MY BOSS IS A LION (5 page)

“Don’t be silly, Emma. Joe is only my boss,” she stammered.

Emma also pouted. “But you like him, don’t you Mommy?”

“He’s just my boss, sweetie. Now eat your breakfast or you’re going to be late.”

“But Joe gave me present for my birthday. Doesn’t he like me, Mommy?”

The question caught her off guard. A week ago when Rose attempted to pilfer information about his family from him, Joe cleverly deflected it and made Rose tell him about her daughters instead. Somewhere along the line, she told him about Emma’s birthday. Since her daughter didn’t have many friends yet, the party they were having was a simple family affair.

The next day, Joe showed up to work with presents for both Emma and Cassidy. Rose was floored. She hadn’t expected that Joe would care about her daughters, especially when she practically had just started working for him. Brent always forgot his own kids’ birthdays, let alone buy them presents and be there at the party. He never showed up for school programs or events, or Emma’s kindergarten graduation. He got worse at end of their marriage, as if he wanted to punish her through the children. Therefore, she couldn’t fault Emma for yearning for a replacement father figure.

Rose forced a smile into her face. “I’m sure Joe likes you very much, Emma. Otherwise, he wouldn’t get you those presents, would he?”

Emma’s face brightened. “Did you give him my thank you card, Mommy?”

“I sure did. Joe loved your drawing. He put it on his refrigerator door,” Rose lied.

“What about my card, Mommy?” asked Cassidy.

“He also put it next to your sister’s. He loved them both.”

Sensing an opening, Rose’s dad, who usually kept mum about his daughter’s personal affair also chimed in. “Why don’t you invite Joe for dinner, Rose? We’ve heard so many things about him. Your mother and I would love to meet him.”

Rose startled. “No. I can’t do that. We’re not that close, yet. Besides, he’s busy and his schedule is very erratic.”

“A man has to rest and eats sometimes! Invite him over and let him meet the girls,” her dad pressed.

“That’s a great idea, Rose,” her mom chimed in. “I’ll cook a lamb roast and make that cheesecake your father has been asking for.”

“Maybe. If he’s not busy, I’ll ask.” Rose glanced at her wristwatch. “Look at the time. I’m going to be late if I delay any longer. I see you girls, later. Mom. Dad.” Rose collected her purse and shoes and trotted to the front door. “Be good at school, Cassidy!”

“She’s an angel. Don’t you worry,” said her mom.

“Okay, bye.” Rose closed the door behind her and exhaled a deep breath. As she briskly walked to the bus stop, she couldn’t stop thinking about how nice it would be if she could really date Joe.

She knew that Joe was out of her reach. But a girl could dream, couldn’t she?

* * *

Joe was late today. He bustled in the office when Rose was having a lunch break in the kitchenette. He casually said “Hi,” as he grabbed some mineral water from the fridge. His eyes zeroed on the bowl of salad she was having. “Yogurt and salad again for lunch? Don’t you get bored having the same stuff every day?” he noted.

That was when Rose saw Joe sported a cut on his upper left eyebrow and it seemed it hadn’t been treated. “Joe!” she jumped up from her seat. “What happened?”

He blinked innocently before realizing what she meant. “This? Oh, nothing. I got into a scuffle earlier. Hazard of the job.”

“Joe!” Rose immediately fussed. “Has it been disinfected? It looks like it needs stitches!”

He touched the wound gently with his fingertips. “It’s fine, Rose. You’re making it into a big deal. Believe it or not, I heal faster than other people.”

“Still.
If it isn’t properly cared for, it’s going to fester. Let me look at it. I think I have a bandage in my purse,”   she protested.

Unexpectedly, a smile broke out on his face and her heart skipped a beat. “Thank you, Rose, that’s so sweet of you. I haven’t had anyone worry about me in a long time. But I’m fine. It’s not a big deal.”

“But—“

“I’m okay, Rose. Really.”

Rose watched him hopelessly.

She was sure that he was more than capable of avoiding danger but she hoped that Joe would take care of himself. He was too careless, in her opinion. Her thoughts drifted to the accounts she managed. She wondered what kind of people he got into scuffles with. All those big name clients. Or the subcontractors he hired. And Joe had never discussed any of it with her. It wasn’t in her job description to meddle with closed or active cases but she wished he would. She wanted to help him anyway she could. He was the best boss she’d ever had and she loved working for him.

She had no real complaints, as the pay was absolutely phenomenal and he was a great boss. In fact, she estimated that after only a few months of working there, she would have enough money saved up to move out of her parents’ house. It was difficult sometimes, working strange hours and being so wrapped up in trying to decipher exactly what kinds of things Joe actually did. It was frustrating, having to relay coded messages back and forth between Joe and his associates—all of whom she addressed via pseudonyms. She was starting to wonder if her boss’s name was really, well, his name. Everything she typed up for him was run through encryption software, rendering it nearly indecipherable to outsiders.

There was no way this was just a private eye outfit. There had to be something less mundane going on underneath its already shifty exterior. Rose didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended that Joe had picked her for the job. Did he think she was trustworthy and clever enough to take the position? Or did he think she was so dense that she wouldn’t possibly unscramble the conundrum that was his business? Joe certainly regarded her with a measure of respect, never talking down to her. He often even complimented her on her wit and ability to quickly learn new techniques.

Her mind was constantly running in circles, unable to put him out of her thoughts for very long. And at night, when she lay in bed, she allowed her mind to run wild.

He was such a mystery—the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome.

Not to mention dangerous.

That much she knew to be true, even without any detailed evidence to back it up. Not long after starting her position with Joe, she had begun to pick away at his claim that he was simply a private investigator. It was true that being a PI was a hazardous career choice. He had his associates do the research for him so he could do the bulk of the field-work himself. Constantly having to sneak around, hiding in the shadows, discovering the sleaziest back-alley deals… there was a reason why it made a good front. To the outside observer, it would appear that Joe Sanford’s injuries and his secrecy were all just part of his job investigating affairs and tailing dangerous, powerful clients.

But Rose knew it was something more than that. It had to be.
He
was more than that. She bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly, her mind conjuring an image of him in his typical work ensemble: black, black, and more black. She vividly recalled how powerful he looked even as he was sprawled out in a hospital bed the day they first met. He had been like a wounded beast: temporarily weakened but still bristling with an unspeakable wildness just itching to burst free.

She wondered what it was like when he did let loose.

Lying in bed, she sighed and reached under the sheets, her hand trailing down to the warmth between her thighs. She slipped her fingers inside her silky panties and began to gently stroke herself, thinking of Joe. She wanted so badly to feel his muscular arms wrap around her, lift her up and take her the way she knew he really could. There was so much Rose wanted to do with him.

But it was inappropriate, and she knew it.

He was her boss.

And she absolutely could not do anything to risk losing this job. It was the first streak of good luck she’d come across in a very long time and she was not about to throw it all away over a crush.

Keep yourself together,
she thought to herself as she withdrew her fingers from her aching clit and turned over in bed, willing herself to fall asleep. But even when she finally fell into unconsciousness, her dreams were filled with visions of Joe’s glistening, hard body.

Hours later, she awoke in a cold sweat, gasping as she sat up in bed. Her heart raced and she looked around, blinking in the darkness, recovering from a nightmare that was already slipping away out of memory. Rose couldn’t recall what she’d been dreaming about, only that there had been someone—no, some
thing
—chasing her.

Something big and strong and ferocious.

Something that was hungry for a taste of her blood.

She jumped in fear when the alarm clock on the nightstand went off before smacking it into silence. She took a deep breath and began her morning routine of showering, dressing, then getting the girls ready for the day.

After kissing Emma and Cassidy and waving goodbye to her parents, Rose headed off to catch the bus to work. She got into the office just as Joe was leaving for an early morning meeting of some sort.

Or at least that’s what he called it.

She somehow doubted that he would ever need to meet a client at eight in the morning, especially since as far as she knew, there wasn’t anything scheduled. Rose was the one who set up his meetings, but Joe still slipped out for last-minute engagements all the time, always tossing out some half-hearted attempt at a cover story as he waltzed out the door. It was infuriating, working for a man who kept her out of the loop so much.

But that was about to change. Because Rose had cracked the code.

On the bus to work, she’d been thinking over some of the messages she received from clients to give to Joe. And it occurred to her that there was a pattern—loose and complex, but undeniable. So as soon as her gorgeous boss slinked out the door, she immediately jumped into trying to decipher his calendar for the day. Joe was out of the office nearly all morning and afternoon and the calls were sparse, leaving Rose plenty of time to spend figuring out exactly what was going on.

Before too long, she had a time and a place.

And without even giving it too much thought, she decided to put her own intel mission into play. Rose was going to follow Joe to his meeting tonight and find out once and for all what kind of crazy business they were dealing with.

When he popped back into the office later, just before it was time to clock out for the day, Rose gave him an innocent, winning smile. “Welcome back! Busy day?” she greeted, folding her hands on the desk in front of her and cocking her head to one side.

Joe nodded as he walked by, doing a double take as his eyes fell on her. It was subtle, but Rose caught it all the same. She struggled not to blush every time his golden gaze landed on her, but it was gratifying to know that he
wanted
to look at her in the first place. After all, a guy who looked like Joe Sanford could easily get any woman he wanted with a single glance. But sometimes the way his eyes lingered on Rose’s face, her body… well, she wondered if maybe he saw in her even a hint of what she saw in him. It seemed impossible.
      

But she needed to know more about him, either way.

That night, Rose tucked the girls into bed and then put on an all-black outfit, almost like Joe’s usual attire, and she sneaked out to track him down. She waited at the office, waiting for him to leave. Then a half-hour later she went after him.

She knew the address of the warehouse he was going to, so she took a cab, then got out and walked the last few blocks until she could see Joe’s car parked in the darkness. He had to already be inside, but she couldn’t just walk in through the front door. Rose scanned the building’s perimeter, biting her lip. She was no secret agent, and this was new territory but when she spotted a ventilation opening about fifteen feet up, she made her choice. That would be her way in. And luckily, there happened to be a stack of old packing crates near the opening.

Mustering all her strength and courage, Rose took a deep breath and started the climb, the whole time questioning her own sanity.
Am I seriously about to break into a creepy warehouse in the middle of the night and crawl through the ventilation shaft just to spy on my hot boss?

It was insane. It was ridiculous. But it was definitely happening.

Definitely happening.

“All I wanted was a nice, secure job with a flexible schedule,” she muttered as she shakily reached the top of the stack and clambered into the musty, rainwater-stained ventilation shaft. Her stomach plummeted as she realized the scariest part was up next: crawling through the darkness. She quickly turned on her cell phone flashlight and sighed, moving along carefully. As she moved up the long, slight incline, she started to hear male voices somewhere vaguely below. They were discussing some deal, with the phrases “eco-freak charity case” and “sending a message to the lobbyists” being tossed around.

What the hell was she getting herself into?

She arrived at the end of the ventilation corridor abruptly, nearly falling out of the hole—now at least twenty feet above the concrete floor below!