighter. “The guy I hooked up with the other night is the CEO,” I say shakily, still trying to make sense of it myself.

There’s a beat of silence, then a gasp that nearly blows out my eardrum. “No.Way. Shut up. You’re joking.”

“I wish I was.” I bury my face in my free hand.

“Oh, my God, Mari.” She’s laughing now, the kind of laugh that bubbles up and refuses to stop. “That is legendary.”

“It’s not legendary. It’s a disaster.” My voice cracks as I try to keep it low. “He’s so cold, Susie. He acted like it was nothing.”

Her laughter softens, turning into the sympathetic tone I know so well. “Sweetie, of course he did. He’s a man. They all think they have to act like assholes to stay in control. But you’re letting him get in your head. If he really didn’t care, he wouldn’t have said anything at all.”

I shake my head, staring at the blank screen of my computer. “No, you don’t get it. He was awful. He looked right at me and told me I wasn’t the first and I wouldn’t be the last. That I should just get over it if I want to keep this job. It was humiliating.”

“Then quit.” Her words are casual, but the suggestion hits me hard. “Seriously. You’re brilliant, Mari. You could get another job tomorrow. You don’t have to put up with some arrogant prick treating you like trash.”