Page 7 of The Naughty List

Had to be her. I’m always careful to keep my distance.

Her gaze skitters across the room. “She had a tacky shirt on, Jonah,” she mumbles. “There was an excessive amount of glitter involved in her outfit.”

I throw my hands up. “She’s a stripper, Hollis. What the hell do you care what she wears? More importantly, since when is my personal life any of your business? Now, imagine if it actuallywas.”

At this, her head snaps up and she’s close enough to reach out and touch.

“Jonah X,” she says in a mocking tone I don’t appreciate. “Your personal life is a wreck. Youneedme. I can help you. The WDA runs like a machine. But outside of here, you forget to pick up your dry cleaning, forget to buy dog food, and can’t remember any of the names of the women you go out with.”

“I’m not exactly sending them Christmas cards, Hollis.”

“Maybe you should.”

I let out an annoyed groan. “Guilt tripping me already. Definitely not something I need from an assistant on a daily basis.”

The truth was, those women all came at me. And they all asked for the same thing.

One night. No strings attached.

I gave them what they wanted and had a good time in the process.

It was a win-win.

Her eyes narrow as if she can read my thoughts. “Fine. Who’d you give the job to then?”

“Elaine’s nephew. Dalton.”

Hollis crosses her arms over her chest. I do my best not to glance at the ample cleavage this produces. “Dalton, whose past work experience includes pizza delivery boy and male hand model?”

I nod. “He’s a smart enough kid.”

Smart enough to be an errand boy anyway.

She purses her mouth in this way she has, like she’s sucking her cheeks in and biting them.

Taking a deep breath, allowing myself one last inhale of her sweet scent, I step around my desk and move toward my chair.

“It’s nothing personal, Hollis. There are just parts of being my assistant I’d rather you not be privy to. That’s all.”

“Why?”

I don’t respond and she comes closer. Right into the danger zone of my personal space where I work hard never to let her enter.

“Tell me the truth, Jonah. Why am I only good enough to handle some parts of your life? Don’t you trust me?”

I trust her. Maybe too much.

“I do trust you, Hollis. I just don’t want you to see…”

This shouldn’t be this hard. I don’t want to go into detail but I don’t want her to quit. Meeting her halfway, I touch her chin, tilting it so she’s looking me directly in the eyes.

She’s not backing down and I don’t have a solid argument for why I won’t at least consider her for the job. Honesty is all I have at this point.

“You’re the best thing in my life, Hollis. The one good, pure, wholesome thing. I don’t want to ruin you. And believe me, seeing all the inner-workings of my life definitely would.”

Neither of us moves, we just hold our intense stare. My heart beats harder, thundering loudly through my skull.

“Ruin me, Jonah,” she breathes. “Pretty please. I want you to.”