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

defer to your assistant when you’re meeting with owners and executives of billion-dollar companies.”
    â€œI’ve been busy. I had to work some things out with Lucas. And then I took your advice and interviewed Hope.”
    â€œYou did?” Amber was glad to hear that.
    â€œYes. I liked her. I’m going to give her more responsibility.”
    â€œThat’s good.”
    â€œSo forgive me if I didn’t find time to memorize the details of thirty client files.”
    Amber was tired, but she shook her brain back to life. Thank goodness she’d said no to the second glass of champagne.
    â€œWe’ll go over them tonight,” she told him.
    He glanced at his watch.
    â€œUnless you want to get up at 4:00 a.m. and go over them in the morning.”
    â€œFour a.m. is a late night, not an early morning.”
    â€œYou’re starting with a breakfast meeting.”
    â€œI know. Who set that up? Breakfast meetings are evil. They should be banned.”
    The elevator came to a stop on the top floor.
    â€œLet’s get this over with,” Amber said with resignation.
    Together, they walked the length of the hall to Tuck’s suite. She’d been in it yesterday, so she knew it wasn’t a typically intimate hotel room.
    The main floor was a living area, powder room and kitchenette. You had to climb a spiral staircase to even get to the bedroom. According to the floor plan sketched on the door, there was a whirlpool tub on the bedroom terrace, but she had no intention of finding out in person.
    As she set her clutch purse down on a glass-topped table and slipped off her shoes, her phone chimed. Curious as to who would text her at such a late hour, she checked the screen.
    She was surprised to see it was her sister.
    Jade lived on the West Coast and only contacted Amber if she needed money or was having an emotional crisis. It was uncharitable, and maybe unfair, but Amber’s first thought was that Jade might be in jail.
    â€œAre you thirsty?” Tuck asked, crossing to the bar.
    Amber sat down on a peach-colored sofa. It was arranged in a grouping with two cream-colored armchairs in front of a marble fireplace.
    â€œSome water would be nice,” said Amber, opening the text message.
    â€œWater? That’s it?”
    â€œI’d take some fruit juice.”
    I just hit town , Jade’s text said.
    â€œYou’re a wild woman,” said Tuck.
    â€œI’m keeping my wits about me.”
    Which town? Amber answered her sister.
    â€œIn case I make a pass at you?” asked Tuck.
    â€œYou swore you wouldn’t.”
    â€œI don’t recall signing anything.”
    Chicago.
    What’s wrong? Amber typed to her sister.
    Nothing all good. Well, dumped boyfriend. Jerk anyway.
    â€œAmber?” Tuck prompted.
    â€œHmm?”
    â€œI said I didn’t sign anything.”
    She glanced up. “Anything for what?”
    He nodded to her phone. “Who’s that?”
    â€œMy sister.”
    â€œYou checked out there. I thought it might be your boyfriend.”
    â€œI don’t have a boyfriend.” She absently wondered what she’d ever said or done to make Tuck believe she had a boyfriend.
    I’m in New York City , Amber typed to Jade.
    â€œGood,” said Tuck in a soft tone.
    A shimmer tightened her chest.
    I was hoping to crash with you for a couple of days , Jade responded.
    Amber’s fingers froze and she stared at the screen.
    â€œWhat does she say?” asked Tuck, moving closer.
    â€œShe wants to stay with me.”
    â€œIs that bad?”
    â€œShe’s not particularly...trustworthy.”
    Jade was constantly in and out of low-paying jobs, and in and out of bad relationships. The last time she’d stayed with Amber her sister had prompted a noise complaint from a neighbor, drunk all of Amber’s wine and left abruptly without a goodbye, taking two pairs of Amber’s jeans and several of her