Nikolai is playing with her hair now, and she closes her eyes. He looks up at me as he speaks. “I disagree. I think he wants you to make the move because he’s the boss and it would be crossing the line for him to do it. Sexual harassment in the workplace and all. If you came on to him, he’d be right back to that night, wanting you. I bet the name thing was on purpose.”
He smiles at me, and Mel sits up.
“Oh my gosh, babe, you are so right! He doesn’t want to risk you suing him! You should go buy some hot lingerie to seduce him. Don’t you have a key to his place?”
I stare at them both, the wheels in my head turning at a million miles an hour.
Break into his home in lingerie? And what, a trench coat?
Mel laughs. “I can see your thoughts from here. Yes, it’s a little wild, but if your first night together was that good, why wouldn’t he want a repeat? Nik hit it right on the head. Mr.Bradshaw doesn’t want you to sue him. Look at it this way—he can’t sueyoufor harassment.” She gestures around the tiny apartment we share. “You have nothing.”
I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Okay...okay, but what if he rejects me?”
“He will not reject you! You are hot, and he already said yes once. Guys like to think they will play the field until they cross someone that they can’t forget. Isn’t that right, boo?”
Nikolai nods his agreement. She snuggles up to him, and he wraps his arm around her as they smooch.
I guess this means I need to go shopping.
Why doI have a friend who’s such a bad influence?
I’m wearing the crimson lace bodysuit at work under my work clothes because Mel talked me into it.
“What if you get an opportunity to show it to him?” she said.
Like that would ever happen. It’s Tuesday, and I’ve had a wedgie from the thong since I got into my car this morning. I shift in my chair, trying to find a comfortable place to sit. As soon as I have to pee, I know I’ll regret this choice even more.
I stand up to tell Mr. Bradshaw that his next appointment had to cancel, only to see him standing in the doorway.
“Miss Dawson, is my ten a.m. here yet?” His eyes travel over me as he speaks.
My cheeks have been pink all day with the embarrassment of what I’m planning to do.I can’t go through with it. There’s no way.
I shake my head as I clear my throat. “No, sir. He actually just called Cheryl to say he’s stuck behind a pileup on the interstate.He has to go straight to his next appointment, so he rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon.”
His gaze has zeroed in on my fitted white button-down shirt, tucked into a simple pink pencil skirt. He looks back up to my face before swallowing as he glances down at his watch.
“That’s great. Do you have the itinerary for the weekend?”
I nod, turning around to reach for the document I printed out earlier. I walk over to him in my stiletto heels, chosen by my roommate, who basically wants me to get firedagain.
He looks at me briefly before his eyes drop to the paper.
“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind. Come in here since we have time to go over it now.”
He turns to lead me into the office. I shut the door behind me, and in a moment of madness, I lock it.
I release a slow breath, following his footsteps to the desk.
It’s now or never. Do you want him or not?
My hand moves of its own accord to the buttons at the front of my shirt. I get two undone before he takes his seat.
“All right, we can take off the—” He looks up at me as he speaks, and I freeze in place, my hand still on the front of my blouse.
Intense green eyes take in the state of my shirt halfway open to reveal the scarlet lace underneath.
He ismotionless.
