Page 28 of Power
My hands fisted in the sheets.
“When I finally got up to leave,” she continued, her voice tight, “he threatened to hurt my career if I didn’t come back and sit down.”
“Fucking hell.”
“I know.”
“So, what did you do?”
A dangerous smile played at her lips. “I told him if he ever touched me again, I’d break his fingers. Then I went to the bar and made a revenge list about him.”
“Jesus. You need to report him.”
Her eyes flashed, and she pulled away slightly.
“What?” I asked, though I already knew I’d stepped in it.
“Respectfully,” she bit out, “I’m perfectly capable of handling the situation myself. I didn’t confide in you to get your advice. I told you because you were curious, and, yeah, maybe it would feel good to get it off my chest. But I don’t need to be told what I should do. I’m very aware of that.”
“Yikes.” I trailed my fingers through her hair. “I really hit a nerve, didn’t I?”
Her features softened into something like regret. “I’m sorry,” she said, dropping back onto the pillow. “Hairpin trigger. I don’t like men trying to control me.”
Men trying to control me.I filed that phrase into my mind, wanting to dissect it and uncover its source, but resisting the urge. The last thing I needed to do was hit another nerve. I was having far too much fun with her to send her running for the hills.
I brushed a strand of hair from her face.
“In my line of work, people come to me with problems every moment of every day, and it’s my job to give them solutions. Knee-jerk reaction. Please disregard and accept my apology.”
Relief softened her expression. Her fingers found their way back to my chest, tracing the lines of my tattoos.
“So, what are you going to do?” I asked carefully.
“I’m going to report his ass.” After a moment, her voice softened into something that bordered on despair. “He’ll probably just say it was consensual.”
“Does your office have a no-fraternization policy?” I shifted to look at her, CEO instincts kicking in despite myself.
“Yeah. Why?”
“There’s a reason many companies strictly ban relationships between employees and enforce it,” I explained, careful to keep my tone neutral. “Fraternization causes too many problems.”
She stiffened slightly. “This wasn’t a relationship. It was harassment.”
“Exactly my point.” I caught her gaze. “That policy will work against him and in your favor. He can’t use breaking one rule as an alibi for breaking another. The moment he claims it was consensual, he’s admitting to violating company policy. Either way, he’s screwed.”
A slow smile spread across her face, and something in my chest tightened at the sight.
“Okay, that’s actually a really good point.”
“Thanks. I have them from time to time.”
But after a minute or two, her smile faded, and she sighed. “But he might claim I’m the one that came onto him. He’s the superior, so he might claim I was doing it to get something.”
I raised an eyebrow, but before I could offer any thoughts, Scarlett was already thinking out loud.
“If he does that, I’ll ask HR why I, an employee with a spotless record, would suddenly do something so out of character and appalling. I’ve worked there for years and should have significant credibility.”
“Good.” My voice dropped lower, more intimate. “And for what it’s worth, I believe you.”
