Page 10 of Blackmailing the Bad Girl

Her stomach roiled at the thought of returning to prison, acid burning the back of her throat. She wouldn’t have survived without Regan and Darcy. Only they’d be out and she’d be back inside. She couldn’t let that happen.

So whether she liked it or not, it was time to pay for her crime. And here she was, thinking she’d already paid. That she could move on with her life. She gritted her teeth. “Just tell me I won’t have to see you every day.”

“Sorry, sweetheart, but you’re my new personal assistant.” He smiled, a slow curl of his lips, and her heart stuttered, then started slamming against her rib cage.

She was in so much trouble.

But she could do this. She’d spent most of her adult life acting a part. All she had to do was convince him she was sorry—which shouldn’t be hard because she reallywassorry. In prison, she’d come to see that what she’d done was wrong. She might have convinced herself at the time that she was righting a serious imbalance in the world, but if she was totally honest with herself, after that first job, she’d done it because she enjoyed it. Loved the excitement, pretending to be someone else, the hint of danger. It had all seemed like a game. Until she’d been caught, and then it had become very real.

She’d believed she was done with the playacting. That she could spend some time and find out who she really was behind the anger and bitterness. Now it seemed she had one more role to play: Summer, the repentant. Nodding, she forced what she hoped was a remorseful smile to her lips. “Let’s go.”

She waited until he got out of the car. Grabbing her plastic bag, she slid across the seat and climbed out after him, stumbling a little. That wine had gone straight to her head.

“Are you okay?” he asked, reaching out to take her elbow.

She snatched it back. “I’m just not used to alcohol.”

He took off his glasses, hooked them in the pocket of his shirt, and frowned down at her. “You’ve lost weight.”

“The food wasn’t so good.”

“We need to fatten you up.”

He was unreal. “So you’re my doctor now as well as my goddamn social worker?”

He frowned harder, as if he wasn’t sure himself, and then turned away. She peered into the plastic bag, pulled out her purse, and tossed the bag, and the rest of its contents, into a nearby bin. Then she followed him.

They took the elevator up to the top floor. Summer stared straight ahead, but was totally conscious of the tall figure at her side. He was just so big. Or maybe she was so small. Probably a bit of both. Her mind was rambling, a combination of nerves and wine. But she’d never been comfortable around men, always felt a little inadequate. She’d come to realize it was a result of being somewhat plump in her early teens, combined with a constant bombardment of “men are evil” from her mother. Now she wasn’t plump—she’d gone from plump to skinny in a matter of months at the age of fourteen after her mother’s accident. And living in the foster home, she’d come to realize that her mother was a bitter woman and not all men were necessarily evil. But she’d never managed to overcome her shyness with the opposite sex. Except with Danny, of course, who was more of a brother to her than anything else. And with this man. The first time they’d met, she’d felt immediately comfortable with him. He’d made her forget for a while, and just live in the moment. Though maybe “comfortable” wasn’t the right word.

She was still trying to work out what the right word was when the elevator stopped and the doors slid open.

“Summer,” he prompted when she remained motionless.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out into a huge reception area. With pale gray walls and a deep blue carpet, it was all very tasteful. She’d never been up here before; the accounts department was two floors down, and there had been no reason for her to visit the executive suite. If she had, she might have caught on a little bit quicker just who Nik really was.

When she hesitated, Nik placed a hand on the small of her back, and her nerves went into overdrive. He gently nudged her toward a door across the room.

She thought it would lead into Nik’s office, but instead, they entered another spacious area with a desk sitting diagonally in the far corner, with a set of double doors to the right. The woman behind the desk was in her thirties, sleek and well dressed in a dark red suit. She smiled as Nik entered, the smile faltering as she took in Summer at his side.

“Did you get everything sorted?” he asked.

She nodded. “HR will send the contract through as soon as it’s done.”

“Good. Bring it in when you get it.” Finally, he turned to Summer. “This is Lisa Graves. She’s my personal assistant and has a family emergency.”

“Very convenient,” Summer muttered.

“Not for her sister,” he replied. “Lisa, this is Summer. She’ll be taking over from you.”

Lisa’s gaze traveled over Summer’s small jeans-clad figure, her eyes widening. “Are you sure? I can get one of the other PAs to step in.”

He grinned. “Don’t look so worried. Despite her appearance, Summer is extremely intelligent and a quick learner. You’ve got three days to get her up to speed if you want to leave Friday.”

“Two days,” Summer said.

He turned to her.

“I need tomorrow off,” she muttered. It wasn’t negotiable. She had things she had to do.

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