An Affair that Might Just Ruin Her Life

he'd grown an extra head, because C

.wh

what'? What the hell

," he grinned, then turned around and stuck out

s head in stunned sile

ured to the elevators with one hand an

h

y

o

f his very large hand pressed in the curve of my back – s

farther down as he pushed me ge

t was headed in that direction before his hand st

got a lit

bly, and we walked o

elt his fingers move away, I thought about stopping

t do it

oon as Connor pressed the UP

loor?"

3r

had was the marble foyer and Stanley's

be the spot I was standing wh

k ascent to the upper floors,

you think you are

over in surp

he hell do you

g grin. "Did I tell you befor

about to be put off. "Do you realize you

eyes, peering deep into the

asked, e

ke Klaus a

incere. No snarki

tle, surprised at t

you like Kla

aus

aze was asking for

etter judgme

Actually, no.

, satisfi

'go

ause

the butterflies in my stomach were because of the a

ented, and interesting to be wo

He broke our gaze and walked out onto the

covered

flower arrangements that would be thrown out by the cleaning staff at night. The receptionis

the night. The entire floor of cu

or Klaus," I said, pickin

d. "And y

him every day. What d

with him." Connor shook his head in exaggerated regret

tes?! Try six mo

really shouldn't be wasting your

nice, but a gir

ead scraps when you could – and s

t world you live

e like You did NOT

ds call me Connor. Kla

t suppres

I could make

ent upon not giving in that easily. He was c

he said confiden

you live in, Connor, but in mine, bre

ities others impose upon us. You've got way too much going for

ommy and Daddy Paid For My Education at Harvard

opped on a dime, caught my arm, spun me ge

is first few words, because that hand

hat. But part of my upbringing was that I learned my strengths, and I learned what I was worth

st col

t call me

n't take any crap – oh, wait, skip that last part," he said, as though

seethed inwardly a

's here to look at somebody else's business

touch a nerv

uld be so

you here,

d the empty cubicles, and shrugged. "Oh, I do

ted. "

nows look. "Maybe one day.

whole company to

said it, I wish I cou

roared wit

t other people kis

sly look down

mind kissing so

Fwoosh! All the bl

I stopped dead

" I s

ith that surprised

inappropriate, right?" I

hing even more risqué, but he surprised me by

gize. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortabl

ust' what?

what he had been going to sa

stopped and shook h

st' what?"

I want and I'm going to have fun doing it grin. It was more s

d a beat as he

y manners. I'm sorry." He went back to kidding around, and held up both arms l

still crossed, and

avior was totally inappr

arassment is, by definition

ooo want

hit back. I'm not the most sexual person in the world – at least, I don't go around making sexual jokes with strange

uy flirting openly with me, and

ll the sexual tension... or admit I was overrea

the middle, but it didn't come o

it down a little," I muttered as I

gous grin, and I felt

I'm not t

, and he knew it – b

s go look at thos

ack to my desk an

as a little u

sales: the first per

efore the customer does, it looks like he's desperate for the sale, and we all know how attractive desperation is. Whereas, if the undecided customer says something first, there's this unspoken balan

scenario

hat you have to waste a perfectly good Friday night," I said, i

believe I did

bout buying the company," I said sarc

're friends, let me put it this way instead: there are things I'm not at liberty to talk about, but you could say I'm t

buyout," I

rised. "You kn

asn't supposed

about it the last few weeks

ch

s I'm not at libe

hed. "T

aven't seen i

ween Exerton and LMGK fat cats, I had never once

mself. "Now you h

in the unbuttoned V of his

lot more of Mr. Con

rummaged around for the

ey

ooked for the keys, my rear in the air, and I w

about whether I wan

ently at the monitor, which I hadn

the numbers

C

al," I said, my chest

rough the report. "Remember, both Klaus and your CEO said you should

file it under acceptable

... that's good..." he trailed off

nd he shook his head as he kept

?" I asked

ng to make a decision. "Can I

I gue

his getting back to Klaus,

h ma

rious to say

ckass for me to pretend I had

es

Teramore. I told – uh, we convinced Teramore to let you guys make a pass at it,

t for Exerton Consulting?" I as

nod

ctual job – it

re will actually pay the bill as though it

't know we w

l.' Like how the food critic doesn't want the restau

why

the pieces fe

idering purch

was part of thei

I ga

t I'd figured

Just.

ated. And that evaluation could pote

guess we didn

rket is waaay off." He glanced over at me

es that," I said in

ned. "What

ve to double-check everything, and, well... he tends to tell

wait," he said. "D

es it was like I was defend

he thing was, Connor knew details that he shouldn't have been able to know

h time as I do babysitting for Klaus, you have to clean up a

or shook his hea

ha

t and not a junior execu

ked se

hing really, just what I've

you just showed a better grasp of the big picture than a couple of Harvard MBA's I've hired in the last month. Don't play

bout to

these things... and that scent, that masculine,

he finished up, which jo

I asked,

like Klaus. The situation should be reversed –

"In a New Y

it. My grin faded as my

uture. Somebody who could really go out there and

hint of a smile played a

's not inappropriate

ped three bea

ned in

a doofus." And with that,

tally jerked out of the s

now what he meant, I asked, "...wha

self-esteem, sells herself short and puts up with crap she shouldn't. Only doofuses work for do

ally am kind of a doofus, but I

nna Buy The Company Someday,' but I like having a roof over my head and dinner every night. It's not going to be that way forever. It's

alright... so you're just a little doofus. Come on, let's