PJ Harlowe
Sitting at her desk, PJ was still brooding over the Sunshine Chronicles, as she called the incidents she had been having with Max. How could one man cause her so much anguish? Hell, they hadn’t even as much as held hands. She was so in her feelings for him that it was ridiculous. Why were all of the cute guys so much trouble?
Speaking of cute guys, she had a meeting with the devilish Chase Preston in a couple of minutes. Cute was too tame of a word to describe his sexiness. Surely that man was going to be trouble with a capital T. She had purposely delayed the meeting with him because the man was always looking at her with wolf eyes. She felt like he was undressing her in his mind each time they crossed paths. There was no way she wanted to be alone with him, but she had been alone with all the other employees. He would think she was being weird to him if she had someone else sit in. After all it was called a one on one for a reason.
PJ’s sixth sense was working overtime warning her not to trust Chase. She always listened to her second mind, as her grandma used to say. Keeping this in mind she pulled out her digital voice recorder and placed it on her desktop. She had read the employee manual and consulted with the HR manager and was informed it was within her rights to record meetings with her employees. It was clearly spelled out in their contracts that they could be recorded at any time they were on company property. There was a knocking on her door that made her heart fall to her stomach. She pressed the record button and instructed the person to enter.
“Come on in.”
“Good afternoon, Miss Harlowe. How you doing?”
Say what now? Did this fool just steal Joey’s classic line from Friends? This was going to be worse than she thought. She suppressed the groan and smiled at the man.
“Thank you for rearranging your schedule to make this meeting.”
“Of course. It was my pleasure.”
“Great, let’s get started. I have had these meetings with all of your colleagues. It looks like you’re my last one.”
“Well, you know what they say, ‘Save the best for last.’”
The handsome man smirked at his own joke and sat there with expectant eyes like he was waiting for her to laugh. PJ picked up the pair of glasses on her desk and fiddled with them. She didn’t need glasses to see better, but she liked wearing different frames as a fashion statement.
“That is yet to be determined. Now, as I stated in the conference room, this meeting is really my way of getting to know you and what skillset you bring to the job. I like for my employees to feel comfortable around me. That being said, please tell me what you see as your role here at Aston Financial and what you need from me to make your job easier.”
A lecherous smile bent the corners of Chase’s mouth as he leaned forward in the chair that he had taken before being asked. She caught a whiff of his cologne and had to fight to keep from gagging. Was that English Leather? She hadn’t smelled that since her Uncle Jack passed away.
“Well, PJ, there is plenty a woman like you can do for a man like me.”
“I’d prefer if you continued to call me Miss Harlowe. Please expound on what you meant by your last statement.”
She was writing notes on a notepad as the man talked. There were several talking points she wanted to remember to bring up when the time came. If he was saying what she thought, Chase was about to talk himself out of a job.
“I think we both know what I meant, Miss Harlowe. There’s an attraction between us. I saw it the first time we met. I think you’re sexy and I’d like to pursue a sexual relationship with you.”
“Wow! Okay, that was very clear, but let me stop you there before you take this too far.”
“You have no idea how far I am willing to go to get a taste of you.”
“Stop talking! Not another word. I am doing you a favor right now. Trying to save your job. I don’t know how generous I will be if you continue down this path. I am not interested in any type of relationship with you other than a boss/employee one.”
“What’s the issue? You’re a good-looking woman. I’m a good-looking man. Together we can be…”
“Goodbye Chase. I need you to return to your desk and do the job you get paid to do. This meeting is over.”
PJ stood from her seat, signifying that she was done with him. Chase stood too but didn’t make a move to exit her office. Was she going to have to mace this man? She’d do it. She was not afraid to spray this fool in the face and watch him grovel on the ground. In fact, it would bring her great pleasure.
As a way to claim the power in this dynamic, PJ crossed her arms over her chest. She realized too late that all that had done was manage to assist her bra in pushing up her breasts. The nasty man was getting an eyeful. He even had the nerve to lick his lips. LL Cool J he was not! That move infuriated her. Just as PJ was about to scream at him to leave, there was a knock on the door. Before she could reply, the door creaked open and there stood Max with a couple of gift boxes in his hand. She had never been so happy to see someone before.
“Max?”
PJ stood there speechless. The man was looking good enough to eat. He wore a navy suit with a pinstriped shirt and matching tie that caused her mouth to water. He looked every bit of the celebrity everyone said he was.
“Hi, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I needed to see you.”
Max flashed that charming smile that would make her do just about anything he asked. She licked her lips as she stared at his mouth. She really liked his lips. All plump and full. She wanted to feel them on hers. Were they as soft as they looked? She’s bet a hundred dollars the answer was yes. Was that a blush forming on his face? Shit, she had been staring at the man like he was ice cream on a hot summer day. Say something, stupid.
“You’re not interrupting. This meeting is over. Come on in.”