In The Boss's Bed. J. Margot Critch

face, obviously deep in thought. He grabbed a pen and scribbled furiously on a pad of yellow legal paper in front of him, apparently caught by a moment of inspiration.

      Watching him at work, she smiled. Jamie Sellers was an impossibly good-looking man. Once again she was brought back to the night when, at the nightclub below them, she had kissed him in one of the most impulsive moments of her life. Her lips tingled and desire flushed throughout her body. Every time she thought about that kiss she had a similar reaction. But if she hoped to concentrate on anything at all this afternoon she needed to stop. Shaking herself free of the thoughts, she sighed.

      Her sigh was a little too loud, as it caught Jamie’s attention. He gazed over at her. His steel-blue eyes seemingly looking into her. “Everything okay?”

      Caught off guard, she stammered a little. “Uh, yeah, sorry. I think I just need a cup of coffee.” She recovered quickly, gesturing to the espresso machine in the kitchenette.

      “Help yourself,” he said, looking back down at his paperwork. “Do you know how to use one of those?”

      “Yeah, my parents have one just like it.” She stood. “Do you want anything?”

      “Just so we’re clear, your job isn’t to get me coffee. I can get my own coffee,” he told her, brow furrowed. “But, yeah sure, if you don’t mind.” He smiled. “A double espresso, no sugar or anything would be great. Thank you.”

      * * *

      BY THE EVENING, Jamie found himself seated at the bar of the club downstairs. He watched Trevor dry the glasses he had just pulled from the washer with a microfiber cloth. Jamie smiled at the attention to detail. Neither man could abide serving glasses that had dried water spots on them.

      “You all right, man?” Trevor asked him while he worked.

      Jamie shoved his hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just tired.”

      “How’s the new assistant working out?” he asked with a smirk.

      Jamie regarded Trevor carefully. He obviously knew that he had hired Maya. “She’s working out just fine,” he answered with a curt nod.

      “Can I get you a Coke?”

      Jamie shook his head. “Not today. I will have a finger of the Aberfeldy 21, though. Neat.”

      Raising a questioning eyebrow, Trevor reached for one of their finest scotches. “Sure, friend.” He reached for the bottle at the top of the display and carefully poured out a serving. “That’s a strange order for you. You don’t normally drink at all, let alone here. What’s up?”

      “Why does anything need to be up?” he demanded.

      “Jamie, you’re a creature of habit, some might think you’re bordering on workaholic. So, what exactly is going on here?” He leaned on the bar to come face-to-face with Jamie. “Does it have anything to do with the beautiful new assistant you hired? I heard her name is Maya Connor. Funny, that happens to be the name of the woman who kissed you right here at the bar not long ago, is it not?”

      Jamie threw back the scotch and swallowed it in one gulp. Normally, he would have enjoyed sipping such a decadent spirit, but right then he needed the fortification. “Yeah,” he sighed, the scotch burning a pleasant trail down his throat and into his stomach. “Even though you already seem to know, it is her.”

      He proceeded to tell Trevor about their encounter in Dr. Carmichael’s class and him offering her the job. “And for the love of God, could you please keep that kiss on the down-low,” he whispered and leaned in. “I don’t want anyone getting ideas about why she was hired.”

      “It’s nobody’s business, but why did you hire her?”

      Jamie was silent for a moment. Why had he hired her? He wanted to say that it was strictly professional. That he knew she would be a competent assistant and nothing more. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell his friend that. So he went with the partial truth. “She came highly recommended by Dr. Carmichael, and I trust his opinion,” he said with a wave. “What happened here that night is just a wacky coincidence. She told me that it was a dare. Her friend Abby was trying to get her to be a little wilder, so she dared Maya to kiss me. That’s all. That’s the story.”

      “Uh-huh.” Trevor stood straight, clearly unconvinced, and gestured to the empty glass Jamie had slammed down on the bar. “So, why the drink?”

      “Why can’t I have a drink in my own club?” he angrily defended himself. “I have to head back upstairs for a conference call soon, and I just wanted a quick break to relax a little. Is that okay with you?”

      Trevor smiled at his friend’s outburst. “It’s fine, dude. If anyone needs to relax a little, it’s clearly you.”