Page 28 of Wolfish Player (Steamy Latte Reads Collection #2)

THE CEO

ADRIAN

“ C an you tell Miss Barrett to come see me, please?” I ask Theresa the moment I step into the office Monday morning. “I need to talk to her about something important.”

“She called in sick today. She sounded really bad.”

“She’s faking it.”

“Doubtful.” She eyes me curiously. “I saw her via FaceTime and she looked like shit.”

“She doesn’t have any sick leave…” I refuse to believe it. “She hasn’t been here long enough to earn any.”

“She’s using some of her paid time off via her perks,” she says. “She left me a stack of completed work, so if you tell me what you’re looking for, I can get it up here for you.”

“It’s a personal matter.”

“Don’t tell me you’re hounding her about her book again.” She crosses her arms. “You promised you wouldn’t.”

“It’s not that.”

“Then why would I care what she’s—” She stops mid-sentence, judging me with her eyes. “You didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?”

“Are you sleeping with her?”

Not anymore. “No.”

“You are!”

“I just said I wasn’t.”

“I can’t believe you!” She shakes her head. “Why would you ever do that with someone who works under you?”

“You’re still jumping to conclusions…”

“I know you, asshole.” She moves closer to me. “You’re going to cost this company the best junior exec we’ve ever had because you couldn’t keep it in your pants.”

“I’m about ten seconds away from firing you.”

“I’m unfireable.” She rolls her eyes. “It’s in our family’s contract, remember?”

“You can still be demoted or reassigned.”

“For finding out that you fucked one of your employees?” She glares at me. “Tell me it’s not true and I’ll drop it.”

I say nothing.

“Exactly.” She lets out a sigh. “Do you have a plan to make sure no one else finds out, and can you get her to sign an additional NDA for the future?”

I can’t even get her to pick up the phone. “I’ll handle it.”

“I’m telling Mom and Dad.”

“I dare you.” I glare at her. “Nothing has happened.”

“Yet.”

“You can walk away from me now.”

“Gladly.”