Page 26 of The Boss Situation

I take a step closer, pinning her against the door, moving her arm above her head. As I lean forward, my mouth hovers an inch over hers. I feel the warmth of her ragged breath on my lips as I lick them. One tiny movement is all it would take to taste the champagne on Billie Calloway’s plump lips. Her eyes flutter closed, and I feel her heart still thrumming. But I don’t move. I just glare at her.

“Mmm.” My voice is a low growl. “You wanted it.”

“Gross,” she simply says, straightening her stance, and I see that flicker in her eye, the one that exposes her truths.

I lean in and whisper in her ear, “Why is your heart racing?”

“Because you’re pissing me off.”

“Liar,” I breathe out, moving toward the kitchen.

Her back is still pressed against the door. She hasn’t moved an inch since I walked away.

“So, that’s it?” she asks.

I pull a glass from the cabinet and pour a shot of bourbon. I grab the remote and sit on the couch, kicking off my shoes.

Billie moves in front of the TV as soon as it flicks on.

“We were having a conversation,” she says.

“No,weweren’t. That wasn’t a conversation.” I glare at her. “Now kindly fuck off. Pretty please, fuck off? I don’t know how to nicely ask you to fuck off, but do that immediately. Okay? F-U-C-K O-F-F. What does that spell? Fuuuuuck oooooff!”

“This is how you speak to a lady?”

“You arenolady,” I state. “Now leave, Little Calloway.” I lower my voice. “You’re drunk, and you need to go away.”

Billie makes a face like she’s offended. “You’re so disrespectful.”

“You wanted a villain, so I’m giving you one. And to think,thisis just the beginning,” I say, purposely being rude as I slam back my drink.

“The beginning of what exactly?”

“The end.”

A few seconds later, a knock rings on the door, and I hear a familiar voice call my name.

“Are you expecting someone?” Billie asks with her jaw locked.

I see something behind her eyes as I stand.

“Jealous?” I ask, moving toward the door.

Sarcastic laughter escapes her. “Absolutely not. I should send the poor girl a pity package. Must be desperate.”

“Oh, you mean how Josh was with you?”

Her smile fades.

“Doesn’t feel good, does it? You take every dig too, Ice Queen. Don’t act innocent. I know you’re fucking vicious. Just not vicious enough. I’m immune to your bullshit.”

Her eyes don’t leave me as I move out of sight. I unlock the door and step to the side as my across-the-street neighbor, Catherine, enters. Once a month, I play golf with her and her husband at one of my father’s private clubs.

We’rejustfriends. Nothing else. She is very happily married.

“Oh,hello,” Catherine says when she sees Billie in the living room, where I left her. Catherine turns back to me and waggles her brows as she hands me a bag of food. “Apologies for interrupting. Dinner is served.”

“You aren’t interrupting anything. This nuisance was on her way out,” I say, clenching my jaw. “Weren’t you?”

---