Page 19 of The Ice Queen in the Corner Office

“It’s not boring for you?” he asked, not latching onto my compliment, as I’d expected, but continuing to be concerned about me, even after my horrible reaction to his gift.

It was becoming clear that I’d misjudged the man in every way.

I considered his question, wanting to give a fair answer. “Maybe sometimes. But, overall, I like it when everything works out and falls neatly into place. I love to see the numbers going up, the successes of the business spelled out in neat sums.” His successes, I didn’t say. The man didn’t need more of an ego boost.

“Good,” he said. “That’s good.”

He opened his mouth like he might say something else, but his phone rang, shattering the moment. He pulled his cell from his pocket and frowned at the screen.

“I’m sorry,” he said, all the sunniness gone from his face. “I have to take this.”

“Of course.” I turned and walked out, but as I was pulling the door closed, I heard his deep voice as he said. “Hey Willow. Everything okay?”

I shut the door on the conversation and resisted the urge to ask Agatha if Alex had started seeing someone named Willow.

It didn’t matter.

He could see whoever he wanted.

It was bad business to date your boss, no matter the stock options involved.

***

“Have a minute?” Alex asked, knocking on the door frame to my office.

It had been six hours since I’d seen him, since I’d laughed with him, since he’d made my heart stutter and my knees go weak.

“Sure.” I slid my laptop into my bag and stood. “I’m just heading out.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Sneaking out early?”

I smiled, not the least bit worried. “I figure I earned an early release, warden, since I put in sixty hours last week and I saved the company more than a hundred thousand dollars today.”

I’d spent the day looking over the expenditures of several of our high-end resorts and had found multiple examples of excess spending that could be cut without affecting our employees’ paychecks or our guests’ experiences. It was a whole bunch of mundane changes, like using flowers that are in season, rather than the same flowers year-round. Small things, but those small things had added up to a huge savings for the company.

He grinned. “Warden, huh? You think of this place as a prison?”

His smile was contagious, and I couldn’t help smiling back. “Only when my boss shows up and micromanages my schedule.”

“I came by to thank you for saving the company all that money, and to suggest we go out to celebrate.”

My shoulders tightened with irritation. Why did he have to keep pushing this? The more he shoved himself in my path, the more and more difficult it was becoming to remember why I needed to keep our relationship platonic. “I’m not going to date you, Alex.”

His smile didn’t falter. “It’s not a date, it’s a celebration. I’m inviting the entire accounting department. Drinks at Dempsey’s at eight.”

Why did my relief at his not asking me out feel like disappointment? I needed to get my head on straight. “Sounds great. I might be a bit late, but I’ll be there.”

“No problem,” he said. “We’ll see you when you get there.”

I followed him out of my office. “I might also be sweaty. I have a class tonight that runs until eight, so I’ll have to head over straight from there.”

“You’re taking an aerobics class?”

“I’m teaching,” I said. “A Krav Maga class.”

I’d had more free time since I’d started working for Alex’s well-oiled machine of a corporation, and I’d finally gotten my certification and started teaching a class a week at the local martial arts studio.

He stopped, his eyes lighting with interest. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any better.”

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