Page 13 of The Ice Queen in the Corner Office

I feigned shock and hurt. “I’m just past thirty. It’s a chick magnet.”

She picked up her notepad and made a couple more notations. If she went to HR with her list, I might actually be in some hot water, but I wasn’t too worried.

I’d make it up to her once I’d convinced her to fall in lo— In like with me. I mean once I’d seduced her into my bed, because that’s what this was about.

“Why are you in here, Alex? Do you need something business related?”

“Nope. Just wanted to show you something.”

I reached into my pocket slowly, making the move suggestive. She kept her eyes on my face, not falling for my ruse.

I turned on my phone and swiped to my photos, the continuous stream of photos that had started as soon as there was movement outside Standford’s house. The camera had been worth every cent I’d paid for it. I’d pay double for the lasting evidence of that asshole’s horror.

I handed the phone to her.

She studied the picture for a moment, then looked up at me. “Someone’s vandalized house? What’s this have to do with—”

“Keep scrolling.”

She sighed like I’d asked her to work over the Christmas holiday, but she kept scrolling. I knew the moment she got a good look at the scum sucker, because her whole body tensed, and she stared at the picture for several long minutes. She raised her head and looked up at me. “What is this? Did you do this?”

That wasn’t the reaction I’d been expecting, but I didn’t let my surprise show. “I’m just showing you some pictures, Jill. I’m not saying I did anything.”

“Is this some gambit to convince me to buy the stock and climb into your bed?”

I lost my cool for just a second, because her words felt like a punch to the gut. I took a breath and made sure the hurt and shock was cleared from my expression before I stood and took the phone from her hand. “Whoever did this was doing it to get you some payback for the way that jerk hurt you. If whoever did this did it to manipulate you in any way, especially to get you into bed, they’d be no better than the prick who hit you. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Her composure slipped, but I couldn’t decipher her expression, didn’t care to figure out what she was thinking. The fact that this was the way she really thought of me it…Well, it made me realize I’d been wrong about her.

“Alex, I—”

I didn’t want to hear it. “Got to get to a meeting,” I said. “You have yourself a nice weekend, Jill.”

“Alex, wait…”

But I was gone. Back to my office. Where I would finally get my shit together and get the hell over her.

“Agatha,” I said, when I reached my assistant. “I’m going to be in meetings all day. Hold my calls. I’m not to be disturbed.”

I spoke to her in my curtest, hardest tone, but she didn’t flinch.

“You only have one meeting today. The rest of your day is cle—”

I slammed my office door on her words. I wanted to be alone.

I picked up my phone and I sank into a conference call and I tried not to think about Jill or the things she’d said. It didn’t matter. I should be glad she was a shallow woman who’d judged me without bothering to get to know me.

In the past I’d been judged because I’d grown up poor in a bad neighborhood. But Jill didn’t know those things about me, she’d just decided I was the kind of guy who’d try to manipulate her to…

It didn’t matter. I was better off. She’d made it clear before she wasn’t interested, and I’d heard what I’d wanted to hear.

Now, there was no misunderstanding.

I got it.

After work I went to the gym. I pushed myself to lift heavier, lift cleaner, and I didn’t think about the distaste in Jill’s eyes when she’d taken my gift and called it poison. It didn’t matter what I did, she didn’t see me. She saw a shallow, manipulative jerk in a suit.

I finished my workout and then I took a long run around my neighborhood.

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