A Bargain with the Boss by Barbara Dunlop Read Free Book Online Page A

asked.
    â€œNo.”
    Though, at the moment, it felt intensely personal. His hand was still resting at her waist. The heat from his body called out to her. And his deep voice seemed to seep through to her bones.
    â€œDance with me now.”
    She steeled herself against the attraction. “The band is packing up.”
    The only music was the elevator kind emanating from the small hotel speakers on the ceiling.
    â€œWe can go somewhere else.”
    â€œIt’s late. My feet are killing me. And I don’t know why I’m giving you excuses. No. I don’t want to go somewhere else and dance with you. I want to go to bed.”
    He let a beat go by in silence. Then there was a lilt in his voice. “Okay. Sure. That works for me.”
    They came to the elevators. “Tell me you didn’t mean that how it sounded.”
    He pressed the call button. “That depends. How did it sound?”
    â€œYou can’t flirt with me, Tuck.”
    â€œAm I doing it wrong?”
    â€œThat’s not what I—”
    â€œIt was a great party, Amber. Against all odds, we got our pavilion up and running in time. The crowds have been super. And the party came off without a hitch. We even had a good sound system. Thank you for that, by the way. Can we not let our guard down and enjoy the achievement for just a few minutes?”
    â€œI work for you.”
    She needed to nip his playboy behavior in the bud. It didn’t matter that he was a charming flirt. And it didn’t matter that he was sharp and funny and killer handsome. This wasn’t a date. It was a corporate function, and she wasn’t going to let either of them forget it.
    â€œSo what?” His question seemed sincere.
    â€œSo you can’t hit on me.”
    â€œIs that a rule?”
    â€œYes, it’s a rule. It’s a law. It’s called sexual harassment.”
    â€œI’m not seriously asking you to sleep with me. I mean, I wouldn’t say no to an offer, obviously. But I’m not making the suggestion myself. Except, well, you know, in the most oblique and joking way possible.”
    Amber was stupefied. She had no idea what to say.
    The elevator door opened, but neither of them moved.
    â€œYou’re my boss,” she tried.
    â€œDixon is your boss.”
    â€œYou know what I mean.”
    â€œAre you saying I can’t even ask you on a date? That’s ridiculous. People date their bosses all the time. Some of them marry their bosses, for goodness’ sake.”
    The door slid closed again.
    She couldn’t seem to stop herself from joking. “Are we getting married, Tuck?”
    He didn’t miss a beat. “I don’t know. We haven’t even had our first date.”
    She blew out a sigh of frustration. “What I’m saying, what the law says, is that you can’t in any way, shape or form hint that my agreement or lack of agreement to something sexual or romantic will impact my job.”
    â€œI’m not doing that. I’d never do that. How do I prove it? Is there something I can sign?”
    She pressed the call button again. “Tuck, you have got to spend more time in the real world.”
    â€œI spend all my time in the real world.”
    The door slid back open and they walked inside the elevator.
    She turned to face the front. “If you did, you’d know what I was talking about.”
    â€œI do know what you’re talking about. All I wanted to do was dance.”
    The door slid shut and they were alone in the car.
    He was right. She didn’t know how the conversation had gotten so far off track.
    â€œWe don’t have time to dance,” she told him. “You need to focus on tomorrow’s meetings. You have the list, right? Did you study the files?”
    â€œI looked at them.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    â€œI scanned them. I know the basics. Besides, you agreed to be there with me.”
    â€œYou can’t