Page 8 of The Ice Queen in the Corner Office

With my one good eye, I looked up to see the bouncer who’d helped me. His nostrils flared with anger, like he had too much energy, like he wanted to punch someone.

“I don’t want to press charges,” I said. “I’m sorry for all the trouble.”

Instead of looking less angry, the bouncer’s jaw tightened and his eyes blazed fire. “You have nothing to apologize for and, if you don’t press charges, the club will. Just stay here long enough to let the paramedics look at you.”

“I’m fine.” I struggled to get to my feet while I held the ice to my eye with one hand and pushed against the arm Carrie held around my shoulders with the other. “I have an early meeting at work tomorrow. I just want to get home and—”

“She’ll stay,” Cat said, pulling me back down.

“Cat, please. I’m seriously fine.”

She sighed. “Think of it from the club owner’s perspective sweetie. If this was one of your hotels, you’d insist the patron was assessed at the scene, so they couldn’t come back later and say they’d been hurt worse than they had been and sue you, right?”

Damn it.

Normally, logic was my bread and butter, but I hated when it was used against me. “Yeah, okay.”

I looked up at the bouncer, but he was looking at Cat. The vision in my one eye was kind of blurry, so I couldn’t make out his expression, but it was clear he viewed her as the authority figure in this situation.

“Fine. I’ll stay. But I’m not going to the hospital.”

Cat patted my shoulder like I was a rebellious child. “Okay, honey.”

***

“You’re late,” Alex said.

I was standing at the front of the conference room, making notes for a meeting scheduled to start in five minutes. I’d gotten no sleep the night before. After I’d spoken to the police, the paramedics had insisted I ride to the hospital for x-rays. No broken bones, thankfully, but I had a nasty bruise that circled my eye and had spread to my left temple. I’d done my best to cover it with make-up, but I hadn’t had time to run to the store for the sort of pancake foundation that would really cover the damage.

I was unshowered, exhausted, and starving, since I hadn’t eaten since dinner the night before. To say I was a frazzled mess was putting it politely. Still, I’d been managing to stay calm and to find the confidence I needed to get me through my meeting.

The sound of Alex’s voice had my heart rate skyrocketing and my stomach roiling.

I kept my face to the computer screen as I typed notes that popped up on the smart board. “The meeting hasn’t started, yet. Everything’s under control.”

“Late night?” His voice was moving closer, so I knew he was walking farther into the room.

“This is a meeting for the accounting staff. I didn’t realize you’d be joining us.”

“I had a question for you, but you weren’t in your office when I called. You’re usually here by eight every morning, especially when you have a staff meeting. I wanted to make sure you’re not sick or something. Don’t want you bringing germs to the office and infecting the rest of us.”

I spun and gaped at him, surprised by the honest concern in his voice.

“I’m fine—”

“What the fuck happened to your face?”

He was across the room in three steps, his expression hard. Before I’d managed to catch my breath from the visual of his large, masculine form and his intense expression, before I’d registered the rage on his face, he had his hands on me. One hand was on my shoulder, while the other gripped my chin gently as he studied my bruised eye.

“I really need to get this done before everyone comes in,” I said, doing my best to ignore the way my skin felt licked by flames everywhere his fingers touched me.

“What happened?” he asked, teeth gritted.

I rolled my eyes, then winced when it hurt.

He sucked in a sharp breath and released my face. He gripped my other shoulder and led me to the table. “You should sit. Why didn’t you stay home?”

I did sit when he pushed me into a chair, because I was exhausted and I felt the need to be seated for that conversation. “Because I’m fine. I’m not going to miss a day of work over something so stupid.”

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