Crazy for the Boss (Crazy in Love Book 1) by Ashlee Mallory Read Free Book Online Page A

contacts so you can stop hiding behind those glasses.”
    “You know why I wear these.”
    “Yeah, because you were the new kid on the block at the law firm and you were trying to show that by looking like a brainiac, you are a brainiac. But you’re not there anymore. You don’t have to prove anything.”
    “I beg to differ with you. Most of the executive managers are male and over fifty and think of me as some little girl playing dress-up with no knowledge of how the real world works. They’re old-school managers with old-school ideas—none of which include taking any kind of guidance or training from me. So for now, I think I’ll keep the status quo. Besides, I have no one I need to impress. Not that way.”
    “Well, tonight you’re off the clock. Why are you still hiding behind your glasses?”
    “The smoke bothers my eyes.”
    Her friends both laughed. “You do realize there’s no smoking in here.”
    “It drifts in from outside,” Quinn said, not ready to lose the fight.
    “If we’re going to hope for another round, we need to chug these down, ladies,” Anna said.
    Tess held hers up and Quinn joined her, holding her shot glass up. “To Anna. And to starting adventures.”
    Quinn threw hers back and was just swallowing the fiery liquid when a familiar face across the room had her choking, her eyes watering.
    What was he doing here? She hadn’t mentioned where she was going to him tonight, had she?
    Anna laughed, pounding her back. “You sure are a lightweight.”
    “It’s not that,” she said, still staring in disbelief. “Over there.”
    Anna and Tessa glanced over to the bar, where a group of women were fawning all over Thornhill Management’s CEO, who didn’t appear to mind.
    “Is that…?” Tess asked.
    “If you mean my boss, then yes.”
    Anna whistled under her breath. “He sure is easy on the eyes. And you get to stare at that mug every day? No wonder you work so many late nights at the office,” she said and laughed along with Tessa.
    “Not funny.” Quinn picked up her rum and Coke and took a sip. “I guess he’s kind of good-looking, in that overprivileged, inbred way. But frankly, I don’t even notice.” Not much.
    “Sure you don’t,” Anna said, not giving up.
    Almost as if his ears were burning from their conversation about him, James glanced over, pausing mid-sentence as his gazed locked with hers. She saw recognition light his eyes even from here, the way his lips quirked up in that enticing way that had her heart racing like a thoroughbred just out of the gate.
    “Oh, God. He’s coming over.”
    Had she just yelled that? From the giggles her friends were lost in, she’d venture a big yes.
    Crap, that shot was already taking effect if the way her whole body felt overheated was any indication. “Don’t let me say anything embarrass— Wait. Don’t you guys dare say anything embarrassing.”
    “No promises,” Anna teased and took a playful sip of her martini.
    “Good evening, ladies,” James said in that familiar way that told her he’d greeted many women in the same fashion. With the same grin. Don’t look directly at hi—
    “Quinn, fancy meeting you here tonight. You’re not stalking me or something, are you?”
    Too late. Damn, he looked dangerously delicious in that black tight-fitting crewneck tee that showed off every ripple of muscle. He couldn’t be here. Not when her defenses were down, not in anything other than the uniform suit and tie from the office.
    Wait. Stalked? She straightened and leveled him with a glare. “Of course not. You knew that I was going out with my friends—” She stopped when she saw him wink at Anna and Tessa, who were trying not to laugh.
    Right, he was kidding. Where had her sense of humor gone?”
    “And who might you be?” Anna asked, sounding almost convincing in not knowing him.
    “Oh. James, this is Anna and Tessa,” she said pointing to each woman. “And this…is James Thornhill. My boss.”
    “Nice to