Page 43 of Boss of Me
“Mr. Ransom?” his assistant’s voice crackles over the intercom on his desk. “Sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Kemp called to ask if he could bring a guest to dinner tonight.”
“That’s fine, Veronica.” The muscles in Gunner’s thighs flex as he hooks his foot under the desk chair and drags me closer. My body heats up as I stare into his hooded eyes.
“Call the restaurant to update the reservation,” he instructs his assistant.
“Yes, sir. Right away.”
Gunner gazes at me as the intercom goes silent.
Swallowing thickly, I lower my eyes to his Brioni loafers. “You have big feet.”
“Think so?”
“It’s not debatable. They’re huge. What’s your shoe size?”
“Fourteen.”
“Wow.” A strange knot of need tightens in my stomach. When I look up at Gunner, there’s a thoroughly wicked gleam in his eyes.
“And now you’re wondering if the old saying is true,” he taunts.
“No, I’m not.”I don’t have to wonder. I already know.“Anyway, why’d you ask me to bring you a change of clothes?” I demand, gesturing toward the closet. “You already have a bunch of suits to pick from.”
A slow, shameless grin spreads across his face. “Busted.”
“What the hell?” I sputter irately. “I wasn’t done cleaning, and now I’m gonna have to deal with rush hour traffic on the way home.”
“You don’t have to hurry back. I’m giving you the rest of the day off.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Laughter dances in those stunning blue eyes.
Still somewhat irritated, I wave my hand at him. “Do you always wear suits to work?”
He glances down at himself, his brow furrowing. “What’s wrong with that?”
“For starters, haven’t you ever heard of Casual Fridays?”
“I—”
“You’re a tech CEO. You’re supposed to wear nothing but jeans and hoodies to show everyone how cool and hip you are.”
His mouth twitches with amusement. “I travel extensively to conduct business with foreign executives who don’t observe casual dress codes. Plus my father always wore suits to the office, and I guess it left an indelible impression on me.”
I can’t help smiling at his words. “It was the same with my mother. Power suits and heels. Every day, no exceptions.”
“Yeah?” Gunner’s eyes glow with keen interest. “She’s a partner at a big law firm, right?”
I nod.
“What did she think of you moving away from home?”
I hesitate. “She thought I was making a mistake. But that’s nothing new.”
“What do you mean?”
My lips twist sardonically. “Let’s just say she doesn’t have the greatest confidence in my decision-making abilities.”
