Page 7 of Big & Bossy

The sound of my name coming from her lips made my skin crawl in the best possible way, made my heart skip a beat in my chest. “No, I’m not,” I admitted. I chose my words carefully, my tone carefully, to come across as strongly as I could. “Truthfully, I wanted to speak to you alone first because I want to ensure that you’re going to be professional about us working together.” And I just wanted to see you alone after ten years of hiding from you.

“Oh. Absolutely not.” She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms against her chest. “If you’re going to force me to be around you then I will be actively trying to make your life a living hell.”

“I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t do that,” I snarled, keeping my voice as even as I could.

“God, you sound like an old man. What happened to you? Did abandoning me in the middle of the night age you by thirty years?”

I steeled my jaw as I forced myself to look away from her. I deserved that. “I’m doing my best to be level-headed here, Miranda. Level-headed and professional.”

“Was it professional to call me up and tell me that you know I’m broke and making me come to some ridiculous, unnecessary meeting?”

“Was it professional to undress in your future boss’s office?” I snapped back.

Mandy’s face went red, whether from embarrassment or irritation, I had no idea. “If we’re going to work together, Mr. Big, you will not be my boss. You’ll be my equal.”

“Mr. Big?” I scoffed, my jaw nearly twitching from restraining the urge to clench it. “Don’t fucking call me that. Call me by my name. You said it two minutes ago. And as for me being your boss, that is absolutely the case.”

“If you’re going to try to boss me around then this entire thing is doomed from the start,” she quipped. “I’m not going to listen to you. All pink interiors are what you wanted, right? Top to bottom, pink carpets, pink tile, pink paint, pink desks?—”

“Enough.” This wasn’t going how I wanted, not at all, but I suppose that was on me. “You will be professional. You will listen to me when I give orders. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal, Mr. Big,” she hissed through her teeth, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “Doesn’t mean I’ll actually do what you say. But I will listen.”

Irritation boiled in my blood as I shoved myself up on my feet, my hands planted on the desk in front of me. I leaned toward her, my muscles flexed, my temperature rising. “Miranda Littleson, I will be your fucking boss. You will accept that. You will deal with whatever that means for you if you want to keep this contract and your goddamn business afloat. What I say goes. Do you understand me?”

Wide eyes met mine as she watched me loom over her. “Yes.”

“Fucking perfect. Now get back to the meeting room before I change my mind.”

I watched her practically scurry from my office. I needed a moment alone, I needed time to collect myself.

This wasn’t going to plan.

She made me lose all sense of composure.

I didn’t know how to act.

I was being far too harsh on her.

I was cornered.

I didn’t want to do it this way. I wanted her to want this. But I was doing what needed to be done, right?

No. You’re being an ass, Jackson.

I sighed as I collapsed in my chair. I was being an ass. I needed to tone it down before she walked away for fucking good, her own business be damned.

I needed to win her back.

Chapter 4

Mandy

My head felt too heavy, too bogged down with whatever the hell had just happened.

All I could do was stare at the clock and watch the second hand move, listening to the seconds tick away. That was somehow louder in my mind than the words coming from Harry’s mouth, though the incessant clicking of Jackson’s pen one chair over managed to seep through the fog plaguing my ears.

I could still feel the warmth in my cheeks from what had happened in his office—the embarrassment of being caught without my shirt, the anger from his threats, the disappointment that ran far too deep within myself for agreeing to all of this.

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