Of all the things Tara stored in the attic to make it to the top, it's her personal life she misses the most. That is, until she starts a steamy affair with sex god Aidan, her direct report. Interoffice relationships with a subordinate can mean the end of a career, and when Richard finds out, it's the perfect opportunity to take his high-heeled nemesis out, especially since he's still nursing a grudge against Tara for rejecting him years ago.
But Tara's increasingly domineering lover has his own dark secrets, endangering more than just her career. As her liaison spirals out of control, salvation will come from the man she always thought she hated, and perhaps the only one to truly understand her.
I turned and saw an impeccable suit and a sarcastic grin on the face of its owner. I stood up straight and gritted my teeth.
“Richard,” I hissed. “Have you spoken to your shrink yet? Why are you here?”
“The shrink gave up on me long ago.” He smirked. “I enjoyed your presentation. I almost forgot how inspiring you could be. Nice job. Wanna invite me as a guest speaker next time?”
“Is there a reason you came to listen to a Women’s Network event?”
“Why not? You wouldn’t want to exclude me just because I’m a man, would you?”
“No, I’d want to exclude you because you’re a jerk,” I countered and instantly regretted it, seeing his turned up lips and a smile soaked with sarcasm. Calling my “partner” a jerk wasn’t exactly what I’d call professional, but it was Richard, and I’d had a stressful day.
“By the way,” he said, “How come you aren’t married with two point five kids by now?”
I glared at him. “I chose not to. Why aren’t you?”
He folded his arms across his chest and slanted against the wall. “If you insist on rejecting me, I can always marry a twenty-year-old ten years from now.”
I advanced toward him, hands on hips. Of course, he never failed to turn our chat into utter travesty. “A twenty-year-old? How predictable.”
He smiled, and I hated that smile. It reminded me of him trying to pursue me during the training program when he thought I’d never say no to his less-than-smooth pickup techniques, which I knew he used on another girl that same evening.
Luckily, we heard footsteps, sparing us the continuation of our verbal insults, which would’ve likely lead us to lose our tempers, raise our voices, and turn the conversation into something else entirely. Briefcase fights. We’ve resorted to those. I hit him with my red purse in the midst of a passionate argument, forgetting it had my laptop. Richard survived; my laptop didn’t.
“Richard,” I hissed. “Have you spoken to your shrink yet? Why are you here?”
“The shrink gave up on me long ago.” He smirked. “I enjoyed your presentation. I almost forgot how inspiring you could be. Nice job. Wanna invite me as a guest speaker next time?”
“Is there a reason you came to listen to a Women’s Network event?”
“Why not? You wouldn’t want to exclude me just because I’m a man, would you?”
“No, I’d want to exclude you because you’re a jerk,” I countered and instantly regretted it, seeing his turned up lips and a smile soaked with sarcasm. Calling my “partner” a jerk wasn’t exactly what I’d call professional, but it was Richard, and I’d had a stressful day.
“By the way,” he said, “How come you aren’t married with two point five kids by now?”
I glared at him. “I chose not to. Why aren’t you?”
He folded his arms across his chest and slanted against the wall. “If you insist on rejecting me, I can always marry a twenty-year-old ten years from now.”
I advanced toward him, hands on hips. Of course, he never failed to turn our chat into utter travesty. “A twenty-year-old? How predictable.”
He smiled, and I hated that smile. It reminded me of him trying to pursue me during the training program when he thought I’d never say no to his less-than-smooth pickup techniques, which I knew he used on another girl that same evening.
Luckily, we heard footsteps, sparing us the continuation of our verbal insults, which would’ve likely lead us to lose our tempers, raise our voices, and turn the conversation into something else entirely. Briefcase fights. We’ve resorted to those. I hit him with my red purse in the midst of a passionate argument, forgetting it had my laptop. Richard survived; my laptop didn’t.
❤️ To be released June 23 ❤️
Although on some days she is much more successful at managing her life than on the others, she still claims that she doesn’t want it any other way.
Katerina is represented by Sharon Belcastro from Belcastro Agency, and has a contract with Lachesis Publishing, who will be publishing her Romantic Suspense novel Under the Scrubs.
Facebook is in no way associated with this giveaway
Facebook is in no way associated with this giveaway
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