Dirty Little Secret: A Billionaire Romance Duet - Mika Lane Page 0,49

appeared at my desk. How the hell had I ever had a crush on such a douchebag? Another one of my lousy decisions.

“Yo, Saff. You running out for Chinese today?” he asked, running his fingers through his hair. The hair I’d once longed to touch, but which I’d now like to set on fire.

I swallowed to keep from exploding. “Don’t I go out for the Chinese food every day?”

He recoiled. “Geez, you don’t have to get so touchy. It’s just that I’m really hungry.”

Asshole.

Ed poked his head around the corner and into my cube. “Oh, Tom, didn’t know you guys were in a meeting.”

Tom jumped to attention. “Oh, hey, boss. We’re not meeting. I was just, um, saying hi.”

Ed glanced at his watch. “Well, sorry to interrupt you guys, but I gotta be across town for a meeting in thirty minutes. Saffi, do you have a moment to come to my office?”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Tom. “And Tom, can you run out and get the Chinese food today?”

Tom stood with his mouth open. I did, too, to be honest. But with Ed quickly retreating into the distance, I grabbed my resignation letter and squeezed out of my cube.

Once inside, I closed his office door behind us.

“Thanks for coming by, Saffi,” he said, gesturing toward a chair.

I swallowed hard. Was I going to be fired before I could even resign?

I held my envelope in both hands, picking at one of the corners. Ed had certainly read my draft by now, and I braced myself for the blow that was sure to come.

“So. I read your story.”

Would it be bad to just throw the letter at him and leave his office?

Instead, I nodded with my best small but professional smile. “I hope you liked it.”

Dream on, girl.

He walked around his desk to perch on its corner. With crossed arms, he looked down and shook his head.

A lump built in my throat and my thoughts jumped ahead to what my next career move might be.

Do not cry in front of the boss. Do. Not. Cry.

“I have to say, your draft blew me away.”

Oh god. He hated it.

“It was fantastic.”

“Huh?” was all I could manage.

Was he messing with me? Because it sure seemed like it.

“I don’t get it.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “What’s not to get? The work you did was fantastic. Really, really top-notch.”

Good thing I was sitting down. I glanced around for a trash can in case I could no longer keep my stomach in check. “Are you serious? You’re not joking?”

He was fucking with me. I hated him. Mean, bad man.

“Why the hell would I joke about something like this? The story’s great. All it needs is a little tweaking, and we can run it.”

The envelope I’d been holding fluttered to the floor. Before I could pick it up, Ed grabbed it.

“This for me?” he asked, seeing his name on the front. He started to open it.

“No!” I snatched it from his hands. “Um, it’s something personal. For my cousin Ed. I need to mail it later.” I crammed it in my back pocket.

“Okay. Let’s talk about what needs to be done to finish the story. I really want to get you on to your next assignment.”

He blathered on for another fifteen minutes, but to be honest I only heard about every tenth word. I nodded in agreement and even spat out a few questions that I hoped didn’t sound idiotic.

But when I returned to my cube, where my Chinese food was waiting, I knew just what I had to do.

Chapter 34

Varden

I entered the club, not entirely sure what I was doing there. I guess I just didn’t know what else to do.

I looked around the place, which exploded with endless carnal possibilities. The pre-play flirtation had always been a heady aphrodisiac, and I wove through the crowd of beautiful men and women, saying hello and shaking hands until reaching the bar.

“What may I help you with tonight?” The bartender, one I’d never seen before, wiped an invisible spot on the bar.

“Maker’s Mark with ginger. And a lime, please.”

“Coming right up, sir.”

It didn’t take long for M to appear at my flank.

“G. Wonderful to see you tonight.”

“Hi there.” After last time’s encounter, it was hard to summon any enthusiasm for the bitch.

“Can we talk?”

I sipped my drink and shrugged. “Sure.”

“In my office?” She took my hand.

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

I’d been to her office once before, a long time ago. It hadn’t changed. She closed the door